What on Earth?!

What if we told you there’s a volcano where lava flows almost like water, looks black instead of glowing orange, and turns white within days?

Welcome to Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania's extraordinary Mountain of God and the only active volcano known to erupt natrocarbonatite lava in historical times.

In this episode of What on Earth?!, Weronika takes Tika on a journey to one of the strangest volcanoes on our planet.

Together, we explore what makes this volcano so unusual, why its lava behaves unlike anything you've seen before, and how a fascinating geological process called liquid immiscibility might help explain its origins.

But that's not all. We uncover an incredible survival story from 2007, when a man fell into an active lava flow and lived to tell the tale. And we discover why studying these unusual magmas could help us understand some of the world's most valuable rare-earth deposits.

Black lava, bizarre chemistry, and a survival story that sounds almost impossible. This volcano really does break the rules.

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Stay curious, and never stop asking yourself… What on Earth?!

Why do some volcanoes quietly pour out rivers of lava, while others explode with enough force to reshape entire landscapes?

In this episode of What on Earth?!, we dive into the different types of volcanoes and the magma behind them. From the broad shield volcanoes of Hawaii to towering stratovolcanoes, we explore how magma composition, viscosity and gases control what happens when molten rock reaches the surface.

But volcanoes aren't just about lava.

We talk pyroclastic flows racing down mountainsides, volcanic ash shutting down air travel, lahars burying entire towns, glacier outburst floods, tsunamis and some of the most infamous eruptions in history.

We also travel back to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, discover how an eruption accidentally helped preserve evidence of a completely different crime, and look at how modern geoscience can help us understand when magma is moving beneath our feet.

Volcanoes build landscapes. They destroy them. And sometimes, they completely rewrite them.

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Stay curious and keep asking yourself… what on Earth?!

In this episode of What on Earth?!, we’re going beneath the surface to find out where igneous rocks actually come from. 

Is there really a giant layer of magma hiding beneath our feet? If most of Earth’s mantle is solid, where does magma come from? And why can one magma produce gentle lava flows while another feeds explosive volcanoes?

Together, we follow the journey from solid mantle to molten magma and, eventually, igneous rock. We explore decompression melting beneath mid-ocean ridges, what happens when water enters the system at subduction zones, and why hotspots like Hawaii and Iceland are such fascinating places.

Then we follow magma as it begins to cool. With a little help from Bowen’s Reaction Series, fractional crystallization, and a bottle of hypothetical frozen wine, we discover how crystallizing minerals change the composition of the remaining magma helping explain the incredible diversity of igneous rocks we see on Earth.

From the mantle beneath our feet to volcanoes at the surface, this episode is all about one question: how do you turn a solid rock into magma… and magma back into rock?

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Stay curious and keep asking yourself: What on Earth is going on here?!

What on Earth are sedimentary rocks?!

You probably encounter them every day without thinking twice. But how does loose sand, mud, or even the remains of ancient organisms become solid rock?

In this episode of What On Earth?!, we dive into the world of sedimentary rocks and explore how they form, what they can tell us about the environments of the past, and why they are so important for understanding Earth’s history.

We look at how sediments are produced, transported and deposited before eventually becoming rock through compaction and cementation. Along the way, we explore the different types of sedimentary rocks and discover how layers of rock can preserve clues about ancient oceans, rivers, deserts and climates.

And of course, we talk about fossils. Sedimentary rocks are where much of the fossil record is preserved, giving us an incredible window into life on Earth and how it has changed through time.

So the next time you see a layer of sandstone, limestone or mudstone, remember: you’re not just looking at a rock. You might be looking at a snapshot of an ancient environment, preserved for millions of years.

🎙️ What On Earth?! science, explained for the curious.

What does a career in Earth Science actually look like?

The truth is... there is no single answer.

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What if a missed opportunity ended up completely changing your career?

In this episode of What On Earth?!, we hear Weronika’s story of how she ended up in Earth science almost by accident. Her original plan was to join the military, but when all the female places were filled before she could apply, she had to rethink her plans. What she knew was that she wanted a career that would take her both outside into the field and inside into the lab.

Her journey took her from Krakow, where she started her bachelor’s degree, to Uppsala, Sweden, where she spent a year as part of her master’s degree. This is also where our paths crossed and where the idea of What On Earth?! eventually found one of its hosts.

From there, Weronika continued to ETH Zurich for a PhD in geochemistry. Today, she works at Gübelin Gem Lab, bringing her scientific background into the world of gemstones.

In this episode, we talk about the unexpected turns that can shape a career, what it is like to move between countries and different areas of Earth science, and how a plan that doesn’t work out can sometimes lead you somewhere much more interesting.

What does a career in Earth Science actually look like?

The truth is... there is no single answer.

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Careers are rarely a straight line, and Earth Science can take you in more directions than you might expect. Research, fieldwork, industry, environmental work, education, communication… sometimes the path you start on looks nothing like the one you eventually follow.

In this episode, we turn the microphones on each other and start with Tika. We go back to where her journey began, talk about the decisions that changed its direction, the unexpected opportunities along the way, and what happens when you realize that the career you thought you wanted might not actually be the right one for you.

So where did all those twists, turns and side quests take Tika?

You’ll have to listen to find out.

And if there is one piece of advice to take with you: always do the side quests.

New episode Thursday, August 13th.

Stay curious and keep asking yourself: What On Earth?

Evolution is everywhere in science and almost nowhere in popular culture is it explained clearly. In this episode of What On Earth?!, we dive into some of the biggest misconceptions about evolution and separate the science from the myths.

Is evolution “just a theory”? Did humans really evolve from monkeys? Is evolution completely random? And does evolution explain how life first began? These are questions many people have heard, but the answers are often far more interesting than the misconceptions themselves.

We break down what evolution actually means in biology, explain how natural selection works, and explore what scientists really mean when they use the word theory. Along the way, we talk about fossils, common ancestry, adaptation, and why evolution is one of the best-supported ideas in all of science.

This episode is not a debate. It’s a guide to understanding the science in a clear, accessible way. Whether you’re completely new to evolution or just want a better grasp of what the theory actually says, this episode is for you.

If you’ve ever heard conflicting claims about evolution and wondered what the science really is, this episode of What On Earth?! is the perfect place to start.

In this episode of What on Earth?!, we’re taking you on a journey to our closest celestial neighbor, the Moon. 

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It may look calm and comforting in the night sky, but beneath that peaceful glow lies a history shaped by extreme violence, molten oceans, and relentless impacts.

Together, we explore why scientists are so fascinated by the Moon and how it acts as a time capsule for the early Solar System. From bright highlands to dark volcanic plains — known as maria — we break down what you actually see when you look up at the night sky.

We also dive into explosive volcanic activity, hidden lava flows (cryptomaria), and what lunar craters can tell us about ancient asteroid bombardments. We touch on still ongoing debates in planetary science: the Late Heavy Bombardment, what caused it, when it happened, and whether it even existed as a single event.

Plus, we revisit the Apollo missions, talk about lunar samples (yes, real Moon rocks!), and look ahead to the future with upcoming missions like the Artemis program.

So grab your tea, get cozy, and join us for a deep dive into the Moon — a world that’s far from quiet.

Stay curious and keep asking yourself: What on Earth is going on here?!

🎧 Flat Earth, Conspiracies & How Our Brain Tricks Us (Part 2)

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Sources

YouGov, 2018. Most flat earthers consider themselves very religious

Psychology of conspiratorial mind study:
Bowes, Shauna & Costello, Thomas & Tasimi, Arber. (2023). The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates. Psychological Bulletin. 149. 259-293. 10.1037/bul0000392.

The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates

YouTube video of Professor Dave Explains: https://youtu.be/h0H-amOti_o?si=yxxwBDu1gpLw-g8Z

"You are not so smart" Podcast episode 299 - Debunkbot: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aWubjGqJeWXAXZXy831eR?si=YCvR0xYITFKkAPP90X92rw

Debunkbot study:

Thomas H. Costello et al. ,Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI.Science385,eadq1814(2024).DOI:10.1126/science.adq1814
Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI | Science

Debunkbot: DebunkBot | Conspiracies

In Part 2 of What on Earth, we move beyond Flat Earth itself and into something even more fascinating: how our brain works - and why conspiracy theories can feel so convincing.

We start with a simple but uncomfortable idea: could anyone fall for conspiracy thinking? From there, we explore the psychology behind it - and what makes certain explanations so appealing, even when they don’t hold up scientifically.

We talk about cognitive biases like confirmation bias and the Dunning–Kruger effect, and how confidence can sometimes be mistaken for expertise. Along the way, we break down how scientific thinking actually works - from observations and hypotheses to experiments and theories - and why evidence matters more than intuition.

We also touch on an important nuance: not every conspiracy is false. History has shown us real examples that were later confirmed. But the key difference is evidence - and how we evaluate it.

This episode is part psychology, part science, and part understanding how we make sense of the world - especially when things feel uncertain or complex.

So grab your favorite mug ☕ (we definitely did), and join us as we unpack how belief, bias, and evidence collide.

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✨ Stay curious and keep asking yourself… What on Earth?!

Flat Earth, Conspiracies & the Science of Belief

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In this episode of What on Earth, we take on one of the most persistent and fascinating conspiracy theories out there: Flat Earth.

We start with a simple question: what on Earth makes people believe the Earth is flat?

We explore how long humanity has known that Earth is a sphere, from ancient Greek observations to early measurements of Earth’s circumference, and why, despite this, Flat Earth ideas still exist today. It turns out the story isn’t just about science, but about trust, perception, and how we process information.

This episode is part science, and part navigating the strange (and sometimes entertaining) ways we try to make sense of reality.

So grab your favorite mug - we definitely did - and join us for a deep dive into facts, beliefs, and everything in between.

Stay curious and keep asking yourself… What on Earth?!