The Poetry of Science

This episode explores new research, which has found that loggerhead sea turtles are able to detect hurricanes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle’ by Freya Manfred here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcas...

This episode explores new research, which has found that flooding can be predicted using the same models that are used for mapping pandemics. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Flood’ by Janet McAdams here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  s...

This episode explores new research, which has found that compensating farmers for providing habitats for wild bees will ultimately benefit all landowners.   --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Wild Bees’ by James K. Baxter 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 even during a solar minimum, our sun is still extremely active.  --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘To Summarize a Galaxy’ by beyza ozer here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illing...

This episode explores new research, which has found that even during a solar minimum, our sun is still extremely active.   --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Sound of the Sun’ by George Bradley here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam....

This episode explores new research, which proposes that long-lived trees (while living for several thousand years in some instances) are not actually immortal. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Cypress, Dateless’ by Dara Wier here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comment...

This episode explores new research, which has shown how satellite imagery can be used to provide drought early warning systems in sub-Saharan Africa. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Drought’ by Gary Soto here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: E...

This episode explores new research, which has found that better-managed road verges can help boost the effectiveness and conservation of pollinating insects. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Mower’ by Philip Larkin 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 found that microplastics significantly impact the development of the American lobster. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Lobster’ by Carl Rakosi 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 Alaskan beavers are potentially causing an acceleration of climate change due to their impact on permafrost in the region. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Beaver’ by Mary Howitt here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questio...

This episode explores new research, which has found that artificial lights along coastlines are impacting those species that navigate by starlight. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Starlight at Sea’ by Katharine Lee Bates 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 increasing green space in cities could help to prevent premature deaths. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Trees of Riverdale Park’ by Karen Solie here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: E...

This episode explores new research, which has used radiocarbon dating techniques to unravel the mystery of Por-Bajin, a medieval ruin in the Russian republic of Tuva in Southern Siberia. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Ruins’ by Samuel Menashe here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any qu...

This episode explores new research, which has found that tiger snakes are excellent bioindicators for environmental pollution. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Pilot Snake’ by Mary Oliver 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 created a cloud atlas for extra-terrestrial planets. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Clouds’ by Constance Urdang here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@gmail.com    Twitter:  @sa...

This episode explores new research, which has found that penguin poo produces very high levels of nitrous oxide (i.e. laughing gas). --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘Magallenic Penguin’ by Pablo Neruda here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Emai...

This episode explores new research, which has found that moths play a vital role as pollinators, especially in the night-time.  --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Moths’ by Jennifer O'Grady 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 logging is partly responsible for worsening the recent Australian wildfires.   --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Wildfire Moon’ by Carol Muske-Dukes here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Ema...

This episode explores new research, which has investigated how salt deposits might be a potential solution for nuclear waste disposal. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Salt’ by by Huang Fan here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illing...

This episode explores new research, which has found that rising carbon dioxide levels may directly harm our ability to think. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Thought’ by Thomas Pfau here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@g...

This episode explores new research, which has restored sight in blind mice by turning skin cells into light-sensing eye cells. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Mouse’ by Ted Kooser 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 used the fallout from the Cold War nuclear bomb tests to reveal the true age of whale sharks. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘Plague of Dead Sharks’ by Alan Dugan here .    --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podc...

This episode explores new research, which has used meteorites to determine that Mars did not form in a similar way to Earth and may have obtained its hydrogen from outside forces. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .  Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Mars’ by Patrick White here .     --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any question...

This episode explores new research, which has observed an exoplanet over 600 light years from Earth where it rains iron. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read 'From Another Planet’ by Mark Jarman here .   --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illing...

This episode explores new research, which has used ancient clams to reveal how days were half an hour shorter 70 million years ago. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘An Autopsy of an Era’ by Mary Jo Bang here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: ...