Épisodes

  • #92 Humans on Mars Will Become a NEW Species - Mars Biologist Dr Scott Solomon
    Jun 15 2026

    Mars Biologist Dr Scott Solomon Reveals Why A Child Born On Mars May Never Come Home To Earth, How We’ve Already Created Alien Life In Space, And The One Thing That Decides If We Survive On Mars That No One Is Funding.

    Please double check you’re subscribed, thank you❤️

    Mars biologist Dr Scott Solomon has spent over a decade studying what will physically happen to the first humans who leave Earth, and he says we’re rushing toward Mars while ignoring the questions that matter most. He reveals why a child raised in one-third gravity may have a skeleton that Earth’s gravity would crush if they ever returned, why bacteria found on the International Space Station are no longer known to exist on Earth, and why human reproduction, the single biggest obstacle to colonising Mars, is the one thing almost no one will fund.

    Dr Scott Solomon is an evolutionary biologist at Rice University, a Smithsonian Research Associate, and the author of ‘Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds’. His work explores human evolution and where our species is heading next.

    In this conversation, Scott and Jacob discuss:

    * Why a child born on Mars may never be able to survive a trip back to Earth

    * How bacteria on the Space Station may already have evolved into the first ‘aliens’

    * Why a Mars-born immune system could be killed by Earth’s everyday germs

    * How Mars radiation could accelerate human evolution into a new species

    * Why NASA won’t fund the research that decides if we can colonise Mars

    00:00 Introduction to Space Exploration and Public Awareness

    03:05 The Journey from Ants to Mars: Scott’s Evolutionary Insights

    06:00 Microbial Life: The Unseen Companions of Space Travel

    09:10 The Challenges of Martian Immunity and Health

    11:50 Physical Compromises of Living on Mars

    14:50 The Future of Human Reproduction in Space

    28:56 The Overlooked Challenge of Reproduction on Mars

    31:28 Research and Ethical Considerations in Space Reproduction

    35:09 The Role of Microbes and Artificial Gravity

    37:04 Radiation Risks and Natural Selection on Mars

    43:39 Speculative Evolution: Adaptations for Martian Life

    48:24 Defining Species: The Future of Martian Humans

    52:56 Sovereignty and Identity: The Martian State

    55:36 Timelines for Mars Colonization and Ethical Concerns

    You can purchase Scott’s book, ‘Becoming Martian: How Living in Space Will Change Our Bodies and Minds’, here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Martian-Future-Beyond-Earth/dp/0262051516

    Follow Scott:Website – https://solomon.rice.edu

    Follow Jacob:YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@watsonhowland Website –

    https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    Spotify –

    Apple Podcasts –



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    1 h et 2 min
  • #90 WW2 Expert: AI Is ARMING Holocaust Deniers -
    Jun 10 2026

    D-Day historian Paul Woodadge reveals what really happened on the only British soil the Nazis ever occupied, why the “good German” war heroes were a myth invented after the war, and how AI is now flooding our feeds with fake Holocaust and D-Day stories that are arming deniers.

    Paul Woodadge is a battlefield historian and guide who has spent over 15 years walking the ground in Normandy, following 20 years as a WWII reenactor. He runs the WWII TV channel, where he interviews leading historians and is currently researching a new book on the Battle of La Haye-du-Puits.

    He explains:■ Why the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands for almost the entire war, and the truth about the camp on Alderney■ Why Hitler poured 1/8 of the entire Atlantic Wall’s concrete into islands of no strategic value■ How islanders first learned about D-Day through German propaganda that claimed the Allies were being driven into the sea■ Why the men who tried to assassinate Hitler were not the heroes history made them■ How AI fakes are now being used to deny the Holocaust ever happened, and why the “Churchill was worse than Hitler” narrative is dangerous nonsense

    Paul Woodadge’s Work

    Website: https://www.ddayhistorian.com

    X: https://x.com/WW2TV

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WW2TV/videos

    Follow Jacob:YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@watsonhowland Website –

    https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    Spotify –

    Apple Podcasts –



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    2 h et 3 min
  • #88 Exercise Scientist: Your Muscles Make a Drug Doctors Can't Prescribe
    Jun 9 2026

    Coach Alex (Alex Van Houten) is a genome-sequenced exercise scientist who studied chemical engineering and psychology at Vanderbilt, has trained CIA operatives, and has spent 20 years coaching people back to strength. He also lives with Ehlers-Danlos, a genetic connective-tissue disorder doctors told him would put him on pain pills and the sofa. He did the exact opposite.

    In this episode we get into the hard science most health advice ignores: the “hope molecule” your muscles release that no antidepressant can replicate, why the “healthy” label on your food might be wrong for your specific genes (1 in 8 people can’t even process the folic acid added to cereal), why a cold shower after lifting could be quietly deleting your gains, and why a doctor telling you “don’t lift” is often lazy medicine.

    We also cover something I needed to hear: you were never behind. Alex breaks down how 1% better a day compounds into 37x in a year, why your old training never truly disappears, and how faith and fitness intersect in his work and his book Faithful Fitness.

    If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you, or that you started too late, this one’s for you.

    Find Coach Alex’s work and the SPY Fit community in the show notes below

    Follow Alex:Profile / bio page: https://everydayspy.com/sme/alex-vanhouten Quick-link redirect: https://everydayspy.com/alex Personal fitness brand: Defining Dad Bod — social handle @definingdadbod, email coachal@definingdadbod.comHis featured episode “The Psychology of Winning: How CIA Trains Spies to Achieve Any Objective” (12 May), where he discusses fitness myths and exercise science

    Follow Jacob:YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@watsonhowland Website –

    https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    Spotify –

    Apple Podcasts –

    00:00 The Hormetic Stress of Exercise

    02:48 Evolutionary Advantages of Strength Training

    06:05 The Role of Myokines in Muscle Communication

    08:57 The Hope Molecule: A Biological Perspective

    11:55 Understanding the Warrior Gene

    14:51 Genetics and Personalizing Fitness

    18:14 Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Personal Journey

    21:04 Dietary Adjustments for Genetic Disorders

    24:14 Nutrigenomics: The Science of Personalized Nutrition

    37:30 The Journey of Nutrition and Self-Discovery

    40:01 Understanding Genetic Influences on Diet

    42:34 Interpreting Body Signals for Better Nutrition

    47:25 The Power of Fasting and Meal Timing

    52:02 Exploring Genetic Testing for Personalized Nutrition

    59:48 The Science of Adaptation in Exercise and Learning

    01:08:03 Hormetic Stress: The Benefits of Heat and Cold Exposure

    01:15:15 Embracing Hormetic Stressors

    01:20:47 The 1% Better Philosophy

    01:26:45 The Power of Small Steps

    01:30:31 Healing from Trauma

    01:36:11 Faith and Personal Growth

    01:49:00 Finding Meaning in Faith



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    1 h et 57 min
  • #87 St. Paul: The REAL Reason I Still Sin | The Letters of Paul: Colossians
    Jun 2 2026

    Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter from a Roman prison cell to a group of Christians he had never met, and buried inside it was a single question that still breaks modern life today. He asked: “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules?” That one verse, Colossians 2:20, exposes how most believers are still living as slaves to a system Christ already freed them from.

    Paul wrote the letter while awaiting trial before Caesar, and he had learned about the Colossian believers through Epaphras, his fellow worker who later joined him in chains. The Colossians were mostly Gentiles being pressured to follow Jewish law and were absorbing false teachings, with some boasting about secret visions and hidden spiritual knowledge. Paul’s response cut through all of it with one claim: when you have Jesus the Messiah, you have it all.

    The letter then shifts in three deliberate parts. Paul first reveals exactly who Christ is, the image of the invisible God in whom all things hold together. He then moves from cosmic truth to personal reconciliation, explaining how Christ’s physical death made you holy and free of accusation. Finally, he gets practical, listing exactly what to put to death in your earthly nature, anger, lust, greed, slander, lying, and what to clothe yourself with instead, compassion, humility, forgiveness, gratitude, and love that binds it all together.

    Discover:

    –The one question Paul asked from prison that exposes how Christians still live as slaves

    –Why Paul wrote to people he had never met and how the letter reached them

    –The three-part structure that makes Colossians one of the most practical books in the New Testament

    –What Paul said to put to death and what to clothe yourself with instead

    –Why working as if for the Lord changes everything about how you treat others

    –The hollow philosophies Paul warned would take Christians captive

    –How gratitude in the smallest things brings the peace of Christ

    –The final wisdom Paul leaves for how to speak, act, and pray every single day

    Read along: Colossians, New International Version

    ❤️ Subscribe for more solo episodes on faith, scripture, and the Christian life.

    🎥 / @watsonhowland

    Website: https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    #colossians #apostlepaul #bible #christianity #scripture #christianpodcast #faith #jesus

    00:00 Introduction to Paul’s Colossians

    01:24 Understanding Who Christ Is

    02:00 The Personal Impact of Christ’s Work

    03:04 Practical Living in Light of Christ

    05:00 Clothing Ourselves with Virtues

    05:42 Reflections on Living Out Paul’s Teachings

    colossians,apostle paul,paul in prison,colossians 2 20,the letters of paul,bible study,christian podcast,new testament,scripture,jesus christ,christianity,faith,gospel,christian youtube,bible teaching,paul letters,why submit to the world,christian living,put to death earthly nature,clothe yourself with compassion,christian solo podcast,british christian podcast,watson howland,jacob watson howland,bible reflections,nivBible,christian wisdom,sermon on colossians,paul to colossians,died with christ



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    10 min
  • #86 Rewilding Expert: Why Britain Is Too Immature To Bring Wolves Back!
    Jun 1 2026

    Rewilding Expert Steve Carver Reveals Why Britain Is The Only Major European Country Without Wolves, How 1% Of People Block The Wildlife Coming Back, And Why He’ll Be Dead Before We’re “Mature Enough” To Live With Predators Again.

    Wilderness scientist Steve Carver has spent 30 years mapping the wild places of Britain and Europe, and he says we’re failing in ways most people don’t realise. He reveals why Britain and Ireland are the only two major European countries without breeding wolf populations, why the Netherlands and Luxembourg have wolves walking through their towns while we have none, and why he believes he’ll be “dead and gone” before Britain reintroduces the wolf.

    Steve Carver is the Director of the Wildland Research Institute at the University of Leeds, co-author of the IUCN’s globally recognised definition of rewilding, and a member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management Rewilding Thematic Group. He has mapped wilderness quality across Europe for the European Union and co-wrote the international guidelines for rewilding launched at the IUCN Congress.

    He explains:◾ Why Britain and Ireland are the only major European countries with no breeding wolf populations◾ How there are now more wolves in continental Europe than in the lower 48 US states◾ Why wolves are not a wilderness-dependent species and live happily alongside humans in Dutch towns◾ Why he says Britain is “not mature enough” as a nation to reintroduce the wolf◾ How the “land, wealth, power nexus” of large UK landowners blocks rewilding progress◾ Why lynx, not wolves, are the realistic reintroduction proposition for the UK◾ How Rewilding Britain calculated that protecting 30% of land for nature would only impact around 3% of agricultural production◾ Why the famous Knepp Estate is “rewilding light” and not true rewilding by the IUCN definition◾ The truth about greenwashing and why he’s “suspicious of anybody who gets into rewilding to make money”

    00:00 The Case for Rewilding in the UK

    02:49 Challenges of Reintroducing Wolves and Lynx

    05:58 Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

    09:01 Ecological Roles of Predators

    11:49 The Maturity of British Society Regarding Predators

    15:10 Land Management and Rewilding Incentives

    17:51 The Role of Landowners in Rewilding

    21:10 Rewilding Models and Community Involvement

    24:11 Economic Viability of Rewilding

    26:52 The Future of Rewilding in the UK

    29:48 Defining Rewilding and Its Goals

    33:05 The Vision for a Rewilded UK

    45:48 Exploring Rewilding Landscapes

    49:07 Balancing Farmland and Nature

    51:23 The Role of Marginal Agriculture

    52:44 Integrating Green Infrastructure in Urban Areas

    55:11 Consequences of Neglecting Green Spaces

    56:19 Communicating the Benefits of Nature

    58:16 Understanding Rewilding Misconceptions

    01:00:30 The Joy of Ecological Succession

    01:03:43 Critique of the NEP Estate

    01:08:12 The Future of Rewilding in Agriculture

    01:09:06 Concerns Over Green Finance

    01:12:58 Private Sector Involvement in Rewilding

    01:15:14 Imagining a Rewilded UK

    01:16:58 Wildlife Corridors and Connectivity

    01:20:12 Lessons from the Netherlands

    01:22:55 The Need for a Connectivity Plan

    01:26:35 Final Thoughts on Rewilding

    Follow Steve:Wildland Research Institute – https://wildlandresearch.orgUniversity of Leeds – https://environment.leeds.ac.ukIUCN CEM Rewilding Thematic Group –

    https://www.iucn.org

    Follow Jacob:YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jacobjwatsonhowlandWebsite – https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.comSpotify –



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    1 h et 32 min
  • What Jesus Said About Worry Changed My Life
    May 29 2026

    As a teenager, I spent hours obsessing over what I looked like, what I was wearing, whether girls found me attractive, and whether I fit in. I tried to soothe it in nature, then in the gym, then in building this podcast and planning my career, and every time the relief was temporary. The worry always came back. Then I read what Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount and it broke the loop in a way nothing else had.

    In Matthew 6:27, Jesus asks: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” In this episode I walk through Matthew 6:25-34 verse by verse, the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:13-21, Paul writing from a Roman prison cell in Philippians 4:6-7, and Peter’s instruction in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for you. The thread connecting all of them is the same. Worry is a disguised attempt to control your own life as if God has stepped back, and the only real way out of the loop is to name it out loud in prayer and hand it over.

    Paul wrote his answer from chains. He had zero control over tomorrow and his prescription was prayer with thanksgiving. Peter said cast all of it, not some of it. Jesus pointed at the birds and the lilies and said your Father already knows what you need. The shift is from carrying the weight alone to seeking His kingdom first.

    Discover:

    • Why worrying is a sin and how naming it as such actually helps you stop

    • The one question Jesus asked that exposes every worry as wasted effort

    • How the parable of the Rich Fool reveals what God thinks of “secure your future” thinking

    • Why Paul wrote his anxiety prescription while literally in chains

    • What Peter meant by “cast all your anxiety on him” and how to actually do it

    • How to pray when you have been worrying, in plain words, with no formula

    • Why worry is control disguised as responsibility, and what to repent of today

    • What changed in my own life when I started praying instead of just thinking

    Read along: Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:13-21, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7, all NIV.

    🎥 / @watsonhowland

    Website: https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    #worry #anxiety #sermononthemount #matthew6 #jesus #bible #christianity #christianpodcast #scripture #faith #prayer #philippians4 #1peter5 #BritishPodcast #WatsonHowland #christianyoutube

    00:00 The Roots of Anxiety

    05:36 Biblical Insights on Worry

    10:40 Practical Steps to Overcome Worry



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    13 min
  • #85 Germany’s 1st Female Astronaut: Space Was Only For Experts, That Era Is Over.
    May 28 2026

    Rabea boarded a SpaceX Dragon atop a Falcon 9 in the middle of a lightning storm and didn’t believe it was real until the rocket started moving. She reveals what your body actually does when gravity disappears, why the capsule felt like a camper van you can walk on the walls of, and why she thinks the mission that will decide humanity’s future isn’t to Mars. It’s to the ocean floor.

    Rabea Rogge is a robotics researcher, mission pilot on FRAM-2 — the first private spaceflight to orbit both poles — and the first German woman in space. Trained at ETH Zurich where she led a student satellite team, she now researches autonomous ocean robots at a Norwegian research institution and has a book on robotic exploration of extreme environments publishing summer 2026.

    She explains:◾ What liftoff actually feels like from the Falcon 9 pilot seat, and why her body couldn’t decide if it was falling forever◾ Why private SpaceX Dragon missions are proving that educators, artists and geologists belong in space as much as test pilots◾ The spider web of lights she saw from 430km up, and why you can see humanity from space but only at night◾ The 200-300 person threshold: how many humans it takes to start a functioning isolated society, and what that means for Mars◾ Why she thinks the ocean is more neglected than space, and how autonomous robots are about to change that

    00:00 The Journey to Space Begins

    00:29 Experiencing Liftoff and Overcoming Fear

    00:51 Journey to Space: The FRAM-2 Mission

    03:42 Training for the Stars: Preparation and Mindset

    06:57 Experiments in Space: Scientific Endeavors

    09:32 The Experience of Launch: Emotions and Realizations

    12:54 Life in the Capsule: Space and Perspective

    15:52 Earth from Above: The Overview Effect

    18:48 The Future of Space Exploration: Opportunities and Challenges

    21:43 Building a Society in Space: The Next Frontier

    35:25 Exploring the Moon: A Launchpad for Mars

    40:06 The Quest for Mars: Why Explore?

    44:30 Robotics in Space: From Satellites to Autonomous Boats

    47:27 The Future of Robotics: Dreaming Big

    01:01:11 Environmental Monitoring: The Role of Autonomous Boats

    01:08:36 Advice for the Future: Dream Big and Support Others

    Follow Rabea:Website:

    https://www.rabearogge.com

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabearogge

    Follow Jacob:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@watsonhowland Website:

    https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    Spotify:

    Apple Podcasts:



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    1 h et 10 min
  • #83: FRAM2 Astronaut: I Cried On The Phone To My Wife, I Thought SpaceX Would Boot Me Off The Mission! - Eric Philips
    May 22 2026

    Polar Explorer & FRAM2 Astronaut Eric Philips Reveals What It’s Really Like To Be Charged By A Polar Bear, The 6 Hours That Nearly Killed His Partner On Arctic Ice, And The Billionaire Text That Made Him The First Human To Orbit Both Poles on SpaceX’s FRAM2 Mission.

    Polar explorer Eric Philips has spent 30 years walking into the deadliest environments on Earth, and then a billionaire texted him to go somewhere even more dangerous. He reveals the polar bear that stopped 20 metres from his face, the day his expedition partner plunged through the Arctic ice with a 6-hour window before hypothermia, and why he cried on the phone to his wife thinking SpaceX would boot him off the FRAM2 mission.

    Eric Philips is one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers, the co-founder of the International Polar Guides Association, and the mission specialist and medical officer on SpaceX’s FRAM2 mission, the first human spaceflight to orbit directly over both the North and South Poles. He has pioneered four new routes through the Transantarctic Mountains, has an Order of Australia Medal for services to polar exploration, and in March 2025 became one of only four humans ever to see both poles from 440 kilometres above Earth.

    He explains:◾ The polar bear charge that stopped 20 metres from his face and what saved his life◾ The 6-hour rescue when his partner fell through Arctic ice into freezing water◾ Why he cried on the phone to his wife thinking SpaceX would boot him off the mission◾ The “seven minutes of terror” plunging back to Earth at 500 km/h and 500°C◾ What Antarctica really looks like from space and the one country he never got to see◾ Why being an atheist in orbit gave him a refreshed belief in the laws of the universe◾ The first ever X-ray taken in space and the mushrooms he grew in microgravity

    00:00 Intro

    01:34 The Journey to Space: An Unlikely Opportunity

    05:51 Mindset and Skills: The Polar Explorer’s Edge

    11:14 Training for the Unknown: Preparing for Space

    17:55 Team Dynamics: Building Trust and Communication

    23:51 Launch Day: The Calm Before the Storm

    30:18 A New Perspective: Viewing the Poles from Space

    35:56 Geography from Above: The True Size of the World

    38:16 Reflections from Space: A New Perspective

    42:42 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life

    44:06 The Future of Space Exploration

    47:50 Experiments in Space: Discoveries and Innovations

    50:53 Returning to Earth: The Descent Experience

    58:53 Reintegrating into Earth’s Atmosphere

    01:05:54 The Call of Polar Exploration: A Lifelong Journey

    01:15:48 The Allure of Exploration

    01:18:48 Contrasting the Poles: North vs South

    01:24:21 Survival Challenges in Polar Expeditions

    01:32:04 Overcoming Adversity: Encounters with Nature

    01:39:33 Balancing Passion and Relationships

    01:43:37 Navigating Uncertainty and Belief

    01:48:37 Recognition and Its True Meaning

    01:52:33 Advice to My Younger Self

    Follow Eric:Website –

    https://ericphillips.com

    Icetrek –

    https://icetrek.com

    FRAM2 Mission –

    https://fram2.com

    Follow Jacob:Jacob:

    YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@watsonhowland

    Website:

    https://www.jacobwatsonhowland.com

    Spotify: ⁠

    Apple Podcasts: ⁠



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit naturewithjacob.substack.com
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    1 h et 55 min