Radiolab - The Darkest Dark | Radiolab Podcast
The discussion begins with Sønke Johnsen, a biologist, describing the profound darkness experienced at sea and how it led him to study ultra-black fish. These fish, like the dragonfish and anglerfish, have evolved to be incredibly dark to avoid detection in the deep sea, where light is scarce. Johnsen explains that these fish are as dark as Vantablack, a man-made substance known for its light-absorbing properties. The fish's skin contains densely packed melanosomes that scatter and absorb light, making them nearly invisible. This adaptation is crucial for survival, as it helps them avoid predators and catch prey. The episode also touches on the broader implications of this research, including potential applications in technology, such as improving solar cells and camera equipment. Johnsen's journey to understand these fish led him to study butterfly wings and even the moon's surface, revealing the complex interplay of structure and pigment in creating ultra-blackness.
Key Points:
- Ultra-black fish have evolved to be nearly invisible in the deep sea, using densely packed melanosomes to absorb light.
- These fish are as dark as Vantablack, reflecting almost no light, which aids in avoiding predators and catching prey.
- The study of these fish has implications for technology, such as enhancing solar cells and camera equipment.
- Understanding the structure of ultra-blackness involved studying butterfly wings and lunar soil, highlighting the role of microscopic structures.
- The research underscores the intense evolutionary pressure in the deep sea to develop effective camouflage.
Details:
1. 🎙️ Radiolab Introduction
- The introduction serves as a setup for the Radiolab episode, but it doesn't contain specific, actionable insights or metrics that can be directly applied.
2. 🌌 Encountering Darkness at Sea
- The darkness at sea, especially on cloudy nights, is described as the darkest place on the planet, offering a profound sensory experience.
- Turning off the ship's lights results in complete darkness, which can be both astonishing and unsettling, creating a unique presence or sensation.
- This profound darkness evokes an ancient terror, as if the darkness itself is asking something of the observer, highlighting a deep emotional and psychological impact.
3. 🚢 Life on a Research Ship
- Only 1 out of 100 people desire to return to sea after experiencing it due to challenges like seasickness, regimented schedules, and compact living conditions.
- Life on a research ship is highly regimented, with predetermined meals and living spaces that are often extremely compact.
- The industrial environment on a ship lacks greenery and is permeated by a strong diesel smell from the engines, making it more akin to a factory than a cruise.
- Research activities on the ship include deploying large nets to depths of nearly 10,000 feet, allowing scientists to study marine life in extreme conditions.
- These research efforts are crucial for understanding deep-sea ecosystems, despite the challenging living conditions aboard.
4. 🐠 Discovering Deep Sea Creatures
4.1. Bioluminescence in Deep Sea Creatures
4.2. Challenges in Photographing Deep Sea Creatures
4.3. Unique Adaptations of Deep Sea Species
5. 🔍 The Quest for Understanding Darkness
- The fish discussed are the darkest things measured on the planet, about a hundred times darker than typical dark objects such as a new automobile tire.
- These fish are as dark as Vantablack, the blackest known technological substance, which absorbs nearly all light and appears like a black hole.
- Natural selection pressures have led these fish to evolve to be three to four times as black in areas around their bioluminescence, indicating intense evolutionary pressure to improve camouflage.
- The challenges with Vantablack, such as dust accumulation and application difficulties, contrast with the fish's natural ability to remain robust and functional while being incredibly dark.
6. 🦋 Exploring Nature's Blackest Black
6.1. Introduction to Black Fish
6.2. Butterfly Wings and Blackness Structure
6.3. Physics of Color
6.4. Fish Structure and Mathematical Discovery
7. 🔬 Scientific Implications and Engineering Applications
7.1. Light Absorption and Engineering Applications
7.2. Challenges in Photography and Biological Adaptations
7.3. Ecological Significance of Coloration Studies
7.4. Perception and Biological Reality of Darkness
8. ✨ Reflections on Darkness and Light
- Blackness is not an emptiness but has an incredible presence, described as the ultimate substance.
- Dragonfish are not the fish with retractable fangs; that is the fangtooth fish.
- Fangtooth fish, along with dragonfish, are some of the darkest creatures measured on the planet.
- Ultra-black has been observed in insects and birds as well.
- New man-made substances are now darker than Vantablack.