Wild Thing (podcast)


Wild Thing is a podcast about the relationship between science and society. It is hosted by Laura Krantz and produced by Foxtopus Ink. 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. 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. 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

Season 2: Space Invaders
#TitleOriginal Air Date
1Out of This WordSep 17, 2020
2What is Life?Sep 24, 2020
3Doing the MathOct 1, 2020
4RoswellOct 8, 2020
5Independence DayOct 15, 2020
6Hear No Aliens, See No AliensOct 22, 2020
7E.T. Phone HomeOct 29, 2020
8Popular Science Nov 5, 2020
9You Gotta Have FaithNov 12, 2020
10The Truth is Out ThereNov 19, 2020

#TitleOriginal Air Date
1Close to HomeMay 17, 2022
2Out of Little ThingsMay 24, 2022
3A New HopeMay 31, 2022
4Chain ReactionJun 7, 2022
5Trust IssuesJun 14, 2022
6You Look RadiantJun 21, 2022
7Half-LifeJun 28, 2022
8Risky BusinessJul 5, 2022
9An Atomic FutureJul 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. 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. Emily Todd VanDerWeff of Vox wrote: "It’s smart, well produced, well written, and intelligently structured." Los Angeles Times called Wild Thing "Serial for Sasquatches." Mashable named it the most "binge-worth podcasts of 2018" The Atlantic named season 2 one of the best podcasts of 2020. The show was also featured in Rolling Stone, Outside, and Scientific American.