Wild Thing (podcast)
{{Short description|Sociology podcast}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox podcast
| title = Wild Thing
| image = Wildthing.png
| hosting = Laura Krantz
| began = October 2, 2018
| language = English
| production = Foxtopus Ink
| num_seasons = 2
| num_episodes = 32
}}
Wild Thing is a podcast about the relationship between science and society. It is hosted by Laura Krantz and produced by Foxtopus Ink.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxtopus.ink/|title=Foxtopus Ink|website=Foxtopus Ink|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-27|archive-date=2020-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305092154/https://www.foxtopus.ink/|url-status=live}} In 2006 Krantz learned that she was related to anthropologist Grover Krantz, who had spent much of his career writing about and hunting for Sasquatch, after she read an article in the Washington Post.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/07/05/using-his-cranium-span-classbankheadgrover-krantzs-last-wish-was-to-remain-with-his-friends-and-he-hasspan/2d856129-1c26-49ae-a0df-8726c435f70a/ |title=Using His Cranium |last=Carlson |first=Peter |date=2006-07-05 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2019-11-26 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2020-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115144020/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/07/05/using-his-cranium-span-classbankheadgrover-krantzs-last-wish-was-to-remain-with-his-friends-and-he-hasspan/2d856129-1c26-49ae-a0df-8726c435f70a/ |url-status=live }} At the time, Krantz was working at National Public Radio and thought that she needed to investigate further. Through her reporting she came to understand that the search for Sasquatch spoke to important questions about human evolution, conspiracy theories, and the human connection to the natural world.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/12/18134679/wild-thing-podcast-best-new-podcasts-laura-krantz|title=Wild Thing, one of 2018's most delightful new podcasts, dares to take Bigfoot seriously|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily Todd|date=2018-12-12|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=2019-11-27|archive-date=2020-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727223352/https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/12/18134679/wild-thing-podcast-best-new-podcasts-laura-krantz|url-status=live}} The second season of Wild Thing concerns the search for extraterrestrial life, while the third season discusses the history and future of nuclear power.
Episodes
| class="wikitable"
|+Season 1: Sasquatch, Science and Society !# !Title !Original Air Date |
| 1
|Grover |Oct 2, 2018 |
| 2
|Distant Relatives or Kissing Cousins |Oct 9, 2018 |
| 3
|The Evidence |Oct 16, 2018 |
| 4
|Eyewitness |Oct 30, 2018 |
| 5
|A-C-T-G Spells B-G-F-T |Nov 6, 2018 |
| 6
|Bump in the Night |Nov 13, 2018 |
| 7
|Taboo |Nov 20, 2018 |
| 8
|$a$quatch |Nov 27, 2018 |
| 9
|Why We want to Believe |Dec 9, 2018 |
Season 2: Space Invaders
| class="wikitable"
!# !Title !Original Air Date |
| 1
|Out of This Word |Sep 17, 2020 |
| 2
|What is Life? |Sep 24, 2020 |
| 3
|Doing the Math |Oct 1, 2020 |
| 4
|Roswell |Oct 8, 2020 |
| 5
|Independence Day |Oct 15, 2020 |
| 6
|Hear No Aliens, See No Aliens |Oct 22, 2020 |
| 7
|E.T. Phone Home |Oct 29, 2020 |
| 8
|Popular Science (Fiction) |Nov 5, 2020 |
| 9
|You Gotta Have Faith |Nov 12, 2020 |
| 10
|The Truth is Out There |Nov 19, 2020 |
| class="wikitable"
|+Season 3: Going Nuclear !# !Title !Original Air Date |
| 1
|Close to Home |May 17, 2022 |
| 2
|Out of Little Things |May 24, 2022 |
| 3
|A New (clear) Hope |May 31, 2022 |
| 4
|Chain Reaction |Jun 7, 2022 |
| 5
|Trust Issues |Jun 14, 2022 |
| 6
|You Look Radiant |Jun 21, 2022 |
| 7
|Half-Life |Jun 28, 2022 |
| 8
|Risky Business |Jul 5, 2022 |
| 9
|An Atomic Future |Jul 12, 2022 |
In addition to the main episodes, both seasons also include bonus interviews. Season one includes conversations with well known cryptozoologist Bob Gimlin, director William Dear, Sasquatch hunter Peter Byrne and Bigfoot erotica author Virginia Wade.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxtopus.ink/wildthing/listen|title=Listen to Wild Thing|website=Foxtopus Ink|access-date=2019-11-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215083204/https://www.foxtopus.ink/wildthing/listen|archivedate=2019-02-15}}[https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wild-thing/id1434465245?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4] In season two Krantz speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, science YouTuber Joe Scott, as well as astronomers involved with searching for life on Venus and Mars.
