Unlocking the Mystery of Loch Ness | Monstrum

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Fewer monsters are more beloved than the Loch Ness Monster, more affectionately called Nessie. Descriptions of the water creature range from everything to sea-serpents and giant fish to the more popular depiction of a Jurassic era beast with a long neck and flippers. But is there really something giant and mysterious swimming in the depths of the lake? And why do we care anyway ?

While reported sightings of a mysterious creature in Loch Ness go back hundreds of years, it received little global recognition until the 1930s. Historical records, newspapers articles, blockbuster films, and advanced scientific technologies all play a role in this story. Watch this episode to find out what theories have been disproven—and what questions are still unanswered. In a world of science and reason, does Nessie still offer us the possibilty of something extraordinary? #LochNess #Nessie #MonstrumPBS


Written and Hosted by: Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor: Derek Borsheim, Sara Roma
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

The world is full of monsters, myths, and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster in each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans' unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature, and film and digs deep into the history of those mythologies.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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Jylkka, Katja. “‘Witness the Plesiosaurus’: Geological Traces and the Loch Ness Monster Narrative.” Configurations, vol. 26, no. 2, 2018, pp. 207-234.

“Loch Ness Monster may be a giant eel says scientists.” BBC News, Sept. 5, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-....

Loxton, Daniel, and Donald R. Prothero. Abominable Science! : Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids, Columbia University Press, 2013.

Scott, Peter and Robert Rines. “Naming the Loch Ness monster.” Nature, 258, 1975, pp. 466-68.

“The Loch Ness ‘Monster.’” Nature, Dec. 16, 1933, pp. 921.

“The Loch Ness ‘Mystery.’” Nature, Jan. 13, 1934, pp. 56.

“The Loch Ness ‘Monster.’” Nature, Nov. 17, 1934, pp. 765.