Back in 2013, the sand dunes of Michigan City, Indiana swallowed a six-year-old boy. It took rescuers nearly 4 hours to dig him out of 12 feet of sand. It was a phenomenon that scientists hadn't studied in-depth. But Facebook recreational naturalists were on the case.

In this episode of Endless Thread, producer Grace Tatter and host Ben Brock Johnson go down an internet rabbit hole and bring bring us an explanation of what happened, the coexistence of miracles and science and even the including the six-year-old boy who's now an adult.

"We're pro-portal and we're pro- tree hole," Ben says. "Basically anywhere there's space, we want to explore it."

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, how sharing life stories is helping elderly patients connect with their carers. Also, the baby born onboard an express train in Kenya, and China’s “butterfly father” dedicating his life to protecting the beautiful insects.

In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the silkworm horse from Chinese traditions… 

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Forrest Galante is an international wildlife adventurer, conservationist, author of "Still Alive: A Wild Life of Rediscovery" and host on Discovery Channel.

www.instagram.com/forrest.galante

In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Locksnakes of “The Dark Crystal.”

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From crisp cider to blistering lava, life advice, climate solutions, the comforts of venison stew, cockroaches in orbit, UFO culture, social justice, dongs, worms, wasps, fireflies, bear orgies, makeouts, disasters, the deep ruts of the patriarchy, and desperate horny bugs. This second-ever “Audiobook Mixtape” has it all. So if you’re near a fireplace but have no book, or haven’t started holiday shopping (like your dear old Dadward VonPodcast) let this casserole of literary snippets serve as a refresher of favorite episodes, a teaser for ones you haven’t heard or just a gentle nudge toward a bookshop. 

Links to these books (& the Ologists’ episodes)

2019’s Audiobook Mixtape 1 episode 

Donations went to 826LA.org and Bookshop.org

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Transcripts & bleeped episodes

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary 

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. (originally published 6/14/2020)

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Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the wheel...

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In our first episode of Season 6, Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses the history of life on Earth with naturalist Sir David Attenborough, along with a little help in the studio from Bill Nye and Chuck Nice.