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. Her book is “Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death.”
Read moreThe 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. His article in Scientific American is “Can Pulling Carbon from Thin Air Slow Climate Change?”
Read moreFoods 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.
Read moreDecoding 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.
Read moreThe 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.
Read moreHow 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.
Read moreWho 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.
Read moreHow 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.
Read moreHow climate change affects the human body
Author Jeff Goodell joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why increasing heatwaves kill the most vulnerable and how they will affect food supplies and water resources – even disease outbreaks.
Read moreHow much pesticide is on your plate?
Catherine Roberts, associate editor for health at Consumer Reports, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what to look for when picking produce to avoid harmful substances, why out of season fruits and vegetables might be a no-no, and why you don’t always have to buy organic to stay safe.
Read moreThe business of veganism
Nina Guilbeault joins host Krys Boyd to discuss companies working to make vegan foods more accessible to the general public, and how food movements catch on.
Read moreFeathers, fur and freedom: The birth of the animal rights movement
Bill Wasik from The NY Times Magazine joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a late 19th century wave of activism that moved our culture away from seeing animals as just property to a new way of viewing their lives with compassion.
Read more