The Shape of the World

The Shape of the World


Latest Episodes

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, the author of Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies u

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 an overlooked t

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 from learning to see life the way a lichen does.

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 coming soon with season 6 ofShape of the World. And more on how we can

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.

Episode 30: Privilege & Inequality in Animals
August 02, 2022

Guest Jenn Smith says that human concepts of intergenerational wealth and inequality occur also in the behaviors of animals.

Episode 29: Disruption & Resilience
July 25, 2022

When Jane Watson encountered a ruined meadow of seagrass in the ocean, instead of getting furious, she grew curious.

Season Five Coming Soon
June 23, 2022

Season Five Will Launch July 2022 New episodes, new guests, new insights about nature and our built environments are coming soon. And more on how we can live together--with nature, with cities and wi