Episodes

  • Episode 314-Mexico’s Island of the Dolls

    Episode 314-Mexico’s Island of the Dolls
    Feb 18 2026
    Mexico is rich with mysterious tradition, a culture where magic and mysticism are as present as Catholicism and the lingering Aztec voices that are woven into the wind. But nowhere is it as evident as it is in Xochimilco, especially at La Isla de las Muñecas—the Island of the Dolls.
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    12 mins
  • Kyle Steele Interview

    Kyle Steele Interview
    Feb 17 2026
    Kyle Steele Interviews Steve Shepard about His New Book, “The Sound of Life.”
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    13 mins
  • Episode 312-What Matters

    Episode 312-What Matters
    Jan 7 2026
    Do the actions of a single individual matter? If you subscribe to the fundamental tenets of negativism, pessimism, resignation, and snark, the answer to that question is decidedly ‘no.’ But let’s reconsider that.
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    10 mins
  • Episode 311-Interspecies Communication—Fantasy or Reality?

    Episode 311-Interspecies Communication—Fantasy or Reality?
    Jan 3 2026
    One of the themes in my new novel, “The Sound of Life,” is interspecies communication—not in a Doctor Doolittle kind of way—that’s silly—but in a more fundamental way, using protocols that involve far more listening on our part than speaking. The ability to communicate with other species has long been a dream among scientists, although as I observed in an earlier Podcast episode, we might not be pleased with what other species have to say to us. But that aside, I find it pretty exciting that we’re on the bleeding edge of being able to engage in a form of two-way communication with other species. So, in this episode, I want to tell you a bit about where we are, and why 2026 is widely believed to be the year we make contact.
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    40 mins
  • Episode 310-Centennial Gleissberg Cycles

    Episode 310-Centennial Gleissberg Cycles
    Jan 1 2026
    Lately, we’ve had more displays of the Aurora than usual up here in northern Vermont. I wondered why, and ended up going down one of my occasional rabbit holes in search of the reason. Along the way, I discovered something very interesting. Let me introduce you to the Centennial Gleissberg Cycle—and why you might want to familiarize yourself with it.
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    7 mins
  • Episode 309-2025 Reviewed

    Episode 309-2025 Reviewed
    Dec 30 2025
    Thank you for a great year! I this final episode of 2025, I review some of the highlights of past episodes. Thank you for joining me!
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    10 mins
  • Episode 308-Book Magic

    Episode 308-Book Magic
    Dec 13 2025
    Episode 308-Book Magic by Dr. Steven Shepard
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    5 mins
  • A Tour of the Essex Junction Water Treatment Plant

    A Tour of the Essex Junction Water Treatment Plant
    Dec 11 2025
    Join me on a tour of the Essex Junction Water Treatment Facility. It's a lot more interesting than you might think!
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    25 mins