Stuff To Blow Your Mind

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...

Into the Egg Chamber

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eggs are amazing and some of the varieties we find in nature are wonderfully weird, riveling or exceeding anything you’d ever find on a fictional de...

From the Vault: Roman Extinctions

27 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are capable of amazing technological and societal feats, but we’ve also brought much misery, death and destruction to our world. We are curre...

Kimchi: A Song of Salt and Cabbage

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly is kimchi and what is the chemistry of its deliciousness? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore this spicy, ...

The Invention of Fireworks

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fireworks are a staple of celebrations around the world, but where does this invention come from and what’s the basic chemistry of their combustion?...

From the Vault: The Facial Feedback Hypothesis

20 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To what extent does the act of smiling generate happiness in the mind of the smiler? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discus...

Ant Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Ants

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies...

Smart Talks with IBM: The Debating AI

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Project Debater is the first AI system that can debate humans on complex topics, with a larger ambition of helping people build persuasive arguments a...

From the Vault: Brain Soup and Liquid Brains

13 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is there ever a good scientific reason to turn brains into soup? What does all of this have to do with the concept of “liquid brains?” Robert and ...

Ant Wars: Episode II - The Antmire Strikes Back

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies...

Ant Wars: Episode I - The Antom Menace

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The war has raged for at least 100 million years. Armored warriors boil up out of the ground and surge across the battlefield. Mandibles clash. Bodies...

Solidarity

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A brief note from Stuff to Blow Your Mind in support of racial justice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee o...

From the Vault: The Soap Dragon

06 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What monsters of fatty flesh lie slumbering in the sewer guts of our great cities? Join Robert and Joe as they venture into the dark to discover the b...

Subterrenes: Like Submarines but Underground

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The notion of a subterrene, or underground drilling vehicle, is well established within the realm of science fiction, but what are the real-world poss...

Smart Talks with IBM: The Impact of AI in a Pandemic

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How is AI helping organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the topic with Ritik...

From the Vault: The Great Wave

30 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, sailors have told stories of mountainous killer waves that rise out of the ocean without warning. Join Robert and Joe for a discussion ...

The Invention of the Book, Part 2

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the...

The Invention of the Book, Part 1

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Books are one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but where do they come from? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore the...

From the Vault: The Doppelganger Network

23 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss Doppelgangers, fairy imposters, the brain basis for the feeling of familiarity, and...