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Today's episode is sponsored by Smart Travel, a podcast from NerdWallet.
Do you have a friend who treats airfare like a puzzle and somehow always ends up with a first-class upgrade?
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NerdWallet's travel journalists break down the pros and cons of travel decisions,
like when lounge access is worth paying for and which hotel loyalty programs actually pay off.
Make your travel dollars work harder.
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Imagine being told as a teenager that you're not clever enough to make it as a scientist,
a paleontologist to be more specific, then proving those voices wrong by discovering
some of the largest prehistoric creatures to have ever roamed the seas.
No, this isn't some boy-done-good movie plot.
It's the true story of today's guest.
Dr. Dean Lomax is now one of the world's leading experts on ichthyosaurs.
Marine reptiles that once ruled prehistoric seas.
But his journey has been anything but conventional.
Growing up in Doncaster, Dean's thirst to learn everything he could about fossils
and dinosaurs somewhat outstripped his academic achievements.
He failed his science GCSEs and then his A-levels and was told by teachers to give up on his dreams.
But passion has a way of rewriting expectations.