Soil! Dirt! Earth. Dr. Lydia Jennings, aka Native Soil Nerd, breaks down the stuff under our feet and explains everything from mining to why soil can be different colors. Also: medicine from microbes, giving back to the land after extractive processes, collecting samples in urban rivers, elders’ ecological knowledge, planting hot Cheetos, potting soil myster ... Show More
Today
Special Episode: Wall to Wall Secrets, Sorry!
Listen. Sometimes we like to shake it up. So while we’re finishing up next week’s episode, I decided to open a sound file and spilled only secrets. This was an exercise in just chilling with you, and not editing a thing. Think of it as my exposure therapy + life advice and embarr ... Show More
53m 1s
May 6
Meleagrology (TURKEYS) with Cyler Conrad
Wattles. Snoods. Struts. Vibes. It’s not November, which is exactly why we’re putting this episode out. All day every day, turkeys are out there like beanbags with stick legs. Let’s take a moment, or 90 minutes, with Archaeologist, Meleagrologist, and turkey researcher, Dr. Cyler ... Show More
1h 25m
Apr 29
Antarcticology (ANTARCTIC RESEARCH) with Ariel Waldman
Mile-thick ice. Dry, rocky valleys. Tiny creatures. Red parkas. Seal mummies. We’re going to Antarctica with National Geographic Explorer, microscopic photographer, and Antarcticologist Ariel Waldman. She hosts the gorgeous PBS series “Life Unearthed” and answers a blizzard of qu ... Show More
1h 13m
Jan 2024
106: Building Blocks of Civilization: How the World Really Works
"Modern economies will always be tied to massive material flows, whether those of ammonia-based fertilizers to feed the still-growing global population; plastics, steel, and cement needed for new tools, machines, structures, and infrastructures; or new inputs required to produce ... Show More
1h 18m
Jun 2022
370: Germ Theory V. Natural Law
Since grade school, most of us have been taught germ theory so consistently that we may have forgotten that it is a theory in the first place. Today, Marcy Cravat, the producer of the documentary "Terrain" challenges our presumptions. She contrasts germ theory with natural law (o ... Show More
44m 17s