I would guess that if you asked someone on the street which dinosaur scared them the most, they’d say either T. rexOpens in a new tab or the dreaded velociraptor (or more technically, the genus Velociraptor). Thanks to pop culture, the animal has become a go-to example of a formidably fast, cunning, Jell-O-shaking predator. But you’re never going to find Velociraptor on the street, or anywhere (alive). So how can we ever really know if the creatures lived up to the hype? Science.[brightcove video_id=”5987287245001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]
If we want to put ourselves up against Velociraptor, we’re going to have to go where they are. We can’t go back to the late cretaceous period…but we can in my latest episode of Because Science.Opens in a new tab
Opens in a new tabWe are going to evaluate the traits of real Velociraptor as scientists understand them, as compared to the pop culture raptors that we all have in our heads. Those beasts are portrayed as human-sized, scaly, and unsettlingly intelligent. They also have giant claws, great eyesight, and can run as fast as a dang motorcycle. How does real Velociraptor stack up? Would you fare better against them than humans do in the movies?After you watch the new episode, check out my latest video on whether or not you can lift Thor’s hammer in spaceOpens in a new tab, buy a Because Science shirt, hat, mug, pin, or mousepadOpens in a new tab, and follow me on TwitterOpens in a new tab or InstagramOpens in a new tab to give me ideas for future episodes. Want the show even earlier? Subscribe to AlphaOpens in a new tab and get access to new episodes a full two days earlier than anyone else.
