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Outside/In: Daily Summaries Delivered
by NHPR
Outside/In: Where curiosity and the natural world collide. Look around, and you’ll find everything is connected to the natural world. At Outside/In, we explore that idea with boundless curiosity. We report from disaster zones, pickleball courts, and dog sled kennels, and talk about policy, pop culture, science, and everything in between. From the backcountry to your backyard, we tell stories that expand the boundaries of environmental journalism.
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- Yesterday31 min
Zombies, jack-o’-lanterns, and our spooky scary skeletons
On a recent fishing trip, Nate came across a bone-chilling sight. It was a salmon that seemed kind of… dead. Its skin was falling off, it smelled horrible, and it didn’t have any eyes. Turns out, Nate had stumbled onto a (barely) living example of a recent listener question: “Are there any real-life zombies?” From mutant looking fish to the science behind mysterious lights that flicker in cemeteries, in this Outside/Inbox roundup the team takes on your Halloween curiosities. Here’s the questions we cover… Are there any real-life zombies? Are bone conduction headphones better or worse for preventing hearing loss? Can you eat those giant decorative pumpkins? What’s the science behind will o’ the wisp lights? Featuring Daniel Teske, Rick Neitzel, and Richard Zare. Thanks to Amelia, Shaina, and Meg for their questions. Our next roundup theme is all about the cold! Send us your questions and you might hear them on the show. Email outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a voicemail at 1-844-GO-OTTER. Produced by Marina Henke, Felix Poon, and Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org Episode logo artwork adapted from “Will o' the Wisp and the Snake” by Hermann Hendrich (Public Domain). CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have a lengthy page detailing the horrors of zombie salmon. You have been warned. The current pumpkin record-holder we mentioned was a recent upset! Congratulations to Ron Wallace in Greene, Rhode Island. Hermann Hendrich’s 1901 painting, “Will-o'-the-wisp Dance.” You can read Richard Zare’s 2025 paper presenting his microlightning theory here. Check out our webpage to see videos of the phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago34 min
Why these food safety experts will eat rare steak, but not buffet fruit salad
Can you eat a tuna sandwich if it sits in your backpack all day? Is ceviche risky? And, after Hot Cyclospora Summer, are we allowed to eat lettuce yet? We brought your food safety questions to Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman, scientists and hosts of the podcast Risky or Not?, and they delivered. Plus, we ask them what they put on their plates — or better yet, what they avoid — and, in a time of big cuts and recalls, if the US food safety system is getting less safe. Featuring Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman. Produced by Justine Paradis and Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Episode art adapted from photo by arbyreed on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago33 min
The secret origins of commercial coyote urine
Last spring, a curious listener called with an unusual question about coyote urine. Is it – as advertised by companies who sell it – an effective, all natural pest deterrent? And more importantly: “Who are the coyotes that are providing this urine?” Since then, producer Taylor Quimby has been trying to find out… and with literal gallons of the stuff available online, he discovered the answers aren’t pretty. Today on Outside/In, we peek inside the unregulated Pandora’s box of urine farming. Does it work? Is it ethical? And is anybody willing to actually talk about it? Featuring Jeannie Bartlett, Caroline Long, Ed Brookmyer, Laura Koivula. This episode was first published in August 2025. Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. We answer questions about nature, climate change, sustainability, humans and evolution, and more. No question is too serious or too silly. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS This 1998 study assessed coyote urine as a deterrent for deer, and found (with some caveats) a 15-24% reduction in deer browsing after exposure to the urine. However, coyote urine had no measurable effect on the deer browsing of yew saplings in this more recent study. Websites for some coyote urine brands, like PredatorPee.com and Shake-away animal repellents, claim that they source urine from regulated farms that treat animals humanely, but did not provide more information when asked. This article from Cleveland.com details the conditions at The Grand River Fur Exchange, a fur and urine farm where hundreds of animals were found in poor condition after the owner’s death. Since we reported this story, Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill in response to what was discovered at the Grand River Fur Exchange. If passed, the bill would require much stricter oversight for commercial breeding facilities in the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago34 min
The deer sharpshooters of Maui
Maui has a problem: too many deer, not enough hunters. So on a dark, humid night, Nate joined a group of elite hunters as they endeavor to turn an ecological nightmare into a source of profitable, high-protein venison. Over the course of a few hours, he watches the employees of Maui Nui Venison methodically shoot dozens of deer, collect their carcasses, and speed them to a mobile slaughterhouse for processing – all under the watchful eyes of the USDA. Can you bring the efficiency of the slaughterhouse to the natural world? And is commercial hunting a solution for America’s over-abundance of deer? Featuring Keahi Camara, Erin Yamauchi, Jake Muise, Yasmin Tayag and Jay Marcoullier Produced by Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. We answer questions about nature, climate change, sustainability, humans and evolution, and more. No question is too serious or too silly. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Read Yasmin Tayag’s argument that Americans must start eating more deer. A University of Wisconsin professor outlined how commercial hunting would work in the U.S. in a 2011 paper. Check out photos and videos of my trip with Maui Nui venison at our Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 4 weeks ago32 min
Decoding nature's symphony
In 1985, electronic music pioneer Bernie Krause was asked to step in to help save a stranded humpback whale. Krause was known back then for being an evangelist of Moog synthesizers, not a whale whisperer. But from that moment he would go on to become a foundational scientist in the new field of ecoacoustics, or soundscape ecology. In this episode producer Patrick McNameeKing talks to three scientists from the growing field of ecoacoustics. From saving Humphrey the humpback whale, to eavesdropping on frogs, they share what ecoacoustics tells us about the biodiversity of our world, and why they still have hope. Featuring Bernie Krause, Brian Pijanowski, and Ximena Bernal. Produced by Patrick McNameeKing. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 23, 202633 min
A dry river runs through it
Albuquerque and the Rio Grande go hand in hand. The river cuts right through town, which means if you leave your office at closing time, you could have your feet in the water before 6. But, not this past summer. This August, along the river’s middle section, more than a hundred miles ran dry. What scientists have been warning about for decades – the gradual aridification of the desert Southwest – has finally arrived in Albuquerque. So, what was it like for the people who flocked to the river daily? Our producer Marina Henke went to Albuquerque to hear from them directly. Featuring Laura Paskus, David Gutzler, Matt Springer, Kim Eichorst and Alida Davila. Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. We answer questions about nature, climate change, sustainability, humans and evolution, and more. No question is too serious or too silly. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Laura Paskus wrote a whole book about climate change in New Mexico. It’s called At the Precipice. You can also find her work on Substack. You can find out more about the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 16, 202631 min
Foiled! Napoleon's cutlery and the Aluminati
You might associate it with the foil that wraps leftover pizza and the shiny craft beer cans sold in breweries, but aluminum is literally everywhere. Scoop up a handful of soil or gravel anywhere on Earth and you’ll find atoms of bonded aluminum hidden inside. But even before it was used in everything from airplanes to deodorant, the trade of aluminum minerals helped color the world, finance the Vatican, and led to the mass collection of human urine. In this installment of “The Element of Surprise” — a series all about the hidden histories behind the periodic table’s most unassuming atoms, isotopes, and molecules — we’re talking about aluminum. This episode was first published in 2024. Featuring Saleem Ali. Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. We answer questions about nature, climate change, sustainability, humans and evolution, and more. No question is too serious or too silly. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 9, 202631 min
Did #savethebees get it wrong?
Noah Wilson-Rich has made it his mission to save the bees — from colony collapse disorder, loss of habitat, and disease. He’s doing this not just as a scientist, but also as an entrepreneur. But is that a good thing? And what happens when you think you know the answer to a solution, only to realize that you got it wrong? “The ‘save the bees’ movement is canceled,” he says. But what should we do in its place? Featuring Noah Wilson-Rich, and Lauren Ponisio. Produced by Felix Poon. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About Outside/In
Outside/In: Where curiosity and the natural world collide. Look around, and you’ll find everything is connected to the natural world. At Outside/In, we explore that idea with boundless curiosity. We report from disaster zones, pickleball courts, and dog sled kennels, and talk about policy, pop culture, science, and everything in between. From the backcountry to your backyard, we tell stories that expand the boundaries of environmental journalism.
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