Down the Wormhole

Episode 28
Do religious beliefs affect attitudes about climate change? Are people who believe we are in the "End Times" less likely to care about long term environmental impacts? What do the polling numbers indicate? The results might surprise you!
Remember to send us your wildest, pie-in-the-sky plan to stop climate change, and you could one BILLION dollars (of totally fake money). Email us at admin@downthewormhole.com or post it to our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
 
Show Notes
Lots of articles to read!
Pew Stats from 2015: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2015/10/22/religion-and-views-on-climate-and-energy-issues/
Religious Statements on Climate Change: https://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/religious-statements-on-climate-change/
Pew Stats on Catholic Division: https://www.pewforum.org/2015/06/16/catholics-divided-over-global-warming/ 
Katharine Hayhoe: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/opinion/sunday/climate-change-evangelical-christian.html
Pew Stats from 2010: https://www.pewforum.org/2010/09/17/few-say-religion-shapes-immigration-environment-views/
 
“Left Behind” series : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_Behind  ; http://leftbehind.com/ 
7 Dispensations : https://www.compellingtruth.org/seven-dispensations.html 
Ozone layer hole : https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/2019-ozone-hole-is-the-smallest-on-record-since-its-discovery  [and a small bit of history : https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-hole-earths-ozone-layer-finally-closing-humans-did-something-771922 ]
 
Judges are more impartial after a meal : https://www.wired.com/2011/04/judges-mental-fatigue/ 
Dear Hank and John podcast : https://www.npr.org/podcasts/735467446/dear-hank-john
Peacock ore (aka Bornite) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bornite and as a crystal : https://www.crystals-online.co.uk/properties-pages/peacock-ore/ 
 
Y2K and apocalypse : 
https://www.adl.org/education/resources/reports/y2k-apocalypse 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickallen/2020/12/29/apocalypse-then-when-y2k-didnt-lead-to-the-end-of-civilization/#534b3e38475c 
[From a believer in the immediate coming rapture : https://daniel11truth.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFzh4El5Tz8h5Sivrdoeot6zdAjqKbLTk-ZSPkS0LJJWQMBWpnawv6oaAuWgEALw_wcB ]
 
Ezekiel 38
Hebrew and English: https://www.sefaria.org/Ezekiel.38?lang=bi 
As proof of apocalypse : https://www.apocalypsesoon.org/xfile-10.html

Episode 27
In part 3 of our Climate Connections series, Adam tries to break us out of our conventional ways of thinking by introducing the concept of play, and forcing us to imagine how we would solve the climate crisis if we had zero limitations. 
How about guerrilla gardening, benevolent-ish dictatorships, billion dollar grants, the end of big cities, the return of generational living, solar farming the desert, or farting salt mines?
Send us your wildest, pie-in-the-sky plan to stop climate change, and you could one BILLION dollars (of totally fake money). Email us at admin@downthewormhole.com or post it to our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
Show Notes
Favorite PE game
Adam-Scooter (found here: https://www.gophersport.com/pe/scooters/sst-scooters) and games (found here: https://www.gophersport.com/blog/6-scooter-games-pe/ )
Kendra--Parachute, games found here: https://www.playparachutes.com/pagaac.html 
Rachael -- Tetherball, what it is : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetherball  (scene from Napoleon Dynamite : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azSxYbFovWo )
Zack -- none (here’s one story as to why some kids dislike p.e. : https://education.penelopetrunk.com/2013/05/20/forced-gym-makes-kids-hate-exercise/ )
 
Adam’s book “Living with Tiny Aliens” https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tiny-Aliens-Anthropocene-Groundworks-ebook-dp-B07WWJP3FP/dp/B07WWJP3FP/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1582659303 
 
Augustine and his idea that children are sinners : http://www.stephenhicks.org/2011/12/02/augustine-on-why-babies-are-evil/
 
Solar power in Sahara : http://theconversation.com/should-we-turn-the-sahara-desert-into-a-huge-solar-farm-114450 
Nuclear power, pros-cons: https://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Nuclear_Energy 
Gen 2 reactors:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/09/leslie-dewan-explorer-moments-nuclear-energy/
New energy storage ideas:
https://www.wired.com/2016/05/forget-elons-batteries-fix-grid-rock-filled-train-hill/

Episode 26
In part 2 of our Climate Connections miniseries, Rachael serves up a heaping helping of hope in the face of potentially the greatest crisis the human race has ever encountered. Can her immovable optimism stand firm against Adam's unstoppable despair? Will a realistic way forward emerge in the aftermath? Grab some popcorn and roasted crickets. This one is fun. 
(Zack note: I recorded my part from the passenger seat of my station wagon on a family trip, so you will hear my toddler yelling for food periodically. Lunch is important yall!)
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
 
Show Notes
Favorite Tree
Rachael--Aspen: https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/tree-profile-aspen-so-much-more-than-a-tree 
Kendra--Rainbow eucalyptus: https://mymodernmet.com/rainbow-eucalyptus-tree/ 
Ian--live oak: https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=876 
Zack--box elder: https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-to-the-boxelder-tree-1343340 
Adam--one particular elm
 
Bark beetle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle
Beetle kill pine furniture: https://sears-trostel.com/blog/13657/Beetle-Kill-Blue-Stain-Pine-Lumber-in-Fort-Collins 
 
Food
Who owns the land: https://thecounter.org/who-really-owns-american-farmland/
CO2 animal production: https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local?fbclid=IwAR0fMG7sySLwJO7FAjbp7Wix1uy8RAsLci-IOMLZlYxzcxNbnHxV7MRgAIU 
Americans love their meat: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-chart-proves-americans-love-their-meat-2016-08-15 
Food recommendations in American diet: https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/47465/pid/47465 
We ate a record amount in 2018: https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/47465/pid/47465 
World consumption of beef (note how many countries eat far less than we do) https://beef2live.com/story-world-beef-consumption-per-capita-ranking-countries-0-111634 
We are the Weather: saving the world begins at breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Weather-Saving-Breakfast/dp/0374280002 
 
Recycling
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-wrong-mistakes.html 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.html 
https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/recycling6.htm 
 
“Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower
Babies in the river story: https://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/youth/call/workshop1/171686.shtml 
Equality/equity/justice: https://www.icafoodshelf.org/blog/2017/11/15/equity-vs-equality-vs-justice-how-are-they-different 
Creation Care Alliance: https://creationcarealliance.org/ 
Better clothing: https://qz.com/823607/pro-tips-for-buying-clothes-that-will-last-years-not-weeks/ 
A whole book on the subject https://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Fast-Fashion-guilt-free-ebook/dp/B07WH5C7XD 

Episode 25
If you could save the world simply by changing the way you eat, would you do it? Is fake meat the future of food or is it a fad for rich people? Why are we so afraid of eating bugs? Why are we so bad at living out our values unless they are convenient? All these questions and more as Zack introduces part 1 of our Climate Connections miniseries in which each host takes a week to explain their own personal connection to the climate crisis. 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
 
Show Notes 
Comfort foods
Zack: TastyKake: https://www.tastykake.com/
Kendra: Reese puffs cereal: https://cereals.generalmills.com/products/reeses-puffs/ 
Ian: milk chocolate, especially milka: https://germandelistore.com/milka/?p=1 
Adam: mashed potatoes: (best mashed potatoes, but also comes with meatloaf recipe) https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/02/tomato-glazed-meatloaves-with-brown-butter-mashed-potatoes/ 
Rachael: brownies: https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/08/my-favorite-brownies/ 
 
History
Last name “Jackson”
https://www.facinghistory.org/reconstruction-era/changing-names 
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/19/news/among-blacks-washington-ranks-as-the-top-surname.html 
https://www.amazon.com/Slaves-Family-Edward-Ball/dp/0374534454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=slaves+in+the+family&qid=1513302146&s=books&sr=1-1 
Jefferson quote, hold a wolf’s ears https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/famous-jefferson-quotes 
Quakers and abolition: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17843552 
Industry (cotton) and the continuation of southern slavery: https://www.ushistory.org/us/22b.asp 
 
1 Tim 1:15, explanation of “chief of all sinners” https://doctrine.org/paul-chief-of-sinners  
“Historical roots of our ecological crisis” By Lynn White 1967: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/155/3767/1203 
Edible insects and Human Evolution by Dr. Julie Lesnik: https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813056999 
 
Food
Impossible food: https://impossiblefoods.com/ 
Vox article criticizing meatless-meat trend: 
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/10/7/20880318/meatless-meat-mainstream-backlash-impossible-burger 
Patrick Brown TEDmed Talk (2015): https://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=529958 
New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/can-a-burger-help-solve-climate-change 
Grass-fed vs. grain fed for environmentalism: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/13/746576239/is-grass-fed-beef-really-better-for-the-planet-heres-the-science?fbclid=IwAR2Mgkudmkq9mH5RfqhsnhjP-qG1h-N3vbDGuanT2472FLB4VP9-dC8gRvY 
Farming in America stats: https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts 
How many farms are there: https://www.statista.com/statistics/196114/top-10-us-states-by-number-of-farms/ 
*note: considered a farm if sells >$1,000 in agriculture in 1yr.
 
General other food articles: 
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/30/dining/climate-change-food-eating-habits.html
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541
https://theconversation.com/five-ways-the-meat-on-your-plate-is-killing-the-planet-76128
http://css.umich.edu/publication/beyond-meats-beyond-burger-life-cycle-assessment-detailed-comparison-between-plant-based
https://www.fcrn.org.uk/projects/grazed-and-confused
Entomophagy!
https://medium.com/cleantech-rising/the-future-of-insect-based-protein-82b92ddb2057
https://massivesci.com/articles/eating-bugs-insect-protein-entomophagy-food-agriculture/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/15/edible-insect-save-planet-global-warming-tasty-trendy

Episode 24
We finish up our series on human origins by asking "Who are my people?"
That simple question will lead us to question every facet of our lives and how we interact with life on Earth. It will force us to face our relationship with animals, our self-identity, our sense of purpose, and our various privileges. It will also lead us to ancient bathroom graffiti, songwriting whales, and a hope for humanity. 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
 
Show Notes
Favorite table-top games
Kendra: Balderdash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balderdash
Zack: DixIt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixit_(card_game) 
Ian: Cards Against Humanity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cards_Against_Humanity 
Rachael: Cribbage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cribbage
“Game for Good Christians” : https://www.agameforgoodchristians.com/about/ 
 
General conversation points
Who is Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton: https://iho.asu.edu/about/lucys-story  and here: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141127-lucy-fossil-revealed-our-origins 
The Dimetrodon is NOT a dinosaur: https://www.thoughtco.com/things-to-know-dimetrodon-1093785 
Elizabeth Warren and a DNA test: https://www.factcheck.org/2018/10/the-facts-on-elizabeth-warrens-dna-test/ 
How dairy farms work: https://modernfarmer.com/2014/03/real-talk-milk/ 
Orca-pod helping feed humans and other facts: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/killer-whale-avoids-eating-people-helped-19th-century-whalers-became-public-enemy-number-one/ 
Book, “When Elephants Weep” : https://www.amazon.com/When-Elephants-Weep-Emotional-Animals/dp/0385314280 
Answers in Genesis, What it means to be human: https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/what-makes-us-human/what-does-it-mean-to-be-human/ 
Humpback whale cultural songs: https://medium.com/@dealville/whales-synchronize-their-songs-across-oceans-and-theres-sheet-music-to-prove-it-b1667f603844 
3 pages-a-day journal : https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/03/morning-pages-change-your-life-oliver-burkeman 
Graffiti in Pompeii : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_graffiti 
and http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm  
and https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/history/the-bawdy-graffiti-of-pompeii-and-herculaneu

Episode 23
We are joined by author, professor, and host of the podcast, "The Bible for Normal People", Dr Pete Enns as we ask the question, "If humans evolved, what do we do with Adam and Eve?" 
For many people, this is the main reason why they cannot seriously entertain human evolution. To do so would seemingly fly in the face of the veracity of scripture. If Adam is just a myth, does the whole thing fall apart? Pete doesn't think so, and neither do we. Join us as we learn to think about the Bible like the people who wrote the Bible and discover that these archaic stories still have a lot to teach us. 
 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
 
Show Notes 
Most interesting thing in your room:
Ian, wine tap: 
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-08/your-next-hotel-room-might-have-wine-on-tap 
Kendra’s vision board
Adam had bobble heads: martin luther: https://www.missionalwear.com/martin-luther-bobblehead and Katie von bora (Martin’s wife) https://oldlutheran.com/products/katie-luther-bobble-head-doll 
Rachael, full talmud, and why (to study a page a day): https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/9-things-to-know-about-the-daf-yomi-daily-page-of-talmud/ 
Zack, lime (orange?) tree, which as it turns out, can be hard to tell the difference: https://www.gardenguides.com/129997-difference-between-orange-lime-trees.html 
Pete, House of Lannister scotch: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/47810/lagavulin-9-year-old-game-of-thrones-house-lannister 
 
All about our guest, Pete Enns:
Podcast, the Bible for normal people: https://thebiblefornormalpeople.podbean.com/ 
Books including “Sin of Certainty” and “Evolution of Adam” : https://peteenns.com/books/books-for-normal-people/ 
Someone wrote a review of “Evolution of Adam” and this is Pete’s response: https://peteenns.com/spinning-our-wheels-a-response-to-a-review-of-the-evolution-of-adam-with-apologies-to-those-with-a-500-word-1-6-minute-internet-attention-span/ 
The challenges of reading the Bible: https://peteenns.com/11-recurring-mistake-evangelicals-make-evolution-debate/
 
Bible:
What was the Reformation? https://www.history.com/topics/reformation/reformation 
What is the Shulchan Arukh? https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-shulhan-arukh/ 
Romans 5 quote: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A12-21&version=NIV 
 
 

Episode 22
Were the big, moralistic gods of most major religions created to control the people of the early cities? Did big gods enable the creation of big cities? Is religion just an artifact of the agricultural revolution? Which came first, and why is it so important? 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
Show Notes
Dunbars number, 150, and where it came from: https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/social-media-affect-math-dunbar-number-friendships
And : https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships 
 
Books:
Kurt Vonnegut book, Galapagos: https://amzn.to/2tHuQWW
Book by Andrew Newberg “How God changes your brain”: https://amzn.to/36if6Hc
 
Early writing, in Egypt:
Extensive article: https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935413.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199935413-e-61 
A bit more reader-friendly: https://www.reckon.com/reckon-blog/ancient-egyptians-the-original-bookkeepers1/ 
 
“Hidden Brain” episode of the origin of religion:  https://www.npr.org/2019/05/06/720656274/where-does-religion-come-from-one-researcher-points-to-cultural-evolution 
Short video on humans from 200,000 years ago to now and the population changes throughout the world: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/aekazg/watching-humans-take-over-the-earth-in-200000-years-is-pretty-relaxing 
 
BIblical references: 
Gen 11: 1-9 and tower of Babel: https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.11?lang=bi&aliyot=0 
Gen 4:1-16 and Cain/Abel story: https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.4?ven=Jewish_English_Torah&lang=bi&aliyot=0 
Big Gods or Big Cities….and the problems with trying to find out:
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/scienceonreligion/2019/05/did-big-gods-come-before-or-after-big-societies/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=share_bar&fbclid=IwAR3lVLCmhHpZ1uXfDveYj2q3ppmT7CHiU3Q59Td6W6ntr45UQBSf9UBJcXw#pbXkMxz9qZkCbB8O.01 
http://nautil.us/blog/which-comes-first-big-cities-or-big-gods 
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/349/6251/918.full 
https://theconversation.com/big-gods-came-after-the-rise-of-civilisations-not-before-finds-study-using-huge-historical-database-113801 
https://www.livescience.com/65039-punishing-gods-rise-with-complex-societies.html 
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/big-religion-may-have-gotten-too-much-credit-for-the-evolution-of-modern-society/ 
 

Episode 21
Our Human Origins miniseries keeps rolling as we explore the implications of art, social structures, and burials among Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens in the Stone Age (specifically about 65,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE). How much can we infer from the clues they left behind? What of the small idols that predate all known religions by 15,000 years? Was God speaking to early humans like God speaks today? Are we making too much out of too little? Why does spirituality always seem to pop up whenever humans are around? 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
Show Notes
Cave Paintings
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/02/neanderthals-cave-art-humans-evolution-science/
Cave Burials
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131216-la-chapelle-neanderthal-burials-graves/
Venus Figures
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/venus-of-berekhat-ram.htm 
https://www.ancient.eu/Venus_Figurine/ 
Honey Bee Dance “the Waggle”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_KD1enR3Q 
 
Hominids
Overview of human evolution
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species 
Neanderthals
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/who-were-the-neanderthals.html 
Denisovan
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/08/news-denisovan-neanderthal-hominin-hybrid-ancient-human/ [first generation offspring of Denisovan and Neanderthal; tiny pinky bone fragment]
https://leakeyfoundation.org/origin-stories-the-denisovans/ [podcast which was referenced]
Homo Sapiens
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-sapiens 
 
Giant fauna
Sloth for Kendra to curl up into : https://www.livescience.com/56762-giant-ground-sloth.html 
Marsupials with large pouches : 
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160208-the-lost-giants-that-prowled-the-australian-wilderness 
They went extinct : 
https://daily.jstor.org/what-really-happened-to-the-megafauna/ 
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/in-a-few-centuries-cows-could-be-the-largest-land-animals-left/558323/ 
Read more : https://www.americanscientist.org/article/what-became-of-the-megafauna 
 
Religious pieces
Rachel sitting on idols : https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.31.34?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en 
What is religiousity : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity 
Spiritual / religious : https://chopra.com/articles/religion-vs-spirituality-what-is-the-difference
“Sapiens” by Yuval Harari book : https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens/