Science... sort of

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, consider signing up! You can also support the project on Patreon. 00:53:23 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like squids, or are they? First up, Tyler D. is deserving of a Patreon thesis, and based on some assumptions of his location and interests, he gets: Potential pharmacological effects of Cephalopod spaghettification in the preparation of Cincinnati-style chili: do oodles of noodles decrease oodles of squids in the world's oceans? Thanks, Tyler! Next, Gary K. went to GSA 2018 and sent us some notes, which prompts a brief discussion of conference attendance strategies. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music for this episode: Afterglow - Chvrches Bubbles In My Beer - Willie Nelson Call Me - Blondie

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 recurring donor to the show. Thanks, Ian! Here's to another year of science with all you lovely people. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music for this episode: Humpback whalesong I Spy - Guster

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 database of animal urine which you can access if you have any great ideas about how to put that work. 00:58:14 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like turtles, they can be hard to get out of their shells. This episode we owe Patreon supporter Liz the thesis title for her BSSo and we come up with: Chelonial anal breathing colon effects of urine balance in lacustrine carbon sequestration. Thanks, Liz! Patrick also has thanks to give because we were featured on a list of the top science podcasts! And finally, Charlie has iTunes reviews both critical and praising from Wompajack and metalhardcoreguy, respectively. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: Too hot - The Kinks Ginger - Hooverphonic Turtle Rhapsody - Orchestra On The Half Shell

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 second segment, In Defense of Plant's host Matt Candeias (@indfnsofplnts) weighs in on the issue of invasive Eucalyptus trees in northern California. They've basically been there since the gold rush, so we're all used to seeing (and smelling) them, but should we reconsider our acceptance of non-native taxa in these situations? Spoiler: probably yes. 01:04:08 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like California Eucalyptus, working out for some but a real risk for others. First up, Ryan didn't rig the system but it turns out guest from the first segment Brandon Bourassa is due for a Patron thesis. With Matt's help they devise: Gastrolith wear and tear in the gizzard based on fragmentary Eucalyptus leaf material of the paleofloras of Isla Nublar: Did these animals all die as recently as 1994? Thanks, Brandon! Matt then reads a flattering message from John B. about fossil hunting, mountain biking, and beer; some of our favorite topics for sure! Matt also has a book out if you're interested in learning about plants in convenient text form! You can get it here: Flora: Inside the Secret World of Plants And Ryan will be recording interviews for the show at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in D.C., and hosting a podcasting workshop as well as performing a story at the Story Collider show on December 13th! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: Albuquerque, Nm - Great American Taxi Gan Ainm / The Humours Of Whiskey / Leslie's March - Solas Down Under [New Recording] - Colin Hay

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 a barrel for getting their work out in there in the age of the internet? In a word: capitalism. Any ideas how to fix it? Let us know! 00:59:36 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like publishing; it goes smoother with an editor. Ryan begins with a BSso for superfan and patron Caryne H. For her degree, she wrote When Planets Fight Back: The Unintended Consequences of Hominid Parasitism on the Aresian Atmosphere and the Homicides It Led To. Thanks, Caryne! Charlie reads an excellent 5-star iTunes review from Matt449, and Patrick has some overdue 'Summer of Love' feedback from Zach G. Lastly, if you're in the DC area, check out the DMV AWG, an org Ryan's been helping out with, and other than that, just keep being your scientifical best! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music for this episode: Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time) - Elton John This Is England - The Clash Money Maker - The Black Keys

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 when encountered in an unexpected place. We give our long overdue thanks to Denise C. for being a recurring donor in the old Paypal days. Thanks, Denise! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive - The Ruby Friedman Orchestra Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard To the Ghosts Who Write History Books - The Low Anthem

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 liquefaction happens Mexico City's geology and earthquakes Make your own non-Newtonian fluid USGS Earthquake preparedness CDC Zombie preparedness How to escape quicksand (probably, but just try to avoid it in the first place) 01:18:16 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like seismic events, very difficult to predict. First up, former guest of the show and patron Robert "Doc Sloth" McAfee has earned a BSso in addition to his Ph.D. Robert's less legitimate thesis title is: Liquefaction-based agitated fermentation of H. lupulus derived beverages: fermenting beyond the barrel with shaken, not stirred, yeast strains. Thanks, Robert! Next, audiophile Tim presents a voicemail from Karen in Austin, TX who uses science to solve crimes and wanted to tell us how she got started on that path. Finally, Ryan has an e-mail from Lucas H. who thanks us for some continuing education inspiration for which he is very welcome. Our pleasure *hat tip*. Be sure to check out Tim's podcast Encyclopedia Brunch or if you're in the Bay Area meetup with him to make a robot. Ryan recently appeared on These Are Not The Nerds You're Looking For to talk about Star Wars: Clone Wars and is giving a talk at the Geological Society of Washington if you're in D.C. and are into that sort of thing. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: When Bitter Met Sweet - Honeycutters Sassafras Roots - Green Day Shakey Ground - The Temptations

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 Global Volcanism Program is happy to keep you up to speed on all the magma that's about to spew. 01:11:39 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like volcanoes; they're both closely monitored, but why? After a brief announcement we get back to the fun stuff, and first up is a BSso thesis for Patron Julie S. Julie studied Heat-seeking Haemosporidians: Parasitic Drivers of Human Inhabitation of Thermally-regulated Volcanic Ice Caves. Thanks, Julie! Kelly has an e-mail from Travis about how great former guest Abby Howard and her book Dinosaur Empire are. We agree, obviously. Finally, Abe has an iTunes review from a pretty august author questioning our topic priorities. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music for this episode: We Intertwined - The Hush Sound Weeds - Marina and the Diamonds Prove the World Wrong - Ha Ha Tonka

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 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like precise instrumentation; easy to use improperly. First up, Patron Magnus C. has earned a fake degree by writing the fake thesis: A Mole of Nutrition: Modeling Soil Aeration of Fine Root Web Systems via a fossorial mammal. Thanks, Magnus! Next up, Joe reads an iTunes review from TheBoomstick! And Ryan wraps it all up with a tweet from @MountainVole recommending the show to a friend on Twitter, which is just the best. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music in the episode: Fred Jones, Pt. 2 - Ben Folds Cold Bread - Johnny Flynn Who's Gonna Take The Weight? - Gang Starr

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 with a discussion of more realistic science fiction, including the books Blindsight, Solaris, and the Space Odyssey series, and movies like Upstream Color, Deranged, Interstellar, and even Iron Man. Plus how organizations like the Science and Entertainment Exchange (see episode 40) can help steer Hollywood in the right scientific direction. We end with a discussion of the media's role in make people afraid of things like diseases, and also what's really scary from a scientific perspective. Thanks again to Kyle for putting together the panel, make sure to check out his Youtube series Because Science from the Nerdist.com! 01:02:34 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like panels, it's good to have some diversity. Only one this week and it comes from Thomas K., who has kindly contributed some money via Paypal and has some feedback regarding the evolution of the show, and our recent attempts to do other types of content like fossil hunting! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music for this episode: Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis Sherry - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons First Step - Hans Zimmer

The folks at Wondery have asked us to share a preview from their podcast American Innovations hosted by popular science author Steven Johnson. If you like the preview and would like to hear the full episode plus episodes on topics like mapping the human genome or the rise of the personal computer, head over to Wondery.com or iTunes for more!

00:00:00 - Abe, Bev, and Ryan went fossil hunting! This time they took a trip out to the shores of Chesapeake Bay, but first. What is the Chesapeake Bay, how did it get there, and what was the climate like when the fossils they ended up finding were forming? We chat about that, mostly informed by Roadside Geology of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. and with a dramatic reading from Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States: With Localities, Collecting Tips, and Illustrations. 00:19:11 - Listen, the fossils have been there for millions of years, they can wait until after you've had a beer. After some prompting, Bev decides to go first with a Réserve Ale from Ponysaurus Brewing Co. Ryan's up next with some Starfire from Crooked Run Brewing which reveals a deep love of passionfruit. And Abe finishes the lineup with a HOPness Monster IPA leading to some pretty terrible 'dad' jokes. 00:29:19 - Next up, we get to the actual fossil hunting grounds. Results at Calvert Cliffs State Park are suboptimal, but after a stop at a local brewery, we're given some tips for a better beach and head to Brownies for much-improved collecting. To end, we give a breakdown of what we found, some grades to each site, and some tips and tricks for future fossil hunters to use to improve their odds of getting the best haul! Check out some of the photos from our expedition below! 01:16:10 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like fossil collecting; you have to be patient to get something good. First things first, we plug the kickoff event for the newly organized DMV AWG happening later this month. Be there! Next, Abe has an e-mail for new patron Kay S., which has a lot of good info to inform her BSso thesis title, which is: The statistical effect of 5-star hotels on fossil diversity: a comparative study between La Brea Tar Pits and Ashfall fossil beds. Thanks, Kay! Next up, Bev has a new 5-star iTunes review from Kramkjk, which forces Bev to reveal a terrible secret. Finally, Ryan has an e-mail from Morgan B. about science-y things to do on an upcoming trip to Panama. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: Bayview - Isle Heart of Courage - Two Steps from Hell Passion Is Accurate - The Kills Pulling Teeth - Green Day

00:00:00 - Back in 2015, Ryan was joined by writer Brian Switek (@Laelaps) for an evening of drinks and discussion of dinosaurs in pop culture. The chat begins with the then recently released Jurassic World, which Brian did some website content for, and goes forth from there. 00:43:22 - Since we never actually say it out loud, a modern-day interjection to point out that we were drinking bourbon whiskey. 00:45:01 - Part two of our chat. Some sense, some non-, and like most things, ends with zombies. Be sure to pre-order Brian's new book Skeleton Keys: The Secret Life of Bone, and consider supporting his work on Patreon. 01:35:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like rambling late-night conversations, in that they're nice to have sometimes and better with a friend. We're fighting to get our 5-star iTunes rating back, so we're very thankful for the reviews from Aleesa S and Panda-bear24. Thanks! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon! Music: Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone") - Anna Kendrick I Wish I Was Still Drinking - Colin Hay YOLO (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - The Lonely Island

00:00:00 - This week Ryan is joined by Will Harris and David Moscato (@DMos150) from the Common Descent podcast. First up, we learn about the paleontology research they both did as Masters students at East Tennessee State University working at their Gray Fossil Site. Long story short: Will did gators, David did snakes (and other lizards). 00:58:55 - This week Ryan is the sole beer drinker (rare in a group of paleontologists) and he's bringing the funk with a Swedish-brewed Funkstarter. He's bracketed on both sides by Will and David each having a Dr. Pepper. 01:07:48 - Next up, we chat about the fun and the challenges of paleontology podcasting. You can subscribe to their podcast, Common Descent, on Podbean, follow and like them on Facebook and Twitter, watch the Q&A Ryan participated in on Youtube, and even sign up to support them on Patreon! (Bonus: here's the mislabeled sloth tweet that so annoyed former guest Doc Sloth) 01:46:37 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like paleontology; sometimes they take a while. This time, Ryan reads an e-mail from Susan that brings up a very old discussion but also touches on the difficulties of trying to fit evolution into the curriculum when the focus is mainly "teaching to the test". Good, but frustrating, points. Thanks for writing in, Susan! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: In the Hills f Tennessee - Jimmie Rodgers I'm a Pepper - Dr. Pepper Commercial Who Tells Your Story (feat. Common & Ingrid Michaelson) - The Roots

00:00:00 - Scientists yet again found themselves baffled! That's right baffled! While they calmly waited for test results to confirm that the wolf-like animal shot by a Montana was indeed a wolf. Shocker. Anyways, turns out wolves cooperate with each other better than dogs do. Are dogs just broken wolves? That's what this study sought to test in a pretty clever way. Either way, they're good dogs, Brent. 00:41:41 - Ryan finally gets to take a drink and decides to crack open a half growler gifted to him from former guest of the show Jen Gallagher containing the Halleck Pale Ale from Chestnut Brew Works in WV. Ben mixes it up with some sort of clam miso beverage (soup?). Go home, Ben, you're... not drunk? Abe brings us back to center with a more believable Squatch Ale. 00:56:43 - Europa is a Jovian moon that probably has an ocean. If that ocean has life, that life will need food. That food may show up via some ice tectonics as proposed and modeled by a new paper. Somehow the sport of squash gets involved. Listen to find out why. 01:24:05 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like potentially lifeless oceans; they're both rife with possibility! Abe begins with a thesis for recurring Patron Sam L. We happen to know Sam likes spicy food, so his thesis is: Modeling capsaicin-induced lycanthropy in the McMurdo dry valleys of Antarctica: a test case for Europan werewolves. Thanks, Sam! Next up, Chelsea B. gets the supreme pleasure of telling Ryan he was wrong about something from episode 265 concerning rabbit digestion. Ryan realizes he has a lot to learn about foregut versus hindgut digestion and reads up a bit to try to set the record straight. Finally, Ben presents a 5-star iTunes review from Kyle that gives Ryan a chance to gloat, so things are almost immediately back to normal. *sigh* More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: The Underdog - Spoon Sample In A Jar - Phish The Ocean (Moon Version) - The Bravery

00:00:00 - Ryan and Juliana sit down with Kevin Hoch (@krhoch) to talk about pterosaurs! They're not dinosaurs but they're still great. We begin with some pterosaur basics to make sure everyone is up to speed. 00:21:52 - Much like pterosaurs at presumably some point in the past, we are in Tulsa, OK. Kevin provides some beer, including a Bump in the Road from Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing for Ryan and Kevin, and a Sundown Wheat from Marshall Brewing Company for Juliana. PSA: Don't touch dead armadillos. 00:28:20 - Next we grill Kevin about his maters research where he took a close look at Rhamphorhynchus, including scans of a 3D skull from Germany. We also touch on the cryptid beast the "Ropen" thought by some to be pterosaurs that have survived to modern day (spoiler: they haven't). 00:49:01 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the evolution of flight; they've both happened more than once. Just Ryan for this segment and he's got a question Liam T. about the limits of biology when it comes to identifying species, especially from the fossil record and our own hominid lineage. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Reading Rainbow Theme Song Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad - Eric Bibb & Habib Koité Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz

00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are joined by author Carl Zimmer to discuss his latest book: She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity 00:24:28 - In which Kelly and Ryan take a quick coffee break, even if Kelly goes decaf. 00:28:17 - Part two of our chat with Carl. If you simply must have more then you should definitely just get the book. You can find more books on Carl's website and follow him on Twitter @carlzimmer. 00:49:46 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like inherited traits, you think you can predict them, but it can always go wrong. First up, Patron Stu P. (AKA Stoop) gets a BSso thesis with the title: Growing a funny bone: how babies cells modify a mother's laugh. Thanks, Stu! We also must thank modernarts for their recent 5-star iTunes review pushing us back up the charts! Bonus fact: the tongue-twister inspired by a paleontologist More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists Cup of Coffee - Johnny Cash My Father's Eyes - Eric Clapton

00:00:00 - We're starting off this episode with a bit of news about the ongoing Kīlauea eruption in Hawaii. Abe explains the basics of what's happening and if you want updates you can read the USGS reports on the situation and follow their topical @USGSVolcanoes Twitter account. But for our actual first subject we're talking about hitting asteroids with HAMMERs because if they're coming for us, we better be ready. Joe tells us about the current state of our asteroid defense (HINT: not great) as well as some things we could do to beef up our meager defenses against an assured eventual threat. 00:26:19 - Nothing like existential terror to make on want a drink. Joe keeps it soft but bilingual with a Johnnie Ryan's Black Cherry Soda, and like most cherry sodas, he enjoys it. Abe blinds himself and finds out that he's enjoying a Stone Xocoveza, a hard one to guess even in the best of circumstances. And Ryan is having a Black Flag Mambo Sauce, which fortunately does not taste like actual mambo sauce because that would be weird. 00:33:56 - Predicting when volcanoes will go off is hard, we've covered that much before. But a new technique is aiming to make it just a little bit easier. Abe discusses the new idea, how it could help, and some of the continued hurdles that come up when trying to understand what's happening under our feet. 00:58:17 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like asteroid impacts, you know they're coming and they may hurt. First up, Patreon supporter Rich B. has completed his coursework and written a thesis titled: Love taps: Using bulk impactors to induce hammer shock for mapping crustal magma pathways in active volcanic edifices. Thanks, Rich! Next, Frank has sent in a story about old beer. Ryan has an update, and he and Abe disagree about whether this is a beer worth sampling. Finally, Joe has a voicemail from Jonathan in Illinois about the future of internal combustion engines. Joe is a big supporter of electric, and suggests you find out how your own vehicle stacks up here: How Clean is Your Electric Vehicle? You can call in and give us your results at 312-PALEOPALS (312-725-2672). More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music of this week's show: No Hammer To Hold - The Milk Carton Kids Cherry Cola - Eagles of Death Metal Warning - Green Day

00:00:00 - We're doing another Anchor-themed clip show! Following up on episode 266, 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). Enjoy! 00:02:02 - Bio bios: Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) 00:07:12 - News: Bobcats are back! (in New Hampshire) 00:09:56 - Bio bios: Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) 00:13:51 - Better know a root: iso- 00:16:35 - News: Turkeys circling goes viral 00:19:13 - Bio bios: Common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) 00:23:28 - Better know a root: gyno- 00:26:55 - News: New continent found in the Pacific 00:30:40 - Bio bios: African civet (Civettictis civetta) 00:35:07 - News: Head of EPA says CO2 doesn't affect climate 00:40:19 - Q&A: How to read a scientific paper? (Two-parter! No link because it's all me, BABY!) 00:49:07 - Pi Day! What is pi? 00:53:00 - Pi Day! The history of a number 00:56:41 - PaleoPOWs are sort of like the opposite of anchors; they lift you up. This week we're trying to climb our way back to a 5-star iTunes rating, so Ryan reads a few recent reviews that are helping us get there. Thanks to jeffluckclub, Nd power, Willcrimson, Kittie396, and Steven767 for taking a moment to help us out! Song for this week's show: XXV - Broke For Free

00:00:00 - Abe, Joe, and Ryan are joined by volcanologist Jess Phoenix, who is stepping away from science to run for Congress in California's 25th district. In our first segment, we talk about how she got started in science with a strong outreach focus to help prepare the next generation of field scientists in her community with her organization Blueprint Earth. 00:28:42 - We take a break from trying to help to have a beverage. Abe tells the tale of Shackleton's failed Antarctic expedition that eventually led to some recovered Scotch whisky that has been recreated at a more affordable price point, which he enjoys with a little ice (probably not Antarctic ice though). You can read about the expedition in the graphic novel Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey. Joe struggles his way through some wax to open his Indian Wells Brewing Co. Death Valley Black Cherry Soda, which he says is really good. Ryan makes a Drunk Uncle cocktail with some common (read: uncommon) ingredients using the same Scotch that Abe has. It's almost like they planned it! 00:40:16 - In part two of our chat with Jess, we talk about her decision to transition into the political realm and how she feels her scientific worldview shapes her position on various policies. Plus what lessons scientists can learn from Jess' experiences out on the campaign trail. If you want to learn more or are interested in donating or volunteering to her campaign, you can do so at her website, and follow along on Twitter and Facebook.* 01:04:56 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like campaign promises, we hope you believe them but understand if you don't. First up, we have a BSso to grant to patron Morgan Marshall, who writes in to tell us how excited he was to hear about research happening in his own backyard on a recent episode. His thesis title is: The effect of free coffee of observations of Fata Morgana within Fata Morgana in the Desolation Wilderness, CA. Thanks, M^2! Next up, Abe has an e-mail from Les I. in Canada who comes up with a Brachiolope Brew Pack. Help us out, home-brewers! Finally, Joe has a 5-star iTunes review from BoilerUp75 which is great even if the title throws a bit of a curveball. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Blueprint for a Slow Machine - 65daysofstatic I Will Go Sailing No More - Randy Newman Run Run Run - Phoenix *But of course we have to point out that none of us live in her district so we can't vote for her nor should our interview be considered an explicit endorsement of her campaign. You know the drill.

00:00:00 - Ben and Ryan are joined by Ben's actual friend Miya Warrington. Miya studies the behavioral ecology of animal communication, which we spend the first segment discussing the generalities of the research and why this type of research is important. You can learn more about her research at her website or by checking out the comic Jorge Chan did about her work in Ph.D. Comics. 00:44:24 - Talking about talking is thirsty work, so Ben and Ryan enjoy a drink. Ben has a Thai basil soda from Portland that doesn't sound all that great, but Ryan really enjoys his Two Claw Rye IPA which, of course, leads to a discussion about crabbing. 00:59:27 - For the second part of our chat with Miya, we discuss her recently published paper about how noisy equipment in the grasslands of Canada changes how birds are able to talk to each other, and what conservation implications this might have for the future. Important stuff! You can follow along with Miya on Twitter @miya_warrington 01:15:19 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like diesel-powered oil pumps, they don't inherently seem to make sense. First up is a thesis for Patreon supporter Alex K., which Ben absolutely nails on the first try with Descalate the alarms: A silencing method for counter-measuring early rising chirpers. Great job, Ben and congrats Alex on your BSso degree! Next, Ben and Ryan discuss an e-mail from Harper with a link to an article about a guy trying to predict the origin of life using entropy, which is a fun thing for a physicist and a paleontologist to discuss. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Bird Problems - Limbeck Crabbuckit - K-OS Bird On The Wire - Leonard Cohen

00:00:00 - Patrick and Ryan are joined by Justin "The Yeti" Yeakel who has a new paper in Nature Communications about a model he and his co-authors have developed about starvation and body size in mammals, turns out, bigger is generally better. The interview was conducted during Justin's commute, so the connection comes and goes, but it's always good to catch up with one of the originals. You can follow Justin on Twitter (@jdyeakel) and check out his lab's website here. And if you want to read more about big ideas in ecology, check out James Brown's seminal book Macroecology. 00:44:56 - Saying goodbye to Justin is so upsetting we need a drink. But first, Justin (safely off the road) sends us a quick audio update with a drink of his own, the Go West! IPA from Anchor Brewing Company. Next up, Patrick runs with the big dogs and enjoys a 9% collaboration Brown IPA from Heavy Seas and Stone, but Ryan one-ups him per usual with a 10% Higher Ground from Franklin's. You can't win, Patrick, he has the high ground. 00:52:12 - For our second segment, Ryan chats with Dr. Eloise Marais from the University of Birmingham about her idea to use the GPS in a smartphone to dynamically track a person's exposure to air pollution. The first attempt had some interesting hiccups but shows promise. You can read the abstract from her AGU talk here, and check out Eloise's lab website here. 01:25:22 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like air pollution; you can't avoid it no matter how far you run. First up, we are thrilled to have Jeff C. on board as a patron, and he lets us know a little about his story with geology, including some unfortunate discrimination. Sorry to hear about that, but glad you found a better place still in STEM. Jeff also get's a thesis, which in this case is: Hothouse techniques to develop ideal allometric size-constrained pollution resistant Coffea arabica beans: Hothouses for cold beans. Thanks again, Jeff! Next, Cliff E. wanted us to know about the Mammal March Madness based on an NPR article he read, spearheaded by Prof. Katie Hinde and an all-around swell idea! Patrick's geochemistry students are getting ready to produce some podcasts, you can listen to the last class' episodes on Soundcloud here. And Ryan is giving a talk at the Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers in Roanoke, VA as part of the Science Museum of Western Virginia's STEM Tavern series on April 11th, so come on by if you're in the area! More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: One Call Away - Charlie Puth Higher - Creed No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry

00:00:00 - This episode Ryan is joined by four (4!) guests to talk about their paper published in Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics about whether or not humans are to blame for the extinction of Caribbean mammals. What did they discover? You can read a summary of the work written by co-author Alexis Mychajliw here and then listen to find out even more! 00:31:08 - Island life goes better with a drink. Doing the show all these years means there are occasionally bottles with a very small amount of left in them being "saved for the show." This week, Ryan downs the final two ounces out of a batch 1 bottle of Barrell Bourbon, a very good overproof whiskey, if you like that sort of thing. 00:33:12 - Part two of Ryan's chat covers how a multi-first author collaboration even works, as well as what we can expect to see from their team next. We also discuss the recent hurricanes in the region, and what that means for both the people and for the science. You can help out by donating to Puerto Rican scientists and contributing to crowd-sourced projects to better understand hurricanes like this one. Follow along with each of the interviewees using these handy links! Aleix Mychajliw: Website and Twitter Siobáhn Cooke: Website and Twitter Liliana M. Dávalos: Lab website and Facebook Nate Upham: Website and Twitter 01:05:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like localized extinctions: entirely avoidable but sometimes inevitable. This week we're keeping it short with a simple thanks to Lisa K. for her recurring donation. Thanks, Lisa! No thesis this week since Ryan is solo, but if you want your own thesis title, head on over to Patreon and sign up for the Avogadro's Army level or higher. More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Main Title from "LOST" - Michael Giacchino Buttons - The Weeks Barrel of a Gun - Guster Change the World (Lost Ones) - Anberlin

00:00:00 - After a brief intro from Ryan and Abe, where explains his new job with the USGS (congrats!) we dive right into Ryan's yearly AGU catch-up with Miles Traer. The first section is mostly about food. You can find Ryan's mom's gumbo recipe here: seafood gumbo. 00:26:25 - Since they're recording in person, Ryan thought it'd be fun to exchange beers and Abe agreed. Abe gives Ryan a Hitachino Nest XH, and Ryan gives Abe a Free Will 5th of May. Juliana joins for a moment to give us her hot take on each. 00:33:39 - Ryan and Miles keep chatting, much as before, there's comic book movies, Star Wars, and probably something about the session they chaired at the meeting (i.e., the reason they were there in the first place). You can see Ryan's gator selfie on Instagram. You can read Ryan and Mile's session proposal here: Science and Sci-Fi: Using Real Science to Explore Fictional Worlds, you can read Mile's abstract for the session here: Stop saving the planet! Carbon accounting of superheroes and their impacts on climate change, and Ryan's here: InGen Inconsistencies: The "Dinosaurs" Of Jurassic Park May Not Be What The Corporation Claims. Doing the session was a lot of fun, and it was even written up in The Washington Post by Sarah Kaplan! 01:00:25 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like New Orleans, they're both big and easy. First up, we thank Zach B. for being a Patron and give him his thesis title. It takes a minute to figure out, but we now know his project is: Saved by the Salt: A Source Dependent Comparative Analysis of Nutrient Composition of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Using Spectroscopic Satellite Image Data. Thanks, Zach! Next, Ryan celebrates our 501st iTunes review from Bettyk239. Thanks, Betty! Finally, Abe wants to encourage young Latino/a/x volcanologists to get some money from AGU to go a conference. If you know about a pool of money to help young scientists present their work, let us know so we can promote it! Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Shrimp & Gumbo - Dave Bartholomew Salty Eyes - The Matches New Orleans - Trampled by Turtles

00:00:00 - Here begins our coverage of the 2017 meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Ryan is joined by Matt Candeias, host of Brachiolope Media's In Defense of Plants podcast. 00:02:58 - First, Ryan chats with Susheel Adusumilli about his work looking at changes in Antarctic peninsular ice over the last 20+ years using satellite imagery data. Plus, tips on how best to set up your home wifi network to get the fastest speeds! 00:19:13 - Next up is Mike MacFerrin, who takes us to the other side of the ice ball so we can learn about what's happening in Greenland. Mike has some great stories to share regarding his work on the firn of Greenland's ice sheet, how the sheet is changing, what that means for communities their, and his journey from teacher to scientist (and what scientists can learn from teachers). Awesome chat with an awesome dude. 00:43:05 - Ice goes drinks so let's have some. Matt enjoys a gin and tonic. Ryan says something probably incorrect about India. Ryan pretends to be classy with some Root: 1 Sauvignon Blanc, because the label is pretty, which leads to a discussion on grafting about which Matt says something probably correct. The wine is being used for mushroom pasta, and they both get excited about fungus. 00:51:20 - Rounding out part one is Sarah Arveson, who studies the core... of the earth! Ryan struggles to come to grips with how to use diamond anvils and lasers and high pressures all come together to understand how the earth works. She explains it better than we can type it. She also wrote and op-ed about the thankfully failed Republican tax bill that threatened to tax grad student tuition, which is a bad idea and we talk about why. She continues to serve her community via union organizing, which is impressive, bold, and empowering. Get to work helping your local area, people. What are you even waiting for? 01:29:59 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the earth's core, they're both dynamic, but we're not quite sure how. Patron David M. is here for his thesis, and we aim to provide it, however clunkily. David, your thesis is: Glacial melt effects on light element incorporation into the terroir of wine growing regions in southern South America. Thanks, David! Next, Matt tells us about the documentary he has on Kickstarter, Botany of the Cascades. Consider pitching in a few bucks to get yourself some sweet rewards. Finally, a voicemail from an unknown caller about whether or not Storm's powers have anything to do with airborne algae. Matt and Ryan argue their sides, listen in to see who emerges victorious. If you want to read more about the plausibility of mutant powers, check out Science of the X-Men and tell Ryan if it holds up. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Ice Melts - Matt and Kim The Seed (2.0) [feat. Cody Chestnutt] - The Roots Parting of the Sensory - Modest Mouse

00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Professors Christopher Jackson and Tom Narock. We begin by talking about their research. Chris uses seismic data to explore landform evolution over deep time. Tom is trying to use semantics and machine learning to help earth scientists wrangle all the data that's out there (or, if you're suspicious, he's securing his spot amongst the machines for when the robot uprising occurs). 00:28:56 - Drinks are a thing, and we have them. Chris enjoys a Camden Hells Lager from London, England if you can believe it. Tom has some triple hopped homebrew that we're still working on a name for. And Ryan enjoys a Creedence Pilsner because he needed something sessionable around for playing D&D. 00:37:40 - In part two of the discussion, Chris and Tom explain the new preprint server EarthArXiv they and others have been working on. We go over the basics of preprint servers, how they see the role of preprint servers in the publishing ecosystem (including an AGU preprint server of their own), and how simple it is to actually put your work on them. You can follow updates on their endeavor on Twitter @EarthArXiv as well as Chris (@seis_matters) and Tom (@tnarock) personally. 01:13:49 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like publishing, there's a long time between submission and publication. First up, a thesis for Patron James P., who, like Joe, is a bit of a 3D printer too. His thesis is: The Stability of Genius: Use of Machine Learning to Develop Algorithms for Controlling Tuned-Mass Dampers in Skyscrapers to Counteract Seismic Effects. Like, really smart ideas. Thanks, James! Ryan has a voicemail from Baylor, who seems like a right dude and wanted to just tell us he likes the show. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: II. Earth: The Oldest Computer (The Last Night) [feat. Azealia Banks] - Childish Gambino London Bridge - Ed Sheeran and Yelawolf Give It Away - Andrew Bird

00:00:00 - Now for part 2 of our coverage of GSA's annual meeting in Seattle, WA. First up, Ryan's conversation with Robin Trayler, who does stable isotope work on South American mammals (but not sloths, they're spoken for, thank you very much). He explains how stable isotopes from animals can teach us about past climate. You can read his abstract here: Ecology and Climate of the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation, Argentina 00:20:16 - Next up is the delightful Dr. Lindsey Yann, who is also working on stable isotopes in mammals, but she's looking at white-tailed deer from an archaeological site in Tennessee, so similar tools to answer different questions. Neat! Her abstract: Deer as Potential Climatic Recorders Through Time 00:39:11 - In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Ryan brought Patrick a beer, in this case, a pretty big one, the Megalodom from Ninkasi Brewing Company, named for a pretty epic (but definitely extinct) shark. A brief discussion of Ryan and Patrick's issues with taxonomy ensues. 00:52:38 - Finally, Ryan's field partner from undergrad, Harrison Gray, who is finishing up his doctorate in Geomorphology and does a great job of breaking down the methods he's developed for understanding the history of a rock and its role in the landscape. He also works for the USGS, though not for much longer, so we do speak a little about the politics of making it harder for government agencies to hire young scientists to serve the nation's interests. Strap in. His abstract: Testing Age Predictions Made with Portable OSL Measurements in Southern Nevada 01:13:32 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like spending time at a conference, you could bump into anyone! First up, we thank Ryan's parents, Bruce and Susan, for their support on Patreon. As part of the reward for their generosity, they get a thesis title: A quilted layering for Chondrichthyan cartilaginous insertion of the patellar joint, a test case performed in New Mexico, USA. It may be nonsense, but it's yours with our sincerest thanks. Next up, a fossiliferous update from Emma G. about the discovery of two fighting fossils Ryan mentioned in a previous episode. Last up, Kirstin M. asks why we stopped doing Trailer Trash Talk, her favorite segment, so we explain why while also sneaking in a quick peek at the teaser for Smallfoot, to really hammer the point home. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Change Of Season - Hall and Oates Oh Dear - Matt Costa Dead Sea - The Lumineers Lost In The Light - Bahamas

00:00:00 - Ryan and Charlie quickly introduce the premise of the episode: interviews Ryan did at the GSA annual meeting in Seattle, WA. The first interview is with Ph.D. candidate Khai Button about his work examining beaks in dinosaurs and birds (which are also dinosaurs), as well outreach work he does 3D scanning fossils with high school students. You can read about Khai's fieldwork at Expedition Live! and follow his outreach project on Twitter @fossilphiles. 00:31:57 - Drinks normally go one way, this time they go another way; embrace the difference. Ryan and Charlie are both drinking Americanos, which is espresso and hot water made to simulate a normal cup of coffee. Ryan, new to this, has many questions for Charlie, which he answers with gusto. Here's some Abe-approved coffee, a Charlie-approved espresso machine, and a thing that'll boil water real good. 00:45:32 - Next up, Ryan chats to Allison Jones about Jurassic petrofabrics in California with Dr. Kurt Burmeister's research group at the University of the Pacific. It sounds complicated, but as Allison explains they're really just out in the mountains tracing rocks onto plastic sheets and then doing science to them. You can follow Allison on Twitter @allison_jones1. 01:02:30 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like in-person interviews, they're better with friends. Doing things in sort of reverse order, we begin with Charlie reading an e-mail from Kris H. wondering about claims made by various shades of climate change skeptics and/or deniers. There's a lot to be said, but the take-home message is that all of Kris' links are pointing towards cranks of various stripes, so we won't link them again here. You can read more about the claims these folks are making and how to counteract them here: Skeptical Science Climate Myths, and check out the book The Two-Mile Time Machine if you want to learn more about how we actually take some of the measurement to build our climate models as discussed by Ryan and Charlie. Ending things on a happier note, we thank Patron Billy Nitro by conferring upon him a thesis title. Tying into the show's themes we present: Unraveling the Pop Culture Fabric: Tools to Convince the Public that Dinosaurs had Feathers and Beaks with Applications Towards Climate Skepticism Outreach. Thanks, Billy! Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music from this week's show: Birds - M83 Grindstone - Jackie Greene Black Rock - O.A.R.

