Best Geophysics Podcasts (2025)

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262: More Than Membership - Turning SEG Engagement into Career Growth 32:58

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3h ago32:58

32:58

"Volunteering helps you build your network, sharpen your skills, and open doors you didn’t know existed."In this episode of Seismic Soundoff, SEG all-star volunteers Sergio Chávez-Pérez and Joe Reilly reflect on their recent articles in The Leading Edge’s President's Page series. They delve into the importance of professional growth, how SEG suppor…

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Flight simulator for moths reveals they navigate by starlight 30:37

8h ago30:37

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We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 The tiny moths that use the stars to navigate Bogong moths use the stars to help them navigate during their enormous migration across Australia, according to new research. Every year, billions of these nocturnal moths travel up to…

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Water and the possibility of life on Mars 15:07

3d ago15:07

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Water and the possibility of life on Mars Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad …

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Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit the ultimate quantum party 9:07

4d ago9:07

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According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland. To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics. Nature r…

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261: Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition with Andrea Crook 23:03

7d ago23:03

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"We're seeing rapid advances both in seismic acquisition technologies and in processing techniques. In order to get data that is appropriate for full waveform inversion, you have to rethink how you're acquiring the data in the field."In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Andrea Crook, CEO of OptiSeis and lead instructor of the IMAGE 2025 s…

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This stretchy neural implant grows with an axolotl's brain 36:55

6d ago36:55

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00:45 A flexible neural-implant that grows with the brain Researchers have developed a soft electronic implant that can measure brain activity of amphibian embryos as they develop. Understanding the neural activity of developing brains is a key aim for neuroscientists, but conventional, rigid probes can damage growing brains. To overcome this, a te…

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Trump wants to put humans on Mars: what scientists think of the plan 11:47

11d ago11:47

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In this Podcast Extra, we examine President Donald Trump's calls for NASA to land humans on Mars. Although the White House has proposed spending some US$1 billion in 2026 on Mars plans, critics say the final cost will likely be hundreds of billions of dollars spread over a number of years. This call comes amidst plans to drastically reduce NASA's f…

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260: Small Faults, Big Impact - Improving CCUS with Seismic Attributes 24:05

14d ago24:05

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“The goal is to keep injected CO₂ safely in place - that’s why understanding fault networks is so critical.”In this episode, host Andrew Geary welcomes David Lubo-Robles, lead author of The Leading Edge paper on detecting small-offset faults for carbon capture and storage (CCUS). David explains how advanced seismic attributes, without relying on ma…

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Male mice can grow female organs — if their mothers lack iron 30:08

13d ago30:08

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00:45 Iron’s role in mice sex determination Iron deficiency in mice mothers can sometimes result in their offspring developing female sex organs despite having male sex genes, according to new research. While genetics has been thought to be the primary factor in determining offspring sex in mammals, the new work shows that a lack of iron disrupts a…

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Machine learning and climate risk adaptation 10:41

17d ago10:41

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Using reinforcement learning to plan for an uncertain climate future Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sci…

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Audio long read: Three ways to cool Earth by pulling carbon from the sky 15:59

20d ago15:59

15:59

With the world looking likely to blow past the temperature targets laid out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, a growing number of voices are saying that carbon removal technologies will be necessary if humanity is to achieve its long-term climate goals. If these approaches succeed, they could help nations and corporations to meet their climate c…

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AI linked to boom in biomedical papers, infrared contact lenses, and is Earth's core leaking? 20:11

22d ago20:11

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00:33 Was a boom in papers driven by AI? A spike in papers formulaically analysing a public data set has sparked worries that AI is being used to generate low quality and potentially misleading analyses. Nature: AI linked to explosion of low-quality biomedical research papers 08:07 Lenses that give humans infrared vision Researchers in China have c…

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259: Inside the Editor’s Desk - Alison Malcolm on Leading SEG’s Flagship Journal 34:12

28d ago34:12

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"Publishing at a conference and publishing in GEOPHYSICS are quite different. The journal lets you go deeper and make your work reproducible and usable for others."In this insightful episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Dr. Alison Malcolm, the former Editor-in-Chief of GEOPHYSICS, SEG's leading journal for applied geophysics. Alison demystifies t…

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These malaria drugs treat the mosquitos — not the people 31:40

29d ago31:40

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00:45 Treating mosquitoes for malaria Researchers have developed two compounds that can kill malaria-causing parasites within mosquitoes, an approach they hope could help reduce transmission of the disease. The team showed that these compounds can be embedded into the plastics used to make bed nets, providing an alternative to insecticide-based mal…

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Ep. 11 – The Mandela Effect: Exploring False Memories, Visual Distortions, and the Psychology of Collective Misremembering w/ Dr. Wilma Bainbridge 22:14

1M ago22:14

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In this episode, we discuss the Mandela effect, including discussions on false memories, visual distortions, and all the science within with Dr. Wilma Bainbridge, a cognitive neuroscientist and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. Together, we unravel everything from the key scientific ideas behind the Mandela effect to why people's be…

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Parsing the Knowledge of London cabbies 11:42

1M ago11:42

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Insights in route planning from London taxi drivers Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plu…

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Episode 416 - "Life is a Physics Exam" 54:59

1M ago54:59

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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 c…

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How to transport antimatter — stick it on the back of a van 30:31

1M ago30:31

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00:46 An antimatter delivery van takes its first road trip Researchers have developed a portable antimatter containment device and tested it by putting it in a truck and driving it around CERN. Their system could represent a big step forward in efforts to take particles made at CERN’s ‘antimatter factory’ and transport them to other labs, something…

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258: Drilling, DAS, and Disagreements - A Real Look at EGS Geophysics 41:07

1M ago41:07

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“The difference now is horizontal wells, faster drilling, and better geophysics. That makes today’s EGS attempts more promising than ever.”In this episode, host Andrew Geary talks with Michael Wilt and Bill Cumming, guest editors of the April 2025 The Leading Edge special section on geophysical applications to geothermal exploration and development…

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NSF terminates huge number of grants and stops awarding new ones 11:15

1M ago11:15

11:15

In this Podcast Extra, we examine recent developments US National Science Foundation, which has seen significant numbers of research grants terminated. In addition, there have been freezes on funding for new grants and any additional money to existing ones. We also discuss US President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which call…

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257: How Industry Collaboration Drives Subsurface Innovation with SEAM 27:10

1M ago27:10

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“The goal of SEAM is to bring the geophysics community together to solve big, shared problems. We can go much further when we work as a team.”Host Andrew Geary sits down with Arthur Cheng, co-founder of the SEG Advanced Modeling Corporation (SEAM), to discuss how SEAM brings together industry, academia, and government to tackle the toughest geophys…

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Herring population loses migration 'memory' after heavy fishing 37:34

1M ago37:34

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00:46 How fishing activity altered the migration pattern of Herring Selective fishing of older herring has resulted in a large shift in the migration pattern of these fish, according to new research. For years, herring have visited sites on the south coast of Norway to spawn, but in 2020 a rapid shift was seen, with the fish instead visiting areas …

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Ep. 10 – The Psychology of Haunted Houses: Unpacking Fear, Perception, and the Paranormal w/ Dr. Christopher French 38:45

1M ago38:45

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In this episode, we discuss the psychology of haunted houses, including some of the key ideas behind why people might perceive some locations as haunted, with Dr. Christopher French, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and founder of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. Together, we unravel everything from som…

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The dismantling of US science: can it survive Trump 2.0? 27:52

2M ago27:52

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In this episode: 00:46 What will be left of US science after Trump 2.0? 100 days into his term, President Donald Trump and his administration have already caused the biggest shakeup in modern scientific history, slashing funding, bringing large swathes of US research to a standstill and halting many clinical trials. But many fear these actions are …

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Audio long read: Do smartphones and social media really harm teens’ mental health? 17:33

2M ago17:33

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Research shows that, over the past two decades, rates of mental illness have been increasing in adolescents in many countries. While some scientists point to soaring use of smartphones and social media as a key driver for this trend, others say the evidence does not show a large effect of these technologies on teenagers’ psychological health. At th…

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Episode 415 - "Fiat 500 Volcanic Bomb" 48:12

