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Showing episodes and shows of
Sam Illingworth
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The Poetry of Science
Episode 117: Rare Earth Water
This episode explores new research, which has found that rare earth elements are finding their way into Colorado water supplies, driven by changes in the climate. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Metals Metals’ by Russell Edson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-09-06
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 116: The Urbanisation of Birds
This episode explores new research, which has found that bird diversity is threatened by urbanisation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘There Are Birds Here’ by Jamaal May here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-08-30
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 115: Beyond the Beeline
This episode explores new research, which has found that the flight performance of bees is affected by temperature. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Bees were Better’ by Naomi Shihab Nye here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-08-23
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 114: Artificial Weather
This episode explores new research, which has used machine learning to understand why extreme precipitation in the Midwestern United States is becoming more frequent. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Postscript from Mississippi’ by Rebecca Morgan Frank here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-08-16
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 113: Volcanic Seas
This episode explores new research, which has found that the rise and fall of sea levels influence the likelihood of volcanic eruptions. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Santorini’ by George Seferis here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-08-09
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 112: The Forests are Dying
This episode explores new research, which has found that trees in Colorado subalpine forests are dying at increasing rates from warmer and drier summer conditions. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Spruces’ by Wilbert Snow here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-08-02
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 111: Residual Snakes
This episode explores new research, which has found that snakes can be used to potentially reveal radiation levels in the soil around Fukushima. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Snake’ by Katie Peterson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-07-26
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 110: Stabilising Cockatoos
This episode explores new research, which has developed a novel forensic tool for detecting the illegal trading of critically endangered cockatoos. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Cockatoo’ by Cid Corman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-07-19
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 109: Delisted Wolves
This episode explores new research, which has found that poachers have killed a third of Wisconsin wolves since they were removed from the Endangered Species List in late 2020. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘A Wolf’ by Jorge Luis Borges here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-07-12
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 108: Dulled in Flames
This episode explores new research, which has found that wildfire changes songbird plumage and testosterone. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Baby Wren’s Voices’ by Thomas R. Smith here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-07-05
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 107: Majestic Migration
This episode explores new research, which has found that painted lady butterflies achieve the longest known insect migration from the Sahara Desert to Europe. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Painted Lady’ by Margaret Danner here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-06-28
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 106: Snail Survivors
This episode explores new research, which has used millimetre-sized computers to reveal how one species of Pacific Island land snail has used the sun to escape extinction. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Snail’ by Langston Hughes here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-06-21
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 105: Rotifers on Ice
This episode explores new research, which has successfully revived tiny 24,000-year-old microorganisms buried under Siberian permafrost. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Librarian Decides on Cryonics’ by Judith Skillman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-06-14
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 104: California Haze
This episode explores new research, which has found that Californian wildfire smoke reached Europe in 2020, causing a strong cloudiness of the sun. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Smoke of Distant Fires’ by Eduardo Chirinos here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-06-07
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 103: Toxic Seaweed
This episode explores new research, which has nitrogen has turned sargassum (i.e. brown seaweed) into the world's largest harmful algal bloom. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Seaweeds’ by Sandra Mcpherson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-05-31
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 102: A Land of Darker Green
This episode explores new research, which has found that Greenland is becoming darker and warmer. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘You Could Never Take A Car to Greenland’ by Maggie Smith here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-05-24
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 101: Burning Lichen
This episode explores new research, which has found that lichen may take up to a century to fully recover from wildfire. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Springtime in the Rockies, Lichen’ by Lew Welch here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-05-17
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 100: Deep Sea Plastics
This episode explores new research, which re-considers what is happening to plastic waste in marine and sedimentary environments. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Deep Sea’ by Axton Clark here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-05-10
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 99: Spongy Trails
This episode explores new research, which has found that sponges leave trails on the sea floor in the Arctic deep sea. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Sponge’ by Joshua Mehigan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-05-03
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 98: A Bronze Map of Stone
This episode explores new research, which has found that a 4,000-year-old carved stone slab is Europe’s oldest known map. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Map’ by Biswamit Dwibedy here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-04-26
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 97: Freshwater Salts
This episode explores new research, which has found that road salts and other human sources are threatening the world's freshwater supplies. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Salt to Make a Sea’ by Renée Ashley here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-04-19
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 96: Ghost Forest
This episode explores new research, which has found that sea level rise is killing trees along the Atlantic Coast, creating ‘ghost forests’ that are visible from space. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Another Grieving Forest’ by Alfred Kreymborg here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-04-12
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 95: Poisoned Tusks
This episode explores new research, which has found that sperm whales shared behaviours to outmanoeuvre 19th-century human hunters. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Invitation’ by Aimee Nezhukumatathil here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-04-05
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 94: Whaling Away
This episode explores new research, which has found that sperm whales shared behaviours to outmanoeuvre 19th-century human hunters. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Whaler’ by W. S. Merwin here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-03-29
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 93: Vegetation Beneath the Ice
This episode explores new research, which has discovered plants buried deep beneath the ground, indicating that Greenland was once ice-free. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Over Greenland’ by Peter Campion here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-03-22
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 92: Decapitating Slugs
This episode explores new research, which has discovered sea slugs that can decapitate themselves and regrow their entire bodies. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Autotomy’ by Wisława Szymborska here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-03-15
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 91: Unlocking Letters
This episode explores new research, which has read an unopened letter from Renaissance Europe – without breaking its seal or damaging it in any way. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Letters for the Dead’ by Philip Levine here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-03-08
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 90: Fishy Traits
This episode explores new research, which has discovered that the way a fish swims reveals a lot about its personality. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Fish’ by Many Ann Hoberman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-03-01
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 89: Seismic Sounds
This episode explores new research, which has discovered how whale song echoes can be used to map the ocean floor. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Whalesong’ by Sophie Stephenson-Wright here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-02-22
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 88: Ancient Shell Sounds
This episode explores new research, which has discovered that a large seashell found in the archives of a French museum is actually a musical instrument used around 18,000 years ago. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'The Sea Shell’ by Marin Sorescu here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samilling...
2021-02-15
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 86: Plastic Seagrass
This episode explores new research, which has found a dramatic increase in microplastics in seagrass soil since the 1970s. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘In the Greenhouse’ by Eugenio Montale here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-02-01
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 85: Elephants from Space
This episode explores new research, which has found that satellite cameras coupled with machine learning can be used to detect and count African elephants in complex geographical landscapes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Elephant Armageddon’ by Gerard Malanga here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-01-25
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 84: Melting Lakes
This episode explores new research, which has found that 5,700 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may permanently lose ice cover this century because of global warming. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘River Snow’ by Mark van Doren here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-01-18
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 83: When the Mangroves Disappeared
This episode explores new research, which has shown that the mangroves on the coasts of Oman disappeared about 6,000 years because of climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Caribbean Marsh’ by Muna Lee here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2021-01-11
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 82: Lunar Flow
This episode explores new research, which has found that the Moon controls the release of methane in the Arctic Ocean. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Low Tide’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-12-21
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 81: Damming Loss
This episode explores new research, which has found that that the recovery of beavers may have beneficial consequences for amphibians in surviving the effects of climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘In the North Cascades’ by Dixie Partridge here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-12-14
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 80: The Smell of Coral
This episode explores new research, which has found that the chemical signals that are emitted by coral reefs provide an indicator of their relative health. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Sea Garden’ by Rosamond S. King here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-12-07
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 79: A Complexity of Life
This episode explores new research, which has found that molecular fossils extracted from 635-million-year-old rocks aren't the earliest evidence of complex life on Earth, but are instead nothing more than common algae. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific studies that inspired it here and here. Read ‘Hearsay Song’ by John Yau here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com ...
2020-11-30
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 78: Mercury Sinking
This episode explores new research, which has found that fish carcasses are transporting toxic mercury pollution from the atmosphere to the bottom of the world's oceans. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Hall of Ocean Life’ by John Hollander here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-11-23
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 77: Lunatic Engine
This episode features an alternative format in which I talk to the poet Paul Pearson about his new poetry collection ‘Lunatic Engine’, which reflects on the science of Galileo, and our place in the Universe. --- You can find out more about Lunatic Engine here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-11-18
17 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 76: A Rolling Wind Gathers the Moss
This episode explores new research, which has found that global wind systems are responsible for mosses becoming one of our planet's most widely distributed plants. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Moss’ by Bruce Guernsey here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-11-16
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 75: Shrinking Monarchs
This episode explores new research, which has found that the wing length of the monarch butterfly has evolved in response to migration habits. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘of a butterfly in el barrio or a stranger in paradise’ by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam...
