Rephonic
Artwork for Big Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Evolution
Ecology
Climate Change
Natural Selection
Phenotypic Plasticity
Covid-19
Darwin's Finches
Behavioral Ecology
National Science Foundation
Genomics
Science Communication
Thermal Physiology
Sars-Cov-2
Marine Biology
Niche Construction
Speciation
Agency
Price Equation
Graduate Education

The biggest biology podcast for the biggest science and biology fans. Featuring in-depth discussions with scientists tackling the biggest questions in evolution, genetics, ecology, climate, neuroscience, diseases, the origins of life, psychology and more. If it's biological, groundbreaking, philosophical or mysterious you'll find it bigbiology.substack.com

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes178Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceEducation

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Artwork for Big Biology

Latest Episodes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com

How do hormones help animals cope with stress, seasons, and climate change? What is allostasis?

In this episode, our guest is John Wingfield, Emeritus Professor o... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com

How do you experimentally test theories of island biogeography? Who were the Tallahassee Mafia? Why do some introduced species become invasive and reshape ecosyste... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com

How is climate change affecting the movements of small predators in the sea? How do diatoms affect ocean carbon cycling? How do Cassiopea jellyfish act like ecosys... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.com

What role do genes play in complex human behaviors? If behavior is largely shaped by a combination of experience and luck, how should we rethink blame, punishment,... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Dan Simberloff
Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Science, University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
Episode: Invasion of the ecosystem snatchers (Ep 149)
David Reznick
Distinguished professor of biology at the University of California, Riverside, known for his work on life history evolution in guppies.
University of California, Riverside
Episode: Evolution at the speed of life (Ep 145)
Mwezi Mugerwa
PhD candidate at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, recent winner of the Indianapolis Prize for Conservation and president of the Society for Conservation Biology.
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
Episode: Heart of gold (Ep 144)
Nick Lane
Evolutionary biologist and author
University College London
Episode: The Vital Question: The Chemistry of Early Life
Ludovic Orlando
Research director at the French National Center for Scientific Research and author of 'Horses: A 4,000-Year Genetic Journey Across the World.'
French National Center for Scientific Research
Episode: From Steppe to Stable (Ep 143)
Jaap de Roode
Leading voice in the field of zoopharmacognosy and author of Doctors by Nature
Emory University
Episode: Doctors by Nature (Ep 142)
Katie Lotterhaus
Professor of conservation and genetics at Northeastern University
Northeastern University
Episode: Vulnerability in science and in genomes (Ep 141)
Oded Rechavi
Professor at Tel Aviv University and co-organizer of the Woodstock of Biology
Tel Aviv University
Episode: Biology outside the box (Ep 140)
Mike Lynch
Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and director of the Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution.
Arizona State University
Episode: Evolution across scales (Ep 139)

Hosts

Marty Martin
Host of the show (multiple episodes) with long-standing involvement in Big Biology.
Cameron Gallimore
Co-host and frequent guest host, with involvement across many episodes.
Art Woods
Co-host of Big Biology, contributes to multiple episodes.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 460 ratings
  • Wonderful

    It makes my day every time a new episode comes out- such a wonderful resource for biology and science! 💕💕💕

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    am so C all go go d
    United Statesa year ago
  • Serious lapses of judgement regarding the Alina Chan interview.

    They interview overall some good scientists and thinkers who speak well for themselves and their ideas, I have no criticism really. A bit plodding but good for lay audiences maybe not for me.

    However they made a serious lapse of judgement when they interviewed Alina Chan. I have not idea of their motives for doing so when there were several better qualified and reliable biologists and virologists who had done direct work on the topic for some time.

    I won’t obviously spell out the whole scient... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    TudorEynon
    United States2 years ago
  • The biology podcast that we need

    This podcast is the biology podcast that I always wanted. Great and curious hosts, who interview not only biology scientists, but anthropologists, philosophers of biology, etc. most episodes are also transcribed in their website and they interview fantastic guests!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Anatarah
    United States2 years ago
  • we need this right now

    with so much changing and so much at stake, we need scientists who care about the future of our global community. this podcast is essential listening for those who want to better understand where we came from, where we are in this chaotic moment, and how to affect transformative change in the future. these guys care and, frankly, entertaining. that matters. we need complicated information presented in a consumable, actionable way. congratulations. a must listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    blueback
    United States3 years ago
  • Awesome Biology Podcasr

    This is a brilliant podcast !

    If you are interested in Biology all the episodes are fascinating & accessible with great hosts

    I recommend you to all my friends colleagues & students

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MelBourneUK
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

• Guests are described as engaging and experts who translate complex topics well.
• Listeners praise accessible yet rigorous biology content and compelling guest lineups.
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• Some critique sound quality and episode pacing, but many find the depth and explainers valuable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#179
Denmark/Education

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Heart of gold (Ep 144)
Q: Can you tell us more about the African golden cat and its characteristics?
The African golden cat varies in colors, can reach up to 15 kg, and has low reproductive rates, which contribute to its rarity.
Heart of gold (Ep 144)
Q: How did you become a biologist, a conservation biologist?
Mwezi's inspiration stemmed from childhood experiences with wildlife and an early passion for nature, leading him to study conservation biology.
The Vital Question: The Chemistry of Early Life
Q: So how important do you think information has been in the diversification of life?
Nick believes that natural selection adequately explains the origin of information in biology through processes like gene duplication and selection for different functions.
The Vital Question: The Chemistry of Early Life
Q: So can you walk us through the steps by which you think these hydrothermal vents led to protometabolism or something like protocells?
Nick describes how organic molecules can be formed from hydrogen and carbon dioxide in hydrothermal vent conditions, leading to the formation of simple protocells.
Doctors by Nature (Ep 142)
Q: What are the different forms of medication you categorize in your book?
De Roode categorizes medication into four forms: prophylaxis, therapeutic medication, body anointing, and fumigation, all of which have parallels to human behaviors.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Big Biology

What is Big Biology about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently covers big questions in biology—from evolution and ecology to genetics, the origins of life and climate-related impacts. Episodes feature deep-dive conversations with leading researchers, often pairing technical rigor with accessible storytelling, live-audience dynamics, and historical context about scientific ideas and mentors. A standout is the mix of field-based case studies, theoretical debates, and cross-disciplinary guests that span conservation, policy, and science communication, making complex biology approachable for both specialists and curious general listeners.

Where can I find podcast stats for Big Biology?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Big Biology. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Big Biology and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Big Biology get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Big Biology, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Big Biology?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Big Biology, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Big Biology have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Big Biology has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Big Biology?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Big Biology:

1. In Defense of Plants Podcast
2. Science Magazine Podcast
3. The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
4. You Are Not So Smart
5. Nature Podcast

How many episodes of Big Biology are there?

Big Biology launched 9 years ago and published 178 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Big Biology?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Big Biology?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Big Biology from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Big Biology?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Big Biology. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Big Biology?

Recent guests on Big Biology include:

1. Dan Simberloff
2. David Reznick
3. Mwezi Mugerwa
4. Nick Lane
5. Ludovic Orlando
6. Jaap de Roode
7. Katie Lotterhaus
8. Oded Rechavi

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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