G'day! ABC science reporter Jacinta Bowler landing in your inbox once again.
Picture a shark for me. Any shark species is fine.
What does their skin feel like?
I know it's hard to get past their rows of teeth or little eyes, but their skin is pretty extraordinary too.
Personally, I thought shark skin would feel like a dolphin's, slippery and ridiculously smooth.
It turns out that is very wrong. Shark skin is covered in tiny V-shaped scales called dermal denticles which reduce drag and friction.
But it also makes their skin feel kind of like sandpaper.
Busting more shark misconceptions is the team behind the Radio National program What the Duck?!, who released the first episode of a brand new series called "Hollywood lied to us".
The series will look at movies' most famous animals, with a scientist confirming if there are any facts to the stories at all.
First up, they investigated what Spielberg got right (and wrong) about great white sharks in the iconic blockbuster Jaws.
And it turns out that one particular fictitious shark trait still has dramatic implications for shark populations in Australia today.
Environment reporter (and my newsletter co-writer in crime) Peter de Kruijff also has sharks on his mind. He looked at research which found 35 freshwater fish may need to be added to the national threatened species list.
Sharks unfortunately were included, with bull sharks proposed to be added to the list. The article also examined how we should treat invasive species such as trout and carp.
For something completely different, technology reporter James Purtill checked out a new type of technology being rolled out for electric cars that could update the way Australia's energy grid works.
As always, send us an email with any feedback. We love to hear from you.
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