INSIDE AND OUTSIDE: Nature + Pop Culture News with Jessica Murnane

In this episode, we kick it off outside and talk about the difference between using TV and nature to destress. Plus, how researchers have found that even if you don't think you like nature, you can still get the benefits from it. Then we head inside and talk Taskmaster, 99 To Beat, and just playing more games in general. And then Andrea gives us Pangram rundown (the AI detection platform) and how/why it's changing the publishing industry. She also gives great advice on using AI as a creative (she doesn't hold back.)

About this week's guest: Andrea is a journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of five novels, includingWe Were Never Here, a Reese's Book Club pick. Her forthcoming speculative thriller, Delete Your Account, is scheduled for publication in May 2027. She was also a lead plaintiff in the landmark class-action lawsuit Bartz v. Anthropic, which was the first major win for creatives against an AI company as well as the largest copyright recovery in history. Find Andrea

Website, IG , Newsletter/Substack

The Herd

We Were Never Here

The Last Ferry Out

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: May Lindstrom

Nature and The Mind by Marc Berman

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

Taskmaster (all seasons for free!)

Taskmaster Education

99 To Beat

15 Urgent Questions About Pangram

Pangram Objection Letter Generator

I lost my $2m book deal because people mistook my African dialect for AI via The Independent

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we start outside and talk about West African indigenous spices (their history, importance, and how some have even been banned). Then we go outside and talk about the trend of the personal curriculum, the rise of the "intellectual creator," and commodifying things that are already free.

About this week's guest: Afia runs Eat with Afia — where she highlights Ghanaian food through culture, history, and tradition. With her platform, Afia tries to underscore the diversity of culinary traditions as a porduct of centuries of meticulous food science, agriculture and understanding of the land. Outside of her blog, Afia Amoako earned her doctorate in Epidemiology and is passionate about the social context of health.

Find Afia

Website, IG , YouTube

Eat with Afia: A Celebration of Plant-Based Ghanaian Cooking

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: May Lindstrom

Afia's Ghanaian Cooking Course

Burlap & Barrel Spices

Gen Z, Millennials Embrace New Trend to Make Adult Life Feel Like School via Newsweek

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we go outside to talk about the wild world of reptile private parts. And then we head inside to discuss the 1988 Crystal Light Aerobics Competition, R.I.P Mr. Belding, Nathan Fielder's new documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, The Traitors, and the new ROHNY cast.

About this week's guest: Ally is a personal stylist, shopper, and resident pop culture reporter.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: Basker

Sign up for Garden Club!

Why Snakes Have Two Penises via National Geographic

You Can See Everything (new Nathan Fielder documentary)

1988 Crystal Light National Aerobics Championships

Spandex The Musical

https://www.spandexmusical.com/

Portland Parallel Parking Competition

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

In this episode, we discuss the debate around biophilia / a love of nature – is it an innate attraction, is it in our genes, or are we just othering nature altogether? Then we move inside and talk about the death of the (fun) internet scroll, how Google is slowly killing businesses, how to stay curious, building your own internets, and going offline to find out what you actually like again.

About this week's guest: Laura Wright is the founder of The First Mess, a blog for plant-based recipe inspiration as well as a of cookbook of the same name. Laura enjoys taking on way too many projects in the garden, hiking with her dogs, working on a weekly feel-good newsletter, dilly dallying, and doing pretty much any offline activity. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Basker Garden Club Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Laura's: Website: The First Mess

Newsletter

Book: The First MessIG Things We Talked About:

Is Love Of Nature in Our Genes via Psychology Today

The Biophilia Reactivity Hypothesis

The Bilophilia Hypothesis

The End of Google Search and The Internet As We Know It via The Ringer by Katie Baker

Ways of Listening: Building a Deeper Relationship with Music in the Streaming Era by Rollie Pemberton

In this episode, we discuss what happened when a scientist let an abandoned field rest (no seeding, no weeding, no special care). Lots of metaphors in this one! And then we move inside to discuss the craze of Beanie Babies, high-level collecting, and the genius/shady marketing of Ty Warner.

About this week's guest: Timothy Pakron is a cookbook author (Mississippi Vegan and Garden Variety), food blogger, and recipe developer. His work has been featured by NPR, Garden & Gun, Food & Wine, and VegNews, among others.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: Prioritizing Purpose

Sign up for the Inside + Outside Newsletter! Tim's website: Mississippi Vegan

Tim's new cookbook: Garden Variety https://bookshop.org/a/87677/9780593715246 Stuff we talk about: Scientists left this farm field alone. Thousands of orchids appeared via Science Daily The Shocking History Behind Beanie Babies (full doc on YouTube) 1st Gen Chilly The Polar Bear

Understanding The Generations of Beanie Babies Chart

Beanie Babies Made Ty Warner a Billionaire, But His Life Has Been Complicated Ever Since via Biography

https://airesistlist.org

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

In this episode, we talk about how Dutch scientists used thousands of underwear to test soil (and the results!). Plus, we take a deep dive into the drama and controversy surrounding Anthropic and the discourse around the dangers of AI (and the hope).

About this week's guest: Aaron is a 3x Emmy-nominated designer, director, and co-founder of Filmograph, an LA-based production studio specializing in title sequences for film and television. He's work includes titles for just about anything you've ever watched in the last ten years: Get Out, Nope, F1, Mission: Impossible, Backrooms, and most recently Coyote vs. Acme, and on the TV side Wednesday, Euphoria, and IT: Welcome to Derry. Clients include A24, HBO, Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, Sony Pictures, Amazon MGM, Atomic Monster, Blumhouse, Disney, Lionsgate, Neon, and Bad Robot, among others. And his partner, Emily Fiffer is the queen of good food in LA.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: Basker

Aaron's website: Filmograph Stuff we talk about: Ig Nobel Prize 2026 Winners Dutch scientist wins Ig Nobel prize with 1,000 buried pairs of underpants via NL Times

Swiss soil underpants study win Ig Nobel Prize via Swiss Info

The AI Tipping Point via Time

AI researcher Jacob Coxon reacts to Anderson Cooper's interview with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei via CNN

Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement: What Authors Need to Know

The AI Resist List

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we talk about how Amsterdam has banned meat and fossil fuel-related ads and oak trees fighting off caterpillars in the most wild way. And then we move inside with an ethical moral question about a very big fashion party, how cigarettes and Diet Coke have made a comeback, Brooke Shields on reality TV, The Devil Wears Prada, and a wee bit of Summer House, and more.

About this week's guest: Ally is a personal stylist, shopper, and resident pop culture reporter.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project

Flower Pressing Workshop at Fine Feather - get tickets!

Amsterdam bans meat and fossil fuel ads via BBC

Oak Trees Delaying Leaf Production To Starve Caterpillars via Science Daily

West Coast's first yellow-legged hornet intercepted in Vancouver, Washington via KUOW

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504154019.htm

Ball Without Billionaires via Harper's Bazaar

Former Amazon Union Leader Who Was Arrested at Met Gala Has No Regrets via NYT

This Is The Scientific Reason Why Your Coke Tastes Better At McDonald's via Delish

Next Gen NYC Season 2 Trailer

Summer House Reunion Trailer

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

In this episode, we discuss the hope that nature can bring to our lives, how it can promote social well-being, and the parallels of gardening and running a startup. Then we move inside to talk about historical fashion, how body standards have changed over time, and how they're changing (even more) with GLP-1s.

About this week's guest: Lauren ("Lar") Lee is the cofounder of Semaine Health, a plant-based women's supplement brand built on the belief that your body isn't a collection of symptoms — it's a system worth understanding. She started Semaine in 2020 with her twin sister Cath and her husband, Dr. Matt Crane— after years of symptoms her own doctors couldn't explain.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Flower Pressing Workshop at Fine Feather - get tickets! Semaine Semaine on IG Semaine on Tiktok Gardens Of The World with Audrey Hepburn To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we discuss the significant role flowers have played in creating our world, the biological reason we're attracted to flowers, women in horticultural, and David's inside pick (which is sort of an outside one).

About this week's guest: David George Haskell is a writer and biologist acclaimed for his lyrical explorations of the living world. Haskell is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction, for The Forest Unseen and Sounds Wild and Broken. He is recipient of an Award in Literature from American Academy of Arts and Letters. Haskell has also written essays and multimedia experiences for The New York Times, Emergence Magazine, and other venues. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, a Guggenheim Fellow, and is Adjunct Professor of Environmental Sciences at Emory University. Show notes!

This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project How Flowers Made Our World

The Songs Of Trees

The Forest Unseen

Sounds Wild and Broken To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

In this episode, we start outside and talk about how gardens can be part of a revolution for positive change, the easiest way to start as a beginner, and the connection between gardens and habit stacking. Then we move inside to talk about Lottie's kitchen obsession.

About this week's guest: Lottie Delamain is an RHS Chelsea award-winning garden designer. She trained at the Inchbald School of Design and has worked on gardens around the UK, from small urban spaces to historic estates. She is also a regular contributor to House and Garden magazine, and a trustee of We Are Grow, a charity working with schools and communities delivering programs in sustainable food growing and outdoor learning. Show notes!

This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project

Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy Gardens That Can Change The World

Lottie's Website

Lottie's IG Things we talked about:

Cupcake White Cosmos

Purity White Cosmos

Fizzy White Cosmos

Bunny Tails Grass

Ornamental Grasses

Nasturtiums

In this episode, we start outside and talk about the Nature Fakers controversy (and how Teddy Roosevelt was involved). Then we talk about Mason's new book and the struggle of making art while also making a living (day jobs, get rich schemes, and family help). And then Mason shares his inside thing - which leads us into a conversation about nostalgia for pre-internet days.

About this week's guest: Mason Currey is the author of the Daily Rituals books — Daily Rituals: How Artists Work and Daily Rituals: Women at Work. His new book, Making Art and Making a Living, looks at how anyone ever afforded to be an artist. Currey lives in Los Angeles and writes Subtle Maneuvers, a twice-monthly newsletter on the creative process.

Show notes!

This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project

Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy Subtle Maneuvers (Mason's newsletter)

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

Daily Rituals: How Women Work

Making Art and Making A Living Things we talked about:

Nature Fakers Controversy

Peter Hujar's Day (book)

Peter Hujar's Day (movie)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUV5DJb6KGs To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

In this episode, we talk coffins made of mushrooms, when perspective taking costs too much, and the difference between empathy and accountability. About this week's guest: Karen Faith is the CEO of Others Unlimited. Previously an ethnographer, her work has shaped initiatives at Google, Amazon, Indeed, Blue Cross, The Federal Reserve Bank, The NBA, The ACLU, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, to name a few. She's an empathy trainer named Karen, and the joke isn't lost on her. Which is how she's owned mics across 5 continents, and gave a TEDx talk that has since racked up over 3M views.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project

Flower Pressing Class at Paper Canopy

Others Unlimited Things we talked about:

Mushroom Coffin

Karen's Ted Talk on Empathy To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we talk about (nature): the importance of composting, the complexities of food waste, the myth of compost being stinky, and all the tips to get started. Plus (pop culture): why bros are so into aliens, the documentary that sparked the obsession, and the biggest question of them all, "do aliens compost?"

About this week's guest: Cassandra Marketos is a Los Angeles-based compost artist, writer, and author of Compost After Reading. In her past life, she was the first employee at Kickstarter and worked for the Obama White House.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Compost After Reading

The Rot (newsletter)

The Rot Squad (on IG) Things we talked about:

The Age Of Disclosure

Warning Issued That Alien Revelations Could Spark Financial Crisis via Newsweek

To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we talk about the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in California (world's largest wildlife crossing), the return of skinny jeans, how trends are dictated, and the problem with designing for the internet and not ourselves.

About this week's guest: Since graduating from Harvard and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Serena Wolf has put her culinary skills to work as a private chef, culinary instructor, recipe developer, author, and blogger at Domesticate-Me.com. She is the author of The Dude Diet, The Dude Diet: Dinnertime, and You Do You. Serena's work has been featured on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People, Real Simple, SELF, Women's Day, as well as many other well-known publications and media outlets.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Serena's IG

You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence Things we talked about: The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing

The New + Improved Skinny Jeans via Vogue

It Must Be Nice To Be A West Village Girl via The Cut

The happiness paradox: your friends are happier than you

Dunbar's number: Why we can only maintain 150 relationships

The associations between social comparison on social media and young adults mental health To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

This week we talk about the research project to find new species of butterflies, the legal push for plastic producers to pay, Heated Rivalry, Tell Me Lies, Robinne Lee's new book, and lots more!

About this week's guest: Ally is a stylist and personal shopper. Her superpower is helping you find your style and the clothes to go with it. Show notes! Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Ally: Personal styling siteSubstack Stuff we talked about: Nine new butterfly species discovered by scientists tackling taxonomic tangle

The Legal Push to Make Plastic Producers Pay via Atmos

Heated Rivalry

Crash Into Me

Jill Zarin Fired from 'Real Housewives' Reboot Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode we talk about Extinction of Experience (the loss of nature-human interactions), the wild and untold story of Barbie and Mattel (lawsuits, coporate espionage, and theft!), the Tiktokfication of celebrity news (the Beckhams and Scandoval), plus a surprise inside pick.

About this week's guest: Tarpley Hitt is an author, journalist, and an editor / contributor to The Drift magazine. She has previously reported on culture and money for The Daily Beast and Gawker, and her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Guardian, and Air Mail, among others. Her first book is Barbieland.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: The Working Garden Project Tarpley's websiteBarblieland Barbieland's NYT book review Things we talked about: Extinction of experience: the loss of human-nature interactionsReborn DollsEnd It Like Beckham (on Hulu) To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this episode, we discuss if celebrities actually do their own gardening, why fashion journalists aren't always the most "fashionable", and if Facetuning is an art or out of control.

About this week's guest: Emily is the founder of I Heart Mess, a roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion, on Substack and YouTube. She is a contributing writer for numerous publications, including i-D, New York, and the New York Times. She is also the co-founder of the Lowbrow Book Club and co-host of the podcast Mess World.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Emily's Work: I Heart Mess Newsletter + YouTube Mess World Podcast The Lowbrow Book Club Things we talked about: Celebrity Gardens via BHGWhy Are So Many Celebrities Joining Substack? via ICYMI Podcast Inside the "10-Year Process" to Create Roses Named for Celebrities via Vanity FairA Brief History of The Merkin via InStyle To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.com

In this epsiode, we discuss how Ruby isn't into gardening (and how she connects with nature in her own way), how to deal with constant content (newsletters, social media, news, etc), and how the act of reading novels can bring back your attention span (and bring more joy).

About this week's guest: Ruby is a journalist and author.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: My July Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Ruby's Work:WebsiteSober CuriousSober Curious ResetWomen Without KidsMaterial World, Mystical Girl Things we talked about: Flesh byDavid Szalay Books to TV / Movies 2025-26 To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

About this week's guest: Akaya advises, trains, and consults on how change happens individually, organizationally, and societally. She is on faculty of the Just Economy Institute, is Lead Advisor at Third Act, and is founder of the New Universal Wisdom and Leadership Institute. She was President of Rockwood Leadership Institute for ten years, and directs the Thriving Roots Fund.

Akaya received the 2020 Vision Award from Middlebury College, was one of Conscious Company's 30 World Changing Women of 2018, an Ella Award recipient from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and served on the Alameda County Human Rights Commission. Akaya is deeply committed to working for a fair and equitable global society while infusing a sense of purpose, delight, and wonder into everything we do.

Show notes! This week's sponsor: My July Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter

Start A Well-Being GardenLearn To Grow Cut Flowers Use code GROW for $5o off until December 1st Akaya's work: WebsiteThird Act Just Economy InstituteLeading with Joy: Practices for Uncertain Times Things we talked about: Ecotopia by Ernest CallenbachAlways Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin Becky Chamber books Dawn by Octavia Butler To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults

About this week's guest: Ally is a stylist and personal shopper. Her superpower is helping you find your style and the clothes to go with it. Show notes! This week's sponsor: Semaine Use code GROW for $50 off a one-on-one growing session. Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Ally: Personal styling siteSubstack Stuff we talked about: Historic magnolia trees removed for White House ballroomMassive Web—Home to More Than 100,000 SpidersAll's FairExMasOh. What. Fun. Find your hardiness / growing zone here To advertise on the podcast: hello@baskergardens.comhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/365803800_Interaction_with_Nature_Indoor_Psychological_Impacts_of_Houseplants_Care_Behaviour_on_Mental_Well-Being_and_Mindfulness_in_Chinese_Adults