{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"Science Stories with Joe Johnson ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":697,"description":"From cutting-edge space observatories and mysterious radio signals, to The blood-curdling Permian monsters that ruled the Earth before dinosaurs, our resident science guy Joe Johnson takes us on a whirlwind tour through time and space—literally.Life Before the Dinosaurs: Welcome to the PermianLong before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the Permian Period ruled. Spanning from roughly 299 to 251 million years ago, the Permian marked the end of the Paleozoic era—a time of extreme climates, bizarre beasts, and, ultimately, the largest mass extinction in Earth’s history.The supercontinent Pangea dominated the globe during the Permian. While its coastal areas boasted lakes and swamps teeming with early plant life, the interior was an arid desert. The planet’s atmosphere held about 30% oxygen—higher than today’s 21%—fueled by the oxygen-rich Carboniferous forests that preceded it.Flowering plants had yet to evolve; instead, the landscape was dominated by ferns, horsetails, and early gymnosperms like pine trees and ginkgos. The animal kingdom, meanwhile, was home to creatures that seem plucked from science fiction: dragonflies the size of ducks and apex predators with circular saw-like jaws.Among the dominant land species were the synapsids, a group of four-legged vertebrates that eventually evolved into mammals. The most famous synapsid, Dimetrodon, sported a large sail on its back—possibly used for courtship, cooling, or dominance displays. At around 10 to 12 feet long, it was a ferocious predator equipped with a “mouthful of steak knives.”The Permian’s reign ended with a catastrophic volcanic event in present-day Siberia, releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide. Scientists believe this caused a global temperature increase of about 10°C and triggered the extinction of 95% of marine life and 70% of land species.A New Eye on the Universe: Vera C. Rubin Observatory Delivers Stunning First ImagesShifting from ancient Earth to the edge of the universe, Johnson discussed the...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}