Naturalish

This week Alex and Ben dive into the spooky (or maybe not so spooky) world of the mummies. Today they are frightful cursed monsters, but were they always? As a special treat for this special episode our hosts are even recording from the same location! Science in the News covers ethically dubious genetically modified babies and Bill Nye's view on Mars colonization.

Frank Herbert did his homework before writing his classic science fiction novel, Dune. So in order to cover the biology of all-important giant sandworms of Arrakis at the center of the series, Alex and Ben must deliver a giant episode taking cues from the Dune Encyclopedia along the way. And right in time for Thanksgiving too! So while you're chowing down take a chomp of your favorite podcast for all things science-ishy.

It's ALIVE! Or is it? Actually, how could such an abomination even survive? The frightful rattenkonig sits in that murky ground between fact and fiction; territory that is perfect for Naturalish! Alex and Ben not only discuss rat king biology, but the psychology of why such a grotesque idea stuck around over centuries.

Science in the News covers flu-killing llama serum, a special muscle making a big difference in a tiny bird, and a new way to measure the Earth's mass using neutrinos.

Boo! Merry Spookmas! It's Naturalish Nights! Deck the halls with webs of cob! That's right! We are in the thick of that age-old festive season and to celebrate Alex and Ben are taking a look at Gizmo, Spike, and the rest of the mogwai from the terrifying Christmas classic Gremlins. How exactly do their famous three rules function biologically? How could they have evolved? And why can't you feed 'em after midnight? From domestication to extraterrestrial experimentation: it's all Naturalish!

Undead, Z's, ghouls, ZOMBIES! Call them what you will, the living dead are coming for you and the only way to defend yourself is with science! That's why Alex and Ben wade into the spooky world of undead anatomy this week. Our mission: to discover the most effective way to kill one of these mindless abominations by looking to some real world examples of parasitic zombification. Science in the News covers an anti-robot safe word, a nightmarish raccoon epidemic, and zombie stars. It's all naturalish!

All these monsters employed by Monsters Inc. are scaring kids for their scare energy, but no one is stopping to ask: WHY?! That is, until a certain scienceman-producer duo came along to ask the tough questions like 'where or when are these monsters?' and 'what is scare energy actually?' and 'what's really behind the scare crisis?' and 'how does all this fit into the Grand Unified Pixar Theory?' The answers are certain to shock, awe, and potentially educate this week on Naturalish!

Many think they know how life can to be, but the truth is one does for certain. A perfect topic for the very first Naturalish: Nights! Scienceman Alex Duckles and producer Ben Schultz explore popular philosophical, religious, and scientific theories throughout the ages - with special attention paid to those that are out of this world... We're talking panspermia, folks! And it's an idea more ancient -and plausible- than you might think.

Have you ever dreamed of being big? But like skyscaper big, though. You could climb a building, go on a rampage, or skateboard with train! Sounds pretty nice- except you forgot to ask about the unintended side effects, buddy. Sorry. This week on Naturalish, scienceman Alex Duckles leads producer Ben Schultz through the science of gigantic movie monsters, specifically the perils of magnifying creatures (or oneself) to create a colossal terror (or gentle giant). For one, there's more urine than you'd think...

How monstrous are monster trees really? Naturalish returns to the realm of cryptozoology this week as Alex and Ben take trip back in time to examine the mythemes of moving and/or talking trees that populate the forests of human imagination in order to decide once and for all if trees are good or evil! Additionally, Science in the News raises some concerning questions regarding healthy drinking habits, elephant zombie genes, and climate change's effect on wood density.

You probably don't believe in Bigfoot, but if you do, you probably have difficulty proving the existence of the noble Sasquatch to so-called scientists! Ever wonder why? Whatever you believe, scienceman Alex Duckles and his trusty producer Ben Schultz will confirm your beliefs as they discuss the strange realm of cryptozoology, a world once inhabited by such creepy cryptids as mythical gorillas, giraffe dragons, and grizzly-polar bear hybrid!