Science... Sort Of

00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Utah State University journalism professor Matthew LaPlante (@mdlaplante), who teaches science graduate students how to communicate better all while doing #SciComm himself. They chat about Matthew's approach to helping scientists find the type of outreach that works best for them, amongst many other tangents. 00:23:53 - Impassioned conversation can lead to a powerful thirst, and this episode Ryan is staying hydrated with his trusty new water bottle. Get your own and show the dehydration haters who’s boss! 00:27:04 - The conversation continues. Matthew has a new book out, Superlative: The Biology of the Extremes, but instead he and Ryan mostly talk about his Utah Public Radio show UnDisciplined, which is also released as a podcast. Ryan was even on their April Science News Roundup which you can listen to now. 00:50:37 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like journalism; an important facet of society that we must protect. Ryan riding solo this episode so cranking through a few things like an e-ma

00:00:00 - Recorded live at the annual meeting of AAAS, Ryan is joined by Jason McDermott (@BioDataGanache) and Matteo Farinella (@matteofarinella), two comic creating scientists who ran a session titled: Scientists Who Draw Comics: The Double Life of Visual Science Communicators, which you know Ryan would be all about. 00:28:23 - Ryan’s wife Juliana joins him for a drink to break up the segments. They share an Astral Weeks by Right Proper Brewing in DC and its fine. For this episode, we also declare the drinks segment to be unofficially sponsored by James and his wonderful Isotope - The Comic Book Lounge. 00:33:26 - In the second half of Ryan’s conversation with Jason and Matteo they continue to talk about crafting comics centered around science. They’re both written about the topic before so you can read either or both pieces, Drawing Connections by Jason and Science Comics' Super Powers by Matteo. And if you want to support their work further, Jason does a webcomic called Red Pen/Black Pen and Matteo has b

00:00:00 - This episode we’re thrilled to be joined by comedian Shane Mauss (@shanecomedy), currently touring his Stand Up Science show around the county and happy enough to sit down and chat with Ryan about it. In the first segment they talk about the way Shane thinks about comedy mathematically, growing up, and sloth poop because Ryan can’t help himself. 00:21:59 - Patrick and Charlie stop by to have a drink. Charlie is being refreshed by a Starbucks Refresher whereas Patrick is powering through some Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve in his quest to find a Scotch whisky he likes. Ryan tests out a Bittermilk No. 1 Handcrafted Cocktail Mixer which is… fine. 00:28:18 - In part two of our conversation with Shane we talk about what it’s like to do comedy about evolution in rural parts of the US and what scientists can learn from comedians about getting a message out to a sometimes hostile audience. You can hear the rest of their conversation on the “Sloths + Fossils” episode of Shane’s Here We Are podcast out now! Sha

00:00:00 - Thanks to the wonders of isotopic geochemistry, scientists have a found a link between the genocide of the native peoples of the Americas and a carbon drawdown that temporarily cooled global temperatures (Open access paper here: Koch et al. 2019). Doesn’t seem like a great option for thwarting climate change, but good to know regardless. 00:21:45 - Ben wanted something interesting and managed to find Grace Brand Peanut Punch, which he loves. Patrick returns to his roots with a little Gentleman Jack, which gives Ryan a chance to expound on bourbon vs. TN whiskey. Yay. Ryan is also in need of some True Respite, which happens to be the name of the brewery that made the beer Alpin Haus, which he is enjoying. 00:30:08 - For decades there have been concerns about growing human populations, but a recent book, Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline, explores the idea that as the developing world continues to develop population growth might stall or even reverse. What happens if we actually ru

00:00:00 - In our final AGU episode, Abe and Ryan host a roundtable discussion with some of the researchers who took the train from Scripps Oceanographic Institute (@scripps_ocean) in San Diego all the way to DC as part of their #trAinGU initiative that they've been doing for several years now. You may have gotten a glimpse of this chat if you follow us or Scripps on twitter. In no particular order we chatted with:  Wesley Neely (@SIOHydrogeodesy), Adrian Doran, Dara Goldberg (@dara_berg_), and Margaret Lindeman (@maaahge). We begin with their science, each of there abstracts can be read here (they're in the same order as listed above): The Ups and Downs of California’s Central Valley from GPS-enhanced InSAR  Lateral heterogeneity of the upper oceanic lithosphere surrounding Hawaii  Multi-Sensor Natural Hazard Structural Monitoring at the UC San Diego Geisel Library  Ocean Warming Drives Increased Mass Loss at 79 North Glacier, Northeast Greenland  00:37:40 - Joe enjoys another drink from his local

00:00:00 - Dr. Heather Ford (@hl_ford), who was featured alongside a certain Paleopal for National Fossil Day, meets up with Ryan at Atlas Brew Works with her pup Sammy to talk about her work as a paleocenagropher, which apparently involves shooting lasers at tiny fossils to take the ocean’s temperatures. 00:28:18 - Since they’re already at a brewery, why not have a drink? Heather has the Blood Orange Gose and Ryan is having the Coffee Common, both from Atlas Brew Works, obviously. And thanks to the folks at the brewery for letting us record there! 00:31:45 - Back in the studio for drinks round two! Charlie’s up first with some more Ito En unsweetened green tea to get that sweet sweet caffeinated buzz. Patrick is trying to confront past demons with some Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Scotch whisky. And Ryan mixes up an artichoke manhattan by adding in a little Cynar. 00:39:52 - In part two of our conversation with Heather, we chat about her work examining gender and racial equity in speaking opportunities at me

00:00:00 - Jill Shipman and Brandon Gellis join us to talk about their AGU eLightning session titled Art and Science: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Data Exploration and Communication. We talk about this novel presentation format, one of the featured talks, and Jill’s collaboration to make music using infrasonic recordings from a volcano (which serves as the featured music for this episode!). 00:30:53 - One thing that can make folks more musical is a drink, so let’s have one! Kelly classes up the joint with a Cabernet Sauvignon from J. Lohr. Ryan, inspired by Backwards Distilling in Wyoming, attempts a Rum & Coke Old Fashioned with Mexican Coke syrup and Doctor Bird rum. It’s all a bit much. Joe doesn’t know the implications of his Faygo Rock & Rye, but Ryan has some ideas about rock candy whiskey and juggalos. 00:41:59 - We start the second segment chatting about Brandon’s work using drones with scientific sensors to make art, and about the deeper connections of what it means to be an artist that fo

00:00:00 - In part two of our AGU shows we begin with dunes! Ryan chats with Tom Ashley (@ThomasCAshley) and Rob Mahon (@RobertCMahon) about their work looking at how dunes form and move in a variety of conditions on, and off, Earth! And students, Robert is looking for grad students, so check out his website if you’re interested. The topic reminds Charlie of this old book a guy wrote about dunes because he was bored at war. 00:37:44 - All this talk of particle hops gives one a powerful thirst. Patrick returns to an old favorite to see if he still like it and it’s Port! It’s sweet, but which definition of that word you use is up to you. Charlie is in his office so pops the tab on a Tangerine La Croix. Fancy. Ryan keeps it cryptic with a Skrrt! Skrrt! from Braven Brewing Company and their potentially Brachiolope inspired logo. 00:45:46 - Next up, Mike O’Connor tells us about his work poking holes in the ground in the Arctic Circle and what that might mean for future carbon emissions. Plus, Mike spent some time

00:00:00 - Photographer, filmmaker, and lapsed geomorphologist James Balog (@james_balog) joins Ryan and Abe to talk about his new film The Human Element, which screened at AGU and is available to stream now! After quizzing him about his Masters’ research, we spend some time learning about the inspiration for his new film and the challenges that come with trying to tell the stories of real people affected by climate change. 00:39:54 - A spicy, salty, bubbly, beverage would incorporate all four elements, but would you drink it? Joe goes the sour route with a Choya Yuzu place, to make up for Ben recent lack of Asian beverages. Thanks for stepping up, Joe. Ryan and Abe are sharing a crowler of Creek Life (Denali) from Attaboy Beer picked up during a recent PA/MD adventure. 00:47:25 - Because Ryan is bad at saying no to things, he wound up running a podcasting workshop at AGU with Abe and Jackson Watkins (@ProbablyJackson) of the Humanizing Science podcast. Ryan chatted with Jackson briefly prior to the workshop

00:00:00 - To celebrate our 300th episode and make up for skipping Thanksgiving this year we’re doing an all feedback segment! Patrick starts off with an e-mail from Stephen H. who has spotted a potential relative of the Brachiolope (see below) and wants our take on its potential evolutionary pathway. Ryan comes next with an e-mail from Prof. Ken C. trying to help settle a long-standing debate about the appropriate prefix for supervillains versus superheroes. Charlie follows up on the pigeonhole debate with many facts from potential etymologist Ascii Aardvark, even if Charlie can’t remember why said facts are relevant. And finally, Abe prefers Icelandic to Spanish when it comes to describing the ice features found on Europa as reported by Emma G. Thanks, everyone! 00:41:54 - Drinks are better with friends, and thankfully we have some. Patrick keeps it popular with a gin and tonic, hailing back to the early days of the show without even realizing it, made using Explorer’s Gin and Fever Tree tonic. Lime type re

00:00:00 - This episode we’re joined by Sarah McAnulty (@SarahMackAttack), a Ph.D. candidate studying the immune system of the bobtail squid, which is delightfully cute and glows in the dark to avoid detection. You can see some of her research in action in this video: Bobtails + Bacteria = BFF. Finally, according to Sarah and Alton Brown, EAT ALL THE SQUIDS THAT YOU CAN, THE OCEAN DEPENDS ON IT. 00:24:15 - Squids live in the drink and Abe stops by for one. He’s enjoying, as best he can, a Native Species from Blue Mountain Brewery. Ryan thinks the call is coming from inside the house with his Inside Job IPA from Henhouse Brewing, which is mercifully west coast in styling. 00:29:20 - We’re back with Sarah chatting about her ongoing outreach effort, Skype a Scientist, which works to connect researchers with classrooms and other venues that want to have a conversation with a real live scientist. Ryan is a participant and a big fan. If you or someone you know could be a participant on either side of the equation,

00:00:00 - A quick intro to let everyone know that this episode features an interview with former guest of the show (episode 97) Dr. Nick Pyenson recorded live at Room 11 in D.C. Thanks for Room 11 for having us! 00:01:49 - Nick Pyenson joins us to talk about his new book Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures with illustrations by Alex Boersma. A free-wheeling discussion ensues over a couple of burnt sugar old-fashioned cocktails. We talk a lot about whales and their portrayal in the book, but also mention some other things to check out which you can find here: Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel by Carl Safina Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth by Adam Frank Contact by Carl Sagan You can follow Nick and his future adventures online via Twitter (@PyensonLab) and Instagram (@pyensonlab) 01:12:59 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like new year celebrations, noisy but with a sense of finality. This week we thank Ian C. for his time as a recurr

00:00:00 - We start the show the somber story of humanity's continued impact on global climate as recently re-outlined in the Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States. We talk about what the report says, how it maybe says it in a new way (hint: it's the economy), and what we can maybe do next to help mitigate it. 00:31:41 - But a hot earth doesn’t necessarily mean hot drinks. Patrick has a Proper Job, and he’s drinking one too. Ryan bought a beer based on art alone because the Hazy by Jailbreak Brewing Company can has an image of a sloth on it, even if the beer is yet another New England IPA. And Charlie keeps it on the level with some regionally-specific-ish kombucha from his local Kombucha Town. 00:40:34 - To lighten things up in the second segment, we double the number of stories so we can talk about how a new fossil turtle clears up some mysteries about their sudden appearance (turns out it's about the shoulders, not the shell), and a global databas

00:00:00 - For the first half of the show we’re featuring an interview recorded at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s annual meeting in Albuquerque, NM! The interview features a longtime friend of the show Brandon Bourassa (@CrocGypsy) and is hosted(?!) by former guest Khai Button. It’s a free-wheeling conversation, but archosaurs are the main focus, from actual fossils to the so-called “living fossils” that are modern crocs. You can check out Khai's recent paper on Therizinosaurs (personal favorite taxa of mine) here: Incremental growth of therizinosaurian dental tissues: implications for dietary transitions in Theropoda  And you can learn more about CrocFest, which helps raise money for crocodylian conservation around the world, here: https://www.crocfest.org/  00:41:30 - New Mexico is pretty dry so fight off being parched with a drink. Both Matt and Ryan are enjoyed whiskey today, Matt’s from the Emerald Isle and Ryan’s in the form of a 5-spice cocktail leftover from Thanksgiving. 00:48:43 - For our

00:00:00 - Patrick and Charlie return to discuss Martian colonization, but not just whether or not we could, but whether or not we should. Technical concerns aside, what do we risk ethically if we decide to make Mars a haven for wayward humans? And are we already too late to even worry about it? (Also, be sure to check out some of the work done by Charlie’s old acquaintance Margarita Marinova) 00:22:24 - Mars may not have much water but we do. Charlie, in the earliest time zone, goes first with his Kombucha Town Cascadian Hop Ceylon Tea. Ryan follows up with a slightly misidentified Hop Overboard from Supreme Core Cider. Patrick ledes with a big life announcement, then explains the beer scene of his new home, and his choice of the Fursty Ferret from Badger Beers for this week’s show. 00:35:42 - For our second second, we tackle an old favorite: the inequities of scientific published. It may sound dry, but the stakes are high. Namely, how did a group of highly educated and motivated people find themselves over

