Big Biology
Episodes
Survival of the systems: The power of persistence (Ep 63)
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comCan selection act on ecosystems, societies, or planets such that ...
Situated Darwinism: Organism-centered evolution (Ep 62)
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comAre genes the prime movers in evolution, or is causality distribu...
Decoding CRISPR: Jennifer Doudna and the future of gene editing (Ep 61)
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is CRISPR? Who are the key players behind its discovery? And...
Human-assisted evolution: Conserving coral diversity (Ep 60)
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy are some corals more resilient to bleaching than others? How ...
Feel the burn: The limits of human energy expenditure and endurance (Ep 59)
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat can modern hunter-gatherer societies teach us about human en...
Finding our voice: The neurobiology of vocal learning (Ep 58)
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did vocal learning evolve? What is special about human langua...
Georgia O'Keeffe and the Red Queen: Ecosystem services via coevolution (Ep 57)
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is coevolution? How has coevolution between insects and plan...
Bee kind: The buzz on global insect declines (Ep 56)
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy are bee populations declining? How can we reliably monitor in...
New content on Patreon, social media and our website.
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We are jumping into the podcast feed with a few quick updates. We’re revamping our Patreon tier system to give you more Big Biology content. We also...
Hot wings: How birds stay cool under the Australian sun (Ep 55)
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comOn this episode of Big Biology we talk to Christine Cooper (@CECo...
And the Oskar goes to: Germ-soma differentiation in insects (Ep 54)
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is a germ cell and why do animals separate germ and soma (bo...
Turn down the lights: The ecological effects of bright nights (Ep 53)
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow has the amount of artificial light changed over the last 150 ...
Coronavirus III: Town Hall (Ep 52)
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow can local and state governments repair the damage done by COV...
A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and Contingency (Ep 51)
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is the role of chance in explaining variation in biology? Ho...
Big Blue: How whales evolved to become ocean titans (Ep 50)
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comAre whales the biggest animals to have ever lived? Why have they ...
The Vital Question: The Chemistry of Early Life (Ep 49)
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did life originate on Earth? Why is it that eukaryotes but no...
An 8-legged Bite: The Evolution of Venom in Spiders and Beyond (Ep 48)
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did the Brown Recluse get its powerful bite? How widespread i...
The Origin of Us: Human evolution (Ep 47)
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhere, when, and how did Homo sapiens appear? What do we know abo...
Smarthropods: Cognition in Insects (Ep 46)
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhich animals are conscious, and how can we tell? Does it matter?...
CROSSOVER: On Coronavirus, Crisis, and Creative Opportunity with David Krakauer (Complexity podcast from the Santa Fe Institute)
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast was originally broadcast by Complexity, a podcast from the Santa Fe Institute on April, 20 2020.Big Biology has featured several scientis...
Season 3 Preview
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first episode of season three is coming out later this week. Here's a taste of what's coming up.Right now, we're looking for a few interns to join...
RE-RUN: Tangling the Tree of Life
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comToday we’re replaying of our discussion with science writer Dav...
RE-RUN: Information, Aliens and the Origin of Life
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comThis episode was originally published in 2018. It's one of our mo...
Ep 45: Student Spotlight
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How are early stage scientists pushing biology forward? What’s it like to be a graduate student during a global pandemic?Over the last several mon...
Ep 44: The Science of Slime
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat’s the slimiest fish on Earth? Why are they so slimy? And c...
Ep 43: Project ICARUS
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat can we learn from animals by constantly tracking their movem...
Ep 42: Fatal Fungus
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy are amphibians across the world dying from a fungal infection...
Ep 41: Coronavirus II
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhere did the new coronavirus come from? How can we be on the loo...
We need your help to make season three!
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re getting ready for season three next fall. We already have a bunch of great guests lined up to talk about the evolution of venom, insect intell...
Ep 40: Songbird Scents
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do hormones like testosterone coordinate important activities...
Ep 39: Bioelectric Computation
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do animals construct tissues, organs, and limbs in the right ...
Ep 38: Coronavirus
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow is COVID-19 transmitted and how broad will the pandemic becom...
Ep 37: Loading the Dice
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat forms of consciousness exist in the natural world? What role...
Ep 36: Intentional Evolution
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIs there a role for agency in evolution? Do organismal efforts to...
Ep 35: PruittData
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat led to a recent series of research paper retractions in beha...
Ep 34: Matrix Matters
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is sensory drive, and how has it affected the evolution of c...
Ep 33: Magic Puzzle Box
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is Maxwell's demon, and what is its role in biology? How do ...
Ep 32: Diluting Disease
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow is declining biodiversity affecting the occurrence and spread...
Ep 31: Methusalicious
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIf natural selection is constantly ridding lineages of detrimenta...
Happy Holidays!
14 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Make a donation to Big Biology through Patreon at Patreon.com/bigbio or at bigbiology.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...
Ep 30: Know Your 'Ome
06 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat can direct-to-consumer genetic companies tell us about our h...
Ep 29: Lick Your Kids
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow important are pathways other than DNA for transmitting traits...
Ep 28: Evolution Now
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do new species form? How long does it take for evolution to h...
Ep 27: Flight of the Ur-Sect
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy did conventional thinking in aerodynamics fail to explain how...
Ep 26: The Long Road to Mexico
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow does a tiny insect migrate thousands of miles from Canada to ...
Ep 25: Dopamine Unto Others
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat does neuroscience have to say about morality, politics, and ...
Ep 24: Mental Smoke Detectors
13 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy hasn’t natural selection eliminated human diseases? Are bad...
Ep 23: Beauty of the Beasts
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy are animals loud and conspicuous when that increases their ri...
Season 2 Preview
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Season two of Big Biology starts on August 29. On this preview, Art and Marty talk about some of the guests they’ll be interviewing and some of the ...
Ep 22: Whale Aware
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIs intelligence similar in humans and dolphins? Do dolphins and w...
Ep 21: Replaying the MP3 of Life
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy do some rove beetles look like ants? Why do living things evo...
Ep 20: Ask Us Anything
19 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIn this episode, we've taken a break from our regular format to a...
Ep 19: Microbial Garden of Eden
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow does our indoor, modern lifestyle affect our microbiome? How...
Ep 18: Bug in the system
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow can cicadas eat nothing but tree sap for 17 years? How do end...
Ep 17: 1000 ways to make a baby
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did sex evolve? Why are there sexes at all? what are the evol...
Ep 16: Rules of Life
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat role does one part of the federal government, the National S...
Ep 15: Climate change: should they stay or should they go?
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow is climate change affecting the distribution of animals? How ...
Ep 14: Plasticity? Sounds fishy.
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDoes plasticity always help organisms adapt? What happens if it d...
Ep 13: Unraveling Genetic Knots
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDo single genes cause variation in traits or are gene effects mor...
Ep 12: Containing Cancer with Squirrel Ecology
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWill cancer ever become just another chronic but manageable disea...
Ep 11: The Vagina Research Institute
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some animals have weird genitalia? Why is there conflict between males and females when it comes to producing offspring? Tune into this podcast...
Ep 10: Tangling the Tree of Life
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow has the Tree of Life changed since Darwin? How do genes jump ...
Ep 9: Information, Aliens, and the Origin of Life
22 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is life? How did life arise from non-life? What did life look like at its origin? Tune into this podcast to hear Art and Marty talk with Sara Wal...
Ep 8: Immune System: Make Love not War
19 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a constant battle between our immune system and pathogens? Does the fighting ever end? Does the immune system do more than just provide defen...
Ep 7: Genes Don't Do Crap
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is the connection between an organism's genes and its environment? Can the environment alter an organism's characteristics without altering its g...
Ep 6: Shrimp Fight Clubs and Basic Science
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do mantis shrimp punch as fast as a bullet… underwater? How do they break open one of the toughest materials on earth?Tune into this podcast to ...
Ep 5: Please Don't Kill the Bats
28 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do diseases spread from animals to humans? Is it possible to forecast where disease outbreaks will occur and when they will blow up into major hea...
Ep 4: The Science and Politics of Basic Biology
14 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a role for basic research in our society? Do scientists studying animals waste tax-payer money? How does learning about evolutionary biology ...
Ep 3: Animal Size and Godzilla's Breakfast
03 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a limit to animal size? Could Godzilla actually exist? Tune into this episode to hear Art and Marty talk to Jon Harrison and Jim Brown. ...
Ep 2: Harnessing Randomness
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is the role of random, stochastic events in biology? How does our body react to such events? Does the presence of random events in our brains giv...
Ep 1: The Drunken Monkey
06 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we drink alcohol? Are we just primates looking for a fix? Tune in to this episode to hear Art and Marty talk to Robert Dudley (not to be conf...
What is Big Biology?
06 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Big Biology is a podcast that tells the stories of scientists tackling some of the biggest unanswered questions in biology. This is a public episode. ...