We dive deep into the ocean — and the past — to explore whales, Earth’s most fascinating animals, with Dr. Nick Pyenson. He is the curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., as well as author of the acclaimed non-fiction book “Spying on Whales: The Past, Present and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures.”
His work has taken him to every continent, and his scientific discoveries appear frequently in the New York Times, the Washington Post, National Geographic, and more. Along with the highest research awards from the Smithsonian, he has also received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the Obama White House.
Chatting with Nick is an appropriate way to explore Michael Ronstadt’s song “Man and a Whale,” a upbeat, minor-key meditation on climate change, the sixth track on Nathans & Ronstadt’s album, “Hello World.”