Deep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.
Listener Mail: Desperados Under the Eaves
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2024 • 21 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Tea, Part 3
In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… (originally published 02/09/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2024 • 59 minutes, 21 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Blacula
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1972 horror film “Blacula” directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as Prince Mamuwalde. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2024 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 13 seconds
Strange Ice, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form -- as well as some other STBYM angles on ice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2024 • 44 minutes, 35 seconds
Animalia Stupendium: The Mantis Shrimp
Bored with dragons, the wizard Argomandanies turns his arcane attention to the fantastic fauna of the natural world. Welcome to Animalia Stupendium, a chronicle of Earth’s amazing biodiversity with all the enthusiasm of a fantasy monster book. In this episode, the wizard will consider the mighty mantis shrimp! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2024 • 6 minutes, 48 seconds
Strange Ice, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2024 • 46 minutes, 22 seconds
Listener Mail: The Reflix
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2024 • 18 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: Tea, Part 2
In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… (originally published 02/07/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2024 • 52 minutes, 48 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Magic Sword
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the filmography of Bert I. Gordon with his 1962 fantasy adventure “The Magic Sword,” starring Basil Rathbone, Estille Winwood and Gary Lockwood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2024 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 54 seconds
The Nature of the Diamond, Part 4
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore various historical interpretations of the diamond, from divine tears to both a potent medicine and a deadly poison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2024 • 38 minutes, 56 seconds
The Monstrefact: Ikuutayuuq, The One Who Drills
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the monstrous killer from Inuit traditions whose name translates to “One Who Drills.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2024 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
The Nature of the Diamond, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore various historical interpretations of the diamond, from divine tears to both a potent medicine and a deadly poison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2024 • 49 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: Planet Earth
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2024 • 28 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Tea, Part 1
In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… (originally published 02/02/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2024 • 54 minutes, 47 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Apple
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1980 sci-fi disco/rock musical odyssey that is “The Apple,” starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Vladek Sheybal and Joss Ackland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2024 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 28 seconds
The Nature of the Diamond, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore various historical interpretations of the diamond, from divine tears to both a potent medicine and a deadly poison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2024 • 42 minutes, 22 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Salamander
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the mythical salamander… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2024 • 4 minutes, 45 seconds
The Nature of the Diamond, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore various historical interpretations of the diamond, from divine tears to both a potent medicine and a deadly poison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2024 • 37 minutes, 31 seconds
Listener Mail: Hungry Like The Wolf
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2024 • 22 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: Horror Vacui, Part 4
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. (originally published 01/24/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2024 • 50 minutes, 40 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Gorgo
Can London survive the bond between a giant monster and its young? In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1961 British kaiju film “Gorgo,” starring Bill Travers and William Sylvester.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2024 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 50 seconds
Give ‘Em Shell: The Glorious Hermit Crab, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe return once more to the world of crabs – specifically the industrious world of hermit crabs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2024 • 44 minutes, 58 seconds
The Artifact Redux: The Piñata
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the shrouded history of the piñata… (originally published 03/08/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2024 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
Give ‘Em Shell: The Glorious Hermit Crab, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe return once more to the world of crabs – specifically the industrious world of hermit crabs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2024 • 51 minutes, 15 seconds
Listener Mail: Union of the Snake
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2024 • 29 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: Horror Vacui, Part 3
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. (originally published 01/19/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2024 • 39 minutes, 7 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: A Bucket of Blood
Hideous and eloquent! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Seth Nicholas Johnson of Rusty Needle's Record Club returns to Weirdhouse Cinema to discuss Roger Corman's 1959 Beatnik horror comedy "A Bucket of Blood," starring Dick Miller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2024 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 45 seconds
Give ‘Em Shell: The Glorious Hermit Crab, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe return once more to the world of crabs – specifically the industrious world of hermit crabs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2024 • 48 minutes, 42 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Swarm
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the supervillain Swarm from Marvel Comics… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2024 • 3 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Horror Vacui, Part 2
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. (originally published 01/17/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2024 • 42 minutes, 19 seconds
From the Vault: Horror Vacui, Part 1
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. (originally published 01/17/2023) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2023 • 38 minutes, 56 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Gate II
The Canadian gateway to Hell opens once more! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, guest-host David Striepe of the Talkin' Tofu podcast returns to chat with Rob about 1990’s “Gate II” starring Louis Tripp and Pamela Adlon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2023 • 1 hour, 43 minutes, 57 seconds
The Dawn of a Mindful Universe, with Marcelo Gleiser
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Templeton Award-winning author and theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser about his new book “The Dawn of a Mindful Universe: A Manifesto for Humanity's Future.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2023 • 57 minutes, 39 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: The Four Guards of ‘Labyrinth’
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the four guards from the 1986 film ‘Labyrinth” and their paradoxical relationship to the truth… (originally published 01/11/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2023 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
From the Vault: Humans Throwing Stuff
Focusing on the human animal, Robert and Joe continue their discussion of throwing ability and ponder how throwing ability may have impacted everything from language to ancient warfare. (originally published 01/12/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2023 • 54 minutes, 36 seconds
Dr. Anton Jessup's Holiday Seclusion
In this special Holiday edition of Listener Mail, Dr. Anton Jessup addresses his many Christmas enemies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 3
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. (originally published 01/10/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2023 • 50 minutes, 52 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
In this holiday edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1964’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Can Santa Claus teach the young of Mars how to be children again? (originally published 12/16/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 50 seconds
From the Vault: Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 2
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. (originally published 01/04/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2023 • 48 minutes, 39 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Hooden Horse of Kent
In this special holiday episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Hoden or Hooden Horse of British winter ritual… (originally published 12/14/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2023 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
From the Vault: Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 1
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. (originally published 01/03/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2023 • 51 minutes, 5 seconds
Listener Mail: Christmas at Tannhäuser Gate
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2023 • 22 minutes, 53 seconds
Listener Mail: Christmas at Tannhäuser Gate
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2023 • 22 minutes, 53 seconds
From the Vault: The 99% Invisible World, with Roman Mars
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Roman Mars, host of the podcast "99% Invisible" about design, podcasting and life in the created world. Plus, they discuss the 2020 book “The 99% Invisible City” by Mars and his co-author Kurt Kohlstedt. (originally published 01/31/2023) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2023 • 36 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: The 99% Invisible World, with Roman Mars
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Roman Mars, host of the podcast "99% Invisible" about design, podcasting and life in the created world. Plus, they discuss the 2020 book “The 99% Invisible City” by Mars and his co-author Kurt Kohlstedt. (originally published 01/31/2023) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2023 • 36 minutes, 29 seconds
The Nutcracker
The decorative holiday nutcracker has become a staple of holiday decor and it also constitutes a specialized tool, so in this Christmas themed invention episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the gadget’s European history, its analogs in other cultures and the general history of humans and other animals cracking nuts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2023 • 45 minutes, 37 seconds
The Nutcracker
The decorative holiday nutcracker has become a staple of holiday decor and it also constitutes a specialized tool, so in this Christmas themed invention episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the gadget’s European history, its analogs in other cultures and the general history of humans and other animals cracking nuts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2023 • 45 minutes, 37 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Santa Claus (1959)
In this special holiday episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1959 Mexican Christmas movie “Santa Claus,” also known as “Santa Claus vs. the Devil.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2023 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 31 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Santa Claus (1959)
In this special holiday episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1959 Mexican Christmas movie “Santa Claus,” also known as “Santa Claus vs. the Devil.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2023 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 31 seconds
The Nutcracker
The decorative holiday nutcracker has become a staple of holiday decor and it also constitutes a specialized tool, so in this Christmas themed invention episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the gadget’s European history, its analogs in other cultures and the general history of humans and other animals cracking nuts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2023 • 45 minutes, 46 seconds
The Monstrefact: Of Knots and Monsters
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the relationship between knots and monsters… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2023 • 3 minutes, 39 seconds
The Rat King
The nightmare vision of black rats tangled by the tail continues to intrigue and revolt us, but what is its origin? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the sewers of history to seek answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 7 seconds
Listener Mail: Crockett's Theme
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2023 • 25 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: The Origins of Games Workshop, with Sir Ian Livingstone
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Sir Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and co-author of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series with Steve Jackson, about their new book ““Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop.” (originally published 12/27/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2023 • 41 minutes, 40 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: I Come in Peace
Christmas is a time for comfort and joy, sure, but it’s also a time for holiday-themed action films and drug-dealing space giants. In this holiday episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1990 sci-fi film “I Come in Peace '' starring Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley and Matthias Hues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2023 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 34 seconds
The Sunken Lands, Part 4
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of lost islands and forgotten continents, in both actual geologic history and the mists of the human imagination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2023 • 45 minutes, 11 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: Mumm-Ra
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Mumm-Ra the Ever Living…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2023 • 5 minutes, 32 seconds
The Sunken Lands, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of lost islands and forgotten continents, in both actual geologic history and the mists of the human imagination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2023 • 40 minutes, 25 seconds
Listener Mail: Oh Mighty Krampus
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2023 • 26 minutes, 14 seconds
From the Vault: Goblet of Eggnog
In this special holiday episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history and invention of the eggnog, how it became such an iconic holiday beverage and some curious historic goblets associated with the consumption of this rich, milky draught. (originally published 12/15/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/2/2023 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 52 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: RoboCop (1987)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 sci-fi action classic “RoboCop,” a film as deeply satirical as it is gratuitously violent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2023 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 37 seconds
The Sunken Lands, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of lost islands and forgotten continents, in both actual geologic history and the mists of the human imagination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2023 • 45 minutes, 21 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Salesforce & IBM: Revolutionizing Experiences with Generative AI
The capabilities of artificial intelligence are increasing at a breakneck speed. Companies must leverage generative AI to transform everyday customer and employee experiences. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Jacob Goldstein sits down with Susan Emerson, Senior Vice President of Product: AI, Analytics & Data at Salesforce & Matthew Candy, Global Managing Partner of Generative AI at IBM Consulting.
They chat about the latest evolution of the two tech innovators’ decades-long relationship, explore the opportunity AI presents for customer experiences, and break down how better experiences will remove friction for all.
Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks
Read more about elevating experiences in the CEO’s Guide to Generative AI from the IBM Institute for Business Value.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2023 • 40 minutes, 39 seconds
The Sunken Lands, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of lost islands and forgotten continents, in both actual geologic history and the mists of the human imagination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2023 • 44 minutes, 8 seconds
Listener Mail: A Bird of Courage
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2023 • 23 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Of Ice and Men, with Fred Hogge
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with author Fred Hogge about his new book “Of Ice and Men: How We’ve Used Cold to Transform Humanity,” covering everything from cocktail ice to the ancient history of ice houses. (originally published 12/06/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/25/2023 • 47 minutes, 3 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Extra Terrestrial Visitors
On this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the wild world of Spanish b-movie cinema with Juan Piquer Simón’s “Extra Terrestrial Visitors,” in which a pair of aliens respond to drastically differing human encounters in the woods. MST3K fans know this one as "Pod People." (originally published 09/16/22)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2023 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 41 seconds
From the Vault: Reptiles of Galapagos, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the most famous reptilian residents of the Galapagos archipelago, including the world’s largest extant tortoise species and the world’s only marine iguana. (originally published 12/10/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2023 • 59 minutes, 11 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: Monsters of DC Comics
In this special omnibus episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy the first four episodes concerning monsters from the DC universe: Killer Croc, Swamp Thing, Doomsday and Mister Mind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2023 • 19 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Reptiles of Galapagos, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the most famous reptilian residents of the Galapagos archipelago, including the world’s largest extant tortoise species and the world’s only marine iguana. (originally published 12/08/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2023 • 57 minutes, 20 seconds
Listener Mail: Earth's Gravity Wears You Out
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2023 • 23 minutes, 19 seconds
From the Vault: Play the Record Backwards, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert is joined by Rusty Needle’s Record Club host Seth Nicholas Johnson for a discussion of various means of secreting information into audio, from backmasking and locked grooves to examples from the digital age of music. (originally published 12/01/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/18/2023 • 1 hour, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Butterfly Murders
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film “The Butterfly Murders,” directed by Tsui Hark. The film certainly delivers on killer butterflies, but it’s also a moody gothic castle film, an action-packed showstopper and a bit of a slasher. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2023 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 30 seconds
The Invention of the Crossbow, Part 2
In this invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rob and Joe discuss the origins and ingenuity of the crossbow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2023 • 52 minutes, 11 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Generative AI: Its Rise and Potential for Society
In order to stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace, businesses need to adapt to the potential of generative AI. In this special live episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell is joined onstage at iHeartMedia’s studio by Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at IBM. They chat about the evolution of AI, give examples of practical uses, and discuss how businesses can create value through cutting edge technology.
Watch the live conversation here: https://youtu.be/WOwM__St6aU
Hear more from Darío on generative AI for business: https://www.ibm.com/think/ai-academy/
Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2023 • 52 minutes, 58 seconds
The Invention of the Crossbow, Part 1
In this invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rob and Joe discuss the origins and ingenuity of the crossbow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2023 • 41 minutes, 50 seconds
Listener Mail: Now Available in Candle Format
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2023 • 31 minutes, 11 seconds
From the Vault: Play the Record Backwards, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert is joined by Rusty Needle’s Record Club host Seth Nicholas Johnson for a discussion of various means of secreting information into audio, from backmasking and locked grooves to examples from the digital age of music. (originally published 11/29/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/11/2023 • 57 minutes, 7 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Visitors from the Arkana Galaxy
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the absurd sci-fi fantasy film “Visitors from the Arkana Galaxy,” a 1981 Yugoslav-Czech co-production full of intergalactic aliens and surreal monstrosities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 38 seconds
The Headless Men, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss headless beings in myth, legend and the bestiaries of antiquity. What is it about a headless being that captivates us so and why were such beings once thought to exist? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2023 • 53 minutes, 9 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: Monsters of Marvel Comics
In this special omnibus episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy the first five episodes concerning monsters from the Marvel Comics universe: Marvel mummies, Mystique, the Symbiotes, the Thing and Ulvar the Giant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2023 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
The Headless Men, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss headless beings in myth, legend and the bestiaries of antiquity. What is it about a headless being that captivates us so and why were such beings once thought to exist? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2023 • 48 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Cats, Dogs and Stoneground
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2023 • 22 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Gimbal
In this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the ancient origins of the gimbal, its connections to Chinese incense censers and its role in technological innovation. (originally published 09/27/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/4/2023 • 46 minutes, 22 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Critters
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1986 sci-fi creature feature “Critters,” starring Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Billy Zane, Terrence Mann and a bunch of ravenous space creatures. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2023 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 39 seconds
The Search For Alien Life, with Astrophysicist Adam Frank
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert discusses big questions, fears and possibilities concerning extraterrestrial life with astrophysicist Adam Frank, author of “The Little Book of Aliens.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2023 • 42 minutes, 54 seconds
Monstrefact Redux: Sleipnir, the Eight-Legged Horse
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Sleipnir, the mythical stead of the Norse god Odin. (originally published 06/07/2023) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2023 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 9
Yes, the Halloween tradition continues as Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology shows to focus on STBYM topics that might not otherwise make the show. In this installment, they spin some science and contemplation out of the 2001 episode of “The Outer Limits” titled “Think Like a Dinosaur” and the 1974 episode of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” titled “The Spanish Moss Murders.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2023 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Dr. Anton Jessup's Halloween Spectacular
Dr. Anton Jessup takes a break from his experiments to read some of the listener and viewer mail that has accumulated in the university basement, but this time things take a more dramatic turn… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/30/2023 • 25 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: Elfshot, Part 2
These lands are old and the elves who lived before us still watch and wait. Cross them, and you may feel the prick of their arrow. You’ll find no wound, though your flesh will swell and ache, and if you happen upon one of their elfstones in the grass then you might have chance at survival. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the superstition, archaeology and science of elfshot. (originally published 10/04/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/28/2023 • 50 minutes, 48 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Dracula A.D. 1972
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the late-franchise Hammer horror film “Dracula A.D. 1972,” in which Chrisopher Lee’s vampiric prince of darkness rises from the ashes a century later in groovy London. Are hippies and the descendents of Doctor Van Helsing up to the challenge? Find out…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2023 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 4 seconds
Where the Shadows Lie, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the world of shadows. How do human conceptions of shadows factor into our literature, art, history and monster making? What does it mean to cast a monstrous shadow, or to cast no shadow at all? Find out… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2023 • 54 minutes, 49 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Mummy
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the undead mummies of horror cinema and where they emerge from in modern Egyptomania… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 2 seconds
Where the Shadows Lie, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the world of shadows. How do human conceptions of shadows factor into our literature, art, history and monster making? What does it mean to cast a monstrous shadow, or to cast no shadow at all? Find out… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2023 • 56 minutes, 22 seconds
Listener Mail: Silver'd in the Moon's Eclipse
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/23/2023 • 26 minutes, 53 seconds
From the Vault: Elfshot, Part 1
These lands are old and the elves who lived before us still watch and wait. Cross them, and you may feel the prick of their arrow. You’ll find no wound, though your flesh will swell and ache, and if you happen upon one of their elfstones in the grass then you might have chance at survival. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the superstition, archaeology and science of elfshot. (originally published 09/29/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/21/2023 • 50 minutes, 34 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Bride of Frankenstein
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the amazingly weird and wonderful 1935 horror classic “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Has the doctor put his monster-making days behind him, or can he be tempted to even greater crimes of mad science by an even madder scientist? Find out… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2023 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 12 seconds
Kaibyō: The Strange Cats of Japan, Part 2
Spooky cats are an iconic part of Halloween iconography, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the world of Kaibyō: the various strange and supernatural cats found in Japanese tradition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2023 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Responsible AI: Why Businesses Need Reliable AI Governance
To deploy responsible AI and build trust with customers, businesses need to prioritize AI governance. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Laurie Santos discuss AI accountability with Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy and Trust Officer at IBM. They chat about AI regulation, what compliance means in the AI age, and why transparent AI governance is good for business.
Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks
Explore watsonx.governance: https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-governance
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2023 • 27 minutes, 52 seconds
Kaibyō: The Strange Cats of Japan, Part 1
Spooky cats are an iconic part of Halloween iconography, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the world of Kaibyō: the various strange and supernatural cats found in Japanese tradition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2023 • 51 minutes, 14 seconds
Listener Mail: Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolf
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/16/2023 • 26 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 3
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why. (originally published 10/25/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/14/2023 • 50 minutes, 22 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Return of the Blind Dead
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the stand-alone, second installment of Spanish director Amando de Ossorio’s “Blind Dead'' series from 1973. The sightless revenants of the Knights Templars return 500 years after their grisly deaths to enact vengeance on a sleepy and corrupt Portuguese town. (originally published 8/20/2021) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 9 seconds
From the Vault: Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 2
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why. (originally published 10/20/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2023 • 48 minutes, 3 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Krueger's Claw
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses Freddy Kreuger’s infamous claw weapon and how it compares to the actual use of bladed gauntlets in history… (originally published 10/05/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2023 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 1
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why. (originally published 10/18/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2023 • 59 minutes, 10 seconds
Listener Mail: Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/9/2023 • 19 minutes, 40 seconds
Introducing: The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs
Listen up, STBYM fans! We are super excited about a brand-new podcast called The Puzzler. It's a daily show jam-packed with, you guessed it, PUZZLES. We think you'll love this show, too but you don't have to just take our word for it. Check out this trailer to decide if you enjoy a daily puzzle fix like we do.
Show Info: Finally, your daily puzzle fix—in audio form! Every day, in 10 minutes or less, New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs and his celebrity guests will puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old puzzle favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Plus, Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Pliska joins A.J. each week to present new puzzles from the Puzzle Lab. And there’s a daily Extra Credit Puzzler for our Puzzlers at home. (Answers revealed in the following episode.)
Tune in to The Puzzler on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2023 • 3 minutes, 14 seconds
From the Vault: The Cattle Mutilation Panic of the 1970s
Strange lights and black helicopters in the night. Cattle found dead with blood or organs seemingly removed from strange incisions. Alien visitors in the heartland. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe take a skeptical look at the cattle mutilation phenomenon of the 1970s. (originally published 10/06/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/7/2023 • 56 minutes, 26 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: TerrorVision
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe tune their satellite dish to 1986 and discuss the outrageous sci-fi horror camp-fest that is Ted Nicolaou’s “TerrorVision,” starring Gerrit Graham and Mary Woronov. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 12 seconds
The Necromantic Urge, Part 3
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2023 • 54 minutes, 12 seconds
The Monstrefact: Rawhead Rex and Kin
In this special bonus episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Clive Barker’s Rawhead Rex and various related creatures and spirits from English lore and legend…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2023 • 7 minutes, 56 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Hugging Face and watsonx: Why Open Source Is the Future of AI in Business
Open-source innovation is the future of AI. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Tim Harford discuss the open-source AI community with Jeff Boudier, head of product and growth at Hugging Face. They chat about the history and future of open-source AI, its critical importance to AI progress, the IBM watsonx partnership with Hugging Face, and how businesses can leverage open-source AI for their specific needs.
Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalks
Learn more about the Hugging Face partnership: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-08-24-IBM-to-Participate-in-235M-Series-D-Funding-Round-of-Hugging-Face
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2023 • 31 minutes, 35 seconds
The Necromantic Urge, Part 2
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2023 • 52 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: Round About The Cauldron Go
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/2/2023 • 25 minutes, 18 seconds
The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft, with Brian Hoggard
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert discusses witch bottles and other forms of counter-witchcraft of olden days with Brian Hoggard, author of "Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft." His website can be found at www.apotropaios.co.uk. (originally published 11/01/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/30/2023 • 1 hour, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Sorcerers
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe kick off the Halloween season with 1967’s “The Sorcerers,” starring Boris Karloff. It's a groovy mix of hypnosis, mind control and murder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2023 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 5 seconds
The Necromantic Urge, Part 1
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 20 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Nine Faces of Death
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the mythological Chinese monster known as the Nine Faces of Death… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2023 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 2
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and Joe as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2023 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 59 seconds
Listener Mail: SB-129
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/25/2023 • 21 minutes, 57 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Odometer
You might not think your car’s odometer is that exciting, but it’s actually the modern incarnation of an ancient invention with roots in China and the Greco-Roman world. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the invention of the hodómetron and the li-recording drum carriage in this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 09/06/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/23/2023 • 52 minutes, 12 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1965 cult classic crime thriller “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” directed by Russ Myers and starring Tura Santana, Haji and Lori Williams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 1
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and Joe as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2023 • 46 minutes, 7 seconds
Smart Talks With IBM: Transformations in AI: why foundation models are the future
Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of AI in both business and society. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern AI with Dr. David Cox, VP of AI Models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of AI and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology.
Visit us at: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/smart/talks/
Learn more about watsonx: https://www.ibm.com/watsonx
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2023 • 40 minutes
Future Shock 2023, Part 3
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2023 • 58 minutes, 53 seconds
Listener Mail: Tomorrow Never Knows
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/18/2023 • 25 minutes, 28 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of Surgical Gloves
In this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origin of surgical gloves, the differing concepts for their composition and the struggle to get surgeons to wear them. (originally published 08/30/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/16/2023 • 58 minutes, 14 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Man Who Fell to Earth
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Nicolas Roeg's 1976 sci-fi film "The Man Who Fell to Earth," starring the legendary David Bowie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2023 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 45 seconds
Future Shock 2023, Part 2
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2023 • 52 minutes, 43 seconds
The Artifact: The Gadget Cane
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses various gadget canes, from Benjamin Franklin’s walking stick to Edgar Alan Poe’s cane sword… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2023 • 4 minutes, 34 seconds
Future Shock 2023, Part 1
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2023 • 44 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Satellite Anthem Icarus
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/11/2023 • 21 minutes, 43 seconds
From the Vault: The Paragraph, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the standard nugget of textual thought: the paragraph. (originally published 8/25/22)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/9/2023 • 47 minutes, 59 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Diabolik
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the phantasmagorical world of Mario Bava with the stylish 1968 crime thriller “Danger: Diabolik,” starring John Phillip Law and Marisa Mell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2023 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 52 seconds
Stickiness, Part 3
We encounter sticky surfaces and sticky substances everyday, but what exactly IS “stickiness?” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the physical properties of stickiness and look at some very sticky examples from the natural world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2023 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: AI for Business: Multiplying the impact of AI
As businesses adopt AI, a new era of problem-solving, innovation, and creative decision-making can be brought to scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the future of AI in enterprise business AI for business with Kareem Yusuf, senior vice president of product management and growth for IBM software. They discuss the advent of foundation models, how AI can transform data storage and decision-making, and how next-generation AI platforms like watsonx from IBM can empower businesses to use AI at scale.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2023 • 33 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: The Paragraph, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the standard nugget of textual thought: the paragraph. (originally published 8/23/22)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2023 • 41 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: Children of the Sun
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/4/2023 • 20 minutes, 13 seconds
New Season of Smart Talks with IBM Coming Soon
Smart Talks with IBM returns this September 5th. This season, host Malcolm Gladwell and a team of correspondents from Pushkin Industries explore how businesses can integrate AI into their workflows — to help them do exponentially more — drive real change, and thrive in this new era of AI.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2023 • 1 minute, 46 seconds
From the Vault: The Whistling, Part 4
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages. (originally published 08/16/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/2/2023 • 56 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Devil’s Men
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1976 Greek horror film “The Devil’s Men,” also known as “Land of the Minotaur.” Horror legends Donald Pleasence and Peter Cushing head-up the cast, but the electronic score by none other than Brian Eno certainly deserves attention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2023 • 1 hour, 32 minutes, 20 seconds
The Mind of Douglas Adams, with Kevin Jon Davies
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Kevin Jon Davies about his new book “The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams,” detailing the mind of the author who gave us “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2023 • 42 minutes, 41 seconds
The Artifact: The Hand of Glory
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the Hand of Glory from European occultism… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2023 • 5 minutes, 49 seconds
Stickiness, Part 2
We encounter sticky surfaces and sticky substances everyday, but what exactly IS “stickiness?” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the physical properties of stickiness and look at some very sticky examples from the natural world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2023 • 53 minutes, 31 seconds
Listener Mail: An Index of Metals
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/28/2023 • 23 minutes, 27 seconds
From the Vault: The Whistling, Part 3
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages. (originally published 08/09/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/26/2023 • 45 minutes, 48 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the weird, wild world of Coffin Joe with the 1967 Brazilian horror film “This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2023 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 55 seconds
Stickiness, Part 1
We encounter sticky surfaces and sticky substances everyday, but what exactly IS “stickiness?” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the physical properties of stickiness and look at some very sticky examples from the natural world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2023 • 40 minutes, 14 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: Chaos Daemons of Warhammer 40k
In this special omnibus episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy all four episodes concerning the chaos daemons of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2023 • 24 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: The Null Ship
In this classic episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the history and principles of the vacuum airship or null ship. Will futuristic materials ever make this 17th century concept possible? (originally published 08/18/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2023 • 47 minutes, 33 seconds
Listener Mail: Intergalactic Planetary
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/21/2023 • 31 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: The Whistling, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages. (originally published 08/04/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/19/2023 • 57 minutes, 27 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Green Slime
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1968’s “The Green Slime,” a surprisingly procedural sci-fi film full of rubbery monsters, serious men, model rockets and more than a little bit of green slime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 30 seconds
Dendera Lights and Ancient Egyptian Pseudohistory
In recent episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed low-resolution images that have provoked paranormal and fringe explanations, despite convincing and even conclusive expert analysis. In this episode, they continue this line of inquiry through a discussion of Ancient Egyptian pseudohistories and fringe ideas regarding modern technology in ancient inscriptions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2023 • 59 minutes, 2 seconds
The Monstrefact: DC Comics' Swamp Thing
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Swamp Thing from DC Comics…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2023 • 6 minutes, 41 seconds
Another Enigmatic Underwater Image
In the last episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed the so-called Eltanin Antenna and how it is at once an identified image of a deep sea organism and an icon of paranormal intrigue. In this episode, they continue this line of inquiry with another underwater image.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2023 • 48 minutes, 20 seconds
Listener Mail: Chromakey Dreamcoat
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2023 • 28 minutes, 14 seconds
From the Vault: The Whistling, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages. (originally published 08/02/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/12/2023 • 37 minutes, 34 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Viewing
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Panos Cosmatos’ “The Viewing,'' a delightfully psychotronic 2022 short film featured on Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. There's no smoking in the Obelisk Chamber. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 30 seconds
The Eltanin Antenna
In this episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind, Rob and Joe discuss the alleged Eltanin Antenna and the natural-world explanation for the image. What does this case and others like it reveal about our craving for extraordinary explanations of perplexing evidence?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 44 seconds
The Monstrefact: DC Comics' Doomsday
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Doomsday, slayer of Superman…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2023 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
The Matter of Everything, with Suzie Sheehy
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with physicist Suzie Sheehy, author of "The Matter of Everything: How Curiosity, Physics, and Improbable Experiments Changed the World."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2023 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: The Color of the Fire
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/7/2023 • 23 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: Of Humans and Squids, with Martin Wallen
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Martin Wallen about his 2021 book “Squid,” which covers the history of humanity’s scientific, folkloric and literary interest in cephalopods – from Aristotle’s understanding of the creatures to their treatment in weird fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries. (originally published 06/21/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/5/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 41 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Maze
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into 1953’s “The Maze,” a 3-D haunted castle film with an incredibly weird twist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2023 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 21 seconds
Oil and Troubled Water, Part 2
The interaction between oil and water has fascinated us since ancient times, and it has factored into practices as diverse as divination rituals and attempts to calm turbulent waters at sea with storm oil. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the effect of oil on troubled waters. (Part 2 of 2)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2023 • 45 minutes, 48 seconds
The Monstrefact: DC Comics' Killer Croc
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses one of the most monstrous characters from Batman’s rogues' gallery: Killer Croc…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2023 • 5 minutes, 28 seconds
Cave of Bones, with Lee Berger
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with paleoanthropologist Lee Berger about his team’s amazing discoveries in South Africa's Rising Star cave system and previously unknown extinct species of hominin named Homo naledi. His new book is “Cave of Bones” and it’s also the subject of the Netflix documentary “Unknown: Cave of Bones.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2023 • 44 minutes, 3 seconds
Listener Mail: White Cyclosa
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/31/2023 • 30 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Fantastic Numbers, with Antonio Padilla
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Antonio Padilla, author of the new book "Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them." Strap in for big numbers, fantastic numbers, black holes and more. (originally published 07/28/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/29/2023 • 39 minutes, 38 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Chronicles of Riddick
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the 21st century to discuss the 2004 space opera sequel “The Chronicles of Riddick,” starring Vin Diesel and a powerhouse supporting cast. It was a Flash Gordon for a new generation, even if they weren’t ready for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2023 • 1 hour, 41 minutes, 38 seconds
The Colossus of Rhodes, with Michael Denis Higgins
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Michael Denis Higgins, Professor Emeritus of Earth Science at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and author of the new book “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Science, Engineering and Technology.” What was the Colossus of Rhodes, why did it impress the ancient Hellenistic world and how might we recreate it in the modern world? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2023 • 38 minutes, 39 seconds
The Monstrefact: DC Comics’ Mister Mind
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Mister Mind, a Venusian supervillain mind-control worm from the pages of DC Comics… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2023 • 5 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: The Atomic Scar
The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the ways in which the world would not be the same. (originally published 9/24/2020)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2023 • 1 hour, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: Aloysius Devadander Abercrombie
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/24/2023 • 27 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: The Fall of Valerian, Part 2
History. Science. Dethroned emperor. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian Empire not only defeated the Roman army but also took its Emperor as a prisoner of war. How did the emperor’s capture impact the already crisis-ridden Roman Empire, what do scientists make of his alleged grisly fate and how was Valerian’s fall possibly mythologized by Christian historians? Find out… (originally published 07/21/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/22/2023 • 51 minutes, 17 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 masterpiece “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” an environmental post-apocalyptic anime fantasy full of weird bugs, warring factions and terrifying, technological remnants of humanity’s greatest mistakes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2023 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds
Oil and Troubled Water, Part 1
The interaction between oil and water has fascinated us since ancient times, and it has factored into practices as diverse as divination rituals and attempts to calm turbulent waters at sea with storm oil. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the effect of oil on troubled waters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2023 • 43 minutes, 48 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Ulvar the Giant
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Ulvar, a most peculiar giant from the Marvel Comics universe… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2023 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
Mud, Part 4
What exactly is mud? Where does it occur and how does it factor into animal behaviors and human activities? In this multi-episode Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Rob and Joe immerse themselves in the mysteries of mud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2023 • 54 minutes, 14 seconds
Listener Mail: SquareHouse Cinema?
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/17/2023 • 23 minutes, 3 seconds
From the Vault: The Fall of Valerian, Part 1
History. Science. Dethroned emperor. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian Empire not only defeated the Roman army but also took its Emperor as a prisoner of war. How did the emperor’s capture impact the already crisis-ridden Roman Empire, what do scientists make of his alleged grisly fate and how was Valerian’s fall possibly mythologized by Christian historians? Find out… (originally published 07/19/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/15/2023 • 49 minutes, 19 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Night of the Werewolf
On this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the world of Spanish horror with another Paul Naschy movie: 1981’s “Night of the Werewolf.” This time, Naschy’s tragic werewolf character Count Waldemar Daninsky goes up against vampire Countess Elizabeth Báthory!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2023 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 54 seconds
Mud, Part 3
What exactly is mud? Where does it occur and how does it factor into animal behaviors and human activities? In this multi-episode Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Rob and Joe immerse themselves in the mysteries of mud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/13/2023 • 43 minutes, 41 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: The Tyranids of Warhammer 40K
In this special episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy an overview of the alien Tyranids of Warhammer 40K, the Tyrannic Wars and the threat of the Genestealer Cults...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2023 • 18 minutes, 12 seconds
Mud, Part 2
What exactly is mud? Where does it occur and how does it factor into animal behaviors and human activities? In this multi-episode Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Rob and Joe immerse themselves in the mysteries of mud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2023 • 55 minutes, 36 seconds
Listener Mail: Gotta Dream Them All
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/10/2023 • 22 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: The Skybridge, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclosed bridge connecting the upper stories of two buildings or skyscrapers. (originally published 07/14/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/8/2023 • 50 minutes, 31 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Creature with the Atom Brain
Why is he acting so strange? Do you think he's one of them? In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe experience 1955's "Creature with the Atom Brain," starring Richard Denning and Angela Stevens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 46 seconds
Mud, Part 1
What exactly is mud? Where does it occur and how does it factor into animal behaviors and human activities? In this multi-episode Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Rob and Joe immerse themselves in the mysteries of mud.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2023 • 46 minutes, 10 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s The Thing
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Fantastic Four’s own Ben Grimm from Marvel Comics…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2023 • 5 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of Fireworks
Fireworks are a staple of celebrations around the world, but where does this invention come from and what’s the basic chemistry of their combustion? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe light the fuse and find out. (originally published 6/23/2020)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2023 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 13 seconds
Listener Mail: Dracula on the Moon
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/3/2023 • 22 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: The Skybridge, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclosed bridge connecting the upper stories of two buildings or skyscrapers. (orignally published 07/12/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/1/2023 • 39 minutes, 10 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Purana Mandir
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into the Bollywood horror films of the Ramsay brothers with 1984's “Purana Mandir.” Can Suman and Sanjay overcome an evil curse and a monstrous warlock to save their relationship? Find out…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2023 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 35 seconds
The Machine Speaks
Long before such things were possible, our ancestors envisioned artificial heads that were capable of speech. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the journey from ancient tales of artifice and wizardry to the early breakthroughs in speech synthesis technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2023 • 56 minutes, 39 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel's Symbiotes
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Venom and the other various symbiotes from the Marvel Universe… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2023 • 5 minutes, 32 seconds
Dreamfall into the Dark, Part 4
The wonders and terrors of the dreaming mind do not always flee completely with the dawn. At certain times and places in history, it seems that dreams suddenly ascend to new heights of cultural fascination. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe explore periods when the eye of culture fixes on the dream world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2023 • 53 minutes, 36 seconds
Listener Mail: An Un-remembered Dream
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/26/2023 • 25 minutes, 31 seconds
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B. (originally published 07/07/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/24/2023 • 44 minutes, 8 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Black Hole
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Disney’s 1979 answer to “Star Wars,” 33 years before they just went ahead and acquired Lucasfilm. It’s “The Black Hole” and it promises to take us to a place beyond all human vision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2023 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 18 seconds
Dreamfall into the Dark, Part 3
The wonders and terrors of the dreaming mind do not always flee completely with the dawn. At certain times and places in history, it seems that dreams suddenly ascend to new heights of cultural fascination. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe explore periods when the eye of culture fixes on the dream world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2023 • 38 minutes, 8 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Mystique
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the mutant Mystique from the Marvel Universe… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2023 • 5 minutes, 43 seconds
Dreamfall into the Dark, Part 2
The wonders and terrors of the dreaming mind do not always flee completely with the dawn. At certain times and places in history, it seems that dreams suddenly ascend to new heights of cultural fascination. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe explore periods when the eye of culture fixes on the dream world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2023 • 41 minutes, 53 seconds
Listener Mail: Making Mr. Right
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/19/2023 • 21 minutes, 27 seconds
IBM and HBCUs: Fueling a New Generation of Cybersecurity Experts
Education has the power to show students a path they’d never considered before. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Dr. Laurie Santos take on tech education at HBCUs with Dr. Derrick Warren, Associate Dean at the Southern University College of Business. They talk about the partnership between IBM SkillsBuild and Southern University to co-create a cybersecurity leadership center for HBCU students and discuss how exposure to first-experiences inspires creativity.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/19/2023 • 32 minutes, 11 seconds
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B. (originally published 06/30/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/17/2023 • 48 minutes, 7 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Blade
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider a weird mainstream movie that basically paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with wall-to-wall exploding vampires. Yes, Wesley Snipes puts all blood drinkers on notice in 1998’s “Blade.” (originally published 07/08/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2023 • 1 hour, 35 minutes, 21 seconds
Dreamfall into the Dark, Part 1
The wonders and terrors of the dreaming mind do not always flee completely with the dawn. At certain times and places in history, it seems that dreams suddenly ascend to new heights of cultural fascination. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe explore periods when the eye of culture fixes on the dream world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2023 • 36 minutes, 12 seconds
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Mummies
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Living Mummy and Gomdulla the cruel from Marvel Comics…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2023 • 6 minutes, 30 seconds
Hooves, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the form and evolution of the horse hoof, as well as related adaptations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/13/2023 • 57 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: Astro-Zombies Walk Among Us
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2023 • 27 minutes, 32 seconds
From the Vault: The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B. (originally published 06/28/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/10/2023 • 47 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Seconds
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss John Frankenheimer's 1966 psychological horror film "Seconds," starring Rock Hudson, with cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2023 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 49 seconds
Hooves, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the form and evolution of the horse hoof, as well as related adaptations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/8/2023 • 44 minutes, 22 seconds
The Monstrefact: Sleipnir, the Eight-Legged Horse
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Sleipnir, the mythical stead of the Norse god Odin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2023 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: Red Leviathan, with Ryan Tucker Jones
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Ryan Tucker Jones, author of the new book “Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling.” Jones discusses the horrific impact of 20th century whaling, the Soviet Union’s place in whaling history and the efforts of scientists and activists to stop the practice – including scientists within the Soviet Union. (originally published 06/23/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/6/2023 • 41 minutes, 4 seconds
Listener Mail: Waiting for the Eastern Glow
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2023 • 26 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: Fire From the Rocks, Part 3
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires. (originally published 05/05/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/3/2023 • 40 minutes, 32 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: The Abominable Dr. Phibes
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1971 dark comedy horror film “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” starring horror icon Vincent Price as the titular revenger himself. (originally published 04/01/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: Fire From the Rocks, Part 2
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires. (originally published 04/28/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2023 • 46 minutes, 40 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: Vampires
In this special episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy an assortment of past Monstrefact episodes about various vampires...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2023 • 16 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Fire From the Rocks, Part 1
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires. (originally published 04/26/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2023 • 42 minutes, 32 seconds
Listener Mail: Leave it to Birgit
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2023 • 26 minutes, 48 seconds
From the Vault: The Cauldron, Part 4
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven. (originally published 06/16/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/27/2023 • 42 minutes, 20 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Queen of Blood
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Curtis Harrington’s 1966 space horror movie “Queen of Blood,” starring John Saxon, Basil Rathbone, Dennis Hopper and Florence Marly as the titular alien monarch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 52 seconds
The Fountain, Too Fast for Shadows
Why is a fountain in an urban environment so inviting and, at least to some extent, so calming? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss human fountain culture and the seeming benefits of urban blue space. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2023 • 47 minutes, 50 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Wampas of Hoth
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the wampas of Hoth, from the Star Wars universe… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2023 • 5 minutes, 20 seconds
The Remarkable Beaver, Part 2
Beavers are incredible creatures and significant ecosystem manipulators, but they’ve also been subject to various written and illustrative inaccuracies. Medieval bestiaries often depict the common beaver as a weird-looking dog that bites off its own testicles when pursued by mounted hunters. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rob and Joe explore the meaning of these inaccuracies as well as the actual biological wonder of North American and Eurasian beavers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2023 • 47 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: Children of Ouranos
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2023 • 24 minutes, 33 seconds
From the Vault: The Cauldron, Part 3
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven. (originally published 06/14/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/20/2023 • 44 minutes, 40 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Super Mario Bros. (1993)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the infamous 1993 dystopian cyberpunk adaptation of the beloved Nintendo game about magical Italian plumbers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2023 • 1 hour, 37 minutes, 25 seconds
The Remarkable Beaver, Part 1
Beavers are incredible creatures and significant ecosystem manipulators, but they’ve also been subject to various written and illustrative inaccuracies. Medieval bestiaries often depict the common beaver as a weird-looking dog that bites off its own testicles when pursued by mounted hunters. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rob and Joe explore the meaning of these inaccuracies as well as the actual biological wonder of North American and Eurasian beavers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2023 • 53 minutes, 41 seconds
The Monstrefact: Auto-Ghouls of Groombridge Station
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the curious brain-consuming anomalies found in the Groombridge system… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2023 • 6 minutes, 20 seconds
The Moons of Uranus, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe continue their multi-year mission to discuss the various moons of our solar system – this time with the literary-themed moons of the ice giant Uranus. (Part 3 of 3)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2023 • 45 minutes, 45 seconds
Listener Mail: The Grand High Witches of Tzeentch
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2023 • 27 minutes, 10 seconds
From the Vault: The Cauldron, Part 2
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven. (originally published 05/26/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/13/2023 • 36 minutes, 35 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Timecop
Watch out, causality! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe strap themselves into a rocket-propelled time travel sled and discuss the brain-melting plot of 1994’s “Timecop,” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ron Silver and Mia Sara. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2023 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 41 seconds
The Moons of Uranus, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe continue their multi-year mission to discuss the various moons of our solar system – this time with the literary-themed moons of the ice giant Uranus. (Part 2 of 3)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2023 • 36 minutes, 9 seconds
The Monstrefact: Aliens of the Planet of Doubt
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a fictional denizen of the planet Uranus, as brought to life in Stanley G. Weinbaum’s 1935 short story “The Planet of Doubt.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2023 • 6 minutes, 7 seconds
The Moons of Uranus, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe continue their multi-year mission to discuss the various moons of our solar system – this time with the literary-themed moons of the ice giant Uranus. (Part 1 of 2)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2023 • 40 minutes, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: Memories of Wax
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2023 • 24 minutes, 48 seconds
From the Vault: The Cauldron, Part 1
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven. (originally published 05/24/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/6/2023 • 40 minutes, 33 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Mask (1961)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe finish out three weeks of 3-D movies with 1961’s “The Mask.” It’s a black-and-white Canadian thriller full of surrealist visions and artifact-based freakouts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2023 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 11 seconds
A Game of Telephone, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the so-called “telephone game,” in which a whispered message travels through a chain of individuals and is eventually announced again in an altered form. What does this game reveal about communication and what else can we learn from it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2023 • 38 minutes, 52 seconds
The Monstrefact: Nipper Sticks of ‘Labyrinth’
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses goblin weapons known as nipper sticks in Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2023 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
A Game of Telephone, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the so-called “telephone game,” in which a whispered message travels through a chain of individuals and is eventually announced again in an altered form. What does this game reveal about communication and what else can we learn from it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2023 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 16 seconds
Listener Mail: Into the Void
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2023 • 28 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Creature with the Crystal Skin
It is dark inside the human body, but not every denizen of the animal kingdom is such a closed book. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss various creatures with transparent anatomical features and translucent bodies. (originally published 05/19/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/29/2023 • 47 minutes, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: House of Wax (1953)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe continue their trio of 3-D films with the first color 3D feature film from a major American studio: 1953’s “House of Wax.” It’s the movie that remade Vincent Price as a horror icon, and it also features performances by Charles Bronson and Carolyn Jones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds
Thar She Blows, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the science of whale spout, as well as various misconceptions about just how watery, caustic or explosive these plumes really are. (Part 2 of 2)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2023 • 53 minutes, 12 seconds
The Monstrefact: Max Rebo
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the famous Ortolan keyboard player from the Star Wars universe…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2023 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
Thar She Blows, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the science of whale spout, as well as various misconceptions about just how watery, caustic or explosive these plumes really are. (Part 1 of 2)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/25/2023 • 39 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: Through The Nothing
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2023 • 29 minutes, 50 seconds
From the Vault: The Vegetable Lamb, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the legendary vegetable lamb of Tartary, said to be a flesh-and-blood animal that grew from the ground. (originally published 04/21/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/22/2023 • 43 minutes, 13 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Treasure of the Four Crowns
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe kick off three weeks of 3D pictures with the 1983 adventure film “Treasure of the Four Crowns.” Is it a good movie? No. But does it throw lots of things at your face and explode in a supernatural climax? You better believe it does. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 46 seconds
Mutational Meltdown
Asexual reproduction has its advantages, but organisms that depend too much on it also face potential extinction. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss mutational meltdown and Muller's ratchet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2023 • 38 minutes, 27 seconds
The Monstrefact Omnibus: D&D Monsters
In this special episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy an assortment of past Monstrefact episodes about various Dungeons and Dragons monsters…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2023 • 16 minutes, 10 seconds
Before You Could Remember, Part 3
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2023 • 51 minutes, 15 seconds
Listener Mail: I Remember
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2023 • 23 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: The Vegetable Lamb, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the legendary vegetable lamb of Tartary, said to be a flesh-and-blood animal that grew from the ground. (originally published 04/19/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/15/2023 • 52 minutes, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Devil's Rain
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1975 melt-o-rama desert cult film "The Devil's Rain." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2023 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 20 seconds
Inner Cosmos, with David Eagleman
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, neuroscientist and author David Eagleman drops by the show to discuss his new podcast series “Inner Cosmos” with Robert and Joe, along with some general discussion on the human brain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2023 • 51 minutes, 25 seconds
The Monstrefact: Chaos Daemons of Slaanesh
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the chaos daemons of Slaanesh from Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe… (Part 4 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2023 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: Stargazer and the Well
Can you see the light of the stars from the bottom of a well? Did an astrologer once fall into a well because he was staring up at the stars? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a couple of well-and-cosmos-related tales from antiquity. (originally published 5/05/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2023 • 55 minutes, 26 seconds
Listener Mail: Fairy Crabs and Cambrian Sea Bugs
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2023 • 27 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Plant Memories, Part 2
Do plants remember? Do they communicate? What is the extent of their interaction with their environment? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the amazing world of plant intelligence research. (originally published 04/14/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/8/2023 • 54 minutes, 33 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Neverending Story
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the 1984 fantasy film “The Neverending Story,” a generation-defining film based on the elegant novel by German author Michael Ende. It’s also a throwback to a time when you could have one guy do most of the creature voices in a film. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2023 • 1 hour, 34 minutes
Before You Could Remember, Part 2
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2023 • 44 minutes, 21 seconds
The Monstrefact: Chaos Daemons of Nurgle
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the chaos daemons of Nurgle from Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe… (Part 3 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2023 • 7 minutes, 15 seconds
Before You Could Remember, Part 1
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2023 • 48 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Breathe in Union
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2023 • 28 minutes, 39 seconds
From the Vault: Plant Memories, Part 1
Do plants remember? Do they communicate? What is the extent of their interaction with their environment? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the amazing world of plant intelligence research. (originally published 04/12/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/1/2023 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Attack of the Puppet People
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe tackle another miniaturization movie with 1958’s “Attack of the Puppet People.” Director Bert I. Gordon jumps in to capitalize on the success of 57’s “The Incredible Shrinking Man,” John Agar stars and somehow this all connects to Watergate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 29 seconds
The Minimal Group Paradigm
Humans obviously don’t have any difficulties finding division and tribalism, but just how little is required for factions to form? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the minimal group paradigm in social identity theory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2023 • 41 minutes, 27 seconds
The Monstrefact: Chaos Daemons of Tzeentch
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the chaos daemons of Tzeentch from Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe… (Part 2 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2023 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: The Beast Wore an Apron, Part 2
Are there any animals other than humans that cook their food? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of non-human animal meal preparation. Bon appétit! (originally published 03/24/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2023 • 47 minutes, 36 seconds
Listener Mail: Before in the Beginning
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2023 • 24 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: The Beast Wore an Apron, Part 1
Are there any animals other than humans that cook their food? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of non-human animal meal preparation. Bon appétit! (originally published 03/22/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/25/2023 • 45 minutes, 38 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Incredible Shrinking Man
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the classic 1957 miniaturization film “The Incredible Shrinking Man,” which manages to deliver ground-breaking special effects action and philosophical depth in equal measure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2023 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 25 seconds
The Washing of the Waters, Part 4
The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (part 4 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2023 • 39 minutes, 4 seconds
The Monstrefact: Chaos Daemons of Khorne
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the chaos daemons of Khorne from Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe… (Part 1 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2023 • 6 minutes, 34 seconds
The Washing of the Waters, Part 3
The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (part 3 of 4)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2023 • 48 minutes, 6 seconds
Listener Mail: Pinball Wizard
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/20/2023 • 32 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: The Three-Pupiled Eye, Part 2
From heroes to sages to destructive monsters, various figures in Irish mythology are described as possessing eyes of seven or three pupils (or irises). We also see discussion of such marvelous eyes in Chinese traditions and in the writings of Pliny and Ovid. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigma of the triple eye. (originally published 03/31/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/18/2023 • 44 minutes, 52 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Child of Peach
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the wild world of Taiwanese 80s cinema, this time with “Child of Peach.” It’s a frantic, action-packed fairytale full of demons, glowing peaches and magic children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 28 seconds
The Washing of the Waters, Part 2
The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2023 • 42 minutes, 59 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Clurichaun
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Irish cellar dweller known as the Clurichaun…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/15/2023 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
The Washing of the Waters, Part 1
The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2023 • 48 minutes, 8 seconds
Listener Mail: This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/13/2023 • 18 minutes, 34 seconds
From the Vault: The Three-Pupiled Eye, Part 1
From heroes to sages to destructive monsters, various figures in Irish mythology are described as possessing eyes of seven or three pupils (or irises). We also see discussion of such marvelous eyes in Chinese traditions and in the writings of Pliny and Ovid. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigma of the triple eye. (originally published 03/29/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/11/2023 • 42 minutes, 38 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Clash of the Titans (1981)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1981 Ray Harryhausen stop-motion epic “Clash of the Titans,” which also happens to star a bunch of notable human actors as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 32 seconds
The Gray Whale, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. (part 3 of 3)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2023 • 45 minutes, 28 seconds
The Artifact: The Piñata
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the shrouded history of the piñata… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
The Gray Whale, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2023 • 46 minutes, 23 seconds
Listener Mail: A Still More Glorious Dawn
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/6/2023 • 26 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: Finn McCool, Part 2
The Irish mythological hero Finn MacCool is known for many exploits, from the slaying of a great fire monster to the creation of Giant's Causeway. However, he’s also known for his magical thumb, which he could suck on to gain knowledge. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the thumb of knowledge and its relations to other myths and even a little bit of science. (originaly published 03/17/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2023 • 42 minutes, 11 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Doctor of Doom
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss René Cardona’s 1963 luchadora film “Doctor of Doom,” full of mad science and a sprinkling of lucha action. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2023 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 46 seconds
The Gray Whale, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2023 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 59 seconds
The Monstrefact: Shad-Havar
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Shad-havar, the Persian unicorn with the fluted horn… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2023 • 4 minutes, 10 seconds
From the Vault: Finn McCool, Part 1
The Irish mythological hero Finn MacCool is known for many exploits, from the slaying of a great fire monster to the creation of Giant's Causeway. However, he’s also known for his magical thumb, which he could suck on to gain knowledge. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the thumb of knowledge and its relations to other myths and even a little bit of science. (originaly published 03/15/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/28/2023 • 39 minutes
Listener Mail: Fields of Ancient Void
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/27/2023 • 22 minutes, 48 seconds
From the Vault: Thirst, Part 3
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. (originally published 02/08/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2023 • 41 minutes, 38 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the greatest vampire snooker movie of all time. Yes, it's Alan Clarke's 1985 rock musical "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire." (originally published 02/25/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2023 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 12 seconds
From the Vault: Thirst, Part 2
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. (originally published 02/03/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2023 • 46 minutes, 53 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Rotten Brooms Bleeding Black Blood
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses connections between rotting wood and the supernatural… (originally published 01/26/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2023 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Thirst, Part 1
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. (originally published 02/01/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/21/2023 • 49 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: Don't Throw the House Out the Window
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/20/2023 • 23 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Seven Day Week, Part 3
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. (originally published 03/10/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2023 • 46 minutes, 34 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: All Monsters Attack
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1969 Godzilla movie “All Monsters Attack,” which also centers around the friendship between Godzilla’s son Minilla and latchkey kid Ichiro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2023 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 44 seconds
Because It Is My Heart, Part 2
Happy Valentine's Day! Join Robert and Joe in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they discuss heart removal rituals, supernatural concepts of the heart and the European tradition of heart burial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2023 • 46 minutes, 44 seconds
Smart Talks With IBM: 355 Days in Space: Finding Meaning with Astronaut Mark Vande Hei
After a historic 355 days in orbit, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth on March 30, 2022, breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Mark Vande Hei discuss conducting experiments in space, the impact of extended spaceflight on humans, and the spiciness of space chili peppers.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2023 • 32 minutes, 10 seconds
Because It Is My Heart, Part 1
Happy Valentine's Day! Join Robert and Joe in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they discuss heart removal rituals, supernatural concepts of the heart and the European tradition of heart burial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2023 • 39 minutes, 51 seconds
Listener Mail: Animals Strike Curious Poses
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/13/2023 • 20 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: The Seven Day Week, Part 2
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. (originally published 03/05/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2023 • 49 minutes, 31 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1974 zombie movie “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie,” also known as “The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue.” It’s a sci-fi spin on the zombie genre, set in rural England and brought to life in a Spanish/Italian co-production. It’s bloody good!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2023 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 30 seconds
Tea: The Splendid Elixir, Part 3
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2023 • 58 minutes, 57 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Silkworm Horse
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the silkworm horse from Chinese traditions… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2023 • 4 minutes, 6 seconds
Tea: The Splendid Elixir, Part 2
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2023 • 52 minutes, 23 seconds
Listener Mail: The Rhythm is Below Me
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/6/2023 • 27 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: The Seven Day Week, Part 1
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. (originally published 03/03/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2023 • 46 minutes, 18 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Robot Monster
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1953’s “Robot Monster,” one of b-cinema’s shining treasures. Can the last survivors of the human species overcome the tyrannical rule of a gorilla in a space helmet? Find out… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2023 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 28 seconds
Tea: The Splendid Elixir, Part 1
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2023 • 54 minutes, 22 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Genestealer Cults of Warhammer 40K
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert continues to discuss the extragalactic threat of alien Tyranids in the Warhammer 40K universe, this time by looking at the Genestealer Cults that herald their arrival to a doomed planet…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2023 • 6 minutes, 24 seconds
The 99% Invisible World, with Roman Mars
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Roman Mars, host of the podcast "99% Invisible" about design, podcasting and life in the created world. Plus, they discuss the 2020 book “The 99% Invisible City” by Mars and his co-author Kurt Kohlstedt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2023 • 35 minutes, 59 seconds
Listener Mail: Keep Watching the Skies
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2023 • 27 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Sailor on a Sea of Lava
To sail down a river of lava in a boat is surely a thing of pure fantasy, but in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the actual “lava boats” you might glimpse in volcanic footage as well as what would be required to build a vessel capable of traversing a true lake of fire. (originally published 02/24/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2023 • 50 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Beauty and the Beast (1978)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Czechoslovak director Juraj Herz’s 1978 dark, gothic retelling of the classic fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 28 seconds
Horror Vacui, Part 4
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2023 • 50 minutes, 9 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Tyrannic Wars of Warhammer 40K
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert continues to discuss the extragalactic threat of alien Tyranids in the Warhammer 40K universe…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2023 • 7 minutes, 43 seconds
Horror Vacui, Part 3
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2023 • 38 minutes, 51 seconds
Listener Mail: Peak Hour
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2023 • 23 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: The Paleoburrows
Enter the paleoburrows of South America, where evidence suggests construction not by human hands or tools but by giant claws – and for purposes we’re still trying to understand. (originally published 02/10/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2023 • 47 minutes, 24 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Invention for Destruction
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return once more to the fantastic world of Czech cinema, this time with Karel Zeman’s 1958 special effects showcase “Invention for Destruction,” released in the United States as “The Fabulous World of Jules Verne.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2023 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 52 seconds
Horror Vacui, Part 2
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2023 • 41 minutes, 57 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Tyranids of Warhammer 40K
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the extragalactic threat of the alien Tyranids from the Warhammer 40K universe…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2023 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
Horror Vacui, Part 1
Nature abhors a vacuum… and so do we? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the subject of horror vacui as it relates to philosophy, physics and the arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2023 • 38 minutes, 31 seconds
Listener Mail: Another Morning
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2023 • 23 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: The Kuleshov Effect, Part 2
What is the character in the film looking at? How does the object of their vision color how we interpret their countenance? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Kuleshov effect from film theory and what studies in experimental psychology and neuroscience reveal. (01/27/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2023 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 47 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Jason X
In this special Friday the 13th episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe blast into the future of terror with 2001’s “Jason X.” That’s right, with their 100th film selection, they finally venture into a new decade, century and millennium of cinema. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2023 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 43 seconds
Humans Throwing Stuff
Focusing on the human animal, Robert and Joe continue their discussion of throwing ability and ponder how throwing ability may have impacted everything from language to ancient warfare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2023 • 54 minutes, 3 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Four Guards of ‘Labyrinth’
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the four guards from the 1986 film ‘Labyrinth” and their paradoxical relationship to the truth…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2023 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 3
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2023 • 50 minutes, 25 seconds
Listener Mail: Dawn is a Feeling
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2023 • 25 minutes, 11 seconds
From the Vault: The Kuleshov Effect, Part 1
What is the character in the film looking at? How does the object of their vision color how we interpret their countenance? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Kuleshov effect from film theory and what studies in experimental psychology and neuroscience reveal.(originally published 01/25/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2023 • 35 minutes, 54 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Scanners
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the ultimate mind-blowing cinematic experience: David Cronenberg’s 1981 horror thriller “Scanners.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2023 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 45 seconds
Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 2
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2023 • 48 minutes, 14 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Icrotic Slime of Necromunda
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the icrotic slime of Warhammer 40K’s Necromunda underhive…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2023 • 5 minutes, 8 seconds
Animals Throwing Stuff, Part 1
Ever longed to play a game of catch with an octopus or a chimpanzee? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss animal throwing ability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2023 • 50 minutes, 27 seconds
Listener Mail: The Day Begins
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2023 • 21 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: The Silurian Hypothesis
If an advanced civilization existed on earth several million years ago, would we actually be able to detect that they were here? It may sound like conspiracy theorist bait, but a serious and balanced look at the question reveals a lot about geology, climate and the search for alien life. In this classic episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the silurian hypothesis. (originally published 01/18/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2022 • 58 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Assignment Terror
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss “Assignment Terror,” a 1970 Spanish-German-Italian production full of vampires, werewolves, the monster of Farancksalan, an undead mummy and a fiendish alien plot. It’s one of the many Paul Naschy werewolf movies and it also stars Michael Rennie in his final performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds
From the Vault: Do Ants Make Traps?
The trap is insidious. But of course it is. It was designed and executed… by ants? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, the ant wars continue as Robert and Joe explore some of the possibility that a few formidable Formicidae species actually lay traps. (originally published 1/20/2022)."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2022 • 59 minutes, 53 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: The Manticore
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the legendary Manticore… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2022 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
The Origins of Games Workshop, with Sir Ian Livingstone
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Sir Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and co-author of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series with Steve Jackson, about their new book ““Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2022 • 40 minutes, 48 seconds
More Monstrous Correspondences with Dr. Anton Jessup
In this special holiday edition of Listener Mail, Dr. Anton Jessup takes a break from his experiments to read some of the listener and viewer mail that has accumulated in the university basement over the last four years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2022 • 15 minutes, 39 seconds
From the Vault: A Major Award
The 1983 holiday film “A Christmas Story” warned us of the dangers associated with BB guns, bar soap and frozen flag poles – but it also introduced us to the Old Man’s prized leg lamp. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the deep, ancient and occult history of lamps and other objects shaped in the likeness of a human leg or foot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2022 • 50 minutes, 56 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Morozko (aka Jack Frost)
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the classic 1960s Russian fairy tale spectacular “Morozko,” better known to many fans as “Jack Frost.” It’s a tale of love, evil stepmothers, mushroom wizards, animal transformations, Baba Yaga and of course the Russian personification of winter, Morozko or Ded Moroz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2022 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 15 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Bloodbeat
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider their first holiday horror film selection: 1983’s “Bloodbeat.” Filmed in Wisconsin, the film explores the complexity of holiday family time, while also wondering what might happen if mom had to battle a Samurai ghost with her psychic powers. Plus, Rob and Joe will discuss holiday horror films in general. (originally published 12/10/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 46 seconds
Monstrefact Redux: The Kallikantzaros
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a holiday monster...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2022 • 3 minutes, 22 seconds
From the Vault: Daniel Whiteson, Time Traveler
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome back Daniel Whiteson, particle physicist and co-host of Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Tune in for a discussion of time travel, wormholes and more that will actually transport you roughly an hour into the future. Plus Daniel will discuss the new book "Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe." (Originally published 12/09/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2022 • 1 hour, 56 seconds
Holiday Break!
We're on holiday break this week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2022 • 33 seconds
From the Vault: Tumbleweeds, Part 2
In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the world of tumbleweeds. While it’s easy to dismiss these amazing plants as overused symbols of the American west, these detachable diaspores are more than meets the eyes. (originally published 01/13/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2022 • 46 minutes, 41 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
In this holiday edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1964’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Can Santa Claus teach the young of Mars how to be children again? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2022 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 6 seconds
Holiday Inventions 3: Goblet of Eggnog
In this special holiday episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history and invention of the eggnog, how it became such an iconic holiday beverage and some curious historic goblets associated with the consumption of this rich, milky draught. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 44 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Hooden Horse of Kent
In this special holiday episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Hoden or Hooden Horse of British winter ritual… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2022 • 3 minutes, 55 seconds
Reptiles of Galapagos, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the most famous reptilian residents of the Galapagos archipelago, including the world’s largest extant tortoise species and the world’s only marine iguana. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2022 • 58 minutes, 49 seconds
Listener Mail: Santa Laughing Spreads His Wings
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2022 • 21 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: Tumbleweeds, Part 1
In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the world of tumbleweeds. While it’s easy to dismiss these amazing plants as overused symbols of the American west, these detachable diaspores are more than meets the eyes. (originally published 01/11/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2022 • 1 hour, 58 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Gremlins 2
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1990’s “Gremlins 2: The New Batch.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2022 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 33 seconds
Reptiles of Galapagos, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the most famous reptilian residents of the Galapagos archipelago, including the world’s largest extant tortoise species and the world’s only marine iguana. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2022 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds
The Monstrefact: Mumm-Ra the Ever Living
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Mumm-Ra the Ever Living…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2022 • 5 minutes, 32 seconds
Of Ice and Men, with Fred Hogge
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with author Fred Hogge about his new book “Of Ice and Men: How We’ve Used Cold to Transform Humanity,” covering everything from cocktail ice to the ancient history of ice houses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2022 • 46 minutes, 25 seconds
Listener Mail: The Locked Groove
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2022 • 26 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Time Traveler Zero, Part 2
Today, time travel fiction is everywhere – and we understand the cosmos enough to even speculate what is and isn’t possible. But how old is the notion of travel through time? What sorts of attitudes and ideas concerning the nature of time were seemingly necessary before humans first imagined firing up a time machine? (originally published 12/16/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/3/2022 • 1 hour, 10 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Tobor the Great
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1954 robot movie “Tobor the Great,” in which a mechanical spaceman becomes a friend to children and an enemy of communism!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/2/2022 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 8 seconds
Play the Record Backwards, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert is joined by Rusty Needle’s Record Club host Seth Nicholas Johnson for a discussion of various means of secreting information into audio, from backmasking and locked grooves to examples from the digital age of music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2022 • 1 hour, 8 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Clicks, Not Code: Transforming Digital Experiences with Salesforce
The Salesforce platform can empower businesspeople to create digital solutions without writing code. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Jacob Goldstein, host of What’s Your Problem?, and guest Phil Weinmeister, Head of Product, Salesforce Americas, at IBM. They discuss human-centric design, the low-code/no-code approach, and how IBM Consulting powers digital transformations with the Salesforce platform.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2022 • 32 minutes, 39 seconds
Play the Record Backwards, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert is joined by Rusty Needle’s Record Club host Seth Nicholas Johnson for a discussion of various means of secreting information into audio, from backmasking and locked grooves to examples from the digital age of music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2022 • 56 minutes, 32 seconds
Listener Mail: The Turkeys Made Gravy in the Lion's Skull
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2022 • 38 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Time Traveler Zero, Part 1
Today, time travel fiction is everywhere – and we understand the cosmos enough to even speculate what is and isn’t possible. But how old is the notion of travel through time? What sorts of attitudes and ideas concerning the nature of time were seemingly necessary before humans first imagined firing up a time machine? (originally published 12/14/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2022 • 53 minutes, 26 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: The Super Infra-Man
It’s time to dive back into the Shaw Brothers cinematic treasure chest, this time for the sci-fi action film “The Super Inframan” starring Danny Lee and a whole bunch of monsters and stylish costumes. (originally published 12/03/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/25/2022 • 50 minutes, 50 seconds
From the Vault: Crab Content is King
Join Robert and Joe in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind in which they discuss even more crab science and mythology. (originally published 11/30/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2022 • 46 minutes, 2 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Malaysian Spirit Boats
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses a most nautical form of exorcism...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: Crabs Eat Everything Around Me, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about crabs eating things. Do YOU have what it takes to become a delicious entree for crab gourmands? Find out! (originally published 11/18/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2022 • 50 minutes, 54 seconds
Thanksgiving Break!
We're out for Thanksgiving break, so please enjoy some leftovers...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2022 • 40 seconds
From the Vault: Crabs Eat Everything Around Me, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about crabs eating things. Do YOU have what it takes to become a delicious entree for crab gourmands? Find out! (originally published 11/16/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2022 • 59 minutes, 28 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Flight of Dragons
Only science and logic can save us from dark magic and dragons! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and guest co-host Seth discuss the 1982 Rankin and Bass animated film "The Flight of Dragons," featuring the voice talents of John Ritter and James Earl Jones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/18/2022 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 53 seconds
‘Good Night Opy,’ with director Ryan White
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Ryan White, director of the new documentary “Good Night Oppy.” The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2022 • 30 minutes, 8 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Unlocking Data Strategy: Data Literacy for Better Business
Having a good data strategy can streamline the way a company does business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Ronald Young Jr., host of Solvable, and guest Nicholas Renotte, Data Science and AI Technical Specialist at IBM. They discuss how data literacy can help make a business more efficient, the fundamentals of data management, and why data is step one to AI solutions. A study quoted by Nicholas and referenced in this episode can be found here. Some of Nicholas’ guidance on machine learning can be found here.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2022 • 30 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Luck, with Barbara Blatchley
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Barbara Blatchley about her book “What are the Chances? Why We Believe in Luck.” (Originally published 11/04/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2022 • 44 minutes, 30 seconds
Listener Mail: Said The White Rabbit
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2022 • 28 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: The Spacing Guild of Dune
In this classic Dune-inspired episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe pick up where they left off in the last episode discussing the politics, philosophy and pain science of the Bene Gesserit, before diving into the spice-assisted navigation of the Spacing Guild. (originally published 11/11/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 57 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Congo
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and guest co-host Anney Reese discuss the 1995 jungle adventure film "Congo" starring Laura Linney, Ernie Hudson and Tim Curry – as well as LOTS of Stan Winston gorilla costumes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/11/2022 • 1 hour, 58 minutes, 15 seconds
The 2022 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 2
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and guest co-host Seth as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2022 • 52 minutes, 10 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: Donkeys of Dune
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the oft-forgotten Kulons of the planet Arrakis…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2022 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
The 2022 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 1
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and guest co-host Seth as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2022 • 50 minutes, 5 seconds
Listener Mail: Goat Throne
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2022 • 24 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Bene Gesserit of Dune
The Bene Gesserit of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” use advanced mental and manipulative tactics to further their ends across the galaxy. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss this mysterious order and some scientific and philosophic interpretations of the Gom Jabbar awareness test. (originally published 11/09/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2022 • 58 minutes, 25 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Alice (1988)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and guest co-host Seth discuss the 1988 surrealist dark fantasy film “Alice” by Czech stop-motion animation master Jan Švankmajer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/4/2022 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 26 seconds
Goats, Rams and Conflict at Earth’s Edge, with Joel Berger
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with wildlife conservation biologist Dr. Joel Berger about the challenges of conservation in a changing world, as well as conflict between mountain goats and bighorn sheep over mineral resources uncovered by a changing climate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2022 • 39 minutes, 22 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Creature From ‘The Viewing’
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the creature from “The Viewing,” the seventh episode of “Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2022 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft, with Brian Hoggard
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert discusses witch bottles and other forms of counter-witchcraft of olden days with Brian Hoggard, author of "Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft ." His website can be found at www.apotropaios.co.uk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2022 • 59 minutes, 56 seconds
Monstrous Correspondences with Dr. Anton Jessup
In this special Halloween edition of Listener Mail, Dr. Anton Jessup returns from his travels to read some of the listener and viewer mail that has accumulated in the university basement over the last four years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2022 • 13 minutes, 13 seconds
From the Vault: Invention of the Chainsaw, Part 2
In this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss an important piece of cutting technology. Plus, during the Halloween season, masked brutes will chase you around your local haunted attraction with one of these if you buy a ticket. Yes, it’s time to discuss the chainsaw. (originally published 10/28/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2022 • 48 minutes, 25 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Gate
Prepare yourself for sleepovers, tiny demons and gateways to hell. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and guest David Striepe of the Talkin' Tofu podcast discuss 1987’s “The Gate.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/28/2022 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 32 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 8
Yes, the Halloween tradition continues as Robert and guest co-host Seth dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology shows to focus on STBYM topics that might not otherwise make the show. This year, strap in for discussions around episodes of "Love, Death & Robots" and "Tales of the Unexpected."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2022 • 59 minutes, 45 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Combatting Hiring Bias: Recruiting a Diverse Workforce with Intelligent Automation
Intelligent automation can help combat the human biases that can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Jacob Goldstein, host of What’s Your Problem?, and guest Angela Hood, founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. They discuss how intelligent automation can accelerate inclusive hiring practices, why machines can mitigate bias but not remove it, and why diverse companies are more competitive.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2022 • 24 minutes, 33 seconds
Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 3
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2022 • 49 minutes, 57 seconds
Listener Mail: Wizard Walks By
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2022 • 34 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Invention of the Chainsaw, Part 1
In this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss an important piece of cutting technology. Plus, during the Halloween season, masked brutes will chase you around your local haunted attraction with one of these if you buy a ticket. Yes, it’s time to discuss the chainsaw. (originally published 10/26/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2022 • 50 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Masque of the Red Death
As the Red Death ravages the surrounding countryside, Prince Prospero and his followers celebrate darkness within their rainbow-hued castle. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1964 Roger Corman film “The Masque of the Red Death,” based on two different works from Edgar Allen Poe and starring the legendary Vincent Price, Hazel Court and Jane Asher.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/21/2022 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 38 seconds
Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 2
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2022 • 47 minutes, 37 seconds
The Monstrefact: Salt Dragons
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the salt dragon of Forgotten Realms…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2022 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
Oh Goat, You Devil - Part 1
If you’ve ever actually been around a goat, you probably wouldn’t confuse it for the ultimate evil spirit. And yet, goats have various demonic and satanic connotations in Christian traditions. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the humble goat and ponder why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2022 • 58 minutes, 43 seconds
Listener Mail: The Moon in Silver Dreams
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2022 • 38 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: Ghosts of the Wind and Rain
Strange presences walk the shore before the coming of the storm. Terrible forms move in its wake. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a wide selection of ghosts and monsters connected to destructive weather patterns. (originally published 10/14/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 3 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Halloween III
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe ride the chariot of pumpkins as they discuss 1983's "Halloween III: Season of the Witch." (originally published 10/15/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/14/2022 • 1 hour, 44 minutes, 22 seconds
From the Vault: The Holy Undead, Part 2
We tend to relegate zombies and the walking dead to the infernal realm of demons, necromancers and the emptied charnel houses of Hell. So it might surprise you to know that, in some traditions, reanimated human corpses are pius church-goers. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the holy undead. (originally published 10/21/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2022 • 56 minutes, 3 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: The Boxenwolf
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the horror of the Boxenwolf…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: The Holy Undead, Part 1
We tend to relegate zombies and the walking dead to the infernal realm of demons, necromancers and the emptied charnel houses of Hell. So it might surprise you to know that, in some traditions, reanimated human corpses are pius church-goers. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the holy undead. (originally published 10/19/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2022 • 55 minutes, 25 seconds
Fall Break!
We're on fall break this week, but please enjoy some seasonal offerings from last year...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2022 • 43 seconds
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 7
Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. In this classic episode, they’ll dive into episodes of The Hammer House of Horror and The Outer Limits. (Originally published 11/02/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2022 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 29 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Return
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into a little cattle mutilation-sploitation cinema with Greydon Clark’s 1980 film “The Return” starring Jan-Michael Vincent, Cybill Shepherd and Martin Landau.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/7/2022 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 22 seconds
The Cattle Mutilation Panic of the 1970s
Strange lights and black helicopters in the night. Cattle found dead with blood or organs seemingly removed from strange incisions. Alien visitors in the heartland. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe take a skeptical look at the cattle mutilation phenomenon of the 1970s.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2022 • 55 minutes, 57 seconds
The Artifact: Krueger's Claw
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses Freddy Kreuger’s infamous claw weapon and how it compares to the actual use of bladed gauntlets in history…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2022 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
Elfshot, Part 2
These lands are old and the elves who lived before us still watch and wait. Cross them, and you may feel the prick of their arrow. You’ll find no wound, though your flesh will swell and ache, and if you happen upon one of their elfstones in the grass then you might have chance at survival. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the superstition, archaeology and science of elfshot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2022 • 50 minutes, 26 seconds
Listener Mail: Big Black Shape with Eyes of Fire
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2022 • 24 minutes, 9 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 4
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. (originally published 8/17/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2022 • 46 minutes, 57 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Phantasm
If this one doesn't scare you, you're already dead! Yes, in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the cinematic mausoleum to discuss the dreamlike terror of 1979’s “Phantasm.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/30/2022 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 39 seconds
Elfshot, Part 1
These lands are old and the elves who lived before us still watch and wait. Cross them, and you may feel the prick of their arrow. You’ll find no wound, though your flesh will swell and ache, and if you happen upon one of their elfstones in the grass then you might have chance at survival. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the superstition, archaeology and science of elfshot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2022 • 49 minutes, 44 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: The Future of Supply Chain: Building Sustainable and Transparent Businesses
Sustainable supply chains are good for the planet and good for business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Tim Harford, host of Cautionary Tales, and guest Sheri Hinish, IBM’s Global Sustainability Services Leader and Offering Leader for Sustainable Supply Chain, known as the “supply-chain queen.” They discuss the supply-chain crisis and why transparent, responsible supply chains are imperative for our future.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2022 • 34 minutes, 41 seconds
The Invention of the Gimbal
In this invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the ancient origins of the gimbal, its connections to Chinese incense censers and its role in technological innovation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2022 • 45 minutes, 57 seconds
Listener Mail: Loving You is Easy Because You're Crabs
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2022 • 21 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 3
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. (originally published 8/12/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2022 • 48 minutes, 18 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Last Starfighter
The year is 1984 and it’s time to save the galaxy… with arcade games. On this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, join Rob and Joe as they discuss “The Last Starfighter.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/23/2022 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 51 seconds
Incense, Part 2
Humans have burned incense since ancient times for reasons that range from the practical to the divine. To aid in these rites, various cultures have created exquisite censers and housings for the burning, smoke-emitting biotics. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some outstanding examples from the history of incense, including the incense clocks of China and swinging thuribles of Catholic tradition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2022 • 48 minutes, 28 seconds
The Monstrefact: Incense for the Damned
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses incense and ghosts in Eastern traditions…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2022 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Incense, Part 1
Humans have burned incense since ancient times for reasons that range from the practical to the divine. To aid in these rites, various cultures have created exquisite censers and housings for the burning, smoke-emitting biotics. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some outstanding examples from the history of incense, including the incense clocks of China and swinging thuribles of Catholic tradition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2022 • 40 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: A Giallo is Born
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2022 • 20 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 2
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. (originally published 8/10/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2022 • 51 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Extra Terrestrial Visitors
Once more on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the wild world of Spanish b-movie cinema with Juan Piquer Simón’s “Extra Terrestrial Visitors,” in which a pair of aliens respond to drastically differing human encounters in the woods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/16/2022 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 56 seconds
The Nature of Fun, Part 3
What exactly is "fun" and how does it differ from other concepts related to quality and experience? Robert and Joe explore the question in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2022 • 56 minutes, 8 seconds
The Monstrefact: Ocron
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Ocron, the masked sorceress in Lucio Fulci’s 1983 film “Conquest.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2022 • 4 minutes, 10 seconds
The Nature of Fun, Part 2
What exactly is "fun" and how does it differ from other concepts related to quality and experience? Robert and Joe explore the question in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2022 • 41 minutes, 27 seconds
Listener Mail: And The Gunslinger followed
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2022 • 25 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 1
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. (originally published 8/5/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2022 • 43 minutes, 21 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Devil Girl From Mars
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1954 Scottish sci-fi film “Devil Girl From Mars,” featuring a fashionable Martian queen, her robot Chani and interplanetary intrigue on the Scottish moors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/9/2022 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 7 seconds
The Nature of Fun, Part 1
What exactly is "fun" and how does it differ from other concepts related to quality and experience? Robert and Joe explore the question in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2022 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds
The Monstrefact: Locksnakes of Thra
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Locksnakes of “The Dark Crystal.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2022 • 3 minutes, 43 seconds
The Invention of the Odometer
You might not think your car’s odometer is that exciting, but it’s actually the modern incarnation of an ancient invention with roots in China and the Greco-Roman world. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the invention of the hodómetron and the li-recording drum carriage in this invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2022 • 51 minutes, 35 seconds
Listener Mail: Guaranteed to Work Perfectly for 1,000 Years
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2022 • 25 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Regression to the Mean
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss regression to the mean, a phenomenon that occurs when a random sampling point is an outlier -- with applications to everything from economics and sports to health, religion and disappointing sequels. (originally published 8/3/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2022 • 46 minutes, 40 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Conquest
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe continue their jaunt through 1980s fantasy with gore master Lucio Fulci’s 1983 film “Conquest.” It’s a strange, hazy dream full of werewolves, warriors, magic, snakes, dolphins, morlocks, bats and stoneage nunchucks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/2/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Bill Schutt on the Heart
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Bill Schutt, author of "Pump: A Natural History of the Heart," about the evolution of the heart and the history of humanity’s attempt to understand it -- along with a few questions about monsters. (originally published 09/30/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2022 • 39 minutes, 38 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: The Mayflower Autonomous Ship: AI and Automation at Sea
The world’s first autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean is signaling a new era in maritime technology. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Lauren Ober, host of The Loudest Girl in the World, and guests Brett Phaneuf and Don Scott, the engineers behind the Mayflower Autonomous Ship project. The two explain how automation and AI allowed them to reimagine the design and use of a ship at sea and their implications beyond maritime navigation.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2022 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The Invention of Surgical Gloves
In this invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origin of surgical gloves, the differing concepts for their composition and the struggle to get surgeons to wear them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2022 • 57 minutes, 40 seconds
Listener Mail: Beware the Wheelers
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2022 • 25 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: The Dog with the Burning Brand
From dogs in old paintings that look like dope smokers to Aztec psychopomps, what’s with all these fire dogs? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore… (originally published 8/31/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2022 • 53 minutes, 53 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Krull
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into another slice of 1980s big screen fantasy with 1983’s “Krull,” which pits a ragtag group of fantasy adventurers against a technologically advanced alien force from another world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/26/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds
The Paragraph, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the standard nugget of textual thought: the paragraph.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2022 • 47 minutes, 37 seconds
The Artifact: The Boustrophedon
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses an ancient style of writing that involved reading left to right and right to left…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2022 • 5 minutes, 12 seconds
The Paragraph, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the standard nugget of textual thought: the paragraph.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2022 • 41 minutes, 24 seconds
Listener Mail: And The Lord Did Grin
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2022 • 21 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Whispers of the Speaking Sword
Weapons capable of thought, speech and autonomous action appear throughout multiple myths and legends. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore some stand-out examples and discuss what it all might mean. (originally published 7/29/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2022 • 52 minutes, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Return to Oz
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into the magical world of Oz – not the 1939 version, but the dark fantasy stylings of 1985’s “Return to Oz,” featuring electrotherapy, nightmarish wheelers and other strange delights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/19/2022 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 40 seconds
The Null Ship
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the history and principles of the vacuum airship or null ship. Will futuristic materials ever make this 17th century concept possible?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2022 • 46 minutes, 50 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2022 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
The Whistling, Part 4
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2022 • 56 minutes, 3 seconds
Listener Mail: A Whistle of Worth
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2022 • 30 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Musical Frisson
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe is joined by producer and host of the Rusty Needle's Record Club podcast Seth Nicholas Johnson to talk about that moment when a song sends a shiver down your spine. (Originally published 6/10/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/13/2022 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 58 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Thrilling Bloody Sword
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1981 Taiwanese fantasy adventure “Thrilling Bloody Sword.” This relentlessly psychotronic adventure isn’t easy to find, but rewards the seeker with bumbling dwarves, rampaging monsters and face-melting magic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/12/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 11 seconds
From the Vault: "Fuzz" with Mary Roach
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome acclaimed science writer Mary Roach back to the show to discuss her new book "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law." (originally published 09/14/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2022 • 53 minutes, 43 seconds
The Monstrefact: Dreepy, a Pokémon
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the boomerang-headed Pokémon Dreepy, with some help from his son Sebastian.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2022 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
The Whistling, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2022 • 45 minutes, 26 seconds
Listener Mail: Can you prove that it didn't happen?
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2022 • 27 minutes, 35 seconds
From the Vault: Sea Turtles with Christine Figgener
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss sea turtle mysteries, biology, research and conservation with sea turtle researcher and conservationist Dr. Christine Figgener. (originally published 6/29/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2022 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 4 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Plan 9 from Outer Space
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe finally discuss a film that almost defies description: “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” Yes, it’s Ed Wood’s 1957 cinematic monolith featuring Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Vampira and the Amazing Criswell!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/5/2022 • 1 hour, 37 minutes, 42 seconds
The Whistling, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2022 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds
The Monstrefact: The SPOILER from “NOPE”
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses something that happens in the 2022 Jordan Peele movie “NOPE” and there will be spoilers…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2022 • 6 minutes, 25 seconds
The Whistling, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled languages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2022 • 37 minutes, 6 seconds
Listener Mail: Back to the Garden
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2022 • 26 minutes
From the Vault: The Plague of Mucus
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the organic substance that has been referred to in the scientific literature as “marine mucilage.” Prepare to be slimed. (originally published 7/1/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2022 • 55 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Tarantula
Yes, this week on Weirdhouse Cinema, the 1955 film “Tarantula” takes to the hills. Join Rob and Joe as they discuss this atomic-age sci-fi thriller’s titular giant spider, a mutating Leo G. Carrol and Mara Corday’s “lady scientist” character Steve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/29/2022 • 1 hour, 26 minutes
Fantastic Numbers, with Antonio Padilla
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Antonio Padilla, author of the new book "Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them." Strap in for big numbers, fantastic numbers, black holes and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2022 • 38 minutes, 1 second
Smart Talks with IBM: The Good Hacker: Hacking Businesses before Criminals Do
The headlines tell us cyberattacks are a big, consistent threat to business data – and ours. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Tim Harford, host of Cautionary Tales, and Stephanie “Snow” Carruthers, Chief People Hacker for X-Force, IBM. Snow and her team are finding creative solutions to test their clients’ security, including hacking into their systems before criminal hackers do.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2022 • 29 minutes, 35 seconds
From the Vault: Creature of the Gear
What is a gear and when did humans invent it? Plus, Rob and Joe discuss the only known creature to have gears in its anatomy. Plus hear about a couple of wheel-based mythical creatures in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 9/2/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/26/2022 • 57 minutes, 54 seconds
Listener Mail: Warlocks in the Sky
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2022 • 25 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Where do numbers come from?
Join Robert and Joe as they continue their discussion on numeracy and the origins of numerals on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 6/17/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2022 • 57 minutes, 33 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Fruit of Paradise
It's time for a little arthouse Adam and Eve! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1970 experimental Czech film "Fruit of Paradise.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/22/2022 • 1 hour, 9 seconds
Dethroned Emperor: The Fall of Valerian, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian Empire not only defeated the Roman army but also took its Emperor as a prisoner of war. How did the emperor’s capture impact the already crisis-ridden Roman Empire, and how was Valerian’s fall possibly mythologized by Christian historians? Find out…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2022 • 50 minutes, 53 seconds
The Artifact Revisited: Sharur the Talking Mace
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses Sharur, the talking mace from Sumerian mythology…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2022 • 4 minutes, 10 seconds
Dethroned Emperor: The Fall of Valerian, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian Empire not only defeated the Roman army but also took its Emperor as a prisoner of war. How did the emperor’s capture impact the already crisis-ridden Roman Empire, and how was Valerian’s fall possibly mythologized by Christian historians? Find out…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2022 • 48 minutes, 51 seconds
Listener Mail: Beans and Babel
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2022 • 18 minutes, 7 seconds
From the Vault: The Origins of Numeracy
What are numbers and where does our number sense come from? Is numeracy an innate part of our biology, or is it a cultural invention? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origins of numbers. (originally published 6/15/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2022 • 54 minutes
Weirdhouse Cinema: Horror Rises From the Tomb
There’s no keeping THIS occult power couple down! In today’s episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, watch as Spanish horror icons Paul Naschy and Helga Liné spice things up across the centuries in 1973’s “Horror Rises From the Tomb.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/15/2022 • 1 hour, 53 seconds
The Skybridge, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclosed bridge connecting the upper stories of two buildings or skyscrapers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2022 • 50 minutes, 9 seconds
The Monstrefact: Cave Mimicry in Dungeons and Dragons
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses cave environment mimicry by monsters in Dungeons and Dragons…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2022 • 5 minutes, 5 seconds
The Skybridge, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclosed bridge connecting the upper stories of two buildings or skyscrapers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2022 • 37 minutes, 57 seconds
Listener Mail: AI Tales and Horror Hosts of Yore
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2022 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
From the Vault: Reconsider the Bean, Part 2
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss a variety of magical ideas and scientific facts associated with legumes. (originally published 5/13/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Blade
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider a weird mainstream movie that basically paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with wall-to-wall exploding vampires. Yes, Wesley Snipes puts all blood drinkers on notice in 1998’s “Blade.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/8/2022 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 19 seconds
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 3
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2022 • 43 minutes, 37 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Owlbear
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the owlbear of Dungeons & Dragons...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2022 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
Creative Writing Machines, with Mike Sharples
Will computers one day write the great American novel? What will the future of human/machine creative collaboration look like – and what came before now? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, educational technologist Mike Sharples discusses the book “Story Machines - How Computers Have Become Creative Writers.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2022 • 46 minutes, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: Morbius Saves Christmas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2022 • 25 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Reconsider the Bean, Part 1
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss a variety of magical ideas and scientific facts associated with legumes. (originally published 5/11/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2022 • 44 minutes, 9 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Scream and Scream Again
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into a movie billed as "triple distilled horror as powerful as a vat of boiling acid!" Yes, it’s the 1970 Amicus sci-fi conspiracy film “Scream and Scream Again” featuring horror icons Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/1/2022 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 42 seconds
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2022 • 47 minutes, 42 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Building Trustworthy AI: A Holistic Approach
Advocating for artificial intelligence to be built and deployed ethically is no longer just a compliance issue but more of a business imperative. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Dr. Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab, and Phaedra Boinodiris, Trust in AI Practice Leader within IBM Consulting. Phaedra’s team at IBM is creatively tackling the global need to build trustworthy AI by approaching the challenge holistically, implementing design thinking to address problems before they arise.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2022 • 27 minutes, 41 seconds
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organisms in which side A doesn’t quite match up with side B.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2022 • 46 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Legend of a Mind
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2022 • 32 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, venture into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home world. Join Robert and Joe as they break down six fantastic alien species from the Star Wars universe. (Originally published 5/6/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2022 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Battle Beyond the Stars
It’s time to venture into the world of “Star Wars” knock-offs once more, this time with 1980’s “Battle Beyond the Stars!” Join Rob and Joe as they revel in this wonky space opera featuring a number of b-movie mainstays and future stars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/24/2022 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 33 seconds
Red Leviathan, with Ryan Tucker Jones
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Ryan Tucker Jones, author of the new book “Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling.” Jones discusses the horrific impact of 20th century whaling, the Soviet Union’s place in whaling history and the efforts of scientists and activists to stop the practice – including scientists within the Soviet Union.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2022 • 40 minutes, 20 seconds
The Monsterfact: The Jiang Shi
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Jiang Shi or hopping vampire of Chinese folklore…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
Of Humans and Squids, with Martin Wallen
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Martin Wallen about his 2021 book “Squid,” which covers the history of humanity’s scientific, folkloric and literary interest in cephalopods – from Aristotle’s understanding of the creatures to their treatment in weird fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2022 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 41 seconds
Listener Mail: Turtle Talk
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail. Plus this time Seth pops in to chat with Robert about TMNT video games...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2022 • 27 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, venture into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home world. Join Robert and Joe as they break down six fantastic alien species from the Star Wars universe. (Originally published 5/4/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 43 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: A Chinese Ghost Story
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1987 Hong Kong supernatural romance comedy “A Chinese Ghost Story,” featuring screaming skulls, a seductive ghost and an evil tree demon. It’s a cult classic!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/17/2022 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 15 seconds
The Cauldron, Part 4
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2022 • 41 minutes, 54 seconds
The Monstrefact: Mud Monsters Attack
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a couple of different mud monsters from global traditions…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2022 • 4 minutes, 10 seconds
The Cauldron, Part 3
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2022 • 44 minutes, 17 seconds
Listener Mail: Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/13/2022 • 22 minutes, 16 seconds
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 3
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. (originally published 7/13/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2022 • 49 minutes, 42 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Trancers II
It’s sequel time once more on Weirdhouse Cinema! Join Rob and Joe as they jump right into Charles Band’s 1991 sequel to Trancers, starring Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt and the always villainous Richard Lynch. Jack Deth contends with psychic zombies, various wives and the not-so-rigorous rules of time travel. (originally published 5/21/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/10/2022 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 57 seconds
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 2
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. (originally published 7/8/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2022 • 39 minutes, 23 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Pants of the Necromancer
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the so-called necro-pants...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/8/2022 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 1
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. (originally published 7/7/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2022 • 42 minutes, 7 seconds
Listener Mail: Summer Break
We have some great classics for you to listen to while the show is on summer break!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/6/2022 • 1 minute, 28 seconds
From the Vault: Punish the Machine, Part 2
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the issue of robot moral and legal agency. (originally published 4/15/21)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 59 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Zaat
This time on Weirdhouse Cinema, we consider the Florida Movie par excellence: 1971’s “Zaat,” also known as “The Blood Waters of Dr. Z.” Prepare to stalk and skulk through the sargassum in this suitably swampy creature feature. (originally published 4/30/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/3/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 27 seconds
The Invention of the Telegraph
The telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication and paved the way for our interconnected information age. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the invention of the telegraph.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2022 • 50 minutes, 39 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Home Lending Pal: Disrupting the Mortgage Industry with Cloud and AI
Historically, there have been cultural biases that have complicated the home buying process and made home ownership difficult. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm takes on this subject with Jacob Goldstein, host of What’s Your Problem?, and Bryan Young and Steven Better, the co-founders of Home Lending Pal. These two visionaries are using IBM technology including AI, blockchain and cloud to create a home loan process that’s more transparent, secure, and equitable. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2022 • 32 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: The Sargasso Sea
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the sargassum seaweed and the many strange and amazing organisms that call it home. (originally published 4/29/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2022 • 56 minutes, 40 seconds
Listener Mail: Cyclopean Stairs
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2022 • 21 minutes, 5 seconds
New Smart Talks with IBM Season Coming Soon
Smart Talks with IBM returns May 31. This season, host Malcolm Gladwell and a team of correspondents from Pushkin Industries meet with New Creators who are creatively applying technology in business to drive change. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2022 • 2 minutes
From the Vault: Punish the Machine, Part 1
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the issue of robot moral and legal agency. (originally published 4/13/21)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2022 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 42 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Fiend Without a Face
Brains attack once more on Weirdhouse Cinema as Rob and Joe discuss the 1958 horror film “Fiend Without a Face,” starring the best stop-motion brain monsters the 50s had to offer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/27/2022 • 1 hour, 12 seconds
The Cauldron, Part 2
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2022 • 36 minutes, 13 seconds
The Monstrefact: Lady Dimitrescu
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the vampiric giantess from the Capcom videogame Resident Evil Village…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2022 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
The Cauldron, Part 1
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of cauldrons and their links to tales of witchcraft, rebirth and the mandate of heaven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2022 • 40 minutes, 2 seconds
Why Nature?
Studies have found that spending time in nature creates a host of psychological and physiological benefits for humans. But why? In this episode, Robert and Joe explore several competing explanations for the restorative power of natural environments, covering everything from the shape of our ancestral environments to the internal economy of attention and focus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2022 • 48 minutes, 22 seconds
From the Vault: Phobos and Deimos, Part 2
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its two moons: Phobos and Deimos. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Martian moons as well as a bit of mythology. (originally published 4/22/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2022 • 59 minutes, 56 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Loreley's Grasp
It’s time for another Spanish monster romp on Weirdhouse Cinema! In this episode, Rob and Joe discuss Amando de Ossorio’s 1973 film “The Loreley's Grasp,” full of Germanic mythology and highly questionable science.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/20/2022 • 1 hour, 58 seconds
Creature with the Crystal Skin
It is dark inside the human body, but not every denizen of the animal kingdom is such a closed book. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss various creatures with transparent anatomical features and translucent bodies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2022 • 47 minutes, 21 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Loreley
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Germanic siren known as the Loreley…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2022 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
The Hot-Cold Empathy Gap
You may think you know yourself, but humans have a striking inability to predict their own behavior in differing emotional states. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the hot-cold empathy gap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2022 • 55 minutes, 43 seconds
Listener Mail: Gates of Heck
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2022 • 24 minutes, 14 seconds
From the Vault: Phobos and Deimos, Part 1
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its two moons: Phobos and Deimos. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Martian moons as well as a bit of mythology. (originally published 4/20/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2022 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 28 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Jason Takes Manhattan
In celebration of Friday the 13, Rob and Joe dive into one of the sillier entries in the Jason Voorhees franchise with 1989's "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan" on this week's Weirdhouse Cinema.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/13/2022 • 1 hour, 38 minutes, 41 seconds
The Facsimile, Part 2
It’s easy to take document duplication for granted in our modern age, but our digital ease follows centuries of mechanical innovation and millennia of human specialization in the form of the scribe. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the facsimile.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2022 • 52 minutes, 21 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Nuppeppo
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a ghoulish blob from the yokai tradition of Japan…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2022 • 3 minutes, 22 seconds
The Facsimile, Part 1
It’s easy to take document duplication for granted in our modern age, but our digital ease follows centuries of mechanical innovation and millennia of human specialization in the form of the scribe. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the facsimile.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2022 • 49 minutes, 41 seconds
Listener Mail: Turtle of Enormous Girth
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2022 • 23 minutes, 48 seconds
From the Vault: The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 2
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face the possibility that the life we find out there might be mechanical and governed by artificial intelligence as well. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss alien AI and post-organic life. (originally published 4/1/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2022 • 54 minutes, 58 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Planet of the Vampires
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Mario Bava's hypnotic 1965 sci-fi horror movie "Planet of the Vampires." It has all the style you could ask for, plus giant space skeletons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/6/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 38 seconds
The Stargazer and the Well
Can you see the light of the stars from the bottom of a well? Did an astrologer once fall into a well because he was staring up at the stars? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a couple of well-and-cosmos-related tales from antiquity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2022 • 54 minutes, 35 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Bog Octopus
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses tentacled lurkers in the bog from the worlds of gaming, fantasy literature and industrial music…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2022 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
Fire From the Rocks, Part 3
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2022 • 40 minutes, 3 seconds
Listener Mail: Vegetable in Sheep's Clothing
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2022 • 29 minutes, 33 seconds
From the Vault: The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 1
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face the possibility that the life we find out there might be mechanical and governed by artificial intelligence as well. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss alien AI and post-organic life. (originally published 3/30/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2022 • 1 hour, 39 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Atragon
The surface world fights back against undersea aggression! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Ishirô Honda’s 1963 Toho film “Atragon,” which features an armored submarine and the debut of the kaiju Manda!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/29/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 36 seconds
Fire From the Rocks, Part 2
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2022 • 46 minutes, 17 seconds
The Monstrefact: Torterra, a Pokemon
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Pokemon known as Torterra with a little help from Sebastian…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2022 • 5 minutes, 46 seconds
Fire From the Rocks, Part 1
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2022 • 42 minutes, 8 seconds
Listener Mail: Planta Haereticus
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/25/2022 • 25 minutes, 12 seconds
From the Vault: Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 2
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destructive powers on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 3/25/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2022 • 51 minutes, 11 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Guyver
It’s time for more big meaty monsters slapping meat on Weirdhouse Cinema, as Rob and Joe discuss 1991’s “The Guyver,” a biomechanical slapfest full of wonderfully weird casting and an array of glistening special effects by synthetic flesh wizard and co-director Screaming Mad George.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/22/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 24 seconds
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, Part 2
In the previous week’s episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed contemplations of plant memory and other topics that blur our understanding of the animal/plant divide. In this episode, they continue on some of those themes by considering the legendary vegetable lamb of Tartary, said to be a flesh-and-blood animal that grew from the ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2022 • 42 minutes, 49 seconds
The Monstrefact: Baphomet, The Goat of Mendes
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Baphomet, the Goat of Mendes…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2022 • 6 minutes, 41 seconds
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, Part 1
In the previous week’s episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed contemplations of plant memory and other topics that blur our understanding of the animal/plant divide. In this episode, they continue on some of those themes by considering the legendary vegetable lamb of Tartary, said to be a flesh-and-blood animal that grew from the ground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2022 • 52 minutes, 18 seconds
Listener Mail: Smaragdus Eyes
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2022 • 29 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 1
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destructive powers on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 3/23/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2022 • 54 minutes, 11 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Devil Rides Out
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1968 Hammer horror film “The Devil Rides Out,” directed by Terence Fisher and adapted by Richard Matheson from the novel by Dennis Wheatley. It stars Christopher Lee and Charles Gray as dueling occultists in a tale of high-stakes Satanism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/15/2022 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 59 seconds
Plant Memories, Part 2
Do plants remember? Do they communicate? What is the extent of their interaction with their environment? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the amazing world of plant intelligence research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2022 • 54 minutes, 5 seconds
The Monstrefact: Blade and the Slime Mite
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a possible link between Blade the Vampire Hunter and a particular slime mite…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2022 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
Plant Memories, Part 1
Do plants remember? Do they communicate? What is the extent of their interaction with their environment? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the amazing world of plant intelligence research. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2022 • 49 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: Eyes of the Potato
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2022 • 22 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: The Dad Joke
We all know a “dad joke” when we hear one, but what exactly qualifies as a dad joke and what does it reveal about parenthood, childhood learning and comedy itself? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 3/18/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2022 • 57 minutes, 42 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Hands of Steel
This week’s classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema is 30 percent human, 70 percent robot and 100 percent lethal -- because the subject is the 1986 Italian sci-fi action film “Hands of Steel,” a cyborg arm wrestling movie set in the dystopian future of 1997. (originally published 3/19/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/8/2022 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Spoon, Part 2
It’s time for another invention-based classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss a very old invention that we can scarcely imagine life without: the spoon. (originally published 3/11/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2022 • 40 minutes
The Artifact Redux: The Corleck Head
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses a fascinating Celtic artifact...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2022 • 3 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Spoon, Part 1
It’s time for another invention-based classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss a very old invention that we can scarcely imagine life without: the spoon. (originally published 3/9/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2022 • 50 minutes, 32 seconds
Spring Break is Here
Rob and Joe prepare you for a week of Spring Break classics...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2022 • 47 seconds
From the Vault: The Nile Inundation
The annual inundation of the Nile was vital to the Ancient Egyptians, and therefore factored heavily into their mythology. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss flood waters, the origins of life and the Egyptian pantheon. (originally published 3/16/2021)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/2/2022 • 55 minutes, 17 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Abominable Dr. Phibes
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1971 dark comedy horror film “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” starring horror icon Vincent Price as the titular revenger himself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/1/2022 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 21 seconds
The Three-Pupiled Eye, Part 2
From heroes to sages to destructive monsters, various figures in Irish mythology are described as possessing eyes of seven or three pupils (or irises). We also see discussion of such marvelous eyes in Chinese traditions and in the writings of Pliny and Ovid. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigma of the triple eye.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2022 • 44 minutes, 17 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Nosferatu Vampire
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Nosferatu vampire…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2022 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
The Three-Pupiled Eye, Part 1
From heroes to sages to destructive monsters, various figures in Irish mythology are described as possessing eyes of seven or three pupils (or irises). We also see discussion of such marvelous eyes in Chinese traditions and in the writings of Pliny and Ovid. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigma of the triple eye.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2022 • 41 minutes, 54 seconds
Listener Mail: Week Sauce
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2022 • 24 minutes, 57 seconds
From the Vault: Fata Morgana
The horizon is an interesting netherworld of optical phenomena, where -- to the human eye -- ghost ships may sal the sky, phantom islands offer relief to weary sailors, sea monsters tower and alien ships enter the atmosphere. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the Fata Morgana mirage. (originally published 3/4/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2022 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 25 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Next of Kin (1982)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture down under for the 1982 supernatural thriller “Next of Kin,” starring Jacki Kerin, John Jarratt and a superb score by German electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/25/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 2 seconds
The Beast Wore an Apron, Part 2
Are there any animals other than humans that cook their food? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of non-human animal meal preparation. Bon appétit! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2022 • 47 minutes, 5 seconds
The Monstrefact: Birdo of Subcon
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the famous egg-spitting lizard creature from “Super Mario Brothers 2.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
The Beast Wore an Apron, Part 1
Are there any animals other than humans that cook their food? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of non-human animal meal preparation. Bon appétit! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2022 • 44 minutes, 58 seconds
Listener Mail: Green Stamps
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2022 • 23 minutes, 53 seconds
From the Vault: The Sargasso Sea
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the sargassum seaweed and the many strange and amazing organisms that call it home. (originally published 4/29/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2022 • 56 minutes, 13 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Beastmaster 2
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into “Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time,” a 1991 sequel full of loincloths, green magic, animal hijinks and a lethal dose of goofy one-liners. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/18/2022 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 18 seconds
Finn McCool, Part 2: The Thumb of Knowledge
The Irish mythological hero Finn MacCool is known for many exploits, from the slaying of a great fire monster to the creation of Giant's Causeway. However, he’s also known for his magical thumb, which he could suck on to gain knowledge. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the thumb of knowledge and its relations to other myths and even a little bit of science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2022 • 41 minutes, 47 seconds
The Monstrefact: Abhartach, the Irish Vampire
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses what may be the oldest vampire in Western European traditions… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2022 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
Finn McCool, Part 1: Mythic Exploits of the Irish Hero
The Irish mythological hero Finn MacCool is known for many exploits, from the slaying of a great fire monster to the creation of Giant's Causeway. However, he’s also known for his magical thumb, which he could suck on to gain knowledge. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the thumb of knowledge and its relations to other myths and even a little bit of science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/15/2022 • 38 minutes, 33 seconds
Listener Mail: Tuesday's Great and Wednesday Too!
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2022 • 26 minutes, 7 seconds
From the Vault: The Halo, Part 2
From glowing rings to flaming sun discs, the halo takes many forms in religious iconography. Why do angels, saints, gods and demigods love standing beneath or in front of these things? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of halos in myth, art and optics. (originally published 3/2/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2022 • 56 minutes, 19 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Eliminators
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive head first into the 1986 cyborg time-travel adventure film “Eliminators,” which has robots, cavemen, kung-fu and more boat-related combat than you’re probably ready for. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/11/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 37 seconds
The Seven Day Week, Part 3
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2022 • 46 minutes, 13 seconds
The Artifact: Death Tripods of Dune
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the death tripods of Dune… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2022 • 5 minutes, 39 seconds
The Seven Day Week, Part 2
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2022 • 49 minutes, 7 seconds
Listener Mail: Lousy Smarch Weather
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2022 • 23 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: The Halo, Part 1
From glowing rings to flaming sun discs, the halo takes many forms in religious iconography. Why do angels, saints, gods and demigods love standing beneath or in front of these things? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of halos in myth, art and optics. (originally published 2/25/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Zeiram
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1991 Japanese sci-fi monster film Zeiram, in which a futuristic bounty hunter from space must hunt down a deadly alien renegade with the help of two hapless electricians. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2022 • 53 minutes, 52 seconds
The Seven Day Week, Part 1
Our modern world is bound to the seven day week, but why is this the case? Is there anything in the cosmos or the inner workings of the human body that dictate this arrangement? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and invention of the seven day week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2022 • 45 minutes, 42 seconds
The Monstrefact: Ditto, a Pokémon
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the shapeshifting Pokémon known as Ditto. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of Ketchup
You love it. You put it on everything. But where does ketchup come from? In this classic episode of Invention, Robert and Joe explore the mysterious origins of everyone’s favorite sweet red sauce -- and consider the jaw-dropping fact that ketchup isn’t always red and isn’t always made from tomatoes. (originally published 9/29/19) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 5 seconds
Listener Mail: At Length Did Cross an Albatross
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/28/2022 • 23 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: The Moses Illusion
How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss The Moses Illusion, one persistent example from a class of mental phenomena known as “knowledge neglect.” (originally published 2/23/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/26/2022 • 57 minutes, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the greatest vampire snooker movie of all time. Yes, it's Alan Clarke's 1985 rock musical "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2022 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 5 seconds
Sailor on a Sea of Lava
To sail down a river of lava in a boat is surely a thing of pure fantasy, but in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the actual “lava boats” you might glimpse in volcanic footage as well as what would be required to build a vessel capable of traversing a true lake of fire. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2022 • 50 minutes, 5 seconds
The Monstrefact: Akhlut
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Akhlut of Inuit traditions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2022 • 3 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: Dissolver of Worlds
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the nature of the Alkahest, the universal solvent of alchemy. (originally published 4/27/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2022 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail: Supernaut
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/21/2022 • 30 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: Gold, Metal of the Sun
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of gold, humanity’s history extracting it from the Earth and the amazing properties of gold nanoparticles. (Originally published 2/16/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/19/2022 • 46 minutes, 17 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Mr. Vampire
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1985 Hong Kong comedy horror film “Mr. Vampire,” in which our heroes use kicks, furniture, rice and Taoist sorcery against the deadly Chinese hopping vampires, the jiāng shī. (originally published 7/9/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2022 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 23 seconds
From the Vault: Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. (Originally published 2/11/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2022 • 51 minutes, 8 seconds
The Monstrefact Redux: Chiseltooth
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the monster Chiseltooth from Chinese mythology… (origianlly published 10/20/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2022 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. (Originally published 2/9/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2022 • 55 minutes, 45 seconds
Listener Mail: Hand of Dog
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2022 • 26 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Brain and Head Theft, Part 2
First they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. (originally published 2/4/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/12/2022 • 54 minutes, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Brain Eaters
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1958 sci-fi movie “The Brain Eaters,” which doesn’t actually feature brain eating but is still a lot of fun. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2022 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 9 seconds
Giants in the Earth: The Paleoburrows
Enter the paleoburrows of South America, where evidence suggests construction not by human hands or tools but by giant claws – and for purposes we’re still trying to understand. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2022 • 47 minutes
The Monstrefact: The Gruenak of Thra
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses one of the doomed species of the planet Thra in “The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2022 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
Thirst, Part 3
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2022 • 41 minutes, 15 seconds
Listener Mail: Kuleshov Kul-Aid
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2022 • 29 minutes, 34 seconds
From the Vault: Brain and Head Theft, Part 1
First they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. (originally published 2/2/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2022 • 57 minutes, 17 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Beast With Five Fingers
What has five fingers and is an absolute beast? A disembodied crawling hand, of course! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1946 horror film “The Beast With Five Fingers” starring Peter Lorre. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2022 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 36 seconds
Thirst, Part 2
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2022 • 46 minutes, 32 seconds
The Monstrefact: Baba Yaga
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses one of the most famous Russian fairy tale characters of all time… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2022 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
Thirst, Part 1
What is thirst? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Joe dive into the biological, cultural and mythological answers to this broad question. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2022 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds
Listener Mail: Bowling Alleys On The Moon
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2022 • 19 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: The Tempest Stele
During the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Ahmose I erected a stele detailing a great storm that destroyed tombs, temples and other structures. Does this artifact describe a real atmospheric disturbance? Or is it propaganda? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the mystery. (originally published 1/28/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2022 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Phase IV
What happens when a solar conjunction allows all ant species to unite against their enemies? Find out as Rob and Joe discuss the delightfully weird 1974 film “Phase IV.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2022 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 2 seconds
The Kuleshov Effect, Part 2
What is the character in the film looking at? How does the object of their vision color how we interpret their countenance? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Kuleshov effect from film theory and what studies in experimental psychology and neuroscience reveal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 25 seconds
The Artifact: Rotten Brooms Bleeding Black Blood
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses connections between rotting wood and the supernatural… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2022 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
The Kuleshov Effect, Part 1
What is the character in the film looking at? How does the object of their vision color how we interpret their countenance? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Kuleshov effect from film theory and what studies in experimental psychology and neuroscience reveal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2022 • 35 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: The Braid of Nastenka
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2022 • 27 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: The Bonsai Tree
Spanning centuries of human history, the iconic bonsai tree is a widely recognized example of Japanese mastery. Each miniature tree speaks to the beauty of cultivated nature and the immutability of all things. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of bonsai, its cultural meaning and the underlying science. (originally published 1/26/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2022 • 58 minutes, 53 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Hercules (1983)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe contend with the glittering, cosmic glory of Luigi Cozzi’s 1983 film “Hercules,” starring Lou Ferrigno as the mighty hero, William Berger as science-loving King Minos and Sybil Danning as his daughter Adriana. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 15 seconds
Do ants make traps?
The trap is insidious. But of course it is. It was designed and executed… by ants? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, the ant wars continue as Robert and Joe explore some of the possibility that a few formidable Formicidae species actually lay traps. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2022 • 59 minutes, 12 seconds
The Monstrefact: Donkeys of Dune
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the oft-forgotten Kulons of the planet Arrakis… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2022 • 4 minutes, 44 seconds
The Silurian Hypothesis
If an advanced civilization existed on earth several million years ago, would we actually be able to detect that they were here? It may sound like conspiracy theorist bait, but a serious and balanced look at the question reveals a lot about geology, climate and the search for alien life. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the silurian hypothesis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2022 • 58 minutes, 6 seconds
Listener Mail: Goat of a Tumbleweed
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2022 • 27 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Funeral for a Bug
How do insects factor into our traditions of death -- and how do insects handle their own burials? Find out in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Joe discuss ants, termites, Virgil, ancient civilizations, bees and more. (originally published 1/21/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2022 • 59 minutes, 21 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Lift
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe take a ride in Dutch filmmaker Dick Maas’ 1983 killer elevator movie “The Lift.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2022 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 27 seconds
Tumbleweeds, Part 2: Riddles and Radiation
In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the world of tumbleweeds. While it’s easy to dismiss these amazing plants as overused symbols of the American west, these detachable diaspores are more than meets the eyes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2022 • 46 minutes, 18 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Manticore
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the legendary Manticore… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2022 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
Tumbleweeds, Part 1: The Wind Witch
In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the world of tumbleweeds. While it’s easy to dismiss these amazing plants as overused symbols of the American west, these detachable diaspores are more than meets the eyes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2022 • 1 hour, 30 seconds
Listener Mail: Time Crabs
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2022 • 33 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of the Lock & Key
The lock and key are such a central part of modern life, both technologically and metaphorically, but when and how did this technological advancement take place? In this Invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the ancient history of security technology. (originally published 1/12/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 39 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Son of the White Mare
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe explore Marcell Jankovics’ hallucinogenic animated masterpiece of Hungarian mythology: Fehérlófia, known to English-speaking audiences as “Son of the White Mare.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2022 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Sinkholes, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? (originally published 1/19/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2022 • 44 minutes, 20 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Edible Currencies
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses money you can eat or drink... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2022 • 4 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Sinkholes, Part 1
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? (originally published 1/14/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2022 • 43 minutes, 22 seconds
Happy New Year
Robert and Joe are still on break, but here's an update on what you'll hear this week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2022 • 50 seconds
From the Vault: Heavy Water
Nope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays a key role in nuclear power plants and the creation of nuclear weapons. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe get to know heavy water. Can you drink it? Why did the Nazis want it? Find out… (originally published 12/17/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/1/2022 • 1 hour, 29 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Robot Jox
What if the nations of the Earth solved all their problems with giant robot gladiatorial battles? That’s the concept behind 1990’s “Robot Jox,” directed by horror wizard Stuart Gordon and written by military sci-fi author Joe Haldeman. Join Rob and Joe for a discussion of mech politics in this Christmas Day episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. (originally published 12/25/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: The Toaster Not Taken
It’s obvious that our preferences guide our choices, but do our choices also determine our preferences? In this classic episode, join Robert and Joe as they explore this question with the help of a half-century of psychological research and reminiscences concerning Sonic the Hedgehog and Metallica. (originally published 12/24/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 2 seconds
The Artifact Redux: Stone Mushroom Clouds
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about mind-boggling prehistoric mineral formations. (originally published 2/10/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2021 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Toy Guns
For many of us, toy guns were part of our childhood, but how are we to think about them today? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe look at some of the current thinking on the use of toy weapons in childhood play. (originally published 12/22/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2021 • 57 minutes, 1 second
Holiday Break
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is off for the week, but Robert and Joe take a few minutes to discuss the classic episodes that will be showcased in the feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2021 • 27 seconds
From the Vault: Holiday Inventions
Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind leans into the holidays -- this time for an invention-minded episode about some of the technologies that bring the winter holidays to life. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss electric Christmas tree lights, tinsel and angelic tree toppers. (originally published 12/15/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/25/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 57 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Battle for Endor
The Star Wars franchise is home to many cinematic entries some consider to be unnatural. In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1985 made-for-TV film “Ewoks: The Battle For Endor,” starring Wilford Brimley and various forest monsters. (originally published 12/4/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 54 seconds
A Major Award: The Ancient and Occult History of the “A Christmas Story” Leg Lamp
The 1983 holiday film “A Christmas Story” warned us of the dangers associated with BB guns, bar soap and frozen flag poles – but it also introduced us to the Old Man’s prized leg lamp. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the deep, ancient and occult history of lamps and other objects shaped in the likeness of a human leg or foot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2021 • 50 minutes, 2 seconds
The Monstrefact: Holiday edition
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a surprise holiday monster... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2021 • 3 minutes, 22 seconds
Time Traveler Zero, Part 2
Today, time travel fiction is everywhere – and we understand the cosmos enough to even speculate what is and isn’t possible. But how old is the notion of travel through time? What sorts of attitudes and ideas concerning the nature of time were seemingly necessary before humans first imagined firing up a time machine? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2021 • 59 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail: Holidays on Ice-Nine
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2021 • 20 minutes, 20 seconds
From the Vault: Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 2
You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 12/10/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2021 • 48 minutes
Weirdhouse Cinema: Morozko (aka Jack Frost)
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the classic 1960s Russian fairy tale spectacular “Morozko,” better known to many fans as “Jack Frost.” It’s a tale of love, evil stepmothers, mushroom wizards, animal transformations, Baba Yaga and of course the Russian personification of winter, Morozko or Ded Moroz. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 3 seconds
Music and Memory
We all know music can influence our moods, but can it actually boost our memory? How do musical memories emerge at the borders of identity, experience and culture? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore these questions and discuss the curious ways we remember music and sounds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2021 • 58 minutes, 28 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: Managing supply chain volatility in the height of the shopping season
Global supply chains have made headlines this year, with businesses in every industry and consumers all experiencing unprecedented volatility. How can companies stabilize this boundless bullwhip? In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Jonathan Wright, Global Managing Partner for Supply Chain Consulting at IBM, about demand forecasting and other technologies that manufacturers and vendors are using to make their supply chains more resilient. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2021 • 32 minutes, 55 seconds
Time Traveler Zero, Part 1
Today, time travel fiction is everywhere – and we understand the cosmos enough to even speculate what is and isn’t possible. But how old is the notion of travel through time? What sorts of attitudes and ideas concerning the nature of time were seemingly necessary before humans first imagined firing up a time machine? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2021 • 52 minutes, 45 seconds
Listener Mail: Crab Walking Down Human Street
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2021 • 27 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 1
You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 12/8/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2021 • 58 minutes, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Bloodbeat
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider their first holiday horror film selection: 1983’s “Bloodbeat.” Filmed in Wisconsin, the film explores the complexity of holiday family time, while also wondering what might happen if mom had to battle a Samurai ghost with her psychic powers. Plus, Rob and Joe will discuss holiday horror films in general. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 48 seconds
Daniel Whiteson, Time Traveler
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome back Daniel Whiteson, particle physicist and co-host of Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Tune in for a discussion of time travel, wormholes and more that will actually transport you roughly an hour into the future. Plus Daniel will discuss the new book "Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2021 • 1 hour, 27 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: What does the future of sustainability look like for your company and your customers?
Today, consumers, businesses and governments are united in their sense of urgency about the sustainability of the planet. But how do we go about achieving it? In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Marc Rolfe, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Partners Ecosystem Success at SAP, and Jason Kelley, General Manager, IBM Strategic Partners, about how strategic partnerships between companies can create a larger industry shift toward sustainability. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2021 • 31 minutes, 18 seconds
2021 Ig Nobel Prize Grab Bag, Part 2
Once more, Robert and Joe consult the winners of the Ig-Nobel Prizes for a few examples of the hilarious and the weird from the world of legitimate scientific research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2021 • 45 minutes, 7 seconds
Listener Mail: The Funk of 40,000 Years
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2021 • 20 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: Airships Over Venus
Planet Earth a bit much for you right now? Well venture back out to Venus on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss recent news in the search for possible signs of life in the Venusian clouds, as well as the possibility of probes or even human explorers sailing over Venus in futuristic airships. (originally published 12/01/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2021 • 52 minutes, 43 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Super Infra-Man
It’s time to dive back into the Shaw Brothers cinematic treasure chest, this time for the sci-fi action film “The Super Infra-Man” starring Danny Lee and a whole bunch of monsters and stylish costumes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/3/2021 • 50 minutes, 11 seconds
2021 Ig Nobel Prize Grab Bag, Part 1
Once more, Robert and Joe consult the winners of the Ig-Nobel Prizes for a few examples of the hilarious and the weird from the world of legitimate scientific research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/2/2021 • 39 minutes, 28 seconds
The Artifact: Malaysian Spirit Boats
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses a most nautical form of exorcism... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2021 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
Crab Content is King
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is back from Thanksgiving break, so Robert and Joe discuss even more crab science and mythology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2021 • 45 minutes, 22 seconds
Listener Mail: The Chosen Few
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2021 • 27 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: Turkey, Wishbones and Gravy
In recognition of Thanksgiving, Robert and Joe devote this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to the very topics that might float through your head at the dinner table: What is a wishbone, why do we pull it apart and what does it have to do with dinosaurs? Are turkeys messengers of the gods? What is gravy and is it ever considered sacred? Find out... (originally publihsed 11/26/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2021 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 49 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Zaat
In celebration of MST3K Turkey Day, this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema from earlier this year explores a film from a beloved episode of MST3K. We consider the Florida Movie par excellence: 1971’s “Zaat,” also known as “The Blood Waters of Dr. Z.” Prepare to stalk and skulk through the sargassum in this suitably swampy creature feature. (Originally published 4/30/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: Melt With Me
From the horror of “melt movies,” in which the melting human takes on nightmaric qualities, to far more benign and even sublime takes on the concept of the melt, there does seem to be something to our fascination with personal phase transition. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe try to figure out what it all means. (originally published 11/5/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/25/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 1 second
The Artifact Redux: The Sword of Gōu Jiàn
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses an ancient Chinese sword noted for its unusual sharpness and resistance to tarnish... (originally published 2/17/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2021 • 3 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: Invention of the Bed
We sure do spend a lot of time in bed, but what exactly IS a bed and what were ancient beds like? In this classic invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the ancient history of the bed. (originally published 11/17/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2021 • 52 minutes, 5 seconds
Turkey Day Break
We're off this week, but don't let that stop you from having seconds on some classic content from last year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2021 • 43 seconds
From the Vault: Mushroom Foraging, Part 2
Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In these classic episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about mushroom foraging, the importance of human foraging and even some studies that pit forager against forager. (originally published 9/17/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2021 • 41 minutes, 42 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Dunwich Horror
It’s time for a hippie necronomicon extravaganza as Rob and Joe crack open 1970’s “The Dunwich Horror,” starring the late, great Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee and Ed Begley Sr. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds
Crabs Eat Everything Around Me, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about crabs eating things. Do YOU have what it takes to become a delicious entree for crab gourmands? Find out! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/18/2021 • 50 minutes, 30 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: How a Human-Centered Approach is Building Trustworthy AI
Creating trust and transparency in AI isn’t just a business requirement, it’s a social responsibility. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Christina Montgomery, IBM's Chief Privacy Officer and AI Ethics Board Co-Chair, and Dr. Seth Dobrin, Global Chief AI Officer, about IBM’s approach to AI and how it’s helping businesses transform the way they work with AI systems that are fair and address bias so AI can benefit everyone, not just a few. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2021 • 30 minutes, 18 seconds
Crabs Eat Everything Around Me, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about crabs eating things. Do YOU have what it takes to become a delicious entree for crab gourmands? Find out! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2021 • 59 minutes, 1 second
Listener Mail: Let the Lamp Affix its Beam
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2021 • 22 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: Mushroom Foraging, Part 1
Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In these classic episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about mushroom foraging, the importance of human foraging and even some studies that pit forager against forager. (originally published 9/15/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2021 • 47 minutes, 29 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Venom (1981)
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe wrestle with their first full-blown snake movie: 1981’s “Venom.” It stars Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski and a live black mamba snake from the London Zoo. Film historians still debate which was the more difficult actor of the three. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 13 seconds
Dune: The Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild
In this Dune-inspired episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe pick up where they left off in the last episode discussing the politics, philosophy and pain science of the Bene Gesserit, before diving into the spice-assisted navigation of the Spacing Guild. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/11/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes
The Monstrefact: Chairdogs of Dune
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses one of the less known creatures from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” books… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2021 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
Dune: The Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” use advanced mental and manipulative tactics to further their ends across the galaxy. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss this mysterious order and some scientific and philosophic interpretations of the Gom Jabbar awareness test. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2021 • 57 minutes, 36 seconds
Listener Mail: Halloween Final Processing
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2021 • 29 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: I Want a New Blood
From fictional tales of vampire thrust to to real-life medical research, the notion of synthetic blood brings with it a lot of possibilities. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the strange history of purported blood substitutes and possible ramifications if scientists ever solve this riddle in the blood. (originally published 10/8/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2021 • 54 minutes, 9 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Highway to Hell
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe take a very MTV-fueled jaunt into the underworld via the 1991 film “Highway to Hell,” an enjoyable horror comedy that features a terrifying Hellcop, Patrick Bergin and the entire Stiller family. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2021 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 48 seconds
Barbara Blatchley on Why We Believe in Luck
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Barbara Blatchley about her book “What are the Chances? Why We Believe in Luck.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/4/2021 • 43 minutes, 53 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: Quantum Computing is Tomorrow’s Computing, Today
Over the next decade, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we work and live. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, about quantum computing and its potential to accelerate discovery and development. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2021 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 7
Yes, the Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they’ll dive into episodes of The Hammer House of Horror and The Outer Limits. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2021 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 39 seconds
Listener Mail: Out of the Pair Dadeni
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2021 • 27 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: The Leshii
According to Russian folklore, ancient, beastial spirits guard the depths of the forest, raging with each other and punishing any human who might break the law of the forest. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss these haunters of the woodland depths. (originally published 10/22/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/30/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 55 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The House by the Cemetery
As Weirdhouse Cinema completes its first journey around the sun, Rob and Joe commemorate the moment by discussing Lucio Fulci’s 1981 “The House by the Cemetery” -- a bloody and bonkers tale guaranteed to satisfy your craving for ghosts, haunted houses, mad scientists, slashers and Italian synth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2021 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 3 seconds
The Invention of the Chainsaw, Part 2
In today’s invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss an important piece of cutting technology. Plus, during the Halloween season, masked brutes will chase you around your local haunted attraction with one of these if you buy a ticket. Yes, it’s time to discuss the chainsaw. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/28/2021 • 47 minutes, 47 seconds
The Monstrefact: Weretigers of China
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Chinese weretiger… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2021 • 5 minutes, 53 seconds
The Invention of the Chainsaw, Part 1
In today’s invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss an important piece of cutting technology. Plus, during the Halloween season, masked brutes will chase you around your local haunted attraction with one of these if you buy a ticket. Yes, it’s time to discuss the chainsaw. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2021 • 49 minutes, 46 seconds
Listener Mail: The Night’s Plutonian Shore
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2021 • 37 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 5
The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. In 2020, they examined episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. (originally published 10/29/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/23/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 34 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Black Sabbath
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Mario Bava’s colorful anthology of gothic horror, starring the legendary Boris Karloff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 7 seconds
The Holy Undead, Part 2
We tend to relegate zombies and the walking dead to the infernal realm of demons, necromancers and the emptied charnel houses of Hell. So it might surprise you to know that, in some traditions, reanimated human corpses are pious church-goers. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the holy undead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/21/2021 • 55 minutes, 37 seconds
The Monstrefact: Chiseltooth
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the monster Chiseltooth from Chinese mythology… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2021 • 4 minutes, 38 seconds
The Holy Undead, Part 1
We tend to relegate zombies and the walking dead to the infernal realm of demons, necromancers and the emptied charnel houses of Hell. So it might surprise you to know that, in some traditions, reanimated human corpses are pious church-goers. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the holy undead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2021 • 54 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail: Through the Pale Door
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2021 • 20 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 4
The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. In 2020, they examined episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. (originally published 10/27/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/16/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 43 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Halloween III
If the many-worlds interpretation holds true, then there’s an alternate timeline in which the tyranny of Michael Myers ended in 1981 and 1982’s “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” ushered in a new age. In this alternative world, John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise became a long-running horror anthology series. Each subsequent October, anything was possible in a Halloween film, including pagan conspiracies and killer androids. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe ride the chariot of pumpkins and attempt to cross over into this alternate reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2021 • 1 hour, 43 minutes, 41 seconds
Ghosts of the Wind and Rain
Strange presences walk the shore before the coming of the storm. Terrible forms move in its wake. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a wide selection of ghosts and monsters connected to destructive weather patterns. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/14/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 33 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Boxenwolf
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the horror of the Boxenwolf… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2021 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
The Science of Scary Music
Why do certain works of music make our skin crawl? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with producer Seth about the science of scary music and Seth tells everyone about his new music podcast Rusty Needle's Record Club. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2021 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 29 seconds
Listener Mail: Seraphs Sob at Vermin Fangs
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2021 • 23 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: The Minotaur, Part 3
Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody halls reveal about the human mind and human history? In this trio of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the minotaur. (originally published 10/15/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/9/2021 • 1 hour, 53 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Demon Knight
Yes, kiddies, in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Ernest Dickerson’s 1995 siege movie “Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.” Strap in for grotesque monsters, a whole host of character actors and some Crypt Keeper puns. (originally published 2/19/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2021 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: The Minotaur, Part 2
To fully understand the minotaur myth, we also have to consider the Minoan civilization of Crete. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Professor Nicoletta Momigliano, author of “In Search of the Labyrinth: The Cultural Legacy of Minoan Crete.” Learn all about ancient Creteomania as well as modern artistic treatments of the minotaur. (originally published 10/13/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/7/2021 • 42 minutes, 36 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: Accelerating Innovation with Hybrid Cloud at the Edge
The world is hitting a data tipping point where vast connectivity requires massive network capacity. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm Gladwell talks to David Shacochis, Vice President for Enterprise Technology and Field CTO at Lumen, and Howard Boville, Head of IBM Cloud Platform, about how hybrid cloud is serving as a catalyst for innovation in a world where computing can and must happen everywhere: private clouds, public clouds, the edge of the network. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2021 • 28 minutes, 55 seconds
From the Vault: The Minotaur, Part 1
Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody halls reveal about the human mind and human history? In this trio of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the minotaur. (originally published 10/6/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 34 seconds
Listener Mail: Fall Break!
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is off for the week, but Robert and Joe take a few minutes to discuss the classic episodes that will be showcased in the feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2021 • 1 minute, 29 seconds
From the Vault: Science in the House of Wax
Wax Museums are frequent haunts in horror cinema, but where do they really tie into our sense of revulsion and anatomical unease? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe kick off a month of Halloween-themed episodes with a science-filled night in the house of wax. (originally published 10/1/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/2/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 4 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Santo in the Treasure of Dracula
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into one of Mexican luchador El Santo's various horror cinema adventures -- and not just any Santo film but the legendary "Santo In The Treasure of Dracula," which features time travel, dracula and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 35 seconds
Bill Schutt talks "Pump: A Natural History of the Heart"
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Bill Schutt, author of "Pump: A Natural History of the Heart," about the evolution of the heart and the history of humanity’s attempt to understand it -- along with a few questions about monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/30/2021 • 38 minutes, 18 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Lindworm
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the legend of the lindworm and the 19th century Swedish ethnologist who searched for it … Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2021 • 6 minutes
God and the Black Death, Part 3
The Black Death was the most fatal pandemic in recorded human history, decimating a late Medieval world unaided by the germ theory of disease. In this episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the ways that religion responded to the plague and the effects these efforts had on its spread and impact. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2021 • 56 minutes, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: Time Passages
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2021 • 24 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: The Atomic Scar
The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the ways in which the world would not be the same. (originally published 9/24/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/25/2021 • 59 minutes, 51 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Thing from Another World
Before John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” there was Howard Hawks’ “The Thing From Another World,” the first adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr.’s short story “Who goes there?” In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe bust out the thermite and discuss this 1951 sci-fi classic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 24 seconds
God and the Black Death, Part 2
The Black Death was the most fatal pandemic in recorded human history, decimating a late Medieval world unaided by the germ theory of disease. In this episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the ways that religion responded to the plague and the effects these efforts had on its spread and impact. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/23/2021 • 40 minutes, 41 seconds
The Monstrefact: Fell Beasts of the Nazgûl
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the winged beasts of the Nazgûl in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2021 • 5 minutes, 46 seconds
God and the Black Death, Part 1
The Black Death was the most fatal pandemic in recorded human history, decimating a late Medieval world unaided by the germ theory of disease. In this episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the ways that religion responded to the plague and the effects these efforts had on its spread and impact. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2021 • 47 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: Songs from the Big Chair
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2021 • 28 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: Night of the Lichen-thropes
Lichen are incredibly widespread and easy to take for granted, but these composite organisms are some of the most fascinating lifeforms on the planet. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore their remarkable qualities. (originally published 9/10/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/18/2021 • 47 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Time After Time
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1979’s “Time After Time,” in which Jack the Ripper steals H.G. Wells’ time machine and travels to modern San Francisco. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 18 seconds
The Nature of Tears, Part 3
What are tears? Are humans indeed the only animal that wraps and what purpose do they serve? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of tears from a scientific and even religious standpoint. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/16/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 8 seconds
The Monstrefact: El Coco
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Spanish nursery bogeyman known as El Coco… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2021 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
Mary Roach Discusses "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law"
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome acclaimed science writer Mary Roach back to the show to discuss her new book "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2021 • 52 minutes, 13 seconds
Listener Mail: Songs from the Wood
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2021 • 26 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: The Livewired Brain with David Eagleman
What does our growing understanding of neuroplasticity reveal about our brains and the future of technology? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with neuroscientist David Eagleman about his new book “Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain.” (originally published 9/29/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/11/2021 • 41 minutes, 59 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Spookies
Yep, 1986 was a great year for genre movies — and also “Spookies” came out. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider this overstuffed and underdone turkey of a horror movie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 48 seconds
The Nature of Tears, Part 2
What are tears? Are humans indeed the only animal that wraps and what purpose do they serve? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of tears from a scientific and even religious standpoint. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/9/2021 • 47 minutes
The Monstrefact: Katcheet Ohuskw
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a murderous monster from Naskapi legend. Plus Benjamin Franklin shows up... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2021 • 6 minutes
The Nature of Tears, Part 1
What are tears? Are humans indeed the only animal that wraps and what purpose do they serve? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of tears from a scientific and even religious standpoint. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2021 • 49 minutes, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: The Constant Flow of Invention
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2021 • 26 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Fingernails, Part 2
How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the anatomy, evolution culture and mythology of the “nail as old as time.” (originally published 9/3/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/4/2021 • 58 minutes, 33 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Ship of Monsters
Are you ready for a 1960 Mexican sci-fi comedy involving multiple alien monsters, space vampires, interplanetary politics and several música norteña songs? Also a robot falls in love with a jukebox. Rob and Joe discuss it all in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2021 • 57 minutes, 53 seconds
Creature of the Gear
What is a gear and when did humans invent it? Plus, Rob and Joe discuss the only known creature to have gears in its anatomy. Plus hear about a couple of wheel-based mythical creatures in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/2/2021 • 56 minutes, 55 seconds
The Monstrefact: The Satanic Rites of Drugula
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses possible science of the vampire Drugula… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2021 • 4 minutes, 31 seconds
The Dog with the Burning Brand
From dogs in old paintings that look like dope smokers to Aztec psychopomps, what’s with all these fire dogs? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2021 • 53 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: Sky Raisins
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2021 • 32 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: Fingernails, Part 1
How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the anatomy, evolution culture and mythology of the “nail as old as time.” (originally published 9/1/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/28/2021 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Psychomania
How can the British public possibly survive the ravages of youth biker gangs, unholy rites and frog-based necromancy? In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1973 British supernatural biker film “Psychomania.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 34 seconds
The Fish Had Fur, Part 2
Fish covered in thick coats of fur, fish with strange spines, fish with the beard or chin whiskers of a wise old sage… The water offers up many mysteries, and in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore accounts of furry trout, ancient marvels, otters and fish that kind of look like they have hair. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/26/2021 • 49 minutes, 22 seconds
The Artifact: The Meister “Footprint”
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses so-called Meister footprint (which is in no way an actual footprint)... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2021 • 3 minutes, 29 seconds
The Fish Had Fur, Part 1
Fish covered in thick coats of fur, fish with strange spines, fish with the beard or chin whiskers of a wise old sage… The water offers up many mysteries, and in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore accounts of furry trout, ancient marvels, otters and fish that kind of look like they have hair. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2021 • 40 minutes, 19 seconds
Listener Mail: The Face That is Gazed on as it Gazes
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2021 • 19 minutes, 57 seconds
From the Vault: Orcs in the Deep
In this classic episode of STBYM, Robert and Joe discuss the orcs of Middle Earth and their origins both in the dark corners of the human imagination and the loathsome pits of Utumno. (originally published 9/22/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/21/2021 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 47 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Return of the Blind Dead
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the stand-alone, second installment of Spanish director Amando de Ossorio’s “Blind Dead'' series from 1973. The sightless revenants of the Knights Templars return 500 years after their grisly deaths to enact vengeance on a sleepy and corrupt Portuguese town. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 4 seconds
From the Vault: Tomato, Tomato, Part 2
While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us to farms on other worlds. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the tomato. (originally published 8/27/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/19/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 24 seconds
The Artifact: The Bazooka
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the bazooka and whether it is ever OK to bring one on a commercial flight… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2021 • 3 minutes, 36 seconds
The Invention of the Mirror, Part 4
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. It’s time for Stuff to Blow Your Mind to venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2021 • 45 minutes, 6 seconds
Listener Mail: Near-death by Saxon
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2021 • 28 minutes, 12 seconds
From the Vault: Tomato, Tomato, Part 1
While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us to farms on other worlds. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the tomato. (originally published 8/25/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2021 • 55 minutes, 12 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Keepers (Russian Lord of the Rings)
It’s time for Weirdhoues Cinema to return to the world of Russian cinema and also to… Middle Earth? Yes, let’s bask in the glory of “Khraniteli” AKA “The Keepers” AKA that 1991 Leningrad Television adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/13/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 20 seconds
The Invention of the Mirror, Part 3
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. It’s time for Stuff to Blow Your Mind to venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/12/2021 • 47 minutes, 53 seconds
The Artifact: Sharur the Talking Mace
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses Sharur, the talking mace from Sumerian mythology… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2021 • 4 minutes, 10 seconds
The Invention of the Mirror, Part 2
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. It’s time for Stuff to Blow Your Mind to venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2021 • 51 minutes, 10 seconds
Listener Mail: Stormbringer
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2021 • 35 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Astronomical Suffering and the Terran Diaspora
For many futurists, the long term survival of humanity depends on its ability to become a true interplanetary and even interstellar species. But what is the potential moral cost of such a great technological and cultural leap forward? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the potential for astronomical suffering in the wake of Earth’s outward expansion. (originally published 4/23/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/7/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 26 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Cannibal Apocalypse
Can John Saxon resist the viral hunger for human flesh? In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1980’s “Cannibal Apocalypse,” a Spanish/Italian cannibal thriller filmed in Atlanta, Ga. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 51 seconds
The Invention of the Mirror, Part 1
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. It’s time for Stuff to Blow Your Mind to venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/5/2021 • 42 minutes, 53 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: An Open Conversation about Open Innovation
In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Jim Whitehurst, senior advisor at IBM and an expert in open source software and innovation. During their conversation, Jim reveals how embracing moments that initially feel like chaos can ultimately lead to more open organizations, and broader access to new ideas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2021 • 28 minutes, 33 seconds
Regression to the Mean
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss regression to the mean, a phenomenon that occurs when a random sampling point is an outlier -- with applications to everything from economics and sports to health, religion and disappointing sequels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2021 • 45 minutes, 59 seconds
Listener Mail: Gremlins Have Pictures
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2021 • 17 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: Pykrete
Whether plotting to build a great northern wall or an aircraft carrier made of ice instead of steel, the substance you’re looking for is Pykrete. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss what makes this super-strong ice so durable and why there was an actual plan to build ships out of the stuff during the Second World War. (originally published 8/6/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/31/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 32 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Deep Blue Sea
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1999 shark film “Deep Blue Sea” in which super-smart sharks run wild in a sea base. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2021 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 23 seconds
Whispers of the Speaking Sword
Weapons capable of thought, speech and autonomous action appear throughout multiple myths and legends. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore some stand-out examples and discuss what it all might mean. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/29/2021 • 52 minutes, 23 seconds
The Artifact: The Horse Skull Under the Floor
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the practice of placing horse skulls underneath your floorboards… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2021 • 4 minutes, 3 seconds
From the Vault: The Monoliths of Lalibela
Lalibela, Ethiopia is home to one of the true wonders of the world: a series of 11 rock-hewn monolithic churches -- all interconnected by tunnels and passages that connect to catacombs and hermit caves. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the details of these 12th century marvels. (Originally published 1/23/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2021 • 55 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: Centaur on Fire
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/26/2021 • 31 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: The Spotlight Effect
Ever feel like everyone in the Zoom call is looking at you? Ever astonished to find your contribution to a project goes unrecognized, or that your latest faux pas didn’t destroy you? Perhaps you’re not the central character in this narrative after all. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the spotlight effect and what it teaches us about our own perception of reality and those around us. (originally published 8/4/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/24/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Spontaneous Combustion
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe celebrate legendary weird actor Brad Dourif by watching his talent burn through in Tobe Hooper’s flawed tale of love, rage and pyrokinesis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds
The Waiting, Part 3
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss waiting in line and psychology of queuing up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/22/2021 • 53 minutes, 49 seconds
The Waiting, Part 2
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss waiting in line and psychology of queuing up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2021 • 54 minutes, 17 seconds
Listener Mail: It's a Cold Night For Alligators
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2021 • 28 minutes, 25 seconds
The Artifact: Boiling Tar and Murder Holes
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the meurtrière or “murder hole” found in the ceiling of a a fortress’s gateway or passageway -- and what you might push through it... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2021 • 4 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: Volcanoes of Life
From our earliest experiences with paleoart to tales of Pompeii and visions of modern catastrophes, it’s easy to associate volcanoes with death and destruction. But what if it’s less a case of Mount Doom and more a case of Mount Life, at least from a broader environmental point of view? Robert and Joe explore the question in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 7/30/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/17/2021 • 57 minutes, 56 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Godzilla vs. Hedorah
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1971’s “Godzilla vs. Hedorah,” also known as “Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster.” The king of all monsters tears it up with a pollution-powered alien kaiju. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2021 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds
The Waiting, Part 1
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss waiting in line and psychology of queuing up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/15/2021 • 57 minutes, 16 seconds
The Artifact: The Blood Gutter
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the fuller, a groove found in many blades that you might have heard referred to as a “blood gutter.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2021 • 2 minutes, 55 seconds
Ancient Pacific Navigation, Part 3
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind three-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/13/2021 • 49 minutes, 16 seconds
Listener Mail: That Sweaty Horse Light
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2021 • 20 minutes, 16 seconds
From the Vault: Heaven and Hell with Bart Ehrman
Majorities of Americans believe in the literal existence of Heaven and Hell, but where did these concepts originally come from, and how have they changed over the centuries? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Bart Ehrman, author of 'Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife.' (originally published 7/14/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/10/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes
Weirdhouse Cinema: Mr. Vampire
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1985 Hong Kong comedy horror film “Mr. Vampire,” in which our heroes use kicks, furniture rice and Taoist sorcery against the deadly Chinese hopping vampires, the jiāng shī. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2021 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 33 seconds
Ancient Pacific Navigation, Part 2
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind three-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/8/2021 • 39 minutes, 1 second
Ancient Pacific Navigation, Part 1
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental navigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2021 • 41 minutes, 37 seconds
The Artifact: The Sugar Light
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe reads by the light of a sugar cube and a sweaty horse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2021 • 6 minutes, 9 seconds
Listener Mail: Hurdy Gurdy Man
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2021 • 33 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of Fireworks
Fireworks are a staple of celebrations around the world, but where does this invention come from and what’s the basic chemistry of their combustion? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe light the fuse and find out. (originally published 6/23/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/3/2021 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 14 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Devil's Express
An ancient demon haunts the subways of New York City. Only one man has the martial arts skill to battle the creature in the depths. On this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss this weird 1976 genre mashup and its star player, Warhawk Tanzania. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2021 • 1 hour, 31 seconds
The Plague of Mucus
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the organic substance that has been referred to in the scientific literature as “marine mucilage.” Prepare to be slimed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/1/2021 • 54 minutes, 51 seconds
The Artifact: The Shining Pyramid
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the Great Pyramid of Giza and its original luster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2021 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
A Chat About Sea Turtles with Christine Figgener
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss sea turtle mysteries, biology, research and conservation with sea turtle researcher and conservationist Dr. Christine Figgener. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 24 seconds
Listener Mail: Veteran of the Psychic Wars
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2021 • 39 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: The Tide of Gold
Gold from the ocean? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the basic idea behind the accumulation of oceanic gold and the fascinating historical hoax based on the notion. Plus, where does gold come from and how will deep sea gold mining endanger thermal vent ecosystems? Find out. (originally published 7/9/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/26/2021 • 1 hour, 41 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Doctor X
Welcome to the medical academy where EVERYONE is a suspect in the cannibalistic “Moon Killer” slayings. Yes, from the director of “Casablanca” comes 1932’s “Doctor X.” Join Rob and Joe for a deep gaze into the technicolor abyss in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. (Originally published 1/8/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: The Interior World
Most of us have spent far more time at home this year, which raises the question: Just what sort of artificial interior environments have we created? What lives there besides our family and pets? And what are we missing out on? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. (originally published 8/11/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/24/2021 • 46 minutes, 55 seconds
The Artifact Revisited: Stone Mushroom Clouds
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about mind-boggling prehistoric mineral formations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2021 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: How does travel engage the senses?
Travel has long inspired the mind and engaged the senses, but just what's going on in the human body when we venture near or far? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore... (originally published 7/7/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2021 • 57 minutes, 41 seconds
Please Stand By
Robert and Joe jump in a for a short update on this week's programing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2021 • 2 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Kimchi
What exactly is kimchi and what is the chemistry of its deliciousness? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore this spicy, fermented staple of Korean cuisine. (originally published 6/25/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/19/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 14 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Deathmoon
When you think of movies filmed in Hawaii, you probably think of vacation flicks and dramas, but has the Aloha state ever given us a werewolf film? Yep, in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe watch 1978’s “Deathmoon” starring Robert Foxworth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2021 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 58 seconds
Where do numbers come from?
Join Robert and Joe as they continue their discussion on numeracy and the origins of numerals on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/17/2021 • 57 minutes, 8 seconds
The Artifact Revisited: The Psychedelic Blindfold
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about a 2004 study of blindfolding and visual hallucinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2021 • 7 minutes, 29 seconds
The Origins of Numeracy
What are numbers and where does our number sense come from? Is numeracy an innate part of our biology, or is it a cultural invention? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origins of numbers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2021 • 53 minutes, 36 seconds
Listener Mail: Fume Cupboard
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2021 • 34 minutes, 25 seconds
From the Vault: Cancer and Evolution with Kat Arney
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Kat Arney about her upcoming book "Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life's Oldest Betrayal." (originally published 7/16/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 35 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Metalstorm
It’s time to get Road Warrior-esque! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider Charles Band’s 1983 3D sci-fi film “Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn,” starring Richard Moll, Michael Preston, Tim Thomerson and Kelly Preston in a post-apocalyptic, off-roads extraterrestrial adventure. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 19 seconds
Musical Frisson with Seth of Record Store Society
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe is joined by producer and host of the Record Store Society podcast Seth Nicholas Johnson to talk about that moment when a song sends a shiver down your spine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/10/2021 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 29 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: Couch vs. cubicle: is the future of work hybrid?
Remote working has kept many businesses afloat over the last year, but has it kept employees productive, enthusiastic, and inspired? In this special episode of Smart Talks, recorded at IBM’s Think Conference, Malcolm spars with his longtime friend Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor at the Wharton School, about what we’ve learned through remote working and how businesses can approach a hybrid model. Can we, and should we, return to “normal”? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2021 • 24 minutes, 23 seconds
The Moonless Skies of Mercury and Venus
Moons are a popular accessory for the outer planets in our solar system, but Mercury and Venus are suspiciously unadorned. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss why the two most inner planets have no moons today and whether they might have had moons in the past. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/8/2021 • 52 minutes, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: Cat Comfort
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2021 • 28 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: Ant Wars, Episode 3
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. (originally published 6/18/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2021 • 45 minutes, 50 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Without Warning
In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss "Without Warning," a perfectly serviceable sci-fi horror film directed by Greydon Clark. The year is 1980 and only a delusional Martin Landau and a Captain Ahab-esque Jack Palance can stop an extraterrestrial killer from treating rural California as its own personal hunting ground. (originally published 10/30/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: Ant Wars, Episode 2
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. (originally published 6/14/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/3/2021 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell: Can AI be empathetic? Reinventing client experiences
In a time that’s been challenging for everyone, perhaps no other industry has been hit harder than healthcare. Anthem, one of America’s leading health benefits companies, needed to be ready to answer member questions at a moment’s notice. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Anil Bhatt, Senior Vice President and CTO of Anthem, and Glenn Finch, Managing Partner of Global Business Services at IBM, about how AI is helping people interact with healthcare in a whole new way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2021 • 31 minutes, 50 seconds
From the Vault: Ant Wars, Episode 1
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. (originally published 6/12/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2021 • 42 minutes, 32 seconds
Summer Vacation!
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is off for the week, but Robert and Joe take a few minutes to discuss the classic episodes that will be showcased in the feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2021 • 1 minute, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Into the Egg Chamber
Eggs are amazing and some of the varieties we find in nature are wonderfully weird, riveling or exceeding anything you’d ever find on a fictional derelict spaceship. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some curious specimens from the world of eggs. (originally published 7/2/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 24 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Hanuman vs. 7 Ultraman
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider the 1974 Thai co-production "Hanuman vs. & Ultraman," in which the hindu god Hanuman teams up with the Ultra Seven to defeat evil monsters and dastardly human plots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 9 seconds
Aniconism, Images and the Divine: Part 2
Examples of aniconism -- the avoidance of images or idols -- can be found across multiple religions But what does it DO? What does it mean to employ religious icons or to avoid them in the contemplation of supernatural or natural objects and beings? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe look for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/27/2021 • 54 minutes, 45 seconds
The Artifact: The Theropod Gap
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe looks at an intriguing question about missing carnivorous dinosaurs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2021 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
Aniconism, Images and the Divine: Part 1
Examples of aniconism -- the avoidance of images or idols -- can be found across multiple religions But what does it DO? What does it mean to employ religious icons or to avoid them in the contemplation of supernatural or natural objects and beings? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe look for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Listener Mail: Sole Survivor
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2021 • 28 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Subterrenes
The notion of a subterrene, or underground drilling vehicle, is well established within the realm of science fiction, but what are the real-world possibilities for vehicles that drill or melt their way through the subterranean world. Robert and Joe explore in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind… (Originally published 6/4/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2021 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 57 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Trancers II
It’s sequel time once more on Weirdhouse Cinema! Join Rob and Joe as they jump right into Charles Band’s 1991 sequel to Trancers, starring Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt and the always villainous Richard Lynch. Jack Deth contends with psychic zombies, various wives and the not-so-rigorous rules of time travel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2021 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 10 seconds
Comfort in the Box: Human Edition
Why do cats like to sit in boxes? Why did humans use box-beds and are enclosed wooden beds really making a comeback? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mystery of the box. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/20/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 5 seconds
The Artifact: Edible Currencies
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses money you can eat or drink... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2021 • 4 minutes, 18 seconds
Comfort in the Box: Cat Edition
Why do cats like to sit in boxes? Why did humans use box-beds and are enclosed wooden beds really making a comeback? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mystery of the box. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2021 • 50 minutes, 32 seconds
Listener Mail: Princes of the Universe
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2021 • 31 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Invention of the Book, Part 2
Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history of book technology, from ancient clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to the codex and beyond. (Originally published 5/28/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2021 • 55 minutes
Weirdhouse Cinema: Shock Waves
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe complete their trilogy of 70s Florida Movies with 1977’s “Shock Waves,” featuring Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Brooke Adams and a whole squad of aquatic zombies amid the Florida ruins. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 40 seconds
Reconsider the Bean, Part 2
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss a variety of magical ideas and scientific facts associated with legumes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/13/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 30 seconds
The Artifact: The Toad Vomit Miracle
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses amphibian vomit as failed technology and natural wonder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2021 • 7 minutes, 1 second
Reconsider the Bean, Part 1
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss a variety of magical ideas and scientific facts associated with legumes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2021 • 43 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: The Quickening
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2021 • 27 minutes, 3 seconds
From the Vault: Invention of the Book, Part 1
Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this classic Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history of book technology, from ancient clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to the codex and beyond. (Originally published 5/26/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2021 • 48 minutes, 8 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Humanoid
In celebration of Star Wars week, this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema explores one of the many films that sought to cash in on the popularity of George Lucas’ 1977 classic. Behold, 1979’s “The Humanoid,” an Italian space opera starring Richard Kiel, Barbara Bach and a whole lot of stuff that looks like Star Wars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds
Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 2
In celebration of May the 4th, this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind ventures into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home world. Join Robert and Joe as they break down six fantastic alien species from the Star Wars universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/6/2021 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell – Reshaping the Future with Women in AI
Today, women represent approximately 22 percent of the AI workforce. But IBM is out to change that by increasing diversity not just in hiring but through programs such as Women Leaders in AI that celebrate diversity in the field. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm Gladwell talks to IBM’s new SVP & CMO, Carla Piñeyro Sublett, and Chimka Munkhbayar, co-founder of Agrolly, about their challenges, achievements, and the steps they’re taking to create a more inclusive tech world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2021 • 29 minutes, 43 seconds
Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 1
In celebration of May the 4th, this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind ventures into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home world. Join Robert and Joe as they break down six fantastic alien species from the Star Wars universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: Phobos Rising
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2021 • 27 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Invention of Soap
We’re all probably using a lot more soap these days, but… what is it exactly? How does it work? Who invented it and how has it changed the world? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the invention of Soap. If you enjoyed the podcast Invention, stick with Robert and Joe as they continue to explore these same topics as part of Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s regular offerings. (Originally published 4/21/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 50 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Zaat
This time on Weirdhouse Cinema, we consider the Florida Movie par excellence: 1971’s “Zaat,” also known as “The Blood Waters of Dr. Z.” Prepare to stalk and skulk through the sargassum in this suitably swampy creature feature. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 45 seconds
The Sargasso Sea
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the sargassum seaweed and the many strange and amazing organisms that call it home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/29/2021 • 55 minutes, 43 seconds
The Artifact: Pants of the Necromancer
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the so-called necro-pants... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2021 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
Dissolver of Worlds
In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the nature of the Alkahest, the universal solvent of alchemy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 6 seconds
Listener Mail: Robot Hell
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2021 • 35 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: The Bone Palace, Part 2
From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a stroll through halls of bone with Robert and Joe in this pair of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published 4/9/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2021 • 40 minutes, 25 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Silent Era Double Feature
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss a pair of silent era films: the animated “Cinderella” from 1922 and “The Mechanical Man” from 1921. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2021 • 59 minutes, 20 seconds
Phobos and Deimos: The Moons of Mars, Part 2
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its two moons: Phobos and Deimos. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Martian moons as well as a bit of mythology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/22/2021 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
The Artifact: Wiping With Homer
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses a couple of weird textual treasures recovered from an ancient garbage dump in Egypt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2021 • 8 minutes, 3 seconds
Phobos and Deimos: The Moons of Mars, Part 1
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its two moons: Phobos and Deimos. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Martian moons as well as a bit of mythology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2021 • 1 hour, 54 seconds
Listener Mail: Fire of Unknown Origin
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2021 • 43 minutes, 28 seconds
From the Vault: The Bone Palace, Part 1
From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a stroll through halls of bone with Robert and Joe in this pair of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published 4/7/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2021 • 58 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Frogs
Humans can only hurt the environment so long before nature fights back -- and that’s just what happens in 1972’s “Frogs,” starring a young Sam Elliot and a whole bunch of reptiles and amphibians. It’s a Florida movie through-and-through in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2021 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 17 seconds
Punish the Machine, Part 2
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the issue of robot moral and legal agency. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/15/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 29 seconds
The Artifact: The Pedrail Wheel
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the wheels with tiny legs on them... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2021 • 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Punish the Machine, Part 1
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the issue of robot moral and legal agency. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
Listener Mail: Rejoice in the Sun
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2021 • 38 minutes, 10 seconds
From the Vault: Twilight of the Moa
The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy and scientific hope. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the rise and fall of the great Moa. (Originally published 3/26/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2021 • 53 minutes, 44 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Mad Love (1935)
In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of the great weird films of the 1930s: “Mad Love,” in which Peter Lorre gives a stellar performance as the deranged and tragic Dr. Gogol. It’s a film full of obsession, cutting-edge surgery, wax figures, delusion and knife-throwing. (Originally published 11/13/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2021 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Medusa, Part 2
We all know snake-haired Medusa, the gorgon of Greek myth whose very gaze turns mortals and titans alike to stone. But where does this iconic monster come from and why has she lingered so very long in our art, minds and culture? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe venture to the Gorgade isles in search of answers. (4/30/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/8/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds
The Artifact Redux: The Mirrors of Dr. Dee
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the mirrors of English occultist Dr. Dee, including the so-called Devil’s Looking Glass. (Originally published 1/6/2021) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2021 • 5 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Medusa, Part 1
We all know snake-haired Medusa, the gorgon of Greek myth whose very gaze turns mortals and titans alike to stone. But where does this iconic monster come from and why has she lingered so very long in our art, minds and culture? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe venture to the Gorgade isles in search of answers. (Originally published 4/28/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2021 • 57 minutes, 47 seconds
Spring Break!
Rob and Joe took the week off, so here are just a few quick words about what you can expect this week in the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast feed... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2021 • 1 minute, 9 seconds
From the Vault: Rise of the Moa
The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy and scientific hope. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the rise and fall of the great Moa. (Originally published 3/24/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2021 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Gunhed
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, enter a world of Japanese cyberpunk, killer AIs, giant robot tanks and more as Rob and Joe discuss the 1989 Toho movie “Gunhed.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/2/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 40 seconds
The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 2
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face the possibility that the life we find out there might be mechanical and governed by artificial intelligence as well. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss alien AI and post-organic life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/1/2021 • 54 minutes, 33 seconds
The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 1
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face the possibility that the life we find out there might be mechanical and governed by artificial intelligence as well. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss alien AI and post-organic life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2021 • 1 hour, 9 seconds
Listener Mail: Yearly Dad Joke Inundation
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2021 • 41 minutes, 10 seconds
Bonus Episode: Rob and Joe on "Record Store Society"
Presenting "Record Store Society", a new iHeartRadio show hosted by STBYM producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. In this bonus episode, Rob and Joe stop by Seth's virtual record store to chat about their favorite music videos. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2021 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: Invertebrate Emotions, Part 2
Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizens of the animal kingdom? What about the octopods? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the question of invertebrate emotions. (Originally published 3/17/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2021 • 51 minutes, 5 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Music Videos with Seth of Record Store Society
In this special episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Robert and Joe are visited by producer and host of the Record Store Society podcast Seth Nicholas Johnson to discuss everyone’s favorite weird music videos. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2021 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 41 seconds
Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 2
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destructive powers on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/25/2021 • 50 minutes, 47 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell – Using AI to Rethink the Way Work Gets Done
With hybrid cloud and AI, businesses today can challenge the limits of how they put their data to work across the organization. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Rob Thomas, SVP Cloud and Data Platform at IBM about what’s possible, and the steps businesses can take to access more of their data to help them make more informed decisions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2021 • 30 minutes, 24 seconds
Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 1
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destructive powers on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2021 • 53 minutes, 42 seconds
Listener Mail: Spoonman
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2021 • 35 minutes, 39 seconds
Welcome to Smart Talks with IBM and Malcolm Gladwell
The world's most challenging problems need smarter solutions. Join host Malcolm Gladwell as he interviews industry leaders and innovators to discover how IBM and its partners collaborate on projects that are designed to approach global issues in unconventional ways. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2021 • 1 minute, 31 seconds
From the Vault: Invertebrate Emotions, Part 1
Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizens of the animal kingdom? What about the octopods? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the question of invertebrate emotions. (Originally published 3/12/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/20/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Hands of Steel
This week’s episode of Weirdhouse Cinema is 30 percent human, 70 percent robot and 100 percent lethal -- because the subject is the 1986 Italian sci-fi action film “Hands of Steel,” a cyborg arm wrestling movie set in the dystopian future of 1997. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 49 seconds
The Dad Joke
We all know a “dad joke” when we hear one, but what exactly qualifies as a dad joke and what does it reveal about parenthood, childhood learning and comedy itself? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/18/2021 • 57 minutes, 8 seconds
The Artifact: The Corleck Head
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses a fascinating Celtic artifact... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2021 • 3 minutes, 8 seconds
The Nile Inundation: Gods, Water and Life
The annual inundation of the Nile was vital to the Ancient Egyptians, and therefore factored heavily into their mythology. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss flood waters, the origins of life and the Egyptian pantheon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2021 • 54 minutes, 46 seconds
Listener Mail: Mirages and More
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/15/2021 • 32 minutes, 36 seconds
From the Vault: Biology of the Hobbit
Not to question the wisdom of Gandalf the Grey, but a hobbit might seem like a poor choice for a continent-sprawling journey to rid the world of evil. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe return to the science of Middle Earth with a look at scientific breakdowns of hobbit diet, hobbit physiology and hobbit vitamin requirements. (Originally published 3/10/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/13/2021 • 44 minutes, 13 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Dr. Cyclops
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider yet another mad scientist in the form of Dr. Thorkel from 1940’s “Dr. Cyclops.” Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack of “King Kong” fame, it’s a special effects spectacle full of miniaturized people and animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 33 seconds
The Invention of the Spoon, Part 2
It’s time for another invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss a very old invention that we can scarcely imagine life without: the spoon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/11/2021 • 39 minutes, 43 seconds
The Artifact: Glass Like Dough
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses the legend of a lost recipe for glass that could bend without breaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2021 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
The Invention of the Spoon, Part 1
It’s time for another invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss a very old invention that we can scarcely imagine life without: the spoon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2021 • 50 minutes, 2 seconds
Listener Mail: Humbaba's Seven Terrors
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2021 • 31 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Overconfidence, Part 2
What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mythic roots of hubris, the psychology of overconfidence and its role in society and business. (Originally published 2/27/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/6/2021 • 51 minutes, 7 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Split Second (1992)
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, world’s grumpiest detective Rutger Hauer investigates a series of monstrous murders in the climate change-ravaged future of 2008. It features Kim Cattrall, a great monster, flooded tunnels and a fun cast of character actors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 43 seconds
Fata Morgana
The horizon is an interesting netherworld of optical phenomena, where -- to the human eye -- ghost ships may sail the sky, phantom islands offer relief to weary sailors, sea monsters tower and alien ships enter the atmosphere. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the Fata Morgana mirage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2021 • 1 hour, 43 seconds
The Artifact: The Color of the Dot
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe contemplates the deep history of the color of the Pale Blue Dot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2021 • 9 minutes, 32 seconds
The Halo, Part 2
From glowing rings to flaming sun discs, the halo takes many forms in religious iconography. Why do angels, saints, gods and demigods love standing beneath or in front of these things? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of halos in myth, art and optics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2021 • 55 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: Avatar State, Yip Yip!
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2021 • 41 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: Overconfidence, Part 1
What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mythic roots of hubris, the psychology of overconfidence and its role in society and business. (Originally published 2/25/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/27/2021 • 57 minutes, 17 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Santo in the Treasure of Dracula
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into one of Mexican luchador El Santo's various horror cinema adventures -- and not just any Santo film but the legendary "Santo In The Treasure of Dracula," which features time travel, Dracula and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/26/2021 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 46 seconds
The Halo, Part 1
From glowing rings to flaming sun discs, the halo takes many forms in religious iconography. Why do angels, saints, gods and demigods love standing beneath or in front of these things? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of halos in myth, art and optics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2021 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 17 seconds
The Artifact: The Macuahuitl
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the Mesoamerican weapon known as the Macuahuitl... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2021 • 4 minutes, 17 seconds
The Moses Illusion
How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss The Moses Illusion, one persistent example from a class of mental phenomena known as “knowledge neglect.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2021 • 57 minutes, 27 seconds
Listener Mail: The Corporeal Earth
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2021 • 34 minutes, 41 seconds
From the Vault: Occam's Razor
It’s a standard tool of skeptical thinking: When presented with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well, choose the simpler of the two. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, nature and complexities of Occam’s Razor. (Originally published 2/13/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/20/2021 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 16 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Demon Knight
Yes, kiddies, in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Ernest Dickerson’s 1995 siege movie “Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.” Strap in for grotesque monsters, a whole host of character actors and some Crypt Keeper puns. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/19/2021 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: The Mighty Sarlacc
Few places in the Star Wars universe are regarded with as much horror as the Great Pit of Carkoon, within the Dune Sea of Tatooine. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the mighty Sarlacc and compare what we know about this organism to denizens of the natural world. (Originally published 5/12/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2021 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 48 seconds
The Artifact: The Sword of Gōu Jiàn
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses an ancient Chinese sword noted for its unusual sharpness and resistance to tarnish... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2021 • 3 minutes, 29 seconds
Gold: Metal of the Sun
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of gold, humanity’s history extracting it from the Earth and the amazing properties of gold nanoparticles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2021 • 45 minutes, 23 seconds
Listener Mail: Here There Be Dragons
Here's your weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2021 • 29 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 2
In the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. (Originally published 2/11/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/13/2021 • 1 hour, 9 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Freejack
The bonejackers thought they could jack Alex Furlong, but now he's gone freejack in the future of 2009. Yep, in this installment of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe jack their way into the 1992 sci-fi thriller "Freejack," starring everyone and costing $30 million. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/12/2021 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 43 seconds
Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 2
In the previous episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. In this episode, the continue by discussing some of the fantastic creatures mentioned in the text. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2021 • 50 minutes, 43 seconds
The Artifact: Stone Mushroom Clouds
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about mind-boggling prehistoric mineral formations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2021 • 9 minutes, 26 seconds
Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2021 • 55 minutes, 12 seconds
Listener Mail: Gravy, Sinkholes and Soviet Sci-Fi
Here's your weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2021 • 41 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 1
In the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. (Originally published 2/6/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/6/2021 • 46 minutes, 25 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Brain
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe cap off Brain Week with the 1988 Canadian monster movie “The Brain.” It’s kind of bargain-bin Cronenberg in many ways, but that’s OK because there’s still a giant brain with eyes and teeth in it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2021 • 1 hour, 59 seconds
Brain and Head Theft, Part 2
First they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2021 • 54 minutes, 26 seconds
The Artifact: The Heslington Brain
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of the oldest, best-preserved human brains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2021 • 3 minutes, 56 seconds
Brain and Head Theft, Part 1
First they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2021 • 56 minutes, 42 seconds
Listener Mail: Nightmare Key
It’s time for more listening mail! Robert and Joe use the Nightmare Key to unlock a boss battle with YOUR e-mails... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2021 • 31 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: Here Come the Warm Feels
There’s often a gap between feeling and understanding, but language and classification provide us with tremendous tools for self-reflection. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of kama muta, a broad categorization of emotional states that include loved belonging, patriotism, cuteness, spiritual communion and the feels. (Originally published 1/21/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2021 • 53 minutes, 11 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Teens in the Universe
It’s Soviet work ethic versus the siren song of fun in 1975’s “Teens in the Universe,” a beautifully crafted and thoroughly weird space adventure. Join Rob and Joe for a Weirdhouse Cinema discussion of robots, space travel and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2021 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 32 seconds
The Tempest Stele
During the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Ahmose I erected a stele detailing a great storm that destroyed tombs, temples and other structures. Does this artifact describe a real atmospheric disturbance? Or is it propaganda? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the mystery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2021 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
The Artifact: Submoon Fever
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe sees visions of orbits within orbits within orbits within orbits... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2021 • 8 minutes, 17 seconds
The Bonsai Tree
Spanning centuries of human history, the iconic bonsai tree is a widely recognized example of Japanese mastery. Each miniature tree speaks to the beauty of cultivated nature and the immutability of all things. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of bonsai, its cultural meaning and the underlying science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2021 • 58 minutes, 27 seconds
Listener Mail: The Flood
Here comes the STBYM listener mail, once again. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2021 • 34 minutes, 24 seconds
From the Vault: Horseshoe Crabs
Their fossils date back 450 million years and their copper-rich blue blood continues to benefit various medical applications. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of horseshoe crabs. (Originally published 1/16/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2021 • 52 minutes, 43 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Oily Maniac
Yes, it’s time to grease up Weirdhouse Cinema with a Shaw Brothers horror film from 1976. “The Oily Maniac” is a tale of sleaze, revenge and a rampaging black-magic oil monster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2021 • 50 minutes, 32 seconds
Funeral for a Bug
How do insects factor into our traditions of death -- and how do insects handle their own burials? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Joe discuss ants, termites, Virgil, ancient civilizations, bees and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2021 • 58 minutes, 50 seconds
The Artifact: The Cairo Toe
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of the oldest known human prosthetics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2021 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
Sinkholes, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2021 • 44 minutes, 1 second
Listener Mail: Blue Öyster Cult
Join Robert and Joe for even more STBYM and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2021 • 37 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: David Grinspoon on Pluto
In the book “Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto,” authors Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. David Grinspoon recount the riveting history of the quest to send a spacecraft to the planet Pluto. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Grinspoon chats about the book, the planet and the nature of space exploration. (Originally published 12/31/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2021 • 1 hour
Weirdhouse Cinema: Arena
It’s time to lace up for a boxing movie -- but not just any boxing movie. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1989 sci-fi movie “Arena,” in which a lone human fighter puts up his dukes against an entire galaxy of bizarre, alien combatants. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2021 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 6 seconds
Sinkholes, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2021 • 42 minutes, 59 seconds
The Artifact:The Psychedelic Blindfold
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about a 2004 study of blindfolding and visual hallucinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2021 • 7 minutes, 29 seconds
The Invention of the Lock & Key
The lock and key are such a central part of modern life, both technologically and metaphorically, but when and how did this technological advancement take place? In this Invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the ancient history of security technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2021 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Listener Mail: Our Blessed Saint Poochie
It's time for more listener mail! Let's dig in. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2021 • 30 minutes, 2 seconds
From the Vault: The Psychology of Architecture, Part 2
The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. (Originally published 12/12/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2021 • 56 minutes, 47 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Doctor X
Welcome to the medical academy where EVERYONE is a suspect in the cannibalistic “Moon Killer” slayings. Yes, from the director of “Casablanca” comes 1932’s “Doctor X.” Join Rob and Joe for a deep gaze into the technicolor abyss in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2021 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: Bandersnatch
From its literary origins in the mirror realm of Lewis Carroll to its terrifying appearance in Charlie Brooker's “Black Mirror,” the frumious Bandersnatch is a monster from which it is useless to flee. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe follow its trail through a maze of choice, freewill, advertising and streaming media. (originally published 1/9/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2021 • 1 hour, 35 minutes
The Artifact: The Mirrors of Dr. Dee
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the mirrors of English occultist Dr. Dee, including the so-called Devil’s Looking Glass. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2021 • 4 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: Brian Greene on the End of Time
Theoretical Physicist Brian Greene’s new book “Until the End of Time” contemplates the entirety of human history and the known universe in a single volume. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with the author about the cosmos, the human experience and science communication during a global pandemic. (Originally published 4/16/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2021 • 46 minutes, 50 seconds
Listener Mail: Holiday Hangover
It's listener mail time once more, so Robert and Joe catch up on some Stuff to Blow Your Mind holiday mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2021 • 30 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Psychology of Architecture, Part 1
The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. (Originally published 12/10/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2021 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 43 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Not of This Earth
Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades -- because that guy might be a psychic alien sent to 1950s Earth to harvest its precious blood. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into Roger Corman’s 1957 low-budget thriller “Not of This Earth.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/1/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 24 seconds
STBYM: Electric Microbe Land
It’s easy to think of electricity as the domain of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Street Fighter’s Blanka. But as Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, it’s also the domain of microbes -- and it will change the shape of future technology. (Originally published 7/25/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2020 • 46 minutes, 46 seconds
The Artifact: Cones!
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses why people in ancient Egyptian paintings sometimes have little cones on their heads. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2020 • 9 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Gerasene Demoniac
“My name is Legion.” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the Biblical tale of exorcism and swine. What did the story mean? How was it used to enforce our relationship with animals and just how intelligent are pigs? (Originally published 10/17/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2020 • 1 hour, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: Spin Kick!
What's so great a bout a spin kick? Find out in this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2020 • 36 minutes, 18 seconds
Presenting Prodigy: The Polgar Sisters
Can prodigies be created with early specialization? Laszlo Polgar was an educational psychologist who believed they could. He experimented with his own children and the results were fascinating. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2020 • 40 minutes, 27 seconds
From the Vault: Shrooms Like Cedars in the Devonian Wilds
Did 20-foot-tall giant fungi rule the earth 400 million years ago? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the puzzling prototaxites fossils from the Devonian period. (Originally published 12/17/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2020 • 52 minutes, 57 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Robot Jox
What if the nations of the Earth solved all their problems with giant robot gladiatorial battles? That’s the concept behind 1990’s “Robot Jox,” directed by horror wizard Stuart Gordon and written by military sci-fi author Joe Haldeman. Join Rob and Joe for a discussion of mech politics in this Christmas Day episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/25/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 43 seconds
The Toaster Not Taken
It’s obvious that our preferences guide our choices, but do our choices also determine our preferences? Join Robert and Joe as they explore this question with the help of a half-century of psychological research and reminiscences concerning Sonic the Hedgehog and Metallica. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 23 seconds
The Artifact: Map of the Underworld
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of humanity's oldest maps -- from a coffin text detailing paths through the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2020 • 4 minutes, 23 seconds
Toy Guns
For many of us, toy guns were part of our childhood, but how are we to think about them today? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe look at some of the current thinking on the use of toy weapons in childhood play. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2020 • 56 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail: Holiday Beasts
In this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, Robert and Joe catch up on Jim e-mails, Krampus talk and Leshy feedback. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2020 • 33 minutes, 7 seconds
From the Vault: Is Santa a god? (parts 1 and 2)
He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or does he rise to the status of a god? In this pair of STBYM episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the general attributes of a deity and consider the awesome, reality-warping powers of the one we call Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and of course Santa Claus. (Originally published 12/19/2019 and 12/24/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2020 • 1 hour, 43 minutes, 51 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Chopping Mall
The shopping mall is a centerpiece of American holiday traditions -- cathedrals of consumerism, if you will. So in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into “Chopping Mall,” the 1986 sci-fi horror film that pits teenagers against deadly security robots, “where shopping costs you an arm and a leg.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2020 • 52 minutes, 11 seconds
Heavy Water
Nope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays a key role in nuclear power plants and the creation of nuclear weapons. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe get to know heavy water. Can you drink it? Why did the Nazis want it? Find out… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2020 • 1 hour, 1 second
The Artifact: The Tongue Stone
In this episode of STBYM's The Artifact, Joe talks about a strange class of tongue-shaped rocks that were believed to have magical and medicinal powers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2020 • 11 minutes, 20 seconds
Holiday Inventions: Christmas Tree Lights, Tinsel and Angels
Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind leans into the holidays -- this time for an invention-minded episode about some of the technologies that bring the winter holidays to life. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss electric Christmas tree lights, tinsel and angelic tree toppers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 29 seconds
Listener Mail: Das Gravy Boat
Time for more listener mail, with your thoughts on antimetaboles, pole dancing, gravy, weird movies and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2020 • 31 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 2
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regeneration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the Unabomber. (originally published 11/21/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2020 • 49 minutes, 52 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Ghost in the Machine
It’s time for some early 90s cyber-panic! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1993’s “Ghost in the Machine,” in which a serial killer is zapped into the Internet and terrorizes Karen Allen and her painfully cool 90s son. So jack in, get virtual and become one with the screensaver. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 38 seconds
Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 2
You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2020 • 47 minutes, 37 seconds
The Artifact: The Poisoned Tooth
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the fictional idea of the poisoned tooth and the real-life innovations that seem to have inspired it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2020 • 3 minutes, 50 seconds
Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 1
You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2020 • 58 minutes, 13 seconds
Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover
STBYM Listener Mail is now weekly! In this short installment, Robert and Joe catch up on some of your thoughts on various Halloween episodes from October. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2020 • 30 minutes, 27 seconds
From the Vault: Die Nacht des Krampus
Heute Nacht ist Krampusnacht. Besprechen Sie mit Robert und Joe auf STBYM die beliebtesten Urlaubsmonster aller. (Originally published 12/5/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Battle for Endor
The Star Wars franchise is home to many cinematic entries some consider to be unnatural. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1985 made-for-TV film “Ewoks: The Battle For Endor,” starring Wilford Brimley and various forest monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2020 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 6 seconds
Airships Over Venus
Planet Earth a bit much for you right now? Well venture back out to Venus on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss recent news in the search for possible signs of life in the Venusian clouds, as well as the possibility of probes or even human explorers sailing over Venus in futuristic airships. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2020 • 52 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 1
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regeneration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the Unabomber. (originally published 11/19/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2020 • 48 minutes, 27 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Boggy Creek II
Weird movies are a Thanksgiving tradition, because Mystery Science Theater 3000's Turkey Day Marathon is a Thanksgiving tradition. So in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of their favorite MST-riffed films, b-movie legend Charlies B. Pierce and bigfoot films in general. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 50 seconds
Thanksgiving Smorgasbord: Turkey, Wishbones and Gravy
In recognition of Thanksgiving, Robert and Joe devote this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to the very topics that might float through your head at the dinner table: What is a wishbone, why do we pull it apart and what does it have to do with dinosaurs? Are turkeys messengers of the gods? What is gravy and is it ever considered sacred? Find out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2020 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 11 seconds
Antimetaboles: Sometimes You Eat the Bear
Friedrich Nietzsche once observed that if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. That’s an antimetabole, a transposed repetition of words in successive clauses. It’s an ABBA configuration that seems to resonate with meaning, but why? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe gaze into the linguistic abyss once more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2020 • 53 minutes, 4 seconds
From the Vault: Thankful: The Science of Gratitude
Tis the season of thankfulness, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science of Gratitude. (Originally published 11/28/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 19 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Message From Space
This time on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider the 1978 Japanese space opera “Message From Space,” starring Sonny Chiba and Vic Morrow. It’s not quite “Star Wars,” but it brings the 70s weirdness and a bunch of space nuts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 33 seconds
Listener Mail: The Final Conflict
Once more on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe turn to the mailbot and read some listener mail from previous months. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2020 • 47 minutes, 21 seconds
Invention: The Bed
We sure do spend a lot of time in bed, but what exactly IS a bed and what were ancient beds like? In this invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the ancient history of the bed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2020 • 51 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Dangerous Foods: Adverse Additives
As is tradition, Stuff to Blow Your Mind prepares for seasonal feasts with a look at dangerous foods -- this time with a focus on peculiar and sometimes frightful additives such as lead, mercury and more. (Originally published 11/26/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 10 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Mad Love (1935)
In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of the great weird films of the 1930s: “Mad Love,” in which Peter Lorre gives a stellar performance as the deranged and tragic Dr. Gogol. It’s a film full of obsession, cutting-edge surgery, wax figures, delusion and knife-throwing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 57 seconds
Fireball with Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer
In this special interview episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer about their new documentary "Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds," which deals with meteors and comets and their influence on ancient religions and other cultural and physical impacts they've had on Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2020 • 52 minutes, 47 seconds
The 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes
As usual, Robert and Joe take time in early November to discuss some of the winners from this year's Ig Nobel Prizes -- the awards ceremony that celebrates the weirder and more absurd corners of very real scientific investigation. This year, it's frozen feces knives, narcissistic eyebrows, arachnophobic entomologists and helium gators. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2020 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes
Yes, it’s time once more for us to cover the Ig Nobel prizes. This year on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider cubical wombat poop, truly dirty money, diaper-changing robots and much more. (Originally published 11/7/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2020 • 42 minutes, 23 seconds
Weirdhouse Cinema: Troll 2
“Troll 2” is a titan of b-movie goodness -- but it’s also overflowing with weirdness. In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss this 1990 tale of vegetarian goblins -- as well as a couple of additional films written and/or directed by Claudio Fragasso and Rosella Drudi: “Night Killer” and “Robowar.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 1 second
Melt With Me
From the horror of “melt movies,” in which the melting human takes on nightmarish qualities, to far more benign and even sublime takes on the concept of the melt, there does seem to be something to our fascination with personal phase transition. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe try to figure out what it all means as they round out 2020’s Halloween offerings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2020 • 1 hour, 16 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 6
The Halloween tradition continues -- even as Halloween comes to a close. Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 28 seconds
From the Vault: Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Parts 1 & 2
From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the mystifying world of the mental image. (Originally published 10/10/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2020 • 2 hours, 4 minutes, 2 seconds
STBYM presents Weirdhouse Cinema: Without Warning
Welcome to Weirdhouse Cinema, a new weekly offering from the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, published in the STBYM feed. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss "Without Warning," a perfectly serviceable sci-fi horror film directed by Greydon Clark. The year is 1980 and only a delusional Martin Landau and a Captain Ahab-esque Jack Palance can stop an extraterrestrial killer from treating rural California as its own personal hunting ground. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/30/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 17 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 5
The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 4
The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 3
The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes The Outer Limits and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. (Originally published 10/31/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2020 • 58 minutes, 39 seconds
The Leshii
According to Russian folklore, ancient, beastial spirits guard the depths of the forest, raging with each other and punishing any human who might break the law of the forest. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss these haunters of the woodland depths. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2020 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 21 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: How P-TECH Prepares Students for the Future of Work
Today on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk with IBM's Joel Mangan, Executive Director of P-TECH, and recent P-TECH graduates Suyhalia Karim-Doran and Eric Cholula-Martinez about how P-TECH, a groundbreaking public education model, is addressing education and workforce development challenges for underserved students. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2020 • 35 minutes, 30 seconds
It Sees You
Have you ever had the feeling that someone or something is watching you? Perhaps you even feel a tingle on the back of your neck. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore this creepy feeling, research into its perception and what it means to meet another being’s gaze. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 2
The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes of Monsters and The Twilight Zone. (Originally published 10/29/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 18 seconds
The Minotaur, Part 3
Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody halls reveal about the human mind and human history? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the minotaur. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2020 • 1 hour, 34 seconds
The Minotaur, Part 2: Minoan Crete with Nicoletta Momigliano
To fully understand the minotaur myth, we also have to consider the Minoan civilization of Crete. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Professor Nicoletta Momigliano, author of “In Search of the Labyrinth: The Cultural Legacy of Minoan Crete.” Learn all about ancient Creteomania as well as modern artistic treatments of the minotaur. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2020 • 42 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: Hellraiser
Robert and Joe have such sights to show you in this movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join them as they discuss Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” and the questions it raises about monastic traditions, flagellation, puzzle boxes and the science of pain. (Originally published 10/24/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2020 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 34 seconds
I Want a New Blood
From fictional tales of vampire thrust to to real-life medical research, the notion of synthetic blood brings with it a lot of possibilities. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the strange history of purported blood substitutes and possible ramifications if scientists ever solve this riddle in the blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2020 • 53 minutes, 37 seconds
The Minotaur, Part 1
Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody halls reveal about the human mind and human history? In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the minotaur. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 14 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Online Privacy is More Important Than Ever
How can advertising evolve to respect the growing privacy concerns of consumers? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the future of artificial intelligence in digital advertising with Sheri Bachstein, Global Head of Watson Advertising and The Weather Company, an IBM Business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2020 • 34 minutes, 34 seconds
From the Vault: I Drink Your Blood Type
Gather round ye blood drinkers and children of the night, for in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe will discuss human blood types -- what they are, why they exist and what powers they hold. It’s all required listeners for any serious vampires. (Originally published 10/3/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 32 seconds
Science in the House of Wax
Wax Museums are frequent haunts in horror cinema, but where do they really tie into our sense of revulsion and anatomical unease? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe kick off a month of Halloween-themed episodes with a science-filled night in the house of wax. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 21 seconds
The Livewired Brain with David Eagleman
What does our growing understanding of neuroplasticity reveal about our brains and the future of technology? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with neuroscientist David Eagleman about his new book “Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2020 • 40 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Our Cars, Our Bodies, Our Minds
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the cognitive effects of driving. How does it alter our perceptions of self? How might driving prevent cognitive decline? What are the benefits of automotive ergonomics and how do we avoid the risks of road rage is aggressive? (Originally published 10/8/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 56 seconds
The Atomic Scar
The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the ways in which the world would not be the same. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2020 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
Orcs in the Deep
Today is Hobbit Day, so Stuff to Blow Your Mind returns to Middle Earth once more. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion of orcs and their origins both in the dark corners of the human imagination and the loathsome pits of Utumno. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 20 seconds
From the Vault: The One Ring
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to Find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the most powerful artefact in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy series and how it relates to real-life metallurgy. (Originally published 9/19/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2020 • 46 minutes, 11 seconds
Mushroom Foraging, Part 2
Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about mushroom foraging, the importance of human foraging and even some studies that pit forager against forager. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2020 • 41 minutes, 19 seconds
Mushroom Foraging, Part 1
Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk about mushroom foraging, the importance of human foraging and even some studies that pit forager against forager. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2020 • 46 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: The Voynich Manuscript, Part 2
Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss just why we can't stop looking to its weird pages. (Originally published 9/5/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2020 • 48 minutes, 23 seconds
Night of the Lichen-thropes
Lichen are incredibly widespread and easy to take for granted, but these composite organisms are some of the most fascinating lifeforms on the planet. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore their remarkable qualities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2020 • 46 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: The Serpent's Golden Apple
It's time once more for Listener Mail, when Robert and Joe read YOUR letters regarding snake pits, tomatoes and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2020 • 1 hour, 34 seconds
From the Vault: The Voynich Manuscript, Part 1
Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss just why we can't stop looking to its weird pages. (Originally published 9/3/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2020 • 51 minutes, 17 seconds
Fingernails, Part 2
How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the anatomy, evolution culture and mythology of the “nail as old as time.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2020 • 58 minutes, 11 seconds
Fingernails, Part 1
How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the anatomy, evolution culture and mythology of the “nail as old as time.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2020 • 56 minutes, 27 seconds
From the Vault: Surfing Neanderthals
What do recent studies about surfer’s ear and neanderthals reveal about their relationship with the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the condition and some recent findings regarding the neanderthals. (Originally published 8/27/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2020 • 38 minutes, 6 seconds
Tomato, Tomato, Part 2
While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us to farms on other worlds. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the tomato. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 39 seconds
Tomato, Tomato, Part 1
While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us to farms on other worlds. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the tomato. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2020 • 54 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: School Dreams
Have you ever experienced dreams of forgotten classes, impossible exams and other examples of school-age anxiety? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the pervasive nature of the school dream. (Originally published 8/22/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2020 • 55 minutes, 42 seconds
Shatter Me Like Sub-Zero
From the ice-based violence of Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero to the body-shattering kills in action films like “Time Cop” and “Demolition Man,” we seem to have this obsession with frozen human bodies exploding into a million shards of ice. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss just how feasible these scenes really are. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2020 • 56 minutes, 23 seconds
Pit of Serpents
The Well of Souls sequence from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is a memorable slice of blockbuster history but a very dubious presentation of snake behavior -- but that doesn’t mean the snake pit is mere fantasy. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe grab a torch and descend into the pit of serpents. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: Lot's Wife: Flesh into Salt
You’ve probably heard the Biblical tale of Lot’s wife, in which a trio of angels destroy a couple of ancient cities and the resulting blast turns a woman into a pillar of salt. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe set aside most of the theology to ponder if and how a human body could become a big old chunk of salt. (Originally published 8/20/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2020 • 44 minutes, 4 seconds
From the Vault: Demogorgon
You probably know the Demogorgon as the powerful demon lord from Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps as the interdimensional monster from “Stranger Things.” But where does this curious name come from? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe pursue the origins of the Demogorgon through modern pop culture, romantic poetry, translated texts and Gnostic mystery. (Originally published 10/1/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/13/2020 • 58 minutes, 12 seconds
The Interior World
Most of us have spent far more time at home this year, which raises the question: Just what sort of artificial interior environments have we created? What lives there besides our family and pets? And what are we missing out on? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2020 • 46 minutes, 7 seconds
From the Vault: How to Survive a Great Fall
Anticipating a fall from 10,000 feet or more? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss your chances of survival. (Originally published 8/15/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2020 • 52 minutes, 32 seconds
Pykrete: Ice Like Stone
Whether plotting to build a great northern wall or an aircraft carrier made of ice instead of steel, the substance you’re looking for is Pykrete. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss what makes this super-strong ice so durable and why there was an actual plan to build ships out of the stuff during the Second World War. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 2 seconds
The Spotlight Effect
Ever feel like everyone in the Zoom call is looking at you? Ever astonished to find your contribution to a project goes unrecognized, or that your latest faux pas didn’t destroy you? Perhaps you’re not the central character in this narrative after all. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the spotlight effect and what it teaches us about our own perception of reality and those around us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 32 seconds
From the Vault: Prehistoric Transylvania
This episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes listeners to Transylvania, where a rogue baron made important early strides in the field of paleobiology and where, during the Late Cretaceous period, giant pterosaur dubbed “Dracula” feasted on pony-sized dwarf sauropods. (Originally published 8/13/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2020 • 42 minutes, 6 seconds
Volcanoes of Life
From our earliest experiences with paleoart to tales of Pompeii and visions of modern catastrophes, it’s easy to associate volcanoes with death and destruction. But what if it’s less a case of Mount Doom and more a case of Mount Life, at least from a broader environmental point of view? Robert and Joe explore the question in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2020 • 57 minutes, 12 seconds
The Horned Helm, Part 2
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe continue their exploration of helmets -- both the horned and the non-horned variety. Learn about the beautiful complexity of Japanese samurai helmets, perhaps the weirdest helm ever donned by a king and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2020 • 51 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 2
In the second of two classic episodes, Joe and Christian continue their discussion of animal cognition, including animal morality, tool use, mental time travel, culture, and other strange clues to the intellectual complexity of our cousins in the animal kingdom. Afterwards, they speak to Dutch-American primatologist Frans de Waal about his book and his thoughts on the future of animal intelligence research. (Originally published 2/23/2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 38 seconds
The Horned Helm, Part 1
Fantasy fiction is lousy with horned helmets -- and more than a few non-Vikings wore them historically. So what’s the deal with horned helms? Why are they impractical from an offensive standpoint? For that matter, just where do helmets come from and are there any animals that wear them? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2020 • 1 hour, 29 seconds
Listener Mail: Fireworks, Hellfire and More
Once again, Robert and Joe call forth the mailbot to read and discuss listener mail in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2020 • 49 minutes, 13 seconds
From the Vault: The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 1
In the first of two classic episodes, Joe and Christian discuss the work of Dutch-American primatologist Frans de Waal, and ask the question of not just whether animals are smarter than we understand, but why the evidence of animal cognition is often so difficult for we humans to grasp. (Originally published 2/21/2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 42 seconds
Cancer and Evolution with Kat Arney
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Kat Arney about her upcoming book "Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life's Oldest Betrayal." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds
Heaven and Hell with Bart Ehrman
Majorities of Americans believe in the literal existence of Heaven and Hell, but where did these concepts originally come from, and how have they changed over the centuries? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Bart Ehrman, author of 'Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife.' Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Social Media is a B.U.M.M.E.R.
How will you feel the day you finally delete all your social media accounts? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the arguments for doing just that in Jaron Lanier’s book “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.” (Originally published 8/6/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2020 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 14 seconds
The Tide of Gold
Gold from the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the basic idea behind the accumulation of oceanic gold and the fascinating historical hoax based on the notion. Plus, where does gold come from and how will deep sea gold mining endanger thermal vent ecosystems? Find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2020 • 1 hour, 2 seconds
How does travel engage the senses?
Travel has long inspired the mind and engaged the senses, but just what's going on in the human body when we venture near or far? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2020 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: TEETH
Where do teeth come from and how do different dental variations in the animal world force us to rethink our glorious chompers? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore dental evolution and the wondrous marching molars of elephants and manatees. (Originally published 7/23/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2020 • 43 minutes, 9 seconds
Into the Egg Chamber
Eggs are amazing and some of the varieties we find in nature are wonderfully weird, riveling or exceeding anything you’d ever find on a fictional derelict spaceship. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some curious specimens from the world of eggs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Roman Extinctions
Humans are capable of amazing technological and societal feats, but we’ve also brought much misery, death and destruction to our world. We are currently in the midst of the sixth great extinction event -- the Holocene extinction -- and the ravages of human activity extend back throughout our history as a dominator species. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe focus in on some of the key extinctions that occurred during the Roman Empire. (Originally published 6/27/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2020 • 1 hour, 18 seconds
Kimchi: A Song of Salt and Cabbage
What exactly is kimchi and what is the chemistry of its deliciousness? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore this spicy, fermented staple of Korean cuisine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 39 seconds
The Invention of Fireworks
Fireworks are a staple of celebrations around the world, but where does this invention come from and what’s the basic chemistry of their combustion? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe light the fuse and find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 39 seconds
From the Vault: The Facial Feedback Hypothesis
To what extent does the act of smiling generate happiness in the mind of the smiler? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Facial Feedback Hypothesis and what it means for our complex human emotions. (Originally published 6/20/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds
Ant Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Ants
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2020 • 45 minutes, 30 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: The Debating AI
Project Debater is the first AI system that can debate humans on complex topics, with a larger ambition of helping people build persuasive arguments and make well-informed decisions. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Project Debater Lead Researcher, Noam Slonim and IBM VP for Data and AI, Madhu Kochar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2020 • 44 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Brain Soup and Liquid Brains
Is there ever a good scientific reason to turn brains into soup? What does all of this have to do with the concept of “liquid brains?” Robert and Joe explore on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published 6/11/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/13/2020 • 52 minutes, 25 seconds
Ant Wars: Episode II - The Antmire Strikes Back
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2020 • 48 minutes, 39 seconds
Ant Wars: Episode I - The Antom Menace
The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies are torn asunder. As the will of one colony clashes with another, forces advance, withdrawal and sometimes whole populations perish in the Earth. Such are the wars of the ants, compared to which the wars of humanity are but a blip. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and tactics of ant warfare, and what humans can learn from it all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2020 • 42 minutes, 12 seconds
Solidarity
A brief note from Stuff to Blow Your Mind in support of racial justice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2020 • 3 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: The Soap Dragon
What monsters of fatty flesh lie slumbering in the sewer guts of our great cities? Join Robert and Joe as they venture into the dark to discover the beast we all made together. (Originally published 6/4/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/6/2020 • 46 minutes, 31 seconds
Subterrenes: Like Submarines but Underground
The notion of a subterrene, or underground drilling vehicle, is well established within the realm of science fiction, but what are the real-world possibilities for vehicles that drill or melt their way through the subterranean world. Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2020 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: The Impact of AI in a Pandemic
How is AI helping organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the topic with Ritika Gunnar, Vice President of IBM’s Data and AI Expert Labs and Learning, and Jay Bellissimo, IBM’s General Manager for the U.S. Public and Federal Market. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2020 • 53 minutes, 10 seconds
From the Vault: The Great Wave
For centuries, sailors have told stories of mountainous killer waves that rise out of the ocean without warning. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion of the history and science of rogue waves. (originally published 5/30/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2020 • 54 minutes, 8 seconds
The Invention of the Book, Part 2
Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history of book technology, from ancient clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to the codex and beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2020 • 54 minutes, 33 seconds
The Invention of the Book, Part 1
Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the history of book technology, from ancient clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to the codex and beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2020 • 47 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: The Doppelganger Network
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss Doppelgangers, fairy imposters, the brain basis for the feeling of familiarity, and a unique way of understanding the impact of social media and modern communications technology. (originally published 5/28/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2020 • 59 minutes, 32 seconds
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 5
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2020 • 50 minutes, 29 seconds
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 4
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2020 • 44 minutes
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 3
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2020 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 2
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
Psychedelics Playlist: The Manifested Mind, Part 1
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2020 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail: Hobbits, Gorgons and More
It's time for another listener mail episode, this time with your thoughts on hobbits, gorgons, pointing and much more... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2020 • 59 minutes, 20 seconds
Smart Talks with IBM: Rethinking Supply Chains
The supply chain is vital to life in the modern world, and the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this flow of goods and materials to a considerable degree. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with IBM Global Managing Director for Consumer Industries Luq Niazi and Partner at the Consumer Center of Competence (CoC) at IBM Karl Haller. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2020 • 52 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: Send an Owl/Raven/Pigeon!
Harry Potter sends messages by owl. The characters of ‘Game of Thrones’ employ ravens. Meanwhile, real-life messenger pigeons have carried messages for thousands of years. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider just why the homing pigeon is perfect for this job -- and why owls and ravens are not. (originally published 5/9/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 42 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Invented Words, Part 2
Where do new words come from? Robert and Joe explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 52 minutes, 55 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Invented Words, Part 1
Where do new words come from? Robert and Joe explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 51 minutes, 17 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Barbed Wire
You may very well encounter barbed wire everyday -- and, in all likelihood, you see THROUGH this flesh-ripping barrier. Where did this invention come from? How did it change the world? Robert and Joe discuss “the devil ’s rope” in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 50 minutes, 13 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: The Turnspit Dog
Robert and Joe continue the month’s journey through human CULINARY techno-history -- this time with the story of the turnspit dog. This now-extinct breed of dog turned the meat in many a European kitchen, before it was replaced by machines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 40 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Penicillin
A fungal accident in the early 20th century opened the door for the medical wonders of the antibiotic age. In this episode, Robert and Joe explore what came before and how Alexander Fleming’s discovery changed the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 47 minutes, 57 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: The Museum
Where do museums come from? Explore their history in this episode... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 33 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Sun Glasses
Shades didn't invent themselves. Robert and Joe explore their origins... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 44 minutes, 19 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Chopsticks
Chopsticks may seem like a basic invention, but this invention has a fascinating history... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 53 minutes, 47 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: The Vending Machine
It took my quarters and gave me candy, but who invented this machine? Find out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 39 minutes, 45 seconds
Invention Playlist 4: Guillotine
It cuts heads off, but who invented it? Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2020 • 51 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail: Moa Money, Moa Problems
It's time for another listener mail episode, this time with your thoughts on teleportation mishaps, the mighty moa and much more... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2020 • 50 minutes, 39 seconds
The Mighty Sarlacc
Few places in the Star Wars universe are regarded with as much horror as the Great Pit of Carkoon, within the Dune Sea of Tatooine. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the mighty Sarlacc and compare what we know about this organism to denizens of the natural world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: The Sacred Mountain, Part 2
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes these breathtaking environments? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the wonder and science of sacred mountains. (originally published 4/25/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2020 • 45 minutes, 18 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Board Games, Part 2
Board games have only grown in variety and complexity in recent decades, but just how far back in time do these curious physical simulations go? In this episode of Invention, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the meeples of ancient history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 1 hour, 3 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Board Games, Part 1
Board games have only grown in variety and complexity in recent decades, but just how far back in time do these curious physical simulations go? In this episode of Invention, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the meeples of ancient history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 48 minutes, 9 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: The Atlatl Spear Thrower
The spear is a truly ancient human technology, but this preceded one of humanity’s oldest mechanical inventions: the atlatl or spear thrower. In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe explore the history and physics of this amazing hunting device. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 57 minutes, 28 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: The Condom
Condoms are an important part of human health and medicine, but where did this invention come from? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Invention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 47 minutes, 45 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Air Conditioning, Part 3
Air conditioning has had a profound impact on modern life -- and in more ways than you might realize. In this trio of Invention episodes, Robert and Joe explore pre-AC cooling methods, the invention itself and the many ways it changed the shape (and temperature) of our lives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 50 minutes, 25 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Air Conditioning, Part 2
Air conditioning has had a profound impact on modern life -- and in more ways than you might realize. In this trio of Invention episodes, Robert and Joe explore pre-AC cooling methods, the invention itself and the many ways it changed the shape (and temperature) of our lives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Air Conditioning, Part 1
Air conditioning has had a profound impact on modern life -- and in more ways than you might realize. In this trio of Invention episodes, Robert and Joe explore pre-AC cooling methods, the invention itself and the many ways it changed the shape (and temperature) of our lives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 49 minutes, 5 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Bread/Toast/Toasters
Who invented toast? Who then went on to invent the toaster? In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe chase the origins of bread transformed through the Maillard reaction and consider the origins of the specialized mini-oven we use to do it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 47 minutes, 30 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Ketchup
You love it. You put it on everything. But where does ketchup come from? In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe explore the mysterious origins of everyone’s favorite sweet red sauce -- and consider the jaw-dropping fact that ketchup isn’t always red and isn’t always made from tomatoes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
Invention Playlist 3: Beachbum Berry on the Mai Tai
The Mai Tai isn’t only the most famous Tiki cocktail, it’s one of the most well known cocktails on the planet. But where does it come from? Who invented it? In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe turn to noted Tiki historian and mixologist Jeff “Beachbum” Berry for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 3 seconds
Pointing, Part 2
Why is pointing such a central part of human communication? How does it relate to culture, technology and our relationship to non-human animals? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe look for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 25 seconds
Pointing, Part 1
Why is pointing such a central part of human communication? How does it relate to culture, technology and our relationship to non-human animals? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe look for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2020 • 57 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: The Sacred Mountain, Part 1
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes these breathtaking environments? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the wonder and science of sacred mountains. (originally published 4/23/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2020 • 48 minutes, 19 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Bubble Wrap
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of bubble wrap... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Toilets, Part 2
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the toilet... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 53 minutes, 43 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Toilets, Part 1
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the toilet... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 48 minutes, 12 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Braille
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of braille... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Walls
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of walls... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 43 minutes, 14 seconds
Invention Playlist II: The Wheel, Part 2
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the wheel... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 39 minutes, 38 seconds
Invention Playlist II: The Wheel, Part 1
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the wheel... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 51 minutes, 26 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Roads
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of roads... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 31 minutes, 41 seconds
Invention Playlist II: The Saxophone
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of the saxophone... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 56 minutes, 33 seconds
Invention Playlist II: Toothpaste
Robert and Joe explore the origins and impact of toothpaste... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2020 • 51 minutes, 11 seconds
The Head of Medusa, Part 2
We all know snake-haired Medusa, the gorgon of Greek myth whose very gaze turns mortals and titans alike to stone. But where does this iconic monster come from and why has she lingered so very long in our art, minds and culture? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe venture to the Gorgade isles in search of answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 7 seconds
The Head of Medusa, Part 1
We all know snake-haired Medusa, the gorgon of Greek myth whose very gaze turns mortals and titans alike to stone. But where does this iconic monster come from and why has she lingered so very long in our art, minds and culture? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe venture to the Gorgade isles in search of answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2020 • 57 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: Flatus Ex Machina, Part 2
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. (originally published 3/28/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At least giant spiders are not trying to eat us. Right? Right? Let's close out Halftober Monsterfest with 2016's episode about what it would be like to be eaten by a giant spider. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2020 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds
STBYM Halftober Monsterfest Playlist, Episode 8: Demon in the Halls of Sleep
Halftober Monsterfest is about to get even weirder. Explore the basics of incubus and succubus myths, a few international variants and the possible biological, psychological and neurological explanations for these paranormal encounters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Demogorgon wasn't enough for you? Fine. Here's our 2016 episode on Dungeons and Dragons' fantastic mindflayer monster and how it matches up with the natural world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Halftober Monsterfest continues with Stuff to Blow Your Mind's 2016 episode about carnivorous plants in nature and myth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes
STBYM Halftober Monsterfest Playlist, Episode 6: A Game of Werewolf
Are you a werewolf? You have to tell me if you're a werewolf. It's the law. Up next on the Halftober Monsterfest Playlist is the 2017 episode "A Game of Werewolf" about the deep psychology of a beloved social game. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let's go back to 2017. Heck, let's go back 500 million years to the monster-haunted waters of the Cambrian period. Halftoberfest now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The most recent Friday the 13th holiday was kind of a bummer, so let's play catch-up with this 2018 episode about masked killers in reality, fiction and culture. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 5 seconds
STBYM Halftober Monsterfest Playlist, Episode 3: The Curse
What is a curse and how does the concept factor into the human experience? The playlist continues with this 2018 Halloween episode from Robert and Joe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 52 seconds
STBYM Halftober Monsterfest Playlist, Episode 1: Blood Type Drinker
Halloween in March? It's happening. Here's our episode "I Drink Your Blood Type" from 2019. Drink up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Haftober Monsterfest continues with Robert and Joe's 2019 discussion on the origins of Dungeons and Dragons’ ultimate demon lord, the interdimensional beast from “Stranger Things” and an enigma of translated texts and gnostic mysticism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2020 • 57 minutes, 33 seconds
Astronomical Suffering and the Terran Diaspora
For many futurists, the long term survival of humanity depends on its ability to become a true interplanetary and even interstellar species. But what is the potential moral cost of such a great technological and cultural leap forward? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the potential for astronomical suffering in the wake of Earth’s outward expansion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 45 seconds
The Invention of Soap
We’re all probably using a lot more soap these days, but… what is it exactly? How does it work? Who invented it and how has it changed the world? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the invention of Soap. If you enjoyed the podcast Invention, stick with Robert and Joe as they continue to explore these same topics as part of Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s regular offerings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 32 seconds
From the Vault: Flatus Ex Machina, Part 1
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. (originally published 3/26/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2020 • 45 minutes, 40 seconds
Invention Playlist: The X-Ray
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Here's their episode on the x-ray. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 44 minutes, 54 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Telescope
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Since we're already talking about optics, let's consider the telescope... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 1 hour, 10 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Motion Picture, Part 3
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Let's finish their three-part look at motion pictures... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 20 seconds
Invention Playlist: A Motion Picture Mystery
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Here's their sidebar with Scott Benjamin about a mysterious death in the history of motion picture technology... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 54 minutes, 51 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Motion Picture, Part 2
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Let's continue with the history of motion pictures... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 43 minutes, 37 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Motion Picture, Part 1
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Let's move on from the camera to motion pictures... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 51 minutes, 37 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Camera, Part 3
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Enjoy their three-part look at the camera... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 56 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Camera, Part 2
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Enjoy their three-part look at the camera... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 57 minutes, 25 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Camera, Part 1
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Enjoy their three-part look at the camera... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 46 minutes, 50 seconds
Invention Playlist: The Camera Obscura
As the Invention podcast ends, discussions of techno-history become part of STBYM again. So let's explore some past episodes of Robert and Joe's other series. Up first, the camera obscura... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2020 • 58 minutes, 15 seconds
Brian Greene on the End of Time
Theoretical Physicist Brian Greene’s new book “Until the End of Time” contemplates the entirety of human history and the known universe in a single volume. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with the author about the cosmos, the human experience and science communication during a global pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2020 • 45 minutes, 6 seconds
Daniel Whiteson on Space Itself
What exactly is space? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, physicist Daniel Whiteson, co-host of the podcast Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe, drops by for another chat with Robert and Joe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: M.I.B. or N.I.B.?
Belief in UFOs is very much like a religion. It can fulfill the same purpose in an individual's life, give them a community of believers and provide grander framework for mundane life. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the similarities between the so-called “men in black” and the devil. (Originally published 3/21/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2020 • 50 minutes, 19 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 7: ‘The Tingler’
Ladies and gentlemen, just a word of warning. If any of you are not convinced that you have a tingler of your own, the next time you're frightened in the dark... don't scream. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 56 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 9: ‘Bandersnatch’
If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers. There's a cosmic flowchart that dictates where you can and where you can't go. I've given you the knowledge. I've set you free. Do you understand? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 33 minutes, 20 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 5: Science of Thulsa Doom, Part 2
Contemplate this on the tree of woe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 51 minutes, 23 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 6: ‘Silent Running’
It calls back a time when there were flowers all over the Earth... and there were valleys. And there were plains of tall green grass that you could lie down in - you could go to sleep in. And there were blue skies, and there was fresh air... and there were things growing all over the place, not just in some domed enclosures blasted some millions of miles out in to space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 15 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 4: Science of Thulsa Doom, Part 1
Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they learn why they fear the night. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 42 minutes, 47 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 10: ‘The Fly’
You're afraid to dive into the plasma pool, aren't you? You're afraid to be destroyed and recreated, aren't you? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 8: ‘Hellraiser’
I thought I'd gone to the limits. I hadn't. The Cenobites gave me an experience beyond limits. Pain and pleasure, indivisible. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 2 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 2: ‘The Dark Crystal’
End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 8 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 3: ‘Highlander 2’
Most people have a full measure of life... and most people just watch it slowly drip away. But if you can summon it all up... at one time... in one place... you can accomplish something... glorious. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 30 seconds
Matinee Science Playlist, Part 1: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’
Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds
The Bone Palace, Part 2
From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a stroll through halls of bone with Robert and Joe in this pair of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2020 • 40 minutes, 4 seconds
The Bone Palace, Part 1
From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a stroll through halls of bone with Robert and Joe in this pair of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2020 • 57 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Bugs Under The Skin
Ever feel like there are bugs crawling around in your body? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore alleged incidents, medical publications and the reality of delusional parasitosis. (originally publsihed 3/19/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 26 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 9: Wound Mouth of the Undying Hydra
From myth to biology, the hydra hungers and grows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 44 minutes, 32 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 10: Chinese Immortality
Explore tales and traditions from Taoist sorcery, alchemy and Chinese folktales. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 51 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 8: Unicorns of the Mythic World
Discover the power and symbolism of the unicorn. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 7: The Trident
What is the meaning of Poseidon's divine weapon? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 6: The Slayer
Who is the slayer and why is this figure so important to our ancient and modern myths? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 16 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 5: Demon Eaters and Possessed Tools
Meet the demon slayer Zhōng Kuí and follow a procession of spirits across the sea to Japan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 18 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 3: Talos
Get to know everyone's favorite ancient bronze age robot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 57 minutes, 59 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 4: Bones of the Plumed Serpent
Venture into the world of Quetzalcoatl. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 42 minutes, 41 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 2: The Myth-Fleshed Fossil
Explore the place where geology and mythology converge. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 20 seconds
Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 1: Unraveling the Mythic
What is mythology and why is it so important? Find out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 20 seconds
Déjà vu, Anxiety and Dreams, Part 2
What is déjà vu and how does it relate to dreams and anxiety? Robert and Joe discuss what is known about this curious anomaly of memory on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/2/2020 • 54 minutes, 28 seconds
Déjà vu, Anxiety and Dreams
What is déjà vu and how does it relate to dreams and anxiety? Robert and Joe discuss what is known about this curious anomaly of memory on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2020 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 2
Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies that may or may not have ever existed in the solar system we call home. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick take a journey through space to survey once-hypothetical bodies that took work to prove, once-imagined bodies that are now confirmed phantoms, and the unsolved mysteries where questions remain. (originally published 3/5/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2020 • 45 minutes, 13 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 10: Dr. Jeff Hoffman
Let's talk about life beyond Earth's magnetosphere. Here's our 2018 chat with astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 53 minutes, 40 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 9: Carl Zimmer
Let's talk about heredity. Here's our 2018 chat with acclaimed science writer Carl Zimmer about his book “She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 12 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 8: Marah Hardt
Let's talk about the love life of coral with "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah J. Hardt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 24 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 7: R. Scott Bakker
Let's talk about alien philosophy. Here's our 2017 chat with Canadian author R. Scott Bakker, discussing his dark fantasy novels as well as his paper 'On Alien Philosophy,' published in the The Journal of Consciousness Studies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 36 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 6: Mary Roach
Let's talk about penis transplants. Here's our 2016 chat with author Mary Roach, who devotes two chapters of her book "Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War" to urotrauma and genital transplant surgery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 44 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 5: Mark Mandica
Let's talk about salamanders. Here's our 2018 chat with Mark Mandica, executive director of The Amphibian Foundation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 58 minutes, 26 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 4: Gene Kritsky
Let's talk about ancient Egyptian bee keeping. Here's our 2016 chat with "The Tears of Re" author entomologist Gene Kritsky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 38 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 3: Thomas S. Mullaney
Let's talk about the Chinese typewriter. Here's our 2018 chat with Thomas S. Mullaney about his book “The Chinese Typewriter: A History.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 4 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 2: Brian Greene, Max Tegmark and Barbara J. King
Let's talk about string theory, super AI and animal emotions. Here are our 2018 World Science Festival interviews with physicist Brian Greene, physicist Max Tegmark and anthropologist Barbara J. King. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 10 seconds
Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 1: Diva Amon
Let's talk about deep sea ecology and conservation. Here's our 2019 chat with deep sea marine biologist Diva Amon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2020 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
Twilight of the Moa
The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy and scientific hope. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the rise and fall of the great Moa. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2020 • 53 minutes, 4 seconds
Rise of the Moa
The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy and scientific hope. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the rise and fall of the great Moa. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2020 • 57 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 1
Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies that may or may not have ever existed in the solar system we call home. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick take a journey through space to survey once-hypothetical bodies that took work to prove, once-imagined bodies that are now confirmed phantoms, and the unsolved mysteries where questions remain. (originally published 2/28/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2020 • 54 minutes, 8 seconds
Space Between: A STBYM Update Episode
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe catch you up to date on the podcast’s production schedule and generally check in with listeners in the wake of current events. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2020 • 46 minutes, 51 seconds
Invertebrate Emotions, Part 2
Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizens of the animal kingdom? What about the octopods? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the question of invertebrate emotions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2020 • 50 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: Gáe Bulg
Irish myth tells of a spear so deadly, that its deployment is certain death. Forged from the bones of sea monsters, the Gáe Bulg would send barbs through its victim’s every vein -- but only if the hero threw it with their foot. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick unravel the myth, history and science of this impractical Irish wonder weapon. (originally published 2/21/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2020 • 48 minutes, 15 seconds
Invertebrate Emotions, Part 1
Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizens of the animal kingdom? What about the octopods? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the question of invertebrate emotions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2020 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 40 seconds
Biology of the Hobbit
Not to question the wisdom of Gandalf the Grey, but a hobbit might seem like a poor choice for a continent-sprawling journey to rid the world of evil. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe return to the science of Middle Earth with a look at scientific breakdowns of hobbit diet, hobbit physiology and hobbit vitamin requirements. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2020 • 43 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: The Dark Crystal
It’s time for another movie-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and this time Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick are bound for the world of Thra in Jim Henson’s 1982 masterpiece “The Dark Crystal.” What are we to make of these complex creatures, mythological themes and cosmological alignment? (originally published 4/4/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2020 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 37 seconds
Autogenics
From a self-hypnosis practice rooted in early 20th century psychiatry to the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, Robert and Joe discuss autogenics training and its creator, Johannes Heinrich Schultz. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2020 • 54 minutes, 52 seconds
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
As the world reacts to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Robert and Joe devote an episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to cover what’s currently known about the virus and what you can do as infections continue to spread. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Split Brain, Part 2
Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore what we’ve learned from split brain experiments in animals and humans. (originally published 1/17/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/29/2020 • 55 minutes, 19 seconds
Overconfidence: The Icarus Paradox
What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mythic roots of hubris, the psychology of overconfidence and its role in society and business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/27/2020 • 50 minutes, 43 seconds
Overconfidence: Hubris and Nemesis
What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the mythic roots of hubris, the psychology of overconfidence and its role in society and business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2020 • 56 minutes, 23 seconds
From the Vault: Split Brain, Part 1
Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore what we’ve learned from split brain experiments in animals and humans. (originally published 1/15/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2020 • 52 minutes, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: In Your Face!
It’s time for another hefty dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Join Robert and Joe as they read and answer your emails on facial recognition, gods, volcanoes the future and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/20/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 14 seconds
The Fly: Into the Plasma Pool
It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, and this time Robert and Joe consider David Cronenberg’s 1986 sci-fi remake “The Fly.” It’s time to drink deep, or taste not, the plasma spring! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2020 • 54 minutes, 27 seconds
From the Vault: Snail Sex in the Sea
In the aftermath of Valentine's Day, join Robert and Joe as they revisit last year's interview with marine biologist and "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah Hardt. It's a chat with STBYM's only four-time guest about all manner of marine invertebrate reproduction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2020 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 58 seconds
Occam's Razor
It’s a standard tool of skeptical thinking: When presented with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well, choose the simpler of the two. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, nature and complexities of Occam’s Razor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/13/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 40 seconds
Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 2
In the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2020 • 59 minutes, 34 seconds
From the Vault: Cupid's Leaden Arrow
It’s Valentine’s Day again, which summons images of mythic Cupid and his bow. But we often forget that Cupid has TWO arrows in his quiver: the golden arrow of desire and the leaden arrow of aversion. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the mythic lead-slinger and the nature of his gray metal. (originally published 2/14/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2020 • 49 minutes, 11 seconds
Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 1
In the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/6/2020 • 45 minutes, 47 seconds
Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 3
Chances are, your face is already part of the database -- and AI is getting better and better at reading one face and finding it in the vast sea of digital images. What does this mean for the future of privacy? How did we get to this point in techno-history and where do we go from here? In this multi-episode look from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore facial recognition technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2020 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Motivated Numeracy and the Politics-ridden Brain
If science were a candle in the dark, we’d need only spread its light to combat climate change denial and vaccine conspiracy theories. But what if the problem is more complex than that? What if a quirk of human cognition enables us to remain willingly in the dark, even as we hold the very candle? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of motivated numeracy. (originally published 11/15/2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 52 seconds
Invention: The Turnspit Dog
In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe continue the month’s journey through human CULINARY techno-history -- this time with the story of the turnspit dog. This now-extinct breed of dog turned the meat in many a European kitchen, before it was replaced by machines. (originally published 11/11/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2020 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 26 seconds
Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 2
Chances are, your face is already part of the database -- and AI is getting better and better at reading one face and finding it in the vast sea of digital images. What does this mean for the future of privacy? How did we get to this point in techno-history and where do we go from here? In this multi-episode look from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore facial recognition technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2020 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 10 seconds
Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 1
Chances are, your face is already part of the database -- and AI is getting better and better at reading one face and finding it in the vast sea of digital images. What does this mean for the future of privacy? How did we get to this point in techno-history and where do we go from here? In this multi-episode look from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore facial recognition technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2020 • 50 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: The Electric Ark
What if the Ark of the Covenant was actually a bronze-age machine capable of storing an electrostatic charge? It almost certainly wasn't, but the idea is a great excuse to explore the understanding of electricity in the ancient world. Join Robert and Joe for another Ark-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2020 • 52 minutes, 15 seconds
The Monoliths of Lalibela
Lalibela, Ethiopia is home to one of the true wonders of the world: a series of 11 rock-hewn monolithic churches -- all interconnected by tunnels and passages that connect to catacombs and hermit caves. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the details of these 12th century marvels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2020 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
Here Come the Warm Feels
There’s often a gap between feeling and understanding, but language and classification provide us with tremendous tools for self-reflection. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of kama muta, a broad categorization of emotional states that include loved belonging, patriotism, cuteness, spiritual communion and the feels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2020 • 52 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: The Ark of the Covenant
What was the Ark of the Covenant? A mere ceremonial vessel for sacred items? A radio for speaking to God? The golden chest of the ancient Hebrews has fascinated historians, theologians, scientists, dreamers and Nazi-punching archeologists for ages. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some of the more thought-provoking ideas concerning its nature. (originally published 12/6/2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2020 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Horseshoe Crabs: Blue Blood of the Ancients
Their fossils date back 450 million years and their copper-rich blue blood continues to benefit various medical applications. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of horseshoe crabs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2020 • 51 minutes, 55 seconds
Ten Year Anniversary Special
Yes, tomorrow marks ten years of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In celebration, original cohost and HowStuffWorks editor Allison Loudermilk pops by to speak with Robert and Joe about science, science communication and some recent headlines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2020 • 58 minutes, 16 seconds
From the Vault: The Great Basilisk
Behold the Great Basilisk, the crowned monster whose mere glance can kill a mortal and reduce wilderness to desert ash. Medieval bestiaries attest to its might, but today some futurists dread its name as an all-powerful malicious artificial intelligence. Will it imprison all those who oppose it within a digital prison of eternal torment? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the horror of Roko’s Basilisk. (Originally published 10/9/2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2020 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 46 seconds
Bandersnatch
From its literary origins in the mirror realm of Lewis Carroll to its terrifying appearance in Charlie Brooker's “Black Mirror,” the frumious Bandersnatch is a monster from which it is useless to flee. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe follow its trail through a maze of choice, freewill, advertising and streaming media. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2020 • 1 hour, 33 minutes, 20 seconds
Brandon Fibbs talks 9 Days in July
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Brandon Fibbs, host of the new podcast "9 Days in July," which explores each of the nine days of the Apollo 11 Mission, day by day, in nine 60-minute-long episodes. Listen to "9 Days in July" on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are found: megaphone.link/9daysinjuly Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2020 • 55 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: Machine Consciousness and P-Zombies
If a machine told you it was conscious, how could you tell if it was lying? Indeed, how can you tell that any random human in your life is lying when they speak of their own consciousness. Join Robert and Joe for a stirring discussion on AI consciousness, philosophical zombies and the coming techno-cognitive dilemma. (Originally published April 12, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2020 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 54 seconds
Updates: The First Monster and Oumuamua
Our understanding of history and cosmos continues to evolve -- and that means episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind are likely to require updates. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss recent updates to topics discussed in past episodes ‘The First Monster” and their coverage of Oumuamua. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2020 • 31 minutes, 20 seconds
David Grinspoon on New Horizons and the Weirdness of Pluto
In the book “Chasting New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto,” authors Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. David Grinspoon recount the riveting history of the quest to send a spacecraft to the planet Pluto. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Grinspoon chats about the book, the planet and the nature of space exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2019 • 59 minutes, 16 seconds
From the Vault: On Teasing
We all know teasing when we see it or experience it, but what role does it play in human interactions? Join Robert and Joe in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they explore hurtful, playful and educative teasing. (Originally published Sept. 11, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2019 • 54 minutes, 25 seconds
Boxing Day Listener Mail
It's boxing day in many holiday traditions: A time to give a gratitude box to postmen, errand boys and servants. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe present just such a box to the mailbot Karnie and read some listener mail as well. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2019 • 52 minutes, 58 seconds
Is Santa a god? (part 2)
He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or does he rise to the status of a god? In this pair of STBYM episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the general attributes of a deity and consider the awesome, reality-warping powers of the one we call Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and of course Santa Claus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2019 • 54 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: Christmas Island Crabs, Part 2
Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut crabs feast on carrion in the forests. So deck the halls with boughs of SCUTTLING HORROR as Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick celebrate the holiday season in style. (Originaly published Dec. 27, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2019 • 46 minutes, 38 seconds
Is Santa a god? (part 1)
He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or does he rise to the status of a god? In this pair of STBYM episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the general attributes of a deity and consider the awesome, reality-warping powers of the one we call Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and of course Santa Claus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2019 • 48 minutes
Prototaxites: Shrooms Like Cedars in the Devonian Wilds
Did 20-foot-tall giant fungi rule the earth 400 million years ago? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the puzzling prototaxites fossils from the Devonian period. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2019 • 54 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Christmas Island Crabs, Part 1
Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut crabs feast on carrion in the forests. So deck the halls with boughs of SCUTTLING HORROR as Robert and Joe celebrate the holiday season in style. (Originally published Dec. 25, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2019 • 48 minutes, 9 seconds
The Psychology of Architecture, Part 2
The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2019 • 57 minutes, 36 seconds
The Psychology of Architecture, Part 1
The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Thought Experiments
Stuff to Blow Your Mind frequently discusses thought experiments on the show, from Schrödinger's Cat to the Infinity Hotel. But what constitutes a thought experiments? How long have they been around and what are the seven categories? Robert and Joe explore… (Originally published Jan 3, 2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2019 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 8 seconds
Die Nacht des Krampus
Heute Nacht ist Krampusnacht. Besprechen Sie mit Robert und Joe auf STBYM die beliebtesten Urlaubsmonster aller. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 16 seconds
It’s Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas
It’s the first week of December and holiday music is already playing in retail stores around the world. Sure, this is supposed to infuse you with the holiday spirit and perhaps kickstart your holiday shopping blitz, but at what cost? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the pros and cons of all that Christmas music. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/3/2019 • 50 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault; Stone Age Technology with Dietrich Stout
Paleolithic tools inform not just our understanding of prehistoric lives, but also the evolution and nature of the human mind. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Emory University’s Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Dietrich Stout about the hand ax, tool use and even "2001: A Space Odyssey.” (Originally published Nov. 13, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2019 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 43 seconds
Thankful: The Science of Gratitude
Tis the season of thankfulness, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science of Gratitude. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 50 seconds
Dangerous Foods: Adverse Additives
As is tradition, Stuff to Blow Your Mind prepares for seasonal feasts with a look at dangerous foods -- this time with a focus on peculurial and sometimes frightful additives such as lead, mercury and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2019 • 1 hour, 23 seconds
From the Vault: 2001: A Space Odyssey
No discussion of great sci-fi cinema is complete without mention of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The 1968 classic is 50 years old this year, so Robert and Joe figured it the perfect time to board the Discovery One and discuss its many scientific and futurist elements, as well as the legacy of Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s creation. (Originally published Aug. 14, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 29 seconds
Devourer of Memories, Part 2
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regineration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the unabomber. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2019 • 49 minutes, 24 seconds
Devourer of Memories, Part 1
“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regineration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the unabomber. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2019 • 47 minutes, 43 seconds
From the Vault: The Ship of Theseus
An ancient ship rots in the harbor and so we restore it piece by piece until nothing of the original ship remains. Is it still the same ship? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss one of history’s more mind-boggling thought experiments. (Originall published Aug. 21, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2019 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 40 seconds
Listener Mail: Black Hole Dream
Have you ever dreamt that you forgot about a college class until the morning of the final exam — and then dreamt that a black hole swallowed the entire university? Yes, it’s time for yet another Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 46 seconds
Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover 2019
Halloween may be over, but Robert and Joe have a bunch of spooky listener mail to unpack before the other holidays kick in. Grab whatever is left of the Halloween candy and tune in... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 2
You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of savagery and various other facts that will make you reconsider the skugg and respect its kingdom. In this episode, things get weird. (Originally published Aug. 30, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2019 • 44 minutes, 23 seconds
The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes
Yes, it’s time once more for us to cover the Ig Nobel prizes. This year on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider cubical wombat poop, truly dirty money, diaper-changing robots and much more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2019 • 43 minutes, 3 seconds
Ann Swanson: Science of Yoga
What is yoga? How can it heal our bodies and minds? And where do we draw the line between spiritual models of the human condition and proven biology? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Ann Swanson, author of “Science Of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect your Practice” drops in for a chat about yoga research and the benefits of mindfulness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 39 seconds
From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 1
You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of savagery and various other facts that will make you reconsider the skugg and respect its kingdom. Up first, let’s talk about their bloody diet... (Originally published Aug. 28, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2019 • 57 minutes, 9 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 3
The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes The Outer Limits and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2019 • 57 minutes, 48 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 2
The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes of Monsters and The Twilight Zone. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2019 • 1 hour, 5 minutes
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 1
From “Night Gallery” to “Tales From the Crypt,” everyone loves a great horror anthology show. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a new ghoulish tradition, as they pick a few notable installments from horror anthology TV and cinema history in order to explore the real-life science and history behind the blood and madness. (Originally published Oct. 30, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2019 • 1 hour, 43 minutes, 39 seconds
Hellraiser
Robert and Joe have such sights to show you in this movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join them as they discuss Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” and the questions it raises about monastic traditions, flagellation, puzzle boxes and the science of pain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2019 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 2 seconds
Chet van Duzer on Sea Monsters
Dive into the haunted seas of history as Joe chats with cartography historian Chet van Duzer about sea monsters, strange maps and the dark mysteries of the global ocean. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2019 • 48 minutes, 19 seconds
From the Vault: Monstrosity/Cuteness Spectrum
It seems the unavoidable fate of all terrifying monsters, doesn’t it? We reduce the most horrifying creatures of myth, legend and folklore to an adorable kids costume or a mega-cute illustration. Why can’t we help ourselves? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the battle between cuteness and monstrosity, with examples drawn from Japanese traditions. (Originally published Oct 31, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2019 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 26 seconds
The Gerasene Demoniac
“My name is Legion.” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the Biblical tale of exorcism and swine. What did the story mean? How was it used to enforce our relationship with animals and just how intelligent are pigs? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2019 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 2
From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the mystifying world of the mental image. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2019 • 58 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: The Slayer
Myth and folklore are full of monsters and the heroes who slay them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick meet some of these fabulous slayers and discuss the science and potential meaning of their bloody endeavors. (Oct. 25, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2019 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 5 seconds
Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 1
From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the mystifying world of the mental image. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 28 seconds
Our Cars, Our Bodies, Our Minds
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the cognitive effects of driving. How does it alter our perceptions of self? How might driving prevent cognitive decline? What are the benefits of automotive ergonomics and how do we avoid the risks of road rage is aggressive? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2019 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 4 seconds
From the Vault: Jenny Greenteeth
According to certain English folktales, a vile creature lurks in the slime-caked dark of local ponds. When little ones wander too close to shore, she lashes out to drown them in her slippery embrace. She has many names: Nelly Longarms, Peg Powler, the Grindylow... and Jenny Greenteeth. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss these old tales of aquatic terror, their instructional nature and the real-world predators who swim the shores in search of terrestrial prey. (Originally published Oct. 2, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2019 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 8 seconds
I Drink Your Blood Type
Gather round ye blood drinkers and children of the night, for in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe will discuss human blood types -- what they are, why they exist and what powers they hold. It’s all required listeners for any serious vampires. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 5 seconds
Demogorgon
You probably know the Demogorgon as the powerful demon lord from Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps as the interdimensional monster from “Stranger Things.” But where does this curious name come from? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe pursue the origins of the Demogorgon through modern pop culture, romantic poetry, translated texts and Gnostic mystery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2019 • 57 minutes, 33 seconds
From the Vault: Five Reasons to Never Take Your Space Helmet Off
You've consumed enough science fiction to know something the average red shirt doesn't: Never take your space helmet off on a foreign planet. But if you're still tempted to breathe deep the gathering gloom, how about five compelling scientific reasons not to? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss "Alien: Covenant" and explore some very compelling biological and radiological reasons to remain helmeted on an alien hell world. (Originally published May 25, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2019 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 1 second
Mark Mandica: Amphibian Conservation and Vilified Reptiles
Mark Mandica, executive director of the Amphibian Foundation, returns to Stuff to Blow Your Mind to discuss the ongoing challenges of amphibian conservation as well as the value of two unfairly-vilified reptiles: the copperhead snake and the common snapping turtle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2019 • 51 minutes, 35 seconds
Daniel Whiteson: Particles and Science
How do we relate to the unseen worlds of particle physics and distant stars? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, physicist Daniel Whiteson, co-host of the podcast Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe drops in for a chat about particle physicists, science communication and the wonders of our cosmos. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2019 • 39 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Euphemisms
Sure, euphemisms allow us to talk about something unpleasant or taboo without actually invoking the dreaded word or words -- but what else is going on? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe explore the linguistic power of euphemisms to alter and transform the tone or meaning of everyday communication. (Originally published Dec. 13, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 14 seconds
The One Ring
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the most powerful artifact in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy series and how it relates to real-life metallurgy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2019 • 45 minutes, 1 second
Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 2
A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means -- and doesn’t mean -- for humanity, our solar system and our future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2019 • 39 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: John Dee, Part 2
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion and plunged the depths of human knowledge in age of great change. In this second of two episodes on the topic, Robert and Christian discuss Dr. Dee’s involvement in science, statecraft, cryptography and espionage. (Originally published Dec. 8, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2019 • 42 minutes, 27 seconds
Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 1
A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means -- and doesn’t mean -- for humanity, our solar system and our future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2019 • 54 minutes, 9 seconds
Summer Reading 2019
It's never too late for Summer Reading! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome back former co-host Christian Sager, host of the podcast Supercontext for a discussion of recent reads. Jump on it before summer ends! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: John Dee, Part 1
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion and plunged the depths of human knowledge in age of great change. In this first of two episodes on the topic, Robert and Christian discuss the world, life and magic of the enigmatic Dr. Dee. (Originally published Dec. 6, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 1 second
The Voynich Manuscript, Part 2
Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss just why we can't stop looking to its weird pages. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2019 • 47 minutes, 59 seconds
The Voynich Manuscript, Part 1
Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss just why we can't stop looking to its weird pages. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2019 • 50 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 2
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and culture. Join Robert and Joe for a two-part discussion of untruths, the human mind and just what you can do to fight the big lies at work in your world. (Originally published July 12, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2019 • 47 minutes, 58 seconds
Listener Mail: That's a Bummer
Yes, it's listener mail time once more, this time with e-mails about B.U.M.M.E.R. social media platforms, planetary defense, the Tingler, psychedelics and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2019 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 40 seconds
Surfing Neanderthals
What do recent studies about surfer’s ear and neanderthals reveal about their relationship with the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the condition and some recent findings regarding the neanderthals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2019 • 37 minutes, 43 seconds
From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 1
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and culture. Join Robert and Joe for a two-part discussion of untruths, the human mind and just what you can do to fight the big lies at work in your world. (Originally published July 10, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2019 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 56 seconds
School Dreams
Have you ever experienced dreams of forgotten classes, impossible exams and other examples of school-age anxiety? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the pervasive nature of the school dream. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2019 • 54 minutes, 54 seconds
Lot's Wife: Flesh into Salt
You’ve probably heard the Biblical tale of Lot’s wife, in which a trio of angels destroy a couple of ancient cities and the resulting blast turns a woman into a pillar of salt. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe set aside most of the theology to ponder if and how a human body could become a big old chunk of salt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2019 • 43 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: The Dark Side of Neuroplasticity
When you hear the word “neuroplasticity,” you probably think of it in terms of a young brain’s ability to learn or an older brain’s struggles to rebound from injury. The possibility of a neuroplasticity-boosting drug remains one of medicine's true holy grails, but is there a dark side? Robert and Joe discuss the balance of plasticity and stability in the human mind. (Originally published July 5, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2019 • 49 minutes, 45 seconds
How to Survive a Great Fall
Anticipating a fall from 10,000 feet or more? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss your chances of survival. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2019 • 51 minutes, 57 seconds
The Weird World of Prehistoric Transylvania
This episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes listeners to Transylvania, where a rogue baron made important early strides in the field of paleobiology and where, during the Late Cretaceous period, giant pterosaur dubbed “Dracula” feasted on pony-sized dwarf sauropods. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2019 • 41 minutes, 39 seconds
From the Vault: Chariots of the Gods
Chances are, you’re already quite familiar with the notion the ancient astronauts visited the earth and gave humans the tech support they needed to climb the ladder of civilization. There's no true proof to back it up, yet ancient astronaut speculation is a 20th century invention -- and one tied closely to a single bestselling author. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss Erich von Däniken and Carl Sagan's thoughts on ancient aliens. (Originally published June 28, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes
Asteroid 2019 OK: The Little Doomsday
The near-Earth object (NEO) known as Asteroid 2019 OK just made an unexpected close pass, raising the hair on the back of humanity’s collective neck. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe weigh the risks posed by other NEOs and discuss what we’re doing to track them and even stop an incoming doomsday rock. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2019 • 53 minutes, 32 seconds
Bonus Episode: Ephemeral's Alex Williams
Former Stuff to Blow Your Mind producer and host of the podcast Ephemeral drops in for a chat about the media of yesteryear and related topics. Listen in and learn more at www.ephemeral.show Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/7/2019 • 56 minutes, 33 seconds
Social Media Is a B.U.M.M.E.R.
How will you feel the day you finally delete all your social media accounts? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the arguments for doing just that in Jaron Lanier’s book “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2019 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 41 seconds
From the Vault: The Gods Must Be Counterintuitive
What’s the key to a lasting myth, a captivating religion or a sensational film pitch? Some cognitive scientists and anthropologists argue that the key is a minimally counterintuitive narrative: the right balance of the mundane with just a dash of the unreasonable and unexpected. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the minimal counterintuitiveness effect. (Originally published August 2, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 9 seconds
The Tingler
It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and you might be surprised to discover all the weird and wonderful themes at work in the often-dismissed 1959 Vincent Price film “The Tingler.” Not only does it dwell on fear and symbiosis, but it also features the first reference to LSD in a major motion picture. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 56 seconds
Listener Mail: The Psychedelic Experience
It’s listener mail time again, this time devoted entirely to feedback on Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s five-part series on psychedelics. Join Robert and Joe as they read everyone’s submitted thoughts and experiences. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2019 • 58 minutes, 53 seconds
From the Vault: MDMA, Part 2
Some of you have tried the ecstasy. Others have merely heard about the drug on a TV sitcom, or heard about it in a news report. Either way, MDMA's power resonates through our culture -- and sometimes it's hard to distinguish the truth form the misinformation. But what exactly is this psychoactive agent? Where does it come from and what sort of effect does it have on the human experience? Join Robert and Christian as they explore the origins and properties of MDMA. (Originally published Dec. 17, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2019 • 41 minutes, 23 seconds
Electric Microbe Land
It’s easy to think of electricity as the domain of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Street Fighter’s Blanka. But as Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, it’s also the domain of microbes -- and it will change the shape of future technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2019 • 46 minutes, 3 seconds
TEETH: Dental Evolution and Marching Molars
Where do teeth come from and how do different dental variations in the animal world force us to rethink our glorious chompers? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore dental evolution and the wondrous marching molars of elephants and manatees. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2019 • 42 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: MDMA, Part 1
Some of you have tried the ecstasy. Others have merely heard about the drug on a TV sitcom, or heard about it in a news report. Either way, MDMA's power resonates through our culture -- and sometimes it's hard to distinguish the truth form the misinformation. But what exactly is this psychoactive agent? Where does it come from and what sort of effect does it have on the human experience? Join Robert and Christian as they explore the origins and properties of MDMA. (Originally published Dec. 15, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2019 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 23 seconds
TEETH (with Katie Goldin)
Katie Goldin is back with a new season of Creature Feature, so she joins Robert and Joe on Stuff to Blow Your Mind for a chat about strange and amazing teeth in the animal kingdom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2019 • 43 minutes, 38 seconds
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 5
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2019 • 50 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: Timothy Leary, Part 2
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel, psychologist and celebrity? What did he reveal about LSD’s power and potential? Join Robert and Christian for a special two-part look at the man, the time and the drug he championed. Turn on, tune in, drop out... (originally published Sep 21, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/13/2019 • 49 minutes, 55 seconds
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 4
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2019 • 44 minutes
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 3
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: Timothy Leary, Part 1
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel, psychologist and celebrity? What did he reveal about LSD’s power and potential? Join Robert and Christian for a special two-part look at the man, the time and the drug he championed. Turn on, tune in, drop out... (originally published Sep 19, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2019 • 52 minutes, 26 seconds
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 2
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2019 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 1
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissance of scientific study into their properties improve our lives? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe explore the world of entheogens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 21 seconds
From the Vault: The Science of Holy Butter
There's more to butter than meets the eye. Each yellow pat of fatty goodness is nothing short of processed solar energy, and its long history entails many a magical and sacred rite. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider the curious nature of butter. (Originally published Jan 10, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2019 • 49 minutes, 19 seconds
Roman Extinctions
Humans are capable of amazing technological and societal feats, but we’ve also brought much misery, death and destruction to our world. We are currently in the midst of the sixth great extinction event -- the Holocene extinction -- and the ravages of human activity extend back throughout our history as a dominator species. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe focus in on some of the key extinctions that occurred during the Roman Empire. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2019 • 59 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Fatberg City
It's time for another listener mail and this time we have field reports from the war on fatbergs in the world's sewers -- plus various other e-mails related to recent episodes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2019 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 20 seconds
From the Vault: The Fartonomicon
What is a fart? From what foul bodily depths does it arise? Join Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they crack open the Fartomicon. Explore the fascinating chemistry of flatus, recoil in horror at the thought of medieval fart demons and consider the curious creatures that enjoy a flatulence-free existence. (Originally published April 17, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2019 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
The Facial Feedback Hypothesis
To what extent does the act of smiling generate happiness in the mind of the smiler? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Facial Feedback Hypothesis and what it means for our complex human emotions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2019 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 46 seconds
Silent Running
It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and this time Robert and Joe are talking about 1972’s “Silent Running,” in which Bruce Dern and his robot pals are caught in an endless chase. It’s a discussion of sci-fi, space botany, environmentalism and the relationship between humans and the forest. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2019 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: Life on Venus
The planet Venus might seem a hellish destination and an unlikely place to find extraterrestrial life. And yet, many experts agree that life may have existed in the planet's ancient oceans -- and may thrive yet within the upper atmosphere. Join Robert and Joe in a quest for Venusian aliens. (Originally published May 17, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2019 • 56 minutes, 33 seconds
Against ‘Survival of the Fittest’
Is natural selection REALLY survival of the fittest? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss where the phrase comes from and how well it actually matches up with our understanding of evolution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/13/2019 • 47 minutes, 31 seconds
Brain Soup and Liquid Brains
Is there ever a good scientific reason to turn brains into soup? What does all of this have to do with the concept of “liquid brains?” Robert and Joe explore on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2019 • 51 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: Finite and Infinite Games
How do you play the game of life? Do you play it as a finite game or an infinite one? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the 1986 philosophy book “Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility” by American scholar James P. Carse. (Originally published May 31, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/8/2019 • 53 minutes, 23 seconds
Q2: Bones of the Plumed Serpent
In the Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode “Quetzalcoatl: The Winged Serpent,” Robert and Joe discussed the feathered snake god of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica -- as well as the giant pterosaur named after it. In this episode, fossils and myth come together in a discussion of Adrienne Mayor’s geomythology take on the plumed serpent. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/6/2019 • 42 minutes, 34 seconds
The Soap Dragon
What monsters of fatty flesh lie slumbering in the sewer guts of our great cities? Join Robert and Joe as they venture into the dark to discover the beast we all made together. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2019 • 45 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Neurosecurity: Dawn of the Brain Hackers
While hackers and malware can certainly cause a great deal of damage and misery, these dangers can’t hurt us physically, right? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe are sorry to say you’re wrong -- and as more biotechnology and brain-computer interface creeps into our lives, the risk will only go up. Tune in for a discussion on inherent vulnerability, looming technology and what needs to happen to protect us. (Originally published June 1, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2019 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 8 seconds
The Great Wave
For centuries, sailors have told stories of mountainous killer waves that rise out of the ocean without warning. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion of the history and science of rogue waves. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2019 • 53 minutes, 15 seconds
The Doppelganger Network
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss Doppelgangers, fairy imposters, the brain basis for the feeling of familiarity, and a unique way of understanding the impact of social media and modern communications technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2019 • 58 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: Beyond the Uncanny Valley
From bad CGI characters to creepy humanoid robots, everyone knows the uncanny valley effect when they see it. But where did this idea come from and to what extent is it actually a thing? Join Robert and Joe as they descend into the uncanny valley and explore just what's going on in our minds when we lock eyes with less-than-human simulacrums. (Originally published April 6, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2019 • 53 minutes, 5 seconds
Listener Mail: Sacred Squirrels and More
It’s time for another bag of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, plus a minor update on sacred squirrels. Join Robert, Joe and your friendly neighborhood mailbot dig into your thoughts on recent episodes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2019 • 1 hour, 45 seconds
Deep Sea Ecology with Diva Amon
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with deep sea marine biologist Diva Amon about life in the deep ocean -- from the wonderous organisms that thrive there to the human activities that threaten their future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2019 • 59 minutes, 33 seconds
From the Vault: Into the Uncanny Valley
The far side of the uncanny valley rises steeply, assaulting our psyche as our artificial human likenesses creep ever closer toward perfection. But what happens when we actually emerge on the other side? What happens to human society when video footage is no longer the gold standard? Robert and Joe investigate. (Originally published April 4, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2019 • 1 hour, 26 seconds
The Science of Thulsa Doom, Part 2
It’s time for another movie-themed Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode. In fact, it's TWO episodes. This time Robert and Joe discuss the 1982 sword and sorcery picture “Conan the Barbarian.” Join them as they gush over the film’s charismatic villain Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) and explore the real world of giant snakes, Set, snake arrows and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2019 • 51 minutes, 23 seconds
The Science of Thulsa Doom
It’s time for another movie-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind -- and this time Robert and Joe are discussing the 1982 sword and sorcery picture “Conan the Barbarian.” Join them as they gush over the film’s charismatic villain Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) and explore the real world of giant snakes, Set, snake arrows and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2019 • 42 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Carl Zimmer on Heredity's Power
Why does heredity hold such power over us? How did the ancients contemplate it and how is genetic technology changing the shape of future heredity? In this classic episode, Robert and Joe chat with acclaimed science writer Carl Zimmer about the topics explored in his book “She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.” (Originally published June 14, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2019 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 22 seconds
Send an Owl/Raven/Pigeon!
Harry Potter sends messages by owl. The characters of ‘Game of Thrones’ employ ravens. Meanwhile, real-life messenger pigeons have carried messages for thousands of years. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider just why the homing pigeon is perfect for this job -- and why owls and ravens are not. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 45 seconds
Almost Cannibals
What’s the line between cannibalism and mere predation? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some thought-provoking cases of predation and cannibalism in the animal world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2019 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 13 seconds
From the Vault: Coral Sex in the Sea
Sure coral reefs are rich, vibrant ecosystems, but did you know they also have a kinky side? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah J. Hardt returns to chat about coral reproduction and the role this vital, threatened organism plays in our world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2019 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 29 seconds
The Fallacy of Alignment: Fundamental Attribution Error, Part 2
How do we consider and predict the actions and intentions of others? How much do we lean on an individual’s presumed internal disposition versus the particulars of their situation? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the fundamental attribution error, which breaks down the errors and even dangers of causal cognition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2019 • 34 minutes, 47 seconds
The Fallacy of Alignment: Fundamental Attribution Error, Part 1
How do we consider and predict the actions and intentions of others? How much do we lean on an individual’s presumed internal disposition versus the particulars of their situation? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the fundamental attribution error, which breaks down the errors and even dangers of causal cognition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2019 • 43 minutes, 25 seconds
Invention: Toilets, Part 1
Have you subscribed to Robert and Joe's other podcast INVENTION yet? If not, here's a taste of what they're up to in part 1 of their look at toilet technology, from the oldest latrine pit to the modern flushing commode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2019 • 50 minutes, 6 seconds
The Sacred Mountain, Part 2
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes these breathtaking environments? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the wonder and science of sacred mountains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/25/2019 • 44 minutes, 56 seconds
The Sacred Mountain, Part 1
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes these breathtaking environments? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the wonder and science of sacred mountains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2019 • 47 minutes, 16 seconds
From the Vault: Humanity's THC Odyssey
Humans have known about cannabis for thousands of years, crafting hemp textiles and consuming its psychoactive THC. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Christian Sager examine the cannabis plant, its travels through human populations and its famed sensory and psychological effects. (Originally published May 3, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2019 • 58 minutes, 52 seconds
The Imp of the Perverse
In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a tale about a man overcome by the compulsion to confess to the heinous crime he sought to keep secret. The conundrum pops up in other Poe tales as well, but the so called “Imp of the Perverse” also invades the human mind with alarming regularity. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe attempt to understand just why, considering Freud, neuroscience, Ironic Process Theory and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2019 • 54 minutes, 10 seconds
The Pressure
Atmospheric pressure. Water pressure. Geologic pressure. What exactly IS pressure and how do humans interact with it? Join Robert and Joe for a look at examples on and within planet Earth -- as well as beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2019 • 1 hour, 57 seconds
From the Vault: Bicameralism, Part 2
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind” hypothesized that ancient humans heard hallucinated voices in place of conscious thought, and presented archaeological, literary, historical and religious evidence to support this highly controversial view. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they dissect bicameralism and discuss the evidence, the criticisms and more in this two-parter. (originally published Sep 28, 2017)Related Content: Bicameralism, Part 1: The Voice of God (podcast)Bonus Episode: R. Scott Bakker on Consciousness & Consult (podcast)Where is my mind? (podcast)What Mind Control Feels Like(podcast)Outside Content:The Julian Jaynes Society'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind' by Julian Jaynes Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2019 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 35 seconds
Against Narrative: Are stories bad for us? Part 2
It’s hard to imagine human beings without storytelling and literature. Surely, these are some of the very things that define us. Narratives give our lives and our world meaning, but what if there’s a dark side to their sorcerous power? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the storyteller’s potent spell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2019 • 51 minutes, 32 seconds
Against Narrative: Are stories bad for us? Part 1
It’s hard to imagine human beings without storytelling and literature. Surely, these are some of the very things that define us. Narratives give our lives and our world meaning, but what if there’s a dark side to their sorcerous power? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the storyteller’s potent spell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2019 • 45 minutes, 35 seconds
From the Vault: Bicameralism, Part 1
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind” hypothesized that ancient humans heard hallucinated voices in place of conscious thought, and presented archaeological, literary, historical and religious evidence to support this highly controversial view. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they dissect bicameralism and discuss the evidence, the criticisms and more in this two-parter. (originally published Sep 26, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2019 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 7 seconds
The Dark Crystal
It’s time for another movie-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and this time Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick are bound for the world of Thra in Jim Henson’s 1982 masterpiece “The Dark Crystal.” What are we to make of these complex creatures, mythological themes and cosmological alignment? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 8 seconds
Listener Mail: The Quickening
Once more, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick bust out some listener mail -- with the aid of their mailboy Karny, who was accidently infected by the recent “Highlander 2” episode and is now displaying symptoms of multiple Highlander personality disorder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/2/2019 • 1 hour, 31 seconds
From the Vault: Eternal Youth, Part 2
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural selection? Indeed, what can science offer us in the way of eternal youth? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick seek to find out in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. (Originally published Jan. 9, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2019 • 48 minutes, 16 seconds
Flatus Ex Machina, Part 2
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. In this second episode, the joke's on us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2019 • 41 minutes, 29 seconds
Flatus Ex Machina, Part 1
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2019 • 44 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: Eternal Youth, Part 1
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural selection? Indeed, what can science offer us in the way of eternal youth? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick seek to find out in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. (Originally published Jan. 4, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2019 • 45 minutes, 20 seconds
M.I.B. or N.I.B. ?
Belief in UFOs is very much like a religion. It can fulfill the same purpose in an individual's life, give them a community of believers and provide grander framework for mundane life. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the similarities between the so-called “men in black” and the devil. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2019 • 49 minutes, 58 seconds
Bugs Under The Skin
Ever feel like there are bugs crawling around in your body? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore alleged incidents, medical publications and the reality of delusional parasitosis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Don't Drink the Salt Water
Whether you draw your wisdom from 18th century poems or experience in the surf, you probably know that drinking seawater is a terrible idea. But exactly why shouldn’t you drink saltwater? What happens if you do? Can it really drive you mad with hallucinations? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick look to the world of biology for answers. (Originally published Jan. 16, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2019 • 49 minutes, 3 seconds
Let's Make a List
Why are humans so fascinated by lists? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the reason we can’t pass a top 10 clickbait headline and are forever haunted by incomplete lists. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 47 seconds
The Tunnelers
How deep into the Earth have humans traveled? How far have we drilled? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore some interesting lows from the history of mining, geologic exploration and good old fashioned subterranean living. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2019 • 49 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Jade Immortality
Chinese aristocracy of the Western Han Dynasty embarked on their journey into the afterlife within garments of stone -- luxurious suits of jade armor entailing thousands of individual plates sewn together with gold, silver or silk. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Christian Sager explore this ancient funeral custom and both the scientific and superstitious qualities of jade. (Originally published May 9, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2019 • 42 minutes, 8 seconds
Highlander 2: The Sciencing
Yes, the time of the Quickening is at hand! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick finally make good on their threat to devote an entire episode to the 1991 film "Highlander II: The Quickening" and whatever science might be rendered from its plot. They wanted this to be a six-part series, but our boss tells us... there can be only one. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2019 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 30 seconds
The Lost Daughters of Aten: Planet 9
Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies that may or may not have ever existed in the solar system we call home. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick continue their journey through space to survey once-hypothetical bodies that took work to prove, once-imagined bodies that are now confirmed phantoms, and the unsolved mysteries where questions remain. This time, the destination is a hypothetical planet beyond the orbit of Pluto. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2019 • 44 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Talos
Among the many humanoid gods and bestial monsters of Greek mythology, one finds a peculiar outlier: Talos the bronze automaton. Said to stalk the shores of Crete, Talos pelted suspicious ships with rocks and immolated enemy soldiers with its smoldering embrace. Does this myth reveal Greek attitudes toward technology? What existing technologies can we decode in its description? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published Jan. 2, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2019 • 58 minutes, 46 seconds
The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 1
Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies that may or may not have ever existed in the solar system we call home. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick take a journey through space to survey once-hypothetical bodies that took work to prove, once-imagined bodies that are now confirmed phantoms, and the unsolved mysteries where questions remain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/28/2019 • 53 minutes, 19 seconds
Mystery of the Sea Circles
We’ve all heard about crop circles, and the entirely terrestrial reason they pop up in the occasional wheat field. But what about strange circles on the bottom of the sea? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the mystery of these ephemeral patterns and what scientists discovered about their origin. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/26/2019 • 51 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: The Winter People, Part 2
Do you feel like a different person during the winter? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick examine the extent to which winter affects human health and culture. From the winter transformations of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people to the latest studies on seasonal genetic changes, prepare to contemplate the icy dark. (Originally published Dec. 28, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2019 • 46 minutes, 3 seconds
Gáe Bulg: The Spear of Death
Irish myth tells of a spear so deadly, that its deployment is certain death. Forged from the bones of sea monsters, the Gáe Bulg would send barbs through its victim’s every vein -- but only if the hero threw it with their foot. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick unravel the myth, history and science of this impractical Irish wonder weapon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/21/2019 • 47 minutes, 28 seconds
Ideophones: How does this word feel?
What’s an ideophone? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the place where sounds, meanings and the possible roots of language converge. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/19/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 46 seconds
From the Vault: The Winter People, Part 1
Do you feel like a different person during the winter? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick examine the extent to which winter affects human health and culture. From the winter transformations of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people to the latest studies on seasonal genetic changes, prepare to contemplate the icy dark. (Originally published Dec. 26, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2019 • 45 minutes, 42 seconds
Cupid’s Leaden Arrow
It’s Valentine’s Day again, which summons images of mythic Cupid and his bow. But we often forget that Cupid has TWO arrows in his quiver: the golden arrow of desire and the leaden arrow of aversion. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the mythic lead-slinger and the nature of his gray metal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2019 • 48 minutes, 27 seconds
Listener Mail: Crab Sabbath
It's listener mail time again and Karnie the mailbot seems rather grumpy about a particular holiday. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they read and respond to various listener mail from the past month. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/12/2019 • 50 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Minds of Musical Emptiness
We're all wired to enjoy different forms of music, but for some of us the wiring is missing entirely. Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager as they explore the curious conditions of amusia and auditory agnosia in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. (Originally published July 28, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2019 • 48 minutes, 6 seconds
Marah Hardt talks Snails, Sex and the Sea
It's almost Valentine's Day, so it's time to invite marine biologist and "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah Hardt back on the show again! Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they chat with STBYM's only four-time guest about all manner of marine invertebrate reproduction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2019 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 14 seconds
Demon Eaters and Possessed Tools
As we slide into the Year of the Earth Pig, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick turn to the legend of the demon slayer Zhōng Kuí and follow a procession of spirits across the sea to Japan, where discarded tools spark spirit possessions, not joy. Sorry, Marie Kondo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2019 • 1 hour, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Aquatic Humanoids, Part 2
From the sirens of 'The Odyssey' to 'The Creature From the Black Lagoon' and beyond, humans have always imagined their underwater doubles. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe discuss the revealing myth and fiction of mermaids and gillmen -- as well as the aquatic ape theory and the biological possibilities of an aquatic humanoid. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2019 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 49 seconds
Ships of Life: Shipwrecks
Water vessels serve the humans who made them, but that doesn’t mean other lifeforms don’t benefit as well. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the various organisms that thrive aboard functional, abandoned and sunken ships Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2019 • 59 minutes, 39 seconds
Ships of Life: Stowaways
Water vessels serve the humans who made them, but that doesn’t mean other lifeforms don’t benefit as well. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the various organisms that thrive aboard functional, abandoned and sunken ships Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2019 • 54 minutes, 56 seconds
From the Vault: Aquatic Humanoids, Part 1
From the sirens of “The Odyssey” to “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” and beyond, humans have always imagined their underwater doubles. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the revealing myth and fiction of mermaids and gillmen -- as well as the aquatic ape theory and the biological possibilities of an aquatic humanoid. (Originally published Jan. 23, 2018)Related Content: Aquatic Humanoids, Part 2 (podcast)Don't Drink the Salt Water (podcast)Here There Be Sea Monsters (podcast)Outside Content: 'Horror Noire' by Robin R Means Coleman Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2019 • 59 minutes, 53 seconds
Invasion of the Globsters, Part 2
When mysterious globs of meat wash up on the shores of human civilization, we have a tendency to see beasts in the blobs and have always tried to imagine the creature in the carnage. Welcome to the world of globsters, where mounds of putrid sea flesh birth cryptozoological dreams and science tends to have the last world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2019 • 41 minutes, 8 seconds
Invasion of the Globsters, Part 1
When mysterious globs of meat wash up on the shores of human civilization, we have a tendency to see beasts in the blobs and have always tried to imagine the creature in the carnage. Welcome to the world of globsters, where mounds of putrid sea flesh birth cryptozoological dreams and science tends to have the last world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2019 • 46 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: Bathysphere, Part 2
In 1930, American naturalist William Beebe began his descent in a spherical, unpowered submarine known as a Bathysphere -- and in doing so visited a world previously unseen by human beings. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss humanity’s prior understanding of the deep ocean and Beebe’s astounding reports from the world a half mile down. (Originally published March 29, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2019 • 41 minutes, 44 seconds
Split Brain, Part 2
Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore what we’ve learned from split brain experiments in animals and humans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2019 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
Split Brain, Part 1
Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore what we’ve learned from split brain experiments in animals and humans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2019 • 51 minutes, 53 seconds
From the Vault: Bathysphere, Part 1
In 1930, American naturalist William Beebe began his descent in a spherical, unpowered submarine known as a Bathysphere -- and in doing so visited a world previously unseen by human beings. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss humanity’s prior understanding of the deep ocean and Beebe’s astounding reports from the world a half mile down. (Originally published March 27, 2018) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2019 • 44 minutes, 12 seconds
The Alien Biped
As humans, we’re quite accustomed to our weird vertical spines and precarious two-legged gait. But habitual bipedalism is far from the norm. When did it first occur on planet Earth? Will the robotic future walk on two legs? And can we reasonably expect alien lifeforms to follow suit? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2019 • 37 minutes, 31 seconds
The Room of Infinite Unpleasantness
If you were to create the most unpleasant room humanly possible, what sort of design choices would you employ? What would the space look like and, more to the point, how would it make you feel? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: Biophilia
Why are humans so drawn to the natural world of biodiverse organisms? Is this longing merely part of our culture or do we possess an innate and even genetic tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss Edward O. Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis and explore arguments for and against this captivating view of nature lovers. (Originally published July 18, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2019 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 53 seconds
Thought Experiments
Stuff to Blow Your Mind frequently discusses thought experiments on the show, from Schrödinger's Cat to the Infinity Hotel. But what constitutes a thought experiments? How long have they been around and what are the seven categories? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2019 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
Listener Mail: The Fires of Orc
It's a new year full of new topics, but first comes a final bag of listener mail from 2018. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider your thoughts and experiences on the previous month's episodes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/1/2019 • 55 minutes, 18 seconds
From the Vault: Artificial Gravity
Humans are creatures of gravity. We’re born into it. Life as we know it evolved to thrive in it. So what’s a gravitational organism to do in the low-gravity and zero-gravity expanses beyond Earth? You can’t bring it with you, but scientists have cooked up a few different schemes to replicate its effects. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a full exploration in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. (Originally published July 13, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 29 seconds
Christmas Island, Part 2: Deca Deca Pod Y’all
Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut crabs feast on carrion in the forests. So deck the halls with boughs of SCUTTLING HORROR as Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick celebrate the holiday season in style. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2018 • 45 minutes, 48 seconds
Christmas Island, Part 1: Crabs Rule Everything Around Me
Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut crabs feast on carrion in the forests. So deck the halls with boughs of SCUTTLING HORROR as Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick celebrate the holiday season in style. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/25/2018 • 47 minutes, 5 seconds
From the Vault: Tree of Life
Sacred trees. World trees. Holy trees of wisdom, immortality and the soul. They seem to grow from every culture on Earth and their roots dig deep into the soil of prehistory. What do they mean? Why are we so drawn to their symbolic power? Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager for a stirring exploration. (Originally published Nov. 30, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2018 • 58 minutes, 19 seconds
Virgin Birth
For Christians, the Christmas centers around a miraculous virgin birth. But don’t worry, secular holiday revelers, because nature has its own virgin births to wonder over. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the world of parthenogenesis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2018 • 41 minutes, 12 seconds
Invention: The Guillotine
Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick have a brand new show -- and they're dropping a full episode of it into the STBYM feed. The show is INVENTION and this episode dives into the history, invention and legacy of the head-chopping French guillotine. What happens when we use our technology to create a more humane form of public execution? Find out, and be sure to subscribe to Invention wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2018 • 52 minutes, 50 seconds
Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe
Twas the night before Christmas and deep in the woods, a sacrifice was planned by the Gauls and their Druids… Yes, in this holiday episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the curious biology of everyone’s favorite smooch-inducing tree parasite -- as well as some of its alleged magic powers and scientifically-studied properties. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2018 • 45 minutes, 17 seconds
From the Vault: Baby Jesus and the Homunculus
We’ve all marveled at the grotesque, oddly-proportioned old man babies in medieval art -- but why did artists of the period pain such creatures? In this special Christmas episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the convergence of the homunculus theory of human reproduction, the nativity and the infants of medieval and renaissance art. (Originally published Dec. 21, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2018 • 59 minutes, 55 seconds
Strange Milk
Mammals are the true milk-bearers of nature, but there are a host of non-mammals that secrete various strange and wonderful milk-analogues. From avians to invertebrates, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the anomalous world of non-mammalian milk in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2018 • 58 minutes, 54 seconds
Katie Goldin talks 'Creature Feature'
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, guest Katie Goldin from the podcast 'Creature Feature' drops in to chat with Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick about weird biology and maybe a monster or two. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2018 • 48 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: Greek Fire
To engage the ships of Byzantine Empire was to risk the horrors of Greek fire, a medieval weapons system that empowered ships to spew forth flaming liquid on enemy ships and crew members. The secrets of Greek fire are lost to history, but historians and scientists continue to theorize its formula and deployment details. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss the weapon’s history, predominant theories on its specifics and the risks and rewards of secret keeping. (Originally published Aug. 22, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2018 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 37 seconds
The Electric Ark
What if the Ark of the Covenant was actually a bronze-age machine capable of storing an electrostatic charge? It almost certainly wasn't, but the idea is a great excuse to explore the understanding of electricity in the ancient world. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for another Ark-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2018 • 51 minutes, 31 seconds
The Ark of the Covenant
What was the Ark of the Covenant? A mere ceremonial vessel for sacred items? A radio for speaking to God? The golden chest of the ancient Hebrews has fascinated historians, theologians, scientists, dreamers and Nazi-punching archeologists for ages. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider some of the more thought-provoking ideas concerning its nature. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Satanic Panic
What are we to make of alleged ritual satanic abuse and the moral panic that spread in the 1980s and 90s? Robert Lamb and Christian Sager enter a world of religion, fear and demons of the mind. (originally published April 16, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2018 • 58 minutes, 6 seconds
‘Oumuamua II: Revenge of the First Messenger
Everyone’s favorite interstellar travel has been back in the news, thanks to curious speed increases and an intriguing paper on the possibility of alien solar sail technology. So join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they dock once more with ‘Oumuamua as it tumbles out of our solar system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2018 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 36 seconds
Halloween Hangover Listener Mail, Part 2
Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean all the ghosts and ghouls are banished to the cellar. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they bust dive into the listener mail bag from October 2018. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2018 • 51 minutes, 54 seconds
From the Vault: Dangerous Foods III
Thanksgiving is a time of feasting and the wages of feasting, and so Robert and Joe are here to dish up a third installment of Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s “Dangerous Foods” series. Do you dare bite into the likes of licorice, giant Namibian bullfrog, hallucinogenic fish and wriggling octopus tentacles? (Originally published Nov. 23, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 45 seconds
Halloween Hangover Listener Mail, Part 1
Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean all the ghosts and ghouls are banished to the cellar. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they bust dive into the listener mail bag from October 2018. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2018 • 57 minutes, 54 seconds
Animals That Eat Poop
Thanksgiving is a time during which many Americans eat things they shouldn’t -- so it’s a perfect time to discuss coprophagia in the animal kingdom. But, unlike many holiday dinners, these examples of poop-eating organisms are not exercises in dysfunction. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick invite you to join yet another feast of knowledge. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2018 • 59 minutes, 38 seconds
From the Vault: Dangerous Foods II
Can your heart stand the shocking facts about toxic potatoes, mad honey and the mysteries of the dead man’s fingers? In this classic episode, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick enjoy a heaping helping of potentially dangerous menu choices. (Originally published Dec. 22, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 54 seconds
Motivated Numeracy and the Politics-ridden Brain
If science were a candle in the dark, we’d need only spread its light to combat climate change denial and vaccine conspiracy theories. But what if the problem is more complex than that? What if a quirk of human cognition enables us to remain willingly in the dark, even as we hold the very candle? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the concept of motivated numeracy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 24 seconds
Stone Age Technology with Dietrich Stout
Paleolithic tools inform not just our understanding of prehistoric lives, but also the evolution and nature of the human mind. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick chat with Emory University’s Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Dietrich Stout about the hand ax, tool use and even ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: The Gordian Knot of Race
How deep-seated are today's racial issues? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Julie Douglas explore how something so abstract - like unconscious racial biases - can have real-world implications. (Originally published March 31, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2018 • 38 minutes, 26 seconds
Ig Nobel Prizes 2018: Part 2
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes honor the weirdest and wackiest contributions to humanity’s scientific understanding of the natural world. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episodes, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick unpack each of this year’s winners. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
Ig Nobel Prizes 2018: Part 1
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes honor the weirdest and wackiest contributions to humanity’s scientific understanding of the natural world. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episodes, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick unpack each of this year’s winners. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2018 • 45 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Cambrian Monster Mash
Welcome to the ocean of monsters. In this classic episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick travel back 500 million years to the monster-haunted waters of the Cambrian period. Meet the monstrous trilobite, anomalocaris, opabinia, hallucigenia, wiwaxia, pikaia and leanchoilia. Plus, Dr. Anton Jessup drops by for a visit. (Originally published Oct 19, 2017) Related Content: Original publication (with species illustrations) Buy the Cambrian Life logo on a shirt, sticker and more: STBYM TeePublic Store Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2018 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 47 seconds
Listener Mail: The Squirrel Is Not Enough
To follow up our two-part look at the secret, bloody life of the common squirrel, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick present an entire listener mail episode devoted to your field reports on skuggs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2018 • 53 minutes, 11 seconds
Anthology of Horror, Volume 1
From “Night Gallery” to “Tales From the Crypt,” everyone loves a great horror anthology show. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a new ghoulish tradition, as they pick a few notable installments from horror anthology TV and cinema history in order to explore the real-life science and history behind the blood and madness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/30/2018 • 1 hour, 42 minutes, 42 seconds
Bret Wood on 'The Control Group'
Bonus episode! Join Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they chat with Bret Wood, writer and director of "The Control Group," a fiction podcast from How Stuff Works that explores the dark history of CIA-funded mind control experiments. The entire series is out now and ready for your Halloween binge-listening. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2018 • 27 minutes, 9 seconds
From the Vault: The First Monster
Humans love monsters, but when did we first dare to dream up bestial hybrids and chimerical horrors? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the 35-40 thousand-year-old Löwenmensch statues. Who created these images of lion-headed men? What do they represent and what do they reveal about human cognition? (Originally published October 27, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2018 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 45 seconds
The Slayer
Myth and folklore are full of monsters and the heroes who slay them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick meet some of these fabulous slayers and discuss the science and potential meaning of their bloody endeavors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2018 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 16 seconds
Quetzalcoatl: The Winged Serpent
From the Aztec temples of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica to the 1980s monster film “Q: The Winged Serpent,” the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl soars high over the human imagination. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the history of this winged wonder -- as well as the prehistoric Quetzalcoatlus named after the ancient Lord of the Dawn. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/23/2018 • 1 hour, 57 seconds
From the Vault: The Halloween Costume Made Me Do It
What happens when we slip into a costume? Be it a monster pelt, a sexy witch or a simple children's ghost mask, a psychological transformation takes place. Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager for a fittingly seasonal look at enclothed cognition and deindividuation. (Originally published October 8, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 51 seconds
Vampire Clinic, Part 2
Vampire legends are a global phenomenon, and the trope of the blood-sucking humanoid shows no signs of vanishing from human traditions. But can we trace its origins back to any specific diseases and medical symptoms? In this blood-stained episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick haul up the vampire’s casket and look for signs of rabies, syphilis, dermatitis, tuberculosis and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2018 • 51 minutes, 21 seconds
Vampire Clinic, Part 1
Vampire legends are a global phenomenon, and the trope of the blood-sucking humanoid shows no signs of vanishing from human traditions. But can we trace its origins back to any specific diseases and medical symptoms? In this blood-stained episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick haul up the vampire’s casket and look for signs of rabies, syphilis, dermatitis, tuberculosis and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/16/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 3 seconds
From the Vault: Ghoul
If your fictional diet contains significant quantities of horror or dark fantasy, then you've likely encountered the ghoul: a scavenging, grave-robbing race of unnatural beings with an insatiable hunger for the dead. As Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode, the roots of ghouldom sink back into pre-Islamic Arabic folklore -- as well into the distant evolutionary history of humanity itself. (Originally published October 29, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2018 • 50 minutes, 58 seconds
The Curse
What does it mean when a beggar, wizard or witch spits a curse at another human being? Why does this particular work of magic weigh so heavily in human history? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick take a scientific, historical and cultural look at various curse traditions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2018 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 52 seconds
The Great Basilisk
Behold the Great Basilisk, the crowned monster whose mere glance can kill a mortal and reduce wilderness to desert ash. Medieval bestiaries attest to its might, but today some futurists dread its name as an all-powerful malicious artificial intelligence. Will it imprison all those who oppose it within a digital prison of eternal torment? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider the horror of Roko’s Basilisk. Related Content: Machine God: Artificial Superintelligence (podcast)World Science Festival 2018 Field Report (podcast)Get that Basilisk Shirt:Stuff to Blow Your Mind store Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/9/2018 • 1 hour, 12 minutes
From the Vault: Carnivorous Plants
Are humans truly safe from the hunger of meat-eating plants? Can we trust the trees that loom over us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss myths and fictions of killer trees, the science of carnivorous plants and the curious absence of mean-eating plants in our natural world. (Originally published October 18, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2018 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
The Killer's Mask
The masked psychopathic killer is a staple of horror fiction, and yet almost no real-life serial killers employed masks in the commission of their crimes. Why is this? What does the discrepancy between fact and fiction reveal both about the reality of murderer and the nature of our myth-making? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 5 seconds
Jenny Greenteeth: Horror at the Water’s Edge
According to certain English folktales, a vile creature lurks in the slime-caked dark of local ponds. When little ones wander too close to shore, she lashes out to drown them in her slippery embrace. She has many names: Nelly Longarms, Peg Powler, the Grindylow... and Jenny Greenteeth. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss these old tales of aquatic terror, their instructional nature and the real-world predators who swim the shores in search of terrestrial prey. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/2/2018 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: John C. Lilly
The figure of John C. Lilly as psychedelic dolphin communicator burns in the collective memory as a counterculture avatar, yet his legacy embodies far more than the mythologized and/or vilified figure that most of us know. Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager as they examine the life, career and ideas of Lilly the scientist, Lilly the counterespionage researcher and Lilly the psychonaut. Welcome to the province of the mind. (Originally published Feb. 23, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2018 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 34 seconds
Listener Mail: Robots of Theseus
It's listener mail time again and the plan to gradually replace every part of our mailbot Karnie is complete. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they read and respond to various listener mail from the past month. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2018 • 57 minutes, 34 seconds
Salamander Talk with Mark Mandica
Wade into the amazing and weird world of salamanders and other notable amphibians as Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick chat with Mark Mandica, executive director of The Amphibian Foundation. Gain a new level of appreciation for these fabulous organisms and learn what you can do to help them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/25/2018 • 58 minutes, 26 seconds
From the Vault: Mixologia
While the cocktail is an inherently American invention, the history of combining alcohols with other substances to create potent, drinkable concoctions dates back to ancient times. While you might expect dangerous ingredients to have a place in a wizard’s potion or a philosopher's goblet, modern cocktails and spirits have also dabbled with nefarious elixirs. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they explore the history, myth and science behind it all in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published Jan. 12, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2018 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 55 seconds
Age of the Earth, Part 2
Scientific consensus currently holds that the Earth is a 4.5 billion-year-old planet in a 13.8 billion-year-old universe. But how do we know? Why do religious models of a much younger (or older) Earth fail to pass the baloney test? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 36 seconds
Age of the Earth, Part 1
Scientific consensus currently holds that the Earth is a 4.5 billion-year-old planet in a 13.8 billion-year-old universe. But how do we know? Why do religious models of a much younger (or older) Earth fail to pass the baloney test? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/18/2018 • 59 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: Syphilis
Doctors have called it the great imitator because this destructive venereal disease can manifest almost any symptom. Initially spreading through sexual contact, Syphilis can remain dormant in the body for decades before flaring up again in brutally disfiguring, debilitating and deadly ways. It's difficult to overstate the impact of syphilis on the Western world, and it remains a threat to this day despite effective antibiotic treatments. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Julie Douglas explore the history of the illness and its cultural effects, from powdered wigs and false noses to surgical advances and vampire myths. (Originally published August 26-28, 2014) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2018 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 3 seconds
The Obvious: Invisible Gorillas of the Mind
What is truly obvious in life? What does the word even mean? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a look at how we engage with the natural world -- from invisible gorilla experiments to the realm of phenomenology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2018 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 37 seconds
On Teasing
We all know teasing when we see it or experience it, but what role does it play in human interactions? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they explore hurtful, playful and educative teasing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/11/2018 • 53 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Black Stone of Mecca
The Kaaba marks the geographic center of the Islamic world, and here one finds Al-Hadjar Al-Aswad, the Holy Black Stone of Mecca. Islamic traditions hold that the once white white stone blackened with humanity’s sins, but various scientific theories point to geological and potentially cosmic origins. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the mythic, historical and scientific substance of the Kaaba. (Originally published on Feb. 16, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2018 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 29 seconds
Kirk Allen and Maladaptive Daydreaming
We all daydream and many of us funnel our imagination into creative acts. But what happens when these exercises overpower us? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the strange case of nuclear physicist Kirk Allen, whose imagination may have gotten the better of him -- and his psychoanalyst. Dive into the world of cooperative illusions and maladaptive daydreaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 25 seconds
Kirk Allen and the Cooperative Illusion
We all daydream and many of us funnel our imagination into creative acts. But what happens when these exercises overpower us? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the strange case of nuclear physicist Kirk Allen, whose imagination may have gotten the better of him -- and his psychoanalyst. Dive into the world of cooperative illusions and maladaptive daydreaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/4/2018 • 54 minutes, 15 seconds
From the Vault: Jump Into The Void
Ever wrestle with the illogical quasi-compulsion to throw yourself off a cliff or building? Don’t worry! You’re probably not suicidal, but merely touched by the 'call of the void' or 'high place phenomenon.' In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Christian Sager explore some of the more enlightening theories about this experience.(Originally published Feb. 9, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2018 • 45 minutes, 1 second
Squirrels, Part 2: A Skugg Mystery
You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of savagery and various other facts that will make you reconsider the skugg and respect its kingdom. In this episode, things get weird. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2018 • 43 minutes, 44 seconds
Squirrels, Part 1: The Bloody Beast
You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of savagery and various other facts that will make you reconsider the skugg and respect its kingdom. Up first, let’s talk about their bloody diet... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/28/2018 • 56 minutes, 13 seconds
From the Vault: A Taste of MSG
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the history and science of MSG and explore just why we demonized it for so long. (Originally published Aug. 30, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2018 • 55 minutes, 32 seconds
World Without Predators
What would the world be like without predators? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the essential role of predators in Earth’s ecosystems and the terrible, cascading effects of their loss. A world without predators isn’t heaven. It’s hell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 43 seconds
The Ship of Theseus
An ancient ship rots in the harbor and so we restore it piece by piece until nothing of the original ship remains. Is it still the same ship? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss one of history’s more mind-boggling thought experiments. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/21/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: The Cobra Effect
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the perverse world of unintended consequences and the cobra effect. (Originally published Sept. 13, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2018 • 56 minutes, 29 seconds
Listener Mail: Tridents, Aliens, Microgravity
It's time for another dose of listener mail. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they read YOUR feedback on recent episodes related to coffee in space, tridents, Jungfrau Park and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 40 seconds
2001: A Space Odyssey
No discussion of great sci-fi cinema is complete without mention of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The 1968 classic is 50 years old this year, so Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick figured it the perfect time to board the Discovery One and discuss its many scientific and futurist elements, as well as the legacy of Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s creation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Post-Empirical Science
Most scientists declare empirical falsifiability -- the notion that a theory may be proven right or wrong via scientific investigation -- to be the core principle of science. Others, such as string theorists, think science should move beyond those boundaries. Is empiricism an unnecessary straight jacket? Is “post-empirical science” an oxymoron? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. (Originally published Sept. 15, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds
Fear and the Autonomous Cyber Weapon
We often focus our fear in the wrong direction -- developing flying anxieties when we should be more concerned about that ride to the airport. We also tend to focus on autonomous weapons when we should be thinking more about autonomous CYBER weapons. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a discussion of cyber warfare. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2018 • 53 minutes, 5 seconds
Divine Weapon: The Trident
What are we to make of the trident? The three-toothed spear has seen service as the divine weapon of mythic deities, the fishing implement of common mortals and a symbolic weapon in gladiatorial combat. What does it mean, and was it ever a practical weapon? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick look for answers in myth, archaeology and military history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/7/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes
From the Vault: To The Escape Pod!
Ever wanted to climb into the safe, metal womb of an escape pod and blast yourself free of this doomed vessel called life? Sure you have, but in the meantime consider some of the real-life air, space and terrestrial escape capsules that humans have envisioned over the years. Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick tell you all about it in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. (Originally published Nov. 24, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2018 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 38 seconds
The Gods Must Be Counterintuitive
What’s the key to a lasting myth, a captivating religion or a sensational film pitch? Some cognitive scientists and anthropologists argue that the key is a minimally counterintuitive narrative: the right balance of the mundane with just a dash of the unreasonable and unexpected. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss the minimal counterintuitiveness effect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Astronauts in Spaceships Getting Coffee
How can humanity ever hope to thrive without Earth if it can’t even function without its morning cup of coffee? Fortunately, engineers have devised increasingly practical means of brewing and sipping coffee in space -- neither of which are easy feats in microgravity. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a consideration of space coffee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/31/2018 • 49 minutes, 50 seconds
From the Vault: When We Think About Cyborgs
What began as a 1960s term for a retrofitted human space explorer has become a focal point for considerations of human and machine interaction, technological culture, biomechanics and feminist identity. Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager as they set aside the brain/computer interfaces for a discussion of what it is to be a "cyborg" in 2016. (Originally published April 19, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2018 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 29 seconds
Summer Reading 2018, Part 2
It's a summer tradition! Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind devotes a summer episode to the discussion of fiction, non-fiction and children's books that the hosts read over the course of the last year. So listen in and maybe one of these books will accompany you on your next beach trip. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/26/2018 • 50 minutes, 16 seconds
Summer Reading 2018, Part 1
It's a summer tradition! Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind devotes a summer episode to the discussion of fiction, non-fiction and children's books that the hosts read over the course of the last year. So listen in and maybe one of these books will accompany you on your next beach trip. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/24/2018 • 55 minutes, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Transhumanist Rapture War, Part 2
What do the transhumanist visions and singularitarians have in common with Christian rapture doctrine, apocalyptic prophesies and far-future saviors? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they explore the space for common ground -- and conflict -- between genetically modified cyborgs and Heaven-teleported believers in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published Aug 25, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2018 • 47 minutes, 3 seconds
The Ashen Light
Does the dark side of Venus occasionally glow with a dim, haunting phosphorescence? It’s one of astronomy’s oldest and most enduring mysteries. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for an examination of the ashen light. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 44 seconds
Galactic Civilization’s End
If a technological civilization manages to survive itself, how will it fare against the larger challenges of a changing and hostile universe? If humanity ascends the Kardashev scale, how will our unrecognizable and godlike descendants cope with the end of the universe itself? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for an exploration of the cosmic end times. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/17/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: Transhumanist Rapture War, Part 1
What do the transhumanist visions and singularitarians have in common with Christian rapture doctrine, apocalyptic prophesies and far-future saviors? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they explore the space for common ground -- and conflict -- between genetically modified cyborgs and Heaven-teleported believers in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published Aug 23, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2018 • 50 minutes, 2 seconds
Illusory Truth Effect, Part 2: Fight the Lies
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and culture. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a two-part discussion of untruths, the human mind and just what you can do to fight the big lies at work in your world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2018 • 47 minutes, 24 seconds
Illusory Truth Effect, Part 1: The Big Lie
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and culture. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a two-part discussion of untruths, the human mind and just what you can do to fight the big lies at work in your world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/10/2018 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 6 seconds
From the Vault: Sexbots
Sex between humans and machines is nothing new in the world of science fiction. Their forms range from angelic mechanoids to victimized humanoids, but the robotic lover is almost always an expression of purely human anxieties. Yet as real-world technology advances, we’re left to ponder the emerging form of the sex bot -- and the possibilities range from mere animate fetishes to therapeutic surrogates. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Christian Sager consider arguments for and against the embrace of synthetic paramours.(Originally published March 30, 2017) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2018 • 57 minutes, 13 seconds
The Dark Side of Neuroplasticity
When you hear the word “neuroplasticity,” you probably think of it in terms of a young brain’s ability to learn or an older brain’s struggles to rebound from injury. The possibility of a neuroplasticity-boosting drug remains one of medicine's true holy grails, but is there a dark side? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the balance of plasticity and stability in the human mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2018 • 48 minutes, 46 seconds
Listener Mail: Dreams, Subs and Goddesses
Once more, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick turn to Karnie the Mailbot for listener reactions and commentaries on recent episodes. Strap in for discussion of dreams, submarines, ancient goddesses and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/3/2018 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 35 seconds
From the Vault: The Inca Kingdom of Fibers
Welcome to the Kingdom of the Inca, where hundreds of rope bridges connect an imperial highway system and fiber-armored soldiers wield woven slings against the enemies of the Emperor. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the khipu system of knotted, colored string that served as a physical notation system in lieu of written language. (Originally published March 8, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 39 seconds
Chariots of the Gods
Chances are, you’re already quite familiar with the notion the ancient astronauts visited the earth and gave humans the tech support they needed to climb the ladder of civilization. There's no true proof to back it up, yet ancient astronaut speculation is a 20th century invention -- and one tied closely to a single bestselling author. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss Erich von Däniken and Carl Sagan's thoughts on ancient aliens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2018 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 27 seconds
Black Holes, Part 3: The Future
Nothing can escape the pull of a black hole, not even Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a three-part exploration of these incredible, invisible regions of the cosmos where ponderous mass warps the very fabric of space and time. In this final episode, cross the event horizon... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/26/2018 • 51 minutes, 19 seconds
From the Vault: Humanzee
Chimpanzees are humanity's closest living relative, but there's both wonder and existential horror in that closeness. A species barrier separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, but what if a chimp/human hybrid were to bridge that barrier? Join Robert Lamb and Christian Sager as they explore the case history of Russian biologist Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov and his attempts to breed a human/chimp hybrid in the early 20th century. (Originally published Jan. 21, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 2 seconds
Black Holes, Part 2: Detection
Nothing can escape the pull of a black hole, not even Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a three-part exploration of these incredible, invisible regions of the cosmos where ponderous mass warps the very fabric of space and time. In this episode, learn all about the science of black hole detection. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2018 • 43 minutes, 7 seconds
Black Holes, Part 1: Phantom
Nothing can escape the pull of a black hole, not even Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a three-part exploration of these incredible, invisible regions of the cosmos where ponderous mass warps the very fabric of space and time. Up first, learn how the idea of black holes emerged as a mere ghost in the math. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/19/2018 • 52 minutes, 58 seconds
From the Vault: The Substance of Silence
We all have a pretty good notion of noise, but what exactly is silence? Is it a substance or an absence? Between the mindflaying quiet of soundless rooms to wildlife ambience and white noise machines, what is the ideal balance of silence? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe look for answers and, yes, also discuss a few sound-sensitive monsters and the likelihood of blowing up a humanoid head with sound. (Originally published on Aug. 31, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 48 seconds
Interview: Carl Zimmer on Heredity's Power
Why does heredity hold such power over us? How did the ancients contemplate it and how is genetic technology changing the shape of future heredity? Robert and Joe chat with acclaimed science writer Carl Zimmer about the topics explored in his new book “She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2018 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 12 seconds
World Science Festival 2018 Field Report
Robert Lamb attended the 2018 World Science festival in New York City and had the chance to chat with its founder, physicist Brian Greene -- as well as a couple of noted panelists: physicist Max Tegmark and anthropologist Barbara J. King. This episode features those green room interviews, plus Robert and Joe’s discussion of their answers on theoretical physics, artificial intelligence and the evolution of religion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 10 seconds
From the Vault: P vs. NP
What does it mean to solve a problem in our universe? That's a trickier question than you might think, with some fairly high-stakes ramifications in the worlds of computing and even philosophy. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the inherent logic of problem-solving in our universe, with some attention to a special example of an outstanding problem in computer science: P vs. NP. (Originally published April 12, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2018 • 54 minutes, 53 seconds
Sleep and Creativity
What roles does sleep play in human creativity? Can we learn in our dreams? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a look at famous accounts of dream inspiration and scientific research into the link between creativity and sleep. And yes, they want you to tell them your dreams. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Troubled Sleep in the Arks of Doom
It’s hard enough to sleep just knowing that dozens of nuclear ballistic missile submarines haunt the oceans, each containing the means to rain nuclear annihilation on the world. But what’s it like to sleep aboard these arks of doom? It actually ties into long-term military study, and the results may help us send humans to other planets. Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2018 • 55 minutes, 31 seconds
From the Vault: Early Days Electric, Part 2
Electricity lost its magic over the course the 18th and 19th centuries. The "invisible fire" steadily transitioned from a mysterious force of wonder to a mundane reality of daily modern life. In this two-part edition of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the various electrical experiments, stunts, inventions, performances, innovations, occultisms and atrocities that transformed the tractable thunder. (Originally published Feb 11, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 34 seconds
Finite and Infinite Games
How do you play the game of life? Do you play it as a finite game or an infinite one? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the 1986 philosophy book “Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility” by American scholar James P. Carse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2018 • 52 minutes, 26 seconds
Quantum Immortality
What is quantum immortality? How do we get from quantum physics to thought experiment suicide machines and what does it all say about the nature of our reality? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick dive into the multiverse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 42 seconds
From the Vault: Early Days Electric, Part 1
Electricity lost its magic over the course the 18th and 19th centuries. The "invisible fire" steadily transitioned from a mysterious force of wonder to a mundane reality of daily modern life. In this two-part edition of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the various electrical experiments, stunts, inventions, performances, innovations, occultisms and atrocities that transformed the tractable thunder. (Originally published Feb 9, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2018 • 54 minutes, 19 seconds
The Alphabet and the Goddess, Part 2
What happened to the worship of goddesses? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore Leonard Shlain’s hypothesis from his 1998 book “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess,” in which the author argues that the brain-altering power of written language unbalanced human civilization in favor of misogyny, tyranny and the worship of abstract, masculine gods. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2018 • 38 minutes, 34 seconds
The Alphabet and the Goddess, Part 1
What happened to the worship of goddesses? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore Leonard Shlain’s hypothesis from his 1998 book “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess,” in which the author argues that the brain-altering power of written language unbalanced human civilization in favor of misogyny, tyranny and the worship of abstract, masculine gods. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2018 • 48 minutes, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Techno-Religion, Part 2
We often think of technology and religion as distinct and separate worlds, but what happens when they converge? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick in this two-part episode as they examine religious world views shaped by technology, such as John Murray Spear’s electrical messiah, the simple prayer wheel and the psycho-spiritual technologies of Scientology. (Originally published Jun 11, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2018 • 53 minutes, 47 seconds
Life on Venus
The planet Venus might seem a hellish destination and an unlikely place to find extraterrestrial life. And yet, many experts agree that life may have existed in the planet's ancient oceans -- and may thrive yet within the upper atmosphere. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick in a quest for Venusian aliens. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2018 • 55 minutes, 30 seconds
Crazy Ants and Electricity
Do crazy ants crave electronics? Do they feast on that sweet, sweet juice? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick dispel some myths and explore the science of this particular insect invader. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2018 • 47 minutes, 34 seconds
From the Vault: Techno-Religion, Part 1
We often think of technology and religion as distinct and separate worlds, but what happens when they converge? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick in this two-part episode as they examine religious world views shaped by technology, such as John Murray Spear’s electrical messiah, the simple prayer wheel and the psycho-spiritual technologies of Scientology. (Originally published Jun 9, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2018 • 44 minutes, 37 seconds
Listener Mail: Of AI Minds and Human Farts
Once more, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consult recent offerings of listener mail for your thoughts on artificial intelligence, demonic flatulence and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2018 • 59 minutes, 18 seconds
Boltzmann Brains Revisited
Space brains. Religious models of infinity. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they revisit the topic of Boltzmann brains and discuss the general history of infinity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 51 seconds
From the Vault: Animal Sex Cannibals
Sexual cannibalism is a rarity in the natural world, and scientists are still attempting to understand the act as practiced by mostly arachnids and insects. Why consume your mate after or during sexual intercourse? Why venture into such a scenario in the first place? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the thoroughly inhuman world of sexual cannibalism. (Originally published March 10, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2018 • 57 minutes, 51 seconds
Unicorns of the Natural World
While the unicorn itself is a creature of fantasy and legend, one-horned and one-tusked animals do reside in the natural world. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine several extant and extinct species noted for their solitary protrusions -- including the narwhal and a certain circus unicorn. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2018 • 55 minutes, 3 seconds
Unicorns of the Mythic World
Jorge Luis Borges tells us that the oldest unicorn legends are nearly identical to the most recent ficitonal treatments -- but why is that? Why is the notion of a sacred, one-horned horse so resilient in human culture? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a look at the history of global unicorn myths and legends. Plus, don't be shocked if a satyr shows up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: Jumping Fish
Fish belong in the water, right? What business do they have leaping out of their world and into ours? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the surprisingly fascinating, dangerous and mysterious world of leaping, jumping and gliding fish. From skewering swordfish and breaching sharks to the alleged urethra-bound candiru, nature provides more than a few mind-blowing specimens of note. (Originally published July 14, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2018 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 53 seconds
Evolution and the City: The Birds
How have birds adapted to the artificial environments of human cities? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick sit down with educator, writer and Audubon Society birder Jason Ward about everything from urban hawks to Atlanta’s wild turkeys. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2018 • 1 hour, 22 minutes
Evolution and the City: The Beasts
Human cities are the ultimate artificial environments -- and we're not the only organisms to call them home. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick consider some of the adaptive animals that have taken to city life and thrive within its challenging complexity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 29 seconds
From the Vault: Library of Babel
In Jorge Luis Borges' masterful short story "The Library of Babel," librarians and cultists wander a vast honeycomb library of hexagonal rooms -- rooms that contain not only all books but all possible books, from unwritten masterpieces to tomes of typographical nonsense. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick venture into this metaphoric labyrinth for contemplations of genetics, cosmology, philosophy, computer programing and magic. (Originally published Aug 2, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail: Kingdom of the Face Blind
What's it like to live with prosopagnosia or face blindness? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they devote an entire Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode to listener thoughts, observations and experiences. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2018 • 54 minutes, 12 seconds
The Fartonomicon
What is a fart? From what foul bodily depths does it arise? Join Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as the crack open the Fartomicon. Explore the fascinating chemistry of flatus, recoil in horror at the thought of medieval fart demons and consider the curious creatures that enjoy a flatulence-free existence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2018 • 58 minutes, 44 seconds
From the Vault: Hollywood Acid
From the corrosive blood of the "Alien" xenomorph to the various Bond and Batman villains' use of the iconic acid vat, popular media presents us with a dramatic and largely unrealistic vision of acidic power. What are our strongest acids and superacids actually like? How do they generate those acid effects in the movies? And just what sort of blood courses through the xenomorph's veins? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (Originally published May 12, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2018 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 31 seconds
Machine Consciousness and P-Zombies
If a machine told you it was conscious, how could you tell if it was lying? Indeed, how can you tell that any random human in your life is lying when they speak of their own consciousness. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a stirring discussion on AI consciousness, philosophical zombies and the coming techno-cognitive dilemma. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 8 seconds
The Singing Colossus of Memnon
The twin Egyptian statues erected by Amenophis III were already ancient relics when Roman travelers visited them in the first century CE. One stood tall and unconquered by some 1400 years of sun and sand, the other lay toppled by a recent earthquake. The Romans mistakenly called them the Colossi of Memnon, and inscribed proof of their visit on the legs of the toppled colossus -- because it spoke to them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the singing colossus. Why did it start speaking? Why did it stop? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 46 seconds
From the Vault: Myth-Fleshed Fossil
Are the fossilized monsters of paleontology and the fantastic monsters of myth one and the same? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss the realm of of geomythology, entailing the possible ancient real-world origins of dragons, griffins, giants the cyclops and other wonders. (Originally published Jun 28, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 23 seconds
Face Blindness
It’s easy to take the human brain’s facial recognition powers for granted, unless there’s a malfunction. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the science of prosopagnosia or face blindness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2018 • 52 minutes, 8 seconds
The Cambodian Stegosaurus
Do Cambodian temple ruins speak to a time when humans and dinosaurs coexisted? Absolutely not, but it’s a great excuse for Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick to talk about the armored stegosaurus, Ta Prohm temple, young Earth creationism and avian evolution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/3/2018 • 1 hour, 49 seconds
From the Vault: Saturn's Brood
The planet Saturn offers far more than rings to those who venture within its gravitational influence. This wind-swept gas giant also holds sway over no fewer than 53 moons, including such wonders as the atmosphere-shrouded Titan, two-faced Iapetus and sponge-like Hyperion. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the mysteries of the Saturnian moons. (Originally published Aug 4, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 53 seconds
The Bathysphere: William Beebe Descends
In 1930, American naturalist William Beebe began his descent in a spherical, unpowered submarine known as a Bathysphere -- and in doing so visited a world previously unseen by human beings. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss humanity’s prior understanding of the deep ocean and Beebe’s astounding reports from the world a half mile down. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2018 • 40 minutes, 21 seconds
The Bathysphere: Life in the Deep
In 1930, American naturalist William Beebe began his descent in a spherical, unpowered submarine known as a Bathysphere -- and in doing so visited a world previously unseen by human beings. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss humanity’s prior understanding of the deep ocean and Beebe’s astounding reports from the world a half mile down. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/27/2018 • 42 minutes, 37 seconds
From the Vault: Jupiter’s Children
Of all the moons of Jupiter, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io tantalize us the most. These alien worlds of ice, fire, desolation and hidden oceans tantalize us with their possibility for extraterrestrial life and human exploration of the outer solar system. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a mind bending exploration of the great gas giant's Galilean Moons. (Originally published April 26, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2018 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 9 seconds
Leviathan: The Wolf of Whale Street
Canst thou draw out Livyatan melvillei with a hook? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the awesome undersea world of carnivorous whales -- as well as the sperm whale ancestor that may have preyed on its fellow toothed cetaceans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 32 seconds
Life Beyond The Shield
Life on Earth depends on the planet’s natural shielding, otherwise solar and cosmic radiation would ravage our small blue world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, sponsored by the National Geographic Channel’s series 'One Strange Rock,' Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the wonders of the magnetosphere and discuss the risk of radiation with one of the few humans to ever venture beyond the shield: astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/20/2018 • 53 minutes, 40 seconds
From the Vault: Bird Intelligence
Just what are the upper limits of avian cognitive ability? Various studies reveal how certain bird species engage in mental time travel, tool use, self recognition, theory of mind and even meta-cognition. But how do their non-mammalian brains actually work, and what might a technologically-advanced bird species even look like? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they explore the avian mind. (Originally published March 31, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2018 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 17 seconds
The Nuts and Bolts of Boltzmann Brains
Do your ever have the feeling that your entire reality is just a momentary hallucination inside a randomly formed space brain? If so, then this is the podcast episode for you! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the existential nightmare of Boltzmann brains, a thought experiment that questions the nature of self and cosmos. Plus, expect some discussion of Descartes’ evil demon, brain in a vat and the Hindu concept of Māyā. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/15/2018 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 49 seconds
I Ching: The Book of Changes
The Book of Changes stands as one of the most important divination texts in human history -- and a foundational text of Chinese culture in general. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the I Ching. How does it work? How does it relate to other divination traditions and why do humans, concerned with uncertainty, turn to randomness generators? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/13/2018 • 58 minutes, 52 seconds
From the Vault: Tip of the Tongue
Your know the feeling. You're trying to recall the name of a time-keeping musical device or the the actor who played Fredo in 'The Godfather' and all that comes to mind is a memory-hole in the shape of a metronome or John Cazale. It's on the tip of your tongue and it's a universal experience of memory retrieval. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss the science of TOT phenomenon and what you can do to prevent it. (Originally published April 14, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2018 • 53 minutes, 51 seconds
Listener Mail: Crab Faces, Anus Myths and More
Once again, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick read listener mail related to recent episodes. You'll hear myths about the anus, reflections on samurai crab faces, Egyptian religion, salt water consumption, virtual reality and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 17 seconds
War, Pain and the Super Soldier
The history of war is filled with examples of soldiers who, in the heat of battle, fail to register the full extent of their injuries. In fact, some of our oldest accounts of battle seem devoid of pain’s emotional context. For humans possess two systems of pain: sensory pain and conscious pain. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a discussion that spans the battlefields of human history and future, invoking everything from the bicameral mind to current neuroscience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/6/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 8 seconds
From the Vault: Hyper-Real Religion
When does a protest religion become an actual faith? What happens when purely fictional modes of belief leak off the page or screen? Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they discuss modern religious movements, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the rise of so-called hyper-real religions like Jediism and Dudeism (Originally published March 29, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2018 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 7 seconds
The Great Eyeball War, Part 2
Are apps, smart phones and social media sucking us dry? As Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, the modern media experience certainly depletes our attention. Learn all about the ramifications of this dystopian reality, as well as some tips to combat these neurological vampires. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes
The Great Eyeball War, Part 1
Are apps, smart phones and social media sucking us dry? As Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, the modern media experience certainly depletes our attention. Learn all about the ramifications of this dystopian reality, as well as some tips to combat these neurological vampires. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/27/2018 • 50 minutes, 20 seconds
From the Vault: The Science of Whining
Unless you've lived your life in a childless fortress of seclusion, you've likely encountered the maddening, high-pitched whine of a complaining child. But what is whining? Is it universal? Why is it so annoying and just what's being communicated between parent and child? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore. (Originally published November 24, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2018 • 36 minutes, 7 seconds
The Proteus Effect
What effect does a virtual reality avatar have on the user? Can it alter your identity? Can it change how you behave in the real world? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the Proteus Effect, named for the shape-shifting, formless Greek sea god. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2018 • 58 minutes, 47 seconds
Carl Sagan and the Samurai Crabs
Legend has it that a variety of crabs contain the ghosts of a drowned samurai army -- and each bears a grimacing warrior face on their backs to prove it. But what can we really gather from this biological peculiarity? In the book and TV series “Cosmos,” Carl Sagan argued that it presented a case of artificial selection, but critics disagree. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a discussion of the Heikegani. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/20/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 17 seconds
From the Vault: Dune Biology
Frank Herbert's 1965 novel 'Dune' is a game-changing saga of space-age feudalistic intrigue, rampaging sandworms and prescient mind drugs on a desert world. Even today, the work resonates with scientific wonder and philosophical intrigue, so join Robert and Joe for a two-part exploration of the science of 'Dune.' In this episode, explore the lifecycle of the sandworm, mentats and the power of the spice. (Originally published Oct. 1, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 52 seconds
The Chinese Typewriter (with Tom Mullaney)
Where the technolingustic systems of the west meet the non-alphabetic written characters of the east, the Chinese typewriter emerges. It’s a story of technological innovation, linguistic imperialism and China’s 19th and 20th century struggle over national identity. Join Robert and Joe as they chat with Thomas S. Mullaney about his book 'The Chinese Typewriter: A History.' Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2018 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 4 seconds
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
You’ve seen the photos of the famed terracotta warriors, but no one in over 2200 years has glimpsed inside the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It’s a chamber where rivers of mercury trace the empire’s form beneath a ceiling starscape of precious stones. We know where it is, yet it remains just outside of our scientific reach. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the first emperor’s life and afterlife. Plus Anney and Lauren from FoodStuff drop by to discuss their episode on lunar new year foods. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/13/2018 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 3 seconds
From the Vault: Dune Technology
Frank Herbert's 1965 novel 'Dune' is a game-changing saga of space-age feudalistic intrigue, rampaging sandworms and prescient mind drugs on a desert world. Even today, the work resonates with scientific wonder and philosophical intrigue, so join Robert and Joe for a two-part exploration of the science of 'Dune.' First up, consider the real-life possibilities of water-recycling stillsuits, the Holtzman Effect and the war against thinking machines. (Originally published Sept. 29, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2018 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 54 seconds
Animal Lies: Six Tales of Mimicry and Deception
What are the shadiest lies in the animal kingdom? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert and Joe as they explore six different organisms and the fabulous ways they deceive each other and rival species. Meet cuckoos, cuttlefish, mountain alcon blue butterflies, nursery web spiders, femme fatal lightning bugs and the death's head hawk moth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 14 seconds
Anchor in the Mind
Anchoring bias is one of the most powerful and easily exploited vulnerabilities in the human mind. Throughout your life, people, companies and organizations will use it to influence your thoughts and control your behavior. In this episode of Stuff to Blow to Your Mind, Robert and Joe tell you what you need to know and to fight the anchor in your mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/6/2018 • 53 minutes, 47 seconds
From the Vault: Tears of Re
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, enter a kingdom within a kingdom: the remarkable honey-and-wax monarchy within a beehive and the organizational complexity of ancient Egypt. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the importance of apiculture in ancient Egypt and chat with 'The Tears of Re' author entomologist Gene Kritsky. (Previously published Mar 17, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2018 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 43 seconds
Evolution of the Anus
Chances are, you take the anus for granted -- at least so long as it’s behaving itself. Yet this fascinating anatomical feature has a deep evolutionary history and is itself a marvel of engineering. Join Robert and Joe for a look at this most marvelous alimentary portal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2018 • 1 hour, 36 seconds
Miasma Theory and the Evil Air
Prior to the germ theory of disease, miasma theory ruled the day -- the notion that bad air, full of destructive particles, wafted out from the foul places of the earth to corrupt everything it touched. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origins or the theory, its effects on society and how it eventually gave way to an accurate understanding of contagion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2018 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 22 seconds
From the Vault: Techno-Telepathy
You've always wanted to meet a sensitive alien telepath who could understand you like no one else, but SETI is really dropping the ball on your galactic personal ad. Could new technologies that push the frontiers of brain science allow telepathic communication between humans? Join Robert and Joe as they make a case for the slogan, 'Talk is cheap. Scan me!' (Previosuly published Dec. 22, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2018 • 59 minutes, 54 seconds
Aquatic Humanoids, Part 2
From the sirens of 'The Odyssey' to 'The Creature From the Black Lagoon' and beyond, humans have always imagined their underwater doubles. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe discuss the revealing myth and fiction of mermaids and gillmen -- as well as the aquatic ape theory and the biological possibilities of an aquatic humanoid. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2018 • 1 hour, 26 seconds
Aquatic Humanoids, Part 1
From the sirens of 'The Odyssey' to 'The Creature From the Black Lagoon' and beyond, humans have always imagined their underwater doubles. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe discuss the revealing myth and fiction of mermaids and gillmen -- as well as the aquatic ape theory and the biological possibilities of an aquatic humanoid. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2018 • 57 minutes, 45 seconds
From the Vault: Better Living Through Tetris
In their previous episode, Robert and Joe explored the geometric hallucinations of Tetris syndrome. Now they're back for a serious look at the ways in which a good dose of cascading, interlocking tetrominoes might just cure what ails ya -- from lazy eye to full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder. (Previously published Dec. 3, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2018 • 47 minutes, 33 seconds
Listener Mail: Talos, Homunculi, Winter and More
Join Robert and Joe for another round of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, in which they read and attend to your thoughts and insight on recent episodes. This round features discussions on the speed of Talos, homunculi generations, Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw traditions, werewolves and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2018 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
Don't Drink the Salt Water
Whether you draw your wisdom from 18th century poems or experience in the surf, you probably know that drinking seawater is a terrible idea. But exactly why shouldn’t you drink saltwater? What happens if you do? Can it really drive you mad with hallucinations? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe look to the world of biology for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2018 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds
From the Vault: Tetris Syndrome
To play a game of “Tetris” is to invite a geometric invasion into your mind. After hours of intense block manipulation, you finally set aside your gaming device. You take a deep breath, close your eyes -- and there the frenzied, multicolored tetrominoes continue to cascade across your vision. They build walls in your dreams and shape the patterns of your very thought. What’s going on inside the mind of a 'Tetris' player and what can we learn from so-called 'Tetris' syndrome. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. (Originally published Dec 1, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2018 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds
Meditation Lab: Empathy and Energy
We all know what meditation looks like, and many of us know what it feels like. But what does it provide us in return for these brief periods of mental and physical stillness? Join Robert and Joe as they talk to Emory University meditation researcher Dr. Jennifer Muscaro about the challenges of objective scientific meditation research and the empathetic potential of compassion meditation. Plus they’ll check in with Vedic meditation instructor Jill Wener and discuss stress and adaptation energy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2018 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 2 seconds
Where’s my eternal youth? Part 2
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural selection? Indeed, what can science offer us in the way of eternal youth? Robert and Joe seek to find out in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2018 • 47 minutes, 48 seconds
From the Vault: Aphantasia
Mental images play an important role in our daily experience of reality, from thoughts of the past to daydreams, fantasies and entire worlds of the imagination. Just what’s happening when we see through the mind’s eye and what on Earth is it like for individuals who experience aphantasia and experience no visual imagination at all? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. (Originally published May 10, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2018 • 56 minutes, 4 seconds
Where’s my eternal youth? Part 1
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural selection? Indeed, what can science offer us in the way of eternal youth? Robert and Joe seek to find out in this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2018 • 43 minutes, 53 seconds
Talos: The Bronze Automaton
Among the many humanoid gods and bestial monsters of Greek mythology, one finds a peculiar outlier: Talos the bronze automaton. Said to stalk the shores of Crete, Talos pelted suspicious ships with rocks and immolated enemy soldiers with its smoldering embrace. Does this myth reveal Greek attitudes toward technology? What existing technologies can we decode in its description? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2018 • 57 minutes, 59 seconds
From the Vault: The Forer Effect
From palm-reading fortune tellers to professionally-administered Myers Briggs test, everyone’s a sucker for a an ego-stroking personality assessment. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the subtle forces of the Forer effect. (Originally published July 23, 2015) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2017 • 48 minutes, 23 seconds
The Winter People, Part 2
Do you feel like a different person during the winter? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe examine the extent to which winter affects human health and culture. From the winter transformations of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people to the latest studies on seasonal genetic changes, prepare to contemplate the icy dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2017 • 45 minutes, 39 seconds
The Winter People, Part 1
Do you feel like a different person during the winter? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe examine the extent to which winter affects human health and culture. From the winter transformations of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people to the latest studies on seasonal genetic changes, prepare to contemplate the icy dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2017 • 44 minutes, 55 seconds
From the Vault: The Stone of Madness
Madness has always intrigued artists, and medieval paintings sometimes presented this malady's treatment via the surgical removal of cranial stone. What was the stone of madness? Was it mere fantasy, metaphor or an actual medical condition? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe collect their trepanation tools and investigate. (Originally published Jan 7, 2016) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2017 • 52 minutes, 33 seconds
Baby Jesus and the Homunculus
We’ve all marveled at the grotesque, oddly-proportioned old man babies in medieval art -- but why did artists of the period pain such creatures? In this special Christmas episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the convergence of the homunculus theory of human reproduction, the nativity and the infants of medieval and renaissance art. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2017 • 58 minutes, 20 seconds
First Messenger From an Alien Star
In recent weeks, the first recorded object from another star system appeared in our solar neighborhood. Dubbed 'Oumuamua,' the interloper stirs both our scientific curiosity and imagination. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the latest findings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2017 • 48 minutes, 55 seconds
Machine God: Artificial Superintelligence
Voltaire famously postulated that if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. As humanity approaches the technological singularity, this statement takes on new meaning. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe contemplate the nature of gods and what it would mean to create an artificial superintelligence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 51 seconds
Ophiocordyceps: Fungal Puppet Masters
The fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is the Mona Lisa of mind control parasites. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the latest findings on its insidious ant-hijacking antics -- as well as a few other favorite biological puppet masters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2017 • 53 minutes, 40 seconds
This Present Moment: Philosophy & Neuroscience
What is now? What is the present moment? These questions continue to stagger us, for nothing is so simultaneously familiar and alien than the passage of time. Nothing seems more “real” to us that the present, yet it vanishes into nothing at every attempt to capture or quantify it. In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the experience, physics, philosophy and neuroscience of now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2017 • 53 minutes, 55 seconds
This Present Moment: Experience and Physics
What is now? What is the present moment? These questions continue to stagger us, for nothing is so simultaneously familiar and alien than the passage of time. Nothing seems more “real” to us that the present, yet it vanishes into nothing at every attempt to capture or quantify it. In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the experience, physics, philosophy and neuroscience of now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2017 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds
Tree of Life
Sacred trees. World trees. Holy trees of wisdom, immortality and the soul. They seem to grow from every culture on Earth and their roots dig deep into the soil of prehistory. What do they mean? Why are we so drawn to their symbolic power? Join Robert and Christian for a stirring exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2017 • 57 minutes, 11 seconds
Listener Mail: Leary, Bicameralism and Monsters
Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind powers up the mailbot and considers YOUR comments, stories, insights and questions on recent episodes. In this installment, Robert, Joe and Christian discuss Timothy Leary, bicameralism, twins and all sorts of monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2017 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 8 seconds
Dangerous Foods III: A Festival of Pain
Thanksgiving is a time of feasting and the wages of feasting, and so Robert and Joe are here to dish up a third installment of Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s 'Dangerous Foods' series. Do you dare bite into the likes of licorice, giant Namibian bullfrog, hallucinogenic fish and wriggling octopus tentacles? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 29 seconds
When will the Earth become uninhabitable?
Earth is our home, but how much longer can it remain so? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore the many threats to terrestrial habitability, from the cosmically distant to the frighteningly close at hand. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 55 seconds
An Attempt to Understand Zoophilia
Human culture emerges from a legacy of lives lived in close proximity to wild and domesticated animals. We see it in our myths and, in its most taboo and perplexing form, we see it in zoophilia. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian attempt to demystify this abnormal realm of human behavior in a straightforward, tactful manner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2017 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 36 seconds
Ig Nobels 2017: Vampires, Vaginal Music & Cheese
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes celebrate the most absurd and humorous efforts in legitimate scientific research – and 2017’s winners do not disappoint. Join Robert, Joe and Christian as they discuss all 10 studies in a special three-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind feature. It’s time to finish this three-part series with hair legged vampires, intravaginal music and cheese. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2017 • 40 minutes, 48 seconds
Ig Nobels 2017: Crocodile Slots, Twins & Old Ears
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes celebrate the most absurd and humorous efforts in legitimate scientific research – and 2017’s winners do not disappoint. Join Robert, Joe and Christian as they discuss all 10 studies in a special three-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind feature. In part 2, you’ll gamble with crocodiles, stare at your twin’s reflection and measure some old man ears. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2017 • 44 minutes, 28 seconds
Ig Nobels 2017: Liquid Cats, Didgeridoos & More
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes celebrate the most absurd and humorous efforts in legitimate scientific research – and 2017’s winners do not disappoint. Join Robert, Joe and Christian as they discuss all 10 studies in a special three-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind feature. Up first, prepare yourself for sex-swapped cave bugs, liquid cats, a better way to drink coffee and the health benefits of the didgeridoo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2017 • 56 minutes, 13 seconds
From the Vault: Mind Flayers
If you've watched Stranger Things 2, then you know another beloved Dungeons and Dragons monster pops up as an analogy for an extra-dimensional menace: the mind flayer. Join Robert and Christian for the 2016 episode 'The Body Illithid: Science of the Mind Flayers,' in which they explore the real-world science behind these tentacled, brain-sucking monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2017 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Creepypasta 4: More SCP, Polybius and Grifter
Dive into a world of indestructible reptiles, killer video games, bizarre god towers and haunted video tapes as Robert and Christian take on a fourth helping of creepypasta. Join them on Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they seek scientific, psychological and cultural connections between the Internet’s weirdest fiction-shrouded urban legends and the human condition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 28 seconds
The Monstrosity/Cuteness Spectrum
It seems the unavoidable fate of all terrifying monsters, doesn’t it? We reduce the most horrifying creatures of myth, legend and folklore to an adorable kids costume or a mega-cute illustration. Why can’t we help ourselves? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the battle between cuteness and monstrosity, with examples drawn from Japanese traditions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2017 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 48 seconds
The First Monster
Humans love monsters, but when did we first dare to dream up bestial hybrids and chimerical horrors? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe consider the 35-40 thousand-year-old Löwenmensch statues. Who created these images of lion-headed men? What do they represent and what do they reveal about human cognition? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 56 seconds
Optography: Image in a Dead Man's Eye
Pseudoscience often enters our world where magic fails us, seeming to make the impossible possible via the invocation of actual scientific and technological marvels. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the unmistakably necromantic world of optography, a 19th century notion that the last images seen by the dead might be retrieved from the flesh and fluid of the eye. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2017 • 44 minutes, 1 second
Cambrian Monster Mash
Welcome to the ocean of monsters. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe travel back 500 million years to the monster-haunted waters of the Cambrian period. Meet the monstrous trilobite, anomalocaris, opabinia, hallucigenia, wiwaxia, pikaia and leanchoilia. Plus, Dr. Anton Jessup drops by for a visit. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2017 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 32 seconds
A Game of Werewolf
If you’ve ever played the party game 'Werewolf,' then you know the thrill of weeding out secret lycanthropes in a medieval village -- or devouring the villagers secretly in the night. But the game goes far beyond parlor fun and mild roleplaying as numerous studies in deception, artificial intelligence and game theory look to its complex social mechanics. Join Robert and Joe as they seek for meaning in the long, murderous night of the werewolf. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2017 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 21 seconds
Stuff to Blow Your Mind Live: Stranger Science
With another season of “Stranger Things” just around the corner, the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast explores the mind rending science behind government research into psychic phenomena, sensory deprivation tanks, interdimensional travel and the real-life researcher lurking behind the fictional Dr. Brenner. Join hosts Robert, Joe and Christian for a live journey into the upside-down from New York Comic Con 2017. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2017 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 33 seconds
Six Ghost Stories
Human superstition provides us with an overwhelming wealth of ghost stories, each an unreal creation that reveals something crucial about culture, history and psychology. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore six ghost stories from around the world and discuss what they reveal about the (living) human experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2017 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 21 seconds
Science of It: Deadlights and Derry
If you’ve read Stephen King’s “It” or recoiled in fear from the 2017 film and the 1990 miniseries, then perhaps you’ve wondered what science can reveal about Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the horrors of Derry, Maine. Join Robert and Christian as they consider the monster science of the creature itself and various, real world explanations that grown-ups might turn to for a town gone bad. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2017 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 3 seconds
Laughing During Horror Movies
Have you ever heard inappropriate laughter during a horror movie? For that matter, are you the guilty party? Join Robert and Christian as they explore our curious reactions to frightful cinema and how horror and comedy converge in the human mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2017 • 46 minutes, 24 seconds
Bonus: R. Scott Bakker, Consciousness & Consult
In this special bonus episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, author R. Scott Bakker returns to the show for a discussion of consciousness, philosophy, artificial intelligence, inhuman minds and the conclusion to his 2017 novel "The Unholy Consult." Don't worry, Robert and Joe will issue warnings prior to the spoiler section of the episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2017 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 30 seconds
Bicameralism, Part 2: The Silent Pantheon
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind” hypothesized that ancient humans heard hallucinated voices in place of conscious thought, and presented archaeological, literary, historical and religious evidence to support this highly controversial view. Join Robert and Joe as they dissect bicameralism and discuss the evidence, the criticisms and more in this two-parter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2017 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 47 seconds
Bicameralism, Part 1: The Voice of God
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind” hypothesized that ancient humans heard hallucinated voices in place of conscious thought, and presented archaeological, literary, historical and religious evidence to support this highly controversial view. Join Robert and Joe as they dissect bicameralism and discuss the evidence, the criticisms and more in this two-parter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2017 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 50 seconds
Timothy Leary, Part 2: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel, psychologist and celebrity? What did he reveal about LSD’s power and potential? Join Robert and Christian for a special two-part look at the man, the time and the drug he championed. Turn on, tune in, drop out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2017 • 49 minutes, 53 seconds
Timothy Leary, Part 1: The Science of LSD
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel, psychologist and celebrity? What did he reveal about LSD’s power and potential? Join Robert and Christian for a special two-part look at the man, the time and the drug he championed. Turn on, tune in, drop out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2017 • 51 minutes, 41 seconds
Listener Mail: Media and Memory
Join Robert, Joe and Christian for another listener mail extravaganza! They'll read your feedback on human memory, science communication, Chinese culture, history and more. Plus is Karny the Mailbot in love? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2017 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Poison and the Rhino Horn
Can a chalice made of rhino horn detect poison? Can its ground powder serve as an aphrodisiac? The science is at best sketchy on both fronts, but such beliefs continue to endanger the world’s remaining rhinoceros species. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the magical beliefs surrounding rhino horn and exactly what science has to say about the matter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2017 • 58 minutes, 27 seconds
The Psychology of Tattoos
Do you have a tattoo? If so, you probably have an interesting story to go with it, or some personal insight into just what the design and the experience mean to you. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss the science of tattoos and the psychology behind why we get them and how the world sees us afterwards. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2017 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Chakram: Spinning Death in Myth, War & Physics
It’s easy to assume that spinning, ring-shaped blades are weapons best left to Hindu gods and TV warrior princesses. But long before humans invented the peaceful Aerobie, ancient Indian warriors unleashed spinning chakram against their enemies -- and Sikh warriors continued to use them in combat up into the 19th century. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the mythic power, military history and aerodynamics of this marvelous flying halo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2017 • 44 minutes, 23 seconds
Green Beard Genes
Join Robert and Joe as they explore the world of green beard genes and their role in biological altruism. The Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast takes you from the writings of William D. Hamilton and Richard Dawkins to laboratory results entailing ants, slime molds and rodent sperm trains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2017 • 55 minutes, 9 seconds
Shared False Memories and The Mandela Effect
If you’ve ever reminisced with friends about movies that never existed or historical details that never came to pass, then you’ve experienced the weirdness of shared false memories. Also known as the Mandela Effect, it’s led some to interpret erroneous memories of 90s Sinbad movies as paranormal events. But as Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, it all boils down to the complex, amazing and fallible way our memory works. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 56 seconds
Are we condemned to repeat history?
Philosopher George Santayana said that 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' If that’s true, then can an extensive understanding of past events help human civilization avoid future catastrophes? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian turn to the field of cliodynamics and its attempts to identify the cycles of social unrest and violence. Can we avoid the terror of history? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2017 • 52 minutes, 27 seconds
Greek Fire: The Byzantine Secret Weapon
To engage the ships of Byzantine Empire was to risk the horrors of Greek fire, a medieval weapons system that empowered ships to spew forth flaming liquid on enemy ships and crew members. The secrets of Greek fire are lost to history, but historians and scientists continue to theorize its formula and deployment details. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the weapon’s history, predominant theories on its specifics and the risks and rewards of secret keeping. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2017 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 22 seconds
Six Deadly Poisons
Deadly elixirs in tiny bottles play into the cruelest machinations of history, fiction and myth. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, join Robert and Christian as they sneak six of these deadly concoctions from the poisoner’s chest and explore each one’s power and place in human history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 46 seconds
Path of Totality: See the Eclipse!
There’s a total solar eclipse sweeping across the center of the United States on Monday, August 21, 2017, so here’s a special Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episode to enhance the experience! Join Robert and Joe for practical viewing tips and a rundown on the celestial mechanics at work in the sky above. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 19 seconds
Alien Abduction Experience, Part 2
What are we to make of alien abduction experiences? Scientific investigation points to a barrage of logical explanations for abnormal sensory experience, from sleep paralysis and temporal lobe anomalies to false memory encoding. Interpret it all within the confines of a sci-fi narrative and you have a revealing, kaleidoscopic view of the 20th century zeitgeist in all its wonder, hope, anxiety and yearning. Join Robert and Christian for this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-part examination of paranormal experience in the space age. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2017 • 51 minutes, 47 seconds
Alien Abduction Experience, Part 1
What are we to make of alien abduction experiences? Scientific investigation points to a barrage of logical explanations for abnormal sensory experience, from sleep paralysis and temporal lobe anomalies to false memory encoding. Interpret it all within the confines of a sci-fi narrative and you have a revealing, kaleidoscopic view of the 20th century zeitgeist in all its wonder, hope, anxiety and yearning. Join Robert and Christian for this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-part examination of paranormal experience in the space age. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 5 seconds
The Science of Secrets
Can you keep a secret? If so, what's the psychic weight of that secret? How does secret keeping fit into human evolution and the modern shape of human society? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the science of secrets and secret keeping in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2017 • 1 hour, 39 minutes, 23 seconds
The Buddha is a Mountain
One of the largest historical statues in the world, China’s Lèshān Grand Buddha has overlooked the Dàdù river for 1200 years. Carved from the side of a mountain, this serene titan is a testament to human artistry and the Anthropocene Epoch. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion of the Buddha’s history, meaning and the overarching theme of humanity’s remaking of the natural world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2017 • 50 minutes, 36 seconds
Sharks of Summer (with Marah Hardt of ‘Sex in the Sea’)
If you watch enough 'Jaws' and Shark Week, you’re bound to see sharks as ravenous death machines. But is it really more appropriate to think of these ancient creatures as LIFE machines? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian welcome 'Sex in the Sea' author Marah Hardt back on the podcast for a discussion of embryonic cannibalism, virgin shark birth, conservation efforts and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2017 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 27 seconds
Svalbard: Land of Snow and Apocalypse Arks
The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has it all: glaciers, polar bears, scientific researchers and an epic seed vault built to survive the apocalypse. Join Robert and Christian as they discuss this frigid environment and the human activities that have come to define it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes
Summer Reading: Aliens, Microbes, Cocktails and More
It's time once again for Robert, Joe and Christian to share a selection of fiction, nonfiction and comic book reads to enhance your summer travels -- or simply boost your reading list. Join your Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts as they discuss volumes about alien worlds, space vampires, nuclear war, content creation, cocktails and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2017 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 3 seconds
The Biophilia Hypothesis
Why are humans so drawn to the natural world of biodiverse organisms? Is this longing merely part of our culture or do we possess an innate and even genetic tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss Edward O. Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis and explore arguments for and against this captivating view of nature lovers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 56 seconds
Artificial Gravity: Cosmic Wheels and Hurtling Towers
Humans are creatures of gravity. We’re born into it. Life as we know it evolved to thrive in it. So what’s a gravitational organism to do in the low-gravity and zero-gravity expanses beyond Earth? You can’t bring it with you, but scientists have cooked up a few different schemes to replicate its effects. Join Robert and Joe for a full exploration in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/13/2017 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 2 seconds
Order out of Chaos: How to Create a Universe
Numerous mythologies speak to the birth of our universe out of darkness and chaos, but can humans follow in the footsteps of the gods? Can we create a universe in the lab? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe explore the primordial darkness of multiple cosmologies as well as the theoretical depths of human-created universes and simulated realities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2017 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 54 seconds
Cultural Appropriation
We’ve all heard charges of cultural appropriation in everything from fashion and music to personal world view, but what’s actually at stake here? What is cultural misappropriation, when does it have negative consequences and how does it fit into our historical and scientific understanding of the human experience? Robert and Christian explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2017 • 56 minutes, 40 seconds
Sword of the Samurai
Appreciation for the katana cuts across cultures and genres, slicing into the hearts of history buffs, japanophiles, comic book fans and more. But what’s so special about the sword of the Samurai? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss the science of this most skillful blade, the grisly test for its sharpness and its importance in Japanese culture. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2017 • 59 minutes, 57 seconds
Ticks, Mites and Mysterious Lone Star Illnesses
Ticks are, in the words of Pliny the Elder, 'the foulest and nastiest creature that be.' If these blood sucking arachnids and their mite brethren weren’t horrible enough, they’re second only to the mosquito in the risk of blood borne human pathogens. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss ticks, chiggers and the mysterious illnesses associated with the lone star tick -- one of which generates a meat allergy in the host. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2017 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 47 seconds
CRISPR and the Genetic Astronaut
In 1960, scientists Nathan Kline and Manfred Clynes envisioned a spacefaring cyborg, technologically augmented to endure the rigors of space travel. The subsequent six decades of space exploration largely ignored this radical suggestion, but the advent of gene editing tools like CRISPR present raise new questions. Might genetic alterations give future astronauts the 'right stuff?' What would the physiology of a genetically-augmented space traveler even look like? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2017 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 51 seconds
Extended Cognition: Brain, Fingers, Web and Krang
It’s easy to think yourself a mere brain within a human body -- a cognitive machine making sense out of all the incoming sense data from outside world. But what if other parts of the body and even objects beyond the body serve a vital role in our cognition? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe discuss the concept of extended cognition and how it relates to the human condition, number systems, spider webs, octopuses, mantises and even a fictional alien brain monster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2017 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 48 seconds
Name Thy Demons: The Roots of Human Violence
Is human civilization growing less violent? Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker argued the point in his 2011 book 'The Better Angels of Our Nature,' in which he also defined the 'five inner demons' that push us to wrath. Know them -- speak their true names -- and you have the power to undermine their influence. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore Pinker's thesis and draw in supporting research and dissenting opinions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2017 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 24 seconds
AI, Machine Learning and Human Creativity
Just as manufacturing automation cuts into human jobs, the prospect of creative artificial intelligence raises the specter of robot writers, robot artists and robot musicians who never sleep and always agree with their patron. But paranoia aside, where will creative machine learning take us? Robert and Christian discuss some possibilities in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2017 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 51 seconds
Science Communication Breakdown
Science enabled humans to ascend out of the darkness and tackle life’s problems with systematic, self-correcting rigidity. Yet, when faced with scientific consensus on climate change and other issues, some citizens, politicians and even scientists dig in their heels and deny the shape of our current understand. Why do some people doubt scientific consensus? What’s wrong in science communication? Robert and Joe attempt to find an answer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2017 • 54 minutes, 1 second
There But For Science: Blood Navigation
Imagine a world in which sailing ships navigate by the yelps of tormented dogs and nuclear submarines whisper to each other via the screams of rabbits and their murdered young? In both of these cases, science won out over magical thinking -- and actual scientific advances stepped in to solve the problems. Join Robert and Joe as the discuss the powder of sympathy and 20th century state-sponsored paranormal research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 41 seconds
The Tower of Babel
An ancient people build a tower to touch the heavens. A vengeful god disrupts the project through the splintering of human language. Everyone’s left to pick up the pieces. The Tower of Babel myth resonates out from the Mesopotamian cradle of civilization, but what does it mean? Was there really a tower? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss everything from the art of Bruegel the Elder to 'Snow Crash.' Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/6/2017 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 20 seconds
Neurosecurity: Dawn of the Brain Hackers
While hackers and malware can certainly cause a great deal of damage and misery, these dangers can’t hurt us physically, right? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe are sorry to say you’re wrong -- and as more biotechnology and brain-computer interface creeps into our lives, the risk will only go up. Tune in for a discussion on inherent vulnerability, looming technology and what needs to happen to protect us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 53 seconds
Height, Health and Human Happiness
Tall people. Short People. Somewhere-in-between people. What are we to make of human height and its relationship to overall health and personality? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. All heights welcome. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2017 • 57 minutes, 55 seconds
Five Reasons to Never Take Your Space Helmet Off
You've consumed enough science fiction to know something the average red shirt doesn't: Never take your space helmet off on a foreign planet. But if you're still tempted to breathe deep the gathering gloom, how about five compelling scientific reasons not to? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss 'Alien: Covenant' and explore some very compelling biological and radiological reasons to remain helmeted on an alien hell world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2017 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 52 seconds
R. Scott Bakker: On Alien Philosophy and Fantasy
Canadian author R. Scott Bakker is best known for his Second Apocalypse saga, a series of dark fantasy novels that explore philosophical and even neuroscientific ideas through a world of sorcery, holy wars and inhuman evil. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Bakker about his recent paper 'On Alien Philosophy,' published in the The Journal of Consciousness Studies. Plus, as a long-time fan, Robert throws in a few questions about Bakker’s approach to fiction and the strange creatures that occupy his created worlds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2017 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 36 seconds
Hook Suspension and the Complexity of Pain
Hook suspension challenges our perceptions of pain. We see practitioners, pierced through the flesh with hooks, suspended by chains and yet smiling as if lost to a state of bliss. What are they feeling? Where does this practice come from and how does it fit into the larger human experience? Join Robert and Christian as they explore this most-outsider form of masochistic performance art. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2017 • 51 minutes, 46 seconds
Escape Velocity: Jack Parsons and the New Magick
Jack Parsons wanted to break free, from both the limits of Earth and the boundaries of traditional early 20th century American thought. He devoted his short life to the scientific pursuit of rocket engineering and the occult exploration of magick. As such, Parsons is a contradiction -- a counterculture figure that continues to fascinate us with his mystery. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the work and wonder that moved his life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2017 • 50 minutes, 28 seconds
Weird Wonders of House Gastropoda
The world of slugs and snails is a grotesque circus of fever-dream horrors and biological marvels. Join Robert and Christian for a six-species dive into their life cycles of slime, iron plating, deadly neurotoxins and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2017 • 48 minutes, 48 seconds
Jade Immortality: Burial Armor of the Han Dynasty
Chinese aristocracy of the Western Han Dynasty embarked on their journey into the afterlife within garments of stone -- luxurious suits of jade armor entailing thousands of individual plates sewn together with gold, silver or silk. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore this ancient funeral custom and both the scientific and superstitious qualities of jade. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2017 • 41 minutes, 15 seconds
Push the Frontier
You’ve seen enough Westerns and Game of Throne episodes to know a frontier when you see it, but what exactly is this boundary between the laws of your world and the promise or threat of another? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the membranous nature of frontier in world-systems theory, as well as Frederick Jackson Turner’s influential thesis on the American frontier. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2017 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 46 seconds
STBYM Live: Weird Science in the Windy City
Robert, Christian and Joe transport you back to the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, when the neoclassical architecture of Daniel Burnham’s White City loomed on the shores of Lake Michigan, Nikola Tesla’s alternating current powered thousands of decorative incandescent lamps, and the original Ferris Wheel gave visitors from all around the world a view from the top. Join them for a live C2E2 2017 discussion on the great wheel, the Parliament of World Religions and the H. H. Holmes Murder Castle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 48 seconds
Listener Mail: In One Ear, Out the Third Eye
Robert, Joe and Christian call in the mailbot for yet another dose of listener feedback. Join them as they read your thoughts on everything from the uncanny valley and the Black Stone of Mecca to hook suspension and the science of guessing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2017 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 17 seconds
H. R. Giger and the Biomechanical Soul
We’ve all seen the surreal biomechanical art of the late H.R. Giger, but the artist’s mainstream success and the undying appeal of his 'Alien' sometimes prevent a full appreciation of his dark vision. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the psychology and themes present in Giger’s art and chat with artist E.C. Steiner on Giger’s influences and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/25/2017 • 1 hour, 32 minutes, 33 seconds
Where is my mind?
