Wild Thing
Wild Thing is a long-form, narrative podcast about the obsessions that capture our imaginations. This sound-rich and deeply reported show examines the relationship between science and society—that point where scientific inquiry collides with our very human desire to find answers, even when there are none. Whether it's seeking out Sasquatch, looking skyward for extraterrestrial life, or probing the power of the atom, exploring the unknown helps us better understand ourselves. Every season, host Laura Krantz tackles a brand new topic, so be sure to start with the first episode for each one.
Episodes
Wild Thing Trailer
Wild Thing, a new podcast about our collective fascination with Bigfoot - even if we're not sure it exists. Coming October 2.
S1 E1: Grover
Laura Krantz is a veteran public radio editor and producer. So how did she end up in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, eyeballing some giant ground nests… that might have been made by Bigfoot? You can place the blame squarely on the shoulders of a guy named Grover. He was a tenured professor of anthropology at Washington State University and one of world’s preeminent experts on Sasquatch. And it
S1 E2: Distant Relatives or Kissing Cousins?
Just what is Bigfoot? Descendant of ancient apes? Close human ancestor? Evolution might hold the answer to this question. Homo sapiens may rule the planet now but once upon a time, we weren’t the only hominid creatures walking around. Who’s to say that Bigfoot wasn’t—and still isn’t—among us? We talk to evolution experts and anthropologists, including Ian Tattersall, curator at the American Museum
S1 E3: The Evidence
Let’s look at the evidence. There are footprints and sounds, grainy pictures, and the notorious Patterson-Gimlin film—that shaky 1967 video of a big, hairy beast striding through the forest. But how well does it hold up? We hear from a variety of people—the skeptics and the certain—who make their case for what evidence is out there. How much of it stands up to scrutiny?
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S1 E4: Eyewitness
A Bigfoot sighting can apparently change your life and even lead to obsession. Thousands of people claim to have laid eyes on Sasquatch over the past century and Laura’s spoken to dozens of them—compelling stories that will set your hair on end. If they didn’t see Bigfoot, what did they see?*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to men
S1 E5: A-C-G-T Spells B-G-F-T
Everywhere you go, you leave bits of yourself behind - and Bigfoot would no different. But now, those DNA droppings are easier than ever to analyze, making it possible to identify a species, even without a body. We’ll talk to Dr. Todd Disotell, a molecular primatologist at New York University and a regular on Spike TV’s $10 Million Bigfoot Bounty, about the magic of DNA analysis and what it might
S1 E6: Bump In The Night
Tired of waiting around for other people to find Bigfoot, Laura goes into the woods (with some experts). This particular outing is led by Cindy Caddell and three other seasoned ‘Squatchers, out in Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest, who explain what it takes to go looking for Bigfoot. And once the sun sets, we’ll hear a few hair-raising stories around the campfire before heading out on a nighttime
S1 E7: Taboo
Bigfoot can be tongue-in-cheek fun - but what happens if you take it seriously? There are the people who’ve risked their professional careers and personal reputations, and expended a lot of time, money and energy seeking out Sasquatch. We’ll attend an exclusive symposium, for the crème de la crème of Bigfoot researchers, and hear from many who’ve been ridiculed for their interests.*Become a premiu
S1 E8: $a$quatch
Chances are, you’ve already seen Bigfoot. On pizza boxes, advertising jerky, drinking beer, driving monster trucks. There are a lot of people who really do believe. There are even more who just think the idea of Bigfoot is fun. And then there are those who see Sasquatch as a real cash cow. A Cash-squatch. We’ll sit down with CEOs and creative directors to find out what’s in a name and a logo. No d
