Episode 276 | AGU 2017, Part 1
Both big and easy simultaneously.
00:00:00 - Here begins our coverage of the 2017 meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Ryan is joined by Matt Candeias, host of Brachiolope Media's In Defense of Plants podcast.
00:02:58 - First, Ryan chats with Susheel Adusumilli about his work looking at changes in Antarctic peninsular ice over the last 20+ years using satellite imagery data. Plus, tips on how best to set up your home wifi network to get the fastest speeds!
00:19:13 - Next up is Mike MacFerrin, who takes us to the other side of the ice ball so we can learn about what's happening in Greenland. Mike has some great stories to share regarding his work on the firn of Greenland's ice sheet, how the sheet is changing, what that means for communities their, and his journey from teacher to scientist (and what scientists can learn from teachers). Awesome chat with an awesome dude.
00:43:05 - Ice goes drinks so let's have some. Matt enjoys a gin and tonic. Ryan says something probably incorrect about India. Ryan pretends to be classy with some Root: 1 Sauvignon Blanc, because the label is pretty, which leads to a discussion on grafting about which Matt says something probably correct. The wine is being used for mushroom pasta, and they both get excited about fungus.
00:51:20 - Rounding out part one is Sarah Arveson, who studies the core... of the earth! Ryan struggles to come to grips with how to use diamond anvils and lasers and high pressures all come together to understand how the earth works. She explains it better than we can type it. She also wrote and op-ed about the thankfully failed Republican tax bill that threatened to tax grad student tuition, which is a bad idea and we talk about why. She continues to serve her community via union organizing, which is impressive, bold, and empowering. Get to work helping your local area, people. What are you even waiting for?
01:29:59 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like the earth's core, they're both dynamic, but we're not quite sure how. Patron David M. is here for his thesis, and we aim to provide it, however clunkily. David, your thesis is: Glacial melt effects on light element incorporation into the terroir of wine growing regions in southern South America. Thanks, David! Next, Matt tells us about the documentary he has on Kickstarter, Botany of the Cascades. Consider pitching in a few bucks to get yourself some sweet rewards. Finally, a voicemail from an unknown caller about whether or not Storm's powers have anything to do with airborne algae. Matt and Ryan argue their sides, listen in to see who emerges victorious. If you want to read more about the plausibility of mutant powers, check out Science of the X-Men and tell Ryan if it holds up.
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Music for this week's show:
Ice Melts - Matt and Kim
The Seed (2.0) [feat. Cody Chestnutt] - The Roots
Parting of the Sensory - Modest Mouse
Image credit: Juliana Olsson
