Outside/In

Living in a material world: the search for sustainable clothing

To hear an ad-free version of this episode, join our Patreon!  When it comes to the environment, are natural fabrics better than synthetics? The answer might surprise yo

Introducing “Bear Brook: A Private Matter”

A Christmas tree farmer with dementia named Jay Hickey vanishes from his small town in rural New Hampshire. Jay's wife Patty never reports him missing. A tipster claims "

It’s like riding a bike

To hear an ad-free version of this episode, join our Patreon. Producer Felix Poon used to be a reckless moped driver who weaved in between semi trucks. Now he’s a cautio

Operation Night Cat Update: New Plea Deals and Charges

“Operation Night Cat” is a special series from NHPR’s ⁠Document ⁠team and ⁠Outside/In. Since we first brought you this series in November 2025, there have been two big u

Introducing Heavyweight

Have you ever had something from your past that you just couldn't let go of? A friendship that suddenly ended, a question you never asked, or simply a moment where you've

Zombies, jack-o’-lanterns, and our spooky scary skeletons

On a recent fishing trip, Nate came across a bone-chilling sight. It was a salmon that seemed kind of… dead. Its skin was falling off, it smelled horrible, and it didn’t

Why these food safety experts will eat rare steak, but not buffet fruit salad

Can you eat a tuna sandwich if it sits in your backpack all day? Is ceviche risky? And, after Hot Cyclospora Summer, are we allowed to eat lettuce yet?  We brought your

The secret origins of commercial coyote urine

Last spring, a curious listener called with an unusual question about coyote urine. Is it – as advertised by companies who sell it – an effective, all natural pest deterr

The deer sharpshooters of Maui

Maui has a problem: too many deer, not enough hunters. So on a dark, humid night, Nate joined a group of elite hunters as they endeavor to turn an ecological nightmare in

Decoding nature's symphony

In 1985, electronic music pioneer Bernie Krause was asked to step in to help save a stranded humpback whale. Krause was known back then for being an evangelist of Moog sy

A dry river runs through it

Albuquerque and the Rio Grande go hand in hand. The river cuts right through town, which means if you leave your office at closing time, you could have your feet in the w

Foiled! Napoleon's cutlery and the Aluminati

You might associate it with the foil that wraps leftover pizza and the shiny craft beer cans sold in breweries, but aluminum is literally everywhere. Scoop up a handful o

Did #savethebees get it wrong?

Noah Wilson-Rich has made it his mission to save the bees — from colony collapse disorder, loss of habitat, and disease. He’s doing this not just as a scientist, but also

Cosmic earthquake pizza

When an Outside/In listener asked the team to weigh in on a debate between him and his wife, perhaps we should have hesitated. But it was too good to resist. “We have ei

Scientists spoke up against a de-extinction company. Then the smears began.

When evolutionary biologist Vincent Lynch heard the news that a $10 billion biotech company had brought the once extinct dire wolf back to life, he called foul. He took t

City Summer, Country Summer

Growing up, Kiese Laymon thought of himself as a city kid. But he spent his childhood with a foot in two worlds: his mom’s house in the capital city of Jackson, Mississip

Introducing Heavyweight

Have you ever had something from your past that you just couldn't let go of? A friendship that suddenly ended, a question you never asked, or simply a moment where you've

If climate change were a choose-your-own-adventure story

Dean Russell had just wrapped several reporting projects on climate change, mental health, and COVID. “My world was just so serious,” he said. That’s when his boss approa

Introducing Heavyweight

Have you ever had something from your past that you just couldn't let go of? A friendship that suddenly ended, a question you never asked, or simply a moment where you've

The Willy Wonka factory of product testing

Producer Felix Poon goes on a field trip to the headquarters of Consumer Reports, where they test snow blowers on wet sawdust, drop bicycle helmets on anvils, and cover s