Hosted by Dr. Steven Shepard · EN

When I was a commercial diver in California, I often found myself surrounded by great swarms of marine mammals--seals and sea lions, mostly. But every once in a while we were rewarded by a sea otter, the most iconic of all marine mammals. Hunted almost to extinction (their numbers went from 300,000 to 50, then bounced back), they are a charismatic keystone species that hold a special place in my heart.

It was an assignment to photograph the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Bridge from atop one of the towers. Who knew they didn't have an elevator?

Ever wonder why they call the company Starbucks?

Poet, fishing boat captain, publisher--what a great conversation!
In this small book that celebrates the second line in the American Declaration of Independence--the line that begins, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." we discover the brilliance of the nation's founders.

Russ Willis is equal parts academic, ordained minister, technologist, poet, and strategist. In this episode, we sit down to chat about his new book, "AI and the Crisis of Control."

Interesting facts about the deep ocean.

At various times in the past, I’ve talked about the partnership between the NCP and the Silverback Digest, an online journal published by my friend and fellow Vermonter Stephen Morris. Stephen, or Step as his friends call him, defines eclectic: gardener, traveler, writer, musician, editor, publisher—a man of many talents, vocations and avocations. Eclectic also defines the Silverback Digest. It reflects his broad spectrum of curiosity—which is probably what brought us together in the first place. Anyway, Stephen recently published a piece called “Clixed-up Michés,” a play on words of “Mixed-up Cliches.” He wrote it a few years ago. It made me laugh out-loud, so I thought I’d share it with you—the audio version.

Mexico is rich with mysterious tradition, a culture where magic and mysticism are as present as Catholicism and the lingering Aztec voices that are woven into the wind. But nowhere is it as evident as it is in Xochimilco, especially at La Isla de las Muñecas—the Island of the Dolls.

Kyle Steele Interviews Steve Shepard about His New Book, “The Sound of Life.”