Episodes

Sept. 30, 2022

Fri. 09/30 - The Real Warriors From 'The Woman King'

The real story of the Agoji warriors fictionalized in The Woman King. Plus, the Food and Drug Administration just dropped a new definition for the word “healthy.” And the very opposite of a nightmare on Elm Street.
Sept. 29, 2022

Thu. 09/29 - Are Lawns ALL Bad?

Lawns are terrible for the environment, but is ripping them out all together the right answer? Plus, why decorating your home for the holidays is, actually, really good for your health. And other facts I’m overhyping to justify the many decorative gourds in my house… And a very popular discontinued…
Sept. 28, 2022

Wed. 09/27 - Could Changing Jupiter Make Earth Better?

Could a change in Jupiter’s orbit make life on Earth more hospitable? Plus, behold the best GIFs of the 90s, uploaded a-fresh by internet strangers. And all the Taco Bell news that’s fit to print.
Sept. 27, 2022

Tue. 09/27 - Giant Invisible Otters

How close are we to some kind of invisibility cloak? Plus, when giant lion-sized otters roamed the land. Yes, the land. And Hasbro wants to make you into an action figure.
Sept. 26, 2022

Mon. 09/26 - GIFs Are Dead, Long Live the GIF

Thanks to a court filing from the largest search engine of its kind, it’s official: GIFs are cringe. How did they fall so far? Plus, the Colorado River is drying up and part of the reason has to do with politicians ignoring the science one hundred years ago.
Sept. 23, 2022

Fri. 09/23 - Asteroid SMASH

Why is NASA slamming a spacecraft into an asteroid on Monday and what will we be able to see of the collision? Plus, a new low-cost, no-lab-required COVID-19 antibody test that could set the stage for more personalized vaccination plans. And a new drill rap duo, made up of old white British men.
Sept. 22, 2022

Thu. 09/22 - Fall Is Here & Your Phone Is Dying

It’s the first day of fall. Or is it? Everything you need to know about the equinox, plus some seasonal music recommendations. An app you can only use when your phone’s battery is less than 5%. And why Queen Elizabeth II and other royal family members are buried in lead-lined coffins.
Sept. 21, 2022

Wed. 09/21 - What is this? A podcast for ANTS?!

Scientists have conducted an ant census. Or at least that’s what I’m calling it. And the total number they came up with is out of this world. Plus, the return of the Shortage Report. This time? Craft beer. Its cause? An extinct volcano.
Sept. 20, 2022

Tue. 09/20 - The Lost Moon of Saturn

How did Saturn get its jaunty tilt and cool rings? A new study says it could’ve been caused by an hither-to-unknown ancient moon that got torn apart by its planet. Plus, new findings on just how much misinformation is being spread around TikTok.
Sept. 19, 2022

Mon. 09/19 - Did Volcanoes Kill the Dinosaurs?

It’s not all about the asteroid. Some scientists are still debating what caused the dinosaurs to go extinct and a new study provides some interesting evidence for the role of volcanoes in the mass extinction event. Plus, we know concrete isn’t great for keeping buildings cool, but just how bad is i…
Sept. 16, 2022

Fri. 09/16 - What Is Going On In England?

From informing the bees to muting self-checkout machines, the many shades of mourning––and not––in the United Kingdom. And, from ice cream prescribed with chemotherapy to synchronized heart beats signaling romantic attraction –– here are the winners of the 2022 Ig Nobel Prizes.
Sept. 15, 2022

Thu. 09/15 - The People's Joker & Lunar Crystals

China has discovered a new lunar mineral––and more dispatches from space, including the asteroid NASA is intentionally crashing into next week. Plus, a trans DIY retelling of The Joker that got pulled from the Toronto International Film Festival after just one screening.
Sept. 14, 2022

Wed. 09/14 - The Dream of the 90s Is Alive on the Internet Archive… But For How Much Longer?

Several major publishing houses are suing the Internet Archive. Why? And what could the ramifications of the lawsuit have on the archive and on digital access to knowledge more broadly?
Sept. 13, 2022

Tue. 09/13 - Too Many or Too Few Humans?

We’re approaching overpopulation. Or we’re in danger of population decline. It depends who you ask. As we prepare to pass eight billion humans on Earth, a look at the history of population anxiety and thoughts about where we go from here. Plus, a visually-appealing compostable alternative to Keurig…
Sept. 12, 2022

Mon. 09/12 - Not Your Papa’s Pawpaw

Is the most American of all fruits finally going to get its time to shine? And, no, NASA did not officially ask the public to name the probe to Uranus, but they could one day and, if and when they do, the internet will be ready.
Sept. 9, 2022

Fri. 09/09 - Garbled Nonsense: When Filter Bubbles Collide

Merriam-Webster has added 370 words to the dictionary, but it’s not enough to keep up with the changing pace of language on the internet, especially as we increasingly communicate with imagery and in-jokes that transcend single word definitions. Plus, why more and more fast food chains are ditching…
Sept. 8, 2022

Thu. 09/08 - All Hail Big Hail

Hail is getting bigger and becoming more common to more areas, but we still know relatively little about it. Plus, a possibly complete dinosaur skeleton with intact fossilized skin has been discovered in Alberta. And a brief historical perspective on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as so…
Sept. 7, 2022

Wed. 09/07 - The Haunting of Loab: AI's First Cryptid

The podcast gets possessed by the AI art world’s first cryptid. Meet, Loab––a woman haunting every AI generated image she is summoned to with some of the goriest scenes you’ll find this side of Halloween. What does Loab tell us about AI generated art and our relationship to truth and reality online…
Sept. 6, 2022

Tue. 09/06 - The Science Tooth Fairy & the Vampire Skeleton

How analyzing baby teeth might be able to facilitate early intervention for childhood adversity. Plus, archaeologists have found the skeleton of a seventeenth century woman accused of being a vampire. And yet another Artemis update, including why the latest scrubbed launch attempt can kind of be bl…
Sept. 2, 2022

Fri. 09/02 - Crappy Musicians Profiting From Kids’ Alexa Commands

The musicians getting paid anytime a preschooler makes a poop joke at an Alexa device. Plus, why Labor Day is a cursed weekend for movie releases. And the Artemis I launch is officially maybe happening on Saturday.
Sept. 1, 2022

Thu. 09/01 - Littlefoot's Ancestor Is Oldest Ever Dino Found In Africa

One of the biggest ever and one of the smallest ever sauropods, both discovered recently and both helping us learn more about where and why dinosaurs traveled millions of years ago. Plus, the latest on the soon-to-be-available omicron booster shots. Dolly Parton’s new Doggy Parton line, a Taco Bell…
Aug. 31, 2022

Wed. 08/31 - The World Bog Snorkeling Championships

The official trailer for the slasher horror version of Winnie the Pooh dropped and, I think I actually want to watch the whole movie now? Plus, the latest update on when Artemis I will actually be launching and what happened at the scrubbed launch on Monday. And the World Bog Snorkeling Championshi…
Aug. 30, 2022

Tue. 08/30 - Big Kale's Big Lie

The surprising history of how kale became so popular so quickly back in 2014, and how both Pizza Hut and Chick-fil-A were partially responsible––but not because they actually included kale on their menus. It’s a tale of lawsuits, publicity campaigns, bloated markets, and one very big kalespiracy.
Aug. 29, 2022

Mon. 08/29 - Why Artemis I Didn't Launch

The Artemis I launch was scrubbed early this morning Here’s why the highly-anticipated launch didn’t get off the ground. Plus, rabies vaccines are raining down across the nation. And a new classic author version of Street Fighter.