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Parent info: Strange by Nature Podcast is recommended for ages 11 plus. It's an Episodic show that can be listened to in any order. Made in the USA, it's about Nature and Science for kids. Launched in 2021, it has 2 seasons.
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Rachel kicks things off this week with a fascinating look at the ancient relationship between moss and fungus.
We had a ton of fun with this week's show. Kirk starts us off with a story about the bizarre evidence for Heat Bursts. This strange weather phenomenon can create oven-like blasts of air seemingly out of nowhere.
Victoria brings us into the strange medical world of autosomal dominant diseases.
This week, Rachel continues her series on bears, this time with the utterly strange Panda Bear.
Kirk starts us off with a strange nematode parasite that causes spiders to drown themselves.
Victoria takes a page from Kirk and brings us to space with some weird facts about Mars and how it got where it is.
Rachel tells us this week about spiny rats. These strange little mammals can actually drop their tails when in danger.
Rachel shocks no one when she goes back to the ocean this week and comes up with the rather strange looking Goosefish.
This week Victoria tells us all about the bizarre process of Anting. What's that? That's when birds cover themselves with ants. Yeah, it's strange.
This week, Victoria brought us the Sand Bubbler Crab. These guys are wild. Native to the Indo-pacific, they breathe though their legs and they hide out underground in a bubble of air during high tide. That's just one of the reasons this strange little animals …
Once again we're back with weird tales from thsi amazing planet we live on. This week, Rachel tells us about Ichneumon wasps. They may look like they are out of a horror movie but these giant insects don't harm humans.
Kirk is up first this week and he brings us the wild truth behind Toad Licking.
Welcome to another week of strange nature!
Rachel starts us off this week with the totally awesome Honey Badger. They have abig reputation and they completely live up to it. From fighting lions to killing some of the most venomous snakes in the world, Honey Badgers are simply amazing.
Kirk revisits the Loneliest Tree in the World to tell us all about the (former) Loneliest Tree in the World. This week he tells us about the Tree of Ténéré.
Victoria is up first this week and she talks about the incredibly loud Pistol Shrimp. These little creatures make a sound as loud as a jackhammer with their claw. She shares more incredible facts about these wild critters as well. We're all impressed.
Hello Everyone and a big THANK YOU to our patrons for making this episode possible.
This one is wild. Kirk brings us the disturbing tale of a woman in Greece who ended up with botfly maggots living up her nose. Rachel has a hard time making it though this story but we believe in you dear listeners.
This week Victoria takes us to the depths of the Mariana Trench. After taking us to the deepest cave in the world she felt it was only fair to visit the deepest spot on Earth!
What a wild ride this week. We've all heard stories of someone needing their appendix removed but what if the only surgeon available is you? Rachel brings us a horrifying tale of a doctor in Antarctica who had to remove their own appendix.
Kirk starts the show this week with an odd story about Perceptual Narrowing. The long and short of it is that babies are better at remembering monkeys than you are.
It's that time again, our annual anniversary show. Guest naturalist and friend of the show Brett Sieberer takes control of the snow and quizzes us about our past year of shows. He challenges us to pronounce nearly unpronouncable latin names, makes us make toug…
This episode was made possible by our Patrons. Thank you!
This episode was made possible by our Patrons. Thank you!
Kirk starts us off this week with the bizarre story of a form of life that literally feeds on radiation. Found growing in Chernobyl, radiotrophic fungi are strange and amazing.
Victoria is back with us this week and she kicks things off with a doozy of a story about a species of bark lice that has undergone a complete swapping of genitals between males and females. It's a very cool story but has frank discussions of reproductive part…
Kirk kicks things off this week with a wild story about how the magnetic field of the Earth has completely flipped in the past. The European Space Agency recently used data sonification to help people better understand this bizarre event.
Rachel starts us off this week with the strange Box Jellyfish. This is an animal you don't want to get mixed up with. Kirk never wants to go in the ocean again.
Hello Everyone and thanks for listening this week.
Victoria starts us off this week with barnacles! I know, they may not sound that interesting but it turns out they are being used by researchers to help narrow the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370.
Welcome to 2026! Rachel starts off the year with horrifying wasps that sting cockroaches, turn them into zombies and then lay their eggs in them so their young can devour them from the inside. You're welcome.
The final episode of 2025. Here's what we have for you:
Look, we get it. This is a busy week with family for a lot of people. If you are one of those people, we sincerely hope this episode helps you hide from family and obligations and take a moment for your weird selves. We're all in this together.
Rachel keeps things light as we start off the show with a discussion of Botulism toxin just in time for the holidays. Watch out for those bulging cans.
This week, Kirk starts us off with a strange story about mushrooms being used as computer parts. He sincerely hopes he never has to pronounce the word memristor again.
Victoria starts us off this week with a bizarre story about how some animals can see without having eyes.
Welcome to our 250th episode!
What a wild show this week. Well, it finally happened. After approximately 700 topics, we finally had two hosts come with the same secret topic. Kirk and Victoria both brought the same story. Kirk kicks things off talking about researchers finding the largest …
Victoria starts the show this week with a look at the cyclops (cyclopses?). From Greek legend to modern reality, Victoria traces a few of the possible origins of this legendary creature.
Rachel starts the show this week with a topic that almost made the Halloween show last week. She brings us the Vampire Squid from Hell. That's literally what the scientific name of this bizarre deep-sea creature means.
We've been building to it all month, it is time for Halloween and we have some great topics.
Victoria kicks things off this week with the terrifying topic of Prion diseases. These bizarre infections can take years to manifest, are incurable, and can turn your brain into a sponge. Charming.
This week's show starts of with Rachel telling us about the Door to Hell. Seems like a fitting topic as we approach Halloween. But what is it? The Door to Hell is also known as the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan. It is a pit of fire that has burned for per…
Kirk keeps the Halloween month theme going by talking a bit about Black Cats big and small. What makes them strange? Why do they exist? Why were they the preferred color of cat to have on ships? All questions are answered.
Happy October!
This week Rachel kicks things off with a discussion of Cloud Forests. This rare habitat is found only in specific parts of the world and many unique plants and animals live there. Okay, so really Rachel is just setting the scene for where next week's strange t…
Kirk kicks off this week with predatory fungus that hunts for animals. Say what?
This week, Victoria takes us to the ocean to learn about a truly bizarre creature, Sea spiders!
This week, Rachel starts us off with an interesting question. Can bees play? A team of researchers thinks they can. Find out what happens when they gave them balls of wood.
What a wild show this week. Kirk starts things off with a listener submitted story about how researchers created fake fiddler crabs to better understand sexual signaling.
What a wild ride this week! Victoria is up first with a bizarre story about how researchers looked into frog glue.
This week we explore the Pharaoh's tomb with Rachel and possibly discover the cause of the Curse of the Pharaoh. What's more, can it cure cancer? Rachel takes a look at Aspergillus fungus, how it causes disease but also has been used in experiments to cure Leu…
Kirk kicks off this week's show with the amazing migration skills of the Bogong Moth. They are the first ever recorded invertebrate that uses celestial navigation for long-distance migration wayfinding.
This week, Kirk is back and the crew pulled together another great show. Victoria kicks things off with a creature feature on an animal we can't believe it took this long to discuss, the Dodo!
Hello Everyone, time for another weekly dose of weird. This week, Victoria kicks things off with a story about Brown-headed cowbirds and their amazing nesting strategy of being nest parasitizers.
This week we've got two amazing stories that couldn't be more different. Rachel spins a tale that spans millions of years. Could the explosion of life during the Ordovician have been the result of meteor impacts? Could those meteors have come from a time when …
Victoria kicks off the show this week with yet another flying animal that usually can't fly. She's brought us flying snakes and flying spiders, how about flying fish?
Rachel brings us the beautiful and disgusting Bradford pear this week. Thank you?
Kirk starts off the show with the mysterious story of the Basra Grain Poisoning of 1971, a terrible story of the dangers of methylmercury.
Victoria starts us off with a wealth of information about hermit crabs and the strange process of shell swapping.
What's so strange about Dandelions? That's a good question and Rachel gets to the bottom of it.
Kirk brings the strange tale of the King's Lomatia, quite possibly the oldest living plant on Earth. It is a strange tree that has lost the ability to sexually reproduce and yet...it keeps on living for thousands of years.
This week, Victoria starts us off with a discussion probably not suitable for all ages by talking about the massive penis of the Serotine Bat. It's a lot to take in.
Rachel kicks off this week show with the strange colonial creatures of the sea known as "By the Wind Sailors."
Kirk tells us about how scientists finally discovered the identity of a frog that had puzzled the scientific community for 80 years.
Anyone fancy a yawn? Victoria did some investigation into the strange phenomenon of social yawning. Are yawns really contagious?
Victoria talks about the amazing tropical super-canopy tree the Almendro that actually seem to attract lightening in order to kill off the trees around them. Talk about a bad neighbor!
Kirk blows our minds with the age of Bristlecone Pines. Did you know there are living trees that predate the invention of written language?
Victoria starts us off this week with the surprising reason that blue-eyed white cats are often deaf. The reason is truly bizarre.
Rachel is up first this week with a lighthearted study that investigated why banana peels are so slippery when stepped on.
Are you ready for another wild episode? This week we have three wonderful stories for you.
Here's your weekly dose of weird.
Welcome to the beginning of year 5 of the podcast. We're happy to have all of our amazing listeners along for the ride.
It's the end of our 4th year doing the show so that means it is time for our annual quiz show! Our Special guest Brett Sieberer is here once again to ask us strange questions that all relate to the past year of the show. Don't worry, your favorite game, "Eat, …
Kirk kicks things off the the Medlar, an ancient fruit with a decidedly NSFW nickname. Maybe this one isn't for the kids.
Victoria starts things off with a bang this week and that bang is ants that explode their bodies releasing a toxic yellow goo epoxy to trap their attackers. It's just...wow.
Rachel tells us an astounding fact, the metal of the Titanic is being eaten by bacteria and could collapse in just 6 years.
Kirk gets to start us out this week and he's all ears. Ears are weird but all those shapes actually mean something. Learn how the shape of an animal's ears can tell us about their habitat and behavior.
Victoria is up first with a mystery part of the cell and we have no idea what it does or why it is there but it is inside you right now. Learn more about the strange "Vaults" in our cells.
On this week's show, Victoria kicks things off with a discussion of Chirality and how the study of the "handedness" of molecules could actually lead to the creation of completely new forms of life. It's a bizarre thought experiment with very real and dangerous…
On this week's show 2/3 of us talk about animal defenses.
Victoria kicks things of this week with a fascinating new study on Potter wasps showing that the males actually can defensively "sting" even though they don't have a classic stinger. If you are a fan of defensive genitalia, this story's for you!
Rachel takes us to the zoo to meet a Lyre Bird. Sure, they are found in the wild too but this one learned to reproduce the evacuation alarm for the entire zoo. Good times. Learn more about these amazing birds.
Hey Everyone, it is our first show of 2025!
Welcome to another exciting week of weird. Victoria starts off this week's show with the story of an Ignobel prize wining study showing that mammals can breathe through their butts.
This week Rachel brings us the Bumblebee Bat which by some measures is the smallest mammal in the world. It weighs the same as two skittles candies.
Welcome to Episode 200. Thanks for being along on the ride.
We're almost to 200 episodes! Hold your horses though, we have one more episode here in ONEderland.
We've got a full episode this week to get some of you though family time on Thanksgiving. Put in the ear buds and enjoy some anti-social you time.
This week, Kirk takes us back to the end of the dinosaur age and how the asteroid impact may have set up just the right conditions to create the world's first farmers. Ants, it turns out, beat humans to the idea of agriculture by about 65 million years.
Fresh off Halloween and still on a sugar high, Rachel and Kirk dive into the mysteries of the planet.
Kirk kicks things off this week with a mysterious sound being heard in Tampa, Florida. What is it? Likely the sound of hundreds of mating black drum fish. Keep it weird Florida.
It's finally here, the Halloween Episode for 2024.
What an appropriate subject for the week before Halloween! Rachel brings us the very creepy Crypt-keeper Wasp. This parasitic wasp eats you alive inside your home and then forces you to dig a tunnel so it can escape by bursting through your forehead. All compl…
This week, Kirk brings us a mystery. Last September, the Earth rang like a bell for nine days and a team of 56 scientists from around the world spent a year investigating why. The story the uncovered involves the collapse of a mountain and a mind-boggling larg…
Rachel kicks things off this week with the amazing Wombat butt. Sure, Kirk talked about the strange square shaped poo of the Wombat many episodes ago but he didn't talk about their armored butt and how they use it for defense. Thanks for the update Rachel!
So much to unpack here this week. Kirk starts us off with a story about bears in Yellowstone eating 40,000 moths to get ready for winter.
Rachel starts us off with a mysterious river of blood in Antarctica. Okay, so not actually blood but what is causing this strange red river to flow out of a glacier on the bottom of the world?
You may have seen this one in the headlines. Kirk does a deep dive on the science behind this fascinating phenomenon. Scientists have turned the skin of mice completely transparent in a simple reversible technique using the same dye that makes Doritos orange. …
Victoria is with us this week and she brings us the tale of giant Coconut Crabs that just may have eaten Amelia Earhart.
Having survived wild thunderstorms, your intrepid hosts return with tales of the strange.
This week Kirk starts us off with a bizarre story about the weirdly human trait of blushing when we are embarrassed. He then tells us about a wild new study that had teenage girls blushing while in an MRI machine all though the magic of Karaoke.
I can't believe I am about to type this sentence but Rachel's topic this week is Foot-long Neurotoxic Invasive Terrestrial Flatworms. Yeah. That's...that's a lot.
This week, Kirk brings us a story about ants that perform surgery on injured colony members. Warning, the only surgery they know is amputation.
This week, Victoria talks about the bird pirates of the sea, the Great Skua. These birds have an incredible memory for people they don't like and they have also been known to steal other animals eyeballs. Woah.
This week it's back to the briny deep as Rachel talks about a program to train sharks to eat lion fish. It's the latest in a strange list of ways people have been trying to control this invasive fish species.
On this week's show, Kirk talks about the uncomfortable middle path. How does ambiguity shape our choices? Why do things that are not quite one thing or the other make us uncomfortable.
The gang's all together this week. Victoria kicks things off with a story about a bizarre fern that displayed a totally new concept in plants. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, the Zombie Fern. This bizarre plant can convert dead fronds into roots. It's someth…
Hello Everyone, ready for another fun episode? Rachel kicks us off this week by talking about Alpha Gal. No, she's not a superhero. Alpha Gal is an allergy to mammal meat you can get from being bitten by a tick. Absolutely terrible.
Kirk once again takes us back to space this week to talk about Schloz's Star. Incredibly, scientists discovered that 70,000 years ago, this star actually passed THROUGH our solar system.
Rachel goes back to the ocean to talk about bizarre, small, upside-down, solar powered jellyfish.
Kirk tells us all about the amazing but extinct Elephant Bird, an incredible bird that could grow to a massive 2000 pounds. Rachel next brings us an absolutely astounding story of a researcher who wanted to answer the question of why snakes strike and bite and…
We're all over the place this week. Victoria is back and she brings a mind blower talking about how the length of the day and the number of days in a year have changed dramatically over time. Kirk then brings things back to birds (of course) with a talk about …
This week Kirk starts us off with a fascinating story of PMO or Prosopometamorphopsia, a condition where people strangely see distortions to other people's faces that can make them look like demons, elves or dragons.
This week Rachel and Kirk share some incredible stories. Rachel starts us of with some amazing facts about the Albatross. They are truly giant and amazing birds that spend much of their life at sea.
On this week's show, Kirk tells us about a fascinating discovery that may mean feathers are older than dinosaurs.
Victoria kicks things off this week with a bizarre question, is there anything we have three of in our body? This interesting question lead her on a deep dive looking at the strange diversity of body plans on Earth.
This week Rachel brings nightmares to life with a land shark. That's right, a shark that walks on land. Listen to this week's show to learn more about epaulette sharks!
This week we ended up with the accidental theme of things being bigger than we expected.
This week Victoria tells us all about the strange bird, the Pelican. Did you know they can fit 5 gallons of water in their mouth?
This week Rachel brings the amazing story of the relationship between humans and birds called Honeyguides. Victoria looks into the strange story of bird respiration and Kirk discusses the process of how volcanic islands become lush and green.
This week, Kirk talks about how scientists found a way to double or even triple your lifespan. The catch? You have to be an ant and you have to be infected with tapeworms.
Rachel's up first this week with a deep dive on the largest toothed whale in the world, the Sperm whale. How did they get that weird name? You'll have to listen to find out.
This week, Kirk starts us off with an unbelievable story about a recent science expedition to one of the most remote jungles in the world where scientists bizarrely discovered a terrestrial shrimp. That's right a shrimp that lives on land.
This week, Victoria spins a tale of a mystery creature inflicting terrible pain swimmers and the strange unorthodox researcher who solved the mystery. Kirk then tells us about strange obelisks living in our mouths. Rachel rounds out the week by diving down 16,…
It's that time again, the end of another year of Strange by Nature. So, as usual, we're joined by professional naturalist Brett Sieberer and he takes over the show to quiz us about the past year of shows and other bizarre nature knowledge. Yes, we play the eve…
This week Rachel kicks of the show talking about the bizarre theoretical phenomenon of Spaghettification, the process of your body being stretched out into a line of sub-atomic particles inside a black hole.
This week Kirk kicks us off with a discussion of Samurai Crabs and realizes they sound familiar because of a strange childhood connection involving a cartoon rabbit.
Victoria kicks off this week with a charged up salute to caffeine. Sure, you can find it in Coffee and Tea but there are other plants from around the world with caffeine including a Holly from North America.
This week we Rachel and Kirk both head to the ocean but or very different reasons.
This week Kirk kicks things off with details of a fascinating study that determined which perfume tigers find most alluring. The implications for research are surprisingly useful.
This week Victoria starts us off by having us think about dinosaurs and why we haven't updated our portrayals of them based on new science. It turns out, T-Rex probably had lips.
Rachel kicks off this week with a bizarre tale of a parasite that invades the nests of red ants, pretends to be their queen, works the ants to death, and eats their young all in a quest to become a beautiful butterfly.
This week on the show, Kirk talks about how Beer saved his life (and yours.) Rachel then has a mystery animal that isn't anything like you would suspect from the name. The Mountain Chicken doesn't live in mountains, and isn't a chicken. It isn't even a bird. I…
Two great topics this week. Rachel tells us about mysterious rivers that flow under the ocean and Kirk tracks the history and evolution of the tongue!
This week, Kirk kicks things off by sharing some incredible research that shows it may be possible to induce a torpor/hibernation state in mammals with ultrasound. Rachel lets us know all about the Gopher Tortoise, and Victoria tell us all about the strange wo…
Hello Dear Listeners. Here's what we have for you this week. Victoria kicks things off by telling the tale of her recent encounter with one of the world's few venomous mammals and you'll never guess where she found it...her basement!
We had an absolute blast this week with the full crew. Rachel kicks us off by telling us exactly how strange Scallops really are. Are those eyes? Yup. Next up, Victoria tells us the story of the golf course with bull sharks in the water traps. Kirk then wraps …
Kirk takes us on a journey to learn about where the smell of Musk comes from and along the way we find out about a problem with the synthetic versions that took our nostrils by storm starting in the 1990s. Rachel then tells the amazing story about how the phys…
Rachel kicks things off this week with the most ridiculous looking spider ever. Seriously. This thing is bizarre and cool and completely stupid looking. Listen as we learn about the Pelican Spider.
This week Kirk kirk kicks things off by talking about a fungus showing up somewhere unexpected.
Victoria brings us the amazing story of the world's first ever known fruit eating frog. Yeah, it pollinates flowers too.
This week, Rachel ask the question, "Can you tell if something is wet?" the answer may surprise you.
Kirk just can't help himself and goes with another episode about a parasite. Ladies and Germs, we present, the Rat Lung Worm.
Welcome to the Halloween Episode.
As we ramp up toward Halloween things really start to get weird. Kirk makes us all queasy by talking about Bot flies that prey on humans. Rachel brings us the bizarre looking Monkey Slug Caterpillar and Victoria tells us all about Cockroaches. We had a ton of …
Victoria kicks things off with a bizarre story about Fire Beetles, a strange animals that actually goes TOWARD fire instead of away from it. Kirk then shares some disturbing news about powerful solar storms that could disable society and Rachel rounds out this…
Rachel starts us off this week with the strange history of Jackalopes. It seems they are a fairly recent fabrication and not real animals...or are they? The story is stranger than you may expect.
Kirk brings some new science around Bamboo. Are we on the verge of a massive die-off? Rachel talks Cheetahs! Are they strange? Yup!
Victoria starts off this week making us squirm with the story of a worm in a woman's brain. Kirk then shares some strange facts about the Fossa, the main antagonist in the kids movie Madagascar that for sure did NOT make it into the cartoon and Rachel wraps th…
The whole gang's back together this week and it ends up being an unplanned invertebrate extravaganza! Rachel blows our mind this week with new research that shows spiders dream, Victoria then talked about absolutely astounding ant super-colonies that span seve…
This week Kirk answers the question, "Can plants smell?" by looking at some really interesting experiments.
This week Rachel takes us (unsurprisingly) to the depths of the ocean to meet a bizarre and ancient creature while Kirk talks about how the smell of fresh cut grass may actually be a cry for help.
Kirk kicks things off with a deep dive on Sea Devils, Rachel brings us the story of a squid that seems to have an invisibility cloak and Victoria tells us the tale of a strange bird that smells exactly like tangerines.
Victoria is back this week and she starts things off with a list of animals that smell like familiar foods. Kirk tells us about the Red-lipped Batfish, an utterly bizarre creature from the ocean and Rachel rounds out the show this week with a suggested topic, …
This week Rachel goes in search of a bird lost to science for over 100 years and Kirk answers the question, "Where did all of these lakes come from?"
This week Kirk kicks off the show with the tallest canine in the world, the strange Maned Wolf. Rachel then takes us off the planet to the outer reaches of the solar system to learn about Haumea, a strange dwarf planet shaped like a giant rugby ball.
Victoria kicks things off this week with a surprising story about Garlic Mustard that goes against everything we thought we knew.
