Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Listener Mail: Holiday Hangover

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's listener mail time once more, so Robert and Joe catch up on some Stuff to Blow Your Mind holiday mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https...

From the Vault: The Psychology of Architecture, Part 1

02 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and bui...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Not of This Earth

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades -- because that guy might be a psychic alien sent to 1950s Earth to harvest its precious blood. In this ep...

STBYM: Electric Microbe Land

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to think of electricity as the domain of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Street Fighter’s Blanka. But as Robert and Joe explore in this ...

The Artifact: Cones!

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses why people in ancient Egyptian paintings sometimes have little cones on their heads. Learn m...

From the Vault: The Gerasene Demoniac

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“My name is Legion.” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the Biblical tale of exorcism and swine. What did the sto...

Listener Mail: Spin Kick!

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's so great a bout a spin kick? Find out in this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www....

Presenting Prodigy: The Polgar Sisters

27 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can prodigies be created with early specialization? Laszlo Polgar was an educational psychologist who believed they could. He experimented with his ow...

From the Vault: Shrooms Like Cedars in the Devonian Wilds

26 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Did 20-foot-tall giant fungi rule the earth 400 million years ago? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the puzzling pro...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Robot Jox

25 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What if the nations of the Earth solved all their problems with giant robot gladiatorial battles? That’s the concept behind 1990’s “Robot Jox,”...

The Toaster Not Taken

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s obvious that our preferences guide our choices, but do our choices also determine our preferences? Join Robert and Joe as they explore this que...

The Artifact: Map of the Underworld

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of humanity's oldest maps -- from a coffin text detailing paths through the Ancient Eg...

Toy Guns

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For many of us, toy guns were part of our childhood, but how are we to think about them today? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and ...

Listener Mail: Holiday Beasts

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, Robert and Joe catch up on Jim e-mails, Krampus talk and Leshy feedback. Learn more about you...

From the Vault: Is Santa a god? (parts 1 and 2)

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or doe...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Chopping Mall

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The shopping mall is a centerpiece of American holiday traditions -- cathedrals of consumerism, if you will. So in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, ...

Heavy Water

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays...

The Artifact: The Tongue Stone

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of STBYM's The Artifact, Joe talks about a strange class of tongue-shaped rocks that were believed to have magical and medicinal power...

Holiday Inventions: Christmas Tree Lights, Tinsel and Angels

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind leans into the holidays -- this time for an invention-minded episode about some of the technologies that bring the ...

Listener Mail: Das Gravy Boat

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Time for more listener mail, with your thoughts on antimetaboles, pole dancing, gravy, weird movies and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...

From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 2

12 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Jo...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Ghost in the Machine

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for some early 90s cyber-panic! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1993’s “Ghost in the Machine,” in which a ...

Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 2

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood...

The Artifact: The Poisoned Tooth

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the fictional idea of the poisoned tooth and the real-life innovations that seem to have i...

Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 1

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood...

Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

STBYM Listener Mail is now weekly! In this short installment, Robert and Joe catch up on some of your thoughts on various Halloween episodes from Octo...

From the Vault: Die Nacht des Krampus

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Heute Nacht ist Krampusnacht. Besprechen Sie mit Robert und Joe auf STBYM die beliebtesten Urlaubsmonster aller. (Originally published 12/5/2019) Lea...

Weirdhouse Cinema: The Battle for Endor

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Star Wars franchise is home to many cinematic entries some consider to be unnatural. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the...

Airships Over Venus

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Planet Earth a bit much for you right now? Well venture back out to Venus on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss recent news ...

From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 1

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Jo...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Boggy Creek II

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Weird movies are a Thanksgiving tradition, because Mystery Science Theater 3000's Turkey Day Marathon is a Thanksgiving tradition. So in this episode ...

Thanksgiving Smorgasbord: Turkey, Wishbones and Gravy

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In recognition of Thanksgiving, Robert and Joe devote this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to the very topics that might float through your head at...

Antimetaboles: Sometimes You Eat the Bear

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Friedrich Nietzsche once observed that if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. That’s an antimetabole, a transpose...

