Explore every episode of the podcast The Poetry of Science
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 274: Where Migration Ends | 14 Oct 2024 | 00:07:11 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that drier winter habitat impacts songbirds’ ability to survive migration. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Migration’ by Ira Sadoff here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 273: Wood Vaulting | 07 Oct 2024 | 00:06:18 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Wood’ by Richard Brautigan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 264: Chromatic Change | 05 Aug 2024 | 00:06:09 | |
This episode explores new research, which has investigated the iridescent evolution of birds. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Birdsong' by Joanie Mackowski here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 174: Woody Infestation | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:06:31 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that vines and climbing plants are more likely to infest smaller trees in Southeast Asian forests, with significant implications for global carbon storage and climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Vine in Early Spring’ by Sara van Alstyne Allen here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 173: Shrinking Rhinos | 07 Nov 2022 | 00:06:13 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that rhino horns have shrunk over the past century, likely due to hunting. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘A Rhinoceros and a Lion’ by Kaoru Maruyama here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 172: Buzzing Electricity | 31 Oct 2022 | 00:06:33 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that insects can contribute to atmospheric electricity. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Myths of Electricity: A Letter to Nikola Tesla’ by Kevin Meaux here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 171: Shipwrecked Sediments | 24 Oct 2022 | 00:06:23 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that 80 years after it sank, a World War 2 warship is still polluting the local ecosystem. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘After the Shipwreck’ by Alicia Ostriker here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 170: Washed into Dust | 17 Oct 2022 | 00:06:18 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that the Salton Sea is turning into toxic dust. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Salt to Make a Sea’ by Renée Ashley here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 169: Forecasting Day length | 10 Oct 2022 | 00:06:36 | |
This episode explores new research, which has improved the ability to predict fluctuations in the rotation of the Earth and with it the length of the day. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Days’ by Philip Larkin here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 168: Fruitful Gifts from Busy Bees | 03 Oct 2022 | 00:07:04 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that planting hedges and flower strips in orchards helps to support wild bee communities, thereby improving pollination. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Bees’ by Bruce Mackinnon here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 167: Water Stress | 26 Sep 2022 | 00:05:47 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that five years after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, one in four residents has PTSD. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Water Table’ by Eliza Griswold here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 166: Bottlenose Alliance | 05 Sep 2022 | 00:08:26 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that bottlenose dolphins form the largest alliance network outside of humans. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Dolphins at Seven Weeks’ by Rachel Jamison Webster here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 165: Tracing a Plague of Rabbits | 29 Aug 2022 | 00:07:44 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that a single introduction of wild rabbits triggered their invasion across Australia in the 1800s. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Rabbit’ by Stanley Vestal here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 263: Renewal in Green | 29 Jul 2024 | 00:07:22 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that even 10 minutes of nature exposure is likely to yield benefits for adults with mental illness. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Wildlife Management III’ by James Galvin here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 164: Draining the Water Tower | 22 Aug 2022 | 00:06:45 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that climate change will likely lead to irreversible declines in freshwater storage in the Tibetan Plateau by the middle of this century, impacting the supply of freshwater for nearly two billion people. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Water Table’ by Eliza Griswold here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 163: A Prevalence of Ringing | 15 Aug 2022 | 00:07:31 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that tinnitus affects more than 740 million adults and is perceived as a major problem by more than 120 million people across the world. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Tinnitus’ by Henry M. Seiden here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 162: Junk Advertisements | 08 Aug 2022 | 00:08:24 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that junk food advertising restrictions on Transport for London networks have prevented almost 100,000 obesity cases since 2019. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Sugar Thief’ by Ned Balbo here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 161: Smoke in the Mountains | 01 Aug 2022 | 00:07:25 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that wood heating pollutes the air in mountain areas more than previously assumed. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Meeting the Mountains’ by Gary Snyder here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 160: Pollutants on the Storm | 25 Jul 2022 | 00:07:24 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that after Hurricane Harvey, the residents of Houston were exposed to more chemical pollutants than normal. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Storm Is Over’ by Jason Guriel here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 159: Changing Sounds of the Blues | 18 Jul 2022 | 00:07:26 | |
This episode explores new research, which has used underwater nuclear bomb detectors to reveal a rebound in the population of pygmy blue whales. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Environmental Awareness: The Right Whale’ by Claudia Emerson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 158: Rising Injustice | 11 Jul 2022 | 00:07:07 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that the climate crisis is likely to deepen environmental injustice in urban areas. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Post-Construction’ by Kay Ryan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 157: Ancient Life Off Earth | 04 Jul 2022 | 00:07:36 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that ancient microbes may help us to find extraterrestrial life forms. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Colors of Ageing’ by Peter Boyle here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 156: Smoky Milk | 27 Jun 2022 | 00:08:12 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that dairy cows exposed to wildfire smoke produce less milk. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Cows’ by Frederick Bock here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 155: Artificial Rhythms | 20 Jun 2022 | 00:08:10 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that artificial light affects the seasonal rhythms of plants. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘In the Changing Light’ by Carter Revard here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 262: At the Edge of the Lakes | 22 Jul 2024 | 00:06:27 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that unprecedented warming threatens earth’s lakes and their ecosystems. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Lake Cycle’ by Jessica Nelson North here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 154: Invasive Singing | 13 Jun 2022 | 00:07:28 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found evidence of a beautiful songbird potentially becoming an invasive species in the UK. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Songbird' by John Brehm here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 153: Immature Vapers | 06 Jun 2022 | 00:07:38 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that e-cigarettes have led to more than 1 million young people (14-17) in the US becoming daily tobacco users. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Interstate Sonnet’ by Carl Marcum here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 152: Diverse Bumbling | 30 May 2022 | 00:06:47 | |
This episode explores new research, which has used 10 years of citizen science data to show that a variety of conservation approaches are needed to protect UK bumblebee species. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Apple Blossoms’ by Susan Kelly-DeWitt here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 151: Supernovae in the Stones | 23 May 2022 | 00:06:20 | |
This episode explores new research, which has investigated how an extra-terrestrial stone found on Earth provides clues about supernova events. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘We Astronomers’ by Rebecca Elson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 150: Death in the Shipping Lanes | 16 May 2022 | 00:07:24 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that shipping poses a significant threat to the endangered whale shark. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Requiem Shark’ by Rad Smith here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 149: Unhealthy Debts | 09 May 2022 | 00:07:17 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that student debt can impair your cardiovascular health into middle age. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Debt’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 148: Dead Red Tides | 02 May 2022 | 00:06:09 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found links between red tides and dead zones off the west coast of Florida. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Fabliau of Florida’ by Wallace Stevens here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 147: Blind in the Mind | 25 Apr 2022 | 00:07:09 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that the absence of visual imagination can be detected by looking at how the pupils respond to light. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Mind’s Eye’ by David M. Graham here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 146: The Decline of Animal Rights | 18 Apr 2022 | 00:07:37 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Animals That Die in Our Houses’ by Jane Shore here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 145: Sustainable Fruit | 11 Apr 2022 | 00:08:26 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that changing the ways in which fruit is gathered from palm trees could help to conserve Amazon peatland forests. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Palm Tree’ by Rabindranath Tagore here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 261: Cool Roofs in the City | 15 Jul 2024 | 00:06:19 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that painting roofs white is effective at cooling cities at scale. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Heat' by John Gould Fletcher here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 144: Deadly Diets | 04 Apr 2022 | 00:07:42 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that a globalised diet of ultra-processed foods is having a negative impact on both human and planetary health. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Strict Diet’ by James Crews here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 143: Greening Healthcare | 28 Mar 2022 | 00:06:58 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that neighbourhood green space is tied to lower healthcare costs. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Green Pear Tree in September’ by Freya Manfred here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 142: Colours of Distant Life | 21 Mar 2022 | 00:06:21 | |
This episode explores new research, which has created a colour catalogue to help find life on distant, frozen worlds. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence’ by Matthew Rohrer here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 141: Basking No More | 28 Feb 2022 | 00:08:22 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found a sharp decline in basking shark sightings in California. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Basking Shark’ by Norman MacCaig here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 140: Deadly Nails | 21 Feb 2022 | 00:07:54 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found unexpectedly high levels of hazardous chemicals in nail salons. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘You Mean You Don’t Weep at the Nail Salon?’ by Elizabeth Acevedo here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 139: Lingering Smoke | 14 Feb 2022 | 00:07:28 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that almost all children have tobacco smoke toxicants on their hands, even in non-smoking homes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Smoking’ by Ronald Wallace here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 138: The Ancient Resilience of Trees | 07 Feb 2022 | 00:07:04 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that old and ancient trees help to develop a forest's resilience. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Tree’ by Jane Hirshfield here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 137: Plastic Snow | 31 Jan 2022 | 00:07:27 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found evidence of nanoplastics falling like snow in the remote, high-altitude Alps. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Twilight in the Alps’ by Henry Van Dyke here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 136: Breaking Novel Boundaries | 24 Jan 2022 | 00:08:19 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that the safe planetary boundary for pollutants (including plastics) has been exceeded. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Value Added’ by Stephen Sandy here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 135: Uneven Water | 17 Jan 2022 | 00:07:00 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that 370,000 Californians rely on drinking water that is polluted, with communities of colour disproportionally affected. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Water’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 260: The Red Crater Clock | 08 Jul 2024 | 00:06:32 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that meteorite impact rate on Mars can help date planetary surfaces. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Meteorite’ by Randall Jarrell here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com X: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 134: Experience of Violence | 10 Jan 2022 | 00:08:00 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that violence is broadly felt by millions of Californians. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Parable in Praise of Violence’ by Tony Barnstone here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 133: Scratched into the Past | 03 Jan 2022 | 00:07:33 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that head lice can help us to analyse the remains of our ancestors. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘What DNA Knows’ by Charlotte Pence here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||
| Episode 132: Magnetic Tides | 27 Dec 2021 | 00:07:20 | |
This episode explores new research, which has found that the magnetic field generated by a tsunami can be detected before changes in sea level. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Great Tsunami’ by Michele Wolf here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth | |||