I Wish You Were Dead
Episodes
Ep. 96 Fossil Laws Around The World
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fossil collecting is a hobby for many people around the world, but how legal is it? That depends where in the world you live! How legal is it to colle...
Ep. 95 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 8: The Dead Kennedys
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike takes the wheel once again to teach Gavin about the music of their childhoods...oh and also some extended members of the Kennedy political dynast...
Ep. 94 Snakes
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin, Mike and Fia talk about the most interesting group of lizards; Snakes! Why don't they have legs? Why don't they have two lungs? Why are people ...
Ep. 93 The Adirondack Mountains feat. Dr. Robert Darling
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike talk to one of Gavin's former professors, Dr. Robert Darling (Dr. Bob), about the Adirondack Mountains! Mike spent the summer hiking in...
Ep. 92 Volcanoes
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the exploding wonders of the planet; volcanoes. Episode Links: End-Ordovician Extinction Possibly Caused by Volcanism Con...
Ep. 91 Antarctica
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike is back from the wilderness, and just in time to join Fia to learn about Antarctica, the *most extreme* continent. Episode Links: Antarctica W...
Ep. 90 Fia Takes The Wheel vol. 3: Isle de Jean Charles
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fia tells Gavin about the recent climate-related struggles of a Native American tribe near where she does her field work, and how well-intentioned act...
Ep. 89 The Great Dying (End-Permian Mass Extinction)
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the times that life on Earth collectively bit the dust, one bite of dust rises above them all. In this episode, Gavin teaches Fia about the wor...
Ep. 88 A Wildlife Guide of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar)
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The highest-grossing movie of all-time is getting a sequel this year, and has A TON of really cool biological concepts in it, so Gavin and Fia talk ab...
Ep. 87 Paleoclimate w/ Dr. Lorelei Curtin
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fia and Mike are both out this week, so Gavin has one of his coworkers, Dr. Lorelei Curtin, explain how we study the climate of the ancient past...
Update on Episode 87 (Coming Friday)
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Quick update on the episode that would normally be going up today; instead it's going up on Friday. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form ...
Ep. 86 Primates
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin tells Fia about our hairy, climbing cousins, and how chimps are monkeys actually. Fia teaches Gavin about weird, flat fishes. Follow us on Twi...
Ep. 85 Stingrays, Skates and Banjos
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Shark Week, Gavin teaches Fia about the cousins of sharks; the rays and skates. Oh, and also banjos. Follow us on Twitter Topic form ...
Ep. 84 State Fossils Part 2
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin finishes teaching Fia about state fossils; Mike has returned to the wilds of New York; and Fia teaches Gavin about a *mystery fish* that she fou...
Ep. 83 State Fossils Part 1
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike's back! And just in time for Gavin to teach him and Fia about state fossils, how some states put in more effort than others (looking at you Flori...
Ep. 82 Island Evolution w/ Carolyn Kocken & Rudolph Hummel
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fia and Mike are away, so Gavin invites some grad school friends to talk about the funky stuff that islands do with their animals. Consider ins...
Ep. 81 The Carboniferous Rainforests
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Fia about the giant forests, salamanders, and insects of the the Carboniferous Period. Fia teaches Gavin about the most naked fish in th...
Ep. 80 Fia Takes The Wheel Vol. 2: Oysters Need Love Too
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fia tells Gavin about her Master's Thesis project; Mike tells us about his summer adventures. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’...
Ep. 79 Jurassic World: Dominion
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Fia talk about the new (and hopefully last) movie in the Jurassic Park franchise; Jurassic World: Dominion. Follow us on Twitter Topic f...
Ep. 78 The Nature Of The Fossil Record
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike and Fia about how the fossil record is both better and worse than you think it is. An also how it's like Swiss cheese. Fia teaches ...
Ep. 77 ROAD TRIP!!
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and his wife try not to run out gas on their cross country adventure. Only one them succeeds. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form ...
Ep. 76 The Rock Cycle
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin Teaches Mike About The Rock Cycle Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Youtube Channe...
Ep. 75 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 7: The Buffalo Soldiers
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike teaches Gavin and Mike abut Buffalo Soldiers and their complex legacy. Prehistoric Planet Apple TV + Page Follow us on Twitter Topic form G...
Ep. 74 How Fish Learned To Walk
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike and Fia how fish first learned to walk on land. Two papers referenced in the episode: https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.c...
Ep. 73 The American Museum of Natural History
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike and Fia about the collections and the history of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Follow us on Twitter ...
Ep. 72 The Late Devonian Extinction(s)?
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Fia and COVID Mike about the extinction(s)? at the end of the Devonian Period, one of the "Big 5" mass extinctions. Fia teaches Gavin ab...
Ep. 71 Intro To Plants
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Fia about the nemesis of animals: the plants! Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message ...
Ep. 70 Fia Takes The Wheel: The Rougarou
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fia takes the wheel for the first time and teaches Mike and Gavin about a cool piece of Louisiana swamp culture. Follow us on Twitter Topic form ...
Ep. 69 (N)Ice Age: The Movie
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike review the 2002 movie Ice Age together IN PERSON!!! Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio...
Ep. 68 Brachiopods
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin tells Mike and Fia about Brachiopods; the Wish .com version of clams. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us ...
Ep. 67.5 Who's the New Girl? It's Fia!
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike welcome new co-host Fia to the podcast. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Y...
Ep. 67 Nicolas Steno
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike and New Co-Host Fia about Nicolas Steno Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio messa...
Ep. 66 The Underrated Silurian Period
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the supposed "most boring" Period of geologic history, the Silurian. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’...
Ep. 65 The Real Beauty of Camels w/ Dr. Darrin Pagnac
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin's old professor Darrin teaches us why camels are actually cool. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audi...
Ep. 64 The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite w/ Jeremy Roberts
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin interviews Jeremy B. Roberts about the events that unfolded after dinosaur tracks on federal lands were damaged by construction outside Moab, Ut...
Ep. 63 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 6: Paul Farmer
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mike teaches Gavin about a man who more people should know about; Paul Farmer. Washington Post Article on Paul Farmer John Green video on Paul Far...
Ep. 62 Amber
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin depresses Mike about Amber Palaeocast Podcast The Atlantic Article Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave...
Ep. 61 Crocodilians
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike the difference between crocodiles and alligators, and a lot of other stuff along the way. Gizmodo Article Twitter Thread Follow...
Ep. 60 The Evolution Of Claws
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about those little hooks that your cat uses to ruin the sofa, bear claws (both literal and pastry), and giant dinosaur scythes. ...
Ep. 59 The Ordovician Extinction
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the the Ordovician Extinction, and why it sort of didn't matter. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s B...
Ep. 58 The Tree Of Life
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike why we name things what we do, how language doesn't work if we don't, and why everything is fish. Download Nussaibah Raja and Emma...
Ep. 57 The VelociPastor
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike discuss one of the best bad movies of our time Watch the movie for free Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blo...
Ep. 56 Manatees
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin tells Mike about Manatees and Mike gets confused. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message ...
Ep. 55: Farewell To The Calendar: A Holiday Episode
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike look back on and say goodbye to this podcast's biggest mistake Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave u...
Ep. 54 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 5: Gavin Helps Edition
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike and Gavin talk about a nerd that saved some lives Video on the Enigma Machine Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog L...
Ep. 53 Mammals (from 200 Million to 60 Million)
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mammals were crushed under the feet of our dinosaur oppressors until the big rock came and liberated us. Or so you've been told. In this one Gavin deb...
Ep. 52 How To become A Paleontologist (1-Year Pod-iversary)
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every paleontologist who has interacted with the public has been asked the same question; "How do I become a paleontologist?" For our 1-year anniversa...
Ep. 51 Snowball Earth
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about that time the earth was a snowball. Or, and hear me out here, a slushball. Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Top...
Ep. 50 The Cambrian Explosion
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin Teaches Mike about the defining event of the last 550 million years; the Cambrian Explosion! Was it that big of an explosion, or was it more of ...
Ep. 49 Paleontology of Pokemon
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, there's really science in Pokemon. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Youtube Channel
Ep. 48 Cows and Related Phenomena
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches a very tired Mike what a cow is Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Youtube Chann...
Ep. 47 The Biggest Hoax In Paleontology (Piltdown Man)
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the "The Piltdown Man" hoax. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message You...
Ep. 46 Rhinos!!
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about Rhinos, including disappointing facts facts about how many rhinos have horns. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form ...
Ep. 45 Poop! (or Coprolites if You're Fancy)
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about poop and how useful it can be when it becomes a fossil. Poozeum Smithsonian Rattlesnake Article Scrubs Song Follow us on...
Ep. 44 So, Like, What Is Evolution Anyways?
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike what evolution is, and Mike learns he's wrong about many things. Discovering Darwin The Common Descent Podcast Follow us on Tw...
Ep. 43 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 4: Robert Smalls
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike teaches Gavin about an interesting man by the name of Robert Smalls. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us a...
Ep. 42 Gavin has a Gig
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin talks to Mike about his new job and the laws around it Georgetown Law Review Article Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’...
Ep. 41 Plesiosaurs
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about Plesiosaurs Charlie the Unicorn Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog
Ep. 40 Cryptozoology
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike and Gavin discuss cryptozoology and the many offshoots of it. Tom Holtz’s Dinosaurs 101 Course Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form...
Ep. 39 Plate Tectonics
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mikes about the science and history of plate tectonics. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog
Ep. 38 La Brea Tar Pits
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the La Brea Tar Pits. Google drive link Wired.com article Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s...
Ep. 37 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 3: Jeannette Rankin
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike tell Gavin about Jeannette Rankin, the first women to serve in the House of Representatives. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gav...
Ep. 36 Dinosaur: The Movie
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike talk about a Disney movie from a few decades ago. Mike is sad Gavin is leaving New York. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest For...
Ep. 35 Mammal Origins
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin tells Mike how we went from land dwelling animals to mammals. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog
Ep. 34 Reef!! With special guest Fia Campanino!!
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin and Mike are joined by number 1 fan of the pod and long time friend Fia to talk about reefs and not just the coral kind. Fia’s Twitter NO...
Ep. 33 Decolonizing Paleontology with special guests Dr. Emma Dunne and Nussaïbah Raja
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the best episode we've ever recorded, Gavin and Mike are joined by Dr. Emma Dunne and Nussaïbah Raja to discuss the history and effects of coloniz...
EP. 32 PETM: Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Without an episode on climate change, Gavin tells Mike about the closest thing this planet has ever experienced to our current climate situation. Mike...
Ep. 31.5 Shark Week Bonus Episode
17 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shark Week sucks. Gavin tells us why.
Ep. 31 Sharks!!
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Shark Week, Gavin teaches the world about sharks. Mike enjoys the hell out of himself. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gav...
Ep. 30 Sauropods are huge
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin tells Mike why his favorite dinosaur is awesome. Mike agrees. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audi...
Ep. 29 The Title is Pterosaurs
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about Pterosaurs. They are weird. Take Off Article Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an ...
Ep. 28 Mike Takes The Wheel Vol. 2: Moses Fleetwood Walker
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike teaches Gavin about Moses Fleetwood Walker, the second black major league baseball player, and everything that comes along with him. Follow us...
Ep. 27 Fossil Fuels
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard of fossil fuels, but Gavin breaks down what we're actually talking about when we use that term. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Gue...
Ep. 26 The Elephant Episode
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants are weird. Gavin will prove that over the next hour or so. Deinotherium (the weird tusks) Shovel Tusker Follow us on Twitter Topic f...
Ep. 25 The Lizard Episode
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin teaches Mike why Lizards are a mess. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Youtub...
Ep. 24 New York State Geology
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin is back in New York and wanted to celebrate. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message ...
Ep. 23 Living Fossils are Dead
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin tells Mike why the term "Living Fossils" is bad and shouldn't be used. Living Fossils Wikipedia Follow us on Twitter Topic form Gues...
Ep. 22 Geologic Dating
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Mike and Gavin talk about how old time on earth is, and why it's that old. Also, dating! Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavi...
Ep. 21 Flight!!
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin teaches Mike why things fly, and why we can't. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message ...
Ep. 20 6th Mass Extinction??
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin and Mike discuss a decade old paper about whether we are currently living through a mass extinction, and why Gavin is skeptical to say the...
Ep. 19 Mike Takes The Wheel: Gouverneur Morris
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin was busy, so Mike made an episode about one of his favorite dead people, Gouverneur Morris. (*Update* listen to beginning of episode 60 for some...
Ep. 18 Gavin Has a Masters Degree*
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin has a masters degree, and then he and and Mike talk about grad school in general. Cactus Quoll Creations Instagram Behind the Curve ...
Ep. 17 The Horse Episode
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin goes full horse girl. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message Youtube Channel
Ep. 16 The Great American Biotic Interchange
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin blows Mike's mind for an hour straight on South America Gavin's Blog Post The Great American Biotic Interchange Wikipedia Follow us...
Ep. 15 National Parks
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Mike and Gavin talk about National Parks and why they're awesome. Also some government stuff thrown in. SNL Executive Order CGP Grey Federal ...
Ep. 14 The Publishing Industrial Complex
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin teaches Mike about the inside world of how science gets published and how gross it can be. Clint’s Reptiles Paywall The Movie Open Access ...
Ep 13. Dino Buttholes
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some recent news changes our perspective on the dino derriere. What an episode. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave...
Ep. 12 Gavin Has Finished His Masters Thesis*
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin has gotten the approval of his advisor to defend his thesis to a group of angry scientists. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavi...
No Episode This Week
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin is busy, so Mike takes a minute to explain that
Ep. 11 Field Work Part 3
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The conclusion (for now) of our 3 part series on Gavin's time in the field. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us ...
Ep. 10 Field Work Part 2
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin is back with more stories of being out in the field. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’s Blog Leave us an audio message ...
Ep. 9 600 Million Years in 120 Minutes
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin has unfinished business, so Mike has allowed another 60 minutes for him to get to the present day. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest For...
Ep. 8 600 Million Years in 60 Minutes!?!?
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin and Mike try to cover the last 600 million years of earth's history, and are able to actually cover some percentage of that. Follow us o...
Ep. 7 Pleistocene Rewilding
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin and Mike talk how to bring animals back to places where they used to live. Colorado Wolf Rewilding United States Camel Corps Pleistoce...
Ep. 6 The Bone Wars!
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where Gavin and Mike discuss the epic rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. Bone Wars Wikipedia Page Follow us on Twitter...
Ep. 5 You Gotta Know What You're Looking For
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Gavin and Mike discuss the different categories of vertebrates, and Mike is usually wrong. Links Axoltl Desert rain frog ...
Ep. 4 Field Work Part 1
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Where Mike and Gavin discuss Gavin's early field work experiences, as well as why field work is important and the problems it presents. Links: Bear...
Ep. 3 Is Jurassic Park Good?
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The good, the bad, and the ugly of the movie that changed Gavin's field of science to this day. Follow us on Twitter Topic form Guest Form Gavin’...
Ep. 2 The Dinosaur Episode
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An episode where we learn a brief history of dinosaurs, and discuss why they aren't around anymore (sort of). Follow us on Twitter Topic form Gues...
Ep. 1 Science Sucks Sometimes
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of I Wish You Were Dead, we learn how science can suck, we get to know our resident expert Gavin, and we see why he doesn't want ...