People use language to express themselves, but do you ever wonder how other animals communicate with each other? If they don’t speak like us, how do they convey information? In our first Animal Talk episode we learned about the complex ways animals communicate, and how some species even have their own languages and dialects. In “Paw 2” we find out even more about the amazing world of animal talk, and about the science behind linguistic development in animals. Evan interviews Dr. Irene Pepperberg, research professor at Boston University in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences about her groundbreaking work with Alex the African Grey Parrot. Dr. Pepperberg worked with Alex for 30 years and taught him over 100 English words. Not only was Alex able to communicate with humans, he even asked what color he was when looking at himself in the mirror, becoming the first known non-human to ask a question! Nichole goes beneath the waves with Dr. Aude Pacini from the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Dr. Pacini records whale and dolphin song with sophisticated underwater microphones. She was part of an expedition where the world-class cellist Yo Yo Ma played music for whales from the deck of a famous Hawaiian canoe! Evan takes us down to North Georgia with Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary where over 90 retired lab chimps roam freely on six protected acres of forest. Our hosts are also joined by the very human creator of the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Eli Smith, who plays some banjo for us and talks about the upcoming festival this November 7-9. This episode is jam-packed, but don’t worry, we still found room for favorites like Cryptid Corner, Grandparent Stories, jokes and more. Let’s get wild!Listen now and have a whale of a time - this episode's a hoot!Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.Timestamps for this episode are available below.00:00 - Episode 17 Intro01:36 - Dr. Irene Pepperberg & Alex, the African Grey Parrot14:03 - Joke Time14:57 - Cryptid Corner: The Wow! Signal20:09 - Riddle Clue 20:31 - Deep Listening with Dr. Aude Pacini27:48 - Favorite Sound28:35 - Call for Submissions29:02 - Eli Smith & the 2025 Brooklyn Folk Festival 34:44 - Going Ape at Project Chimps with Caregivers Lauren and Tawnya44:31 - Grandparent Stories: Papa Artie48:22 - Riddle Answer49:00 - Preview of Episode 1849:13 - Credits49:45 - BloopersThe background music in our interview with Dr. Aude Pacini features audio of live performances by Hawaiian musicians Gary Haleamau and Ledward Kaapana, as retrieved from the Library of Congress.wildinterest.com
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Tales from the Cryptid Corner
Hey Wildlings! Do you ever wonder about things that go “bump” in the night? Do you love ghost stories? What about murky mysteries of the supernatural? In this episode we’ll tickle all your scary bones with a marvelous mashup of Halloween fun! You’ll find out just where Halloween traditions like pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating come from as Nichole and Evan trace the holiday all the way back to its ancient roots. You’ll learn of a peculiar American hometown custom of telling jokes if you want to get your sweet reward. We’ll teach you some spooky jokes, too — just in case you need one or two to get your hands on that sweet candy! If you love cryptids, you’re in for a treat, not a trick! Evan presents a who’s who of the weirdest, wackiest, and most hotly contested unverifiable creatures out there. Is Bigfoot bashful, brave or boring? Was that a smudge on the windshield, or the mythological Mothman? Do you believe in the Yeti yet or is the idea abominable? Are you a foe of UFOs or a friend to the little grey men? Can you cope with the Jackalope?? Get your candy out, sit back, and get ready for our haunted, hilarious Halloween episode. Let’s get wild!Listen now and discover the spookiest creatures around!Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.Timestamps for this episode are available below.00:00 - Episode 16 Intro01:19 - Spooky in St. Louis05:58 - Joke Time: Halloween Edition06:57 - Bigfoot (from Ep.1 "Beneath the Surface")11:59 - The Yeti (from Ep. 10 "Music Makers (Side A)")14:35 - Haunted Halloween History 16:13 - UAPs (from Ep. 3 "UFO Tofu")20:47 - Area 51 (from Ep.7 "Good Vibrations")24:18 - Monoliths (from Ep. 4 "Wild and Wonderful")27:42 - The Jackalope (from Ep. 5 "Folks like Us")29:41 - Jack O'Lanterns30:24 - Dover Demon (from Ep. 6 "Tracking")32:44 - The Loveland Frogman (from Ep. 8 "Dirt")35:40 - Mothman (from Ep. 2 "Beneath the Surface")38:21 - Evan's Top Secret Cryptid Corner42:33 - Conclusion43:21 - Preview of Ep. 1744:15 - Credits48:38 - Blooperswildinterest.com
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Back to School Special
Have you ever had that dream where you arrive at school but something’s a little… off? Join us for our Back to School Special where Nichole and Evan experience exactly that. Their plan to squeeze the most out of the final days of summer is thwarted when they doze off by the pool and fall into an unexpected dream that lands them back in the classroom. But this time they’re not students — they’re the teachers! Sharpen your pencils, Wildings: this is learning the Wild Interest way. Prepare to earn your Podcast PhD as our hosts show you an easy way to make ice cream cake at home, and a great prank you can play using a banana. Find out what a palindrome is, and memorize a catchy song that helps you learn the names of all 50 US states. Dive deep into why we have daylight saving time and leap years, and discover the science of solar eclipses from a real astronomer! But wait, there’s more! What’s ASMR? How do you play Concentration 64? How do honeybees communicate? (Hint: they get their groove on!) Kids will come out of this episode prepared to dazzle their schoolmates with scads of new astonishing knowledge — and you’re in store for another hilarious cameo from everyone’s favorite cryptid, Bobby the Bigfoot! Sit back, relax, and let’s get wild!Timestamps for this episode are available below:00:00 - Episode 15 intro02:50 - ASMR05:40 - Cicadas07:12 - How Honeybees Communicate10:25 - Leap Years12:28 - Solar Eclipses15:18 - Daylight Saving Time17:17 - Taste Explained20:48 - Turkey Facts23:43 - Ice Cream Cake25:26 - Sliced Banana Prank26:47 - Concentration 6430:28 - Singing a Round: Row Row Row Your Boat32:09 - Singing a Round: Frère Jacques34:19 - States Song36:02 - Palindrones37:10 - Grammartime39:30 - Magical Number Nine42:45 - Fun Facts44:41 - Nichole Wakes Up From Her Dream46:22 - Credits46:46 - Blooperswildinterest.com
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Wild Interest Trailer
Can a podcast hosted by kids be truly awesome? Yes, it can! Wild Interest takes you on an amazing ride through science, fun facts, natural mysteries and more, all hosted by siblings Nichole and Evan. Perfect for your next road trip, school pickup, or anywhere you want to spark a conversation driven by curiosity. Enjoy the magic that happens when kids are inspired by other kids!wildinterest.com
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Music Makers (Side B)
Is music truly the universal language? And what in the world is the Voyager Golden Record doing floating around in space right now?In this episode of Wild Interest, sibling hosts Nichole and Evan continue their sonic exploration by taking a trip to Belize to sit in with drummers carrying on the African Garifuna tradition as they gear up for the epic "Battle of the Drums!" Then, they chat with bluegrass pioneer Ron Thomason of the Dry Branch Fire Squad about mandolins, guitars, horses, and how to turn your own body into a drum kit.But wait, there's more! Ever wonder what aliens might think of human music? Nichole and Evan dive into the incredible story of the Voyager Golden Record—a musical time capsule about life on Earth that's currently 15 billion miles away in interstellar space! Plus, in Cryptid Corner, Evan investigates the Fossegrim, a harmless but damp Norwegian creature who's suspiciously amazing at playing the fiddle.This episode features all your favorite segments: Animal Call, Grandparent Story, Favorite Sound, jokes and a riddle.Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.Listen now and discover the wild rhythms that connect us all!Timestamps for this episode are available below.00:00 - Episode 14 Intro01:43 - Ron Thomason08:59 - Animal Call Clue09:28 - Word of Mouth09:44 - Garifuna Drummers Kirwin Ramirez and Kayton Martinez17:48 - Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters22:10 - Riddle Clue22:28 - Favorite Sound23:21 - Grandparent Stories: Eileen29:59 - Animal Call Reprise30:11 - Cryptid Corner: The Fossegrim33:16 - Joke Time34:03 - Call for Submissions34:28 - Animal Call Reveal35:42 - Voyager Golden Record46:51 - Riddle Answer47:16 - Preview of Episode 1548:10 - Credits48:34 - BloopersClick here for tickets to Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters in Nashvillewildinterest.com
Can a podcast hosted by kids be truly awesome? Yes, it can! Wild Interest takes you on an amazing ride through science, fun facts, natural mysteries and more, all hosted by siblings Nichole and Evan. Perfect for your next road trip, school pickup, or anywhere you want to spark a conversation driven by curiosity. Enjoy the magic that happens when kids are inspired by other kids!You’ll love hearing Evan and Nichole interview people like NFL quarterbacks and Nobel Prize-winning scientists. Take an audio journey with them as they unravel mysteries like the origin of daylight saving time and the legend of Bigfoot. Best of all, enjoy the magic that happens when kids are inspired by other kids. The caliber of your family dinner table conversation will improve overnight. It’s wild!
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