Big Picture Science

T-Rex is having an identity crisis. Rocking the world of paleontology is the claim that Rex was not one species, but actually three. It’s not the first time that this particular dino has forced us to revise our understanding of the past. The discovery of the first T-Rex fossil in the 19th century taught humanity a scary lesson: species eventually go extinct. If it happened to this seemingly invincible apex predator, it could happen to us too.Hear how the amateur fossil hunter Barnum Brown’s discovery of T-Rex changed our understanding of ourselves, and the epilogue to the dinosaur era: how our mammalian relatives survived the potential extinction bottleneck of an asteroid impact.Guests:Thomas Carr - Vertebrate paleontologist and Professor of Biology, Carthage CollegePeter Makovicky - Vertebrate paleontologist and Professor of paleontology in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of MinnesotaDavid Randall - Author of “The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T Rex and How It Shook Our World”Steve Brusatte - Personal Chair of Paleontology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh. Author of “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs” and, most recently, “The Rise and Reign of The Mammals”Originally aired October 17, 2022Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the cleverness and inventiveness of Neanderthals as we challenge stereotypes and explore their genetic influence. Learn about the association between Neanderthal DNA and severe Covid 19 infection. Dive into the world of Neanderthal mini-brains grown in a lab and their role in understanding the evolution of Homo sapiens. Explore the art and symbolism expressed by Neanderthals and their distinct characteristics compared to modern humans. Get introduced to the episode 'Neanderthal in the Family' without mentioning the name of the podcast show.

Owls are both the most accessible and elusive of birds. Every child can recognize one, but you’ll be lucky to spot an owl in a tree, even if you’re looking straight at it. Besides their camouflage and silent flight, these mostly nocturnal birds, with their amazing vision and hearing, are most at home in the dead of night, a time humans find alien and scary. Ecologist Carl Safina got to know an injured baby screech owl well. Their relationship saved the owl’s life and gave Safina insider’s wisdom about these aerial hunters of the night.Guests:Carl Safina – ecologist at Stony Brook University, head of the non-profit Safina Center, and author of “Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe”Tom Damiami – natural resources interpreter, singer on Long Island, NY and leader of the Shelter Island Owl ProwlGordy Slack – science writer, former senior editor of California Wild, the science and natural history magazine published by the California Academy of SciencesFeaturing music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“To live is to count and to count is to calculate.” But before we plugged in the computer to express this ethos, we pulled out the pocket calculator. It became a monarch of mathematics that sparked a computing revolution. But it’s not the only deceptively modest innovation that changed how we work and live. Find out how sewing a scrap of fabric into clothing helped define private life and how adding lines to paper helped build an Empire. Plus, does every invention entail irrevocable cultural loss?Guests:Keith Houston – author of “Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator.”Hannah Carlson – teaches dress history and material culture at the Rhode Island School of Design, author of “Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close.”Dominic Riley – bookbinder in the U.K.Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the wonders and dangers of lightning, debunk common myths, and learn about safety measures during lightning strikes. Discover the science behind lightning generation and its impact on the environment. Delve into the connection between climate change and lightning patterns, and advancements in lightning monitoring and forecasting.

The podcast explores common worries and the tendency for people to worry about the wrong things. It discusses the power of statistics in understanding various domains and the relationship between intelligence and rationality. The episode also delves into the 'intelligence trap' and how smart people can make foolish mistakes. The hosts promote rationality and worry reduction and express gratitude towards financial supporters.

Explore the evolution of multicellular organisms, from laboratory experiments on E.coli bacteria and yeast to the creation of fractal tree-like clusters. Learn about the significance of multicellularity, embryogenesis, and our current understanding of complexity in animal development. Discover the potential insights into the origins of multicellular life forms in the universe and the possibility of life on other worlds.

Extreme heat is taking its toll on the natural world. We use words like “heat domes” and “freakish” to describe our everyday existence. These high temperatures aren’t only uncomfortable - they are lethal to humans, animals, and crops. In search of an answer to our episode’s question, we discuss the dilemma of an ever-hotter world with an author who has covered climate change for more than twenty years. Guest:Jeff Goodell – author of “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.”Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guests discuss the scientific inquiry into near-death experiences, exploring their prevalence, physiological aspects, and emotional impact. They highlight the tension between science and spirituality, discuss mapping the neural correlates of consciousness, and acknowledge unanswered questions. The speakers also explore the biological origin of near-death experiences, their potential evolutionary significance, and share personal stories and beliefs.

Have you ever heard worms arguing? Deep-sea scientists use hydrophones to eavesdrop on “mouth-fighting worms.” It’s one of the many ways scientists are trying to catalog the diversity of the deep oceans — estimated to be comparable to a rainforest.But the clock is ticking. While vast expanses of the deep sea are still unexplored, mining companies are ready with dredging vehicles to strip mine the seafloor, potentially destroying rare and vulnerable ecosystems. Are we willing to eradicate an alien landscape that we haven’t yet visited?Guests:Craig McClain - deep-sea and evolutionary biologist and ecologist, Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.Steve Haddock - senior scientist at the Monetary Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and co-author of a New York Times op-ed about the dangers of mining.Emily Hall - marine chemist at the Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FloridaChong Chen - deep sea biologist with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)*Originally aired November 23, 2020Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices