iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

1/3🧪⚒️To learn how we track moving mountains from space, and to hear the human side of geohazard research, check out Season 3, Episode 3 of Whimsical Wavelengths. You can listen on your favorite podcast app or by visiting whimsicalwavelengths.com/season3/S3EP.... pod.link/1768858286

whimsicalwavelengths.com

Alaska’s 481m Tsunami and the Nepal Flood: Understanding Glacier Hazards

Investigating the geophysical processes behind extreme natural hazards, megatsunamis, and catastrophic glacial landslides with Dr. Dan Shugar.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

1/3🧪⚒️If you do a cannonball into a 🛁, the water has nowhere to go but up. The same thing happens when a mountain falls into a #fjord. We also discuss the recent and tragic rock and ice avalanche in #Nepal. Dr. Shugar gives a behind the scenes look at the #scientific process during a #crisis.

highlights the sheer scale of the Himalayan environment involved in the recent Nepal disaster. It provides a stark before-and-after visual, comparing Sentinel-2a imagery from August 24, 2026, to Landsat 9 imagery from August 26, 2026, revealing the massive rock failure and subsequent downstream flooding. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026) / Image credit: NASA/USGS.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

1/3🧪⚒️This time, I am joined by fellow #SFU alumni, Dr. Dan Shugar @watershedlab.bsky.social, to talk about landslide-generated tsunamis and mass wasting in glaciated terrain. We start with the Tracy Arm landslide ( #Alaska, Aug 2025) Which displaced enough 🌊for a localized tsunami of 481 m.

illustrates the steep, narrow geometry of fjords like Tracy Arm. Captured by Landsat 9 on August 19, 2025, the annotated map shows the slide area alongside the South Sawyer Glacier and the resulting displacement that forced water to a catastrophic 481-meter maximum runup on the opposite shore. Image credit: NASA/USGS.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

2/2 int pod day reminds me audio is 🪄 & the independent space is fragile There are few 🆕independent 🧪shows these days. I am part of a 🤏group since the ☣️boom. In a 🌊 of podcasts, how do we make sure independent voices get heard? Is there🎙️that changed how you 👀 a topic? Drop it in the comments!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

1/2 International #Podcast Day! Celebrating by sharing my rotation! For local #news I have most "Freshet Friday" by (@freshetnews.bsky.social) Freshet News. + national news pods Science: Quirks & Quarks, Nature Podcast, Science Magazine Podcast. + independents Sean Carroll’s Mindscape & Planet Geo

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Snippet from todays episode in the intro making fun of myself!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🧪When cancer cells overexpress 4E this fine-tuned regulatory system goes off the rails.... Every single ep of the pod is great but this one starts with a joke at my own expense and dives deep into the science. Join me every two weeks! 2/2 pod.link/1768858286

pod.link

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Listen to Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🧪 S3E2 with Dr. Katherine Borden to look at 4E and how her lab is turning its own mechanisms against cancer. 4E exhibits high selectivity. It acts as a cellular micromanager, orchestrating specific genetic programs to rapidly adapt to physiological stress, tissue repair, & cellular remodeling. 1/2

A promotional graphic for the Whimsical Wavelengths podcast, Season 3 Episode 2, set against a black background. The top text reads: "Hijacking the Cellular Code: eIF4E, Cancer, & the Quest against Drug Resistance with Dr. Katherine Borden". The center of the image features a brightly colored 3D ribbon diagram illustrating the complex folded structure of a protein. Text at the bottom reads: "3D ribbon diagram of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🧪⚒️The amazing Frank Racioppi (from Ear Worthy) reviewed me! 😎 “Tired of TikTok science from influencers who couldn’t pass Intro to Chemistry, check out Whimsical Wavelengths.”

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Science is a human endeavour after all. It comes with all the messiness humans have to offer. The narrative I put together doesn’t dive into detailing the pettiness but prevailing thought at the time. Resistance to the old way of thinking.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

🧪⚒️ New season -> new listeners be sure to check out the podcast on your favourite platform! If you are a researcher who would like to share your research on the show DM me!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Podcast is found all apps so grab it from your favourite or head over to the completely revamped whimsicalwavelengths.com. The website is still a work in progress but is an easy way to explore past episodes! pod.link/1768858286 If you are a researcher and want to come on let me know!

whimsicalwavelengths.com

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Diving into the deep, honest look at how science actually works—messy data, imperfect models, and the human personalities behind peer-reviewed research.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

🧪⚒️2/3For a long time, the scientific establishment refused to believe that sudden, cataclysmic events could shape the 🌎. When J. Harlen Bretz saw the dry canyons of the Channeled Scablands, he knew the rocks were telling a story of a megaflood, challenging the strict dogma of slow, uniform geology

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

🧪⚒️1/3 Imagine a wall of water 1,000 ft deep tearing across the landscape at 90 km/hr, carrying 10 x the volume of all the rivers on 🌎 Season 3 of Whimsical Wavelengths has officially launched. In the premiere, I am exploring the Missoula Floods and the geologist who faced of academic ... push back.

Podcast promo image for Whimsical Wavelengths Season 3 Episode 1, titled "How the Missoula floods began as scientific heresy: Uniformitarianism vs Catastrophism." The background shows a satellite view of the Channeled Scablands with agricultural fields and distinct scabland scars. Original image credit - NASA

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A bit of 🧪Journalism on El Niño. 👀ing at the local impacts of what will likely be a strange ❄️ on the west coast of #Canada. Again I strongly suggest supporting your local news like @freshetnews.bsky.social Who do an amazing job tieing the community together! www.freshetnews.ca/whimsical-wa... ⚒️

freshetnews.ca

Whimsical Wavelengths: A supersized El Niño’s local impact - Freshet News

Meteorologists are using terms like "super" or "strong" for good reason, writes Jeffrey Zurek, science columnist for Freshet News

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

🧪Season 3 of the pod will launch on MONDAY!!! Starting off with a historical romp in ⚒️, uniformitarianism, catastrophism and the scablands (massive glacier outburst floods) Over the ☀️the website for the podcast also got a make over. Checkout past episodes! whimsicalwavelengths.com/BrowseByTopi...

whimsicalwavelengths.com

Browse Episodes by Topic | Whimsical Wavelengths

Filter and explore episodes of Whimsical Wavelengths by scientific topic—including volcanology, geophysics, entomology, food science, paleontology, and science policy.

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Reposted by Whimsical Wavelengths

Cara Giovanetti @idontevencara.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Today it occurred to me that my professional network has more physicists named Josh than openly queer physicists ⚛️🧪 Did you know you can add your name to the physics Out List? Allies are also able to add their names lgbtphysicists.org/outlist.html

lgbtphysicists.org

lgbt+physicists - Out List

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

🧪The podcast is still on summer break but the science column is not! Check out the new column in the @freshetnews.bsky.social all about summer's favourite treat! Inspired by S2E2! Podcast will be back September 14th with the start of Season 3! www.freshetnews.ca/whimsical-wa...

freshetnews.ca

Whimsical Wavelengths: Sweet science of ice cream - Freshet News

Take a moment to appreciate the microscopic fat networks and crystal-control chemistry working behind the scenes.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

2/2 The total 🌋contribution is at MAX 0.44 billion metric tons of #CO2 per year. Human #emissions (fossil fuels and cement production) clock in at over 38 billion metric tons. The 🧪 isn’t a black box; it’s a process of cross-referencing bubbles, #isotopes, and #ratios. pod.link/1768858286

pod.link

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Listen to Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

1/3⚒️ Do 🌋Actually Out-Emit human CO2? Season 2 finale, is about how we came to the conclusion they don't, & it isn't close There’s a persistent myth that 🌋release more #CO2 than 👥activity. Here I take a deep dive into the #geochemistry of #magmatic systems to the 🧪and why we know what we know.

Graphic for the 'Whimsical Wavelengths' science podcast season two finale. The top bar contains the show title and episode title: 'Season 2 Podcast Finale: Under 0.45 Billion Tons: The Geochemical Truth About Volcanoes and Climate Change.' Below the text is an aerial view of a volcanic vent emitting thick plumes of white and gray smoke, with bright orange glowing lava visible at the crater peaks.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

🧪Don't have time for a whole #Podcast episode? Check out the #Scicomm in my local News Paper @freshetnews.bsky.social . All about the White #Sturgeon and a new genetic tool developed for better conservation decisions! www.freshetnews.ca/whimsical-wa...

A screenshot of a Freshet News article page titled 'Whimsical Wavelengths: The Fraser River’s Loch Ness' dated July 18, 2026. The main image shows Dr. Jeffrey Zurek and two other researchers standing in the Fraser River in waders, holding a large white sturgeon. A city skyline is visible in the background across the water. The article sub-headline reads: 'The future of Fraser’s sturgeon population is directly linked to the survival of the salmon: Zurek'.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Sonar can be used in specific situations to detect them and sometimes they are fitted with transponders to look at their movements throughout the river

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Conversation in the lower Fraser river use several techniques but the best data is catch & release. Basically like a random poll. If caught before it has a tag which can be scanned. Many new entries tells conservationists a growing population (+ all the bio data collected when caught)

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

3/3 Finishing with the 🧪 joke from the ep "iconic fisheries professor John Shepard famously lamented: "Studying fish populations is exactly like studying forests, except you can't see them and they move." Listen to the full Ep on your favorite #podcast app pod.link/1768858286

pod.link

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Listen to Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

2/3🧪 The Ep investigates new 📄on White Sturgeon genome & diagnostic 🧬sex markers. White Sturgeon's have 240 #chromosomes! Because you can't tell a ♂️ & ♀️ by looking, hatcheries had to rely on surgical biopsies. This new assay scans for genomic sex markers, & can identify🐟 sex with a fin clip.

Three men standing waist-deep in the Fraser River near Vancouver, carefully supporting a massive, 8-foot-long White Sturgeon in the water. The historic, prehistoric-looking fish stretches across the frame, with the city skyline visible on the far bank under a cloudy sky.

Photo by Ben Wicks: White sturgeon from the Fraser River in Vancouver (400lb of it!) This amazing creature was 8 feet 3 inches long and 49 inches around its very large middle. It took me over 40 minutes to land with some very skillfull boat work from our guide Sacha.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

1/3🧪 Giant River Sequoias: Reconstructing the #Genome of the White Sturgeon The #Kootenay, #Columbia, & #Fraser rivers has a titan in the depths. The White #Sturgeon, rarely seen, is the largest #freshwater 🐟in #NA. Fisheries geneticist Dr. Stuart Willis (Hagerman #Genetics Lab) joins the #pod!

A vintage 19th-century scientific illustration of sturgeon species. The plate shows detailed side-view drawings of Acipenser rupertianus and the White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), alongside close-up diagrams of their unique head structures and bony shields (scutes) against a plain white background.

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "Acipenser Rupertianus,w ith head and 3 shields; Acipenser transmontanus, ditto ditto. 308, 278." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1829 - 1837.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧪 🌋🔬🔭⚒️feels good to be included beside the biggies in the science space. If looking for your next favourite science podcast this is a great index truesciphi.org/science-podc...

truesciphi.org

TrueSciPhi: Science Podcast Collection

A curated collection of science podcasts.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Small snippets from the current episode released today! Long form 🧪podcast covering everything from the 🧪 of ice cream to Black Hole accretionary disks to geology ⚒️ to Volcanic 🌋 eruptions. Bound to be an episode you will enjoy! pod.link/1768858286?v...

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The pod is and will always be long form. Building a narrative (or attempting to). Never been a fan of bite size no context science. But I still need to get better at it all As for a summary from an episode point of view… show notes? Sorry completely independent and would take hours to chop it up

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

I need to get better at tagging guests everywhere! Thanks for sharing your view and expertise! This episode and the associated background will lead to new things for show! I am sure of it. thank you!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

3/3🧪 Grab your 🎧and join us for a brilliant conversation that ranges from New Deal politics & Mertonian norms to natural economic experiments on the human genome project. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform! pod.link/1768858286?v...

pod.link

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Listen to Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

2/3 Together, we map out the architecture of 🧪 & look closely at the policy shifts that built our modern research landscape and why that system is facing selective demolition. If 🧪is fundamentally a human endeavor that relies on institutional stability, what happens when you remove predictability?

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

1/3 We’ve been under that assumption: that 🧪is a engine of progress. We fund the labs & society reaps the rewards. Is it shifting? Joined by Dr. Ina Ganguli, labor economist studying economics of 🧪& innovation, & Dr. Chris Fisher, chemical biologist & founder of Multivalent Communications

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Is the golden age of 🧪 being selectively dismantled? 🔬 This MONDAY new Whimsical Wavelengths! With Dr. Ina Ganguli & Dr. Chris Fisher we track the policy shifts shaping modern 🧪 from 1945's Endless Frontier to recent US grant freezes & political oversight. Found everywhere pod.link/1768858286?v...

pod.link

Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast

Listen to Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🧪 newest local paper article written by me the host! Because not everyone has time for an hour long deep dive podcast (the pod does that!) Big data, the beautiful game’s newest player! Support local journalism! If you have a local paper cherish it!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

3/3🧪 Listen to the full episode everywhere #podcasts are listed. Just search for Whimsical Wavelengths! If you are already a #listener remember to leave a rating and a review! Helps the show find new ears! countdown to the end of season 2 is on! pod.link/1768858286/e...

pod.link

Atomic Legos: How symmetry controls Lanthanide Chemistry

Listen to Atomic Legos: How symmetry controls Lanthanide Chemistry from Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

2/3🧪 #SFU PhD candidate Thomas Karpiak joins the show to discuss his 📄"Strategies to Control the Geometry and Symmetry around Lanthanide Centers for Tailored Luminescence and Magnetism" We get into what makes #Lanthanides unique, & their bonding - its different from what you #learned in high school

Scientific schematic illustrating coordination geometry and structural symmetry around an eight-coordinate lanthanide center. The figure highlights the specific spatial arrangements of surrounding ligands, tracking modifications used to tailor macroscopic luminescent properties and molecular magnetism. It details molecular design strategies required to stabilize coordination complexes against quantum tunneling of magnetization. Source Citation: Karpiuk, T.E., Leznoff, D.B., "Strategies to control the geometry and symmetry around lanthanide centres for tailored luminescence and magnetism." Nat Commun 17, 2845 (2026).

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

1/3 🧪 Atomic Legos: How symmetry controls Lanthanide Chemistry The #pod dives into the chemistry at the ⏬of the periodic table In ⚒️, known as the Rare Earth #Elements. In #chemistry, known them as the #lanthanides (⚛️#s 57-71) Used In: 🔌vehicles, 🌬️turbines, cell📱s, lasers, & anti-counterfeiting

Graphical abstract illustrating the integration of lanthanide thin films into metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) Schottky barrier diodes. The diagram maps how incorporating rare earth elements within the insulating interfacial layers modulates performance parameters, including barrier height tuning, interface state density reduction, leakage current suppression, and enhanced optoelectronic/photovoltaic photo-response. Source Citation: T. Akila, et al., "A review on the multidimensional influence of lanthanide elements on MIS device functionalities." Surfaces and Interfaces, Vol. 72, 2025, 107304. doi:10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107304

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I was on a #podcast. again... But not my own! With the wonderful host Greg Sowell. He interviews interesting people and is a great at it check him and his #show out! whyamipod.com/why-am-i-jef...

whyamipod.com

Why Am I Jeffrey Zurek – Volcanologist – Why Am I

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

3/3⚒️🧪🌋In case you are not yet a listener. the final question for each guest is "what is your favourite science joke?" ... What’s up? Perpendicular to the geoid! Generic link: pod.link/1768858286 Apple link: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/b...

podcasts.apple.com

Bottoms Up: Decoding Kilauea’s Deep Magma Supply

Podcast Episode · Whimsical Wavelengths - A Science Podcast · May 25 · 56m

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

2/3⚒️🧪~2003, CO2 at #Kīlauea increased, a deep #geochemical signal that lasted to ~2007. While, the 🌋was erupting at the surface. The deep signal was noted and discussed but ultimately shelved awaiting #context. This new paper puts Kīlauea's deep activity in a rare spotlight as it is hard to observe

A technical multi-panel scientific diagram detailing Kīlauea's magmatic system behaviors between 2000 and 2024.

The top panel features a line graph plotting ground deformation in meters over time. The timeline is segmented into distinct color-coded volcanic phases: a grey "Pre-surge steady state" (2000–2003), a maroon "Surge in magma supply" labeled Phase I (2003–2007) categorized as a "Bottom-up" process, followed by several "Top-down" phases in shades of blue including the "July 21 eruption," "Pre-2018 inflation" labeled Phase II, the sharp vertical drop of the "2018 LERZ eruption" labeled Phase III, and "Post-2018 inflation."

The bottom panel contains three structural cross-section schematics corresponding to the colored graph phases, illustrating how magma pressure and pathway width change with depth down to the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB):

Phase I (Maroon, Bottom-up): Shows an influx of deep magma causing pressure and conduit pathway width to expand elastically throughout the entire system from the deep mantle up to the shallow reservoir.

Phase II (Light Blue, Top-down inflation): Illustrates inflation, where pressure and pathway width increases are confined strictly to the top of the volcanic plumbing system, showing a negligible change in the deep supply rate.

Phase III (Dark Blue, Top-down deflation): Illustrates the system during a major surface eruption, showing a drop in pressure and narrowing of the conduit confined to the shallow upper pathway, while the deep supply rate remains unchanged.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

🧪⚒️1/3 This time the pod is joined by Gaetano Ferrante, a PhD candidate at Rice University, discussing a new paper on #Kīlauea🌋 Typically with eruptions, we take a top-down view. eg., pressure changes, SO2, seismic Tremor. This #research models the system "Bottoms Up" where we start in the mantle!

A nighttime long-shot of an active volcanic eruption inside the summit caldera of Kīlauea at night. In the background, a massive, bright orange and yellow lava fountain dramatically illuminates a thick plume of volcanic gas and smoke billowing high into the dark twilight sky. A glowing crust of active lava flows out across the dark floor of the volcanic crater to the left of the fountain. In the foreground, the dark silhouette of a ridgeline with sparse vegetation frames the fiery volcanic activity.

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Whimsical Wavelengths won the PopCon Podcast Award for #Science & Technology on May 8th! 🏆 Still waiting on their official digital hardware, so I crafted this badge myself. 🛠️ Thrilled by the momentum between this and the American Writing Awards! 🌊🎙️🌋⚒️🧪 pod.link/1768858286

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Whimsical Wavelengths @whimsicallambda.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

The newest Print Copy of The Freset News is out! Covers Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities in BC Canada. @freshetnews.bsky.social My 🧪 column was in the print version for the 1st time! All about the Fraser River's Freshet. Support local journalism, it is a source that connects community!

A printed column page from the Freshet News newspaper, dated Thursday, May 14, 2026. The headline reads, "A freshet is the heartbeat of a river, community" written by Jeffrey Zurek. The text is arranged in columns around a central landscape photograph.

The photo, credited to Jeffrey Zurek, shows a wide view of the Fraser River on a bright day with large white clouds in the sky. On the left bank, a modern high-rise skyscraper stands near a pier structure at the New Westminster Quay. In the distance, the old Pattullo Bridge spans across the river toward the opposite bank. The river water fills the channel, reflecting the blue sky and clouds during the peak of the 2025 seasonal freshet.

The column text details the mechanics, ecological benefits, and community significance of the annual Fraser River freshet, concluding with a brief biography of the author as a P.Geo. and the host of the Whimsical Wavelengths podcast.

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