Nature Boy: The Podcast

Whoosh! Boom! Blam-Oh! The Nature Boy crew becomes death, the destroyer of worlds, to discuss military technology and the wonderful things it brings and takes! In a surprise appearance Jon, number one bad-boy and author of episode descriptions, calls in to discuss lasers and domes! Truly, if you are going to miss one episode of a podcast this summer, do not make it this one!

We are sincerely honored to have this week''s episode featured in the KCHUNG radio residency at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Information regarding the residency as well as links to this and other featured KCHUNG programs can be found at http://www.getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/kchung_radio.html. This week, we address questions and concerns regarding recently inaugurated President Trump and his attitude towards scientific research. What views on this topic did Mr. Trump express during his candidacy? Is basic government research and international collaboration to solve worldwide problems in peril? And how does this president differ in the ways he communicates and achieves his goals? The indefatigable crew of your favorite podcast will explore these questions and more on this week's fabulous, glamorous, and topical Nature Boy!

As a listener of Nature Boy: The Podcast you know that genetic modification is the way of the future, and that all critics of genetic engineering are misinformed, backwards luddites dragging us back from the precipice of a golden age of food security. You may also be aware that two of your hosts conduct research using the most modern gene editing techniques. THRILL as the biase-free three (and Jon) introduce you to the intricacies of genetic research! WATCH as Jon introduces a hilarious crisper drawer bit! CRINGE as Jess and Marschal get totally served with a Kurt Vonnegut quote!  

In celebration of Labor Day the Nature Boy crew profiles some of their favorite American scientists. We all know that America is the best country and that only her peoples are worthy of discovering the great truths, but just how great are those chosen few advancing the cause of American exceptionalism? Find out in this episode. Also, learn why love is dead according to our charming co-host.

The gang's all here again and life couldn't be better. Or could it? Is this the best of all worlds as Voltaire's Pangloss would say, or is evolution as an engineer not a perfectionist but an opportunist, as according to Stanislaw Lem? Listen close, listen hard, and learn the specificities of natural selection on this week's Nature Boy: The Podcast!! *fanfare*

Jon doesn't show up for this one, I'd probably just skip it. If unwary travellers do not heed these words, they shall find within a trove of wonders not of this world, phantasmagoric visions which will drive you to the brink of madness. DREAMS!

Nature Boy panders, throwing all scientific integrity out the window and bending to the will of the inebriated masses. Drugs are the topic of discussion bro, making Nature Boy the hippest, most with it podcast in town!

Birth, from the Latin Big Bertha, meaning an obese sideshow woman at ancient carnivals. Enjoy this in-depth discussion of birth, the beginning of beginnings, the bloody painful emergence into a world which promises nothing more than blood and pain.

In celebration of Valentine's Day the Nature Boy crew discusses the biggest lie we joyfully tell our children about besides Santa Claus. Love. Jon was unable to attend this episode, and is replaced by Jess Toth, our second female guest and expert on matters of the heart. Jon writes these descriptions, and didn't bother listening to this episode prior to writing this, but I'm aware that there is no mention of my absence. But that's love for you. Go choke on a chocolate.

Jon runs late today, throwing the broadcast into a tumultuous frenzy of panic. How will the remaining pioneers of podcasting handle this greatest of injustices? And what about colors and the hosts' favorite races? Listen close and listen hard, for all this and more awaits you in this month's Nature Boy!

In the most ironically titled episode of Nature Boy technical issues abound! This month's episode is shorter than usual due to technical difficulties, but so packed with fun you'll hardly notice the difference! Come along with us under butterflies and bees, and see how the Nature Boy crew deals with stresses of their own. Scientific topics are also discussed.

What is communication, and how does it differ from language? This question is at the center of this week's Nature Boy, in which forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal, are compared and discussed. As a special surprise, we are joined by the lovely Jessica Toth, a PhD student at UC Riverside. So shut your mouth and listen up as we demonstrate the finest in communicative abilities! 

Nature Boy changes it's format slightly for this week's episode, critiquing a contemporary documentary 'Seeds of Freedom'. This short film describes the current state of food security, focusing on the resource of seeds. Does industrial agriculture intentionally "hook" uninformed farmers on their seeds and chemicals? Do small-scale independent farmers have the capacity to feed the world? Is the diversity of the food we produce diminishing to a dangerous point? We may not answer these questions, but we certainly raise them in another thrilling installment of Nature Boy!

The sauciest episode of Nature Boy yet discusses sexuality, reproduction, and killing lions for some reason. Turn the lights down low, spark a bunsen burner, and enjoy as the mellodious voices of Michael, Marschal and Jon carry you off to new heights of excitement, pleasure, and awkward moments. 

This week your intrepid team delves ever deeper into the unknown with a discussion of black holes, relativity, and whether or not collaboratory is  word (it is not). Michael's triumphant return highlights this week's episode with the vivacity and verve which could only be described as Michaelish.

The final episode in this run of Michael-free shows, your stalwart heroes soldier on with a discussion of extraterrestrial life. Is it out there? We certainly don't provide any concrete answers, but enjoy our discussion! Also, read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing comic book series, as Jon will advised in this weeks episode. It's a great idea!

The most important sceintific laws are respected and accepted as true by most, in fact our view of the world is often unintentionally shaped by our acceptance of these laws. In its strictest sense, even the law of gravity has been disproved, yet laws so ingrained in our consciousness as this cannot even be dispelled by their falsification. How does any one person convince an entire population of any belief to this degree? The answer is, they do not. Behind every theory there is an entire population of scientists providing credence to those hypotheses tested, yet ready to disprove them with every experiment performed. How does this community operate? What rules do they use and how do they agree on anything? These questions and more will be answered on the first Nature Boy lacking our fearless leader Michael. To fill the void in all our hearts, we've invited Jon and Teresa,  two graduate students with hearts of gold and minds of genius. Do they compare to the dulcet tones of our missing mesiah? You decide!

It's an inconvenient truth (get it?) that our rapidly growing population is outpacing our ability to produce the resources they require. Or is the real issue the amount of resources each individual requires? The Nature Boy gang will tackle this and other hard-hitting questions in this episode of your favorite podcast!

Scope this episode out! Evolution is the topic of this episode of Nature Boy, and that first line is a reference to the Scopes monkey trial, in which substitute teacher John Scopes was found guilty of violating a Tennessee law forbidding the teaching of our topic in public schools. Have things changed? Has the modern public's understanding of this topic evolved? Well, naturally select play on your listening device and find out!

For this episode of Nature Boy, the fearless three tackle sustainability and alternative energy options. Can we support our growing population with current technologies, or are we doomed to descend into a desperate anarchistic state as we deplete the world's already scant resources? Listen close and listen well and all your doubts will be dispelled in this week's episode!