Author John Vaillant joins host Krys Boyd to discuss these fires – plus other recent outbreaks in Texas, Canada and Australia – and to explore what it will take to keep densely populated areas safe.
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How zoning codes affect your life
Sara C. Bronin, architect, attorney, and policymaker, and professor at Cornell University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how code dictates our daily lives from parks, housing, restaurants, and the architecture around us, and why it’s difficult to overcome inequalities built into the books.
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Why don’t fish sink?
Sönke Johnsen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the wonders of vertical migration, why sharks must keep swimming to stay alive, and the clues offered to biologists that help piece together the questions of aquatic life evolution.
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The toxic tradeoffs of a fully electric future
Journalist and author Vince Beiser joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the increased demand for cobalt, nickel, copper and other metals to fuel everything from batteries to the wires that transfer energy – and how access to those resources feeds geopolitical relationships.
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Could animals possibly understand death?
Susana Monsó is associate professor of philosophy in the Department of Logic, History, and Philosophy of Science at the National Distance Education University (UNED) in Madrid. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what animals know about dying – from mourning rituals to attempts at saving lives – and if this newfound understanding means we should treat animals differently.
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The promise of carbon-capture technology
Alec Luhn joins host Krys Boyd to discuss “direct air capture,” the challenges for pulling it off, and why it could offer an excuse for some of our biggest polluters to go on polluting.
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Foods you love are disappearing — here’s how to save them
Sarah Lohman works with institutions around the country to create public programs focused on food, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the foods we love that are in danger of disappearing.
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Decoding the secret language of animals
Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist, college lecturer and fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what we’re learning about how animals talk to one another, how that understanding also sheds light on human language, and how we might come to better understand animal identities and emotions.
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The cartels are dealing eels now
Ellen Ruppel Shell, professor emeritus of science journalism at Boston University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an animal that’s one of the most trafficked on Earth, a brief history of the significance of eels, and why they’re still somewhat mysterious.
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How U.S policy drives immigrants to dangerous decisions
Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her journey to the Darién Gap – a stretch of land connecting South and North America – and the 800,000 migrants who will put their lives in danger this year to try to cross it.
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Who pays the price of America’s climate damage?
Vann Newkirk, senior editor at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the idea of climate reparations, what responsibility the U.S. has to pay a fair share, and why this might be the most solid plan for approaching climate change solutions.
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How refrigeration revolutionized the world
Nicola Twilley, co-host of Gastropod, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how just a century ago we relied on local butchers and farmers – which could mean a feast or famine diet – and how refrigeration hit the scene and completely changed how we eat.
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