Desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time—but what is it, and why should we care?

In this solo episode of Information Entropy, Mitchell explores the science behind desertification, explaining why it isn't simply deserts expanding but the gradual degradation of once-productive land. Discover how climate change, overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, and water scarcity are transforming ecosystems around the world.

The episode also examines the environmental and human consequences of land degradation, from biodiversity loss and food insecurity to migration and climate impacts, before exploring the solutions that are helping restore damaged landscapes, including regenerative agriculture, sustainable grazing, water harvesting, and the ambitious Great Green Wall initiative.

Whether you're interested in climate science, ecology, or the future of our planet, this episode offers an accessible look at one of the most pressing environmental issues facing humanity.

In this episode:

• What desertification really is
• Why drylands are so vulnerable
• The role of climate change and human activity
• Environmental and societal impacts
• How degraded landscapes can be restored
• Why protecting drylands matters for everyone

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast. This week we are finishing our exploration of the deserts… but first: The boys relive their MagicCon Amsterdam experience, so if you’ve ever been tempted to go to a convention but unsure whether it would be your jam or not… this is your chance to find out! When back on track the boys look into the specialisms of the animals which call the desert home: sidewinding in snakes, getting water from prey or metabolism, avoiding heat and cold, and much more! The boys also explore desert oases and how space organisations are taking beetles as inspiration for new technology via biomimetics!

In this episode of The Information Entropy Podcast, we ask: How do we study animal sounds? Welcome to the world of bioacoustics! In previous solo episodes Dr. Tom Jenks has taken you through his behaviour and cognition research and their relation to animal vocalisations. This time he takes you through side of his research where physics and biology intersect. Covering the core of bioacoustics and why we study animal vocalisations to how the environment a sound is made in affects how we analyse it!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we are exploring deserts in The Shadow of the Sand! When we are not theorising about possible book trilogies the boys explore what deserts are (not just sand and heat) and how they form around the equator due to Hadley Cell air circulation. The boys explore the different types of deserts and the geological conditions leading to their existence. Mitch and Tom round out the show by understanding how plants survive in deserts and the specific adaptations they have to thrive in such desolate wilderness

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week explore the all-encompassing emergent property that is friction. No matter what we do in our lives, friction probably has some part to play whether we realise it or not… but what actually is it and how is it studied? Find out about friction types, spontaneous “welding” of metals in space, bearings, ‘Superlubricity’, knee joints, and much much more on this exciting 200th episode of the podcast!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we continue our exploration into the electromagnetic spectrum. Given the extreme heat (transmitted through infrared radiation… see its relevant ramble!) the boys start the episode exploring heat waves, heat domes, British summer heat, and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation events and what that even is. After that, attention turns to microwaves… ovens and the waves themselves! Tom questions whether microwave ovens are small boxes of magic and explores how they heat your food. Mitch teaches us about radar systems and the other extremely cool uses in everyday life for microwaves!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we aimed to speak about the electromagnetic spectrum! But before that we had a deep and impromptu dive about books we are reading and weighed in on the debate of reading books vs listening to them as audiobooks… or both at the same time! When we finally get back on track, we explore what electromagnetic radiation actually is. Particles or waves that do not require a medium to travel? We typically perceive just a small fraction of the spectrum: visible light! But either side of that are radio waves for communication and x-rays!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we are buzzing at you about electricity! What even is electricity in the first place and how does it interact with magnetism? One of the four fundamental forces of nature we break it down for you here today. The boys dive into the fundamental physics of electricity, explaining electron movement, currents, metal lattices, and electrical resistance. Mitch then explores the next major breakthrough in global energy development: Solid State Batteries! With Chinese manufacturers beginning mass production, how close are we to having safer, smaller, lighter, and more efficient storage for every day life?