Planthropology – Details, episodes & analysis

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Planthropology

Planthropology

Vikram Baliga, PhD

Science
Science
Science

Frequency: 1 episode/15d. Total Eps: 154

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If you're on this planet, plants have a HUGE impact on your life. Whether you're a vegan, a carnivore, or somewhere in between, plants are the basis of the food you eat, the clothes your wear, and the air you breathe. We don't intend just to teach you plant facts (though we'll do plenty of that), but to give you some insight into the cool people who work with them. From the soil to the plate to the climate, dive into the anthropology of plants (get it?) and learn a little more about why you should care about the world around you from the people who care about it the most.
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126. Science Illustration, AI Cardinals, and Frozen Asters w/ J. Spahr

Season 6 · Episode 126

jeudi 4 décembre 2025 • Duration 01:01:25

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What's up, Plant People?? On today's episode, I chatted with scientific illustrator, J Spahr of @Science_Visuals to unpack how art turns complex research into clear, accurate stories that spark curiosity. From watercolor botanicals to layered digital paintings and ecosystems in one frame, we explore process, ethics, and impact.

• the path from a found textbook to a science illustration career
• Europe’s legacy of artists working with scientists
• art as storytelling and science communication
• choosing mediums and building layered digital workflows
• designing infographics that condense seasons, species, and behavior
• client collaboration, revisions, and scientific accuracy
• social media’s trade-offs and unexpected reach
• why AI images miss context, accuracy, and trust
• the joy of learning fast through research illustration
• practical plant science: why asters shrug off frost

Make sure to follow J on Instagram and check out her website at scivisuals.com!

If you'd like to support the show, leave a rating and review, email planthropologypod@gmail.com, find me all over the place on social media, snag merch at planthropologypodcast.com, or buymeacoffee.com/planthropology

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


125. Spooky Mushrooms, Modern Folklore, and Mycelial Mind Control w/ Amanda McLoughlin and Julia Schifni

Season 6 · Episode 125

jeudi 30 octobre 2025 • Duration 01:04:58

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A perfect circle of mushrooms in the grass can feel like a message. We follow that feeling into the heart of fungi and folklore with Amanda McLoughlin and Julia Schifini of Spirits, exploring why mushrooms unsettle us, how they anchor myth, and what they can teach us about living with limits and wonder. From fairy rings and house spirits to cordyceps and body horror, we trace the line between ecology and story: a mycelial network expands and fruits at the edge, myth calls it a threshold, and we decide whether to cross.

We dig into the science that fuels the myths—external digestion, predatory oyster mushrooms hunting nematodes, and the eerie intelligence of networks that appear overnight. Then we connect those facts to the rules of folklore: hospitality laws, shared flood stories, and warnings against greed that echo modern forager ethics. We also examine the complicated modern history of psychedelics, sacred ritual, and the mid‑century rush that stripped context in favor of spectacle, reminding ourselves that power without reciprocity becomes a curse in every tradition.

Finally, we turn to fungi as caretakers: recyclers of forests, soil makers, and even potential allies against plastic pollution. Along the way, Amanda and Julia share why house spirits matter, how rituals make homes feel alive, and why returning to stories of reciprocity might be the most practical climate strategy of all. Press play for a smart, spooky tour of mushrooms, myth, and the moral math of sharing a planet. If this conversation re‑enchanted your sense of the woods, subscribe, share with a curious friend, and leave a review telling us the mushroom story you’ll never forget.

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


116. National Parks, Leaving No Trace, and Touching Grass w/ Cassie Yahnian and Danielle LaRock

Season 6 · Episode 116

jeudi 10 avril 2025 • Duration 01:12:22

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Cassie Yahnian and Danielle LaRock share the captivating journey of their podcast National Park After Dark, celebrating four years of exploring the mysteries, histories, and conservation stories of America's public lands.

• Former veterinary technicians who bonded over their shared love of outdoor spaces and morbid curiosity
• Transformed casual conversations about national park mysteries into a wildly successful podcast
• Use compelling storytelling to convey conservation messages and outdoor ethics more effectively than direct instruction
• Emphasize the importance of responsible recreation with current national park staffing shortages
• Highlight the humbling power of nature to provide perspective and grounding in our increasingly digital lives
• Recommend supporting national parks through donations and volunteering for trail maintenance
• Share personal favorite parks including Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, with deeply personal connections to these spaces
• Advise listeners to trust their intuition and prioritize time for activities that bring true meaning and joy


Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


40. Growing Hope, the Recipe for Success, and French Breakfast TikTok w/ Tyler Froberg

Episode 40

mardi 16 février 2021 • Duration 56:34

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What's up plant people? I'm not sure I've ever talked to another guest who's done so many different and incredible things before they turned 30. Tyler Froberg is the head farmer at Hope Farms in Houston, TX. He runs the farm, but also works with programs for kids, veterans, and everyone in between. He's really done a little bit of everything and is such an inspiring guy. I'm so glad I finally got to connect with him after nearly a year. You can find him pretty much everywhere on social media. Check out Tyler and Hope farms and enjoy the episode!

Tyler Froberg
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok

Hope Farms
Facebook
https://hopefarmshtx.org/



Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):
Pecan Ridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/
Website: https://pecanridge.com/
Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!

Local LBK
Facebook: @LocalLBK
Instagram: @LocalLBK
Twitter: @Local_LBK
TikTok: @LocalLBK
Website: www.locallbk.com

Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!

Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website and various social media pages, all listed below. As an added bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot o

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


39. Wilderness Survival, Varmints, and Gas Station Sushi w/ Paul Csomo

Episode 39

mardi 2 février 2021 • Duration 54:16

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What's up, Plant People?? Listen, there are a lot of good things for you and one of those things is for you to not die lost in the woods. To help make sure that wish comes true, my friend Paul Csomo from the Varmints Podcast came on the show for today's episode to tell you some things he's learned from his hobby of studying wilderness survival. We also talk a lot about starting a podcast, listening to podcasts, and about gas station sushi. Paul is a wonderful human, and I think you're really going to enjoy this. Don't eat the sushi, don't eat the mushroom, and don't die in the woods.

Varmints Podcast:
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
FB Group

Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):
Pecan Ridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/
Website: https://pecanridge.com/
Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!

Local LBK
Facebook: @LocalLBK
Instagram: @LocalLBK
Twitter: @Local_LBK
TikTok: @LocalLBK
Website: www.locallbk.com

Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!

Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website and various social media pages, all listed below. As an added bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome "Plant People are Cool" sticker!

Listen in on

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


38. Plants in World Traditions- Staying Awake

Episode 38

mercredi 27 janvier 2021 • Duration 35:56

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What's up, Plant People?! This is part 2 of our Plant in World Traditions series, and I'm talking all about caffeine. Where does it come from? What does it do? What's the best caffeinated beverage? Stay awake, my friends!

Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):
Pecan Ridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/
Website: https://pecanridge.com/
Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!

Local LBK
Facebook: @LocalLBK
Instagram: @LocalLBK
Twitter: @Local_LBK
TikTok: @LocalLBK
Website: www.locallbk.com

Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!

Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website and various social media pages, all listed below. As an added bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome "Plant People are Cool" sticker!

Listen in on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, or wherever else you like to get your podcasts.

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


37. In the Grow, Serving the Underserved, and the Best Meatbag Experience w/ Rachel Boyd

Episode 37

mardi 19 janvier 2021 • Duration 53:05

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Hey Plant People! Welcome back for the first new episode of 2021! I'm trying out some new formatting stuff, but I'm stoked about today's episode! I talked with Rachel Boyd, who's a Jazz musician, radio producer for KTTZ (the Texas Tech University station and local public media affiliate), and the host of the brand new In The Grow podcast. We talk about music, life, and the radical act that is growing your own food. It's hopeful and fun and I know you're going to love it. Go check out the trailer for In The Grow with Rachel Boyd anywhere podcasts are found and get excited about episode 1 dropping this Thursday, 1/21/2021!


https://inthegrow.podbean.com/
https://kttz.org/



Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):
Pecan Ridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/
Website: https://pecanridge.com/
Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!

Local LBK
Facebook: @LocalLBK
Instagram: @LocalLBK
Twitter: @Local_LBK
TikTok: @LocalLBK
Website: www.locallbk.com

Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!

Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


Academia, the Art of Storytelling, and Digging Graves w/ Dr. Glen Ritchie- Replay

Season 2

mardi 5 janvier 2021 • Duration 48:01

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Happy 2021! This is technically the 50th episode of  Planthropology (don't let the episode numbers fool you) so I wanted to celebrate with a replay of one of my favorite episodes from last year! Check out this wonderful episode with Texas Tech Department of Plant and Soil Science department chair, Dr. Glen Ritchie! Also, be sure to listen to this episode to find out how you can earn some free Planthropology swag. Thanks for listening, and here's to a great 2021!



You can find Dr. Ritchie on the Plant and Soil Science website below. You'll also be able to find him on Twitter if I can ever get him to tell me his Twitter handle. Enjoy the show and let me know what you think!
 
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/pss/faculty_pages/gritchie.php


Also, here's the Mark Rober bowling ball video Dr. Ritchie talks about.

https://youtu.be/wM5NHC97JBw

Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):
Pecan Ridge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/
Website: https://pecanridge.com/
Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!

Local LBK
Facebook: @LocalLBK
Instagram: @LocalLBK
Twitter: @Local_LBK
TikTok: @LocalLBK
Website: www.locallbk.com

Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!

Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website and various social media pages, all listed below. As an added bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screens

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


Science, Academia, and Podcasting- a Worldwide Year in Review

Season 1

jeudi 31 décembre 2020 • Duration 02:06:41

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Hey there, Plant People! This is a very special bonus episode because it includes a whole bunch of my good podcast friends! I'm in a little (ok, not THAT little) group of podcasters who talk about science and academia on their shows, and we all thought it would be fun to do a live-streamed wrap up of 2020. This is the audio recording of that live stream which took place a couple of days ago. It's fun and encouraging we spend VERY little time talking about COVID and a lot of time talking about the good things we've learned and experienced in our podcast journeys. Be sure to follow all the shows listed below on Twitter and check out their podcasts! I love all you Cool Plant People and wish you ALL the best in 2021!!!

The Root of the Science
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RootofSciPod
Website/Podcast: https://rootofthesciencepodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Earth Ideas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ideas_earth
Website/Podcast: https://lnk.bio/SnYr

Curiosity Cake
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curiosity_cake
Website/Podcast: https://curiositycake.co.uk/

Papa PhD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PapaPhDPodcast
Website/Podcast: https://papaphd.com/

Mad Scientist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadScientistPod
Website/Podcast: https://www.themadscientistpodcast.com/

Breaking Math
Twitter: https://twitter.com/breakingmathpod
Website/Podcast: https://breakingmathpodcast.app/

The Nagging Naturalist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nag_naturalist
Website/Podcast: http://www.thenaggingnatu

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


Cheesy Drumsticks, Chaos, and the Christmas Special, w/ Bradley Baliga

jeudi 24 décembre 2020 • Duration 30:47

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It's Christmas Eve! Join us for our second annual Father-Son Christmas extravaganza and have a very happy holiday and a wonderful new year!

Music in this episode is God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Dee Yan-Key.



Check out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):

Pecan Ridge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/

Website: https://pecanridge.com/

Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!



Local LBK

Facebook: @LocalLBK

Instagram: @LocalLBK

Twitter: @Local_LBK

TikTok: @LocalLBK

Website: www.locallbk.com



Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for just $5/month and get access to dozens of great deals and discounts from businesses around Lubbock, TX!



Sign-up for Local LBK Rewards!



As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It really helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! Also, check out Planthropology on our website and various social media pages, all listed below. As an added bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome "Plant People are Cool" sticker!



Listen in on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, or wherever else you like to get your podcasts.



Website: www.planthropologypod.com

Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/Planthropology

Facebook: Planthropology

Facebook group: Planthropology's Cool Plant People

Instagram: @PlanthropologyPod

Twitter: @Planthropology_

e-mail: Pheck out our Podcast Partners (Podners?):

Pecan Ridge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepecanridge/

Website: https://pecanridge.com/

Use the promo code "plantpeople" at check out for %10 off your order!


Local LBK

Facebook: @LocalLBK

Instagram: @LocalLBK

Twitter: @Local_LBK

TikTok: @LocalLBK

Website: www.locallbk.com


Follow the link below to sign up to be a member of Local LBK for

Support the show

As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack!

Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning composer, Nick Scout. Midroll tunes are by Rooey.


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