Don't Panic Geocast

There was a very large earthquake in the Philippines - John and Shannon break down what you need to know. We also explore the question - what's the deal with birds? Fun Paper Friday Baldassarre, Daniel T. "What’s the Deal with Birds." Sci J Res Rev 2 (2020): 1-4. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.co...

This week John and Shannon discuss the book "Slow Productivity", our other summer reading lists, and if swearing makes your exercise sessions better. Fun Paper Friday Jiannine, Lia, and Jose Antonio. "The effects of cursing on exercise performance." Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 26.5 (2023). Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gma...

This week we talk about GPR or ground penetrating radar as Shannon considers buying one and asks what to look for. Fun Paper Friday Do trees glow before lightning strikes? McFarland, P. J., et al. "Corona discharges glow on trees under thunderstorms." Geophysical Research Letters 53.4 (2026): e2025GL119591. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeo...

This week we talk about how you should approach an outcrop in the field for the first time. What do you look for? What kind of notes do you take? This and more field camp tips plus a discussion about the rheology of pasta sauce. Fun Paper Friday Busiello, Daniel Maria, Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti, and Ivan Di Terlizzi. "Physical properties of a perfect pasta sauce." Physics Today 2026 (2026). Contac...

This week we help a listener identify their bizarre fossil - and it's a trace fossil! Learn all about it and find out if you'd remember more if we were funnier! Trace Fossil Dictionary Shannon’s Favorite Trackway Asterosoma Fun Paper Friday Would you remember more about science if your teachers presented it in a funny way? Frank, Alexandra L., et al. "Wit meets wisdom: the relationship between sat...

This week, we continue to talk about temperature with a discussion of temperature scales, where they came from, and why there are so many! Fun Paper Friday Kaiser, Caspar, and Andrew J. Oswald. "The scientific value of numerical measures of human feelings." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.42 (2022): e2210412119. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @...

What is temperature? Why do we care? Where did all of these temperature scales come from? This week, we find out! Fun Paper Friday Di Lorenzo, Emilia, et al. "Periodic cooking of eggs." Communications Engineering 4.1 (2025): 1-10. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @Shan...

This week it's all about liquefaction as we explore why some caskets are above ground and how some cars get half way buried. Flame Structure Sand Boil Quicksand Fun Paper Friday Can creatively shaped pasta fold itself when cooked? Tao, Ye, et al. "Morphing pasta and beyond." Science Advances 7.19 (2021): eabf4098. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontp...

We are back after a very challenging 2025 but don't panic - there is a plan! Fun Paper Friday Taloni, Andrea, Vincenzo Scorcia, and Giuseppe Giannaccare. "Large language model advanced data analysis abuse to create a fake data set in medical research." JAMA ophthalmology 141.12 (2023): 1174-1175. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail....

We're still here - it has just been a very difficult time, but this week we're talking about Hurricane Melissa and Halloween Candy! Hurricane Melissa Video Inside the Hurricane Fun Paper Friday Trick or Treat! Maybe it should be Treat or Toy? Find out in this week's Fun Paper! Schwartz, Marlene B., Eunice Y. Chen, and Kelly D. Brownell. "Trick, treat, or toy: children are just as likely to choose...

This week, we chat about our GEARS workshop that recently wrapped up, how it has evolved, and how it went! GEARS Workshop Fun Paper Friday Hejnol, Andreas, and Mark Q. Martindale. "The mouth, the anus, and the blastopore—open questions about questionable openings." Animal Evolution: Genomes, Fossils, and Trees (2009): 33-40. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpan...

This week we are back and discussing the recent large earthquake in Russia! Fun Paper Friday Is that viral video of a fault rupture form a security camera real? This paper checks it out. Kearse, Jesse, and Yoshihiro Kaneko. "Curved Fault Slip Captured by CCTV Video During the 2025 M w 7.7 Myanmar Earthquake." The Seismic Record 5.3 (2025): 281-288. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontp...

We're hitting the open road — geologically speaking. This episode kicks off our new state-by-state series covering the most fascinating, scenic, or just plain weird geologic stops in the U.S. We’re going alphabetically (because of course we are), starting with Alabama, Alaska, and Arkansas. Some sites we've visited, others are firmly on our dream list, but every pick is guaranteed to bring a bit o...

What makes a mineral a favorite? In this fun and down-to-earth episode, John and Shannon swap stories about the minerals they love most — and why. Along the way, they unpack cool crystal habits, formation environments, fieldwork memories, and the aesthetic appeal of minerals from museum specimens to muddy boots. Shannon shares her appreciation for: Hematite – With its metallic luster and planetary...

We're back from summer break - Shannon taught field camp, John travelled for work and got hailed on, and more! John’s Hail Storm Fun Paper Friday How does modern AI stack up against a cognition test designed for humans? Dayan, Roy, Benjamin Uliel, and Gal Koplewitz. "Age against the machine—susceptibility of large language models to cognitive impairment: cross sectional analysis." bmj 387 (2024)....

This week we talk about how we power our instruments in the field and all of the weird and wonderful ways they fail. Including getting turned into charcoal by lightning! Fun Paper Friday Why does ketchup splatter? Find out! Arstechnica Article Cuttle, Callum, and Christopher W. MacMinn. "Dynamics of compression-driven gas-liquid displacement in a capillary tube." Physical Review Letters 130.11 (20...

This week we talk hail, Vesuvius, volcanic bombs, and vitrified brains. Scandone, Roberto, Lisetta Giacomelli, and Mauro Rosi. "Death, Survival and Damage during the 79 AD Eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum." J. Res. Didact. Geogr 2 (2019): 5-30. Fun Paper Friday An amazing new finding shows that brains were vitrified or turned to glass during the nearly 2000 year old eru...

Shannon's class took a trip to study catestrophic sedimentation... and they found it! John switched back to a Mac after 5 years. Join us for these and other exciting updates! Fun Paper Friday Find out how alcohol and an eye puffer machine cominbed with magnets can teach us about where our motor skills reside in the brain. Johansson, Fredrik, et al. "Alcohol impairs learning and timing of condition...

Turner Falls, Oklahoma A rare waterfall that grows outward due to travertine deposition instead of eroding backward. Formed by spring-fed Honey Creek flowing through Ordovician limestone, creating massive travertine deposits. Pe'ePe'e Falls, Hawai'i (Big Island) ~80 ft falls in downtown Hilo, part of the Wailuku River flowing between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Carved into 10,000-year-old lava flows...

This week we talk about snow forecasting as the winter season starts to wrap up and try to figure out if you're really happier in the morning or not! Fun Paper Friday https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e301418 Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Ever wondered how geologists figure out when a landslide happened? Or how ancient river terraces and glacial deposits get dated? This week, we dive into the detective work behind dating geomorphic features! 🌍🔬 From tree rings to cosmic rays, we explore the fascinating methods geologists use to reconstruct Earth’s history and assess natural hazards. Why Dating Landslides and Other Features is Har...

We just wrapped up our first-ever on-site GEARS Workshop at UTEP and it was a massive success! 🎉 Tune in as we break down the highlights, what we learned, and how this hands-on geoscience training is evolving for the future. Fun Paper Friday Can paranormal lights actually be tied to earthquakes? Hough, Susan E. "Haunted Summerville: Ghostly Lights or Earthquake Lights?." Contact us: Show Support...

This week, it's time for our 2025 resolutions show, where we see how we can improve this year and discuss everything that's changed in the past year! Fun Paper Friday We are all overloaded with surveys and requests, but can a chocolate bar increase the response rates? Jamtvedt, Gro, et al. "Chocolate bar as an incentive did not increase response rate among physiotherapists: a randomised controlled...

This week we wrap up our finding faults show started oh so long ago! Learn how to identify faults in the field and then relax with a coffee with a physicist! A perfectly spherical coffee on a frictionless plane that is! Fun Paper Friday Bossart, Aleksi, Romain Fleury, and Benjamin Apffel. "Science of a coffee cup: a physicist walks into a bar..." arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.01180 (2025). Contact us:...

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Joshua Pearce to the show! We dive into the world of open-source hardware for academic labs, the challenges and rewards of open-sourcing projects, and the exciting opportunities it creates for researchers and the general public alike. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about innovation, making, and the future of accessible technology! Joshua Pearce Open-Sourc...