The “extreme” beat: whale hearts, mudslides, and more

What’s the slowest heartbeat on the planet? What’s it like to live with zero sunlight? 

If you’ve ever picked up a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, you know that people are drawn to extremes, be they geographical, philosophical, or biological. 

So this week, we’re cracking open the Outside/Inbox to answer your questions about the outer limits of life on Earth. We’ll learn about how landslides are way more common than you might think, why frogs are practically undead, and how researchers stay motivated through an Antarctic winter. 

Submit your own question (the weirder the better) on Instagram, via email at outsidein@nhpr.org, or by calling our Outside/Inbox hotline: 1-844-GO-OTTER. 

Question 1: How low can an animal’s heartbeat go? 

Question 2: What happens to your body if you get ZERO sunlight?

Question 3: Is climate change making landslides happen more often? 

Question 4: What is a “wet-bulb” temperature? 

Featuring: Carmen Possnig, Kira Mauseth, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Daniel Vecellio, and Avikal Somvanshi.

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CREDITS

Host: Nate Hegyi

Reported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Felix Poon

Editing by Taylor Quimby with help from Justine Paradis

Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer

Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio

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