Shows
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 61: Wisdom of the AncientsIn between arcs, we got a little self-reflective and decided to make a list of things that would have been useful to be aware of at the start of respective academic journeys.2025-05-3049 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 60: The Anthropocene Remains Undefined‘Odd Couplets’ concludes by revisiting a previously discussed topic with some new information. The International Union on Geological Sciences' Submission on Quaternary Stratigraphy has decided to NOT establish a new epoch, and the ‘Anthropocene’ remains undefined. This decision intersects paleolimnology, philosophy, policy and a lot of other things.2025-03-0544 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 59: PaleonucularologyThe next ‘Odd Couplet’ focuses on the intersection of lake sediments and radioactivity. Radioisotopes in lake sediments are used extensively to establish chronologies, but are there other applications that examine these isotopes directly?2024-11-0640 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 58: PalA.I.eolimnologyWe continue our examination of the linkage of some less explored "Odd Couplets" associated with paleolimnology with one that is constantly in the news...AI!2024-08-0952 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 57: PaleotempestologyOur second ‘Odd Couplet’ looks arc continues with an examination of the records storms can leave behind in lake sediments.2024-05-2950 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 56: PaleopaleoarchaeologyWe begin a new arc on unconventional applications/connections/linkages in paleolimnology, called "Odd Couplets." In the first episode we explore the connections between paleolimnology and archaeology.2024-03-1141 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 55: Contenuous FundingThe ‘Money, Money, Money’ arc wraps up with a look at the research funding invaluable to paleolimnology, but not funded by the university-industrial complex. Or is it?2024-01-2848 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 54: Elite InstitutionsOur ‘Money, Money, Money’ arc continues with another examination of research finances, this time from the university’s point of view.2023-12-1246 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 53: Fat Cat ProfessorsOur ‘Money, Money, Money’ arc continues with an examination of research finances from the professor’s perspective. Where do the funds necessary to buy all the cool stuff used to conduct research actually come from?2023-09-2755 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 52: Starving StudentsOur ‘Money, Money, Money’ arc begins in earnest with a look at research finances (and the lack thereof) from the graduate student perspective.2023-08-1750 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 51: Money Money Money - An IntroductionWe begin a new arc that is a little bit different, exploring the somewhat hidden world of the money behind science (paleolimnology included). In episode 51 we preview the arc's major topics related to graduate student funding, research funding for faculty / lab groups, and several bigger picture topics.2023-06-0728 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 50: Northern PEARLeoWe wrap up the core reading lists arc with a few papers that set John Smol (and colleagues and students) on his way to being awarded a lifetime achievement award by the International Paleolimnology Symposium at their meeting last year.2023-04-2640 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 49: Oxygen Reconstructions are Hard!In our penultimate Core Reading List, we explore the methods for reconstructing oxygen from lake sediments. We include papers that consider the "who cares" of oxygen reconstructions, and focus in on the use of chironomids as indicators.2023-02-2248 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 48: Commentaries on Calcium Concentrations in Cottage Country LakesWe are back, continuing our Core Reading Lists arc, with a discussion tracing the topic of calcium decline, and where you might start learning about this in the literature.2023-01-1859 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 47: Playing Chicken with Permafrost PapersWe're back with our second Core Reading List. We discuss Josh's two favourite topics; permafrost and paleolimnology!2022-11-1647 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 46: Reading Up on DatingWe're back, and starting a new arc. We're building reading lists of (our selection) of important papers on topics of interest to paleolimnologists. We start with a list to help you read up on dating.2022-09-3039 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 45: Year Two(ish)We're back for a short recap of year two (or so). We also preview the next arc, on key reading lists.2022-09-0734 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 44: Too Much of a Good Thing (Data)?How much data is too much data? When are you finished counting, and how many cores are enough? In the last episode of the conceptual rabbit holes arc, we consider data in paleolimnology.2022-08-1046 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 43: Why Do We Know So Little About Oceanography?As we continue our conceptual rabbit holes arc we are going to explore a question we have had for quite a long time on the show: Why do we know so little about oceanography? The discussion inevitably turns to one around the different silos in science, and whether they are real, and if they really matter.2022-06-1345 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 42: Questions of ScaleIn this episode, continuing the Conceptual Rabbit Holes arc, we consider the amazing range of scales present in nature, focusing on size, concentration and density, and time, and how paleolimnology is a powerful science for bridging these differences.2022-05-1847 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 41: Invasion of the Exotic AliensIn episode 41, as we continue our conceptual rabbit hole, we explore invasive species (introduced, exotic, etc.) and the impact they can have on novel environments. We consider the role paleolimnology can play in studying the impact of these invaders.2022-03-3045 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 40: The Next Best Thing Since Sliced SedimentWe continue our conceptual rabbit holes by exploring a range of other (non lake!) paleoenvironmental archives.2022-03-1646 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 39: It's a Wiggly WorldWe're starting a new arc, journeying down some conceptual rabbit holes. We start by considering how to (if you can) match the paleo and contemporary limnological records.2022-02-1943 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 38: Mucking Out The Stable IsotopesTook us a little while to get this released (though we recorded it some time ago). but in the last episode of the small picture arc we explore stable isotopes in paleolimnology.2022-01-1348 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 37: Top Of The POPsWe're back, and this time we explore environmental tracers and contaminants used in lake sediments.2021-11-3058 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 36: Just a Smidge of MidgesWe're back to the small picture, and in this episode we're exploring the midges used in paleolimnology: the Chironomidae and the Chaoboridae. Join us to learn a smidge about midges.2021-10-0845 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 35: Welcome to Paleolimnology!We're taking a short break from the small picture arc, to say welcome to all the new paleolimnology grad students out there. In the episode we share a few suggestions (from ourselves and some current students) of tips for new paleolimnologists.2021-09-1448 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 34: The Cladoceran MatriarchyWe're back after our summer break to continue the Small Picture...this time with the Cladocera!2021-08-1959 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 33: Diatoms - Half Empty or Half Full?As we continue looking at the small picture we explore a great (greatest?) paleo-indicator: the diatoms!2021-07-1251 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 32: Pollen CountsAs we move onto a new arc of episodes focusing on the small picture (a deeper dive on some important paleolimnological indicators) we'll begin by exploring why pollen counts!2021-06-1041 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 31: The Unbleakness Of Climate ChangeWe complete our current arc with the most topical of topics: climate change. We discuss why we should care, how paleo can contribute to this discussion, and if there is cause to be hopeful.2021-05-1852 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 30: Acidification - Problem Solved?Recently the 30th anniversary of a critical treaty on acid rain was celebrated, and in this episode we explore the legacy of acidification, whether the problem is truly "solved", and the role of paleolimnology in that discussion.2021-04-2741 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 29: Sitting on a Gold MineWe discuss resource extraction, with a few well-known Canadian examples, and how paleolimnology can play an important role in understanding ecosystem changes.2021-04-0154 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 28: Cyanobacteria Blooms: A Hot Mess - with Dr. Liz FavotWe are joined by a special guest host, Dr. Liz Favot from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association, to discuss an important and topical feature of lakes, Cyanobacteria blooms.2021-03-101h 00
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 27: One Complete VarveOne full varve has been deposited since we officially launched the show. So we thought it a good time to reflect on what we've accomplished so far and what we hope to do over the next year.2021-02-2419 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 26: Illuminating Biovectors - with Matt DudaToday we discuss how paleolimnology can track biovectors with Matthew Duda. Matthew is a PhD candidate at Queen's University and his work studying the dynamics of the world's largest colony of Leach’s Storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) has led to multiple high profile publications and he is one of the recipients of this years Rob Peters Award from the Society of Canadian Limnologists.2021-02-1056 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 25: Defining The AnthropoceneToday on Topical Paleolimnology we discuss formally recognizing the Anthropocene ("Age of Humans")as a new geological age to the history of the Earth, and the role lake sediments may play in that formal designation.2021-01-1340 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 24: Many Grains of SaltA new Arc on Topical Paleolimnology shifts our focus back to the present, and current environmental questions that are being addressed using sediment archives. We begin with road salt and the widespread impact the de-icing of roads is having on freshwater systems.2020-12-1547 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 23: Core Ideas and SmolWe conclude our History of Paleolimnology arc by talking to John Smol, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change at Queen's University, about his perspectives on the growth of paleolimnology over the past four decades, including his role as founding editor of the Journal of Paleolimnology, and former chair of the IPA.2020-11-3046 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 22: A History of Paleolimnology - Part 4 Into the WestThe fourth episode in our History of Paleolimnology picks up after key questions in the acid rain debates had been definitively answered, with the discipline poised to address many other environmental issues, including climate change.2020-11-1749 minCore Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 21: A History of Paleolimnology - Part 3 The Road to MordorThe third episode in our History of Paleolimnology examines how a relatively young discipline tackled one of the major environmental issues of the 1970s and 1980s - acid rain.2020-10-2052 minCore Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 20: A History of Paleolimnology - Part 2 There and Back AgainWe continue our dive into the history of paleolimnology with part 2.2020-10-0152 minCore Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 19: A History of Paleolimnology - Part 1 The Elder DaysGetting back to our roots with a real focus on the history of paleolimnology.2020-09-1544 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 18: Science in A Dangerous TimeIn the final episode of our Contagious Ideas Arc, we look at the impacts the global pandemic will have on paleolimnology, both in the short term and well into the future.2020-09-0149 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 17: Memeing to the ChoirAs our Contagious Ideas Arc continues to go viral, we embrace the meta-narrative and delve into the (love-hate) relationships between social media and science.2020-08-1847 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 16: Open RelationshipsThis time we continue our exploration of Contagious Ideas within paleolimnology with a look at the Open Access movement and its mission to reduce/remove the barriers to scientific research.2020-07-2151 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 15: Words on PaperWith many people at home working on writing papers, some for the first time, this week we discuss the slightly peculiar process of scientific writing and review.2020-07-071h 02
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 14: Ex-citationIn this episode of Core Ideas, we continue our exploration of the spread of Contagious Ideas by asking what qualifies as a historically significant paper? Despite all the problems associated with distilling nebulous concepts into a single metric, we do it anyway, and examine paleolimnology using citation counts.2020-06-2348 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 13: No Plan(et)BOn this episode, the first in Arc 3 on "Contagious Ideas", building on the last episode on (the lack of) paleolimnology in popular media, we discuss the history of environmental awareness and activism from a western view, and how this has changed over time.2020-06-051h 00
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 12: Popular PaleolimnologyIn episode 12 of the Core Ideas podcast we begin to explore paleolimnology, and the questions paleolimnology can address, in the popular media. We briefly consider how news and other media have covered environmental topics such as eutrophication, acidification, climate change, and other emerging stressors, like road salt application.2020-05-1557 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 11: Joining the Illuminati - A Paleolimnology PerspectiveIn this episode of Core Ideas, we continue Into the Weeds of paleolimnology by examining some of the not-so-secret societies and associations that count many paleolimnologists among their membership.2020-04-3054 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 10: The Questions We Ask - with Prof. Jenny KorosiIn the 10th episode of the Core Ideas podcast we welcome a special guest for the first time. Jennifer Korosi is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at York University, where her research uses paleolimnological methods to answer a range of research questions related to environmental change across Canada. In this episode, continuing our arc going "Into the Weeds", we explore the way in which paleolimnologists frame their research questions, including establishing baseline conditions, cases where there may be poor or no analogous environments and "big picture" questions.2020-04-2249 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 09: A Study of Graduate StudiesThis week on the Core Ideas podcast our journey Into the Weeds of paleolimnology continues with a look at the graduate student experience. Using our own experiences we explore questions like: Why try research? What is the difference between BSc, MSc and PhD projects? Does it matter whether you join a large or small lab group? We even touch on what it means to be a postdoc...2020-04-1357 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 08: Computational TimeThe second episode of our Into the Weeds podcast arc covers how important advances in computing during the late 1970s and early 1980s were to paleolimnology. Increased access to personal computers, prompted rapid developments in statistical tools and software. Many of the programs and approaches commonly used in the analysis of sediment cores have their roots in this time period. We also appreciate how things seem to have come full circle, as the command line interface and DIY approach to programming during the UNIX/DOS era that seemed in decline during the 1990s and 2000s, has returned with a vengeance...2020-04-0349 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 07: The "Joys" of FieldworkWith a basic vocabulary established by our Fundamentals arc, the Core Ideas podcast will now delve deeper Into the Weeds on a variety of paleolimnological topics. Our second arc begins with some reflections on the fieldwork necessary to collect the lake sediments that are brought back to the laboratory for study.2020-03-2747 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 06: Reconstructions DeconstructedIn this episode of the Core Ideas podcast, our introduction to paleolimnology is concluded with a discussion about using indicators preserved in lake sediments to produce environmental reconstructions. We cover why environmental reconstructions are useful, how calibration sets are used to produce transfer functions that are able to transfer knowledge of the modern environment “downcore” and infer the history of an environmental variable from sedimentary assemblages. To round out the discussion, we list off some things to keep in mind, when producing or using environmental reconstructions.2020-03-1948 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 05: Lack of ChemistryIn this instalment of the Core Ideas podcast, Adam and Josh continue exploring the fundamentals of paleolimnology by discussing some physical and chemical indicators that preserve in lake sediments. Given this very broad topic, we organized it (poorly) into categories based on the overall analytical approach, such as measurements performed on complete sediment cores, inorganic geochemical methods, stable isotope techniques, and finally organic chemical methods.2020-03-1153 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 04: MudslingingIn the fourth episode of Core Ideas, we examine the retrieval of the mud critical to paleolimnology (i.e. sediment cores) from the lake bottom with minimal disturbance. Usually, sediment cores are collected from a platform at the lake surface, such as a canoe, boat, the floats of a helicopter/plane, or even the ice of a frozen lake, and as discussed last time, sediment cores of similar length vary massively in the amount of time they can represent. Therefore, selection of an appropriate sediment corer will depend on the study lake (size, depth, location), study goals (time period of...2020-03-0448 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 03: Dating StrugglesIn the third episode of Core Ideas, we examine our dating struggles... with sediment cores! This discussion explores relative markers of sediment age, the radioisotopes commonly used by paleolimnologists (Pb-210, C-14, Cs-137), along with a few more exotic dating methods.2020-02-2042 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 02: BioIndicatorsIn the second episode of Core Ideas, Adam and Josh discuss bioindicators - species or communities that are so closely associated with particular environmental conditions that their presence can be used to infer whether those conditions have occurred in the history of a lake.2020-02-1147 min
Core Ideas - The Paleolimnology PodcastEp. 01: IntroductionWe're live (pre-recorded)! Welcome to the introductory episode of Core Ideas - a Paleolimnology Podcast.2020-01-1520 min