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Science... sort of

Science

Conversations about things that are science, things that are sort of science, and things that wish they were science. A member of the Brachiolope Media Network.

Location:

Chicago, IL

Description:

Conversations about things that are science, things that are sort of science, and things that wish they were science. A member of the Brachiolope Media Network.

Language:

English

Contact:

312-725-3672


Episodes

347 - Skipping Strikes

4/29/2023
00:00:00 - Researchers have determined that if you want one big skip instead of many little skips you should select a potato-shaped rock instead of a flat one. If that’s what you’re into… 00:23:00 - Another way to enjoy a day on the river is with a beverage. Patrick is back to basics with a Guinness. Charlie is legally enjoying a Rogue Ginger Yuzu CBD Seltzer. And Ryan is recovering with some maximum-strength cold medicine. 00:31:45 - In the war between astronomers and lightning, the astronomers are now fighting back by using lasers to steer lightning across the sky! 00:51:25 - The PaleoPOWs are a lot like lightning, we’re never sure where it’s going to hit but we can hope to guide it. First up, Patrick provides a Canadian Apple Podcasts Review from Peachy🍑Jess, who was kind enough to give us 5 stars! Next up, Charlie has an e-mail from Gerrit B. who provides some neat updates after listening to episode 342 and provides the following links: American Solar Challenge Inside the First Solar-Powered Flight Around the World US Navy synthesizes jet fuel solely out of seawater; costs $3-6 gallon Missing Link to a Livable Climate: How Hydrogen-Enabled Synthetic Fuels Can Help Deliver the Paris Goals ​​​​​​​​​​​​Fission Battery Initiative​​ Workshop And finally, Patron Adrian K. has earned their BSso by submitting for our consideration a thesis entitled: Ballistics and Skip-tistics: Laser-guided manufacture of fulgurite skipping stones. Thanks, Adrian! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Smooth Stone - Blue Dot Sessions Audio Production: Ryan Haupt

Duration:01:09:49

346 - Kenji and the Indestructible, Functional, No Fooling, Very Versatile Wok

2/4/2023
00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by cookbook author and YouTuber J. Kenji López-Alt to discuss his latest book The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, available wherever fine books are sold including our own page on Bookshop.org. Can you ruin your wok your first time using it? Is carbon steel superior to cast iron? Can you poison your guests with hot peppers? Tune in to find out! 00:26:40 - Ryan enjoys an Americano made using Worka Sakaro beans roasted by Night Swim Coffee in Charlotte, NC. 00:30:15 - Part two of Ryan’s hard-hitting no-holds-barred discussion of the wok with Kenji continues! 00:58:30 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like cooking with woks: if you get all your ingredients together beforehand you’re done before you know it. This episode features three comments from the world of Facebook by Tom V., Shawn G., and Mike B., respectively. Thanks, guys! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Juparo - Broke for Free Audio Production: Ryan Haupt

Duration:01:08:32

345 - Evil Prevails

1/7/2023
00:00:00 - Manly Ryan North (@ryanqnorth) returns to the show to talk to Ben and Handsome Ryan (not a self-selected nickname) to talk about his new book, How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain, available now wherever fine books are sold! 00:36:00 - Taking over the world is thirst work. Fortunately, we came prepared. Ben is enjoying some burdock tea, which comes from the roots of a bush. Ryan is having the debatably thematic Thespian Espionage by Weathered Ground Brewing. 00:44:59 - The discussion with Ryan North continues. Learn more at supervillainbook.com or snag your own copy via our Bookshop.org affiliate page! 01:25:56 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like supervillains, you want to trust them, but should you? Ben starts off with an e-mail from Brandon who enjoyed the live show where everyone met Ben in person, or were they only meeting a satellite android body of an AI still hanging out on a computer in a garage? Ben claims quantum computer-hood in response. Ryan then presents a 5-star Apple Podcasts review from RJM544. Thanks, RJM544! Finally, Patron Rj M. has earned a BSso by writing a thesis entitled: Applications of N.E.M.O. (Northern Ermergent Monstrous Occurrences) and their use in acquiring federal funding to topple city-states: A case study in training a Chessai (Chesapeakus monstorius) to commit villainy on behalf of coercive doctoral research. Thanks, Rj M.! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Villano - Blue Dot Sessions Audio Production: Rob Heath

