Episode #123014: How Sea Monsters Work

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Legends of sea monsters are as old as humanity, and some ancient cultures even credited with creating the universe. Even today when the sea washes something odd ashore we see monsters - we understand there's much more than appears above the surface.

AI Summary

In this Stuff You Should Know episode, Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating world of sea monsters and explore why humans have been spotting these mysterious creatures for thousands of years. They examine how ancient myths like the Kraken, Leviathan, and various sea serpents might actually be based on real encounters with giant squids, whales, and other marine life that sailors didn't understand at the time. The hosts also discuss how sea monster legends might have served as cautionary tales to keep people away from dangerous waters, and how the discovery of dinosaur fossils contributed to dragon and serpent myths across different cultures.

Movies Discussed

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

1954 2h 7m

★ 7.1

"20,000 leagues under the sea, I think Jules Verne — Josh references the Jules Verne story while discussing sea monster literature." — Josh

Clash of the Titans

1981 1h 58m

★ 6.9

"Harry Hamlin. Yeah. Who it was. Yeah. I never saw the remake of that — Chuck mentions the actor from the original film while discussing the Perseus myth." — Chuck

H.R. Pufnstuf

1969

★ 7.0

"Oh, HR Puff and stuff. Yeah, Sigmund, The Sea Monster — Chuck mentions this Sid and Marty Krofft show while discussing their various productions." — Chuck

Mr. Show with Bob and David

1995

★ 7.6

"you've seen the Mr. Show state of drug, you too, Sid's one there — Josh references a specific sketch from Mr. Show that parodies Sid and Marty Krofft." — Josh

Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

1973

★ 5.4

"that was Sigmund, The Sea Monster. Did you watch that show? — Josh references this Sid and Marty Krofft children's TV show while mentioning imaginary characters." — Josh

Splash

1984 1h 50m

★ 6.3

"if you've seen Splash, you think, well, what a neat thing to find a mermaid — Josh references the Tom Hanks mermaid movie while discussing mermaid mythology." — Josh

Taken

2008 1h 34m

★ 7.4

"that very particular set of skills was also a big thing for six months — Josh references the famous line from Taken while discussing memorable movie quotes." — Josh

Taken 2

2012 1h 31m

★ 6.4

"Did not see this sequel, though. Taken to Electric Boogaloo — Josh jokes about not seeing the Taken sequel." — Josh

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991 2h 17m

★ 8.1

"He took away a bit of my soul with every movie he's made since Terminator 2 — Josh criticizes James Cameron's later films while praising this earlier work." — Josh