Episode description

The connection between humans and fire goes back millions of years. What started with campfires and cooking grew into a burning addiction that catalyzed the Industrial Revolution and now shapes nearly every aspect of our society. Now, our ongoing reliance on fire in its many forms is changing the climate with explosive consequences for wildfires — and much more.

• Richard Wrangham is emeritus professor at Harvard University and the author of Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
• Jennifer Balch is a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the director of the Earth Lab at the University.
• Cathy Whitlock is a regents professor at Montana State University, and the director of the MSU Paleoecology Lab.