You can be a citizen scientist in your own backyard! Broods! Birds! And mushroom butts! I'm joined by podcaster and voice actress Janet Varney.
Guest: Janet Varney  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backyard Science

We take a critter’s eye view to explore how animal behavior parallels humans. Join comedians and science-lovers as we get inside the minds of animals

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To celebrate cicadageddon 2024, here's one of my favorite past episodes, this one on cicadapocalypse 2021: BROOD X has been waiting 17 years to emerge from the ground. What is Brood X? Should we panic? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: How is it fair that swarms of baby turtles are considered cute, but swarms of bugs are considered “horrifying?” 
Guest: Mara Wilson
Footnotes:
Cicada
https://live.staticflickr.com/3067/2607912292_150e08400e_z.jpg
 
Cicada tymbal 
https://www.cicadamania.com/images/tymbalanism.gif
 
Cicada sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNJ6DL_1R9I
 
Holes left by mass cicada emergence (warning for trypophobia)
https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/A-e1373044330806.jpg
 
Lots of cicadas!
https://mk0charlottestopdskr.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Cicadas-swarm-north-carolina.jpg
 
Mass sea turtle hatching! 
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/olive-ridley-sea-turtle-swarm-filmed-costa-rica
 
Giant river turtle!
https://zooinstitutes.com/img/animals/83/831567514683_33.jpg
 
Mass river turtle hatching!
https://www.treehugger.com/rare-turtles-hatch-beach-brazil-5092340
 
Soft coral
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/84bPOAlpoBNPmyhMTsbhJ-iF7UDOo1lCST_18GrEChIqlOg6CL-nO1yx_6AVw8g2FWgRFAndhaD3HAUw_zMrVDbbNGYQS2Uqob1196fcVrNv7bveRZTylg03CdBwB3BCnpQ
 
Stony coral
https://www.ecomagazine.com/images/Newsletter/0_2020/Week_1-6-20/underwater-photography-of-coral-reef-3100361.jpg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creature Classic®: Brood X!

They're in the air! There's billions of them! And they're tiny! We're talking about aeroplankton, what they're doing up there, and what happens when they get in your nose. 
Guest: Soren Bowie
Last week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Phip5U-Wo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aeroplankton

Today, we talk RATS! From plague to pets, rats have had a huge impact on humanity! What was the role of rats in the plague? What even is a rat?? Should you keep them as pets??? And are we so different after all? 
Guest: Jeff May
Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/199aAaHgq-CmEoMcR4iRMnbePedjKrs0iafQalrKhp0I/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rats In The Walls

We talk about wild human inventions inspired by animal designs!
Guest: Ellen Weatherford
Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEGyyeNn8trH-FmcchVthmmppq8-XiQlKILt-9fIISk/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backyard Science

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