Don't Panic Geocast
John Leeman and Shannon Dulin discuss geoscience and technology weekly for your enjoyment! Features include guests, fun paper Friday selections, product reviews, and banter about recent developments. Shannon is a field geologist who tolerates technology and John is a self-proclaimed nerd that tolerates geologists.
Episodes
July 11, 2025 • 64 mins
We're back from summer break - Shannon taught field camp, John travelled for work and got hailed on, and more!
John’s Hail Storm (https://youtube.com/shorts/aLb-P7HFL-Y)
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 impairment: cross sectional analysis." bmj 387 (2...
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May 16, 2025 • 54 mins
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 (https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/11/the-physics-of-keeping-those-last-bits-of-ketchup-from-splattering/)
Cuttle, Callum, and Christopher W. MacMinn. "Dynamics of compression-driven gas-l...
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April 25, 2025 • 48 mins
This week we talk hail, Vesuvius, volcanic bombs, and vitrified brains.
Scandone, Roberto, Lisetta Giacomelli, and Mauro Rosi. "Death, Survival and Damage during the 79 AD Eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum." J. Res. Didact. Geogr 2 (2019): 5-30. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337768981_Death_Survival_and_Damage_during_the_79_AD_Eruption_of_Vesuvius_which_destroyed_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum)
Fun P...
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April 18, 2025 • 65 mins
Shannon's class took a trip to study catestrophic sedimentation... and they found it! John switched back to a Mac after 5 years. Join us for these and other exciting updates!
Fun Paper Friday
Find out how alcohol and an eye puffer machine cominbed with magnets can teach us about where our motor skills reside in the brain.
Johansson, Fredrik, et al. "Alcohol impairs learning and timing of conditioned eyeblink responses." Brain Resea...
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April 4, 2025 • 57 mins
Turner Falls, Oklahoma
A rare waterfall that grows outward due to travertine deposition instead of eroding backward.
Formed by spring-fed Honey Creek flowing through Ordovician limestone, creating massive travertine deposits.
Pe'ePe'e Falls, Hawai'i (Big Island)
~80 ft falls in downtown Hilo, part of the Wailuku River flowing between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Carved into 10,000-year-old lava flows with subsequent flows cre...
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March 7, 2025 • 48 mins
This week we talk about snow forecasting as the winter season starts to wrap up and try to figure out if you're really happier in the morning or not!
Fun Paper Friday
https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e301418 (https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1/e301418)
Contact us:
Show
Support us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/dontpanicgeo)
www.dontpanicgeocast.com (http://www.dontpanicgeocast.com)
@dontpanicgeo (https://twitt...
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February 14, 2025 • 45 mins
Ever wondered how geologists figure out when a landslide happened? Or how ancient river terraces and glacial deposits get dated? This week, we dive into the detective work behind dating geomorphic features! 🌍🔬 From tree rings to cosmic rays, we explore the fascinating methods geologists use to reconstruct Earth’s history and assess natural hazards.
Why Dating Landslides and Other Features is Hard
Landslides can reactivate mul...
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February 7, 2025 • 48 mins
We just wrapped up our first-ever on-site GEARS Workshop at UTEP and it was a massive success! 🎉 Tune in as we break down the highlights, what we learned, and how this hands-on geoscience training is evolving for the future.
Fun Paper Friday
Can paranormal lights actually be tied to earthquakes?
Hough, Susan E. "Haunted Summerville: Ghostly Lights or Earthquake Lights?." (https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-pdf/doi/10...
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January 24, 2025 • 67 mins
This week, it's time for our 2025 resolutions show, where we see how we can improve this year and discuss everything that's changed in the past year!
Fun Paper Friday
We are all overloaded with surveys and requests, but can a chocolate bar increase the response rates?
Jamtvedt, Gro, et al. "Chocolate bar as an incentive did not increase response rate among physiotherapists: a randomised controlled trial." BMC research notes 1 (2008...
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January 17, 2025 • 41 mins
This week we wrap up our finding faults show started oh so long ago! Learn how to identify faults in the field and then relax with a coffee with a physicist! A perfectly spherical coffee on a frictionless plane that is!
Fun Paper Friday
Bossart, Aleksi, Romain Fleury, and Benjamin Apffel. "Science of a coffee cup: a physicist walks into a bar..." arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.01180 (2025). (https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.01180)
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December 27, 2024 • 72 mins
This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Joshua Pearce to the show! We dive into the world of open-source hardware for academic labs, the challenges and rewards of open-sourcing projects, and the exciting opportunities it creates for researchers and the general public alike. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about innovation, making, and the future of accessible technology!
Joshua Pearce
Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardwa...
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December 20, 2024 • 57 mins
Shannon went to AGU and we're updated on the meeting and what cool new science things she saw!
Fun Paper Friday
He, Yu, et al. "Superionic iron alloys and their seismic velocities in Earth’s inner core." Nature 602.7896 (2022): 258-262. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04361-x)
Contact us:
Show
Support us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/dontpanicgeo)
www.dontpanicgeocast.com (http://www.dontpanicgeocast.com)
@dontpa...
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December 6, 2024 • 56 mins
Faults are fractures in the Earth's crust where movement has occurred, creating features that are critical to understanding geological processes. In this episode, we explore how to recognize fault zones in the field, examine their widths at different depths, and analyze the breakage patterns and deformation features that define them.
Definition of faults and why they matter in geological studies: USGS - Earthquake Glossary (https:/...
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November 29, 2024 • 50 mins
Lithium, often called "white gold," is a critical resource powering modern technologies like electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and more. This week, we explore lithium's geological formation, mining, processing, and its growing importance in the energy revolution. We also dive into exciting developments in Arkansas, which could make the U.S. a major player in domestic lithium production.
Learn More:
Pegmatite Geolog...
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November 22, 2024 • 50 mins
Gold has been a symbol of wealth, beauty, and power for millennia, but its importance extends far beyond jewelry and currency. From its formation deep in the Earth’s crust to its critical uses in electronics, medicine, and aerospace, this episode explores the fascinating journey of gold and why it continues to captivate us today.
Learn More:
Gold - Royal Society of Chemistry (https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/79/gold)
Gold...
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November 15, 2024 • 44 mins
Ever wondered how silver journeys from ancient rock formations to the tech in your pocket? In this episode of Don't Panic Geocast, we dig deep into the fascinating world of silver—the metal that's shaped economies, inspired legends, and powers modern technology. From its formation in Earth’s crust to the precise science of extraction and refining, we’ll explore how silver’s unique properties make it indispensable in everything from...
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November 8, 2024 • 58 mins
This week, we dive into the fascinating world of coal—its origins, types, and the role it has played in shaping economies, past and present. We discuss coal’s formation in ancient swampy environments, the journey from mining to electricity generation, and the transition we’re witnessing as the world moves toward renewable energy sources. We wrap up with a Fun Paper Friday that challenges the classic "Infinite Monkeys Theorem"—could...
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November 1, 2024 • 36 mins
Throughout human history, certain minerals have held immense power, shaping economies, societies, and entire civilizations. In this economic rocks series, John and Shannon discuss how essential minerals like salt, gold, and coal influenced historical events and continue to impact modern geopolitics. This week we start with salt and how it is essential to many aspects of our day to day.
Learn More
History of Salt in Ancient Civiliza...
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October 18, 2024 • 59 mins
In our 400th episode, we take a moment to reflect on some of our favorite past episodes and Fun Paper Fridays that have brought joy, knowledge, and a good laugh to the show. From memorable guests to quirky science papers, this episode is a tribute to everything that makes the Don't Panic Geocast special. Join us for this nostalgia-packed episode where we look back at the highlights of 399 episodes!
Highlighted Episodes
Episode 350 ...
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October 11, 2024 • 60 mins
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making its way into academic research and writing, offering a range of tools that can help streamline workflows, enhance creativity, and improve productivity. In this episode, John and Shannon dive into some of the AI tools they’ve been experimenting with and discuss broader questions about fairness, disclosure, and the evolving role of AI in academia.
Elsevier’s Policy on Generative AI in Writing (h...
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