Best Common Descent Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 216 - Plankton 2:10:20

1h ago2:10:20

2:10:20

Just about every body of water on Earth, from oceans to puddles, is home to an ecosystem of tiny drifting organisms. This episode, we discuss what sorts of organisms we might expect to find in a swarm of plankton, we’ll explore how plankton is so fundamental to biological and geological systems on Earth, and we’ll take some time to lay out some of …

1
Special Episode with the Common Descent podcast! 1:00:11

7d ago1:00:11

1:00:11

We interrupt your usual progress through DS9 to bring you a SPECIAL EPISODE. We have Will from the Common Descent Podcast on with us to talk about all the weird and strange creatures of trek and how they may have come about. Everything from Armus to HUMPBACK WHALES. Check it out!

1
Silver Screen Science - Rise of the Planet of the Apes 1:07:23

8d ago1:07:23

1:07:23

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! Finally, we visit the ongoing prequel franchise with the story of how it all got started: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://comm…

1
Episode 215 - Ferns 2:33:18

13d ago2:33:18

2:33:18

With several thousand living species, ferns are the second most diverse vascular plants around today, after angiosperms. Ferns are also abundant and well-known in the fossil record. This episode, Aly joins us to explore the dizzying variety of ferns and their ferny-friends, past and present. In the news: When the Earth Was Green, weird wasps, and a…

1
Silver Screen Science - Planet of the Apes (2001) 59:07

15d ago59:07

59:07

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! It’s the reboot of the original, a 21st-Century take on the concept – Planet of the Apes (2001). Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Joi…

1
Episode 433 - DS9 S05E22 - Children of Time 28:49

14d ago28:49

28:49

The crew of DS9 meet their descendants, and then have to decide if they sacrifice themselves or murder them all.

1
Silver Screen Science - Planet of the Apes (1968) 1:14:47

26d ago1:14:47

1:14:47

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! This episode, we begin where it began, with the original movie about a world where simian society is turned upside-down – Planet of the Apes (1968). Check out our website for blog …

1
Episode 432 - DS9 S05E21 - Soldiers of the Empire 16:27

26d ago16:27

16:27

Warf goes to work on a Klingon Bird of Prey, and finds out they kind of suck.

1
Episode 214 - Saber Teeth 2:37:58

24d ago2:37:58

2:37:58

Evolution just loves a nice pair of oversized canines, especially on mammalian predators. Saber-toothed animals have shown up over and over again – we even have some today – but despite their similarities, not all of these toothy species were using their canines the same way. This episode, we explore the various shapes of functions of saber teeth a…

1
Episode 431 - DS9 S05E20 - Ferengi Love Songs 21:25

1M ago21:25

21:25

Quarks broke. Again. So he visits Moogie and she is ...what???

1
Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #6 2:17:47

1M ago2:17:47

2:17:47

Our high-level Patreon supporters get to request a topic for their very own mini-episode! For the sixth time, we’ve put the latest bunch together for everyone to enjoy! Thank you as always to our incredible Patrons of all levels for keeping the podcast going! Intro: 00:00:00 Ambulocetus for Ambulocetus – 00:01:45 Abelisaurs for Quinn – 00:18:30 Cap…

1
Episode 430 - DS9 S05E19 - Ties of Blood and Water 30:20

1M ago30:20

30:20

Kira has to deal with her daddies - her Cardassian daddy thats dying, and her daddy daddy that died. Its very sad.

1
Episode 213 - Decomposers 2:17:54

1M ago2:17:54

2:17:54

Leave a carcass or a log or a pile of poop out in the wild long enough and it will break down into its component parts. Decomposers are an often-overlooked but essential component of ecosystems past and present. This episode, we explore the varied processes of decomposition and how scientists study decomposers and use that information. We’ll also d…

1
Episode 429 - DS9 S05E18 - Business as Usual 22:32

2M ago22:32

22:32

Quark is about to go broke...again. So what do you do? Traffic in illegal weapons, of course!

1
Leaf it to Us - Before We Leaf 30:27

1M ago30:27

30:27

After you’ve listened to the Leaf it to Us pilot episode, enjoy this follow-up discussion where Nora, Aly, and David share their thoughts about that first episode and the upcoming season of the new podcast. You can contact us – and find more from Common Descent – here: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “Late Bloomer” by …

1
Leaf it to Us - Pilot Episode 32:54

1M ago32:54

32:54

Enjoy this special preview of the upcoming podcast Leaf it to Us, hosted by Nora Spurling and Dr. Aly Baumgartner. In this pilot episode, they discuss the fascinating phenomenon of sex-changing trees! The first season of Leaf it to Us is in the works, and we’re excited to hear your feedback for this pilot episode. Please reach out to us and let us …

1
Episode 428 - DS9 S05E17 - A Simple Investigation 20:59

2M ago20:59

20:59

Odo falls in love, or something like that...

1
Episode 212 - Temnospondyls 1:41:45

2M ago1:41:45

1:41:45

When vertebrates first moved onto land, they gave rise to a variety of amphibious tetrapods. The most diverse and successful of these were temnospondyls, which were some of the most important species in early land and freshwater environments. This episode, we’ll explore temnospondyls’ evolutionary history, their ecological variety, and their myster…

1
Episode 427 - DS9 S05E16 - Doctor Bashir, I Presume 25:30

2M ago25:30

25:30

Dr Bashir is chosen to be the model for a new Medical Hologram, but we find out a big secret in the process!

1
A quick chat with Dr Erin! 31:00

2M ago31:00

31:00

Hey everyone, guess who stopped by to have a quick chat with the Nerds? It's podcast BFF, Dr Erin McDonald! And she has some new stuff brewing that she is excited to talk about, including a crowdfunding campaign that start TODAY at https://seedandspark.com/fund/long-away#story Go Donate now!!

1
Episode 211 - Edward Drinker Cope 2:34:32

2M ago2:34:32

2:34:32

E. D. Cope is one of the most recognizable and notorious names in paleontology history. He did some of the most important early work in vertebrate paleontology, he was one half of the dueling duo in the infamous Bone Wars, he named some of the most famous fossil animals, and he was profoundly irresponsible and unethical with his science. This episo…

1
Episode 425+426 - DS9 S05E14/15 - In Purgatory's Shadow & By Inferno's Light 45:34

2M ago45:34

45:34

It's a non-official two-parter that doesn't straddle seasons of the show! We couldn't figure out how to separate these two, so you get a bonus double-episode this time!

1
Episode 424 - DS9 S05E13 - For The Uniform 23:00

3M ago23:00

23:00

Eddington is back! Sisqo can't beat him and he is getting really ticked about it. Oh, and Les Miserables.

1
Episode 210 - Bones 2:25:13

3M ago2:25:13

2:25:13

The evolution of mineralized tissues is responsible not only for the incredible success and diversity of vertebrate animals, but also for their extraordinarily informative fossil record. This episode, we explore the detailed anatomy of bones and their deep evolutionary history, we touch on some of the ways they’re important for paleontology, and we…

1
Episode 423 - DS9 S05E12 - The Begotten 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

Odo adopts a kid, and then has to deal with his "father".

1
Episode 422 - DS9 S05E11 - Darkness and the Light 20:42

3M ago20:42

20:42

Someone is murdering Kira's old resistance buddies, then gets her and has an argument over who is worse.

1
Episode 209 - Chimaeras 2:27:14

3M ago2:27:14

2:27:14

You might know them as ghost sharks, rat fish, or spook fish. Chimaeras are close cousins of sharks and rays, equipped with distinctive and unusual features in their fins, teeth, and reproductive structures. In today’s oceans, chimaeras are rare and easy to miss, but their extended family includes some of the most diverse and iconic fish of the Pal…

1
Episode 421 - DS9 S05E10 - Rapture 29:31

3M ago29:31

29:31

Sisqo has an accident in the holosuite, then gains special knowledge to find the Bajoran equivalent to Atlantis. Because that makes sense...

1
Episode 420 - DS9 S05E09 - The Ascent 17:39

4M ago17:39

17:39

Quark and Odo go climbing. Seriously.

51
Episode 208 - The Karoo Supergroup 1:49:03

4M ago1:49:03

1:49:03

Southern Africa is home to an incredible sequence of geologic formations that span more than 100 million years of Earth history. These rocks, collectively called the Karoo Supergroup, are an extraordinary resource for studying evolution and extinction across the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic Eras. This episode, we’ll explore the deep history of…

1
Episode 419 - DS9 S05E08 - Things Past 18:00

4M ago18:00

18:00

Four crewmembers travel back to the past, when the Cardassians still ran the station. It seems to have something to do with Odo, but what?

51
End of the Year Q&A 2024 5:22:32

4M ago5:22:32

5:22:32

Happy New Year! Welcome back to our annual, traditional question-answering marathon! As always, a big thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this Q&A, everyone who has listened and shared and engaged with us throughout the year, and especially to our Patrons, who make this podcast possible. See you in 2025! Check out our website for our …

1
Holiday Special 2024 - The Muppet Christmas Carol 58:39

4M ago58:39

58:39

Our guest Erin MacDonald joins us to talk Christmas, Carols, and Muppets!!

51
Episode 207 - Therizinosaurs 2:09:22

4M ago2:09:22

2:09:22

Most theropod dinosaurs are sleek predators built for speedy movement and efficient hunting. Therizinosaurs are unusual. They’re slow and stocky and, in many ways, more like the famous plant-eating dinosaurs. This episode, we’ll explore the diversity of therizinosaurs, the winding path that paleontologists took to understand them, the many ways the…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Common Descent Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen