Podcast Recommendations

For the last couple of months, I've been spending most of my time on my MSci project, observing the behaviours of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). There have been some exciting moments; recently a few of the female dogs had a bit of a face off with a blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) through the fence to the neighboring enclosure. However, there have also been many hours of the dogs resting on top of one another in a very cosy looking heap. To keep myself from getting too bored, I've been listening to podcasts. Hours and hours and hours of podcasts. I struggled initially to find any science or nature podcasts that I actually liked, but thanks to some recommendations from friends, I think I've assembled a pretty good selection. Given how much they're on my mind at the moment, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite podcasts, in case you too find yourself studying some very cosy canids.

The first podcast I want to mention is The Common Descent Podcast, which was recommended to me by Harry (read his article about antelope conservation here). It's presented by palaeontologists and science communicators David Moscato and Will Harris, and though not strictly limited to palaeontology, it just happens a lot of the episodes tend to lean in that direction. My favourite episode so far was about sloths, and the focus was very much on the extinct ground sloths, including Thalassocnus, a semiaquatic genus which may well be my favourite. The topic for each episode is suggested by listeners, and so cover a very wide range of topics, including 'Fungi', 'Hibernation', 'Dromaeosaurs', and 'The Tethys Sea'. Each episode starts with the news, where Moscato and Harris chose a few recent papers to discuss, keeping listeners up to date with the latest natural and earth sciences news. I can find this section to be a little too long, especially when listening back to older episodes, or if I'm impatient to get started on a particularly interesting main topic. Given how much research goes into each episode, I have no idea how Moscato and Harris are able to be so prolific, releasing new episodes several times a month.

The highlight of The Common Descent Podcast is their 'Spookulative Evolution' series ('Spook-e' for short), which releases every Saturday in the month of October. In each episode, they choose a classic monster and, using the rules of evolution and natural selection, think about how it might be possible for such a creature to arise from real world organisms. Each episode begins with an overview of the history of that monster, helping to establish the framework within which Moscato and Harris will be playing, so you also get to learn a lot about monster mythology. It's a fun set up to explore speculative evolution, with ideas and routes you never would have predicted. That is how you end up with creatures in the 'Spook-e-verse' like baboon werewolves, fungus-farming praying mantis fairies, and shrew vampires. Each year has a different theme, with past years including 'Monsters of Greek Mythology', 'Sea Monsters', and 'Dragons'. The theme for this year is 'Tiny Monsters', which included gremlins, fairies, salamanders (the ones associated with fire, not the very real amphibians of the order Urodela), and redcaps. 

Sticking with the palaeontology theme, my favourite (mostly) dinosaur-based podcast (also recommended by Harry) is Terrible Lizards. Presented by Dave Hone, the palaeontologist of the podcast who's work mainly focuses on carnivorous theropods and pterosaurs, and Iszi Lawrence, a comedian, writer, and history presenter. Starting during lockdown, episodes these days release monthly (the latest episode on Hone's new book has just released at the time of writing this), which is always a pleasant surprise just as you're starting to panic about how quickly another month disappeared. I love Terrible Lizards because, as someone with a general interest in the field, but a lack of technical knowledge, it's pitched at exactly the right level to be accessible without being patronising. Lawrence is very skilled at noticing when Hone or a guest is starting to get confusing, and will make sure to ask clarifying questions. She also brings a fun dose of humour, normally by suggesting that dinosaurs were doing something ridiculous like drinking cups of tea, thus winiding Hone up. They also end each episode with a dinosaur roar (or pterosaur squawk as appropriate). When the podcast began, guests would often appear at the end of each episode, usually comedian friends of Lawrence, who would ask Hone a question about dinosaurs. This tended to be my least favourite part of episodes, so I'm glad they have changed it to bringing on guests who are experts in areas which Hone is less knowledgeable, so they can cover new topics. I had been hoping to go to the live episode recording in Oxford earlier this year, but it sadly coincided with the summer exam season (Pint of Science also completely overlaps with exam season every year, and as you might be able to tell, it really annoys me). I did (sort of) meet Dave Hone at TetZooCon this year (I promise I'll write up my thoughts about TetZooCon soon), where he gave a talk inspired by his new book 'Uncovering Dinosaur Behaviour: What They Did and How We Know', which I obviously had to buy and get signed.

To move away from the palaeontology focus, we have Ologies, a podcast in which host Alie Ward 'asks smart people stupid questions'. In each episode, Alie interviews an 'ologist', an expert in just about anything, from teratology (monsters), to sciuridology (squirrels) and scotohylology (dark matter). With over 300 episodes, you'll have no trouble dipping in and finding a topic that catches your interest (yes I am one of those people who will listen to some podcasts out of order). There's a foucs on science, but it's not restrictive; one of the latest episodes was 'confectionology' with candy historian Susan Benjamin, and it might be my favourite so far. The 1 hour 47 minutes are packed with the most fascinating stories; Benjamin admits that she often dislikes giving interviews, but you can tell how much she likes Ward's style, which lets her dive down all sorts of rabbit holes, really letting her enthusiasm and knowledge shine through. I also love Ward's more casual approach, which I think is effective in demystifying science and allowing scientists to be portrayed as real people who are passionate about their subject, rather than the sometimes sterile, sometimes sinister, often know-it-all people in white labcoats that often appear in movies. Ward will cut into the interviews with soundbites explaining and expanding upon things bought up by her guests, which could so easily be annoying, yet instead feels natural and helpful. The episodes very much feel as though Ward is having a chat with you, and if you listen to the end of the episode, she'll tell you a secret. Each episode, the show donates to a charity chosen by the ologist, so it's also a good way to find out about interesting organisations related to that episode's topic. In writing this article, I decided to have a look at the available Ologies merchandise, and I have now decided that I want the Ologies field guide T-shirt. Look for yourself at your own peril!

Both Ologies and this next podcast were recommended to me by fellow TetZooCon goer Dylan, who you can find on the internet as 'The Cobra Effect' (check out her very cool YouTube here). Voyage to the Wild is presented by Charlie Young, a marine scientist, presenter, and sailor, who is currently voyaging around the world on her boat 'Feral' on a mission to document the challenges currently facing the natural world. I've really been struggling to summarise this podcast; Young herself describes it as part travelog, part natural history docuseries. In some episodes, Young visits conservation projects; these episodes are a combination of recordings of her joining in with their activities, and interviewing them about their work. In others, she recounts her adventures, like encounters with hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) on the River Gambie, or the challenges of a transatlantic crossing. Young talks particularly eloquently about the experience of being isolated from modern life, disconnected from the internet and immersed in nature - the way it becomes easier to be bored, and simply spend time noticing your surroundings. There's only one season out so far, so you can catch up in plenty of time for season 2, launching in January 2025. As a warning though, if you are anything like Dylan or me, it might make you want to immediately learn how to sail! 

Finally, it would be wrong not to mention Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast, presented by Jack Baker. Most of the podcast is about exploring the world's under-appreciated conservation stories, but I tend to listen more for ReZoo - The Zoo Review Podcast, which Baker presents with Jodi McFarlane. ReZoo was one of the main inspirations for Devilled Toads; having loved the zoo reviews so much, and wishing there were more of them, I decided I should write some of my own. In their ReZoos, Baker and McFarlane talk you through their day at the zoo, commenting on the collection, enclosures, and signage, as well as the overall visitor experience. They then give their two stars and a wish, which are the things they loved and something they thought could be done better, before summing up their time at the zoo in one word. At the end of the year, they have an awards ceremony episode, with categories like 'best enclosure design', 'best visitor experience', and 'listener favourite'. I've recently discovered that each ReZoo has a unique episode cover, with photos taken on the trip, so I now need to go back and look through them all immediately. A new season of Pangolin is releasing at the moment, so this is a good time to start listening. 

This is just a selection of the podcasts I'm listening to at the minute, and I know I'm missing some obvious ones. I've also not gone into all the non-science related podcasts I love, like Rex Factor or Kermode and Mayo's Take. I'm always looking for more podcasts, so if you have suggestions please get in touch via email or social media. Hopefully you might be able to find a new favourite from this list, prehaps to keep you company if you find youself studying some sleepy African wild dogs.

Sources

Baker, J. (2024) Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast. Available at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jackbaker (Accessed 30 October 2024).

Duke and Hood (2024) Rex Factor. Available at: https://www.rexfactorpodcast.com/ (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

Dwyer, K. R. (2024) Alie Ward. Available at: https://www.alieward.com/ologies (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

Hone, D. and Lawrence, I. (2024) Terrible Lizards. Available at: https://terriblelizards.libsyn.com (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

Moscato, D. and Harris, W. (2024) The Common Descent Podcast. Available at: https://commondescentpodcast.com (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

Something Else (2024) Kermode and Mayo's Take. Available at: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com (Accessed: 30 October 2024).

Young, C. (2024) Voyage to the Wild. Available at: https://voyage-to-the-wild.captivate.fm (Accessed: 30 October 2024).