The Poetry of Science

This episode explores new research, which has found a sharp decline in basking shark sightings in California. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .      Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Basking Shark’ by Norman MacCaig here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@gmail....

This episode explores new research, which has found unexpectedly high levels of hazardous chemicals in nail salons. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .     Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘You Mean You Don’t Weep at the Nail Salon?’ by Elizabeth Acevedo here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the po...

This episode explores new research, which has found that almost all children have tobacco smoke toxicants on their hands, even in non-smoking homes. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .    Read the scientific study that inspired it here .     Read ‘Smoking’ by Ronald Wallace here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the pod...

This episode explores new research, which has found that old and ancient trees help to develop a forest's resilience. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here .    Read ‘Tree’ by Jane Hirshfield here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.illingworth@gmail...

This episode explores new research, which has found evidence of nanoplastics falling like snow in the remote, high-altitude Alps. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘Twilight in the Alps’ by Henry Van Dyke 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 found that the safe planetary boundary for pollutants (including plastics) has been exceeded. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Value Added’ by Stephen Sandy here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email...

This episode explores new research, which has found that 370,000 Californians rely on drinking water that is polluted, with communities of colour disproportionally affected. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Water’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions...

This episode explores new research, which has found that violence is broadly felt by millions of Californians. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘Parable in Praise of Violence’ by Tony Barnstone here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.ill...

This episode explores new research, which has found that head lice can help us to analyse the remains of our ancestors. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .          Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘What DNA Knows’ by Charlotte Pence 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 has found that the magnetic field generated by a tsunami can be detected before changes in sea level. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .         Read the scientific study that inspired it here .   Read ‘The Great Tsunami’ by Michele Wolf 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 Earth’s past climate is recorded in clam shells. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .        Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Some Questions about the Storm’ by Hilda Raz 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 found that migratory birds have lighter-coloured feathers. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .       Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Migration’ by Ira Sadoff 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    Twit...

This episode explores new research, which has found that a waterfall's sound and visual appearance can be used to track changes in its flow. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .      Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘The Waterfall’ by Mary Oliver 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 shown how the magnetisation of rocks can be used to find the impact sites of meteorites. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .     Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Santa Fe Trail’ by Barbara Guest 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 the world's largest mass extinction may have begun with volcanic winter. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .    Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘For a Coming Extinction’ by W. S. Merwin 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 investigated how the communication styles of volunteers attempting to replicate life in deep space changed over time. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Space’ by William Burford here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments fo...

This episode explores new research, which has found that the sounds of spring are changing, with dawn choruses across North America and Europe becoming quieter and less varied.  --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Dawn Chorus’ by Sasha Dugdale here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any question...

This episode explores new research, which has investigated the different losses that young adults have suffered during COVID-19. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Are they Shadows’ by Samuel Daniel here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email:  sam.i...

This episode explores new research, which has found that ancient driftwood can be used to track 500 years of Arctic warming and changes to sea ice levels. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Driftwood’ by Ralph Cheever Dunning here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments f...

This episode explores new research, which has found that dragonflies can migrate thousands of kilometres across the Indian Ocean, from India via the Maldives to Africa, and back again. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Fly, Dragonfly!’ by Joyce Sidman here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in an...

This episode explores new research, which has found that a cosmic impact destroyed Tall el-Hammam, an ancient city in the Jordan Valley. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .    Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘On an Evening of Bright Meteors’ by Maurice Lesemann here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments f...

This episode explores new research, which has found that ancient residents of Teotihuacán reshaped the landscape in a way that continues to influence modern construction in this part of Mexico. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Flower Song’ by Francisco Xavier Alarcón here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social m...

This episode explores new research, which has found that global light pollution has increased by at least 49% over the last 25 years. --- Read this episode’s science poem here . Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Light’ by C. K. Williams 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 used synthetic storms and natural archives to reconstruct Atlantic hurricane frequency over the past couple of thousand years. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .    Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Storm’ by Tessa Sweazy Webb here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett . --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or...

This episode explores new research, which has found that rare earth elements are finding their way into Colorado water supplies, driven by changes in the climate. --- Read this episode’s science poem here .   Read the scientific study that inspired it here . Read ‘Metals Metals’ by Russell Edson here . --- Music by  Rufus Beckett .  --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comme...