There are lots of things we know we shouldn't put in our mouth: cyanide, parasites, a styrofoam coffee cup you got out of the trash. But some animals have found a way to expand their culinary tastes, or even benefit, from things that would make a human restaurant shut down and the chefs go to prison. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why are scientists so mean to larvae? Guest : Adam Ganser See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Some of the silliest most adorable animals out there, a furry tank, a rabbit deer, and a fish who smiles! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: do you want to vacation on a pile of poop? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIp-VyPwAtCWjU9pXkL22Hed5pV6nUZJlwH5rtPCdT8/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 23, 2022•56 min
Some of the cutest serial killers in the animal kingdom! Big ol' eyes, big ol' ears, and a sweet feathery fuzzball who are more devious than Jack the Ripper. Guest: Bridgett Greenberg Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRuJRXELHhZHG3jrUSG7uAxs82zrL6qJ8Jx1XrBp-8g/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 10 min
I answer your questions, from "can wild animals get the zoomies" to "vampire deer ?!?!" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 09, 2022•43 min
Hags, slime, frogs, and the boogie woogies who can kill you with a touch! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can we use ectoplasm as a substitute for egg-whites in baking? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 12 min
You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, and your nose can pick your friends! "Smell ya later" can be literal in the animal kingdom, and some secret handshakes make sure URINE the clique. Guest: Jason Pargin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to spooky October! Katie's definitely not busy diggin up bones in a pet cemetery to create an undead guinea-cat-bird, but she is doing something innocent this week. So enjoy this rerun of one of her favorite spooky episodes, and we'll see you next week with a fresh one! Guest: Bridget Greenberg Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ikmVakjOrOSpD-9Ge4oRw9s11rIQS6cYOv35SquEXt8/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 3 min
From flies who turn cows into swiss cheese, to the world's largest parasites, this episode is not for lunchtime! Content warning: really gross parasite stuff! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 13, 2022•58 min
I answer your listener questions about how dog ears stick up or flop down, human fish, mammals during dinosaurs, and the mysteries of deep sea shrimp! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 05, 2022•29 min
I'm joined by Tiktok's favorite zoologist Mamadou to talk about animals who seem cute... right up until they absolutely wreck you. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1izCgFfOxu-jNVbClQbmhEKvuuAs9Xn2zT__6z2WzOqQ/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 17 min
We're looking at the evolutionary history of the housecat, their wild ancestors, some murderous cousins, and the best way to entertain your overlords, I mean, the best way to entertain your cats! Join us and Mikel Delgado to learn more. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11uo3M0yM6GstLHCmxbNFyuQ_n-8EJRsLAOKOegT9eJs/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 21, 2022•56 min
Why is a bird of paradise so fantastic? Do the beautiful colors and crests found in birds and other animals have some secret purpose, or do they just like to look hot? Joining me today to discuss this question is science writer the New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, and many other publications, Ferris Jabr! Guest: Ferris Jabr Footnotes: Check out Ferris Jabr's article on bird beauty! https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/magazine/beauty-evolution-animal.html See omnystudio.com/listener f...
Sep 14, 2022•54 min
If you don't like spiders, I've got bad news for you! Because today is all about spiders! From cute baby spider dreams, to spider catapults, and the friendship between a spider and a carnivorous plant! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's ruder after mating, eating your partner, or yeeting your partner? Guest: Ivy Le, host of FOGO: Fear of Going Outside Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L6-fj-ZxyYBZ4aZQugZnbafE3V8Rc34er6ZNS6VmJf0/edit?usp=sharing See omny...
