Episode 99. Rapa Nui's Collapse: Mike Pitts
From Science History Podcast by Frank A. von Hippel
February 11, 2026 · 1h 55m · Season 1 · Episode 99
About this episode
Mike Pitts joins to discuss the myths surrounding the societal collapse of Easter Island and the scientific findings related to it.
Often in the history of science, myths overrun scientific findings and take hold with such force that they are difficult or nearly impossible to dislodge from public understanding. Perhaps no example of this phenomenon is more pronounced than that of the societal collapse of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. With us to unravel the myth from the science is Mike Pitts. Mike is a writer and broadcaster (a frequent voice on BBC radio), archaeologist (directing excavations at Stonehenge), and one-time museum curator. He has written for The Times , Telegraph , Sunday Times , Observer , and Guardian , and many magazines including New Scientist , Archaeology , and BBC History . He edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and has written books on topics ranging from the discovery of Richard III's grave to How to Build Stonehenge . His original research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature , World Archaeology , and Antiquity . He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
People in this episode
Host: Frank A. von Hippel
Guest: Mike Pitts
Topics covered
- societal collapse
- Easter Island
- archaeology
- myth vs science
- Mike Pitts
- historical analysis
Keywords
- Easter Island
- Rapa Nui
- societal collapse
- archaeology
- myths
- science
- Mike Pitts
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC, The Times, Telegraph, Sunday Times, Observer, Guardian, New Scientist, Archaeology, BBC History, British Archaeology
Books & works: Richard III's grave, How to Build Stonehenge
Places: Easter Island, Rapa Nui
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- Episode 97. Forever Chemicals: Sharon Udasin · December 10, 2025 · 57 min
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