2M ago48:12

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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 t…

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A brand-new colour created by lasers, a pig-liver transplant trial gets the green light, and a nugget-sized chunk of lab-grown meat 20:27

2M ago20:27

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00:27 Five people see ‘olo’, a brand-new colour Using a laser system to activate specific eye cells, a team has allowed five study participants to perceive a vibrant blue-greenish hue well outside the natural range of colours seen by humans. Although the setup required to accomplish this feat is currently complicated, this finding could provide mor…

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‘Dark matter’, 'Big Bang' and ‘spin’: how physics terms can confuse researchers 33:11

2M ago33:11

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Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. What’s in a name is a series exploring naming in science and how names impact the world. We look at whether the system of naming species remains …

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Ep. 9 – The Mystery of UAP: The Truth Behind Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena w/ Mr. Alejandro Rojas 26:00

2M ago26:00

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In this episode, we discuss the mystery of UAP, including the groundbreaking research and science behind Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, with Mr. Alejandro Rojas, the President and CEO of UAP Discovery and a prominent figure in UAP research. Together, we unravel everything from the scientific consensus on the existence and truth behind UAP to the…

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Individual decision-making and collective animal behavior 12:45

2M ago12:45

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Individual decision-making and collective animal behavior Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS…

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Episode 414 - "Closed Because of Landslide" 1:05:01

2M ago1:05:01

1:05:01

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.…

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256: Creating Value with 4D - Lessons from a Global Forum 21:12

2M ago21:12

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“It’s more than just getting data - it's about inspiring your organization to take action on it.”In this episode, host Andrew Geary talks with Adam Bucki, Co-Chair for the 4D Forum, held in Galveston, TX, in November 2024. The forum brought together geophysicists, engineers, and decision-makers to explore how 4D seismic can create value, reduce cyc…

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What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spud 32:41

2M ago32:41

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In this episode: 00:46 A potato pangenome Researchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties. The potato's complicated genetics has made it difficult to sequence the plant's genome, but improvements in technology have allowed the …

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255: Generative, Physics-Informed and Agentic AI in Geophysics 28:54

2M ago28:54

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"We’re not replacing geophysicists; we’re giving them superpowers to analyze data faster and better."Explore the cutting-edge world of generative and physics-informed AI with Vladimir Kazei, guest editor for The Leading Edge. AI is transforming geophysics, from revolutionizing seismic imaging to pushing the boundaries of computational efficiency. V…

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Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their evolution — and ours 29:48

2M ago29:48

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00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomes Researchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-en…

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Ep. 8 - The Sociology of Ghost Beliefs: Unveiling Social Influences on the Paranormal w/ Dr. Barry Markovsky 31:58

2M ago31:58

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In this episode, we discuss the sociology of ghost beliefs, including the research and science aiming to explain the paranormal with Dr. Barry Markovsky, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of South Carolina and former Chair of its Sociology Department. Together, we unravel everything from the key concepts contributing to misinterpret…

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Modeling extreme heat waves 10:35

2M ago10:35

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Modeling extreme heat waves Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scien…

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From Hippocrates to COVID-19: the scientific fight to prove diseases can be airborne 32:27

2M ago32:27

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Science writer and New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer's latest book Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathe dives into the invisible maelstrom of microbial life swirling in the air around us — examining how it helped shape our world, and the implications that breathing it in can have on human health. Carl joined us to discuss histori…

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Trump team removes senior NIH chiefs in shock move 11:32

3M ago11:32

11:32

In this Podcast Extra, we hear the latest on how decisions by the Trump administration are affecting science in the US. Most recently, a purge of National Institutes of Health (NIH) leadership has seen the chiefs of multiple institutes and centres removed from their posts. Plus, after cancelling nearly all NIH projects studying transgender health, …

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Episode 413 - "Waterfalls I Have Loved" 57:30

3M ago57:30

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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 …

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World’s tiniest pacemaker could revolutionize heart surgery 37:41

3M ago37:41

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00:46 Millimetre-sized pacemaker fits inside syringe Researchers have developed a tiny, temporary pacemaker that dissolves when no longer needed, helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with current devices. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery but implanting them can require invasive procedures. This new device…