Best Geophysics Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 419 - "Diamonds Everywhere" A States 48:19

1d ago48:19

48:19

We're hitting the open road — geologically speaking. This episode kicks off our new state-by-state series covering the most fascinating, scenic, or just plain weird geologic stops in the U.S. We’re going alphabetically (because of course we are), starting with Alabama, Alaska, and Arkansas. Some sites we've visited, others are firmly on our dream l…

1
Sound Decisions: How Science Builds Business Resilience 32:46

2d ago32:46

32:46

"Strong environmental monitoring isn’t just good for the ocean. It’s also good for the business."Daniella Bordon, Director of Environment & Sustainability at BGP Offshore and chair of the SEG Sustainability Committee, shares her journey from marine mammal observer to global ESG strategist, offering practical and passionate insights into ocean conse…

1
Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test 28:14

1d ago28:14

28:14

00:45 Researchers develop a new glue and test it on a rubber duck Aided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. Inspired by animals like barnacles, the team developed a new kind of a material called a hydrogel. The material is capable of securely fastening objects together even w…

1
Exploring the origins of a glacial relict seal 10:39

5d ago10:39

10:39

The postglacial history of the Saimaa ringed seal Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus …

1
Episode 418 - "I like the crystal habit" 50:55

8d ago50:55

50:55

What makes a mineral a favorite? In this fun and down-to-earth episode, John and Shannon swap stories about the minerals they love most — and why. Along the way, they unpack cool crystal habits, formation environments, fieldwork memories, and the aesthetic appeal of minerals from museum specimens to muddy boots. Shannon shares her appreciation for:…

1
Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea 33:03

8d ago33:03

33:03

00:45 The deepest ecosystem ever discovered Researchers have dived down to more than 9,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific and discovered surprisingly complex communities of life living in deep ocean trenches. The new research shows an array of animal life that appears to be using methane as a source of energy. The researchers are planning …

1
Giant laser heats solid gold to 14 times its melting point 35:38

17d ago35:38

35:38

00:46 How hot can solid gold get? A new study suggests that gold can be superheated far beyond its melting point without it becoming a liquid. Using an intense burst from a laser, a team heated a gold foil to 14 times its melting point, far beyond a theoretical limit put forward in previous studies. The team suggest that the speed at which they hea…

1
From Differences to Inversion: A New Era for 4D Seismic 26:19

18d ago26:19

26:19

“Repeatability is the biggest hurdle in time-lapse monitoring, but it’s also where the opportunity lies. 4D FWI can help address those repeatability challenges.”On this episode, Andrew Geary sits down with Madhav Vyas and Kris Innanen, guest editors for July’s The Leading Edge special section on 4D full-waveform inversion. They explain how 4D FWI g…

1
AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are taking on errors 49:19

19d ago49:19

49:19

A simple methodological error meant that for years researchers considered drinking moderate amounts of alcohol to be healthy. Now plenty of evidence suggests that isn't the case, but errors like this still plague the scientific literature. So, how can the scientific literature become more error-free? In the first episode of this two-part series, to…

1
Conservation of the Eastern Black Rhinoceros 10:48

19d ago10:48

10:48

Managing eastern black rhinoceros populations with genetic studies Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Scien…

1
Fieldwork That Changes Lives: Inside the Matagorda Bay Field Trip 21:13

23d ago21:13

21:13

“Geoscientists without Borders shows how geophysics isn’t just for oil and gas; it’s for helping people and communities.”In this episode, Shuhab Khan and David Bartel share how the SEG Foundation and Geoscientists without Borders are helping build resilient coastal communities through the Matagorda Bay Field Trip at IMAGE ‘25. Shuhab explains how s…

1
‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator stalk its prey 32:50

24d ago32:50

32:50

In this episode: 00:48 The ancient mega-predator with a ‘stealth mode’ The extinct marine mega-predator Temnodontosaurus had specialised adaptations to stealthily hunt its prey, suggests an analysis of a fossil flipper. Although Temnodontosaurus was a member of a well-studied group of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, its lifestyle has been a my…

1
Three weeks in a hide to spot one elusive bear: the life of a wildlife film-maker 12:47

29d ago12:47

12:47

Vianet Djenguet is an award-winning wildlife film-maker and camera operator whose work has featured in a number of major nature documentaries. In this podcast, Vianet joins us to talk about his career, how wildlife film-making have changed, and his experiences working with local researchers to capture footage of endangered animals on the new televi…

1
Episode 417 - "Who are you?" 1:04:56

29d ago1:04:56

1:04:56

We're back from summer break - Shannon taught field camp, John travelled for work and got hailed on, and more! John’s Hail Storm Fun Paper Friday How does modern AI stack up against a cognition test designed for humans? Dayan, Roy, Benjamin Uliel, and Gal Koplewitz. "Age against the machine—susceptibility of large language models to cognitive impai…

1
Inside IMAGE 2025 - Innovation, Collaboration, and the Future of Energy 37:25

1M ago37:25

37:25

“We want attendees to walk away saying they learned something new, made a new connection, or heard a crazy idea that just might change how they work. That’s the success we hope IMAGE brings.”In this episode of Seismic Soundoff, Julian Chenin and Paula de Oliveira share what makes IMAGE 2025 the premier geoscience event you won’t want to miss. From …

1
Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases 37:06

1M ago37:06

37:06

00:48 The past 35,000 years of disease Ancient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago. The DNA, extracted from human teeth, shows the history of diseases present in Eurasia over tens of thousands of years. The approach used could be a…

1
Rescuing the northern white rhino 10:50

1M ago10:50

10:50

A reference genome aids efforts to rescue the northern white rhinoceros Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of …

1
Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works 16:13

1M ago16:13

16:13

Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of research on vaccine hesitancy is starting to offer ways to address the issue…

1
3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry 27:19

1M ago27:19

27:19

In this episode: 00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimics Many harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution sometimes favours imperfect mimicry, a team 3D printed a range of imaginary insects. The novel creatures were designed to mimic wasps with varying degree…

1
Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research and surveillance 31:30

2M ago31:30

31:30

We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 Is AI-research being co-opted to keep track of people? A significant amount of research in the AI field of computer vision is being used to analyse humans in ways that support the development of surveillance technologies, accordin…

1
262: More Than Membership - Turning SEG Engagement into Career Growth 32:58

2M ago32:58

32:58

"Volunteering helps you build your network, sharpen your skills, and open doors you didn’t know existed."In this episode of Seismic Soundoff, SEG all-star volunteers Sergio Chávez-Pérez and Joe Reilly reflect on their recent articles in The Leading Edge’s President's Page series. They delve into the importance of professional growth, how SEG suppor…

1
Flight simulator for moths reveals they navigate by starlight 30:37

2M ago30:37

30:37

We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 The tiny moths that use the stars to navigate Bogong moths use the stars to help them navigate during their enormous migration across Australia, according to new research. Every year, billions of these nocturnal moths travel up to…

1
Water and the possibility of life on Mars 15:07

2M ago15:07

15:07

Water and the possibility of life on Mars Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad …

1
Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit the ultimate quantum party 9:07

2M ago9:07

9:07

According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland. To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics. Nature r…

1
261: Innovations in Land Seismic Acquisition with Andrea Crook 23:03

2M ago23:03

23:03

"We're seeing rapid advances both in seismic acquisition technologies and in processing techniques. In order to get data that is appropriate for full waveform inversion, you have to rethink how you're acquiring the data in the field."In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Andrea Crook, CEO of OptiSeis and lead instructor of the IMAGE 2025 s…

1
This stretchy neural implant grows with an axolotl's brain 36:55

2M ago36:55

36:55

00:45 A flexible neural-implant that grows with the brain Researchers have developed a soft electronic implant that can measure brain activity of amphibian embryos as they develop. Understanding the neural activity of developing brains is a key aim for neuroscientists, but conventional, rigid probes can damage growing brains. To overcome this, a te…

1
Trump wants to put humans on Mars: what scientists think of the plan 11:47

2M ago11:47

11:47

In this Podcast Extra, we examine President Donald Trump's calls for NASA to land humans on Mars. Although the White House has proposed spending some US$1 billion in 2026 on Mars plans, critics say the final cost will likely be hundreds of billions of dollars spread over a number of years. This call comes amidst plans to drastically reduce NASA's f…

1
260: Small Faults, Big Impact - Improving CCUS with Seismic Attributes 24:05

2M ago24:05

24:05

“The goal is to keep injected CO₂ safely in place - that’s why understanding fault networks is so critical.”In this episode, host Andrew Geary welcomes David Lubo-Robles, lead author of The Leading Edge paper on detecting small-offset faults for carbon capture and storage (CCUS). David explains how advanced seismic attributes, without relying on ma…

1
Male mice can grow female organs — if their mothers lack iron 30:08

2M ago30:08

30:08

00:45 Iron’s role in mice sex determination Iron deficiency in mice mothers can sometimes result in their offspring developing female sex organs despite having male sex genes, according to new research. While genetics has been thought to be the primary factor in determining offspring sex in mammals, the new work shows that a lack of iron disrupts a…

1
Machine learning and climate risk adaptation 10:41

2M ago10:41

10:41

Using reinforcement learning to plan for an uncertain climate future Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sci…

1
Audio long read: Three ways to cool Earth by pulling carbon from the sky 15:59

2M ago15:59

15:59

With the world looking likely to blow past the temperature targets laid out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, a growing number of voices are saying that carbon removal technologies will be necessary if humanity is to achieve its long-term climate goals. If these approaches succeed, they could help nations and corporations to meet their climate c…

1
AI linked to boom in biomedical papers, infrared contact lenses, and is Earth's core leaking? 20:11

2M ago20:11

20:11

00:33 Was a boom in papers driven by AI? A spike in papers formulaically analysing a public data set has sparked worries that AI is being used to generate low quality and potentially misleading analyses. Nature: AI linked to explosion of low-quality biomedical research papers 08:07 Lenses that give humans infrared vision Researchers in China have c…

1
Ep. 12 – The Power of Belief: Exploring the Psychological Mechanisms of the Placebo Effect w/ Dr. Luana Colloca 17:21

2M ago17:21

17:21

In this episode, we discuss the power of belief, including the placebo effect and tricking the mind for good with Dr. Luana Colloca, a physician-scientist and professor at the University of Maryland. Together, we unravel everything from the nocebo effect to the ethics of using a placebo in a clinical situation.…

1
259: Inside the Editor’s Desk - Alison Malcolm on Leading SEG’s Flagship Journal 34:12

3M ago34:12

34:12

"Publishing at a conference and publishing in GEOPHYSICS are quite different. The journal lets you go deeper and make your work reproducible and usable for others."In this insightful episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Dr. Alison Malcolm, the former Editor-in-Chief of GEOPHYSICS, SEG's leading journal for applied geophysics. Alison demystifies t…

1
These malaria drugs treat the mosquitos — not the people 31:40

3M ago31:40

31:40

00:45 Treating mosquitoes for malaria Researchers have developed two compounds that can kill malaria-causing parasites within mosquitoes, an approach they hope could help reduce transmission of the disease. The team showed that these compounds can be embedded into the plastics used to make bed nets, providing an alternative to insecticide-based mal…

1
Ep. 11 – The Mandela Effect: Exploring False Memories, Visual Distortions, and the Psychology of Collective Misremembering w/ Dr. Wilma Bainbridge 22:14

3M ago22:14

22:14

In this episode, we discuss the Mandela effect, including discussions on false memories, visual distortions, and all the science within with Dr. Wilma Bainbridge, a cognitive neuroscientist and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. Together, we unravel everything from the key scientific ideas behind the Mandela effect to why people's be…

1
Parsing the Knowledge of London cabbies 11:42

3M ago11:42

11:42

Insights in route planning from London taxi drivers Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plu…

1
Episode 416 - "Life is a Physics Exam" 54:59

3M ago54:59

54:59

This week we talk about how we power our instruments in the field and all of the weird and wonderful ways they fail. Including getting turned into charcoal by lightning! Fun Paper Friday Why does ketchup splatter? Find out! Arstechnica Article Cuttle, Callum, and Christopher W. MacMinn. "Dynamics of compression-driven gas-liquid displacement in a c…

1
How to transport antimatter — stick it on the back of a van 30:31

3M ago30:31

30:31

00:46 An antimatter delivery van takes its first road trip Researchers have developed a portable antimatter containment device and tested it by putting it in a truck and driving it around CERN. Their system could represent a big step forward in efforts to take particles made at CERN’s ‘antimatter factory’ and transport them to other labs, something…

1
258: Drilling, DAS, and Disagreements - A Real Look at EGS Geophysics 41:07

3M ago41:07

41:07

“The difference now is horizontal wells, faster drilling, and better geophysics. That makes today’s EGS attempts more promising than ever.”In this episode, host Andrew Geary talks with Michael Wilt and Bill Cumming, guest editors of the April 2025 The Leading Edge special section on geophysical applications to geothermal exploration and development…

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