Don't Panic Geocast

By John Leeman and Shannon DulinScience Technology Education Natural Sciences

Don't Panic Geocast episodes

October 02Episode 435 - “FIRE THE LASERS!”
Jezero crater is a really interesting place on Mars - that's why we have landed so many spacecraft in the area. This week we talk about some exciting findings from the crater as well as a modern day twist on a modest proposal.
Jezero Crater
Fun Paper Friday
In a twist on an old tale, this authors examine how applying ethical matricies to AI driven questions can still result in questionable outcomes - like grinding up the geezers.
Keyes, Os, Jevan Hutson, and Meredith Durbin. "A mulching proposal: Analysing and improving an algorithmic system for turning the elderly into high-nutrient slurry." Extended abstracts of the 2019 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems. 2019.
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John Leeman
www.johnrleeman.com
@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
54 min
September 19Episode 434 - "darkness sometimes brings profundity"
How do you know if your cool new result is real or just some artifact? Is it data or noise, and are those not always so dissimilar? This week we tackle that along with how good your BS detector is.
Fun Paper Friday
Is your BS just BS or fake profundity?
Pennycook, Gordon, et al. "On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit." Judgment and Decision making 10.6 (2015): 549-563.
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John Leeman
www.johnrleeman.com
@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
57 min
September 11Episode 433 - "2 totally useless degrees "
Wildfires can change the landscape and have geologic implications. Also, what makes your sneakers squeak, and what does that have to do with earthquakes?
Fun Paper Friday
A peek into the physics of squeaky sneakers
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John Leeman
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@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
49 min
August 28Episode 432 - "Like walking around inside someone's mouth"
This week we recap the GEARS 2026 workshop, our return from summer break, how hot it has been, and chat about floods of the 1300's in Europe.
GEARS Workshop
Fun Paper Friday
Kiss, Andrea, et al. "Cascading continental-scale floods across Europe in 1342–1343." Nature (2026): 1-8.
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John Leeman
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@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
1 hr 10 min
June 26Episode 431 - Philippines Earthquake
There was a very large earthquake in the Philippines - John and Shannon break down what you need to know. We also explore the question - what's the deal with birds?
Fun Paper Friday
Baldassarre, Daniel T. "What’s the Deal with Birds." Sci J Res Rev 2 (2020): 1-4.
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John Leeman
www.johnrleeman.com
@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
33 min
June 05Episode 430 - "I am being ambushed"
This week John and Shannon discuss the book "Slow Productivity", our other summer reading lists, and if swearing makes your exercise sessions better.
Fun Paper Friday
Jiannine, Lia, and Jose Antonio. "The effects of cursing on exercise performance." Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 26.5 (2023).
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John Leeman
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@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
1 hr 3 min
May 29Episode 429 - "Summer Shorts" GPR
This week we talk about GPR or ground penetrating radar as Shannon considers buying one and asks what to look for.
Fun Paper Friday
Do trees glow before lightning strikes?
McFarland, P. J., et al. "Corona discharges glow on trees under thunderstorms." Geophysical Research Letters 53.4 (2026): e2025GL119591.
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John Leeman
www.johnrleeman.com
@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
49 min
May 15428: Episode 428 - "Pedagogical Gold"
This week we talk about how you should approach an outcrop in the field for the first time. What do you look for? What kind of notes do you take? This and more field camp tips plus a discussion about the rheology of pasta sauce.
Fun Paper Friday
Busiello, Daniel Maria, Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti, and Ivan Di Terlizzi. "Physical properties of a perfect pasta sauce." Physics Today 2026 (2026).
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John Leeman
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@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
57 min
March 28Episode 427 - "Feeding Tubes Yo!"
This week we help a listener identify their bizarre fossil - and it's a trace fossil! Learn all about it and find out if you'd remember more if we were funnier!
Trace Fossil Dictionary
Shannon’s Favorite Trackway
Asterosoma
Fun Paper Friday
Would you remember more about science if your teachers presented it in a funny way?
Frank, Alexandra L., et al. "Wit meets wisdom: the relationship between satire and anthropomorphic humor on scientists' likability and legitimacy." Journal of Science Communication 24.1 (2025): A04.
59 min
March 13Episode 426 - "Hard K Sound is Hilarious"
This week, we continue to talk about temperature with a discussion of temperature scales, where they came from, and why there are so many!
Fun Paper Friday
Kaiser, Caspar, and Andrew J. Oswald. "The scientific value of numerical measures of human feelings." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.42 (2022): e2210412119.
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Show
Support us on Patreon!
www.dontpanicgeocast.com
@dontpanicgeo
[email protected]
John Leeman
www.johnrleeman.com
@geo_leeman
Shannon Dulin
@ShannonDulin
43 min

About Don't Panic Geocast

From the publisher's feed

John Leeman and Shannon Dulin discuss geoscience and technology weekly for your enjoyment! Features include guests, fun paper Friday selections, product reviews, and banter about recent developments.…