Episodes

Aug. 25, 2022

Fri. 08/25 - The Fantasy of History

Invented traditions. Reimagined visions of the past. History is never free from our present-day biases, but the way we talk about the past often says more about us than the past itself. From the Disneyification of the Middle Ages to the aristocratic invention of Santa Claus in 1800s New York City, …
Aug. 24, 2022

Wed. 08/24 - Nimcels and Doppelgängers

The world of nimcels––what are they and where do they fit in online? Plus, the genetic similarities between unrelated doppelgängers. And gummy bears made out of wind turbines.
Aug. 23, 2022

Tue. 08/23 - Omicron Boosters & Original Antigenic Sin

Omicron-specific COVID boosters are coming to the US soon. How much of a difference will they make to immunity? Well, it’s complicated. Plus, NASA says Artemis I is go for launch. Here’s everything to know about the big event on Monday. And MoviePass is officially coming back from the dead next mon…
Aug. 22, 2022

Mon. 08/22 - They've Got 57 Varieties, But Tomato's The Only One

A dive into the viscous depths of the unshakeable ketchup bottle and its 57 different origin stories. Plus, NASA released the sound of an actual black hole. And expected and unexpected chicken wing news.
Aug. 19, 2022

Fri. 08/19 - Competitive Lifesaving & Mullet Champions

Competitive lifesaving and the USA Mullet Championships. Just a couple of niche competitions to kick off your weekend with. Plus, a possible new method for removing those pernicious “forever chemicals” from rain water.
Aug. 18, 2022

Thu. 08/18 - Ancient Butt-less Sea Creature NOT a Human Ancestor

Could a century-old vaccine help protect against future epidemics? Plus, it turns out our oldest ancestor is not a half a billion year old sea creature with a mouth but no butt. And next month, the first Native American woman will be going to space.
Aug. 17, 2022

Wed. 08/17 - Elektronik Supersonik

American Airlines has signed up for a supersonic boost. Plus, how to find the sweetest watermelon, and a brief history of the fruit. And Papa Johns is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks… and coincidentally that seems to be the same strategy they used for their newest menu item, just…
Aug. 16, 2022

Tue. 08/16 - De-Extincting Tasmanian Tigers

The team trying to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction is doing a trial run with Tasmanian tigers, funded in part by the Hemsworth brothers. Plus, NASA’s megarocket that will return humans to the moon and, perhaps one day take humans to Mars, has begun its four mile journey to the launch …
Aug. 15, 2022

Mon. 08/15 - Exy McExoplanet

This one weird baking trick could make your cookies healthier and decrease waste in your home. Plus, the not-quite-net-positive potential in Greenland’s melting Arctic ice cover. Your chance to officially name an exoplanet. And a new law requiring New York museums to disclose if artworks on display…
Aug. 12, 2022

Fri. 08/12 - Micro-Robots Brushing Your Teeth?

Could chewing gum and micro-robots replace your toothbrush? Plus, a Lord Byron-themed RPG. And get paid to indulge in every pumpkin-spiced item at Trader Joe’s.
Aug. 11, 2022

Thu. 08/11 - Bog Butter Blogs & Predator's Food Vlog

The science and history of bog butter–––still edible butter buried in Irish bogs thousands of years ago. Plus, the first-ever feature film dubbed entirely in the Comanche language, and more cool takeaways from the latest Predator installment. A Lyme disease vaccine has just entered its final stage …
Aug. 10, 2022

Wed. 08/10 - Mary Shelley & the Cryogenic Tabloid Star

The story of the 197-year-old frozen gentleman–––a tale that will take us from unprecedented weather events and the 19th century version of misinformation to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, a 1980s medical miracle, and brief shout-out to the OG velocipede. Plus, Austrian Burger King say you’re abnorma…
Aug. 9, 2022

Tue. 08/09 - Excel eSports Championships

The exciting world of Excel eSports. Plus, a Native American tribe who has had their land returned to them after 350 years. The top scientist who caused a big stir with a tiny bit of sausage. And a group of spiders that have been named after David Bowie.
Aug. 8, 2022

Mon. 08/08 - Do We REALLY Need Mosquitoes?

What would happen if we just Thanos-snapped all the mosquitoes out of existence? Would there be significantly adverse effects? Plus, from heat indexes to physiology, why the same temperature can feel so different in two different places, or even at different times of the year.
Aug. 5, 2022

Fri. 08/05 - Your Brain On Horror

Let’s talk about your brain on horror movies. Plus, Mark Cuban wants to turn a Texas town into Jurassic Park. And a virtual map that lets you see what your town looked like millions of years ago.
Aug. 4, 2022

Thu. 08/04 - The Hazy History of the IPA

A deep dive into the history of the IPA. What exactly is an IPA anyways? How did it get its name? And why did it become so ubiquitous over the last decade? Plus a very brief look at South Korea’s first-ever moon mission, launching this evening.
Aug. 3, 2022

Wed. 08/03 - Cheese Baths

Cheese baths––a nineteenth century fad coming back in style. Plus, Shaun the Sheep is officially going to the moon later this month, alongside 10,000 other trinkets. And a volcano has erupted near the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, but all seems to be under control.
Aug. 2, 2022

Tue. 08/02 - Smell-O-Vision Meets VR

Virtual Reality doesn’t stink. And that’s kind of a problem. Why virtual smell could take the VR experience to the next level. Plus, a paper battery that’s activated by adding water. And you could get paid $100K a year to sit on your couch and eat candy.
Aug. 1, 2022

Mon. 08/01 - Early Europeans Drank Milk Despite Lactose Intolerance; Ancient Humans, They're Just Like Us!

The first major study of its kind sheds new light on the evolution of all you mutants who can digest dairy. Plus, engineers at MIT have developed a wearable sticker that can see inside your body. And, was George Jetson born over the weekend?
July 29, 2022

Fri. 07/29 - Shark Attacks, Moon Caves, & Murder Hornets

How likely are you really to get bit by a shark and do some of those cliché comparisons still hold up as waters warm and shark sightings seem to be on the rise? Plus, future lunar explorers could enjoy year round sweater weather in moon caves. And murder hornets are getting a new name.
July 28, 2022

Thu. 07/28 - No, This Isn't Scientific Evidence for the Loch Ness Monster

Why a new discovery about plesiosaurs has gotten everyone talking about the Loch Ness Monster. Plus, the oldest DNA from a horse domesticated in America might have solved a centuries-old mystery. And the scoop on that thirteen-eyed anthropomorphic oyster mascot from Halifax.
July 27, 2022

Wed. 07/27 - Netflix "Lucas-ing" Stranger Things

Cryptographers have identified the first known secure global communication system, in the form of nineteenth century newspaper ads. Plus, a fourth patient has been effectively cured of HIV. And Netflix is retroactively editing Stranger Things. The edits are not as big a deal as they seem, but the f…
July 26, 2022

Tue. 07/26 - The Best Failed Inventions

Let’s take a visit to the Museum of Failure. Plus, robot spider zombies. Not a new comic book series, but an actual experiment from mechanical engineers in Texas. And the Earth’s earliest animal predator has been named after David Attenborough.
July 25, 2022

Mon. 07/25 - When Did NASA Logos Become Fashionable?

The world’s first verified image of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith has been found… but it’s not convincing everyone just yet. And how did the NASA logo become so ubiquitous in clothing from fashion runways to rural Walmarts?