Episode 435 - “FIRE THE LASERS!”

Jezero crater is a really interesting place on Mars - that's why we have landed so many spacecraft in the area. This week we talk about some exciting findings from the crater as well as a modern day twist on a modest proposal. Jezero Crater Fun Paper Friday In a twist on an old tale, this authors examine how applying ethical matricies to AI driven questions can still result in questionable outcomes - like grinding up the geezers. Keyes, Os, Jevan Hutson, and Meredith Durbin. "A mulching proposal: Analysing and improving an algorithmic system for turning the elderly into high-nutrient slurry." Extended abstracts of the 2019 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems. 2019. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

How do you know if your cool new result is real or just some artifact? Is it data or noise, and are those not always so dissimilar? This week we tackle that along with how good your BS detector is. Fun Paper Friday Is your BS just BS or fake profundity? Pennycook, Gordon, et al. "On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit." Judgment and Decision making 10.6 (2015): 549-563. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Wildfires can change the landscape and have geologic implications. Also, what makes your sneakers squeak, and what does that have to do with earthquakes? Fun Paper Friday A peek into the physics of squeaky sneakers Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week we recap the GEARS 2026 workshop, our return from summer break, how hot it has been, and chat about floods of the 1300's in Europe. GEARS Workshop Fun Paper Friday Kiss, Andrea, et al. "Cascading continental-scale floods across Europe in 1342–1343." Nature (2026): 1-8. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

There was a very large earthquake in the Philippines - John and Shannon break down what you need to know. We also explore the question - what's the deal with birds? Fun Paper Friday Baldassarre, Daniel T. "What’s the Deal with Birds." Sci J Res Rev 2 (2020): 1-4. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week John and Shannon discuss the book "Slow Productivity", our other summer reading lists, and if swearing makes your exercise sessions better. Fun Paper Friday Jiannine, Lia, and Jose Antonio. "The effects of cursing on exercise performance." Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 26.5 (2023). Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week we talk about GPR or ground penetrating radar as Shannon considers buying one and asks what to look for. Fun Paper Friday Do trees glow before lightning strikes? McFarland, P. J., et al. "Corona discharges glow on trees under thunderstorms." Geophysical Research Letters 53.4 (2026): e2025GL119591. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week we talk about how you should approach an outcrop in the field for the first time. What do you look for? What kind of notes do you take? This and more field camp tips plus a discussion about the rheology of pasta sauce. Fun Paper Friday Busiello, Daniel Maria, Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti, and Ivan Di Terlizzi. "Physical properties of a perfect pasta sauce." Physics Today 2026 (2026). Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week we help a listener identify their bizarre fossil - and it's a trace fossil! Learn all about it and find out if you'd remember more if we were funnier! Trace Fossil Dictionary Shannon’s Favorite Trackway Asterosoma Fun Paper Friday Would you remember more about science if your teachers presented it in a funny way? Frank, Alexandra L., et al. "Wit meets wisdom: the relationship between satire and anthropomorphic humor on scientists' likability and legitimacy." Journal of Science Communication 24.1 (2025): A04.

This week, we continue to talk about temperature with a discussion of temperature scales, where they came from, and why there are so many! Fun Paper Friday Kaiser, Caspar, and Andrew J. Oswald. "The scientific value of numerical measures of human feelings." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.42 (2022): e2210412119. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo [email protected] John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin