Overheard at National Geographic

Come dive into one of the curiously delightful conversations overheard at National Geographic’s headquarters, as we follow explorers, photographers, and scientists to the edges of our big, weird, beautiful world. Hosted by Peter Gwin and Amy Briggs.

Latest Episodes:

Overheard at National Geographic Season 2 Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

Exploring the ancient Maya Cave of the Jaguar God. The graffiti of Pompeii. Searching for alien life underground. New season of Overheard at National Geographic starting October 15th.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Honeybee Chop Shop Jul 30, 2019

Show notes

What is a honeybee chop shop, and why do they exist? Turns out the answer has everything to do with the food on our tables. We dig into the sticky business of beekeeping and commercial agriculture. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard.

Want More?

Read more about the seriously sticky problem of honeybee theft.

Also Explore:

Watch an amazing time-lapse of bees hatching.

See how honeybees are each assigned their distinct jobs.

Read about an unlikely feud between Maya beekeepers and Mennonites in Mexico.

Learn more about honeybees.

Without insects, we might all die, argues this author.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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The Glass Stratosphere Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

What if women had been among the first to head to the moon? A NASA physician thought that wasn't such a far fetched idea back in the 1960s. He developed the physical and psychological tests used to select NASA's first male astronauts, and ran those same test on women, who thought their performance punched their ticket to the moon. We'll hear about what happened from two of the women involved. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want More?

Read why some scientists think the future of spaceflight should be female.

Also Explore:

Meet the people who got us to space and the pioneers pushing us farther.

Explore the never-used Soviet space shuttles rusting in a hangar in Kazakhstan.

See Nat Geo editors' favorite space photos.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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The Harem Conspiracy Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

Murder, succession, and a 18-foot scroll of papyrus that reads like an ancient Egyptian episode of Law and Order. We get the lowdown on the Judicial Papyrus of Turin. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want More?

Read about the bloody coup described in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin, as well as other poignant examples of law and order in ancient Egypt.

Learn more about the Queens of Egypt exhibition at the National Geographic Museum.

Also Explore:

Explore the Book of the Dead, ancient Egypt's guide to the underworld.

See the artifacts that honor Egypt's powerful queens.

Test your knowledge of ancient Egypt.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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The Zombie Mice of Marion Island Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

Mice on the sub-Antarctic Marion Island are out for blood, and they're feasting, zombie-style, on living, immature albatrosses. Turns out, these tiny mammals are a very big threat to these huge seabirds. One photographer says it was more intense than watching the first four seasons of The Walking Dead. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want more?

Want to see the zombie mice of Marion Island yourself? You can see photos and video here, but beware, some may find the footage disturbing.

Meet National Geographic Photographer Thomas Peschak, and see more of his work.

Read more about Peschak's experience documenting these ravenous mice (warning: the photos and video are graphic).

Also explore:

This other island has been declared rat-free thanks to a conservation effort.

Learn more about the global migratory bird crisis.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Scuba Diving in a Pyramid Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

One of National Geographic's writers was hard to pin down for a while. That's because she was in Sudan, scuba diving underneath a pyramid. We had so many questions for her-especially once she shared with us that the contents of the pyramid could fundamentally change what we understand about ancient Egypt's 25th dynasty. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want more?

Read Kristin Romey's piece, and watch a video of what it's like to go scuba diving under a pyramid at Nuri.

Learn more about the Kingdom of Kush in what is now Sudan, a rival to ancient Egypt awash in gold and power.

Also explore:

Read about the mysterious void discovered in Egypt's Great Pyramid.

Learn how illegal tomb raiders are stealing the world's history.

Watch: Ancient Egypt 101

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Rats vs Humans: A Love Story Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

Bringers of plague, schleppers of pizza slices, garbage gobblers. Rats have adapted over the millennia to survive and thrive in human company, much to our amazement and (often) disgust. But love them or hate them, our past and our future is bound up with these little hustlers. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want More?

Read Emma Marris's magazine story on how rats have become a global, inescapable part of city life.

Yes, rats really can wriggle up toilets. Learn more about their "ninja" skills.

Rats can remember who's nice to them, and return the favor, reports a study on their surprisingly complex social behavior.

Also explore:

Are rats really to blame for the Medieval "black death" plagues? These scientists have a different theory.

Rats remain a popular food in Vietnam. Learn why.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Evolution of a Little Liar Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

Most parents see lying as a cause for worry or reprimand. But some experts suggest lying at a young age could be a welcome sign of childhood development. So what does lying tell us about human cognition? For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard

Want More?

Read writer Yudhijit Bhattacharrjee's magazine story on why we lie, and what it says about us.

Watch: Why science says it's good for kids to lie.

Learn more about researcher Kang Lee's work.

Read about Charles Darwin's report on his son, Doddy.

Also explore:

Do you lie more or less than the average person? Take this quiz to find out.

Meet history's most notorious liars.

These are the best liars of the animal world.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Humpback Hit Factory Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

There's a humpback whale song sensation that's sweeping the South Pacific. We'll learn about the burgeoning study of "whale culture"-and why these super smart cetaceans may have a lot more in common with us than we'd ever imagined. For more information on this episode visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard.

Want more?

Meet National Geographic Photographer Brian Skerry, and see examples of his work beneath the waves.

Read Ellen Garland's original paper on whale song transmission, and listen to the humpback audio recordings that helped her piece this phenomenon together.

Here's the backstory behind those whale songs you heard at the top of the show, from Roger Payne's Songs of the Humpback Whale.

Also explore:

Sperm whales in the Caribbean form clans that have their own unique dialects-and thus culture.

Video: Off the coast of Argentina, seasoned killer whales hunt sea lion pups.

Whale song recordings off Hawaii have revealed a strange series of deep beats almost inaudible to humans.

An unusual number of humpback whales are dying along the U.S. East Coast, and scientists are racing to figure out why.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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Introducing Overheard from National Geographic Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

A new weekly podcast from National Geographic. We talk with explorers and scientists who are uncovering amazing stories at the edges of our wild and wonderful world. New episodes every Tuesday, starting June 11.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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