This week Alex and Ben dive into the spooky (or maybe not so spooky) world of the mummies. Today they are frightful cursed monsters, but were they always? As a special treat for this special episode our hosts are even recording from the same location! Science in the News covers ethically dubious genetically modified babies and Bill Nye's view on Mars colonization.

Naturalish

Scary Tasty Fun Mummies

Frank Herbert did his homework before writing his classic science fiction novel, Dune. So in order to cover the biology of all-important giant sandworms of Arrakis at the center of the series, Alex and Ben must deliver a giant episode taking cues from the Dune Encyclopedia along the way. And right in time for Thanksgiving too! So while you're chowing down take a chomp of your favorite podcast for all things science-ishy. Science in the News covers the connection between climate change, the California wildfires, and the koalas's favorite snack, eucalyptus.

Sandworms of the Dune-iverse

It's ALIVE! Or is it? Actually, how could such an abomination even survive? The frightful rattenkonig sits in that murky ground between fact and fiction; territory that is perfect for Naturalish! Alex and Ben not only discuss rat king biology, but the psychology of why such a grotesque idea stuck around over centuries. Science in the News covers flu-killing llama serum, a special muscle making a big difference in a tiny bird, and a new way to measure the Earth's mass using neutrinos. Big Naturalish shout out to reidedo of FreeSound for the sound of the avian uprising, as well as 1500s Germany, Martin Luther, and the Protestant Reformation.

Rat King: A Tangled Tale

Boo! Merry Spookmas! It's Naturalish Nights! Deck the halls with webs of cob. Good spookings to you and you kin. That's right! We are in the thick of that age-old festive season and to celebrate Alex and Ben are taking a look at Gizmo, Spike, and the rest of the mogwai from the terrifying Christmas classic Gremlins. How exactly do their famous three rules function biologically? How could they have evolved? And why can't you feed 'em after midnight? From domestication to extraterrestrial experimentation: it's all Naturalish! Science in the News covers the Christmas creep, but not the real one. Alex also fabricates a new segment and holiday season. Big Naturalish shout-outs to Gizmo, Spike, Richard Donner, William Shatner, Chris Columbus, the Royal Air Force, the Twilight Zone, George Miller, Tina Belcher, George Gipe, Joe Dante, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie Boogie's Revenge, Children of Dune, Patrick Stewart, and young Patrick Stewart (James McAvoy).

Gremlins: The Real Christmas Creep

Undead, Z's, ghouls, ZOMBIES! Call them what you will, the living dead are coming for you and the only way to defend yourself is with science! That's why Alex and Ben wade into the spooky world of undead anatomy this week. Our mission: to discover the most effective way to kill one of these mindless abominations by looking to some real world examples of parasitic zombification. Science in the News covers an anti-robot safe word, a nightmarish raccoon epidemic, and zombie stars. It's all naturalish! Big Naturalish shout outs to John McCoy & Tomer Ullman of MIT's Department of Brain & Cognitive Studies, Muskrat Jack Neary, blackholes, George Romero, Max Brooks, the Zombie Research Society, zombie fiction of all stripes, Leon S. Kennedy, the rage virus, radiation from Venus, parasites, the brain stem & cerebrum, the renal system, and the terrifying reality of nature.

Undead Awareness: Fight for the Cure

All these monsters employed by Monsters Inc. are scaring kids for their scare energy, but no one is stopping to ask: WHY?! That is, until a certain scienceman-producer duo came along to ask the tough questions like 'where or when are these monsters?' and 'what is scare energy actually?' and 'what's really behind the scare crisis?' and 'how does all this fit into the Grand Unified Pixar Theory?' The answers are certain to shock, awe, and potentially educate this week on Naturalish! Check out the article that inspired this episode! On Science in the News we cover the biological details of the Predator species, birds with metabolic powers, and heating up Schrodinger's cat. Big Naturalish shout out to reidedo for the sound of the avian uprising, as well as Mike Wazowski, James P. Sullivan, Mr. Waternoose, 23-19's, concentration gradients, ATP, The Predator, Shane Black, Alien, Aliens, The Thing, the Yautja, Louis Hallsley, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Brie Larson, Captain Marvel, Spore, Stellaris, Paradox Interactive, kaiju, pincers OR pinchers, and last but not least Erika J!  

Naturalish Solves the Scare Crisis

Many think they know how life can to be, but the truth is one does for certain. A perfect topic for the very first Naturalish: Nights! Scienceman Alex Duckles and producer Ben Schultz explore popular philosophical, religious, and scientific theories throughout the ages - with special attention paid to those that are out of this world... We're talking panspermia, folks! And it's an idea more ancient -and plausible- than you might think. Science in the News covers the waking of Opportunity on Mars as well as the discovery of water and possibility for extraterrestrials on Jupiter. This week we liked Johannes Kepler and The RFK Tapes. Big-ish shout outs to Prometheus, Svante Arrhenius, Francis Crick, Anaxagoras, Elton John, Gov. Dan Aykroyd, the Copernican Model, hypnosis, tardigrades, and our creator(s), whether godly, alien, or soupy. Check out the article that inspired this podcast on Medium! Science-y words: primordial soup, evolution, biblical creationism, cosmic pluralism, intelligent design, spontaneous generation, abiogenesis, biogenesis, ancient astronaut theory, water bear

Genesis: Divine, Chemical, or Alien

Have you ever dreamed of being big? But like skyscaper big, though. You could climb a building, go on a rampage, or skateboard with a train! Sounds pretty nice- except you forgot to ask about the unintended side effects, buddy. Sorry. This week on Naturalish, scienceman Alex Duckles leads producer Ben Schultz through the science of gigantic movie monsters, specifically the perils of magnifying creatures (or oneself) to create a colossal terror (or gentle giant). For one, there's more urine than you'd think... SCIENCE IN THE NEWS covers hardy coral in Colombia, an alien invasion on the ISS, and concerning hybrid snakes in where else but Florida. Check out the article that inspired this podcast on Medium! Big Naturalish shout outs to Noel Carroll, Isaac Asimov, The Fantastic Voyage, radiation, King Kong, Godzilla, Eight-Legged Freaks, Rampage, Dwayne Johnson, The Matrix, human body heat combined with a form of fusion, The Phantom Tollbooth, Monsters vs. Aliens, cells, genes, DNA, atoms, mutation, and the 50-Foot Woman!

Monstrous Growing Pains

How monstrous are monster trees really? Naturalish returns to the realm of cryptozoology this week as Alex and Ben take trip back in time to examine the mythemes of moving and/or talking trees that populate the forests of human imagination in order to decide once and for all if trees are good or evil! Additionally, Science in the News raises some concerning questions regarding healthy drinking habits, elephant zombie genes, and climate change's effect on wood density. Big Naturalish shout outs to ents, Groot, Grandmother Willow, Carl Liche, fake cannibalism, climate scientists, boxed wine, The Washington Express, Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah, William Shakespeare, and alcohol Check out the Naturalish article that inspired our main story on Medium! It's all Naturalish! #HonkForScience

We Speak for the Monster Trees

You probably don't believe in Bigfoot, but if you do, you probably have difficulty proving the existence of the noble Sasquatch to so-called scientists! Ever wonder why? Whatever you believe, scienceman Alex Duckles and his trusty producer Ben Schultz will confirm your beliefs as they discuss the strange realm of cryptozoology, a world once inhabited by such creepy cryptids as mythical gorillas, giraffe dragons, and grizzly-polar bear hybrid! Additionally, Alex's Brain Bubble is burst by pond monster YouTube videos. Science in the News is sorrowful as we mourn the lost of Koko, while reflecting on her legacy. Things We Like: Theodore Roosevelt (Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris); Green Lantern mythos (videos by Comics Explained); Luke Cage Season 2 (on Netflix); homeopathy? Big Naturalish shout-outs to George Eberhart, the Encyclopedia of Mysterious Creatures, the Patterson-Gimlin film, Carl Sagan, phylogeny, gigantopithecus, ichyosaurs, and the unseen thylacine. Check out the article that inspired this episode on Medium! --Recorded in the Washington, D.C. metro area

Who Squatches The Squatchers?

Legends of Greek mythology and... real? Not real? Chimera lore runs deep: monsters with head of lions, wing of eagle, and tail of snakes. In truth, though, there's nothing impossible about the idea of a chimera — Ben and Alex get to the truth behind these abominations on a journey through history, language, psychology, and all the science in between.  Also, IN THE NEWS we tackle brunch, bellinis, and BEES! Join Naturalish every week for your one-stop-shop in all things science. Maybe science. Probably science.  Find us on Medium @Naturlaish or on Twitter @ItsNaturalish. Emails, criticism, and million dollar checks go to naturalishpodcast@gmail.com

Chimeras: Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy

Life on Mars?! Talking animals?! Well... maybe, but that's all before Alex and Ben delve into the disturbing biological implications of Pokemon evolution. Where do these "pocket monsters" come from, and why do they "evolve" as they do? Can we even call what they do evolution? We also explore Alex's inability to recognize criticism and Thing We Like. It's all Naturalish! -- medium.com/@Naturalish -- Special thanks to The Pokemon Company, Game Freak, Wizards of the Coast, Nintendo, the makers of Pokemon: The Series, and of course Baldo's Armory. Apologies to all the nerds that cringed every time we mispronounced Raichu. (No cats or pokemons were harmed in the making of this podcast)

Pokemon Evolution: The Terrible Truth!

Alex is perturbed by the Disney film Flubber's cavalier attitude toward its title character's sentience. This week on Naturalish, Alex and Ben get to the bottom of what the eponymous green goo is neurologically and physically capable, as well as the significance of Robin Williams's robotic assistant Weebo's artificial intelligence. Why must all of this cinematic masterpiece's characters be focused on the potential financial ramifications of Flubber and not the intrinsic implications of its very existence? We also take a stab at creating a collective animal noun and Science in the News is wary about cures for cancer on the radio. - www.medium.com/@Naturalish - Thanks to Disney, Robin Williams, everyone that worked on Flubber, and everyone that works in the name on scientific discovery.

The Importance of Being Flubber

Though Jurassic Park is well-equipped to educate the masses about genetics and dinosaurs, it is less so to prevent the masses from becoming dino-chow. This week, with the help of Mr. DNA, Alex and Ben unlock the dino DNA trapped within the amber of Steven Spielberg's Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. We also discover why Alex lies and we profess to like such things as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (including Infinity War) and Star Wars movies (including Solo)! Science in the News takes a look at coffee, vamping, and pig brains. It's all Naturalish! -- www.medium.com/@Naturalish

Unlocking Dino DNA!

Alex is quite concerned about a missing mechanical horse in Westworld! In order to calm his nerves, he guides Ben through the symbolism of mechanical horses and the history of biomimicry attempts at Equus caballus. This week, Science in the News covers birds causing gravitational waves, free diving with larger spleens, and getting smarter via hand strength. Alex & Ben also talk about all the great science fiction and fantasy they are consuming right now. It's all Naturalish! -- medium.com/@Naturalish

Westworld's Mechanical Horse of Freedom

Each week, scienceman Alex Duckles, author of the Naturalish blog on Medium, is joined by his trusty producer Ben Schultz to explore the amazing (and sometimes terrifying) real science hidden within myths, fantasy, and science fiction from the past and present. It's all Naturalish!

hubhopper

Naturalish

hubhopper