logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
14m 25s

The Rise Of The Dinosaurs

NPR
About this episode
Dinosaurs ruled the earth for many millions of years, but only after a mass extinction took out most of their rivals. Just how that happened remains a mystery — sounds like a case for paleoclimatologist Celina Suarez! This encore episode, Suarez walks us through her scientific detective work, with a little help from her trusty sidekick, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber.

Have a science fact you can't stop thinking about? Email us at shortwave@npr.org! We'd love to hear from you.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jul 17
Why did designing the World Cup pitches take eight years?
Yamal and Messi aren’t the only stars of the World Cup finals. If you’ve been watching any of the games, you’ve probably stared directly at a huge, unsung hero: the turf. Turf grass science is a real thing, and it’s John Sorochan’s area of expertise. He’s a scientist at the Unive ... Show More
13m 21s
Jul 15
Our favorite brains, including Einstein's stolen one
At Short Wave, we love a good brain. Which is why we’ve had a lot of conversations over the years with NPR’s neuroscience reporter, Jon Hamilton. Jon’s been writing about brains for over 15 years, from tiny brain organoids that grow in a dish, to fruit fly brains, mouse brains an ... Show More
13m 52s
Jul 14
What's this super-aging butterfly’s longevity secret?
What if there were a great ape species that could live over 1,000 years? That’s basically Heliconius in the butterfly world. The insects live around 25 times longer than their butterfly cousins, and scientists think they have one clue as to why: pollen. But as Katie Wu, a science ... Show More
13m 18s
Recommended Episodes
May 2018
Can a New Egyptian Dinosaur Fossil Explain How the Continents Formed?
Scientists have figured out a lot about Earth's history, but there are still a few gaps. Learn how a dinosaur may help fill in one of those gaps in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for ... Show More
6m 6s
Mar 2022
The Rise of the Dinosaurs
<p>Dinosaurs! Spectacular resilient beings who were able to adapt and survive the most terrifying of events. Evolving from a group of mostly humble-sized creatures, into the most enormous beasts that ever existed on land. But how did the first true dinosaurs emerge? In this episo ... Show More
45m 10s
Apr 2022
What Was The First Dinosaur?
Exactly where and when dinosaurs first evolved are still open questions in paleontology; it’s hard to even say what the first dinosaur was. In this episode, we dig into the evidence for dinosaur origins in the Triassic Period (between 252 and 201 million years ago) and try to und ... Show More
18m 57s
May 2019
Dinopocalypse Redux
<p>Using high-powered ballistics experiments, fancy computer algorithms, and good old-fashioned ancient geology, scientists have woven together a theory about the extinction of the dinosaurs that is so precise, so hot, so <em>instantaneous</em>, as to seem unimaginable. Today, we ... Show More
45m 22s
Dec 2023
Special Episode: Dinosaurs in Popular Culture
In this special collaboration with I Know Dino podcast, we discuss the history and impact of dinosaurs in popular culture and media. We cover the history of the scientific study of dinosaurs and how their presentation in media has changed over time with new discoveries, and what ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2022
Top Five Dinosaurs
<p>They’re big. They’re fierce. And they’re extinct. </p><p>This is how today’s guest - palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist and Senior Editor of the science journal Nature, Henry Gee, sums up why we have a continued fascination with dinosaurs.</p><br><p>Join Tristan and Henry ... Show More
45m 44s
Aug 2019
The Dinosaur Explosion
Why are there so many new, weird dinosaurs? Friend of the show Joel Werner goes down the rabbit hole, and finds a surprising answer. He speaks to paleontologists Dr. Steve Brusatte and Dr. Jonathan Tennant. Listen to Joel’s podcast The Sum Of All Parts here: https://ab.co/2YujtzU ... Show More
22m 56s
Aug 2022
Cosmic Queries – Dinosaur Discoveries with Kimberly Chapelle
<p>What did dinosaurs really look like? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Marcia Belsky explore questions we all have about dinosaurs, fossils, feathers, and asteroids with paleontologist Kimberly Chapelle. Is Jurassic Park accurate?</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Pat ... Show More
46m 18s
Dec 2024
Which of Today's Animals Lived Alongside Dinosaurs?
When the non-avian dinosaurs died out, a lot of other animals went with them -- but some sturdy species survived. Learn how they evolved and thrived in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/dinosaur-contem ... Show More
7m 19s
Dec 2016
Could Humanity be Wiped out Like the Dinosaurs?
Is there a killer asteroid with Earth’s name on it? The dinosaurs ruled for many millions of years before coming to their violent end. Will humanity prevail or are we doomed to succumb like the dinosaurs? It’s a question that will keep you up at night. No wonder our listeners Zar ... Show More
26m 51s