The Shape of the World

The Shape of the World


Latest Episodes

Is the Earth Alive?
August 21, 2025

Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth, claims that it is: that Earth is a vast interconnected living system and we humans (and all other living things) dont just live...

Zoned Out: Race, Property, and Ownership in America
July 31, 2025

Dr. Adrienne Brown reads cities the way professors read novels: carefully, and with lots of attention to whats written between the lines...

Existential Risk: A User’s Guide 
July 10, 2025

Daniel Holz studies black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology, all while also running the Existential Risk Laboratory...

The Secret Lives of Fireflies
June 19, 2025

Biologist Sara Lewis doesnt just study firefliesfor her, fireflies are a living reminder that the world is pure magic. In this episode...

Cities and Wildlife: Frenemies or Friends?
May 29, 2025

Biologist Dr. Seth Magle wants to rethink what a city is and who its for. As part of an alliance with 50 cities around the globe, Seth and other wildlife researchers have discovered...

Can a Tiny Organism Transform Human Relations?
May 09, 2025

Artist Laurie Palmer believes they can. In her book, The Lichen Museum, Laurie explores what we can gain...

Season Six Coming Soon
May 05, 2025

Season SIX Will Launch This Friday, May 9th New episodes, new guests, and new insights about nature and our built environments...

Episode 33: Can Listening Be a Political and Moral Act?
December 22, 2022

Biologist David George Haskell says this collective inattention is a huge loss for each of us. It's like leaving money on the table because paying attention to the living world is a source of beauty,

Episode 32: What Should We Fix First?
November 18, 2022

Margaret Renkl's new book "Graceland at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South is mix of graceful observations and practical solutions.

Episode 31: Who Trashed My River?
October 12, 2022

The organization Nick Wesley co-founded, Urban Rivers, is creating The Wild Mile, the first-ever floating eco-park of its scale in the world...