Sep 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min
I'm joined by the McElroy brothers to talk about CORAL! Why is it alive? Is it coming for us? Can you really get through life with only one hole? And can crabs teach us how to combine the art of cheerleading with that of boxing? Guests: Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, & Griffin McElroy Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19CROfPYR-ROWOQY4aFd8YMj6L5-LTkHCZU95ZXVDswM/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 31, 2022•56 min
I answer your listener questions, from how eyeballs work, to whether toucans are transparent. And hey, are snakes just legless lizards? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 24, 2022•30 min
Some animals jump, some animals fly, and some animals fall with style! All the best fallers in the animal kingdom, with stunts that would make Tom Cruise's stuntman blush. Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JOlreqBJHJanozq9hsPeJYoDgN2eYdoB7heL9M5DUpQ/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Katie on the run from a group of bloodthirsty penguins, so here's a re-run of our episode on the freakiest teeth in the animal kingdom. And if you think it's silly to be afraid of penguins, wait until you see inside their MOUTHS. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yE2Oh8FIciFwlW6l-dJbhc1FaK5XcwAdwQWe19TcGHA/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 10, 2022•56 min
We're zooming way out and looking at animals not as individuals, but as herds, colonies, crowds, and flocks. And we're going to find out that animals, including people, share more in common with particles found in physics than we may like to believe. Discover this and more with Daniel Whiteson as we answer the age-old question: when does an ant mosh pit get deadly? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 31
We're addressing the elephant in the room... well, three elephants, who aren't actually elephants. The elephant shrew, the elephant fish, and the elephant bird! How can there be so many elephants?!? What are their secrets?? Can we boop their snoots?!!?! Footnotes : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_sbovOjB-MPmirz8bqjbW1HTIWmm_4HXKnR8fe0q9pQ/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 30
I answer your questions: combat between polar bears and great whites, turtle sleep, goat milk, turkey antics, and more! Footnotes: Camel playing soccer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=nXMa4fsH9xQ&feature=emb_title See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 20, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 29
We're having a heat wave here, and I imagine a lot of you out there are dealing with the same. So let's cool down with some stories of how animals beat the heat with Joelle Monique! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 13, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Katie is on a short vacation (no she hasn't been taken over by parasitic wasps, haha) so here's one of her favorite older episodes, about animals who rebuild themselves with Dave Schilling. Footnotes: Self-decapitating sea slug! https://vp.nyt.com/video/2021/03/08/92303_1_08tb-seaslug-video_wg_480p.mp4 Salamander limb regeneration! http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lJNO-ZRuE1g/TF6bvuBV7cI/AAAAAAAACO4/lRDWA1VFymA/s1600/regeneration.jpg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 06, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 27
From the domesticated donkey, to their wild ass kin, donkeys are an underestimated animal with a courageous heart. There are many varieties of donkeys, but all asses have one thing in common: a desire to kick ass. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's the lamborghini of the donkey world? Guest: Andrew Ti Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1prV2OI4LB-SVFsFcfkVnjaSuJv397hut4wSpbLxmR1A/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 29, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 26
I'm joined by Ed Yong, science journalist for the Atlantic, Pulitzer prize winner for his coverage of COVID-19, and author of the book, An Immense World, which explores the hugely diverse way in which animals perceive our planet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Do animals have money? Before you shake down your local squirrel, we're not talking about dollars, buttcoin, or whatever. Could animals have a currency, make trades, and understand when they're getting grifted? I'm joined by Brett McCully, an economist, who is also my husband. What a coincidence! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 24
From lynxes that refuse to be the missing lynx, to extinct cats who have a cheeky surprise. Join us with guest, Jeff May, as we discover this and more answers to the age-old question: you can pick your friends, you can pick your cat's nose, but can your cat pick their friends out of a police lineup? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_nXTK9auiwiPJZ9UvucBFQ69KyON_hNGvObhUXANZw/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 23
I've got the author of Around The World In 80 Birds , Mike Unwin, on to talk BIRDS! Why we love these little feathery dinos, and some of the most surprising birds from around the world! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for extra sound effects! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 22
I'm answering your listener questions! Do owl eyes change colors? Would aliens be hot? What would a kraken look like? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 25, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Etiquette is a manner of perspective and species, from flamingos with topsy-turvy eating habits, to the goats who have a more arboreal take on dining, you'll learn how to dine with the animals, and how to politely hold your termite-stick depending on your chimpanzee hosts's tastes. Discover this and more with Katherine Spiers as we answer the age-old question: Can Australia's version of the trash-eating racoon fly? Footnotes : https://docs.google.com/document/d/10iFXcG4uUg4TuzMjuhA_FNJjHw9X7RT-U...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 20
From rattlesnakes to copperheads, we're talking about some of America's most dangerous cutie noodles! How does their venom work? Do they really want to bite your stinky ol' leg? And how to respect nature's most potent linguini. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, why are we injecting horses with snake venom? Featuring naturalist and snake expert Alexi Grousis! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yuHcp1EU6xXdwVk1k2UPnVDLD1IG9mFVmL31NcsA3-k/edit?usp=sharing S...
May 11, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 19
