Wildly Curious
Wildly Curious is a comedy podcast where science, nature, and curiosity collide. Hosted by Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole, two wildlife experts with a combined 25+ years of conservation education experience, the show dives into wild animal behaviors, unexpected scientific discoveries, and bizarre natural phenomena. With a knack for breaking down complex topics into fun and digestible insights, Katy and Laura make science accessible for all—while still offering fresh perspectives for seasoned science enthusiasts. Each episode blends humor with real-world science, taking listeners on an engaging journey filled with quirky facts and surprising revelations. Whether you're a curious beginner or...
The Science of Swearing: Can Cursing Actually Help You?
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Subscribe and let your curiosity swear a little. We won’t tell. 😉
In this Wildly Curious minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole kick off their new Niche Scientists series with a deep dive into Dr. Richard Stephens—a psychologist who studies something we all do (sometimes loudly): swearing.
From pain tolerance to powerlifting, Dr. Stephens’ research shows that strategic cursing can actually make you stronger, tougher, and maybe even a little bit smarter about when to drop an F-bomb.
🤬 Can swearing really reduce pain...
The Science (and Chaos) Behind Turkeys, Pumpkins, and Thanksgiving
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Subscribe and stuff your brain before you stuff your turkey. 🦃🥧
In this Wildly Curious Thanksgiving special, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole serve up the surprisingly scientific and hilariously human history of America’s favorite feast. From how pumpkins nearly went extinct after the Ice Age to why turkeys were almost wiped out (and then made a comeback), this episode is a buffet of weird facts, origin stories, and seasonal science.
🍂 How mastodons helped evolve pumpkins
🦃 Why Benjamin Franklin thought turkeys were “more respectable” than eagles
🥧 The secret h...
Could You Fight That? Round 2 – Science, Strategy & Total Chaos
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Season 13 is here… and it’s fight night. (Hypothetically, of course.) 🥊
Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole are back with Could You Fight That? Part 2, the follow-up to one of Wildly Curious’ most beloved (and ridiculous) episodes.
This time, the matchups get even wilder—from kangaroos and cassowaries to anteaters and octopuses—as the duo debates whether they could theoretically survive these encounters.
It’s all fun, all hypothetical, and all rooted in animal science and pure chaos.
⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This episode is 100% for fun. Do NOT<...
The Taos Hum: The Sound Science Can’t Explain
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Subscribe and listen closely… if you can. 👂
In this Nature Mysteries Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole tune into one of the strangest modern mysteries: the Taos Hum.
Since the 1990s, people in Taos, New Mexico have reported a low, constant humming sound that only a small percentage of the population can hear. The rest? Silence.
🎧 What is the Taos Hum—and why can only some people hear it?
🌍 Is it microseismic vibrations from the Earth itself?
⚡ Could it come from hidden elect...
The Hessdalen Lights: Science’s Strangest Unexplained Glow
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Subscribe and embrace the glow of curiosity. 🔦
In this Nature Mysteries Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole investigate one of the most baffling natural light shows on Earth—the Hessdalen Lights of Norway. For over a century, glowing orbs have danced through a remote valley, pulsing, hovering, and splitting apart with no clear cause. Scientists have studied them for decades… and still, no one really knows what they are.
✨ What are the Hessdalen Lights, and how long have they been appearing?
📡 What did researchers d...
The Truth About the Bermuda Triangle: Science vs. Mystery
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Subscribe and let your curiosity get lost at sea (but like, safely). 🌊
In this Nature Mysteries Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into one of Earth’s most famous unsolved legends: the Bermuda Triangle—also known as the Devil’s Triangle.
For over a century, this stretch of ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico has been blamed for the mysterious disappearances of ships, planes, and the people aboard them. But is it really cursed—or just misunderstood?
🛩️ What really happened...
How the Moon Was Formed: A Science Cosmic Mystery
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In this Nature Mysteries Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole tackle one of the biggest unanswered questions in planetary science: how was the Moon formed?
We look at what we do know—like why lunar rocks look almost identical to Earth’s, why one side of the Moon is thicker than the other, and why it’s slowly drifting away at 1.5 inches per year. Then we dig into the wild theories scient...
Crabs on the Move: The World’s Strangest Mass Migration
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In this final Swarms Minisode of the season, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole lose their minds (in the best way) over the most chaotic, moon-synced crab love party on Earth: the migration of Christmas Island red crabs.
We’re talking:
🦀 50 to 100 million land crabs
🌧 Timed to what we're convinced is a witches curse....
🚧 Roads shut down
🌊 Pina colada breaks (probably)
💥 And babies launched off seaside cliffs like nature’s carpe...
Nature’s Self-Destruct Button: When Death Means Survival
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In this explosive episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole reveal the surprising truth: sometimes, nature chooses to self-destruct—and it's all part of the plan.
From exploding ants to salmon that spawn and die, and fungi that launch spores like botanical cannons, this episode dives into how death in nature isn't always failure—it's strategy.
💥 Why some creatures explode on purpose
🐟 How salmon die to feed the next generation
🌱 Whic...
Swarms: Why Army Ants Are the Forest’s Most Ruthless Hunters
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Subscribe and prepare yourself—because this time, the swarm doesn’t just chase... it devours.
In this Swarms Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the world of army ants, some of the most strategic, aggressive, and terrifyingly coordinated hunters on Earth. From building living bridges to raiding the forest floor with military precision, these ants don't forage… they sweep, and anything that can’t move fast enough is gone.
🐜 Why army ants don’t build nests—but become one
🚨 How their raids dis...
Seeds on the Move: How Plants Travel the World Without Legs
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In this seed-sational episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dig into the unexpectedly wild world of seed dispersal. From coconuts floating across oceans to violets launching their seeds like botanical cannons, this episode explores the many weird and wonderful ways plants get around without walking.
🌊 How coconuts evolved to sail thousands of miles
🌬️ The physics behind parachuting and helicoptering seeds
🧲 The sticky science of clingers like burdock and chia
💥 W...
Swarms: Why Killer Bees Are So Scary (and So Misunderstood)
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Subscribe if you love science, chaos, and being mildly afraid of your backyard. 🐝
In this Swarms Minisode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover facts around the infamous “killer bees”—a.k.a. Africanized honeybees. Spoiler: they don’t look scary, but they’ll chase you, sting in overwhelming numbers, and sometimes even wait above water for you to come up for air.
But is the fear justified?
🐝 What makes Africanized honeybees so aggressive?
🌎 How did a 1950s experiment in Brazil lead to bees...
How Animals Navigate Without GPS (Magnetic Fields, Instinct & More)
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Ever wonder how birds, eels, whales, or even bugs find their way without a GPS? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the jaw-dropping science behind animal navigation.
From locusts using sky maps and magnetic fields, to eels migrating thousands of miles to a secret oceanic birthplace no one’s ever seen (seriously), and birds that may be using quantum mechanics to see the Earth’s magnetic field—it’s a global tour of natural way-finding.
🌎 How do animals "see" magnetic fields?
🧭 What is magneto...
Swarms: The Science Behind Biblical Locust Plagues
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Subscribe if you love science, chaos, and bugs that are way too confident.
In this Swarms Minisode, Katy dives into the desert locust, a grasshopper that transforms—literally—into one of the most devastating swarm creatures on Earth.
🦗 What causes a peaceful insect to go full apocalypse mode?
🌾 How do they morph from shy loners to yellow, muscle-bound sky-hulks?
🌪 What triggers a swarm so massive it consumes everything in its path—eating its body weight daily?
📈 And why can’t we stop them, even with modern...
Swarms: Why Thousands of Sharks Suddenly Gather
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Subscribe and brace yourself—because this week, the swarm has teeth. 🦈
In this second episode of our Swarms Minisode Series, Laura and Katy dive into a lesser-known swarm behavior: shark aggregations. From 1,400 basking sharks off New England to over 15,000 spinning sharks off the Florida coast, this episode explores the science (and chaos) behind why some of the ocean’s most feared predators travel in giant, synchronized groups.
🦈 Why do basking sharks—normally loners—form feeding spirals?
🌊 What caused 15,000 blacktip and spinner sharks to swarm near Flor...
Why You Smell What You Smell: The Science of Scents, Skunks & Memory
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Subscribe and let your nose lead the way. This episode stinks—in the best way possible.
In this surprisingly deep dive into all things scent, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole explore how your sense of smell works, why it’s wildly underappreciated, and what makes certain smells feel amazing (or like a chemical attack).
🧠 How does smell connect to memory and emotion?
🦨 What makes skunk spray so powerful—and impossible to wash off?
🌺 Why do corpse flowers pretend to be rotting meat?
