Nature Boy: The Podcast

Originally recorded February 4, 2018.

Never one to avoid a challenge, Nature Boy steps well outside of its area of expertise to discuss neuroscience. However, as all hosts possess brains as well as nervous systems, they can be considered well qualified to tackle this subject. This episode provides an overview of the many disciplines which fall under this field, as well as some interesting research investigating the workings of the mind. Save yourself the time it would take to look this up on Wikipedia, and simply listen to four people who already have!

Originally recorded January 7, 2018.

Veteran fans may be aware that all hosts of the Nature Boy podcast are PhD students at UC Riverside, specifically in the department of plant biology. Often when explaining our work, the question of marijuana is brought up; mostly relating to either breeding, mechanisms of action in the body, or our future career aspirations as producers of the plant. While none of the crew plans on working in the field, it is such an interesting economic crop that we all have some familiarity with it. With recent legislation allowing for the commercial production and sale of marijuana in California, Nature Boy has taken it upon itself to explain some of the misunderstandings surrounding the plant and the current state of marijuana research, as well as providing an introduction to the new regulations surrounding use.

So turn on, tune in, and drop out with us as we get groovy in this episode of Gnarly Boy!

This episode was originally recorded December 3, 2017.

The Nature Boy podcast has been scientifically demonstrated to improve mood, reduce anxious behavior, and increase attention from potential romantic partners. These statements have not been approved by the FDA and may, in fact, be lies.

Anxiety and depression affect many people at some point in their life. Coping strategies often focus on psychological approaches, but what do scientists know about the causes and potential treatments of these disorders? Find out in this surprisingly uplifting episode!

Oops! This episode was recorded in July of 2017, but was never posted for reasons of pure ineptitude. Many apologies, but enjoy this discussion of synthetic biology. Your favorite fabulous foursome goes beyond genetic modification of plants, and explores this complex field which involves the modification of living organisms.

Many apologies for the ongoing issues with the upload schedule, we appreciate all of our amazing fans who have stuck with us and look forward to many great episodes to come!

Hey all! Jon here, your occasional co-host and creator of podcast descriptions, to let you know that I was not present for this week's episode. From what I understand, the mighty 3 discussed bioremediation. The resilience of natural systems to disruption by human action is well established, but what do we do when the system is pushed too far and becomes disrupted? Often the same mechanisms by which the natural state is maintained can be exploited to address environmental concerns. What do these efforts look like in the real world? Are they a viable solution to pollution? Or does bioremediation sound to go to be true because it is?

Personally, I haven't listened to the episode, so your guess is as good as mine!

After a September hiatus, the Nature Boy crew returns to brighten your day! Our heartfelt thanks go out to those of you who continue to be patient with this erratic release schedule, rest assured we will continue to post these episodes until the inevitable water wars require us to flee California.

This month, your intrepid hosts eschew the cliché 'Why are we here?' and instead ask 'How are we here?'. Come with us now on a journey through time and space, to answer these and other questions!

Plus, beauty tips to keep you looking cool all winter long!

Jon and Jess, everyone's favorite feuding philanderers, were blessed with this episode. Usually this show is considered as a service to our blessed listeners, but this one is just for us! Listen as their excitement grows through discussions of blood tubes, semen, and grizzly murder. Apologies to their parents, as well as any listeners with delicate sensibilities, but we should always find joy in the pleasure of others if we aim to become actualized human beings.

This description may come off as less polished than most, but they have been holding back the upload schedule so Jon, in addition to currently speaking in the 3rd person, has decided to dedicate a little less effort to get our lovely content into the also lovely hands of our audience, whom we love.

Jon's incredible powers of procrastination cause exasperation when the podcast nation can't hear this station! Apologies for the delayed upload, and for the absence of your favorite co-host and composer of episode descriptions, the J Train!

The geneclock genetics and genetocs, and this episode focuses on the former. Can genetic research save us from starvation? Will it rid us of disease? Or will it be leveraged by powerful corporations to impose claims of ownership on entire species? Maybe these questions are addressed in this episode, I was not there, but surely the Nature Boy crew will bring the noise and deliver the answers you crave!

Open your ears and we'll speak of the smells, like freshly baked pie or the sulfur in hell. Such wonderful senses help put up some fences to keep us from things that will make us unwell. And who can you count on to shine a bright light on the sense that serves as an animal's sight? Why, it's your faithful friends from the Nature Boy show, whose names don't fit easily into this poem.

It has been said that the most important difference between a beast and human is the comprehension of one's own mortality. An awareness of death and its inevitability, along with the fear it engenders, has resulted in the creation of religions and empires. God takes the place of the parent, and death represents the first betrayal by that trusted provider. People seek some form of immortality either by denying the reality of death, or through the creation of some legacy.

In spite of its influence, modern society often treats death as a taboo subject. Luckily you, fair listener, are with the Nature Boy crew, where nothing is off limits until we get sponsors, after which those sponsors' products will be very much off limits.