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Researchers at the Field Museum studied chipmunk and vole specimens from a century ago till now to examine the influence of people on rodents over time.

I'm a big fan of Nathalia (Nat) Holt's books, and am so excited to have the opportunity to talk to her about her new book, The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda. I first met Nat when her book Cured: The People Who Defeated HIV came out and I attended a book event at Dartmouth Medical Center. She is so smart and curious and in this episode we will be talking about the process of researching elusive history, where her ideas come from, and who gets to tell what stories. Nathalia Holt's websiteTranscript below!EPISODE 455 - TRANSCRIPTJess LaheyHey, AmWriters! It's Jess Lahey here. I am so excited to talk about a new series that I am putting out there on the Hashtag AmWriting platform called From Soup to Nuts. I interview and work with and mentor an author—a nonfiction author—who has subject matter expertise and a killer idea, frankly, that just knocked me sideways. This author really thinks this is the time and place for this idea. And I agreed, and I asked her—I begged her—if I could mentor her through this process in a series. We're having to work together on agenting and proposal and all the stuff that you've got to do, from soup to nuts, to get a book out into the world. This series, From Soup to Nuts, is subscriber-only. The first episode is free, so you can go back and listen to that. That's for everyone. But if you want to join us for the whole process and learn from her mistakes—and learn from the stuff that I'm working on right now too—you have to subscribe. So consider supporting the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. It helps us bring you stuff like this—these extra series—not to mention the podcast itself. Alright, it's a lot of work. Help us support our podcast and these extra bonus series. By becoming a supporter, you'll get a sticker for it. You'll get your hypothetical, figurative sticker for being a good Hashtag AmWriting.Multiple speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause… I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. This is the podcast about writing all the things—writing the short things, writing the long things, writing the queries, the proposals, the poetry, the fiction, the nonfiction. This is the podcast actually, at its heart, about getting the work done. I am Jess Lahey. I am your host today. I'm the author of the New York Times best-selling The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. And you can find my journalism at The New York Times and The Atlantic and The Washington Post. And today I am interviewing an author I respect deeply. I have known this author since she wrote her first book, which overlapped with some work that my husband does and some work that I had done in a previous career, and she has gone on to have a glorious and enviable career in nonfiction. My dream has always been to be one of those people that can, like, get curious about a topic and then just go off and write about that topic. And this is what she does. So Natalia—NAT—Holt, I am so excited to introduce you to our listeners. They are deep, deep, deep lovers of the nuts and bolts and the geeky details of the writing and the process. So welcome to the Hashtag AmWriting podcast.Nathalia HoltThank you so much. I'm excited to talk to you today.Jess LaheySo we have a book on HIV—the first book, Cured, which is the way that I got to know you. Also, full disclosure, we share an agent. Laurie Abkemeier is our agent, and I think she actually may have introduced us in the first place. Yeah, your first book—yeah, your first book, Cured, about the Berlin patients. Really interesting—if you've never heard of the Berlin patients, listeners, just, just Google it. It's really a fascinating story. I'll go over—I'll go read Cured. Cured is all about the Berlin patients. And then we have The Queens of Animation—the women behind, sort of, the way Disney does what they do. And—and—and then we also have Rise of the Rocket Girls, which is another fascinating book out there about the women behind a lot of the math and the planning and the work that was done to get us into space. And so when I heard about your new book, I'm like, "Oh, NAT's working on a new book. Great! What women are we going to talk about this time?" And it's such a departure for you, and it is such a fascinating topic for you. And, well, for me, it's like—it's deep in my geeky, Jess-book-loving nonfiction zone. Could you tell us a little bit about it and where the idea came from for this book?Nathalia HoltSure. The book is called The Beast in the Clouds, and it's about an expedition that the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt took in 1928 and 1929. And they went to China and Tibet in search of the giant panda, which at that time was unknown to Western scientists. And even in China, there were very few people that were aware of where this animal lived, what it ate—so little was known. So during this time period, the 1920s, you have all of these expeditions going to China, trying to find this black-and-white bear that no one is really sure exists. It's just a crazy period of history, because you have all of the other bears at that time—even polar bears—were known and even were in zoos. But the panda was not, and many people even thought it would be a ferocious bear. They thought this was going to be, you know, a combination of polar and black bears.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltSo that's what the Roosevelts are going to. And so the expedition ends up being torturous, deadly. They're going through the Himalayas. They're not very well prepared. They lose all their food. They're attacked. They get lost. Just every crazy thing happens to them. But it's also a journey of transformation. They're documenting all of the ecology around them, and it really ends up changing their own worldview. And so it was such a fun book to research and to write. And I spent a lot of time also going into many of the other ex—many of the other members of the expedition, which was—which was fun, and maybe a little bit different than other books in this genre. But yeah, for me, you know, it's scary to be writing a part of history that is very different than what I've done before—but it's also fun.Jess LaheyWhere'd the germ of the idea for the book come from? Because I had never heard this story before. I guess it had just never occurred to me—like, where do we—how do we know about the panda bear?Nathalia HoltYeah, it's not a topic that has been written about much before, and I came across it while I was researching my last book, which is called Wise Gals, and is about women that helped form the CIA. And as part of that book, I was looking into the Roosevelts' role in World War Two. And it's so confusing when you research the Roosevelts, because they all have the same name. It's just Theodore and...Jess LaheyActually, I have to tell you, Tim's a huge fan—my husband, Tim, who you also know, is a big fan and has read a lot about—and he's like, "Well, which Roosevelt?" So you—and I'm like, "Oh, that's a really good question. I don't know which Roosevelt... like, the adventuring ones." He's like, "Well..." [unintelligible]Nathalia HoltYeah, there's so many of them, and they all have the same name. And so as I was trying to parse out son and father—who are both named Kermit Roosevelt and both served in World War Two—I kind of stumbled across this expedition that the elder Kermit Roosevelt had taken. So he and his older brother, Theodore, who were the sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and so it just kind of—it came from there. Just sort of came from wanting to learn more about it. And I always love a challenge. If there's a topic that's difficult to research, that seems impossible to find anything about—I'm there. I want to know everything.Jess LaheyYeah. So, okay, so here's a—really a question that I—well, first of all, you and I are both research geeks. I just—I have said I could just keep researching books and not actually write the books. I just love that process. So aside from the easy answer, which is Google, like, where do you start with a story that hasn't been told yet? How do you start diving into that story, and where do you find information?Nathalia HoltIt's difficult, and it depends on the topic. For this one, I went through a number of different archives, and that was great. I was able to get old letters that the Roosevelts had. But I really wanted to bring in other voices. I was really, really persistent in my desire to bring in Jack Young, who was this young, 19-year-old, Hawaiian-born translator and naturalist on the trip. And I was fortunate enough that I was able to track down some interviews he had done with another author back in the 1990s, and I just was persistent. I just pleaded until I got these tapes and was able to get all these interviews with him. And then I also contacted his daughter, who lives in Hawaii, and was able to get his unpublished autobiography. And it gives such an interesting perspective, because Jack Young went on and became a very impressive person and really deserves a biography all of his own, but he was also very close friends with the Roosevelts. They had a real connection—a real bond. And you get a different sense of the story when you're hearing it through his descriptions of what it was like, because he is young, and he is sort of really documenting things for the first time. And then, in addition, I was so lucky with this book because I was able to also get the field journals from a scientist that was on the expedition, as well as all the writings from another naturalist. So it was fascinating, because there were so many different accounts of the same events, which really lets you go into detail about what it was like, what people were feeling, what they were seeing. And I don't think I've ever had that before—where I have so many different accounts of the exact same events.Jess LaheyThat's really cool, because it gives you that ability to, you know—if we went with just Jack Young's account, then you've got the Jack Young lens. And as you well know, history gets to be told by certain people, unless someone like you comes along and says, "Oh, wait, this account has not been brought to the surface," whether it's the women who are the animators at Disney, or whether it's the women who are part of NASA. So how do you—if you go into something like this and you have a limited number of perspectives—it sounds like you had a fair number of perspectives going into this, but since the documentation happened—usually tends to happen among the more powerful, the more privileged people—how do you manage getting a full perspective on an event like this expedition when you may have limited perspectives?Nathalia HoltThat is the real challenge, because it's easy to get the Roosevelts' documentation.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltI have all of their journals, all of their letters. I am able to get into real detail about what this expedition was like for them. Even the difficult parts—for them—they really documented that, and everything has been saved. For the others... it's much more difficult, and it really requires that persistence of being able to get the letters. Being able to get the autobiography was really key, because he goes into so much detail about what things were like. And these interviews that he did were also really, really helpful, because he goes into a lot of his feelings about what it was like to be with the Roosevelts on the expedition, about how he felt… Because his father was born in China, his mother was born in San Francisco, he himself was born in Hawaii—which, at that time, is not part of the U.S.—he feels like he doesn't have a country. He doesn't know where he is. So when he's in China, he can speak all of these languages, but he's still struggling to connect and be able to talk with people, because there are so many dialects.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltAnd so to be able to get into what that was like, and how he felt—just gives such a perspective—a different perspective of the expedition than perhaps what is usually had in these kinds of books. And he also talks a lot about the guides on the expedition, which was really interesting. There were a lot of women that were part of this expedition. Half of the guides, who kind of act as Sherpas—they, you know, they carry things, they lead the way, they guide the route, they make camp. And so there are just some great moments with these guides—especially the women guides—where they are just protecting from crazy marauders that have come down and have attacked the group. And lots of great moments like that. That was really interesting to document. And in addition, another thing I was able to get for this book is—there was actually some early video and a lot of photographs that were taken.Jess LaheyOh my goodness.Nathalia HoltBy one of the members. And that is just such an incredible thing—to be looking at video of this expedition in the 1920s—it's just amazing.Jess LaheyOkay, so geek question here, since this is definitely what our listeners like the most. So I haven't laid hands on the book yet, because it's not out yet—did you put photographs in the book? Were you able to get access to photographs, and did you put them in the book? And I ask that because whenever I write a proposal or we're working on a book proposal, we have to indicate whether or not there's going to be artwork, and that changes things in terms of budget, and it changes things in terms of permissions and stuff. And I was curious about—I've never dealt with that side of it before, but maybe you have.Nathalia HoltI have. I've always sent photographs, and I love it. Because I feel like it helps when you read the book—especially a book like this.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltYou know, when I'm describing what they look like, and where they are, you want to see it with your own eyes. And so it's really interesting to be able to see those photographs. And I had so many, and it's always a challenge to parse out—who has the permissions? Where do they come from? Finding the photographs—this always takes forever. Fortunately, this particular book was maybe a little bit easier, because a lot of the photographs are out of copyright, that had been published at that time. So that was nice. But yeah, no, it was still just a mess, as it always is. It's always a mess to figure out who do photographs belong to. I feel like I would love to become a lawyer—just for that moment in researching a book.Jess LaheyThat's a whole layer I've never had to go into. And it was easier for me to—rather than just say, "Yeah, I'd like to include this one thing," and then I realized the nightmare that's ahead of me in terms of accessing and getting permission and all that stuff. I'm like, "Eh! Let's just stick with what we got in the print." But, for something like this—and especially when you're writing about, for example, animation, or if you're writing about, you know, this expedition, and there's art available—you know, it sounds like it's really, really worth it for that aspect. I mean, that's definitely something I would want in this book. So I think I know the answer to this question. This is a heavily loaded question, but are you—when it comes to research and it comes to what you include in the book—are you an overwriter or an underwriter? Or do you land pretty much—like, when you're doing your editing, are you like, "Oh no, this was the perfect amount to include?"Nathalia HoltOh, I'm a terrible overwriter.Jess LaheyOh. So am I!Nathalia HoltIt's really a problem. But I worked very hard on this book at cutting, and it was not easy for me, because I do always tend to go way overboard. I'm always over the word count that I'm supposed to be at—with the exception of this book, where I did a very good job of cutting it down and really trying to focus and not, you know, getting too distracted.Jess LaheyYeah, we joke all the time with my other co-hosts and friends that my—like, my history sections in both of my books could have been half of the book or, you know... and all the stuff that ends up on the floor ends up getting told in cocktail parties. You know, "By the way, did you know how many, you know, kegs of beer there were on the ships that came over? I do. Can I share? Because I did all this work and I've got to put it somewhere." And there's this weird—there's this weird line between, "Look, look how thorough I am. Can I have an A+ for how thorough I am?" versus what your reader might actually be interested in. I keep some of my favorite notes from my former editor, and she's like, "Yeah, the reader... no. Reader doesn't care. Not going to care. You know, this may be really fun for you, but maybe not for your reader." So—but I can imagine with something like this, you know, the details of the flora and fauna and all that other stuff—it would be really easy to get off on tangents that are not necessary for the core mission.