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Big Biology

by Cameron Ghalambor and Marty Martin
Life SciencesScienceNatural Sciences

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Latest episodes

  • The Selective Organism with Pim Edelaar

    October 22, 2026 · 1 hr 37 min

    How can organismal choices drive adaptive evolution? Can plasticity act as a kind of selection? In this episode, we talk with Pim Edelaar, a professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering at the University…

  • Conservation in a cup with David Lodge

    October 1, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

    How do you find an invasive species that no net can catch? What happens to the scientist whose research samples end up in federal court? In this episode, we talk with David Lodge, a freshwater ecologist at Cornell University and past…

  • A tribute to slow science: remembering Bob Ricklefs

    September 10, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com What was distinctive about Bob Ricklefs’ mentorship style, and how did he influence his students and collaborators? What were Bob’s major contributions…

  • Flower power (Ep 153)

    August 13, 2026 · 58 min

    How have flowers shaped the modern world? Why do we and many other species have such intimate and long-term relationships with them? On this special episode, we talk with David George Haskell, a writer and biologist. We discuss his most…

  • A coevolutionary conundrum (Ep 152)

    July 23, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min

    When a bee visits a flower, what decides the match? How can a neutral model explain community assemblages? Why are long-term ecological studies so important? In this episode, we talk with Diego Vázquez, a community ecologist at CONICET in…

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  • The cost of correctness (Ep 151)

    July 2, 2026 · 49 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com What have so many influential scientists been at some time been ridiculed and disbelieved by their peers or institutions? What reforms could foster…

  • Hormones gone wild (Ep 150)

    June 4, 2026 · 1 hr 20 min

    How do hormones help animals cope with stress, seasons, and climate change? What is allostasis? In this episode, our guest is John Wingfield, Emeritus Professor of Physiology and Behavior, at the University of California, Davis. John…

  • Invasion of the ecosystem snatchers (Ep 149)

    May 14, 2026 · 35 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com How do you experimentally test theories of island biogeography? Who were the Tallahassee Mafia? Why do some introduced species become invasive and…

  • The Voracious Ctenophore and the Silent Sea (Ep 148)

    April 23, 2026 · 30 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com How is climate change affecting the movements of small predators in the sea? How do diatoms affect ocean carbon cycling? How do Cassiopea jellyfish act…

  • The Genetics of Vice (Ep 147)

    April 2, 2026 · 52 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com What role do genes play in complex human behaviors? If behavior is largely shaped by a combination of experience and luck, how should we rethink blame…

  • Evolution at the speed of life (Ep 145)

    February 12, 2026 · 32 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com What are eco‑evolutionary dynamics and how can we study them in the wild? Why do some fish evolve placentas? In this episode, we talk with David…

  • Heart of gold (Ep 144)

    January 22, 2026 · 33 min

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com How are camera traps used in the conservation of cryptic species such as the African golden cat? How can local communities be engaged to foster the…

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About the show

The biggest biology podcast for the biggest science and biology fans. Featuring in-depth discussions with scientists tackling the biggest questions in evolution, genetics, ecology, climate, neuroscience, diseases, the origins of life, psychology and more. If it's biological, groundbreaking, philosophical or mysterious you'll find it here. bigbiology.substack.com