This Rare Earth Metal Repels Sharks
Clip: Season 39 Episode 6 | 1m 19sVideo has Closed Captions
This is kryptonite for sharks. (2012)
Sharks are known to be sensitive to the electrical fields of magnets, but surprisingly, this non-magnetic rare earth metal repels them.
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This Rare Earth Metal Repels Sharks
Clip: Season 39 Episode 6 | 1m 19sVideo has Closed Captions
Sharks are known to be sensitive to the electrical fields of magnets, but surprisingly, this non-magnetic rare earth metal repels them.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Bryce was searching for the next great shark repellent when he made an accidental discovery that looks like it'll be good news for both man and fish.
(upbeat music) Step one, capture a shark.
Dude, you just cut a shark with your bare hands.
Then flip the shark upside down, which induces a trance state called tonic immobility.
Once the shark is calm, we test its reaction to a piece of ordinary non-magnetic lead.
- Cover up her eyes.
- So it's not a visual thing.
Using a shield to make sure that the shark can't see the metal, I bring it close.
- No reaction.
- None at all.
As expected.
Next, a non-magnetic piece of Samarium, a rare earth element.
The expectation was that because it's non-magnetic, there would be no reaction.
Oh man, she.
- She didn't like that at all.
- This is like kryptonite for sharks.
- Yes, it is.
- Wow, that's amazing.
- It woke her up and drove her crazy.
- [Bryce] Yep.
- So the idea is you could make what out of this stuff?
- Well, the idea is that it's not magnetic.
So we could potentially incorporate it to a fishing hook, and then you have something that repels sharks, (lightning buzzing) but doesn't have the magnetic property, so it won't tangle the gear and stuff like that.
Video has Closed Captions
Marine biologist Patrick Rice is using rare earth elements to repel sharks. (6m 48s)
Video has Closed Captions
A two-hour special from the producers of "Making Stuff" (4m 10s)
Video has Closed Captions
Watch David Pogue's hilarious out-takes from NOVA's "Hunting the Elements." (2m 46s)
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.