Episodes

  • How far would you go for a crow?

    How far would you go for a crow?
    Jul 8 2026
    To the American birder, spotting the Tamaulipas Crow is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime event. The crow's range is mostly in Mexico and extends ever so slightly into Texas, specifically in and around a dump called the Brownsville Landfill. Spotting the Tamaulipas — north of the border — means being able to check it off your American Bird Association Checklist. So just how far will die-hard birders go to see this bird? In this episode producer (and first-time birder) Michaela Elias sets out to the southern border with a group of experienced birder friends to find out. Together with her "wingmen" Michaela braves the Texas heat, crawls through brush and over slippery rocks, and risks getting attacked by dogs — to find out whether collecting bird sightings as if they're Pokémon is a meaningful way to engage with the natural world. Featuring Jake Glassman, Joe Hack, and Joel Glassman. Produced by Michaela Elias. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Check out the eBird app, a crowdsourced database of bird observations that lets you log all the birds you’ve seen and where you’ve seen them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • The problem with pickleball

    The problem with pickleball
    Jul 1 2026
    Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. It may also be the most hated. Tennis and basketball players are complaining about losing court space because of an “invasion” of pickleballers. Residents are losing sleep because of the incessant noise. Fights over pickleball have led to a slew of petitions, calls to the police, and even lawsuits. So why do pickleball players love this sport so much? Just how annoying is it to everyone else? And what will it take for everyone to just get along? Producer Felix Poon visits one of the most popular courts in Boston to see how the drama is unfolding there. This episode was originally reported in 2025. Featuring Kemardo Henry, Martha Merson, Soren Whited, and Zariyah Cherise. For a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • You’ve got scorpion

    You’ve got scorpion
    Jun 24 2026
    A listener recently asked, “Has the entire surface of earth at some point or another been covered in poop?” Turns out, there are some questions that even we can’t answer. In this installment of our regular mailbag segment, the Outside/Inbox, we do our best to take on your zany inquiries, or find experts who can. Here are this week’s questions: Why was there a sudden spike in “dangerous carbon monoxide levels” during a snowstorm in New Hampshire? Is there any official recognition for hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail? Why are live scorpions allowed in the mail? Why do kids (and adults) chant “Do it! Do it! Do it!” and other chants? Do all predators have forward-facing eyes? Featuring Kathleen Simmons, Carlos Santibanez-Lopez, and Barb Lake. Produced by Felix Poon, Marina Henke, and Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • Big porpoise energy

    Big porpoise energy
    Jun 17 2026
    Whales have Free Willy. Dolphins have Flipper. But what about the humble porpoise? The porpoise doesn’t star in any Hollywood blockbusters. These shy, elusive “deer of the sea” are often overshadowed by their more charismatic cousins – but don’t let their social anxiety fool you. In fact, porpoises are speed-fiends with an insane metabolism and an outrageous sex drive. Host Nate Hegyi and producer Marina Henke explore the Olympic sprinters of the sea and wonder if the fate of the endangered vaquita might hinge on being oh-so-very-cute. Featuring Michelle Dutro, Barb Lake and Ruxandra Guidi. Produced by Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Ripped logo credit: Jeremy Keith / Flickr SUPPORT We launched a Patreon! Become an Outside/Insider for just $5 a month, and you can get AD-FREE episodes of the podcast, plus access to behind-the-scenes blog posts and more. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS The second season of Rux Guidi’s podcast, The Catch, covered the plight of the vaquita. In 1999, the Department of Defense studied the speed and hydrodynamics of dolphins, whales and porpoises to build better underwater drones. Here’s a picture of a porpoise penis, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • A tinned fish renaissance

    A tinned fish renaissance
    Jun 10 2026
    We launched a Patreon! Become an Outside/Insider for just $5 per month, and you can get AD-FREE episodes of the podcast, plus access to behind-the-scenes blog posts and more. Sardines are in vogue. Literally. They are in Vogue magazine. They’re delicious (subjectively), good for you, and sustainable… right? Recently, a listener called into the show asking about just that. “I've always had this sense that they're a more environmentally friendly fish, perhaps because of being low on the food chain. But I'm realizing I really have no sense of what it looks like to actually fish for sardines,” Jeannie told us. The Outside/In team got together to look beyond the sunny illustrations on the fish tins. Is there bycatch? What about emissions? Are sardines overfished? If we care about the health of the ocean, can we keep eating sardines? This episode was originally published in 2025. Featuring Jeannie Bartlett, Malin Pinsky, and Zach Koehn. Rip logo photo: Canned seafood by Jack Kennard (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Produced by Justine Paradis. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Never add sodium to your pasta water

    Never add sodium to your pasta water
    Jun 3 2026
    Put salt (aka sodium chloride) in your pasta water and you’ll end up with delicious spaghetti. Put pure sodium in it instead… and it will explode. It’s the latest edition of “The Element of Surprise,” our occasional series about the hidden stories behind the periodic table’s most unassuming atoms, isotopes, and molecules. This time we’re talking all about sodium. It’s the periodic table’s saltiest element. It powers your body like a battery and you need it to survive. So why is too much of it bad for you? Plus, how did salt help the North win the Civil War? Featuring Raychelle Burks, Trisha Pasricha, Ashley Dumas. Produced by Felix Poon. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Watch a 1947 newsreel of the US Army disposing thousands of pounds of pure sodium into a lake in Washington State, causing massive explosions. See images of the Slanic Salt Mine in Romania and the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland, now major tourist sites. Check out Theodore Gray’s “Sodium Party” YouTube video series where he drops sodium chunks of various sizes into water to observe how they explode. Here’s the first video in the series.Want to learn more about the role of salt throughout human history? Read Mark Kurlansky’s Salt: A World History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • A cow named Speckles

    A cow named Speckles
    May 27 2026
    When 10-year-old Doug Crandell joined the 4-H program, he was supposed to learn about raising, feeding, and selling a cow. What he wound up learning was something else entirely. “I wanted to be a hog man, like my father,” he said. “But I knew pretty early on that you couldn’t have these animals forever.” From producer Shaina Shealy, this is the story of a boy and his cow, Speckles. Featuring Doug Crandell. Produced by Shaina Shealy. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • In defense of darkness

    In defense of darkness
    May 20 2026
    Megan Eaves-Egenes grew up under the very starry skies of rural New Mexico. During those years, she developed a deep appreciation for astronomy. The fascination is, of course, not hers alone. But, a starry sky requires one pretty important ingredient: darkness. One study recently reported that since 2011, the night sky has gotten brighter at about 10% per year. All that light pollution has brought dire consequences to life on planet earth. Crickets can’t tell whether it’s day or night, bird migrations have gone haywire, and our own natural alarm clocks are constantly confused. In a world where switching on a lamp during evening hours is, as Megan writes, “almost as basic as breathing” is there hope for our night skies? Or have we illuminated our way to a point of no return? Featuring Megan Eaves-Egenes. SUPPORT To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, call the show’s hotline and leave us a voicemail. The number is 1-844-GO-OTTER. No question is too serious or too silly. Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram and BlueSky, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS You can order a copy of Megan’s book Nightfaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness on her website. Want to plan travel around dark sky locations? Dark Sky International offers a variety of guides and tips on how to visit darky sky locations responsibly. There are many popular stargazing apps. Megan uses SkyView, but also recommends Stellarium or SkySafari. Learn more about satellite’s role in light pollution from our 2024 episode, “The new space race.” Made nearly 10 years ago, here is our episode about light pollution emitted from a New Hampshire greenhouse. CREDITS Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins