This specific episode was cited in The New Yorker this wee, so we’re giving it an encore refresh with bonus material and a 2020 update from Dr. Esposito herself!
Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. If you’ve ever wanted to impress a date with weird facts THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills the beans on how venom works, what’s up with the blacklight glow effect, how dangerous they *really* are, what all the movies get wrong, the best names for scorpions, where she’s traveled to look under rocks, where a scorpion’s butt is, if scorpions dance or make out (SPOILER: YES), what good mothers they are, how big they used to be millions of years ago and how — technically speaking — they are not poisonous. Also: how much does a gallon of venom cost? Oh, and why she started the visibility campaign 500 Queer Scientists. Get this one in your ears right away.
Listen via Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.
Ologies
Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama.
Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists’ obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.