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. But in some ways it was easier than my past books, because it only takes place over a year, which is incredible. Most of my books take place over decades, and the cast of characters is much smaller as well. And unlike some of my past books, I feel like I need to include everyone out of fairness—which is kind of a weird way to approach a book. I don't recommend it. That's not the way to do things. But yeah, if you're really just looking at a few—a handful of people—over a year, it's much easier to stay on track. So that was a good exercise for me.Jess LaheyYeah, there's a—there's a line I love, where David Sedaris talks about the fact that what it takes for him to purchase something is if the clerk at the store has gone to the trouble to take it out of the case, to show it to him, and then he feels like he has to buy it because he—someone went through the trouble. And same thing for me. If, like, someone's going to go to the trouble to be interviewed, then cutting that entire interview, or cutting that whole through line, or whatever that person is a part of, is incredibly painful to do. And then I feel like—I feel obligated. So it's a difficult—it's a difficult balance, you know, between what your readers are going to actually want and what makes for a good book, versus doing right by the people who spent time talking to you. It's a hard balance to strike. Alright, speaking of being in the weeds and geek questions—so I'd love to talk to you a little bit. I was just—I'm mentoring someone for a little series we're doing for this podcast, sort of from soup to nuts, from the beginning of an—from the inception of an idea to getting a book out. And the very first thing she did was send something to me in a Pages document. And I had to say, "Hey, you might want to think about using Word or maybe Google Docs, because, like, I don't have Pages." So—some details about how you work. Number one, do you have a preferred app that you like to write in? Because I'm a Scrivener gal.Nathalia HoltI mean, I prefer Word because I feel like it is the most universal. It's the easiest to send to people... and so that's what I go with.Jess LaheyYeah, I use Scrivener only because it allows me to blank out the rest of the world really easily. Okay, and then organizing your research. This is something—the question of organizing your research, how you know you're done researching and really just need to actually start writing the words—are the two questions that I get the most. Because the research could go—especially on a topic like this—could go on forever. So number one, given this voluminous research that you had, how do you organize your research? Do you use folders on your computer? Do you use folders in—you know—how do you do all of that?Nathalia HoltI do folders on my computer, and then I also do hard copies that I actually keep organized in real folders, which helps me, because then, if I'm going into a specific topic, a lot of times it can be easier to actually hold on to those documents and being able to see them. So I do both. Um, and...Jess LaheyHas everything pretty much been digitized in this area? Do you feel like—or do you have to go into rooms and, like, actually look at paper documents, and sometimes they don't let you scan those? So, you know, how does that work for you?Nathalia Holt Yes, it's very difficult if they don't allow you to photograph them. Usually they do. Usually you can. So I have always had to digitize documents, and there's so many different ways to do it, but now it's much easier just to use your phone than anything else, which is great. Very happy about this development. And yeah, I think—I think maybe that's part of the reason why I do like to print things out is because that's how I was first introduced to the material, so it can be useful for me. But there's way too much material to print everything out. I mean, there's so many hundreds, thousands of pages even. And so it's always just going to be sort of key documents that end up making their way into the actual folders, and then the rest—it's just, you know, organized by topic. Make sure images are separate, by person.Jess LaheySo then, how do you know you're done? Like, how do you feel like you're at a place where I now know enough to come at this from—to come at the storytelling from an informed place?Nathalia HoltThat is really a good question, and I'm not sure I can answer it, because I feel like you're never done. You're always going to be researching. There's no real end to it.Jess LaheyBut you have to start. Well, and this—this takes—this is separate from the question of, like, how much research—how much research do you have to have done for the book proposal? Like take it for example, for example, The Addiction Inoculation, where I needed to learn, really, a whole new area... that was a year-long process just to write the proposal for that book, and then another couple years for the book. So, for me—and I'm very happy to say—I got to ask Michael Pollan this question, and he had the same answer that I feel like is my instinctual answer for this, which is when I start to say, "Oh, I'm starting to repeat. Things are starting to repeat for me," and/or, "Oh, I already knew that," and so I'm not finding out new stuff or encountering things I don't already know at the same rate. It's starting to sort of level off. Then I feel like, "Oh, I've got this sort of, like, you know, mile-high view of the—of the information," and I maybe have enough in my head to start actually being an expert on this thing.Nathalia HoltThat's a good answer. That sounds responsible. I'm not sure that I do that, though. I think for myself, there's not a bad time to start, because it's going to change so much anyway, that for me, I almost feel like it's part of the learning process. Is that you start to write about it, and then as you go along, you realize, "Oh, this is not right. I'm going to change all of this," but it's all just part of helping you move along. And I think even from the beginning, if you start writing even just bits and pieces of how you want to write the scene, you want to think about this or outline it, that can be helpful, and it doesn't matter, because it's all going to change anyway.Jess LaheyThat's true. I actually find I write—the way I write is very specific, in that each topic I'm going to write about in a chapter has a narrative arc, story that goes with it. So I—that narrative arc story gets written first, and then I drop the research in as I go along. But I remember, with The Gift of Failure, a book came out that had a key piece of research that then I had to go back and figure out, "Oh my gosh, this impacts everything." And so I had to figure out how to sort of drop that in. And I couldn't have done it at any other time, because the research didn't exist or I hadn't found it yet. So that's a tough thing to do, is to go back and sort of link the things to something new that you think is important. But the research part is just so much fun for me. Again, I could do that forever and ever and ever. Do you? So the other thing I wanted to ask... and this is selfishly... do you have large boxes in your home of all the research that you feel like you can't get rid of, even though you wrote the book, like, five years ago, ten years ago?Nathalia HoltI do not. I pare down.Jess LaheyYou do?!Nathalia HoltAfter time, yes. It's hard to do, though, because it's hard to throw things away, and I definitely have folders that I keep. They're just full of things that I can never get rid of. And obviously it's all digitized as well, but there are things like that that mean a lot to me, that I can't get rid of.Jess LaheyWell, there's actually—this was a very selfish question, because I actually just went through and finally got rid of a whole bunch of stuff that... I felt like it was at the heart—it was the main research for The Gift of Failure, and I used it to mulch my gardens. I put—and so it was like this metaphorical kind of, like, knowledge feeding the thing that I care about the most right now. And so I used it to mulch all the paths in my gardens and create new garden beds and stuff like that. But I'm always curious about that. Like, I every once in a while see something on, like, "X"—what used to be Twitter—or someplace like that, like, can I get rid of the research from the book I wrote 25 years ago? Or is that too soon? Well, so when exactly does the book come out? Give us your—give us your pub date.Nathalia HoltIt comes out July 1st.Jess LaheyOkay. And I have to say... cover is gorgeous. How did you land on that cover image?Nathalia HoltOh, I really didn't get much say.Jess Lahey Okay.Nathalia HoltThe one thing I—I mean, you know, they have whole people that have skills that do these things, but one thing I was very passionate about was keeping the brothers on the cover in their expedition gear. So originally, the publisher had wanted them to be in suits on the front, and I just hated it. I hated it so much, because I feel like they need to be on the trail. You need to see them as they were on the trail. And so that's one thing I really pushed for. And I was fortunate that they—they listened, and they were okay with that.Jess LaheyWell, I'm just—I mean, this book is going to have such a great place alongside books like The River of Doubt and other, you know, really wonderful books that are about the expositions—that the expeditions that get taken by these historical fixtures—figures. And I'm just—I'm so excited for this book. I'm so happy for you about this book, because it is just—when I started telling people about the topic, they're like, "Oh, I would read that." And I'm like, "I know! Isn't that the best idea?" And that's part of the magic, is coming upon the really cool idea. And so I'm just really, really happy for you and really, really happy about this book and excited for it.Nathalia HoltThank you. Oh, that's so nice to hear, especially because this was a very difficult book to get published. I mean, there was a real moment where I wasn't sure I was going to find someone that would...Jess LaheyWell, can you—I didn't want to ask it. You know, this is—having—doing a podcast like this, where we often talk about the mistakes, we talk about the blunders, we talk about the stuff that went wrong. It can be really, really hard because you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you, or you don't want to, like, make anyone think that this book wasn't anything other than a 100% lovely experience from beginning to end. But I would love to talk about that, if you're willing.Nathalia HoltOh, sure. I don't really have anything bad to say about anyone. I think it's—I think it's understandable that people wouldn't naturally think I would be the best author to write this. I haven't written other books like it, and so it was a difficult book to sell. It wasn't easy, and it definitely crystallized to me how important it was that I write it. I really felt like this was my purpose. I really wanted to write it, and maybe it's good to have that moment, because it really makes it clear that this is something you need to do, even if it's not easy, even if it's tough to find a publisher. And I was fortunate that I did. You know, luckily, there was an editor that—sort of at the last minute—believed in it enough to give it a go. And yeah, it's just—it always feels like a miracle when the book comes to fruition and is actually published. It just seems as if that could never really happen, and this one was a difficult road to get there, for sure.Jess LaheyWell, especially since a big part of the proposal process is trying to convince someone that you're the—you're the person to write this book. And in this case, it's not so much because you're a subject matter expert going into it. It's that you're a really good researcher, and you're a meticulous writer and a meticulous researcher, and most importantly, this story speaks to you. And I think, you know, some of my very favorite nonfiction books that I recommend over and over and over again—narrative nonfiction—it's clear in the reading how excited the author was about the story, and I think that's part of the magic. So I think you're the perfect person to write it. I don't know what they could have—because if you are—if you're fired up about the story... And as an English teacher, and as someone who's had to convince middle school students why they need to be excited about this thing I want to teach them, the enthusiasm of the teacher is part of what can spark the engagement for the learner. So I think that's a really, really important part of any book. Plus, you got to—you're—as an author, you're going to have to be out there talking about this thing, and so you better love the topic, because you're going to be talking about it for ages.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. I mean, no matter what, this is many years of your life that's dedicated to a topic. But I think it's—it's a good lesson in general, that you can write in one genre and one kind of book for years, and then it might not be easy, but it is possible to actually break out of that and find other topics and other things you want to write about. We grow. We all change.Jess LaheyYeah, one of my—one of, as our listeners will know, Sarina Bowen, one of my co-hosts and one of my best friends—she's—she has written romance forever and ever and ever, and she's like, "You know what? I want to write a thriller," and it has been a really steep learning curve and also a huge effort to sort of convince people that she can do that too. But it's also really, really satisfying when you show your chops in another area. So—and I had an—as I was going through sort of the details about this book, and reading about this book, I was thinking, you know what this would be really, really good for? An exhibit at someplace like the Field Museum, or like an exhibit of—oh my gosh, that would be incredible. Like, if this is a story that hasn't been told, and there's a lot of art, and there may be video and photographs and all—and journals—man, that would make for an amazing—if anyone out there is listening, that would make for an amazing museum exhibit, I think. And of course, everyone's listening to me.Nathalia HoltThat would be amazing.Jess LaheyEveryone is listening to me...Nathalia Holt Oh, well, they should.Jess LaheyAll right. Well, thank you so, so much. Where can people find you? And is there anything else you'd like to talk about that you're working on or that you're excited about? Besides, you know, just getting this book out into the world?Nathalia HoltYou can find me at nathaliaholt.com and on Instagram and Facebook and X @NathaliaHolt. And yeah, right now I'm pretty much focused on this book. I have something else percolating, but it's still away a good days. So it's the fun research part. Isn't that...?Jess LaheyYou will notice I did not ask you what's next, because to be asked what's next when you haven't even birthed the thing you're working on now can be a little irritating. So as someone who's aware of this inside baseball, I didn't even. Later on—privately—I would love, because I'm a big fan, big excited about your work, and love, love introducing people to your work. So I think—and also, one of the things we talk about a lot on this podcast is having books that are exemplars of good research, of good storytelling. I have a stack of books that I keep near me when I need to dissect something to get at—oh, this person did a really good job with, for example, historical research, or this person did a really good job of using their expert voice, and I need to tap into that today. I think your books are—would be excellent, excellent selections for our listeners, for their pile of exemplars for really well-done research and telling other people's stories—historical stories that occur in a sort of in a modern context. Your books are really dissectible, and I know that's super high-level geek stuff, but they've really helped me become a better storyteller as well.Nathalia HoltThank you. That's so kind of you. I really appreciate that.Jess LaheyAll right, everyone—go get the book, read the book. Don't forget to pre-order, because that really matters to us authors, and don't forget to review it wherever you purchased it, once you have read it. And Nat, thank you so much. And I apologize for calling you Natalia at the top of the hour. I'm so just so used to doing that—Nat. And until next week, everyone, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.The Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output—because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Jenna Mccullough is a third generation birdwatcher from Boise, ID. She got her bachelors at the university of Idaho (2015); got her masters (2018) and PhD (2024) at the university of New Mexico. She's a postdoc at the university of Kentucky and about to start a National Science foundation fellowship at the natural history museum of Los Angeles County and UCLA. Jenna joins us to talk all about Kingfishers. There is an exhibit starting up at the Field Museum that Shannon and John have been involved with, and Jenna has been involved as well. Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

