The Primordial Soup Pot

Marshes! Learn about the different types of wetlands like swamps, bogs, and marshes. Rustin breaks the rules and discusses the swamps of the Pennsylvania period. Find out about the giant arthropods that ruled this period. Aaron follows with the history of the Marsh Mallow, and how this sticky plant eventually became a favorite snack of people across the globe.

Pets! Aaron starts off with the history of Sea Monkeys. Learn about how Harold Von Braunhut turned some uneventful brine shrimp into America's next pet craze and the dark legacy he left behind. (Warning: this episode will contain mentions of anti-Semitic and white nationalist groups). Later, Rustinn gives a top 5 list of the strangest white house pets, from Teddy Roosevelt's Badger to John Quincy Adam's legendary bathtub alligator,

Creatures of the Deep! Learn about some of the strangest fish of the deep sea. Rustin opens up with the black swallower, a fish able to eat animals up to four times its own length! Aaron follows with the bizarre diet of the bioluminescent cookie-cutter shark.

Time to discuss some actually extinct animals. First Aaron talks about the history of the giant ground sloth. More specifically, why the giant tanky ground sloths went extinct yet the slow tree sloths survive to this day. Learn how the extinct ground sloth's legacy contributed to America's westward expansion and our collective love of guacamole. Rustin follows with the discovery of a bizarre tooth spiral. What is now known as the helicoprion still is a mystery to scientists today.

Monogamy in the animal world. Learn about the unique brain chemistry that triggers voles to be faithful partners (and how this might relate to humans) and the only species of monogamous amphibians, the imitator poison dart frogs.

Aaron and Rusitn explore the world of carnivorous plants! Aaron discusses the biology and history of Nepenthes lowii, a pitcher plant that has evolved away from carnivory to become a living tree shrew toilet. Rustin talks about the aquatic Bladderworts, and how recent studies have found that these carnivorous plants might be up to more than we previously thought.

Wacky Expeditions! Open up with the voyage of the Belgica, the first ship to overwinter in the south pole. Lots of shenanigans involving starvation, freezing, cats (one beloved, one not so much), and the order of the penguins. Follow up with some stories of backyard scientific discoveries. Ranging from new species found in backyards to rediscovering a lost weasel sitting on the toilet,

Mr. Gorbachev, fill in this borehole! Following up with the South pole! Aaron opens up with Lake Vostok. This massive freshwater lake is actually located over 2 miles below the ice. What life might live below the surface? Rustin discusses the lifecycle of Antarctica's largest terrestrial animal, Belgica Antarctica (the flightless Antarctic midge). Learn how these flightless fly friends survive the frigid cold.