114: La Brea's Bone Count & Giant Pumpkins
Summary
Hosts Tom and Caroline explore the La Brea Tar Pits, detailing how ancient diatoms formed asphalt that trapped over 3.5 million Pleistocene fossils. They explain the chemistry of fossil fuels and why the site is a "predator trap" dominated by social carnivores like dire wolves. The episode also features a corrections corner on historical medical murders and a discussion on giant vegetable growing as a spooky miscellaneous topic.
Topics discussed
Intro and Spotify comment about sniping jokes
Tom introduces the La Brea Tar Pits topic
Corrections corner and episode setup
Familiarity with the La Brea Tar Pits
Touring the museum and the wall of skulls
The origin of the name La Brea and asphalt
How organic matter becomes fossil fuels
Refining oil and the difference between tar and asphalt
How tar pits form and trap animals
The slow death of animals in the pits
Giant ground sloths and dire wolf fossils
Discovery history and fossil preservation
Guessing the number of bones and the La Brea Woman
Why social carnivores are the primary victims
Forensic details in the fossils and current construction
Closing thoughts on the tar pits and sponsor read
Jumbotron messages and Babbel language app ad
Transition to giant vegetables and favorite veg poll
History of giant pumpkin growing in the US
UK giant vegetable origins and community culture
Expensive seeds and the Thompson & Morgan auction
Giant tomatoes and the $2,300 seed story
Requirements for growing giant vegetables
World records for longest and heaviest vegetables
The biology of pumpkin growth and auxiliary plants
Physics of pumpkin skin and size limits
Controversies and cheating in vegetable competitions
The endless pursuit of bigger records
Fun uses for giant vegetables and pumpkin racing
Conclusion on the giant vegetable hobby
Review corner and Jumbotron messages
Listener bird photos and episode summary
Halloween costume ideas and outro
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