Caustic Soda

Latest Episodes:

Touch, Part 1 of 2 Jul 14, 2014

Show notes

The 'Senses' series continues with tactile perception, aka touch. In part one we discuss tactile disorders, sensory illusions and haptics. Part 1 of 2. Music: "Feelin' No Pain" by Red Nichols Images

Smell Jul 07, 2014

Show notes

Dr. Nina Quiskamp joins Toren, Joe, and Kevin as our Five(ish) Senses series continues with "Smell"! We'll talk about how plants can detect scents, smell in the animal kingdom, how our noses work, various smelling dysfunctions and how one influenced Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, the smell of starvation and the stink of outer-space! Also, awful smells, landmine-sniffing rats, cancer-sniffing dogs and pop culture! Music: "Robot Stink" by The Invasives Images

Hearing Jun 30, 2014

Show notes

Joe, Toren, and Kevin continue the Five(ish) Senses series this week with Hearing. We'll cover how our bodies take in and process sound waves, the various causes of hearing loss, Hyperacusis, hearing in the animal kingdom, the Greater Wax Moth, Krakatoa, and noise pollution. Then it's on to the history of hearing aids, news, and pop culture! Music: "Sounds of Tindalos" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeTriGTENoc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yps7pgq1TAk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo45hWXRWU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9c3GPEtGZg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nN1PekyYZ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0AMKG31wME

Taste, Part 2 of 2 Jun 23, 2014

Show notes

Our Five(ish) Senses series continues with the second part of "Taste". Kevin, Joe, and Toren look at taste in the animal kingdom, the dangers of bitter orange, miracle fruit, vomit fruit, Scientist/Taster Carl Wilhelm Sheele , what happened to French wine, breast milk ice cream and pop culture! Note: The mentioned bonus content will appear mid-week! Music: "There Ain't No Sweet Man (That's Worth the Salt of My Tears)" by Bix Beiderbecke & Bing Crosby Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2Sc1BSMhM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO8V72pDw1o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6i5p8RbTCg

Taste, Part 1 Jun 16, 2014

Show notes

In the first of our multi-part series on the senses, Kevin, Toren, and Joe look at umami, Scoville Heat Units and the world's hottest peppers, Burning Mouth Syndrome, supertasters, plus the effect of vision on taste and the weirdness that is phenylthiocarbamide! Music: "If I Knew You Were Comin' Id've Baked A Cake" by Eileen Barton Images

Mass Hysteria Jun 09, 2014

Show notes

Toren, Joe, and Kevin are back with a look at the "collective delusions of threats", or mass hysteria, including the June Bug Epidemic, Tanganyika laughter epidemic, The West Bank fainting epidemic, The Dancing Plague, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, plus news and a brief pop culture! Music: "Blackout" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets Images

Nuclear Accidents, Part 2 of 2 Jun 02, 2014

Show notes

Nuclear Accidents continues with Three Mile Island, the Kyshtym Disaster, the Fernald Feed contamination, the SL-1 meltdown, the Soviet sub K-431 refueling disaster, the Zaragoza radiotherapy accident, Chernobyl and Fukushima, plus news and pop culture. Part 2 of 2 with special guespert Bob Apthorpe Music: "Crawl Out Through the Fallout" by Sheldon Allman Links Echo Class II Submarine Images

Nuclear Accidents, Part 1 of 2 May 26, 2014

Show notes

Bob Apthorpe, nuclear engineer, defense waste cleanup & severe accident analyst, joins us to talk about nuclear meltdowns and other accidents involving radioactivity. We discuss scavenged radioactive materials recycled for building, the NRX Incident, the Windscale Disaster, as well as the crashed Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Kosmos 954 and Operation: Morning Light Music: "Radioactive Mama" by Sheldon Allman Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4vtUzG6sQ

Suicide May 19, 2014

Show notes

TRIGGER WARNING: Some of the images and videos below are GRAPHIC, and of course the episode deals with suicide entirely. Dr. Rob joins Kevin, Toren, and Joe to talk about the act of taking your own life: suicide. We'll discuss the Werther effect, suicide statistics, methods and their consequences, Cato the Minor's intestinal fortitude, seppuku, Budd Dwyer's on-air suicide, Dr. Kevorkian's "Thanatron", the "Deliverance Machine", plus news and pop culture. Music: "Gloomy Sunday" by Billie Holiday Links National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Reddit's r/suicidewatch Kaiju-a-gogo Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory Images This one (incomplete gun suicide) is pretty gory so we're hiding the thumbnail. You've been warned. Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gO7uemm6Yo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVm88MX2Gw4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2OPV6iuk2o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Q8oM_AnK8

Diving Accidents, Part 2 May 12, 2014

Show notes

Jonathan Martin and the guys discuss diver's squeeze, the death of David Shaw, the "Diver's Cemetery," the Byford Dolphin diving bell accident, plus news and pop culture. Part 2 of 2. Music: "Stop and Breathe" by The Invasives. Buy their new album "Robot Stink" on iTunes or http://invasives.bandcamp.com/ Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRC5R1jRO58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4iFJ-G74o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V21qpZ2Y9IA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4iFJ-G74o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcF-Coc1J0

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