John Bates, Curator and Section Head, Life Sciences, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about the changes made to McCormick Place in Chicago that has kept migrating birds from hitting windows and reducing deaths by 95 percent.

John Bates, Curator and Section Head, Life Sciences, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about the changes made to McCormick Place in Chicago that has kept migrating birds from hitting windows and reducing deaths by 95 percent.

John Bates, Curator and Section Head, Life Sciences, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about the changes made to McCormick Place in Chicago that has kept migrating birds from hitting windows and reducing deaths by 95 percent.

Mitch is maybe a little too excited for Superman, Tabitha tries to get Heinz Grillz and the gang plans a trip to Chicago's Field Museum. Come find out why 1 out of 10 dentists recommend this podcast.   The Pull List "Done with Demons" (Silver Sprocket) by Dora Grents "Blood Type" (Oni Press) by Corinna Bechko and Andrea Sorrentino "Dark Regards" (Oni Press) by Dave Hill and Artyom Topilin   Follow us!

Michelle Keller, Senior Director of Farm 2 Veteran, joins John Landecker to talk about what Farm 2 Veteran is and what they do to help veterans. Then Michelle talks about the first ever “Farm Fresh Hope” gala happening September 20th at the Field Museum, which will have David Spade headlining. For more information, visit farm2veteran.com/

This week, we have a truly special guest—Peter Kaestner, the first person in history to see over 10,000 bird species in the wild. It's a mind-blowing achievement. Peter took us on an unforgettable journey through his life as a birder, and how his career as a diplomat allowed him to travel the globe. He shared incredible stories—like birding in Colombia during the height of Pablo Escobar's power, and even discovering a new species. His passion, humor, and humility made this such a joy to record. Honestly, we were having so much fun, none of us wanted the conversation to end. You'll hear us try to wrap it up multiple times but then just get into some more fun stories and conversation. As always, you've got married ornithologists and Field Museum curators John Bates and Shannon Hackett, plus RJ Pole and Amanda Marquart.Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

Scientists recently announced the discovery of a small, bird-like dinosaur from China which had unusual, colorful feathers.科学家最近宣布发现了一种来自中国的小鸟般的恐龙，这些恐龙具有不寻常的羽毛。The scientists named the dinosaur Caihong, the Mandarin word for rainbow. They discovered the nearly complete and almost entirely undamaged fossil in Hebei Province.科学家将恐龙Caihong命名为彩虹的普通话。 他们发现了河北省几乎完整而几乎完全未受损的化石。Microscopic structures in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide, shiny feathers. The feathers mostly covered the dinosaur's head and upper body. The colors of those feather would have appeared to change depending on how the light hit them.化石中的微观结构表明该生物具有宽阔的羽毛。 羽毛大多覆盖了恐龙的头和上身。 这些羽毛的颜色似乎会根据光的击中方式而改变。The colorful dinosaur lived 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period of earth's history.五颜六色的恐龙生活在地球历史的侏罗纪时期的16100万年前。Chad Eliason is an evolutionary biologist with the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. He helped write the study announcing the discovery in the scientific publication Nature Communications. Eliason told the Reuters news service that the discovery “suggests a more colorful Jurassic World than we previously imagined.”乍得·埃里亚森（Chad Eliason）是伊利诺伊州芝加哥田间博物馆的进化生物学家。 他帮助撰写了这项研究，宣布了科学出版物自然传播中的发现。 埃里亚森（Eliason）告诉路透社新闻服务（Reuters News Service），这一发现“暗示了比我们以前想象的要多彩的侏罗纪世界。”The scientists used powerful microscopes to identify the remains of the cell structures responsible for the apparent color of the feathers. The shape of those structures appears to have influenced what color the feathers would have. Round-shaped structures in the Caihong fossil show that it had feathers similar to that of a modern day hummingbird.科学家使用强大的显微镜来识别负责羽毛表观颜色的细胞结构的残留物。 这些结构的形状似乎影响了羽毛的颜色。 Caihong化石中的圆形结构表明，它的羽毛类似于现代蜂鸟。Much of Caihong's body had dark feathers. The shiny, color-changing feathers covered its head and neck. The dinosaur had many bird-like qualities. But researchers doubt that it could actually fly.Caihong的大部分身体都有深色的羽毛。 闪亮的，变色的羽毛覆盖了头和脖子。 恐龙具有许多类似鸟类的品质。 但是研究人员怀疑它实际上可以飞行。Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.它的羽毛本来可以实现的目的是吸引性伴侣的注意力，同时还可以保护热和寒冷。Caihong was two-legged and had a long, narrow head with sharp teeth. It had boney crests above its eyes, and it hunted other, smaller animals for food.凯恩（Caihong）是两腿，头部狭窄，牙齿锋利。 它的眼睛上方有骨冠，并猎杀了其他较小的动物作为食物。Scientists say many dinosaurs had feathers. Birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs near the end of the Jurassic Period.科学家说，许多恐龙有羽毛。 鸟类从侏罗纪时期结束后附近的小羽毛恐龙演变而来。Caihong had two kinds of feathers. It also is the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides. This is a physical quality that modern birds have and use to direct themselves while flying.Caihong有两种羽毛。 它也是最早的生物，羽毛在两侧的形状都不相同。 这是现代鸟类在飞行时指导自己的身体品质。The unevenly shaped feathers on Caihong were on its tail. This suggests that tail feathers, not arm feathers, were first used to improve movement through the air in flying dinosaurs, scientists said.Caihong上不均匀的羽毛在其尾部。 科学家说，这表明尾羽羽毛而不是手臂羽毛首先是用于改善飞行恐龙的空气运动。Xing Xu is a paleontologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xing Xu said, “It is extremely similar to some early birds such as Archaeopteryx.” Archaeopteryx is the earliest known bird. It is believed to have lived 150 million years ago.Xing Xu是中国科学院的古生物学家。 Xing Xu说：“这与一些早期鸟类（例如Archeopteryx）非常相似。” Archeopteryx是最早已知的鸟。 据信它已经居住了1.5亿年前。“To be honest, I am not sure what function the feathers have,” Xing Xu added. “And I don't think that you can completely exclude the possibility that the feathers helped the animal to get in the air.”Xu Xu补充说：“老实说，我不确定羽毛的功能。” “而且我认为您不能完全排除羽毛帮助动物启动的可能性。”The dinosaur's full scientific name is Caihong juji, which means “rainbow with a big crest.”恐龙的完整科学名称是Caihong Juji，意思是“带有大冠的彩虹”。

