Best Geophysics Podcasts (2024)

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#220: Revealing Lost Legacies with Geophysics (Rob Stewart & Jim White) 23:38

15d ago23:38

23:38

"The respect and honor that we give to our predecessors really indicate what kind of character we have."This episode explores the first Geoscientists without Borders project in the United States. Host Andrew Geary speaks with the project lead, Rob Stewart, and SEG Executive Director Jim White about using the power of geophysical techniques to uncov…

1
Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory 34:10

1d ago34:10

34:10

In this episode: 00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarf The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing the makeup of brown dwarfs — strange space objects that blur the line between a planet and a star. And it appears that methane in the atmosphere of one of these objects, named W1935, is emitting infrared radiation. Where the…

1
Episode 385 - "Father Sky Goes Away" 51:01

6d ago51:01

51:01

John and Shannon both traveled to see the great eclipse of 2024 and share their experiences this week as well as talk about one of those rare times when ice is not a mineral. Fun Paper Friday We always talk about ice being a mineral, but what about when it isn't? Rosu-Finsen, Alexander, et al. "Medium-density amorphous ice." Science 379.6631 (2023)…

1
The 'ghost roads' driving tropical deforestation 23:01

8d ago23:01

23:01

In this episode: 00:46 Mapping ‘ghost roads’ in tropical forests Across the world, huge numbers of illegal roads have been cut into forests. However, due to their illicit nature, the exact numbers of these roads and their impacts on ecosystems is poorly understood. To address this, researchers have undertaken a huge mapping exercise across the trop…

1
How a small fish makes big sounds 6:17

10d ago6:17

6:17

How a small fish makes big sounds Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of…

1
Episode 384 - "Glaciers caused the great lakes, now we have them, the end" Alexis Dahl 57:44

13d ago57:44

57:44

This week we interview YouTube science creator, science writer, and communicator Alexis Dahl to learn about the rocks of Michigan's UP and how scientists can do a better job of sharing what they do. Alexis' YouTube Channel Alexis' Website Fun Paper Friday What should you drink after fondue to prevent "chesse baby" feelings? Heinrich, Henriette, et …

1
Audio long read: Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say 16:29

13d ago16:29

16:29

Around the world, rates of cancers that typically affect older adults are increasing in those under 50 years old. Models based on global data predict that the number of early-onset cancer cases like these will increase by around 30% between 2019 and 2030. The most likely contributors — such as rising rates of obesity and early-cancer screening — do…

1
Pregnancy's effect on 'biological' age, polite birds, and the carbon cost of home-grown veg 24:32

15d ago24:32

24:32

In this episode: 00:35 Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back Growing a baby leads to changes in the distribution of certain chemical markers on a pregnant person’s DNA, but new research suggests that after giving birth, these changes can revert to an earlier state. Nature News: Pregnancy advances your ‘biological…

1
Episode 383 - "Logarithmically Fades Away" 46:26

20d ago46:26

46:26

This week we see how scientists break down the Earth into 7 or more spheres and why that is and isn't a good idea. We also explore a fun paper about graphene that is just full of crap. Fun Paper Friday Graphene is an amazing material, but are all of the papers about it full of crap? This one certainly is! Wang, Lu, Zdenek Sofer, and Martin Pumera. …

1
219: The Secret to Succeeding as a Teacher (Roel Snieder) 26:49

22d ago26:49

26:49

"The challenge is to really bring your heart into the classroom, show up as a person, show up with care."Dr. Roel Snieder discusses how to excel as a teacher (and professional) using the Teaching with Heart practices.In this unique and encouraging episode, we explore the Teaching with Heart project. Roel makes the case for creating a more nurturing…

1
How climate change is affecting global timekeeping 26:49

22d ago26:49

26:49

In this episode: 01:28 Inflammation’s role in memory How memories are stored is an ongoing question in neuroscience. Now researchers have found an inflammatory pathway that responds to DNA damage in neurons has a key role in the persistence of memories. How this pathway helps memories persist is unclear, but the researchers suggest that how the DNA…

1
History of flight in dinosaurs 10:02

25d ago10:02

10:02

Dinosaur feathers hint at flight history Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad r…

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218: Innovations in Fault and Fracture Imaging (Molly Turko) 21:16

29d ago21:16

21:16

"Faults and fractures are not necessarily good or bad, but it's important to really understand them."Dr. Molly Turko discusses March's special section on imaging faults and fractures in The Leading Edge.In this compelling episode, host Andrew Geary and Molly dive into the murky depths of the Earth to unravel the enigmatic nature of faults and fract…

1
AI hears hidden X factor in zebra finch love songs 29:42

29d ago29:42

29:42

This podcast has been corrected: in a previous version at 5:55 we stated that that the team's 200mm devices currently contain only a couple of magnetic tunnelling junctions, in fact they studied 500-1000 devices in this work. 00:48 How mysterious skyrmions could power next-generation computers Skyrmions are tiny whirlpools of magnetic spin that som…

1
Episode 382 - "A world without attenuation would be unbearably noisy" 46:00

1M ago46:00

46:00

What can we get from mining the moon? Should we? Who can do it? Why should we do it? That and more in this week's show! Fun Paper Friday Do we live in 3D? Can you prove it? Morley, Tom. "A simple proof that the world is three-dimensional." SIAM review 27.1 (1985): 69-71. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo…

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217: Advancing Subsurface Knowledge Through Microseismic Insights (Joël Le Calvez) 20:55

1M ago20:55

20:55

"The value is not in the measurement per se. It is in the ability to integrate this measurement with everything else that we have access to."Dr. Joël Le Calvez discusses January's special section in The Leading Edge on microseismic monitoring.Joël shares how recent technological advancements and pressing societal concerns, like climate change and s…

1
Killer whales have menopause. Now scientists think they know why 27:15

1M ago27:15

27:15

In this episode: 00:45 Making a map of the human heart The human heart consists of multiple, specialised structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the …

1
Andres Perez Arana - Archaeology under the Radar. Remote Sensing and Geophysics for the Layman - Ep 50 1:01:35

1M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

In our 50th episode, our Geophysics Technician Andres Perez Arana entertains a packed Red Deer to describe what archaeologists are able to observe without getting their hands dirty. He includes many examples of site she has worked at whilst in commercial and academic archaeology. ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: h…

1
Episode 381 - "Desk Sedimentology" 50:12

1M ago50:12

50:12

This week we talk about new national parks, sticky notes, and empirical evidence about fly fishing. Fun Paper Friday Britton, B. J., J. Grimley Evans, and J. M. Potter. "Does the fly matter? The CRACKPOT study in evidence based trout fishing." BMJ 317.7174 (1998): 1678-1680. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpani…

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216: Rethinking Data - Geophysics in the Era of Change (Lindsey Heagy) 26:15

1M ago26:15

26:15

"There's so much high-quality data, and more and more is being made publicly available. By shifting to open source, we're choosing that the value proposition is the people."Dr. Lindsey Heagy discusses February's special section in The Leading Edge on the future of applied geophysics.In this forward-thinking episode, we explore open-source software …

1
These tiny fish combine electric pulses to probe the environment 36:43

1M ago36:43

36:43

In this episode: 00:48 Bumblebees can learn new tricks from each other One behaviour thought unique to humans is the ability to learn something from your predecessors that you couldn’t figure out on your own. However, researchers believe they have shown bumblebees are also capable of this ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ approach to learning. …

1
Bee communication in a changing world 16:31

2M ago16:31

16:31

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries…

1
Episode 380 - "Flame out like a bolide" 1:02:32

2M ago1:02:32

1:02:32

This week we talk about how rocks get magnetic field imparted to them and if scientists are really discovering anything new these days. Fun Paper Friday Park, Michael, Erin Leahey, and Russell J. Funk. "Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time." Nature 613.7942 (2023): 138-144. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicg…

1
215: Strengthening Diversity in the Geosciences w/ Dr. Isaac Crumbly 24:59

2M ago24:59

24:59

"I've learned much more from my mistakes than I ever learned from my successes, because it was my mistakes that helped me to have successes."Meet the man behind the mission to diversify the energy sector. Dr. Isaac Crumbly shares the journey of the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) at Fort Valley State University, a program designed t…

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Could this one-time ‘epigenetic’ treatment control cholesterol? 26:23

2M ago26:23

26:23

In this episode: 00:49 What caused the Universe to become fully transparent? Around 13 billion years ago, the Universe was filled with a dense ‘fog’ of neutral hydrogen that blocked certain wavelengths of light. This fog was lifted when the hydrogen was hit by radiation in a process known as reionisation, but the source of this radiation has been d…

1
Audio long read: Chimpanzees are dying from our colds — these scientists are trying to save them 24:39

2M ago24:39

24:39

The phenomenon of animals catching diseases from humans, called reverse zoonoses, has had a severe impact on great ape populations, often representing a bigger threat than habitat loss or poaching. However, while many scientists and conservationists agree that human diseases pose one of the greatest risks to great apes today there are a few efforts…

1
Episode 379 - "How would you like to buy Brunton?" 1:12:06

2M ago1:12:06

1:12:06

This week we're rejoined by the Heerschaps to learn about how they came to own and run Brunton and what's next for the company that is a staple of the geological, recreational, and military navigation world. Go Get a Brunton! EPISODE 109 - "REALLY SAD MICHAEL BOLTON MUSIC" LAUREN AND DAVE HEERSCHAP Fun Paper Friday This week's fun paper may make yo…

1
How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved 14:28

2M ago14:28

14:28

The deep haunting tones of the world's largest animals, baleen whales, are iconic - but how the songs are produced has long been a mystery. Whales evolved from land dwelling mammals which vocalize by passing air through a structure called the larynx - a structure which also helps keep food from entering the respiratory system. However toothed whale…

1
214: The Untapped Potential of the Earth's Hidden Commons w/ Iain Stewart 33:47

2M ago33:47

33:47

"I think that selling this idea that if you become a geoscientist in the 21st century, the frontier is not up there in the sky, but is down there underneath your feet."In this thought-provoking episode, expert geoscience communicator Iain Stewart opens our eyes to the "hidden commons" of the subsurface. Iain challenges us to rethink our relationshi…

1
Why are we nice? Altruism's origins are put to the test 30:41

2M ago30:41

30:41

In this episode: 00:45 Why are humans so helpful? Humans are notable for their cooperation and display far more altruistic behaviour than other animals, but exactly why this behaviour evolved has been a puzzle. But in a new paper, the two leading theories have been put the test with a model and a real-life experiment. They find that actually neithe…

1
Episode 378 - "I love the font" 42:06

2M ago42:06

42:06

We generally don't think of sedimentary rocks when we think of volcanoes, but they are real! Find out why sedimentologists don't have to be bored in volcanic terranes. Fun Paper Friday Torres-Company, Victor. "One ring to multiplex them all." Nature 546.7657 (2017): 214-215. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpani…

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213: Hidden Hazards – The Orphaned Well Dilemma 22:57

2M ago22:57

22:57

"With the magnetic method, you can say with some certainty that it will locate more than 90% of the existing wells. The grand challenge for locating abandoned wells are these wells where the casing has been pulled."Richard Hammack discusses the December special section in The Leading Edge - orphaned and abandoned wells.When we think about the envir…

1
Smoking changes your immune system, even years after quitting 21:35

2M ago21:35

21:35

00:45 Smoking's long-term effects on immunity It's well-known that smoking is bad for health and it has been linked to several autoimmune disorders, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Now, researchers have investigated the immune responses of 1,000 people. Whilst some effects disappear after quitting, impacts on the T cell response linger…

1
Adult talk and children’s speech 10:18

2M ago10:18

10:18

Alex Cristia and Elika Bergelson explain the factors influencing speech in children.

1
Why we need to rethink how we talk about cancer 14:53

2M ago14:53

14:53

For over a century, cancer has been classified by areas of the body - lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer etc. And yet modern medical research is telling us that the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind cancers are not necessarily tied to parts of the body. Many drugs developed to treat metastatic cancers have the capacity to work across man…

1
Episode 377 - "Definitely Panic - Another Oklahoma Earthquake" 49:10

2M ago49:10

49:10

Oklahoma was rocked by another relatively large earthquake for a mid-continent region. We break it down, compare it to the 2011 earthquake and then talk about the hairy ball theorem. Fun Paper Friday McGrath, Peter. "An extremely short proof of the hairy ball theorem." The American Mathematical Monthly 123.5 (2016): 502-503. Contact us: Show Suppor…

1
212: Examining 5 Unconventional Borehole Seismic Techniques 13:35

2M ago13:35

13:35

"The challenge is to learn and be aware of new techniques and applications and apply them."Eduardo Corti discusses his Honorary Lecture, "Unconventional Borehole Seismic Techniques."Unconventional borehole seismic services encompass techniques that go beyond conventional seismic methods. With over eight decades of classical seismic methods shaping …

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