Merlin and whether tech undermines skills

Do you need an episode that's the equivalent of a big, deep, inhale and exhale? GREAT NEWS, TEAM, WE HAVE THE EPISODE FOR YOU. Journalist and urban birder Ryan Goldberg joins me to talk about the recent spike of interest in birding (particularly amongst young people), but we go a lot deeper than "wow seems like millennials are taking up old people hobbies." We talk about the intergenerational magic of birding clubs, bird list gamificiation (and how to avoid it), and how apps like Merlin have changed birding culture. But the real heart of this episode is what makes people fall in love — and stay in love — with a hobby that's really, at heart, about listening. I'm not a birder, so this episode will be accessible to anyone in my shoes (or who's birding-curious) — and if you are a birder, get ready to nerd out. I hope your blood pressure drops a few points while listening, because my mine sure did while recording.

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We're experimenting with producing our own (moderately polished) transcripts. They'll be uploaded here within 24 hours of publishing.

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Show Notes:

• Buy Bird City here!

• Learn more about Ryan's work here — also noting two upcoming events (learn more on his website)

• An Eastern Towee in action (with its call!)

• A lovely birding guide to Central Park

• Join the Brooklyn Bird Club!

• All about the Merlin app

• Black Birders Week!

• Feminist Bird Club

• The Macaulay Library of Bird Songs

• The hungover birdwatcher

We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

• WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOG

• Questions About How to Respond When People Ask/React To the Knowledge That You're Not Having Kids

• The Wild Largely Unregulated World of IVF (and IVF Bureaucracy)

• Audiobooks!!! (with MVP audiobook narrator Julia Whelan)

• '90s Movie Soundtracks

• How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCH

• PEOPLE'S NAMES and what they signify (and how it changes with time)

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment

• As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here

For this week’s discussion: Tell me about your experience with birding culture — or something about this episode that made you want to get into it! (I bet it was me laughing like a 5 year old about birds named tits)