Episode 15 – Discovering the Mammoth with John McKay

Ikonokast

Content provided by Ikonokast. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Ikonokast or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

7y ago 38:53

MP3•Episode home

Archived series ("Inactive feed" status)

When? This feed was archived on March 23, 2021 08:08 (3+ y ago). Last successful fetch was on June 02, 2020 10:08 (4+ y ago)

Why? Inactive feed status. Our servers were unable to retrieve a valid podcast feed for a sustained period.

What now? You might be able to find a more up-to-date version using the search function. This series will no longer be checked for updates. If you believe this to be in error, please check if the publisher's feed link below is valid and contact support to request the feed be restored or if you have any other concerns about this.

http://ikonokast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/0015-John-McKay-Discovering-the-Mammoth.mp3

In the podcast, you may hear Mike refer to John as a “Vulcan Historian.” What Mike meant to say is that John J. McKay is a historian with a specialty in the history of the Balkans, and that is an important distinction. He is also interested in the many weird theories that abound to explain (often not very well) natural history of the earth. He discovered that the mammoths are used as ersatz evidence in many of those theories, such as the idea that the ice build up at the poles became so heavy that the poles slid southward 40 degrees latitude and that pushed Atlantis to where Antarctica now freezes.

There were many other strange ideas to explain the discovery of these giant bones and Mr. McKay relates how the process of discovering the mammoth is important to the development of science itself. You can read more from John at Mammoth Tales, his blog, but we highly advise that you read his book!

Said book you may conveniently purchase here to support Ikonokast.

Discovering the Mammoth: A Tale of Giants, Unicorns, Ivory, and the Birth of a New Science

10 episodes

#Natural Sciences #Science #Social Sciences #Ikonokast