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Description

In this episode, we ruin (and somehow simultaneously enhance) our first animal, the emu. Larkin tells us terrifying facts about these giant dinosaur birds, then goes into the story of the “Emu War” that took place in post-WWI Australia. It’s a distinctly fun episode that will also depress you with stories of trench warfare and, as ever, colonialism.

References

https://www.science.org/content/article/why-did-new-zealands-moas-go-extinct

https://www.britannica.com/animal/elephant-bird

https://www.britannica.com/animal/moa

https://www.britannica.com/animal/emu

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/emu

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/first-world-war

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/the-emu-war-of-1932

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australian-emu-war-history

https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/soldier-settlement

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/conscription/ww1

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yeoman

https://www.etymonline.com/word/yeoman

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/aboriginal-australians

https://www.historyhit.com/the-great-emu-war/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emu-War

https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/evidence-of-first-peoples

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-26/australia-day

https://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/aboriginals

https://www.aboriginalcontemporary.com.au/pages/what-is-the-dreamtime-and-dreaming

https://www.mabonativetitle.com/info/dreamingCreatures.htm

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/sciencecomma/2017/05/17/emus-in-space/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/21/aboriginal-astronomy-can-teach-us-about-the-link-between-sky-and-land

If you know something we can ruin, send the topic and a brief hint at how it's ruined to nowitsruined@gmail.com. Let us know if you'd like us to credit you if we choose your topic!

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