Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

Dylan Wilmeth
  • 4.9 (151)
  • EARTH SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

This podcast starts at the beginning of Earth's prehistory and works forward through time. Bedrock will explore the first 90% of Earth’s past, a time known as the Precambrian Era. Before humans, before dinosaurs… there was the Precambrian. The Earth was an incredibly alien world, but not a dead one. Along the way, you will build a mental toolkit to see the world like a geologist. You will never look at a mountain, the moon, or pond scum in quite the same way again. Welcome to Bedrock. For transcripts, visuals, and references, check out https://www.bedrockpodcast.com

  1. 11/08/2024

    Life Update: The Job Hunt

    Hi folks, If you’re a long-term listener, you know this show often takes long, multi-week breaks. This break has been much longer than normal, and will likely continue for a few months. What’s going on? Right now, I have one goal on my mind: to find a new, permanent job. My three-year contract at Grand Valley State University will end in April. I knew this going in, and it’s public information, so don’t worry about any dirt being spilled. In the past three months I have applied for dozens of jobs, and that number will double before year’s end. Each application takes time. I also have a full teaching schedule and I’m supervising undergraduate research. In short, there’s simply no time to make the show right now. I don’t know where I’ll be in six months, and that’s honestly a very stressful situation. But things are looking up- I’ve had a few interviews, and jobs are still being posted. When I find a permanent position, hopefully by early 2025, I will let you all know and finally return to Bedrock, both the show and in my own life. In the meantime, thank you as always for your patience and enthusiasm. If you’ve finished the show, you can recommend it to a science-curious friend. You can always drop a line at bedrock.mailbox@gmail.com, it always makes my day. See you next time, whenever that may be.

    3 min

  2. 07/11/2024

    Schedule Update: Iceland Field Trip

    Hi folks! I've just been invited by my university to join a field trip to Iceland next week, one of the best spots in the world to study geology. This means there will be a slight hiccup in our programming. Episode 38 will drop early next week, while Episode 39 will hopefully drop the first week of August. If I have time and space, I might try some experimental episodes from Iceland itself, field diaries and interviews, but no promises. As always, thanks for your patience and support!

    3 min

  3. 06/27/2024

    37: Metamorphosis

    Why are some ancient rocks well-preserved, while others are extremely messed up? Today, we'll take a side quest from our Greenland arc to learn more about metamorphosis, which changes rocks beneath our feet. On the way, we'll transform toast into cookies, take an elevator ride deep into the crust, and meet an ancient rock with a babyface. Extra credit: make some toast, or go looking for butterflies.

    29 min

  4. 06/12/2024

    36: The Ghosts of Greenland

    What is the oldest *major* slice of rock, one that's relatively well-preserved, one that's fueled a half-century of research? The episode's name kinda gives it away, but stay tuned as we meet the last location of Season 2: a series of rocks near Greenland's capital. Along the way, we'll meet the different groups of people who have settled on this remote island, and a geologist from the other side of the world. I'll also take a brief detour into why I unfortunately can't talk about every single ancient rock out there. Extra Credit: Find a choir to sing in, or play some ping-pong.

    23 min

  5. 05/29/2024

    35: The Man in the Moon

    How did the Man in the Moon form? What does the Moon's Far Side look like? Today, we'll learn about the most visible remnant of the ancient world- the pattern of dark lunar rocks that stares down on us each night. On the way, we'll hitch a ride with a flying fax machine, play a game with crystals in magma, and learn why bananas are slightly radioactive (and why that doesn't really matter). Extra Credit: Try to send me a fax, or just eat a banana.

    24 min

  6. 05/15/2024

    34: Bombardment

    When did the Moon's craters form? Can they tell us any stories about the ancient Solar System? Today, we'll learn some early explanations for lunar features, meet a "lunatic asylum" of planetary geologists, and learn how the larger planets might have bullied their smaller neighbors. Extra Credit: Watch Apollo 13, or The Right Stuff.

    22 min

  7. 05/01/2024

    33: A Thin Line

    What are the oldest disputed fossils on Earth? Why are they disputed? Today, we wrap up our tour of Nuvvuagittuq in northern Quebec, 3.8 billion years ago, March 3rd on the Earth Calendar. In 2017, microscopic rusty threads were discovered inside these rocks, thinner than a human hair. Were they bacteria, or something else entirely? Stay tuned to find out! Extra Credit: Learn how to make a chemical garden, or find a piece of chert, flint, jasper, agate, or onyx. Common Descent Interview: https://youtu.be/amQ9rntfKV0?feature=shared

    26 min

  8. 03/06/2024

    32: Pumping Iron

    Where does humanity get most of its' iron, and what do these rocks tell us about the ancient Earth? Today, we'll learn about banded iron formations, the backbone of the modern steel industry an important stop in the search for early life and oxygen, and a rock that is impossible to make today. It's rare to find a rock as important to both economics and research. Along the way, we'll take a breath of fresh air, meet orange pond scum in a forest stream, and find a dagger carved from a meteorite. Extra Credit: Find as many steel objects as possible around you, or search for bog iron in a local swamp.

    27 min
See All (53)

4.9
out of 5
151 Ratings

About

This podcast starts at the beginning of Earth's prehistory and works forward through time. Bedrock will explore the first 90% of Earth’s past, a time known as the Precambrian Era. Before humans, before dinosaurs… there was the Precambrian. The Earth was an incredibly alien world, but not a dead one. Along the way, you will build a mental toolkit to see the world like a geologist. You will never look at a mountain, the moon, or pond scum in quite the same way again. Welcome to Bedrock. For transcripts, visuals, and references, check out https://www.bedrockpodcast.com

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