Critical reception
Wild Thing garnered largely positive press from around the country. The Atlantic announced Wild Thing as one of the best podcasts of 2018, largely owing to its gentle handling of a topic that many people view with skepticism.{{Cite web |last=McQuade |first=Laura Jane Standley, Eric |date=2018-12-23 |title=The 50 Best Podcasts of 2018 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/12/best-podcasts-2018/578899/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102031346/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/12/best-podcasts-2018/578899/ |archive-date=2020-01-02 |access-date=2019-11-26 |website=The Atlantic |language=en-US}} Emily Todd VanDerWeff of Vox wrote: "It’s smart, well produced, well written, and intelligently structured."{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/12/18134679/wild-thing-podcast-best-new-podcasts-laura-krantz|title=Wild Thing, one of 2018's most delightful new podcasts, dares to take Bigfoot seriously|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily Todd|date=2018-12-12|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=2019-11-26|archive-date=2020-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727223352/https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/12/18134679/wild-thing-podcast-best-new-podcasts-laura-krantz|url-status=live}} Los Angeles Times called Wild Thing "Serial for Sasquatches."{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Hayley |date=2018-10-02 |title=Audiosphere: The 'Wild Thing' podcast is like 'Serial' for Sasquatches |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-cm-wild-thing-podcast-20181002-story.html |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Mashable named it the most "binge-worth podcasts of 2018"{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/best-new-podcasts-of-2018/|title=12 binge-worthy podcasts that debuted in 2018|last=Connellan|first=Shannon|website=Mashable|date=20 December 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-26|archive-date=2019-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125220728/https://mashable.com/article/best-new-podcasts-of-2018/|url-status=live}} The Atlantic named season 2 one of the best podcasts of 2020.{{Cite web|last=McQuade|first=Laura Jane Standley, Eric|date=2020-12-26|title=The 50 Best Podcasts of 2020|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/12/50-best-podcasts-2020/617486/|access-date=2021-04-13|website=The Atlantic|language=en|archive-date=2022-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122051955/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/12/50-best-podcasts-2020/617486/|url-status=live}} The show was also featured in Rolling Stone, Outside, and Scientific American.{{Cite magazine|last1=Marks|first1=Brenna Ehrlich, Andrea|last2=Ehrlich|first2=Brenna|last3=Marks|first3=Andrea|date=2020-11-13|title=7 Podcasts to Stream This November|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/new-podcast-true-crime-ufo-fraud-horror-fiction-1083249/|access-date=2021-04-13|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415101032/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/new-podcast-true-crime-ufo-fraud-horror-fiction-1083249/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Early Maps of Geologic Strata, an Oliver Sacks Documentary and a New Science Podcast|website=Scientific American |date=November 2020 |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/early-maps-of-geologic-strata-an-oliver-sacks-documentary-and-a-new-science-podcast/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-13|archive-date=2021-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514023404/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/early-maps-of-geologic-strata-an-oliver-sacks-documentary-and-a-new-science-podcast/}}{{Cite web|date=2020-09-17|title=What We Really Know About Life in Outer Space|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2416894/wild-thing-podcast-season-2-space-invaders|access-date=2021-04-13|website=Outside Online|language=en|archive-date=2021-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413164052/https://www.outsideonline.com/2416894/wild-thing-podcast-season-2-space-invaders|url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://wildthingpodcast.com/ Official Website]