WTF, Biology?17 Maalis 2021

Episode 6: WTF Biologist, Richard Dawkins with Dr. Tom Whitham

Richard Dawkins' contributions to evolutionary biology (and pop culture) revolutionized the field of study. He is an emeritus fellow of New College Oxford and was the first University of Oxford's Professor for Public Understanding of Science. He is also my science crush. Dawkins has authored several books, but this episode focuses on his first two, The Selfish Gene (1976) and The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (1982). While Dawkins is known for voicing his strong opinion about religion, this episode focuses only on the science of this important evolutionary biologist. I am joined by Dr. Tom Whitham, who provided some of the earliest hard data to support the extended phenotype. Tom Whitham is Regents’ Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2011, Whitham received the prestigious Eminent Ecologist Award by the Ecological Society of America—the group’s highest honor—for his outstanding body of work and his training of a new generation of scientists. Whitham served as the primary scientific advisor of an award-winning PBS documentary, A Thousand Invisible Cords: Connecting Genes to Ecosystems, which I highly recommend. This video is what convinced me to apply to graduate school. Whitham has authored or co-authored more than 220 papers in scientific journals, including Science and Nature. Music this week is "Crystal Clear" by Ron Deckert. Find him on SoundCloud. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @wtf_biology in all those places.

Topics covered: group selection, common gardens, foundation species, beavers, cottonwoods, aphids, Ogden Nature Center

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Jaksot(20)

Minisode: National Pollinator Month extended cut

In this bonus episode, I discuss some of my favorite co-evolved plant-pollinator relationships. I also include a portion of my conversation with Dr. Lindsie McCabe that ended up on the cutting room fl...

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Episode 12: National Pollinator Month with Dr. Lindsie McCabe

In celebration of #NationalPollinatorsMonth, my guest and I talk about the lesser known and under-appreciated pollinators--native bees and flies. I am joined by Dr. Lindsie McCabe, an entomologist wit...

2 Kesä 202159min

Episode 11 Living under a rock has its merits with Dr. Jenna Ekwealor

Deserts are extreme places bouncing between too hot and too cold; too dry and too wet. But moss have found a way to buffer those extremes. Join Dr. Jenna Ekwealor and I as we discuss the strange lifes...

20 Touko 202149min

Episode 10 Wildfire Awareness Month with Dr. Mike Remke

In the United States, May is #NationalWildfireAwarenessMonth. To kick off this month, I welcome Dr. Mike Remke back to the show to discuss wildfire's past, present, and future. Check out this article...

5 Touko 202143min

Episode 9: The importance of disturbing events with Dr. Dave Lytle

Western North American landscapes are driven by ecological disturbances. That might mean wildfire, insect outbreaks, or gophers. In the Colorado River and other western North American streams, that me...

28 Huhti 202130min

Minisode: WTF Biologist, Nancy Johnson

Regent's Professor at Northern Arizona University, Dr. Nancy Johnson is a world-famous mycorrhizal researcher. She has roughly 163 publication with over 13,000 citations (according to Google Scholar)....

21 Huhti 202121min

Episode 8: Myco-who-sa?! Mycorrhizas with Dr. Mike Remke

Mycorrhizas are the dual organs created by plant roots and their associated fungi that form typically beneficial partnerships. These (usually) mutualistic symbiotic relationships are super important f...

14 Huhti 202155min

Minisode: Extended Extended Phenotype (revisit of Episode 6: WTF Biologist, Richard Dawkins with Tom Whitham)

There is more to Richard Dawkins' books, the Selfish Gene and The Extended Phenotype, than I was able to cover in Episode 6, so I am revisiting this topic. If you haven't heard Episode 6, WTF Biologis...

7 Huhti 202114min