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Outside/In

NHPR

Outside/In: Where curiosity and the natural world collide.

Look around, and you’ll find everything is connected to the natural world. At Outside/In, we explore that idea with boundless curiosity. We report from disaster zones, pickleball courts, and dog sled kennels, and talk about policy, pop culture, science, and everything in between. From the backcountry to your backyard, we tell stories that expand the boundaries of environmental journalism.

Outside/In is a production of NHPR. Learn more at outsideinradio.org

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  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 33 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • September 2 · 31 min

    Cosmic earthquake pizza

    When an Outside/In listener asked the team to weigh in on a debate between him and his wife, perhaps we should have hesitated. But it was too good to resist. “We have eighteen-year old twin boys, and sometimes they leave pizza out on the counter. She's convinced it's bad for your health — and I don't think so! Is pizza left overnight on the counter bad for you?” Anthony asked. For some members of the team, the answer was vindicating. For others, it was unmooring. Beyond settling this marital debate, in this Outside/Inbox roundup, the team offers our insights on animal perception of earthquakes, the apple supply chain, and finally answers a personal question that a surprising number of you have posed. Featuring Don Schaffner, Martin Wikelski, and Thiago Campbell. Thanks to Anthony, Carolyn, Mande, and Charles for their questions. We want your questions on food safety! You might hear them on the show. Send them to outsidein@nhpr.org or leave a voicemail at 1-844-GO-OTTER. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • August 19 · 31 min

    City Summer, Country Summer

    Growing up, Kiese Laymon thought of himself as a city kid. But he spent his childhood with a foot in two worlds: his mom’s house in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi and his grandma’s house in a rural country town. It wasn’t until Kiese left Mississippi that he came to understand that this question of city versus country actually meant a lot more. It carries a lot of baggage: the tensions between north and south, tectonic historical forces, and the contradictions of life in Mississippi. In this episode, originally published in 2025, our producer Justine Paradis sits down with writer Kiese Laymon for a conversation on this question of country versus city, what that has to do with the history of Black life in this country, and the story of Kiese’s first children’s picture book, his latest in a lifelong exploration of a complicated love of Mississippi. Featuring Kiese Laymon. Produced by Justine Paradis. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Kiese Laymon’s first children’s book, City Summer, Country Summer. If you’d like to read more by Kiese, we recommend “Da Art of Storytellin’ (A Prequel)”, his essay about Outkast, his grandmother, and stank. (Oxford American) Kiese adapted City Summer, Country Summer from this 2020 prose-poem essay. (New York Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 29 · 31 min

    Fiasco al fresco

    A field trip, a play, and a producer’s case against outdoor dining.

  • July 22 · 31 min

    Night Owls

    The federal government wants to kill one owl to save another.

  • July 15 · 32 min

    The sunscreen episode

    What's the most advanced piece of modern technology you bring to the beach? It might be your sunblock.

  • July 1 · 32 min

    The problem with pickleball

    Other sports fans call foul after an "invasion" of pickleballers take up residence on one of Boston's most popular public outdoor courts.

  • June 24 · 31 min

    You’ve got scorpion

    “Why can you send live scorpions in the mail?” And other zany questions from the Outside/Inbox.

  • June 17 · 31 min

    Big porpoise energy

    Don’t be fooled by that cute face. The porpoise is actually a speed fiend with an insane metabolism and an outrageous sex drive.

  • June 3 · 31 min

    Never add sodium to your pasta water

    From the explosive nature of sodium, to the secret behind Brawndo (“It’s got what plants crave!”) — this episode is definitely worth its salt.

  • May 27 · 32 min

    A cow named Speckles

    For farm kids, 4-H programs can be a learning opportunity and a rite of passage. For one 10-year-old boy, it was a lesson in grief.

  • May 20 · 36 min

    In defense of darkness

    We live in a chronically overlit world. But this self-described “light-waste grump” thinks there’s hope.

  • May 6 · 33 min

    Silicon Planet

    You think the world runs on Dunkin’? Nope. It runs on silicon.

Showing 1–20 of 27 episodes