Outside/In

Ed Yong and The Spoonbill Club

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ed Yong’s writing about the pandemic in Atlantic Magazine was read by millions of Americans. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for his coverage. But ...

The Winter Rangers

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During their twelve seasons as winter rangers in Yosemite National Park, Rob and Laura Pilewski have learned a thing or two about what it means to lov...

Wolves, water, and global weirding

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do wolves, waste-water treatment plants, and the Gulf Stream have in common? This episode, that’s what! It’s that wonderful time when we comb...

Dead bird rabbit hole

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every December, during the Christmas Bird Count, tens of thousands of volunteers look to the skies for an international census of wild birds. But dur...

The Department of Living Animals

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC is sometimes called “the people’s zoo.” That’s because it’s the only zoo in the c...

The papyrus and the volcano

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While digging a well in 1750, a group of workers accidentally discovered an ancient Roman villa containing over a thousand papyrus scrolls. This was a...

The Kings and Queens of "the Water Prom"

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Colorado River – and the people that rely on it – are in a state of crisis. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven st...

The Element of Surprise

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might associate it with the foil that wraps leftover pizza and the shiny craft beer cans sold in breweries, but aluminum is literally everywhere. ...

‘Til the landslide brings it down

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When officials commissioned a set of updated hazard maps for Juneau, Alaska, they thought the information would help save lives and spur new developme...

The mystery of the missing extinctions

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to protecting the biodiversity of Planet Earth, there is no greater failure than extinction. Thankfully, only a few dozen species have b...

Meet the meatfluencers

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shirtless influencers on TikTok and Instagram have acquired millions of followers promoting the carnivore diet. They say studies linking meat consumpt...

Reefer madness, the CBD bubble, and the future of hemp

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hemp used to be a staple of life in America. King James I demanded that colonists produce it. Hemp rope and fabric were ubiquitous throughout the 18th...

Songbird accents, eating rats, and why we need the moon

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s that special time again! Scientists everywhere hold their breath as the team opens the Outside/Inbox and answers listener questions about the n...

In search of an ethical 401k

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To save for retirement, common knowledge says to “diversify your portfolio.” Give your cash to a company so they can invest it into hundreds of ot...

The story you won’t hear in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Editor's Note: This episode first aired in July, 2023With 'Oppenheimer,' director Christopher Nolan turned the Manhattan Project into an Academy-Award...

You can make kids hike, but you can’t make them hikers

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you grew up with family members who pushed (or dragged) you onto the trail, chances are you have strong memories associated with hiking. Epic vista...

The disappearing dunes of 'Dune'

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A century ago, coastal dunes threatened to overwhelm the city of Florence, Oregon. The sand swallowed roads, highways, and houses. When “Dune” aut...

Hunters do cry

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, dozens of strangers gathered together in the woods for three straight days. Their mission? Teach people...

What's the most successful species on Earth?

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Editor's note: This episode was first published in July, 2022.Humans have had an impressive run thus far; we’ve explored most of the planet (the par...

The edge of the ice

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is massive, bigger than the state of Florida. If it collapses, it could reshape every coast on this planet during this ...

The plot thickens

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of discussion about sustainability revolves around the trash and waste we leave behind.  But at some point, every human being will die and leav...

Blue is the loneliest color

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Once in a blue moon the Outside/In team opens up the mailbag and answers your questions about the natural world. This time, they all share a preoccupa...

Not everyone is wild about wild horses

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Support Outside/In before February 5th, and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Donate $8 per month, and we’ll send you a pair of NH-made M...

Pigeons are weird

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Support Outside/In during our Jan/Feb fundraiser and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Plus, if you donate $10 per month we’ll send you a...

The Oatly Chronicles

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1994, the world’s first oat milk company was born in Sweden. Three decades later, Oatly is on a high-stakes mission to defeat the dairy industry ...

Dragons, trolls and pine trees

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even though you can explore its entirety from the comfort of a living room beanbag, the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (commonly just referred t...

Baby it’s GREAT outside: 12 more tips for embracing winter

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Outside/In’s annual winter “Surthrival” show, in which a panel of podcast and radio journalists serve up their personal tips for staying ...

Is 'Yellowstone' ruining Montana?

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s tough to see your hometown portrayed in television and movies. New Englanders roll their eyes at overly quaint shots of church steeples and fal...

Dear ChatGPT: Are you a climate solution? Or climate problem?

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some people think artificial intelligence is the best thing since sliced bread. Others say it’s the beginning of a science-fiction apocalypse. At CO...

How does the National Weather Service work?

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most Americans can look down at their phone and see a prediction of the future. How is that even possible?Well, this episode from Civics 101 is all ab...

Why did the road cross the chicken?

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For humans, roads epitomize freedom. For wildlife, it’s a different story: a million animals are killed by cars every day in the US alone.How did ou...

The secret lives of bugs

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time again for our listener mail roundup, and this week, the theme is bugs, bugs, and more bugs. We discover what’s happening inside the chry...

As American as hard apple cider: an immigrant food story

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Forget about beer, or even water; it was hard apple cider that was THE drink of choice in colonial America. Even kids drank it! And since it’s made ...

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to our unscientific office poll, the annual changing of the clocks has all the popularity of a root canal. With few exceptions, people descr...

Bat Out of Hell Ranch

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Depending on who you ask bats are either a favorite mascot of spooky season, a dangerous nuisance and vector for rabies, or a charismatic group of noc...

Environmental disinformation is getting weirder

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During disasters, people flock to social media to share warnings, coordinate in real time, and share images of the destruction. But others use the cha...

Do airports dream of electric planes?

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive...

Close Encounters with Mato Tipila

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive...

Where there’s smoke, there’s ire

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Become a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 people to donate during our fall fund drive...

The greatest disaster story of all time

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Help us celebrate our 250th episode by becoming a sustaining member today. For $5 a month, we'll send you an Outside/In baseball cap. The first 250 pe...

The last great trip

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of a battle with cancer, Kathy Kral found herself facing another diagnosis: major depression.So, Kathy signed up for a clinical study to ...

Let's talk boundaries

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time again for our listener mail round-up, and this week, the theme is borders and boundaries. We learn what it means to define the “end of a...

After the avalanche: rescue gone wrong

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On a bluebird day, in April of 2019, Snow Ranger Frank Carus set out to investigate a reported avalanche in the backcountry of Mt. Washington. He foun...

Of lab mice and men

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At any given time, millions of lab mice are being used in research facilities nationwide. And yet nearly all of them can be connected back to a single...

What the heck is El Niño, anyway?

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In case you hadn’t heard, El Niño is back in the news, and this time it’s pushing global temperatures to the 1.5-degree climate threshold, giving...

Drilled: The Panic

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At Outside/In, we often talk about the challenge of covering climate in a way that doesn’t leave us feeling hopeless or overwhelmed. For us, that’...

If houseplants could talk: communication and the natural world

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s our listener mail round up, and this week it’s all about communication in the natural world, like: how do migratory animals teach their young...

What's really in your wine?

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wine is considered to be an expression of a place and climate, a reflection of centuries-old traditions. But these days, a lot of wine is a product of...

Oppenheimer's omission

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With 'Oppenheimer,' director Christopher Nolan has turned the Manhattan Project into a summer blockbuster. The film is set in Los Alamos, one of the p...

Shhhhhh! It’s the sound and silence episode

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are noisy. The National Park Service estimates that all of our whirring, grinding, and revving machines are doubling or even tripling global no...

Shrimp on the line

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We love shrimp in the United States. As a country, we eat over 2 billion pounds a year, making it the most consumed seafood in the country. So times s...

Do your doo diligence

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most dog owners know they’re supposed to scoop the poop. But when a pup does the deed off the trail, a lot of otherwise responsible citizens find t...

The Call of the Void

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[Editor's Note: This episode first aired in April 2022]Last year our host, Nate Hegyi, was on the edge of a very high cliff in Utah’s Zion National ...

The carbon in your closet: cotton vs. polyester and other fabricated dilemmas

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to the environment, are natural fabrics better than synthetics? The answer might surprise you.It’s the latest installment of This, Tha...

When protest is a crime, part 2: city in a forest

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the gathering at Standing Rock, legislators across the United States passed laws in the name of “protecting critical infrastructure,” especi...

When protest is a crime, part 1: the Standing Rock effect

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When members of the Oceti Sakowin gathered near the Standing Rock Reservation to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, they decided on a strategy of non...

Is Biden a good climate president?

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a candidate, Joe Biden called himself a climate change pioneer. He promised a green energy revolution. More renewables, way less fossil fuels, and ...

Just try not to breathe

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are few physical challenges more uncomfortable than holding your breath underwater as long as you can. But if your duty is to pull downed milit...

A tale of two deserts: Are Saudi cows to blame for Arizona's water crisis?

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While the taps are running dry and reservoirs are disappearing in Arizona, a corporate farm from Saudi Arabia is pumping massive amounts of groundwate...

It's not easy being evergreen

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The team peers into the Outside/Inbox to answer listener questions on the theme of “green,” a prompt which sends us exploring the hanging gardens ...

The city inside a glacier

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1950s, engineer Herb Ueda Sr. traveled to a remote Arctic military base. His mission? To drill through nearly a mile of ice, and extract t...

The Race to Net Zero: building a car-free future

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Right now, we’re investing billions of dollars into charging infrastructure in order to speed up the transition to electric cars and decarbonize tra...

The Race to Net Zero: will EVs get us there fast enough?

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transitioning to electric vehicles is essential to meeting our climate goals. But there are so many barriers to overcome – from expanding EV chargin...

The Underdogs Ep3: You sell your soul

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Underdogs Ep3: You sell your soulWhat caused the Peranos to abandon their dogs and screw so many people over? Nate enlists the help of a New Zeala...

The Underdogs Ep 2: 'It has to be earned'

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Underdogs Ep2: It has to be earnedNate flies to Minnesota to follow a new lead about the New Zealand racing team.Advisory: This episode contains b...

The Underdogs Ep1: Honey and vinegar

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Underdogs Ep1: Honey and vinegarOutside/In host Nate Hegyi gets a surprising tip that leads him into the frozen and tight-knit world of competitiv...

Outside/In presents The Underdogs

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A few months ago, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi got a tip from the highest levels of the dog sledding community. It was about the first team from New Zea...

Scents & sensibility

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, potpourri was a popular way to freshen up a space. Now, for some, it feels a bit like the lava lamp of fragrance: an outdated fad fr...

Who owns the sky?

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you own land in the United States, do you also own the airspace above it? In other words, who owns the sky?The answer begins with a medieval Roman ...

Worm Wars! Invasive species and the stories we tell about them

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Nora Saks learned that a "toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth was invading Maine", she started sounding the alarm about the impe...

Groundhogs: incidental archaeologists, mystical meteorologists

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite being the only rodent with a holiday to its name, groundhogs are often considered pests.However, these natural-born diggers have unearthed rar...

The “extreme” beat: whale hearts, mudslides, and more

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the slowest heartbeat on the planet? What’s it like to live with zero sunlight? If you’ve ever picked up a copy of the Guinness Book of ...

The ocean is a place of queer possibility

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In each essay in their debut collection, How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures, science writer Sabrina Imbler shares the story of an ...

Dinner reservations: how to eat sustainably (and does it even matter?)

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some folks promote local food. Others swear by veganism. But what is the most environmentally-friendly diet? And does it really matter what we eat? Or...

Cold t*ts, warm hearts: the cold water dippers of Maine

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the first day of January, people all over the world dive into the water as a way to start the new year fresh. It’s often referred to as a “pola...

Hot dam! Climate news that isn’t terrible

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There’s an unfortunate paradox for environmental podcasts; data shows a lot of people skip segments about the climate. But also… it’s the CLIMAT...

How a chicken saved my life

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At the beginning of the pandemic, we published an episode about “how to be a backyard birder.”  Everybody was understandably freaking out, and we...

13 tips on how to "surthrive" this winter

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Outside/In’s annual winter show, in which the team gathers around the proverbial fire to share our best ideas towards becoming better friends...

O Possum! My Possum!

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s high time to shine a light on an under-appreciated nocturnal visitor to America’s backyards and garbage cans: the opossum.The opossum is the ...

The reality of History’s “Alone”

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The premise of History’s reality TV show Alone is about as straightforward as it gets. Ten people are dropped into the remote wilderness with nothin...

Legends of the fall: fallout shelters, dreams of falling, and autumnal vibes

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time to open our mailbag and answer your questions about fall – and not just the season. We’ve interpreted the theme to include everything ...

Why we get scared (and why we like it)

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Rodolico knows exactly what scares him. Sharks. But here’s what he doesn’t get: if he’s so freaked out, why can’t he stop incessantly wa...

The curious case of the missing extinctions

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to protecting the biodiversity of Planet Earth, there is no greater failure than extinction. Thankfully, only a few dozen species have ...

The last veterinarians in town

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been having trouble getting in with a veterinarian, you're not imagining it. Across the country, pet care is increasingly hard to come by, a...

The olive & the pine

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Planting a tree often becomes almost a shorthand for doing a good deed. But such an act is not always neutral. In some places, certain trees can becom...

Why do we stare at fire and other existential questions

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s that time again when we open our mailbag to answer your (oh-so-delightful) questions. This time, we deliberate over what seagulls are doing so ...

Your Wildest Wildlife Encounters

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever have an unexpected animal encounter that leaves you filled with adrenaline? Or awed by the natural world? Or filled with fear? On this episode, ...

Yardwork: A bitter melon grows in Boston

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some people see something special happening at the Berkeley Community Garden in Boston’s South End: a multicultural garden community built from the ...

Yardwork: Gardening is heavy metal

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Yardwork, a summer yard and garden miniseries from Outside/In. We’re sharing three stories about our relationships with the land around u...

Yardwork: Lawn and Order

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Yardwork, a summer yard and garden miniseries from Outside/In. We’re sharing three stories about our relationships with the land around u...

The most successful species on Earth?!

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have had an impressive run thus far; we’ve explored most of the planet (the parts that aren’t underwater anyway), landed on the moon, creat...

The National Park Service

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The National Park Service has changed immensely since its days of keeping poachers out of Yellowstone. So has its approach to telling the story of Ame...

The first national park

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The land had been cultivated and lived on for millennia when geologist Ferdinand Hayden came upon the astounding Yellowstone "wilderness." It wasn't l...

Is climate journalism experiencing a Great Resignation?

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last summer, former Outside/In host Sam Evans-Brown quit journalism to become a lobbyist for clean energy.He’s not alone. Millions of people left th...

Life and Death at a Human Decomposition Facility

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Few bear witness to human decomposition. We embalm and seal bodies in caskets, and bury them six feet underground. Decomposition happens out of sight ...

Update: Happy the Elephant is Not a Person

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anybody who supports the show RIGHT NOW, during our June 2020 Fund Drive, will be entered to win a $500 Airbnb gift card, and will receive an adorable...

Six Foot Turkey: What Jurassic Park Got Wrong (And Right) About Dinosaurs

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anybody who supports the show RIGHT NOW, during our June 2020 Fund Drive, will be entered to win a $500 Airbnb gift card, and will receive an adorable...

Et Tu, Brute? The Case for Human Rights for Animals

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anybody who supports the show RIGHT NOW, during our June 2020 Fund Drive, will be entered to win a $500 Airbnb gift card, AND will receive an adorable...

Frog Sex, Tree Soap, and Other Signs of Spring

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s that time again, when scientists everywhere hold their breath as we open our listener mailbag. It’s spring in the northern hemisphere, so the...

After the Avalanche

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On a bluebird day in April of 2019, Snow Ranger Frank Carus set out to investigate a reported avalanche in the backcountry of Mt. Washington. He found...