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Kerri Miller and Julia Franz

A look inside the beautiful, bizarre world of jellyfish

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Science writer Juli Berwald has spent long hours contemplating a mysterious, ethereal organism: the jellyfish.

"To some, jellyfish symbolize the monster — not only in their potentially lethal sting, but also in a more global sense, as a symptom of ecosystem demise," she writes in her new book, "Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone." At the same time, Berwald writes, "jellyfish are utterly, breathtakingly beautiful."

Berwald joined MPR News host Kerri Miller to discuss what science is uncovering about these beautiful, bizarre creatures.

Use the audio player above to hear the full segment.