Beyond Blathers

This week we're talking about the common bluebottle, a beautiful blue and black butterfly that is a lot more interesting than its name suggests! Listen to find out more about this butterfly's blue pigment and amazing ability to see colour, and to hear Olivia and Sofia chat about cake. Thanks to Acey for the suggestion for this week's episode! If you have an animal you'd like to...

This week we're joined by Adele Pentland, a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University of Technology and Research Associate at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, to talk about amber! Tune in to learn more about how amber is formed, how palaeontologists use amber, and why there is controversy around the use of Burmese amber. Adele also shared so many great stories about bein...

This week we're re-releasing our King Salmon episode from September 23! Buckle in for a talk about the importance of salmon to coastal ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. And we'll be back next week with a new episode that we're really excited about! To learn more about Chinook salmon conservation, take a look at Raincoast's great wild salmon program .  If you'd like to s...

This week we're answering listener questions! Listen to hear Olivia's lemur stories and Sofia's whale adventures, get music recommendations, and find out what the hosts have been up to lately. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave u...

This week we're talking about the barreleye, a deep sea fish with a transparent head and huge green eyes! Why is its head transparent??? Listen to find out! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and...

This week we're joined by fossil preparator Myria Perez, AKA Paleontologica on Instagram and YouTube, to talk about the plesiosaurus! Listen to learn more about this amazing prehistoric aquatic reptile, the broader group of plesiosaurs it belongs to, and what it's like to work as a fossil preparator. Make sure to follow Myria on Instagram @paleontologica and subscribe to her Youtube chan...

This week we're talking about horses — no not land horses, sea horses! Get ready to rethink everything you know about these very cool fish. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see our weekly ep...

This week we're talking about the beautiful tiger butterfly! Listen to learn more about their life cycle, habitat, and how to catch butterflies yourself! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. And if you want to listen to our favourite podcasts, head to podyssey.fm/blathers ! Don&apos...

This week we're talking about the Brachiosaurus, a huge herbivorous dinosaur that has inspired many iconic pop culture moments. Listen to learn more about how they got so big, how much they had to eat, and why their necks were so long! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. And if you...

This week we're talking about one of the coolest fish in Animal Crossing, the arapaima! These bad boys can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh over 400 pounds! And ... they sometimes eat monkeys! What??! We know. Listen to find out more about these amazing creatures! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia&ap...

This week we're joined by Just the Zoo of Us host Ellen Weatherford to talk all about snails! From escargot to love darts to volcano snails, there's a lot to discover about these slow, slimy friends. Make sure to check out Just the Zoo of Us wherever you listen to podcasts, and don't forget to follow them on Twitter for great science content. And if you want to check out our favouri...

This week we're talking about the sea butterfly AND the sea angel, two beautiful pteropods who are vital to ocean ecosystems. Listen to learn more about the differences between them, as well as the conservation issues threatening their survival. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations....

This week we're talking about the creepy, crawly centipede — a predatory bug with many many legs. Listen to find out how some centipedes hunt bats, and what the difference actually is between centipedes and millipedes.  If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to subsc...

This week we're talking about the nautilus, a shelled cephalopod that some call a "living fossil." Although they're related to squids and octopi,  the nautilus has some really interesting key differences that we get into in this episode! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustra...

This week we're talking about the ammonite, a prehistoric cephalopod that came in many amazing shapes and sizes. Listen to learn more about how they moved through the water, who might have eaten them, and why they're so valuable to palaeontologists. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illust...

This week we are so excited to have the amazing Emily Graslie with us to talk all about the archelon, the largest sea turtle to have ever lived! We also got to chat with Emily about science communication, online community, dung beetles, and — of course — Animal Crossing! Emily started the YouTube channel The Brain Scoop in 2013 where she unpacks the behind the scenes of natural history museums. Sh...

This week we're talking about the beautiful but surprisingly deadly orchid mantis! Tune in to find out how they trick pollinators into thinking they're flowers, how they can see in 3D, and more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a...

This week we're joined by Vikram Baliga of the amazing Planthropology and The Plant Prof podcasts to talk about the real science behind hybrid flowers! Make sure to check out Planthropology and The Plant Prof for more plant fun, and follow Vikram on Twitter and Instagram . Also, check out @texastechgreenhouse on Instagram and Facebook! If you'd like to support Beyond Blathers, please che...

This week we're talking about the sea pig, a very cute type of deep sea cucumber! Listen to find out more about these charismatic little critters. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see Olivia&...

This week we're talking about the dung beetle! Listen to find out why we should all aspire to be like this conscientious critter. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see Olivia's weekly epi...

This week we're back and talking all about the snowy owl, which is not an insect, fish, or fossil, but IS technically in the game. Listen to learn more about this quintessential arctic animal!  Olivia was also a guest on the amazing podcast Just the Zoo of Us talking about caribou, so make sure to check that episode out here ! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch...

We're taking a few weeks off for the holidays but we'll be re-visiting some of our favourite episodes from the past year! This week we're excited to share the archaeopteryx episode with you again.  Make sure to tune in next week for a new episode! This week, Olivia is also a guest on the amazing podcast Just the Zoo of Us talking about caribou, so make sure to check that episode out...

We're taking a few weeks off for the holidays but we'll be re-visiting some of our favourite episodes from the past year! This week we're excited to share the ribbon eel with you again. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rati...

This week we're talking about the beautiful moon jellyfish and it's causing us to question ~everything~! Listen to find out how moon jellies reproduce, what they're made out of, and why they've been to space. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's illustrations. Don't forget to s...

This week we're talking about dinosaur tracks, trace fossils that capture little snapshots in prehistoric time! What can we learn from these tracks? Listen to find out! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store where we sell stickers and postcards featuring Olivia's beautiful illustrations. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To...