Subscribe and prepare to learn something you absolutely did not know existed.
In this Niche Scientists minisode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss dives into one of the strangest—and most important—jobs in science: whale earwax archivist.
Yes. That’s a real thing.
Certain whales build massive earwax plugs over their lifetime, adding a new layer every six months. And scientists have learned how to read those layers like tree rings—revealing a whale’s age, stress levels, exposure to pollution, and even the history of human impact on the ocean.
🐋 What whale earwax is actually made of
📏 Why these plugs can grow over 10 inches long
🧪 How scientists read them like biological timelines
🌍 What they reveal about climate change, pollution, and industrialization
📉 And why whales are basically the ocean’s canaries in a coal mine
It’s gross. It’s fascinating. And it turns out to be one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding long-term ocean health.
🎧 This episode is part of our Niche Scientists minisode series—short episodes spotlighting the wildly specific research that quietly changes how we understand the world.
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