Today, most humans accept the brain as the seat of human consciousness, but this was not always the case. Join Robert and Joe as they explore ancient, alternative views on the anatomical center of reason and tackle contemporary mysteries regarding the neurological seat of consciousness. Where is your mind? Prepare to find out… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2017 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 13 seconds
Fossil Action Scenes: Dino Birth and Prehistoric Combat
Fossilized remains provide exciting insight into the biology and behavior of prehistoric beasts, but sometimes the fossil record gives us even more -- a bonafide action scene! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explain fossilization and discuss examples of birth, mating behavior and deadly dinosaur-on-dinosaur combat written in the rocks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds
Disease Takes Flight on Leathery Wings
Bats have been demonized through history. Our folklore and horror stories tell us they’re something to be afraid of because they’re 'creatures of the night' with weird abilities like echolocation. And recent events tell us they carry diseases that could kill us. But bats could also have super immune systems that allow them to live long lives, avoid cancer and fight off viruses. What can we learn from them? Robert and Christian explore... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2017 • 40 minutes, 41 seconds
The Demon-Haunted Mind
Demons exist only within the human imagination, but that doesn’t make them harmless. If positive religious world views can result in a more positive state of mind, then might belief in soul-clawing, life-wrecking horned Hell fiends edge one closer to the edge of madness? Join Robert and Christian as they explore a recent study on the topic, and they might even summon a demon or two from the realms of myth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2017 • 1 hour, 45 seconds
Beyond the Uncanny Valley
The far side of the uncanny valley rises steeply, assaulting our psyche as our artificial human likenesses creep ever closer toward perfection. But what happens when we actually emerge on the other side? What happens to human society when video footage is no longer the gold standard? Robert and Joe investigate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2017 • 52 minutes, 41 seconds
Into the Uncanny Valley
From bad CGI characters to creepy humanoid robots, everyone knows the uncanny valley effect when they see it. But where did this idea come from and to what extent is it actually a thing? Join Robert and Joe as they descend into the uncanny valley and explore just what's going on in our minds when we lock eyes with less-than-human simulacrums. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2017 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds
Sexbots: From Objectification to Therapeutic Surrogates
Sex between humans and machines is nothing new in the world of science fiction. Their forms range from angelic mechanoids to victimized humanoids, but the robotic lover is almost always an expression of purely human anxieties. Yet as real-world technology advances, we’re left to ponder the emerging form of the sex bot -- and the possibilities range from mere animate fetishes to therapeutic surrogates. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider arguments for and against the embrace of synthetic paramours. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2017 • 55 minutes, 53 seconds
Fertility, Ovulation and Consumer Decision Making
For 50 percent of the population, ovulation plays a role in human behavior -- but to what extent? Marketing researcher and social psychologist Kristina Durante contends that ovulation plays a large role in the decision making process of fertile females. If her research holds true, then it means corporations and even political parties are already attempting to game ovulation for their own benefit. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian examine and discuss the research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 32 seconds
Be a Better Guesser With Fermi Estimation
How many eyeballs are in the jar? How many piano tuners ply their trade in Chicago and how many intelligent alien civilizations await us in the universe? These questions might seem overwhelming, but Fermi estimation allows us to break down overwhelming mysteries into smaller, digestible problems. Robert and Joe will guide you through the numbers in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2017 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 59 seconds
Far Below: The London Underground Mosquito
Unnatural tunnels worm and weave their way beneath centuries of accumulated London sprawl, and here a few natural creature assume unnatural behaviors -- including the humble mosquito. For wherever humans travel, into whatever new shapes they give the environment, the drinkers of their blood inherently follow. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the curious ways of the London Underground mosquito. Mind the gap… between species! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2017 • 49 minutes, 39 seconds
Two Minutes To Midnight: The Doomsday Clock
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists continues to calculate humanity’s countdown to annihilation, but who calculates the doomsday clock and what factors bring us closer to midnight? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2017 • 56 minutes, 27 seconds
The Necessity of Patient Zero
Patient zero looms large in our collective consciousness. Through carelessness, impropriety or sheer twisted luck, they introduce highly contagious pathogens into new human populations -- if not the human species itself. But where does the science end and the game of scapegoating and othering begin? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the concept of patient zero in science, history and myth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2017 • 55 minutes, 16 seconds
Life After Radiation: Sickness, Death and Sustenance
While fictional monsters and superheroes consume rads like video game power-ups, radiation is a trickier matter in reality -- from everyday radiation to the destructive exposure associated with nuclear accidents and nuclear war. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe explore the nature of radiation, its effects on living tissue and the curious world of radiotrophic fungi. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 3 seconds
One-Armed Bandits: The Science of Slot Machines
You may call it a slot machine, a fruit machine or a one-armed bandit, but the reality is the same: an algorithmically precise machine designed to drain the human gambler of all his or her earnings. Where did these insidious machines come from? How do they ensorcell us? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and psychology of slot machine gambling behavior. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2017 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 20 seconds
Mandala: Memory Palace and Simulated Worlds
The mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism entice us as artistic expressions, meta symbols and conscience expressions of a complex spiritual cosmology. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore the nature of Tibetan Buddhism, the meaning within mandalic art and how this all connects to the western mnemonic system known as ‘the memory palace’ and the modern use of simulated worlds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2017 • 48 minutes, 44 seconds
Books of Flesh: Anthropodermic Bibliopegy
The libraries of horror fiction typically offer many a dark tome bound in human flesh, but do books like the ‘Necronomicon Ex-Mortis’ of ‘Evil Dead’ really exist? They do, and the true story of skin-clad literature will chill you. Join Robert and Christian as they crack open the history and science of anthropodermic bibliopegy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/28/2017 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds
The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 2
In the second of two episodes, Christian and Joe continue their discussion of animal cognition, including animal morality, tool use, mental time travel, culture, and other strange clues to the intellectual complexity of our cousins in the animal kingdom. Afterwards, they speak to Dutch-American primatologist Frans de Waal about his book and his thoughts on the future of animal intelligence research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2017 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 50 seconds
The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 1
In the 18th century, David Hume wrote that “no truth appears to me more evident than that beasts are endow’d with thought and reason as well as men.” Yet animal cognition has remained a controversial subject in science ever since. In the first of two episodes, Christian and Joe discuss the work of Dutch-American primatologist Frans de Waal, and ask the question of not just whether animals are smarter than we understand, but why the evidence of animal cognition is often so difficult for we humans to grasp. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/21/2017 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 4 seconds
The Holy Black Stone of Mecca
The Kaaba marks the geographic center of the Islamic world, and here one finds Al-Hadjar Al-Aswad, the Holy Black Stone of Mecca. Islamic traditions hold that the once white white stone blackened with humanity’s sins, but various scientific theories point to geological and potentially cosmic origins. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the mythic, historical and scientific substance of the Kaaba. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2017 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 55 seconds
The Mystery of Crab Boxing
Boxer crabs stand out amid their crustacean brethren due to their amazing tool use -- a mutualistic relationship between these tiny crabs and the living sea anemones they employ as weapons. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian look at a pair of studies that expand on their amazing use of weapons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2017 • 35 minutes, 6 seconds
Jump Into The Void
Ever wrestle with the illogical quasi-compulsion to throw yourself off a cliff or building? Don’t worry! You’re probably not suicidal, but merely touched by the 'call of the void' or 'high place phenomenon.' In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore some of the more enlightening theories about this experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2017 • 43 minutes, 24 seconds
Scientific Reductionism
You might have read that 'love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs,' but would it really be better explained as the behavior of a large aggregation of elementary particles and their quantum mechanical and electrodynamic properties? Would a perfect a scientific worldview ultimately reduce all explanations to fundamental physics, or is there genuine novelty at the higher levels of complexity we find in everything from superconductors to politics? Join Robert and Joe for a journey into the innerverse of complexity, reductionism and emergence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2017 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 58 seconds
100 Days Later: Mathematics of a Zombie Apocalypse
When it comes to the particulars of a fictional zombie apocalypse, the particulars are all over the place -- but it’s always fun to throw fantastic monsters up against the wall of science to see what sticks. In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Christian explore a few different studies that examine the undead plague from the standpoint of mathematics and infections disease. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2017 • 52 minutes, 1 second
Chinese Immortality: Elixirs and Enlightened Beings
From deathless beheaded warriors and sacrificial heroines to mystical hermits, Chinese mythology is rich with tales of the undying. After all, the notion of immortality is as old as recorded history, so it makes sense to find a diverse, uniquely Chinese take on the trope. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert and Joe as they contemplate tales and traditions from Taoist sorcery, alchemy and Chinese folktales. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2017 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 51 seconds
Chinese Zodiac: Superstition, Economics & Destiny
As we celebrate Chinese New Year and enter the year of the fire rooster, join Robert and Joe for an encore Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration of the Chinese zodiac and some interesting studies related to its impact on birth rates, economics and individual destiny. As always, you can take astrology with a grain of salt, but the impact on human behavior and culture is undeniable. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2017 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 16 seconds
Interplanetary War
Syfy’s 'The Expanse,' based on the James S. A. Corey book series, revolves around conflict between human-seeded planetary civilizations -- namely a UN-governed Earth and an independent Martian state. How does this vision match up with futurist predictions concerning interplanetary war, the rigors of space travel and postcolonial cultural schisms? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore and even chat with 'The Expanse' executive producer Naren Shankar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2017 • 1 hour, 49 minutes, 53 seconds
Sailors on a Dark Sea: Political Extremism, Child’s Play
As we sail through this world of technological marvel and complex systems, it’s easy to assume we know the watery depths that yawn beneath our hull. As it turns out, however, it’s all an illusion of explanatory depth. We think we understand day-to-day gadgets, but are at a loss to explain their functionality. We think we understand policy and politics, but are better at explaining why we hold our beliefs than how particular policies might solve life’s hideous problems. In this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dip into the waters of cognitive illusion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2017 • 58 minutes, 57 seconds
Sailors on a Dark Sea: Illusion of Explanatory Depth
As we sail through this world of technological marvel and complex systems, it’s easy to assume we know the watery depths that yawn beneath our hull. As it turns out, however, it’s all an illusion of explanatory depth. We think we understand day-to-day gadgets, but are at a loss to explain their functionality. We think we understand policy and politics, but are better at explaining why we hold our beliefs than how particular policies might solve life’s hideous problems. In this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dip into the waters of cognitive illusion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2017 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 51 seconds
Mixologia: Potions, Cocktails & Deadly Spirits
While the cocktail is an inherently American invention, the history of combining alcohols with other substances to create potent, drinkable concoctions dates back to ancient times. While you might expect dangerous ingredients to have a place in a wizard’s potion or a philosopher's goblet, modern cocktails and spirits have also dabbled with nefarious elixirs. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the history, myth and science behind it all in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 32 seconds
The Science of Holy Butter
There's more to butter than meets the eye. Each yellow pat of fatty goodness is nothing short of processed solar energy, and its long history entails many a magical and sacred rite. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider the curious nature of butter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2017 • 48 minutes, 8 seconds
The Myth of Green Tea Hallucinations
Read the 1872 ghost story “Green Tea” and you might worry that a fresh cup of Sencha might summon visions of a demonic ghost monkey. But don’t fear! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the myth and likelihood of green tea hallucinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2017 • 52 minutes, 32 seconds
Exorcism/Adorcism
You’ve likely never attended an exorcism, but popular culture ensures that you know what one is. Yes, we’re talking the forced removal of a demonic entity from the human psyche, but what else can we glean about this paranormal experience from shamanistic rites of exorcism and the psychological principles of dissociative identity disorder and cognitive dissonance? As 'The Exorcist' creeps in on its 43rd anniversary, Robert and Christian discuss the real and imaginary forces at work in the demon-haunted mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2017 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 4 seconds
What Mind Control Feels Like
If mind control is possible, whether enabled by hard neurotechnology or good old fashioned social and linguistic suggestion, what does it feel like? What is it like to be controlled by a will other than your own? Would you even know it was happening? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2016 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 8 seconds
The Body Illithid: Science of the Mind Flayers
If Dungeons and Dragons has ever touched your life, then you’re probably familiar with the tentacled, brain-sucking Illithids. Even in a fantasy world so rich in bizarre monstrosities, the Mind Flayers stand out as shockingly alien. Yet the Illithids are not without their parallels in the natural world -- and even in human civilization. Join Robert and Christian for a science-grounded look at everyone’s favorite Underdark horror. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2016 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 32 seconds
Dangerous Foods II: The Second Course
In a world… where few people know the source of their foods and everyday meals seem the safest refuge, some dishes have deadly designs. From the masters of terror who brought you last year’s Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode 'A Six Course Feast of Dangerous Foods' comes the holiday dread of 'Dangerous Foods II: The Second Course.' Can your heart stand the shocking facts about toxic potatoes, mad honey and the mysteries of the dead man’s fingers? 'Dangerous Foods II: The Second Course.' This time, it’s personal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2016 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 29 seconds
A Six Course Feast of Dangerous Foods
Considering a holiday feast of toxic sushi and deadly casserole? Then this encore presentation is for you. Join Robert and Joe for a six-course meal of culinary danger! Discover six foods that deliver a lethal taste profile when carelessly prepared or consumed by the uninitiated diner -- and tune in for a brand NEW 'Deadly Foods' episode on Thursday. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2016 • 49 minutes, 9 seconds
The Nature of Heroism
Heroes permeate our culture, from mythic archetypes and pop-culture superheroes to real-life humans who risk their lives for others. But from where does heroism emerge? Robert and Christian explore the question in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind Podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2016 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 23 seconds
Euphemisms: Linguistic Transmutation
Sure, euphemisms allow us to talk about something unpleasant or taboo without actually invoking the dreaded word or words -- but what else is going on? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe explore the linguistic power of euphemisms to alter and transform the tone or meaning of everyday communication. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2016 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 44 seconds
Artes Mathematicall: The Diviner John Dee
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion and plunged the depths of human knowledge in age of great change. In this second of two episodes on the topic, Robert and Christian discuss Dr. Dee’s involvement in science, statecraft, cryptography and espionage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2016 • 43 minutes, 43 seconds
Artes Mathematicall: The Conjurer John Dee
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion and plunged the depths of human knowledge in age of great change. In this first of two episodes on the topic, Robert and Christian discuss the world, life and magic of the enigmatic Dr. Dee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 45 seconds
Listener Mail VII: Fill Your Ears
It's listener mail time again! Join Robert, Joe and Christian for listener feedback on combat drugs, only child syndrome, technology without fire, ghost marriage, forensics and more. Plus Karnie the Mailbot scans itself for viruses and reboots for action. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 11 seconds
The Creep
You've all witnessed and been witnessed by the Creep, but what attributes compose this unsettling character? Why do we fear the creep and what, indeed, are we to make of the Creep in the mirror? Join Robert and Joe for an autopsy of this most unsavory archetype. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2016 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 41 seconds
To The Escape Pod!
Ever wanted to climb into the safe, metal womb of an escape pod and blast yourself free of this doomed vessel called life? Sure you have, but in the meantime consider some of the real-life air, space and terrestrial escape capsules that humans have envisioned over the years. Robert and Joe tell you all about it in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2016 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 59 seconds
Is social media driving us insane?
If our collective social, cultural and political angst may be compared to a fire, then social media often seems the kiln that contains it. But are resources such as FaceBook and Twitter mere vessels for the blistering heat, or are they complacent in the flame’s intensity? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2016 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 6 seconds
I Was Eaten by a Giant Spider
The spiders that occur in nature are not a creeping menace -- rather, they are a true invisible ally of humankind. But if one were to grow to 1950s sci-fi proportions, even the arachnophiliacs among us would have to admit we had a problem on our hands. How do spiders eat their prey, and what would it be like if a human being were consumed by an impossibly large spider? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/18/2016 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds
A World Before Fire: The Human Flame
Humans existed before their mastery of fire, albeit in a rather primitive state -- and yes, even Earth itself knew an age when fire itself was not only scarce, but chemically impossible. In this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture back to a time before the flame and consider the curious, interconnected ascension of man and fire. In part two, consider how fire enabled the evolutionary and technological ascent of humanity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2016 • 46 minutes, 34 seconds
A World Before Fire: The Terrestrial Anomaly
Humans existed before their mastery of fire, albeit in a rather primitive state -- and yes, even Earth itself knew an age when fire itself was not only scarce, but chemically impossible. In this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture back to a time before the flame and consider the curious, interconnected ascension of man and fire. In part one, explore the chemistry of a flameless Earth and the possibility of alien technology without fire. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2016 • 38 minutes, 23 seconds
Combat Stims: Better Warriors Through Chemistry
Combat stims and pharmacological power-ups are a staple of our gun-blazing video games, enabling players to rack up atrocious body counts. But what’s the reality of combat drugs? How do we separate legends from reality and just what our soldiers currently taking to enable, survive and live with the violence of their profession? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2016 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 2 seconds
Only Child Syndrome: Brats, Myths and Little Emperors
What sort of behavior, personality and life can we expect from an only child? A lot of cultural expectations persist about the singleton, from the spoiled Veruca Salt of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to the “little emperors” who rose up in the wake of China’s One Child Policy. But what’s the truth of the matter? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2016 • 56 minutes, 30 seconds
Incu-succubi: Demon in the Halls of Sleep
Incubi and succubi emerge from Western demonology as supernatural seducers who prey on human passion. But of course seductive demons and sexual ghosts can be found in traditions around the world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the basics of incubus and succubus myths, a few international variants and the possible biological, psychological and neurological explanations for these paranormal encounters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2016 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 29 seconds
Frankenstein: 200 Years of Scientific Dread
Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” has terrified the world for nearly two centuries, thanks to countless adaptations and the timeless nature of the 1816 text. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss the modern world that this science-fiction horror classic emerged from and the dark shadow it continues to cast over scientific endeavor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2016 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 14 seconds
Creepypasta 3: The SCP Foundation
Is there science behind the creepypasta? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian return to the realm of online folklore and collaborative fiction for a look at the Special Containment Procedures (SCP) Foundation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds
Now I am Become Death: Cotard's Delusion
Consider Cotard’s Delusion, also known as Cotard’s Syndrome, that rare mental illness in which the patient comes to believe themselves a corpse. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe investigate tales of the deathly deluded. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2016 • 42 minutes, 11 seconds
Death Roots: Dreams and Science of Carnivorous Plants
Are humans truly safe from the hunger of mean-eating plants? Can we trust the trees that loom over us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss myths and fictions of killer trees, the science of carnivorous plants and the curious absence of mean-eating plants in our natural world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2016 • 1 hour, 9 minutes
Will-o'-the-Wisp: A Light in the Swamp
There was a time when strange lights appeared in the marshlands. Commoners might have known the eerie luminescence as “Will-o’-the-Wisp” or “Hinky Punk,” while the learned pondered the mysteries of “Ignis Fatuus.” Superstitions aside, what natural phenomenon was at work here, before accounts of false fires in the night largely vanished from history? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe search for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2016 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 23 seconds
The Creepypasta Experiments
Surf the Internet long enough and you’ll happen upon creepypasta: little cut-and-paste snippets of horror that blur the lines between reality and the fantastic. These collectively assembled amalgams of pop culture influences take on their own amorphous power -- and more than a few of them seem to involve shadowy science experiments. So in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the real-life science behind a handful of experiments from the world of creepypasta. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2016 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 45 seconds
The 2016 Ig Nobels: Pale Horses, Dead Flies and Quantified Bullroar
Each year, a magazine called The Annals of Improbable Research awards the Ig Nobel prizes to honor the weirdest and funniest scientific projects ever undertaken by humans. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert, Joe and Christian discuss this year's winners. In part two, you’ll hear about profiles in lying, pale horses, automotive alchemy, the passion of a fly collector, and people who find profundity in meaningless statements. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2016 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
The 2016 Ig Nobels: Rat Pants, Mooning and the Sincerity of Rocks
Each year, a magazine called The Annals of Improbable Research awards the Ig Nobel prizes to honor the weirdest and funniest scientific projects ever undertaken by humans. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert, Joe and Christian discuss this year's winners. In part one, you can expect to hear about rats with pants, the personalities of rocks, scientific mooning, mirror-assisted itch relief, as well as the lived experience of goatmen and badgermen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2016 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 52 seconds
Conjoined Dreamers
Is the dream world a solitary creation of the sleeping mind, or can we share these spaces of fear, wonder and desire with other dreamers? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore Carl Jung’s collective unconscious as well as the science of linked dreaming via computer interfaces. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2016 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 23 seconds
The Nine Dream Worlds of Frederik van Eeden
Have you ever desired a map of the dream world? Look no further than the ideas and practices of Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden. Influenced by Hindu philosophy, mysticism and panpsychism, van Eeden coined the term 'lucid dreaming' along with eight other specific states of dreaming. Join Robert and Christian as they explore his seven kingdoms of sleep. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2016 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 55 seconds
Undead Genes: Genetic Activation After Death
While more elaborate visions of the afterlife view mortal existence as a sort of larval stage in a grander human timeline, science tells us that death is the end. The human mind blinks out of existence as the brain dies. The vast multicellular, microbiota-colonized empire collapses into decay. And yet, as things fall apart, certain genes have been observed to activate. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the world of ‘undead genes.’ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2016 • 33 minutes, 20 seconds
Weird Mushrooms!
Join Robert and Christian as they crack open the sacred book of the shroom and examine a half-dozen examples of magnificently weird mushrooms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2016 • 49 minutes, 39 seconds
Beyond this Vale of Testing: Post-Empirical Science
Most scientists declare empirical falsifiability -- the notion that a theory may be proven right or wrong via scientific investigation -- to be the core principle of science. Others, such as string theorists, think science should move beyond those boundaries. Is empiricism an unnecessary straight jacket? Is “post-empirical science” an oxymoron? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2016 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 45 seconds
Scalp Hunters and the Cobra Effect
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the perverse world of unintended consequences and the cobra effect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2016 • 54 minutes, 41 seconds
STBYM Live: Prime Directives & Planetary Contamination
The Prime Directive serves as the Federation’s philosophical backbone, no matter how often our favorite Trek heroes bend and break its values in order to save the day. How does this policy match up with current space exploration procedures, colonial Earth history and our most dangerous terrestrial ideas? Robert, Joe and Christian explore in this special LIVE Stuff to Blow Your Mind presentation from Star Trek: Mission New York. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2016 • 54 minutes, 23 seconds
Chinese Ghost Marriage: The Rite of Mínghūn
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert and Christian for an investigation into the practice, history and exploitation of ghost marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2016 • 50 minutes, 48 seconds
The Substance of Silence
We all have a pretty good notion of noise, but what exactly is silence? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2016 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 20 seconds
MSG: Umami and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and science of MSG and explore just why we demonized it for so long. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2016 • 54 minutes, 15 seconds
The Great Transhumanist Rapture War: Part 2
Join Robert and Joe as they explore the space for common ground — and conflict — between genetically modified cyborgs and heaven-teleported believers in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2016 • 45 minutes, 29 seconds
The Great Transhumanist Rapture War: Part 1
What do the transhumanist visions and singularitarians have in common with Christian rapture doctrine, apocalyptic prophesies and far-future saviors? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the space for common ground -- and conflict -- between genetically modified cyborgs and Heaven-teleported believers in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2016 • 48 minutes, 30 seconds
Curious Incident of the Guinea Worm in the Dog
Humans have waged a decade-spanning war of extinction against the parasitic Guinea worm. With cases down roughly 99.99 percent from 1986, it would seem the struggle is nearly at an end. Now our inhuman adversary has found a new place to hide -- and that place is man's best friend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2016 • 47 minutes, 23 seconds
OSIRIS-REx: NASA's Journey to the Netherworld
In the year 2018, NASA's OSIRIS-REx will rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu, a 1,614-foot near Earth object that might just collide with our world at some point in the 22nd century. OSIRIS-REx will explore this carbonaceous wanderer, but it will also bring a portion of it back home. Join Robert and Christian as they discuss the mission and chat with space scientists Dr. Amy. A Simon about OSIRIS-REx . Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2016 • 46 minutes, 15 seconds
Listener Mail VI: The Listener Mailbox of Babel
Yet again, the mailbot brings forth the responses and queries of many loyal Stuff to Blow Your Mind listeners. Join Robert, Christian and Joe on a sacred journey to catalog the Listener Mailbox of Babel and eventually find the precious texts of the legendary Crimson Inbox. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2016 • 44 minutes, 54 seconds
Welcome to the Mosquito Factory
In humanity's ongoing war against mosquito borne illness, some of the most innovative offense comes in the form mosquito breeding programs. Yes, these "mosquito factories" are all about manipulating the enemy rather than simply killing them. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the world of GMO mosquitoes, Wolbachia bacteria and the possible wages of mosquito eradication Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2016 • 44 minutes, 50 seconds
Saturn's Brood: Beyond the Outer Ring
The planet Saturn offers far more than rings to those who venture within its gravitational influence. This wind-swept gas giant also holds sway over no fewer than 53 moons, including such wonders as the atmosphere-shrouded Titan, two-faced Iapetus and sponge-like Hyperion. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the mysteries of the Saturnian moons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2016 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 28 seconds
O Time Thy Pyramids: The Library of Babel
In Jorge Luis Borges' masterful short story "The Library of Babel," librarians and cultists wander a vast honeycomb library of hexagonal rooms -- rooms that contain not only all books but all possible books, from unwritten masterpieces to tomes of typographical nonsense. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into this metaphoric labyrinth for contemplations of genetics, cosmology, philosophy, computer programing and magic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2016 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 23 seconds
Minds of Musical Emptiness
We're all wired to enjoy different forms of music, but for some of us the wiring is missing entirely. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the curious conditions of amusia and auditory agnosia in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2016 • 47 minutes, 5 seconds
The Great Flood
From tales of Utnapishtim and Noah to Yü and Manu, everyone loves a good mythical deluge. But why are flood myths so important? What sort of natural phenomena could cause the sort of massive flooding likely to resonate through the heritage memories of a flood-traumatized civilization? Join Robert and Christian for a Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/26/2016 • 53 minutes, 10 seconds
The Failings of Forensic Science, Part II
What if bad science put you in prison for a crime you didn't commit? How many guilty offenders are still out there because of pseudoscience, fraud or disorganized laboratories? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Joe and Christian for part two of our review of forensic science in the courtroom. How accurate is the analysis of fingerprints, ballistics, hair, bite marks, fire and DNA? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2016 • 42 minutes, 3 seconds
The Failings of Forensic Science, Part I
What if bad science put you in prison for a crime you didn't commit? How many guilty offenders are still out there because of pseudoscience, fraud or disorganized laboratories? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe and Christian review the use of forensic science in law enforcement. Scientific evidence is prevalent in both courtrooms and popular culture. But why are we only recently questioning its validity? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2016 • 56 minutes, 47 seconds
Leaping Mullets! Flying Fish! Breaching Sharks!
Fish belong in the water, right? What business do they have leaping out of their world and into ours? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the surprisingly fascinating, dangerous and mysterious world of leaping, jumping and gliding fish. From skewering swordfish and breaching sharks to the alleged urethra-bound candiru, nature provides more than a few mind-blowing specimens of note. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2016 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 22 seconds
Coral Sex in the Sea (With Guest Marah J. Hardt)
Sure coral reefs are rich, vibrant ecosystems, but did you know they also have a kinky side? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah J. Hardt returns to chat about coral reproduction and the role this vital, threatened organism plays in our world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2016 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 24 seconds
Summer Reading 2016: Time Enough at Last
It's a summer tradition, so once more the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind share their fiction and nonfiction reading recommendations with listeners. That means science, science fiction, horror, children's books and more -- all with a distinct STBYM flavor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2016 • 59 minutes
Biohacking and the Road to Transhumanism
Humanity is on the road to transhumanism, but some individuals are a little farther down the technologically-evolved highway than the rest of us. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss the definition of transhumanism and some of the DIY pioneers and cyborg harbingers preparing us for Homo sapiens 2.0. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2016 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 13 seconds
Incomplete/Unfinished
How are we to process an incomplete or unfinished work? Art, literature and film all present us with partial works, yet our reaction varies. Some works remain incomplete due to tragedy or neglect, while others are intentionally non finito. We demand some incomplete compositions completed, while others remain sacrosanct testaments to the creator. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the nature of incomplete works. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2016 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds
Mystery of the Myth-Fleshed Fossil
Are the fossilized monsters of paleontology and the fantastic monsters of myth one and the same? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the realm of of geomythology, entailing the possible ancient real-world origins of dragons, griffins, giants the cyclops and other wonders. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2016 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 20 seconds
Pieces of a Human: The Science of Artificial Organs
Imagine a future in which much-needed transplant organs are printed on demand, grown within the bodies of humanized animals or plucked fresh and dripping from the organ vats. It's the age of artificially grown organs and yes, gentle listener, we already have one foot planted within this amazing, Frankenstein-tinged world. Join Robert and Christian for a discussion of artificial organs in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2016 • 59 minutes, 37 seconds
A New Kingdom of Life: Synthetic Biology
Genomic maps unfurl before us and edited genetic codes alter the expression of life. The past few decades have seen tremendous advancements in genetic engineering, but exactly what takes place in modern gene-editing? What is synthetic biology and how soon might we see the first synthetic human genome? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2016 • 58 minutes, 4 seconds
The Forbidden Void: Cases Against Space
For most of us, space exploration seems like a no-brainer. By venturing out into the cosmic ocean, we advance our technology, unravel the secrets of our universe and further ensure the long term survival of the human race. Not everyone's on board, however. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore some past and present arguments against space exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2016 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Colossal: The Science of Human Height
From fictional obsessions with impossible giants to questions to height psychology and the upper and lower limits of human size, join Robert and Joe for a massive exploration of human height in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 57 seconds
Wicker Men, Mock Kings and Ritualized Regicide
When you think about human sacrifice, you probably envision blood-soaked altars where the weak and defeated are massacred to a divine force. But what about situations where the most powerful member of a society, even a divine king, is sacrificed for the good of the people? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss literal, figurative and symbolic ritual regicide in human civilization. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2016 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 14 seconds
Penile Transplants (With Special Guest Mary Roach)
The year is 2016 and we officially live in the age of the penis transplant -- and while the notion may stir giggles from some, there's nothing humorous about the cancer survivors and wounded soldiers who can benefit from such surgeries. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss recent advances in penile transplant surgery and chat with author Mary Roach, who devotes two chapters of her new book "Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War" to urotrauma and genital transplant surgery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2016 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 44 seconds
The Science of Necrophilia
Don't run away! True enough, this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind considers a most repellent sexual atrocity, but there's more to necrophilia than the sexual abuse of human corpses. Join Robert and Christian as they discuss necrophilia in the animal kingdom, including one rare case of "functional necrophilia" that actually produces offspring. Stay for the later half of the episode and you'll also plunge the psychological depths of human necrophilia in all its varied forms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2016 • 58 minutes, 40 seconds
The Science of Coincidence
What are we to make of coincidence? From the numerological cats cradles we weave around famous events to the curious ways human lives converge through time, coincidence seems to fly in the face of reason and even suggest the supernatural. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the synchronicity, statistics and psychology of coincidence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2016 • 50 minutes
Unraveling the Mythic
Mythology is a powerful force, but what exactly IS myth? How does it differ from legend and folklore? How do we study it?Join Robert and Christian as they consider the powerful, polyfunctional nature of myth and all the various ways we interpret it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2016 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 20 seconds
Your Experiences With Aphantasia
Following the recent episode "Aphantasia: Blindness of the Mind's Eye," a number of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listeners wrote in about their own inability to summon voluntary mental images. Join Robert and Joe as they read and discuss some of the many listener mails on the matter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2016 • 53 minutes, 6 seconds
Akademgorodok: Siberia's Super Science Town
Hidden away in the cold of Siberia's forest is an alternative to Silicon Valley, what some refer to as Russia's Silicon Forest. You can think of it as Russia's Eureka or Limetown -- maybe even the Siberian scientific Hogwarts, but Akademgorodok has encapsulated Russia's scientific dreams since the 1950s. Join Robert and Christian as they discuss the place some describe as a "scientific utopia." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2016 • 52 minutes, 50 seconds
Organic Panic: A Dietary Dilemma
We all build our new bodies out of the foods we eat, so why not obtain the best building materials we can afford? It's a reasonable thought, but the concept of "organic food" is often confusing. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian look to see what science has to say about organic and conventional foods. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2016 • 46 minutes, 37 seconds
The Quest for Hollywood Acid
From the corrosive blood of the "Alien" xenomorph to the various Bond and Batman villains' use of the iconic acid vat, popular media presents us with a dramatic and largely unrealistic vision of acidic power. What are our strongest acids and superacids actually like? How do they generate those acid effects in the movies? And just what sort of blood courses through the xenomorph's veins? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2016 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 5 seconds
Aphantasia: Blindness of the Mind's Eye
Mental images play an important role in our daily experience of reality, from thoughts of the past to daydreams, fantasies and entire worlds of the imagination. Just what's happening when we see through the mind's eye and what on Earth is it like for individuals who experience aphantasia and experience no visual imagination at all? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2016 • 55 minutes, 4 seconds
Cannabis Files: Medical Marijuana
It's easy to misjudge "medical marijuana" as an attempt by cannabis advocates to legitimize their favorite herb, but medicinal use of cannabis dates back to ancient times. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore both historical and modern uses of "the green medicine." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2016 • 33 minutes, 18 seconds
Cannabis Files: Humanity's THC Odyssey
Humans have known about cannabis for thousands of years, crafting hemp textiles and consuming its psychoactive THC. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian examine the cannabis plant, its travels through human populations and its famed sensory and psychological effects. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2016 • 57 minutes, 28 seconds
Listener Mail V: Computing the Hyper-Real
Once more, the mailbot delivers the spoils of listener feedback and your loyal Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts read and respond to them. Join Robert, Christian and Joe as they cover everything from computing and hyperreal religions to cargo cults and even Dungeons and Dragons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Jupiter's Children: A Voyage to the Galilean Moons
Of all the moons of Jupiter, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io tantalize us the most. These alien worlds of ice, fire, desolation and hidden oceans tantalize us with their possibility for extraterrestrial life and human exploration of the outer solar system. Join Robert and Joe for a mind bending exploration of the great gas giant's Galilean Moons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2016 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 22 seconds
Tree Man Disease
Imagine a disease that warps and petrifies the flesh, transforming normal skin into bark-like growths that slowly consume the hands and feet. Commonly known as "tree man disease," Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis (EV) is one of the rarest medical conditions in the world, yet the extreme, deformative nature of the disease continues to intrigue media consumers around the world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the science of EV, it's links to Human Papillomavirus and why we can't look away. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2016 • 44 minutes, 29 seconds
When We Think About Cyborgs
What began as a 1960s term for a retrofitted human space explorer has become a focal point for considerations of human and machine interaction, technological culture, biomechanics and feminist identity. Join Robert and Christian as they set aside the brain/computer interfaces for a discussion of what it is to be a "cyborg" in 2016. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2016 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 39 seconds
Tip of the Tongue
Your know the feeling. You're trying to recall the name of a time-keeping musical device or the the actor who played Fredo in "The Godfather" and all that comes to mind is a memory-hole in the shape of a metronome or John Cazale. It's on the tip of your tongue and it's a universal experience of memory retrieval. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, join Robert and Joe as they discuss the science of TOT phenomenon and what you can do to prevent it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2016 • 52 minutes, 45 seconds
Algorithms In The Blood: The P vs. NP Problem
What does it mean to solve a problem in our universe? That's a trickier question than you might think, with some fairly high-stakes ramifications in the worlds of computing and even philosophy. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the inherent logic of problem-solving in our universe, with some attention to a special example of an outstanding problem in computer science: P vs. NP. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2016 • 53 minutes, 47 seconds
Vampire Physics, Mathematics & Evolution
The human obsession with vampires runs deep, so deep that it survives our consistent attempts to squeeze all the mystery and fun out of the topic. Inject a little science, however, and the patient returns once more to a state of fabulous un-life. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the fluid dynamics of blood drinking, the mathematics of pandemic vampirism and the evolution of real-world blood drinkers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2016 • 50 minutes
Cargoism: Science, Desire and the Cargo Cults
During the Second World War, Melanesian islanders encountered the vast, commercial systems of Allied and Japanese forces. Cargo Cults sprang up in the wake of such contact, typified by deification and a ritualistic appeal to the impossible return of material wealth. What can such encounters tell us about science, programing, sustainability and the human condition? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2016 • 56 minutes, 13 seconds
The Unsettling Depths of Bird Intelligence
Just what are the upper limits of avian cognitive ability? Various studies reveal how certain bird species engage in mental time travel, tool use, self recognition, theory of mind and even meta-cognition. But how do their non-mammalian brains actually work, and what might a technologically-advanced bird species even look like? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the avian mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2016 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 20 seconds
Hyper-Real Religion: Pastafarianism and Beyond
When does a protest religion become an actual faith? What happens when purely fictional modes of belief leak off the page or screen? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss modern religious movements, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the rise of so-called hyper-real religions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2016 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 44 seconds
Wound Mouth of the Undying Hydra
Behold a tentacled, immortal predator with a wound for a mouth. No, this isn't the product of a horror writer's fever dream, but rather a denizen of the natural world. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider the hydra, from its mythological namesake to all the fascinating scientific studies about its sex life, longevity and penchant for tearing itself a new mouth hole each and every mealtime. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2016 • 44 minutes, 32 seconds
Wicked Problems
How do you solve a problem like crime, poverty or climate change? The answer, like the problem itself, is elusive and amorphous. These are not "tame problems," but "wicked problems" -- conundrums that defy even the powerful problem-solving powers of scientific ingenuity. Join Robert and Christian for a proper Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2016 • 58 minutes, 42 seconds
Beekeeping, Ancient Egypt and the Tears of Re
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, enter a kingdom within a kingdom: the remarkable honey-and-wax monarchy within a beehive and the organizational complexity of ancient Egypt. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the importance of apiculture in ancient Egypt and chat with "The Tears of Re" author entomologist Gene Kritsky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2016 • 1 hour, 14 minutes, 38 seconds
Creepypasta 2: Disturbing Smiles & Lidless Eyes
You asked for it, you got it. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian return to the Creepypasta files and discuss some actual science behind the "Jeff the Killer" tale of mutilation and madness. Why do fake files creep us out? Are people really opting for permanent, surgical smiles? Could fictional Jeff get his eyelids replaced and how does this dark tale mirror reality? Find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/16/2016 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 20 seconds
Sex Cannibals of the Animal Kingdom
Sexual cannibalism is a rarity in the natural world, and scientists are still attempting to understand the act as practiced by mostly arachnids and insects. Why consume your mate after or during sexual intercourse? Why venture into such a scenario in the first place? Join Robert and Joe as they explore the thoroughly inhuman world of sexual cannibalism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2016 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds
Talking Knots in the Inca Kingdom of Fibers
Welcome to the Kingdom of the Inca, where hundreds of rope bridges connect an imperial highway system and fiber-armored soldiers wield woven slings against the enemies of the Emperor. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the khipu system of knotted, colored string that served as a physical notation system in lieu of written language. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2016 • 1 hour, 22 seconds
Osedax: Sex Life of an Ocean Bone Worm
Enter the world of the osedax worm, where mouthless female scavengers liquefy the bones of dead whales with acid-drenched roots -- and where each female's body contains a harem of tiny, sperm-producing males. Robert and Christian discuss the bizarre lives of the osedax worms and invite "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah J. Hardt for a discussion on this and other fascinating modes of deep-water reproduction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2016 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 55 seconds
The Medusa Nebula: A Monstrous Beauty of Space
Join Robert and Christian as they consider the beauty and composition of the Medusa nebula in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2016 • 26 minutes, 21 seconds
Listener Mail IV: The Listening
It's that time again. Join Robert, Joe and Christian for another round of robot-delivered listener mail. They're read your missives concerning everything from the Chinese zodiac and psychopaths to solar sails, MDMA and the X-Files. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2016 • 58 minutes, 14 seconds
John C. Lilly: Province of the Mind
The figure of John C. Lilly as psychedelic dolphin communicator burns in the collective memory as a counterculture avatar, yet his legacy embodies far more than the mythologized and/or vilified figure that most of us know. Join Robert and Christian as they examine the life, career and ideas of Lilly the scientist, Lilly the counterespionage researcher and Lilly the psychonaut. Welcome to the province of the mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2016 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 32 seconds
Dreams of Orgonon: Sex, Storms & Death
Do you believe there's a natural energy that permeates the universe? Wilhelm Reich did, calling it "orgone." He also thought it was generated by orgasms, could manipulate the weather and cure cancer. Join Joe and Christian as they review Reich's life work, including a personal visit to his Orgonon observatory. We cover Reich's history, his contributions to alternative medicine and psychoanalysis, his orgone theories and his construction of orgone accumulators and cloudbusters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2016 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 26 seconds
Echoborg: The Computer Controls You
Imagine a future in which powerful AIs use human surrogates or "echoborgs" to speak their words and socialize with humans. The living, breathing avatar simply recites the computer's words at the conference table, serving as a humanizing conduit for an inhuman will. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction and TV's "Black Mirror," but such experiments are a reality in artificial intelligence research. Join Robert and Joe as they get to know the echoborgs and cyranoids among us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2016 • 47 minutes, 56 seconds
Tractable Thunder: Early Days of Electricity, Part 2
Electricity lost its magic over the course the 18th and 19th centuries. The "invisible fire" steadily transitioned from a mysterious force of wonder to a mundane reality of daily modern life. In this two-part edition of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the various electrical experiments, stunts, inventions, performances, innovations, occultisms and atrocities that transformed the tractable thunder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2016 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 47 seconds
The Holy Amber: Early Days of Electricity, Part 1
Electricity lost its magic over the course the 18th and 19th centuries. The "invisible fire" steadily transitioned from a mysterious force of wonder to a mundane reality of daily modern life. In this two-part edition of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the various electrical experiments, stunts, inventions, performances, innovations, occultisms and atrocities that transformed the tractable thunder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2016 • 53 minutes, 8 seconds
Weaponized Animals: From Fire Pigs to Bomb Bats
Warfare has always played a central role in human civilization, but we've always invited to share the rest of the animal kingdom to share in the violence and misery -- sometimes as actual weapons. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the history of weaponized animals, from flaming war pigs in ancient Greece to high-tech incendiary bats in the Second World War. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2016 • 38 minutes, 25 seconds
Tooth, Mind and Soul: Dental Modification
When you think of body modification, you probably don't think about your teeth. Yet dental modification takes place throughout the world, from ancient superstitious practices to the modern cult of the Hollywood smile. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the world of tooth filling, tooth blackening and even tooth extraction as a means to treat illness and transform the soul. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2016 • 57 minutes, 50 seconds
A Six Course Feast of Dangerous Foods
Join Robert and Joe for a six-course meal of culinary danger! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, discover six foods that deliver a lethal taste profile when carelessly prepared or consumed by the uninitiated diner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2016 • 52 minutes, 58 seconds
Chinese Zodiac: Superstition, Economics & Destiny
As we celebrate Chinese New Year and enter the year of the fire monkey, join Robert and Joe for a Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration of the Chinese zodiac and some interesting studies related to its impact on birth rates, economics and individual destiny. As always, you can take astrology with a grain of salt, but the impact on human behavior and culture is undeniable. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2016 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 50 seconds
Humanzee: Breaking the Species Barrier
Chimpanzees are humanity's closest living relative, but there's both wonder and existential horror in that closeness. A species barrier separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, but what if a chimp/human hybrid were to bridge that barrier? Join Robert and Christian as they explore the case history of Russian biologist Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov and his attempts to breed a human/chimp hybrid in the early 20th century. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2016 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 32 seconds
Space Mirrors: Weapons, Energy & Propulsion
What can you accomplish with a space mirror? Quite a lot, actually. You can use them to gaze far into the cosmos, to propel exploration craft and even cast patches of light back down on night-cloaked regions of the planet. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian discuss the power of space mirrors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2016 • 36 minutes, 3 seconds
X-Files Science Part II: Bugs, Hybrids and Hypnosis
We want to believe. With the return of The X-Files to television Joe and Christian go digging through Scully's reports for scientific answers to the big themes of the show. Join us to learn more about regression hypnosis, weaponized bees, alien hybridization and more. Just remember... trust no one. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2016 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 31 seconds
X-Files Science Part I: Mutants & Parasites
With the return of television's The X-Files, it's never been a better time to look at the science behind the show. Join Joe and Christian as they examine the possibilities of classic Monsters of the Week, including otherworldly parasites, killer mutants, talking tattoos and more. We'll add present research to the scientific theories surrounding the show during its initial release to find if the truth is out there. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2016 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 2 seconds
The Stone of Madness
Madness has always intrigued artists, and medieval paintings sometimes presented this malady's treatment via the surgical removal of cranial stone. What was the stone of madness? Was it mere fantasy, metaphor or an actual medical condition? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe collect their trepanation tools and investigate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2016 • 51 minutes, 3 seconds
New Year's Resolutions: Science and Moral Behavior
So many of our most common resolutions for personal improvement are inherently narcissistic: Quit smoking, lose weight, get in shape. We want to look sexier, feel stronger and live forever. But beyond this alternately self-gratifying and self-flagellating topography lies the most quintessential self-improvement project of all: Being a better person. Can science show us how to re-engineer our moral behavior and live better lives? Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2016 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 10 seconds
Pink Snow, Black Snow, Space Snow, Weird Snow
Sure, snow is one of those amazing natural wonders that we so often take for granted, but this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind is more concerned with the weirder corners of our winter wonderland. We're talking pink snow, black snow, blood snow, blue snow, alien snow, conspiracy theory snow and giant snow. Join Robert and Joe as they plunge knee-deep in the weird flaky stuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2015 • 52 minutes, 18 seconds
The Science of 'Ant-Man'
The 2015 movie "Ant-Man" continues a long Hollywood tradition of miniaturization sci-fi, but how much real science is there in this tale of tiny superheroes and lovable ants? Join Robert and Christian as they shrink down to the film's level and discuss physics, the quantum realm and the fantastic world of ant biology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2015 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 41 seconds
Holiday Monsters & Listener Mail
Christmas is here again, so join Robert, Joe and Christian as they discuss a few holiday monsters and tend to your listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2015 • 55 minutes, 21 seconds
Brain-to-Brain: The Science of Techno-Telepathy
You've always wanted to meet a sensitive alien telepath who could understand you like no one else, but SETI is really dropping the ball on your galactic personal ad. Could new technologies that push the frontiers of brain science allow telepathic communication between humans? Join Robert and Joe as they make a case for the slogan, "Talk is cheap. Scan me!" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2015 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 14 seconds
Grand Theft Genome: Genestealers in the Wild
When it comes to gene transfer, most organisms -- yourself included -- play by the rules and stick to sexual and/or asexual reproduction. But then there are the genestealers, organisms that just take the genes they want from other species. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the mind-bending world of horizontal gene transfer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2015 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 49 seconds
Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Child
Due to a strange combination of nature and nurture, some children unfortunately develop into murderers. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian try to understand what causes juvenile homicide, how likely it is and whether these offenders may kill again. Through studies in psychopathy and neuroscience we're looking for an answer to the scariest question: Could my child be a killer? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2015 • 59 minutes, 15 seconds
MDMA: Pharmacological Healer
In the form of recreational ecstasy, the psychoactive drug MDMA carries with it a stigma of wide-eyed ravers, free love and counterculture pharmacological spirituality. But beyond its cultural legacy, MDMA offers a potent therapeutic tool for doctors and therapists -- if we can only unravel its mysteries. Join Robert and Christian for a look at past and current studies into the healing properties of this powerful substance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2015 • 40 minutes, 15 seconds
MDMA: Pharmacological Ecstasy
Some of you have tried the ecstasy. Others have merely heard about the drug on a TV sitcom, or heard about it in a news report. Either way, MDMA's power resonates through our culture -- and sometimes it's hard to distinguish the truth form the misinformation. But what exactly is this psychoactive agent? Where does it come from and what sort of effect does it have on the human experience? Join Robert and Christian as they explore the origins and properties of MDMA. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2015 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 18 seconds
Better Living Through Tetris
In their previous episode, Robert and Joe explored the geometric hallucinations of Tetris syndrome. Now they're back for a serious look at the ways in which a good dose of cascading, interlocking tetrominoes might just cure what ails ya -- from lazy eye to full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/3/2015 • 46 minutes, 29 seconds
Tetris Syndrome: A Mind Made of Blocks
To play a game of "Tetris" is to invite a geometric invasion into your mind. After hours of intense block manipulation, you finally set aside your gaming device. You take a deep breath, close your eyes -- and there the frenzied, multicolored tetrominoes continue to cascade across your vision. They build walls in your dreams and shape the patterns of your very thought. What's going on inside the mind of a "Tetris" player and what can we learn from so-called "Tetris" syndrome. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2015 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 8 seconds
Listener Mail: Robot Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving in the United States, so Robert, Joe and Christian dine with their devoted mailbot Karnie to consider a selection of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail related to recent episodes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2015 • 53 minutes, 10 seconds
But, Mom! The Science of Whining
Unless you've lived your life in a childless fortress of seclusion, you've likely encountered the maddening, high-pitched whine of a complaining child. But what is whining? Is it universal? Why is it so annoying and just what's being communicated between parent and child? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe explore. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2015 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
The Self-Mummifying Monk
We tend to think of mummification as either an environmental event or a mortuary act perpetrated by others, but mummification can also occur as an act of ritualized self destruction. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider the Sokushinbutsu of Japan, who once engaged in a process of ascetic self mummification that spanned years of extreme body modification. Their purpose? To travel through time... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2015 • 41 minutes, 32 seconds
Space Weapons: Rods From God
You may call it "rods from god," project Thor" or a glorious "hypervelocity rod bundle," but this theoretical space weapon comes down to one devastating reality: A space-empowered nation's ability to raise a 20-foot tungsten rod up into orbit and then drop it on an enemy target with mass-accelerated force. No bombs, no lasers, just pure reentry power. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the feasibility of rod-based warfare. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2015 • 40 minutes, 51 seconds
The 2015 Ig Nobels: Kisses, Stings & Dino Chickens
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes honor the weirdest and wackiest contributions to humanity's scientific understanding of the natural world. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episodes, Robert, Joe and Christian unpack each of this year's winners. In this episode, explore the wonders of dinosaur chickens, medicinal speed bumps, passionate kisses, dino chickens, Moulay Ismael the Bloodthirsty and the sting index. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2015 • 1 hour, 1 minute
The 2015 Ig Nobels: Unboiled Eggs & Urine Speed
Each year, the Ig Nobel prizes honor the weirdest and wackiest contributions to humanity's scientific understanding of the natural world. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episodes, Robert, Joe and Christian unpack each of this year's winners. In this episode, explore the wonders of unboiled eggs, urination speed, "huh" literature, police bribes and disastrous managers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2015 • 51 minutes, 26 seconds
The Fist Punch Theory of Evolution
Did the human fist evolve to punch faces? Did our faces evolve to take punches? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore University of Utah biologist David Carrier's research into human evolution -- including his 2015 study that involves a cadaver-armed punching machine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2015 • 40 minutes, 57 seconds
Sanity/Insanity: The Rosenhan Experiment
How do we know precisely what constitutes "normality" or mental illness? And if there is a difference, can anybody detect it? Even professionals? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the groundbreaking 1973 study that saw eight otherwise-healthy "pseudopatients" admitted to 12 different psychiatric facilities and diagnosed with mental illness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If your fictional diet contains significant quantities of horror or dark fantasy, then you've likely encountered the ghoul: a scavenging, grave-robbing race of unnatural beings with an insatiable hunger for the dead. As Robert and Joe explore in this episode, the roots of ghouldom sink back into pre-Islamic Arabic folklore -- as well into the distant evolutionary history of humanity itself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2015 • 50 minutes
I Drink Your Blood
Global myth cycles are rife with blood-drinkers and blood bathers. Often, the tale centers around the notion of young blood as a fountain of youth. The aging countess or decrepit monster needs only to drink from young veins in order to restore a failing body. Yet science has a way of catching up with myth, and in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history of medicinal blood drinking and the startling scientific reality of rejuvenation through transfusions of young blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2015 • 52 minutes, 7 seconds
Will-o'-the-Wisp: A Light in the Swamp
There was a time when strange lights appeared in the marshlands. Commoners might have known the eerie luminescence as "Will-o'-the-Wisp" or "Hinky Punk," while the learned pondered the mysteries of "Ignis Fatuus." Superstitions aside, what natural phenomenon was at work here, before accounts of false fires in the night largely vanished from history? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe search for answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2015 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 14 seconds
Final Girls: Feminism, Slashers & Culture
The "final girl" trope has become a standard horror cinema convention, in which a single strong female character outruns, outsmarts and outstabs her murderous pursuer to stand victorious amid the slain. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the film roots, cultural resonance and symbolic power of the final girl. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2015 • 53 minutes, 7 seconds
The Creepypasta Experiments
Surf the Internet long enough and you'll happen upon creepypasta: little cut-and-paste snippets of horror that blur the lines between reality and the fantastic. These collectively assembled amalgams of pop culture influences take on their own amorphous power -- and more than a few of them seem to involve shadowy science experiments. So in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore the real-life science behind a handful of experiments from the world of creepypasta. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2015 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 1 second
Human Remains: Past, Present and Future
Humanity currently stands at a crossroads in the treatment of its dead. Forced to contend with the environmental and economic downsides to modern mortuary customs, various innovators look back to our most basic burial customs and recreate them with a suitably high-tech design twist. Join Robert and Joe for a look at human remains and the way we help (or hinder) their return to the soil. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2015 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 14 seconds
The Halloween Costume Made Me Do It
What happens when we slip into a costume? Be it a monster pelt, a sexy witch or a simple children's ghost mask, a psychological transformation takes place. Join Robert and Christian for a fittingly seasonal look at enclothed cognition and deindividuation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2015 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 58 seconds
Egyptian Mummies: A Cosmic, Mortuary Odyssey
Ancient Egyptian mummification is not unlike sci-fi space travel in many respects. The leading minds of the day preserved a chosen human within a costly vessel, and then they sent that vessel on a journey across time and space to another world -- a dangerous and uncertain world inhabited by monsters and alien entities. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the cosmology and process of Egyptian mummification, as well as the actual alien entities these necronauts encountered: grave robbers, Victorian ghouls and the probing curiosity of modern science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2015 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 43 seconds
The Science of Dune: Biology
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Frank Herbert's "Dune," the game-changing 1965 sci-fi novel full of space-age feudalistic intrigue, rampaging sandworms and prescient mind drugs on a desert world. Even today, the work resonates with scientific wonder and philosophical intrigue, so join Robert and Joe for a two-part exploration of the science of "Dune." In this episode, explore the lifecycle of the sandworm, mentats and the power of the spice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2015 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 23 seconds
The Science of Dune: Technology
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Frank Herbert's "Dune," the game-changing 1965 sci-fi novel full of space-age feudalistic intrigue, rampaging sandworms and prescient mind drugs on a desert world. Even today, the work resonates with scientific wonder and philosophical intrigue, so join Robert and Joe for a two-part exploration of the science of "Dune." First up, consider the real-life possibilities of water-recycling stillsuits, the Holtzman Effect and the war against thinking machines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2015 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 21 seconds
Poison Arrows, Chinese Medicine and Werewolves
Perhaps you've heard of wolf's bane as curative or even causal agent in the mythology of lycanthropy, yet the appeal of this very real plant reaches far beyond the realm of werewolves. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian consider the role of wolf's bane in traditional Chinese medicine, early biological warfare and natural insect defenses. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2015 • 49 minutes, 53 seconds
One-Armed Bandits: The Science of Slot Machines
You may call it a slot machine, a fruit machine or a one-armed bandit, but the reality is the same: an algorithmically precise machine designed to drain the human gambler of all his or her earnings. Where did these insidious machines come from? How do they ensorcell us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and psychology of slot machine gambling behavior. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2015 • 59 minutes
The Unlanguaged Mind: A World Built With Words
How can we even imagine a life without language when language itself plays such a crucial role in human cognition? Can you even imagine a world in which nothing has a name? Join Robert and Christian as they continue their exploration of the brain's linguistic operating system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2015 • 34 minutes, 35 seconds
The Unlanguaged Mind: Feral Children
The feral child occupies two worlds: that of lighthearted myth and depressing reality. We entertain ourselves with fantasies about wolf-reared infants, but most studies of feral children stem from cases of extreme child abuse and neglect. Join Robert and Christian as they explore human language acquisition and childhood without words. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2015 • 44 minutes, 38 seconds
Palimpsests: Reading History's Blank Pages
Historians learn a great deal from historical texts -- and not only that which was written, but that which was unwritten. Join Robert and Christian as they explore the world of palimpsests, the erased books just under the surface of ancient tomes. Modern technology allows us to uncover more and more of their secrets, while the idea of the palimpsest itself serves as a powerful metaphor for media, the mind and maybe life itself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2015 • 49 minutes, 48 seconds
Wes Craven Tribute: Serpents, Rainbows & Zombies
With the recent passing of horror director Wes Craven, it seems appropriate to cover the science behind his 1988 film "The Serpent and the Rainbow." Join Robert and Christian for a discussion of Haitian folklore, zombie powder and the challenges of filmmaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2015 • 48 minutes, 59 seconds
Tail as Old as Time: Part 2
Where is the human tail? Our embryos lose them in the womb and our great ape kin lost them in the shadows of evolutionary history. Join Robert and Joe as they continue to explore the worlds of human tails and even a Utopian dream of tailed transhumans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2015 • 48 minutes, 47 seconds
Tail as Old as Time: Part 1
Tails are a common feature in the animal kingdom, fulfilling just about every role from comfy blanket to instrument of venomous death. Join Robert and Joe as they explore some of the more outstanding uses, including your dog's caudal language and the scorpion that sheds its own tail and anus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2015 • 44 minutes, 33 seconds
The Science of Necrophilia
Don't run away! True enough, this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind considers a most repellent sexual atrocity, but there's more to necrophilia than the sexual abuse of human corpses. Join Robert and Christian as they discuss necrophilia in the animal kingdom, including one rare case of "functional necrophilia" that actually produces offspring. Stay for the later half of the episode and you'll also plunge the psychological depths of human necrophilia in all its varied forms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2015 • 1 hour, 41 seconds
V2K: The Microwave Auditory Effect
Voice-to-skull or V2K technology is generally the stuff of paranoid government conspiracies, and yet the microwave auditory effect is very real. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the military and commercial applications for what some people call microwave telepathy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2015 • 44 minutes, 50 seconds
Born Under the Caul
While all humans develop inside an amniotic sac, only a rare few are born with part of it enveloping their face. These membranous veils protect us in utero, but what does it mean when a newborn is covered in one at birth? In this episode of Stuff To Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore what a birth caul is and the many superstitions and omens attached to their presence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2015 • 39 minutes
Your Health as a Mars Colonist
Sure, you need to get your butt to Mars, but what are the long-term health ramifications of life on the Red Planet? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore reduced gravity, radiation, toxic dust and a microbiotic desert. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2015 • 58 minutes, 43 seconds
The Strain: Dissecting del Toro's Vampires
Guillermo del Toro's "The Strain" continues to enthrall readers and viewers -- and, love it or hate it, there's no denying the complexity and creativity that del Toro and co-author Chuck Hogan poured into the series' vampires. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore some real-world organisms that line up nicely with the science of "The Strain." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/13/2015 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 51 seconds
Echoborg: The Computer Controls You
Imagine a future in which powerful AIs use human surrogates or "echoborgs" to speak their words and socialize with humans. The living, breathing avatar simply recites the computer's words at the conference table, serving as a humanizing conduit for an inhuman will. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction and TV's "Black Mirror," but such experiments are a reality in artificial intelligence research. Join Robert and Joe as they get to know the echoborgs and cyranoids among us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2015 • 46 minutes, 16 seconds
Summer Reading 2015: Books to Blow Your Mind
It's a summer tradition, so once more the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind share their fiction and nonfiction reading recommendations with listeners. That means science, science fiction, horror and more -- all with a distinct STBYM flavor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2015 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds
From Hell's Heart: The Science of Spite
What are we to make of spite? As humans, we lash out to hurt our neighbor due to petty grudges and prejudices all the time. Yet we're also capable of such altruistic grace. How are these two opposites linked in the human condition and just how important is spite in the framework of civilization? Robert and Christian explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2015 • 45 minutes, 14 seconds
Listener Mail: The Mailbot Reboots
We've entered a new era of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, so it's time for Robert, Joe and Christian to reboot the mailbot with updated user data. As the former "Arnie" comes back online, your three hosts will answer some recent e-mail and social media missives from you the listener. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2015 • 48 minutes, 38 seconds
The Dreams of R. Buckminster Fuller
Imagine a world where cities fly, we all drive three-wheeled cars and mainly eat Jell-O. This is where the dreams of architect and engineer Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller would have taken us. At his height, Bucky was influential between the 1930s and 1950s. But his legacy today is largely that of a designer and a counterculture symbol, not as an inventor. In this episode of Stuff To Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian examine the life of Fuller, as well as the success of his dymaxion inventions and geodesic domes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2015 • 55 minutes, 22 seconds
Something for Everybody: The Forer Effect
From palm-reading fortune tellers to professionally-administered Myers Briggs test, everyone's a sucker for a an ego-stroking personality assessment. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the subtle forces of the Forer effect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2015 • 46 minutes, 49 seconds
My Body is Made of Glass
Imagine waking to a new, terrifying sensation: Your seemingly organic body is actually made of glass. While doctors and loved ones insist otherwise, you know in your heart that the slightest bump or fall will shatter you into a million shards. While cases of glass delusion largely vanished in the early 19th century, a few cases persist to this day. What underlies this bizarre psychiatric disorder? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2015 • 44 minutes, 43 seconds
Stigmata: Madness or Miracle?
In the previous episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explored the Christian tradition of the stigmata and its 13th century originator, Saint Francis of Assisi. But what are we to make of of all the stigmatics to follow in the saint's footsteps? Are these holy wounds the work of deceptive self-harm, masochistic devotion or psychosomatic anomaly? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2015 • 35 minutes, 25 seconds
Stigmata: Patient Zero
According to Christian tradition, a stigmatic prays to God so zealously, so faithfully that Christ's crucifixion wounds of manifest in the form of bleeding sores and gorey holes. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian explore stigmata patient zero in the form of Saint Francis of Assisi. What real-life illness might underlie this 13th century mystic's legendary condition? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2015 • 48 minutes, 54 seconds
Grizzly Bears from Outer Space
A region of space barely a thousandth of a square degree on the sky contains a whopping 5,500 galaxies. Making the probability that there exists at least one planet that could support life pretty tantalizing. What might that life form look like? Robert and Joe discuss cosmologist Fergus Simpson's statistical argument that an extraterrestrial could weigh in at 660 pounds. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of grizzly bears from outer space? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2015 • 59 minutes, 59 seconds
The Psychedelic Nightmare of Ergotism
Imagine an entire 15th-century town overcome by a collective waking nightmare. The afflicted walk the streets with blackened limbs and seeping sores, all while psychotic hallucinations assault their fragile hold on sanity. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the world of Ergotism and discuss how a toxic fungus terrorized and inspired generations of Medieval Europeans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2015 • 43 minutes, 40 seconds
The Future of Addiction
Highly addictive substances like meth and heroin are formidable enemies for the recovering addict, but what does the future hold for their treatment? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the use of electromagnetic stimulation, vaccines and other treatments to help win the battle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2015 • 29 minutes, 55 seconds
The Science of Addiction
What is addiction? Why are some people predisposed to it and what happens in the brain when addiction takes hold? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie break it all down for you and ponder the addiction-shattered brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2015 • 35 minutes, 44 seconds
The Memory Palace Revisited (with Nelson Dellis)
Stroll into the memory palace, an imagined location that just might expand your brain power. In this classic episode you'll learn all about the Method of Loci, a mnemonic device that allows mental athletes to perform astounding acts of recall. Plus, in this updated publication of the episode, learn the secrets firsthand from 4-time USA memory champion Nelson Dellis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2015 • 35 minutes, 59 seconds
Escape from Universe 25
Explore Universe 25, a 101-square-inch tank designed as a utopia for mice and a mirror of human behavior. Every detail of the structure was crafted with comfort in mind: a never-ending supply of food; a constant 68 degree F temperature; a self-cleaning environment and spacious apartments for its inhabitants. So what contributed to Universe 25's spiral into degradation and violence? And why were a subset of mice dubbed "The Beautiful Ones?" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2015 • 34 minutes, 32 seconds
Detective Story
Everyone loves a good whodunit, but why does the figure of the fictional detective tower so staggeringly over the modern world? He or she is a seeker of truth, a resolver of conflict, a subcultural liaison and perhaps even a shaman for an increasingly secular world. Join Robert and Christian for dive through the history, science and cultural resonance of the detective story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2015 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 49 seconds
Supernormal Stimuli
No longer limited by the constrains of their environment or biology, humans have remade their world. Why walk when you can soar? Why shout when you can whisper in the ear of a listener halfway round the world? And why limit yourself to normal stimuli when you can condense the sensory world into nuggets of superstimuli. Join Robert and Julie in this classic episode as they discuss junk food, gaming, pornography, the Internet and beauty itself all in the framework of natural biology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2015 • 33 minutes, 57 seconds
Techno-Religion for the Masses: Part 2
We often think of technology and religion as distinct and separate worlds, but what happens when they converge? Join Robert and Joe in this two-part episode as they examine religious world views shaped by technology, such as John Murray Spear's electrical messiah, the simple prayer wheel and the psycho-spiritual technologies of Scientology.v Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2015 • 53 minutes, 4 seconds
Techno-Religion for the Masses: Part 1
We often think of technology and religion as distinct and separate worlds, but what happens when they converge? Join Robert and Joe in this two-part episode as they examine religious world views shaped by technology, such as John Murray Spear's electrical messiah, the simple prayer wheel and the psycho-spiritual technologies of Scientology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2015 • 43 minutes, 3 seconds
Mass Extinction: Earth's Cycle of Annihilation
Five mass extinction events have ravaged the species of Earth, and we just might be living in the sixth. How can humanity survive the threat of cosmic calamity and its own tireless work to unbalance the world? Robert and Christian discuss in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2015 • 58 minutes, 45 seconds
Heartbeat in the Brain, Hole in the Skull
Trepanation is an ancient surgical procedure and we've found the millennia-aged skulls to prove it - each punctured and gouged to relieve inner-pressure and inner-madness. But is such cranial perforation truly a relic of a primitive age or do modern trepanation advocates have a point in their quest to free the brain's heartbeat from its prison of bone? Tune in to this classic STBYM episode of to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2015 • 32 minutes, 21 seconds
Silk of the Spider, Thread of the Future
Spider silk is nothing short of an engineering marvel. Weight for weight, it's stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar. But spiders are disagreeable creatures. Unlike the silkworms, they've proven unwilling to bow to humanity's domestication, but that hasn't stopped scientists from stealing the secrets. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, enter a world of spider silk medicine, nanomaterials, optics, music and of course transgenic goats. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2015 • 34 minutes, 35 seconds
Scientifically Sound Weather Superstitions
At one time in human history superstitions were the guiding force in a person's life -- rules of thumb to live by. Find out which pieces of lore and superstition are actually spot-on and why in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2015 • 27 minutes, 43 seconds
The Science of Coincidence
What are we to make of coincidence? From the numerological cats cradles we weave around famous events to the curious ways human lives converge through time, coincidence seems to fly in the face of reason and even suggest the supernatural. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the synchronicity, statistics and psychology of coincidence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2015 • 50 minutes
Gazing into the Eclipse
Amid the regular cycle of sun and moon stalks a darkness -- a darkness that ancient humans perceived as cosmic abandonment, portent and demonic disruption. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the celestial mechanics, mythology and terrestrial ramifications of solar and lunar eclipses. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2015 • 54 minutes, 21 seconds
Vacation Tribulation
Why do some people take vacations and others fret to take off time? We'll find out which nations go on holiday the most and least, the benefits of downtime, and we'll discuss how time off messes with the mind (in a good way). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2015 • 34 minutes, 37 seconds
There's a Problem with Your Study
Science has advanced human civilization to an astounding degree, but what happens when science gets it wrong? What does it mean that a good half of published biomedical research cannot be replicated? From the publish-or-perish world of modern science careerism to the pitfalls of WEIRD populations, Stuff to Blow Your Mind explores. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2015 • 28 minutes, 10 seconds
Power of the Nap
Why do we feel so refreshed after a power nap and so sapped after a mega nap? Do coffee naps work and just what sort of benefits can we get out of an extra 20 minutes in the hammock? Explore the answers in this episode of the STBYM podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2015 • 36 minutes, 37 seconds
Animal Sexual Fluidity
Why do some species change sex and how to they carry out this remarkable transformation? This episode of the STBYM podcast takes you into a world of hermaphrodites, clownfish and the high-stakes game of reproduction in the animal kingdom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2015 • 30 minutes, 8 seconds
The Ring of Gyges
Before H.G. Wells' Invisible Man and J.R.R. Tolkien's One Ring, there was the Ring of Gyges: a mythical artifact that turned the wearer invisible. Would such anonymity turn you into a law-breaking monster, or does morality extend beyond the fear of judgement and punishment? From Plato to modern psychology, Stuff to Blow Your Mind explores... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2015 • 30 minutes, 6 seconds
Road Warriors
Perhaps you've witnessed something you'd call "road rage" out there on Earth's highways. Perhaps you've even engaged in it yourself. But where does mere aggressive driving end and true violence begin? Where does the notion of "road rage" come from and to what extent does it match up with humanity's peculiar love of the automobile? Find out in this episode of the STBYM podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2015 • 35 minutes, 33 seconds
Space Roar
In 2006, NASA discovered "space roar" -a sound that's six times louder than what they expected to hear when they eavesdropped on space. Inexplicably weird, right? Stuff to Blow Your Mind explores. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2015 • 22 minutes, 16 seconds
The Power of Polite
Kindly step this way to the politeness theory where you'll discover the power of good manners. We'll also discuss which countries are the most polite and discreetly mention the ones that are the least polite. Thank you for your time and attention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2015 • 41 minutes, 10 seconds
Satanic Panic
What are we to make of alleged ritual satanic abuse and the moral panic that spread in the 1980s and 90s? Christian Sager joins Robert for an exploration of religion, fear and demons of the mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2015 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds
Grimoire: Occult Books and the Magic of Writing
We're all familiar with such fictional grimoires as "The Necronomicon," but what about the rich legacy of occult books and cryptic tomes that preceded its invention? Robert and guest host Christian Sager investigate and maybe summon a demon or two. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2015 • 56 minutes, 12 seconds
Mean World Syndrome
Is there more violence in the world today, or have we just been watching too many CSI shows? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Julie and Robert explore cultivation theory and the idea that we live in a mean, mean world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2015 • 35 minutes, 45 seconds
What's the largest snake that has ever existed?
Everyone loves a giant snake tale, but what's really the largest serpent on the planet? Hunt for the answer across space and time in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2015 • 34 minutes, 2 seconds
The Power of Shame
Shame is a powerful emotion that, depending on the way you frame it, can be a force for either good or evil. Find out what the difference is between embarrassment, guilt and shame. Do dogs feel shame? And have you ever suffered from second-hand embarrassment? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/2/2015 • 29 minutes, 49 seconds
The Gordian Knot of Race
To "see no color" is to gloss over the deep-seated racial issues that exist today. Find out about how something so abstract - like unconscious racial biases - can have real-world implications in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2015 • 37 minutes, 30 seconds
The School to Prison Pipeline
No one ever says they want to be a convict when they grow up. Julie and Robert look at the School-to-Prison pipeline and the variables that form this insidious system in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2015 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
Send in the Exploding Termites
Enter a world where toxic ants and termites explode at will to stave off murderous invasions - a world of highly-evolved chemical weapons an ruthless guerrilla tactics. It's all in this bombastic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2015 • 22 minutes, 8 seconds
Optimal Inattention
It may not always be polite but optimal inattention, aka willful ignoring, someone or something is a necessity. Let's explore with a study on hands and feet, not to mention our wildly distracted eyes in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2015 • 30 minutes, 21 seconds
Leprechaun Hallucinations
It's Saint Patrick's Day, so our minds inevitably turn to the little people of Irish folklore. But diminutive fairy folk pop up in folk traditions around the world. Listen in for a celebration of the myth and science behind those Leprechaun encounters in this classic STBYM podcast episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2015 • 31 minutes, 38 seconds
Cry Me a River
Tears are an integral part of the shared human language of expression -- even though at one time in history a display of public waterworks was considered "emotional incontinence." Explore the world of lachrymal effluvia with us, won't you? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2015 • 28 minutes, 40 seconds
Could you outrun a fireball?
It's a Hollywood classic: Our hero leaps in the nick of time, right before tendrils of flames close in. But could you escape a raging fire in real life? Run from wild fires and explosions in this red-hot episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2015 • 28 minutes, 19 seconds
The Scent of Cognition
We are enrobed in a world of scent, and as we know it's a heady powerful one -- with the power to make and summon memories. But this power is far more deep-seated in the brain than we previously thought. The ability to smell may even be root our ability to think. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2015 • 25 minutes, 38 seconds
How much does the soul weigh?
Is it possible to measure the energy lost when the "soul" departs the body? Take a tour of soul-weighing and the quest to make what is immaterial material ijn this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2015 • 28 minutes, 32 seconds
Respect the Rat
You may think rats are just vermin, but the fact is they own huge metropolitan cities like New York. And when it comes to science they've contributed an immense amount of data (although not voluntarily). Find out how similar rats are to humans and whether or not they're capable of empathy in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/26/2015 • 45 minutes, 38 seconds
Pineal Optics: My Third Eye
Prepare to open that third eye, listeners, because Robert and Julie are taking you on a journey from philosophical ponderings about human spirituality to scientific explorations of the human pineal gland and the extra parietal eye common to other animals in this classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2015 • 32 minutes, 57 seconds
Love at First Sight
Does love at first sight really exist? And is it biological or cultural? Stuff to Blow Your Mind explores this split-second phenomenon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/19/2015 • 43 minutes, 11 seconds
Objects of Love
We live in a world of objects to which we assign varying degrees of worth, from old newspapers to treasured action figures, family heirlooms and golden idols. What's it all about? Where does this object attachment come from? Tune in to learn more in this classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2015 • 36 minutes, 4 seconds
Sealed with a Bacterial Kiss
Find out about the bacterial life of a passionate kiss as Robert and Julie explore the human smooch. Is kissing instinctual and learned, and what does it have to with food, if anything? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/12/2015 • 32 minutes, 6 seconds
Spanish Fly: The Deadly Aphrodisiac
It's easy to assume the so-called "Spanish fly" is nothing but a myth, but this legendary aphrodisiac is as real as it is deadly. Just why did humans come to treat male sexual dysfunction with ground-up blister beetles? How does it work and why is the Marque de Sade involved in all of this? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2015 • 19 minutes, 53 seconds
Lingerie Probability
We live within the lingerie industrial complex, but dare we tease apart the lacy cords that bind us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, explore the behavioral underpinnings of sexy underthings, rat-based experimentation and the future of date night undies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2015 • 33 minutes, 11 seconds
In the Pink
From its modern gender connotations to its absence on the ROYGBIV electromagnetic spectrum, the color pink has a lot to answer for. Does staring into pink truly calm the savage beast and reduce physical strength, or is it a strong color of flayed flesh and blood? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2015 • 37 minutes, 16 seconds
Into the Ossuary: Consult the Bones - Part 2
You and your skeleton are cordially invited to join your Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts on an excursion into the bone-choked depths of the HowStuffWorks ossuary. What curious skulls and skeletal specimens will they uncover? What curious science and cultural anomalies will factor into their discoveries? Grab a torch and join them in the depths in part 2 of 2. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2015 • 25 minutes, 53 seconds
Into the Ossuary: Consult the Bones - Part 1
You and your skeleton are cordially invited to join your Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts on an excursion into the bone-choked depths of the HowStuffWorks ossuary. What curious skulls and skeletal specimens will they uncover? What curious science and cultural anomalies will factor into their discoveries? Grab a torch and join them in the depths in part 1 of 2. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2015 • 28 minutes, 13 seconds
Almost Blue
Up in the sky and down in the ocean, blue is the endcap of our visuall existence.One that may even influence us subconsciously. Find out why this color is the ultimate magician, appearing mostly as an illusion, in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2015 • 37 minutes, 15 seconds
So Cute I Could Eat You Up
What do tears of joy and the desire to pinch a baby's cheek have to do with one another? Quite a lot. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, find out about dimorphous expressions, as well as the siren call of baby scents that lure the joyful aunt to its cheek in the first place. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2015 • 25 minutes, 14 seconds
Whisperings & ASMR
Shhhh! Some of us are listening intently to a certain tone, one that sends waves of pleasure down our spine. It's called autonomous sensory meridian response. Robert and Julie explore, and while they're at it, they'll find out if whispering exists among any non-human primates. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2015 • 35 minutes, 58 seconds
Extraordinary Science of 2014
Sex-reversed genitalia and tractor beams -- just a few of the extraordinary discoveries and breakthroughs of 2014. How have they changed our perception of the universe and ourselves? Join in on the discussion in this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2015 • 28 minutes, 53 seconds
Astonishing Science of 2014
Find out what the most astonishing moments in science were in 2014 and why they may just be game-changers for humanity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2015 • 34 minutes, 8 seconds
Sonic Illusions
Imagine exploring a cave and discovering paintings that appear to come alive with a few claps of your hand. Enter the cave of forgotten sounds with Robert and Julie and they spelunk their way through sonic illusions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2015 • 33 minutes, 15 seconds
Brainhacking 101: New Year, New Habits
How long does it take to make or break a habit? Is this really the year you make major changes or learn a new craft? Robert and Julie break down the science of it all in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/1/2015 • 25 minutes
Dung Beetle Mania!
Find out how and why dung beetles have been capitalizing on poop in a big way for 30 million years. Also, these little guys may be the world's tiniest astronomers. Robert and Julie reveal why. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2014 • 28 minutes, 28 seconds
Give the Gift of a Mystery Box
Why are mystery packages so appealing? How do they improve our mental faculties and fuel our creativity? In this classic episode, Robert and Julie share tales of sealed envelopes, quantum thought experiments, virginity boxes and things Pandora should never have opened. You might even score a gift idea or two. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/25/2014 • 35 minutes, 25 seconds
The Necessary Spice
Spices are essentially chemical weapons. They protect a plant from animals and microbes. yet humans long ago learned to hack these defenses and use them to flavor their food. Join Robert and Julie for a discussion of spice and evolution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2014 • 29 minutes, 51 seconds
Scrooge: Post-traumatic Embitterment Disorder
Was Scrooge's bitterness an actual mental disorder? And was his visitation by the ghosts of the past, present and future his subconscious mind's attempt at DIY psychotherapy? Or did he merely spike his pot of gruel with a little mind-altering something-something? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/18/2014 • 30 minutes, 15 seconds
Deconstructing the Grinch
Find out why the Grinch had the personality of a toadstool sandwich, with arsenic sauce. Robert and Julie explore the physiology of the Green One, not to mention his self-imposed social isolation, which may have contributed to the woefully diminutive size of his heart. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2014 • 29 minutes, 33 seconds
Mystery of the Antler
Why do deer and moose boast antlers? How does this material grow faster than any living vertebrate bones on Earth? You'd think we'd know the answers to these questions, but antlers remain far more mysterious than we often realize. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the science of antlers and how these weapons factor into ancient human history, global myth cycles and professional athlete urine samples. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2014 • 36 minutes, 44 seconds
Bring Your Own Oxygen
What if you could suck all the oxygen out of a room with a nifty piece of material? Soon you may be able to with a crystalline material that stores, binds and releases oxygen. Find out how, and join Robert and Julie for a little Oxygen 101, including the question, "What lifeform provides half of the world's oxygen?"' Hint: It's not trees. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2014 • 23 minutes
The Future of Tattoos
Whether you're a tattoo virgin or a sleeved-and-stamped ink enthusiast, there's no denying the cultural staying power of the tattoo. But where do we go from here? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, explore the world of cutting-edge and near-future high-tech tattoos, from glowing raver ink to tattoos that actually serve as technological interfaces. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2014 • 27 minutes, 41 seconds
The Science of Tattoos
Tattoos allow us to make the outer body reflect the inner self. In a life of flux, they allow us to make names, symbols, gods and ideas a semi-permanent part of corporeal form. Then again, they also allow others to mark us as "criminal" or "outsider." Join Robert and Julie as they explore not only the science of tattoos, but also a bit of their rich and varied history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/2/2014 • 39 minutes, 12 seconds
The Science of Comfort
What does comfort mean to you? Thanksgiving dinner? A cup of tomato soup and a warm blanket? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine the particulars of comfort, why we crave it and what happens when we have too much of a good thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2014 • 40 minutes, 22 seconds
Surviving Thanksgiving
You may not be the turkey on the chopping block, but holiday get-togethers with family can make you feel that way. Find out how to navigate the holiday in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/25/2014 • 31 minutes, 58 seconds
Fecal Transplants and You
What if you were suffering from a debilitating bacterial infection and you found out that pumping someone else's fecal matter into your rectum could vanquish it. Find out about fecal microbiota transfers and why we might one day seek out "artisanal" poop samples to cure what ails us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2014 • 32 minutes, 51 seconds
Listener Mail: Arnie's Revenge
Robert and Julie bow down to the will of Arnie the Mailbot and finally get to the mounting stack of listener mail. Tune in for discussions on past episodes, mind-bending concepts and the future of humanity -- all while a laser-armed mail-bot runs amok in the HowStuffWorks offices. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/18/2014 • 31 minutes, 3 seconds
Reboot the Biosphere
Sure Biosphere 2 was the laughingstock of the science community when its mission came to a close in 1993. (Blame the Star Trek-like uniforms.) But scientific findings spiraled out of it long after the project was officially canceled. Some 150 papers and scads of new insights into the environment are due to the visionary wonderland that is Biosphere 2. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2014 • 22 minutes, 58 seconds
Two Years and 20 Minutes Inside Biosphere 2
Enter Biosphere 2 with Robert and Julie and tour a technological wonder of the early 90s -- a 7,200,000 cubic foot Earth-in-miniature. Find out about this "Eden on top of an aircraft" and what went awry when eight people sealed themselves inside a biosphere for two years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/11/2014 • 44 minutes, 46 seconds
The Spiral of Silence
Have you ever heard someone say something you disagreed with and kept your opinions to yourself? You, my friend, just fell into the spiral of silence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2014 • 33 minutes, 18 seconds
Mass Hysteria and the Mad Gasser
Did a masked madman terrorize a sleepy Illinois town with a paralyzing gas gun? Or did something equally bizarre transpire back in August of 1944? Lend an ear to this bone-chilling episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind and explore the topic of mass hysteria (AKA mass psychogenic disorder), from dancing plagues and witch trials of old to our modern age of bioterrorism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/4/2014 • 46 minutes, 18 seconds
The Science of Uncanny Music
Why is scary music so scary? Why does an uncanny tune creep us out so? Is it all context and culture or is there something deeper at work? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie provide the answers and Christopher Gladwin of The Wyrding Module provides some unsettling tunes and a few answers of his own. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/30/2014 • 38 minutes, 28 seconds
What's in a witches' brew?
Gather round the cauldron with Robert and Julie as they ladle out hefty servings of magical thinking, medieval psychedelics, feminist history and the power of ritual. Just what was old-school witchery all about? This classic episode has some answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/28/2014 • 36 minutes, 54 seconds
The Dark
What about darkness is so unsettling? Find out about the most extreme instances of an absence of light and how it works on our bodies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/23/2014 • 37 minutes, 1 second
Steven Johnson: How We Got to Now
Glass, Cold, Sound, Clean, Time and Light. Just a random collection of items in the physical world, right? Not in the hands of science journalist Steven Johnson, who weaves a revelatory tale of technological wonders in his new book and PBS series, "How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World." Join Julie and Robert for an interview with the man behind the book and series. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/21/2014 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
Trypophobia: Fear of Holes
Phobias can arise from all sorts of lurking dangers, like venomous snakes. But holes? Is trypophobia really a thing? Find out why a person might fear an array of innocent holes and the role social contagion could play. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/16/2014 • 28 minutes, 9 seconds
The Zen of Pain
Can pain elevate us to a higher state of conscious? Can we find peace and forgiveness with self-inflicted cuts and lashes? Join Robert and Julie as they raise the lantern of science to the humanity's longstanding quest for liberation through physical suffering. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/14/2014 • 47 minutes, 45 seconds
The Infinity Hotel
Imagine a hotel with infinite rooms and infinite guests. Do you fancy they have space for one more late arrival? Join Robert and Julie as they check into the Infinity Hotel to discover how the concept of infinity affects mathematics, physics and the possibility of a boundless multiverse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/9/2014 • 31 minutes, 55 seconds
Infinity + One
Contemplate the boundless. Contemplate the endless. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss what infinity is, what infinity isn't and the philosopher's never-ending quest to unravel the nature of cosmic, mathematical and divine infinities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/7/2014 • 20 minutes, 44 seconds
Wendigo...
What are we to make of this evil spirit of Algonquin folklore, said to transform unfortunate travelers into cannibalistic monsters? Have true accounts of "wendigo psychosis" actually occurred in the Canadian wilds? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the mythic, anthropological and scientific dimensions of the legend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/2/2014 • 35 minutes, 23 seconds
The Horror Movie Aphrodisiac
Are horror movies a sure-fire aphrodisiac? Does the haunted house really exit into the bed room? Join Robert and Julie as they examine the old scary movie seduction trope and look for the scientific connection between scares and sexual arousal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/30/2014 • 46 minutes, 19 seconds
How Rewilding Works
The Anthropocene era has exacted quite a toll on Earth's ecosystem, but could rewilding reverse the damage and restore balance to Earth? Could it bring the human individual and human culture as a whole back in line with the natural order of things? Maybe we won't have to go off-Earth after all... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/25/2014 • 31 minutes, 47 seconds
The Ghosts of Evolution
We now inhabit the Anthropocene era -- one where man-made environments have displaced entire ecosystems and the plants and animals that inhabited them. Knowing that all species are interconnected -- including us bipedal chatterboxes -- how will vanishing flora and fauna affect evolution? Will humans be added to the list of ghosts haunting the evolutionary halls of Earth? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/23/2014 • 34 minutes, 4 seconds
Money and Happiness
Can money buy happiness? Find out if being flush with cash really makes a difference in your outlook. Join Robert and Julie once more for a fascinating examination of the human condition on the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/18/2014 • 36 minutes, 25 seconds
Greed Redux
Would you like more money? Sure, we all would. In this encore presentation, Robert and Julie dive into the world of Scrooge McDuck, King Midas and look at how greed is expressed in the brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/16/2014 • 33 minutes, 19 seconds
The Myth of Average
Find out why using statistical averages to understand individuals is a crappy strategy for healthcare and education. Robert and Julie also look at how playing to the average affects our everyday world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/11/2014 • 30 minutes, 11 seconds
Ignorance is Bliss
Why do we humans sometimes stick our heads in the sand -- even at the risk of our health and well-being? Robert and Julie explore the topic of information aversion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/9/2014 • 31 minutes, 11 seconds
Attention Schema Theory: Consciousness and God
Life is an enduring mystery. We're forced to unravel the mystery of human consciousness from within, while the enigma of cosmos bears down on us from beyond. We whisper the words "self" and even "god" to ground ourselves in an ocean of chaos, but what's it really all about? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, explore Attention Schema Theory and what it has to say about evolution, consciousness and our notion of the divine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/4/2014 • 39 minutes, 16 seconds
Gaming the Flow
Join Robert and Julie as they explore what is to enter "the flow state," a place of both clarity and ecstasy that some say leads to ultimate contentment. So how do you achieve it and why are game designers so interested in it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/2/2014 • 30 minutes, 55 seconds
Syphilis Through The Ages
It's difficult to overstate the impact of syphilis on the Western world, and it remains a threat to this day despite effective antibiotic treatments. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the history of the illness and its cultural effects, from powdered wigs and false noses to surgical advances and vampire myths. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/28/2014 • 45 minutes, 20 seconds
Syphilis: The Great Imitator
Doctors have called it the great imitator because this destructive venereal disease can manifest almost any symptom. Initially spreading through sexual contact, Syphilis can remain dormant in the body for decades before flaring up again in brutally disfiguring, debilitating and deadly ways. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the science of syphilis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/26/2014 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
The Mathematics of Happiness
Is there a mathematical equation for happiness? Is there a formula for contentment? Explore the science and chase the ephemeral in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/21/2014 • 34 minutes, 55 seconds
The Power of Origami
There's far more to origami than paper swans. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the mathematics and real-world applications of intricately folded sheets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/19/2014 • 37 minutes, 7 seconds
Quarantine
Sure, we've all seen medical quarantines against infectious disease in the movies, but how do they work in real life? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2014 • 28 minutes, 16 seconds
Understanding Ebola
The word "Ebola" is enough to summon feelings of fear, body horror and even xenophobia. But don't give in to paranoia. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie arm you with information about Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/12/2014 • 34 minutes, 33 seconds
The Scientist and the Shaman: Hallucination
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert continue their discussion of the overlap between shamanism and cognitive neuroscience. In particular, what sort of hallucinatory experiences do substances like DMT, psilocybin and salvia grant users? Why do humans have trace elements of DMT in their bodies? All these questions and more will be discussed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/7/2014 • 30 minutes, 5 seconds
The Scientist and the Shaman: My Egoic Mind
A shaman consumes a psychedelic mushroom and visits the spirit world. Meanwhile, a scientist studies the effects of psilocybin on depression and conceptions of self. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the common ground shared by these disciplines in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/5/2014 • 31 minutes, 31 seconds
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 2
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss Joseph Rosen's posthuman philosophy and ponder what we'd have to do to transform arms into wings. Learn all about it in this classic episode of STBYM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/31/2014 • 26 minutes, 10 seconds
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 1
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss Joseph Rosen's posthuman philosophy and ponder what we'd have to do to transform arms into wings. Learn all about it in this classic episode of STBYM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/29/2014 • 22 minutes, 55 seconds
Lost Continent: Part 2
There's something intoxicating about the notion of a lost continent. Imagine an entire landscape - perhaps even an entire civilization untouched by Western colonialism or perhaps lost beneath ancient, cataclysmic waves. But lost continents are far from mere whimsy and fictional fancy. Amid the dreams and occult whispers, reason and science emerge to dazzle the imagination. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/24/2014 • 22 minutes, 50 seconds
Lost Continent: Part 1
There's something intoxicating about the notion of a lost continent. Imagine an entire landscape - perhaps even an entire civilization untouched by Western colonialism or perhaps lost beneath ancient, cataclysmic waves. But lost continents are far from mere whimsy and fictional fancy. Amid the dreams and occult whispers, reason and science emerge to dazzle the imagination. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/22/2014 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Humanity's Lullaby
Lullabies are soothing, grotesque and universal. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the surprisingly rich world of human sleep songs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/17/2014 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
Earwax: Portable Time Capsules
Why do we have ear wax? Why does it build up and what can it tell us about ourselves? Enter the mysterious ear canal in this sticky new episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/15/2014 • 20 minutes, 2 seconds
Ballad of the Electric Fish
How does the electric eel generate its juice and how did six different lineages of bioelectric fish evolve on this planet of ours? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/10/2014 • 20 minutes, 23 seconds
Junk Food Junkies
Why does junk food hold such power over us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie get to the bottom of modern humanity's favorite supernormal stimuli. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/8/2014 • 43 minutes, 55 seconds
Designer Genes
Gene therapy, DNA analysis and genetically modified organisms are increasingly part of our everyday reality. But where is this road taking us and how will it change us on the way? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/3/2014 • 27 minutes, 57 seconds
Summer Reading 2014
Looking for a good, intelligent beach read? Join Robert and Julie for their annual Summer Reading episode, loaded with fiction and non-fiction reading recommendations for the curious mind: zombies, animals, Marilyn Monroe, torture, monsters, Muppets, Guillermo del Toro, skeptic science for kids and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/1/2014 • 38 minutes, 10 seconds
A Perfect Circle
What is a mathematically perfect circle and why doesn't it exist in our universe? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Julie look high and low in a universe of imperfection. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/26/2014 • 28 minutes, 44 seconds
Neural Pixie Dust
The future of brain-machine interaction will expand human intelligence and forever alter our experience of reality, but where are we now and how long till neurotechnology elevates us to higher human form? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/24/2014 • 30 minutes, 32 seconds
The Science of H.P. Lovecraft
Legendary weird fiction author H.P. Lovecraft revolutionized our understanding of supernatural horror in the early 20th century, but he was also a science writer and lived in a time of tremendous scientific advancement and global war. Join Robert and Julie as they chat with S.T. Joshi about the science of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction and how it influenced popular culture. Plus, hear from a few HowStuffWorks podcast personalities on their own favorite Lovecraft tales. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/19/2014 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
Listener Mail: The Power of Names
As a follow-up to their podcast episode on the nominative determinism, Robert and Julie share YOUR thoughts on names and the power of names in this special listener mail episode. Plus, who knows what else they'll chat about? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/17/2014 • 31 minutes, 8 seconds
The Future of Addiction
Highly addictive substances like meth and heroine are formidable enemies for the recovering addict, but what does the future hold for their treatment? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the use of electromagnetic stimulation, vaccines and other treatments to help win the battle. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2014 • 30 minutes, 3 seconds
The Science of Addiction
What is addiction? Why are some people predisposed to it and what happens in the brain when addiction takes hold? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie break it all down for you and ponder the addiction-shattered brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/10/2014 • 35 minutes, 21 seconds
The Status of Flatus
The Status of Flatus: What is a fart? What's the science behind passing gas and why does volume, frequency and stench very so much from person to person? Answers await, gentle listener, as Robert and Julie discuss the biology behind breaking wind in this classic STBYM podcast episode Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2014 • 34 minutes, 31 seconds
The Troglofauna of Fraggle Rock
The Troglofauna of Fraggle Rock: What do the fun-loving denizens of Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock" have in common with real-life cave animals? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Julie discuss the ecology of Fraggle Rock and the show's ecological message. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/3/2014 • 40 minutes, 43 seconds
Supernormal Stimuli
No longer limited by the constrains of their environment or biology, humans have remade their world. Why walk when you can soar? Why shout when you can whisper in the ear of a listener halfway round the world? And why limit yourself to normal stimuli when you can condense the sensory world into nuggets of superstimuli. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss junk food, gaming, pornography, the Internet and beauty itself all in the framework of natural biology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2014 • 33 minutes, 39 seconds
Heartbeat in the Brain, Hole in the Skull
Trepanation is an ancient surgical procedure and we've found the millennia-aged skulls to prove it - each punctured and gouged to relieve inner-pressure and inner-madness. But is such cranial perforation truly a relic of a primitive age or do modern trepanation advocates have a point in their quest to free the brain's heartbeat from its prison of bone? Tune in to this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/27/2014 • 30 minutes, 39 seconds
You Are Here: Proprioception
How do we know who and where we are in this ocean of chaos? It's easy to take this question for granted, but the answer goes beyond our five senses and into the realm of body schema, golgi tendon organs and out-of-body experiences. Close your eyes and reach out for... your self. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2014 • 33 minutes, 33 seconds
A Boy Named Sue
A Boy Named Sue: What's in a name? Does a parentally-bestowed "Fred" force one fate on a hapless child and "Moon Unit" or "Brock" quite another? Join Robert and Julie for a discussion on the power of names and nominative determinism in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/20/2014 • 31 minutes, 56 seconds
The Science of Beards
You've probably been wondering, "Is there any data about facial hair, particularly gloriously groomed beards?" Why, yes, there is. Find out how facial hair transforms perception and whether or not it could help blunt a few blows in a bar fight, all in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2014 • 40 minutes, 18 seconds
Over the Moon
Over the Moon: What if we, over at the mother company Earth, Inc., looked at "assets" in our solar system like a corporation looks at its assets? What if we set our sights on that ne'er-do-well moon? Find out how we could harness the moon's resources to do more of Earth's bidding. Mahahahahawaha. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/13/2014 • 28 minutes, 28 seconds
Future Shock: Part II
Future Shock: Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock" envisioned a future human civilization outpaced, overstimulated and mentally stunned by relentless technological and social change. Today, we live in the very future Toffler warned everyone about. How did his predictions hold up and how can we stave off the terrors of future shock? Find out in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2014 • 32 minutes, 36 seconds
Future Shock: Part I
Future Shock: Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock" envisioned a future human civilization outpaced, overstimulated and mentally stunned by relentless technological and social change. Today, we live in the very future Toffler warned everyone about. How did his predictions hold up and how can we stave off the terrors of future shock? Find out in this two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/6/2014 • 40 minutes, 26 seconds
The Cuckoo Mafia
The Cuckoo Mafia: Sure, humans have their organized crime, but what about the Earth's other residents? Are their animal mafias? How does "crime" even work outside the confines of human culture? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/29/2014 • 29 minutes, 43 seconds
The Habitable Epoch
The Habitable Epoch: What if we're wrong. What if life isn't a rarity in a dead cosmos, but rather a common occurrence in the habitable epoch 10 to 20 million years after the Big Bang? Explore the mind-blowing possibility with Robert and Julie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2014 • 28 minutes, 30 seconds
Rise of the Vampire Bat
Rise of the Vampire Bat: It's a hard-knock life for an exclusive blood drinker, yet somehow three species of vampire bat take full honors as the only obligate sanguivores. How did they evolve? How does vampire physiology work? Tune into this bloodthirsty episode of Stuff to Blow your Mind to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/22/2014 • 42 minutes, 10 seconds
The Shadow People
Do strange shadow people haunt the corners of our existence, or is there a scientific answer within the human brain? Join Robert and guests Ben and Matt of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know as they discuss the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2014 • 48 minutes, 8 seconds
Rites of Spring
The season of rebirth may be one of the most uplifting seasons humans experience, with a sense of renewal and meaning materializing before their eyes in nature. But could it change our perception and behavior. And is there a dark side to spring? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/10/2014 • 29 minutes, 42 seconds
Through the Looking Glass
What are we to make of the mirror world? We surround ourselves with looking glasses, yet rarely understand exactly what we're observing. Our reflected doubles gaze back at us, affecting the way we carry ourselves and the way we experience our own bodies. Travel through the looking glass in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Outsourcing Memory: From digital photography to Internet spellcheckers, we allocate more and more of our cognitive processes to the cloud. But what do we ultimately gain from all of this - and what do we lose? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mazes: Join Robert and Julie once more for their classic series on mazes and labyrinths. In this episode, enter the Minoan maze and wander its endless halls. Feel your heart race. Feel your limbs quiver as the minotaur's roar echoes through the walls. Explore the world of mazes and how they affect the brains of humans and rats. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/25/2014 • 39 minutes, 33 seconds
Acid Flashbacks
Acid Flashbacks: Are acid flashbacks real or are they merely a ghost story of psychedelic culture or anti-drug messaging? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss the misconceptions as well as the real science of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder or HPPD. Image credit: David Crausby/Flick/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/20/2014 • 35 minutes, 45 seconds
A Musical Time Machine for the Brain
A Musical Time Machine for the Brain: What is music doing to our perception of time? It seems to transport us to the past. It speeds things up and slows things down. And just how do others exploit these qualities to manipulate us? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind with Robert and Julie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Maneater: What happens when an animal turns maneater? Is it the irresistible taste of human flesh? Is it the ease of a human kill? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie look to the environmental, biological and bad-luck causes that land humans on a predator's dinner menu. About the Art: "Two Followers of Cadmus devoured by a Dragon," by Cornelis van Haarlem. Read more about it here in the Art Spotlight post. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/11/2014 • 45 minutes, 24 seconds
Listener Mail: Strange Sleep and Past Lives
Strange Sleep and Past Lives: In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie once again call forth the robot and take care of some accumulated listener mail on strange sleep, lucid dreaming, reincarnation and other topics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/6/2014 • 21 minutes, 35 seconds
The Barry White Effect
The Barry White Effect: What does voice quality tell us about sexual fitness in a potential mate? Do the deep, velvet tones of Barry White have a scientifically-proven effect on our libido? What about Marilyn Monroe's high, breathy voice? All shall be revealed in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Be sure to watch Julie's video on the topic as well. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2014 • 20 minutes, 27 seconds
Empathic Elephants
Empathic Elephants: The elephant is Earth's largest surviving land creature and an example of nature at its most majestic. But these amazing creatures also boast self awareness, a high intelligence and a startling capacity for empathy. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss humanity's troubled relationship with elephant kind. Image source: Neil Emmerson/Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The metaphysics of reincarnation are nothing short of enthralling, from the notion of an immortal soul drifting through myriad life forms to the intimidating Wheel of Samsara with its heavenly and hellish realms. Why does this version of immortality appeal to us? And what, if anything, can science tell us about the survival of the soul? Join Robert and Julie for a rich discussion on the reincarnation. Image source: Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/20/2014 • 35 minutes, 58 seconds
Night Janitors of the Brain
The Night Janitors of the Brain: Do you think other species ever look at humans and raise an eyebrow at the amount of sleep we need? Do cockroaches and eyelash mites leave messages on our foreheads in microscopic Sharpies? Perhaps "I just popped on an apex predator's head." We may be the most successful species in existence, but that doesn't mean sleep is just another one of our "choices" as a human being. It is a necessity for survival, even though it requires immobility and vulnerability. Prepare to meet the night janitors of the human brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2014 • 16 minutes, 6 seconds
My Slimey Valentine: Slug Sex Revisited
Slug Sex: Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a Valentine's hater, Robert and Julie have quite the episode for you. Prepare to have your mind blown as they expose the daring, disgusting, weaponized, cannibalistic and marathon lovemaking ways of slugs and snails. Originally published in 2013, the episode is now updated with a new page from the slug Kama Sutra that will leave you squirming. Be sure to explore this accompanying mini-gallery for maximum terror. Image Credit: "Slug Sex" by Erica Nelson, woodcut, available for purchase at her MadeOfMarrow Etsy Shop. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/13/2014 • 22 minutes, 35 seconds
The Problem of Immortality: Terror Management Theory
Humans are haunted by death. It awaits us all with open arms and all we can do is dream of its blissful antithesis: immortality. And so we've constructed a fortress of ideas to protect us against the terror of impermanence: astral bodies, bodily resurrection, reincarnation and the immaterial soul. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss the Terror Management Theory, which holds that fear of death and the quest for immortality command every facet of our lives. Discover how reminders of mortality affect or personal ethics and decision making, from the cash register to the voting booth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2014 • 42 minutes, 10 seconds
Leechpunk: The Power of Leeches
The Power of Leeches: Are leeches mere bloodsucking parasites or do these creatures have a place in modern medicine? Plus learn about the very real 19th century invention that incorporated bottled leeches. Tune into this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind for all sorts of vein-tapping goodness. Image credit: Garry DeLong/Oxford Scientific/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/6/2014 • 23 minutes, 22 seconds
The Meaning of Stonehenge
The Meaning of Stonehenge: Stonehenge remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the ancient world. Was it a burial ground for aristocratic families, a Druid temple or pilgrimage for those observing the seasons? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2014 • 22 minutes, 45 seconds
The Building of Stonehenge
The Building of Stonehenge: Rising up from the plains of Salisbury, England is a mammoth structure that has existed for 5,000 years. How was it constructed and what can it tell us about the Neolithic and Bronze Age people who built it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/30/2014 • 25 minutes, 43 seconds
It's a Trap!
It's a Trap: Humans aren't alone in their ability to craft a clever trap out of their surroundings. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie look to the insect and arachnid world for deadly examples. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2014 • 34 minutes, 21 seconds
Memory/Story Editing
Ever wish you could take a troubling event from your past and dial down the memory without subjecting yourself to total recall erasure? Explore the science of memory/story editing in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/23/2014 • 36 minutes, 1 second
Werewolf Principle: Adapting Humans for Space
The Werewolf Principle: Will astronauts of the future be able to adapt their physiology for long-term space travel and life on other planets? In this classic STBYM episode, Robert and Julie explore the ideal physical modifications that could theoretically create the world's best astronaut. 'The Werewolf Principle' cover image by artist Ian Miller Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2014 • 35 minutes, 24 seconds
Hibernation: The Ultimate Suspended Animation
Hibernation: What is hibernation exactly? Is it the opposite of sleep? Is it the future of manned space exploration? Revisit the topic with Julie and Robert as they enter the hibernacula and discuss this perplexing biologic state. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/16/2014 • 26 minutes
The War on Creativity
The War on Creativity: There's an entire industry dedicate to creativity and innovation. But do people - and corporations-really want to "think outside of the box." Is there an inherent bias against creativity? Image credit: Guillermo Legaria/AFP/Getty Images Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/14/2014 • 30 minutes, 31 seconds
Up in the Air
Up in the Air: How long can a bird stay in the air? How about an airplane? From human flight to the future of laser-powered drone aircraft, the answers may surprise you in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. And be sure to click here for a mini-gallery of birds and planes featured in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/9/2014 • 35 minutes, 40 seconds
Brain Hacking 101: New Habits for a New Year
New Habits for a New Year: How long does it take to make or break a habit? Is this really the year you make major changes or learn a new craft? Robert and Julie break down the science of it all in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Featured art: "Head of Gold" by Pavel Tchelitchew Click here for the full image and information on the artist. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/7/2014 • 26 minutes, 52 seconds
Cluttered Desks, Cluttered Minds & Toddler Hands
Cluttered Desks, Cluttered Minds and Toddler Hands: Toddlers might not seem like scientists when they mash up a banana or throws noodles at the wall, but research reveals that messy hands often indicate a hungry mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/2/2014 • 36 minutes, 52 seconds
Normalcy Bias and Psychogenic Death
Normalcy Bias and Psychogenic Death: Why do some people continue on with their normal lives when reality comes crashing down on them? Why don't they run for cover or try to jump ship? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/31/2013 • 33 minutes, 6 seconds
Comedic Impressions of the Wild
Comedic Impressions of the Wild: Why do birds and other animals imitate other animals? Why would an elephant learn to speak Korean? All of this and more shall be explored in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/26/2013 • 19 minutes, 31 seconds
Snowflake Doppelganger
Snowflake Doppelganger: Are snowflakes really one of a kind? How do they form and what do they have to do with grade school art projects, personal identity, climate change and Jack the Ripper? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. And be sure to explore the accompanying gallery, Miniature Crystal Kingdoms, for mind-blowing macro snow flake images. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/24/2013 • 25 minutes, 56 seconds
Thanatosis: Playing Dead to Survive
Thanatosis: Playing Dead to Survive: There's more to playing dead that meets the eye. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the science of tonic immobility and thanatosis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/19/2013 • 39 minutes, 42 seconds
Carrot and Stick: A Genetic Santa Story
Santa or Krampus? Gifts or a stocking full of coal? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie look at negative and positive reinforcement and a new study that looks at the genetics behind each. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/17/2013 • 22 minutes, 10 seconds
Fist Bumps vs. Bacteria
Fist Bumps vs. Bacteria: Can a simple fist bump help us out in a war against antibiotic-resistant bacteria? And what strange corners of the Earth might provide us the artillery we need to fight these deadly enemies? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.
Image credit: Cultura Science/Joseph Giacomin/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/12/2013 • 19 minutes, 28 seconds
Urine for a Treat
Urine For a Treat: A urine sample reveals a great deal about the person from whence it trickled, but can we drink it? Can it cure what ales us? Does it help with jellyfish stings? The latest science sheds new light on our old myths regarding those salty leavings. Learn all about it in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/10/2013 • 29 minutes, 11 seconds
Welcome to the Panopticon
Welcome to the panopticon, both a prison of design and a prison of the mind, where everyone is susceptible to surveillance and no one knows who's being watched. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the history, design and philosophical import of this physical and metaphorical prison. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/5/2013 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The Science of Smiles
The Science of Smiles: Just try to resist the power of the human smile. We dare you! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the science behind all those upside-down frowns. Be sure to check out the accompanying image gallery by clicking here. (Photo by Adrianna Williams/Digital Vision/Getty) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/3/2013 • 30 minutes, 31 seconds
Gluttony Revisited
Gluttony Revisited: When does mere appetite transform into disorder? And what are we to make of the monstrous "sport" of competitive eating? Join Robert and Julie as they revisit one of the sins from their "Seven Deadlies" series (CLICK HERE to explore the other six) just in time for Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/28/2013 • 32 minutes, 3 seconds
Into the Mouth of Thanksgiving
While your stomach may rumble at the thought of Thanksgiving's bounty, your mouth is trembling in fear. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the oral health battle that takes place between Streptococcus mutans and teeth enamel and find out why our distant ancestors may have had better chompers than ours. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/26/2013 • 22 minutes, 8 seconds
Skeptics and Sasquatches
Skeptics and Sasquatches: What are we to make of the Sasquatch, bigfoot, skunk ape and yeti? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss why the fabled creature doesn't hold up to scientific scrutiny. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/21/2013 • 28 minutes
Before Science
Before Science: When did the word "scientist" enter our vocabulary? How did science take off as the driving force of modern culture and what of the natural philosophers of old? Listen in to this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind for all the details. Pictured: Babbage's difference engine (SSPL via Getty Images) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2013 • 18 minutes, 17 seconds
The Dexter of Parasites
The Dexter of Parasites: Yes, in the same way Dexter preyed on other serial killers, parasitic organisms are targeted by parasites as well. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the world of hyperparasites. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/14/2013 • 22 minutes, 41 seconds
The Science of Cute
Why do kitten faces and cartoon cuties hold such power over us? Why does the sight of a puppy tug our heart strings? Find out in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind journey into the science of cute. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/12/2013 • 32 minutes, 29 seconds
Autotomy: Nature's Dismemberment Plan
Autotomy: Nature's Dismemberment Plan: When threatened, some species of lizards simply jettison their own twitching tails form their bodies. It's grisly but effective. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the science of autotomy in both the vertebrate and invertebrate worlds. Plus why can't humans do this? And how might it benefit regeneration science? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/7/2013 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
Into the Hologenome
Into the Hologenome... How can the bacterial fauna thriving inside our bodies influence evolution? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/5/2013 • 28 minutes, 42 seconds
Monster Mash: Mummies and Trolls
Monster Mash: Mummies and Trolls: Could real science possible explain a horror movie mummy's murderous escape from a museum or a troll's transformation into stone? In the same tradition as their gremlin and zombie episodes, Robert and Julie give it a try for this special Halloween edition of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2013 • 19 minutes, 55 seconds
Wendigo...
Wendigo: What are we to make of this evil spirit of Algonquin folklore, said to transform unfortunate travelers into cannibalistic monsters? Have true accounts of "wendigo psychosis" actually occurred in the Canadian wilds? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the mythic, anthropological and scientific dimensions of this fearsome legend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/29/2013 • 35 minutes, 59 seconds
Tainted Love Hormone
Tainted Love Hormone: There's a dark side to oxytocin. Tune into this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind for the latest research on the dark side of the love hormone. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/24/2013 • 23 minutes, 53 seconds
Naked Terror
Is there a link between nudity and fear? Does naked combat make us more powerful or more vulnerable? Nudists and never-nudes alike can find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/22/2013 • 40 minutes, 38 seconds
Listener Mail Roundup
Listener Mail Roundup: The Stuff to Blow Your Mind mailbag grows and the mail-bot grows increasingly insane in its boredom. To remedy the situation, Robert and Julie devote an entire episode to catching up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/17/2013 • 31 minutes, 41 seconds
Ig Nobel Science of 2013
Ig Nobel Science of 2013: The IgNobel Prizes never fail to highlight the absurdity of scientific research. In this episode, Robert and Julie look at five of 2013's winners. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/15/2013 • 21 minutes, 44 seconds
STBYM: Three Years of Word Salad
STBYM: Three Years of Word Salad: Robert and Julie celebrate 3 years of cranium-popping episodes and discuss how Stuff to Blow Your Mind has changed their lives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/10/2013 • 30 minutes, 16 seconds
The Science of Uncanny Music
The Science of Uncanny Music: Why is scary music so scary? Why does an uncanny tune creep us out so? Is it all context and culture or is there something deeper at work? Robert and Julie provide the answers and Christopher Gladwin of The Wyrding Module provides some unsettling tunes and a few answers of his own. Be sure to check out Robert's interview with Gladwin, as well as his roundup of uncanny musical tracks. Image: Ivan Bliznetsov/E+/Getty Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/8/2013 • 20 minutes, 29 seconds
Dread Anxiety
What is dread and how are we supposed to cope with it? Why do we let it control our lives so much? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/3/2013 • 35 minutes, 46 seconds
Teaching Robots to Love
Will our robots ever love us? And what does that question reveal about the true nature of this much-touted human emotion? Find out in this
episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/1/2013 • 17 minutes, 34 seconds
Tyrannosaurus Sex
Climb into the dinosaur hot tub machine with us on this classic STBYM episode featuring the concept of the cloacal kiss and the very direct question: how did dinosaurs -- with all their spikes and plates -- get it on? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/26/2013 • 20 minutes, 48 seconds
Ouroboros: The Tail-Eating Serpent
The ouroboros is an ancient symbol of a mythical serpent or dragon that bites its own tail. It has come to represent, rebirth, infinity and the continuous wheel of cycles. But it also turns out to be a clever way for some animals to defend themselves and can be seen in everything from storms on Saturn to nanotechnology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/24/2013 • 24 minutes, 8 seconds
Nostalgia: The Kryptonite of Existential Angst?
Nostalgia: The Kryptonite of Existential Angst? Nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion that evokes a pleasurable memory tinged with the knowledge that you can never really go back. Find out why nostalgia was once considered a psychiatric disorder and why it actually may be balm for the soul. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/19/2013 • 36 minutes, 24 seconds
Word Aversion: The Story of Moist
Word Aversion: The Story of Moist: Put your favorite pair of slacks on and join guest host Allison Loudermilk as she and Julie get to the bottom of word aversion. Find out why the word "moist" is so maligned and see if your favorite worst word made the list. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/17/2013 • 35 minutes, 54 seconds
Fire Tornado vs Sharknado
Fire Tornado vs Sharknado: What would win in a fight, a swirling column of fire or a vortex full of killer sharks? It's not a question to dismiss slightly, so join Robert and Julie as they break down the real science of fire tornadoes as well as the not-so-real science of the deadly "sharknado." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/12/2013 • 22 minutes, 28 seconds
Human Paper Dolls: Enclothed Cognition
Human Paper Dolls:Enclothed Cognition: Can a doctor's lab coat make you feel smarter and more confident? Does a police uniform give the wearer a sense of power? The answers may surprise you. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the manner by which clothing items allow us to wrap ourselves in symbolic power and become something new. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/10/2013 • 34 minutes, 37 seconds
Microchimerism: The Mother Inside You
Microchimerism: The Mother Inside You: Does a mother retain cells from her child? Does the child retain cells form the mother? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie introduce you to the fantastic world of microchimerism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/5/2013 • 23 minutes, 26 seconds
Here There Be Sea Monsters
Medieval and renaissance maps are resplendent with sea monsters, but what were these fanciful beasts all about? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie breakdown the science, economics and mythology of sea serpents, walruses and whales the size of islands. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/3/2013 • 40 minutes, 45 seconds
Fine Young (Animal) Cannibals
Fine Young (Animal) Cannibals: Cannibalism is a bit yucky in the human world, but for animals it's just a matter of economics. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie expore the world of cannibalistic insects and their kin. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/29/2013 • 45 minutes, 21 seconds
The Left-Handed Scissors
The Left-Handed Scissors: Lefties make up 10 percent of the population, but what are we to make of their curious inversion? Why do they exist? Why do they excel at sports and murder? And might they one day rise up and force right-handed folks to wear special gloves? All this and more shall be revealed... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/27/2013 • 25 minutes, 16 seconds
Symbols on the Brain
Symbols on the Brain:A symbol can instantly convey an abstract idea that would require paragraphs of traditional language to relate. So what are they all about? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the manner in which symbols take hold of our brain - and how they constantly influence our unconscious mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/22/2013 • 44 minutes, 19 seconds
Walls
Walls:Civilizations surround themselves in walls. They raise walls against enemies, against the environment and against the spirit world. In this classic episode, Robert and Julie examine walls, from Ming Dynasty battlements to the galactic borders of our universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/20/2013 • 26 minutes, 37 seconds
The Science of Staring
The Science of Staring: Your mother always told you it's not polite to stare - and yet we do. Why is starring a part of who we are? Why do subway staring contests occur and can we actually feel people's eyes crawling over our bodies? All of this and more shall be discussed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/15/2013 • 34 minutes, 27 seconds
Satellite Junkies and the Day of the Fall
Satellite Junkies and the Day of the Fall: Humanity has become addicted to satellite technology. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the sort of withdrawals we'd feel if the satellites all fell from the sky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/8/2013 • 35 minutes, 13 seconds
Sideshow Secrets Revealed
What's the real science behind beds of nails, sword swallowing and headless women? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie strip away the carnie veneer and get right to the facts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/6/2013 • 38 minutes, 31 seconds
The Science of Hell
The Science of Hell: Artists aren't alone in their fascination with Hell. Scientists two have long sought to breach the fiery gates and figure out just how it works. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore scientific ponderings over the Dante's "Inferno" and Milton's "Paradise Lost" from modern mathematicians, meteorologists and even Galileo. Robert sketched THIS MAP to help you out with the weather stuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/1/2013 • 35 minutes, 14 seconds
The Problem of Hell
Belief in Hell is problematic at best. How do we relate to our fellow human beings while sorting them into an imagined afterlife of torment? How do we relate to faiths and myths that heap such additional darkness on an already bleak world? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss the origins of belief in Hell, the philosophical problems it entails and just what sociologists and economists think about its effects on the real world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/30/2013 • 55 minutes, 46 seconds
Roller Derby Microbiome
Roller Derby Microbiome: Once upon a time, the word "outdoors" wasn't a thing. But then humans invented "indoors," and with it an artificial environment containing an artificial environment of microorganisms. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss the ways in which we might manage or even engineer the microbiology of these indoor worlds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/25/2013 • 36 minutes, 25 seconds
Cubicle Doom
Cubicle Doom: Can your office cubical kill you? Might an open-floor office plan save your life or drive you to madness? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine the science and psychology of our artificial work spaces. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/23/2013 • 44 minutes, 32 seconds
The Mystery of Human Consciousness
What is consciousness? Can we test for it? And how to we rectify the seemingly disparate realities of physical brain and immaterial mind? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie consider the hard problem of human consciousness and the philosophic warnings of the New Mysterians. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/18/2013 • 40 minutes, 47 seconds
Insect Love Song
Insect Love Song: The night is alive with insects. To our human ears their song is mere cacophony, but it's actually a vast web of communication signals. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie decode the Insect Internet for the meanings behind insect songs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/16/2013 • 24 minutes, 20 seconds
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands:Resist the urge to clap at the next concert or play you attend - IF YOU DARE! Because as Robert and Julie explain in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, applause is viral. It's hard-coded into our mental capacity for synchronicity and social adaptation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/11/2013 • 22 minutes, 42 seconds
Grunting the Conqueror Worm
Grunting the Conqueror Worm: Behold the conqueror earthworm, a creature introduced to North America mere centuries ago and now virtually unstoppable. And yet some humans know the means of summoning these worms from the Earth using only music or the rhythmic rubbing of stakes. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie take you inside the world of worm grunting. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/9/2013 • 28 minutes, 11 seconds
A Cuppa Joe
A Cuppa Joe:Just what's in a cup of coffee? Why does it make us feel so invincible and why does it make us poop so much? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/4/2013 • 40 minutes, 15 seconds
How to Beat the Thought Police
How to Beat the Thought Police: Want to know how to beat a polygraph test? How about current and near-future fMRI lie detection tests? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie take you to the place where neuroscience and criminal investigation collide. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/2/2013 • 41 minutes, 30 seconds
Isolation Chambers: Float Follow-Up
Isolation Chambers: Float Follow-Up: In a previous episode, Robert and Julie discussed the science of sensory deprivation chambers and now they're back from their own first-hand experiences inside the womb-to-tomb wet box. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/27/2013 • 40 minutes, 31 seconds
Clocking In: The Nature of Time
Clocking in: What is time? What's the best way to measure it? And is it all an illusion anyway? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss the fourth dimension and the clock on the wall. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/25/2013 • 40 minutes, 36 seconds
Summer Reading: Guest Picks
In this special episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie invite six guests to share their recommendations for summer reading. You'll hear from science author Mary Roach, musician DJ Food and author David Barnett. Plus fellow HowStuffWorks podcast hosts Cristen Conger, Lauren Vogelbaum and Tracy V. Wilson pop in with titles as well. And don't forget to check out the accompanying blog post for a complete list of titles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/20/2013 • 36 minutes, 3 seconds
Summer Reading: Robert and Julie's Picks
Summer Reading: Robert and Julie's Picks: Once again, your Robert and Julie are here to share some summer reading recommendations with their curious listeners. Explore their delightful buffet of science, sci-fi, children's books, literary fiction and graphic novels. Something here might just make your summer. And don't forget to check out the accompanying blog post for a complete list of titles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/18/2013 • 35 minutes, 46 seconds
The Quietest Room in the World
The Quietest Room in the World: In Minneapolis, MN there's a room that blocks 99.99 percent of all sound. It's a place of intense silence, intense calm and possibly intense madness. What happens when things are too quite? Robert and Julie explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2013 • 34 minutes, 37 seconds
Sensory Deprivation Chambers
Sensory Deprivation Chambers:Fancy a return to the womb? Ready to shut off the world of senses and dive into the inner you? Well, the sensory deprivation chamber awaits you. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie breakdown the science of the womb-to-tomb wet box. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/11/2013 • 32 minutes, 22 seconds
Finnish Ed
Finnish Ed: STEM education in the US has been on educators and policymakers' minds. One of the reasons is that the US has become far less competitive in terms of turning out a knowledge-based society. Could Finland hold the answer to raising a generation of science literate brainiacs? Stuff to Blow Your Mind travels to Finland (metaphorically) to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2013 • 26 minutes, 47 seconds
Invisible World of the No. 7
Invisible World of the No. 7:The 7 deadly sins, the 7 continents, the 7 seas: The no. 7 is everywhere. But is its prevalence simply a byproduct of the brain's pattern recognition machinery, does the no. 7 play a significant role in both human psychology and physiology - and to what extent is one driving the other? Find out in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/4/2013 • 27 minutes, 35 seconds
Ventriloquism: The Science of Dummies
Ventriloquism: The Science of Dummies: It's time to rediscover ventriloquism, the surprisingly deft art of illusion that relies on a keen sense of comic timing and obsessive technique from the performer, as well as a buy-in into the illusion from the audience member. Why do we fall for it? What's going on in the brain? All shall be explained in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/30/2013 • 30 minutes, 25 seconds
Extreme Mammals Part II
Extreme Mammals Part II: In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Julie discuss the amazing world of prehistoric mammals and count down their favorite weird warm bloods from the smallest to largest. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/28/2013 • 22 minutes, 10 seconds
Extreme Mammals Part I
Extreme Mammals Part I: In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Robert and Julie discuss the amazing world of prehistoric mammals and count down their favorite weird warm bloods from the smallest to largest. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/23/2013 • 23 minutes, 32 seconds
The Science of Beards
The Science of Beards: Why do human males have beards? Do they protect us? Do they make us more fearsome? Better looking? More trustworthy? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/21/2013 • 39 minutes, 25 seconds
The Status of Flatus
The Status of Flatus: What is a fart? What's the science behind passing gas and why does volume, frequency and stench very so much from person to person? Answers await, gentle listener, as Robert and Julie discuss the biology behind breaking wind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/16/2013 • 33 minutes
Zombie Apocalypse PSA
Atlanta is in shambles. Parasite-infected humans wander the streets, stinking of death and attacking everyone in sight. Meanwhile Robert and Julie hold up in the HSW headquarters to shed light on the so-called "zombie outbreak" by highlighting real-world examples of minds hijacked and bodies zombified by tiny parasitic organisms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/14/2013 • 39 minutes, 16 seconds
From Nose to Tail: The Colon
From Nose to Tail: The Colon: Finally, everything comes out in the end - which is to say it comes out of the end. Robert and Julie finish up their digestive journey with discussions of colon science, nutrient enemas, prison wallets and other astounding things. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/9/2013 • 40 minutes, 17 seconds
From Nose to Tail: Into the Intestines
From Nose to Tail: Into the Intestines: In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie continue to follow the journey of a haggis through the digestive system of man. Listen in as the small intestines absorb all sorts of vital nutrients from your liquefied food. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/7/2013 • 8 minutes, 47 seconds
Nude Space Walk
Nude Space Walk: In order to travel in space, humans have to bring a fragment of their native environment with them in the form of a compressed capsule or EV suit. But what would happen if you took off your helmet or simply launched yourself out the airlock in the buff? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie look for the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/2/2013 • 34 minutes, 10 seconds
Emotions in Outer Space
Emotions in Outer Space: Space madness. Freezing tears. Delirious astronauts tranquilized, duct taped to the wall and forced to listen to Phillip Glass. Yes, in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine the mental strains of life and space and how to address them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/30/2013 • 38 minutes, 20 seconds
Eaten Alive!
Ah, to be swallowed whole and hugged within the stomach of a colossal beast. To some this idea is bliss; to most it's the stuff of nightmares. But can any creature on Earth truly swallow a human whole and alive? How likely is it? Join Robert and Julie on this Stuff to Blow Your Mind adventure deep inside the belly of a colossal whale. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/25/2013 • 38 minutes, 50 seconds
From Nose to Tail: Can You Stomach It?
Can You Stomach It?: Why doesn't the stomach digest itself? What sorts of chemical wonders go on inside the human gut and what strange language is it speaking after a heavy dinner? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss some stomach science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/23/2013 • 33 minutes, 53 seconds
Talking 'Gulp' With Mary Roach
Mary Roach Interview: We all love Mary Roach, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind Robert and Julie invite the "Stiff" author on the show to chat about her latest book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal." Plus she'll answer listener questions and discuss how to eat with your butt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/18/2013 • 5 minutes, 51 seconds
From Nose to Tail: Mysteries of the Mouth
From Nose to Tail: Mysteries of the Mouth: Food goes on quite a fantastic journey through the human body and Stuff to Blow Your Mind is here to guide you on the way. Join Robert and Julie as they begin at digestion's base camp: a world of smell, taste, saliva and gnashing teeth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/16/2013 • 37 minutes, 35 seconds
Human Lightning Rods
Human Lightning Rods: Some folk claim to attract undue attention from electrical storms. Some even insist it's hereditary. But what does science have to say about individuals who incur the wrath of Thor upwards of six or seven times? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the world of human lightning strikes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2013 • 20 minutes, 29 seconds
Watch Stoppers
Watch Stoppers: We've all heard tales of individuals who simply cannot wear wrist watches. The time pieces simply stop working, time and time again. So what' happening? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss personal magnetism and why your watches keep breaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/9/2013 • 28 minutes, 42 seconds
3D Printer of the Gods II
3D Printer of the Gods II: Oh, you're into 3D printing? How 20 years ago. It's one thing to print in the three spatial dimensions, quite another to factor in the fourth dimension of time. But it's happening. And in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert break down exactly what it's all about and discuss the future of manufacturing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/4/2013 • 24 minutes, 33 seconds
STBYM Listener Mail Extravaganza
Stuff to Blow Your Mind listeners regularly send in imaginative and jaw-dropping correspondence. Sadly, Julie and Robert rarely have time to read it all. So here's a bonus episode devoted to your listener mail, courtesy of everyone's favorite mailbot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/1/2013 • 25 minutes, 43 seconds
3D Printer of the Gods, Part 1
Sure 3D printers are cool, but where will they ultimately take us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss some of the amazing things happening in 3D printing, what the future will bring and whether it will destroy us all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2013 • 37 minutes, 17 seconds
Slay Your Paper Tigers
Slay Your Paper Tigers: Sure, we all know a pile of paperwork or a job interview is nothing like a bloody battle to the death with a saber toothed tiger - but do our bodies know that? Is our brain still wired for fight or flight regardless of the modern stakes? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie discuss how and why our brains interpret minor annoyances as ancestral enemies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/28/2013 • 18 minutes, 10 seconds
Objects of Love
Objects of Love: We live in a world of objects to which we assign varying degrees of worth, from old newspapers to treasured action figures, family heirlooms and golden idols. What's it all about? Where does this object attachment come from? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/26/2013 • 35 minutes, 54 seconds
Talking 'Space Chronicles' with Neil DeGrasse Tyson
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson chats with Robert and Julie about his new book "Space Chronicles" as well as mad science, philosophy, dark matter and humanity's future amid the stars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2013 • 54 minutes, 7 seconds
SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Part 2
Is there life out there in the cosmos and if so how do we find it? How might it find us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert discuss the history of SETI as well as what classic TV shows our alien neighbors might be listening to. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/21/2013 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Part 1
Is there life out there in the cosmos and if so how do we find it? How might it find us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert discuss the history of SETI as well as what classic TV shows our alien neighbors might be listening to. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/19/2013 • 16 minutes, 49 seconds
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 2
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this second part of this series, Robert and Julie continue exploring of posthuman philosophy and the possibility of winged humans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/18/2013 • 30 minutes, 1 second
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 1
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss Joseph Rosen's posthuman philosophy and ponder what we'd have to do to transform arms into wings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/14/2013 • 21 minutes, 59 seconds
Leprechaun Hallucinations
Leprechaun Hallucinations: As Saint Patrick's Day nears, our minds inevitably turn to the little people of Irish folklore. But diminutive fairy folk pop up in folk traditions around the world. Listen in for a celebration of the myth and science behind those Leprechaun encounters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/12/2013 • 42 minutes, 30 seconds
Pica: Dirt for Dinner
Chances are you didn't pack mud pies or clay bricks for lunch, but humans - like many animals - are not above pica in their diet. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the practice of dirt and mineral consumption and just what impulses are at work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/7/2013 • 25 minutes, 19 seconds
Elevators and the Humans who Use Them
Like most ubiquitous technology, elevators are often ignored. But there would be no skyscrapers without them. There would be no tightly-packed awkwardness, no dusting of claustrophobic fear. Tune in to learn about the psychology and science of elevators. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/5/2013 • 58 minutes, 32 seconds
Regurgitation Celebration
While humans generally try to avoid puking, an upchuck is just another biological function for other creatures. In this episode, Robert and Julie present a vomitory smorgasbord of cud-chewing monkeys, acid-puking spiders, corpse-hurling vultures and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/28/2013 • 29 minutes, 28 seconds
Ghost in the Genetic Machine: Humans
To what extent are we shackled to genes? How does our upbringing, environment and our grandfather's life choices affect the expression of our genome? Join Julie and Robert as they discuss epigenetic research and ponder underlying questions of free will. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/26/2013 • 32 minutes, 25 seconds
Ghost in the Genetic Machine: Animals
Between the code and the creature lies the epigenome, where environmental impulses alter genetic expression. Join Robert and Julie as they introduce epigenetics and gene memory. Join them as they discuss Lamarckian Evolution, mice, rats and flat worms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/21/2013 • 29 minutes, 31 seconds
The Memory of Slime
So you're telling me slime molds can solve mazes and recreate trade routes? Yes, indeed we are. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the "intelligence" of slime molds and why they force us to re-think the evolution of intelligence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/19/2013 • 18 minutes, 27 seconds
My Slimey Valentine: The Slug Life
My Slimey Valentine: Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a Valentine's hater, Robert and Julie have quite the episode for you. Prepare to have your mind blown as they expose the daring, disgusting, weaponized, cannibalistic and marathon lovemaking ways of slugs and snails. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2013 • 23 minutes, 52 seconds
Trilogy of Slime: Tales of Slimedom in the Animal Kingdom
We all love slime, but do we really respect it in all its glory? Join Julie and Robert for a mucus-coated journey through the slime of slugs, sea hags and fish. Learn how it provides locomotion, protection, communication and food. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/12/2013 • 34 minutes, 8 seconds
Multitasking Maniacs and the One Track Mind
Is multitasking a female super power, a learnable skill or pure myth? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert consider our multitasking world, our unitasking minds and the rare "super taskers" capable of doing it all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2013 • 41 minutes, 18 seconds
Interrupting Cow: Multitasking, Interruptions and Distractions
All joking aside, the Interrupting Cow takes a real toll on your brain and your work life. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine just how interruptions and distractions impact our cognitive functions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/5/2013 • 21 minutes, 25 seconds
Pineal Optics: My Third Eye
Pineal Optics: Prepare to open that third eye, listeners, because Robert and Julie are taking you on a journey from philosophical ponderings about human spirituality to scientific explorations of the human pineal gland and the extra parietal eye common to other animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2013 • 33 minutes, 51 seconds
Undercover Actors and the Shadow Self
Undercover Actors and the Shadow Self: In this episode, we discuss the place where cover and identity collide in the human mind. It's a topic we first raised in our "Wrestling With Kayfabe" episode - so if you skipped that one because of the wrestling content, I urge you to give it a second chance.
In this episode, we keep coming back to the idea of an avatar in the traditional sense: one of many physical forms that a formless deity may take in order to engage with a physical world. Your mind is that formless god, and all the versions of you are its avatars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/29/2013 • 39 minutes, 36 seconds
Wrestling with Kayfabe (with guest Colt Cabana)
Wrestling with Kayfabe: Professional wrestling is somewhat of a cultural oddity, as it blurs the lines between reality, fiction, sport and theater. Join Robert, Julie and "Art of Wrestling" podcaster Colt Cabana as they lock up with wrestling's mind-twisting layers of fiction. Enjoy part II of this podcast, Undercover Actors and the Shadow Self.
Image: French pro-wrestler L'Ange Blanc in Paris, 1959. (Lipnitzki/Roger Viollet/Getty ) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2013 • 1 hour, 44 seconds
Cool Science You May Have Missed in 2012
A lot of cool science went down in 2012, but it's possible you missed some of these smaller stories amid all the Mars landing and Higgs searching. In this episode, Julie and Robert take you on a journey full of immortal jelly fish and solar tornados. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/22/2013 • 36 minutes, 31 seconds
Big Science of 2012
As you leave 2012 in the dust, join Julie and Robert as they take one last look in the rearview mirror at some of the truly mind blowing science that went down in the past year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2013 • 45 minutes, 40 seconds
Willpower
Temptation is all around us and as humans we only have so much willpower in the tank to fight it. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the science behind willpower, how we deplete this exhaustible resource and what you can do to boost your resolve. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/15/2013 • 47 minutes, 18 seconds
Labyrinths
Having escaped from the confusion of the Minoan maze, it's time to walk the serene, calming paths of the Chartres Labyrinth. Why is this experience so different? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the calming effects that labyrinths have on the mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2013 • 34 minutes, 32 seconds
Mazes
Enter the Minoan maze and wander its endless halls. Feel your heart race. Feel your limbs quiver as the minotaur's roar echoes through the walls. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the world of mazes and how they affect the brains of humans and rats. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/8/2013 • 39 minutes, 22 seconds
I Was a Teenage Teen: The Science of Teen Angst
The teenage brain is a wonderful thing, full of intense rewiring and rapid shifts in priority. In this episode, Robert and Julie reminisce about the teenagers they were and just what was going on in their brains to fuel all that odd, erratic behavior. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2013 • 39 minutes, 23 seconds
New Year's Life Hacks
New Year's Life Hacks: Want improved focus this year? A better creative flow or stronger decision-making skills? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie run through some simple, scientifically-backed ways to maximize your new year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/1/2013 • 44 minutes, 42 seconds
The Shaman and the Scientist: Hallucination
The Shaman and the Scientist: Hallucination: Join Robert and Julie as they continue their discussion of the overlap between shamanism and cognitive neuroscience. What sort of experiences do substances like DMT, psilocybin and salvia grant users? Why do human bodies have trace elements of DMT? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2012 • 31 minutes, 28 seconds
The Shaman and the Scientist: My Egoic Mind
The Shaman and the Scientist: My Egoic Mind: A shaman consumes a psychedelic mushroom and visits the spirit world. Meanwhile, a scientist studies the effects of psilocybin on depression and conceptions of self. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the common ground shared by these disciplines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2012 • 30 minutes, 33 seconds
Nutmeg: The Scary Spice
Sure, you sprinkle nutmeg indifferently on your eggnog, but do you know its bloody history and psychotropic properties? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss the weird side of an everyday spice and why you should use it sparingly but often. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2012 • 32 minutes, 53 seconds
The Dark Side of Creativity
Creative minds make our favorite art and develop unique solutions to real-world problems. But is there a dark side? Are creative minds more prone to madness and deception? In this episode, Julie and Robert turn the tables on innovation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2012 • 42 minutes, 30 seconds
Parasite Got Your Tongue?
Organisms do what they can to get ahead and sometimes that means crawling inside a fish head and chewing out a niche. In this episode, Robert and Julie get to know Cymothoa exigua, the horrifying and ingenious parasite that replaces a fish's tongue. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/11/2012 • 17 minutes, 40 seconds
The Killing Joke
Modern minds likely turn to Monty Python when the notion of lethal comedy arises, but accounts of death by laughter date back to ancient times. Can a joke really kill a person? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the dark side of laughter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2012 • 37 minutes, 56 seconds
The Healing Power of Laughter
They say laughter is the best medicine, but is there any science to back that up? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss what laughter does to us physically and neurologically. And maybe, just maybe, Julie will grow to love laughter yoga. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/4/2012 • 35 minutes, 27 seconds
Why Fingerprints?
Why do we have fingerprints? Why are the human versions generally more complex than those of other animals? Join Robert and Julie as they delve into whorls and swirls, exploring the theories behind why we have these strange patterns on our fingertips. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2012 • 31 minutes, 36 seconds
Jive Turkey
Jive Turkey: As another Turkey Day dawns on the United States, Julie and Robert stop to consider the great bird itself. Join them as they dive into the ancient history of this North American avian native, discuss the origins of its name and how humans continues to bend the creature to their Thanksgiving desires. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/27/2012 • 40 minutes, 20 seconds
The Science of Comfort
What does comfort mean to you? Thanksgiving dinner? A cup of tomato soup and a warm blanket? In this episode, Julie and Robert examine the particulars of comfort, why we crave it and what happens when we have too much of a good thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2012 • 38 minutes, 58 seconds
We Are All Scientists
While it might not feel like it, humans were born to crunch numbers, engineer solutions and scientifically evaluate the world. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the research on our inborn abilities and how science is ultimately a part of who we are. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/20/2012 • 28 minutes, 31 seconds
How to Think Like a Child
Sure, a kid's unique perspective allows him or her to see Puff the Magic Dragon and say the darndest things. But, as Julie and Robert discover, children are born scientists and their way of viewing the world serves as a fine example to adults. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2012 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
Consider the Packrat
It's true: the word "packrat" is more than slang for hoarders and collectors. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the pint-size rodent's love of decoration and den-building. Plus how do their toilets aid cowboys and archeologists? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/13/2012 • 23 minutes, 50 seconds
Hammer of the Witches
Witchcraft trials are a part of our history, but what truly went on during the 1400s? Join Robert and Julie as they explore compelling theories about the nature of superstitious religious persecution. What went wrong? Is it still going wrong today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2012 • 57 minutes, 26 seconds
Anthropocene: The Age of Man
When viewed from the standpoint of geologic time, what is humanity's ultimate contribution? Have we founded an Age of Man with agriculture, industrialism and war? Join Robert and Julie as they ask hard questions about humanity's relationship with Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/6/2012 • 36 minutes, 26 seconds
Ordovician Waters: Life in the Age of Trilobites
Prepare to explore an alien Earth as Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes you back to the Ordovician Period, when invertebrates thrived in primal seas that covered most of the super continent Gondwana. Join Julie and Robert as they explore this age of change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2012 • 27 minutes, 18 seconds
Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board
Ever reach out to the spirit world with an ouija board? Or stare into a dark mirror for Bloody Mary? Perhaps peer-assisted levitation was more your style. In this episode, Robert and Julie bust through the fantasy of these paranormal parlor tricks and examine the underlying science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/31/2012 • 32 minutes, 21 seconds
The Science of Haunted Houses
There's a lot more going on at your local haunted attraction than costumes and chainsaws. In this episode, Robert and Julie venture to Atlanta's Netherworld Haunted House to learn about the science and art behind the ghoulish shenanigans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2012 • 38 minutes, 45 seconds
How do Animals Map the World?
Humans aren't the only map masters on the planet. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert explore the amazing ways that animals turn space into place and navigate the world around them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/23/2012 • 20 minutes, 44 seconds
Cartocacoethes: Map Mania!
Do you see a Thailand-shaped birthmark on Gorbachev's forehead? Do clouds remind you of Australia and Indonesia? You may have cartocacoethes, the compulsion to see maps everywhere.Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the past, present and future of maps. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2012 • 31 minutes, 17 seconds
The Map-addled Brain
Maps show us familiar places as well as far-flung locales that quietly beckon, intertwining the past, present and future. Join Julie and Robert as they explore how our brains work on maps, from neurons to the role of memory and storytelling in mapmaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/16/2012 • 36 minutes, 47 seconds
Ig Nobel: Strange Science Part 2
In part two of their 2012 Ig Nobel Prize coverage, Robert and Julie take listeners through some of the more amazing winners at this year's awards ceremony. From monkey butts to exploding colonoscopies, first you'll laugh and then you'll think. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/11/2012 • 18 minutes, 26 seconds
Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1
Yes, scientists have a sense of humor - and they have to if their big invention is a bra that doubles as a gas mask. Join Julie and Robert as they explore the Ig Nobel prizes - plus some of the strange studies honored at the 2012 awards ceremony. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/9/2012 • 23 minutes, 36 seconds
Cat People
Whether you prefer cats, dogs or snakes, you have to admit that humanity's relationship with felines is mysterious. Why do we live with these super predators? What does "meow" mean? Are they really our friends? Join Julie and Robert as they investigate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2012 • 43 minutes, 48 seconds
The Song of the Bat
Bats live in a sonic universe. They call out into the night and construct the world from their song. They listen to the sounds of prey, predator and the social squeaking of other bats. In this episode, Robert and Julie listen in on the song of the bat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/2/2012 • 30 minutes, 59 seconds
The Wild World of Bats
Is the bat the most successful mammal on the planet? Quite possibly! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert explore the insect-munching, fruit-drinking, blood-lapping world of these amazing winged sound warriors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2012 • 46 minutes, 39 seconds
Fire Walk With Me
In 2012, Tony Robbins marched thousands of barefoot followers through the coals, injuring under two dozen of them. What was going on in their minds (and in their feet)? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the physics and mindset of the firewalker. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/25/2012 • 39 minutes, 14 seconds
Life in the Plastic Palace
How much of your environment is made out of plastic? Where does it come from? Where does it go? How does plastic affect your iPhone's weight? Join Julie and Robert as they discuss humanity's relationship with plastic and the great Pacific garbage patch. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2012 • 36 minutes, 17 seconds
Sleep No More
What if you could skip a night's sleep without any side effects? It may sound impossible, but the age of sleep replacement drugs is just around the corner. Join Julie and Robert as they discuss the DARPA-funded meds that might let us dodge those 40 winks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/18/2012 • 30 minutes, 56 seconds
City Creatures
City Creatures: Does a crowded street make you care less about your fellow man? Population density manipulates organisms in subtle and shocking ways. Join Robert and Julie as they look at how animals and humans respond to cramped conditions and depleted resources. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2012 • 48 minutes, 2 seconds
The Mind of the Kraken
What strange thoughts fill the brains of cephalopods? Do they ponder mysteries in their lightless lairs? Join Julie and Robert as they dive into the fascinating world of cephalopod intelligence, from the crafty octopus to the social cuttlefish and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/11/2012 • 42 minutes, 20 seconds
The King-sized World of Gigantism
Finally, a podcast about Andre the Giant, dinosaurs and Nuralagus rex the bunny king. In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss gigantism. What causes some humans to become giants? Why are island ecosystems like Wonderland? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2012 • 40 minutes, 58 seconds
Hear The Mermaids Singing
Hear The Mermaids Singing: Humans have dreamed of mermaids for ages, but is there any substance to these myths? Is the aquatic ape theory more than just a tale for lonely sailors? Join Robert and Julie as they cast their science net and reel in something half-human and half-fish. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/4/2012 • 29 minutes, 12 seconds
Mother's Milk
Mother's Milk: Milk isn't just an infant-sustaining breast beverage. Join Julie and Robert as they explore the world of lactation. How does milk strengthen our bodies against infection? When did humans mutate into cross-species milk guzzlers? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2012 • 34 minutes, 2 seconds
Personhood: The Animal and Robot Edition
What exactly is personhood? Over time, the term "person" has evolved to include numerous concepts. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the nature of personhood and sticky concept of consciousness as applied to animals and robots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/28/2012 • 24 minutes, 38 seconds
Personhood: The Human Edition
What exactly is personhood? Over time, the term "person" has evolved to include numerous concepts. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the nature of personhood, why corporations are considered meta-people and the sticky concept of consciousness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2012 • 26 minutes, 24 seconds
It's Performance Art: Challenging Human Nature
A woman in a museum stares into your soul. A man implants a cybernetic ear on his arm. A dog starves. In this episode, Robert and Julie dive into the world of performance art, discussing the works of such notable artists as Marina Abramovi? and Stelarc. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/21/2012 • 51 minutes
The Amazing Minds of Infants
What goes on inside the minds of babes? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this episode, Julie and Robert peer inside the infant brain to learn about their enhanced state of consciousness. Plus find out what baby brains have to do with alien abductions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2012 • 39 minutes, 21 seconds
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Robot
When it comes making art, most of us operate under a set of rules. So what happens when you feed machines code for churning out art? Plenty, as it turns out. And if creativity is the seat of the soul, what does that say about our uniqueness? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/14/2012 • 45 minutes, 5 seconds
I Scream, You Scream
From screaming infants to cinematic scream queens, there's no denying the universal language of yelling. But why do we do it? What are we communicating? In this episode, Julie and Robert explain how a little screaming can do you a world of good. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2012 • 29 minutes, 51 seconds
Fecal Fossils: The Cave of Forgotten Poops
You can learn a lot from an animal's scat, even if that animal hasn't walked the Earth since prehistoric times. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the fascinating world of coprolite and ponder just what ancient humans and creatures ate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/31/2012 • 23 minutes, 44 seconds
There Once Was a Boson Named Higgs
If you're tired of hearing about the Higgs "don't-call-me-a-god-particle" Boson but still want to know what it is, then this is the podcast episode for you. In this episode, Robert and Julie recount our hunt for the Higgs and what it means for science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/26/2012 • 34 minutes, 55 seconds
Yoga, Sex and Magic
Sure, you're no stranger to yoga, but how much do you know about its ancient origins in magical ritual and tantric sex? In this episode, Julie and Robert peer into yoga's sensual past and consult modern science on what yoga can do for your sex life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/24/2012 • 41 minutes, 19 seconds
The Science of Downward Dog
About 20 million people in the U.S. practice some form of yoga. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind Julie and Robert suss out the claims and revelations -- could it really be a telomere fountain of youth? And what poses should a newbie never do? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2012 • 51 minutes, 44 seconds
Eliminating River Blindness
The parasitic worm onchocerciasis carries uses a bacterial cloaking device to colonize the human body, causing tremendous suffering and even blindness. Luckily, the Carter Center is waging a campaign against the parasite. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/17/2012 • 34 minutes, 23 seconds
Magicology: The Science of Magic
Illusionists merely engage a fiction of sorcery, but there's a rich foundation of neuroscience beneath the smoke and mirrors. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the ways in which magicians manipulate our senses and the inner workings of our minds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2012 • 35 minutes, 11 seconds
The Art and Science of Camouflage
There's far more to military camouflage than painting a tank green. As Robert and Julie discuss in this episode, camouflage design incorporates both the neuroscience of how we perceive the world and the art of cubism and textile design. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/10/2012 • 43 minutes, 32 seconds
Life in the Weightless Void
We all know the potentially dangerous effects of microgravity, but what are the long-term effects? Join Robert and Julie as they wonder what life will be like if evolution continues in space. Imagine the plants and the strange humans who will tend them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2012 • 46 minutes, 12 seconds
An Internet that Spans the Stars
The Internet continues to spread its roots through our world, and soon it will launch cosmic seeds, spreading digital humanity into space. How will it all happen? In this episode, Julie and Robert contemplate the future of an interplanetary Internet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/3/2012 • 28 minutes, 44 seconds
Meet Your Bacterial Masters
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Humans have mapped the microbiome and changed our understanding of the bacterial worlds thriving inside us. How will this affect our war on bacteria and the state of modern medicine? Julie and Robert discuss all of these questions in this episode." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2012 • 33 minutes, 24 seconds
The Search for a New Earth
Armed with state-of-the-art telescopes and other high-tech tools, astronomers are spotting new worlds at an astonishing rate. Could any of these planets support life? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the continuing search for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/26/2012 • 27 minutes, 23 seconds
The Science of 'Prometheus'
In this episode, Robert and Julie suit up and venture into the dark and Gigery heart of 'Prometheus.' They’ll examine the film’s futuristic science as well as some of its themes. And fear not! You’ll only encounter spoilers after the commercial break. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2012 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
Fiction: Reality's Secret Master
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Don't underestimate the power of the storyteller. His tale may begin with whimsy, but by the end of it he'll have changed the world you live in. He might even change who you are. In this episode, Julie and Robert examine fiction's effect on reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tales of the enfant terrible have been with us for ages, terrifying us with the notion that strangeness in children portends something darker. But what does science have to say on the matter? Can children be psychopaths? If so, is there any hope for them? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/12/2012 • 30 minutes, 57 seconds
The Sound Aquatic
Underwater operas? Submerged speaker systems? Mysterious deep sea noises and the monsters who make them? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the rich world of underwater sound. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2012 • 30 minutes, 6 seconds
Asteroid Gold Rush
Is there really gold in them there asteroids? Yes, and one private space company already has a three-step plan to suck them dry. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the near and long-term future of asteroid mining. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/5/2012 • 16 minutes, 18 seconds
The Centaur with Two Hearts
The mythical centaur represented man's dual nature -- and as one biologist points out, the creature would also need two hearts. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss all things centaur, from the creature's symbolic meaning to its fictional anatomy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2012 • 20 minutes, 29 seconds
Summer Reading List
Need new ideas for your summer reading? In this episode, Julie and Robert share their favorite books as well as a heads-up on what they intend to read this summer. Tune in to learn more about mind-blowing science fiction, non-fiction and literary fiction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/29/2012 • 36 minutes, 20 seconds
Mitochondrial Eve
There's something awe-inspiring about the prospect of a primordial mother figure. Scientists actually discovered such a woman - and her ghost resides in the genetics of every living human. In this episode, Julie and Robert get to know Mitochondrial Eve. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2012 • 18 minutes, 39 seconds
The Skin We Live In
Our outer layer of flesh is beautiful, disgusting, painful and erotic. But what is it, exactly? What role does it play in anatomy and how will we change it in the future? In this episode, Robert and Julie take a close look at the skin we live in. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/22/2012 • 28 minutes, 26 seconds
Nebula in a Box
We've all heard about panspermia, in which the building blocks of life theoretically travel to Earth from elsewhere. But from where, exactly? In this episode, Julie and Robert glimpse inside the nebulae of creation. Also, Robert talks about "The Blob." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2012 • 24 minutes, 21 seconds
Three Minutes Till Impact
Sure, your chances of going down in a plane crash are pretty slim -- but what if it actually happens? Without a parachute, how can you hope to survive a deadly drop to Earth's surface? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss your survival plan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/15/2012 • 28 minutes, 10 seconds
Touching the Void: Psychedelics and Death
Can psychedelic drugs help prepare terminal patients for death? Can MDMA ease the pain of dying through the ultimate transcendent experience? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss what some researchers believe may be the future of end-of-life care. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2012 • 34 minutes, 46 seconds
Walls
Civilizations surround themselves in walls. They raise walls against enemies, against the environment and against the spirit world. In this episode, Robert and Julie examine walls, from Ming Dynasty battlements to the galactic borders of our universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/8/2012 • 25 minutes, 16 seconds
Hibernation: The Ultimate Suspended Animation!
What is hibernation exactly? Is it the opposite of sleep? Is it the future of manned space exploration? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert enter the hibernacula and discuss this perplexing biologic state. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2012 • 26 minutes, 34 seconds
Space Junk in the Trunk
How much junk can we accumulate in Earth's orbit before we seal off our world? Before we cut the planet off from the cosmos and doom civilization to a new dark age? In this episode, Robert and Julie look skyward to space exploration's garbage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/1/2012 • 24 minutes, 48 seconds
Contact Lenses of the Gods
Imagine a contact lens that displays data against your eyeball, delivering everything from sports scores to soap operas. Contact lens display technology may make this a reality. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore this future augmented reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2012 • 27 minutes, 59 seconds
Oh the Lucid Dreams we Weave ...
Whether awake or dreaming, our neocortex is always shuffling about data and creating stories. But what if you could enter your dream and become the master of your fate? Join Julie and Robert as they weave a tale about how and why we lucid dream. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/24/2012 • 38 minutes, 59 seconds
Voyager and the Scale of our Solar System
The Voyager probes continue their journey toward the edge of our solar system, but how much distance have they covered? In this episode, Julie and Robert wrestle with the scale of our solar system, from the atomic fires of our sun to the Ooort cloud. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2012 • 21 minutes, 12 seconds
The Odorous Language of Plants
Do you speak the language of the carrots? From the screams of grass blades to the stink songs of carnivorous plants, the green kingdom is abuzz with the silent voices of plants. In this episode, Robert and Julie bend their ear to whispers in the leaves. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/17/2012 • 21 minutes, 54 seconds
Illusions and Light
The optical world we perceive is cast in illusion - and the properties of light itself dictate that reality. In this episode, Robert and Julie spin off a discussion of blue skies, sunlight and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The most successful organisms hide in the shadows. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is just such a puppet master, and its marionettes include rodents, cats and human beings. In this episode, Julie and Robert uncover Toxo's neural-hijacking scheme. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Imagine a future in which astronauts engage in virtual encounters with Earth-bound spouses. What sort of technology will make this possible? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss computer-mitigated sexual experiences and linked dreaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Just how big can an Earth organism get? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert look at some of the heavyweight contenders for the largest life form on the planet - and the answer isn't "blue whale." What is it? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2012 • 18 minutes, 40 seconds
Godzilla vs. Kong vs. Barbie
Godzilla vs. Kong vs. Barbie: Are you terrified of giant monster attacks? Well, this is the episode for you. Join Robert and Julie as they calm your fears with a healthy dose of science. Listen in as they examine the morphological limitations of gigantic creatures (and more). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/20/2012 • 28 minutes, 39 seconds
Stendhal Syndrome: Kicked in the Brain by Art
Imagine a work of art so beautiful that it causes heart palpitations and hallucinations. This Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode dives into the surreal world of Stendhal syndrome. What's the science behind this psychosomatic illness? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you love new experiences and fresh ideas? Join Julie and Robert as they examine neophilia, the love of novelty. How can this swell-sounding human attribute lead one person down the road to ruin and another through a life of success? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why do we never see the moon's backside? What would the Earth be like if one side always faced the sun? In this episode, Robert and Julie contemplate tidally locked planets and moons, where one side of the globe burns while the other freezes in darkness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You no longer have to turn yourself inside out to travel through your digestive track. Just swallow a camera-bot, grab some pop corn, and watch the kernels traverse your guts. Join Robert and Julie as they look into the world of capsule endoscopy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There's plenty of stuff in this world to summon your disgust. But why do we feel this way? Is there logic behind repulsion, and if so what is your brain trying to say? In this episode, Robert and Julie enter a world of hacking coughs, dog feces and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2012 • 36 minutes, 50 seconds
Monogamy Shamogamy
From black vultures to angler fish, the Earth is home to many monogamous species. Humans, however, don't quite make the list. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore why humans have a hard time with the concept of monogamy. Are we hard wired to stray? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/14/2012 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
In the Lair of the Rat King
In medieval Germany it was a dire omen of plague-ridden doom. Today, it remains more of a grotesque cultural reference. Join Robert and Julie as they enter the lair of the rat king, and prepare to be shocked by the reality of microbial rat kings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/7/2012 • 28 minutes, 7 seconds
Virgin Galactic: $200,000 Ticket to Ride
Want to blast into space with celebrities? Virgin Galactic might just be your ticket to ride. Join Julie and Robert as they discuss the landmark space tourism venture and the future of space travel. Plus what might happen if Kanye ventured into space? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2012 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
The Existential Horror of the Humanzee
A Russian program to breed human/chimpanzee hybrids? Prisoners injected with animal testes? These grotesque tales shed light on the line between humans and chimpanzees. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss humanity's attempts to create a humanzee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/31/2012 • 31 minutes, 29 seconds
We Are Stardust
The atoms in your heart once burned in the fires of a dead star. Does this constitute an almost-spiritual connection to the cosmos or is it mere chemistry? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the billion-year-old carbon inside us. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2012 • 20 minutes, 39 seconds
Hug it Out
Just what sort of hugger are you? Do you squeeze random strangers? Do you grapple your pals in a bear hug or go for the side-hug? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss the science of hugging it out. Plus, you'll learn about Robert's most awkward hugs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/24/2012 • 40 minutes, 50 seconds
The Science of Arguing
Why do we argue? How much bickering is ego sparring and to what extent our evolutionary heritage involved? Join Julie and Robert as they dive into the science behind arguing, from the argumentative theory of reasoning to the health benefits of squabbling. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/19/2012 • 26 minutes, 14 seconds
The Magic Eight Ball of Your Existence
The Magic Eight Ball of Your Existence: Imagine a computer model of the entire world, one on which world leaders can test their decisions and gauge the ripple effect of their actions. Is such a simulation possible? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss plans for a Living Earth Simulator. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/17/2012 • 34 minutes, 44 seconds
Would You Rather: Bug Diet vs. Bacteria Diet
So which would you choose: an exclusive diet of bugs for the rest of your life, or an endless string of fermented feasts? In this "Would You Rather?" episode, Julie and Robert present the facts and let you decide which diet you'd choose. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2012 • 34 minutes, 51 seconds
Black Blizzards of the Dust Bowl
Just what was the Dust Bowl? In this episode, Robert and Julie travel back to the ruined farms and black blizzards of the Great Depression. How did we plant trees to combat ecological damage, and how do we hope to defeat the Gobi Desert today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/10/2012 • 25 minutes, 15 seconds
Cheating in the Name of
Have you ever cheated on a test? You're not alone. But what goes on in a student's mind when they reach for the cheat sheet and how does it play out in various cultures? In this episode, Robert and Julie look at what science has to say about cheating. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/5/2012 • 33 minutes, 32 seconds
The Way of the Sword
From samurai blades to claymores, the sword is one of humanity's most iconic inventions, and they've cut a bloody swath across history. In this episode, Robert and Julie consider the way of the sword, from their manufacture to their use in film and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/3/2012 • 31 minutes, 30 seconds
Anatomy of a Hangover
Anatomy of a Hangover: Before your next New Year's hangover, let's explore what creates that splitting headache and the realization that you're wearing half a gorilla costume. Join Julie and Robert as they lead you through the effects of drinking and tips to cure the condition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/29/2011 • 36 minutes, 21 seconds
Newton: The Chuck Norris of Science
You are unprepared for the awesomeness of Sir Isaac Newton. Sure, he contributed to science, but a deeper look into his life shows just how Chuck Norrisy the man was. Plug in your headphones and prepare to enter the obsessive mind of a scientific master. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/27/2011 • 28 minutes, 22 seconds
Sunken Dangers
What mysteries rest at the bottom of the sea? Which embody nature's diversity? Which tell the tale of humanity's darker side? In this episode, Robert and Julie look to the vessels lost beneath the waves, and the things that linger in their rusting hearts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/22/2011 • 24 minutes, 1 second
Spontaneous Human Combustion
Do people really just go up in flames? Do grannies really flare up like roman candles in their rockers and is there anything in science that explains why a middle-aged bachelor might burn down to his sneakers without warning? In this episode, Julie and Robert enter the dubious world of spontaneous human combustion. Where does the science end and the nonsense begin? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/20/2011 • 23 minutes, 58 seconds
The Santa Claus Machine
The Santa Claus Machine: How does Santa Claus make so many gifts? Clearly his elves have harnessed the power of nanomanufacturing. But what does this mean for the planet? In this episode, Robert and Julie consider the possibilities of limitless custom manufacturing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/15/2011 • 21 minutes, 31 seconds
Give the Gift of a Mystery Box
Give the Gift of a Mystery Box: Why are mystery packages so appealing? How do they improve our mental faculties and fuel our creativity? In this episode, Julie and Robert share tales of sealed envelopes, quantum thought experiments, virginity boxes and things Pandora should never have opened. You might even score a gift idea or two. To learn more about the illustration, visit Art Spotlight: Arthur Rackham's Pandora. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/13/2011 • 36 minutes, 49 seconds
Nanohealthcare: The Tiny Doctors Inside Me
Imagine a future in which replacement organs grow in magnetic fields and smart pills work for months. Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, this age of super medicine is nearly here. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the world of nanohealthcare. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/8/2011 • 33 minutes, 53 seconds
Pyromania: What's Your Relationship with Fire?
When does an appreciation for fire turn into an obsession with the flickering, golden god? Who are firebugs, and what drives them to burn? In this episode, Julie and Robert slip into their best burn suits and hide the matches as they explore pyromania. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/6/2011 • 36 minutes, 46 seconds
The Hashtag Heard Round the World
Waves of protest continue across the globe, but modern protesters benefit from social media technology. In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss history's largest protests, the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street and the future of protest. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/1/2011 • 32 minutes, 9 seconds
Why do we protest?
Humans rarely seem to agree, but when we do the results can be staggering. How does the phenomenon called protesting actually work? In this episode, Robert and Julie examine the world of protest and share a few tips for surviving your next rally. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/29/2011 • 38 minutes, 26 seconds
The Future of Stink
Will smell-o-vision make a comeback? Will our zombie movies smell like rotten flesh and our video games reek of voided bowels and fear? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the history of scented media and the emerging technology of printable smells. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/24/2011 • 32 minutes, 55 seconds
Living with Robots: Can we build a better bot?
Our cohabitation with robotic servants is pretty much guaranteed. So what are we doing today to make sure these are the sort of robot we can tolerate? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss how our robotic caretakers are shaping up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/22/2011 • 38 minutes, 43 seconds
Smells to Blow Your Mind
Did you know that smell is the only one of your senses with a direct connection to your brain? Or that fancy cheese and David Beckham's foot odor share the same molecular smells? In this episode, Robert and Julie break down the amazing science of smell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/17/2011 • 25 minutes, 43 seconds
Living With Robots: Worst Roomates Ever
The robot invasion of our homes has begun, and the future is bright with robotic caregivers. But how to we plan to keep this cohabitation from feeling creepy? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss "robot skin," thought-anticipating machines and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/15/2011 • 31 minutes, 57 seconds
Martyrdom: Transcendence on the Rack
We've all seen images of saints and martyrs rising above their torments, but is it really possible to find transcendence on the rack? In this episode, Robert and Julie look into the connections between physical pain and religious experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/10/2011 • 33 minutes, 42 seconds
This is Your Brain on Art
Julie and Robert examine the neurological side of your trip to the museum. What happens when we lose ourselves in Mona Lisa's smile or the nightmare worlds of Hieronymus Bosch? Were artists the first neuroscientists? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/8/2011 • 43 minutes, 52 seconds
The Science of Sports Fandom
Why do humans devote so much time to organized sports? As it turns out, the roots of sports run deep. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the evolutionary, tribal and neurological reasons to cheer on the Cornish Hens against the Fighting Cloacae. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/3/2011 • 36 minutes, 58 seconds
Humanity's Love Affair with an Apocalypse
Apocalyptic Love Affair: Human beings are in love with the end. Ruined cities fill our dreams, and fears steers our thoughts through landscapes of bones and zombie hordes. In this episode, Robert and Julie examine the cognitive science behind our apocalyptic love affair. Image: From Bruegel the Elder's "The Triumph of Death." (Imagno/Getty Images) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/1/2011 • 37 minutes, 41 seconds
The Science of Frankenstein's Monster
Frankenstein's Monster: What are the ramifications of mad science? Frankenstein's tortured creation has become an avatar for scientific horror. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the roots of Frankenstein's monster. Learn more about the past and future of science-gone-wrong. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/27/2011 • 32 minutes, 54 seconds
What's in a witches brew?
Gather round the cauldron with Julie and Robert as they ladle out hefty servings of magical thinking, medieval psychedelics, feminist history and the power of ritual. Just what was old-school witchery all about? This episode has the answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/25/2011 • 41 minutes, 46 seconds
The Candy Corn Menace
Whether scarfing down gummy worms or pouring an endless cascade of sugar into their breakfast cereal, children's appetite for sweets seems insatiable. In this episode, Julie and Robert break down the science of childhood sugar madness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/20/2011 • 38 minutes, 26 seconds
The Creepy Cool World of Imaginary Friends
Why do kids chat with invisible friends? Those creepy encounters are just part of how the human brain works. Even the average adult brain engages in something very similar. Join Robert and Julie as they enter the world of imaginary friendship. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/18/2011 • 28 minutes, 55 seconds
Hulking Out With Hysterical Strength
Can a grieving mother summon the strength of 12 Hulk Hogans and lift a full-sized automobile up off the ground to save her son? In this episode, Robert and Julie take on the subject of hysterical strength and discuss the science behind hulking out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/13/2011 • 30 minutes
The Bystander Effect and You
The next time your car breaks down, count the number of vehicles that pass you by. That's the bystander effect in action. But why do people in crowds tend not to help those in need? Tune in to learn more about crowd apathy and what it says about humans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/6/2011 • 25 minutes, 50 seconds
The Science of Lucky Pants
What do psychologists think about your lucky rabbit's foot? In this episode, Robert and Julie break down the science of good luck rituals and charms. They look at what luck reveals about the human mind, as well as whether any of it actually works. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/4/2011 • 34 minutes, 16 seconds
Splendid Isolation
Do you ever want to live alone in the desert, or does an afternoon alone give you the chills? Either way, isolation can have a profound influence on our health. In this episode, Robert and Julie wade into their isolation chambers to sort it all out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/29/2011 • 46 minutes, 14 seconds
Science of Pet Peeves
Can science explain why other people's phone calls are so annoying? Or why Julie hates fake lavender scents and Robert flies into a rage over turn signals? In this episode your hosts discuss why everything is the worst and what we can do to cope. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/27/2011 • 33 minutes, 57 seconds
Interview: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson
In this episode, Robert and Julie interview astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. What does the planet's leading science communicator have to say about the future of space travel, mind-blowing cosmology and the science in America? Listen in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/22/2011 • 28 minutes, 41 seconds
Misophonia: Why Your Brain Hates the Sound of Gum Chewing
Does the sound of someone smacking gum drive you crazy? It's possible you're just a cranky jerk, but science presents another possibility: misophonia. Tune in to learn more about the mysterious condition that makes some noises so difficult to cope with. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/20/2011 • 22 minutes, 52 seconds
Is free will an illusion?
Your life is filled with choices and first steps down - or is it? According to many neuroscientists, free will is a sham. In this episode, Julie and Robert have no choice but to take a sobering look at decision making and the unconscious brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/15/2011 • 39 minutes, 49 seconds
What if Earth was a cube?
Imagine life on a cubed Earth. How would this alter our experience of gravity? How would it affect global climate? In this episode, Robert and Julie step foot on the impossibly square planet to better understand our world's shape and properties. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/13/2011 • 26 minutes, 54 seconds
Decision Fatigue: Death by 1,000 Choices
Could fretting over insignificant choices decrease your decision making effectiveness later in the day? Join Robert and Julie as they look at the causes -- and effects -- of decision fatigue. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/8/2011 • 38 minutes, 46 seconds
The Procrastinating Brain
Why do we procrastinate? Why do we put off dreaded tasks and long-held ambitions for short-term pleasures? In this episode, Robert and Julie break down procrastination. Listen in and learn more about what you can do to cut down on procrastination. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/6/2011 • 39 minutes, 25 seconds
The Science of False Memories
We're the recorded information of all the experiences that came before the present moment. So how do we deal with the knowledge that some of the memories that compose us are fraudulent? Join Robert and Julie as they examine the world of false memories. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/1/2011 • 35 minutes, 29 seconds
Don't Eat The Panda
Humans have a complex relationship with other animals. Some are friends, and some are delicious. So why do we feel closer to some animals, while others are lunch? In this episode, Robert and Julie take a look at the world of eating and loving animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/30/2011 • 37 minutes, 33 seconds
The Big Sting: Wasps vs. Bees
Bees and wasps share a long history, and they've evolved into distinct forms. One hunts while the other farms. But which group would win in a war? Join Robert and Julie as they chronicle the battle between the honey masters and the sultans of sting. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/25/2011 • 32 minutes, 57 seconds
Can my nightmares kill me?
Can nightmares scare us to death? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the CDC's investigation of sleep deaths - deaths that inspired Wes Craven to create the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. Tune in to learn more about Brugada syndrome. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/23/2011 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
The Science of Brain Wiping
Imagine if you could choose to erase a particularly agonizing or embarrassing memory with a quick injection or a handy pill. Sounds nifty, but could this ever happen in real life? Join Robert and Julie as they explore brain wiping techniques. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/18/2011 • 33 minutes, 13 seconds
Brood 13: Emergence of the Cicadas
It might sound like the title of a horror movie, but make no mistake: Brood 13 is real. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the bizarre life of the periodical cicada, insects that emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/16/2011 • 22 minutes, 32 seconds
Extreme Sleep: Parasomnia
Parasomnia: Most of us take sleep for granted, but there's a world of bizarre slumbers out there that only parasomniacs understand. Enter the world of sleep walking, eating, paralysis, violence and snoregasms. Join Robert and Julie to learn more about extreme sleep. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/11/2011 • 30 minutes, 34 seconds
The Lying Game
Is a lie mere deception, an occasional un-truth or something deeper? Join Robert and Julie as they plunge into the cognitive depths of lies to examine our abilities to linguistically warp perception. Tune in to learn more about lying. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/9/2011 • 39 minutes, 30 seconds
Into the Dyson Sphere
When it's not showing up in episodes of "Star Trek" or imprisoning Necron Star Gods, Dyson spheres are the brainchild of physicist Freeman Dyson. But what exactly are they are? Join Robert and Julie as they break down the nature of Dyson spheres. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/4/2011 • 29 minutes, 23 seconds
The Cognitive Dissonance of Exorcisms
Priests in horror flicks drive demons out of innocent victims. But what's really happening in these apparent showdowns between good and evil? Join Robert and Julie as they look at this exorcism through the lens of cognitive dissonance and personification. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/2/2011 • 35 minutes, 53 seconds
Sharks in Space
Although there's no such thing as a shark in space (yet), sharks have provided invaluable information to NASA. In this episode, Robert and Julie take you from the ocean to outer space as they examine the relationship between NASA, science and sharks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/28/2011 • 18 minutes, 21 seconds
Bugs, Twinkies and Ancient Foods
You are what you eat, which poses an interesting conundrum for omnivores. In this episode, Robert and Julie take a fascinating look at humanity's earliest meals. How did we learn which berries could kill us? When did fire enter the picture? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/21/2011 • 34 minutes, 4 seconds
The Pooping Duck: When Robots Digest
Jacques de Vaucanson's fabulous digesting duck was a clockwork miracle capable of reproducing the processes of ingestion, digestion and defecation. Join Robert and Julie to learn more about robotic digestion from the pooping duck to the modern day. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/19/2011 • 31 minutes, 12 seconds
Walt Disney the Futurist
When you hear Walt Disney's name, chances are you think of cartoons and theme parks. But do you know about Walt Disney the futurist? Join Robert and Julie as they examine Disney's dreams for the future and his "conditional optimism" for the human race. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/14/2011 • 12 minutes, 29 seconds
Microdrone Soup
What's that buzzing around the room? A bird? A plane? Nope, it's just a robotic insect sent by some shadow government. Join Robert and Julie as they check in on drone technology, the rise of biomimetic bird-bots and just how the future may shake out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/12/2011 • 28 minutes, 28 seconds
Funny or Die
We all know "funny" when we encounter it, but what's going on inside the human mind when we feel amused? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss long-standing -- and more recent -- theories about humor's evolutionary purpose. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/7/2011 • 43 minutes, 45 seconds
Gimme That Old Time Space Religion
Space Religion: Will humans leave religion behind when they become an interplanetary species? Not hardly. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss how belief systems may change as a result of space exploration, on off-world colonization or extraterrestrial contact. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/5/2011 • 39 minutes
Math, Music and Mayhem
Whether it's Art Garfunkel's mathematics degree or the structure of the chromatic scale, it's easy to correlate music and math. But why are so many musical minds also well suited for number crunching? Tune in to learn more about music and math. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/30/2011 • 24 minutes, 56 seconds
Poking Einstein's Brain
How did Albert Einstein's brain wind up on a road trip to hang with the author of "Naked Lunch?" In this episode, Robert and Julie give Einstein's head cheese a serious poking to discuss the secrets of all the brain matter inside that skull of yours. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/28/2011 • 28 minutes, 21 seconds
Welcome to the Memory Palace
Stroll into the memory palace, an imagined location that just might expand your brain power. In this podcast, Robert and Julie discuss the Method of Loci, a mnemonic device that allows mental athletes to perform astounding acts of recall. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/23/2011 • 28 minutes, 11 seconds
Do-it-yourself Organs
We'd all like to replace our failing organs with spare guts, but when will it be possible? Join Robert and Julie as they explain why the day is fast approaching. Tune in to learn how stem cells and organ scaffolding may change the future of medicine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/21/2011 • 30 minutes, 33 seconds
Fathers of the Wild: The Good, Bad and the Ugly
What makes a dog a lousy father and a wolf a stellar patriarch? Join Robert and Julie as they anthropomorphize the animal kingdom in an effort to find out why some species are more like Cliff Huxtable while some are more like Darth Vader. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/16/2011 • 34 minutes, 21 seconds
Are you ready for a neo-evolution?
Humans have spent ages evolving into the charming specimens we are today. But what if we could accelerate the pace of evolution, giving our future progeny super-human attributes? Join Julie and Robert as they discuss if evolution as we know it is over. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/14/2011 • 21 minutes, 42 seconds
Invasion of the iPod People
What happens when we plug into our gadgets and tune out the rest of the world? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the so-called Walkman Effect and the manner in which our precious music and personal electronics alter the reality we live in. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/9/2011 • 25 minutes, 50 seconds
The Brilliant and Terrifying Future of Toilets
Although the subject makes some people very uncomfortable, sanitation is enormously important. But what kind of technology will we find in the toilets of the future? Join Robert and Julie as they investigate the future of sanitation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/7/2011 • 36 minutes, 57 seconds
Night of the Platypus
With a duck's head and a beaver's body, the duck-billed platypus is often the butt of jokes. Yet this oddity helps us understand how creatures evolve. Join Robert and Julie as they investigate the unique anatomy of the platypus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/2/2011 • 23 minutes, 7 seconds
Technology of the Ancients
The notion of Vedic nuclear weapons is a more than a bit far-fetched. Yet from the Antikythera mechanism to Archimedes' death ray, people are fascinated by the idea of ancient advanced technology. Join Robert and Julie as they separate fact from fiction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/31/2011 • 42 minutes, 34 seconds
Day of the Dolphin
Day of the Dolphin: In 1973, moviegoers watched dolphins carry out assassination plots in "The Day of the Dolphin," part of the dolphin fever stirred up by John C. Lilly. But just how smart are these mammals? Join Robert and Julie as they enter the world of the Dolphin. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/26/2011 • 33 minutes, 22 seconds
This is Your Brain on Meditation
People around the world practice meditation, but what exactly is it, and how does it affect our brains? Join Robert and Julie as they look at the science behind meditation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/24/2011 • 29 minutes, 34 seconds
Machines, Morality and Sexbots
Can robots be programmed to behave ethically? It's possible that future robots may possess emotions like empathy or guilt. Join Robert and Julie as they interview Dr. Ronald Arkin, a leading expert on the study of robotic consciousness modeling. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/19/2011 • 27 minutes, 14 seconds
Is math a human invention or a human discovery?
In this episode, Robert and Julie take a sweeping look at math, addressing several important questions. For example: What is math? Where does math come from? What mathematical skills are we born with and how much can we understand? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/17/2011 • 37 minutes, 58 seconds
999 Birthday Candles
The Hayflick limit posits that we can live for 120 years. But recent research suggests we could live to for 1,000 years. Enter maverick biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, who has pulled the rug out from under his entire field. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/12/2011 • 35 minutes, 46 seconds
Atomic Bomb Parties and Nuclear Fallout
In the 1950s, residents of Las Vegas partied hard, and their booze-fueled parties sometimes included a special treat -- the observation of nuclear tests. So what happened next? Tune in as Robert and Julie breakdown the science behind nuclear fallout. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/10/2011 • 30 minutes, 59 seconds
Crimes of Paleontology
It's no secret that the history of paleontology is replete with hoaxes and incorrect conclusions -- but how many can be chalked up to honest mistakes, and how many were scams? Tune in to learn more about the storied, sketchy history of paleontology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/5/2011 • 42 minutes, 37 seconds
The Placebo Effect: Brain Over Pain
A placebo is a fake medicine included in drug trials to show, through contrast, the benefits of the real medicine. Yet sometimes the patients taking the placebo still experience improvements -- why? Tune in to learn more about the placebo effect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/3/2011 • 33 minutes, 50 seconds
Change Your Mind the Hard Way
When an iron rod shot through Phineas Gage's head, it destroyed the majority of his left frontal lobe. He survived, but his personality and behavior changed -- why? Tune in as Robert and Julie explore the relationship between the brain and the mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/28/2011 • 37 minutes, 57 seconds
Tyrannosaurus Sex
Although scientists still aren't sure exactly how dinosaurs reproduced, fascinating (and surprising) conjectures abound. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the procedures experts use to recreate the lives of dinosaurs, from the fossil record to DNA. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/26/2011 • 24 minutes, 17 seconds
The Quest for Cyberimmortality
Is it possible that human evolution is on the verge of transcending its organic roots? And, if it is possible, how could it actually occur? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the mind-blowing concept of cyberimmortality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/21/2011 • 32 minutes, 54 seconds
Is privacy an illusion?
Are computers approaching singularity? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the quest for cyberimmortality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/19/2011 • 32 minutes, 18 seconds
Five-fingered Evolutionary Discount
Mickey Mouse gets along just fine with four digits on each hand, so why do humans have five of these digits? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie ask why so many creatures evolved with a five-fingered discount. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/14/2011 • 24 minutes, 37 seconds
Neuromyths: What You Think You Know About Your Brain
We all know the myth that we use only 10% of our brains, but how we know it's a myth in the first place? In this episode, Robert and Julie interview neurosurgeon Dr. T. Glenn Pait and learn how neuroscience is changing the way we think about our brains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/12/2011 • 23 minutes, 45 seconds
Does your dog really love you?
It's often said that dogs are man's best friend -- but does science support this claim? In this episode, Robert and Julie examine the science behind human-canine relationships. Tune in to learn whether or not your pooch is sincere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/7/2011 • 38 minutes, 23 seconds
Lying Robots and the Lies They Tell
Will robots of the future eventually surpass the intellectual plane of humanity? This event (which, as far as we know, hasn't happened yet) is known as the robot singularity. Listen in to learn more about the growing role of robotics in society. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/5/2011 • 39 minutes, 51 seconds
Why Your Brain Likes Conspiracy
The human brain strives to organize and classify sensory information. But what happens when new information conflicts with pre-existing data? Tune in as Julie and guest host Ben explore the fascinating phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/31/2011 • 33 minutes, 19 seconds
Pope on a Cosmic Rope
Should extraterrestrials be converted to Catholicism, or are they somehow free from sin? In this episode, Julie and Robert contemplate the Vatican's current stance on the cosmos and what it means for the future of belief on planet Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/29/2011 • 21 minutes, 16 seconds
Germ-free Dirty Hippies
It's been said that cleanliness is close to godliness, but is it possible for a person to be too clean? In this episode, Julie and Robert analyze the relationship between hygiene, bacteria and health. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/24/2011 • 28 minutes, 11 seconds
Symbiosis: My So-Called Parasitic Life
In the process known as symbiosis, two organisms of different species exist in close physical contact to the benefit of both organisms. But how does that work? Listen in to learn more about the process of symbiosis, and how it can affect human beings. Plus learn all about fecal transplants and why they're promising, but not a good DIY option. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/22/2011 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
To Terraform or Not to Terraform?
Think of terraforming as a planet-wide renovation project: By creating a more Earth-like atmosphere on Mars, some scientists hope to make more space for Earth's burgeoning population. But could we really do it? Tune in to learn more about terraforming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/17/2011 • 29 minutes, 4 seconds
(Kick)Astrobiology
Astrobiology is a lot more than sitting around wondering what aliens look like -- instead, this discipline draws on multiple fields to study the basic building blocks of life in space or on other worlds. Join Robert and Julie as they explore astrobiology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/15/2011 • 18 minutes, 32 seconds
Woolly Mammoths For Sale
You haven't misread the title; rest assured that woolly mammoths are still extinct. However, there are several scientists trying revive mammoths -- and they might just succeed. Tune in to learn more about mammoth cloning. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/10/2011 • 28 minutes, 54 seconds
Musical Hallucinations Gone Wild
Have you ever had a musical hallucination? Not a song stuck in your head - but a genuine hallucination, real enough to completely fool your senses? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the causes of musical hallucinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/8/2011 • 16 minutes, 22 seconds
Attack of the Creative Brain
Creativity is one of humanity's most crucial skills, and it is also one of the least-understood. In this episode, Robert and Julian explore the science, myths and theories surrounding creativity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/3/2011 • 37 minutes, 9 seconds
Eat Popcorn. Eat Popcorn. Eat Popcorn.
Subliminal messaging dates back to 1957, when James Vicary slipped images of popcorn and soda into films at a New Jersey theater. It spooks some consumers, but does it actually work? Tune in to learn more about the science behind subliminal messaging. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/1/2011 • 33 minutes, 13 seconds
Planet Neanderthal
For 200,000 years Neanderthals roamed Eurasia, yet over time the population dwindled and disappeared. In this podcast, Julie and Robert explore the story of Neanderthals, comparing them to modern humans and dispelling some popular myths along the way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/24/2011 • 38 minutes, 59 seconds
Defeat Your Doppelgangers
Most people are familiar with the idea of a doppelganger -- some mysterious copy or clone of another human being -- but what's the science behind this phenomenon? Tune in as Julie and Robert take a closer look at doppelgangers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/22/2011 • 36 minutes, 33 seconds
Are you smarter than an ant swarm?
A single ant might not be Mensa material, but a colony of ants can produce some amazingly clever decisions. Tune in as Robert and Julie explore the study of swarm intelligence -- and how it compares to human intelligence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/17/2011 • 25 minutes, 57 seconds
Children of Tomorrow, Raised by Machines
Will tomorrow's school systems be dominated by infallible robotic instructors? Tune in as Julie and Robert explore the bounds of education, artificial intelligence and human-robot relationships in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/15/2011 • 41 minutes, 32 seconds
Love, Hate and Robots
Will the hopeless romantics of the future fall in love with robots? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the line between love and hate -- and what a world of beautiful robots may mean for the future. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/10/2011 • 32 minutes, 44 seconds
Scientists in Love
Regardless of how brilliant they may be in the lab, scientists are still only human. With Valentine's Day on the horizon, Robert and Julie recount the interactions between love and science. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/8/2011 • 34 minutes, 19 seconds
Underground Robotic Highways
As cars become increasingly sophisticated, more and more experts are contemplating the possibility of self-driving vehicles on automated highways. But how close are we to actually achieving this futuristic dream? The answer might surprise you. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/3/2011 • 29 minutes, 11 seconds
You're Such a Tool (User)
Tool use isn't unique to human beings -- many other organisms have proven capable of learning to use tools in both wild and captive environments. In this episode, Julie and Robert take a closer look at Earth's tool using life forms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/1/2011 • 28 minutes, 15 seconds
The Werewolf Principle: Adapting Humans for Space
The Werewolf Principle: Will astronauts of the future be able to adapt their physiology for long-term space travel and life on other planets? In this classic STBYM episode, Robert and Julie explore the ideal physical modifications that could theoretically create the world's best astronaut. 'The Werewolf Principle' cover image by artist Ian Miller Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/27/2011 • 37 minutes, 41 seconds
Are computer viruses alive?
Computer viruses can permanently damage the files of unprepared computer users, but does their behavior mean that they are living entities? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the similarities between organic life and the behavior of computer viruses. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/25/2011 • 30 minutes, 12 seconds
The Life Aquatic
The oceans cover the majority of Earth's surface -- that's quite a bit of potential real estate. But what would it be like to live as an underwater denizen? Can people even do it safely? Tune in as Julie and Robert fill you in on life beneath the waves. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/20/2011 • 35 minutes, 22 seconds
The Future of Pain
Pain is a fundamental sensation. While it is by no means pleasant, it is certainly useful. In this podcast, Robert and Julie look at the newest scientific research and experimentation designed to exploit the biological responses to pain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/18/2011 • 29 minutes, 44 seconds
Inception: I Dream of Science
Modern science still hasn't completely figured out what purpose dreams. In this podcast, Julie and Robert tackle the mysterious realm of dreams. Tune in to learn more about the nature of dreams and the way dreams relate to your waking life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/13/2011 • 39 minutes, 31 seconds
Junkies of the Animal Kingdom
Human beings aren't the only organisms with a predilection for mind-altering substances. In fact, the natural world is filled with bingers and boozers. Listen in and learn more about junkie animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/11/2011 • 42 minutes, 5 seconds
Solar Sail Hobos Ride the Laser
NASA has been experimenting with solar sails that could become the future of spaceflight. But how do they work, exactly? Tune in as Julie and Robert break down the science of solar sails in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/6/2011 • 33 minutes, 19 seconds
Beyond Human: Accessorize!
It's no secret that humanity's strong suit is making tools -- we certainly don't have the best physical adaptations for swimming or flying. But could we use technology to mimic the superior traits of other organisms? Tune in and find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/4/2011 • 37 minutes, 11 seconds
Is your gut a genius?
Each week, you can count on Robert and Julie to blow your mind with the latest -- and strangest -- stories from the world of science. Tune in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/30/2010 • 29 minutes, 23 seconds
Fine Young Cannibals
Each week, you can count on Robert and Julie to blow your mind with the latest -- and strangest -- stories from the world of science. Tune in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/28/2010 • 43 minutes, 44 seconds
Life on the 500th Floor
By 2050, experts believe approximately two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities. How will this urbanization change life for individuals, and how will it affect the world? Listen in and learn more about life on the 500th floor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/23/2010 • 40 minutes, 48 seconds
The Rock Star Weirdo Lives of Scientists
It's no secret that genius and eccentricity are related, but scientists can be downright weird. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the bizarre lives of history's greatest scientists. Tune in to learn more about clairvoyant dwarves, Tesla and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/21/2010 • 38 minutes, 13 seconds
Ladies' Night on Planet Earth
James Brown said that "it's a man's world," but he may have changed his tune if he'd seen the recent studies on gender and evolution. In this podcast, Julie and Robert ask what makes a person male or female -- and why the days of males may be numbered. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/16/2010 • 32 minutes, 1 second
The Overview Effect: Tripping Out in Space
Does life in space permanently alter an astronaut's mind? Join Robert and Julie as they analyze the physical and mental changes human beings experience in outer space, including the overview effect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/14/2010 • 31 minutes, 44 seconds
If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound?
If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound? Originally this question was made for meditative purposes, but answering the question incorporates several fascinating ideas about human perception and psychology. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/9/2010 • 26 minutes, 29 seconds
Probing Questions About Alien Abduction
Why are so many people convinced that they were abducted by aliens? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the history of alleged abductions, along with the scientific explanations for the experiences of the witnesses. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/7/2010 • 35 minutes, 32 seconds
Can music rebuild my brain?
It's been said that music has the power to soothe savage beasts, but what scientific impact does music have on humans? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the influence of music on human brain cells -- and whether it can actually rebuild your brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12/2/2010 • 31 minutes, 34 seconds
Evolutionary Hangover
Evolutionary Hangover: Vestigial traits are common in animals across the globe, but why? In this episode, Julie and Robert take a look at the genetic leftovers that lost their usefulness during evolution. Tune in to learn more about evolution, atavism and vestigial traits. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/30/2010 • 32 minutes, 45 seconds
Stuff to Literally Blow Your Mind
Each week, Robert and Julie bring you fascinating, mind-blowing stories about the strangest things in the natural world -- but how could your mind literally be blown? Tune in and learn more in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/25/2010 • 21 minutes, 49 seconds
Has science explained life after death?
Humans have believed in the soul for millennia, and the evolution of science hasn't stopped the search for ghosts and the soul. In fact, modern scientists still search for proof of life after death. Tune in to learn more about the latest research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/23/2010 • 32 minutes, 39 seconds
You're So Vain, Earthlings
How do individuals relate to reality? How has humanity attempted to interpret its position in the universe? From navel-gazing to the geocentric universe and beyond, the search for humanity's place has become a long -- and mind-blowing -- enterprise. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/19/2010 • 30 minutes, 2 seconds
Alien Etiquette 101
People from different cultures often interpret gestures and etiquette differently, and this can lead to serious misunderstandings. So how should humans interact with extraterrestrials? Tune in as Julie and Robert explore the nuances of alien etiquette. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/16/2010 • 35 minutes, 39 seconds
The Podcast that Turns People Inside Out
Inspired by Robert's childhood fear of being turned completely inside out, our podcasters attempt to answer the age-old question: Can people really be turned inside out? Listen in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/11/2010 • 27 minutes, 39 seconds
Shush! The Creatures are Sleeping
Not all animals need the same amount of sleep. Some people get by on five hours a day, while other animals (cats, for instance) can easily sleep upward of ten hours a day. So what is sleep, and why don't animals need the same amount? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/9/2010 • 38 minutes, 37 seconds
Man Vs. Flu
Influenza is a virus that causes the flu, and it shares a long, lethal history with the human race. In this episode, Robert and Allison explore what's made the flu such a successful disease, and what you can do to avoid an infection. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/4/2010 • 28 minutes, 56 seconds
Cuddling up to the Cuttlefish
Would you like a pet that can change its appearance and create decoys from ink? What if it also shot through the water via jet propulsion? Then the cuttlefish is the pet for you. Listen in as Robert and Allison take a closer look at the cuttlefish. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/2/2010 • 25 minutes, 3 seconds
Into the Graveyard
Many people find graveyards creepy, but what makes them so unsettling and spooky? In this special Halloween episode, Robert and Allison take you into the graveyard as they explore our cultural fears about cemetaries and share a little graveyard science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/28/2010 • 27 minutes, 16 seconds
Hanging with Hawking
Stephen Hawking is one of the world's most famous physicists, but why is he so famous? In this episode, Allison and Robert take a closer look at the fascinating career of Stephen Hawking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/26/2010 • 23 minutes, 14 seconds
Mad Scientists: Frankenstein and the Fly
Today mad scientists are common in fiction, and they appear in everything from comedies to science fiction. But they're also relatively recent. What made them so popular? Tune in and learn more about mad scientists in the public consciousness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/21/2010 • 29 minutes, 34 seconds
How Military Snipers Work
Military snipers use sophisticated technology and specialized techniques to wreak tremendous damage on enemy forces. But how do they work? In this episode, Robert and Allison break down the science behind snipers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/19/2010 • 30 minutes, 39 seconds
We Love the Periodic Table
The periodic table is an invaluable tool for scientists across the planet -- but how does it work? In this episode, Allison and Robert explore the creation of the periodic table. Tune in to learn more about the history and structure of the periodic table. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/14/2010 • 30 minutes, 9 seconds
Science vs. Monsters!
For thousands of years people across the world have frightened (and entertained) each other by swapping monster tales, but how do these monsters hold up in the eyes of science? In this podcast, Robert and Allison break down the science behind monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/12/2010 • 28 minutes, 48 seconds
Monarchs Head for the Border
Each year, monarch butterflies fly south across North America, returning north in the spring. Normally the butterflies would never live long enough to complete the journey -- yet these are not normal times. Tune in to learn more about monarch butterflies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/7/2010 • 20 minutes, 22 seconds
Noise Pollution: Pipe Down, People!
Like any other form of pollution, loud noises can seriously affect your health over time -- and that's just the beginning. As Robert and Allison break down the science behind noise, they also explain how noise pollution affects the natural world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/5/2010 • 28 minutes, 50 seconds
Flat Stanley Across the 11th Dimension
The world famous globetrotter Flat Stanley is used to encourage literacy in children. Since Flat Stanley is two-dimensional, he's a perfect jumping-off point for Robert and Allison's exploration of string theory and our multidimensional universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/30/2010 • 20 minutes, 52 seconds
Will California fall into the ocean?
Earthquakes are an inevitable part of living on Earth, and some places are far more prone to earthquakes than others. In this episode, Robert and Allison tackle the idea that California might sink into the ocean due to the San Andreas fault. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/28/2010 • 21 minutes, 43 seconds
The Scientific Method
Nowadays most people have heard of the scientific method, but what exactly is it? More importantly, how does it work? In the second segment of this two-part series, Robert and Allison explore the history (and application) of the scientific method. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/23/2010 • 26 minutes, 59 seconds
A Thing Called Science
Civilization relies on science and couldn't exist without it -- but what exactly is science? In this episode, Allison and Robert explore the definition of science, from the questions it can tackle to the methods scientists use in their experiments. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/21/2010 • 17 minutes, 42 seconds
Altruism is Alive and Well
If a person helps someone else without receiving an award, then that person has committed an act of altruism. Or have they? In this episode, Robert and Allison explore the science behind altruism in humans and other animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/16/2010 • 28 minutes, 49 seconds
What did that bacterium say?
Bacterial life is one of the most hardy life forms on Earth. But the impressive talents of bacteria aren't limited to durability. Tune in to learn more about the strange bacterial ability to sense quorums and communicate with other bacteria. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/14/2010 • 25 minutes, 28 seconds
The Wow Signal
In 1997, researchers at Ohio State University detected an extraordinary signal from space. Could it have been a message from another civilization? Tune in as Allison and Robert break down the science behind the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/9/2010 • 19 minutes, 9 seconds
Packing for Mars with Mary Roach
As a science writer, Mary Roach has penned books on everything from cadavers to astronauts. In this episode, Allison and Robert interview Mary Roach about the future of space exploration. Listen in to learn what you'll need to pack for a trip to Mars. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/7/2010 • 19 minutes, 35 seconds
Emoticons Saved My Life
An emoticon is a series of punctuation marks used to draw a picture and convey an emotion. But how did these emoticons come about, and why do they seem so universal? In this podcast, Robert and Allison explore the science behind facial expressions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9/2/2010 • 26 minutes, 23 seconds
Mulling over Maggots
Maggots have a distinctive (and, some would say, repulsive) appearance. But throughout history doctors and healers have used maggots to treat ulcers and wounds. In this episode, Allison and Robert take a closer look at maggots and maggot therapy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/31/2010 • 28 minutes, 44 seconds
Latching on to Leeches
There are hundreds of different leech species, but they're all built for one thing: sucking blood. Join Allison and Robert as they take a closer look at the leech's adaptations, and the role these parasites may play in modern medicine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/26/2010 • 29 minutes, 11 seconds
Drilling for Offshore Oil
Last week, Robert and Allison broke down the science behind oil exploration. In the second segment of this series, the hosts explore the process of drilling for oil once a potential well is found. Tune in to learn more about drilling for oil. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/24/2010 • 23 minutes, 22 seconds
In Search of Offshore Oil
In an economy driven by fossil fuels, oil exploration is big business -- but how do scientists actually find oil? In this podcast, Allison and Robert break down the techniques and technologies used to find offshore oil. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/19/2010 • 22 minutes, 37 seconds
Are you mosquito bait?
Why do mosquitoes love biting certain people (and ignore others)? In this podcast, Robert and Allison take a closer look at the science behind mosquito bait. Tune in and learn why insects love -- or loathe -- biting you. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/17/2010 • 24 minutes, 3 seconds
Prehistoric Monsters of the Deep
The Blue Whale is the largest living animal on Earth, but it isn't the first gigantic sea creature. In this podcast, Allison and Robert examine the prehistoric dinosaurs of the deep. Tune in to learn more about real-life sea monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/12/2010 • 34 minutes, 6 seconds
Are lefties better at sports?
Roughly 10 percent of the human population is left-handed. This minority lives in a right-handed world, and many tools are made for right-handed people. But do left-handed people have any advantages over the righties? Tune in and find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/10/2010 • 23 minutes, 27 seconds
Evolution in Action
Charles Darwin's revolutionary study of evolution isn't even two hundred years old yet. In terms of evolutionary processes, this is a miniscule amount of time. Yet is is possible to observe evolution within our lifetimes? Tune in and find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/5/2010 • 18 minutes, 6 seconds
Diamonds Are a Scientist's Best Friend
Although diamonds are incredibly expensive, they're only lumps of concentrated carbon (one of the most common elements on earth). So how do these diamonds form -- and how big can they grow? Tune in and learn why the largest diamonds may be in space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8/3/2010 • 19 minutes, 49 seconds
The Smelly Science of Perfume
Designed entirely to cater to the sense of smell, perfume occupies a unique position in fashion and society. But when we catch the whiff of a passing perfume enthusiast, what are we really smelling? Tune in and learn more about the science behind perfume. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/29/2010 • 21 minutes, 32 seconds
Smells like Science
Smells surround us: Astronauts say that space and the moon possess unique aromas, and many animals also have their own unmistakable odors. In this episode, Robert and Allison explore the science behind smells, from space to your local cow pasture. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/27/2010 • 27 minutes, 59 seconds
The Great Space Elevator
It's no secret that space shuttles need a vast amount of fuel to escape the pull of gravity -- but are space elevators a better alternative? In this episode, Robert and Allison explore the merits of literally building an elevator from Earth into space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/22/2010 • 23 minutes, 49 seconds
The Kardashev Scale
When Nicolai Kardashev began searching the universe for intelligent life, he built an energy-based scale to measure the progress of any given civilization. Tune in to discover how this scale works -- and why humanity's place on the scale may surprise you. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/20/2010 • 20 minutes, 57 seconds
What is the smart grid?
Think of the U.S. power grid as one gigantic (and outdated) machine. This system works relatively well, but it has a lot of drawbacks. In this episode, Robert and Allison take a look at smart grid technology and how it may just save the U.S. power system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/15/2010 • 24 minutes, 51 seconds
Growing a Green Roof
Are you stuck in the city, sweltering under the summer heat and missing the trees and grass of the natural world? Then why not transform the nearest rooftop into a garden or a park? Tune in and learn more about green roofs in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/13/2010 • 24 minutes, 41 seconds
Prosthetic Limbs
Prosthetic limbs have been around for thousands of years, but could they eventually become superior to organic appendages? In this episode, Allison and Robert break down the latest -- and future -- developments in prosthetic technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/8/2010 • 24 minutes, 54 seconds
Predators, Reapers and Robotic War
We know that robots are taking over more and more tasks traditionally performed by humans -- but assembling cars isn't the same thing as waging war. In this episode, Allison and Robert explore the current unmanned robots used by the U.S. military. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/6/2010 • 26 minutes, 18 seconds
World-Changing Science Experiments: Part Two
In the second installment of Robert and Allison's two-part series on history's world-changing science experiments, your favorite science writers take a look at everything from primordial ooze to modern psychology. Tune in and learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7/1/2010 • 16 minutes, 39 seconds
World-Changing Science Experiments: Part One
Science experiments aren't just for high school students. In the first installment of this special two-part series, Allison and Robert take a look at some of history's most important science experiments. Tune in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/29/2010 • 17 minutes, 49 seconds
Science and Wine
Is the sense of taste subjective? Why are some wines bad news for people with particular allergies? If you're anxious for the answers, never fear: In this episode, Allison and Robert take a look at science and wine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/24/2010 • 24 minutes, 9 seconds
Death on Ice
Is it possible to freeze a body and bring it back to life? Through cryonics, scientists preserve bodies at extremely low temperatures, hoping to revive them in the future, when advanced technology may prolong their lives. Tune in and learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/22/2010 • 21 minutes, 20 seconds
Time Travel: Hey, Grandpa
In the second episode of this two-part series, Robert and Allison check out the possibilities of travelling into the past. From wormholes to the grandfather paradox, there are many arguments for -- and against -- time travel. Tune in and learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/17/2010 • 17 minutes, 49 seconds
Time Travel: Hey, Future Self
Everyone's familiar with the idea of time travel -- but how would it work? This week Robert and Allison explore time travel, and this episode focuses on traveling to the future. So tune in and learn why you should -- or shouldn't -- meet your future self. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/15/2010 • 13 minutes, 48 seconds
Galactic Youngsters
It's difficult -- some would say impossible -- to comprehend the sheer size of one galaxy, much less the universe. But how do these gargantuan galaxies form? Tune in as Allison and Robert break down the science behind the formation of galaxies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/10/2010 • 12 minutes, 44 seconds
Will aliens destroy us?
In science fiction, aliens are usually either incredibly benevolent or incomprehensibly evil -- but how would real extraterrestrials behave? Learn more about aliens -- and why Stephen Hawking thinks they may destroy us -- in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/8/2010 • 15 minutes
What's the dirt on composting?
If you're concerned about generating waste in your household, why not start composting? Breaking solid waste down with some help from microorganisms is a sure-fire way to decrease your waste, and it's easier than you might assume. Tune in and learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/3/2010 • 25 minutes, 39 seconds
Are robots alive?
With each year, scientists are building increasingly complex robots, leading to one vital question: At what point does a robot become defined as a living thing, rather than a mechanical device? Tune in to learn more about living robots in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6/1/2010 • 16 minutes, 51 seconds
Road Trip: FIRST Robotics
In this episode, Robert and Allison take a road trip to the Georgia Dome, where they grab an exclusive look at the FIRST Robotics competition. Tune in and learn more about the world's largest grade-school robotics competition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/27/2010 • 19 minutes, 25 seconds
Birth of a Planet
To most people, planets are one of the most familiar of astronomical objects. After all, we do live on one. But how do these massive spheres get their start? Tune in to learn more about the birth of planets -- including our own -- in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/25/2010 • 13 minutes, 31 seconds
A Star is Born
Like most things in the universe, stars begin as particles floating around in massive clouds of dust and gas. But what forces these particles to coalesce and form a star? Tune in and learn more about the birth of stars in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/20/2010 • 14 minutes, 31 seconds
Why Science Fiction Matters
Even people who don't care for science fiction know about the genre -- thousands of new science fiction stories come out every year. But why does science fiction matter? Tune in and learn the answer in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/18/2010 • 32 minutes, 57 seconds
Toilets in Space
Every astronaut knows that life in space requires numerous adjustments -- after all, things just aren't the same without gravity. So how exactly does a toilet work in space? Learn more about the science behind space's supertoilets in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/13/2010 • 21 minutes, 43 seconds
Immunocontraception and You
Immunocontraception is a humane type of birth control that's used to control wild animal populations. In this episode, Allison and Robert discuss the pros and cons of immunocontraceptives -- and whether they'll ever be used to control human reproduction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/11/2010 • 19 minutes, 25 seconds
Regenerate This!
According to Richard J. Goss, "If there were no regeneration, there could be no life. If everything regenerated, then there could be no death." But how does this process work? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind regeneration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/6/2010 • 15 minutes, 21 seconds
Save the Bats!
As the only flying mammals, bats play unique roles in our world's ecology. Yet in caves across North America more than a million bats have fallen prey to a mysterious affliction known as white nose syndrome. Tune in and learn more in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5/4/2010 • 17 minutes, 47 seconds
Death By Volcano
People often think of volcanoes as conical mountains erupting ash, smoke and lava into the air. But how do they work? Why are they so dangerous? Listen in to learn more about volcanoes (and all the ways they can kill an unlucky bystander) in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/29/2010 • 24 minutes, 49 seconds
How old is that artifact in the window?
Carbon dating is a way of determining the age of organic matter up to 50,000 years old. But how does it work? Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the uses of carbon dating, as well as the controversial artifacts dated by this method. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/27/2010 • 18 minutes, 7 seconds
What drugs are astronauts on?
Make no mistake: Space is a very hostile environment. Astronauts in orbit suffer from conditions caused by the lack of gravity, small living quarters and other factors. So how do these astronauts cope? Tune in to learn more about the drugs used in space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/22/2010 • 18 minutes, 2 seconds
The Virtues of Venom
Sure, venom could kill you -- but it could also cure you. The medicinal use of venom dates back thousands of years and continues to the present day. Tune in as Allison and Robert break down the science behind venom and medicine in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/20/2010 • 23 minutes, 49 seconds
Tetris vs. PTSD
Everyone knows that video games are entertaining -- but could they have therapeutical value? Tune in and learn how Tetris may help victims of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/15/2010 • 19 minutes, 57 seconds
Velociraptor Awareness Day
Dinosaur appreciation days are few and far between -- but the Velociraptor is a special case. Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the amazing abilities and physiology of the Velociraptor in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/13/2010 • 14 minutes, 1 second
Black Hole Bonanza
A black hole forms when a star's core collapses, increasing in density until its gravitational pull becomes too powerful for light to escape. This creates a singularity -- and it happens in less than a second. Learn more about black holes in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/8/2010 • 11 minutes, 48 seconds
Weapons that Changed the World
Here's the crazy thing about war: It breeds innovation. Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have searched for ways to kill each other. Join Robert and Allison as they explore the weapons that changed the world, from the horse to nuclear weapons. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/6/2010 • 18 minutes, 18 seconds
What can gravity do for you?
Gravity is a pervasive and ambiguous force -- we still don't understand everything about it. Yet every physical act on our planet involves gravity. Join Allison and Robert as they explore exactly how gravity affects the average person in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/1/2010 • 22 minutes, 1 second
Book Sniffers and You
You can learn a lot from a book's smell. For example, the books of heavy smokers tend to smell of smoke. When you smell a book, you're encountering more than 200 individual components combining to produce an olfactory fingerprint. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/30/2010 • 11 minutes, 30 seconds
5 Strange Things Written in Your Genes
Genetic polymorphism describes a basic fact of human life -- that every set of genes is unique. However, scientists have been able to detect many physical traits from genetic markers. Tune in to learn more about five fascinating genetic markers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/25/2010 • 13 minutes, 57 seconds
Weighing the Human Soul
In the early 1900s, Duncan Macdougall set out to prove the existence of the soul. By placing consumption patients on a scale as they died, he tried to find a difference between the weight of a person before and after death. Learn more in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/23/2010 • 14 minutes, 28 seconds
How To Get Lost in the Bermuda Triangle
Stretching from Miami to Bermuda and Puerto Rico, the notorious Bermuda Triangle has a bad reputation for wrecking ships and planes. But how much of this legend is based on science? Tune in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/18/2010 • 19 minutes, 16 seconds
Are you smarter than a dolphin?
Dolphins are one of Earth's smartest animals. In fact, scientists still aren't sure exactly how smart a dolphin is in relation to the average human being. Join Robert and Allison as they break down the science behind dolphin intelligence in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/11/2010 • 20 minutes, 58 seconds
Why do whales beach themselves?
When whales or other aquatic mammals wash onto the shore, they are usually unable to return to the sea without help. What exactly causes a whale to beach, and how can scientists prevent it? Tune in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/9/2010 • 20 minutes, 3 seconds
Running with Parasites
Are you a fan of running outside without shoes? Many people enjoy walking barefoot, especially in warmer weather. Yet there's a dark side to the joy of a shoe-free life: parasites. Listen in and learn more about parasites in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/4/2010 • 15 minutes, 41 seconds
How Hurricane Killing Works
When hurricanes hit land, they can cause enormous damage over a short span of time -- but how can scientists stop these roving natural disasters? The answers may surprise you. Listen in and learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/2010 • 14 minutes, 6 seconds
Topsy Rides the Lighting
What do Edison, Tesla and an unfortunate elephant named Topsy have in common? They were all involved in "The War of Currents," an ongoing battle over the standardization of electricity. Tune in and learn more about Topsy's fate in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/25/2010 • 8 minutes, 4 seconds
Fight Fire with Fire
We've all heard the saying "fight fire with fire," but could it actually work? Tune in as Robert and Allison break down the ways in which firefighters actually do use fire and explosives to fight fires in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/23/2010 • 9 minutes, 53 seconds
Those Crazy Komodos
Located in Indonesia, Komodo dragons are one of nature's fiercest living reptiles. They're also the world's largest lizard. Tune in as Robert and Allison investigate the unique lifestyle -- and brutal dining habits -- of the Komodo dragon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/18/2010 • 15 minutes, 57 seconds
How well do you know the T. Rex?
The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of history's most well-known, feared and misunderstood dinosaurs. Children often learn that this dinosaur was a ferocious predator ... but this might not be the whole story. Listen in and learn more in this podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/16/2010 • 15 minutes, 46 seconds
What exactly is a gene bank?
A gene bank is a repository used to preserve genetic material for the future. Gene banks are not a modern concept -- the idea dates back thousands of years. Tune in as Allison and Robert explore gene banks, from Noah's Ark to the Doomsday Vault. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/11/2010 • 15 minutes, 46 seconds
What can blood spatter tell us?
To forensic scientists, a bloodstain is more than just a grisly ornament at a crime scene -- so what exactly do they do with it? Turn in and learn more about bloodstain pattern analysis in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/9/2010 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
Dinner in Space!
Let's say you're an astronaut: Each day you wake up, conduct research and make adjustments to your orbit. Eventually you grab some chow -- but what kind of food do you eat, and why? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind space food. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/4/2010 • 16 minutes, 15 seconds
Do I live next to a Grow House?
When drug dealers want to grow marijuana without getting caught, they often set up a "grow house." These buildings look like any other building, and they often fool bystanders. Tune in and learn how to tell if your neighbors are running a grow house. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2/2/2010 • 17 minutes, 40 seconds
Are we better off in the dark?
Most city dwellers are familiar with contaminated water and smoggy air -- but have you heard of light pollution? Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the effects of light pollution -- and whether humans are better off in the dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/28/2010 • 17 minutes, 33 seconds
Mining the Moon
Since helium-3 can be used to power the fusion reactors of the future, it may be one of the world's most important fuel sources. It's rare on Earth, but experts believe the moon may have an abundant supply. Tune in and learn more about moon mining. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/26/2010 • 12 minutes, 30 seconds
How Exploding Lakes Work
During 1986, an unusual thing happened in Cameroon: Lake Nyos exploded, expelling a toxic cloud that killed roughly 1700 people. How could this happen? More importantly, could it happen again? Learn more about exploding lakes in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/21/2010 • 13 minutes, 43 seconds
How Fighting Asteroids Works
Asteroid impacts are inevitable. As they hurtle toward Earth, experts race against the clock to build an effective asteroid deterrent. Will they succeed in time? Learn more about asteroid fighters -- and their plans to save the world -- in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1/12/2010 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds
Amazing Infestations!
From hordes of caterpillars in Liberia to the Australian mice plagues, infestations can occur in almost any part of the world. Join Robert and Allison as they explore some of the world's largest -- and strangest -- infestations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
