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Wild Thing — Natural Sciences
Wild Thing

Wild Thing is a long-form, narrative podcast about the obsessions that capture our imaginations. This sound-rich and deeply reported show examines the relationship between science and society—that point where scientific inquiry collides with our very human desire to find answers, even when there are none. Whether it’s seeking out Sasquatch, looking skyward for extraterrestrial life, or probing the power of the atom, exploring the unknown helps us better understand ourselves. Every season, host Laura Krantz tackles a brand new topic, so be sure to start with the first episode for each one.

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Latest Episodes:

Homemade Reactors with Ken Silverstein—S3 Bonus Interview Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

In the 1990s, a teenager named David Hahn set out to earn his Atomic Energy Merit Badge. For a science whiz like him, the requirements were too easy, so he decided to make his own challenge: build a nuclear reactor in his own backyard. Journalist Ken Silverstein is the author of The Radioactive Boy Scout and he joins us to tell the tale.

*Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

*Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

The Legacy of Three Mile Island with Natasha Zaretsky—S3 Bonus Interview Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Most people consider Three Mile Island to be American’s worst nuclear accident. But the actual legacy of that incident is much more complex than than many of us realize, as historian Natasha Zaretsky, author of Radiation Nation, points out.

*Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

*Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

Atomic History with Richard Rhodes—S3 Bonus Interview Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode, we hear from author Richard Rhodes. His best known book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, won a Pulitzer Prize. It's about the Manhattan Project, but as Rhodes explains, there's a lot of history leading up to that moment, starting back in the 19th century.

*Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

*Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

Transparency and Trust with Sarah Robey—S3 Bonus Interview Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Transparency has always been something of a gray area in the history of nuclear fission. It made sense to keep this knowledge a secret during World War II. But afterwards, it seemed that citizens should have had the right to know what their country was involved in and how it affected them. Dr. Sarah Robey is the author of Atomic Americans: Citizens in a Nuclear State and she sits down with us to talk about transparency and trust in the nuclear age.

*Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

*Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

Mutants—S3 Bonus Episode Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

A faulty reactor overheats, melting through its containment unit and poisoning a nearby town with radioactive gas. A spacecraft pushes further into deep space, exploring new galaxies, powered by a small nuclear reactor. An ordinary scientist is struck by cosmic rays—and finds he has new powers. Fiction? Or fact? Or a little of both? Stories of nuclear peril and promise permeate American media, and especially comic books. In this bonus episode, we explore atomic comics and why nuclear ideas captured artists’ imaginations.

*Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

*Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

David Baron Discusses Mars Madness—S2 Bonus Interview Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Earthlings are fascinated by our nearest neighbor. In recent years, we've sent probes and talked seriously about sending people. But even a century ago, we were crazy about the Red Planet and the Martians we thought lived there. In this interview with author David Baron—recorded live at the Mountain Words Literary Festival—we'll learn all about the history of Mars madness.

*Season 2 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lipinski. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

Arik Kershenbaum on the Evolution of Aliens—S2 Bonus Interview Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

When we imagine life on other planets, it's often the stuff of science fiction. But in his book, zoologist Arik Kershenbaum makes the case for why what we already know about animals on Earth could reveal what aliens might be like, too.

*Season 2 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lipinski. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

Seth Shostak and SETI—S2 Bonus Interview May 26, 2026

Show notes

Seth Shostak is the chief astronomer at the SETI Institute and we’ll hear from him about SETI's mission: how they’re looking, what they're looking for, and how they think about the search.

*Season 2 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lipinski. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

Making Sense of MUFON—S2 Bonus Interview May 12, 2026

Show notes

Rob Swiatek introduces us to MUFON—the Mutual UFO Network—whose mission is to collect reports of and investigate UFO sightings all over the US and the world. Swiatek has been with MUFON for decades and explains how the organization works and what they're looking for.

*Season 2 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lipinski. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

Silvano Colombano Wonders If We're Doing It Wrong—S2 Bonus Interview Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Silvano Colombano, a long-time NASA scientist, argues that the search for extraterrestrial life makes some erroneous assumptions. We talk to him about what those assumptions are, why they might be wrong, and how we might think differently about the search.

*Season 2 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lipinski. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

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