In 1804, a newspaper claimed two fishermen shot and killed a 100-foot serpent in Cayuga Lake. Over 200 years later, the city of Ithaca has an official resolution protecting it. In this episode, I team up with Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator at the Center for Inquiry, to dig through the old newspaper trail, measure the monster, and talk to the people keeping the legend alive.

Along the way, we talk to Sylvie, creator of the Old Greeny Fringe Fest; Pat Sewell, the alder behind the resolution; and Ben Sandburg, executive director of the History Center in Tompkins County. Plus, there’s a pattern in the sighting dates that says Old Greeny is “due to return,” and I explain why that math should make you suspicious.

I’m Ally, an environmental scientist who manages lakes for a living, and this is AquaDiary: lake science, legends, and mysteries.

GUESTS

• Kenny Biddle, Center for Inquiry: https://skepticalinquirer.org/category/a-closer-look/
• Sylvie, Old Greeny Fringe Fest: https://oldgreenyfringefest.com/
• Pat Sewell, Ithaca Common Council, Third Ward
• Ben Sandburg, Tompkins County History Center: https://www.thehistorycenter.net/

SUPPORT THE LAKE MONSTERS“Save Our Lake Monsters” shirts are available at aquadiary.org

There's a river in the sky carrying up to 15x the flow of the Mississippi River. You've heard the term atmospheric river in the news — this episode is the explanation nobody gave you.

In this episode, environmental scientist Ally breaks down what atmospheric rivers actually are, how scientists measure and rate them on a scale from beneficial to catastrophic, why the West Coast depends on them for its water supply while also being devastated by them, what El Nino might change about that in 2026, and why the East Coast, the South, and the Midwest are not off the hook.

Topics covered: what an atmospheric river is, integrated vapor transport, orographic lift, the AR1-AR5 rating scale, the ARkStorm scenario, Oroville Dam, forecast informed reservoir operations, El Niño and what a very strong event means for this winter, and what climate change is doing to these systems.

The full source list is available for free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast//About AquaDiary:AquaDiary is a science communication project focused on water, environmental science, and the systems that shape our world. You can reach Ally for collaborations at www.aquadiary.org or at aquadiary.podcast@gmail.com

How does a mountain collapse cause a flood when there is almost no rain?In August 2026, a rock-and-ice avalanche collapsed from the northern face of Langtang Lirung in Nepal, sending an enormous volume of material down the Himalayan valley and generating a seismic signal equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. In this episode, we examine the glaciology, geology, hydrology, and remote-sensing evidence behind the event, including how hanging glaciers and fractured bedrock fail.

Sources:

• 34 sources are available for free on ⁠Patreon ⁠
• Official website: www.aquadiary.org

Support verified relief efforts:

• https://www.nrnusa.org/
• https://allhandsandhearts.org/our-work/programs/nepal-flood-relief

NOTE: This video is for educational purposes. Where the evidence is still developing, we distinguish between established observations, scientific hypotheses, professional opinions, and open questions researchers are still investigating.

About AquaDiary:AquaDiary is a science communication project focused on water, environmental science, and the systems that shape our world.

You can reach Ally for collaborations at aquadiary.podcast@gmail.com