WBBM's Carolina Garibay visits the Field Museum to meet researchers who will be studying a more than 40 million-year-old asteroid sample collected by NASA.

WBBM's Carolina Garibay visits the Field Museum to meet researchers who will be studying a more than 40 million-year-old asteroid sample collected by NASA.

WBBM's Carolina Garibay visits the Field Museum to meet researchers who will be studying a more than 40 million-year-old asteroid sample collected by NASA.

We've got a fun one for you this week as we get ready for a very special guest: Peter Kaestner—the first person to see 10,000 bird species in the wild. We speak to him next week. To prep for that epic conversation, we're taking a closer look at the bird that earned him that milestone: the Orange-tufted Spiderhunter. Spoiler alert—Amanda was not impressed by it at first, and John and Shannon do their best to change her mind. Along the way, we get into species counts, what they mean, and how birders keep track. We also answer a mailbag question on Rusty Blackbirds and Common Grackles. As always, you've got married ornithologists and Field Museum curators John Bates and Shannon Hackett, plus RJ Pole and Amanda Marquart.Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

Scientists recently announced the discovery of a small, bird-like dinosaur from China which had unusual, colorful feathers.科学家最近宣布发现了一种来自中国的小鸟般的恐龙，这些恐龙具有不寻常的羽毛。The scientists named the dinosaur Caihong, the Mandarin word for rainbow. They discovered the nearly complete and almost entirely undamaged fossil in Hebei Province.科学家将恐龙Caihong命名为彩虹的普通话。 他们发现了河北省几乎完整而几乎完全未受损的化石。Microscopic structures in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide, shiny feathers. The feathers mostly covered the dinosaur's head and upper body. The colors of those feather would have appeared to change depending on how the light hit them.化石中的微观结构表明该生物具有宽阔的羽毛。 羽毛大多覆盖了恐龙的头和上身。 这些羽毛的颜色似乎会根据光的击中方式而改变。The colorful dinosaur lived 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period of earth's history.五颜六色的恐龙生活在地球历史的侏罗纪时期的16100万年前。Chad Eliason is an evolutionary biologist with the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. He helped write the study announcing the discovery in the scientific publication Nature Communications. Eliason told the Reuters news service that the discovery “suggests a more colorful Jurassic World than we previously imagined.”乍得·埃里亚森（Chad Eliason）是伊利诺伊州芝加哥田间博物馆的进化生物学家。 他帮助撰写了这项研究，宣布了科学出版物自然传播中的发现。 埃里亚森（Eliason）告诉路透社新闻服务（Reuters News Service），这一发现“暗示了比我们以前想象的要多彩的侏罗纪世界。”The scientists used powerful microscopes to identify the remains of the cell structures responsible for the apparent color of the feathers. The shape of those structures appears to have influenced what color the feathers would have. Round-shaped structures in the Caihong fossil show that it had feathers similar to that of a modern day hummingbird.科学家使用强大的显微镜来识别负责羽毛表观颜色的细胞结构的残留物。 这些结构的形状似乎影响了羽毛的颜色。 Caihong化石中的圆形结构表明，它的羽毛类似于现代蜂鸟。Much of Caihong's body had dark feathers. The shiny, color-changing feathers covered its head and neck. The dinosaur had many bird-like qualities. But researchers doubt that it could actually fly.Caihong的大部分身体都有深色的羽毛。 闪亮的，变色的羽毛覆盖了头和脖子。 恐龙具有许多类似鸟类的品质。 但是研究人员怀疑它实际上可以飞行。Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.它的羽毛本来可以实现的目的是吸引性伴侣的注意力，同时还可以保护热和寒冷。Caihong was two-legged and had a long, narrow head with sharp teeth. It had boney crests above its eyes, and it hunted other, smaller animals for food.凯恩（Caihong）是两腿，头部狭窄，牙齿锋利。 它的眼睛上方有骨冠，并猎杀了其他较小的动物作为食物。Scientists say many dinosaurs had feathers. Birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs near the end of the Jurassic Period.科学家说，许多恐龙有羽毛。 鸟类从侏罗纪时期结束后附近的小羽毛恐龙演变而来。Caihong had two kinds of feathers. It also is the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides. This is a physical quality that modern birds have and use to direct themselves while flying.Caihong有两种羽毛。 它也是最早的生物，羽毛在两侧的形状都不相同。 这是现代鸟类在飞行时指导自己的身体品质。The unevenly shaped feathers on Caihong were on its tail. This suggests that tail feathers, not arm feathers, were first used to improve movement through the air in flying dinosaurs, scientists said.Caihong上不均匀的羽毛在其尾部。 科学家说，这表明尾羽羽毛而不是手臂羽毛首先是用于改善飞行恐龙的空气运动。Xing Xu is a paleontologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xing Xu said, “It is extremely similar to some early birds such as Archaeopteryx.” Archaeopteryx is the earliest known bird. It is believed to have lived 150 million years ago.Xing Xu是中国科学院的古生物学家。 Xing Xu说：“这与一些早期鸟类（例如Archeopteryx）非常相似。” Archeopteryx是最早已知的鸟。 据信它已经居住了1.5亿年前。“To be honest, I am not sure what function the feathers have,” Xing Xu added. “And I don't think that you can completely exclude the possibility that the feathers helped the animal to get in the air.”Xu Xu补充说：“老实说，我不确定羽毛的功能。” “而且我认为您不能完全排除羽毛帮助动物启动的可能性。”The dinosaur's full scientific name is Caihong juji, which means “rainbow with a big crest.”这种恐龙的全名是“彩虹巨兽”，意思是“有大冠的彩虹”。

Episode 282: the Gardevoir episode of the PokeProblemsPodcast! This week we talk news... In Pokémon GO, enjoy the rotating habitats ahead of GO Fest! It's currently "Serene Retreat" until June 3, but Instrumental Wonders is coming June 7-11, and Phantom Ruins is coming June 14-18. The new season in Pokemon GO, "Delightful Days", is starting, and along with it, the New Battle League Season. The Eggs-pedition Access: June ticket will be on sale soon, as will a season-long version with all three months of Delightful Days in the web store. Next Weekend is GO Fest 2025 Jersey City in Liberty State Park, June 6-8. Did you see the Premier Access Pass for GO Fest? It may be sold out already... but regular tickets to GO Fest were still available as of this recording! June 2025 Community Day: Jangmo-o will be happening Saturday, June 21, 2025, and will feature Delightful Days–themed Special Backgrounds. The Ancients Recovered event starts June 23 and lasts until June 27... Raid for all the Regis! The Ancients Recovered Timed Research: Fleeting Legends Ticket (paid) that is part of this event allows you to pick your choice of Galarian Legendaries... Will you buy it??? And finally for this month, Global GO Fest: On June 28 and 29, 2025, Trainers can gear up for a worldwide adventure during Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Global. Later this summer, in Europe, follow along on the Pokemon GO Road Trip! The final stop is in Cologne, Germany – August 20–24, at GamesCom! Pokémon Shopping! The next round of Eeveelution life-size plushes are here! Miz Sylver is excited for the enhanced line of Team Rocket clothes, and the Wolf Doctor is excited for the Mega Stylish Collection, especially the Mega Charizard Zip-Up Hoodie! And, check twice, your plush might be one of the new Ditto plushes! And Uniqlo has more Pokemon T-shirts coming out, this time a TCG collection! We are all waiting for the Pokémon Presents coming up July 22nd 2025... What do you want announced? We already know Pokémon Z to A's release date, October 16! Maybe we will hear about US preorders... we already know about the cool UK preorders! Miz Sylver loves Katzer's Creations... the latest is Spheal Bowling! A little preview of the new game debuting this Saturday 🤫 Inspired by Spheal Bowling, but the final version will NOT in fact feature a Spheal! This was a trial run, and Spheal was an excellent fill in. Come to Poyo Fest in Kitchener Ontario, May 10 to see the new game and play it yourself![image or embed]— katzerscreations.bsky.social (@katzerscreations.bsky.social) May 8, 2025 at 3:08 PM And, the Field Museum x Pokémon Fossils exhibit will be coming in May 2026! Be patient! Thanks for listening! If you have any questions or comments, we want to hear from you. Email, comment on the blog, or post on our Facebook to let us know!

