Specimens By cover art

Specimens

By: Elle Kaye
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  • Summary

  • The world is looking pretty scary at the moment. Our climate needs nourishing, fast. If you love science and conservation and want discover new ways to protect our planet be inspired by conversations with guests who work within the science genre, but whose job titles may need a little unpacking. Strap in for entomology, taxidermy, diaphonization, pet remains, human pathology and all those that work with specimens.
    Artwork © 2020 Madison Erin Mayfield, Title/Concept © 2020 Elle Kaye
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Episodes
  • Dr. Matthew Kasson - Mycologist + Plant Pathologist

    Dr. Matthew Kasson - Mycologist + Plant Pathologist
    Mar 22 2024
    In episode 046 Elle chats with Dr. Matthew Kasson: Mycologist and Plant Pathologist who studies fungus biodiversity centered around tree diseases and fungus-arthropod interactions. Socials: https://x.com/ImperfectFunGuy https://twitter.com/plantdisease Research, Sci-Comm and related press and media: Online media, Nightmare-fuel fungi exist in real life, Popular Science (PopSci) https://www.popsci.com/environment/zombie-fungus-real-life-diseases/. Single author piece on the real-life fungal threats we face given all the attention fungi are getting from HBO’s The Last of Us. Feb. 3, 2023. Online media, How to keep your jack-o’-lantern from turning into moldy, maggoty mush before Halloween, The Conversation, How to keep your jack-o'-lantern from turning into moldy, maggoty mush before Halloween (theconversation.com). Single author piece on how fungi impact our seasonal celebrations and rituals particularly around Halloween. Oct. 6, 2022. Re-published by Scientific American, Popular Science, and PBS. Printed and Online media, Wild mushrooms are curious organisms that require respect, The Washington Post, Wild mushrooms aren't all poisonous, but they all require caution - The Washington Post. Single author piece on how our fears of a small number of fungi shape our willingness to interact with them. August 24, 2022 Online media, Beyond flora and fauna: Why it’s time to include fungi in global conservation goals, The Conversation, Beyond flora and fauna: Why it's time to include fungi in global conservation goals (theconversation.com). Co-authored piece with Brian Lovett (WVU PSS) and Patty Kaishian (Bard College) on how fungi are regularly excluded from talks on global conservation. May 17, 2022. Re-published in Indonesian. Online media, Finding mental-health clarity under pandemic pressures. Nature. Finding mental-health clarity under pandemic pressures (nature.com) Single author column on my mental health struggles in academia. Dec. 14, 2021. Research Podcast with Online Media, Episode 25: “Of Peeps and People…and Plant Pathology” Plantopia, https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/25. The official podcast on The American Phytopathological Society featuring my work in forest pathology, science communication, and advocacy. July 21. 2022. Podcast with Online Media, Episode 4: How cicadas become flying saltshakers of death Overheard at National Geographic, Episode 4: How cicadas become flying saltshakers of death (nationalgeographic.com) May 25, 2021. National Radio with Online Media, Drugged Cicadas Mate Like Wild After Their Butts Fall Off, All Things Considered, National Public Radio., Drugged Cicadas Mate Like Wild After Their Butts Fall Off : NPR Coverage of Brood X and my lab’s research of cicada fungus Massospora. May 18, 2021. Online Media, Drugged, Castrated, Eager to Mate: the Lives of Fungi-Infected Cicadas, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/science/cicadas-fungus-butts.html, Coverage of our Fungal Ecology paper on cicadas " Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens.", July 28, 2019. Online Media, This Parasite Drugs Its Hosts With the Psychedelic Chemical in Shrooms, The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/massospora-parasite-drugs-its-hosts/566324/, Coverage of our BioRxiv pre-print "Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens.", July 30, 2018. SciComm Online media, These fungi demand more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes. Popular Science. Some fungi are fans of pumpkin spice lattes, too | Popular Science (popsci.com). Coverage of my Sept. 9, 2022 viral tweet seeing which fungi preferred growth media with real pumpkin compared with pumpkin spice and pumpkin spice latte-substituted growth media. Sept. 15, 2022. National Radio with Online Media, A Disturbing Twinkie That Has, So Far, Defied Science, National Public Radio, Scientists Are Fascinated By An 8-Year-Old, Moldy Twinkie : NPR, Coverage of my viral Twitter experiment isolating fungi from moldy Twinkies. Oct. 15, 2020. Online Media, Injecting Marshmallow Peeps With Fungi, for Science, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/science/marshmallow-peeps-fungus.html?searchResultPosition=1, Coverage of our Twitter #fungalPeeps project, March 29, 2019. Expertise Online and printed media, Janet Yellen ate magic mushrooms. Here's why she didn't get high. The Washington Post. Interview to talk about Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's trip to China and consumption of a mushroom known as jian shou qing. Aug. 16, 2023. Janet Yellen ate magic mushrooms. Here's why she didn't get high. - The Washington Post Online media, The fungal threat to human health is growing in a warmer, wetter, sicker world. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/health/fungus-health-threat-scn/index.html. Coverage on the fungal craze ...
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    42 mins
  • Jazmine Miles-Long - Taxidermist

    Jazmine Miles-Long - Taxidermist
    Jan 31 2024
    In episode 045 Elle chats with Jazmine Miles-Long; Taxidermist, Artist, Educator and Natural History Restorer based in Hastings UK. Jazmine calls herself an ‘ethical’ taxidermist to describe the way she produces work only using animals that have died from natural causes. Jazmine specialises in creating ethically sourced bespoke taxidermy for galleries and museums, promoting ethical practices and delivering lectures and workshops at various institutions. She aims to elevate taxidermy as a respected art form, shedding light on its scientific and cultural benefits, and also runs educational workshops focusing on ethics and the role of makers in creating a better future for the planet. Jazmine uses sustainable and stable Oddy tested and conservation grade materials to produce her work. Social media links https://www.jazminemileslong.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jazmine_miles_long/ https://www.facebook.com/EthicalTaxidermyLondon https://twitter.com/taxidermylondon Subscribe to Jazmine's mailing list https://jazminemileslong.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5041980cec6eb13ed8422bbc3&id=3d3aefd05e Jazmines work for sale https://www.jazminemileslong.com/For-Sale Videos https://www.jazminemileslong.com/Videos Recent Press https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-68129637 https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/01/26/booth-museum-to-unveil-first-new-display-in-92-years/ https://thelatest.co.uk/brighton/2024/01/26/first-new-diorama-to-be-unveiled-in-booth-museum-of-natural-history-in-nearly-a-century/ https://www.ryezine.com/articles/taxidermist https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/articles/a32430/how-taxidermy-became-cool-again/ https://www.qest.org.uk/alumni/jazmine-miles-long/ https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2015/oct/27/taxidermist-tales-from-the-career-job-art DYCP Funding https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp QEST scholarship https://www.qest.org.uk/ ODDY testing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddy_test SPNHC: The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections https://spnhc.org/meetings/ Martha Maxwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Maxwell https://www.cogreatwomen.org/project/martha-maxwell/ https://americacomesalive.com/martha-ann-maxwell-1831-1881-naturalist-taxidermist/ Elle Kaye socials www.instagram.com/ellekayetaxidermy www.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy Podcast socials www.instagram.com/specimenspod wwww.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy www.patreon.com/specimenspod www.ellekayetaxidermy.co.uk/product-page/specimenspodmerch Artwork © 2021 Madison Erin Mayfield www.instagram.com/madisonerinmayfield www.twitter.com/MEMIllustration Music Giraffes - Harrison Amer via premiumbeat.com Researched, edited and produced by Elle Kaye Concept/Title © 2020 Elle Kaye
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    45 mins
  • Dr. Samuel Mitchell - Volcanologist + Marine Geologist

    Dr. Samuel Mitchell - Volcanologist + Marine Geologist
    Nov 29 2023
    In episode 044 Elle chats with Dr. Samuel Mitchell, volcanologist, marine geologist and earth and ocean science communicator based at the University of Bristol, UK. His main research focuses on volcanic eruptions in our oceans, which has taken him across the world conducting field research on volcanoes on land and on the seafloor using oceanographic research vessels. Beyond academic interests, Samuel is an active science communicator across various social media platforms, podcast host, and chair of an international commission on submarine volcanism. Social media links https://www.smitchellscience.com/ https://www.instagram.com/smitchell_science https://www.tiktok.com/@sams_volcano_stories https://linktr.ee/smitchell_science https://twitter.com/smitchell_sci Samuel's podcast and socials https://www.volcaknowledge.com/ https://www.instagram.com/volcaknowledge/ School of Sciences at Bristol https://www.bristol.ac.uk/earthsciences/ Natural events mentioned by Samuel Sumatra–Andaman earthquake - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami Mount Pinatubo - https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ Hula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula Dante's Peak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante%27s_Peak Watch via Amazon Prime TV, Apple TV or YouTube Further reading https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-surprising-history-of-hawaiis-hula-tradition Geological Society US - https://www.geosociety.org/ UK - https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ Dr. Samuel's work https://www.smitchellscience.com/fieldwork Outreach https://www.smitchellscience.com/outreach Submersible Alvin and Research Vessel Atlantis https://www2.whoi.edu/site/seafloortospacestation/submersible-alvin-and-research-vessel-atlantis/ Elle Kaye socials www.instagram.com/ellekayetaxidermy www.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy Podcast socials www.instagram.com/specimenspod wwww.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy www.patreon.com/specimenspod www.ellekayetaxidermy.co.uk/product-page/specimenspodmerch Artwork © 2021 Madison Erin Mayfield www.instagram.com/madisonerinmayfield www.twitter.com/MEMIllustration Music Giraffes - Harrison Amer via premiumbeat.com Researched, edited and produced by Elle Kaye Concept/Title © 2020 Elle Kaye
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    43 mins
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