Explore every episode of the podcast Outside/In

Like a typecast actor who can’t escape the blockbuster franchise they’re known for, the element of silicon is inescapably associated with Silicon Valley. But that association undersells just how important, how foundational silicon is for human civilization. It’s another edition of “The Element of Surprise,” our occasional series about the hidden stories behind the periodic table’s most unassuming atoms, isotopes, and molecules. And this time, it’s all about silicon. From humankind’s early tools, to the quartz crystal hidden in your digital watch, we’ll cover how this underrated element has a lot more to offer than one California valley might suggest.  Featuring Vince Beiser, Megan Brewster, and Rachel Maines. Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Still confused about the difference between silicon, silica, and silicone? We think this explanation is helpful.  See the inside of a silicon wafer fab. It’s wild.  Or watch this old video on how silicon wafers are made. Also wild. If you are very into watches, you might enjoy this detailed history of how the “Quartz Crisis” upended the Swiss watch industry.  Want to learn more about the environmental impacts of sand mining? Check out this 2019 UNEP report.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the spring of 1936, the producer of King Kong hauled a film crew to the desert of Arizona to shoot a sweeping romantic epic. But the heat was so punishing that it melted film stock, caused the lead actress to pass out, and killed the production’s mascot – a baby camel.  It was the beginning of a heat wave that parked itself over America for months, quickly becoming one of the deadliest natural disasters in our country’s history. It blew up sidewalks, cooked onions in the ground,  claimed at least 12,000 lives, and turned the United States into a literal frying pan.  Host Nate Hegyi talks with Geoff Williams, author of the forthcoming book The Summer of Death, about a ‘heat horror show’ that transformed American life 90 years ago, and what lessons it gives us on how to survive a hotter world today.   Featuring Geoff Williams Produced by Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS You can check out Geoff’s book, The Summer of Death, here.  President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a speech about the impacts of the drought and heat wave in the fall of 1936. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hemp used to be a staple of life in America. King James I demanded that colonists produce it. Hemp rope and fabric were ubiquitous throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The USDA even produced a WWII newsreel called “Hemp for Victory.” But other materials came to replace hemp – wood pulp for paper, and cotton and synthetics for fabric. Why? For that matter, what is hemp? Is it different from weed? And does it actually have 25,000 uses as its proponents claim? Featuring Hector “Freedom” Gerardo, David Suchoff, John Fike, and Danny Desjarlais. Note: This episode originally aired in April, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Yong’s writing about the pandemic in Atlantic Magazine was read by millions of Americans. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for his coverage.  But behind the scenes, he was struggling with burnout, anxiety and depression.  Host Nate Hegyi sits down with Ed for a conversation about how he decided to step back from pandemic reporting, the benefits (and possible drawbacks) of birdwatching for mental health, and the unexpected club that’s bringing two halves of his life together.  Featuring Ed Yong.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Ed wrote an eerily predictive story about how America was not prepared for a pandemic in 2018.  You can find a link to all of Ed’s reporting for Atlantic Magazine here.  A description of “spoon theory” in Psychology Today. For more information about the Spoonbill Club, check out Ed’s newsletter.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Mixed by Taylor Quimby, with help from our intern, Catherine Hurley Editing by Taylor Quimby Our staff includes Justine Paradise and Felix Poon Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During their twelve seasons as winter rangers in Yosemite National Park, Rob and Laura Pilewski have learned a thing or two about what it means to love a place – and a person. This episode comes to us from the wonderful folks at The Dirtbag Diaries, another podcast that features stories about conservation, epic adventures, and more.  Featuring Rob and Laura Pilewski   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   CREDITS Host of The Dirtbag Diaries: Fitz Cahall This episode was reported, produced and edited by Lauren DeLaunay Miller Mixing by Evan Phillips The Dirtbag Diaries Executive Producer: Becca Cahall Music from Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto, Brian Bombadil, Joya, Roma 49, Garland, and Brendan O’Connell Outside/In Host: Nate Hegyi Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Our staff includes Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon. Catherine Hurley is our intern.  Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do wolves, waste-water treatment plants, and the Gulf Stream have in common? This episode, that’s what! It’s that wonderful time when we comb through all your wonderful questions and call up some scientists to help us answer them. Some of the more unlikely things that get brought up include dinosaur pee, abandoned shopping carts, and wolves preying on cheese curds.  Here’s what’s on the docket: Why is dog saliva slimier than human saliva?  Why do wolves get relocated in the middle of winter? What if the Gulf Stream “shut down?” How do wastewater treatment plants work?  Featuring Eric Odell, Alice Ren, and Sri Vedachalam.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon Editing by Taylor Quimby. Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Baegul, Hatamitsunami, and King Sis. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every December, during the Christmas Bird Count, tens of thousands of volunteers look to the skies for an international census of wild birds.  But during migration season, a much smaller squad of New York City volunteers take on a more sobering experience: counting dead birds that have collided with glass buildings and fallen back to Earth.  In this episode, we find out what kind of people volunteer for this grisly job, visit the New York City rehab center that takes in injured pigeons, and find out how to stop glass from killing an estimated one billion birds nationwide every year.  Featuring Melissa Breyer, Linda LaBella, Gitanjali Bhattacharjee, Katherine Chen, and Tristan Higginbotham   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Want to see the migration forecast? Check out Birdcast.  Want to be a citizen scientist and report dead birds? Check out dBird.  Want to see volunteer Melissa Breyer’s photos of dead birds? Check out Sad Birding. More about Project Safe Flight.   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby Editing by Rebecca Lavoie and Nate Hegyi. Our staff includes Justine Paradis and Felix Poon  Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC is sometimes called “the people’s zoo.” That’s because it’s the only zoo in the country to be created by an act of US Congress, and admission is free. But why did our federal government create a national zoo in the first place? Producer Felix Poon has the scoop – from its surprising origins in the near-extinction of bison, to a look at its modern-day mission of conservation, we’re going on a field trip to learn all about the National Zoo. Featuring Kara Ingraham, Daniel Frank, and Ellie Tahmaseb.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS William Hornaday founded the National Zoo, but his legacy is complicated, to say the least. Environmental journalist Michelle Nijhuis contemplates whether he’s a “villainous hero or heroic villain” (PBS). “A Chinese cigarette tin launched D.C.’s 50-year love affair with pandas” tells the origin story of pandas at the National Zoo (The Washington Post). The story of Ota Benga, the man who was caged by William Hornaday in the Bronx Zoo (The Guardian). Environmental writer Emma Marris imagines a world without zoos in her opinion essay, “Modern Zoos Are Not Worth the Moral Cost” (NYTimes). We looked at the court case of Happy the elephant in our 2022 Outside/In episode, “Et Tu, Brute? The Case for Human Rights for Animals.”   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Felix Poon Editing by Taylor Quimby. Our staff includes Justine Paradis Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Thanks to Nick Capodice for performing William Hornaday voiceovers. Music by Bluedot Sessions and Jules Gaia Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While digging a well in 1750, a group of workers accidentally discovered an ancient Roman villa containing over a thousand papyrus scrolls. This was a stunning discovery: the only library from antiquity ever found in situ. But the scrolls were blackened and fragile, turned almost to ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Over the centuries, scholars’ many attempts to unroll the fragile scrolls have mostly been catastrophic. But now, scientists are trying again, this time with the help of Silicon Valley and some of the most advanced technology we’ve got: particle accelerators, CT scanners, and AI. After two thousand years, will we finally be able to read the scrolls? Featuring Federica Nicolardi, Brent Seales, Youssef Nader, Arefeh Sherafati, and Julian Schilliger.    SUPPORT Donate $10 per month and get our new “I axolotl questions” mug! Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS The Vesuvius Challenge is not over. Find out more here.  Check out more pictures of the scrolls and the process of “virtual unwrapping” at the Digital Restoration Initiative website, or watch Brent Seales lecture about his technique. A 60 Minutes story (2018) focusing on the conflict between Seales and scholars Vito Mocella and Graziano Ranocchia. A replica of the marble floor discovered by Italian farmworkers in 1750.  A video illustrating the process of “virtual unwrapping” with a jelly roll. Contestant Casey Handmer’s blog post detailing his identification of the “crackle signal” to the ink.  CREDITS Outside/In host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis  Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team also includes Felix Poon.  NHPR’s Director of Podcasts is Rebecca Lavoie Music in this episode came from Silver Maple, Xavy Rusan, bomull, Young Community, Bio Unit, Konrad OldMoney, Chris Zabriski, and Blue Dot Sessions. Volcano recordings came from daveincamas on Freesound.org, License Attribution 4.0 and  felix.blume on freesound.org, Creative Commons 0. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colorado River – and the people that rely on it – are in a state of crisis. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven states must compromise and reach a solution to prevent the river from collapsing. In late 2023, tensions were running high between the major players in the water world as they convened at the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas. LAist Correspondent Emily Guerin was there, seeking to learn as much as she can about the people with the most power on the river, including a sharply-dressed 28-year-old from California.  This episode comes to us from the podcast Imperfect Paradise, which is releasing a whole series on the Colorado River water crisis.    SUPPORT Donate $10 per month and get our new “I axolotl questions” mug! Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Agriculture uses a lot of the Colorado River - what if we replaced that farmland with solar panels?  Speaking of farms, most of the crops raised with Colorado River water don’t go to people. They go to cows.   CREDITS This episode was written and reported by Emily Guerin Imperfect Paradise host: Antonia Cereijido Fact-checking by Gabriel Dunatov.  Mixing and Imperfect Paradise theme music by E. Scott Kelly with additional music by Andrew Eapen. Outside/In Host: Nate Hegyi Outside/In Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Our staff includes Justine Paradis and Felix Poon Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might associate it with the foil that wraps leftover pizza and the shiny craft beer cans sold in breweries, but aluminum is literally everywhere. Scoop up a handful of soil or gravel anywhere on Earth, and you’ll find atoms of bonded aluminum hidden inside. Over the past 150 years, that abundance has led production of the silvery metal to skyrocket (pun intended) and created an industry responsible for 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  But even before it was used in everything from airplanes to deodorant, the trade of aluminum minerals helped color the world, finance the Vatican, and led to the mass collection of human urine. In this episode, we’re piloting a new segment called “The Element of Surprise.” It’s all about the hidden histories behind the periodic table’s most unassuming atoms, isotopes, and molecules. And we’re kicking things off with aluminum. Editor's note: A previous version of this episode misstated the number of  Allied casualties during a 1943 bombing campaign against a German cryolite factory, claiming all but one of 180 bombers were destroyed. In actuality, all but one of 180 bombers returned home safely.  The episode has been corrected.  SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS The World Economic Forum has published a number of studies and articles on the need to decarbonize the aluminum industry and the promising technologies that might help us get there.  A few years ago, Alcoa announced plans to build a new aluminum smelting plant in Maniitsoq, Greenland. PBS’s POV released a documentary about how people there reckoned with the island’s colonial past as the project progressed, stalled, and eventually collapsed.  The National Park Service has a fun little read about the Washington Monument’s aluminum tip.  Sean Adams, at the University of Florida, wrote an excellent recap of the U.S. government’s antitrust case against aluminum giant Alcoa.  Here’s another one from Foreign Policy about how industrial cartels and monopolies helped Hitler gain power.  Check out Charlie Halloran’s “The Alcoa Sessions,” to imagine what kind of music might have been played during Alcoa’s cruise voyages between New Orleans and Jamaica between 1949 and 1959.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, mixed, and produced by Taylor Quimby Mixed by Taylor Quimby Editing by Rebecca Lavoie, with help from Nate Hegyi and Felix Poon Our staff includes Justine Paradis  Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Ryan James Carr, and L.M. Styles Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When officials commissioned a set of updated hazard maps for Juneau, Alaska, they thought the information would help save lives and spur new development. Instead, the new maps drew public outcry from people who woke up to discover their homes were at risk of being wiped out by landslides. What’s followed has been a multiyear project – not to address the challenges posed by climate-fueled landslides – but to alter, ignore, or otherwise shelve the maps that outline the threat in the first place. Host Nate Hegyi visits Juneau to see one example of why, across the country, even the most progressive Americans are rejecting tough truths about climate change when it comes knocking at their own back door. Featuring: Tom Mattice, Christine Woll, Eve Soutiere, and Lloyd Dixon.    SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS You can check out Juneau’s new hazard maps, along with many of its neighborhood meetings, on their website.  Dive into why the insurance industry stopped providing landslide coverage to Southeast Alaska. KTOO had a wonderful story on how a 1936 landslide that killed 15 people in Juneau became a faded memory. Zach Provant, a researcher at the University of Oregon, spent months investigating the rollout of Juneau’s hazard maps.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby and Katie Colaneri Editing help from Felix Poon and Justine Paradis Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to protecting the biodiversity of Planet Earth, there is no greater failure than extinction. Thankfully, only a few dozen species have been officially declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the half-century since the passage of the Endangered Species Act.  But, hold on. Aren’t we in the middle of the sixth mass extinction? Shouldn’t the list of extinct species be… way longer? Well, yeah. Maybe. Producer Taylor Quimby sets out to understand why it’s so difficult to officially declare an animal extinct. Along the way, he compares rare animals to missing socks, finds a way to invoke Lizzo during an investigation of an endangered species of crabgrass, and learns about the disturbing concept of “dark extinctions.”  Editor's Note: This episode was first published in October 2022. Since then, the US Fish and Wildlife Service officially delisted 21 of 23 proposed species due to extinction. The ivory-billed woodpecker was not one of them.  Featuring Sharon Marino, Arne Mooers, Sean O’Brien, Bill Nichols, and Wes Knapp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, Nate gathered a group of storytellers in front of a live audience in Portsmouth, N.H. to celebrate 10 years of Outside/In. From goats to ghosts and ill-fated coloring book pages, this motley crew of storytellers explored the theme of metamorphosis in a changing world.   If you’ve got a special moment or episode from Outside/In’s long history, we’d love to hear about it. Send us a note at outsidein@nhpr.org.   Featuring Gretchen Legler, Kianny Antigua, Sara Lamagna, Jake Lewis, Aubrey Nelson, Dave Anderson  Produced by Taylor Quimby and Zoë Mitchell. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Check out Gretchen Legler’s blog, where she writes about all sorts of nature and farm-inspired subjects, here.  More on the work of Kianny Antigua can be found on her website.  Listen to Sarah Lamagna’s interview for a previous episode of Outside/In, where she and Taylor talk about tricking kids into loving hiking.  Interested in learning more about Aubrey Nelson's call for "more purposeful, real-world education?" You can contact her "Ecosystem of Educationeers" via this form.  Listen to more musings from naturalist Dave Anderson on NHPR’s Something Wild.  If you want to hear more of Nate’s music, check out “Snoweater on Bandcamp.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shirtless influencers on TikTok and Instagram have acquired millions of followers promoting the carnivore diet. They say studies linking meat consumption and heart disease are flawed — and plant foods are making people sick. "Western medicine is lying to you," says content-creator Dr. Paul Saladino, who co-owns a company selling desiccated cattle organs. The online popularity of the carnivore diet is undeniable. Yet, no controlled studies have been published confirming its advertised benefits.  Our friends at WBUR’s podcast Endless Thread look at how social media cooked up the anti-establishment wellness trend.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS "Red Shift" (The New Yorker) "The 'You’re doing it wrong'-ification of TikTok" (Vox) "The Evolution of Diet" (National Geographic) "Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered" (New York Times) "Against Meatposting" (Heated) Endless Thread's unedited interview with Dr. Paul Saladino (WBUR)   CREDITS Outside/In Host: Nate Hegyi Outside/In Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio This episode of Endless Thread was written and produced by Dean Russell and Ben Brock Johnson.  Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Endless Thread is a production of WBUR in Boston.  Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hemp used to be a staple of life in America. King James I demanded that colonists produce it. Hemp rope and fabric were ubiquitous throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The USDA even produced a WWII newsreel called “Hemp for Victory.” But other materials came to replace hemp – wood pulp for paper, and cotton and synthetics for fabric. Why? For that matter, what is hemp? Is it different from weed? And does it actually have 25,000 uses as its proponents claim? Featuring Hector “Freedom” Gerardo, David Suchoff, John Fike, and Danny Desjarlais.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!).Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Learn more about how the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation has worked with hempcrete, and how they hope it’ll transform their economy (Grist). The 2018 Farm Bill inadvertently led to a multibillion-dollar market of hemp-derived THC products. Twenty-two AGs are now calling on congress to fix the legal loophole that has “[forced] cannabis-equivalent products into our economies regardless of states’ intentions to legalize cannabis use.” (The Hill) Cannabis sativa in the US only came to be called “marijuana” in the early 1900s, when the anti-cannabis movement wanted to link it to its “Mexican-ness.” But, as The Mysterious History Of 'Marijuana' (NPR Code Switch) explains, the etymological origins of “marijuana” are still debated: does it come from the Chinese word ma ren hua? Or the Bantu word for cannabis: ma-kaña? Or something else? Hemp for Victory! (YouTube)   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, mixed, and produced by Felix Poon. Editing by Taylor Quimby, with help from Rebecca Lavoie Our staff includes Justine Paradis. Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio. Special thanks to Fitsum Tariku, Director of the Building Science Centre of Excellence. Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Mike Franklyn, Jules Gaia, Dusty Decks, and Rocket Jr. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s that special time again! Scientists everywhere hold their breath as the team opens the Outside/Inbox and answers listener questions about the natural world. In this episode, we consider Flaco the Eurasian eagle owl, an impulsive goat purchase, and a big night for salamanders. Plus, we’re graced with Nate’s rendition of a Tom Waits song.  Questions: What would NYC look like in 50 years if humans disappeared? What if the earth had no moon? Could humans survive a worst-case climate scenario? Do birds have regional accents? How do we keep wildlife safe when crossing the road? Featuring Stephon Alexander, Luke Kemp, Chris Sturdy, and Sandi Houghton.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member.  Subscribe to our (free) newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Check out these gorgeous visualizations created by the Mannahatta Project, which has since been renamed the Welikia Project. Flaco the Eurasian eagle owl died after crashing into a building earlier this month. His autopsy revealed his body to be riddled with rodenticide and pigeon herpes, cementing his status as “a real New Yorker” for some observers. Still, building collisions, rat poison, and disease are all major risks for birds of prey in urban environments.   CREDITS Outside/In host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Felix Poon, Taylor Quimby, and Justine Paradis  Mixed by Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor Quimby and Rebecca Lavoie NHPR’s Director of Podcasts is Rebecca Lavoie Music by blacksona, Katori Walker, Bisou, Young Community, Diamond Ortiz, Brightarm Orchestra, Kevin MacLeod, Tellsonic, Walt Adams, and ProleteR.  Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To save for retirement, common knowledge says to “diversify your portfolio.” Give your cash to a company so they can invest it into hundreds of other companies on the stock market. But unless you’ve gone out of your way to change it, your portfolio probably has little to do with your values.  For example, there are climate activists invested in fossil fuel companies. Staunch vegans putting some of their hard-earned income into Tyson Foods. On the flip side, there are climate deniers with money in Tesla! So is there a way to save for retirement that’s both good for your pocketbook… and good for the planet? Featuring: Timothy Yee, Clara Vondrich, Kelly Shue   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Divestment helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the coal industry, according to this white paper from the Harvard Business School. However, divestment can also backfire, according to this study from Yale.  Got a lot of time to kill? You can watch the recent SEC commissioner meeting where they voted to pass a weakened version of the climate disclosure rule.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Mixed by Nate Hegyi and Taylor Quimby Editing by Taylor Quimby Our staff includes Justine Paradis and Felix Poon  Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor's Note: This episode first aired in July, 2023 With 'Oppenheimer,' director Christopher Nolan turned the Manhattan Project into an Academy-Award-winning blockbuster. The film is set in Los Alamos, where the first atomic bomb was tested. But few people know the history of Carrizozo, a rural farming area downwind of the test. Radioactive fallout from the bomb settled on everything: the soil, gardens, and drinking water. Cow’s milk became radioactive. Later, hundreds of people developed radiogenic cancers.  The people of Carrizozo were among the first people in the world exposed to a nuclear blast. More than 75 years later, their families are still fighting for medical compensation from the federal government. Host Nate Hegyi traveled to New Mexico to visit the Trinity Site, and to hear the stories of so-called ‘downwinders.' Featuring: Paul Pino, Tina Cordova, Ben Ray Lujan   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS Read more about RECA (the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) which passed in the U.S. Senate this March.  (Idaho Capital Sun) The federal government has produced a few studies on the fallout from Trinity. This one from Los Alamos found that there was still contamination in the area in 1985.  Another, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, produced one of the most in-depth histories of the fallout from Trinity and the government’s reaction. The National Cancer Institute found that hundreds of people likely developed cancer because of the fallout.  The history of Trinity is full of strange little details, like the desert toads that were croaking all night.  You can find affidavits and first-hand accounts of the fallout from Trinity at the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium website.  