The Natural Curiosity Project

The Earth's most precious resource is water--yet we waste a HUGE percentage of it because of leaks in municipal water systems, inaccurate agricultural watering practices, and other practices. In fact, 60% of the water pumped out of the ground worldwide for agriculture never reaches the plants. Yet Deep Sky Vineyard, a tiny (by agricultural standards)vineyard, in the dry heat of Arizona, saved more than 1.5 million gallons in 2018 alone, because of sophisticated field monitoring practices, thanks to the technology created by nioLabs. In this episode we show how they did it. It's quite a story. This is part two of a three-part series.

There's a family of technologies emerging on the scene that will change the way we think about the role of technology in our lives. They include Internet of Things, Big Data, Analytics, and a few others. Technology is remarkable, but even more so when we assign it to a specific challenge, then stand back and watch. In this episode, we see what happens when we pair a small business--Deep Sky Vineyard in Arizona--with technology offered by nioLabs in Denver. The results are staggeringly important. This is the first in a series of three episodes about emergent technologies.

Climate change, or global warming, or whatever you want to call it, is one of the most emotion-charged topics on the table today. It has become politically weaponized, yet it shouldn’t be, because it’s one of the greatest threats we face as inhabitants of this planet. If you believe that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the problem, you’re partially correct—but only partially. There’s another challenge, and it’s a far bigger problem—it’s called entropy. When I first decided to dig into this topic, I thought I understood climate change. I didn’t, as it turned out, so I took the time to let my curiosity get the best of me until I really DID understand it. You should do the same. And that’s what this episode is about.

On February 26, 1975, disaster struck in lower Manhattan when the AT&T switching center that served the area was consumed by fire. 104,000 customers and 170,000 telephones were out of service. A restoration of that magnitude should have taken a year, but the Bell System marshaled its resources and service was restored in 22 days--a true Miracle on Second Avenue. This is the story. You can see a documentary of the recovery here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_AWAmGi-g8.

In 1885, 350,000 head of cattle traveled overland from Fort Worth, Texas to Abilene, Kansas. In 1886, there were none. Why? This episode looks back at the great cattle drives of the American Southwest--and what led to their demise. The reasons will surprise you.

I sometimes run across little bits of interesting information that aren’t enough for a Podcast on their own, but they’re too good to ignore. So for this episode, I’ve pulled a bunch of them together into a long stream of just interesting stuff. Hope you like it.

Steve interviews his friend and colleague Josh Stevens, an authority on network and computer security--and that elusive, mysterious technology called Blockchain--which, as it turns out, is not all that mysterious and is in fact pretty important.

There's very little that is as enjoyable as a day outside. There's also very little that's as rewarding as a day spent taking part in a BioBlitz. Have a listen.

One of the coolest technologies on the near-term horizon is the quantum computer--an amazing device capable of doing so much more than traditional digital computers. In tis episode, we explain what they are, how they work, and where they're going. Grab a drink--this is a wild ride.

Welcome to the Natural Curiosity Project! I'm Steve Shepard, and as your host, I'll take you on journeys of discovery to learn just how awe-inspiring this planet really is. Hope you'll come along for the ride!

Three minutes of snow geese on Lake Champlain, November 2018. Close your eyes, listen, enjoy.

Thomas Young--the last man who knew everything. What else would you call a guy who translated the Rosetta Stone, contributed to physics, figured out how the eye works, and wrote a comparison of the grammar of 400 languages?

Did you know that HG Wells invented the World Wide Web? Sorry, Tim Berners-Lee--he beat you by about 100 years!

A tiny house wren, singing his heart out in search of a mate.

You know how we always take a deep breath after a rainstorm, and think about that wonderful smell of ozone? Newsflash--it ain't ozone: it's something else entirely, and it's VERY important. Have a listen.

It's amazing to me that I can find these tiny little creatures, much smaller than a pinhead, hopping around on the snow in the middle of deep winter. To see a short video of springtails--well, springing, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNSWFmLMVXk.

History is full of amazing people. What's equally amazing is the number of them that most of us have never heard of.

I met Lujan in a small village in Guatemala. What he taught me about --well, just about everything--is priceless. I'd like to share it with you.

I can't imagine a better opportunity to learn than being immersed as I was at the University of California at Berkeley in the early 70s. But much more valuable than my academic learning was how the experience taught me to think critically, and to listen to ideas that I didn't necessarily agree with--and, in fact, was often strongly opposed to. It's a lesson that more people need to learn today in our hypersensitive society.

Millions of species have disappeared from the planet over the eons, because natural selection says that it's time for them to leave. There's nothing that says we can't be next.

It took me a while to start Yoga. But my daughter Cristina, who teaches small group, therapeutic Yoga, finally convinced me. If you're just the least bit curious--and you are listening to a Podcast about curiosity, after all--listen to this episode. Just don't be driving.

This track departs from the norm, but some things need to be said. I'll get back on track next time, I promise. Just listen and reflect.

Darwin never said or wrote the phrase, 'survival of the fittest.' he did, however, say that the organisms that survive will be those most adaptable to change. This is true for a corporation as it is for a living thing. Enjoy.

Sometimes you have to step away from the world and immerse yourself in a bit of storytelling. I wrote this a while ago; it recently won an honorable mention in the Writers Digest National Fiction Writing Contest. Hope you like it--I had a ball writing it.

A machine, thousands of years old, pulled from the bottom of the Aegean and discovered to be the oldest computer ever built. And, it's more accurate than modern machines. Have a listen.

Did you know that all children's books are about leadership? There is nothing more powerful that a well-told story, and good leaders know this. See how they use storytelling to maintain their positions of influence.

The first submarine communications cable was laid across the northern Atlantic in the 1800s. The project was plagued by intrigue, sabotage, nasty winter storms, and the fact that there was no ship in existence at the time that could hold all the cable required to cross the ocean. What to do?

The first Podcast of the WSRS.

What's the difference between 'leadership' and 'those who lead?' The answer, as it turns out, is a lot.

There's something more than a bit eerie about a mushroom that glows in the dark.The science behind it, and the promise that it holds for the future of such things as smart cities, is even more amazing.

In Japan, company employees are encouraged to take time to get out of the office and go for a walk in the forest--on company time. Why? Because it lowers blood pressure, heightens the senses, and makes for better employees. And there's ample scientific proof that it works.

A few technology stories that you can use to amuse (and amaze) your friends. Enjoy!

Since bread is square, why is sandwich meat round? Did Adam and Eve have navels? Why do they put Braille instructions and labels on drive-up ATM machines? Why don’t we have A and B-cell batteries, since we do have AAs, AAAs, Cs, Ds, and whatever those big blocky things are called? And why don’t 9-volt batteries have a letter designation, like all the others? What makes the Teflon stick to the pan? Answers to all of these--and more.

Few writers (or scientists) have affected me more than Loren Eiseley. Equal parts paleontologist, archaeologist, poet, essayist, and observer of the human condition, his words strike me deeply. I hope they will you, as well.

Exactly that--a wonderful description of the 'plumbing' that makes trees work.

A discussion about the future of 5G technology, which will provide gigabit speed to mobile devices to support new, media-rich applications. It also makes driverless cars work properly--in case you're interested!

Ever wonder where terms like ten-gallon hat, hoosegow, Key West, and lariat come from? Listen and learn--this one is fascinating!

Sam Keane's Disappearing Spoon recounts extraordinary tales from the world of science--chemistry, mostly--that fundamentally changed what we know about the world. But we take it to the next level in this episode, adding a few other interesting (and amazing) stories.

All children's books are about leadership--and none are more illustrative of this that Kipling's "The Elephant's Child." Join us on a journey of discovery as we listen to the narration of parts of the story.

What, exactly, is leadership? It's much simpler--yet profound--thank you think.

There's something magical about the language used to describe the natural world. It's also a bit infuriating--as you'll see as we explore a local wetland.

A few years ago, I was working on a project in Singapore. Thanks to a series of serendipitous events, I found myself with the enviable opportunity to spend a few days aboard the Wave Venture, a cable-laying ship. For a technologist, or just about anyone else, really, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Here's the story.

Interesting thing, the slime mold--especially one called 'dog vomit slime mold.' Here's the best part: they move. As in, they can crawl arounds. And, they're good to eat. Really. Have a listen.

We've all heard of 3D printers being used to create toys and novelty items. But what happens when we start printing living tissue?

Sometimes, you just have to escape from the dry world of work and immerse yourself into the sounds, and smells, and energy of the natural world. I do it regularly, and always come out energized. Join me.

Perhaps I'm channeling Sheldon Cooper a bit too much, but I am fascinated by lichens--those crusty organisms that form colorful mosaics on rock faces, cemetery stones, trees, and old fence lines. But here's what's interesting: thy are actually two organisms living as a single symbiotic creature, and they can survive under the harshest conditions imaginable--including in outer space.

In Richard Holmes' "The Age of Wonder" (one of the best books I have ever read), we meet the remarkable people who lived on the edge of scientific discovery--and who ultimately changed the world--during the Romantic Age. Every scientist he profiles had a best friend, and in most cases, those friends were artists, poets, authors, and dreamers. Who said the arts and sciences don't need each other?

We are watching a natural tragedy unfold across the globe: the deaths of millions of amphibians, frogs, mostly, because of an insidious fungus called chytrid. It burrows under the skin of frogs and destroys their ability to produce keratin--a critical component of their skin. But the loss of frogs is only part of the story--please listen, this is important.

Some thoughts about technology, vision, and leadership--all while hiking in the high country of New Mexico. Sorry for being breathless!

They may drive you more than little crazy in the summertime, but the little critters that surround us are pretty smart--and they're remarkable engineers, to boot.