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PODCAST

Wildly Curious

Katy Reiss & Laura Fawks Lapole

Wildly Curious is a comedy podcast where science, nature, and curiosity collide. Hosted by Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole, two wildlife experts with a combined 25+ years of conservation education experience, the show dives into wild animal behaviors, unexpected scientific discoveries, and bizarre natural phenomena. With a knack for breaking down complex topics into fun and digestible insights, Katy and Laura make science accessible for all—while still offering fresh perspectives for seasoned

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All Episodes

39:52

Volcanoes: Agents of Chaos or Planet Builders?

Wildly Curious ·

2025/04/15

Send us a text Subscribe and unleash your inner science goblin. We see you. We respect it. In this Season 11 finale of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole blow the lid off volcanoes—literally and figuratively. From earth-shaking eruptions and blue lava to the creation of entirely new islands, this episode dives into the molten madness of how volcanoes destroy, preserve, and even give life. 🌋 What exactly is a volcano? 🌎 Why do they erupt, and where can you find them? ⚡️

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17:23

Cosmic Critters: The Chimp Who Survived Space—and...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/04/08

Send us a text In this out-of-this-world episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole tell the incredible—and deeply emotional—story of Ham the Chimp, the first hominid to survive spaceflight. 🧠 How was Ham trained to perform tasks during a rocket launch? 🚀 What made his 1961 mission so important to Project Mercury? 💔 And what did it cost to send an intelligent animal into space? Ham wasn’t just a passenger—he was a pioneer who proved humans could survive and funct...

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7:27

Cosmic Critters: The Spiders Who Spun Webs in Space

Wildly Curious ·

2025/04/01

Send us a text In this out-of-this-world episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole unravel the story of two unexpected astronauts: Anita and Arabella, the garden spiders launched aboard Skylab 3 in 1973. 🕸️ Can spiders spin webs in zero gravity? 🕷️ How do they adapt without gravity to guide them? 🛰️ What can eight-legged astronauts teach us about behavior and resilience in space? Anita and Arabella weren’t just part of a quirky science experiment—they were pione...

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52:57

Why We Sleep, Dream, and Lose Our Minds Without It

Wildly Curious ·

2025/03/25

Send us a text Why do we sleep? What’s going on in our brains while we dream about flying bagels and dolphin taxis? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole stay up late to explore the science of sleep, REM cycles, lucid dreaming, and why getting less than 5 hours can mess with your memory, mood, and metabolism. 🧠 From brain waves and neurotransmitters to memory formation and emotional resets 😴 The truth about sleep deprivation, circadian rhythms, and why you...

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13:46

Cosmic Critters: The Monkey-nauts Who Paved the Way...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/03/18

Send us a text Before astronauts, there were monkeynauts. In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the bizarre and often tragic history of the first primates sent to space—Albert I, II, III, and IV. The U.S. was determined to test the limits of space travel, and what better way than by strapping a rhesus macaque to a rocket? Unfortunately for the Alberts, early spaceflight engineering wasn’t exactly foolproof (seriously, how hard is it to pack a working p...

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60:02

Weather Gone Wild: Lightning, Haboobs, and Animal...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/03/11

Send us a text From sky-high lightning bolts that span hundreds of miles to walls of sand swallowing cities whole, extreme weather is wild—and sometimes, just plain weird. 🌩️💨 In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy and Laura break down some of nature’s most shocking meteorological events, including lightning that’s hotter than the sun, haboobs that turn day into night, and actual raining animals (yes, really). But that’s not all! We also dive into pink snow (that smells like watermelon),

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13:54

Cosmic Critters: The Frogs That Went to Space

Wildly Curious ·

2025/03/04

Send us a text Frogs. In. Space. Yep, you read that right! In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole take you on a hilarious and mind-blowing journey into the weirdest space experiment you’ve probably never heard of—the Orbiting Frog Otolith mission. Back in the 1970s, NASA decided that launching two bullfrogs into orbit was a great idea. Why? To study how weightlessness affects the inner ear and balance. But the story doesn’t stop there—these amphibian astronauts, ...

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75:58

Could You Train a Dinosaur? Science Says… Maybe!

Wildly Curious ·

2025/02/25

Send us a text Could dinosaurs be the next great delivery workers, pest control experts, or even search-and-rescue heroes? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole take a deep dive into the wild world of dinosaur training—imagining what it would take to turn prehistoric creatures into modern-day workers. From speedy compies delivering packages through city streets to armored Borealopelta stopping high-speed car chases, they explore the science behind animal trainin...

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9:21

Cosmic Critters: The Spacefaring Cat Who Defied Gravity

Wildly Curious ·

2025/02/18

Send us a text Blast off into the strange world of space-bound critters with Wildly Curious! In this episode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the bizarre true story of Félicette—the first (and only) cat launched into space. From rigorous astronaut training (including high-G centrifuge spins) to a suborbital flight with no windows, Félicette’s journey was as weird as it was historic. Why did France decide to send a stray tuxedo cat into the cosmos? What did scientists hope to learn? ...

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66:56

Dinosaurs Uncovered: Myths, Misconceptions, and...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/02/11

Send us a text In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy and Laura dive deep into the prehistoric past to separate dinosaur fact from fiction. From Hollywood myths to groundbreaking discoveries, they explore how our understanding of dinosaurs has evolved over time. Were all dinosaurs cold-blooded? Did they all go extinct at the same time? What even is a dinosaur? Prepare to have your dino knowledge challenged as they break down the latest fossil evidence, debunk common misconceptions, and revea...

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10:01

Cosmic Critters: Laika—The Stray Who Became a Space...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/02/06

Send us a text Blast off with Wildly Curious as Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole launch into the incredible story of Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth. This fearless stray dog from the streets of Moscow became a space pioneer aboard Sputnik 2, forever changing our understanding of space travel. But her journey wasn’t just about science—it was a tale of sacrifice, Cold War competition, and the early days of the space race. From the first fruit flies sent skyward to the wild worl...

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65:39

Freaky Freshwater Giants: Vampire Fish, Giant...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/01/28

Send us a textDive into the mysterious world of freshwater ecosystems with Wildly Curious! In this episode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover some of the strangest and most fascinating creatures lurking in rivers and lakes worldwide. From the razor-toothed vampire fish of the Amazon to the ancient Chinese giant salamander, and even the armored Arapaima of the Amazon River Basin, each bizarre species has evolved incredible adaptations for survival. With a mix of humor and deep dives in...

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10:22

The Gundestrup Cauldron: Mysteries of an Ancient...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/01/14

Send us a textIn this final episode of the Bog Banter mini-series, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the story of the Gundestrup Cauldron—a massive silver artifact found buried in a Danish bog. Dating back to 150 BC, this intricately carved cauldron features mysterious depictions of gods, warriors, and mythical creatures from Celtic and Thracian cultures. Was it a sacred offering, war treasure, or something even more ominous? Katy and Laura delve into the theories behind its dis...

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5:56

Pickled Dinosaur Brains: A Fossilized Glimpse into...

Wildly Curious ·

2025/01/07

Send us a textIn this episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into a truly mind-boggling discovery—literally! Learn about the astonishing find of a fossilized dinosaur brain, uncovered in a tide pool in southern England. Preserved by bog-like conditions over 133 million years, this rare fossil reveals intricate details of a plant-eating dinosaur’s brain, including its cortex, capillaries, and even the folds and wrinkles. Katy and Laura explore how the unique ch...

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10:05

The Tale of Tollund Man: Unraveling Rituals and...

Wildly Curious ·

2024/12/31

Send us a textIn this eerie mini-sode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the hauntingly well-preserved story of the Tollund Man. Found in a Danish peat bog in 1950, this Iron Age figure still has intact skin, facial features, and even his last meal in his stomach! Katy and Laura explore the mysterious rituals surrounding his death, why bogs preserve bodies so well, and what his discovery reveals about Iron Age life. Was he a human sacrifice to appease the god...

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46:07

Food Science for the Holidays: Staying Safe and Healthy

Wildly Curious ·

2024/12/24

Send us a textIn this festive episode of Wildly Curious, Laura sits down with food scientist Sarah Oster to explore the science behind staying safe in the kitchen during the holidays. From understanding the microbial risks of your favorite dishes to food safety tips that can prevent holiday disasters, Sarah shares insights from her 10+ years in food science. Learn about the surprising truths of food contamination, the "danger zone," and why cross-contamination is a bigger issue than you think...

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11:18

Bog Mysteries: Mummified Bodies and Frankenstein-Like...

Wildly Curious ·

2024/12/17

Send us a textIn this fascinating episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole unravel the eerie tale of ancient bog bodies found in South Uist, Scotland. These Bronze Age remains aren’t your typical archaeological find—they’re stitched-together puzzles of multiple individuals, preserved in bogs and buried beneath a 3,000-year-old house. Explore the mysteries behind these Frankenstein-like creations, how bogs preserve bodies with their unique chemistry, and the theories ...

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13:42

Bog Chronicles: Butter, Bodies, and Bizarre Finds...

Wildly Curious ·

2024/12/11

Send us a textIn this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss teams up with a special guest (her son, Lukas!) to kick off a mini-series exploring the bizarre and fascinating things found in bogs. Discover the strange world of bog butter—a 3,500-year-old lump of butter preserved so well that it’s technically still edible. Learn why bogs are nature's refrigerators, the ecological importance of these wetland wonders, and the cultural significance of butter in ancient times. Packed with fasci...

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18:33

Exploring the World's Largest Cave: Son Doong’s...

Wildly Curious ·

2024/11/26

Send us a textIn this episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole wrap up their cave mini-series with an awe-inspiring journey into Son Doong, the world’s largest cave located in Vietnam. Discovered in 1990 and mapped just over a decade ago, this cave is a geological marvel with skylights revealing lush rainforests, rivers winding through its depths, and colossal stalagmites towering 80 meters high. Join Katy and Laura as they delve into the science, history, and sheer ...

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82:06

ADHD Unmasked: Understanding Strengths, Struggles,...

Wildly Curious ·

2024/11/19

Send us a textIn this insightful episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive deep into the world of ADHD. From the brain’s unique wiring to the day-to-day challenges and incredible strengths of those with ADHD, this episode explores it all. Learn about the science behind impulsivity, forgetfulness, and hyperfocus, as well as how reframing ADHD can uncover the power and potential within. Whether you have ADHD, love someone who does, or simply want to learn more, joi...

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170 results

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