This week on Anime+, Aray and Aunn return with another jam-packed roundup from the anime and gaming multiverse. From Netflix's surprise Clash of Clans TV series reveal to a wild Evangelion collaboration with Transformers, the headlines keep getting weirder (and better). The duo also breaks down industry shakeups and some big publishing news across manga and streaming platforms.Plus:

Chimpanzees lay down mad beats to communicateApart from their rich vocal palette, chimpanzees drum on trees to communicate over long distances. A new interdisciplinary study, led in part by PhD student Vesta Eleuteri and primatologist Cat Hobaiter from the University of St. Andrews, has explored the details of the rhythms they used, and found that different populations drum with rhythms which are similar to the beats in human music. The research was published in the journal Current Biology.An exciting new fossil of an early ancestor of modern birds gives insight into evolutionArchaeopteryx, a 150 million year-old bird-like dinosaur, is known from about a dozen fossils found in Germany. A new one that has been studied at Chicago's Field Museum may be the best preserved yet, and is giving researchers like paleontologist Jingmai O'Connor new insights into how the ancient animal moved around the Jurassic landscape. The research was published in the journal Nature.A house with good bones — in more ways than oneInspired by the structure of bone, researchers have created limestone-like biomineralized construction materials using a fungal-scaffold that they seeded with bacteria. Montana State University's Chelsea Heveran said they demonstrated they could mold it into specific shapes that had internal properties similar to bone, and that it remained alive for a month. It's early days yet, but she envisions a day when they can grow living structural material on site that may even be able heal themselves. The study is in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. A different kind of emotional band-aidScientists have created a clever combination of physical sensors and computer technology to produce a flexible band-aid like device that can accurately read emotions when it is stuck to the face. It's not quite mind reading, but could give physicians better insight into the emotional state of their patients. Huanyu Cheng of Penn State led the work, which was published in the journal Nano Letters.A scientist explores what it takes to live a longer, better lifeDo you want to live forever? As he noticed himself showing signs of age, immunologist John Tregoning decided to find out what he could do to make that possible. So he explored the investigations that scientists are doing into why we age and die — and tried a few experiments on himself. Bob speaks with him about his new book Live Forever? A Curious Scientists' Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death. Tregoning dutifully documents everything he discovers as he undergoes testing for his heart, gets his genes sequenced, has a bronchoscopy, and follows an extreme diet, among other experiments. But he comes to the conclusion that “when it comes to improving life outcomes, exercise considerably trumps nearly everything I am planning to do whilst writing this book.”

A recent survey asked 3,000 Americans what they think the coolest job is in each state. Pennsylvania's coolest job was chocolate scientist at Hershey, while California's was animator at Pixar. And Illinois? The survey found that respondents thought the coolest work you can do in Illinois is be a paleontologist for the Field Museum. But what does a day in the life of a paleontologist look like? And how do they really feel about the Jurassic Park movies? Reset talks with Field Museum paleontologists to find out more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

In this nature-packed episode, we dive into the fascinating world of Wood Ducks—one of the most beautiful and iconic duck species in North America. Learn about their striking plumage, unique nesting habits, and the incredible moment when day-old ducklings leap from tree cavities to join their mother on the ground.We also share a recent encounter with a Barred Owl family, and answer a listener's mailbag question about owl chicks spotted at Walt Disney World.Hosted by married ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett from the Field Museum, along with RJ and his fiancée Amanda, this episode blends expert knowledge, personal wildlife experiences, and listener Q&A in a fun, informative format.Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

This week we are talking about one of the coolest birds in North America: The American Dipper. This is a smaller nondescript bird that has learned and adapted how find food in some of the roughest river water imaginable. It can fly through waterfalls, withstand rushing currents, and to the eye just looks like a little gray songbird. John and Shannon both have a ton of experience with them, so it's a lot of fun to hear about these amazing birds. As always, its our hosts and married couple John Bates and Shannon Hackett who are curators of birds at the Field Museum, along with amateur birders RJ Pole and Amanda Marquart. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

In this episode of „Weird Species“, our guest is Dr. Janet Voight, renowned marine biologist and curator emerita of the Field Museum in Chicago. Earlier this year, she visited Frankfurt to assist with our new project „Secret Service“, which aims to highlight the often-forgotten contributions of women in science throughout Senckenberg's history. But then of course we also talk species - in Janet's case, the newly discovered so-called „dorado octopus“, a truly fascinating creature.

The biggest eggs! The smallest eggs! The rarest eggs! Oologist Dr. John Bates gave Alie a tour of the egg vault at the Field Museum of Chicago and it was a barrage of beautiful sights and shocking facts about bird butts. Get ready for speckly eggs, pointy eggs, egg art, reptile eggs, mammal eggs, Easter bunny confusion, and whether or not you should snack on a bucket of cookie dough.Field Museum of ChicagoThe Book of EggsFull-length (*not* G-rated) Oology episode + tons of science linksBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Make no bones about it – fossils are super cool! But what do you do if you find a fossil? We asked Jingmai O'Connor, the Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles at the Field Museum in Chicago, to help us find  the answer.Got a question that's buried in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we'll help dig up the answer!

If you listened to our series on the Feather Thief, or read the book, you are familiar with the Red-ruffed fruitcrow. It was also called the Indian crow in the book. We wanted to follow up the series to talk more in depth about one of the birds that was mentioned so much, and it was pretty fascinating to learn more about this bird that actually has not been researched much. As always, its our hosts and married couple John Bates and Shannon Hackett who are curators of birds at the Field Museum, along with amateur birders RJ Pole and Amanda Marquart. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

Kimberly Hansen, Collections Manager of Flowering Plants, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about her work at the Field Museum, the now famous poison pong-pong tree plant that was featured in ‘The White Lotus,’ the number of poisonous plant species in the U.S., what we should know about the plant used in ‘The […]

Kimberly Hansen, Collections Manager of Flowering Plants, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about her work at the Field Museum, the now famous poison pong-pong tree plant that was featured in ‘The White Lotus,’ the number of poisonous plant species in the U.S., what we should know about the plant used in ‘The […]

Kimberly Hansen, Collections Manager of Flowering Plants, The Field Museum, joins John Williams to talk about her work at the Field Museum, the now famous poison pong-pong tree plant that was featured in ‘The White Lotus,’ the number of poisonous plant species in the U.S., what we should know about the plant used in ‘The […]

There's nothing like a field trip to lift the spirits. And thankfully, our friend Charlie James has invited us to Chicago's natural history museum—after dark. Flesh-eating beetles, a flirty T-Rex, and pyramid schemes await! Charlie on TikTok and Instagram @malecowgirl, and at charliejamescomedy.com. You can pre-order his book "I'm Just a Little Guy: How to Escape the Horrors and Get Back to Dillydallying" now! One of Us is hosted and produced by Chris Renfro and Fin Argus. It's executive produced by Myrriah Gossett and Erica Getto for Good Get. Myrriah Gossett is our sound designer, and our theme music is produced by Fin Argus and Brendan Chamberlain-Simon. Our show art was drawn by Fin Argus, and photographed by Mike and Matt McCarty. You can follow One Of Us on Instagram and TikTok at @oneofus.pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Don't forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the history and presence of the Ho-Chunk people — “people of the big voice.” You might also know them by the name once given to them: Winnebago. And by the way — did you know “Chicago” (or chicagoua) most likely comes from the Algonquin word for onions… or maybe even garlic? Jim and I also talked about his life as a freelance artist, the funny (and sometimes awkward) conversations between Native and non-Native people, and the deeper, more personal themes behind his book “Come Home, Indio”. In it, he opens up about feelings of not belonging and a lifelong journey toward making peace (or something like it) with the treatment of our Native American ancestors. We also touched on the story of Edward E. Ayer — a lumber baron who, in 1911, donated 17,000 Native American manuscripts, photos, and artifacts to the Newberry Library. Today, that collection has grown to over 130,000 volumes. (Some of those items also found a home at Chicago's Field Museum.) Jim was honored to be commissioned by the Newberry Library for their Indigenous Chicago program, creating artwork inspired by those thousands of historical documents. Purchase your copy of the “Paper Cuts” comic book here: https://bookshop.newberry.org/paper-cuts And check out Jim's website here: https://www.woundedbutdangerous.com/ Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

"Don't forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the history and presence of the Ho-Chunk people — “people of the big voice.” You might also know them by the name once given to them: Winnebago. And by the way — did you know “Chicago” (or chicagoua) most likely comes from the Algonquin word for onions… or maybe even garlic? Jim and I also talked about his life as a freelance artist, the funny (and sometimes awkward) conversations between Native and non-Native people, and the deeper, more personal themes behind his book “Come Home, Indio”. In it, he opens up about feelings of not belonging and a lifelong journey toward making peace (or something like it) with the treatment of our Native American ancestors. We also touched on the story of Edward E. Ayer — a lumber baron who, in 1911, donated 17,000 Native American manuscripts, photos, and artifacts to the Newberry Library. Today, that collection has grown to over 130,000 volumes. (Some of those items also found a home at Chicago's Field Museum.) Jim was honored to be commissioned by the Newberry Library for their Indigenous Chicago program, creating artwork inspired by those thousands of historical documents. P.S. Jim — it was also a treat meeting your surprise guest (your cat)! He did like a mountain lion, enit, my friend. Purchase your copy of the “Paper Cuts” comic book here: https://bookshop.newberry.org/paper-cuts And check out Jim's website here: https://www.woundedbutdangerous.com/ Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

PART 2 "Don't forget what was sacrificed. And keep fighting in the ways you can. You are still occupied. You are still here. You are born of real survivors. So go live.” These are the powerful words from my guest, comic book artist Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk), in his book “Paper Cut”. I really enjoyed this casual conversation with Jim, who lives not far from me in Chicago. He opened my eyes to the history and presence of the Ho-Chunk people — “people of the big voice.” You might also know them by the name once given to them: Winnebago. And by the way — did you know “Chicago” (or chicagoua) most likely comes from the Algonquin word for onions… or maybe even garlic? Jim and I also talked about his life as a freelance artist, the funny (and sometimes awkward) conversations between Native and non-Native people, and the deeper, more personal themes behind his book “Come Home, Indio”. In it, he opens up about feelings of not belonging and a lifelong journey toward making peace (or something like it) with the treatment of our Native American ancestors. We also touched on the story of Edward E. Ayer — a lumber baron who, in 1911, donated 17,000 Native American manuscripts, photos, and artifacts to the Newberry Library. Today, that collection has grown to over 130,000 volumes. (Some of those items also found a home at Chicago's Field Museum.) Jim was honored to be commissioned by the Newberry Library for their Indigenous Chicago program, creating artwork inspired by those thousands of historical documents. Purchase your copy of the “Paper Cuts” comic book here: https://bookshop.newberry.org/paper-cuts And check out Jim's website here: https://www.woundedbutdangerous.com/ Native ChocTalk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nativechoctalkpodcast All Podcast Episodes: https://nativechoctalk.com/podcasts/

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Good morning, everyone! The current date is March 20, 2020. Residents, I have some exciting news for you! The Lads have just moved onto our wonderful island! Let's all give them a big island welcome! In other news, the museum is under construction and you'll never go outside again. Be sure to visit Blathers tomorrow once construction is complete. Clean your groceries with bleach and head on down to the shore because we have a visitor to the island! It's always so interesting learning about different people and the shops are closed and the streets are closed and there's nothing but deathdeathdeath but don't you worry because tomorrow Flick is due to come and somebody's gotta catch those bugs. That's all for now, I hope you have the loveliest of lovely days! Media Referenced in This Episode: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Animal Crossing (GCN) Animal Crossing: New Horizons: The Official Complete Guide by The Team at FuturePress. Future Press. 2023. i WiLl MaKe YoU rEmEmBeR Boss Fight Books #33: Animal Crossing by Kelsey Lewin.Boss Fight Books. 2024. CDC Museum of COVID-19 Timeline Interactive Map of the George Floyd Protests Monterey Bay Aquarium Tours the Animal Crossing Museum with Emily Graslie of the Field Museum! ”Pulse (2001): How J-Horror predicted 2020” by Brian Alford “Quest 64: Days of Grief and Werehares” by A.J. Ditty Spaceship You by CGP Grey Shredded Cheese Fajita Sad Wife / My Wife, Date Night After 3+ Months TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A New Horizon” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Orville” and Madeleine Bundy as “Katherine”

For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum, Sushma Reddy, Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology at the University of Minnesota and the Bell Museum, and Rachael Herman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stonybrook University.  Our guests were here to chat about a recent research trip to the Falkland Islands, and more specifically, about the gentoo penguins they were studying on those islands.  Pictures from the trip can be viewed on YouTube. Be sure to check out the fantastic Birds of a Feather Talk Together podcast, cohosted by guest John Bates. Learn more about island vegetation restoration at Roots in the Ground, which describes the work of Giselle Hazell, discussed in the episode.

In this episode, I am joined by evolutionary biologist and curatorial scientist Dr. Lance Grande. Lance shares insights from his extensive career examining the dynamics and changes in evolution, culminating in his exhaustive 600-page book, The Evolution of Religion: A History of Related Traditions. The discussion delves into the application of modern evolutionary theory to the study of organized religion, the impact of religion on human culture, and the challenges and future of religion in an interconnected world. Given the unique and expansive thesis of the book, I was thrilled when Lance agreed to walk us through it with slides at the beginning of our recording session. Don't miss the video version on YouTube to see all of Lance's slides. Lance Grande is the Negaunee Distinguished Service Curator Emeritus of the Field Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Chicago. He specializes in evolutionary systematics, paleontology, and biology and is deeply interested in the interdisciplinary applications of the scientific method and philosophy. His many books include Curators: Behind the Scenes of Natural History Museums (2017) and The Lost World of Fossil Lake: Snapshots from Deep Time (2013). Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025 3 Days of Craft Nerdiness with 50+ Theologians & God-Pods and 600 new friends. A Five-Week Online Lenten Class w/ John Dominic Crossan Join us for a transformative 5-week Lenten journey on "Paul the Pharisee: Faith and Politics in a Divided World."This course examines the Apostle Paul as a Pharisee deeply engaged with the turbulent political and religious landscape of his time. Through the lens of his letters and historical context, we will explore Paul's understanding of Jesus' Life-Vision, his interpretation of the Execution-and-Resurrection, and their implications for nonviolence and faithful resistance against empire. Each week, we will delve into a specific aspect of Paul's theology and legacy, reflecting on its relevance for our own age of autocracy and political turmoil. . For details and to sign-up for any donation, including 0, head over here. _____________________ Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN. This podcast is a Homebrewed Christianity production. Follow the Homebrewed Christianity, Theology Nerd Throwdown, & The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our Substack - Process This! Get instant access to over 45 classes at www.TheologyClass.com Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harlequin Ducks are a captivating species of small, compact waterfowl known for their distinctive appearance. These beautiful ducks feature a large, rounded head, a small bill, and a steep forehead. Their striking plumage showcases a stunning slate blue color, accented with white stripes and chestnut sides. The head is especially eye-catching with a white crescent marking in front of the eye and chestnut highlights on the brow.In this week's episode of the Birds of a Feather Talk Together podcast, we dive into the unique characteristics of the Harlequin Duck, exploring their fascinating behaviors, habitats, and the conservation efforts aimed at protecting these incredible birds. Tune in to learn more about the Harlequin Duck and its role in the world of waterfowl!As always, you have John Bates, Shannon Hackett, Amanda Marquart, and RJ Pole here for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!

In Episode 1 of the “Unpacking Darwinian Evolution” podcast series, former evolutionist turned Christian Michael Lane lays out foundational arguments he formerly believed related to the evolution theory. Along the way, Michael examines quotes from three leading figures who also considered the validity of transitional fossils, from late evolutionary biologist Dr. Stephen J. Gould, former director of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Dr. David Raup, and famous paleontologist and evolutionist of the London Museum of Natural History Dr. Colin Patterson. Join Michael in the E4F studio and unpack the theory of evolution to build up your defense of the living Creator.Reference this lesson and find out more here: https://evidence4faith.org/portfolio/unpacking-darwinian-evolution/CREDITS: Developed & Hosted by Michael Lane. Produced & Edited by Julia Shoppach. Graphics & Publication by Julia Shoppach. Stock Music provided by mv_production, & lynnepublishing / Pond5.------------------------------------Evidence 4 Faith (E4F) is a nonprofit Christian ministry based in Wisconsin, United States, led by biologist, author, and Bible teacher Michael Lane. E4F is on mission to move people from shallow convictions and unbelief to deep faith in God through the study of history, science, the Bible, and logic.

We're stepping away from our usual routine to dive into something a bit different—The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This is a story of a museum heist, someone who stole rare bird skins from a museum in order to sell them on the dark web to fly-fisherman. Two of our hosts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, are curators at the Field Museum in Chicago, making them perfect guides to unravel this strange and captivating story.We'd love for you to join us by picking up a copy of the book and reading along. We'll be offering behind-the-scenes insights into the world of museum work and its bird collections—you won't want to miss a word.For those who haven't had the chance to read it yet, we thought we'd share the prologue, which sets the stage for the book's, dark, and twisted tale. The reading of the prologue is the only part of the book that we'll be reading aloud in this mini-series. Our regular lineup—John, Shannon, Amanda, and RJ —will be back for the rest of the episodes. And we'll be joined by ornithologist and fly-tier Jason Weckstein for a few chats along the way. Then we'll cap it all off with an interview with the author himself, Kirk Wallace Johnson. So, sit back, relax, grab your binoculars, and enjoy the prologue!

When you picture a dinosaur, what does it look like? For Jingmai O'Connor, paleobiologist and associate curator of reptiles at the Field Museum of Chicago, the dinosaurs she studies look a lot more like birds."If you looked at an artist's reconstruction of something like Velociraptor or Microraptor ... you would see that it pretty much looks the same as a bird," Jingmai says. "In terms of the plumage, the soft tissues covering the body, it would have looked very, very birdlike."In this episode, Short Wave delves into the dinosaur-avian connection. Which dinosaurs had feathers? Were they using them to fly? And once and for all – what are those ancient dinosaurs' relationship to birds today? Have other dinosaur questions you want us to unravel? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche about what you can expect from RIMS in 2025. This value-packed discussion offers Gary's comments on 2025 RIMS President Kristen Peed, RIMS' 75th Anniversary events, possible insurance impacts of proposed trade tariffs, nuclear verdicts, and third-party litigation. Gary encourages you to join RIMS Advocacy and the RIMS Legislative Summit on March 19th and 20th, 2025 to lobby on Capitol Hill. He shares insights on public safety, security, and of course, news of RISKWORLD 2025 and more.   Listen for how you can participate in 2025 RIMS events. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS. [:16] About this episode, coming to you from RIMS headquarters in New York, kicking off 2025 with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche! Gary, welcome back to RIMScast! [:59] Interview! Gary had a quiet, fun New Year's Eve at home, dining on Asian sea bass with champagne and watching television. [1:39] This is a big year for RIMS. RIMS has a new president, Kristen Peed. Justin has known her since he started with RIMS. Kristen is a long-time volunteer, very positive, and great at representing RIMS. She continues in a long line of volunteer leaders who have built RIMS. [2:29] Gary reports that RIMS 2024 president David Arick had a wonderful term. On David's last day, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with him; a wonderful capstone to his year. [2:49] RIMS board presidents serve as unpaid volunteers. They travel for board meetings and events, taking time away from their families and jobs. Gary says everyone should appreciate what the board president and officers, chapter leaders, and other volunteers do to help RIMS. [3:35] Reading the history of RIMS, Gary is struck with and inspired by the long line of volunteers who put their shoulders to the wheel, creating this organization. [3:59] RIMS is delighted to have Kristen. Kristen is with Sequoia. You'll get to meet her at RISKWORLD, the RIMS Canada Conference, and other activities in 2025. Kristen embodies the spirit of the RIMS community. [4:29] This year is the 75th anniversary of RIMS. It's a good opportunity to reflect and appreciate all that came before us. RIMS New York traces its roots to the 1930s. Later, four groups came together to create the National Association of Insurance Buyers, today known as RIMS, in 1950. [5:44] The NAIB provided networking and learning opportunities for commercial buyers of corporate insurance. They saw that it would be helpful to have a national view and ultimately, an international view of the issues and trends in the commercial side of insurance. [6:26] Reading the history gives you a better sense of how RIMS has played a key role in creating today's insurance world. Justin points out that they organized RIMS without email or interstate highways! They worked hard to make the organization happen. [8:31] RIMS will celebrate its 75th anniversary throughout the year. Chapter leaders will soon attend the Annual Leadership Forum to kick things off. At the RIMS Canada Conference 2024, RIMS unveiled the 75th Anniversary logo and themes. RISKWORLD 2025 will be the tent pole event. [9:21] This will be the biggest RISKWORLD in history! The biggest RIMS annual conference was held in Chicago 20 years ago. RISKWORLD 2025 will be in Chicago from May 4th to May 7th and RIMS is expecting to see well over 11,000 attend. Other events will also feature the anniversary. [9:53] RIMS is launching the Texas Regional Conference, with the four Texas chapters, in August, in San Antonio. It's a wonderful opportunity for folks in that region to gain access to the power and value represented in the RIMS community. [11:04] About trade tariffs: Gary recently spent an hour at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce meeting, talking with top trade policy experts. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has mentioned tariffs. How would new tariffs impact consumers? What might they do to the cost of insurance? [13:05] If any goods go up in cost, that could potentially have an effect on the cost of insurance, just as inflation causes prices to go up. If you're insuring a fleet of trucks, where do you get the parts to fix those vehicles? Will the cost of those parts go up? [14:05] Right now, we don't know. There are differences of opinion. Some 60% of replacement truck and auto parts are made outside of the United States. If tariffs are imposed on those, and if those costs are passed on to consumers, that will raise the cost of insurance. [14:56] Justin sees tariffs impacting insurance rates, the supply chain, and decisions risk professionals make about materials to use. Tariffs may not have their intended effect of having you “buy American” if you're in America. It may not work that way. [15:28] Gary notes that tariffs, historically, have had the long-term effect of spurring domestic production. The question is, how fast will that happen? How long will it take to create the infrastructure to create more cement or truck parts? Where will the workers come from? [16:16] If there are price increases for supplies and materials or if there are disruptions in the supply chain, that will have a dragging effect in terms of the cost of insurance. RIMS publications will tackle this topic and report on it as they have done for 75 years. [17:08] Dave Arick was interviewed in the Wall Street Journal, He discussed how “nuclear verdicts” of $10 million or more are influencing what happens in the insurance markets. Nuclear verdicts create higher costs. [17:47] If insurance companies are paying out more and more for those claims, they're going to try to recoup that cost through higher premiums in the future. RIMS is concerned about the runaway growth of nuclear verdicts. [18:11] Ultimately,  the claims bar pumping up the demands for recompense is having an impact on cost. When someone is hurt, there should be recompense for that. The issue is the significant growth in multi-million dollar verdicts that are outside of what is reasonable and fair. [18:53] If that happens, it simply drives up the cost for businesses to do business. If people are getting 10 times the reasonable recompense for their injuries, it starts to add up significantly. [19:35] Plug Time! RIMS Webinars! Resolver will be joining us on February 6th with a topic to be announced. [19:42] HUB International continues its Ready for Tomorrow Series with RIMS. On February 20th, they will host “Ready for the Unexpected? Strategies for Property Valuation, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in 2025”. [19:58] More webinars will be announced soon and added to the RIMS.org/webinars page. Go there to register. Registration is complimentary for RIMS members. [20:10] Nominations are also open for the Donald M. Stuart Award which recognizes excellence in risk management in Canada. Links are in this episode's show notes. [20:21] Congratulations to my RIMS colleagues! RISKWORLD 2024 was honored with the 2024 TSNN Trade Show News Network Award for Outstanding Commitment to Advancing DE&I in the Risk Management Community Through Intentional Programming and Representation! [20:44] The programming included real-time translation technology and partnerships with DE&I organizations NAAIA, AAIN, and APIW, fostering a globally inclusive environment, and keynote speaker Academy Award-winning actress, Marlee Matlin, on inclusion and accessibility. [21:10] The TSNN Award is a huge honor and RIMS is so pleased that our continued DE&I efforts are being recognized by various industries, specifically in events and exhibitions. [21:23] Of course, a big shout-out to the RIMS DE&I Advisory Council for their unwavering commitment to helping advance DE&I initiatives at our conferences and RIMS events throughout the risk management community. [21:36] There are still DE&I sponsorship opportunities available for RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago. You can visit the link in this episode's show notes for more details. [21:51] Back to My Interview with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche! [22:03] Justin and Gary consider third-party litigation, which impacts the courts, laws, and legislation. Gary will attend the RIMS Legislative Summit, to be held on March 19th and 20th. [22:39] Gary says the plaintiffs' bar has discovered the power of investment. They have learned they can gather investors who will back a potential lawsuit and fund lawsuits that come along, in return for a share of the proceeds of that suit. That has always been concerning. [23:13] Something that has become an additional concern is the lack of transparency as to where those investment funds are coming from. They could be coming from anywhere, inside or outside the U.S. They could be from sources that could be illegal. It's unknown. [23:45] As a matter of national security and public policy, RIMS thinks it's time we have better insight into the sources of funds for third-party litigation. Gary will be on Capitol Hill, lobbying with members of Congress for transparency in funding third-party litigation. [24:09] A link to the RIMS.org/advocacy page is in the show notes. If you're a RIMS member and want to go to Capitol Hill for a couple of days with the very knowledgeable RIMS staff and have a chance to meet with your Representatives in Congress, that's the way to do it. [24:26] Gary will be there, RIMS General Counsel, Mark Prysock, will be there, and a few other very knowledgeable folks will help you prepare for these fun “pitches.” Gary says it's a blast. You're telling your story and why this is something of concern to you. [25:12] Typically you'll be meeting with staff members who are directly involved in the public policy process. They want to hear your story, especially if you're from their district. It's a lot of walking, listening, and talking along with your peers. You'll appreciate what you've done. [25:56] Going from office to office on the Hill, you're seeing other people doing the same thing; ranchers, flight attendants, and more. It's an interesting cross-section of America. You're seeing the Constitutional freedom of speech. It gives you a perspective on the public policy process. [26:51] Gary has led other organizations for 25 years, so he has been to Capitol Hill a few dozen times. He worked in Washington D.C. for years. He loves gathering a group of members, having a reception and a briefing, and walking around Capitol Hill. By lunchtime, people are excited. [27:53] At the end of the day, there's a sense of relief and satisfaction; most of the members want to know when they can do it again! Justin did it in 2018 and it made an impression on him. He also loves speaking with the people who are involved in it. [28:25] The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved in part by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [28:43] Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $3.3 million in general grants to support over 130 student-centered experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profits. Spencer's 2026 application process will open on May 1st, 2025, and close on July 30th, 2025. [29:07] General grant awardees are typically notified at the end of October. Learn more about Spencer's general grants through the Programs tab at SpencerEd.org. [29:18] Let's Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche! [29:31] Justin describes the horrific terrorist act in New Orleans on New Year's. Someone circumvented the meager barriers, drove onto the Bourbon Street sidewalk, ran over several people, and exchanged fire with the police. The police neutralized him. [30:11] He had killed 14 people and disrupted everything going on there. This also affected the local economy. RISKWORLD 2023 was affected by an issue in the host city. RIMS has had other issues with public safety. Gary mentions the car bomb in Las Vegas and RIMS' security plans. [32:26] For conferences like RISKWORLD, 30 to 50 hotels are used. You have to look at the security measures already in place for each hotel. That sort of thing keeps Gary up at night. [32:54] Before lunch on his first day back, Gary was on the phone with staff to restart their thinking about RISKWORLD security, in light of the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. RIMS is well advanced on plans for RISKWORLD 2025. Security will be even more on their minds. [33:37] RISKWORLD has no big outdoor events for this year. Chicago in May is not necessarily warm and sunny, so they will be inside. RIMS has a responsibility as event organizers to think about the risks. Every event organizer must do the same. [34:33] RISKWORLD 2025 keynotes and speakers have been announced. Find them at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD. Chicago is a Mecca for the risk management and insurance community. Gary can't think of a better place to have the 75th Anniversary RISKWORLD convention. [35:43] RISKWORLD 2025 will be held at the McCormick Convention Center, in one of the most beautiful cities in the country. It has a great, diverse culture with 77 unique neighborhoods. [36:01] The RISKWORLD 2025 program is very exciting, being built by great risk professionals who are contributing their time and talent to sharing their knowledge and insight. It's a lot of fun and it's a “heck of an event!” Gary is thrilled about the whole thing! [36:26] A huge team works so hard on creating RISKWORLD. It is so much work and there is so much work on-site. At the end of it, the team is exhausted, and so sad that it's over! It's a wonderful, fun, safe, educational experience, and then it's gone. RIMS works on it year-round. [37:15] Three of the keynotes will be delivering TED talks on the main stage on Tuesday, May 6th. Rachel DeAlto, Ryan Harris, and Holly Ransom. It's called “Triple Vision, Leadership Insights.” RISKWORLD has never done anything like that before. [37:34] These will be short, punchy, to-the-point talks showing a diversity of perspectives, and touching on more topics, and it's more in keeping with how people obtain and consume information today. Gary is very excited about them. He's watching to see how it works. [38:18] The RISKWORLD 2025 opening reception will be on Sunday, May 4th, at the Field Museum of Natural History. Gary calls it one of the greatest museums in North America and it's a great place to have an event. Gary has done black-tie events there. It has a wonderful view. [39:47] Public registration is open. Go to RIMS.org/RISKWORLD and register today! [40:01] This episode with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche has given us a great glimpse into 2025. Gary will be back on RIMScast sometime after RISKWORLD 2025. [40:53] Gary says RIMS has an extraordinary IT team and they are always drilling on avoiding phishing and cyber-attacks. Risk management is important. When he looks a the RIMS logo, he is reminded that the wind is in our sails. Risk management could not be hotter, now! [41:39] Gary ranks hot, sexy jobs now: astronaut, firefighter, and risk manager! He hopes people take pride in their risk manager jobs. There's a lot of demand. Salaries have been going up, according to the RIMS salary survey. There are more people attracted to the profession. [42:01] At RISKWORLD, we get 250 or more students. It's fun to watch them compete in the Spencer Risk Management Challenge. It's fun to see the support that Spencer and the community give them. It's fun to see them engage with our professionals and want to learn. [42:39] RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche, thank you so much. It's always a pleasure! [42:46] Special thanks, as always, to RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche for stopping by and keeping us informed. Be sure to check out all the links in this episode's show notes to learn more about RISKWORLD 2025, RIMS advocacy, and other RIMS initiatives and events. [43:06] More RIMS Plugs! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. [43:32] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [43:51] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [44:09] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.  [44:25] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [44:39] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [44:47] Thank you all for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: RIMS Risk Management magazine RISKWORLD 2025 — May 4‒7 | Register today! RIMS Legislative Summit — March 19‒20, 2025 Nominations for the Donald M. Stuart Award Spencer Educational Foundation — General Grants 2026 — Application Dates RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) Kristen Peed named 2025 President of RIMS ‘Nuclear Verdicts' Driving Up Costs of Doing Business, Says Risk Management Society's Head — The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 30, 2024 — an interview with former RIMS President David Arick RIMS DEI Council | Learn more about DEI Inclusivity Partnership opportunities at RISKWORLD RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars “Ready for the Unexpected? Strategies for Property Valuation, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in 2025” | Sponsored by Hub International | Feb. 20, 2025 Upcoming Virtual Workshops: “Claims Management” | February 11‒12, 2025 | Instructor: Chris Hansen “Fundamentals of Insurance” | Feb. 19‒20, 2025 “Applying and Integrating ERM” | Feb. 26‒27 “Managing Data for ERM” | March 12, 2025 See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: “Stay Competitive with the RIMS-CRMP” | Presented by the RIMS Greater Bluegrass Chapter February 19‒20, 2025 | Instructor: Chris Mandel Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Year In Risk 2024 with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle” “300th Episode Spectacular with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “RIMS Advocacy Updates 2024 with Mark Prysock” “Change Management and Strategy with Jay Kiew, RIMS Canada Conference 2024 Keynote” “On Risk Appetite and Tolerance” “Global Perspectives with RIMS 2023 Chapter Presidents” (ft. Greater Bluegrass Chapter)   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping” | Sponsored by Medcor (New!) “Risk Management in a Changing World: A Deep Dive into AXA's 2024 Future Risks Report” | Sponsored by AXA XL “How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack” | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog “Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips” | Sponsored by Alliant “RMIS Innovation with Archer” | Sponsored by Archer “Navigating Commercial Property Risks with Captives” | Sponsored by Zurich “Breaking Down Silos: AXA XL's New Approach to Casualty Insurance” | Sponsored by AXA XL ”Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer “Alliant's P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS Vice President Manny Padilla!    RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Gary LaBranche, FASAE, CAE, CEO of RIMS   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Abigail Derby Lewis, Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, discusses the crucial role insects and pollinators play in our ecosystem, why bees and butterflies are in decline, and how the community can help support pollinators to thrive.