🍪 And why can one person lo...
Swarms: Why Starlings Move Like Liquid
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Subscribe and unleash your inner science goblin. It’s time for Swarms.
In the kickoff to our Swarms Minisodes, Katy and Laura dive into one of nature’s most mesmerizing spectacles: the murmuration of starlings. These jaw-dropping bird formations swirl through the sky like smoke or liquid—but behind the beauty is a stunning system of rules, physics, and evolutionary strategy.
🐦 What exactly is a murmuration—and why do starlings do it?
🌪 How can thousands of birds turn on a dime with no leader?
🧠 What’s “...
The Wildlife in Your Walls: Hidden Ecosystems Inside Your Home
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Subscribe and let your inner science goblin move into its own weird little ecosystem. 🦠
In the Season 12 kickoff of Wildly Curious, Katy and Laura reveal the bizarre—but very real—ecosystems thriving inside your house. From the Amazon rainforest of your belly button to the bug-filled biome behind your fridge, your home is alive in more ways than you think.
🦠 Why scientists swabbed hundreds of belly buttons to study bacteria
🍄 How household fungi can go from harmless to harmful
🪳 Which invertebrates are living behind your fridge...
The Volcano That Won’t Quite Sleep: Vesuvius’ Eruption History
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In this Volcano Minisode, Laura and Katy dive into the dramatic, deadly, and never-quite-dormant history of Mount Vesuvius, one of the most iconic volcanoes on Earth. From burying Pompeii in ash and pyroclastic waves to raining debris across the Mediterranean during WWII, Vesuvius has earned its title as the angriest volcano in history.
🌋 What makes Vesuvius so volatile?
🏛 What actually happened in 79 AD—and why d...
This Snail Built Its Own Metal Armor (Thanks, Volcanoes)
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In this Volcano Minisode, Katy introduces one of the most extreme animals on Earth: the scaly-foot gastropod, a deep-sea snail that literally builds metal armor from volcanic hydrothermal vents. Found over a mile below the ocean’s surface, this snail survives crushing pressure, toxic heat, and total darkness—all thanks to a symbiotic relationship with bacteria and its one-of-a-kind iron shell.
🧪 How does a snail use volcanic metals to build armor?
🌋 What makes hydrothermal vents so hostile—and so essential to life?
🧫 And who’s really in charge he...
Obsidian: The Sharpest Rock on Earth (and in Surgery)
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In this third Volcano Minisode, Katy digs into one of the coolest things a volcano has ever made: obsidian—a rock so sharp it's been shaping human history for 30,000 years and is still used in modern surgery. 🔪🖤
🌋 What exactly is obsidian and how is it formed?
⚡ How can lava turn into volcanic glass in a flash?
🩺 Why are obsidian scalpels sharper than steel—and still used today?
🛡 How did ancient people turn t...
The Hidden Caves Beneath Antarctica’s Volcanoes
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In this second Volcano Minisode, Laura dives deep (literally) into one of Antarctica’s strangest secrets: how volcanic heat has carved out entire networks of hidden ice caves—warm, alien worlds tucked under the frozen surface. 🧊🔥
🌋 Why does Antarctica have 18 volcanoes?
🌡 How can you go from -30°F outside to 70°F inside a cave?
🧬 What strange DNA have scientists discovered in these hidden spaces?
🚪 And could these caves hold more life—or ancient secrets—than we realize?
From steaming caves to undiscovered species, it’s a chilling (and thrilling) glimp...
A Volcano Buried the World’s Largest Pyramid?!
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In the first Volcano Minisode of our season break, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover one of the wildest stories you've probably never heard: how an active volcano in Mexico accidentally buried—and preserved—the world’s largest pyramid. Yes, really.
🌋 What is Popocatépetl, and why is it still puffing smoke?
🏛 How did the Great Pyramid of Cholula disappear beneath volcanic ash?
📜 What ancient secrets were hiding under a grassy hill with a church on top?
🔥 And how can something as destructive as a volcano also protect...
Volcanoes: Agents of Chaos or Planet Builders?
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Subscribe and unleash your inner science goblin. We see you. We respect it.
In this Season 11 finale of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole blow the lid off volcanoes—literally and figuratively. From earth-shaking eruptions and blue lava to the creation of entirely new islands, this episode dives into the molten madness of how volcanoes destroy, preserve, and even give life.
🌋 What exactly is a volcano?
🌎 Why do they erupt, and where can you find them?
⚡️ What’s up with volcanic lightning, blue lava, and weat...
Cosmic Critters: The Chimp Who Survived Space—and Changed Everything
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In this out-of-this-world episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole tell the incredible—and deeply emotional—story of Ham the Chimp, the first hominid to survive spaceflight.
🧠 How was Ham trained to perform tasks during a rocket launch?
🚀 What made his 1961 mission so important to Project Mercury?
💔 And what did it cost to send an intelligent animal into space?
Ham wasn’t just a passenger—he was a pioneer who proved humans could survive and function in zero gravity. But his journey, from capture in the...
Cosmic Critters: The Spiders Who Spun Webs in Space
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In this out-of-this-world episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole unravel the story of two unexpected astronauts: Anita and Arabella, the garden spiders launched aboard Skylab 3 in 1973.
🕸️ Can spiders spin webs in zero gravity?
🕷️ How do they adapt without gravity to guide them?
🛰️ What can eight-legged astronauts teach us about behavior and resilience in space?
Anita and Arabella weren’t just part of a quirky science experiment—they were pioneers in understanding how instinctual behavior and motor coordination function in micrograv...
Why We Sleep, Dream, and Lose Our Minds Without It
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Why do we sleep? What’s going on in our brains while we dream about flying bagels and dolphin taxis? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole stay up late to explore the science of sleep, REM cycles, lucid dreaming, and why getting less than 5 hours can mess with your memory, mood, and metabolism.
🧠 From brain waves and neurotransmitters to memory formation and emotional resets
😴 The truth about sleep deprivation, circadian rhythms, and why you might be hallucinating
💭 Plus: weird dreams, sleepwalking, dream interpretation, and the neuro...
Cosmic Critters: The Monkey-nauts Who Paved the Way for Space Travel
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Before astronauts, there were monkeynauts. In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the bizarre and often tragic history of the first primates sent to space—Albert I, II, III, and IV.
The U.S. was determined to test the limits of space travel, and what better way than by strapping a rhesus macaque to a rocket? Unfortunately for the Alberts, early spaceflight engineering wasn’t exactly foolproof (seriously, how hard is it to pack a working parachute?!). From launch failures to unexpected explosions, these monk...
Weather Gone Wild: Lightning, Haboobs, and Animal Rain—Oh My!
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From sky-high lightning bolts that span hundreds of miles to walls of sand swallowing cities whole, extreme weather is wild—and sometimes, just plain weird. 🌩️💨 In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy and Laura break down some of nature’s most shocking meteorological events, including lightning that’s hotter than the sun, haboobs that turn day into night, and actual raining animals (yes, really).
But that’s not all! We also dive into pink snow (that smells like watermelon), blood rain, and the terrifying reality of firestorms that create their own weather systems...
Cosmic Critters: The Frogs That Went to Space
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Frogs. In. Space. Yep, you read that right! In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole take you on a hilarious and mind-blowing journey into the weirdest space experiment you’ve probably never heard of—the Orbiting Frog Otolith mission.
Back in the 1970s, NASA decided that launching two bullfrogs into orbit was a great idea. Why? To study how weightlessness affects the inner ear and balance. But the story doesn’t stop there—these amphibian astronauts, named Pierre and Tinam, endured some wild conditions, from pressure changes...
Could You Train a Dinosaur? Science Says… Maybe!
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Could dinosaurs be the next great delivery workers, pest control experts, or even search-and-rescue heroes? In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole take a deep dive into the wild world of dinosaur training—imagining what it would take to turn prehistoric creatures into modern-day workers. From speedy compies delivering packages through city streets to armored Borealopelta stopping high-speed car chases, they explore the science behind animal training, intelligence, and behavior.
Packed with humor, science, and the ultimate “what if” scenarios, this episode is a must-listen for dinosa...
Cosmic Critters: The Spacefaring Cat Who Defied Gravity
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Blast off into the strange world of space-bound critters with Wildly Curious! In this episode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the bizarre true story of Félicette—the first (and only) cat launched into space. From rigorous astronaut training (including high-G centrifuge spins) to a suborbital flight with no windows, Félicette’s journey was as weird as it was historic.
Why did France decide to send a stray tuxedo cat into the cosmos? What did scientists hope to learn? And how does Félicette’s story compare to other spa...
Dinosaurs Uncovered: Myths, Misconceptions, and Mind-Blowing Discoveries
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In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy and Laura dive deep into the prehistoric past to separate dinosaur fact from fiction. From Hollywood myths to groundbreaking discoveries, they explore how our understanding of dinosaurs has evolved over time. Were all dinosaurs cold-blooded? Did they all go extinct at the same time? What even is a dinosaur? Prepare to have your dino knowledge challenged as they break down the latest fossil evidence, debunk common misconceptions, and reveal the fascinating science behind these ancient creatures.
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Cosmic Critters: Laika—The Stray Who Became a Space Pioneer
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Blast off with Wildly Curious as Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole launch into the incredible story of Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth. This fearless stray dog from the streets of Moscow became a space pioneer aboard Sputnik 2, forever changing our understanding of space travel. But her journey wasn’t just about science—it was a tale of sacrifice, Cold War competition, and the early days of the space race.
From the first fruit flies sent skyward to the wild world of animal astronauts, this episode kicks off our ...
Freaky Freshwater Giants: Vampire Fish, Giant Salamanders, and More
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Dive into the mysterious world of freshwater ecosystems with Wildly Curious! In this episode, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover some of the strangest and most fascinating creatures lurking in rivers and lakes worldwide. From the razor-toothed vampire fish of the Amazon to the ancient Chinese giant salamander, and even the armored Arapaima of the Amazon River Basin, each bizarre species has evolved incredible adaptations for survival. With a mix of humor and deep dives into science, this episode reveals why freshwater ecosystems are home to some of the most freaky and...
The Gundestrup Cauldron: Mysteries of an Ancient Silver Treasure
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In this final episode of the Bog Banter mini-series, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole uncover the story of the Gundestrup Cauldron—a massive silver artifact found buried in a Danish bog. Dating back to 150 BC, this intricately carved cauldron features mysterious depictions of gods, warriors, and mythical creatures from Celtic and Thracian cultures. Was it a sacred offering, war treasure, or something even more ominous? Katy and Laura delve into the theories behind its dismantling, burial, and its journey from southeastern Europe to Denmark. Join them as they explore the fascinating bl...
Pickled Dinosaur Brains: A Fossilized Glimpse into Prehistoric Intelligence
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In this episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into a truly mind-boggling discovery—literally! Learn about the astonishing find of a fossilized dinosaur brain, uncovered in a tide pool in southern England. Preserved by bog-like conditions over 133 million years, this rare fossil reveals intricate details of a plant-eating dinosaur’s brain, including its cortex, capillaries, and even the folds and wrinkles. Katy and Laura explore how the unique chemistry of bogs led to this extraordinary preservation and what it tells us about dinosaur intelligence and evolution.
Pe...
The Tale of Tollund Man: Unraveling Rituals and Mysteries of Iron Age Bogs
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In this eerie mini-sode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the hauntingly well-preserved story of the Tollund Man. Found in a Danish peat bog in 1950, this Iron Age figure still has intact skin, facial features, and even his last meal in his stomach! Katy and Laura explore the mysterious rituals surrounding his death, why bogs preserve bodies so well, and what his discovery reveals about Iron Age life. Was he a human sacrifice to appease the gods, or does his peaceful expression suggest something more profound?
<...Food Science for the Holidays: Staying Safe and Healthy
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In this festive episode of Wildly Curious, Laura sits down with food scientist Sarah Oster to explore the science behind staying safe in the kitchen during the holidays. From understanding the microbial risks of your favorite dishes to food safety tips that can prevent holiday disasters, Sarah shares insights from her 10+ years in food science. Learn about the surprising truths of food contamination, the "danger zone," and why cross-contamination is a bigger issue than you think. Whether you’re hosting a feast or simply reheating leftovers, this episode is packed with practical advice an...
Bog Mysteries: Mummified Bodies and Frankenstein-Like Discoveries
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In this fascinating episode of Wildly Curious, hosts Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole unravel the eerie tale of ancient bog bodies found in South Uist, Scotland. These Bronze Age remains aren’t your typical archaeological find—they’re stitched-together puzzles of multiple individuals, preserved in bogs and buried beneath a 3,000-year-old house. Explore the mysteries behind these Frankenstein-like creations, how bogs preserve bodies with their unique chemistry, and the theories about why ancient people may have created such bizarre ancestral fusions.
Perfect for history buffs, archaeology enthusiasts, and anyone who loves...
