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Cephalopods have a reputation for being smart and majestic. And while that may be true, the life of a cephalopod can also be dark and gritty. Have you heard of octopus death spirals? How about cephalopod cannibalism?
Host Flora Lichtman is joined by cephalopod experts Heather Judkins and Z. Yan Wang for a conversation about the weirdest parts of being a cephalopod, and to answer some listener questions.
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Segment Guests
Z. Yan Wang
Dr. Z. Yan Wang is an assistant professor of Psychology and Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.
Heather Judkins
Dr. Heather Judkins is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.
About Imaan Moin
Imaan Moin is an associate producer for Science Friday. She particularly enjoys super-small science stories (especially about microbes and biomolecules), but she’s always up for talking about Texas and how everything is bigger there.