Nautilus Narrations

For decades, scientists, engineers, and others in the planetary defense community have been theorizing on ways to interrupt the journey of an Earth-bound asteroid. In this episode of Nautilus Narrations, watch space and astronomy creator Sunshine Nate read "Here to Save the Day!" by Tom Vanderbilt from Nautilus Magazine, and learn about the very real threat of an asteroid causing catastrophic damage to Earth, and the scientists from the Planetary Defense Conference who are trying to prevent it.Follow Nate on Instagram where he explains all the interesting happenings in the cosmos, and shares original photos and videos from his many telescopes. You can also visit his website here. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Following devastating heat waves in 2016 and 2017 that caused intense bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, it was impossible to ignore the existential vulnerability of coral in a warming world. In response, Australia’s government established the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP). Their mission: figure out how to protect the reef. David Mead, the program’s director, called it a “no-stone-unturned approach.”In this episode of Nautilus Narrations, coral biologist and science Communicator Summer Collins reads 'A Wild Idea to Protect the Great Barrier Reef' by Juli Berwald from Nautilus Magazine, and explores some of the fascinating new ways scientists are trying to protect reefs from extinction. You can follow Summer Collins and her work as an ocean steward on Instagram here, and visit her website. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

"Quantum mechanics is confusing, nonintuitive, and seemingly nonsensical. What I found through my journey is that this confusion and senselessness isn’t a bug, but a feature, and creates a new way to see our everyday life," writes cosmologist Paul M. Sutter."Instead of interpreting quantum mechanics, I ultimately realized, maybe we should just submit to it—and let quantum mechanics interpret our own lives."In this episode of Nautilus Narrations, join Sutter on his journey through the four stages of “quantum grief" and find out how he learned to stop worrying, and love uncertainty. You can check out more of Paul's work on his website, YouTube and Instagram. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Science has been accumulating evidence that friendship isn’t just critical for our happiness, but also our health and longevity.Friendship is also particularly important to acclaimed street artist and purveyor of friendship, Kai – the perfect narrator for this episode of Nautilus Narrations.Kai's signature persona “IF,” which stands for “Imaginary Friend," is found in every single piece of Kai’s work, including this video. The goal: create a character that everyone can relate with, and to help communicate the universal issues that tie cultures together. Friendship.Watch Kai aka "IF" read "Friendship is a Lifesaver" by Lydia Denworth from Nautilus Magazine, and learn why science is showing us the best remedy for aging is friends.You can view Kai's art on Instagram here. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

The way we live is out of balance with the way we eat. Urbanization and population growth will require more farmland, more transportation, and an even bigger ecological footprint—unless we can find more efficient ways to feed the world. One intriguing solution is to give traditional agriculture a 90 degree twist into vertical farming.In this episode of Nautilus Narrations, food and travel creator Tinger Hseih reads "The Future of Food Looks Small, Dense, and Very Bushy" by Christie Wilcox from Nautilus Magazine, and explores how vertical farming could make agriculture more robust and sustainable.Dash of Ting is Tinger's hub for food and travel advice for health-conscious consumers. If you're looking for delicious regional cuisines and unique adventures, check out her website here, and follow her on Instagram here.Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Throughout history, vultures have been burdened with an image evoking notions of death, greed, and moral emptiness. Yet, scientists argue that these misunderstood birds are far more valuable than their reputation suggests. As nature's cleanup crew, vultures perform an essential ecological service, preventing the spread of disease by swiftly disposing of carcasses.Watch Liz Clayton Fuller, AKA ipaintbirbs read "We'll Miss The Vulture" by Jori Lewis from Nautilus Magazine and learn more about why vultures are the victims of a bad reputation.More from Liz: https://lizclaytonfuller.com/Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

The debate over whether music is universal has intensified, with scholars from various fields weighing in on the idea that all music shares fundamental traits. Some ethnomusicologists argue that labeling music as universal oversimplifies its cultural richness and diversity.Watch Emperor X read "What Makes Music Universal" by Kevin Berger from Nautilus Magazine and learn why the debate over the universality of music is so divisive.Chad R. Matheny is a former STEM educator and physics graduate student who performs music under the name Emperor X.You can stream and purchase his albums here, and follow him on Instagram and X. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

A team of engineers and scientists recently accomplished an astonishing feat: they drilled into the Earth's mantle, retrieving a core sample nearly a mile long.Watch Cate Larsen aka  GroovyGeologist  read "The First Good Glimpse of the Earth's Mantle" by Marcia Bjornerud and find out what we've discovered from the longest-ever sample of the Earth's middle layer.Cate Larsen uses the connective power of the internet to bring geology education to the masses. You visit her website here, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

What is a sea shanty? Where did they come from? Why do they still matter? Watch Grumpy frontperson Heaven Schmitt explore the complicated legacy of sea shanties in this episode of Nautilus Narrations based on author Katy Kelleher's essay "What Should We Do With an Old Sea Shanty?" from Nautilus Magazine. Grumpy’s new EP Wolfed is available now wherever you stream music! You can follow the band on Instagram here, and check out upcoming tour dates here. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

How does a billion years of Earth’s history go missing? Our latest episode of Nautilus Narrations featuring American history educator and content creator, Dr. Tim Johnson, tackles this troubling phenomenon in fascinating detail. Watch Dr. Tim read 'The Great Forgetting' by paleoclimatologist Summer Praetorius from Nautilus Magazine, and find out why Earth is losing its memory. You can follow Dr. Tim for more history deep-dives on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Have you ever felt the presence of another person, but nobody is there? Cognitive scientists are on a quest to explain this bizarre phenomenon, and who better to dive into the research than paranormal investigator and Ghost Files host, Ryan Bergara! Watch Ryan read "Why We Sense Somebody Who Isn’t There" by science journalist Phil Jaekl from Nautilus Magazine, and learn about the fascinating history of bodily illusions. Subscribe to Watcher on YouTube for more paranormal investigations and debriefs by Ryan and his team every Friday. You can also follow him on Instagram here. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Charles Darwin called orchids an "abominable mystery," fascinated by their odd shape and wild variety. To this day, there are over 28,000 varieties, with more cropping up every year. Understanding how they diversify so easily could help us better protect them from a changing environment. Watch Joey Santore, botanist, educator, and creator of Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't read "Why Is Everything An Orchid" by Sofia Quaglia and learn more about the plant that baffled Darwin. Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't teaches plant ecology and evolution with a light-hearted approach. Follow him on Instagram and find videos, merch, and more on his website. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, Threads⁠, and Bluesky!

Can cryogenically freezing coral stop time long enough to save them? Listen to musician, producer, and coral reef activist Stranger Cat explore how scientists are refining ways to cryogenically freeze coral larvae in an effort to preserve populations that are under threat from warming waters as she reads "Frozen Reefs" by journalist CD Davidson-Hiers from Nautilus Magazine. Stranger Cat is no stranger to Florida's struggling coral reefs. She's part of a group called Coral Friends 305 that engages in solutions to care for Florida's fragile coral ecosystem impacted by ongoing heat waves, making her the perfect artist to collaborate with on this episode of Nautilus Narrations! You can listen to Stranger Cat's new album ‘Slow Jam Love Letters To My Body In Pieces’ now wherever you stream your music, so go check it out if you’re into orchestral synth pop! Follow Stranger Cat on Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date on new music releases, tour dates, and more. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Threads⁠!

Why are humans so awed by an eclipse, that seemingly rare, brief dip of the daytime sun behind the moon? Listen to Pooja Prabakaran, lead vocalist of the indie pop-rock trio Koyal, explain this phenomenon in detail as she reads "How a Total Eclipse Alters Your Psyche" by neuroscientist Joel Frohlich from Nautilus Magazine. Koyal's second studio album 'breathe in. breathe out' drops on February 28, and it is a meditation on allowing oneself to break free from fear, making Pooja an ideal narrator for a story about the transformative power of a Total Eclipse. You can pre-order 'breathe in. breathe out' here, follow the band on Instagram here, and stream their latest single 'Bummer Song' on Spotify or YouTube. Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Threads⁠!

Can advancements in machine learning predict natural disasters before it's too late? Early signs are positive, and Photay's latest album 'Windswept' explores similar natural phenomena, making him the perfect artist to read "How to Predict Extreme Weather" by Aubrey Clayton from Nautilus Magazine. In this episode of Nautilus Narrations, Photay examines how climate science is forging a more perfect union between humans and machines. Stream Photay's new album Windswept wherever you listen to music. You can find all his tour dates here, and follow him on Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date on new music, announcements, and more! Enjoying Nautilus? ⁠Sign up to our FREE newsletter⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Threads⁠!

The lives of Eels are full of mystery, and like its animal namesake suggests, each song on Being Dead's new album EELS feels like uncovering a new cavern, plunging into depths unknown but fully open to what will be revealed. That's why Falcon and Shmoofy, the multi-instrumentalists and best friends behind Being Dead, were the perfect duo to read "Eels Don’t Have Sex Until the Last Year of Their Life" by Steve Paulson from Nautilus Magazine. Enjoy our latest episode of Nautilus Narrations, and find out why Eels are one of the strangest fish in the sea. You can stream Being Dead's new album EELS wherever you listen to music. Check them out on tour and purchase tickets here, and stay up to date on their latest music and announcements by following the band on Instagram. Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to our FREE newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, TikTok, and Threads!

Drummer, composer, and bioacoustic artist Lisa Schonberg knows the hidden power of ants. Through her project Amplifying the Tropical Ants (ATTA), Schonberg recorded the tiny pitter-patter of Amazon ants and added drums to transform it into a jazz-like percussive frenzy. That’s why she was the perfect person to read Summer Rylander’s story “The Tiny Ant and the Mighty Lion” about the ripple effects ants have on the hunting behavior of African lions. Watch and find out how “the tiniest creature can upset the mightiest beast on the land.” Check out more of Lisa's work on her website, and follow her on Instagram. Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to our FREE newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, TikTok, and Threads!

“There’s definitely a lot of mental breakdowns at the studio if I’m being so real,” Lunar Vacation singer Gep Repasky said in a recent interview about the emotional toll creating the band’s latest album took on her. “I probably cried like every other day.” It’s a familiar story for artists of all stripes, but what about artificial intelligence? AI has no emotions so what does that mean about the art it produces? Explore these questions and more when you listen to Repasky read Ed Simon’s story “Is AI Art Really Art?”

When you hear about “the vacuum of space” it’s tempting to imagine an infinite void of nothingness, but according to astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter, the vacuum of spacetime “is an entity in its own right.” And space is something indie folk artist Cassandra Jenkins knows well. Her lifelong fascination with the universe led her to create a custom planetarium show for her latest album, My Light, My Destroyer. Listen as Jenkins takes you on a trip through the cosmos exploring “The Remarkable Emptiness of Existence” and find out why the void in the universe is alive.

The shoegaze genre is famous for its distortion, passing the sounds an electric guitar makes through filters to transform them into something new. Biologist Daniel Hanley does something similar with light. His team—including mathematicians, a physicist, and a filmmaker—uses cameras and software to simulate how different animals see the world. That’s why Jasamine White-Gluz of the shoegaze band No Joy was the perfect choice to read “Seeing Through Animal Eyes,” Shruti Ravindran’s story about Daniel Hanley’s research. Listen and experience what it's like to see the world in a different way.  

Mushrooms sprout up overnight, but iconic jewelry brands usually don’t—except for Beepy Bella. The brainchild of wunderkind artist Isabella Lalonde, Beepy Bella enjoyed rapid success earning her a spot on Forbes “30 Under 30” list this year. So it makes sense that mushrooms are a recurring motif in Lalonde’s work. It also makes Lalonde a natural fit to read Simran Sethi’s story “Can Tripping Save the Planet?” about how using psychedelics often deepens our connection to the natural world.

Dent May know a thing or two about memory. The indie-pop artist’s song “Time Flies When You're Having Fun" starts with the line “Walk through a memory,” going on to say “Traveling in a fantasy, trust the illusion.” It turns out that’s a decent summary of how our memory actually works. As Cody Kommers detailed in the Nautilus story “Faulty Memory Is a Feature, Not a Bug,” the brain doesn’t just store memories, it reconstitutes them and fills in gaps with guesses and imagination to “build a world that we can step into.” That’s why May was the perfect choice to read Kommers’ story. Sit back, relax, and let May take you on a walk through your own memory.

Our most ancient ecosystems are in a state of constant renewal. “They all create or reinforce the very conditions they need to survive,” writes Ferris Jabr in his story “The Oldest Ecosystems on Earth.” The same is true of artist/producer fish narc, who cut his teeth in DIY spaces in Seattle before joining emo rap group GothBoiClique as well as pursuing a solo career. Join fish narc as he reads Fabr’s story exploring vast undersea meadows, vibrant coral reefs, and fertile rainforests—our planet’s most treasured ancient ecosystems.

Einstein’s theory of gravity is a cornerstone of modern cosmology, but astronomical observations far away near the “cosmological horizon” suggest gravity may act differently at large scales. Is there a glitch in the universe? We’ve enlisted indie folk rocker Marissa Nadler and her gravity-defying voice to guide you through this curious anomaly as she reads Tom Metcalfe’s story “A Cosmic Glitch in Gravity.”

Donald Nelson, the unflappable biologist, spear fisherman, and shark fanatic who inspired Richard Dreyfuss’ frenetic marine biologist in Jaws, was a lot more mellow than his on-screen counterpart. His friends describe him as completely at home in the ocean, according to Katharine Gammon’s story “The Shark Whisperer.” “Mellow” and “at home in the ocean” also describes the music of the beachy album Floreana One, from the artist Floreana (named by founder Victoria Mordoch after the Galapagos island). That’s why Mordoch was the perfect choice to read Katharine Gammon’s story about Nelson. Sit back, relax, and let Mordoch take you on a journey through Nelson’s fascinating life.

Musicians are a lot like the moon: they come out at night, they go through phases, and they often have rocky origins. The same is true of indie rocker K.Flay. K.Flay, born Kristine Flaherty, struggled with her father’s death before discovering the joys of creating music in college. She’s now a Grammy-nominated solo artist and sought-after collaborator in the indie scene. She’s also the perfect person to give voice to “The Moon Is Underrated,” Sean Raymond’s story on the mysterious origins of the moon.

The punk band Cermony is best known for their constantly evolving sound, making dramatically different choices from album to album. “Just going into a room with the guys in Ceremony, we end up producing sounds in a way that I can never explain,” frontman Ross Farrar told Crack magazine in 2015. That’s why Farrar was the perfect choice to read Jim Davies’ story “Do We Have Free Will? Maybe It Doesn’t Matter” about whether our decisions are truly our own (or even decisions). Listen as Farrar takes you on a journey through your inner mind.

“Machine learning, dream merchant” That’s a line from Canadian electronic hip-hop artist Cadence Weapon’s song “My Computer” from his latest album ROLLERCOASTER. Cadence Weapon, also known as Rollie Pemberton, has been experimenting with computers to make music for decades. That’s why Pemberton is the perfect person to read Nick Hilden’s story “Creative AIs Depend on Creative Humans,” about how we think about creative collaborations with artificial intelligence.

Deep beneath the sea a host of animals have evolved a most peculiar power—the power of invisibility. In his story, “Nature’s Invisibility Cloak,” Edwin Barkdoll explains why and how so many animals disappear in the depths and hide in plain sight. Who better to tell his story about animals that seem to defy the laws of physics than the vocalist of a band that defies the limits of genre—Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells. Don't forget to pick up Sleigh Bells’ latest album Texis on transparent vinyl ➜ https://shop.tornclean.com/ Read the story yourself 👉 https://bit.ly/44Wnv30 Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to the FREE newsletter ➜ https://bit.ly/43oqHDZ

Anna Mernieks—frontwoman of the folk rock band Beams—put both her hypnotic voice and her Forest Conservation Science degree to good use reading Elena Kazamia’s story “How Much Carbon Can a Tree Really Store?” about the future of forests as carbon sinks. Listen as Anna takes you on a meditative journey through the science of forest ecology, backed by Beams' songs “We Are Blood” and “The Thing Is” from their aptly titled album Requiem for a Planet.

Sometimes you just click. No one knows that better than childhood friends Olu and WowGr8 of the experimental hip hop duo EarthGang. That’s why they were the perfect choice to read Claudia Geib’s story “Clicking with Your Kin” about the special sounds sperm whales use to identify their clans. “Music is one of the characteristics that distinguishes different cultural groups amongst us humans, and helps us to identify ourselves — a trait that, as this research suggests, we seem to share with sperm whales,” Geib told Nautilus. “As such, it feels particularly appropriate to have a musical duo reading this story. Thanks to EarthGang for this fantastic reading. I'd love to see your collab with the whales themselves next!” Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to the FREE newsletter ➜ https://bit.ly/43oqHDZ

It’s not often that rap artists collaborate with scientists, but Houston-based rapper Fat Tony and music cognition researcher Henkjan Honing just dropped a track together. Honing, who studies what makes humans a musical species, revealed in a story for MIT Press and excerpted by Nautilus that we’re wired for beats at birth. Naturally, we turned to another expert on beats to read his story. Here’s what Honing told us about his collab with Fat Tony:  "The groove is central to many musics. Let’s celebrate our sensitivity to the beat. Music is not a just a luxury, it’s essential to most of us. And Fat Tony's narration adds the proper groove to the story. Thanks Tony!" Check out Fat Tony on tour: https://fattonyrap.net/tour Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to the FREE newsletter.

Who better to read about undersea mountains than the lead singer of an underground rock band? Join Tina Hallady of the Philly-based punk group Sheer Mag as she takes you on a voyage to the bottom of the ocean, through the eyes of an artist. You can also check out Sheer Mag’s latest album Playing Favorites from Jack White’s Third Man Records and catch them on tour throughout May. Enjoying Nautilus? Sign up to the FREE newsletter ➜ https://bit.ly/4cDry7N

“Somewhere across the plain of imminence, shouting into the void…” That’s singer Nate Hardy from the 2nd track of Microwave’s latest album Let’s Start Degeneracy. Voids—of the emotional sort—are a recurring theme across the album from the cheekily self-described “adult mid-tempo psychedelic contemporary rock band from Atlanta, GA.” It’s fitting then, that Nate has chosen to read a Nautilus classic from one of our most prolific contributors, theoretical cosmologist Paul M. Sutter. Paul tells us, “This story about voids is deeply personal to me, as voids have always struck a chord with me and been the focus of my scientific research. But there's so much more to the concept of nothingness than just their physical manifestation, and it's beautiful to hear echoes of that search in Nate's narration.” 

Musician Katherine “KP” Paul, of Black Belt Eagle Scout, has a deep personal connection to the ocean. Coming from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in western Washington, KP’s most recent album The Land, The Water, The Sky is influenced by the coastal culture of her ancestral home. That’s why she chose to read Alex Riley’s special story about the search for a giant, mysterious, luminous squid–Taningia danae. We love this story because it shows how little we know about our deep oceans, and how even an animal sporting giant, flashing lights, can remain virtually unknown…until now.