Podcast Episodes

Taxonomy's 200-Year Mistake

Fungi used to be considered plants. Bad plants. Carl Linnaeus even referred to them as “the poorest peasants” of the vegetable class. This reputation stuck, and fungi were considered a nuisance in th…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

People are buying coyote urine. Where does it come from?

Last spring, a curious listener called with an unusual question about coyote urine. Is it – as advertised by companies who sell it – an effective, all natural pest deterrent? And more importantly: “W…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Field reports from the cutting edge of science

It’s a weird time to be an environmental scientist. The proposed cuts to federal science funding in the United States are profound, and if they come to pass, it’s not clear what American science will…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

The Element of Surprise: The $1,000 Balloon

Helium is full of contradictions. It’s the second most abundant element in the universe, but is relatively rare on Earth. It’s non-reactive, totally inert—yet the most valuable helium isotope is sour…

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

A Map to the Next World

“In the last days of the fourth world I wished to make a map for those who would climb through the hole in the sky.”

That’s the first line of the poem “A Map to the Next World” by Muscogee writer and …

Published on 3 months ago

The Trojan Seahorse

In 1970, marine architect Charlie Canby got an odd assignment: Design a 600-foot ship for an undisclosed purpose and an undisclosed customer. Only after it was built did he finally find out what it w…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

A 2,200 Mile Podcast

Today on Outside/In, we’re sharing an episode from our friends and partners at Common Land.

Common Land explores the creation stories behind protected land. Each season takes a deep dive into the hist…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

What Jurassic Park got wrong (and right) about dinosaurs

When the smash-success Jurassic Park first hit theaters in 1993, it inspired a generation of dinophiliacs and helped to usher in a new “golden age of paleontology.” 

But it also froze the public’s per…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Phallic windchimes and ASMR: the magic of sound

In this episode, we’re taking your questions on the subject of sound. We talk about tinnitus, “the mind’s ear,” and the celebrity voices we have strong feelings about, from Bob Ross to President Obam…

Published on 4 months ago

Lawn and Order

Green grass grows everywhere: on baseball fields, in backyards, in front of strip malls. Collectively, we spend billions of dollars every year keeping them fertilized and watered.

But lawns cost more …

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago