Searching For Nessie: IFLScience Takes On Cryptozoology
In this bonus Halloween special episode of The Big Questions, IFLScience takes on the “mystery” of the Loch Ness Monster.
Although it’s been nearly 100 years since Nessie was first brought to international attention, no one has provided any unambiguous proof of its existence, and yet every year, thousands of people flock to Scotland in hopes of seeing it. To find out what’s going on, we dispatched our IFLScience Investigates team – a motley bunch of intrepid sleuths – to dig into the story’s origins, question local monster hunters, and explore the science that has taken place in the loch’s murky depths.
Join Russell Moul, Eleanor Higgs, and Katy Evans as they discuss searching for everyone’s favorite cryptid and what it was like to film IFLScience's first feature-length documentary on location, exploring this weird case. Did we find Nessie? You’ll have to listen to find out.
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Why Do People Believe In The Paranormal?
Everyone loves a good ghost story. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, there’s something about the eerie and the uncanny that we all enjoy. But for many people, the things that go bump in the night are not just the stuff of stories; they’re real. In fact, countless numbers of people across the world have their own stories of the strange, whether they’re ghosts, aliens, or any other spook. How do we explain that?
Join host Dr Russell Moul as we discuss the psychology underpinning paranormal experiences with Chris French, Emeritus Professor of Anomalistic Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. We explore everything from ghosts and psychic experiences, to alien abductions and Satanic cults, and ask the big question: Is there really something strange going on, or is it all in our heads?
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What Is Time And How Do We Measure It?
Time is everything to us: in terms of physical laws, in how we experience the world, and how society works. Still, its true nature remains beyond us. As scientists search for a deeper understanding, the way humans relate to time has changed massively.
To explore the questions of what time is and how we measure it, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by Dr Emily Akkermans, Curator of Time at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, which is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year.
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Is De-extinction Really Possible?
De-extinction. It’s not a word many of us were thinking about just a decade ago, but it’s one that we’re getting ever more familiar with. The de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences has set its sights on de-extincting 5 key species whose extinction is thought to have either been caused, or heavily contributed to, by humans: the woolly mammoth, thylacine, dodo, moa, and dire wolf.
By their definition of “functional de-extinction,” they’ve already brought back the dire wolf, and have set a goal to see a living, breathing mammoth by 2028, but what do they mean by de-extinction, and what can it realistically achieve?
In this episode of The Big Questions, writer Rachael Funnell goes on a deep dive into de-extinction, speaking with Colossal’s co-cofounder Ben Lamm, chief science officer Beth Shapiro, and chief animal officer Matt James. We also hear from historian Professor Sadiah Qureshi, author of Vanished: An Unnatural History Of Extinction, who raises some interesting questions we should all be asking ourselves as this curious new branch of science marches on – both in its efforts to bring back creatures from the past, and to prevent further extinctions in the future.
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Are We In The Anthropocene?
In March 2024, geologists rejected the proposal that we are in a new geological era: the Anthropocene, a time dominated by human activity on the planet. And yet, the evidence of our impact on the Earth’s ecology and climate continues to mount up around us. So how could this decision make sense given everything going on in the world today?
To dig through the layers of confusion surrounding the Anthropocene, host Dr Russell Moul spoke to Professor Erle Ellis, from the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He explains how the idea of the Anthropocene was created and how it has value outside of debates over geological time.
From saving the planet to understanding ourselves, this podcast sees experts discuss the major topics of our times. Hosted by IFLScience’s Dr Alfredo Carpineti, Rachael Funnell, Dr Russell Moul, Laura Simmons, and Eleanor Higgs.
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