00:00:00 - Ben and Ryan are joined by Matt Candeias from the In Defense Of Plants podcast, the newest member of the Brachiolope Media Network! With introductions out of the way, we get hyped to hear Ben tell us about a neutron star collision, known as a kilonova, detected by LIGO. 00:31:12 - Drinks also contain neutrons, which collide with the neutrons in our mouths. Matt begins with some Oktoberfest style homebrew from a buddy of his. Ben is very excited by a flan-flavored drink from Japan. Good for Ben. Ryan has a sour barrel-aged cider called Hawk Knob, named after the highest point in WV. 00:39:31 - Now for some bad news, a new study has shown that pikas, a cute lagomorph related to bunnies, are locally extinct around Lake Tahoe, which probably spells doom for the rest of the species. We explain why and just generally lament the state of things. 00:58:34 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like local extinctions, part of you wishes they'd just get it over with. First, we power through Ben's connectivity issues to get Patron Richard H. a thesis title as thanks for supporting the show. His title is Neutron Star Collisions Increase Gold, Ultimately Decrease Pikas (Ochotona princeps): The Sad Story Of Alpine Pikas In A Warming Climate: The Thesis. Thanks, Richard! Next up, Matt has an e-mail from Xander O. about how small changes, like 1 degree of temperature, can have really big effects around the globe. Ryan ends things with a voicemail from Josh from VA, who has kind words for us all, so that's nice. Don't forget to check out the other shows in the network, The Titanium Physicists and In Defense Of Plants, and you can check out Ryan talking about five minutes of John Carpenter's The Thing beginning with minute 41 on The Thing Minute. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Collide - Corey Smith Waiting for October - Polaris Pokémon Theme Song - The Original Gameboy Game Recorded using Zencastr. Use promo code SCIENCE for 20% your order.

00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are joined by Abby Howard (@AbbyHoward) to talk about her new graphic novel Dinosaur Empire! Journey through the Mesozoic Era, the first in her Earth Before Us series of all ages paleontology focused books. We chat with her about how she got her start drawing comics, especially those of a dinosaurian variety. 00:27:05 - We normally don't record in the morning, but when we do, you can expect a very different drinks segment. This is one of those times. Abby is kicking back some water because it's important to stay hydrated. Kelly is having a decaf skim milk latte because it's also important to stay caffeinated, but not too caffeinated. Ryan, advocating for the exact opposite lesson, is having homemade cold brew concentrate straight from the jar. Tastes slightly better than rubbing it right in your eyes. 00:31:36 - Next, we keep chatting with Abby about what she learned about dinosaurs in making her book, and what she learned through the process of trying to teach others about dinos. It's all just sharing and learning in this segment, good vibes. You can find more of Abby's work at her website, Junior Scientist Power Hour, and support her in creating comics on Patreon. 01:01:23 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like all-ages books, they're good for all ages. Ryan begins with a thesis title for Jacob W. (as a reward to supporting us on Patreon). Suspecting that Jacob might be related to a certain cinematic assassin, we grant him the title: Did Velociraptor hunt Protoceratops for money? A theory of dinosaurian currency in the late Cretaceous. Kelly winds things up with a somewhat somber and heartfelt e-mail from Leigh, about the state of the world and turning towards science for comfort. Thanks for the kind words. Also, Kelly's book, Soonish, is out now if you want to feel hopeful(ish) about the future. You can now find some of our episodes on Youtube, if that's a thing that works for you. If you're looking for ways to help those recovering from the various recent hurricanes, consider donating to the Houston Food Bank and/or the World Central Kitchen. Music: Picture Book - The Kinks Caffeinated Consciousness - TV On The Radio Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime - Beck

00:00:00 - This episode Ryan is joined by returning guest Daphne Pringle and first-time guest Dr. Jen Gallagher, a listener who wrote in to let us know about some of the positive changes that have happened at WVU's Department of Biology. We spend the first segment talking about Jen's research using yeast and genomics to study drug and pesticide resistance. One of her students has a paper coming out in PLoS One soon, so stay tuned! 00:25:08 - While we wait for the new paper to drop, why not enjoy a drink? Jen keeps it local with a Halleck Pale Ale from Chestnut Brew Works, a brewery that eventually hopes to make a beer with all West Virginian ingredients. Daphne keeps things Old Fashioned, literally, using the Yippee Ki-Yay blend from High West Distillery. Ryan rounds things out with Revival Sorghum Whiskey from Charleston (South Carolina), mostly so he can finish off the bottle and play a nice song in the transition to the next segment... 00:33:38 - Since Jen first wrote in to tell us about teaching biology at WVU, we spend the second segment talking about teaching. We discuss how her courses are structured to maximize student engagement (and engagement with Wikipedia) by focusing on sometimes horrifying genetic diseases as a teaching tool. We also discuss her efforts to engage the people of WV in her citizen science initiative "I Ask Why", which helps the community better understand the microbes living all around them. For updates, you can follow Jen on twitter @yeastychic. 01:13:54 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like yeast, you can find them anywhere and they're hard to kill. Ryan starts off with a big THANK YOU to Patron Erich E. This means Erich gets a thesis, and his is: Teaching Outcomes of Yeast-inebriated Individuals Upon Exposure To -omics Data. Daphne wants to keep talking about evolution, so her contribution today is an old Facebook message from Andy S., who works construction but wants to talk about dinosaurs. Specifically, why weren't there any quadrupedal carnivorous dinosaurs? Discussion ensues, including some talk about a paper from earlier this year that has shaken the dinosaur family tree at its base. Be sure to follow Daphne on Twitter (@drpingleetal), and if you need more podcasts to listen, why not hear Ryan talk about his journey to becoming a paleontologist on HumaNature Episode 23 - Between a Rock and a Holy Place. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Rise To Me - The Decemberists It Ain't Me - Kygo & Selena Gomez Understanding - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

00:00:00 - A team at CalTech has figured out a new way to increase the rate that the ocean might be able to suck down carbon from our atmosphere. The overall plan is still missing a few steps, but it's an exciting step forward in how might get ourselves out of this climate mess. 00:20:45 - Drinks are another way we've figured out how to infuse carbon dioxide into liquid, but we let it out again once we drink it. Whoops. Charlie really enjoys his Bodhizafa IPA from Georgetown Brewing, which of course prompts a discussion of the themes of the 1991 classic film Point Break. Joe references another film franchise with his Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer, but we'll let you put the pieces together yourself. And Ryan wraps it all up with a La Cumbre Elevation IPA sent to him by Matty J. 00:31:45 - Because we're all happy to launch stuff into orbit but no one wants to bring it back down ever, space junk is becoming a big problem (which you can see for yourself here). A joint research team at JPL and Stanford have looked towards the ultra-sticky feet of the gecko as a potential solution, but do the boys agree that this is the best solution? The answer may surprise you... 00:55:01 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like space junk, there's a lot of them and the problem is only getting worse. Joe complains about getting the best kind of feedback, a new Patreon subscriber from longtime supporter Andrew H. Thanks, Andrew! As part of his rewards, he gets a thesis title, and his is: Particulate Elimination Procedure in Trans-Orbital Space (PEPTO) as a function of decreasing carbonic acid degradation of calcitic systems in the surface ocean. Next up, Ryan reads a 5-star iTunes review that comes in hot with some criticism. Hopefully, we can all come together again over the greatness of orangutans. And Charlie has a question about a bet we made on various energy technologies back in the halcyon days of episode 88. Charlie has an update: we all lost. But Charlie is also looking for new grad students, so if you're interested in energy work, check out the Western Washington University Institute for Energy Studies website and get in touch. Ryan was interviewed about his journey from Creationist to Scientist on the Human Nature podcast, so check that out if that sounds interesting to you. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Bound - Matt Costa Meet The Bodhisattva - Mark Isham Beautiful Mess - Miranda Cosgrove Neo Zen - Ketsa Recorded using Zencastr. For 20% off your first year of Zencastr, use coupon code SCIENCE.