S1 E9: Why We Want To Believe
Bigfoot researchers remain optimistic that Sasquatch is out there; that the creature will one day be found. Why? Why do people continue to believe? We’ll talk to professional skeptic Michael Shermer about the nature of belief. And we’ll look at why—even for those who think Bigfoot is a complete myth—the idea of Bigfoot holds so much appeal. What makes us so fascinated by this creature? Why do we w
Talking with Bob Gimlin—S1 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Hear an extended conversation with Bob Gimlin, half of the famous duo that shot the Patterson-Gimlin film back in 1967.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/ to find out mo
In Memory of Peter Byrne—S1 Bonus Interview
In memory of Peter Byrne, the longest-surviving member of the Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery. After looking for Bigfoot for decades, the 97-year-old tracker passed away in August 2023. Host Laura Krantz had the opportunity to interview him in 2017, and learned that his search for Sasquatch was only one adventure in a life that was jam-packed with them.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Pre
Remembering Jeff Meldrum—S1 Bonus Interview
On September 10, 2025, Jeff Meldrum passed away after a battle with brain cancer. I interviewed him multiple times for the first season of Wild Thing and he was incredibly generous with his time and extremely patient in answering my questions about Bigfoot. In memory of him, I’ve excerpted a section from one of our interviews, at a 2017 conference held in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Patt
Revisiting Harry & the Hendersons—S1 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! We hear from William Dear—director of "Harry & the Hendersons"—about how he tried to capture the magic of Bigfoot on the big screen.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm
The Saucy Side of Sasquatch—S1 Bonus Interview
**THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL**Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! We talk to Virginia Wade, author of a series of Bigfoot erotica books, about the saucier side of Sasquatch.
Letters From Listeners—S1 Bonus
Wild Thing is rereleasing its bonus episodes! In Ep. 2 of Wild Thing, I mentioned that people went crazy about the gorilla. They even wrote songs about it. But I couldn’t find the music, so I couldn’t play the tune… until now. In a special bonus letters segment, a musical performance from a Wild Thing fan, as well as some of your stories and letters.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Prem
S2: Wild Thing: Space Invaders Trailer
Back for its second season, Wild Thing: Space Invaders turns our eyes skyward in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Coming September 17, 2020.
S2 E1: Out Of This World
'Oumuamua almost slipped past Earth before an astronomer caught sight of this weird object. What was it? Some scientists thought it was just a comet; others, like Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, theorized it could be an alien spacecraft. And why not? While tabloid aliens elicit giggles, loads of serious scientists, statesmen, and even members of the military, consider extraterrestrial life a real pos
S2 E2: What Is Life?
We’re surrounded by life here on Earth—and given how huge the galaxy is, it’s got to be out there on other planets, too, right? But where to look? What to look for? And would life on other planets be anything like life here? It turns out that while we know a lot about life on this planet—like what it needs to survive—we’ve still got a lot to learn.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premiu
S2 E3: Doing The Math
What’s the actual likelihood of extraterrestrial life? Especially intelligent life? 60 years ago, astronomer Frank Drake took a crack at calculating those odds and his famous Drake Equation still resonates with scientists and UFO enthusiasts alike. We breaks down the equation for us, piece by piece, and talks about the chance of finding something and whether we’re any closer to the answers.
