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For the next few episodes here on the Brain Scoop, we're devoting our programming to everybody's favorite cartilaginous fishes: the sharks! 

Why sharks? Well, sharks historically have received a lot of media attention by networks who aren't always inclined to show their best side; that is their species diversity, ecological importance, and looming threats to their population and distribution.

Sharks are easy to sensationalize and to depict as fearsome, bloodthirsty, and maniacal killers out to consume everything in sight.

That's not to say they're the most cuddly creatures out in the ocean, that award goes to the Nudibranchs. But, compared to the number of times attention is given to shark attacks versus the attention given to their conservation needs and you'll see what I mean.

And frankly, shark attacks are exceedingly rare and largely improbable compared to more statistically likely threats. You are TEN TIMES more likely to be bitten by another person in New York than you are to ever be attacked by a shark.

When you start comparing human fatalities caused by other bizarre events, you can figure that  toppling vending machines, pigs, lightning strikes, and coconuts randomly falling from trees cause more injury and deaths per year than attacks by sharks.

Sharks and shark-like predators have dominated at the top of the aquatic food chain for the last 420,000,000 years, and they've survived every major known mass extinction event in our world's history.

They've been on our planet three times longer than the dinosaurs reigned, but their time might be coming to an early and completely avoidable end.

This fight enduring incredible meteoric impacts and severe climate fluctuations, the sharks biggest threat today is caused by humans.

Overfishing, environmental contaminants, and habitat destruction pose a risks to entire oceanic ecosystems. Remove these apex predators and others will take their place, but not without upsetting the finely balanced food chain, allowing for other predators with more select diets to create holes and habitats, the consequences of which we may not be able to judge for years to come.

But, the good news is that we can change, and it starts with appreciating these animals and their unique placement within our oceans.

So, stay tuned to see more of our five consecutive calander days focusing on predatory cartilaginous fishes because its definitely not [EXPLETIVE] week.

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It still has brains on it...