00:00:00 - Studying volcanoes is hard because they're really hot and acidic and just generally sort of deadly to we frail humans. But what about robots? OK, also sort of deadly to robots, but a team is still using an autonomous boat to map out a volcanic lake in Costa Rica, and that's pretty neat. To see Abe's diagram of how volcanic arcs form, click here. 00:31: 35 - Volcanic lakes can bubble up carbon dioxide, as can carbonated beverages. Joe goes first with a Death Valley cola since volcanoes are also hot and deadly? Ryan risks injury and sickness by drinking some homemade fermented pineapple drink known as tepache. Click here to watch a video on how to make it yourself. You'll need some jars, lids, and stones too. Abe surprises Ryan with some Mezcal Matra in his continuing quest to try every type of distilled agave beverage that Mexico has to offer. Smooth and smokey. 00:50:52 - And now, an update on our show's mascot, the always weird but always interesting naked mole rat! A new study has shown that naked mole rats don't mind if you take away their oxygen. That's usually a deal breaker for most animals, but naked mole rats just switch to metabolizing fructose like a plant. When will the weirdness end? Probably never. 01:11:14 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like volcanos, they can go off without warning and you could end up in an Italian prison. Ryan goes first to thank Tom S. from the peak of good living for his recurring donation through Paypal. Thanks, Tom! Joe's up next with a thesis title for Patron Gretchen L. It takes some doing, but the boys figured it out: Implementation of Autonomous Subterranean Vehicles for Sonar Mapping of Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber) Colonies in the Volcanic Soils of Ol Doinyo Lengai. Finally, Abe is excited about a new 5-star iTunes review from RachaelRidiculous, which is always a treat. To hear Ryan try to be serious, you can listen to his audio essay from the Out There podcast, The Reluctant Outdoorsman. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Steamboat - The Weeks Death Valley Queen - Flogging Molly Every Breath You Take - The Police

00:00:00 - Ryan and Kelly are joined by Mikhail "Misha" Gopko to talk about his latest paper exploring parasites controlling their fish host from inside their eye. Brain-infecting is one thing, but when you can see your parasite inside your own eyeball? That's just creepy. 00:24:44 - Kelly considers fibbing but opts for honesty as she drinks her water. Ryan has a Grolsch because he needs a resealable bottle for some home fermentation projects, and why buy empty beer bottles when you can just empty them yourself? 00:31:42 - Part 2 of our interview with Misha chats about the importance of parasite research, and what future projects Misha has in store. 00:49:51 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like parasites in bird guts, they always come out at the end. First up, we thank Terry R. for being a Patron of the show, which earns them a thesis title. There's is A Bird in the Hand: Mechanisms of manipulation of avian defecation by Diplostomum pseudospathaceum. Thanks, Terry! Kelly has a Facebook message from D Rex who ran half a marathon while enjoying hearing about Kelly's research in episode 259. Way to go! Don't forget to pre-order Kelly's upcoming book Soonish, and check out Ryan's episode of the Out There podcast called "The Reluctant Outdoorsman". Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Something in my eye! - Jay and the AmericansIn De Hemel Is Geen Bier - De Stamgasten Plus Profound - Hooverphonic

00:00:00 - Something a little different this week as Ryan presents some audio from a project he did with the startup Anchor.fm earlier this year producing some science segments for a channel called Organized Curiosity. He's drinking a Manta Ray from Ballast Point Brewing Company, which will become relevant later, but for now, here are the topics that get covered: 00:03:40 - First up, an explanation of the station and why I chose the name Organized Curiosity. (Spoiler: It's from a quote in Zora Neale Hurston's autobiography) 00:07:14 - Better know a root: astro- 00:09:33 - News you probably cannot use: Monkeys pass the mirror self-recognition test 00:12:41 - Bio bios: Mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila)00:15:48 - Q&A: What is a theory? 00:18:37 - Falsifiability response from Ian Shapiro00:19:43 - My response on falsifiability 00:24:46 - Bio bios: Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) 00:29:56 - News you probably cannot use: NASA announces new exoplanets 00:35:08 - Better know a root: osteo- 00:37:58 - Bio bios: Pygmy devilray (Mobula eregoodootenkee) 00:42:53 - News you probably cannot use: What the deep ocean sounds like 00:47:01 - Bio bios: Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) 00:50:19 - Q&A: How do animals know what to do? 00:56:03 - Finally, we end with a quick PaleoPOW thanking Billy Nitro for his recurring PayPal donation and his sweet sweet radio voice. Thanks, Billy! Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Add And - Broke For Free

00:00:00 - This episode Ryan and Ben are joined by Dr. Rachel Brown Reid to tell us about her work with road killed coyotes. But first, we have to make sure Ben is up to speed with the basics of stable isotope analysis. Rachel and Ryan do their best to explain. 00:32:56 - Now that we've supped from the font of knowledge, how about just having some sips of a normal drink? We make the mistake of letting Ben go first. He's having some sort of nonsensical overly complicated health drink. Whatever. Rachel keeps it local with a 2011 B.C. India Style Brown Ale from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, her favorite brewery in a region with lots of good options. Ryan rounds out the segment with a Tart Mango Cart from Golden Road Brewing given to him by listener and pickle-friend of the show Jerrold D. 00:44:19 - Rachel just had a paper come out, which you can read for free from PLoS One where she's analyzed stable isotopes of scat from road killed coyotes. What did she learn? Listen and find out! Also, sometimes coyotes and badgers team up and we think that's great. Also also, be sure to check out episode 206 which features Rachel's husband talking about his ecology research in Costa Rica. 01:22:13 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like coyotes: they're tricksters. Ben begins by thanking Randy D. for becoming a Gravity Pusher patron on Patreon, which means he gets a thesis title. The title of Randy's research is: Temporally-integrated listening habits of mesopredator canids under SO31 transformation. Thanks, Randy! Ryan fields some lightsaber questions from new listener ToRy, with Ben's help of course. Cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon! Music for this week's show: Old Coyote - The Weepies Forgot About Dre [Feat. Eminem] - Dr. Dre Coyotes - Don Edwards

00:00:00 - We are stoked to have returning guest Daphne Pringle back on the show! And while it's not the most upbeat topic, she is indeed here to talk about cancer. Turns out, cancer evolves just like any other organism, but we don't always study in the same way. Maybe we should? Discussion ensues based on the following papers: Cancer as an evolutionary and ecological process Metastasis as an evolutionary process And somehow: Sweaty T-Shirts and Human Mate Choice 00:36:34 - Nothing like talking about cancer to make one want a carcinogen. Daphne reps her local scene with a Tastes LIke Citrus from Two Row Brewing. Ryan has a Brazilian beer called Belô Petroleum: The Great Discovery, which gives him a chance to rant about the North Dakota Access Pipeline. Charlie honors our Utahn guest with his choice of a Uinta Hop Nosh IPA. 00:50:36 - We try to be the science podcast that actually follows up on stories from time-to-time, so it's well past time for us to update y'all on what's going on with the Tasmanian devil face cancer epidemic, first discussed in episode 21. Turns out there is some good news (source 1 and source 2), thanks to evolution if you even believe in that. But they're not out of the woods yet, so if you'd like to help conservation efforts you can do so by donating to the Save The Tasmanian Devil Program. If you'd like to help cancer research more generally, you can donate to the American Associate for Cancer Research. 01:24:11 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like face cancer, you don't want to get bit but it may be hard to avoid. Charlie goes first so he can thank Patron Courtney Brooke Davis, who donates monthly on Patreon at a level where she gets designated a thesis title and her title is: Nonlinear Metastatic Transmissible Neoplastic Cancers in Ancient Marsupials from Midden Remains in Mainland Oceania. Thanks, Courtney! Daphne, since she's been on the show before, has some feedback of her own, from Jen G. who teaches at Daphne's alma mater and wants to let folks know about some improvements since Daphne was an undergrad. Ryan's paleoPOW also spawns from Daphne's first appearance because Tyler F. who wants to talk more about speciation, which is a pretty complicated topic, including wackiness such as ring species. We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so. Music for this week's show: Countdown (Sick For The Big Sun) - Phoenix Royal Oil (Live) - The MIghty MIghty Bosstones Kiss The Devil - Eagles of Death Metal

00:00:00 - First up, Ryan, Abe, and Joe discuss some research showing that arctic foxes inadvertently grow herbivore-friendly gardens above their dens, making them ecosystem engineers, which is pretty freaking cool. 00:20:45 - Arctic foxes bring the produce, but we bring the drinks. This time Joe is enjoying a Sprecher Cherry Cola. Abe is all about his Fancy Pants V3 from Jessup Farm Barrel House, complete with fox logo. Ryan tries out his Spanish to describe a Vieja Compa Picante (or Spicy Old Pal) made with Dominican Bermudez Aniversario 1852 and Habanero Bitters. 00:27:45 - After reading Catching Fire (not that one) geographer Michael Medler had an idea about humans and volcanoes. A map of volcanoes in the African Rift Valley where humans first evolved suggests that maybe our first fires came from lava, allowing us to cook our food and get big brains. Also, ravens (and corvids generally) are super smart, but the Canary Islands are named after dogs. You're welcome. 01:00:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like volcanoes, easier to run away from than you might expect. Abe begins with a donation from Matthew J. who felt bad that his recurring payment fell out so he tosses us a lump sum. Thanks, Matthew! Next up, former guest of the show and current Paleopatron Dr. John Pohl MD has signed up to support us on Patreon and has earned himself a fake thesis title. John's title is: Applications of the Bristol Stool Scale to Winter Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) Fecal Production and Deposition. Lastly, Joe shares a 5-star iTunes review from nh800. We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so. Music for this week's show: Garden - Miike Snow Sour Cherry - The Kills We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

00:00:00 - Kelly Weinersmith is here and she's got a book coming out co-written with some dude named Zach Weinersmith, whoever that is. The book is called Soonish, it's coming out soon, but you can pre-order it now. Pre-ordering is super important for their rankings on the sales charts, plus you get super cool rewards so get on it! 00:21:48 - One thing we hope doesn't change anytime soon is our enjoyment of delicious beverages. Ben has some "Boss Coffee" which Kelly and Ryan thought was a joke, but it's apparently not. Next up, Ryan gets bitter thanks to his wife. Seriously, she bought him some Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters added to some fine St. Lucian rum. Kelly unwittingly makes a London Fog with some Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme tea. 00:33:37 - Wolves are known for many things: pack mentality, becoming dogs, and howling. Tourists really like the howling part, including faking it to get the wolves to howl back. But how does that make the wolves feel? For the first time, a team in Canada has checked to make sure that induced human howling isn't messing with the way wolves use the space. The good news? It's not, the wolves clearly don't care, which is good, but also good that someone thought to double-check. 00:45:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like wolves: they do move in herds. Now that we're on Patreon, if you support us at the Avogadro's Army level or higher, we will make up a fake thesis title for you. Our first recipient of this reward goes to Becky Wertz and her thesis is titled: Stochastic methods for testing differences in adhesion between lingually wetted stamps versus sticker stamps. Thanks, Becky! Next up, Bob M. has some words about Lagrange as discussed in some of our AGU coverage. And finally, Kelly reads a glowing 5-star iTunes review from Susie Haupt, aka Ryan's mom. We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so. Music for this week's show: The Future Soon - Jonathan Coulton London Calling - The Clash Dela (I Know Why The Dog Howls At The Moon) - Johnny Clegg & Savuka

00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Rachel Silverstein (@irrelephantidae) and Marina Chanidou (@marinaloveschem) who were featured by Marvel as the inaugural Agents of G.I.R.L. In the first segment, we chat about Rachel's proboscidean paleontology at the Saltville Valley site, and Marina's work using chemistry to figure out what food was kept in very old pots. 00:21:32 - In the past, both elephants and ancient people had drinks, so let's keep the tradition alive! Rachel stays responsible with some water. Marina enjoys some Bramble Scotch Liqueur. And Ryan tries to keep things thematic with a Prop Culture from Odell. 00:30:46 - The reason this interview came about was because of comics, so we can't help but have a free-wheeling discussion about how Rachel and Marina wound up in Marvel's The Unstoppable Wasp #1, representation, and comics we love. The list of comics mentioned or discussed includes: Princeless Motor Crush The Secret Loves of Geek Girls Chew Saga The Autumnlands Black Road Heathen Unfollow The Flintstones (Yes, it seriously is good.) Welcome Back 01:08:54 - A quick PaleoPOW to thank Maria C. who gave a one-time PayPal donation to help make this show possible. If you'd like to support the show, consider checking out our recently launched Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/sciencesortof Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: I Am Chemistry - Yeasayer Science/Visions - Chvrches Hank Pym - Adam WarRock (Free album, click here)

00:00:00 - This week Ryan interviews W. John Calder, who just finished his Ph.D. studying fire ecology and paleoclimate. We spend the first segment talking about the basics of his research, and some admittedly nitpicky differences between their fields. 00:36:30 - Fires are best put out with liquid, but maybe not this kind of liquid. Ryan is sipping on some Bone Snapper Rye Whiskey with Bittermens Burlesque Bitters, both gifts from his wife. 0038:43 - In part two of Ryan's talk with John, they discuss his paper published in the prestigious PNAS as well as some of the work from his recently submitted dissertation. If you want to keep up with John and his work, you can follow him on Twitter: @W_John_Calder 01:31:38 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like fire, cool in the kitchen for a second, but then they aren't. Ryan thanks Philip O. for a recent donation, and asks how the rest of the audience feels about doing something special for the upcoming eclipse in North America. Also, we're now on Patreon if you're interested in supporting the show and getting some sweet rewards for doing so. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: The Burn - Matchbox Twenty Store Bought Bones - The Raconteurs Fire Lake - Bob Seger& The Silver Bullet Band

00:00:00 - Kelly has a new paper out! It's about wasps being parasites within other parasites right on campus where she works, so that's about as nifty as it gets. You can watch a video about the study here, and read the open access paper here. 00:20:15 - Nothing like thinking about having your brain infected by parasites to make you want a drink, right? Joe thinks he's being original but doesn't realize he's just Jacob because they both thought it would be cool to drink Soylent on the show. Joe's is chocolate flavored instead of coffee, so there's that. Ryan feels cheated with his supposedly 'Scandanavian' Cider that's actually made in Estonia. Not cool! 00:29:16 - Frog tongues, how do they work? Part of the answer is in their selectively stick spit. Also, they swallow with their eyes somehow? That's weird. Frogs are weird. But that doesn't mean you should steal them. Listen to Chunk and don't take amphibians that aren't yours. Joe also reminds us of dirty misspellings and makes puns, feel free voice your disapproval directly to him. 00:50:12 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like frog's swallowing; they both involve more moving parts than you'd expect. Kelly begins with a donation from Eric W. who wanted to thank us for getting him through some tough times. You're welcome and thank you for supporting the show! Joe has more to say about frogs thanks to an e-mail about American Bullfrogs invading Canada as researched by Hans C. And Ryan wraps up with a new 5-star iTunes review (our favorite kind!). Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers The Sporting Life - The Decemberists Speaking In Tongues - The Eagles of Death Metal

00:00:00 - Do you ever wonder how those music ID services work so well? Well wonder no further because we've got Tim Dobbs here to explain it! 00:24:49 - That noise on the microphone? That's us drinking, but don't worry, we'll tell you what's in the glass. Patrick continues his quest to try beers Ryan hasn't had, this time with a Sierra Nevada Single Hop Cascade IPA, but you'll have to listen to see if he's bested Ryan. Ryan classes up the joint with a Chateau Palais Cardinal 2011 St. Emilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux. Dang. Tim finishes up the segment with a Shade of Gray, Black, and White IPA plus some silly RadioLab noises, because we're fairly sure that's not an overdone joke just yet. 00:33:05 - If you enjoy food then you should think about what you're listening to while you eat it, because research is showing that the sounds in your ears can affect the feeling and flavors in your mouth. Plus, super spooky ghosts and the sounds that make them (maybe). 01:02:48 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like seasoning, necessary but if you overdo it everyone is unhappy. Tim starts off with a donation from Brandon J., which makes the show possible, y'all. Thanks, Brandon! Patrick ponders a question from Terry R. asking about maps of earth through the ages. You can check out this website for some cool maps, plus Stephen Jay Gould's The Book Of Life and Ryan's joke answer of The World of Ice and Fire for a map of Westeros. Also, check out this debated island in a lake which is on an island in a lake on an island. Finally, Ryan reads a 5-star iTunes review from Mateo L. who assures readers that the show gets better. Be sure to check out Tim's podcast Encyclopedia Brunch and Ryan stint on Jurassic Park Minute beginning with minute 67. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: 5-Sax Piece - Moon Hooch Many Shades of Black - The Raconteurs Wires - Matt & Kim

00:00:00 - Usually whenever you want to make up nonsense that sounds plausible, you throw in the word 'quantum'. We're all guilty of it from time to time. Fortunately, we have Ben Tippett here to explain the actual quantum happenings behind our first observation of quantum distortion in empty space. You can read the paper on the arXiv here. 00:27:19 - Extra long drinks segment because there's just so much to talk about! Ben's perfect memory of every previous episode fails him just this once when he has the Swedish holiday soda Dryck Julmust, just like Ryan already had on episode 234. Silly, Ben. Ryan is feeling ambitious, so he drinks an entire Galaxy from Funkwerks. Jacob, an adult with stuff to get done mixes a meal with his caffeine by giving Coffiest from (probably not using people as an ingredient but still suspicious) Soylent a try. 00:45:45 - When you think of radar, you probably think of green blips signaling enemy aircraft, but Google's ATAP group has just announced Project Soli, which aims to put a microchip with radar sensors in your phone so you can make things happen just by moving your hands around. Jacob thinks it's a big deal, and he's usually right about these sorts of things so listen up. 01:08:36 - ben has donation from Peter P. (@vituanpeterphan), who also supports The Titanium Physicists because he's a doubly awesome dude. Thanks, Peter! Jacob is up next with a story from Joe S. about a thruster that seems to violate the laws of physics. DOES IT?! You'll have to listen to find out. Ryan winds things down with a quick correction regarding chlorophyll from episode 254 sent it by Paul K. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: Collapsing Stars - The Mountain Goats Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I) - Kid Cudi The Hardest Button To Button - The White Stripes

More of Ryan bumming around a professional meeting, microphone in hand. 00:00:00 - First up is Stacey Felgate (@StaceyFelgate) and Kim Gottschalk (@Kim_Gottschalk). Stacey tells us a little bit about her work on blue carbon storage in salt marshes. Next, Kim tells us about her project investigating the source of Antarctic bottom water with GO-SHIP. They both also have a lot of recommendations for how to get involved in research as an undergrad, which you can learn about with these links: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) NSF's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) 00:23:04 - We end our AGU coverage shooting the breeze with our old friend Miles Traer (@Geo_Miles), who was also working the meeting from multiple angles and drawing cartoons the whole while. Per usual, the conversation strays from geoscience to pop culture asking the big questions like, "Could the Death Star really blow up a planet?" (Answer) and "Is Independence Day actually a good movie?" (Answer). At some point, Miles may even talk about the actual research he's been up to. 01:09:40 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like conferences, neither have enough coffee to go around. This week we're thanking Moe S. for his continued patronage and recent donation. Moe's reminds us that it's never too late to get an education and we thank him for being a loyal listener all these years. All the feels. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts!

Ryan is live at the AGU Fall Meeting and people agree to talk to him. 00:00:00 - First, we chat Martín S Hoecker-Martínez about his philosophy of outreach and his work studying the carbon fluxing of the ocean around Antarctica with ORCAS (acronym, not the animal). Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@msmithma) and learn more with these helpful links: ORCAS project Website Flight planning Website Videos related to ORCAS The Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network run by The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (@NOAA_ESRL) Figure and related press release showing the boundary of 400 ppm CO2 air as they measured it across Drake passage NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory Which has been used to make cool visualizations of CO2 00:38:44 - In between segments we drink, but it's early so have some Holler Mountain coffee from Stumptown. 00:40:03 - Next up, former guest and friend of the show Jane Zelikova updates us on what's been keeping her so busy, and it's a lot: Jane's not super happy about the upcoming Drumpf administration, so she's gone to a rally. And founded an organization, 500 Women Scientists, which you can also support! A starred in a movie, The End of Snow (trailer). In addition to her day job, working as a fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Department of Energy in the coal division, nothing divisive on that subject... Keep up with her (if you can (you can't)) on Twitter (@j_zelikova)and Instagram (@zeli_j) 01:04:03 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like large meetings, it's easy to feel insignificant but people probably still like you. This week we're happy to have a donation from Victor C. who gives us some holiday cheer along with some money. Thanks, Victor! Thanks for listening, part 2 coming soon!

00:00:00 - It's our annual Thanksgiving show! That means 100% for 100% of this one show. Enjoy it! First up, Bettina wants to know what Ryan, Patrick, and Charlie think about the concept of rewilding. Ryan discussed this topic on an episode of Generation Anthropocene, but Patrick and Charlie have their own thoughts to contribute as well. Plus it's already happening in Siberia because of course it is. 00:14:29 - Drinking helps many of us survive the holidays, and we're no exception. Ryan begins with some Epic Artisinal Turkey Sipping Broth. Sounds gross? Yeah, it kind of is. But it goes down smooth with Surly Hell. Charlie has some dirty Italian table wine, but he makes it sound good somehow. Last up, Patrick is worried the guys will snub his economic choice for a Founder's All Day IPA, but he is wrong... sort of. 00:21:49 - Next up, Keith has many many questions. The guys have fewer answer, but they try their best. Here are some of the topics considered: Why do so many tetrapods have five digits? How are cockroaches, shrimps, and spiders all related? How did sexual reproduction evolve? And some physics stuff with help from Ben, especially episode 59 of The Titanium Physicists! 00:46:44 - Clay the Human requests a return to form, so the guys oblige and discuss a movie preview in the return of Trailer Trash Talk! This week, the sci-fi thriller Passengers, which earns a thumbs-up from all three in addition to revealing one of Ryan's greatest fears. 01:01:04 - Last up, Cesar M. from Australia already knows about the Azolla event, but we didn't so we explain that a bit, and wants to know about it's potential to mitigate climate change. Thanks to everyone who listens and contributes to the show, we literally couldn't do this without you! Music for this week's show: Wild One - Those Darlins Jive Turkey - Ohio Players Questions And Answers - The Apples in Stereo Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

To begin, a brief word on the election. More on what we can all do next to follow down the line. Stay tuned. 00:00:00 - Patrick and Ryan are very excited to be joined by Alex Hastings, Assistant Curator at the Virginia Museum of Natural History and all around crocodylian expert. We spend the first segment of the show pestering him about all things croc and croc-related, and there's a lot. 00:31:25 - Now is a time to come together, and possibly have a drink. Alex somehow found a beer dedicated to the giant snake Titanoboa, so what else could he possibly have had? Patrick keeps it local with a Little Red RooStarr Coffee Cream Stout, which sounds complex but also smooth. Ryan needs to give his stomach a bit of a break so opts for some Pepto-Bismol in lieu of alcohol. 00:35:52 - Alex, in addition to all his research and curation, was also in a documentary called Graveyard of the Giant Beasts from PBS about giant crocs fighting extra long snakes. Sounds far-fetched, but probably actually happened, and Alex got to help tell their story. Be sure to like the VNMH on Facebook and follow Alex on Twitter for more updates on his efforts to bring exciting paleo to the people. 01:00:04 - Listeners are a lot like documentaries, you're hesitant to listen to them, but when you do it's usually worth it. First, Ryan celebrates the largesse of Elizabeth D., who gave us a donation and that's just dandy. Patrick finishes up with an iTunes review from bkaph11. We like reviews too, so it's kudos all around. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: Crocodile Rock - Elton John Crawlin King Snake - Muddy Waters Reptilia - The Strokes

00:00:00 - Worried about your cherry supply in the coming years? Well, bears may have you covered. According to a new study out of Japan, mountain-climbing bears seem adept at moving cherry seeds uphill to escape rising temperatures. However, according to the most recent IPCC report, not all plants and animals will be so lucky. 00:19:45 - Some weeks you need a drink. This was one of those weeks. Ryan has an árcáná to get a little magic in his life. Patrick is proud to finally find a beer Ryan hasn't had with a Yee-Haw Eighty leading to a discussion of the peculiarities of Scottish beer. Charlie, in reference to hop's cousin, has a Topcutter IPA from a local vineyard-esque brewery. 00:30:50 - NEWSFLASH: As you get closer to a star, things heat up. All stars have a snow line, where water shifts from vapor to ice, and for the first time, we've spotted one around another star. 00:42:45 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like water, maybe kind of boring but undeniably important. Ryan is up first to thank former guest of the show John Pohl for yet another generous donation and for taking Ryan out for dinner and drinks. A real mensch. Patrick is up next with a long e-mail from Jon B. presenting his theory on the lack of green mammals. The boys proceed to butcher it. Charlie finishes up with an e-mail from Les I. whose been doing some pretty epic hiking with his boo to have a boo at some alluvial fans, a curious geological feature explained by Charlie. See the photos from his adventure on our Flickr page. Music for this week's show: The Bear and the Maiden Fair - The Hold Steady Heavy - Collective Soul Grey Ice Water - Modest Mouse

00:00:00 - Thanks to Joe, it's the return of the Elon Musk Happy Hour! This time, Musk wants to send loads of people to Mars, probably forever. In traditional Science... sort of fashion we ask: is this a thing? And maybe more importantly, would you go? (Also, Ryan says go read Seveneves.) 00:31:03 - Mars is pretty dry, so it'll be important to stay hydrated once there. Kelly staves off feeling sick with water and Tums but manages to sneak in a plug for The Expanse series of books. Joe confuses everyone with his Fungal Fruit Soda. And Ryan has a beer called Bomb! because of integrity or something. 00:41:50 - This summer 183 miles of the Yellowstone River because an animal related to jellyfish evolved into a parasite millions of years ago. Kelly is amazed by this and explains why it's cool. And a final book recommendation for the episode: I Contain Multitudes by (future guest of the show?) Ed Yong 00:55:54 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like future guests of the show, both are riddled with uncertainty. Things begin a bit somber with the death of Sharon Gray, a botanist killed while doing research in Ethiopia. The reasons surrounding her death are heartbreaking, but a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help young women succeed in science in her memory. As a complete about face, Joe thanks Angie RK for her recent iTunes review and Kelly thanks Simon L. for throwing some cash our way. Finally, Ryan expounds upon Colin from San Diego's theory about yawning and ends up doing a fair bit of research on the topic. Strap in. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts! Music for this week's show: Planetary (GO!) [Lags Gallows Remix] - My Chemical Romance We Are Sex Bob-Omb (Fast) - Beck and Nigel Godrich I Told You I Was Freaky - Flight of the Conchords