Dubsmith

Nature

5 episodes about nature, each with its video and sources.

  1. Episode 07Science Why Do Ski Resorts Store Snow Under Sawdust? Resorts make snow in deep winter, when it's cheap, and bury it under 30 to 40 cm of wet sawdust. About three-quarters of it survives the summer. Here's why. 7 min read
  2. Episode 06Culture Chrysanthemum Meaning: Graves in France, Emperor in Japan In Japan the chrysanthemum is the emperor's crest; in France it's the flower of the dead. One emperor's choice and the length of the night explain the split. 7 min read
  3. Episode 05Nature How Did One Snake Wipe Out Guam's Forest Birds? The brown tree snake reached Guam around 1950, hid in plain sight and ate 10 of its 12 forest bird species. Here's how, and why the fix came by parachute. 7 min read
  4. Episode 03Nature How Do the Swiss Know When a Glacier Will Fall? 250,000 tonnes of ice hangs above Randa, sliding up to 20 cm daily. Nobody can name the day it falls, but the Swiss watch it speed up and a radar shuts the road. 6 min read
  5. Episode 02Nature Why Did a Japanese Town Pay ¥100 for Each Beetle? Kawajima paid ¥100 per dead beetle and ran out of money in 45 days. The invasive beetle kills cherry trees from inside, and summer is the only time to catch it. 6 min read