Duration:01:43:26

344 - Stung by the Truth

8/12/2022
00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are thrilled to be joined by her friend and colleague, Dr. Andrew Forbes! He’s a parasitic insect kind of guy (not meant as an insult!) and we discuss his journey a bit before diving into some recent and exciting research! 00:35:37 - It could be argued that parasites drink the lifeforce of others, but hopefully that’s not the case with us. Ryan doubles down with an Americano using Jorge Raul Rivera Pacamara Honey #96 beans from Chalatenango, El Salvador via Black & White Roasters, which is delicious. Kelly doesn’t have a beer so is settling for a lactose-free White Salamander after wrapping up season 1 of her new project D.O.R.K.S. Andrew is enjoying some aged beer to celebrate the birth of his son in the form of a 2008-vintage Bigfoot Barleywine from Sierra Nevada. And Ryan comes back around to finish the segment with bourbon-barrel aged elderberry infused cider from Hawk Knob 00:46:46 - We continue our conversation with Andrew, including a discussion of these two (open access!) papers: Quantifying the unquantifiable: why Hymenoptera, not Coleoptera, is the most speciose animal order Ormyrus labotus (Hymenoptera: Ormyridae): Another Generalist That Should not be a Generalist is not a Generalist For more parasitic insects in your life, you can follow Andrew on Twitter @Lord_Forbinton 01:19:15 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like wasps; they can sting more than once and still survive. First up, Ryan and Kelly tackle a question from Brett H. about hyperparasitoids on Finnish islands (if you believe that Finland even exists) and then they come up with a BSso for patron Roberta A. R. who has impressively completed a study entitled: VESPA (Variability of ectoparasites on species of pollinating Apoidea): A study of a very cool wasps that infect bees then manipulate bee behavior to bury themselves underground so the temperature is better or something see the rest of the thesis for the details. Thanks, Roberta! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Flutterbee - Podington Bear Audio Production: Rob Heath

Duration:01:50:45

Special Edition 16 - Project Hail Mary

4/25/2022
00:00:00 - Time for a special edition Science… sort of Book Club! Ryan, Joe, and Tim all read Andy Weir’s new novel Project Hail Mary. What did they think of it? How was the science? Should Andy Weir design escape rooms? All this, and more, is discussed! To buy the book, we recommend using our affiliate program with bookshop.org/shop/sciencesortof, we get a small percent for sending you there and the book will be sent to you by a local bookshop. Win win! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Ave Maria - Podington Bear Audio Production: Ryan Haupt

Duration:01:11:25

343 - Webb's in the Greenhouse

3/23/2022
00:00:00 - There’s a new telescope in town to look out of town and see exactly what’s going on in this here galaxy. Introducing… the James Webb Space Telescope! What can it do? Where can it do it? And did we name it after a not so great dude? All this and more are discussed! 00:36:36 - Drinks are any beverage that are consumed. Here, we talk about them. Joe is having tea with lemon and honey to help with a cough. Ryan recommends even fancier tea. Ryan waxes poetic about a Herkenrode Abbey Vesper (typical). Charlie is double fisting some red wine and a Rogue CBD seltzer, balancing the blend perfectly. 00:47:26 - Trailer Trash Talk returns again to discuss the much-maligned but fun-looking Moonfall. 01:00:57 - Climate Change is definitely a thing that is happening, we’ve known about it for awhile, but just how long? Turns out some folks as far back as the 1800s were figuring out the connection between carbon dioxide and atmospheric warming and we just haven’t been listening. 01:23:15 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like… something. Listener feedback, probably. Teemu A. wants to know what we think about the geology/biology of the video game The Witness. Elizabeth D. wins a copy of Life’s Edge by Carl Zimmer for submitting her pick for weirdest life from (see episode 337), the sea salp! And Patron Bruce Haupt gets a BSso thesis for the second time, and that thesis is: SCRUB: SCUBA Carbon Removal Underwater Bioremediation - Using Sea Salps to sequester carbon in oceanic basins using a human propelled delivery mechanism. Thanks, Bruce! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: The Green Room - Blue Dot Sessions Audio Production: Ryan Haupt