From the Vault: Thankful: The Science of Gratitude

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tis the season of thankfulness, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science of Gratitude. (Originally published ...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Message From Space

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This time on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider the 1978 Japanese space opera “Message From Space,” starring Sonny Chiba and Vic Morrow. It’...

Listener Mail: The Final Conflict

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once more on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe turn to the mailbot and read some listener mail from previous months. Learn more about your ad-c...

Invention: The Bed

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We sure do spend a lot of time in bed, but what exactly IS a bed and what were ancient beds like? In this invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow You...

From the Vault: Dangerous Foods: Adverse Additives

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As is tradition, Stuff to Blow Your Mind prepares for seasonal feasts with a look at dangerous foods -- this time with a focus on peculiar and sometim...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Mad Love (1935)

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of the great weird films of the 1930s: “Mad Love,” in which Peter Lorre gives a stel...

Fireball with Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this special interview episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppen...

The 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As usual, Robert and Joe take time in early November to discuss some of the winners from this year's Ig Nobel Prizes -- the awards ceremony that celeb...

From the Vault: The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, it’s time once more for us to cover the Ig Nobel prizes. This year on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider cubical wombat poop, tru...

Weirdhouse Cinema: Troll 2

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Troll 2” is a titan of b-movie goodness -- but it’s also overflowing with weirdness. In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss ...

Melt With Me

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the horror of “melt movies,” in which the melting human takes on nightmarish qualities, to far more benign and even sublime takes on the conc...

Anthology of Horror, Volume 6

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Halloween tradition continues -- even as Halloween comes to a close. Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology s...

From the Vault: Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Parts 1 & 2

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle...

STBYM presents Weirdhouse Cinema: Without Warning

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Weirdhouse Cinema, a new weekly offering from the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, published in the STBYM feed. In this episode of Weirdho...

Anthology of Horror, Volume 5

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the ST...

Anthology of Horror, Volume 4

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the ST...

From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 3

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spin...

The Leshii

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

According to Russian folklore, ancient, beastial spirits guard the depths of the forest, raging with each other and punishing any human who might brea...

Smart Talks with IBM: How P-TECH Prepares Students for the Future of Work

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk with IBM's Joel Mangan, Executive Director of P-TECH, and recent P-TECH graduates Suyhalia Karim...

It Sees You

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had the feeling that someone or something is watching you? Perhaps you even feel a tingle on the back of your neck. In this episode of S...

From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 2

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spin...

The Minotaur, Part 3

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and p...

The Minotaur, Part 2: Minoan Crete with Nicoletta Momigliano

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To fully understand the minotaur myth, we also have to consider the Minoan civilization of Crete. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert a...

From the Vault: Hellraiser

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Robert and Joe have such sights to show you in this movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join them as they discuss Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser...

I Want a New Blood

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From fictional tales of vampire thrust to to real-life medical research, the notion of synthetic blood brings with it a lot of possibilities. In this ...

The Minotaur, Part 1

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and p...

Smart Talks with IBM: Online Privacy is More Important Than Ever

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can advertising evolve to respect the growing privacy concerns of consumers? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss th...

From the Vault: I Drink Your Blood Type

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gather round ye blood drinkers and children of the night, for in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe will discuss human blood type...

Science in the House of Wax

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Wax Museums are frequent haunts in horror cinema, but where do they really tie into our sense of revulsion and anatomical unease? In this episode of S...

The Livewired Brain with David Eagleman

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What does our growing understanding of neuroplasticity reveal about our brains and the future of technology? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Min...

From the Vault: Our Cars, Our Bodies, Our Minds

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the cognitive effects of driving. How does it alter our perceptions of self? How m...

The Atomic Scar

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. ...

Orcs in the Deep

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today is Hobbit Day, so Stuff to Blow Your Mind returns to Middle Earth once more. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion of orcs and their origins both...

From the Vault: The One Ring

19 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to Find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind...

Mushroom Foraging, Part 2

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, R...

Mushroom Foraging, Part 1

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are more people identifying and even foraging wild mushrooms than in previous years? If so, why is this? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, R...

From the Vault: The Voynich Manuscript, Part 2

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that ha...

Night of the Lichen-thropes

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lichen are incredibly widespread and easy to take for granted, but these composite organisms are some of the most fascinating lifeforms on the planet....

Listener Mail: The Serpent's Golden Apple

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's time once more for Listener Mail, when Robert and Joe read YOUR letters regarding snake pits, tomatoes and more. Learn more about your ad-choice...

From the Vault: The Voynich Manuscript, Part 1

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that ha...

Fingernails, Part 2

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Jo...

Fingernails, Part 1

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How fast do human fingernails and toenails grow? Are they claws and, if not, what are they? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Jo...

From the Vault: Surfing Neanderthals

29 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What do recent studies about surfer’s ear and neanderthals reveal about their relationship with the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Min...

Tomato, Tomato, Part 2

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us...

Tomato, Tomato, Part 1

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us...

From the Vault: School Dreams

22 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever experienced dreams of forgotten classes, impossible exams and other examples of school-age anxiety? In this episode of Stuff to Blow You...

Shatter Me Like Sub-Zero

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the ice-based violence of Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero to the body-shattering kills in action films like “Time Cop” and “Demolition Man,” w...

Pit of Serpents

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Well of Souls sequence from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is a memorable slice of blockbuster history but a very dubious presentation of snake beh...

From the Vault: Lot's Wife: Flesh into Salt

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard the Biblical tale of Lot’s wife, in which a trio of angels destroy a couple of ancient cities and the resulting blast turns ...

From the Vault: Demogorgon

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You probably know the Demogorgon as the powerful demon lord from Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps as the interdimensional monster from “Stranger Thi...

The Interior World

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us have spent far more time at home this year, which raises the question: Just what sort of artificial interior environments have we created? ...

From the Vault: How to Survive a Great Fall

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Anticipating a fall from 10,000 feet or more? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss your chances of survival. (Originally...

Pykrete: Ice Like Stone

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whether plotting to build a great northern wall or an aircraft carrier made of ice instead of steel, the substance you’re looking for is Pykrete. In...

The Spotlight Effect

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever feel like everyone in the Zoom call is looking at you? Ever astonished to find your contribution to a project goes unrecognized, or that your lat...

From the Vault: Prehistoric Transylvania

01 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes listeners to Transylvania, where a rogue baron made important early strides in the field of paleobiology...

Volcanoes of Life

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From our earliest experiences with paleoart to tales of Pompeii and visions of modern catastrophes, it’s easy to associate volcanoes with death and ...

The Horned Helm, Part 2

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe continue their exploration of helmets -- both the horned and the non-horned variety. Learn ...

From the Vault: The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 2

25 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of two classic episodes, Joe and Christian continue their discussion of animal cognition, including animal morality, tool use, mental ti...

The Horned Helm, Part 1

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fantasy fiction is lousy with horned helmets -- and more than a few non-Vikings wore them historically. So what’s the deal with horned helms? Why ar...

Listener Mail: Fireworks, Hellfire and More

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once again, Robert and Joe call forth the mailbot to read and discuss listener mail in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your...

From the Vault: The Secret Intellect of Animals, Part 1

18 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of two classic episodes, Joe and Christian discuss the work of Dutch-American primatologist Frans de Waal, and ask the question of not ju...

Cancer and Evolution with Kat Arney

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Kat Arney about her upcoming book "Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Li...

Heaven and Hell with Bart Ehrman

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Majorities of Americans believe in the literal existence of Heaven and Hell, but where did these concepts originally come from, and how have they chan...

From the Vault: Social Media is a B.U.M.M.E.R.

11 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How will you feel the day you finally delete all your social media accounts? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some o...

The Tide of Gold

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gold from the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the basic idea behind the accumulation of oceanic gold and the...

How does travel engage the senses?

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Travel has long inspired the mind and engaged the senses, but just what's going on in the human body when we venture near or far? In this episode of S...

From the Vault: TEETH

04 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where do teeth come from and how do different dental variations in the animal world force us to rethink our glorious chompers? In this episode of Stuf...