The Four Worlds Podcast

Many people say they love nature photography. But how many people can tell you why one specific photograph makes them feel something when they scroll on their social media feeds? 📱  Photographer Jessica Fridrich shares her journey into the love for one of the greatest artists of all time: nature. Drawing on her inspirations and on some of the most renowned natural locations in the American Southw...

A mural can be more than just a pretty backdrop for the city streets. But when the mural is four or five stories tall and features the face of one of the area's native animals, it’s likely to make people stop and consider the species and their place in the town's environment. 🎨  Alexandrea Pangburn is a mural and animal art artist who has dedicated her career to creating massive murals...

While managing spent fuel from current commercial reactors is a major concern for nuclear engineers today, one question remains about nuclear energy, SMRs, and next-gen reactors: where does spent fuel go long term? Rod Baltzer from Deep Isolation explores how spent fuel can be placed about a mile below the surface into deep boreholes using directional drilling techniques. ☢️ Spent fuel from commer...

A great photograph does not always start with an idea. Sometimes the physical 'yes' forms within the body when the light hits the subject just right. ☀️ We talk with photographer Janelle Lynch about her creative process in landscape photography, her more recent portraits, and her cyanotypes, made with a nineteenth-century cameraless technique. Janelle shares how she developed her love fo...

The grid is strained, AI data centers are exploding in demand, and clean baseload is once again on the table. Alessandro Petruzzi, Co-Founder and CEO of Terra Innovatum , joins the show to talk about a different kind of nuclear power: micro modular reactors that are safe by physics, not by emergency equipment. ☢️ Terra Innovatum has developed the Solo , a 1 megawatt electric micronuclear reactor....

A humanoid robot that looks you in the eye, answers questions in 100+ languages, and continues to chat with you long after the camera crew has left… sounds like science fiction. Yet, this is the future that is quickly becoming the present for companies like Realbotix . In this episode, CEO and Executive Chairman Andrew Kiguel talks to us about the company behind the humanoid robots and why the tal...

Learn more about Gabriel Willow here ! What does biodiversity look like within a city? How can people get closer to nature in their urban environments? As an urban naturalist and artist, Gabriel Willow explores the beauty of biodiversity through urban environments and encourages people to get outside and look up. In this episode, we get practical tips and ideas from Willow on how to view cities an...

This episode features the guest Lucas Foglia, a photographer with a deep connection to nature. From the micro to the macro, from intimate to planetary systems, Lucas captures the nuances behind his subjects and helps usher in real-world change. From his Long Island farm childhood, Lucas creates a body of work that pulls nature back from any notion of a museum diorama or a lost paradise. His newest...

In this episode, we are joined by artist Selin Balci, whose art begins not with paint but with living microorganisms. A former forestry and microbiology student, Selin explains how she collects microbes from soil, trees, water, and even the human body, then isolates and cultivates them into controlled art pieces. We talk about the science and art of sterilizing tools, nutrient mediums, contaminati...

More on Christina Selby:  Photographer Christina Selby Uses Visual Storytelling to Connect Us With the Natural World How Christina Selby is Using Photography to Encourage Others to be a ‘Voice for Nature’ Creating Climate Resilience: The Art of the Refuge A photograph is more than just something to look at. It can influence what we pay attention to, what we name, and what we choose to protect. In...

Ever wonder who stands between a pile of cast-off clothes and a landfill? We sit down with Jessica Franken, Director of Government Affairs at SMART, to unpack how a reuse-first approach turns textiles into a second-life economy—and why the right rules can scale it globally. Jessica takes us inside the quiet infrastructure of circularity: collectors sourcing from charities and institutions, expert...

Learn more about: Bank & Vogue A single pair of jeans can live many lives, and sometimes its next one is a luxury handbag or a cult-favorite sneaker. In this episode, we sit down with Steven Bethell, co-founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Retro, to talk about how secondhand fashion has gone from thrift bins to high-profile collaborations with Converse, Coach, and Wrangler. 👖 Steven takes u...

Learn more about : Vivobarefoot What if the shoes you've been wearing your whole life are actually hurting your feet? That's the startling revelation at the heart of our conversation with Galahad Clark, seventh-generation shoemaker and co-founder of Vivobarefoot. Coming from a family with 200 years of shoemaking history, Clark's journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered tha...

Ever ruined an expensive brisket? You're not alone. The fear of wasting time and money keeps most of us from attempting serious barbecue—until now. Christopher Huang, founder of Brisk It, joins us to reveal how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing home cooking, starting with the intimidating world of smoking and grilling. What began as a mission to make barbecue more accessible has evol...

The secret to revolutionary medical adhesives might be hiding in your garden. Benjamin Freedman, PhD, and Phoebe Kwon of Limax Biosciences have developed a groundbreaking hydrogel technology inspired by slug slime. It's designed to adhere strongly to wet, dynamic tissues while staying flexible and stretchable. Unlike traditional medical adhesives that focus on stickiness but turn brittle, Lim...

Learn more about: Petco Love What happens in those terrifying moments when your beloved pet vanishes? For millions of pet owners each year, this nightmare becomes a reality. But technology is changing the game in remarkable ways. Abbie Moore, COO of Petco Love, takes us behind the scenes of their groundbreaking lost pet reunification platform that's already brought 120,000 animals home. This...

Learn more about: Scout Motors Watch : Scout Motors Unveils Trailblazing EVs at CES 2025 Read Article : CES 2025: Scout Motors Will “Retool” 1960s Vehicles as EVs The iconic Scout is making a return, reimagined for a new generation while honoring its legendary heritage. Ryan Decker, one of Scout Motors' earliest employees, takes us behind the scenes of this ambitious revival.  🛻  What makes...

Learn more about: Hydefy Meet Rachel Lee, Founding Partner and General Manager of Hydefy, who's challenging conventional leather production methods. Step into a world where fungi and sugarcane waste become luxury handbags that walk the Paris runway with Stella McCartney. 👜 Rachel reveals how an extremophile fungus, discovered in Yellowstone National Park's volcanic hot springs during NA...

“We built Vinst to help people cook better, together.” 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 Assaf Glazer, Vinst's CEO & Co-Founder and a self-described foodie, shares the app's origin story rooted in pandemic parenting. During COVID lockdowns in New York, watching his three young children consume processed foods pushed him to dedicate kitchen time to fresh, home-cooked meals. This practice sparked an idea: wh...

“We wanted to create the Nespresso of gardening.” Co-Founder and CEO Alberto Aguilar shares how simplicity meets sustainability with Plantaform’s smart indoor garden. 🪴 🌱 Learn more about Plantaform:  CES 2025: Plantaform Launches Smart Indoor Gardens with Fogponics Technology Support the show

When his newborn faced a medical crisis, Shaker Rawan, Founder and CEO of WoddleBaby, built a device to help parents track their baby’s health from home. 👶📊 Support the show

Are robotics making a splash in the pool cleaning scene? José Vallés, VP and GM of Americas at WYBOT, reveals how the company is using robotics to make pool care effortless, efficient, and even fun. 🌊✨ Check out WYBOT in action!  Support the show

Mandi McKay, Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer at Sierra Nevada, shares how the company is raising the bar for sustainable brewing. 🌿🍺 Learn more about Sierra Nevada:  Sierra Nevada Brewing, National Parks Partner For Fan Favorite Beer Beer Industry Trends to Watch in 2024 Support the show

Birdbuddy’s CEO, Franci Zidar, shares how the company is bringing nature closer to home with their smart bird feeder. 🐦✨ Learn more about Bird Buddy CES 2025: Birdbuddy Creators Announce New Nature Tech Products Birdbuddy Launches New Smart Modular Habitat, AI Nature Camera CES 2026: Birdbuddy’s New Technology Brings the Wild Back Home Support the show