The Blindboy Podcast Speaking with a professor about the evolution of plants, terraforming planets and extinction events
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Nov 5, 2025 Professor Jennifer McElwain, a renowned botany expert from Trinity College, dives into the captivating world of paleobotany. She discusses how ancient plants shaped Earth's atmosphere through events like the Great Oxygenation. The conversation explores the significance of coal forests in carbon storage, the role of coprolites in finding ancient plants, and the potential of desiccation-tolerant plants for space travel. They also touch on biodiversity recovery efforts in farming and the importance of native species in restoring ecosystems.
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Invasive Plants Mirror Human History
- Invasive plants often map social and industrial history: giant hogweed follows plantation patterns; Japanese knotweed follows industrial sites.
- Soil conditions and human disturbance shape where invasives thrive.
Use Plants To Remediate And Mine Soils
- Use phyto-remediation and phytomining to clean toxic soils and recover trace minerals.
- Grow and harvest tolerant plants, then process biomass to remove contaminants or extract elements.
Mythic Wells And Medicinal Lithium
- Blindboy recounts Glaunnegelt: a mythic 'Valley of Madness' where people sought healing.
- Modern testing found lithium in the well, linking folklore to medicinal mineral use.
