Terrestrials

Explore ancient beliefs about how animals were created, from quirky recipes to bizarre myths. Discover how the humble maggot challenged the notion of spontaneous generation and led to Francesco Redi's groundbreaking experiment. Learn about the connections between Redi's findings and modern medicine, including hygiene and vaccines. Uncover the fascinating roles of animals, like leeches and therapy pigs, in healthcare. Plus, hear intriguing listener questions about spider silk and bee venom!

Celebrate the New Year through the lens of our furry friends! The podcast invites listeners to a serene meditation featuring pets snoring, napping, and dreaming in their cozy spots. From Koa the pit bull and her Seattle crate to Sassy the cat napping in Tucson, each pet brings a unique charm. You'll hear soothing sounds of Duna's deep breaths, Moo's adorable couch naps, and even the gentle snores of Tucker the pug. Embrace the wisdom of pets as they teach us the art of relaxation and presence—it's a delightful auditory escape!

Zoologist Lucy Cooke, an expert on sloths, shares fascinating insights about their slowness as an adaptive strategy rather than laziness. She narrates the remarkable journey of a sloth named Nacho and explores how sloths employ camouflage for survival against predators like harpy eagles. Joining her is Dr. Sammy Ramsey, who reveals the unique ecosystem of moths, mites, and fungi that thrive in sloth fur, showcasing a symbiotic relationship that enhances their invisibility in the wild. Together, they highlight the importance of conservation for these captivating creatures.

Discover the enchanting world of rainbows as bridges between cultures, myths, and the afterlife. Explore Isaac Newton's groundbreaking prism experiment that revealed sunlight's hidden spectrum. Delve into the ongoing debate about the number of colors, with insights from Thomas Young on the wave nature of light. Musically, experience the Youth Pride Chorus celebrating colors and diversity. Plus, learn how rainbows can even appear on other planets, defined by their unique atmospheres!

Artist Ashley Eliza Williams, who grew up shy and found solace in nature, shares their journey of discovering and painting lichens. They reveal the stunning collaboration between fungi and algae that makes these organisms unique. Chef Prashanta Khanal adds insights on lichen's nutritional benefits. The duo highlights lichen's role in ecosystem resilience and cultural significance in food. Ashley’s transformation reflects the power of connection and friendship, celebrating how nature nurtures personal growth.

Join Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas from Wow in the World, along with Circle Round's Rebecca Sheir and chicken expert Sai Montgomery, for a delightful holiday crossover. They explore Inga the chicken's incredible journey home using remarkable navigation skills. Discover the mystery of the ocean 'bio-duck' sounds and the fascinating Cherokee folktale about how the turkey got its distinctive gobble. The episode culminates in a lively singalong that ties together all the stories in this festive potluck of fun!

In the game of life, every species is like an action figure. You got your dogs and your dung beetles, your bald eagles and your blueberries. And for a long time scientists believed it was pretty much impossible for those action figures to mix and make a new kind of action figure that was able to have its own babies (dog beetles? Baldberries? Nah). But, today we tell the story of a four-legged beast in Kentucky whose existence is upending scientific beliefs. If you want a big fat SPOILER, here it is: the creature in question is a mule! After almost 20 years of living her life as a hybrid (a mix between a horse and a donkey), believed to be incapable of having babies, Peanut the mule shocked the world by doing the impossible. Peanut’s owners, Teresa and Jerry Smothers, tell us the story of her life. Evolutionary biologist Dr. Molly Schumer explains how scientists’ understanding of hybrids has changed dramatically over the course of Peanut’s lifetime. And no mule episode would be complete without a cowboy-hatted mule packer leading us deep into the rocky trails of the American West on muleback to explain why mules are the best of both worlds of their parents. Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org. Watch a hybrid gameshow and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube. Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast  Support for Terrestrials is provided by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. More from Terrestrials  The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more. We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind. We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw -  Get creative with a special listen from our friends from DrawTogether Do - We've put a bunch of concrete - and even kinda fun - things we can all do to help protect the nonhuman life on this planet IN BINGO form! This week’s storytellers are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer and mule packer James Reeves. Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the sure-footed, stubborn hybrid helper that is the MULE: Watch a TV news report about Peanut and MiracleLigers and Zonkeys and Narlugas, Oh my! Read an article about hybrids in nature and whether being a hybrid helps or hurts your genetic success.Learn the story of the first narluga (narwhal and beluga) spotting. Learn more about James Reeves, Mule Packer to the stars! Or, rather, to the mountains.Follow Mule Packer James Reeves’ instagram, full of videos of him and mules!Is breeding hybrids (like Ligers) unethical?Did you know mules are STILL used in the military? Check out Susan Orlean’s wonderful article about that.A video about the myth of Pegasus vs. The Chimera“Mules and More” MagazineDetailed list of reports of fertile mules over history Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller. This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller. Original Music by Alan Goffinski. Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt. Fact-check by Natalie Meade. Sound design by Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Joe Plourde and Andrew Dunn. Our storytellers this week are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer, and mulepacker James Reeves. Special thanks to the punks at the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville, Virginia: Riles, Susie, Jack, Tate, Tiny, Cheyenne, Zina, Bray, Jordan and Orion Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty. Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show. Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!Love the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review on your podcast app—it helps curious listeners find us!We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts about Terrestrials with us.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for bite-sized essays, activities, and ways to connect with the show.Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes extras and more.Listen to original music from Terrestrials on Spotify, Apple Music, or our music page.Got a badgering question for the team? Email us at terrestrialspodcast@wnyc.org or submit a voice memo with your name, age, and your question using this form!Terrestrials is made possible in part by listeners like you. Support the show by joining Radiolab’s membership program, The Lab—and we’ll send you a special thank-you gift from our team!

This Halloween, we’re going to the dark side. Deep in the darkest tropical forests, some of the world’s most elusive bats hang upside down in their winged sleeping bags. On a quest to find one of these flying mammals, Producerbud Ana ventures into a Puerto Rican forest and the back corridors of the American Museum of Natural History with Dr. Angelo Soto-Centeno. Why? Because while they may be scary and look kinda like Dracula, with their sharp fangs and beady eyes, these bats hold something crucial for humanity - the ability to repair entire ecosystems after some of the most destructive hurricanes ever. Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC studios. This episode was produced and reported by Ana González with sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick. Our Executive Producer is Sarah Sandbach. Our team also includes Alan Goffinski, Tanya Chawla and Joe Plourde. Factchecking was by Emily Krieger.Special thanks to the American Museum of Natural History and Dr. Angelo Soto-Centeno.Also tell us what creature you want a future show about! Submit suggestions on what animals we should do our next season on here!Our advisors for this show were Liza Demby, Ana Luz Porzecanski, Nicole Depalma and Carly Ciarrocchi.Support for Terrestrials also comes from the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the John Templeton Foundation. HEY GROWN-UPS!Love the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review on your podcast app—it helps curious listeners find us!We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts about Terrestrials with us.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for bite-sized essays, activities, and ways to connect with the show.Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes extras and more.Listen to original music from Terrestrials on Spotify, Apple Music, or our music page.Got a badgering question for the team? Email us at terrestrialspodcast@wnyc.org or submit a voice memo with your name, age, and your question using this form!Terrestrials is made possible in part by listeners like you. Support the show by joining Radiolab’s membership program, The Lab—and we’ll send you a special thank-you gift from our team!

Maggots are disgusting, right? Lulu has a hard time even saying the word maggot. But in this episode, we’re asking you to join us in setting our “ick” aside. If you stick with us, we promise that you’ll go from thinking these bugs are the grossest things ever to actually kinda liking them. Maybe even loving them. ER doctor Avir Mitra leads us down a rabbit hole of scientific discovery, explaining how these revolting critters have a history - and future - of saving human limbs and lives. Plus, a musical lesson in wound treatment 101.Tell us what creature you want a future show about! Submit suggestions on what animals we should do our next season on here!Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC studios. This episode was produced by Alan Goffinski with sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick. Our Executive Producer is Sarah Sandbach. Our team also includes Ana Gonzalez, Tanya Chawla and Joe Plourde. Factchecking was by Natalie Middleton.Huge thank you to Dr Avir Mitra. If you liked his storytelling, listen to some more stories he did with Radiolab:The Elixir of Life Dispatch 5: Don't Stop Believin'The Dirty Drug and the Ice Cream Tub Our advisors for this show were Jamie Albright, kid advisor Kai, momma (fly) Maya, Ana Luz Porzecanski, Nicole Depalma and Carly Ciarrocchi.Support for Terrestrials also comes from the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the John Templeton Foundation. HEY GROWN-UPS!Love the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review on your podcast app—it helps curious listeners find us!We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts about Terrestrials with us.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for bite-sized essays, activities, and ways to connect with the show.Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes extras and more.Listen to original music from Terrestrials on Spotify, Apple Music, or our music page.Got a badgering question for the team? Email us at terrestrialspodcast@wnyc.org or submit a voice memo with your name, age, and your question using this form!Terrestrials is made possible in part by listeners like you. Support the show by joining Radiolab’s membership program, The Lab—and we’ll send you a special thank-you gift from our team!

In this engaging discussion, Natalie Middleton, a science writer and fact-checker, unveils the whimsical journey of Apollo 14's 'Moon Trees.' A quirky combination of astronautic adventure and environmentalism, the story begins with astronaut Smokey Roosa's decision to take tree seeds to the moon in 1971. After nearly being forgotten, these seeds sprouted across the U.S., leading to a rediscovery when a curious third grader stumbled upon a Moon Tree. Natalie shares her emotional visit to one and highlights her interactive map that helps others locate these celestial trees.