The Poetry of Science

This episode explores new research, which has found that nearly half of 232 US health datasets were changed, mostly replacing 'gender' with 'sex', without logging or explanation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Testament to the Agency of Man’ by Rickey Laurentiis here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that damming water in reservoirs from 1835 to 2011 shifted Earth's spin axis by over half a metre. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Toward the North Pole’ by Louis Gilmore here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that vampire bats can lick rabies vaccines off each other, spreading immunity through grooming. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Bats’ by Hussain Ahmed here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that even small amounts of lead in early childhood were linked to lower reading and maths scores all the way through school. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Lead in the Water’ by Jean Garrigue here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that oceans are getting greener near the poles and bluer in the subtropics. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Against Opulence’ by Kimiko Hahn here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which found that climate change and cheese quality are directly linked. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Personals’ by C.D. Wright here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which found that living within proximity to a golf course increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘X Ray’ by Dannie Abse here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that removing fluoride from US water would cost $9.8 billion. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Brushing Teeth with My Sister after the Wake’ by Jim Daniels here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that beers brewed across the US contain 'forever chemicals' linked to health risks. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Lines on Ale’ by Edgar Allan Poe here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that democratic countries often appear greener because they offshore pollution to less democratic nations. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Love in a Time of Climate Change’ by Craig Santos Perez here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that the richest 1% of people caused 20 times more warming than the global average since 1990. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘ted talk’ by Jenny Zhang here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth  

This episode explores new research, which has found that citizens in more democratic nations report greater wellbeing. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Democracy Poem #1’ by June Jordan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that a 50% drop in US childhood vaccination could cause 51 million measles cases in 5 years. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘A Mnemonic Device’ by Clare Pollard here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found a link between wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Ashes’ by Karin Gottshall here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that carrion crows can spontaneously detect geometric regularity - like right angles and symmetry - just like humans. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Crows in a Strong Wind’ by Cornelius Eady here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that US Bitcoin mining uses more electricity than Los Angeles, mostly from fossil fuels. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Air' by W.S. Merwin here.   --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found a permanent global decline in terrestrial water storage, especially soil moisture. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read ‘Water Table’ by Eliza Griswold here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that insect brains might calculate the sun’s position using internal clocks and trigonometric circuits. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Insect’ by Annie Finch here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that which has found that matcha green tea reduces DNA damage and oxidative stress in bone marrow after gamma radiation exposure. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Green Tea’ by Dale Ritterbusch here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that decaying jellyfish blooms create hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Moon Jellyfish’ by Jennifer Martelli here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which found war-related trauma changes DNA in Syrian refugee families, affecting children and grandchildren. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Origins of Violence’ by Jenny George here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that countries like the US and UK use more land for golf courses than for wind or solar energy. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Seaside Golf’ by John Betjeman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that wildfire suppressants contain toxic metals. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Smothered Fires’ by Georgia Douglas Johnson here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that Ancient Egyptian mummies still smell nice. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Egyptian Tomb of Emily Dickinson’ by Alexandria Peary here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that urban rat populations are increasing in most major cities - driven by climate warming and urbanisation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Rats’ by Pierre Martory here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has investigated bacteria that can eat forever chemicals. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Triple Moments of Light and Industry’ by Brenda Hillman here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth This episode explores new research, which has investigated bacteria that can eat forever chemicals. If you want to find out more about the scientific study featured in this episode, or read any of the poems in full, then please visit the show notes at scipoetry.podbean.com.

This episode explores new research, which has investigated the key risks from Arctic permafrost thaw. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Undoing’ by Khadijah Queen here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that barn owls have evolved to camouflage themselves by moonlight. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Owl’ by Arthur Sze here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that sea surface temperatures and deeper water temperatures reached a new record high in 2024. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Sea Chews Things Up’ by Cleopatra Mathis here.   --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found microplastic hotspots across the Southern Ocean. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'If the ocean had a mouth' by Marie-Elizabeth Mali here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which explores the emerging archaeological record of Mars. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Tea-Strainer’ by Joyelle McSweeney here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which explores the emerging archaeological record of Mars. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Here's Mars’ by William H. Dickey here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that air pollution in India is linked to millions of deaths. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Air Smelled Dirty’ by Marge Piercy here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has shown climate warming destabilises boreal forests. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Forest of Dead Trees’ by Mark Turbyfill here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found 1.5-million-year-old footprints of two different species of human ancestors at the same spot. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Footsteps’ by Fanny Howe here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that more snow could protect glaciers from melt – but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Eating the Glacier’ by Lauren Winchester here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

This episode explores new research, which has found that rainforest protection reduces the number of respiratory diseases. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Rainforest’ by Teresa Mei Chuc here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has observed warm ocean water moving beneath the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica, where it contributes to ice melting. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read 'Ice' by Gail Mazur here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that bats use an acoustic cognitive map for navigation. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Bats' by Luke Hathaway here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that human actions cause insect colour change. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Insect’ by Annie Finch here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that tropical mammals react to changes in lunar light. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Moonlight’ by Paul Verlaine here.   --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has used the chemical fingerprints of zinc contained in meteorites to determine the origin of volatile elements on Earth. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Near-Earth Object’ by John Shoptaw here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that drier winter habitat impacts songbirds’ ability to survive migration. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Migration’ by Ira Sadoff here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Wood’ by Richard Brautigan here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that the long-range transport of dust enhances oceanic life. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Dust’ by Dorianne Laux here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that flowers use adjustable petal designs to attract pollinators. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Flowers’ by Wendy Videlock here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that excessive light pollution may increase risk of Alzheimer's. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read “Alzheimer’s” by William J. Harris here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has observed a pair of galaxies in the act of merging 12.8 billion years ago. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘Universe’ by Steven Schnur here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research, which has found that meteor showers shed light on where comets formed in the early solar system. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘The Meteorite’ by Randall Jarrell here. --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth 

This episode explores new research which has found that underground acoustics amplify soil health. --- Read this episode’s science poem here. Read the scientific study that inspired it here. Read ‘This Soil’ by Alice Corbin Henderson here.   --- Music by Rufus Beckett. --- Follow Sam on social media and send in any questions or comments for the podcast: Email: [email protected]   X: @samillingworth