Wondros Podcast

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Dr. Carolyn Kurle, professor of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution about what happens to islands that become overrun with rats.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Andrew Hessel, author of the book “The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology.”

Jesse and Priscilla talk to infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie A. Strathdee and her husband Thomas Patterson about the race to save Tom’s life from an antibiotic-resistant superbug… that turned him into a snake. Superbugs are expected to kill more people than cancer later this century. The miracle cure turned out to be a bacterial virus called a Phage. Phages are now being explored for their incredible potential to combat superbugs.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with secret society scholar and expert Richard B. Spence about the history and ethos of secret societies.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Cambridge Zoologist Arik Kershenbaum about clues in animal communications that might help us make meaningful contact with aliens.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with iconic Herblock Prize-winning cartoonist & political satirist, Lalo Alcaraz, about his many syndicated political cartoons including “La Cucaracha,” and human rights activism through art.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with forest biotechnologist and environmental scientist, William Powell, about the citizen-scientist fight to save and repopulate the American Chestnut. The American Chestnut is an “almost perfect” tree because of its numerous benefits to humans, animals, and the environment.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with space journalist, Leonard David, about global space programs. David has written for National Geographic, Scientific American, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Aerospace America Magazine, Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, as well as in supplemental writing for Aviation Week, Space Technology Magazine, and has a column in SPACE.com.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with author of the macabre, J.W. Ocker, about finding cursed objects and artifacts all over the world and even for sale on eBay.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with the celebrated @The Phil Hendrie Show host and actor, Phil Hendrie, and some 91 characters fighting over control of his mouth.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Lisa Morton, screenwriter, author of Weird Women and, six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Deborah Caldwell-Stone, law doctorate and Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. They discuss advocacy for the freedom of books and information, community access to broadband internet, and the right for librarians to do their jobs without threats and violence.

This podcast discusses the attacks that books, libraries, and librarians are currently facing, as well as efforts to ensure that librarians feel safe while doing their jobs and adhering to ethical principles.

• Books, libraries, and librarians are under attack in the United States.
• Threats against libraries have caused programs to be cancelled and libraries to be closed.
• Efforts are being made to ensure that librarians feel safe while doing their jobs.
• Libraries are community institutions designed to support freedom of access to information.
• Public libraries are the most common type of library in the United States.
• Librarians are committed to upholding ethical precepts, including support for the First Amendment.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with documentary photographer Philippe Dudouit about his work photographing rebel camps in the Saharan region for his book Dynamics of Dust.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Kevin Buzzard, a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College in London about whether computers can get as smart at math as they are fast at math. Buzzard specializes in arithmetic geometry and the Langlands program, a branch of modern algebraic number theory.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Andrew Lowenthal. Lowenthal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EngageMedia, an Asia-Pacific human rights and environmental non-profit exploring the intersection of video, technology, and social change.

Jesse and Priscilla speak with celebrated NFT fine artist, Varvara Alay, about her new NFT collection, Birds of Sōlis. This reimaging of the historical illustrations of Audubon’s Birds of America on Snowcrash.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with political activist and strategist, Heather Booth. Booth started JANE, the underground abortion service in the 1960s, before Roe. She served as the Director of the NAACP National Voter Fund and was the lead consultant for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Campaign in 2005. During President Obama’s presidency, she fought to regulate the financial industry as the founder and director of Americans for Financial Reform and served as the national coordinator for the coalition for marriage equality. Booth is the founding Director of the Midwest Academy, an on-the-ground or online training program teaching people how to organize and become leaders for social change.

Heather Booth explains the power of organizing and how it can change the world.

• Organizing is people coming together with a common cause to make the world a better place.
• Organizing has resulted in significant improvements such as an eight-hour workday and the right to vote.
• Organizing has provided access to clean drinking water and other benefits of a modern society.
• The speed of change can vary, but organizing can make it happen faster.
• People can fulfill their dreams and hopes through organizing.
• Organizing has extended the right to vote to more people.
• Organizing is about empowering people to collectively make a difference.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with documentary photographer Philippe Dudouit about his work photographing rebel camps in the Saharan region for his book Dynamics of Dust.

What is the importance of fear in tense situations?

• Fear is a natural and important reflex in dangerous situations.
• Dudouit’s photography focuses on capturing the complexity and humanity of war zones.
• Dudouit’s work in Mali explores the intersection of political, economic, and cultural factors driving conflict in the region.
• The podcast is conducted in both English and French.
• Dudouit’s photography has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications.
• Dudouit sees it as his responsibility to accurately depict the complexities of conflict in his photography.
• Dudouit describes the difficulty of getting rebel fighters to hold still for a photograph.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with iconic Herblock Prize-winning cartoonist & political satirist, Lalo Alcaraz, about his many syndicated political cartoons including “La Cucaracha,” and human rights activism through art.

Lalo discusses how he uses humor to criticize power structures and push for social change, and shares his experiences with issues such as immigration, racism, and politics.

• Alcaraz discusses his use of satire and humor to criticize power structures and push for social change.
• He shares how he uses his work to fight against issues such as immigration, racism, and politics.
• Alcaraz talks about his experiences with creating absurd and ridiculous hoaxes to call attention to political issues.
• He stresses the importance of representation and diversity in media and politics.
• Alcaraz discusses his advocacy work for environmental causes and sustainability.
• He shares his approach to creating political cartoons and the role of art in activism.
• Alcaraz talks about his Mexican heritage and how it influences his work and activism.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Cambridge Zoologist Arik Kershenbaum about clues in animal communications that might help us make meaningful contact with aliens.

What can we learn from animal communication, and what is the possibility of communication with alien life?

• Evolutionary biologists will be necessary to understand complex ecosystems on other planets
• Arik Kershenbaum analyses animal communication to understand how animals communicate on Earth
• Explores the possibility of communication with alien life
• Math, analysis and algorithms are required to understand animal communication
• How do we go about finding out what animals are communicating?
• Arik works on the communication of wolves, dolphins, parrots, gibbons and more
• Animal communication always serves a purpose or it wouldn’t have evolved

Jesse and Priscilla talk with secret society scholar and expert Richard B. Spence about the history and ethos of secret societies, their deep secrets, and hidden agendas, including the Soviet espionage operation in Mexico and the possibility that they launched a balloon to spy on US nuclear testing in New Mexico.

What are Secret Societies?

• Secret societies have existed throughout history, with some possessing real power and influence.
• New Mexico was a high-security military state in 1947 due to its nuclear facilities, making it a target for espionage.
• The prevailing winds in New Mexico meant that a balloon launched from northern Mexico could potentially drift over US nuclear testing sites.
• Secret societies have been accused of trying to control world events and governments.
• Some secret societies, such as the Freemasons and Skull and Bones, are exclusive and only allow a select few to join their ranks.
• The existence of secret societies and their possible motives have long intrigued conspiracy theorists and scholars alike.
• The true nature and activities of secret societies may never be fully revealed.

Jesse and Priscilla talk to infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie A. Strathdee and her husband, Thomas Patterson, about the race to save Tom’s life from an antibiotic-resistant superbug… that turned him into a snake.  Superbugs are expected to kill more people than cancer later this century. The miracle cure turned out to be a bacterial virus called a Phage. Phages are now being explored for their incredible potential to combat superbugs.

Highlights

• Tom contracted a multidrug-resistant bacterial infection in Egypt that could not be cured by traditional antibiotics.
• Tom’s condition quickly deteriorated, and he required multiple forms of life support.
• Steffanie had to make the difficult decision to sustain Tom’s life or let him go based on his living will and power of attorney.
• Unsure of Tom’s wishes, Steffanie spoke to him and asked if he wanted to live by squeezing her hand.
• After exhausting traditional methods, Steffanie reached out to the world’s leading experts in bacterial infections for a cure.
• The experts ultimately created a custom phage therapy that successfully cured Tom’s infection.
• Steffanie and Tom continue to advocate for the use of phage therapy and the need for further research in the field.

Jesse and Priscilla talk to Caltech Planetary Scientist Dr. Konstantin Batygin about the usefulness of useless knowledge and why it’s so hard to find the ever elusive planet 9 in our solar system.

What is Planet 9 in our solar system, and what is the importance of pursuing scientific inquiry?

• The search for Planet 9 and its potential impact on our understanding of the solar system
• The importance of scientific inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake
• The role of chance and randomness in scientific discoveries
• The significance of Maxwell’s equations in modern technology
• The power of human imagination in scientific pursuits
• The need for continued investment in scientific research
• The potential impact of scientific discoveries on our understanding of the world around us.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Andrew Hessel, author of the book “The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology.”

Andrew explains how digitizing biology through synthetic biology can help standardize the field, identify bad actors and designs, enable regulators to monitor developments and provide greater transparency for investors.

What is “Digitizing biology”?

• Digitizing biology through synthetic biology can help establish standards in the field.
• Digitization can also help identify bad actors, designs, and programs.
• Regulators can better monitor developments in synthetic biology through digitization.
• Greater transparency in the field can aid investors in identifying promising projects.
• However, accidents and mistakes may still occur, and we must not be naive about the risks associated with synthetic biology.
• Dynamics from the internet may carry over into synthetic biology as the field becomes more digitized.
• The potential of synthetic biology is vast, but we must remain vigilant and responsible in our development and use of it.

0:00 – Intro

1:20 – What is Synthetic Biology

2:19 – Where is Synthetic Biology Taking Us

3:19 – Is this the next precision medicine

5:15 – What can it do for us today

6:47- Digital me

8:37 – Cancer immunotherapy

10:47 – Digitalization and automation

13:27 – Early days of synthetic biology

16:32 – Closing the loop with automation

18:23 – Materials

23:30 – Mark Kelly

29:55 – Open Source

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Pietro Moran of The Giving Block about leveraging crypto for philanthropic causes.

The Giving Block is making it easier for artists to donate their auction profits directly to charity with cryptocurrency, without middlemen. They share examples of teenagers and famous artists who have donated portions of their NFT collections and digital assets through their platform.

Highlights

• The Giving Block enables artists to donate their auction profits directly to charity with cryptocurrency.
• Donations can be made without the involvement of middlemen, avoiding potential conflicts or fees.
• Artists of all ages, from teenagers to famous artists, have used The Giving Block to donate portions of their NFT collections and digital assets to charity.
• The platform has helped to distribute funds to charities that address environmental concerns.
• One anonymous artist from Art Blocks donated $3.5 million worth of Ethereum through The Giving Block.
• The Giving Block provides resources to help people understand cryptocurrency and charitable giving.
• Charities that partner with The Giving Block benefit from new donors willing to donate through cryptocurrency.

2:57 – About The Giving Block

4:44 – Boomers and Crypto

8:33 – Objections to Crypto

10:16 – Managing the Activation

11:32 – NFT Donations

12:28 – NFTs for Artists

15:36 – Smart Contracts

16:53 – Do you verify the nonprofit

17:53 – Can you change the smart contract

18:36 – How do you account for price fluctuations

20:51 – Communication with artists

23:21 – Crypto in general

25:01 – Current events

28:04 – Liquidity test

29:49 – Valuation

30:20 – The Future

32:53 – Digital Art

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Dr. Carolyn Kurle, professor of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution about her work studying rats and their impact on islands, as well as the effects of climate change on ecosystems.

What happens to islands that become overrun with rats?

Marine ecologist Carolyn Kurle discusses

Highlights

• Kurle studies the impact of rats on islands, which can lead to devastating effects on native species.
• She also looks at the role of plants in ecosystems, including the vulnerable whitebark pine tree, which is dying off due to infestations of a beetle that is thriving due to rising temperatures.
• Kurle uses scientific methods, such as DNA analysis and stable isotopes, to study animal diets and relationships in ecosystems.
• She explores the interconnectedness of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, such as studying the role of salmon in fertilizing trees in the Pacific Northwest.
• Kurle discusses the importance of communicating scientific findings to the public and policymakers.
• She examines the effects of climate change on small islands, which can have disproportionate impacts due to their limited resources.
• Kurle emphasizes the importance of educating and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and conservation.

0:02 – Climate Change

2:11 – The First Night on Rat Island

5:28 – How Do Invasive Rats Impact the Rocky Inner Tidal System

6:54 – Cattle and Reindeer as an Invasive Species

12:21 – Island Conservation

22:10 – Earth Connection

31:06 – The Guidance Group

Jesse and Priscilla talk with writer and art historian, Danielle Oteri, about the rare and wondrous Unicorn Tapestries, their mysterious origin, and their meaning.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with attorney, author, and law professor Josh Fairfield about how law can keep up with technology, human rights, and threats to democracy.  While technology moves quickly, law is slower to adapt, but it is necessary to ensure cooperation and protect against abuse.

What is the relationship between law and technology?

Law is a language that helps us live together and work things out as a group, and it enables cooperation through the use of force. While technology moves quickly, law is slower to adapt, but it is necessary to ensure cooperation and protect against abuse.

Highlights

• Law is a language that helps us live and work together as a group and enables cooperation through force.
• Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, making it difficult for law to keep up
• Cooperation is essential for group success, and law allows for this through the use of force
• Law creates a system to prevent private abuse and enable collective functioning
• Law needs to be adaptable to keep up with new technology and societal changes
• Despite challenges, there is hope for cooperation and evolution through law and technology
• Law is necessary to protect against the harms of new technology and ensure safety in society.

1:37 – What does language mean

4:52 – Can a nation succeed

6:24 – The hallucination

9:18 – What is the law

14:29 – New law

18:27 – Who is the builder

23:09 – How will we extend the law

29:49 – The threat of biotism

Premiered Jul 27, 2022

Jesse and Priscilla talk with forest biotechnologist and environmental scientist William Powell about the citizen-scientist fight to save and repopulate the American Chestnut. The American Chestnut is an “almost perfect” tree because of its numerous benefits to humans, animals, and the environment.

1:23 – The Chestnut Nut

9:30 – Creating Blight Resistance

9:40 – How the Fungus Attacks the Tree

10:37 – Oxalate Oxidase

12:59 – Quantitative Resistance

13:44 – Seedling Growth

13:52 – Field Plantings

19:46 – Regulatory Approval

23:44 – Love of Trees

Premiered Jul 20, 2022

Jesse and Priscilla talk with space journalist Leonard David about global space programs. David has written for National Geographic, Scientific American, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Aerospace America Magazine, Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, as well as in supplemental writing for Aviation Week, Space Technology Magazine, and has a column in SPACE.com.

1:00 – Leonard David

2:25 – Challenges in Space Exploration

5:00 -Does Space Belong to Any

7:20 – Lava Tubes on Mars

8:52 – Mars Exploration

11:21 – Invasive Species

12:31 – Space Junk

15:31 – Space Debris

17:15 – International Space Station

19:24 – Moon and Mars

21:29 – Housing Problems

23:29 – Space Food

24:56 – Space Chefs

25:38 – Space Travel

27:33 – Mars

29:06 – Are you still excited about space

31:37 – Where can people get involved

Premiered Jul 13, 2022

Jesse and Priscilla sit crooked and talk straight with musician @moby about veganism and our collective cognitive dissonance for how much suffering we cause the creatures and planet we love.

0:00 – Intro

1:00 – How Moby became a vegan

3:16 – Moby’s first rescue cat

4:53 – The weird Schism

7:23 – The Journey

9:12 – Fascination

11:05 – Form vs. Function

14:17 – Cultural Exposure

17:13 – Music Culture

19:32 – Year Zero

20:50 – Animal Suffering

24:33 – Fake Meat

26:30 – What’s Possible

28:52 – Signs of Progress

32:41 – touchstones

35:02 – trajectories

Jesse and Priscilla talk with author of the macabre, J.W. Ocker, about finding cursed objects and artifacts all over the world and even for sale on eBay.

What are cursed objects?

• People believed tuberculosis was vampirism and dug up family members to find the “vampire”
• Paintings believed to be cursed include the Anguished Man and the Hands Resist Him
• The Dybbuk Box is a haunted object that allegedly caused paranormal activity
• The Hope Diamond is rumored to be cursed, causing misfortune to those who possess it
• The Clock of the Curse is said to have caused death and disaster to those who owned it
• A cursed mirror in a New Orleans hotel allegedly caused guests to have hallucinations and strange experiences
• Bray Road Beast is a cursed object linked to sightings of a werewolf-like creature in Wisconsin.

6:38 – Why Is the Hope Diamond So Cursed

11:24 – Mummy Board

13:12 – Stephen King

15:05 – Edgar Allen Poe

21:10- Buy a Cursed Object on Ebay

22:44 – Tour of Vampire Graves

30:21 – The Mothman

Jesse and Priscilla talk with the celebrated “The Phil Hendrie Show” host, actor Phil Hendrie, and some 91 characters fighting over control of his mouth.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Lisa Morton, screenwriter, author of Weird Women and, six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®.

0:00 – Intro

1:00 – Where are you

1:43 – What makes horror work

2:35 – Why do we like horror

5:21 – Women in horror

7:29 – Horror movies

10:29 – Learning from other writers

11:39 – Putting together an anthology

14:39- Weird Women in Horror

16:45 – Helen Duncan

19:44 – The Fox Sisters

21:56 – Spiritualism

23:44 – Movies

26:54 – Genre

28:54 – Horror covers

30:36 – Writing short stories

31:15 – Where do your ideas come from

32:44 – Do you love this bookstore

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Director of the Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping, Larry Mayer, onboard the Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust.

0:00 – Intro

1:18 – On the Nautilus

2:50 – Is it deep

4:27 – Mars

5:50 – Mapping the Ocean

8:07 – Why Map Earth

9:31 – How does sonar affect marine mammals

12:01 – How did the Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust start

15:05 – Do you get surprised by what you see

15:44 – What do you see biologically

17:04 – Seamounts

18:24 – Deep Trenches

20:36 – Dead Zones

22:16 – Whales

23:39 – Future Life

26:36 – Emotional Connection

28:58 – Launch Recovery System

31:29 – Wave Piercing

33:46 – Physics

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Kevin Buzzard, a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College in London about whether computers can get as smart at math as they are fast at math. Buzzard specializes in arithmetic geometry and the Langlands program, a branch of modern algebraic number theory.

3:25 – Algebraic Number Theory

4:09 – Fermat’s Last Theorem

16:19 – Are There Infinite Numbers

18:12 – The Platonic Universe

19:43 – Difference between Mathematics and Religion

23:38 – Fake News

26:27 – War in Yemen

Jesse and Priscilla speak with celebrated NFT fine artist Varvara Alay about her new NFT collection, Birds of Sōlis. This reimaging of the historical illustrations of Audubon’s Birds of America is dropping on Snowcrash on May 26, 2022.

2:48 – What Was She Doing before She Got into NFTs

12:43 – Favorite Bird

14:30 – Evergreen Token

20:55 – Do You Have any Plans To Come to America to Los Angeles

Jesse and Priscilla talk to Caltech Planetary Scientist Dr. Konstantin Batygin about the usefulness of useless knowledge and why it’s so hard to find the ever elusive planet 9 in our solar system.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with writer and art historian, Danielle Oteri, about the rare and wondrous Unicorn Tapestries, their mysterious origin, and their meaning.

Jesse and Priscilla talk with Andrew Lowenthal. Lowenthal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EngageMedia, an Asia-Pacific human rights and environmental non-profit exploring the intersection of video, technology, and social change.

0:00 – Intro

1:05 – About Engage Media

7:15 – The rise of authoritarianism

11:25 – Digital rights

15:02 – Who owns you

18:35 – What is the right

24:15 – Information bubbles

27:35 – Peer policing

30:19 – What is a more just society

33:13 – Conclusion