Outside/In

08/24/2026

This week we replayed one of our favorite episodes from last year: a conversation with Mississippi-born writer and MacArthur fellow Kiese Laymon on the beauty of his grandma’s garden, Emmett Till, Maurice Sendak, and his first children’s book. Listen to our producer Justine Paradis speaking with Kiese Laymon at the link in bio or on Outside/In, on the podcast app of your choice.

Image credits:
1: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
2 & 3: detail of illustration by Alexis Franklin Alexis Franklin Courtesy Penguin Young Readers.

Quotes: “I respect all of the books about growing up in cities, but I just want to read more books about particularly Black children exploring and experimenting with the natural world, for better or for worse. Insects, you know. Crawdads. Mosquitoes. Locusts.”

“I wanted an artist who loved art, gardens and young Black people, young Black boys, enough to create not horrific stuff, but the kind of suspense that is bodily.”

08/14/2026

We're working on a story about one of our team member's unusual food aversions (her name rhymes with Schmarina), and we'd love to get some of your own stories for the episode!

More deets here:

08/10/2026

has been a climate rallying cry for a while now. But when it comes to outdoor power tools like leaf blowers and lawn mowers, electric just wasn’t as powerful as gas, or the battery just couldn’t keep up.

But things have changed. Batteries keep getting better and better, and Consumer Reports ’ testing of leaf blowers is telling a new story.

🎧 Listen to “The W***y Wonka factory of product testing” on Outside/In wherever you get your podcasts for more behind the scenes at Consumer Reports headquarters.

07/30/2026

One of our producer’s recently shared an opinion we don’t think everyone will agree with. 🧺

That, and two wild tales of outdoor events gone wrong on this week’s episode: Fiasco al fresco.

Check it out at the link in our bio 🔗

📸 by Felix P**n & Marina Henke
1 - A very delicious looking picnic.
2 & 3 - Two outdoor dining spots that Marina would rather not eat at.

07/24/2026

Every sunscreen expert will tell you that people don’t apply enough sunblock. The recommended concentration is two milligrams per square centimeter on the skin, or approximately two finger-lengths on the face.

We decided to put it to the test. The result could be described as outrageous.

However, we did test this again later with a different product (pictured above in first slide) and the result was more reasonable. Check it out on our Patreon.

“The sunscreen episode” is on Outside/In, wherever you get your podcasts.

07/10/2026

How far would you go for a crow?

If you listened to this week’s episode, you know that for birders Jake Glassman and Joe Hack the answer is… pretty far!

Some behind the scenes pictures from producer (and first-time birder) Michaela Elias’ reporting trip to the southern border.

📸 Photos by Michaela Elias and Jake Glassman

1. Father son duo Jake & Joel Glassman, along with Joe Hack try to spot an inconspicuous grosbeak at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center.

2. Jake and Joe carry their scopes through Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.

3. Michaela, Joe, and Joel between the Rio Grande and the border wall at the Salineño Wildlife Preserve.

4. April bird sightings listed at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center.

5. The team braves the winds at the Brownsville Landfill.

6. Joe, Jake, and Joel scout out the banks of the Rio Grande.

🎧 Click the link in our bio to hear the whole story.

07/01/2026

Edward R. Murrow Award-winning episode “The problem with pickleball” is the story of how one community in Boston is trying to make peace... with pickleball.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. It may also be the most hated. Tennis and basketball players are complaining about losing court space because of an “invasion” of pickleballers. Residents are losing sleep because of the incessant noise. Fights over pickleball have led to a slew of petitions, calls to the police, and even lawsuits.

So why do pickleball players love this sport so much? Just how annoying is it to everyone else? And what will it take for everyone to just get along?

06/16/2026

Put salt (aka sodium chloride) in your pasta water and you’ll end up with delicious spaghetti. Put pure sodium in it instead… and it will explode. 🧂💥

In the latest edition of “The Element of Surprise” — our occasional series about the hidden stories behind the periodic table’s most unassuming atoms, isotopes, and molecules — we talk all about sodium.

It’s the periodic table’s saltiest element. It powers your body like a battery and you need it to survive. So why is too much of it bad for you? Plus, how did salt help the North win the Civil War?

🎧 Check out "Never add salt to your pasta water" wherever you get your podcasts.

06/12/2026

Hey folks - we launched a Patreon!

We're a public radio show, and that means there will never be a paywall on this podcast. Our episodes will always be free to everyone, and we're not making bonus episodes that are only available to patrons.

But as thanks for supporting our work directly, patrons can get an AD-FREE VERSION OF THE PODCAST, discounts on merch, behind-the-scenes blog posts, and even a hand-written postcard from host Nate Hegyi.

Check it out!

Get more from Outside/In on Patreon. A podcast where curiosity and the natural world collide. Support Outside/In and get exclusive access to their work.

06/11/2026

We won a Regional Murrow Award! Producer Marina Henke's story on tornado recovery in St. Louis took best “News Documentary.”

It gave Marina a good excuse to catch up with Natalie Hughes, the bricklayer we featured in our original piece. What does recovery in St. Louis look like more than a year later? And, what’s been the fate of the thousands of bricks which have come down in demolitions?

“They got more bricks than they can deal with. They’re almost giving them away now.” Natalie told us.

Read on for the full story.

📷 Photos by Natalie Hughes taken in North City over the past year.