Seadog Science

MATEYS, LOOK ALIVE! Today your captain takes you on a journey to the medieval Baltic Sea to visit some of the toughest plunderers in history - the Curonians. Similar to their Viking counterparts to the West, Curonians were looking to assert their trading prowess, but prved to be just as or even more brutal in their pirating. Listen now! NOTE: Your Captain referred to this time period as "pre-...

The legend lives on, crew! The gales of November may have left, but your Captain remains intrigued by the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Have you heard the song, and don't know what it's about? Hop on the Seadog Science journey to learn more! DISCLAIMER: There are mentions of the Great Lakes Historical Society, when the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society is meant. Also, the Edmund F...

A SPOOKY AHOY TO MY CREW! We are back with a new episode on one of Australia's mythical creatures, the Bunyip. Explore the legends surrounding the monster, both old and new. Learn how the Bunyip had captivated the British colonists, and how it fits into their colonial science scheme. Try not to get too scared, fearless crew! Which mythical creature are you? Find out with this link: https://pla...

WE ARE SO BACK, CREW! Your captain presents to you a voyage into the New England shipbuilding industry pre-American Revolution. Tune in to hear about the independence movement, the cast and characters needed to make and run a typical American schooner, and the control the British government sought to have over the American coasts - all told through the schooner Sultana. It's a wicked good epis...

IT'S SHARK TIME, Y'ALL! It's time to learn about some of the origins of the fear around sharks. We are talking about the Mediterranean, from the ancient to the Age of the Ocean, to dive deeper into why humanity fears our cartilaginous companions in the sea. Some of these stories are sure to make your jaw drop. REFERENCES: Mazzoldi, C., Bearzi, G., Brito, C., Carvalho, I., Desiderà, E.,...

CREW! We are talking about New England colonial maritime culture and reliance on fisheries. Your captain discusses the culture as well as the ecological dynamics of the Atlantic Ocean. Listen now, ye salty sailors! REFERENCES: Bolster, W. J. (2008). Putting the Ocean in Atlantic History: Maritime Communities and Marine Ecology in the Northwest Atlantic, 1500–1800. The American Historical Review ,...

BE WARNED CREW! To look into the eyes of a mermaid is to seal your fate. In this episode, we find out why mermaid legends have stood the test of time and what this means in terms of symbology and maritime culture overall. Your captain takes you all around the world to learn about the ladies that lurk in the depths of the sea. LISTEN NOW! REFERENCES: BRINK-ROBY, H. (2008). Siren canora: the mermaid...

GRAB YOUR HORNED HELMETS, CREW! It's time to talk about the Vikings and their ships. Shipbuilding is a craft rooted in tradition and innovation, and will surely be a recurring theme in this voyage. Tune in now, faithful crew! REFERENCES: Hale, J. R. (1998). The Viking Longship. Scientific American , 278 (2), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0298-56 Bendig, C. D., & Gauthier...

Welcome to the Giant's Causeway, crew! Your captain takes you on a journey to the place that is at the top of her bucket list. We are talking mythology, natural philosophy, and the power of perspective and observation. Listen in! REFERENCES: Crawford, K.R., Black, R. Visitor Understanding of the Geodiversity and the Geoconservation Value of the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site, Northern Ir...

AHOY YE LADS AND LASSES (and everyone else)! Hop on board as we travel back in time to the Celtic Age. We are talking about rivers, women, and swords. Plus, your captain gets excited and emotional about mythology (what's new). What more could you want! REFERENCES: Fox, S. (n.d.). Heritage Ireland . Women, Water and Wisdom in Celtic Mythology | Heritage Ireland. https://heritageireland.ie/2024/...

Come on down to ancient Egypt, crew! Today we have a sampler of mythology, hydrology, and sociology - what a trio! We examine a tomb of an upperclass man from the sixth dynasty of Egypt, and a picture of three fishermen that resides in there to send him to the afterlife. REFERENCES: Abdelmoniem, A. (2020). The professions and hierarchy of Nekhebu. Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologist...

BUCKLE UP, BUCCANEERS! In this episode, we travel past the ancient Greeks 'n Romans 'n meet the Sea Peoples. This pirate culture was the fear o' the Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age - 'n we discuss why. From thar impact on society to wha' thar outfits o' choice were, we natter about it all! Yo ho ho! REFERENCES: Barras, C. (2024, December 19). Who were the enigmatic Sea...

The title says it all, crew! Time to get your daily thought in about the Roman Empire. We are heading out to explore some simple yet engaging cultural aspects to sailors in ancient Rome. We also discuss your captain's niche interest of sailing culture and how it influences main society. REFERENCES: Huppert, D., Oldelehr, H., Krammling, B., Benson, J., & Brandt, T. (2016). What the ancient...

BUCKLE UP, CREW! We are embarking on the journey to ancient Greece and their view on the sea! From resources like myths, poems, philosophers, and (yes) even their garbage, we dive into what the sea meant to the ancient Greek culture. Opa! *NOTE* Seneca was a ROMAN poet and Stoic philosopher, not Greek like was mentioned in the episode. Sorry! REFERENCES: Chaliakopoulos, A. (2024). Athena and Posei...

Join your captain as we take a dive into how ancient (like really ancient, prehistoric) peoples used coastlines for survival, and how this relationship may have influenced how humanity has evolved into what we are today! Pretty deep stuff. REFERENCES: Erlandson, J. M. (2010). Food for thought: The role of coastlines and aquatic resources in human evolution. Human Brain Evolution , 125–136. https:/...

Welcome to Seadog Science! Let's set our sails on the educational and hopefully comedic voyage into the intersectionality between culture and the ocean.