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b'Above the Arctic Circle, much of the land is underlaid by permafrost. But climate change is causing it to thaw. This is not good news for the planet.\\xa0\\nAs the carbon rich ground warms, microbes start to feast\\u2026 releasing greenhouse gases that will warm the Earth even more.\\nAnother possible downside was envisioned by a science-fiction author. Could ancient pathogens\\u2013released from the permafrost\\u2019s icy grip\\u2013cause new pandemics? We investigate what happens when the far north defrosts.\\nGuests:\\n\\n\\nJacquelyn Gill\\xa0\\u2013 Associate professor of paleoecology at the University of Maine.\\n\\n\\nJim Shepard\\xa0\\u2013 Novelist and short story writer, and teacher of English at Williams College, and author of \\u201cPhase Six.\\u201d\\n\\n\\nScott Saleska\\xa0\\u2013 Global change ecologist, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, and co-founder of IsoGenie.\\n\\n\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'