Wild Thing (podcast)

Last updated
Wild Thing
Wildthing.png
Presentation
Hosted byLaura Krantz
LanguageEnglish
Production
ProductionFoxtopus Ink
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes32
Publication
Original releaseOctober 2, 2018

Wild Thing is a podcast about the relationship between science and society. It is hosted by Laura Krantz and produced by Foxtopus Ink. [1] In 2006 Krantz learned that she was related to anthropologist Grover Krantz, who had spent much of his career writing about and hunting for Sasquatch, after she read an article in the Washington Post. [2] At the time, Krantz was working at National Public Radio and thought that she needed to dig deeper. [2] Through her reporting she came to understand that the search for Sasquatch spoke to important questions about human evolution, conspiracy theories, and the human connection to the natural world. [3] The second season of Wild Thing concerns the search for extraterrestrial life. The third season explores the future (and past) of nuclear power.

Contents

Episodes

Season 1: Sasquatch, Science and Society
#TitleOriginal Air Date
1GroverOct 2, 2018
2Distant Relatives or Kissing CousinsOct 9, 2018
3The EvidenceOct 16, 2018
4EyewitnessOct 30, 2018
5A-C-T-G Spells B-G-F-TNov 6, 2018
6Bump in the NightNov 13, 2018
7TabooNov 20, 2018
8$a$quatchNov 27, 2018
9Why We want to BelieveDec 9, 2018

Season 2: Space Invaders

#TitleOriginal Air Date
1Out of This WordSep 17, 2020
2What is Life?Sep 24, 2020
3Doing the MathOct 1, 2020
4RoswellOct 8, 2020
5Independence DayOct 15, 2020
6Hear No Aliens, See No AliensOct 22, 2020
7E.T. Phone HomeOct 29, 2020
8Popular Science (Fiction)Nov 5, 2020
9You Gotta Have FaithNov 12, 2020
10The Truth is Out ThereNov 19, 2020
Season 3: Going Nuclear
#TitleOriginal Air Date
1Close to HomeMay 17, 2022
2Out of Little ThingsMay 24, 2022
3A New (clear) HopeMay 31, 2022
4Chain ReactionJun 7, 2022
5Trust IssuesJun 14, 2022
6You Look RadiantJun 21, 2022
7Half-LifeJun 28, 2022
8Risky BusinessJul 5, 2022
9An Atomic FutureJul 12, 2022

In addition to the main episodes, both seasons also include bonus interviews. Season one includes conversations with well known cryptozoologist Bob Gimlin, director William Dear, Sasquatch hunter Peter Byrne and Bigfoot erotica author Virginia Wade. [4] In season two Krantz speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, science YouTuber Joe Scott, as well as astronomers involved with searching for life on Venus and Mars.

Critical reception

Wild Thing garnered largely positive press from around the country. The Atlantic [5] announced Wild Thing as one of the best podcasts of 2018, largely owing to its gentle handling of a topic that many people view with skepticism. Emily Todd VanDerWeff of Vox wrote: "It’s smart, well produced, well written, and intelligently structured." [6] The Los Angeles Times called Wild Thing "Serial for Sasquatches." Mashable named it the most "binge-worth podcasts of 2018" [7] The Atlantic named season 2 one of the best podcasts of 2020. [8] The show was also featured in Rolling Stone, Outside Magazine, and Scientific American. [9] [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bigfoot</span> Mythical creature

Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a large, hairy mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Bigfoot is featured in both American and Canadian folklore, and since the mid-20th century has grown into a cultural icon, permeating popular culture and becoming the subject of its own distinct subculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patterson–Gimlin film</span> Alleged film of Bigfoot

The Patterson–Gimlin film is an American short motion picture of an unidentified subject that the filmmakers have said was a Bigfoot. The footage was shot in 1967 in Northern California, and has since been subjected to many attempts to authenticate or debunk it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grover Krantz</span> American biological anthropologist and cryptozoologist (1931–2002)

Grover Sanders Krantz was an American anthropologist and cryptozoologist; he was one of few scientists not only to research Bigfoot, but also to express his belief in the animal's existence. Throughout his professional career, Krantz authored more than 60 academic articles and 10 books on human evolution, and conducted field research in Europe, China, and Java.

Loren Coleman is an American cryptozoologist, author and television personality who has written over 40 books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology. He is also the President, Founder and leading Director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine. He has a background in social work and has also written on the topic of suicide, particularly the copycat effect.

Bigfoot is an alleged human or ape-like cryptid in North America. Since the mid-20th century, Bigfoot has become increasingly relevant in popular culture and is the subject of film, television, advertising, music, literature and more.

Scott Carney is an American investigative journalist, author and anthropologist. He is the author of five books: The Red Market, The Enlightenment Trap, What Doesn't Kill Us, The Wedge, and The Vortex. Carney contributes stories on a variety of medical, technological and ethical issues to Wired, Mother Jones, Playboy, Foreign Policy, Men's Journal, and National Public Radio.

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Laura Krantz is an American journalist, podcaster and author. She is the host of the podcast Wild Thing, was an editor at National Public Radio for ten years, has a series of illustrated children's books based on the podcast, and is a founding partner of the media company Foxtopus Ink. Her work has been covered extensively in the media including in the Los Angeles Times, FOX, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. She graduated Whitman College in 2000.

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References

  1. "Foxtopus Ink". Foxtopus Ink. Archived from the original on 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  2. 1 2 Carlson, Peter (2006-07-05). "Using His Cranium". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2020-01-15. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  3. VanDerWerff, Emily Todd (2018-12-12). "Wild Thing, one of 2018's most delightful new podcasts, dares to take Bigfoot seriously". Vox. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  4. "Listen to Wild Thing". Foxtopus Ink. Archived from the original on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  5. McQuade, Laura Jane Standley, Eric (2018-12-23). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2018". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2019-11-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. VanDerWerff, Emily Todd (2018-12-12). "Wild Thing, one of 2018's most delightful new podcasts, dares to take Bigfoot seriously". Vox. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  7. Connellan, Shannon (20 December 2018). "12 binge-worthy podcasts that debuted in 2018". Mashable. Archived from the original on 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  8. McQuade, Laura Jane Standley, Eric (2020-12-26). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2020". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2021-04-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Marks, Brenna Ehrlich, Andrea; Ehrlich, Brenna; Marks, Andrea (2020-11-13). "7 Podcasts to Stream This November". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-04-13.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "Early Maps of Geologic Strata, an Oliver Sacks Documentary and a New Science Podcast". Scientific American . November 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  11. "What We Really Know About Life in Outer Space". Outside Online. 2020-09-17. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-13.