Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Matinee Science Playlist, Part 1: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over. Learn more ...

The Bone Palace, Part 2

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a ...

The Bone Palace, Part 1

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From an imagined palace constructed out of bone to the curious ways in which animals and humans use bone for tools and construction materials, take a ...

From the Vault: Bugs Under The Skin

04 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever feel like there are bugs crawling around in your body? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore alleged ...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 10: Chinese Immortality

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Explore tales and traditions from Taoist sorcery, alchemy and Chinese folktales. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 9: Wound Mouth of the Undying Hydra

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From myth to biology, the hydra hungers and grows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listene...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 8: Unicorns of the Mythic World

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the power and symbolism of the unicorn. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener ...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 7: The Trident

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is the meaning of Poseidon's divine weapon? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener ...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 6: The Slayer

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Who is the slayer and why is this figure so important to our ancient and modern myths? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastn...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 5: Demon Eaters and Possessed Tools

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the demon slayer Zhōng Kuí and follow a procession of spirits across the sea to Japan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 4: Bones of the Plumed Serpent

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Venture into the world of Quetzalcoatl. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 3: Talos

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Get to know everyone's favorite ancient bronze age robot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 2: The Myth-Fleshed Fossil

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Explore the place where geology and mythology converge. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/li...

Realms of Myth Playlist, Part 1: Unraveling the Mythic

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is mythology and why is it so important? Find out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/...

Déjà vu, Anxiety and Dreams, Part 2

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is déjà vu and how does it relate to dreams and anxiety? Robert and Joe discuss what is known about this curious anomaly of memory on Stuff to ...

Déjà vu, Anxiety and Dreams

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is déjà vu and how does it relate to dreams and anxiety? Robert and Joe discuss what is known about this curious anomaly of memory on Stuff to ...

From the Vault: The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 2

28 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies tha...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 10: Dr. Jeff Hoffman

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about life beyond Earth's magnetosphere. Here's our 2018 chat with astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 9: Carl Zimmer

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about heredity. Here's our 2018 chat with acclaimed science writer Carl Zimmer about his book “She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Pe...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 8: Marah Hardt

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about the love life of coral with "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. Marah J. Hardt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 7: R. Scott Bakker

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about alien philosophy. Here's our 2017 chat with Canadian author R. Scott Bakker, discussing his dark fantasy novels as well as his paper ...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 6: Mary Roach

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about penis transplants. Here's our 2016 chat with author Mary Roach, who devotes two chapters of her book "Grunt: The Curious Science of H...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 5: Mark Mandica

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about salamanders. Here's our 2018 chat with Mark Mandica, executive director of The Amphibian Foundation. Learn more about your ad-choice...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 4: Gene Kritsky

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about ancient Egyptian bee keeping. Here's our 2016 chat with "The Tears of Re" author entomologist Gene Kritsky. Learn more about your ad...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 3: Thomas S. Mullaney

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about the Chinese typewriter. Here's our 2018 chat with Thomas S. Mullaney about his book “The Chinese Typewriter: A History.” Learn m...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 2: Brian Greene, Max Tegmark and Barbara J. King

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about string theory, super AI and animal emotions. Here are our 2018 World Science Festival interviews with physicist Brian Greene, physici...

Interview Interlude Playlist, Part 1: Diva Amon

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about deep sea ecology and conservation. Here's our 2019 chat with deep sea marine biologist Diva Amon. Learn more about your ad-choices a...

Twilight of the Moa

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy an...

Rise of the Moa

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Moa of New Zealand were among the weirdest birds to ever live, and their history is full of evolutionary wonder, interspecies conflict, tragedy an...

From the Vault: The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 1

21 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pluto may not be a planet, but it definitely exists. Not every case is so clear. The history of near-Earth astronomy contains many cases of bodies tha...

Space Between: A STBYM Update Episode

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe catch you up to date on the podcast’s production schedule and generally check in with lis...

Invertebrate Emotions, Part 2

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizen...

From the Vault: Gáe Bulg

14 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Irish myth tells of a spear so deadly, that its deployment is certain death. Forged from the bones of sea monsters, the Gáe Bulg would send barbs thr...

Invertebrate Emotions, Part 1

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are feeling creatures, constantly awash in a sea of emotion. We struggle to understand the waters that suffuse us, but what about other denizen...

Biology of the Hobbit

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Not to question the wisdom of Gandalf the Grey, but a hobbit might seem like a poor choice for a continent-sprawling journey to rid the world of evil....

From the Vault: The Dark Crystal

07 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for another movie-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and this time Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick are bound for the world of Thra in...

Autogenics

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From a self-hypnosis practice rooted in early 20th century psychiatry to the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, Robert and Joe discuss autogenics traini...

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the world reacts to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Robert and Joe devote an episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to cover what’s currentl...

From the Vault: Split Brain, Part 2

29 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your ...

Overconfidence: The Icarus Paradox

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuf...

Overconfidence: Hubris and Nemesis

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is overconfidence? We tend to know it when we see it, but the concept is increasingly hard to nail down the more you think about it. In this Stuf...

From the Vault: Split Brain, Part 1

22 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our brains are composed of two hemispheres, but in what ways are they truly separate? In which ways are they one? In this bisected Stuff to Blow Your ...

Listener Mail: In Your Face!

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for another hefty dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Join Robert and Joe as they read and answer your emails on facial recogni...

The Fly: Into the Plasma Pool

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, and this time Robert and Joe consider David Cronenberg’s 1986 sci-fi remake “The...

From the Vault: Snail Sex in the Sea

15 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the aftermath of Valentine's Day, join Robert and Joe as they revisit last year's interview with marine biologist and "Sex in the Sea" author Dr. M...

Occam's Razor

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a standard tool of skeptical thinking: When presented with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well, choose the simpler of the two. In...

Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 2

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 P...

From the Vault: Cupid's Leaden Arrow

08 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 gol...

Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 1

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 P...

Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 3

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 di...

From the Vault: Motivated Numeracy and the Politics-ridden Brain

01 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Invention: The Turnspit Dog

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 2

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 di...

Facial Recognition Machinery, Part 1

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 di...

From the Vault: The Electric Ark

25 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Monoliths of Lalibela

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Here Come the Warm Feels

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There’s often a gap between feeling and understanding, but language and classification provide us with tremendous tools for self-reflection. In this...

From the Vault: The Ark of the Covenant

18 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What was the Ark of the Covenant? A mere ceremonial vessel for sacred items? A radio for speaking to God? The golden chest of the ancient Hebrews has ...

Horseshoe Crabs: Blue Blood of the Ancients

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Their fossils date back 450 million years and their copper-rich blue blood continues to benefit various medical applications. In this episode of Stuff...

Ten Year Anniversary Special

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, tomorrow marks ten years of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In celebration, original cohost and HowStuffWorks editor Allison Loudermilk pops by to speak...

From the Vault: The Great Basilisk

11 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Behold the Great Basilisk, the crowned monster whose mere glance can kill a mortal and reduce wilderness to desert ash. Medieval bestiaries attest to ...

Bandersnatch

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From its literary origins in the mirror realm of Lewis Carroll to its terrifying appearance in Charlie Brooker's “Black Mirror,” the frumious Band...

Brandon Fibbs talks 9 Days in July

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with Brandon Fibbs, host of the new podcast "9 Days in July," which explores each of the nine da...

From the Vault: Machine Consciousness and P-Zombies

04 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If a machine told you it was conscious, how could you tell if it was lying? Indeed, how can you tell that any random human in your life is lying when ...

Updates: The First Monster and Oumuamua

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our understanding of history and cosmos continues to evolve -- and that means episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind are likely to require updates. In th...

David Grinspoon on New Horizons and the Weirdness of Pluto

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the book “Chasting New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto,” authors Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. David Grinspoon recount the riveting h...

From the Vault: On Teasing

28 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We all know teasing when we see it or experience it, but what role does it play in human interactions? Join Robert and Joe in this episode of Stuff to...

Boxing Day Listener Mail

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's boxing day in many holiday traditions: A time to give a gratitude box to postmen, errand boys and servants. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your...

Is Santa a god? (part 2)

24 Dec 2019

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...

From the Vault: Christmas Island Crabs, Part 2

21 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut c...

Is Santa a god? (part 1)

19 Dec 2019

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...

Prototaxites: Shrooms Like Cedars in the Devonian Wilds

17 Dec 2019

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...

From the Vault: Christmas Island Crabs, Part 1

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Christmas Island, a place where it’s still only Christmas once a year… but where red crabs swarm across the land and enormous coconut c...

The Psychology of Architecture, Part 2

12 Dec 2019

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...

The Psychology of Architecture, Part 1

10 Dec 2019

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...

From the Vault: Thought Experiments

07 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stuff to Blow Your Mind frequently discusses thought experiments on the show, from Schrödinger's Cat to the Infinity Hotel. But what constitutes a th...

Die Nacht des Krampus

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Heute Nacht ist Krampusnacht. Besprechen Sie mit Robert und Joe auf STBYM die beliebtesten Urlaubsmonster aller. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...

It’s Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the first week of December and holiday music is already playing in retail stores around the world. Sure, this is supposed to infuse you with th...

From the Vault; Stone Age Technology with Dietrich Stout

30 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paleolithic tools inform not just our understanding of prehistoric lives, but also the evolution and nature of the human mind. In this episode of Stuf...

Thankful: The Science of Gratitude

28 Nov 2019

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. Learn more about your...

Dangerous Foods: Adverse Additives

26 Nov 2019

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 peculurial and somet...

From the Vault: 2001: A Space Odyssey

23 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

No discussion of great sci-fi cinema is complete without mention of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The 1968 classic is 50 years old this year, so Robert...

Devourer of Memories, Part 2

21 Nov 2019

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...

Devourer of Memories, Part 1

19 Nov 2019

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...

From the Vault: The Ship of Theseus

16 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An ancient ship rots in the harbor and so we restore it piece by piece until nothing of the original ship remains. Is it still the same ship? Join Rob...

Listener Mail: Black Hole Dream

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever dreamt that you forgot about a college class until the morning of the final exam — and then dreamt that a black hole swallowed the ent...

Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover 2019

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween may be over, but Robert and Joe have a bunch of spooky listener mail to unpack before the other holidays kick in. Grab whatever is left of t...

From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 2

09 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Y...

The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes

07 Nov 2019

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...

Ann Swanson: Science of Yoga

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is yoga? How can it heal our bodies and minds? And where do we draw the line between spiritual models of the human condition and proven biology? ...

From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 1

02 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Y...

Anthology of Horror, Volume 3

31 Oct 2019

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...

Anthology of Horror, Volume 2

29 Oct 2019

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...

From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 1

26 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From “Night Gallery” to “Tales From the Crypt,” everyone loves a great horror anthology show. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a new gho...

Hellraiser

24 Oct 2019

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...

Chet van Duzer on Sea Monsters

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into the haunted seas of history as Joe chats with cartography historian Chet van Duzer about sea monsters, strange maps and the dark mysteries o...

From the Vault: Monstrosity/Cuteness Spectrum

19 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It seems the unavoidable fate of all terrifying monsters, doesn’t it? We reduce the most horrifying creatures of myth, legend and folklore to an ado...

The Gerasene Demoniac

17 Oct 2019

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...

Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 2

15 Oct 2019

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...

From the Vault: The Slayer

12 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Myth and folklore are full of monsters and the heroes who slay them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick meet so...