Rachel really kicks things off this week by telling us about the "human fish" that live in caves. Victoria is back this week and looking at how the gender of scientists can skew the results of research. Kirk rounds things off this week by talking about how hip…
This week, Kirk talks about how Carl Linnaeus thought there were species of Wild humans and Monster humans.
This week Rachel kicks things off with a story about the Unicorns of the Sea, Narwhals!
This week Kirk talks about strange collective nouns for animals and an animal we never realized travels in herds until recently. Rachel tells us about the amazing quetzal bird with a three foot tail and Victoria rounds out this week's show with a series of upd…
This week Victoria tells us about the strange armored spiny mouse. Kirk talks about real life dragons in the sea and Rachel rounds out the week with tales of the most colorful river in the world.
Did you know that most other animals make their own vitamin C and we're the weirdos who don't? You won't find a goat or lemur with Scurvy. Kirk tells us all about it. Rachel then brings us on a journey of discovery under the sea to learn about the Sea Horse.
This week Rachel kicks things off by talking about Clown Fish and how they can actually change their sex! Guest Alicia Little has us fascinated with the science behind catnip and Kirk finishes up with an amazing story of how viruses make you more attractive to…
Happy Summer! This week, Kirk kicks things off by talking about another human parasite, Rachel details the re-discovery of one of the rarest bees in the world and Victoria tells the tale of a drowned child brought back to life.
This week Victoria blows our mind with a story of beetles moisture farming though their anus, Kirk goes on a rant about the color of the sun and Rachel tells us a tale of a cool hermit crab with connections to the film/book Howl's Moving Castle.
Rachel kicks things off this week by finally talking about the Kiwi (the bird). Our guest this week, Noah, shares two topics, Chaga and Squirrels. Kirk rounds out this week with the most complex chimera known to science.
This week we are joined by Bobby Frankenberger from All Around Science Podcast.
Rachel kicks things off with a strange news story of loons. Victoria then takes us on a journey into the parasitic world of Ox Peckers that leaves us laughing. Kirk FINALLY unravels the mystery of cubical wombat poop. We had a lot of fun this week, enjoy!
This week, Kirk talks about the bizarre possible relationship between having a pet and your child NOT having specific food allergies. Rachel then tells us the story of how an 8 year old boy ended up changing what we understand about ants. Victoria rounds out t…
What a treat, this week we are joined by Brett Sieberer. You may know him as the quiz master behind our anniversary shows but he's an incredible professional naturalist as well.
This week, Kirk breaks our brains a bit by revisiting the color purple and thinking about how strange it is that we can see it at all. Rachel then reels in the largest sunfish in the world and you won't believe how bit it can get.
This week Kirk brings us the story of mysterious Blue Lava, Rachel discusses the strange shoebill and Victoria takes us on a search for 10,000 feet of missing rock.
This week, Victoria talks about a strange interaction between dolphins and an anaconda. Kirk takes on the concept of time and Rachel brings us one of the strangest creatures ever on the show.
This week Rachel kicks things off with a story about the amazingly fast growing invasive Japanese Knotweed. Our guest, Marika Bell then takes a fascinating look at how different animals perceive colors. Finally, Kirk rounds out the show describing a bizarre pr…
We have a ton of fun this week when Alicia Little returns to the show. Kirk kicks things off talking about living amongst real-life giants who are waging a war (no, really, he's serious), Alicia tells the amazing story of the unexpected natural source of the f…
We made it! This episode marks the end of year two of the podcast and the beginning of year three. Thanks for coming along for the ride. There have been almost 325 different topics on the show so far and we're not stopping. We are, however, taking a pause this…
Rachel kicks things off this week with a story about an animal that, and I'm quoting Rachel here, kills things by "Being Slowly sucked into the mouth of your Cousin." Confused? You'll just have to listen.
This Week, Kirk kicks things off with LEECHES! Special guest Maura from All Around Science Podcast then tells us about mysterious Glass Frogs and Rachel rounds things out with the bizarre Suriname Toad.
This week it's just Victoria and Kirk and they have stories to tell. Victoria does a deep dive on all the pseudo-milks made by non-mammals animals. Kirk tells the amazing tale of a woman frozen and brought back to life making scientists ponder human hibernatio…
Happy Valentine's Week. This week's show features three stories of courtship and mating. Rachel starts things off with the mating display of the Sage Grouse. Victoria reveals the story of a surprisingly cuddly rat and Kirk rounds things out with the exhausting…
What a fun show this week. We're all over the place. Kirk starts off with strange sounds recorded in the deep of the ocean, a mystery that may finally be solved. Rachel tells us about the bizarre velvet worms who will shoot sticky super glue on you and then di…
Victoria kicks things off this week with a story about nose picking that has us squirming in our seats. Kirk then keeps things moving by talking about a food that is literally called "rock excrement". Rachel rounds things out with strange tales of Komodo Drago…
This week we welcome special guest Ellen Waterford from Just the Zoo of Us podcast.
This week, Rachel brings us the science behind the bombardier beetle's hot acidic spray. Victoria then tells us about the chameleon of the plant world and Kirk tells to the story of the time rabbits beat Napoleon into retreat.
This week we're looking back at our first 100 episodes in the nerdiest way possible, a quiz show. Three rounds, 18 questions. Can our fearless hosts remember all of the strange topics they've brought to your ear holes? Can you?
Our 99th episode! Victoria starts things off by talking about the biggest volcano on Earth...and Mars!
This week we welcomed Alicia Little onto the show as a guest host. Rachel kicks things off with a story about giant venomous centipedes, Alicia brings us the interesting tale of an edible mushroom that hijacks the DNA of other mushrooms to grow and Kirk rounds…
Kirk kicks things off this week with surprising news about a familiar parasite shaping wolf pack dynamics at Yellowstone.
This week Victoria tells the strange tail of the disappearing Mediterranean, Kirk delves into the world of slime molds and Rachel tells us about a place that rains metals.
This week, Rachel introduces us to a fungus we are pretty sure is actually an alien waiting to infect us and burst from our chest cavity, Victoria shares the story of the fascinating Argonaut sea creature and Kirk once again tries to break our brains, this tim…
This one's s doozy. Rachel starts us off with the mystery of farting fish, our guest Lang DeLancy tells us the tale of a mushroom that turns to rocket fuel in your stomach and Kirk grosses us out with new research on cow mucus based personal lubricant with the…
This week we welcome a special guest, Michael Hawk from Nature's Archive podcast. Kirk kicks things off by talking about the Demon Core, Michael talks about the bizarre world of plant galls and Rachel round things out with poisonous birds!
Rachel kicks things off this week talking about the howling Grasshopper mouse, Victoria makes us all uncomfortable talking about a crab parasite and Kirk talks about a possible connection between the Black Plague and autoimmune diseases.
Kirk unwraps the mystery of "The Trembles", Rachel discusses tidal bores and Victoria tells us the tale of an animal that has never been seen.
Happy Halloween Everyone. Welcome to the 2022 Halloween Show. This week we have extra spooky topics. Victoria talks about dead spiders brought back to life as robots by scientists, Kirk tells us the tale of vampire butterflies ripping into the flesh of their f…
Rachel starts off with Bleeding Tooth Fungus, Victoria looks at the connections and myths behind Willow bark and Aspirin and Kirk tells us the strange tale of unexpected consequences in a redwood forest.
Kirk starts things off with pyromaniac raptors who set wildfires, Rachel gives us a quick primer on Wolverines and Victoria talks about the mysterious phenomenon of Seneca Guns (aka mysterious booms from the sky.)
This week, Victoria regales us with the tale of how she accidentally cut the end of her finger off which lead to learning about human finger regeneration, Kirk takes us to the real-life Mount Doom in New Zealand and Rachel kicks off an October of creepy creatu…
We really step into it this week. Rachel starts things off all innocent with a story about Sea Stars and then Victoria and Kirk both somehow end up doing stories about fecal material. Victoria talks about a strange effect that makes people have to poop in book…
This week, Kirk reveals how Dung beetles navigate using the Milky Way, Rachel dives into research that put 3D glasses on Cuttlefish and Victoria brings 30,000 year old plants and animals back from the dead.
This week Victoria tells us about a mysterious and giant plant that is missing major plant parts, Kirk talks about the dolphins that work for the US Navy and Rachel get down with the puzzle of what makes cacti so strange.
This week, Rachel details the absolutely bonkers migration strategy of Monarch butterflies, Victoria goes into the bizarre properties of heavy water and Kirk talks about research into dragonflies that fake their own deaths to avoid having sex.
Pulsars, Things that Eat Dragonflies and Cookie Cutter Sharks. How's that for a diverse set of topics this week?
This week, Victoria talks about the time nature created a naturally occurring nuclear reactor, Kirk takes on the very real magic "Bezoars" from Harry Potter and Rachel explains why a Banana is a berry but a Strawberry is not.
This week, Rachel kicks things off with truly bizarre looking sharks, Victoria pushes out brains to the breaking point with recursive islands, and Kirk brings us the bizarre tale of hibernating birds.
This week, Kirk kicks things off with cows, farts, burps and global warming, Rachel then tells us about Bone-house wasps using dead ants for camouflage and finally Victoria presents her case for the Hoatzin being declared the weirdest bird on Earth.
Victoria kicks things off this week with the tiny Pumpkin Toadlet, Kirk talks about the biggest lightning on Earth and Rachel shares her love/hate with Buckthorn.
This week, Rachel rolls on in with strange tales of Tumbleweeds, Victoria thaws out a very recent (and silky) wooly mammoth and Kirk introduces us to a super cute animal with the power to photosynthesize. So much goodness here!
Kirk kicks things off by talking about new islands, Rachel takes us to the Dead Sea and Victoria brings us the tale of the largest bacteria in the world. We got a little aquatic this week.
More corpses than you would expect in one episode. Victoria starts things off with an assassin bug that camouflages itself with the corpses of its prey. Kirk brings more corpses to the table, or mountain as it were with a discussion of sky burials and vultures…
We're on a fun journey this week. Rachel talks about the bone crushing abilities of bearded vultures, Victoria regales us with tales of Trash Pandas and other N. American creatures invading foreign lands and Kirk explains why, at least legally, Bees are Fish.
This week, Kirk starts things off by telling us about the newly discovered largest organism in the world, Rachel finishes up pride month with a rainbow colored tree and Victoria dives into the briny sea to fetch us a handful of poisonous cone snails.
More aquatic fun this week as Victoria kicks things off by talking about the famous Shackleton expedition. Kirk stays in the sea for a deep dive on bizarre boxer crabs that use anemone as pom-poms and finally Rachel brings us back to land with a primer on cham…
Rachel kicks things off by taking us to the ocean to meet the insanely colorful Mandarin Dragonet. Victoria talks about animals that can both shrink and grow their brains. Kirk cuts through the waves with the weirdness that is Storm Oil. We hope you enjoy ecle…
This week Kirk brings us the adorable pokemon of a mammal the Lowland Streaked Tenrec, Rachel tells us why the color Magenta doesn't really exist and Victoria talks about bizarre teeth of Chitons. You'll just have to listen to figure out where the episode titl…
Victoria kicks things off this week with an overview of Extremophiles, Kirk talks about blueberry eating wolves and Rachel kicks off Pride week by talking about the colorful rainbow colored Peacock Mantis Shrimp.
This week, Rachel kicks things off with the chilling story of dead man's fingers, Victoria explores the inner workings of a termite mound and Kirk takes us to the Burning Mountain in Australia.
This week, Kirk takes on the mustard plant you don't realize you eat all the time, Rachel tells the tail of how to ferret out a problem in a particle accelerator and Victoria explores the origins of life on Earth.
This week, Victoria brings us the horrific story of Ergotism that ranges all the way from limbs falling off bodies to LSD. Kirk tackles the question of the Biggest Earthquake in the World and Rachel unwraps the mystery of the disappearing Devils Kettle waterfa…
We almost called this one, I'm Going to Eat My Siblings when Rachel started off talking about Frilled Sharks. Victoria then upped the ante by making reference to The Genital Arms Race in her story about duck sex. We pretty much had to go with that right? Kirk …
Kirk bring us the tale of the Candiru and horrifying stories of how they want to invade your body. Rachel talks about surprisingly sinking hippos and Victoria takes on Saturn's weirdest moon, Enceladus.
We're all over the place this week. Victoria swerves into outer space for a ride to the Rings of Saturn. Kirk takes us to the Racetrack Playa to unlock the 100-year-old mystery of the Sliding Stones and Rachel subverts our expectations by introducing us to arm…
Rachel details bizarre research that gave ants stilts, Victoria talks about planet-wide magnetic field reversal and Kirk does a deep dive on Sea Monkeys. This one's got it all!
Kirk finally brings us stories of Tardigrades, Rachel blows our minds with the explosive and poisonous Dynamite Tree and Victoria talks about giant spiders falling from the sky.
This week, Victoria tracks down the mystery of where eels come from, Kirk bring us the tale of Australian Camels, and Rachel also heads down under for a story about Idiot fruit.
This week Rachel tackles different pupil shapes in nature, Victoria brings us the shocking story of the spot on Earth with non-stop lightening, and Kirk talks about the amazing memories of crows.
Kirk glowing sea jelly "brains", Rachel details the decades long quest to see if bees could tell time and Victoria talks about why humans menstruate. Yes, we say the words moist and sloughing repeatedly.
Welcome to Season Two! This begins our second year of the show. Thanks for coming along for the ride. This week we have something special. We're joined by professional naturalist Brett Sieberer who also happens to be a huge fan of the show. He takes us on a hi…
Victoria weaves a tale of a strange ancient desert plant, Kirk talks about magnets in the heads of fish, and Rachel tells us why the sky is blue.
Rachel takes on Orcas Vs. Blue whales, Victoria takes us to the ancient Atacama desert and Kirk asks the question, "Could we recognize bird calls if we traveled back in time?"
Kirk gives us all deja vu with a story about an accidental discovery in Antarctica, Rachel talks hearts for Valentine's Day and Victoria talks about female sexual selection and interesting experiments to prove it exists.
This episode is really cool. (apologies for all the puns) Victoria illuminates the cool light of bioluminescence, Kirk takes us thousands of feet under the chilly Antarctic ice for a change scientific discovery and Rachel fills us in on immortal human cells.
This week, Rachel tells us about the bizarrely miniature Java Mouse Deer, Victoria talks about Staghorn Ferns and how they may actually form amazing social colonies with division of labor and Kirk delves into the important question, just how smart are Trash Pa…
This week we're excited to welcome Laura from the For the Love of Nature Podcast to the show. Be sure to check out the fun they have on their show as well. In this episode, Kirk talks Quantum Entanglement in bird eyes, Laura does a redux on Quicksand, Rachel t…
Victoria kicks us off this week with a story about flesh eating vulture bees. Kirk talks about Mt. Tambora, the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history and Rachel finishes her two-parter on the bizarre world of anaerobic respiration.
Rachel begins a Two Part expose on how turtles breathe with their butts in the winter. Victoria uncovers the truth about a mysterious plant we just discovered is actually carnivorous and Kirk takes on the bizarre Mpemba Effect. Does hot water really freeze fas…
Kirk kicks us off with the story of Krakatoa, possibly the most famous volcanic explosion of all time. We then all bond over our collective dislike of Pineapple (which is Rachel's topic), and Victoria tells us the mysterious tale of the Army Ants with two butt…
This week, Victoria brings us a mysterious case of a chimeric mother, Kirk brings the mystery of the 26 second pulse and Rachel brings us...The Emu War.
Rachel bring us monkey eating Harpy eagles, Victoria explains how we know what we know about the core of the Earth and Kirk explains the connection between Jurassic Park and California Condors (Hint: parthenogenesis)
Kirk kicks us off with the bizarre tale of how B.F. Skinner trained pigeons to pilot guided bombs in WWII, Rachel predictably goes to Australia to talk about some beautiful and oddly named peacock spiders and Victoria does a deep dive on the amazing geared leg…
Victoria blows us away with facts about the Tunguska Event, Kirk shares new research on how fungus kills and farms insects to feed their nitrogen to plants and Rachel tells us why you don't want to go to a night club that uses spittle bug spittle for the foam …
Rachel takes on Anting where birds purposefully let ants spray them with formic acid, Victoria takes on that lovely North American marsupial the Opossum and Kirk introduces us to Summit Disease which leads to zombie necrophilia. One of these seems more horrifi…
In this very special episode we hang out with Vikram Baliga from the Planthropology Podcast. We ponder whether or not plants can see, learn about insects that look like plants and delve into the bizarre world of carnivorous plants.
Kirk shares the possible real-world origin of Blood Rain, Rachel shares the story of The Old Man of the Lake in Crater Lake and Victoria tells the tale of the fatal death cap mushroom.
Our 40th Episode! Thanks everyone! On today's show Victoria talks about the Wallace Line, an explanation for why Australia is so different than everywhere else. Kirk shares an "ah ha" moment that involves goldfinches smelling like Maple Syrup and Rachel does a…
Rachel tells us the story of the Man who married a White-naped Crane, Victoria has an explosive story about the Yellowstone Supervolcano and Kirk shares another story about interesting research into bird migration using smell.
Brain Eating Amoebas, Rabid Werewolves and Snake eating Spiders. Come get some.
Victoria tackles the mysteries of lactation in mammals, Kirk connects Avacados to extinct sloths and Rachel tries really hard to convince us that Mermaids are Manatees.
Rachel unravels the history of the Unicorn, Victoria explains albinism and related weirdness and Kirk debunks a myth about carrots that goes back to WWII propaganda.
Kirk brings us a malodorous mystery, Rachel gets into the Halloween spirit with Vampire Bats and Victoria talks about a possible real world candidate for the mythical Minhocão.
Victoria shares some fascinating research about Zebra Stripes, Kirk peeps on the science behind Fall Colors and Rachel talks about another living fossil, this time, the Tuatara.
Rachel shares the story of the first ever broad-leafed tree (that is still with us today), Victoria digs on the Tasmanian Tiger and Kirk does a deep dive on these strange molecules called Carotenoids.
Dagger moths, Vampire Deer and Midwestern earthquakes.
This this episode, Victoria introduces the concept of cryptically extinct animals, Kirks looks are the relationship between mosquitoes and blood type and Rachel talks about the possible real-world historical roots of the mythical Phoenix.
Rachel does a deep dive on the evolutionary history of whales, Victoria rummages around the evolutions junk drawer and Kirk talk about meat eating Hippos.
Rachel predictably brings us a story from the ocean and we learn about the bizarre Oar Fish. Victoria relives childhood beach trauma and tells us about the Horseshoe Crab and Kirk blows everyone's minds with amazing facts about the most numerous bird on Earth.
Kirk breaks our brains with a simple question about humidity, Rachel nerds out on the Cassowary and Victoria brings us flying snakes. Why...why must there be flying snakes?
Kirk shares some ingenious research on bird migration, Rachel horrifies us with the Sarcastic Fringehead (and learns a geography lesson in the process) and Victoria brings on a plague of locusts.
Victoria tells us that our immune systems make detergent, Kirk reveals the answer to the centuries old mystery of the Zodiacal Light and Rachel tells the tale of the Giant Chinese Salamander!
Victoria tells us about orchids and it gets weird. Kirk tells an unbelievable story about trees growing inside a human and Rachel does a deep dive on some of the cooler facts about dragonflies.
This week brings three awesome stories from around the world. Rachel brings the the tale of the "Horror Frog", Victoria has a mystery plant like no other and Kirk gives us a cool research update on how carnivores affect the plants in an ecosystem.
It's true, we know the secrets of the fire swamps, we've lived there quite happily for some time.
Corpse Flowers, the Mystery of the Channeled Scablands and Biomimicry.
Kirk brings us two stories of bulletproof armadillos to start off the show this week.
Victoria brings us a slimy story of hagfish gone amok, Kirk takes his extremes off planet and Rachel impales our ears on a story of the Loggerhead Shrike.
Rachel talks ghost flowers, Victoria chats about spiders flying with electricity and Kirk brings weather extremes on Earth.
Kirk talks radiation loving bacteria, Rachel nerds out on Moose, and Victoria talks about self-decapitating "wonder mollusks".
Victoria takes on a listener question about Brood X Cicadas, Kirk introduces us to the Many Assed Hydra Worm and Rachel explores (the history of) the anus.
In this week's episode, Victoria tells us about lakes that will kill you from miles away, Kirk does a sand-striker worm redux and Rachel lays down some facts about an 80,000 year old tree.
Rachel introduces us to the oldest shark in the world, Victoria discusses using human waste as fertilizer and Kirk blows our minds with an alternative evolutionary possibility.
Kirk tries to convince us that humans are actually a chimera of two species, Rachel brings the aquatic nightmare fuel and Victoria shares more than you probably wanted to know about Hyenas. Yikes.
Female only fish, Urine, and Lightening. Three completely random and fascinating topics.
What can we say. This one has it ALL. If you need proof the universe is a strange place we got it right here.
Kirk tells us about the Tree of Death, Rachel shares about the thermogenic Skunk Cabbage and Victoria discusses how Vikings navigated using sun stones.
This one gets heavy. Victoria talks about the impact of snakes on an island ecosystem, Kirk tells the story of bats as bombs and Rachel dives into the deep to talk about Butterfly snails.
We're gob-smacked by the horrific mouth of the Gob-faced Squid, then transported deep undersea to study hydrothermal vents and finally we stop to ponder why everything keeps falling unconscious.
Things Older than Dinosaurs, Koalas, and Giant Leaf Insects.
The Tongue-Eating Louse, Super Dense Neutron Stars, and Bees!
Legless Lizards, Amazing Pigeon Skills, and Darwin’s Tubercle.
Being eaten alive while paralyzed, mites living (and loving) on your face, and being turned into a zombie by a worm. This one has it all.
Not just Cannibals, this one also has a sugar cartel robbed in the largest heist in Canadian history and Kirk denies he is "The Banana Slasher."
This is one of our first five episodes. The audio was a little rough back then but thanks for liking the show so much you've going back to the beginning. Enjoy!
The Singing Penis of the Water Boatman, Freshwater Bryozoans and Weird Octopus Facts. An aquatic all-stars episode.
Naked Mole Rats, Coelacanths and Space fairing lichens.
We're just a week away from the launch of the podcast. Here's a few more tasty excerpts. Be sure to subscribe.
Subscribe now! Season 1 begins March 10th.
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