The Poetry of Science

This episode explores new research, which has read an unopened letter from Renaissance Europe – without breaking its seal or damaging it in any way. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Letters for the Dead’ by Philip Levine here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for...

This episode explores new research, which has discovered that the way a fish swims reveals a lot about its personality. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Fish’ by Many Ann Hoberman here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@gmail.c...

This episode explores new research, which has discovered how whale song echoes can be used to map the ocean floor. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘Whalesong’ by Sophie Stephenson-Wright here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingwor...

This episode explores new research, which has discovered that a large seashell found in the archives of a French museum is actually a musical instrument used around 18,000 years ago. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read 'The Sea Shell’ by Marin Sorescu here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any q...

This episode explores new research, which has investigated how fungi navigate through the complex microscopic maze-like structures found in the soil. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Fungus on Fallen Alder at Lookout Creek’ by Ellen Bass here .

This episode explores new research, which has found a dramatic increase in microplastics in seagrass soil since the 1970s. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘In the Greenhouse’ by Eugenio Montale here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illi...

This episode explores new research, which has found that satellite cameras coupled with machine learning can be used to detect and count African elephants in complex geographical landscapes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Elephant Armageddon’ by Gerard Malanga here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media an...

This episode explores new research, which has found that 5,700 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may permanently lose ice cover this century because of global warming. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘River Snow’ by Mark van Doren here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or commen...

This episode explores new research, which has shown that the mangroves on the coasts of Oman disappeared about 6,000 years because of climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Caribbean Marsh’ by Muna Lee here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast...

This episode explores new research, which has found that the Moon controls the release of methane in the Arctic Ocean. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Low Tide’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay here. --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingwort...

This episode explores new research, which has found that that the recovery of beavers may have beneficial consequences for amphibians in surviving the effects of climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘In the North Cascades’ by Dixie Partridge here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in...

This episode explores new research, which has found that the chemical signals that are emitted by coral reefs provide an indicator of their relative health. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Sea Garden’ by Rosamond S. King here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for...

This episode explores new research, which has found that molecular fossils extracted from 635-million-year-old rocks aren't the earliest evidence of complex life on Earth, but are instead nothing more than common algae. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific studies that inspired it here and here .   Read ‘Hearsay Song’ by John Yau here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --...

This episode explores new research, which has found that fish carcasses are transporting toxic mercury pollution from the atmosphere to the bottom of the world's oceans. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Hall of Ocean Life’ by John Hollander here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any question...

This episode features an alternative format in which I talk to the poet Paul Pearson about his new poetry collection ‘Lunatic Engine’, which reflects on the science of Galileo, and our place in the Universe. --- You can find out more about Lunatic Engine here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast:   Email:  sam.illingwo...

This episode explores new research, which has found that global wind systems are responsible for mosses becoming one of our planet's most widely distributed plants. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Moss’ by Bruce Guernsey here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for t...

This episode explores new research, which has found that the wing length of the monarch butterfly has evolved in response to migration habits. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘of a butterfly in el barrio or a stranger in paradise’ by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and sen...

This episode explores new research, which has shown how large tides may have driven the evolution of fish towards life on land. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .  Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Evolution’ by Linda Bierds here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast:   Email:  sam.illingw...

This episode explores new research, which has used flour beetles to predict how different species will interact with each other following shifting habitats brought about by climate change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Elegy for the Insects’ by Michael Benedikt here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social medi...

This episode explores new research, which has found mysterious seafloor ‘crop circles’ off the north-west coast of Australia. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Circle’ by Pádraig Ó Tuama here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@...

This episode explores new research, which has found 24 ‘superhabitable’ planets that may have conditions that are more suitable for life than here on Earth. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Another Planet’ by Dunya Mikhail here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for...

This episode explores new research, which has found that 'zombie fires' in the Arctic are likely to have strong consequences for the global climate. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Fire’ by Katie Ford here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Em...

This episode explores new research, which has used geochemical analysis to show that millions of wild birds were once sacrificed to Ancient Egyptian gods. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Audubon Becomes Obsessed with Birds’ by Andy Brown here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions...

This episode explores new research, which shows how the ability for certain animals to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field may be due to bacteria.  --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘My Proteins’ by Jane Hirshfield here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the...

This episode explores new research, which has used environmental DNA sampling to rediscover Brazilian frogs that were assumed to be extinct. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Tree Frogs’ by William Logan here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Ema...