Outside/In

Once upon a time, potpourri was a popular way to freshen up a space. Now, for some, it feels a bit like the lava lamp of fragrance: an outdated fad from a bygone decade.So, why was potpourri so popular in the 1980’s, and what happened to it? Did the trend dry up… or just evolve?We explore the transformation of potpourri, from the fermented mush of the Victorian era to the perfumed and colorful bag of pine cones of the eighties, and talk to a few of the people still making potpourri today.This episode was originally published in September 2021.Featuring Yvette Weaver, Carly Still, Laure Moutet, Autumn Anderson, Paulus, and Ednita Tingle.SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter.LINKSAn 1895 recipe from Sweet from Sweet Scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves for 50-year moist potpourri (the recipe begins on page 42).From Death Scents: more fascinating info on the history of medieval trends that predate potpourri and the rise of “rotten pot” potpourri.Fragrant Potpourri Preserves the Floral Scents of Summer: A 1975 NYT article that bridges the gap between moist and dried potpourri recipes.A 1988 Glade Potpourri Spray commercialCREDITSHosted by Justine ParadisReported and produced by Taylor QuimbyEdited by Justine ParadisExecutive Producer: Rebecca LavoieMixed by Taylor QuimbyAdditional editing by Felix Poon and Jessica HuntSpecial thanks to Rosalyn LaPier, Mark Nesbit, and to NHPR’s voices from the ‘80s: Nick Capodice, Josh Rogers, Emily Quirk, Patricia McLaughlin, Rick Ganley, and Rebecca Lavoie.Theme music by Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Ben Nestor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you own land in the United States, do you also own the airspace above it? In other words, who owns the sky?The answer begins with a medieval Roman principle of property rights, which made it all the way to American courts: “Whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell." We asked our friends Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy, cohosts of Civics 101, to join us to explore the uniquely American philosophy of property, to the moon and back.Featuring Colin Jerolmack, Michael Heller, George Anthony Long, and Deondre Smiles, with special guests Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member. Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!) for extras from the cutting room floor and behind-the-scenes dispatches from our reporters.Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or discuss the show in our private listener group on Facebook. Submit a question to our 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). LINKSThis article by Laura Donohue poses the same question we ask – “who owns the skies?” – in the context of property rights, state rights, and drones.Deondre Smiles’ essay on how manifest destiny is showing up as we explore beyond this planet, “The Settler Logics of (Outer) Space”The Civics 101 episodes mentioned were “Is Santa a Criminal?” and “What’s Up With the US Space Force?” Also relevant: their two-part series on “The Government and Housing.”A great podcast episode on diamonds and De Beers via Articles of Interest + 99% InvisibleMore on United States v. Causby (1946)By the way, the 2015 U.S. law about commercialization of space only refers to abiotic resources like minerals. If someone discovers alien life (even microbial), this law doesn’t cover it. Japan, Luxembourg, and the UAE have passed similar laws. To learn about the fascinating question of who owns the space beyond your airplane seat, check out Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives by Michael Heller and coauthor James SalzmanRead more about the uniquely American interpretation of “ad coelum” in the introduction to Colin Jerolmack’s book, Up to Heaven and Down to Hell: Fracking, Freedom, and Community in an American Town. CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor Quimby and Rebecca Lavoie with help from Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthyExecutive producer: Rebecca LavoieMusic by Lobo Loco, ProleteR, Triple Bacon, Larry Poppinz, Gabriel Lewis, Ben Elson, Bonkers Beat Club, bomull, Anthony Earls, David Szesztay, and Chris Zabriskie.Outside/In and Civics 101  are productions of New Hampshire Public Radio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Nora Saks learned that a "toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth was invading Maine", she started sounding the alarm about the impending eco-doom. Until, that is, state experts clued her into the "real threat"; a different creepy crawly wriggling towards The Pine Tree State's gardens and precious forests, and fast.In an attempt to find out more about this real threat, Ben Brock Johnson and Nora tunnel down a wormhole, encountering a long history of xenophobic rhetoric about so-called invasive species, and some hard truths about the field of invasion biology itself. This week we’re featuring a story from our friend at WBUR’s Endless Thread, a podcast that digs into the internet's vast and curious ecosystem of online communities to find untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL.Featuring: Banu Subramaniam, Dov Sax, Bob McNally,  Gary Fish, and Regina Smith SUPPORTDonate to support the show before February 22nd and get your hands on a limited edition Outside/In opossum camp mug!Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSEndless Thread (WBUR)"A toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth is invading Maine" (Bangor Daily News)Reddit post on r/oddlyterrifying about hammerhead wormslindsaynikole's viral TikTok video on hammerhead worms"The Aliens Have Landed! Reflections on the Rhetoric of Biological Invasions",  Banu SubramaniamThe Sax Research Lab at Brown UniversityMaine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry fact sheet on jumping worms"Identify and Report Jumping Worms in Maine", UMaine Cooperative Forestry Research Unit informational videoCornell University fact sheet on Asian Jumping WormsUMass Extension Invasive Jumping Worm FAQ"Cancel Earthworms" (The Atlantic)"Invasive 'Jumping Worms' Threaten Trees in Maine and Elsewhere"  (NECN)"Scientists Sound The Alarm About Invasive 'Crazy Worms' Found in Maine" (Maine Public)"Maine Gardener: Invasion of the jumping worms" (Portland Press Herald) CREDITSThis episode was produced by Nora Saks and Dean Russell of WBUR’s Endless ThreadCo-hosts: Nora Saks and Ben Brock Johnson. Mix and sound design: Matt ReedEndless Thread’s team includes Amory Sivertson, Dean Russell, Quincy Walters, Grace Tatter, Amy Gorel, Paul Vaitkus, and Emily JankowskiOutside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi, and produced by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite being the only rodent with a holiday to its name, groundhogs are often considered pests.However, these natural-born diggers have unearthed rare artifacts, play a pivotal role in shaping ecosystems, and are tied to important breakthroughs in hepatitis B treatments. Plus they’re pretty cute. So in this episode, a special Groundhog Day edition of our Holy Scat series, we’re digging up as many amazing factoids about these creatures as we possibly can. Featuring: David Scofield, Amanda Gillen, Eric D’Aleo, Joe Bruchac, and Sandra SextonSUPPORTDonate to support the show and get your hands on a limited edition Outside/In opossum camp mug!Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSYoutube video of a whistling groundhogNBC News video of Groundhog Day 2022 predictionRead more about the Meadowcroft Rockshelter – the oldest known site of human habitation in North America, discovered by a groundhog.Read this 1996 article about hepatitis B research using the woodchuck animal model at Cornell University. CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported and produced by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor QuimbyRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s the slowest heartbeat on the planet? What’s it like to live with zero sunlight? If you’ve ever picked up a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, you know that people are drawn to extremes, be they geographical, philosophical, or biological. So this week, we’re cracking open the Outside/Inbox to answer your questions about the outer limits of life on Earth. We’ll learn about how landslides are way more common than you might think, why frogs are practically undead, and how researchers stay motivated through an Antarctic winter. Submit your own question (the weirder the better) on Instagram, via email at outsidein@nhpr.org, or by calling our Outside/Inbox hotline: 1-844-GO-OTTER. Question 1: How low can an animal’s heartbeat go? Question 2: What happens to your body if you get ZERO sunlight?Question 3: Is climate change making landslides happen more often? Question 4: What is a “wet-bulb” temperature? Featuring: Carmen Possnig, Kira Mauseth, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Daniel Vecellio, and Avikal Somvanshi.Donate to support the show, and get your hands on a limited edition Outside/In opossum camp mug! Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3PvIzWy SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Felix PoonEditing by Taylor Quimby with help from Justine ParadisRebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic by Blue Dot Sessions.Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In each essay in their debut collection, How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures, science writer Sabrina Imbler shares the story of an undersea organism and a story of their own journey as someone who, as they put it, came out twice in adulthood. In one essay, they reflect on how a shape-shifting cephalopod helped them navigate their own questions about gender. In another, they celebrate queer dance clubs through the lens of the Yeti crab, a creature who “dances to live” in the crushing conditions around deep-sea hydrothermal vents.“I really wanted to sort of take these creatures very seriously… to think about both of us as organisms,” said Sabrina. “The creature’s existence in the world, and also the ways in which I am just, at the end of the day, another organism moving through the world, trying to eat and mate and survive.”Outside/In host Nate Hegyi and producer Justine Paradis sat down with Sabrina Imbler to talk about their blend of science and personal writing, and about what we might be able to learn by looking closely at the lives—perhaps very different, very strange-to-us lives—of creatures in the sea. Donate to support the show, and to get your hands on a limited edition Outside/In opossum camp mug! Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3PvIzWy MORE OUTSIDE/INSubscribe to our (free) newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSFind How Far the Light Reaches at your local bookstoreSabrina Imbler’s articles on Defector MediaRead “We Swarm” on The Rumpus“It’s always ourselves we find in the sea” is a line from this poem by E.E. Cummings. CREDITSHosted by Nate HegyiReported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor Quimby with help from Felix PoonExecutive producer: Rebecca LavoieMusic in this episode by Loving Caliber, Autohacker, Valante, Silver Maple, Moon Crater, and So Vea.Theme music: Breakmaster CylinderOutside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some folks promote local food. Others swear by veganism. But what is the most environmentally-friendly diet? And does it really matter what we eat? Or are there bigger fish to fry when it comes to climate activism?Outside/In is trying out a new segment called This, That, Or The Other Thing. It’s all about the little decisions we make to try and build a more sustainable world—whether they have any effect, and what we can do instead if they don’t. For our inaugural edition, we’re focusing on food. From Brazilian beef and tofu tacos to food waste and composting, host Nate Hegyi talks with experts to understand how our choices impact the planet… and how we can make a difference in our communities. Featuring Umair Irfan, Tamar Haspel, and Ben Halpern. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSGive a listen to Tamar Haspel’s podcast, Climavores.Vox reporter Umair Irfan wrote about how individual action actually does matter in the fight against climate change. Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara put together a big study on the cumulative environmental pressures of different foods. Want to tackle food waste? The Environmental Protection Agency has a great, down-to-earth guide on what you can do.  CREDITSHosted, reported, produced, and mixed by Nate HegyiEdited by Taylor Quimby with help from Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Felix Poon.Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic by Blue Dot Sessions, Sven Lindvall, El Flaco Collective, Future Joust, Spring Gang, Eight Bits, and Awlee.Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the first day of January, people all over the world dive into the water as a way to start the new year fresh. It’s often referred to as a “polar plunge”. But cold water dipping is different.It’s not a breathless in-and-out plunge, but a slow submersion: lingering in the cold water for 5 or 10 minutes. No wetsuit. This fall, Outside/In producer Justine Paradis got to know a community of dippers along the coast of Maine. Many of them described something happening once they’re in their water.. Something which they say changes their relationship to the cold, the ocean, and themselves. In this episode, we’re ringing in the new year by sharing a little more from those conversations.Featuring Kelsy Hartley, Caitlin Hopkins, Puranjot Kaur, Betsy Dawkins, and Judy Greene-Janse. Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions for winter surthrival. We featured ideas from James in Bend, Oregon; Kyra in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Annie in Portland, Maine. Thanks also to Gin Majka, Guenola Lefeuvre, and Annie Ropeik. A word on the risks of cold water immersionPeople engage in cold water dipping and swimming around the world. Many claim health benefits, like a boosted immune system and reduced inflammation. But it’s not a risk-free activity. "I'm not sitting here as the fun police stopping people doing what they want to do. It's just we would encourage them to do it safely,” said Mike Tipton, a professor of Human and Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth. He shared a couple risks to consider before jumping in.Cold shock response, which occurs as you enter cold water and lasts a couple minutes. This prompts an involuntary gasp and hyperventilation – bad news if you’re underwater or in choppy water.Cardiac triggers. Cold water shock sends a signal to your heart telling it to beat faster, but face immersion tells your heart to slow down. These competing signals to your heart can potentially cause cardiac arrhythmia, especially when plunging and breath holding. On top of that, the cold water constricts your blood vessels, pushes up blood pressure, and makes your heart work harder.Swim failure, the result of direct cooling of the superficial nerves and muscles (especially in the limbs). This can occur before other effects of hypothermia. “This is where we see people swimming out to sea offshore, turning around and finding they can't get back because they become physically incapacitated… one of the obvious bits of safety advice is don't swim out of your depth and swim parallel to the shore, not away from it,” Mike said.A few basic safety tips: Don’t go alone.As one cold water swimmer put it, “Keep your feet on the ground.”Get yourself checked for any pre-existing conditions that might be triggered by a sudden change in blood pressure. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSCaitlin Hopkins and Kelsy Hartley are also known as Ebb and Flow, the founders of Two Maine Mermaids. Puranjot Kaur is a member of Cold Tits, Warm Hearts on Mount Desert Island. There’s also another group in midcoast Maine called Wicked Nippy Dippahs.In addition to dipping, many of the women featured are open water swimmers. Puranjot Kaur wrote this account of her second attempt to swim around Mount Desert Island, fueled by congee and community.Check out these gorgeous photos by Greta Rybus of a community dip in an ice-hole in York, Maine, and these photos of some of the dippers in our episode.A good interview with a “wild swimming” scientist on both the risks and benefits of immersion  CREDITSReported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor QuimbyThe Outside/In team also includes our host Nate Hegyi, Felix Poon, and Jessica HuntExecutive producer: Rebecca LavoieMusic in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Quesa, and AutohackerTheme music: Breakmaster CylinderOutside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s an unfortunate paradox for environmental podcasts; data shows a lot of people skip segments about the climate. But also… it’s the CLIMATE! We can’t NOT talk about it, right? So how do we break through the malaise and make climate news feel less overwhelming? More surprising? Less depressing? In this episode, we round-up a handful of stories that we hope break the mold and make climate a more approachable topic for everyday discussion. We’ll look at a third-rail of environmental activism, hear about an unlikely, middle-of-the-night climate deal at COP27, and learn about one place where producing less renewable energy might just be the best thing for the environment.Featuring Cara Buckley, Naveena Sadasivam, and Gillian Flaccus SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSEarth Now Has 8 Billion Humans. This Man Wishes There Were None. By Cara Buckley for The New York Times.(For more on population, you can read Are 8 billion people too many — or too few? and Should you not have kids because of climate change? It’s complicated. And you should also listen to our two-parter on this very subject: So Over Population [Part 1] and So Over Population [Part 2])Inside the COP27 fight to get wealthy nations to pay climate reparations, by Naveena Sadasivam for Grist‘Momentous:’ US advances largest dam demolition in history, by Gillian Flaccus for the Associated PressNews Roundup:U.S. reaches a fusion power milestone. Will it be enough to save the planet? (NPR)The surprising player in the rail strike fight: Fossil fuel companies (Grist)Why knowing your neighbors could save you in the next climate disaster (The Guardian) CREDITSHost: Nate HegyiReported, produced, and mixed by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor Quimby, with help from Nate Hegyi, Justine Paradis, and Jessica Hunt. Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerMusic for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Jharee, and Blackout Memories. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we published an episode about “how to be a backyard birder.”  Everybody was understandably freaking out, and we wanted to put something sweet, calming, and hopeful into the world.In that episode, we heard from ornithologist Dr. J. Drew Lanham, who shared some great tips for beginners, like what to watch and listen for, and how to make binoculars from toilet paper tubes. But what we didn’t get into was Dr. Lanham’s own remarkable story, including the moment when the humble chicken pulled him away from a life in the military and onto the path to ornithological stardom. This episode comes from our friends at Going Wild, with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a podcast from PBS that’s more about the people that study wild animals than it is about the animals themselves.  Their latest season also includes the story of a shark researcher struggling with the whiteness of academia, a herpetologist who pushed to change the language of the field, and Dr. Rae-Wynn’s own journey as a field researcher slash newly single mom.Featuring Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Dr. J. Drew Lanham. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSRead “9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher”, Dr. J. Drew Lanham’s breakthrough piece for Orion Magazine. Listen to a South Carolina Public Radio interview with Dr. J. Drew Lanham after he won a MacArthur Fellowship.  CREDITS Outside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi and produced by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt. Going Wild is hosted by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. Production by Caroline Hadilaksono, Danielle Broza, Nathan Tobey, and Great Feeling Studios. Editing by Rachel Aronoff and Jakob Lewis. Sound design by Cariad Harmon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.