2020-11-09
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 74: Tidal Evolution
This episode explores new research, which has shown how large tides may have driven the evolution of fish towards life on land. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Evolution’ by Linda Bierds here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-11-02
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 73: Bellwether Beetles
This episode explores new research, which has used flour beetles to predict how different species will interact with each other following shifting habitats brought about by climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Elegy for the Insects’ by Michael Benedikt here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingwor...
2020-10-26
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 72: Circles Beneath the Sea
This episode explores new research, which has found mysterious seafloor ‘crop circles’ off the north-west coast of Australia. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Circle’ by Pádraig Ó Tuama here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-10-19
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 71: Better than Earth
This episode explores new research, which has found 24 ‘superhabitable’ planets that may have conditions that are more suitable for life than here on Earth. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Another Planet’ by Dunya Mikhail here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-10-12
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 70: Zombie Fires
This episode explores new research, which has found that 'zombie fires' in the Arctic are likely to have strong consequences for the global climate. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Fire’ by Katie Ford here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-10-05
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 69: Wild Offerings
This episode explores new research, which has used geochemical analysis to show that millions of wild birds were once sacrificed to Ancient Egyptian gods. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Audubon Becomes Obsessed with Birds’ by Andy Brown here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-09-28
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 68: Symbiotics Senses
This episode explores new research, which shows how the ability for certain animals to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field may be due to bacteria. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘My Proteins’ by Jane Hirshfield here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-09-21
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 67: Rediscovered Frogs
This episode explores new research, which has used environmental DNA sampling to rediscover Brazilian frogs that were assumed to be extinct. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Tree Frogs’ by William Logan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-09-14
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 66: At Loggerheads with the Storm
This episode explores new research, which has found that loggerhead sea turtles are able to detect hurricanes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle’ by Freya Manfred here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-09-07
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 65: An Outbreak of Flooding
This episode explores new research, which has found that flooding can be predicted using the same models that are used for mapping pandemics. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Flood’ by Janet McAdams here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-08-31
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 64: The Tragedy of the Bees
This episode explores new research, which has found that compensating farmers for providing habitats for wild bees will ultimately benefit all landowners. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Wild Bees’ by James K. Baxter here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-08-24
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 63: Artificial Galaxies
This episode explores new research, which has found that even during a solar minimum, our sun is still extremely active. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘To Summarize a Galaxy’ by beyza ozer here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-08-17
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 62: The Quiet Sun
This episode explores new research, which has found that even during a solar minimum, our sun is still extremely active. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Sound of the Sun’ by George Bradley here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-08-10
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 61: The Mortality of Trees
This episode explores new research, which proposes that long-lived trees (while living for several thousand years in some instances) are not actually immortal. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Cypress, Dateless’ by Dara Wier here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-08-03
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 60: Forecasting Drought
This episode explores new research, which has shown how satellite imagery can be used to provide drought early warning systems in sub-Saharan Africa. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Drought’ by Gary Soto here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-07-27
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 59: Roadside Pollination
This episode explores new research, which has found that better-managed road verges can help boost the effectiveness and conservation of pollinating insects. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Mower’ by Philip Larkin here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-07-20
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 58: Plastic Lobsters
This episode explores new research, which has found that microplastics significantly impact the development of the American lobster. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Lobster’ by Carl Rakosi here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-07-13
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 57: Gnawing the Permafrost
This episode explores new research, which has found that Alaskan beavers are potentially causing an acceleration of climate change due to their impact on permafrost in the region. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Beaver’ by Mary Howitt here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-07-06
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 56: Lost in the Glow
This episode explores new research, which has found that artificial lights along coastlines are impacting those species that navigate by starlight. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Starlight at Sea’ by Katharine Lee Bates here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-06-29
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 55: Trees of (Urban) Life
This episode explores new research, which has found that increasing green space in cities could help to prevent premature deaths. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Trees of Riverdale Park’ by Karen Solie here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-06-22
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 54: Unearthing the Clay House
This episode explores new research, which has used radiocarbon dating techniques to unravel the mystery of Por-Bajin, a medieval ruin in the Russian republic of Tuva in Southern Siberia. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Ruins’ by Samuel Menashe here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-06-15
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 53: A Snake in the Wetlands
This episode explores new research, which has found that tiger snakes are excellent bioindicators for environmental pollution. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Pilot Snake’ by Mary Oliver here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-06-08
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 52: Celestial Cloudscapes
This episode explores new research, which has created a cloud atlas for extra-terrestrial planets. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Clouds’ by Constance Urdang here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-06-01
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 51: Giggling Guano
This episode explores new research, which has found that penguin poo produces very high levels of nitrous oxide (i.e. laughing gas). --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Magallenic Penguin’ by Pablo Neruda here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-05-25
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 50: Moonlight Pollination
This episode explores new research, which has found that moths play a vital role as pollinators, especially in the night-time. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Moths’ by Jennifer O'Grady here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-05-18
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 49: Fanning the Flames
This episode explores new research, which has found that logging is partly responsible for worsening the recent Australian wildfires. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Wildfire Moon’ by Carol Muske-Dukes here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-05-11
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 48: Salting the Earth
This episode explores new research, which has investigated how salt deposits might be a potential solution for nuclear waste disposal. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Salt’ by by Huang Fan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-05-04
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 47: Brain Smog
This episode explores new research, which has found that rising carbon dioxide levels may directly harm our ability to think. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Thought’ by Thomas Pfau here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-04-27
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 46: See-through Skin
This episode explores new research, which has restored sight in blind mice by turning skin cells into light-sensing eye cells. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Mouse’ by Ted Kooser here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-04-20
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 45: Testing the Age of Sharks
This episode explores new research, which has used the fallout from the Cold War nuclear bomb tests to reveal the true age of whale sharks. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Plague of Dead Sharks’ by Alan Dugan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-04-13
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 44: The Weight of Martian Water
This episode explores new research, which has used meteorites to determine that Mars did not form in a similar way to Earth and may have obtained its hydrogen from outside forces. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Mars’ by Patrick White here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-04-06
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 43: Beneath an Iron Sky
This episode explores new research, which has observed an exoplanet over 600 light years from Earth where it rains iron. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'From Another Planet’ by Mark Jarman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-03-30
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 42: Ancient Rings of Time
This episode explores new research, which has used ancient clams to reveal how days were half an hour shorter 70 million years ago. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘An Autopsy of an Era’ by Mary Jo Bang here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-03-23
06 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 41: Moulded Galaxies
This episode explores new research, which has harnessed the problem-solving capabilities of a simple slime mould to trace the large-scale structure of the universe. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Universe: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’ by Tracy K. Smith here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-03-16
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 40: Jellied Eggs
This episode explores new research, which has used jellyfish to help understand how sexual reproduction in animals may have evolved. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘A Jelly-Fish’ by Marianne Moore here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-03-09
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 39: Genetic Unmarking
This episode explores new research, which has combined genealogy and genetics to identify thousands of individuals in Québec whose remains lie in unmarked graves. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Mapping the Genome’ by Michael Symmons Roberts here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-03-02
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 38: The Black Giant’s Collapse
This episode explores new research, which has found that the Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador has shown signs of possible flank instability. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘A Postcard from the Volcano’ by Wallace Stevens here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-02-24
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 37: Footprints in the Himalayas
This episode explores new research, which has found that a Himalayan glacier shows evidence of the start of the Industrial Revolution. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Snowmen’ by Agha Shadid Ali here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-02-17
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 36: Arctic Acoustics
This episode explores new research, which has investigated the sounds made by marine mammals in a changing Arctic environment. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Seals at High Island’ by Richard Murphy here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-02-10
10 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 35: An Entanglement of Whales
This episode explores new research, which has found that marine heat waves are linked to an increase in the number of whales being caught in fishing gear. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Right Whale in Iowa’ by Debora Greger here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingwort
2020-02-03
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 34 – Sounds of Senescence
This episode explores new research, which has found that male swamp sparrows are less intimidated by the songs of their ageing rivals. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Sparrow’ by Farnoosh Fathi here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-01-27
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 33 – Housing Benefits
This episode explores new research, which has found that historical housing policies are responsible for a disproportionate exposure to dangerous climate impacts. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Color Blind (For Real)’ by Marc Livanos and Quincy Hull here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-01-20
10 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 32: Rewilding Fukushima
This episode explores new research, which has found that nearly a decade after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, wildlife populations are abundant in areas devoid of human life. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Chernobyl Year’ by Jehanne Dubrow here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @sam...
2020-01-13
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 31: Premature Migration
This episode explores new research, which has found that climate change is affecting the timing of bird migration on a continental scale. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read the ‘The Birds’ by Linda Pastan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2020-01-06
07 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 30: Consuming CO2
This episode explores new research which has created a strain of the bacteria E. coli, that eats carbon dioxide for energy rather than organic compounds like sugars and fats. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read the ‘Wings’ by Miroslav Holub here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-12-30
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 29: The Inglorious Dangers of Space
This episode explores new research which has found that simulated microgravity, such as that encountered in spaceflight, disrupts the functioning of the epithelial barrier (the lining of the gut). --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read the 'Astronaut of Waste’ by Joel Sloman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter...
2019-12-23
10 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 28: Traces in the Fog
This episode explores new research which has found that elevated levels of mercury in mountain lions may be caused by coastal fog. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘In the Fog’ by Giovanni Pascoli here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-12-16
11 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 27: Warming Clouds
This episode explores new research which has found that rainfall patterns across the globe are likely changing due to a rapid warming of the Indo-Pacific region. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Clouds’ by Stephen Dobyns here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-12-09
10 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 26: Bitcoin’s Shifting Footprint
This episode explores new research which has found that the environmental impacts of Bitcoin mining might be lower than previously thought. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Miners’ by Wilfred Owen here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-12-02
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 25: Metallic Reefs
This episode explores new research which has found that metal pollution from agriculture and shipping poses an emerging threat to coral reefs. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Coral’ by Derek Walcott here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-11-25
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 24: Plastic Pearls
This episode explores new research which has found a large number of microplastics in oysters and clams along the Oregon coast in the United States. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘What Makes a Pearl’ by Emily Rose Cole here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-11-18
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 23: Secreted Shiptracks
This episode explores new research which has found how satellites can be used to map the effect that ship emissions have on cloud formation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Oh Great O North Cloud’ by Allen Grossman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-11-11
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 22: A Massacre in Mercury
This episode explores new research which has found that an ancient extinction event on Earth may have been caused (in part) by mercury poisoning from volcanic eruptions. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Quicksilver’ by Julie Suk here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-11-04
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 21: Natural fragmentation
This episode explores new research which has found that while much of the Earth's land surface remains relatively wild, it is threatened by anthropogenic fragmentation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Human Habitat’ by Alison Hawthorne Deming here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-10-28
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 20: The Disease of Deforestation
This episode explores new research which has found a strong correlation between the rate of deforestation and the transmission of malaria in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Rainforest’ by Teresa Mei Chuc here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com Twitter: @samillingworth
2019-10-21
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 19: Degrading Terrains
This episode explores new research which has found that there has been a clear degradation in mountain permafrost across the central Alps over the past two decades, likely brought about by climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Twilight in the Alps’ by Henry van Dyke Jr here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam...
2019-10-14
09 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 18: Collapsing Birds
This episode explores new research which has found that heat stress from climate change has caused a dramatic decline across bird populations in the Mojave Desert in North America. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Death of the Bird’ by A. D. Hope here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: sam.illingworth@gmail.com T...
2019-10-07
08 min
The Poetry of Science
Episode 17: Rising Marshes
This episode explores new research which has found that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide causes marsh plants to increase in bulk but decrease in size, resulting in dense networks of underground roots that can potentially protect these marshes against rising sea levels. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Marshlands’ by Emily Pauline Johnson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the p...
2019-09-30
09 min