Swamp lights and bat sight

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, researchers explore two spooky mysteries: the source of will-o'-the-wisps and how bats integrate vision with echolocation.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00 ] Introduction
•[00:58 ] Richard Zare's background and expertise.
•[01:26 ] Richard, have you ever seen will-o'-the-wisps in the wild?
•[01:31 ] What did we already know about will-o'-the-wisps before your study?
•[02:42 ] How could water droplets ignite methane?
•[03:24 ] Tell us about the methods of your study. How did you explore this phenomenon?
•[04:17 ] What are the broader implications of your findings, beyond just will-o'-the-wisps?
•[05:20 ] What are the caveats or the limitations of the study?
•[05:40 ] Laura Stidsholt's background and expertise.
•[06:06 ] Laura, what can you tell us about the species you studied?
•[06:25 ] What instruments did you attach to the bats?
•[07:03 ] How did the bats' echolocation behavior compare in dark versus lit environments?
•[08:14 ] What do the results suggest about the benefits of integrating information from multiple senses while hunting prey?
•[08:58 ] What do the results imply about the potential impact of artificial light on bats?
•[09:43 ] Final thoughts and conclusion.

About Our Guests:
Richard Zare 
Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science 
Stanford University

Laura Stidsholt 
Assistant Professor 
Aarhus University

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2521255122
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2515087122

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