Abigail Derby Lewis, Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, explains why pollinators are important for the ecosystem.

We are kicking it off the new year by revisiting an older episode that we did on the Willard's Sooty Boubou. This was a bird that John and the team at the Field Museum were responsible for describing as a new species. We are doing a mini-series on the book The Feather Thief in a few weeks, so we wanted to share an episode that highlighted what John and Shannon do at the Field Museum before we kick that off. Bird specimen at The Field Museum led to describing the new species, and John tells us about his trips to Africa to study this new species. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social and tik tok as well!!

We're still down for the holidays but are sharing a segment that we did on the Archaeopteryx at The Field Museum. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived when an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago. A fossil called Archaeopteryx, with feathers, hollow bones, clawed wings, tiny teeth, and a long tail, is the earliest known dinosaur that also qualifies as a bird, and is on display at the Field Museum where two of our hosts John and Shannon work. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social and tik tok as well!!

Humans have loved on our feline friends for thousands of years. The connection and history of the relationship between humans and cats is being featured in an exhibit at the Field Museum. The exhibit features cats from all over the world through photos, film, archaeological items, and more. Reset gets into the history of the human/cat fascination with Monisa Ahmed, exhibition developer at the Field Museum. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

We revisit an old episode on the Wild Turkey this week. These birds are a major conservation success story. We also talk about John seeing a turkey in the Democratic Republic of Congo, how turkeys got their name, and learn all about their magnificent feathers. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together. This week we are also joined by Jacob Drucker. Jacob Drucker is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum studying how birds interact with tropical climates over ecological and evolutionary time. We also did a couple episodes on Hawaiian Honeycreepers with Jacob, please go back and check those out if you haven't heard them yet. Email us your questions at podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram for pictures of the birds we discuss, specimen, and more info! @birds_of_a_feather_podcastWe are also on Tiktok and Blue Sky Social!

Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart as we discuss the White-throated sparrow. We talk about sparrows in general, and how to differentiate them based on behavior and not just their appearance. We also talk about how they have been shrinking in size over the last 50 years, and how the specimen collection at the Field Museum have helped determine that. We also talk about their different head-types, and mating preferences between the two head types. We also answer a mailbag question from a listener in the U.K. on vultures.Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to podcast.birdsofafeather@gmail.comMake sure to follow us on instagram, Blue Sky Social and tik tok as well!!

We meet leading artist Jeffrey Gibson to discuss his Venice Biennale solo and explore his inspiring and illustrious career thus far.The first Indigenous artist to represent the USA at this year's Venice Biennale, Gibson is a painter and sculptor whose work is held in many major American collections. Incorporating murals, paintings, textiles and historical objects, Gibson's work also weaves together text drawn lyrics, poetry and his own writing, complete with references to abstraction, fashion and popular culture. Of Mississippi Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, Gibson uses materials such as Native American beadwork and trading posts in his art that explores identity and labels. Drawing influence from popular music, fashion, literature, cultural and critical theory, and his own individual heritage, Jeffrey Gibson (b.1972, Colorado; based in Hudson, NY) recontextualizes the familiar to offer a succinct commentary on cultural hybridity and the assimilation of modernist artistic strategies within contemporary art. Gibson's Cherokee and Choctaw lineage has imparted a recognizable aesthetic to his beaded works exploring narrative deconstructions of both image and language as transmitted through figuration.Known for his re-appropriation of both found and commercial commodities –ranging from song lyrics to the literal objecthood of punching bags – repurposed through Minimalist and post-Minimalist aesthetics, speaks to the revisionist history of Modernist forms and techniques. His sculptures and paintings seamlessly coalesce traditional Native American craft with contemporary cultural production and references, forming works that speak to the experience of an individual subjectivity within the larger narrative defining contemporary globalization.Jeffrey Gibson grew up in major urban centers in the United States, Germany, and Korea, where he absorbed the transgressive soundtrack of the 1980s through limited access to MTV. Gibson graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 and received a Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art, London, in 1998. While in Chicago he also worked as a research assistant on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) for the Field Museum, a formative experience that fostered an ongoing interest in questions of ownership and notions of cultural translation.Though trained as a painter, Gibson began incorporating materials and techniques that deliberately reference his heritage—such as raw hides and bead work—around 2010. A major turning point in his career, in 2012 he presented ‘one becomes the other,' his first solo exhibition of sculpture and video, at Participant Inc. Sculpture, moving image, and sound have since become an integral aspect of his practice. He is known for his immersive, multi-sensory installations that invoke and interweave such disparate contexts as faith-based spaces of communion and night clubs. Jeffrey Gibson is represented in the permanent collections of more than twenty museums. Jeffrey Gibson is a 2019 MacArthur Fellow. He holds a MA at the Royal College of Art, London, a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA. Gibson is currently a Visiting Artist at Bard College, NY.Follow @JeffRuneLearn more: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/jeffrey-gibson/@HauserWirth and @SikkemaJenkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Sterling Nesbitt is an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, as well as a  research associate/affiliate of the American Museum of Natural History, the Vertebrate Paleontology Lab at The University of Texas at Austin, the Virginia Museum of Natural History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the National Museum of Natural History. Sterling is a vertebrate paleontologist who leverages his training in biology to understand how animals are related, how they evolved certain features, and how they have diversified over time. He is working to improve our knowledge of how life on earth has evolved over the past hundreds of millions of years. Outside of science, Sterling is passionate about travel. He loves visiting new places to experience other cultures, learn about their traditions, and discover fantastic places off the beaten path. He received his BA in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and went on to complete his MA, MPhil, and PhD in Geosciences at Columbia University. Afterwards, Sterling conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Washington, and the Field Museum before joining the faculty at Virginia Tech where he is today. Sterling is the recipient of the 2016 Virginia Tech College Award for Outreach Excellence from the College of Science. Sterling is here with us today to speak to us about his life and science.

This episode first aired back in December of 2013, and at the start of that new year, the team was cracking open fossils, peering back into ancient seas, and looking up at lunar skies only to find that a year is not quite as fixed as we thought it was.With the help of paleontologist Neil Shubin, reporter Emily Graslie and the Field Museum's Paul Mayer we discover that our world is full of ancient coral calendars. Each one of these sea skeletons reveals that once upon a very-long-time-ago, years were shorter by over forty days. And astrophysicist Chis Impey helps us comprehend how the change is all to be blamed on a celestial slow dance with the moon. Plus, Robert indulges his curiosity about stopping time and counteracting the spinning of the spheres by taking astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on a (theoretical) trip to Venus with a rooster and sprinter Usain Bolt.We have some exciting news! In the “Zoozve” episode, Radiolab named its first-ever quasi-moon, and now it's your turn! Radiolab has teamed up with The International Astronomical Union to launch a global naming contest for one of Earth's quasi-moons. This is your chance to make your mark on the heavens. Submit your name ideas now through September, or vote on your favorites starting in November: https://radiolab.org/moonSignup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram,X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.Leadership support for Radiolab's science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.