Outside/In

** We’re celebrating our 10 year anniversary and want you to come! Join us in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a night of storytelling, featuring former Outside/In guests and hosted by our very own Nate Hegyi. Get your tickets here! ** In celebration of Outside/In’s 10th anniversary we’re looking back at our very first episode: “The Kiwi Apocalypse,” first published in December of 2015. Afterwards, we’ll get an update to the story and talk about how weird it is to have a podcast old enough to be in middle school. Here’s our original description for The Kiwi Apocalypse: Iago Hale has a vision: it’s one where the economy of the North Country is revitalized by local farmers selling delicious cold hardy kiwi berries to the masses.Meanwhile, Tom Lautzenheiser has been battling a hardy kiwi infestation in Massachusetts for years, and is afraid that this fight will soon be coming to the rest of New England.Should we worry about the cold hardy kiwi and what does the quest to bring it to market tell us about what an invasive species is?Featuring Iago Hale, Tom Lautzenheiser and Bryan Connolly.This episode was produced by our original host, Sam Evans-Brown. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.SUPPORTGrab a ticket for our 10 year anniversary live show here! Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past few decades, CGI has allowed directors to put virtually anything they can imagine onto the big screen. But in the world of theater, practical effects still rule supreme. So how do these special effects wizards make it snow, rain, and gust inside the confines of a theater, where real live audiences are sitting just feet away? And what are the challenges to dumping more than 100 gallons of water indoors, or coating the stage in slippery fake snow? We tour a Brooklyn warehouse that houses the secrets behind Broadway’s wildest special effects, where one engineer is inventing new ways to wow audiences with the magic of the elements.Featuring Jeremy Chernick.Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.LINKSTo see some of the effects we mention in action, check out Jeremy Chernick’s website gallery of shows he’s worked on.ALSO! Did Operation Night Cat leave you wanting more? Make a year-end gift to NHPR, and we’ll invite you to a special Operation Night Cat Virtual Q&A on January 8th 6PM EST, featuring our very own Nate Hegyi!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Avatar came out in 2009, it shattered box-office records.  And even though it was billed as a sci-fi epic featuring blue aliens on a far-away moon, the movie didn’t shy away from a pretty Earth-based message of environmental conservation.So, with a third Avatar hitting theaters this weekend, we were inspired to bust out the popcorn, dim the lights, and play the part of pop culture critics. How do movies – from blockbusters to documentaries to Disney films –  shape our conception of the natural world?Featuring Alyssa Vitale, David Whitley, Salma Monani, and Erin Trahan. SUPPORTTo share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, call the show’s hotline and leave us a voicemail. The number is 1-844-GO-OTTER. No question is too serious or too silly.Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram and BlueSky, or join our private discussion group on Facebook.LINKSSimilar to Avatar, the animation required to pull off Finding Nemo was a technological feat for its time. Here’s a documentary showing you behind the scenes.Listen to all of “Little April Showers” (that catchy tune from Bambi) here.  You can find Alyssa Vitale’s movie reviews on her Youtube channel, Mainely Movies. Salma Monani’s academic work within ecocinema extends far beyond that of FernGully. Her faculty page at Gettysburg College can be found here.Find some of Erin Trahan’s recent work on her website, including a recent documentary following Michael Dukakis.You can find David Whitley’s book on Disney animation here. CREDITS Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits, transcript, and a list of movies mentioned in this episode visit outsideinradio.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you know that some species of worms can be cut into multiple pieces and each piece will make a new worm? Some can even make a whole new brain. Wild, right?While not all forms of healing are quite as miraculous as this, the body’s ability to repair itself is pretty darned cool. So today, we’re answering your questions about healing. Like…Why do we pick at scabs?Why do animals lick their wounds?How does breath work affect the nervous system?What's the best outdoor activity to help heal from heartbreak?For our next Outside/Inbox roundup, we’re looking for questions all about love! From what happens in our bodies when we fall in and out of love, to whether animals fall in love. Send us your questions by recording yourself on a voice memo, and emailing that to us at outsidein@nhpr.org. Or you can call our hotline: 844-GO-OTTER.Featuring Mansi Srivastava, Mona Gohara, Susan Taylor, Henk Brand, Jane Sykes, Aditi Garg, Carolina Estêvão, and Sandra Langeslag.For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At any given time, millions of lab mice are being used in research facilities nationwide. And yet nearly all of them can be connected back to a single source: The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, where the modern lab mouse was invented.What started as a research project aimed at understanding heredity is now a global business. Research on lab mice has led to more than two dozen Nobel prizes, helped save countless human lives, and has pushed science and medicine to new heights. But behind it all is a cost that’s rarely discussed outside of the ethics boards that determine how lab mice are used.   In this episode, we hear the story of how a leading eugenicist turned the humble mouse from a household pest into science’s number one guinea pig. Plus, we get a rare peek inside the Jackson Laboratory - where over 10,000 strains of lab mice DNA are kept cryogenically frozen. Featuring Bethany Brookshire, Kristin Blanchette, Lon Cardon, Rachael Pelletier, Karen Rader, Nadia Rosenthal and Mark Wanner. Produced by Jeongyoon Han. For a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org. Note: This episode originally aired in April, 2023. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).LINKSKaren Rader’s book, Making Mice: Standardizing Animals for American Biomedical Research, 1900-1955, is a definitive source on the birth of the lab mouse…Curious to learn more about pests? Take a look at Bethany Brookshire’s book, Pests: How Humans Create Villains.This piece from the New Yorker questions the assumptions and ethical choices scientists have made by using lab mice in sterilized lab environments.In this New York Times essay, Brandon Keim explores how some ethicists want to reduce harm to animals used for research through a new model: repaying them.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover the joy of mending as a sustainable choice for your wardrobe. Learn how a simple closet audit can help declutter and encourage repair. Uncover the benefits of laundry care to extend garment life and pick up quick mending projects to build confidence. Explore the social impact of local repair services and the importance of choosing repairable clothing. From beautiful visible mending techniques to community repair cafes, this conversation celebrates the art of keeping clothes in circulation and fostering connections.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR’s Document team and Outside/In.Episode 3: A Duck’s a DuckTwo sets of potential crimes, investigated by more than five sets of law enforcement agencies. Why most of them never took a shot at accountability.News audio clip credit: WMUR. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.  SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. To hear more of Document's investigative journalism, including their three-part series on New Hampshire's YDC scandal, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR’s Document team and Outside/In.Episode 2: Behind the Brick WallThe poaching investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire’s State Prison for Men.This episode contains strong language that may not be suitable for all listeners. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR’s Document team and Outside/In.Episode 1: Why Did the Deer Cross the Road? A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man’s backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship with digital trophy rooms.This episode contains strong language. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Introducing a special three-part series from NHPR’s Document team and Outside/In: Operation Night Cat. A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man’s backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship, digital trophy rooms, and one of the biggest poaching cases in recent state history. Then, the hunting investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire’s State Prison for Men. Host Nate Hegyi has spent the past year digging into what happened next. Catch the first episode right here, on November 5th.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.