Best Octo Podcasts (2025)

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Cloud has evolved — have you? 16:02

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20d ago16:02

16:02

In our latest OCTO TALK, Computacenter’s Chief Technologist for Cloud, Paul Nearn, joins Ashley to unpack what Cloud v2 means for organisations today. From managing cost and security to enabling AI and automation, discover how our Cloud v2 Framework helps customers move from cloud first to cloud smart.…

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Creaturekringletimes: Chill Babies! 1:16:17

14d ago1:16:17

1:16:17

Happy Creaturekringletimes everyone! Today on the show I'm joined by Just the Zoo of Us host Ellen Weatherford, and we talk about animals who manage to keep their babies cold despite freezing temperature! Bears, walruses, snowy owls, and penguins, all who make great sacrifices to ensure their babies survive cold weather and don't become pup-sicles.…

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Ep 168: Season 7 Finale / First Time Viewing of Classic Films 3:24:37

11d ago3:24:37

3:24:37

All tentacles are in the air as we reflect on and celebrate another successful season of the Retro Ridoctopus cephalopodcast! After copious amounts of reminiscing over another amazing year, we dive into our annual final topic. Like every year, we asked you for voice mails, giving your quick reviews of a classic movie you watched for the first time …

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Listener Questions: Do Fish Smell Fishy to Fish? 37:56

21d ago37:56

37:56

In this listener questions episode, I talk about how fish smell smells, whether hyenas grow winter coats, and animals who don't mind spending a lot of time to get the job done, even thousands of years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Crow's Nest: Maniac Mansion (A Breaking and Entering Adventure) 1:52:11

16d ago1:52:11

1:52:11

If your purple tentacles are tingling, that might just be because our pal Nintenjoe joined us for NUMEROUS playthroughs of the classic LucasArts point and click adventure game Maniac Mansion! Seriously, this one has a ton of different ending and we got almost all of em! So watch out for falling meteors and get that hamster in the microwave because …

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Ep 167: A Big Box of Crayons 2:24:44

25d ago2:24:44

2:24:44

For our last regular episode of season 7, we are talking about a childhood experience everyone out there can relate to. Sitting down with a big box of crayons and a coloring book! With the help of guest host Christine (AKA Mrs. Parasite), we'll share a bit of history on the Crayola company before diving into some colorful childhood memories revolvi…

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Listener Questions: Bugs!! 28:33

29d ago28:33

28:33

This is a buggy listener questions episode as I answer your queries about insect vision, ants outsmarting our poisons, and the impacts of insect farming! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Staying Cyber-Safe While Shopping Online 15:30

1M ago15:30

15:30

The deals are live, and so are the scammers. This Black Friday, OCTO's Chief Information Security Officer Suneel Cherukuri and Chief Technology Officer Stephen N. Miller are here to help you shop safely online. Suneel reveals why cyber criminals never clock out and walks through the three essential security habits that protect you from fraud. You'l…

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The Brig: The Sound of the Dark (w/ Daniel Church AKA Simon Bestwick) 1:24:42

1M ago1:24:42

1:24:42

Tonight, in the BRIG, we are thrilled to welcome back an incredible guest from all the way across the pond! Simon Bestwick is an accomplished as well as prolific British contemporary horror author, whose acclaimed work includes the novels Black Mountain, Hell’s Ditch, The Devil’s Highway and Wolf’s Hill as well as numerous short short collections s…

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Creature Classic: Animals Are Sick! 56:04

1M ago56:04

56:04

I'm having some minor medical shenanigans, I should return shortly! In the meantime, to stick with the theme of medicine, here's one of my favorite episodes on how animals deal with illness. I'm joined by naturalist, educator and author Heather Montgomery as we talk about her book "Sick" and the fascinating world of animal immune systems (and poop)…

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Ep 166: Meet the Muppets! 2:45:15

1M ago2:45:15

2:45:15

It's time to play the music... It's time to light the lights... It's time to meet the Muppets on Ridoctopus Tonight! Your host of the moment Coopster Gold has a backstage pass to the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational show around! For this episode, we celebrate some of our favorite all time characters from Jim Henson's The Muppets! We'r…

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Creature Classic: Fallout Critters 1:01:37

2M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

I'm getting excited for the new season of Fallout, so here's one of my favorite episodes where we look at the mutated creatures of the Fallout franchise and discussing whether they could actually exist in a nuclear wasteland! It's a real optimistic episode and we discuss BIG BUGS! How can we bring back big bugs?! Guest: Will Poole See omnystudio.co…

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Ep 165: Which Witch Movies? 2:38:55

2M ago2:38:55

2:38:55

Double, double, toil and trouble... fire burn and cauldron... (well you know). With the help of our be-broomed co-host Greenie (AKA The Green Witch of the Shire) we squeeze one last episode into the spooky season! This one is all about movies involving witches! We're talking mean ones, green ones and even seldom seen ones! Some are sort of nice, bu…

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KILLER BATS!! 43:11

2M ago43:11

43:11

Halloween early release special! Today on the show: KILLER BATS! Bats with very spooky dietary habits. From vicious carnivores that have a soft side, to the strangest sight you'll sea on the seashore. I'm joined by Kimia Behpoornia to discuss these adorable, murderous bats. Footnotes/images See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Could We Speak Alien? 53:39

2M ago53:39

53:39

Today on the show, ALIENS! I'm joined by particle physicist Daniel Whiteson to discuss whether it would be possible to talk to aliens, the difficulties of alien communication, using real examples of animal communication and sensory differences right here on planet earth. Why do hermit crabs have a death cult? Do dogs think in smells? Are pigeons ac…

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The Brig: The Nights & The Days of Ellen Datlow 1:22:49

2M ago1:22:49

1:22:49

The legendary Ellen Datlow has been called “the venerable queen of horror anthologies” per the New York Times, and with over 40 years in the business, it's not hard to see why! Returning to the podcast, Ellen has brought two amazing authors from her new horror anthology, "Night & Day" from Simon & Schuster! Kari Sanders and Parasite Steve get to ch…

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Creature Classic: Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable? 57:58

2M ago57:58

57:58

On today's show I subject my guest to a gauntlet of strange oddities, and he (and you) must guess whether these are animals, minerals, vegetables, or something else entirely... Guest: DJ Danl Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRUT2Ywx6B9XF-1SyNJ8lxVyLX94eY2n06FjiE4x-O8/edit?usp=sharing Mystery animal sound credit: https://www.youtube.c…

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Ep 164: Lovecraftian Horrors / The Guy With All The Tentacles 1:48:48

2M ago1:48:48

1:48:48

This episode is not for the faint of heart, nor the weak of mind... For our second spooky episode of 2025, we tackle the cosmic horrors of H.P. Lovecraft--and we do it through the lens of... well, a LENS! We've picked six Lovecraft inspired films to raise from the unknowable depths. Three direct adaptations of his stories, and three more that are w…

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Baby Puffin Chucking 54:47

3M ago54:47

54:47

All the weirdest ways in which humans rescue animals! From throwing babies off cliffs, to saving hitchhikers, sometimes you gotta act a little freaky for the sake of the animals. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: why is there a man in a dirty panda suit? I'm joined by Robert Brockway and Seanbaby of 1-900 Hotdog! Footnotes S…

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The Brig: A Shot of Immortality (with Thomas Sniegoski & Jeannine Acheson) 1:06:09

2M ago1:06:09

1:06:09

We welcome back New York Times Best Selling Author, Thomas Sniegoski (author of the Herculoids comics and the bestselling The Fallen series of novels), and Jeannine Acheson (co-author of Vampiverse comics) to chat about their HOTLY ANTICIPATED dark-fantasy novella! "Nira: A Constance Evermore Story" is out now from Bad Hand Books and is gorgeously …

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Jane Goodall 1:05:24

3M ago1:05:24

1:05:24

Today on the show, we talk about what a cool lady and incredible scientist Jane Goodall was. A innovative primatologist with a great sense of humor, who started out only with a fierce love for animals, and ended up shaping what we know about chimps! Also, chimps can be jerks! I'm joined by Chris Crofton to spread a little love about Jane. See omnys…

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Ep 163: Scooby Doo, Take Two!! 2:31:18

3M ago2:31:18

2:31:18

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Listener Q's: Sex Swapping, Smallest Shark, Marmots! 32:06

3M ago32:06

32:06

I answer your questions: animals who switch sexes, the world's smallest sharks, and marmots, as in, what's their deal?! If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can write to me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Harnessing AI for Smarter Government: Launching Procurement AI in DC 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

OCTO has led the charge to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in DC government under the leadership of Mayor Muriel Bowser and her February 2024 Mayor’s Order Defining DC’s AI Values and AI Strategic Benchmarks. Since then, OCTO has created the Handbook for AI Values Alignment -- the blueprint that guides agencies through the careful…

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Adoption & Change Management demystified: driving real business value 25:57

3M ago25:57

25:57

Tech doesn’t deliver outcomes. People do. In this episode of OCTO TALK, we explore why Adoption & Change Management (ACM) is critical to unlocking value from technology, and how organisations can close the digital skills gap.By Computacenter

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Mommy the Galapagos Tortoise 42:08

3M ago42:08

42:08

I'm joined by Lauren Augustine, the curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Philadelphia Zoo, for an exciting Galapagos tortoise announcement, cool facts, and the wild (and sometimes glittery-poop filled) details behind-the-scenes at zoos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Ep 162: Nintendo & Sega Hard (w/ Mike Levy) 2:35:56

3M ago2:35:56

2:35:56

About 100 episodes ago, we recorded Ep 060: Nintendo Hard / The Triumphant Return of Nintenjoe where we discussed some NES games that we loved despite their extreme levels of difficulty. Tonight, we are dipping back into that topic with the awesome Mike Levy from the Dongled channel on YouTube. We've got a whole new crop of tough as nails games for…

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Was Leaving the Ocean a Mistake? 55:31

3M ago55:31

55:31

I'm joined by science journalist and author Cara Giaimo, to meet some of the real-life sea monsters from her book, Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake. From tent-mouthed fish who kiss each other competitively, to ping-pong ball sponges that fooled the navy, these animals from every layer in the ocean have both cool life advice and freaky adaptations. D…

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Listener Questions: Ant Cloning Machines 55:07

4M ago55:07

55:07

I answer your amazing questions! From ephemeral pools, to ants who clone other species. And what's up with invasive species, is culling really the answer? If you have a question you want answered, you can write to me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Ep 161: Play Sets / Where Action Figures Hang Their Hats 2:01:03

4M ago2:01:03

2:01:03

This week, all your BASE are belong to Retro Ridoctopus! We are celebrating the crown jewel of any action figure toy line! Whether you called it a base, playset, headquarters, or battle station... we all drooled over those commercials. Begging our parents to pony up even more cash so we could bring a little piece of our action figures' world home! …

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NEW EPISODE! Deep Sea Legs 52:09

4M ago52:09

52:09

I'm back from my break with hot, fresh, new, full episodes! This one is about the weirdest appendages in the deep sea! From a spider that is (literally) all legs, to a cryptid squid, we look at abyssal legs, arms, and whatnots! Also, 3D-printing worms! I'm joined by Bridgett Greenberg as we dive into the deep ocean and take a look at some ghoulish …

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Creature Classic: Biomimicry 1:20:47

4M ago1:20:47

1:20:47

One of my favorite past episodes, Ellen Weatherford and I talk about wild human inventions inspired by animal designs! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEGyyeNn8trH-FmcchVthmmppq8-XiQlKILt-9fIISk/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Ep 160: Everyone's Favorite Uncle / A Tribute to John Candy 2:33:59

4M ago2:33:59

2:33:59

Legendary comedic actor John Candy left us on March 4th, 1994 at the age of 43, much to the dismay of his millions of fans. To help celebrate his life and career, we have a returning guest-host and John Candy super-fan, Retroid and co-host of the Spooky Picture Show, Raina Madison ! We each picked 2 of our favorite Candy films to spotlight, but kno…

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Creature Classic: Broods, Birds, and Mushroom Butts! 1:17:57

4M ago1:17:57

1:17:57

One of my favorite episodes! You can be a citizen scientist in your own backyard! Broods! Birds! And mushroom butts! I'm joined by podcaster and voice actress Janet Varney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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Ep 159: Legacy of a Madman / A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne 2:29:33

4M ago2:29:33

2:29:33

Love him or hate him, the career of John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was one for the ages. With the help of our pals Synopsis Grim and Portland Maine's own, DJ Rick Johnson, we'll hop on a crazy train and journey across five decades—spotlighting five albums from the solo career of heavy metal's one and only Prince of Darkness. Along the way, we'll shar…

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Zoos! Feed Drop: Secretly Incredibly Fascinating 1:14:58

5M ago1:14:58

1:14:58

A feed drop from the Secretly Incredibly Fascinating podcast, with me and Alex Schmidt! On this very Creaturey-featurey episode, we talk about the history of zoos, and tons of cool zoo facts! Baby pygmy hippos definitely mentioned! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

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The Brig: Axolotls and Other Aquired Tastes (w/ author Clay McLeod Chapman) 1:23:15

5M ago1:23:15

1:23:15

This week, down in the slimy, ever-squirming blackness of the BRIG, we have the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award nominated author of such acclaimed horror as Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, Kill Your Darling, Stay on the Line, What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters and much much more… he’s two parts Vonnegut, one part Ellison… and like nine more parts …

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Listener Questions: Can Pigeons Tell Time? 29:41

5M ago29:41

29:41

I answer your questions, from pigeons telling time, to whether cats can taste sugar or not! And in the middle I try to discuss yard maintenance, how to have a wild yard without gosh dern rats! If you have an evolutionary biology or animal related question you'd like answered, you can email me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/liste…

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Crow's Nest: Becoming The Guardian Legend 1:14:52

5M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

For another "Couch Bro-Op", Parasite Steve and 8-Bit Alchemy play through one of the most criminally under appreciated titles on the NES. The Guardian Legend was released in 1988, and to this day, there's still nothing like it! This hybrid action-adventure/shoot 'em up game was developed by Compile—a company who has quite the pedigree when it comes…

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Creature Classic: Bonnethead Sharks Are Sweet Babies 1:01:04

5M ago1:01:04

1:01:04

One of my favorites from past summer! Today on the show we continue hot shark summer with shark biologist and author of the book, "Sharks Don't Sink," Jasmin Graham! Guest: Jasmin Graham Footnotes: Minorities in Shark Science website: https://www.misselasmo.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Ep 158: Swarm of Superheroes (w/ Randy Carter) 2:55:47

5M ago2:55:47

2:55:47

We welcome back Randy Carter (from Swarm of Comics) for a soaring discussion on the Golden and Silver Ages of superhero comics! The Golden Age of comic books in the United States spanned 1938 to 1956, beginning with the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1. And the Silver Age is generally considered to span 1956 to 1970. That period began wit…

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Feed Drop: Echidnas! (Secretly Incredibly Fascinating) 1:08:06

5M ago1:08:06

1:08:06

You're kiddin me with these echidnas! My buddy Alex and I discuss echidnas over on Secretly Incredibly Fascinating, and they're too weird not to share over here on Creature Feature! The history, the species, the... interesting anatomy. Check out Secretly Incredibly Fascinating if you haven't already! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat…

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The Brig: Spending Some Dead Money (w/ Jesse Scoble & Devinder Thiara) 1:18:53

5M ago1:18:53

1:18:53

For this episode of THE BRIG, we are joined by the writing team of Jesse Scoble and Devinder Thiara who rode in from the Great White North to promote their new weird western comic, DEAD MONEY! Jesse is an award-winning game writer with credits on: Assassin’s Creed Origins & Odyssey, Far Cry 5, Watch Dogs 2, HyperScape, and Wizard101. TTRPG work inc…

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Listener Questions: Do Mosquitos Never Sleep!? 26:26

6M ago26:26

26:26

I answer your animal biology and behavioral questions. Do mosquitos sleep? The mystery of a crocodile with an s-shaped spine. And how do cuckoos know they're cuckoos? If you have an evolutionary biology or animal behavior question, you can email me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Ep 157: Killer Dolls and Other Rad "Girl Toys" (w/ Taryn Barber) 2:00:28

6M ago2:00:28

2:00:28

For this episode, we get in touch with our softer sides... Get ready to hear a handful of super rad GIRL TOYS that go way beyond playing with dolls. Properties like the Care Bears, My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite have been slapped on as many things as He-Man or the Transformers over the years, and have had just as many reboots. And while we may me…

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Making the invisible visible: the power of observability 26:31

6M ago26:31

26:31

How are AI, analytics, and observability shaping the future of business? Do these powerful forces act as allies or competitors? In this episode we explore how to move beyond traditional monitoring. We'll show you how leveraging telemetry data like; logs, metrics, and traces, can reveal real-time insights, optimise performance, and significantly ele…

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Creature Classic: Aeroplankton 1:07:34

6M ago1:07:34

1:07:34

I'm taking a brief summer break, I'll be back soon! In the meantime, I'm hand-selecting some of my favorite episodes to feature. They're in the air! There's billions of them! And they're tiny! We're talking about aeroplankton, what they're doing up there, and what happens when they get in your nose. I'm joined by Soren Bowie! Last week's mystery an…

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Ep 156: Going On Rails / A Gallery of Light Gun Games (w/ Nintenjoe) 2:53:11

6M ago2:53:11

2:53:11

RELOAD!! RELOAD!! PER-KANNG!! Whether you're aiming your NES Zapper at some 8-bit ducks or feeding quarters into an arcade to head-shot some video zombies, you're experiencing the white-knuckled action of a niche sub-genre of video games known as a LIGHT GUN GAMES or ON RAILS SHOOTERS!! Tonight, with the help of our old buddy, Nintenjoe, we'll spot…

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Listener Q's: Bird Robots, Two Headed Snakes! 34:13

7M ago34:13

34:13

Today on the show, I answer your animal behavior questions! Why do birds sound like robots? What's up with two-headed animals? And do cats like to be meowed at? If you have an animal question you'd like answered, you can email me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Ep 155: The Pulp Action/Adventure Films of the 1990s (w/ Scott Clevenger) 2:39:06

6M ago2:39:06

2:39:06

With the help of our pal Scott Clevenger (from The Slumgullion podcast) we dish all about four stylish 90's action/adventure films that were looking to the pulps of the 30s for inspiration! These movies featured heroic characters from a bygone era of pulp magazines, comic strips and serials! We'll each present one of the four films while diving int…