Stuff To Blow Your Mind
Episodes
From the Vault: Sea Turtles with Christine Figgener
06 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss sea turtle mysteries, biology, research and conservation with sea turtle researcher...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Plan 9 from Outer Space
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe finally discuss a film that almost defies description: “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” Yes, it’s Ed...
The Whistling, Part 2
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled lan...
The Monstrefact: The SPOILER from “NOPE”
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses something that happens in the 2022 Jordan Peele movie “NOPE” and there will be spoi...
The Whistling, Part 1
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the nature and history of human whistling – including the subject of whistled lan...
Listener Mail: Back to the Garden
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: The Plague of Mucus
30 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the organic substance that has been referred to in the scientific literatur...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Tarantula
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, this week on Weirdhouse Cinema, the 1955 film “Tarantula” takes to the hills. Join Rob and Joe as they discuss this atomic-age sci-fi thrille...
Fantastic Numbers, with Antonio Padilla
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Antonio Padilla, author of the new book ...
Smart Talks with IBM: The Good Hacker: Hacking Businesses before Criminals Do
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The headlines tell us cyberattacks are a big, consistent threat to business data – and ours. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwe...
From the Vault: Creature of the Gear
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is a gear and when did humans invent it? Plus, Rob and Joe discuss the only known creature to have gears in its anatomy. Plus hear about a couple...
Listener Mail: Warlocks in the Sky
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Where do numbers come from?
23 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join Robert and Joe as they continue their discussion on numeracy and the origins of numerals on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 6/17/2...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Fruit of Paradise
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for a little arthouse Adam and Eve! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1970 experimental Czech film "Fruit of Par...
Dethroned Emperor: The Fall of Valerian, Part 2
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian ...
The Artifact Revisited: Sharur the Talking Mace
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses Sharur, the talking mace from Sumerian mythology…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Dethroned Emperor: The Fall of Valerian, Part 1
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe travel back to the third century CE to discuss the Battle of Edessa, in which the Sasanian ...
Listener Mail: Beans and Babel
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: The Origins of Numeracy
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are numbers and where does our number sense come from? Is numeracy an innate part of our biology, or is it a cultural invention? In this classic ...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Horror Rises From the Tomb
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no keeping THIS occult power couple down! In today’s episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, watch as Spanish horror icons Paul Naschy and Helga Lin...
The Skybridge, Part 2
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclose...
The Monstrefact: Cave Mimicry in Dungeons and Dragons
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses cave environment mimicry by monsters in Dungeons and Dragons…See omnystudio.com/liste...
The Skybridge, Part 1
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the architectural element known as the skyway or skybridge – typically an enclose...
Listener Mail: AI Tales and Horror Hosts of Yore
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Reconsider the Bean, Part 2
09 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? ...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Blade
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider a weird mainstream movie that basically paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with wall...
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 3
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organis...
The Monstrefact: The Owlbear
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the owlbear of Dungeons & Dragons...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Creative Writing Machines, with Mike Sharples
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Will computers one day write the great American novel? What will the future of human/machine creative collaboration look like – and what came before...
Listener Mail: Morbius Saves Christmas
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Reconsider the Bean, Part 1
02 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are beans? Do they contain the souls of the dead? Can they be used to drive demons from the household? How important are they in the human diet? ...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Scream and Scream Again
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into a movie billed as "triple distilled horror as powerful as a vat of boiling acid!" Yes, it’...
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 2
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organis...
Smart Talks with IBM: Building Trustworthy AI: A Holistic Approach
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Advocating for artificial intelligence to be built and deployed ethically is no longer just a compliance issue but more of a business imperative. In t...
The Lesser of Two Crab Claws, Part 1
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss biological asymmetry in the natural world – including various examples of organis...
Listener Mail: Legend of a Mind
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 2
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, venture into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home wor...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Battle Beyond the Stars
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time to venture into the world of “Star Wars” knock-offs once more, this time with 1980’s “Battle Beyond the Stars!” Join Rob and Joe...
Red Leviathan, with Ryan Tucker Jones
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Ryan Tucker Jones, author of the new book “Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet...
The Monsterfact: The Jiang Shi
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Jiang Shi or hopping vampire of Chinese folklore…See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Of Humans and Squids, with Martin Wallen
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Martin Wallen about his 2021 book “Squid,” which covers the history of human...
Listener Mail: Turtle Talk
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail. Plus this time Seth pops in to chat with Robert...
From the Vault: Star Wars Alien Necropsy, Part 1
18 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, venture into a galaxy far, far away while also considering the science and biology of our home wor...
Weirdhouse Cinema: A Chinese Ghost Story
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1987 Hong Kong supernatural romance comedy “A Chinese Ghost Story,” featurin...
The Cauldron, Part 4
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this...
The Monstrefact: Mud Monsters Attack
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a couple of different mud monsters from global traditions…See omnystudio.com...
The Cauldron, Part 3
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this...
Listener Mail: Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 3
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they ...
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Trancers II
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s sequel time once more on Weirdhouse Cinema! Join Rob and Joe as they jump right into Charles Band’s 1991 sequel to Trancers, starring...
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 2
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they ...
The Artifact Redux: Pants of the Necromancer
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the so-called necro-pants...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...
From the Vault: Pacific Navigation, Part 1
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they ...
Listener Mail: Summer Break
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We have some great classics for you to listen to while the show is on summer break!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Punish the Machine, Part 2
04 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the...
Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: Zaat
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This time on Weirdhouse Cinema, we consider the Florida Movie par excellence: 1971’s “Zaat,” also known as “The Blood Waters o...
The Invention of the Telegraph
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication and paved the way for our interconnected information age. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Yo...
Smart Talks with IBM: Home Lending Pal: Disrupting the Mortgage Industry with Cloud and AI
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Historically, there have been cultural biases that have complicated the home buying process and made home ownership difficult. In this episode of Smar...
From the Vault: The Sargasso Sea
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the sargassum seaweed and the many strange and amazing organisms that call ...
Listener Mail: Cyclopean Stairs
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
New Smart Talks with IBM Season Coming Soon
29 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Smart Talks with IBM returns May 31. This season, host Malcolm Gladwell and a team of correspondents from Pushkin Industries meet with New Creators wh...
From the Vault: Punish the Machine, Part 1
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What will we do when robots and artificial intelligences break the law? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Fiend Without a Face
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brains attack once more on Weirdhouse Cinema as Rob and Joe discuss the 1958 horror film “Fiend Without a Face,” starring the best stop-mo...
The Cauldron, Part 2
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this...
The Monstrefact: Lady Dimitrescu
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the vampiric giantess from the Capcom videogame Resident Evil Village…See om...
The Cauldron, Part 1
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On a mundane level, a cauldron is nothing more than a great cooking pot, but it takes on supernatural dimensions in various myths and legends. In this...
Why Nature?
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Studies have found that spending time in nature creates a host of psychological and physiological benefits for humans. But why? In this episode, Rober...
From the Vault: Phobos and Deimos, Part 2
21 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its...
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Loreley's Grasp
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another Spanish monster romp on Weirdhouse Cinema! In this episode, Rob and Joe discuss Amando de Ossorio’s 1973 film &ldquo...
Creature with the Crystal Skin
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is dark inside the human body, but not every denizen of the animal kingdom is such a closed book. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rober...
The Monstrefact: The Loreley
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Germanic siren known as the Loreley…See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
The Hot-Cold Empathy Gap
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may think you know yourself, but humans have a striking inability to predict their own behavior in differing emotional states. In this episode of ...
Listener Mail: Gates of Heck
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Phobos and Deimos, Part 1
14 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The god of war does not march into battle alone. His sons, embodying panic and terror ride beside him. The same can be said of the planet Mars and its...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Jason Takes Manhattan
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of Friday the 13, Rob and Joe dive into one of the sillier entries in the Jason Voorhees franchise with 1989's "Friday the 13th Part VI...
The Facsimile, Part 2
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to take document duplication for granted in our modern age, but our digital ease follows centuries of mechanical innovation and millen...
The Monstrefact: The Nuppeppo
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a ghoulish blob from the yokai tradition of Japan…See omnystudio.com/listene...
The Facsimile, Part 1
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to take document duplication for granted in our modern age, but our digital ease follows centuries of mechanical innovation and millen...
Listener Mail: Turtle of Enormous Girth
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 2
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Planet of the Vampires
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Mario Bava's hypnotic 1965 sci-fi horror movie "Planet of the Vampires." It has all the styl...
The Stargazer and the Well
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can you see the light of the stars from the bottom of a well? Did an astrologer once fall into a well because he was staring up at the stars? In this ...
The Monstrefact: The Bog Octopus
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses tentacled lurkers in the bog from the worlds of gaming, fantasy literature and indu...
Fire From the Rocks, Part 3
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and ...
Listener Mail: Vegetable in Sheep's Clothing
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: The Machine Lords of Barnard 68, Part 1
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even as humans reach out into the void with robotic probes and turn to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life, we face...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Atragon
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The surface world fights back against undersea aggression! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Ishirô Honda’s 1963 T...
Fire From the Rocks, Part 2
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and ...
The Monstrefact: Torterra, a Pokemon
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Pokemon known as Torterra with a little help from Sebastian…See omnystud...
Fire From the Rocks, Part 1
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and ...
Listener Mail: Planta Haereticus
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 2
23 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destruc...
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Guyver
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for more big meaty monsters slapping meat on Weirdhouse Cinema, as Rob and Joe discuss 1991’s “The Guyver,” a biomec...
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, Part 2
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous week’s episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed contemplations of plant memory and other topics that blur o...
The Monstrefact: Baphomet, The Goat of Mendes
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Baphomet, the Goat of Mendes…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, Part 1
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous week’s episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed contemplations of plant memory and other topics that blur o...
Listener Mail: Smaragdus Eyes
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
From the Vault: Jupiter the Destroyer, Part 1
16 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did the planet Jupiter, like a reckless god, wreak havoc on a young solar system? Join Robert and Joe and they consider the red planet’s destruc...
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Devil Rides Out
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1968 Hammer horror film “The Devil Rides Out,” directed by Terence Fisher an...
Plant Memories, Part 2
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do plants remember? Do they communicate? What is the extent of their interaction with their environment? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind series, Rober...