The Anthropocene Reviewed
Complexly, John Green
The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. On The Anthropocene Reviewed, #1 New York Times bestselling author John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down) reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including On the Media, Snap Judgment, Death, Sex & Money, Nancy and Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin. © WNYC Studios
Episodes
Mentioned books
88 snips
Aug 26, 2021 • 23min
Orbital Sunrise
What does an orbital sunrise look like to someone who can only imagine it? John Green explores the limits of what we know about the universe through cosmonaut Alexey Leonov’s remarkable space sketch, created after the first spacewalk. The story also follows the perilous Voskod mission, a harrowing Siberian landing, and a friendship forged between Soviet and American astronauts.
30 snips
Jun 30, 2021 • 28min
Ginkgo Biloba
A single Indianapolis ginkgo becomes a doorway into deep time, local history, and the strange persistence of life. John Green traces the ancient tree’s roots, its survival amid suburban development, and the unlikely names bestowed on it by a neighbor. Even its famously foul-smelling fruit can’t dim its charm.
18 snips
May 18, 2021 • 26min
Icelandic Hot Dog Stand and Signing Your Name 250,000 Times
A night in Iceland brings a lake-side mishap, a citywide celebration of handball, and a hot dog stand famous enough to inspire fierce debate. Then comes the marathon task of signing 250,000 books, one sheet at a time, and the oddly personal connection between an author and readers.
19 snips
Apr 29, 2021 • 27min
Penguins of Madagascar and the Smallpox Vaccine
From the absurd opening of Penguins of Madagascar to the myth of suicidal lemmings, John Green turns to one of history’s deadliest diseases. He explores smallpox, the people behind early inoculation, and the messy story of Edward Jenner’s first vaccine, tracing the long road to smallpox’s eradication.
23 snips
Sep 24, 2020 • 24min
Plague
From the Black Death’s devastation across Europe to the Great Plague of London and a village’s extraordinary quarantine, this reflection explores humanity’s long history with plague. It also recalls the lonely reality of dying apart, the people who risked their lives to care for the sick, and the ways communities faced catastrophe together.
8 snips
Aug 27, 2020 • 23min
The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reviewed
John Green reflects on writing Turtles All the Way Down, the toll of sharing personal experiences in public, and how mental health shaped his work. He revisits the origins of his thoughtful reviews of everyday life, the podcast’s growing legacy, and the pause ahead.
20 snips
Jul 30, 2020 • 27min
Mortification and Civilization
A parade of cringe-worthy memories, from a mangled science term to an embarrassing literary mix-up, opens into a look at why shame sticks with us. Then comes the tale of a healed femur and Margaret Mead, alongside a sharp examination of how the idea of “civilization” has been used to justify colonialism and racism.
24 snips
Jun 25, 2020 • 21min
Seventeen Listener Suggestions, Reviewed
Seventeen listener suggestions spark a lively tour through spoonerisms, pot stickers, memes, sporks, the moon, and more. Along the way come reflections on tween years, Emily Dickinson, the private soundtrack of headphones, and the strange history of everyday inventions.
9 snips
May 28, 2020 • 26min
You'll Never Walk Alone and Jerzy Dudek
From the communal comfort of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to the unforgettable 2005 Champions League final, this story visits Jerzy Dudek’s unlikely path from coal mine to Liverpool goalkeeper. Relive the dramatic double save, his dancing penalty-kick antics, and the match that became known as the Miracle of Istanbul.
13 snips
Apr 30, 2020 • 23min
Monopoly and Academic Decathlon
Monopoly’s history winds from its anti-landlord origins to a rags-to-riches tale that leaves the game’s true inventor in the shadows. Then comes the Academic Decathlon: a high-school contest that transformed a struggling student into a medal-winning all-rounder, with rivers running through the memories.
