An accidental island sits in the middle of the Panama Canal, and for more than a century, it's drawn scientists from around the world. In this two-part series on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, Nate meets biologists Rachel Page and Erin Spear of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute to explore the questions hidden in one of the world's most closely studied tropical forests. In this episode, Nate follows Rachel into the rainforest at dusk, where a puddle full of tiny, love-struck frogs must get loud and brave to survive. Subscribe to our mailing list: https://theshowaboutscience.com/#subscribe-submit Connect with The Show About Science: Instagram: @showaboutscience Facebook: @theshowaboutscience YouTube: The Show About Science Twitter: @natepodcasts LinkedIn: The Show About Science Threads: showaboutscience
In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate visits the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, to learn how scientists are working to protect cheetahs from extinction. He talks with carnivore keeper Amber Dedrick and program curator Adrienne Crosier about cheetah personalities, purring cats, genetic bottlenecks, microbiomes, fertility science, and the quiet work of saving a species one generation at a time. What does it take to help the fastest cat on Earth keep running? Find out on this episode of The Show About Science. Subscribe to our mailing list: https://theshowaboutscience.com/#subscribe-submit Watch the Tumble Joke-ha-thon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9eEdIwog_k&t=1s Support Tumble: https://givebutter.com/JokeHaThon2026/natebutkus Connect with The Show About Science: Instagram: @showaboutscience Facebook: @theshowaboutscience YouTube:The Show About Science Twitter: @natepodcasts LinkedIn: The Show About Science Threads: showaboutscience
In 1991, hikers in the Alps spotted what looked like a doll frozen in the ice. It wasn’t a toy. It was a body. What police thought was a recent accident turns out to be something far stranger.In this episode, Nate talks with author and journalist Brenda Fowler about the discovery of Ötzi the Iceman and the science that helped unravel his story. What can one frozen body teach us about early human civilization? Much more than you’d think.Brenda is the author of Iceman Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier. Connect with The Show About Science:Website: https://theshowaboutscience.com/Instagram: @showaboutscienceFacebook: @theshowaboutscienceYouTube:The Show About ScienceTwitter: @natepodcastsLinkedIn: The Show About ScienceThreads: showaboutscience
Seeds hold history. They carry the genetic blueprints of the past and the key to our future. But when disaster strikes, how far will scientists go to save them before they’re lost forever?In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate traces the incredible journey of some of the world’s most valuable seeds - from the Middle East to the Arctic Circle to the wheat fields of Kansas. Along the way, he uncovers how a global network of scientists are racing against time to safeguard our food supply for generations to come.Joining us on this journey are Mark Schapiro, author of Seeds of Resistance: The Fight to Save Our Food Supply, Luigi Guarino from the Crop Trust, Zakaria Kehel from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and Bart Panis from the World Banana Collection.Want to see inside the Svalbard Seed Vault? Check out the virtual tour here: https://theshowaboutscience.com/?p=1135.Subscribe to The Show About Science email list: https://theshowaboutscience.com/subscribe/Connect with The Show About Science:Instagram: @showaboutscienceFacebook: @theshowaboutscienceYouTube:The Show About ScienceTwitter: @natepodcastsLinkedIn: The Show About ScienceThreads: showaboutscience
What is it like to fly a plane while attempting to make a podcast from 2,000 feet in the air? And can we pull this off?In this episode of The Show About Science, Nate chats with Carley Walker, the Director of Development at STEM Flights, and then takes to the skies with STEM Flights volunteer, Dragan Lazić, a passionate pilot and aviation safety expert. Nate's thrilling flight experience at Waukegan National Airport highlights the importance of STEM education and programs like STEM Flights, which inspire young people to explore aviation and STEM careers.STEM Flights is a national nonprofit organization that connects Middle and High School students with volunteer Pilot Mentors to inspire America’s youth to pursue STEM and aviation careers with a unique flight experience.Learn more about STEM Flights:www.stemflights.org/Apply to fly a STEM Flights mission: www.stemflights.org/applyforastemflightLearn more about Dragan and Golden Wings Team: www.goldenwingsteam.com/T-Shirt ContestThe first 3 listeners who subscribe to The Show About Science mailing list will receive a Show About Science Flight Crew T-Shirt. Learn more at https://theshowaboutscience.com/2024/09/14/110-stem-flights-with-dragan-lazic-and-carley-walker/Connect with The Show About Science:Instagram: @showaboutscienceFacebook: @theshowaboutscienceYouTube:The Show About ScienceTwitter: @natepodcastsLinkedIn: The Show About ScienceThreads: showaboutscience