Best Shelby Rader Podcasts (2026)

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All I want for Christmas is my two shark teeth - with Molly Karnes 43:22

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11d ago43:22

43:22

On the season 2 midseason finale we welcome Molly Karnes, a stable isotope ecologist and lab technician. Hear about a new regional drink - Cheerwine, using shark teeth (both modern and ancient) to understand the environment in four dimensions, predatory snails, how a lab technician is a bit like an instrument mechanic, and a new crossover between S…

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Just add water - with Janie Wittmer 40:57

18d ago40:57

40:57

Joining the show today is Janie Wittmer, a PhD student focusing on hydrogeochemistry. Hear what happens if you were to drink incredibly pure water (hint: it's not great), what life is like in environmental consulting, how rocks can actually help with carbon emissions, and a recommendation for a potential electronic album of the year.…

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The defense rests (congratulations Doctor!) - with Dr. Danielle Peltier 45:18

25d ago45:18

45:18

Joining us today is the newly minted Dr. Danielle (Danny) Peltier, a paleontologist or geologist/paleoanthropologist that studies human evolution through time. Ever wondered what it means when someone says they've defended their PhD? Listen to hear about everything that leads up to and then what happens during that process, culminating in becoming …

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Sliiiide to the left, sliiiide to the right, earthquake - with Dr. Ginny Gong 45:44

1M ago45:44

45:44

Joining us today is Dr. Ginny Gong, an observational and earthquake seismologist studying what causes earthquakes and what they can tell us about our planet. Learn about white coffee, how we can tell the structure of the Earth deep below the surface, what a seismometer is and how we install or deploy them, the logistics of measuring plate movement …

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You are what you eat - with Dr. Peter Sauer 44:30

1M ago44:30

44:30

Join us today to hear from Dr. Peter Sauer, a low-temperature geochemist who specializes in stable isotopes and organic chemistry. Learn about his work on Earth's surface that encompasses living things, geology, and history (both Earth and human history), how isotopes were applied to identify and understand the life of King Richard III, lake sedime…

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Mountain lions, birds, and bears - oh my! - with Dr. Erika Elswick 48:01

2M ago48:01

48:01

Join us today to hear from Dr. Erika Elswick, a low temperature geochemist and Director of the IU Field Station. Learn about the aggressive squirrels in the Grand Canyon, museum work, legacy mines and Superfund sites (including the Berkeley Pit), a bit about the IU Field Station, and some fun side quests of Erika's including her impressive birding …

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No bones about it - with Owen Madsen 46:27

2M ago46:27

46:27

On this episode, hear from Owen Madsen, a current Ph.D. candidate studying paleontology and self-proclaimed professional question asker. Learn about the Gray Fossil Site, an unusually fossil-rich site in eastern Tennessee that gives us a window into the climate of the past for this region, the importance of science communication and how that works …

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Navier-Stokes for different folks - with Dr. Paul Staten 41:22

2M ago41:22

41:22

Join us as we talk with Dr. Paul Staten, an atmospheric and climate dynamicist interested in large-scale wind patterns that impact weather and climate. Hear about the importance of the winds near the tropics for our weather all across the globe, orchestral video game music, how we can understand fluid behaviors through Navier-Stokes (and Paul's att…

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Until next time - with Dr. Kaj Johnson 57:01

8M ago57:01

57:01

We have a few surprises for our season 1 finale featuring Dr. Kaj Johnson, a geophysicist studying earthquakes remotely. Hear about Kaj's journey into the field, the connection between show choirs and teaching, listen in on a couple of potential new segments he promotes (including a drink of non-choice and a friendly competition), hear from a coupl…

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Blowing your socks off - with Dr. Arndt Schimmelmann 45:38

9M ago45:38

45:38

Dr. Arndt Schimmelmann joins us today, a geochemist focusing on organics in both natural systems and when developing lab standards. Listen in to hear about a couple of close calls in the lab, exciting field work in caves and lakes in Vietnam, his well-known reference materials program (including a range of standards from foods to hydrocarbons to ca…

1
A dose of vitamin sea - with Dr. Claudia Johnson 48:29

9M ago48:29

48:29

On the show today is Dr. Claudia Johnson, a geobiologist studying ecosystems of the past and present to understand what adaptations things like corals have made to survive environmental changes over geologic time. Hear about coral reefs and coral farming (or growing baby corals to then place in various spots in our oceans), the role of reefs in our…

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Ice, ice baby - with Dr. David Lilien 43:33

9M ago43:33

43:33

Joining us today is Dr. David Lilien, a glaciologist studying glaciers and ice sheets and how ice moves. Learn about party ice - popping and fizzy glacier ice, how ice flows and moves (and how we measure it!), what goes into a field excursion to study ice (like in Antarctica or Greenland), and mushroom hunting!…

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In the AI of the hurricane - with Dr. Chanh Kieu 42:29

9M ago42:29

42:29

Joining us today is Dr. Chanh Kieu, an atmospheric scientist using modeling and machine learning to understand weather phenomena, particularly hurricane intensity and prediction. Listen to learn more about all that goes into weather prediction (and be thoroughly impressed that we can do what we can in that field!), the role of AI (artificial intell…

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I lava good volcano - with Dr. Elizabeth Kenderes 43:27

9M ago43:27

43:27

On today's show we have Dr. Elizabeth Kenderes, an igneous petrologist interested in the stories that lavas and igneous rocks may tell about how or why a volcano erupted (or didn't!). Hear about some weird volcanoes that drew her into the field as a student, what makes a good gemstone for jewelry, underground mines and drilling blast holes, and flu…

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I'm gonna make him a proxy he can't refuse - with Dr. Simon Brassell 44:09

10M ago44:09

44:09

On the show today is Dr. Simon Brassell, a molecular biogeochemist who specializes in organic matter and isotope geochemistry. Hear about his revolutionary work that has earned him the nickname "the Godfather of alkenones", his experiences at sea (including finding out about 9/11 while on a research cruise), the current uncertainties with US-based …

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Head in the geoengineered clouds - with Dr. Paul Goddard 44:37

10M ago44:37

44:37

We are back for the second half of our first season! Joining us to kick things off is Dr. Paul Goddard, a climate scientist and modeler who looks at how Earth may react to CO2 emissions and how we may combat some of those changes. Hear about geoengineering, or large-scale attempts to counteract anthropogenic climate change, Cincinnati chili (a warm…

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A river runs through it (and quickly aggrades) - with Dr. Brian Yanites 37:37

1y ago37:37

37:37

On our midseason finale we hear from Dr. Brian Yanites, a geomorphologist looking at how changes on Earth's surface can impact or are impacted by people, weather, animals, and even ore deposits. Learn a little bit about the history of topography, how the geosciences incorporates drones and lasers (and a time when the drones weren't very well receiv…

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Here comes the rain again (get on the porch!) - with Dr. Cody Kirkpatrick 43:11

1y ago43:11

43:11

Joining us today is Dr. Cody Kirkpatrick, a meteorologist who is interested in weather phenomena and related events. We hear about the Golden Guide that set his course, some aspects of storm chasing (and storm watching), and his passion and skill for sports analytics and prediction (apologies in advance to any Auburn fans that may listen).…

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Insane in the big brain, insane in the brain - with Dr. Jackson Njau 43:03

1y ago43:03

43:03

Joining us today is Dr. Jackson Njau, a paleoanthropologist working to understand how early humans evolved and why. Hear about his work in Olduvai Gorge, a key anthropology site in Tanzania, how our brains have grown over time (as hard as that may be to believe sometimes), and a favorite dish of his - Ndizi.…

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Super(computer climate)model - with Dr. Travis O'Brien 38:25

1y ago38:25

38:25

Today we get to know Dr. Travis O'Brien, a climate scientist who looks at and models extreme weather and other climate phenomena that could impact our day-to-day lives. We get to hear about some of his more recent work, including using climate models, his time at a national lab and how that works, and a really interesting time living on an alpaca r…

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To be(er) or not to be(er) - with Dr. Ed Herrmann 48:31

1y ago48:31

48:31

Joining us today is Dr. Ed Herrmann, a microbiologist by training who is a geoarchaeologist by way of the pharmaceutical industry and beer brewing. His geoarchaeology work draws on and builds from his experience and time in both of these seemingly unrelated fields that makes for a really exciting and unique perspective.…

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The Lab Rat Pack - with Dr. Julia Kelson 32:09

1y ago32:09

32:09

Listen in today and get to know Dr. Julia Kelson, a sedimentary geochemist looking at past Earth climates. Julia talks us through how she entered the field (you might say it runs in the family), some of her field experiences, and a bit about what work is like in the lab.By Shelby Rader

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From Russia with love (of rocks and hazards) - with Dr. Michael Hamburger 46:05

1y ago46:05

46:05

Today Dr. Michael Hamburger, an earthquake seismologist and hazards specialist, joins us. We'll hear about his atypical journey into the geosciences, some incredible field experiences, and his time rubbing elbows with some of the Who's Whos of the climate world.By Shelby Rader

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Stuck between a rock and a sledge hammer - with Dr. Andrea Stevens Goddard 34:39

1y ago34:39

34:39

Today we get to chat with Dr. Andrea Stevens Goddard, a low-temperature thermochronologist (and proud Hoosier!) looking at how sediment is moved and stored in geologic basins.By Shelby Rader

1
Welcome to the show! 31:22

1y ago31:22

31:22

Welcome to Earth on the Rocks with your host, me - Dr. Shelby Rader! On this episode, we dive in to what to expect for the rest of the season and hear a bit about how I ended up in the field.By Shelby Rader