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Why We're Not Sex Zombies, Wednesday's Pronunciation, and British Lawyers' Wigs May 31, 2017

Show notes

Since sexual contact can transmit disease, why don't any diseases increase our sex drive? Why is Wednesday pronounced differently than it's spelled? Why do British lawyers and judges still wear powdered wigs? The answers, plus a fond farewell.

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Reheated Coffee, More Comfortable Mammograms, and the Chemist Who Created Home Ec May 23, 2017

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There's science behind why reheated coffee is terrible. In the incredible future, we may have better ways to mammogram. Plus, the woman who founded home economics was all kinds of amazing.

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Missing Limbs, Naked Mole Rats, and a Blood-Red Waterfall May 16, 2017

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Research into missing limbs indicates that our brains control function differently than we thought. Underground mole rats can live without oxygen. Plus, the mysteries of Blood Falls have been solved.

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Gender Bias in the Supreme Court, Stair Climbing vs. Caffeine, and Teens Are OK, Really May 09, 2017

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Female Supreme Court justices get interrupted three times as often as male justices. Climbing stairs may be as effective as caffeine at perking you up. Plus, today's teens are doing pretty OK. Really.

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Cannibalism Nutrition, a Border Wall Hyperloop, and the FBI's Facial Recognition May 01, 2017

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Are humans nutritous enough to make cannibalism feasible? Could Trump's proposed border wall be improved with a Hyperloop?. Plus: Should the FBI be able to use everyone's photos in their crime-solving facial recognition program?

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Thought Experiment: Transhumanism and Space Exploration Apr 25, 2017

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Humans are ill-suited to the rigors of space, but augmenting ourselves with technology may create opportunities to explore and colonize worlds beyond our own. In this episode, we experiment in such a future.

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A U.S. Space Force, Why the Weather's Getting Stuck, and Maple Syrup Medicine Apr 18, 2017

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Is it time for the United States to have a military Space Force? Weather patterns are getting stuck in place - climate change is to blame. Plus, research shows that a substance in maple syrup has some incredible medicinal properties.

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Scattering Ashes, Circular Airport Runways, and the TSA's Power Over Electronics Apr 10, 2017

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Is scattering ashes technically littering? Will circular runways be the future of airports? Can the TSA search the data in your electronic devices? In this episode, these questions are answered and only two bad puns are made.

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Bird Poop Politics, Double Pregnancies, and How 'Citizens' Became 'Consumers' Apr 03, 2017

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Bird excrement was once so valuable to farmers that the U.S. government tried to claim all of it. It's possible to get pregnant a second time when you're already pregnant. Plus: When did we start calling citizens consumers?

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The Psychology of Picky Eating, the Secret Service's Services, and a Self-Driving Car Kit Mar 27, 2017

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Researchers are working to improve the lives of adult picky eaters. We break down who the Secret Service protects, and at what costs to taxpayers. Plus, there's a $700 kit that turns certain cars into self-driving cars -- and it works.

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