Something Offbeat

On this episode of Offbites, Lauren and Chris discuss the otters who attacked a woman out for a jog, ask how many people is too many people in space, and the dog capturing people's hearts on a beach in Brazil.

Vampires are spooky, bacteria can be scary… and when you put them together? Things get a bit spooky-scary. New research published earlier this year reveal that some bacteria actually act like vampires. That is, they thirst for human blood and will feed on it when the chance arrives. Dr. Arden Baylink of Washington State University, the lead author of the study, joined Mike Rogers on the “Something Offbeat” podcast to explain.

Lauren and Chris are finally back with another episode of Offbites. This week, they discuss their Brat summers, the most unattractive qualities in the opposite sex, and say goodbye to a fast food sandwich staple.

For our second anniversary this summer, we’re looking back at one of our first episodes!

ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION:

Remember the fun of naming your pet? Now, imagine taking on the task of naming an entire species. Earlier this year, Dr. Christopher Whalen of Yale University got that chance. This week on Something Offbeat, we talk to Whalen about his discovery – an ancient ancestor of the octopus that he named after President Joe Biden – and to Dr. Brittany Kenyon-Flatt of North Carolina State University about the history behind scientific names.

According to a study released this summer, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago likely helped grapes flourish in the Western Hemisphere. While there may not be a direct correlation between dinosaurs and grapes, Monica Carvalho, the assistant curator at the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan and co-author of a study tracing the origins of grapes in our hemisphere, explains what new grape seed fossils discovered in South America reveal.

This Friday marks the 47th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death at age 42, which means that it is Elvis Week, a weeklong celebration of the late King of Rock and Roll at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn. Presley may have left Earth decades ago, but he’s still a household name and an enduring American icon. More than that, Audacy reported earlier this year that fans are still paying big money for Elvis memorabilia – $150,000 for a pair of his blue suede shoes. Why has our love for Elvis stood the test of time? We reached out to Sally Hoedel, author of “Destined to Die Young” and other books about the King to find out.

We love spicy food here at “Something Offbeat”. Sometimes, when the heat is intense, things can get scary. In one case, a spicy chip social media challenge has even been linked to the death of a teen. This week, we talked with Dr. Paul Terry, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. He helped us explore the risks and benefits of eating food with lots of spice.

The Catholic church decided earlier this summer it would canonize the first Millennial saint. Carlos Acutis, an Italian teenager who died in 2006, was credited with a second miracle in May by Pope Francis.

To learn more about the canonization process, the novelty of such a young saint, and saints from the United States, Something Offbeat welcomed Dr. Kathleen Cummings, a professor of American studies and history and Notre Dame and the author of the book – A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American.

Elon Musk’s project Neuralink has been bringing a concept that seems out of science fiction, brain implants that allow users to control tech, into reality. So far, the company has implanted the device into a subject with quadriplegia. While he was able to do things like play online chess, he then lost some of the ability when parts of the device slipped out of place. This all begs questions about safety, ethics and the future of the human relationship with technology. Our team at “Something Offbeat” reached out to two experts – L. Syd M. Johnson, associate professor of bioethics and humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and science journalist Faye Flam – to dive into them.