Duration:01:58:40

342 - The Extinction of Fossil Fuels

1/31/2022
00:00:00 - Joe and Ryan are excited to be joined by Craig Welch and Sam Howe Verhovek who each have articles in the October 2021 issue of National Geographic “The Revolution is Here” which is all about the future of non-fossil fuel transportation. Craig wrote the article “The future of driving is here–and it’s electric” and Sam wrote the article “How green can we make air travel? And how soon?”. Discussion ensues. 00:40:41 - Discussion pauses so Joe and Ryan can have a drink. Can’t let oneself get too parched. Joe was having a latte during our initial conversation, but is now enjoying some eggnog with brandy. Ryan is having a Class III Whitewater IPA from Screech Owl Brewing, which leads to a discussion about the many uses for spent beer grain, but mostly pizza dough. 00:51:03 - Part two of our conversation with Craig and Sam! Craig is on Twitter @CraigAWelch and you can find more of Sam’s work on his website jetagebook.com. 01:06:49 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the future of transportation; they’re both going places! Ryan begins with a Facebook comment from Mike B. praising the book featured in episode 338. And we bestow a BSso upon patron Bounce B. who has turned in a tome entitled: Hop To It: A Novel Implementation of a Jump-based method for transitioning from terrestrial to aerial transportation using a methanogenic bladder derived from fungal fermentation of organic biofuels. Thanks, Bounce! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Airliner - Podington Bear Audio Production: Rob Heath

Duration:01:17:38

341 - Highway to the Science Zone

1/14/2022
00:00:00 - Joe and Ryan are joined by their friend Dr. Antonio “Tony” Munoz, who tells us about his work as a scientist and his journey from the world of research to the world of consulting. Tony’s open access papers for those who want to learn more: Free energy calculation of modified base-pair formation in explicit solvent: A predictive model Active yeast ribosome preparation using monolithic anion exchange chromatography Structural Changes Enable Start Codon Recognition by the Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Complex Conserved residues in yeast initiator tRNA calibrate initiation accuracy by regulating preinitiation complex stability at the start codon Coordinated Movements of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors eIF1, eIF1A, and eIF5 Trigger Phosphate Release from eIF2 in Response to Start Codon Recognition by the Ribosomal Preinitiation Complex 00:36:38 - Joe managed to bring drinks for everyone, but now they’re not in the same place so that’s odd. Joe is having some homemade mead from a friend, and its first mead experience which incurs the cost of viking toast. And Tony and Ryan are enjoying the Snakeden Saison from 7 Locks Brewing as provided by Joe. 01:10:59 - In our second segment we talk about cars. A sort of “Car Talk”, if you will, which we’re pretty sure is a completely original idea to the audio format. We tackle the myth that electric cars are actually worse for the environment than internal combustion (spoiler: they’re not) , but also some of the challenges that come with an electric future and the impact that our need for certain minerals can have on the health of the planet. 01:56:48 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like roads, you should look both ways before crossing them. Joe has a tweet lauding him for comparing the UK to TX, but what we’re really here from is to hand out a BSso thesis for Patron Eric P. He has a thesis titled: Swinging for the electric fences: An electric vehicle charging solution utilizing molecular biophysical properties of Electrophorus fish in an in situ aquatic reservoir. Thanks, Eric! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Electric Car - Podington Bear Audio Production: Rob Heath

Duration:02:11:03

340 - Anchor's Away Part 5: The Final Anchoring

12/31/2021
00:00:00 - In which Ryan introduces the concept of this type of episode… for the last time. (But which can be previously heard in episodes 266, 282, 326, and 332.) 00:05:23 - Zootopia and Disney Lemming Myths 00:10:51 - Bio bios: Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) 00:16:06 - The Drake Equation tries to answer "Are we along?” 00:21:23 - Drake Equation "results" hint at a crowded galaxy 00:22:30 - Then where is everybody? Fermi's Paradox weighs in 00:27:03 - To prove the show hasn’t lost a step, Ryan has a Knotty Pine double IPA from Country Boy Brewing. Predictable, but delicious. 00:28:56 - Night Hag: The Inception 00:32:31 - My experience with the Night Hag 00:34:55 - Science of the Night Hag 00:40:08 - Wait, how is the Night Hag aliens? Culture and Sleep Paralysis 00:43:16 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the end of the year, they lead us to something new. This episode we have an e-mail from Brandon M. asking how to get access to the whole back catalog of Brachiolope Media shows (and the answer is Soundcloud, with more updates to come). More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Solitude - Broke For Free

Duration:00:48:52

339 - Voices Assemble!

5/24/2021
00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Megan Johnson (@mmjohnso), Becca Van Hoeck (@becca_vanhoeck), and Caitlin Bergstrom (@caityydid). Megan and Becca are Ph.D. researchers working on the environmental engineering of the atmosphere around wildfires and fish ecology using marine soundscapes, respectively and in the first segment they tell us a bit about their awesome research. 00:30:16 - Drinks are a bit like wildfires and marine ecosystems: they're wet but they burn. Megan is enjoying a Left Hand (Chai) Milk Stout. Becca is working on some chilled white wine from a subscription service she used to stock up in the early days of the pandemic. She thinks it’s a Pinot Grigio. Caitlin is drinking a Juicify IPA by Lakefront Brewery from WI, where she went to school and was surprised to find in DC. Ryan goes big with a Megalodon Imperial Coffee Porter, gifted to him by Abe, naturally. 00:36:51 - Caitlin is a Science Policy Analyst for the American Geophysical Union, and the reason we were all chatting is because Megan, Becca, and I were an AGU Voices for Science (Policy Track) cohort. So we chat a bit about Megan and Becca's research, and then we chat about the Voices for Science program and what we were able to accomplish in what ended up being a far from traditional year of science policy advocacy and outreach! 01:20:59 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like outreach, in that I think they literally could be considered a type of outreach. For this episode, we want to thank Terry R. for a recurring PayPal donation and their continued support over the years. Thanks, Terry! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Do Better - Podington Bear Audio Production by Rob Heath and Ryan Haupt

Duration:01:24:39

338 - We bought a Zoo-ologist’s book

4/22/2021
00:00:00 - Dr. Arik Kershenbaum (@arikkershenbaum) stops by to talk about his new book, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal about Aliens—And Ourselves, AKA the fastest we’ve ever said yes to an interview. 00:27:50 - Both life and beef requires water, so let’s talk about what we’re drinking. Patrick has a perfectly adequate Punk AF from BrewDog, Ryan is also having a non-alcoholic Upside Dawn Golden Ale from Athletic Brewing. It is also fine. 00:36:29 - Part 2 of our discussion with Arik Kershenbaum is the second part of our conversation about his book. Please enjoy! 00:58:04- PaloePOWs are a lot like alien life: is it really out there? Ryan begins with a 4-star Apple Podcasts review from Entertaining, but… who is frustrated by politics creeping into the show, which prompts a hopefully helpful discussion about what exactly this sort of criticism might mean. Patrick finishes with an e-mail from Peter C. about classifying human species as we colonize other planets based on the game Stellaris, but of course Ryan can’t help but bring up The Expanse. Discussion ensues. You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Alien Language - Podington Bear Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:12:47

337 - Living on the Edge

4/9/2021
00:00:00 - Carl Zimmer (@CarlZimmer) has returned to the show to talk to us about his new book, Life’s Edge: The Search For What It Means To Be Alive. While it may be hard to define life, we can provide definite timestamps for the first part of our conversation about the book! 00:26:16 - Having access to liquid is an essential part of life, which includes drinks. Ryan pontificates about his Hoplark HopTea with Spruce Tips which is surprisingly refreshing. After a digression, Patrick gets to reveal that he is also enjoying the nearly non-alcoholic Nanny State from BrewDog. 00:36:52 - Part 2 of our discussion with Carl Zimmer is the second part of our conversation about his book. Please enjoy! 00:57:42 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like life, hard to define but you know it when you see it. Ryan insists that Patrick reconciles with Jeff' S’s e-mail responding to our previous dismissal of 3D in movies by pointing out the Spy Kids franchise as a counterexample. Ryan then reads an e-mail from Bob M. about some previous confusion regarding ungulates and notoungulates referred to in a previous episode. The best resource we know of is the Tree of Life Project, but please get in touch if you know of others! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: A Beautiful Life - Broke For Free Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:14:21

336 - Sweet Sake and Spoiled Spores

3/27/2021
00:00:00 - Returning guest Jen Gallagher (@yeastychic) has brought along two former students to talk about their continued research into the world of yeast! We’re excited to be joined by Matt Winas, currently the lead scientist at Imperial Yeast Labs, and Postdoctoral Research Apoorva Ravishankar. First up, we chat with Matt about his work on sake yeast hybridization and how yeast respond toxic metallic nanoparticles. 00:28:21 - Yeast make all manner of drinks so let’s talk about that. Apoorva eschews the yeast theme with a hot cup of coffee (with cream and sugar) and the gang reminisces about the coffee shop closest to their lab at WVU. Matt is enjoying a Suss It Out rye IPA from Level Cross Brewing Company, one of the perks of working for a yeast company. Jen is honoring her scientific progeny with a Baby Cakes stout from Tribus Beer Co. Ryan had a different beer lined up but is instead going with a Hop Farmin Miner from Weathered Ground Brewery in WV. 00:37:26 - Next we chat with Apoorva about her research on exactly how yeast responds to glyphosate-based herbicides, which are heavily used in agriculture and gardening and how a chemical designed to control/kill plants can have some dramatic responses on yeast. 01:05:09 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like yeast, you can wake them up with a little bit of warm water and sugar. First up, we thank George H. for being a recurring PayPal donor to the show . Thanks, George! And we wrap up by letting Jen respond to her own feedback regarding the sequencing of mitochondrial DNA mentioned in episode 331. Always good to get extra clarification from an expert! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Budding - Broke For Free Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:17:05

335 - Major Herp-o-compatability Complex

2/28/2021
00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are psyched to be joined by Gina Zwicky (@GinaGoesOutside) to talk about all things herps (amphibians + reptiles)! We begin with a discussion about Gina’s work the immune system of Caribbeans lizards, specifically the major histocompatibility complexes of the Saban’s anole using the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) awesome genetic database. And Ryan transitions the group to the next segment but half remembering a cool project on the island of Dominica that will be a joint rum distiller and sea turtle conservation hub. Neat! 00:27:08 - Amphibians need to stay near water, and much like them we also enjoy a drink. First, Gina shares her LaCroix habit, lime at the moment but ranking of flavors is involved. Kelly takes a break from red wine with a warm, relaxing cup of chamomile tea. And even though nobody asked, Ryan is having a Black Rock Milk Stout from Devil’s Backbone Brewing in Kelly’s neck of the wood AKA East Virginia. We also talk a bit about what it means to be a super taster and how to test yourself to see if you are one too. 00:37:39 - In the second segment, we talk about Gina’s work with Frog Watch, an AZA accredited program to get folks outside in their area to monitor frog populations. Gina runs tours in her neck of the woods in souther Louisiana, but if you’re in the US there may be a similar program nearby so go and check it out where you live and see if you can go listen to some cool frogs! 01:02:21 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like frog watching, they’re both mostly about listening. First, we thank Amanda B. for becoming a recurring PayPal donor (again!). Thanks, Amanda! And another round of our thanks goes out to @z_dieg for tweeting about how much he liked our AGU episode helmed by our very own Tim Dobbs. Great job, Tim! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Frogs in Tuxes - Podington Bear Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:13:44

334 - Destruction Breeds Creation

2/12/2021
00:00:00 - The Triassic Period was clearly a tough time to be alive, since a lot of things kept dying. Researchers have recently uncovered a potentially new extinction that happened during the Triassic, and another team has uncovered more evidence of what cased the extinction we already knew about at the end of the Triassic. The culprit in both cases? Volcanoes! Abe and Ryan try to co-explain. 00:29:05 - Like volcanoes, beers also release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Abe is eager to go first with Science Is Crushable IPA by Benchtop Brewing Company. Charlie features a beer sent by a buddy as part of a winter beer exchange, a Tired But Wired by Anchorage Brewing Company featuring some excellent label art by Woflskulljack. And Ryan is excited to try a Kitty Claw clarified cafe milk punch from Mercy Me in D.C. 00:37:31 - Ryan already had the chance to talk about this story once before on the Undisciplined: November Science News Roundup, but he’s too excited to not bring it up again because researchers have found that female mongooses start turf wars on purpose for access to males outside their main group to prevent inbreeding. The paper is open access, please go and watch the videos, they’re quite a thing to see. 00:51:45 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like mongoose battles; they both have an ulterior motive. Charlie has a comment from Travis about enjoying and learning from our interview with Maya Becker in episode 320, which prompts Charlie to offer to take Ryan glacier camping. Abe has a Patreon comment regarding using comics to explain science as discussed in episode 308, including letting students answer questions with a drawing instead of text. Finally, we bestow a BSso thesis to Patreon supporter Tyson G., and that thesis title is: Finding new berth in old miseries by outrunning magma: Novel habitats provided by Large Igneous Provinces induces turf wars in genetically drifted expanding mongoose populations. Thanks, Tyson! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Looking For Trouble - Podington Bear Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:11:44

333 - AGU Brought To You

1/28/2021
00:00:00 - Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the AGU Fall Meeting had to go all online, but that didn’t showing up and recording some interviews. But plot twist! This year we sent Producer Tim Dobbs to do the interviewing and Ryan is just along for the ride. In his first interview, Tim talks to Amato Evan about his work looking at how dust clouds from the Sahara in Africa have climatic affects as far away as the other side of the Atlantic AKA Godzilla Dust Storms! 00:33:18 - A little dust in the throat goes away with a quick drink. This episode, Ryan is amazed by the color of his Kyoto Bakushu Matcha IPA (seriously, clickthrough on the link to see it). Whereas Tim is trying to figure out what to do with his bottle of BarMatt Equatorial Ceylon Tea Liqueur. Ryan provides suggestions. 00:42:33 - Tim’s next chat is with Joshua Bregy, who, no joke, uses wood from old coffins to asses past climate. It’s as cool as it sounds. What more even needs to be said here? Just go and listen already. You can check out Josh’s data on Github. Tim and Ryan wrap up by discussing some of the ins and outs of a year of all online meetings. As well as talking briefly about their own poster that they presented in a session about helping scientists get better at communicating. Go figure. Ryan also mentions AGU’s Voices for Science program, which he’s been participating in the last year and they’re accepting applications for next year’s cohort. If you’re an earth scientist interested in communicating science or science policy, go apply! 01:19:06 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like dust storms; they get everywhere. First, we thank Rohit R. for being a recurring PayPal donor. Thanks, Rohit! Then we have a voicemail from Richard P. who has an excellent question about why rodents are so nibbly? You’ll have to listen to find out the answer, but it is an area of active research believe it or not. Lastly, go check out Tim’s BioArtBot project! You can support us and local bookstores by shopping at our store on Bookshop.org and even more cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Dust In Sunlight - Podington Bear Audio Production by Tim Dobbs (@TimSDobbs)

Duration:01:37:48

Special Edition 15 - TENET

1/14/2021
00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Jesse B. Grove V to discuss the highly anticipated sci-fi action thriller, Christopher Nolan’s TENET. Jesse is drinking an Outer Realm from Original Pattern Brewing Company and Ryan is drinking The Magic Touch by American Solera and they are both IPAs because that’s the kind of guys they are. Be sure to check out the Sator Square and here is a link to the graphic timeline mentioned towards the end of the episode. Tune in to find out just how much they did, or didn’t, or did like the film! You can also follow Ryan (@haupt) and Jesse (@LintonFellows) on Letterboxd.com to keep up with their movie-watching habits. And apologies to Doughboys for riffing on their format. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Audio Production by Rob Heath

Duration:01:18:35

332 - Anchor's Away Part 4

12/26/2020
00:00:00- We're doing another Anchor-themed clip show! Following up on episodes 266, 282, and 326 we have another round of short audio clips that Ryan created for the podcast startup Anchor under the banner of Organized Curiosity (explanation of the name here). 00:01:43 - Ryan explains the ‘Up-Goer Five’ challenge, reads an abstract he wrote using the Up-Goer Five Text Editor, tries to explain what the abstract actually means, and then shares some thoughts on whether or not this exercise is effective. 00:17:57 - News you probably cannot use: Cheerios included some seeds in their cereal boxes to help folks grow flowers for the bees. A nice idea, but unfortunately still might do more harm than good. 00:23:22 - It’s the holidays so Ryan is drinking glögg and eating raisins. It’s tradition. Make your own glögg AND make your own raisins so you can enjoy some too. 00:24:50 - Q&A: Paul from Cork, Ireland calls in to talk about how he hopes his daughter takes an interest in science (us to!) and to talk about whales. Ryan then tells the tale of the time he met a wild humpback, which was amazing but smelly. 00:31:20 - A new study suggests a pretty fundamental shakeup of the dinosaur family tree. First, he explains how dinosaur diversity was previously organized. Then he explains what the new study actually found. 00:40:40 - Bio bios: dog (Canis lupus familiaris) 00:45:44 - Q&A: Tachi calls in to leave some comments about the “Up Goer Five” challenge, Ryan responds. Also, go read The Elements of Style, it’s great. 00:47:10 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like clip shows; they comfort you in dark times. In this episode, we thank Zachary G. for his recurring donation via PayPal. Thanks, Zachary! Ryan also appeared on the podcast MonsterTalk to talk about the Loveland Frog so go check that out. Thanks for getting through 2020 with us, see you on the other side. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music credit: Golden Hour - Broke For Free

Duration:00:56:20

331 - Just Another Mammoth Monday

11/8/2020
00:00:00 - Abe and Ryan are joined by paleontologists Lindsey Yann and Advait Jukar (@amjukar) to talk about all manner of proboscideans! First up, hundreds of mammoth fossils have been found underneath the construction site for a new airport outside Mexico City. An amazing find with some similarities to the Waco Mammoth National Monument where Lindsey was just hired as the park’s first in-house paleontologist. And as the park’s paleontologist, she is actively soliciting new research projects so if you have ideas get in touch! 00:26:05 - We may not have built-in straws but we can still enjoy a beverage. Ryan heeds Advait’s advice and grabs a bottle of Old Monk Very Old Vatted XXX Rum, which has expanded Ryan’s view of the diversity of beverages available from the subcontinent. Advait himself is enjoying a pilsner from East Rock Brewing Company from his new hometown of New Haven, CT. Whereas the only paleontologically-themed beer in Abe’s fridge was a Tyrannosaurus Flex from New Real Brewing Company. And in exploring Waco’s brewing scene, Lindsey scored the perfectly appropriate Hidden Herd from Brothwell Brewing. 00:38:14 - Next, Advait explains some of the key differences between the sometimes-confused mammoths and mastodons. A new study of the latter looking at the mitochondrial genomes of different groups of mastodons suggesting they migrated with the ice. It’s a very cool way to determine how these massive animals moved around their environment. 01:08:15 - PaleoPOWs also move in herds. First up, Abe thanks Jesse O. for a recurring PayPal donation (a much-appreciated holdover from the pre-Patreon days). Thanks, Jesse! And Ryan thanks former guest of the show Alex Hastings for a shoutout in the Star Tribune. Thanks, Alex! Alex also has his own podcast now called Squabbling Squibs, check it out! Ryan has also recently appeared on the iFanboy Pick of the Week Podcast #754 talking about comics (obviously) and AGU’s Third Pob From The Sun talking sasquatch and ground sloths, because why not? More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Audio Production by Rob Heath Music credit: Lakeside Path - Blue Dot Sessions

Duration:01:22:34

330 - Amber Waves of Sap and Problems of Pollen Prairies

10/24/2020
00:00:00 - Researcher Daniel Katz and journalist Lucas Joel (@LucasVanWykJoel) join Ryan to talk about Dan’s research into Detroit’s pollen problem. Too many vacant lots means a lot more ragweed for the residents of the city to deal with. Want to get involved with Dan’s research? Check out his citizen science project Pollen Tracker! 00:41:26 - After the allergy-inducing first segment, a drink is enjoyed by all. Ryan Escapes with the help of Offshoot Beer Co. Lucas is having his very favorite South African rooibos tea. And Dan is having Electric Jellyfish from Pinthouse PIzza which isn’t thematic but “oh well”. 00:54:14 - Some recent fossil finds in Burmese amber have been making the news, but unfortunately, it’s unclear if the amber is being ethically sourced and it may even be funding the genocide of Myanmar’s Kachin Christian minority. Is it ok to be publishing on specimens obtained this way? What does it mean when the studies get quickly retracted? And how are scientific societies addressing the issue? A sobering but important topic. 01:37:31 - A quick PaleoPOW to thank Dan K. for his continuing support via PayPal. Thanks, Dan! And if you’re in the US, go VOTE! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Audio Production by Rob Heath Music credit: Detroit - Podington Bear

Duration:01:40:53