This review by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists explains why it’s so hard to determine a definitive death toll for the USI bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby Editing help from Rebecca Lavoie, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jeongyoon Han Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you grew up with family members who pushed (or dragged) you onto the trail, chances are you have strong memories associated with hiking. Epic vistas… swarms of black flies… and your dad’s terrible homemade gorp.  Whether you grow up to see them as personal triumphs or family fiascos, those early adventures can shape your perception of the outdoors for life.Can parents shape kids into hardcore hikers? And what happens when your best-laid plans go off the map? Featuring Sarah Lamagna, Nick Capodice, Daisy Curtin, Niles Lashway, Sarah Raiche, Tiffany Raiche, and Phineas Quimby SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS If you liked Sarah Lamagna’s tips on how to hike with children, you’ll find more in her recently published guidebook.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby Edited by Rebecca Lavoie Our staff includes Justine Paradis and Felix Poon. Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions, The New Fools, and SINY.  Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A century ago, coastal dunes threatened to overwhelm the city of Florence, Oregon. The sand swallowed roads, highways, and houses. When “Dune” author Frank Herbert visited the area in 1957, he was stunned by the awesome power of the sand. Eventually, it inspired his fictional desert planet, Arrakis. But now, the dunes that inspired “Dune” are disappearing.  To solve the sand problem, the US Forest Service planted dunes with non-native beachgrass, hoping its strong roots would keep the dunes in place. The strategy worked… too well. The grass spread, out-competing native species and transforming the dunes. At one popular spot, roughly 60% of what was once open sand is now gone. Producer Justine Paradis traveled to the Oregon Coast to see the mountains of sand which inspired a sci-fi classic, and meet the people working to save them. Featuring Dina Pavlis, Patty Whereat Phillips, and Jesse Beers.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member.  Subscribe to our (free) newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS These aerial photos demonstrate the dramatic changes in the Oregon dunes since 1941. Dina Pavlis’ Secrets of the Oregon Dunes Facebook page The Oregon dunes are the setting of an episode of “Lassie” (1964), in which a little girl gets lost in a sand storm. New hires at the Forest Service in Florence are shown this film during orientation. The Siuslaw Public Library in Florence is home to the eclectic Frank Herbert collection, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting. These are books donated by Herbert’s daughter which he was reading at the time he wrote ‘Dune,’ and are available to the public. Fans make the pilgrimage to browse the collection, which includes titles on the desert, politics in the Middle East, computation, Scottish folk singing, rug hooking, and much more. Frank Herbert originally visited Florence to research a proposed magazine article on the Forest Service’s dune, as reported on the Siuslaw News. His (unsuccessful) proposal, “They Stopped the Moving Sands,” can be read in “The Road to Dune.” An episode of Endless Thread about the time a six-year-old boy fell into a tree hole (he’s fine now) in Michigan City, Indiana.   CREDITS Outside/In host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis  Edited by Taylor Quimby and Katie Colaneri Our team also includes Felix Poon.  NHPR’s Director of Podcasts is Rebecca Lavoie Special thanks to Meg Spencer, Kegen Benson, Armand Rebischke, and Kevin Mittge.  Music by Sarah the Illstrumentalist, Elm Lake, Chris Zabriskie, and Blue Dot Sessions. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, dozens of strangers gathered together in the woods for three straight days. Their mission? Teach people of color how to kill, gut, and butcher a deer for the first time. Producer Felix Poon was there as a first-time hunter. He wanted to know: what does it feel like to take an animal's life to sustain your own? Given the opportunity… would he pull the trigger? In this episode we follow Felix out of his depth and into the woods, to find out if one weekend can convert a longtime city-dweller into a dedicated deer hunter. Featuring Dorothy Ren, Brandon Dale, and Brant MacDuff.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Lydia Parker, executive director of Hunters of Color, discusses how to make the outdoors more equitable. (The Nature Conservancy) Melissa Harris-Perry talks to Brandon Dale, the New York ambassador for the Hunters of Color organization, on WNYC’s The Takeaway. CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Felix Poon Edited by Taylor Quimby, with help from Rebecca Lavoie. Our staff also includes Justine Paradis Taylor Quimby is our Executive Producer Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio. Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Hanna Lindgren, and Walt Adams. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor's note: This episode was first published in July, 2022.Humans have had an impressive run thus far; we’ve explored most of the planet (the parts that aren’t underwater anyway), landed on the moon, created art and music, and made some pretty entertaining Tik Toks.  But we’ve survived on the planet for just a fraction of the time horseshoe crabs and alligators have. And we’re vastly outnumbered by many species of bacteria and insects.  So what is the most successful species on Earth? And how do you measure that, anyway?  From longevity and happiness, to sheer numbers, we put a handful of different organisms under the microscope in hopes of better understanding what exactly it means to succeed at life on a collective and individual scale.    Featuring: Stephen Giovannoni, Rashidah Farid, and Steward Pickett SUPPORT Check out Stephen Giovannoni’s paper: “SAR11 Bacteria: The Most Abundant Plankton in the Oceans” An interesting treatise on adaptability: “Why crocodiles still look the same as they did 200 million years ago” From the NSF: “The most common organism in the oceans harbors a virus in its DNA” More food for thought: “The non-human living inside you"   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by: Taylor Quimby Editing by: Nate Hegyi, Rebecca Lavoie Additional editing help from Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt.  Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Special thanks to everybody who answered our question at the top of the show: Josemar Ochoa, m Carey Grant, Butter Wilson, Tim Blagden, Robert Baker, Sheila Rydel, and Bob Beaulac. Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, and Jules Gaia Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is massive, bigger than the state of Florida. If it collapses, it could reshape every coast on this planet during this century. That’s why it’s sometimes known as “the Doomsday Glacier.” And yet, until recently, we knew very little about it. Because Thwaites is extremely remote, reachable only by crossing the wildest ocean on the planet, scientists had never observed its calving edge firsthand.  In 2019, a ground-breaking international mission set out to change that, and writer Elizabeth Rush was on board to document the voyage.  We caught up with her to learn about life on an Antarctic icebreaker, how she grappled with classic Antarctic narratives about exploration (and domination), and how she summons hope even after coming face-to-face with Thwaites.      Featuring Elizabeth Rush.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member.  Subscribe to our (free) newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Our 2022 episode featuring Elizabeth Rush about community responses to sea level rise in Staten Island and Louisiana. If you’re interested in reading more about the journey to Thwaites, check out Elizabeth’s book, “The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth”. A paper published in Nature with some of the findings from this voyage, showing that Thwaites has historically retreated two to three times faster than we’ve ever observed. Here’s the one detailing findings about Thwaites’ past extent, extrapolated from their study of ancient penguin bones, and another sharing observations about water currents beneath its ice shelf. We also recommend “Encounters at the End of the World,” Werner Herzog’s (2007) documentary about science and community in Antarctica.   CREDITS Outside/In host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis  Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team also includes Felix Poon.  NHPR’s Director of Podcasts is Rebecca Lavoie Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Nctrnm, Sometimes Why, FLYIN, Silver Maple, Chris Zabriskie, Ooyy, and the Weddell seals of Antarctica. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ravens get a bad rap in western culture. They’re an ominous symbol of death, considered “unclean” by the bible, and star in Edgar Allen Poe’s haunting gothic poem, “The Raven.” A group of ravens is called an “unkindness.” What a burn. But host Nate Hegyi is on a mission to show that we should give the raven a bit more credit. It’s one of the most intelligent creatures on earth — an animal that can use tools like a chimpanzee, speak like a parrot, do tricks like a dog, and investigate murders like Sherlock Holmes.  So today on the show, another edition of our ongoing series, Holy Scat: raven edition. Featuring Sophie Nilles and Will Geiger. Produced by Nate Hegyi. For a transcript and full list of credits, go to ⁠outsideinradio.org⁠.  SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Dr. Kaeli Swift is one of the foremost corvid researchers on the planet, and she’s done a deep dive into corvid funerals.  Here’s the study that shows ravens parallel great apes in terms of intelligence. If you want a real creepy experience, you should watch Vincent Price recite Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven.’ Need more raven stories from southeast Alaska? The Sealaska Heritage Institute just published a collection.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of discussion about sustainability revolves around the trash and waste we leave behind.  But at some point, every human being will die and leave behind a body.  So what should we do with it? Casket? Cremation? Compost? And does our choice actually have a meaningful impact on the soils and skies around us? Today, we’ve got another edition of our segment, “This, That, or the Other Thing”, where Outside/In’s unofficial decomposition correspondent Felix Poon investigates how we can more sustainably rest in peace. Featuring Regina Harrison, Katrina Spade, and Matt Scott   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS Find how you can help with climate solutions by drawing your Climate Action Venn Diagram. Learn more about Project Drawdown’s Drawdown Solutions Library. Tag along on a visit to the Recompose human composting facility (Youtube).   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Felix Poon Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team includes Justine Paradis. Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio. Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once in a blue moon the Outside/In team opens up the mailbag and answers your questions about the natural world. This time, they all share a preoccupation with a particular hue: blue.  Come along as we learn about the differences between European and Aztec conceptions of the color blue, how construction workers build offshore turbine foundations under the deep blue sea, and why the most exciting picture astronauts took during Apollo 8 wasn’t of the lunar surface.  Questions: I’ve heard the color blue is rare in nature. Is that true?  Are blue eyes disappearing? How do we build things underwater?  Why is the sky blue? What is the etymology of the color blue?  Featuring Kai Kupferschmidt and Justin Alves.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS Check out science journalist Kai Kupferscmidt’s book, “Blue: In Search of Nature’s Rarest Color”   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Taylor Quimby, Felix Poon, and Nate Hegyi Mixed by Taylor Quimby and Felix Poon Our team also includes Justine Paradis Editing by Taylor Quimby, with help from Rebecca Lavoie Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio Music by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In is a production of NHPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support Outside/In before February 5th, and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Donate $8 per month, and we’ll send you a pair of NH-made Merino wool socks from Minus33.  For many, wild horses are a symbol of freedom, strength, and the American West. But to some they’re a symbol of colonialism and an ecological nuisance.  Host Nate Hegyi visits a rancher on the Blackfeet Reservation, where free-ranging horses have become more plentiful than deer. They’re outcompeting cattle for forage and putting livelihoods at risk. One potential solution? Slaughter. In this episode, we dive deep into the history of eating horses – or not eating horses – and find out why this symbol of the American West is more divisive than you probably realized.  Featuring: Craig Iron Pipe, Tolani Francisco, Susanna Forrest LINKS Susanna Forrest has written all about the relationship between humans and horses – from riding them to eating them.  The Virginia Range wild horse herd has seen a substantial drop in population because of a fertility control campaign financed by a wild horse advocacy group.  There’s some great research from the University of New Mexico that shows how the domesticated horse made its way north from tribe to tribe in the 1500s.  You can learn all about how folks can adopt wild horses from the federal government here.    SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby The Outside/In team includes Felix Poon and Justine Paradise.  Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In  is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support Outside/In during our Jan/Feb fundraiser and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Plus, if you donate $10 per month we’ll send you a pair of NH-made Merino wool socks from Minus33.  Did you know that the humble pigeon is related to the dodo, makes milk (pigeon cheese, anyone?) and even played a role in the French Revolution? Surely this often-dismissed bird deserves some recognition.  Well, on this episode we’re diving deep into the biology and history of Nate’s favorite overlooked animal, as explored by the brilliantly titled (and produced) podcast, What The Duck?! This absolute gem is from the Australian Broadcast Company and hosted by Ann Jones. It is so chock-full of wild animal facts that it’s a miracle they can all be contained in less than 30 minutes.  So sit back and prepare to be wowed by a bird that haters love to hate, and a podcast so fun it could make you fall in love with a speck of dust.  Featuring Rosemary Mosco, Nathan Finger, Dr Robin Leppitt, April Broadbent, and pigeon fanciers Aaron and Aria.    SUPPORT Listen to other episodes of What the Duck?! on Apple podcasts Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS Outside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi. Our team includes Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon.  What the Duck?! Is produced and presented by Ann Jones, with Petria Ladgrove and additional mastering by Hamish Camilleri.  Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1994, the world’s first oat milk company was born in Sweden. Three decades later, Oatly is on a high-stakes mission to defeat the dairy industry by becoming the biggest plant-based brand the world has ever seen.  So…can a start-up from Malmö save us all through capitalism? And how much damage is our affection for dairy doing to the planet? This week, we’re featuring the first of a three-part series from the wonderful folks over at The Europeans podcast.    SUPPORT Listen to the rest of The Europeans series on Oatly here.  Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS This episode was reported, written and produced by Katz Laszlo.  It was edited by Katy Lee and Justine Paradis, with editorial support from Margot Gibbs, Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak. Mastering, scoring and sound design by Wojciech.  Artwork by RTiiiKA. Outside/In’s staff includes Nate Hegyi, Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though you can explore its entirety from the comfort of a living room beanbag, the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (commonly just referred to as 'Skyrim') is vast. The video game contains cities, villages, high waterfalls that cascade into deep pools, and packs of wolves that roam the edges of misty alpine forests. Skyrim is celebrated for the intricacy of its environment and is one of the top-selling video games of all time. But if you spend enough time in a fantasy, it might change how you relate to the real world. In this favorite Outside/In episode, first released at the start of the pandemic, producer Justine Paradis speaks with the environmental artist tasked with creating one of the video game world’s most iconic landscapes, the limits of environmental design, and how Skyrim shaped his view of the actual outdoors.  Featuring Megan Sawyer, Ana Diaz, and Noah Berry.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis Editing help from Taylor Quimby, Erika Janik, Sam Evans-Brown, and Felix Poon NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio is Rebecca Lavoie Music by Blue Dot Sessions Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Outside/In’s annual winter “Surthrival” show, in which a panel of podcast and radio journalists serve up their personal tips for staying warm, cozy, and active all winter long. From ice-fishing to spicy novels, we’ve got suggestions that’ll get you outside when the adventurous spirit takes hold, and others for days when it’s too darn cold out.  This year, we’re joined by Berly McCoy, producer of NPR’s Shortwave podcast, Olivia Richardson, reporter for New Hampshire Public Radio, and Nick Capodice, co-host of Civics 101.  You can read our full list of suggestions on our website. We’d also love to hear from you! Send your suggestions, ideally as a voice recording, to outsidein@nhpr.org, or call our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER. We might even play them on the podcast or share your tips in our (free) newsletter.  Featuring Francis Tarasiewicz, Weather Observer at Mount Washington Observatory.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Learn more about the science and history behind wind chill. Go to our website to read our full list of 12 tips for embracing winter.   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Produced and mixed by Felix Poon Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team also includes Justine Paradis. Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer. Music for this episode by Fasion, Jules Gaia, Thea Tyler, Real Heroes, Mike Franklyn, Josef Bel Habib, Jharee, Jay Varton, DJ Denz The Rooster, Frigga, Ballpoint, Dusty Decks, and Arthur Benson. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s tough to see your hometown portrayed in television and movies. New Englanders roll their eyes at overly quaint shots of church steeples and fall foliage. Minnesotans balk at the over-the-top accents in ‘Fargo.’ And now Montanans are struggling with the way the state is portrayed in the hit television series ‘Yellowstone.’ The show stars Kevin Costner as the gravelly-voiced patriarch of the Dutton ranching family. They own a sprawling cattle operation on the edge of Yellowstone National Park and they will do whatever it takes – including a whole lot of murder – to protect their way of life from wealthy outsiders.  But in the real world, Montanans are accusing the show of attracting wealthy outsiders to move to the state and change their way of life. Since the show first aired in 2018, home prices have nearly doubled, and – anecdotally – real estate agents are leaning on Yellowstone’s appeal to sell property.  Host Nate Hegyi and Rebecca Lavoie, television critic and head of podcasts at NHPR, dive deep into how a fake show is changing a very real place and what ‘Yellowstone’ gets right – and wrong – about Native Americans, women, and the West.  Featuring: Taylar Stagner, Maggie Slepian   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS As of December 2023, Certain Women is currently streaming for free on Tubi.  You can find Taylar Stagner’s criticism on books, television and more at High Country News.  Maggie Slepian wrote an essay about the impact of ‘Yellowstone’ on her hometown of Bozeman for Outside magazine.    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby The Outside/In team includes Felix Poon and Justine Paradise. Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music for this episode by Northside and Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people think artificial intelligence is the best thing since sliced bread. Others say it’s the beginning of a science-fiction apocalypse. At COP28 – the U.N. Climate Change Conference – tech companies are saying AI is key to unlocking a more efficient future.  But what if the truth is less sensational than all that?  In this episode, how AI tools are helping and hurting efforts to curb climate change. From satellite-based flood maps to the growing energy cost of programs like ChatGPT, we’ll survey the use of artificial intelligence as a tool for climate action… and for climate distraction.  Featuring David Rolnick and Karen Hao   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS David Rolnick is one of the lead authors of this paper, called “Climate Change and AI: Recommendations for government action.” Check out ChatNetZero, an AI climate chatbot that gives you references when it answers your questions.  A University of Washington researcher estimates the energy usage of ChatGPT (UW News) After a Greenpeace report outlined how tech giants have worked with the fossil fuel industry, Google said it would no longer make AI tools to “facilitate upstream extraction” for oil and gas firms. (CNBC) The Climate Summit Embraces A.I., With Reservations (New York Times) COP28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels (The Guardian)   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced and mixed by Taylor Quimby Edited by Rebecca Lavoie, NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio.  Special thanks to Angel Hsu, and Sajjad Moazeni. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.  Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Americans can look down at their phone and see a prediction of the future. How is that even possible? Well, this episode from Civics 101 is all about the weather – from early predictive methods and almanacs to the National Weather Service's modern-day practices of collecting, analyzing, and sharing a staggering amount of data. Featuring Kris Harper and Felicia Bowser   SUPPORT Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Check out more episodes from Civics 101. Follow Outside/In on Instagram and X, or discuss episodes in our private listener group on Facebook.   CREDITS This episode of Civics 101 was produced by Hannah McCarthy with Nick Capodice and Christina Phillips. Outside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi. The team also includes Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon.  The executive producer of Civics 101 and Outside/In is Rebecca Lavoie. Civics 101 and Outside/In are productions of New Hampshire Public Radio. If you’ve got a question for the Outside/Inbox hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Don’t forget to leave a number so we can call you back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Irish fought for and won their independence from the British in 1921, they had a problem. Centuries of exploitation had left the island one of the least forested nations in Europe, with less than 2% tree cover.  So, they started planting a non-native American tree: fast-growing Sitka spruce capable of rebuilding their timber resources in record time. And it worked. Today, about 17% of the island is forested. But in the rural areas where iconic rolling hills have been replaced by rows and rows of conifers, farmers are not happy.  Outside/In host Nate Hegyi takes us to County Leitrim, an area of Ireland hit hard by the Troubles and the Great Famine, to meet the townspeople who are fighting what they say is a new wave of colonialism: Sitka spruce plantations. Featuring Justin Warnock, Brian Smyth, Donal Magner, Liam Byrne and Jodie Asselin. This episode originally aired in March 2025. Produced by Nate Hegyi. For a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org.  SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Donal Magner wrote a book covering the history of Ireland’s forests and timber industry.  Sitka spruce plantations are controversial in other parts of Ireland as well, including Cork.  There are also efforts to rewild parts of Ireland with entirely native trees and to protect and restore carbon-sequestering bogs.  It can be really tough to figure out exactly what was growing in Ireland thousands of years ago – but these scientists used ancient pollen counts to figure it out. Researchers at University College Dublin produced a detailed socio-economic impact report on Sitka spruce plantations and County Leitrim in 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For humans, roads epitomize freedom. For wildlife, it’s a different story: a million animals are killed by cars every day in the US alone. How did our infrastructure turn so deadly? And what are people trying to do about it? In this episode, we look at how two very different species are impacted by roads. Along the way, we visit a turtle rescue clinic, hear about a celebrity cougar that was trapped in the Hollywood Hills, and find out what it took to fund what will soon be the world’s largest wildlife bridge. Featuring Ben Goldfarb, Alexxia Bell, Natasha Nowick, and Michaela Conder.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or discuss the show in our private listener group on Facebook.    LINKS From bears to badgers, and crocodiles in Florida to salamanders in Vermont – check out these videos of wildlife crossings in action across the country. (NYTimes) Check out Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb. Read more about The Turtle Rescue League in Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, by Sy Montgomery. Engross yourself in the stories of the National Park Service’s Puma Profiles of the Santa Monica Mountains.   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Felix Poon. Edited by Taylor Quimby. Our team also includes Justine Paradis. Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer. Music for this episode by Jay Varton, Rand Aldo, and Blue Dot Sessions. Theme music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time again for our listener mail roundup, and this week, the theme is bugs, bugs, and more bugs. We discover what’s happening inside the chrysalis of a monarch butterfly, find out why fruit flies seem to spontaneously generate from over-ripe fruit, and ask if meat-eaters really are sweeter to mosquitoes. Plus, a cautionary tale about leaving the window screens open.  What happens inside a chrysalis during metamorphosis? How does bioluminescence work? Are mosquitoes good for anything? Featuring Karen Oberhauser, Deidre Gibson, and Lyric Bartholomay.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Learn more about our mosquito expert, Lyric Bartholomay, in this video about her and her work. This National Geographic article has a good overview of bioluminescence, plus some great photos. Consumer Reports details how it tests bug spray and lists some high-performing products.   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon. Executive producer: Rebecca Lavoie Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio   Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget about beer, or even water; it was hard apple cider that was THE drink of choice in colonial America. Even kids drank it! And since it’s made from apples – the “all-American” fruit – what could be more American than cider? But apples aren’t native to America. They’re originally from Kazakhstan. In this episode we look at the immigration story of Malus domestica, the domesticated apple, from its roots in the wild forests of Central Asia, to its current status as an American icon. And we look at how apples and cider were used in some of America’s biggest migrations – from Indigenous tribes who first brought apples west across the continent, to the new immigrants who are using hard cider to bridge cultures and find belonging.   Featuring Soham Bhatt and Susan Sleeper Smith. Special thanks to everyone Felix spoke to at the Cider Days Festival, including Judith Maloney, Carol Hillman, Ben Clark, Ben Watson, Charlie Olchowski, William Grote, and Bob Sabolefski. Editor’s Note: This episode first aired in February of 2022.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram, or discuss episodes in our private listener group on Facebook.   LINKS How to Make Hard Cider George and Ursula Granger: The Erasure of Enslaved Black Cidermakers, by Darlene Hayes. An Apple Commons, reflections by Melissa Maddens on what it means to forage from wild apple orchards – relics of this country’s history of dispossessing Indigenous people of their lands. Open Spaces Cider – Melissa Maddens’ cidery focuses on reparations and reconciliation for living off a land that was taken from Indigenous peoples.   CREDITS Reported, produced and mixed by Felix Poon Edited by Taylor Quimby, with help from Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Rebecca Lavoie. Host: Nate Hegyi Executive producer: Rebecca Lavoie Music for this episode by Jharee, Kevin MacLeod and Blue Dot Sessions. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio If you’ve got a question for the Outside/Inbox hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Don’t forget to leave a number so we can call you back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to our unscientific office poll, the annual changing of the clocks has all the popularity of a root canal. With few exceptions, people described the shift to and from Daylight Saving Time as disorienting, arbitrary, and unwelcome. On a more existential level, winding the clocks back and forth reminds us that no matter how concrete minutes and hours may feel, the way we perceive time is fluid. Time flies when you’re having fun. A watched pot never boils.  So to celebrate (or perhaps protest) another year setting back the clocks, the Outside/In team has uncovered four mini-stories that will poke at, stretch, or even obliterate your perception of time. From “time expansion experiences,” to time-space synesthesia, to the slow-motion life of a fly, prepare for a totally different type of time warp. Featuring Steve Taylor, Rhitu Chatterjee, Kevin Healy, Katherine Akey, and Patricia Lynne Duffy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Depending on who you ask bats are either a favorite mascot of spooky season, a dangerous nuisance and vector for rabies, or a charismatic group of nocturnal mammals in need of protection.  So when Outside/In host Nate Hegyi moved to the countryside of Montana and discovered a colony of bats living in the siding of his new house, he was forced to make a decision. Evict the bats that pest control people suggest could be endangering his family? Or try and embrace his inner Bruce Wayne?  Featuring: Susan Tsang, Steph Holt, Mike Hegyi, Penny Hegyi, Christine Bellis   SUPPORT Outside/In is listener-supported. Become a sustaining member today for $5 a month, and we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap.   Subscribe to our (free) newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team also includes Felix Poon and Justine ParadisRebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In  is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During disasters, people flock to social media to share warnings, coordinate in real time, and share images of the destruction. But others use the chaos of breaking news events to spread false information.  On today’s episode, we’re exploring the rise of fake news in the environmental space, from #HawaiiNotUkraine, to a news site spreading climate disinformation in Wyoming. Plus, we speak to the people fighting back, including a community fact-checker correcting earthquake disinformation on X.    SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS This article, written before Elon Musk took over X, profiled Celeste Labedz and some other folks fighting diisonfmration on social media (Poynter) Check out Caroline Orr Bueno’s substack newsletter, Weaponized, and her piece about the #HawaiiNotUkraine hashtag.  Jem Bartholomew’s story about the sudden growth of a Wyoming news site that’s rife with climate disinformation (CJR)    CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Jeongyoon Han Mixed by Taylor Quimby Edited by Taylor Quimby, with help from Nate Hegyi and Felix Poon.  Our staff also includes Justine Paradis. Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio. Music by Blue Dot Sessions Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive will also receive a "ginkgo love" sticker.  Support Outside/In today! Flying is a mess. Underserved airports, a global pilot shortage, and incessant extra fees… not to mention, of course, the emissions.  But, in 2022, an aviation start-up debuted “the world’s first all-electric passenger plane.” They say that electric flight can help address not only emissions, but also entrenched problems in the entire aviation system. Can it?  Featuring Noah Karberg, Lynnette Dray, Dan Wolf, and Greg Davis, with appearances by Jim Goddard, Scott Genthner, Joe Urbanski, and Bill Guinee.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member.  Subscribe to our (free) newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook   LINKS Why do airlines try to sell you credit cards? Because “airlines are just banks now.” (The Atlantic) Experts told us the aviation system is, by and large, quite safe… but it might be more complicated. (New York Times)    CREDITS Outside/In host: Nate Hegyi Reported, produced, and mixed by Justine Paradis  Edited by Taylor Quimby Our team also includes Felix Poon.  NHPR’s Director of Podcasts is Rebecca Lavoie Music by bomull, Bill Vortex, Guustavv, Xavy Rusan, Bonkers Beat Club, Nul Tiel Records, Adelyn Paik, Shiruky, Uncle Bibby, Scott Gratton, and Blue Dot Sessions. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive will also receive a "ginkgo love" sticker.  Support Outside/In today! As of late, Endless Thread co-host Ben Brock Johnson has been obsessed with a rock in Wyoming, a lot like the protagonist of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  But you won't find Ben in the kitchen, making a replica of the rock out of mud and chicken wire. Instead, you'll find him and co-host Amory Sivertson in this episode, traversing Reddit and TikTok, YouTube, and the actual state of Wyoming to find out why hundreds of thousands of people have been drawn to a monolith that has so many names and meanings. This episode is part of Endless Thread’s latest 4-part series called Parks!   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS Outside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi. Our team includes Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon. Our Executive Producer is Rebecca Lavoie. This episode of Endless Thread was produced by Ben Brock Johnson, co-hosted by Amory Sivertson, and produced by Samata Joshi, Grace Tatter, and Quincy Walters It was mixed and sound-designed by Paul Vaitkus. Endless Thread is a production of WBUR.  Outside/In is a production of NHPR.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive will also receive a "ginkgo love" sticker.  Support Outside/In today!Earlier this year, our host Nate Hegyi picked a fight with Ryan Zinke.  Zinke is the former Interior Secretary under Trump – the guy who rode into office on horseback.  In the midst of an awful few days in June, when Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed the entire east coast, Zinke took to Twitter and argued that the solution was “active forest management.”  Nate assumed that was a political code word for more logging, something Republicans have been pushing for years. But instead of firing back, he decided to fact-check his assumptions and study up. Why are Canadian wildfires getting so intense? Is it possible to stop the smoke by logging the boreal forest? And what would Teddy Roosevelt have to say about this?! Featuring Phil Higuera, John Vaillant, Ryan Zinke, and Courtney Shultz.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support.   Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS Check out our episode about prescribed burns (10X10: Pine Barrens). The NPS has a good overview of how indigenous fire practices shaped North America. “As Canada reels from wildfire, First Nations hope for larger role” (Al Jazeera)   CREDITS Hosted, reported and produced by Nate Hegyi Edited by Taylor Quimby and Rebecca Lavoie Our team also includes Justine Paradis, Jeongyoon Han, and Felix Poon.  Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Music by Blue Dot Sessions Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help us celebrate our 250th episode by becoming a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive will also receive a "ginkgo love" sticker.  Support Outside/In today!   From Dante’s Peak and Twister, to the twin apocalypse movies Armageddon and Deep Impact, Outside/In senior producer Taylor Quimby was raised on disaster movies.   But with real climate-related catastrophes popping up more and more, one has to wonder:... what is it about disaster stories that were so appealing in the first place? Do they have anything redeeming to teach us about ourselves or our planet?  Taylor attempts to answer that question (and weirdly enough, to celebrate Outside/In’s 250th episode) by looking back at one of the planet’s all-time worst disasters: The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event, or as it’s sometimes called “The Great Dying.”  Featuring Michael Benton.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support.   Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Taylor Quimby Mixed by Taylor Quimby Editing by Rebecca Lavoie and Nate Hegyi. Executive producer: Rebecca Lavoie Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a chemical. The most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird… because all of this has all happened before. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, Safe to Drink is a four-part series about a water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses. You can binge the whole series now: subscribe to Safe to Drink on Apple Podcasts, or check out their page on NHPR’s website.  Reported by Mara Hoplamazian. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Celebrate our 10th anniversary with us! Join the Outside/In team for Stories from Outside on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. Tickets are available here. Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the midst of a battle with cancer, Kathy Kral found herself facing another diagnosis: major depression. So, Kathy signed up for a clinical study to see if psilocybin – the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms” – could help her confront her fears about cancer and death, as well as her deepest inner demons. Featuring Kathleen Kral, Manish Agrawal, and Norma Stevens.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or discuss the show in our private listener group on Facebook.  Submit a question to our Outside/Inbox. We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   LINKS Can Psychedelic Therapy Offer a Sense of Peace for the Dying? The Sunstone Psilocybin Playlist patients listen to during their psychedelic trips Citations In the psilocybin study Kathy Kral participated in, 80% of participants experienced a significant reduction in depression, and half were no longer depressed at all. These results were persistent even a year and a half after their psilocybin sessions. Psychedelics cause hallucinations because they compromise the part of the brain that processes what you see, and promote communication between different parts of your brain that usually don’t talk to each other. Risks associated with psilocybin range from nausea and increased heart rate, to Hallucination Persisting Perception Disorder where people continue having hallucinations for months or years after the trip has ended. But magic mushrooms had the lowest rates of associated emergency room visits out of any drug surveyed by the Global Drug Survey in 2019, 2020, and 2021. And researchers have found that psychedelics are not addictive in lab animals, and the lethal dose of psilocybin is so high that overdoses are impractical and rare.    CREDITS Host: Nate HegyiReported, produced, and mixed by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor Quimby with help from Rebecca Lavoie, Nate Hegyi, Justine Paradis, and Jeongyoon Han.Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive ProducerSpecial thanks to Evan Craig, Heather Honstein, Kathryn Tucker, and Erinn Baldeshwiler.Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Pawan Krishna, the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and Paul De Bra.Theme music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time again for our listener mail round-up, and this week, the theme is borders and boundaries. We learn what it means to define the “end of an era,” explore how close is too close to a black hole, and discuss the power of animal urine. Plus, we hear the story about the time the U.S. and Great Britain almost fought a border war… because of a pig.  How do different animals mark their territory? How does surveying work? How close do you have to be to get pulled in by a black hole? How do historians decide how to categorize chunks of time? Featuring Eric Salovich, Naoufal Souitat, Dagomar Degroot, and Christine Wilkinson.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or discuss the show in our private listener group on Facebook.  Submit a question to our Outside/Inbox. We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837).   CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by Nate Hegyi, Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon and Jeongyoon Han.  Edited by Taylor Quimby Executive Producer: Rebecca Lavoie  Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a bluebird day, in April of 2019, Snow Ranger Frank Carus set out to investigate a reported avalanche in the backcountry of Mt. Washington. He found a lone skier, buried several feet under the snow. He was severely hypothermic but alive. Wilderness EMTs can work for decades and never encounter this particular situation. And what happened next was an attempted rescue that people in Northern New England are still learning from.  What happens when a rescue goes wrong? And how do first responders cope when an opportunity to save someone’s life slips through their fingers? Editor’s Note: This episode first aired in May of 2022, and was later honored with a National Edward R. Murrow Award for News Documentary.  Featuring: Denise Butler, Frank Carus, Jeff Fongemie, Nicholas Weinberg SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Talk to us! Follow Outside/In on Instagram and Twitter, or discuss episodes in our private listener group on Facebook. Submit a question to our Outside/Inbox. We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). LINKS Learn more about avalanche safety here. Read the Wilderness Medical Society Journal article about this incident here. CREDITS Host: Nate Hegyi Reported and produced by: Jessica Hunt Mixer: Taylor Quimby Editing by Taylor Quimby and Nate Hegyi, with help and feedback from Rebecca Lavoie, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, Erika Janik, Sam Evans-Brown, Jimmy Gutierrez, and Christina Philips. Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer Special Thanks to: Matt Dustin, Ty Gagne, Frank Hubbell, and Andrew Parrella.  Music for this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Outside/In  is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices