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
September 5, 2025 • 46 mins
This week we are back and discussing the recent large earthquake in Russia!
Fun Paper Friday
Is that viral video of a fault rupture form a security camera real? This paper checks it out.
Kearse, Jesse, and Yoshihiro Kaneko. "Curved Fault Slip Captured by CCTV Video During the 2025 M w 7.7 Myanmar Earthquake." The Seismic Record 5.3 (2025): 281-288. (https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/tsr/article/5/3/281/659624/Curved-Fault-Slip-C...
Mark as Played
August 8, 2025 • 48 mins
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 list, but every pick is guaranteed to bring a bit of science to your next adventure.
A...
Mark as Played
August 1, 2025 • 50 mins
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:
Hematite – With its metallic luster and planetary significance.
Goethite – A subtle ...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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)
Contact us:...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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:/...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
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...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Charlie is America's hardest working grassroots activist who has your inside scoop on the biggest news of the day and what's really going on behind the headlines. The founder of Turning Point USA and one of social media's most engaged personalities, Charlie is on the front lines of America’s culture war, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of students on over 3,500 college and high school campuses across the country, bringing you your daily dose of clarity in a sea of chaos all from his signature no-holds-barred, unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view. You can also watch Charlie Kirk on Salem News Channel