*Becom
S2 E4: Roswell
For all the people who think there’s life somewhere out there in space, there are also those who think the best place to look for it is closer to home. Thousands of people claim to have seen UFOs or have had alien encounters and one of those most famous of these happened in 1947 in the desert outside Roswell, New Mexico.*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all thr
S2 E5: Independence Day
In 2017, the nation’s prominent newspapers published outlandish-sounding stories about a secret UFO program run by the Pentagon. We talk to retired Navy pilot Ryan Graves who recalls seeing some weird objects and speak with Luis Elizondo, who supposedly ran this Pentagon program. What was the military looking for? What did they find? And what are they hiding?*Become a premium subscriber to Wild Th
S2 E6: Hear No Aliens, See No Aliens
To really look for intelligent extraterrestrial life, say scientists, we have to look way far out into space. A new set of initiatives—the Breakthrough Initiatives—are experimenting with cutting-edge technology to do just that. These new ideas, funded by private industry instead of the government, are the future of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence—and we hear from the scientists who ar
S2 E7: E.T. Phone Home
We’ve been broadcasting our presence for about 85 years now, with radio, television, and radar, essentially spamming space with all kinds of messages. What would we do if someone answers back? What if our message reaches someone, or something, hostile? Others argue that we should be trying to communicate with whoever might be out there. But who should do the talking? And what would we say?*Become
S2 E8: Popular Science (Fiction)
American culture is saturated with extraterrestrial and UFO references—and we still can’t get enough. Hollywood has raked in billions on alien-themed programming and it comes in every flavor you can imagine—from horror to camp to science fiction to documentary. What’s the cultural appeal? Why aliens as opposed to any other topic? How have these imagined aliens evolved as we have?*Become a premium
S2 E9: You Gotta Have Faith
Our views on aliens can often be uplifting, offering a glimpse of a better, technologically-bright future, or a glimmer of hope about our ability to survive. In some cases, our thoughts about them are almost spiritual, as though aliens are divine beings. To understand why, we make a trip to Colorado’s UFO Watchtower, which has become something of a shrine for the alien faithful, and talk to author
S2 E10: The Truth Is Out There
'Oumuamua is long gone—out of sight and almost impossible to reach. The excitement over it generated endless fascination about what (and who) might be out there. Ultimately, that’s what this search for extraterrestrial life represents—a series of questions that don’t have good answers and may never have them, not now, not in another millennia. So why search? What does it matter? What are we hoping
Life on Venus?—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! In September 2020, just days before this podcast launched, scientists announced that they might have found evidence for life on Venus... or at least in Venus's atmosphere. We talk to Clara Sousa-Silva—one of the scientists involved—about their findings, what life on Venus might be like, and what the next steps might be.
A Conversation with Joe Scott—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! In a wide-ranging conversation, Joe Scott, (host of the popular YouTube series Answers With Joe) and I discuss panspermia, whether octopuses are aliens, and the rare earth hypothesis.
Talking About Aliens with Neil deGrasse Tyson—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gives his perspective on the rare earth hypothesis, the difficulty of wrapping one's head around the universe, and the problem with movie aliens.
Sarah Stewart Johnson Marvels at Mars—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Sarah Stewart Johnson is a planetary scientist who has worked on several Mars missions and is also the author of Sirens of Mars. She talks to us about the latest mission to the Red Planet—the Perseverance rover—and why our closest neighbor holds such fascination for Earthlings.
"Ancient Aliens" with David Anderson—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! David Anderson likes the idea of aliens but he’s not a big fan of the TV show Ancient Aliens. The archeologist has real problems with how the show portrays his chosen field and diminishes human achievements. But, he says, while the show is misguided, he also understands why these ideas about “pseudoarchaeology” are so appealing.
Abel Méndez Talks About the Arecibo Telescope—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! 2020 - already not a great year - was made worse for astronomers when the Arecibo Telescope collapsed in Puerto Rico. Abel Mendez, an astronomer who grew up in the telescope's shadow, talks about the importance of Arecibo and what future plans may bring.
Sara Seager Explains Exoplanets—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! While we hypothesized about exoplanets for years, it wasn't until recently that we could confirm their existence. Astrophysicist and MIT professor Sara Seager has been at the leading edge of the search for exoplanets.
Aliens and Art with Frank Buffalo Hyde—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! UFOs, aliens, other-worldly beings—all have appeared in art over the centuries (including, possibly, in Renaissance-era paintings). But some of the most recent depictions appear in the works of Frank Buffalo Hyde, an Onondaga artist who uses UFOs to talk about tribal histories and lore.
Silvano Colombano Wonders If We're Doing It Wrong—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Silvano Colombano, a long-time NASA scientist, argues that the search for extraterrestrial life makes some erroneous assumptions. We talk to him about what those assumptions are, why they might be wrong, and how we might think differently about the search.
Making Sense of MUFON—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Rob Swiatek introduces us to MUFON—the Mutual UFO Network—whose mission is to collect reports of and investigate UFO sightings all over the US and the world. Swiatek has been with MUFON for decades and explains how the organization works and what they're looking for.
Seth Shostak and SETI—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Seth Shostak is the chief astronomer at the SETI Institute and we’ll hear from him about SETI's mission: how they’re looking, what they're looking for, and how they think about the search.
Arik Kershenbaum on the Evolution of Aliens—S2 Bonus Interview
Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interview! When we imagine life on other planets, it's often the stuff of science fiction. But in his book, zoologist Arik Kershenbaum makes the case for why what we already know about animals on Earth could reveal what aliens might be like, too.
S3 Wild Thing: Going Nuclear Trailer
Back for its third season, Wild Thing uses science, history and culture to probe the realities of nuclear energy today, while analyzing our own fascination— and ambivalence—with all things atomic. What are the true risks? And what is the actual potential? Are we better at this than we were sixty years ago? And given our nature, are we humans even responsible enough to harness the power of the univ
S3 E1: Close To Home
Two dead men. One man missing. A hole blown in the side of the reactor. A cloud of radioactive gas so hot, it was off the charts. What happened with the SL-1 reactor feeds into our deep fear about the dangers of nuclear energy. But we remain intrigued by the possibilities of an atomic future, especially at a time when we need clean energy more than ever. Are the risks worth the rewards? And have w
S3 E2: Out Of Little Things
How did we figure out that such a tiny particle—an atom—held all that power? For that matter, what is an atom? A primer on the basics of atomic energy—including its destructive capabilities—to help us better understand the events that unfolded roughly 20 years later at SL-1. We’ll get a (basic!) lesson in nuclear physics from scientists, and explore some of the history that brought atomic power to
S3 E3: A New(clear) Hope
The horrifying devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved the destructive capabilities of nuclear power. But, in the aftermath of World War II, we started to experiment with how we could use atomic energy for good. It was the dawn of a new era in science, and, in that spirit, thousands of men arrived in Idaho, including the men whose deaths would later signify the difficulty of achieving this at
S3 E4: Chain Reaction
Two of the men working the reactor that night had personal problems. They hated each other. They fought with their bosses. And those problems could easily distract a man from his work—but what does that mean when you’re working with nuclear materials? At a reactor that, although managed by the military, seemed to be falling apart due to infrastructure issues, mechanical failures, and lackluster ma
S3 E5: Trust Issues
The only three people who really knew what had transpired at SL-1 were dead, and it would take months to determine what likely happened—plenty of time for rumors and gossip to take hold. Was there a love triangle? A fight gone wrong? A murder suicide? A government cover-up? Or was all of this rumor and innuendo simply a distraction from the real problems? And, ultimately, what information could pe
S3 E6: You Look Radiant
As firefighters and medical personnel staged operations at SL-1, a plume of radioactive gas silently made its way over the Idaho desert, creeping towards the nearby towns. How much of a risk did the explosion at SL-1 actually pose? And what does radiation actually do to the human body? We are constantly bathing in what’s called background radiation—so where is the line? How much is safe and how mu
S3 E7: Half-Life
The aftermath of SL-1 highlighted a problem that we still haven’t solved, despite decades of searching for a solution: what to do with the waste. Our plans to store nuclear waste inside Yucca Mountain in Nevada fell through. So now what? Can we safely contain these materials? Should the waste be in one location, or many? How do we warn future generations about the dangers these materials pose?*Bec
S3 E8: Risky Business
Incidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima are often what comes to mind when we think about nuclear energy. Thankfully, events like these actually very rare. So does that mean the risks we associate with atomic power are as bad as we think? How good are we at actually assessing those risks? And can we make things even less risky by removing humans from the equation? That’s how some next generation pro
S3 E9: An Atomic Future
What were the long-term effects of the SL-1 explosion? Nuclear power is a shrinking part of America’s energy picture; accidents and fear have tarnished it, and the old reactor fleet is reaching its end. Yet nuclear energy could provide a bulwark against the looming threat of climate change. Is it something we can make work for us, in spite of ourselves? Are the costs worth it in the long run? Sixt
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