Audio-only podcast produced by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. This entertaining science documentary series is intended for general audiences and features high production values.
Playlist for: Water, Wisconsin, and the Mercury Cycle
Mercury - The Potent Element - Download
This episode explains why people have used mercury, documenting the history of humanity's understanding of this intriguing metal.
Water Shapes the Land - Download
How water has shaped the environment and culture of Wisconsin, and details of the hydrological cycle in Wisconsin.
Mercury Mysteries - The Scientists' Tale - Part 1 - Download
Part one of an engaging non-narrative presentation that vividly relates the challenges of mercury research from the 1960s to the present, told firsthand by the scientists who have been directly involved in the work.
Mercury Mysteries - The Scientists' Tale - Part 2 - Download
Part two of a non-narrative presentation that vividly relates the challenges of mercury research from the 1960s to the present, told firsthand by the scientists who have been directly involved in the work.
Ripples of a Water Ethic in Wisconsin - Download
Noted author and conservationist Curt Meine delivers an eloquent essay challenging foundational concepts of water, urging respect for this valuable resource while confirming its rightful place in humanity’s moral and ethical sphere.
The METAALICUS Project - Download
The mercury scientists continue to tell the story, in this case a quick overview of a critical large-scale mercury research project.
Mercury and Ecosystem Restoration - Download
USGS scientist David Krabbenhoft details problematic aspects of the mercury cycle that impact the implementation of large-scale ecological restoration.
Solving an Ocean Riddle - Download
In this 2014 update, research scientist David Krabbenhoft explains how improved technology has revealed the hitherto unsuspected role that the thermocline and zooplankton play in methylizing mercury in the deep oceans.
MATS, Fracking, Bleeding Mercury and the Minamata Convention - Download
This episode provides an update on encouraging recent developments in mercury policy, both national and international, that hold out hope for reduced mercury levels in the atmosphere. Featured research scientist David Krabbenhoft also shares news about the surprisingly beneficial effect that fracking in the United States has apparently had on levels of measurable mercury in America's air.