Science... sort of

The folks at Wondery have asked us to share a preview from their podcast American Innovations hosted by popular science author Steven Johnson. If you like the preview and would like to hear the full episode plus episodes on topics like mapping the human genome or the rise of the personal computer, head over to Wondery.com or iTunes for more!

00:00:00 - Abe, Bev, and Ryan went fossil hunting! This time they took a trip out to the shores of Chesapeake Bay, but first. What is the Chesapeake Bay, how did it get there, and what was the climate like when the fossils they ended up finding were forming? We chat about that, mostly informed by Roadside Geology of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. and with a dramatic reading from Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States: With Localities, Collecting Tips, and Illustrations.

00:19:11 - Listen, the fossils have been there for millions of years, they can wait until after you've had a beer. After some prompting, Bev decides to go first with a Réserve Ale from Ponysaurus Brewing Co. Ryan's up next with some Starfire from Crooked Run Brewing which reveals a deep love of passionfruit. And Abe finishes the lineup with a HOPness Monster IPA leading to some pretty terrible 'dad' jokes.

00:29:19 - Next up, we get to the actual fossil hunting grounds. Results at Calvert Cliffs State Park are suboptimal, but after a stop at a local brewery, we're given some tips for a better beach and head to Brownies for much-improved collecting. To end, we give a breakdown of what we found, some grades to each site, and some tips and tricks for future fossil hunters to use to improve their odds of getting the best haul! Check out some of the photos from our expedition below!

01:16:10 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like fossil collecting; you have to be patient to get something good. First things first, we plug the kickoff event for the newly organized DMV AWG happening later this month. Be there! Next, Abe has an e-mail for new patron Kay S., which has a lot of good info to inform her BSso thesis title, which is: The statistical effect of 5-star hotels on fossil diversity: a comparative study between La Brea Tar Pits and Ashfall fossil beds. Thanks, Kay! Next up, Bev has a new 5-star iTunes review from Kramkjk, which forces Bev to reveal a terrible secret. Finally, Ryan has an e-mail from Morgan B. about science-y things to do on an upcoming trip to Panama.

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon!

Music:

• Bayview - Isle
• Heart of Courage - Two Steps from Hell
• Passion Is Accurate - The Kills
• Pulling Teeth - Green Day

00:00:00 - Back in 2015, Ryan was joined by writer Brian Switek (@Laelaps) for an evening of drinks and discussion of dinosaurs in pop culture. The chat begins with the then recently released Jurassic World, which Brian did some website content for, and goes forth from there.

00:43:22 - Since we never actually say it out loud, a modern-day interjection to point out that we were drinking bourbon whiskey.

00:45:01 - Part two of our chat. Some sense, some non-, and like most things, ends with zombies. Be sure to pre-order Brian's new book Skeleton Keys: The Secret Life of Bone, and consider supporting his work on Patreon.

01:35:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like rambling late-night conversations, in that they're nice to have sometimes and better with a friend. We're fighting to get our 5-star iTunes rating back, so we're very thankful for the reviews from Aleesa S and Panda-bear24. Thanks!

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on our Patreon!

Music: Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone") - Anna Kendrick I Wish I Was Still Drinking - Colin Hay YOLO (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar) - The Lonely Island

00:00:00 - This week Ryan is joined by Will Harris and David Moscato (@DMos150) from the Common Descent podcast. First up, we learn about the paleontology research they both did as Masters students at East Tennessee State University working at their Gray Fossil Site. Long story short: Will did gators, David did snakes (and other lizards).

00:58:55 - This week Ryan is the sole beer drinker (rare in a group of paleontologists) and he's bringing the funk with a Swedish-brewed Funkstarter. He's bracketed on both sides by Will and David each having a Dr. Pepper.

01:07:48 - Next up, we chat about the fun and the challenges of paleontology podcasting. You can subscribe to their podcast, Common Descent, on Podbean, follow and like them on Facebook and Twitter, watch the Q&A Ryan participated in on Youtube, and even sign up to support them on Patreon! (Bonus: here's the mislabeled sloth tweet that so annoyed former guest Doc Sloth)

01:46:37 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like paleontology; sometimes they take a while. This time, Ryan reads an e-mail from Susan that brings up a very old discussion but also touches on the difficulties of trying to fit evolution into the curriculum when the focus is mainly "teaching to the test". Good, but frustrating, points. Thanks for writing in, Susan!

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music for this week's show: In the Hills f Tennessee - Jimmie Rodgers I'm a Pepper - Dr. Pepper Commercial Who Tells Your Story (feat. Common & Ingrid Michaelson) - The Roots

00:00:00 - Scientists yet again found themselves baffled! That's right baffled! While they calmly waited for test results to confirm that the wolf-like animal shot by a Montana was indeed a wolf. Shocker. Anyways, turns out wolves cooperate with each other better than dogs do. Are dogs just broken wolves? That's what this study sought to test in a pretty clever way. Either way, they're good dogs, Brent.

00:41:41 - Ryan finally gets to take a drink and decides to crack open a half growler gifted to him from former guest of the show Jen Gallagher containing the Halleck Pale Ale from Chestnut Brew Works in WV. Ben mixes it up with some sort of clam miso beverage (soup?). Go home, Ben, you're... not drunk? Abe brings us back to center with a more believable Squatch Ale.

00:56:43 - Europa is a Jovian moon that probably has an ocean. If that ocean has life, that life will need food. That food may show up via some ice tectonics as proposed and modeled by a new paper. Somehow the sport of squash gets involved. Listen to find out why.

01:24:05 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like potentially lifeless oceans; they're both rife with possibility! Abe begins with a thesis for recurring Patron Sam L. We happen to know Sam likes spicy food, so his thesis is: Modeling capsaicin-induced lycanthropy in the McMurdo dry valleys of Antarctica: a test case for Europan werewolves. Thanks, Sam! Next up, Chelsea B. gets the supreme pleasure of telling Ryan he was wrong about something from episode 265 concerning rabbit digestion. Ryan realizes he has a lot to learn about foregut versus hindgut digestion and reads up a bit to try to set the record straight. Finally, Ben presents a 5-star iTunes review from Kyle that gives Ryan a chance to gloat, so things are almost immediately back to normal. *sigh*

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music for this week's show: The Underdog - Spoon Sample In A Jar - Phish The Ocean (Moon Version) - The Bravery

00:00:00 - Ryan and Juliana sit down with Kevin Hoch (@krhoch) to talk about pterosaurs! They're not dinosaurs but they're still great. We begin with some pterosaur basics to make sure everyone is up to speed.

00:21:52 - Much like pterosaurs at presumably some point in the past, we are in Tulsa, OK. Kevin provides some beer, including a Bump in the Road from Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing for Ryan and Kevin, and a Sundown Wheat from Marshall Brewing Company for Juliana. PSA: Don't touch dead armadillos.

00:28:20 - Next we grill Kevin about his maters research where he took a close look at Rhamphorhynchus, including scans of a 3D skull from Germany. We also touch on the cryptid beast the "Ropen" thought by some to be pterosaurs that have survived to modern day (spoiler: they haven't).

00:49:01 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the evolution of flight; they've both happened more than once. Just Ryan for this segment and he's got a question Liam T. about the limits of biology when it comes to identifying species, especially from the fossil record and our own hominid lineage.

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music for this week's show: Reading Rainbow Theme Song Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad - Eric Bibb & Habib Koité Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz

00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are joined by author Carl Zimmer to discuss his latest book: She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

00:24:28 - In which Kelly and Ryan take a quick coffee break, even if Kelly goes decaf.

00:28:17 - Part two of our chat with Carl. If you simply must have more then you should definitely just get the book. You can find more books on Carl's website and follow him on Twitter @carlzimmer.

00:49:46 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like inherited traits, you think you can predict them, but it can always go wrong. First up, Patron Stu P. (AKA Stoop) gets a BSso thesis with the title: Growing a funny bone: how babies cells modify a mother's laugh. Thanks, Stu! We also must thank modernarts for their recent 5-star iTunes review pushing us back up the charts!

Bonus fact: the tongue-twister inspired by a paleontologist

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music for this week's show: Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists Cup of Coffee - Johnny Cash My Father's Eyes - Eric Clapton

00:00:00 - We're starting off this episode with a bit of news about the ongoing Kīlauea eruption in Hawaii. Abe explains the basics of what's happening and if you want updates you can read the USGS reports on the situation and follow their topical @USGSVolcanoes Twitter account. But for our actual first subject we're talking about hitting asteroids with HAMMERs because if they're coming for us, we better be ready. Joe tells us about the current state of our asteroid defense (HINT: not great) as well as some things we could do to beef up our meager defenses against an assured eventual threat.

00:26:19 - Nothing like existential terror to make on want a drink. Joe keeps it soft but bilingual with a Johnnie Ryan's Black Cherry Soda, and like most cherry sodas, he enjoys it. Abe blinds himself and finds out that he's enjoying a Stone Xocoveza, a hard one to guess even in the best of circumstances. And Ryan is having a Black Flag Mambo Sauce, which fortunately does not taste like actual mambo sauce because that would be weird.

00:33:56 - Predicting when volcanoes will go off is hard, we've covered that much before. But a new technique is aiming to make it just a little bit easier. Abe discusses the new idea, how it could help, and some of the continued hurdles that come up when trying to understand what's happening under our feet.

00:58:17 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like asteroid impacts, you know they're coming and they may hurt. First up, Patreon supporter Rich B. has completed his coursework and written a thesis titled: Love taps: Using bulk impactors to induce hammer shock for mapping crustal magma pathways in active volcanic edifices. Thanks, Rich! Next, Frank has sent in a story about old beer. Ryan has an update, and he and Abe disagree about whether this is a beer worth sampling. Finally, Joe has a voicemail from Jonathan in Illinois about the future of internal combustion engines. Joe is a big supporter of electric, and suggests you find out how your own vehicle stacks up here: How Clean is Your Electric Vehicle? You can call in and give us your results at 312-PALEOPALS (312-725-2672).

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music of this week's show: No Hammer To Hold - The Milk Carton Kids Cherry Cola - Eagles of Death Metal Warning - Green Day

00:00:00 - We're doing another Anchor-themed clip show! Following up on episode 266, we have another round of short audio clips that Ryan created for the podcast startup Anchor under the banner of Organized Curiosity (explanation of the name here). Enjoy!

00:02:02 - Bio bios: Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) 00:07:12 - News: Bobcats are back! (in New Hampshire) 00:09:56 - Bio bios: Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) 00:13:51 - Better know a root: iso- 00:16:35 - News: Turkeys circling goes viral 00:19:13 - Bio bios: Common mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) 00:23:28 - Better know a root: gyno- 00:26:55 - News: New continent found in the Pacific 00:30:40 - Bio bios: African civet (Civettictis civetta) 00:35:07 - News: Head of EPA says CO2 doesn't affect climate 00:40:19 - Q&A: How to read a scientific paper? (Two-parter! No link because it's all me, BABY!) 00:49:07 - Pi Day! What is pi? 00:53:00 - Pi Day! The history of a number

00:56:41 - PaleoPOWs are sort of like the opposite of anchors; they lift you up. This week we're trying to climb our way back to a 5-star iTunes rating, so Ryan reads a few recent reviews that are helping us get there. Thanks to jeffluckclub, Nd power, Willcrimson, Kittie396, and Steven767 for taking a moment to help us out!

Song for this week's show: XXV - Broke For Free

00:00:00 - Abe, Joe, and Ryan are joined by volcanologist Jess Phoenix, who is stepping away from science to run for Congress in California's 25th district. In our first segment, we talk about how she got started in science with a strong outreach focus to help prepare the next generation of field scientists in her community with her organization Blueprint Earth.

00:28:42 - We take a break from trying to help to have a beverage. Abe tells the tale of Shackleton's failed Antarctic expedition that eventually led to some recovered Scotch whisky that has been recreated at a more affordable price point, which he enjoys with a little ice (probably not Antarctic ice though). You can read about the expedition in the graphic novel Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey. Joe struggles his way through some wax to open his Indian Wells Brewing Co. Death Valley Black Cherry Soda, which he says is really good. Ryan makes a Drunk Uncle cocktail with some common (read: uncommon) ingredients using the same Scotch that Abe has. It's almost like they planned it!

00:40:16 - In part two of our chat with Jess, we talk about her decision to transition into the political realm and how she feels her scientific worldview shapes her position on various policies. Plus what lessons scientists can learn from Jess' experiences out on the campaign trail. If you want to learn more or are interested in donating or volunteering to her campaign, you can do so at her website, and follow along on Twitter and Facebook.*

01:04:56 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like campaign promises, we hope you believe them but understand if you don't. First up, we have a BSso to grant to patron Morgan Marshall, who writes in to tell us how excited he was to hear about research happening in his own backyard on a recent episode. His thesis title is: The effect of free coffee of observations of Fata Morgana within Fata Morgana in the Desolation Wilderness, CA. Thanks, M^2! Next up, Abe has an e-mail from Les I. in Canada who comes up with a Brachiolope Brew Pack. Help us out, home-brewers! Finally, Joe has a 5-star iTunes review from BoilerUp75 which is great even if the title throws a bit of a curveball.

More cool rewards await you if you decide to support us on Patreon!

Music for this week's show: Blueprint for a Slow Machine - 65daysofstatic I Will Go Sailing No More - Randy Newman Run Run Run - Phoenix

*But of course we have to point out that none of us live in her district so we can't vote for her nor should our interview be considered an explicit endorsement of her campaign. You know the drill.