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The Story Collider

Gross Science: Stories about the yucky parts of science

The Story Collider

Story Collider, Inc.

Arts, Science, Society & Culture, Personal Journals, Performing Arts

4.4824 Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2022

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Science isn’t always pretty. In fact, more often than not it’s kinda disgusting. In this week’s episode, both our storytellers share stories of the less glamorous side of science.

Part 1: In order to score extra credit in her high school anatomy class, Amy Segal embarks on a journey to build a cat skeleton.

Part 2: Dave Coyle goes on a smelly mission to find the endangered American burying beetle for his undergraduate project.

Amy Segal works in finance by day but by night finds herself drawn to storytelling shows on the Lower East Side. She is a Moth Story Slam winner, has been featured on The Story Collider podcast and is the proud recipient of 200 one-dollar bills from a One Up! storytelling competition. She is developing a one-person show, the beginnings of which she performed at the MarshStream International SoloFest in 2020 and 2022.

Dr. Dave Coyle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University. His Extension Forestry program focuses on forest and tree health and invasive species management in natural and managed landscapes across the Southeast. Dave’s research program focuses on the biology and management invasive plants and insects. Dave completed his B.A. in Biology at Luther College, a M.S. in Entomology and Forestry at Iowa State University, and a PhD in Entomology at the University of Wisconsin. Dave is Past-President of the North American Invasive Species Management Association, is on the South Carolina Invasive Species Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee for the South Carolina Exotic Plant Pest Council. Dave lives near Athens, GA. He is married to an amazing woman and they have two young boys. He grew up on a farm in Harmony, MN, and spent most of his time in the woods. He was an active member of the Carimona Cruisers 4-H club and once had a pet cow named Kari. Together, then won a trophy at the 1986 Fillmore County Fair. He still loves cows but thinks horses are shifty.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Introducing the McDonald's gift drop.

0:04.0

Find a gift tag and enter a code on the app for daily offers and a chance to win.

0:08.0

You'll find them everywhere. On the telly, at the bus stop, by the shops.

0:12.0

Ends 19th of December, app only. One entry per day.

0:16.0

Codes restricted to one use per person.

0:18.0

18 plus, UK only. Terms apply.

0:20.0

A science story, huh? to one use per person. 18 plus, UK only. Terms apply.

0:23.5

A science story, huh?

0:26.7

Is NYU scientist the... I felt...

0:27.4

I was so...

0:28.6

And I just thought, well...

0:29.6

It was that golden moment.

0:32.9

Because science was on my side.

0:37.1

... Science was on my side.

0:44.5

Hey, everyone.

0:48.8

Welcome to the story clutter, where we bring you true personal stories about science.

0:56.2

I'm your host, Misha Gaieski, and this week, our stories are not for the easily squeamish or the faint of heart.

1:03.1

They're honestly pretty gross, because science can be really, really disgusting sometimes.

1:08.3

I forgot about this in a big way one year when I thought it would be a fun idea to go watch a live dissection of a sheep. The Royal Veterinarian College in London

1:12.0

was putting on this evening where it invited the public in to observe this dissection. And as someone

1:17.1

who loves medical dramas and science and all that fun stuff, I was so into it. And it was over

1:24.5

dinner time. So I went and got some takeout food and settled into the lecture hall ready to watch this vet dissect this sheep. And so the vet walks in and he puts this recently to see sheep on the operating table at the front of the room. And I inch forward in my seat to get a better look. I can't wait. And he starts explaining everything that he's doing and why they do this,

...

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