Science

Facts Machine

Facts Machine is a podcast by and for people who are curious about everything — but especially the things that make them laugh. Scientists by day and pub trivia hosts by night, Emily, Noah, and Rob leverage their scientific curiosity and delight in obscure minutiae to bring you a podcast that explores life’s silliest, most unexpected, and outright awe-inspiring stories. And puns. So many puns.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 44: The Iceland Cometh (ft. Moiya McTier) Jun 16, 2020

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Everybody knows that old joke, "What did the astrophysicist say to the folklorist? We are the same person..." Maybe it's funnier in the original Icelandic? To find out, we sought the only person we know who fits that description, Moiya McTier! Join Noah, Em, Rob, and Moiya as we discuss Erik the Well-Read, why Lucifer is definitely not from Iceland, and the power of a new pair of skin-pants! Bonus: they come with a pocket!

Episode 43: BUGS (ft. Sam Corbin) -- Live(streamed) at Caveat May 20, 2020

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Abandon hope, all ye who *ento* here! It's a broadly entomological arthropod-cast about bugs! In this episode, which we live-streamed on Caveat's YouTube page, we welcome comedian, writer, and legendary pun queen Sam Corbin to discuss bees with "daddy tissues", artisanal stings, and the worst kind of jelly donut.

Episode 42: Paradigm-a-dozen (ft. Dr. André Pineda, PhD) May 05, 2020

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Paradigms, they are a-changin’ in this week’s episode of Facts Machine! We’re joined by friend of the pod and scicomedian extraordinaire Dr. André Pineda, PhD, a neuroscientist, science communicator, and show runner at our home venue Caveat who leverages laughs to share science. Join us as we talk Al-Haytham “going turbo” while Europe was in a dark age, evolution by “naturalist selection”, and rerouting priests to prevent disease.

Episode 41: Facts That Hold Water (ft. Dr. Jessica Noviello, PhD) Apr 21, 2020

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H2OMG! This episode’s all about the universal solvent, 60% of the human body, and (when it’s feelin’ fancy) dihydrogen monoxide. We’re joined by long time friend of the pod and first time guest of the pod Dr. Jessica Noviello, a planetary geologist, science communicator, and avowed dinosaur enthusiast currently studying the Kuiper Belt Object EL61 Haumea in her post-doctoral research. Tune in to learn how water makes its way around our universe, how a giant aquifer stayed hidden in plain sight, and why Niels Bohr was oddly possessive about a bottle of Carlsberg.

Episode 40: The Spy Who Quizzed Me (Triv and Let Die) Apr 07, 2020

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Episode 39: 'Ew, Gross' Anatomy (Special Quiz Episode #3) Mar 24, 2020

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This week Noah spills his guts in the finale of our three part anatomy quiz series! Guess along as Rob and Em try to distinguish real and made-up medical terminology and encounter fruity maladies and ambiguous pouches along the way.

Episode 38: We've Got A Bone To Pick (Special Quiz Episode #2) Mar 19, 2020

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Make no bones about it, in this second of three special anatomical quiz episodes, Rob tests Emily's and Noah's knowledge of his favorite organ, bones!

Episode 37: Can't We All Just Get A Lung? (Special Quiz Episode #1) Mar 10, 2020

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Don't hate, ventilate! In this first of three special anatomical quiz episodes, Emily tests Noah's and Rob's knowledge of her favorite organ, the lungs! Somehow, they end up debating the merits of different kinds of turtle bums. How? Who knows.

Episode 36: Etymologies Feb 25, 2020

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Facts Machine returns with an episode all about etymologies. Join us as we dig deep to discover our favorite word origins, root and stem! #protologism

Episode 35: A Science Séance (ft. Diana Montano) - Live at Caveat Oct 29, 2019

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