Learn It from a Layman

The Basics of Middle School

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of middle school. How does students' performance change from elementary school to middle school? Are middle school teachers paid...

Layman Bookclub: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We discussed Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Who was the author, Mary Shelley? What in her history helps in understanding Frankenstein? Who i...

The Basics of Psychology

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of psychology. What are the key principles of psychology? What are the different ways we can study psychology? What is the Stanf...

Layman Book Club: Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss two books: George Orwell's Animal Farm and Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. What do these two books have in common? Which books are m...

The Four Fundamental Forces of Nature

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the four fundamental forces of nature. What are force carrying particles? How do magnets work? Which force is the strongest and which is th...

The Basics of Rowing

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined again by Brown University student Kosta Karathanasopoulos to discuss the basics of rowing. What is rowing? What are the different types o...

The Basics of ChatGPT

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by Brown University student Kosta Karathanasopoulos to discuss the basics of ChatGPT. What actually is ChatGPT? What is an LLM? What are ...

The Basics of Massage Therapy

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of massage therapy. What are the different types of massage? Is the Swedish Massage actually from Sweden? Is there a difference ...

Layman Book Club: Frankenstein - Clips

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our full podcast is available on Patreon page. We discussed Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Who was the author, Mary Shelley? What in her his...

The Basics of Hearing

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of hearing with Dr. Jonny. How does hearing work? What causes an ear infection? Why does your hearing get worse temporarily afte...

Layman Book Club: The Giver

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are starting a new series! Our Layman Book Club will be where we read and discuss books of any genre. Future Book Club podcasts will only be availa...

Dubious Honors

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss some dubious honors and awards. What is the Bulwer-Lytton contest? What is a Darwin award? Who has won the Foot In The Mouth award and why ...

The Basics of CFOs

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by CFO Jared Miller to discuss the basics of CFO and business finance. What's the difference between an accountant and a CFO? What are t...

The Basics of UFOs

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of UFOs. When did the term UFO start being used? Where in modern times was the first big UFO sighting? What was Project Blue Boo...

The Basics of Cloning

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of cloning. What is the story behind the dire wolf? Is what Colossal Biosciences created actually a dire wolf? What are other wa...

The Basics of Metabolism

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of metabolism. What is metabolism? What factors contribute to metabolism? How much does age contribute to metabolism? What can y...

The Basics of Fraud

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of fraud. What are some different types of fraud? How do you help minimize identity theft risk? What is phishing and how do you ...

The Basics of Quantum Computing

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of quantum computing. How are quantum computers different than classical computers? Why aren't quantum computers publicly availa...

The Evolution of Aviation

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the evolution of aviation. Where did aviation start? What steps were necessary before the Wright brothers could build the Wright Flyer? Who...

The Basics of Literary Devices

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of literary devices. What is a literary device and how do you use it? What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Is...

The Basics of Left-handedness

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of left-handedness. Why are some people left-handed? How many people are left-handed? How many ambidextrous? Are left-handed peo...

The Basics of the Australian Outback

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of the Australian Outback. How big is Australia compared to the US? Where did dingoes come from and how long is the Dingo fence?...

The Basics of Human Resources

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Sam Andersen and Katie Christensen to discuss the basics of Human Resources (HR). What are the core responsibilities of HR? Why isn't...

The Basics of Electric Vehicles

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joel Christensen joins us to discuss the basics of Electric Vehicles (EVs). What are the pros and cons of EVs? Where are EVs being adopted? What is th...

The Basics of the Olympics (and CrowdStrike)

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're back from vacation to discuss the Olympics, and a bit about CrowdStrike. What happened when the computers all went down, and how? When did the O...

The 10 Worst Creatures

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We opine on the 10 worst creatures (species, not including individual human mass murderers of the past). What is a lamprey and is it the inspiration f...

Should You Become a Teacher?

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss how to become a teacher, and why to become a teacher. Why is Tim a teacher? How far can altruism take you? Is there a shortage of teachers?...

The Basics of Making Money

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of making money. How should you structurally think about making money? What are the principles of improving your financial situa...

The Basics of Biotechnology

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Erika Handly joins the podcast to discuss the basics of biotech. Is the 'tech' in 'biotech' using technology to understand biology, or using techn...

The Basics of Vocabulary

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of vocabulary. What is a word? What is a lemma? What is morphology? How many words do most people have in their vocabulary? How ...

The Basics of Rocket Science

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of rocket science. What is the difference between a rocket and a jet? What is the rocket equation? What is delta-v? Was Wall-e a...

The Basics of Anesthesia

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

MD-PhD Seth Vogel joins us to discuss the basics of anesthesia. What happens in the brain when you put someone under? What are the drugs that you use ...

The Basics of Physical Therapy

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by doctor of physical therapy Natalie Vogel as we discuss the basics of physical therapy. Can physical therapy help people avoid surgery?...

The Basics of Dementia

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jonny discusses the basics of dementia. What happens in your brain when you have dementia? Are there different kinds of dementia, affecting differ...

The Basics of Digital Illustration

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of digital illustration with freelance illustrator Jarom Vogel.  What's the difference between digital illustration and graphic...

The Basics of Demographics

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of demographics. What is a demographic? What are the most common demographic characteristics? What is the world population and h...

Facts for the New Year

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about facts for the New Year. How many days does it take to make or break a habit? Is it better to lift weights first or do cardio first? How ...

The Basics of Grades

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of grades. How well do grades reflect intelligence? Are grades predictive of future performance? What is grade inflation and is ...

The Basics of Sleep

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of sleep. What is sleep and why do we do it? What happens when you're asleep? What are the different stages of sleep? How does s...

The Basics of Chemistry

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of chemistry. What is the periodic table? What is a molecule and why do atoms bond? What is radioactivity? What is an isotope an...

The Basics of Fluid Mechanics

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of fluid mechanics. What is a Newtonian fluid? Can fluids be compressed? How do hydraulics work? What are fluid statics vs fluid...

The Basics of Insurance

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of insurance. What is liability insurance? What are bodily injury and property damage limits in auto insurance? What are coverag...

The Basics of Creole Languages

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of creole languages. What does the word creole mean? How do languages change and how are creoles formed? What is a pidgin langua...

The Basics of Art and Entrepreneurship

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by artist and entrepreneur Michelle Christensen to discuss art and business. What is the process of going from artist to entrepreneur? Is...

Wild and Crazy Facts

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can the naked mole rat help us live longer? Can you survive off the water from metabolism? How many Swedish pirate enthusiasts are there? How are air ...

The Basics of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by distinguished guest Brent Christensen to discuss the basics of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Why is ICAO one o...

The Basics of Teeth

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by resident physicist and newly minted dentist Peter Vogel DDS to discuss the basics of teeth. What are the different layers of a tooth? ...

The Basics of Eyes

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by Ian Christensen MD and discuss the basics of eyes. What is an ophthalmologist vs an optometrist? Are ophthalmologists just eye dentist...

The Basics of Guns

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of guns. Where were guns invented and when? What are the various parts of a firearm? What made shooting accurately possible? Wha...

The Basics of Building a Podcast

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of building a podcast. How many downloads can you expect? What is the "top 5%" of podcasts in terms of new-episode downloads? Ho...

The Basics of Organs

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of organs. What is an organ? What is the duodenum? What does your liver do and how many livers do you actually have? How long do...

The Basics of Law

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by attorney Mick McGirr in discussing the basics of law. What is a trust? What are the different types of law? What is statutory law? Ar...

The Basics of Budgeting

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What are the basic considerations when making a budget? What is mandatory spending vs discretionary spending? How fast does your internet need to be? ...

The Basics of Mechanical Engineering

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of mechanical engineering with first-time guest Curtis Rands. What kinds of problems do mechanical engineers solve? What is tole...

The Basics of Robotics

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of robotics. What is a robot? What are the 5 elements of a robot? Is a moving walkway a robot, and should the ground always tran...

The Basics of Branding

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Traina, owner and CEO of Traina, a San-Diego based branding agency, joins us to discuss the basics of branding. What is the most important eleme...

The Basics of Banking

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of banking. Why do banks fail? What are the primary roles of banks, and what are their vulnerabilities? What is fiat money? What...

The Basics of Diets

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of diets. What is the best diet? What are the things you need to consider before starting a diet? Is going vegan or vegetarian a...

10 Questions in Physics

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss ten questions in physics. Do gaps form in light? Can you accidentally create a blackhole? Can two atoms touch each other? What does touchin...

World War II - 1945 - Series Finale

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We bring our World War II podcast series to a close. Was what happened in Europe a fait accompli after Normandy? Was FDR naïve in his approach to Sta...

The Basics of American Government

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of American government. What is a democratic republic? What is the difference between the federal and the state governments? Wha...

Layman Trivia

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk trivia. What is the most volcanic moon? Why is Tim talking about sperm whale anatomy and organs? What is the smallest mammal? How fast can a h...

10 Best Ways to Die in Nature

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For our 100th episode, we go back to our roots, with a twist. We discuss the 10 best ways to die in nature. Are there actual homeopathic pirates? Can ...

The Basics of Programming Languages

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of programming languages. What familiar experiences can a layman relate to programming? Why do we need programming languages? Wh...

The Basics of Attention

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss attention. What does paying attention mean? What's happening in the brain when you pay attention to something? Do humans really have a shor...

The Basics of World War II - 1944 - Part 2

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our World War II podcast series. What is the D in D-Day for? How did French shrubs cause an issue in retaking France? What was the fallout...

The Basics of Photography

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Katie Christensen, Master of Fine Arts, and we discuss the basics of photography. What happens in a film camera? Are there any benefi...

The Basics of Data Science

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Vedomske, PhD in Systems and Information Engineering and Senior Data Scientist at Nike, joins the podcast to discuss data science. Is data scienc...

The Basics of DNA

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of DNA. How is DNA organized in a cell? What is RNA? What are chromosomes, how are the structured, and how big are they? How muc...

The Basics of International Travel

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of international travel. When does your passport actually expire? What's a visa and do you need one? What considerations are the...

The Basics of Browsers

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of browsers. What is a browser and what does it do? Is Google Chrome the best browser? How does a browser affect internet privac...

The Basics of Conspiracy Theories

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of conspiracy theories. Did the US really land on the moon? Who killed JFK? Was Obama born in the United States? Is Earth flat? ...

Fixed vs Growth Mindset

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss fixed vs growth mindsets. Should you tell kids that they're "smart" or "pretty"? What problems can that cause? What are growth attributes a...

The Basics of World War II - 1944 - Part 1

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our WWII podcast series and discuss the events of the first half of 1944. How did American strategy in bombing runs change in 1944 and was...

The Basics of Accountability

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of accountability. What steps should you need to go through before taking action? What is an axiom? How do you apply axioms to s...

The Basics of ADHD

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). What's the difference between ADD and ADHD? What percentage of children have...

The Basics of Electromagnetic Forces

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of electromagnetic forces. What is an electromagnetic field? Can you make a magnet by smacking a metal pole with a rock? How doe...

The Basics of Tax Policy

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Dr. Larry Walters--PhD in public policy and management--to discuss tax policy. What are the various types of taxes governments use? W...

The Basics of Memory

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of memory. How does memory work in the brain? We talk about encoding, storage, and retrieval of memory from the brain. Is there ...

The Basics of World War II - 1943

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our WWII podcast series by discussing the events of 1943. What is the unconditional surrender doctrine? Who was Friedrich Paulus and why d...

The Basics of College

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of college. What factors do you need to consider when selecting a college or university? Is selecting a college and major a calc...

The Basics of World War II - 1942

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue discussing WWII. What happened at the battle of Midway? Was radar used and why was it not very effective? What is Leningrad and where is i...

The Basics of William Shakespeare

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of William Shakespeare. Where was Shakespeare from? How prolific was he? Was Shakespeare poor? Are there direct descendants of S...

The Basics of World War II - 1939 through 1941

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of the first half of WWII. What was happening in Spain before WWII? Does Luftwaffe mean "air waffle"? Why did Hitler hate the Je...

The Basics of Philosophical Razors

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss some basic philosophical or logical razors. What is a razor? What is Hanlon's razor? When someone calls you stupid are they just cutting yo...

Thermodynamics Part II

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit thermodynamics and discuss 6 thermodynamics processes. What is an ideal gas? What's the difference between hyperbaric, isobaric, and hypoba...

The Science of Goals

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the science of goals. What's the difference between intentions and goals? Who is Edwin Locke? What is goal theory? What are the five key pr...

The Basics of Machine Learning and AI

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk the basics of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. What is the difference between machine learning and AI? What is ma...

The Basics of Biology

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about the basics of biology. What are amino acids? What are organic compounds and why are they important for living things? How do the various...

The Basics of Satellites

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's it take to build a satellite and get it into space? What are the six major factors to consider when building a satellite? How does a satellite ...

Second Language Acquisition

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What language should you learn? What are the best ways to learn a language? What is a cognate? Is language emersion the only way to learn? What is L1 ...

The Basics of Economics

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We take on economics. What does GDP mean and why is it important? What are the principles of a free market? How can a natural disaster cause economic ...

Vaccines

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss vaccines. What is the history of vaccines? How do vaccines work? Can you get sick from a vaccine? What is VAERS stand for and what's its pu...

The Basics of Units of Measurement

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the basics of units of measurement. What are the international standards for measuring. We cover the seven basic units and some derived uni...

Taiwan

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by the former Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, who answers all of our questions about Taiwan. What are th...

Object Oriented Programming

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the principles of object oriented programming. What is a script vs a program? What are the four principles of object oriented programming? ...

Hotels

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We give you the inside scoop on everything hotel related. WARNING: This episode does include some discussion of mature topics. Can you ensure you can ...

The Theory of Relativity

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the theory of relativity. What is the difference between special relativity and general relativity? Who is Hendrik Lorentz? Why can't we ac...

Best-of: Math and Physics

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our first ever best-of podcast. We compiled the most insightful and useful information on the subjects of physics, thermodynamics, calculus, orbital m...

The Basics of Riddles

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss riddles and how to solve them. How do you solve a riddle? What information do you need? What is algorithmic thinking? We help you develop y...