
The singing sand dunes of the Sahara
11/28/19 • 28 min
13 Listeners
Welcome to another episode of the BBC Earth Podcast; the podcast that delves deep into nature’s great mysteries and surfaces the unknown.
This week we’re telling stories of the unexpected, stories which seem too astounding to be true. Journey with us to the Sahara where the sand is known to sing; deep, bassy sounds that reverberate as the millions upon millions of grains fall down the dunes. From the unknown cause of these sounds to the unknown status of a species, let us take you back to the 1930s, when the Tasmanian Tiger was confirmed “extinct”. Unlike the tiger you have pictured in your imagination, this one was more dog-like, with stripes across its back and a tail not dissimilar to that of a kangaroo. There have supposedly been 8 sightings of this creature in the last 3 years, suggesting science should not give up on it just yet...
Should these stories leave you perplexed, just wait until you hear from Doug Larson who was the first to discover an ancient forest, undisturbed since deglaciation. These 700 year-old trees had never been found by humans until Doug came along.. Mind. Blown.
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know what you thought of this week's episode on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcearth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbcearth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to another episode of the BBC Earth Podcast; the podcast that delves deep into nature’s great mysteries and surfaces the unknown.
This week we’re telling stories of the unexpected, stories which seem too astounding to be true. Journey with us to the Sahara where the sand is known to sing; deep, bassy sounds that reverberate as the millions upon millions of grains fall down the dunes. From the unknown cause of these sounds to the unknown status of a species, let us take you back to the 1930s, when the Tasmanian Tiger was confirmed “extinct”. Unlike the tiger you have pictured in your imagination, this one was more dog-like, with stripes across its back and a tail not dissimilar to that of a kangaroo. There have supposedly been 8 sightings of this creature in the last 3 years, suggesting science should not give up on it just yet...
Should these stories leave you perplexed, just wait until you hear from Doug Larson who was the first to discover an ancient forest, undisturbed since deglaciation. These 700 year-old trees had never been found by humans until Doug came along.. Mind. Blown.
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know what you thought of this week's episode on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcearth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbcearth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode

The music that makes camels cry
This week we are telling stories from the wilderness. Stories of scale, vast expanses, extreme conditions, little known corners of the planet and the sparsest environments. We begin in Alaska, with the tale of an unbreakable bond between a dogsled racer and her pack, who travel huge distances across rugged terrain. Diving deep to the ocean floor, we join Deep Sea Biologist, Diva Amon, to discover new species and understand the threats that lie beneath. Meet the camera operators who filmed flightless birds that resemble dinosaurs for Seven Worlds, One Planet and hear the magical music that helps camels through birth and makes them shed a tear or two.
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know what you thought of this week's episode on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcearth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbcearth
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Next Episode

Frozen squirrels and the human brain
For the seventh episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re bringing your stories about adaptation. Did you know, during its 8 month hibernation, the Arctic ground squirrel can survive with a core temperature of 3 degrees below freezing? Scientists have been studying this astounding little rodent’s long, cold sleep to understand whether its hibernation can help revolutionise understanding of our own brains. We also meet the ‘Lightning Bug Lady’ Lynn Faust who has studied fireflies her entire life and tells us about the beautiful display these creatures put on, when trying to attract a mate. We speak to a man who describes nature’s resurgence following the catastrophic nuclear disaster in Chernobyl and get to grips with some surprising silver linings to a human catastrophe.
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know what you thought of this week's episode on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcearth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcearth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbcearth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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