Episodes

July 11, 2022

Mon. 07/11 - Sailing Without a Map, or Compass, or Anything

Could an MIT idea to ease the climate crisis by blowing up giant sun-blocking bubbles in space actually work? Plus, the Polynesian voyagers who are reviving ancient seafaring techniques and traversing thousands of miles acro…
July 8, 2022

Fri. 07/08 - The Breakfast Episode

Welcome to our accidental breakfast episode. First, how did orange juice become our go-to breakfast beverage of choice? Plus, Waffle House’s in-house record label. And, someone’s been eating their Wheatie’s, how major sports…
July 7, 2022

Thu. 07/07 - Sports Leagues IN SPACE

In 1972, a team of international researchers used computer modeling to assess and warn us about the potential collapse of human civilization. Fifty years later, how does their assessment add up and have we heeded their warni…
July 6, 2022

Wed. 07/06 - Big Mouth Billy Bass

We take a deep dive into the freshwater lake origins of Big Mouth Billy Bass, the singing fish, and his riptide success in the early 2000s. And, in other peak scientific innovation news, the Large Hadron Collider has been bo…
July 5, 2022

Tue. 07/05 - The Rise of #Gentleminions

Could the historic flooding at Yellowstone National Park be a positive thing in the long term? Plus, new findings into long COVID-caused brain fog. And why some movie theaters are banning formal attire.
June 30, 2022

Thu. 06/30 - The Kid Who Invented Popsicles... Allegedly

The murky history of Popsicles, and freeze pops or Otter Pops or whatever you call them. Plus, those skin mites that live on your face might be able to reveal your geographic ancestry. And the Canadian radio station that onl…
June 29, 2022

Wed. 06/29 - Did "The Dress" Foreshadow Fake News?

Remember the photo of that blue and black dress, or I’m sorry, white and gold dress? It turns out at least one neuroscientist conducted an official study of people’s perceptions about it, and his findings could have larger r…
June 28, 2022

Tue. 06/28 - The Return of the Moon Age

NASA’s Artemis mission returning us to the moon has officially begun… sort of. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s first step towards establishing a base in lunar orbit. Plus, why do so many of us love logging t…
June 27, 2022

Mon. 06/27 - Why Friends Smell Alike

Do groups of friends all smell alike? Plus, an astonishingly well-preserved 30,000 year old woolly mammoth baby was just discovered. And we finally have photographic evidence of that mysterious rocket stage that hit the moon…
June 24, 2022

Fri. 06/24 - The Creatures That Live & Mate On Our Faces

The facts on how risky public bathrooms actually are when it comes to germs and disease transmission. Plus, the secret lives of skin mites––a bevy of new findings on the microscopic creatures that live on our faces. And, as …
June 23, 2022

Thu. 06/23 - The "Anti-Hunger" Molecule Formed By Intense Workouts

A newly-identified molecule may explain why some workouts make you super hungry and others leave you without an appetite at all. Plus, a spectacular planetary conjunction is on display this weekend––how to catch sight of fiv…
June 22, 2022

Wed. 06/22 - Pinocchio, Fascism, & Guillermo del Toro

A deep dive into the origins, values, and many adaptations of The Adventures of Pinocchio––including how Guillermo del Toro’s dark upcoming stop motion animation could be the truest to the original yet. Plus, the mystery of …
June 21, 2022

Tue. 06/21 - Queerness in Colonial Williamsburg

More and more countries are banning single-use plastics, but what alternatives are available? One team of scientists have developed an antimicrobial spray that could replace plastic food packaging. Plus, how Colonial William…
June 20, 2022

Mon. 06/20 - Peecycling

Would you use your own pee in your garden? Or donate it to a local farm? Some folks around the world see it as the future of fertilization. Plus, some scientists want to rename summer “danger season.” And astronomers have di…
June 17, 2022

Fri. 06/17 - Space-Based Solar Power

Ahead of Juneteenth, a reminder of what emancipation did and didn’t do. Plus, a newly discovered group of polar bears who are able to survive on less sea ice than should be possible. And a promising milestone achieved in the…
June 16, 2022

Thu. 06/16 - An AI RBG

The Large Hadron Collider has been booted up once more, but will it ever find anything as huge as the Higgs boson again? Plus, an AI model that’s turning Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s words into a magic eight ball. Beyoncé has annou…
June 15, 2022

Wed. 06/15 - Is This the Origin of the Black Death?

A new lead on the origin of the Black Death. Plus, monkeypox will soon––thankfully––be getting a new name. And Internet Explorer is being put to rest today. RIP.
June 14, 2022

Tue. 06/14 - The Once and Future Mall

The history and future of the design of the American shopping mall. Plus, a new test that can more accurately assess your immunity to COVID-19. And Coca-Cola is releasing a new Jack & Coke canned cocktail. Meanwhile, fans ha…
June 13, 2022

Mon. 06/13 - Why You Can't Remember Books You Read

Why is it so hard to remember details from books we’ve read and TV shows we’ve watched? Plus, why is food cooked outside on an open flame so dang delicious? And, vaccines for American children under the age of five may final…
June 10, 2022

Fri. 06/10 - COVID-Sniffing Dogs & Delayed Positive Test Results

Why are some people experiencing delayed positive tests from COVID-19? And, new tests on the block, from expensive at-home hubs to COVID-sniffing dogs. Plus, a proposal in the UK to raise the legal purchase age for cigarette…
June 9, 2022

Thu. 06/09 - Heat Waves May Get Names, Like Hurricanes

Heat waves in the future could come with their own names, and we might be able to keep safe from them thanks to advances in smart window technology. Plus, Europe’s largest ever land dinosaur has just been discovered. And why…
June 8, 2022

Wed. 06/08 - So Long, Sit-Ups

Has the sit-up been canceled? Plus, the century-long history of growing nonnative plants in Antarctica and how it will help astronauts fill their bellies when they fly to the moon and beyond. And, why mice are afraid of bana…
June 7, 2022

Tue. 06/07 - Humans' Unique Sleep Patternzzzzzz

Why is it that humans get less sleep than all other primates? And are “short sleepers” really a thing? Plus, “mountains” of sugar have been discovered all over the world, hiding beneath meadows of seagrass. And, bad news for…
June 6, 2022

Mon. 06/06 - Gummi Bears: A 100 Year Look Back

It’s the hundredth anniversary of the humble gummy bear, but did you know they’ve only been in America since the 80s? Plus, could one source of water ice on the moon be ancient volcanoes? And, something strange is afoot in t…