Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast
Episodes
The Chemical Language of Black Widows: Pheromones and Deception in Spider Silk
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus) is a master of invisible chemistry. 2026 Science Podcast of the Year winner Dr. Jeffrey Zurek joins Dr....
The Artificial Geologist: Using Machine Learning & Neural Networks to Find Gold
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The "motherlode" is just a model away. In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Zurek (P.Geo) bridges between the classroom & the boardroom with colleague &am...
The Science Behind Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions: Ice and Resources for Future Missions
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the coldest, darkest craters on the Moon are quietly storing a record of solar system history and the resources that could power future explor...
From Canada’s Largest Landslide to Modern Flood Hazards: Mt. Meager’s Volcano‑Driven Sediment Story
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A return to Mount Meager—this time focusing on risk reduction, sediment hazards, and what can be done to protect downstream communities. Jeff talks ...
Mount Meager: Canada’s Most Dangerous Volcano? Cascadia, Landslides, and Hidden Risk
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Canada has volcanoes — and one of the most hazardous sits just 150 kilometres north of Vancouver.In this episode of Whimsical Wavelengths, host Jeff...
ENCORE Nikola Tesla- The man, the myth, the legend Pt1 - Back story and accomplishments
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nikola Tesla has been credited with large leaps forward like AC current and wireless transmission. Including things that are conspiratorial or not fea...
Wandering Stars: How We Found the Planets, Lost Pluto, and Learned How Science Really Works
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a reflective, end-of-year historical deviation. From wandering stars and stubborn philosophers to lost planets, national rivalries, and Pluto’...
Who Becomes a Scientist? Exploring STEM Pathways and Identity in Astronomy with Dr. Zachary Richards
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If we want a thriving future scientific community, we first need to understand why people choose — or don’t choose — careers in STEM.This week o...
Machine Learning Meets Geophysics: Image Segmentation and Inversion Tools with Johnathan Kuttai
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Whimsical Wavelengths, we explore how machine learning is opening new possibilities in geophysical imaging and inversion workflows....
A New Species of Pterosaur Unearthed in Australia with Adele Pentland
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re heading back through deep time on Whimsical Wavelengths — but this time, we’re not walking with dinosaurs, we’re flying with them! Fligh...
The Science of Plastic: Environmental Trade-Offs and Sustainability with an Industrial Scientist
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic and the environment and what you think you know. A discussion about science which honestly misses the mark but a useful discussion. Understand...
New science modeling Super Massive Black Holes and their accretionary disks
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diving straight into the deep end of the universe: supermassive black holes!An episode with enough gravitational pull that you can’t help but get su...
The Science of Ice Cream - fat networks, sugar, temperature, air and temperature with Dr. Abigail Thiel!
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I scream you scream we all scream for Ice cream.Time for some sweet delicious science delivered right here on whimsical wavelengths. Food science! Lov...
Masaya Volcano is a Strange Volcano - The science Journey Towards Understanding Masaya's Basaltic Plinian Eruptions
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Its the start of Season 2!! Time for Basaltic plinian eruptions, melt inclusions, viscosity and more. Today we going to head into one of my papers!Bec...
Encore: The whimsical sounds of the Birds, Ornithology and why birds sing, territory and more with Miranda Zammarelli
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today the pod shows its fitness with im-peck-able wordplay. That's right, today's episode is for the birds. At least those which have a raven-ous appe...
Encore: Paleontology & Theropods PT2! Dinosaur behaviour from fossils - With Dr François Therrien
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Part2 jumps in where part 1 left off so more about Theropods! specifically about one of Dr François Therrien's recent studies about a Gorgosaurus and...
Encore: Dinosaurs and the mammal longevity gap, Evolutionary Biology - with Associate Professor Molly Burke
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This time we take a deep dive into an hypothesis The longevity bottleneck hypothesis: Could dinosaurs have shaped ageing in present-day mammals?” by...
How the work of one researcher, Dr Clair Patterson, brought the fall of leaded gasoline and discovered the age of the Earth!
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Time for someone who some have called the greatest scientist you have not heard of. Likely the reason average IQ's have no fallen (even if it feels li...
Scientific and Historical look at The rise Leaded Gasoline - When industry poisoned the world
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are going to start to cover a real scientific disaster story. No it isn’t the hollywood variety although maybe it should be. We have the mo...
Sierra Negra volcano's internal dynamics through gravity and deformation with Dr Antonina Calahorrano-Di Patre
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Deformation and gravity go hand in hand in volcano monitoring like hot apple pie and icecream. They fit together great. as these two techniques tell u...
Insects breathe?! An inside look at insect evolution through respiration with Dr Hollister Herhold
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This time it is all about insects and their respiratory systems?! They represent so much of the biomass on earth.Depending on the study and methods us...
Modeling dwarf galaxies to probe the early universe with Dr. Eric Andersson
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is so much we don’t understand about the early universe. Or any part of the universe not nearby. Part of the reason for this is time and dista...
A tale of disappearing Seas, The Mediterranean sea basically drys up! - The Messinian Salinity Crisis
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Earth is dynamic. All of it. Plate tectonics, weather, ocean currents, biosphere, cryosphere, extraterrestrial like solar events, meteorites, near...
Gravitational Lensing Part 2! Strong Lensing, modeling and so much more!
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Part 2 of Gravitational lenses on Whimsical Wavelengths. In part 2 we finally get to the real star of the show, strong gravitational l...
Gravitational Lensing - Micro, weak, and Strong Oh MY! with Dr Georgios Vernardos
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whimsical wavelengths is here again to show that it is useless to fight gravity.Every time I have, it has brought me down.To begin I'll mention Newton...
Umami, taste and Kitchen Chemistry of food ingredients! Delicious with guest Dr Bryan Le
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today the topic should do more then whimsically tickle your ears, Today I have a guest to get the slobbering sensor in your mouth working. Yup buckle ...
The whimsical sounds of the Birds, Ornithology and why birds sing, territory and more with Miranda Zammarelli
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today the pod shows its fitness with im-peck-able wordplay. That's right, today's episode is for the birds. At least those which have a raven-ous appe...
Climate Change - weather, climate & science communications. Frank discussion with Research Meteorologist Jared Rennie
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back where everyone comes to hear sunny quips and cloudy cuckles! Yes we at Whimsical wavelengths are amazing at precipitating a good story. T...
Investigating the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa Volcano using gravity: what created the Ninole Hills?
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I am picking my favourite paper that I wrote. The origin of Mauna Loa's Ninole Hills - Evidence of rift zone reorganization. In geophysical rese...
Paleontology & Theropods PART2! Soooo good it needed a sequel - With Dr François Therrien
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Part2 jumps in where part 1 left off so more about Theropods! specifically about one of Dr François Therrien's recent studies about a Gorgosaurus and...
Jurassic Park 30 years of Paleontology & T-Rex (Theropods) - With Dr François Therrien
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Great discussion! Soooooooo good I split it into two parts! In Part 1 we start retro!It's hard for me to think of 1993 as retro. But yes that is where...
Nikola Tesla Pt2 - The Conspiracy Files? The other stuff?
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last time in part 1 we covered Nikola Tesla's backstory and some of his accomplishments. In part 2 we cover things that are conspiratorial or not feas...
Nikola Tesla- The man, the myth, the legend Pt1 - Back story and accomplishments
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nikola Tesla has been credited with large leaps forward like AC current and wireless transmission. Including things that are conspiratorial or not fea...
Dinosaurs and the mammal longevity gap, Evolutionary Biology - Guest Associate Professor Molly Burke
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This time we take a deep dive into an hypothesis The longevity bottleneck hypothesis: Could dinosaurs have shaped ageing in present-day mammals?” b...
NASA's Lucky Peanuts - Interview with JPL's Dr Morgan Cable
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode cracks open the history and traditions of NASA (ie. Lucky peanuts) to get to the nutty goodness, which includes hard science and looking ...
What is High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) and it's conspiracies?
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are just some research programs that some people find scary. Some make sense. Playing with radioactive material or pathogens can be risky! What ...
The predicted impending Nova from T Coronae Borealis! An interview with Dr David Zurek
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today I interview a researcher from the American Museum of Natural History, my uncle, Dr David Zurek about Novea. Yes the same institution where the f...
Dante's Peak Pt2 - ballistics, lava and earthquakes Oh my! with SFU's Volcanology Group
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the podcast that talks scientifically about disaster movies? Yes it has been two weeks so here is the next installment of Whimsical Wa...
Dante's Peak Part 1 a Primer
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2 is here! Setting up some background for hopefully understanding the discussion when a handful of fellow volcanologists watch Dante's Peak to...
Introduction and a short history of wavelengths
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first episode! An introduction to the podcast and looking at the history of wavelengths. Kind of like a long trailer. Full of bad science "dad" jo...