FIRST OFF: GO VOTE 00:00:00 - Asher Elbein (@asher_elbein) is here to chat with Ryan about his journey to becoming a science journalist. Topics include: being a Bitter Southerner, snake handling, a new Odyssey translation, how great the show Justified was, and more! 00:27:26 - Speaking of milking snakes, let’s have a drink. Asher works through some water purchased when the Texas taps couldn’t be trusted. Ryan explains and enjoys a crowler of the Main Drag Double from Molly Pitcher Brewing Company in PA. 00:35:28 - In part two we shift to more bird-focused topics… sort of. We were going to talk about some fossil bird lungs, but it’s fall and the siren song of the now Midwestern mothman (also known as: an owl) calls out to Ryan, so they mostly talk about that and all the weird folkloric goodness therein. If you’re into spooky Appalachian tales and have already read The Mothman Prophecies, consider supporting Asher’s Kickstarter Anna O’Brien: Ghost days Anthology. 01:17:27 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like owls: scary

00:00:00 - We begin with some very old beer (or slightly alcoholic porridge, if you prefer) before moving on to one of the latest advances in brewing technology (e.g., making yeast mimic hops), so covering the entirety of all beer in one segment. No big deal. 00:31:53 - We were talking about beer so let’s have some! Tim has a Tropic Plunder IPA from TW Pitchers Brewing Company. Abe then takes his time telling us about an exotic Pale Ale procured from Gæðingur Öl Brugghús in Iceland. And Ryan literally rolls the dice to decide upon some Gray Wolf Timber Sassafras finished gin, a plant relevant to some recent adventures. 00:43:24 - When the earth quakes, sometimes the real damage isn’t done by the seismic waves themselves but by the liquefaction they induce. Abe explains and also gives some non-legally-binding advice for how to escape quicksand. Some more resources: Liquefaction did more damage than shaking in Christchurch, NZ When Earthquakes Liquefy Soil, Devastation Can Follow Good animation of how liq

00:00:00 - We are thrilled to be joined by Kelly’s collaborator Scott Egan, whose lab at Rice University recently found an example of parasitism on a parasite. No matter how much we’ve talked about it before, we still have a lot of questions of the complexities of these interactions and some harsh judgments for the leeching lifestyle. 00:35:59 - Nothing like a drink after you’ve been drained. Kelly claims to enjoy a Potter’s cider with added hops and guava. Ryan continues to lament the sorry state of East Coast IPAs but still likes his Juiced In Time. And Abe gets weird with Wicked Weed’s Freak of Nature. 00:42:47 - You may have heard that the Katla volcano in Iceland is about to erupt, but those reports have the author of the paper that got it all started shaking her head. Abe explains why some CO2 emissions aren’t the same thing as an impending eruption. And if you think that it seems like volcanoes are going off more than usual, turns out that psychology more so than geology. Fortunately the Smithsonian’s

00:00:00 - Matt from In Defense of Plants joins Joe and Ryan to talk about F.R.E.D., which is an acronym for a root-database that just reached version 2.0! Why does having a bunch of root data available matter? What’s the point of databases in general? Listen and find out! 00:22:43 - Roots drink, we drink. It’s all the same. Ryan has a typically convoluted thing in the form of a Papes Off the Crust Appalachian-style kvass ale brewed with pumpernickel bread, apples, fig leaves, and coconuts. Juli weighs in with her thoughts and the dog gets excited. Joe can’t really answer our questions about his Reading Draft Creamy Red Birch Beer. Sap extraction discussion ensues. Matt keeps things sharp with a Baileys-spiked Caribou coffee. 00:34:23 - Just when you think you know how to measure a thing, the standard may change. As whimsical as we get about THE kilogram over in France (aka Big K), the International System (SI) may be ready to move on to something more fundamental for a few of our favorite units. 00:46:55 - P

00:00:00 - Sometimes life finds a way, to get in the way, so instead of the show we were supposed to record, here’s another from the archives. This time, we’re rolling back the clock to October 2014, mere moments after the live show you heard in episode 214. After our show, Kyle Hill (@Sci_Phile) took the stage to do a Because Science live panel discussion lead by him featuring Patrick House (@drmisterpatrick), Zach Weiner (@ZachWeiner), and our own Ryan Haupt. Topics in part one include: Jurassic World’s lack of feathered dinosaurs Asimov’s Laws of Robotics Star Trek communicators Cordyceps parasites in the video game The Last of Us Toxoplasma Ulcers and personality Disease attenuation ‘Mutated’ neutrinos from the film 2012 and just what is going on with the Hulk 00:33:15 - Ryan breaks in for a moment to insert a drinks segment and he’s having some sherry, which sounds like something fancy from a Poe story, but he mostly just uses it for cooking. 00:34:10 - Part 2 of the panel begins wi