Have you ever struggled to decipher a scientific paper?

Meet Erin James (go.uidaho.edu/4vr4F13), a professor of English in U of I’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4ccBDL0). She's also the director of the university’s sustainability certificate and co-director of the Confluence Lab (go.uidaho.edu/4mvIvX5). In this episode, she explores how storytelling shapes the way we understand the environment and why interdisciplinary collaboration — across science, humanities and beyond — is key to tackling complex sustainability challenges.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Seaside At Dusk” by Michael Dowdle (go.uidaho.edu/4muynhx) via Amphibious Zoo.  

Chapters

(0:00) Have you ever struggled to decipher a scientific paper?

(02:40) Getting to know Erin James

(03:24) The science of stories

(08:46) The Confluence Lab and interdisciplinary research

(14:30) Narrative science

(20:04) Sustainability certificate

(27:24) Final thoughts

What is the difference between tendons and ligaments?

Meet Nathan Schiele (go.uidaho.edu/4bXeg80), associate professor of chemical and biological engineering (go.uidaho.edu/4tz9MKB) at University of Idaho — and a researcher engineering the future of tendon repair. Schiele is applying his engineering mindset to the construction of a human tendon. He describes how his lab and team of students are investigating what gives tendons their strength, how to grow tendon-like tissue from mouse stem cells and how to image tendons.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Power in You” by Matthew Cropper (go.uidaho.edu/3QsA4zS) via Amphibious Zoo.

Chapters

(0:00) What’s the difference between tendons and ligaments?

(3:01) Getting to know Nathan Schiele

(5:22) Tendons don’t heal well

(9:45) Ingredients of a strong tendon

(14:39) Building mouse tendon-like structures

(18:47) Imaging a tendon

(22:49) Undergraduate research

(24:28) Final thoughts

Question: How much do you think about the Constitution in your day-to-day life?

What does the Constitution actually do — and how does a document written more than 200 years ago still guide modern life? In this episode, University of Idaho law (go.uidaho.edu/4bKmRec) professor Richard Seamon (go.uidaho.edu/4sLjYQo) breaks down the basics of constitutional law, from individual rights to how judges interpret the document. Along the way, he explains how the courts handle everything from free speech to new technology — and why understanding the system matters more than ever.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Power in You” by Matthew Cropper (go.uidaho.edu/4bW8zWz) via Amphibious Zoo.

Chapters

(0:00) How much do you think about the Constitution?

(02:49) What is constitutional law?

(04:42) Five interpretive approaches

(13:03) What happens when the Constitution is silent on an issue?

(16:03) Applying the Constitution to new technology

(18:40) Why amendments are so difficult

(21:35) Why trust in the system matters

(24:43) Common misconceptions about free speech

(26:00) A reason for optimism

(27:40) Final thoughts

How much are you spending on groceries?

Meet Brett Wilder (go.uidaho.edu/4tdRA9s), an assistant professor and area Extension educator in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology (go.uidaho.edu/4rTG6qo). Agriculture shapes Idaho’s economy in profound ways — but behind the headlines about record revenues is a much more complicated financial picture. Wilder explains the forces driving today’s agricultural economy and why the industry is experiencing what he calls a “tale of two economies.”

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“You Have Got To” by Craig Poole (go.uidaho.edu/4t8dESy) via Amphibious Zoo.

Chapters

(0:00) How much are you spending on groceries?

(2:20) Getting to know Brett Wilder

(3:11) Ag economic impact in Idaho

(9:59) Beef economics in Idaho

(14:48) Grains economics in Idaho

(20:01) Potato economics in Idaho

(22:46) Impact of tariffs on agriculture

(25:50) Final thoughts

Have you ever painted outside?

Aaron Cordell Johnson (go.uidaho.edu/4uE79sl) is an associate professor of art and design in U of I’s College of Art and Architecture (go.uidaho.edu/4lCerc1). In this episode, he explains what plein air painting is, why artists choose to paint directly from the landscape and why stepping outside with an easel — instead of painting from a photo — can change the way a place is experienced and captured on canvas.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Bright Morning Story” by Brendan Warren Burns (go.uidaho.edu/4uA7kEW) via Amphibious Zoo.  

H3: Chapters

(0:00) Have you painted outside?

(04:10) Getting to know Aaron Cordell Johnson and plein air painting

(08:04) Why choose paint plein air over other methods?

(11:44) What to look for

(15:51) Plein air at U of I

(17:22) How to get started

(X:XX) Final thoughts (Cohosts start)

How many suggestions or examples do you give ChatGPT when you are asking for help?

Meet William Tai (go.uidaho.edu/4llzboe), the coordinator of the Doceo Center (go.uidaho.edu/4blXyOb) in University of Idaho’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. Artificial intelligence is already in our classrooms. Tai joins us to discuss how teachers can take advantage of AI for lesson planning and what ethical issues might arise with classroom AI use.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Melontronica” by Matthew Cropper (go.uidaho.edu/4bhMSQp) via Amphibious Zoo.

Chapters

(0:00) How much instruction do you give ChatGPT?

(3:08) Getting to know William Tai

(4:21) How is generative AI used in education?

(7:35) What are AI hallucinations?

(9:12) What is machine bias in AI?

(11:42) What are prompt injection attacks?

(14:20) How teachers can improve their prompts

(20:14) Can AI be a study aid?

(25:57) Final thoughts

Question: What is your favorite migratory animal fact?

Simona Picardi (go.uidaho.edu/3N8gkjL) is an assistant professor of wildlife ecology and management in U of I’s College of Natural Resources (go.uidaho.edu/4b2AYK8). She studies how animals move across landscapes and what secrets their movements reveal. In this episode, she explains how tracking technology and data analysis help uncover patterns in wildlife behavior and how this research can guide strategies to protect habitats and wildlife populations.

View Picardi’s POP Talk: go.uidaho.edu/4ud0TaN

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Ice Birds” by Jon Fitzgerald (go.uidaho.edu/4ldgJhE) via Amphibious Zoo.  

Chapters

(0:00) What is your favorite migratory animal fact?

(03:42) Getting to know Simona Picardi

(04:08) Using GPS data to track animals

(09:52) Urban wood storks

(12:18) Potential impact of changing migration patterns

(14:09) Birds eating junk food

(15:40) Broader conservation implications

(17:00) Other movement ecology research

(19:29) Final thoughts

For the gardeners out there, how do you deter pests?

Meet Marty Ytreberg (go.uidaho.edu/3OLz49b), a professor in the physics department (go.uidaho.edu/40tUYjR) at University of Idaho and the director of the Institute for Modeling, Collaboration and Innovation (go.uidaho.edu/4rBxDZw). Alongside a large team of interdisciplinary scientists, Ytreberg is designing new fungicides to protect Idaho potatoes and, eventually, other crops. He delves into the steps his team uses to find a fungus’s weak spot and what makes a successful fungicide.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Cousins at Play” by Sam Cardon (go.uidaho.edu/4tR7DuZ) via Amphibious Zoo.

Chapters

(0:00) How do you deter garden pests?

(2:56) Getting to know Marty Ytreberg

(3:47) How did you start developing fungicides?

(6:39) How do fungicides attack?

(9:48) Steps to making a fungicide

(13:48) Challenges of developing a fungicide

(19:54) Can this go beyond fungi and potatoes?

(23:18) Final thoughts

A new season of The Vandal Theory returns Monday, March 2, with bold questions and unexpected connections. From decoding what animal migration reveals about life on the move to taking a closer look at the U.S. Constitution, Season 11 dives into the forces that shape our world. You’ll also hear how scientists build fungicides from the ground up to protect Idaho’s signature potatoes — and why beef prices rise and fall with the market. New episodes drop weekly, so follow along wherever you get your podcasts and join us for another season of curiosity-driven discovery at University of Idaho.

Question: How much do you know about where the fish you eat come from?

Brian Small (go.uidaho.edu/4oLfkzy) is the director of the University of Idaho Aquaculture Research Institute (go.uidaho.edu/49wNXVx) and a professor of fish physiology in the College of Natural Resources (go.uidaho.edu/4hZSZMq). In this episode, he explains how research on fish nutrition, alternative fish diets and sturgeon caviar supports both the aquaculture industry and conservation efforts. He also shares what it’s like to raise millions of fish in Idaho’s spring-fed waters.

Visit our website go.uidaho.edu/thevandaltheory​. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu. 

Music 

“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5). 

“Seaside at Dusk” by Michael Dowdle (go.uidaho.edu/4r1nt4L) via Amphibious Zoo.  

Chapters

(0:00) Where do the fish you eat come from?

(3:38) Getting to know Brian Small

(4:11) Inside the Aquaculture Research Institute

(7:30) Life as a fish at the hatchery

(11:35) Inside the science shaping Idaho’s sustainable aquaculture

(17:01) Sturgeon, caviar and conservation

(21:08) Why aquaculture matters in Idaho

(23:28) Final thoughts