Episode 130: In Plain Sight

Before cell phones and internet access, learning about the world around us took a lot of time. Along the way, there would be gaps in our knowledge—holes that human cultures tended to fill with folklore. And while the creatures they invented to fill those gaps were amazing, it’s how close they often got to reality that makes those stories truly frightening.

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Further Reading

1. Jan Bondeson, The Feejee Mermaid and Other Essays in Natural and Unnatural History (Cornell University, 1999) pp. 38-45, 163-190.
2. "The real-life origins of the legendary Kraken," The Conversation, December 30, 2015, https://theconversation.com/the-real-life-origins-of-the-legendary-kraken-52058.
3. "How many species on Earth? About 8.7 million, new estimate says," Science Daily,  August 24, 2011 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823180459.htm.
4. "20,000 Species Are Near Extinction: Is it Time to Rethink How We Decide Which to Save?," National Geographic, August 16, 2013, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131216-conservation-environment-animals-science-endangered-species.
5. "Manatees Explained: Inside The Slow-Paced Lives Of "Sea Cows"," National Geographic, date unknown, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/manatees.
6. "Platypuses are full of mystery," Science News, December 3, 2014, https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/wild-things/platypuses-are-full-mystery.
7. "Unlocking the mystery of the duck-billed platypus' venom," Science Daily, January 15, 2010, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172254.htm.
8. "The Effects of Platypus Venom," Sciencing.com, October 16,2018, https://sciencing.com/effects-platypus-venom-8190745.html.
9. "Medieval Monsters," British Library, 30 Apr 2015, https://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/medieval-monsters-from-the-mystical-to-the-demonic.
10. "History of the Manuscript," Aberdeen University, date unknown, https://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/history.php.
11. "On the Trail of the Warsaw Basilisk," Smithsonian, July 23, 2012, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/on-the-trail-of-the-warsaw-basilisk-5691840.
12. "Basilisk Legend," WarsawTour.com, date unknown, https://warsawtour.pl/en/the-basilisk-legend.
13. "Basilisk Lizard," National Geographic, date unknown, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/g/green-basilisk-lizard.
14. “Komodo Dragon,” Smithsonian's National Zoo, date unknown, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/komodo-dragon.
15. "Komodo Dragon — The Big Lizard of Komodo Island," About Animals, date unknown, https://www.aboutanimals.com/reptile/komodo-dragon.
16. "Venom is key to Komodo dragon's killing power," New Scientist, May 18, 2009, https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17156-venom-is-key-to-komodo-dragons-killing-power.
17. “Once Upon A Dragon,” National Geographic, date unknown, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2014/01/komodo-dragons.
18. Patrick G. Cain, Komodo Dragon, (ABDO Publishing, September 1, 2014), p. 27.