Stuff To Blow Your Mind

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From the Vault: Cupid's Leaden Arrow Feb 08, 2020

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It’s Valentine’s Day again, which summons images of mythic Cupid and his bow. But we often forget that Cupid has TWO arrows in his quiver: the golden arrow of desire and the leaden arrow of aversion. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss the mythic lead-slinger and the nature of his gray metal. (originally published 2/14/2019)

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Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 1 Feb 06, 2020

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In the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it.

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Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 3 Feb 04, 2020

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Chances are, your face is already part of the database -- and AI is getting better and better at reading one face and finding it in the vast sea of digital images. What does this mean for the future of privacy? How did we get to this point in techno-history and where do we go from here? In this multi-episode look from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore facial recognition technology.

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From the Vault: Motivated Numeracy and the Politics-ridden Brain Feb 01, 2020

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If science were a candle in the dark, we’d need only spread its light to combat climate change denial and vaccine conspiracy theories. But what if the problem is more complex than that? What if a quirk of human cognition enables us to remain willingly in the dark, even as we hold the very candle? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of motivated numeracy. (originally published 11/15/2018)

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Invention: The Turnspit Dog Jan 31, 2020

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In this episode of Invention, Robert and Joe continue the month’s journey through human CULINARY techno-history -- this time with the story of the turnspit dog. This now-extinct breed of dog turned the meat in many a European kitchen, before it was replaced by machines. (originally published 11/11/2019)

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Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 2 Jan 30, 2020

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Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 1 Jan 28, 2020

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From the Vault: The Electric Ark Jan 25, 2020

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What if the Ark of the Covenant was actually a bronze-age machine capable of storing an electrostatic charge? It almost certainly wasn't, but the idea is a great excuse to explore the understanding of electricity in the ancient world. Join Robert and Joe for another Ark-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.

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The Monoliths of Lalibela Jan 23, 2020

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Lalibela, Ethiopia is home to one of the true wonders of the world: a series of 11 rock-hewn monolithic churches -- all interconnected by tunnels and passages that connect to catacombs and hermit caves. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the details of these 12th century marvels.

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Here Come the Warm Feels Jan 21, 2020

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There’s often a gap between feeling and understanding, but language and classification provide us with tremendous tools for self-reflection. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of kama muta, a broad categorization of emotional states that include loved belonging, patriotism, cuteness, spiritual communion and the feels.

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