Stuff To Blow Your Mind
Episodes
Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 1
10 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...
Our Cars, Our Bodies, Our Minds
08 Oct 2019
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...
From the Vault: Jenny Greenteeth
05 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
According to certain English folktales, a vile creature lurks in the slime-caked dark of local ponds. When little ones wander too close to shore, she ...
I Drink Your Blood Type
03 Oct 2019
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...
Demogorgon
01 Oct 2019
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...
From the Vault: Five Reasons to Never Take Your Space Helmet Off
28 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You've consumed enough science fiction to know something the average red shirt doesn't: Never take your space helmet off on a foreign planet. But if y...
Mark Mandica: Amphibian Conservation and Vilified Reptiles
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Mandica, executive director of the Amphibian Foundation, returns to Stuff to Blow Your Mind to discuss the ongoing challenges of amphibian conser...
Daniel Whiteson: Particles and Science
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we relate to the unseen worlds of particle physics and distant stars? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, physicist Daniel Whiteson, co...
From the Vault: Euphemisms
21 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, euphemisms allow us to talk about something unpleasant or taboo without actually invoking the dreaded word or words -- but what else is going on...
The One Ring
19 Sep 2019
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...
Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 2
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means...
From the Vault: John Dee, Part 2
14 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientifi...
Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 1
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means...
Summer Reading 2019
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's never too late for Summer Reading! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome back former co-host Christian Sager, host o...
From the Vault: John Dee, Part 1
07 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientifi...
The Voynich Manuscript, Part 2
05 Sep 2019
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...
The Voynich Manuscript, Part 1
03 Sep 2019
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...
From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 2
31 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it ...
Listener Mail: That's a Bummer
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, it's listener mail time once more, this time with e-mails about B.U.M.M.E.R. social media platforms, planetary defense, the Tingler, psychedelics...
Surfing Neanderthals
27 Aug 2019
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...
From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 1
24 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it ...
School Dreams
22 Aug 2019
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...
Lot's Wife: Flesh into Salt
20 Aug 2019
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: The Dark Side of Neuroplasticity
17 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When you hear the word “neuroplasticity,” you probably think of it in terms of a young brain’s ability to learn or an older brain’s struggles ...
How to Survive a Great Fall
15 Aug 2019
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. Learn more...
The Weird World of Prehistoric Transylvania
14 Aug 2019
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...
From the Vault: Chariots of the Gods
10 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chances are, you’re already quite familiar with the notion the ancient astronauts visited the earth and gave humans the tech support they needed to ...
Asteroid 2019 OK: The Little Doomsday
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The near-Earth object (NEO) known as Asteroid 2019 OK just made an unexpected close pass, raising the hair on the back of humanity’s collective neck...
Bonus Episode: Ephemeral's Alex Williams
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Former Stuff to Blow Your Mind producer and host of the podcast Ephemeral drops in for a chat about the media of yesteryear and related topics. Listen...
Social Media Is a B.U.M.M.E.R.
06 Aug 2019
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...
From the Vault: The Gods Must Be Counterintuitive
03 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the key to a lasting myth, a captivating religion or a sensational film pitch? Some cognitive scientists and anthropologists argue that the k...
The Tingler
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and you might be surprised to discover all the weird and wonderful themes at work in ...
Listener Mail: The Psychedelic Experience
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s listener mail time again, this time devoted entirely to feedback on Stuff to Blow Your Mind’s five-part series on psychedelics. Join Robert a...
From the Vault: MDMA, Part 2
27 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some of you have tried the ecstasy. Others have merely heard about the drug on a TV sitcom, or heard about it in a news report. Either way, MDMA's pow...
Electric Microbe Land
25 Jul 2019
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 ...
TEETH: Dental Evolution and Marching Molars
23 Jul 2019
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...
From the Vault: MDMA, Part 1
20 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some of you have tried the ecstasy. Others have merely heard about the drug on a TV sitcom, or heard about it in a news report. Either way, MDMA's pow...
TEETH (with Katie Goldin)
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Goldin is back with a new season of Creature Feature, so she joins Robert and Joe on Stuff to Blow Your Mind for a chat about strange and amazin...
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 5
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissa...
From the Vault: Timothy Leary, Part 2
13 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel...
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 4
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissa...
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 3
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissa...
From the Vault: Timothy Leary, Part 1
06 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Idolized by some and reviled by others, Timothy Leary remains an icon of 1960s counterculture and psychedelic self-exploration. But who was this rebel...
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 2
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissa...
Psychedelics: The Manifested Mind, Part 1
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are psychedelics? How have these substances influenced human minds and culture? What exactly do they invoke in the brain and how could a renaissa...
From the Vault: The Science of Holy Butter
29 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's more to butter than meets the eye. Each yellow pat of fatty goodness is nothing short of processed solar energy, and its long history entails ...
Roman Extinctions
27 Jun 2019
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...
Listener Mail: Fatberg City
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for another listener mail and this time we have field reports from the war on fatbergs in the world's sewers -- plus various other e-mails r...
From the Vault: The Fartonomicon
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is a fart? From what foul bodily depths does it arise? Join Stuff to Blow Your Mind hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they crack open the Fa...
The Facial Feedback Hypothesis
20 Jun 2019
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...
Silent Running
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and this time Robert and Joe are talking about 1972’s “Silent Running,” in whic...
From the Vault: Life on Venus
15 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The planet Venus might seem a hellish destination and an unlikely place to find extraterrestrial life. And yet, many experts agree that life may have ...
Against ‘Survival of the Fittest’
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is natural selection REALLY survival of the fittest? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss where the phrase comes from an...
Brain Soup and Liquid Brains
11 Jun 2019
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 ...
From the Vault: Finite and Infinite Games
08 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do you play the game of life? Do you play it as a finite game or an infinite one? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discu...
Q2: Bones of the Plumed Serpent
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode “Quetzalcoatl: The Winged Serpent,” Robert and Joe discussed the feathered snake god of pre-Columbian Mesoa...
The Soap Dragon
04 Jun 2019
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...
From the Vault: Neurosecurity: Dawn of the Brain Hackers
01 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While hackers and malware can certainly cause a great deal of damage and misery, these dangers can’t hurt us physically, right? In this episode of t...
The Great Wave
30 May 2019
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 Doppelganger Network
28 May 2019
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...
From the Vault: Beyond the Uncanny Valley
25 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From bad CGI characters to creepy humanoid robots, everyone knows the uncanny valley effect when they see it. But where did this idea come from and to...
Listener Mail: Sacred Squirrels and More
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another bag of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, plus a minor update on sacred squirrels. Join Robert, Joe and your friendly neig...
Deep Sea Ecology with Diva Amon
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with deep sea marine biologist Diva Amon about life in the deep ocean -- from the wond...
From the Vault: Into the Uncanny Valley
18 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The far side of the uncanny valley rises steeply, assaulting our psyche as our artificial human likenesses creep ever closer toward perfection. But wh...
The Science of Thulsa Doom, Part 2
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another movie-themed Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode. In fact, it's TWO episodes. This time Robert and Joe discuss the 1982 sword and ...
The Science of Thulsa Doom
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time for another movie-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind -- and this time Robert and Joe are discussing the 1982 sword and sorcery pict...
From the Vault: Carl Zimmer on Heredity's Power
11 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why does heredity hold such power over us? How did the ancients contemplate it and how is genetic technology changing the shape of future heredity? In...
Send an Owl/Raven/Pigeon!
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Harry Potter sends messages by owl. The characters of ‘Game of Thrones’ employ ravens. Meanwhile, real-life messenger pigeons have carried message...
Almost Cannibals
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the line between cannibalism and mere predation? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider some thought-provoking c...
From the Vault: Coral Sex in the Sea
04 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sure coral reefs are rich, vibrant ecosystems, but did you know they also have a kinky side? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, "...
The Fallacy of Alignment: Fundamental Attribution Error, Part 2
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we consider and predict the actions and intentions of others? How much do we lean on an individual’s presumed internal disposition versus the...
The Fallacy of Alignment: Fundamental Attribution Error, Part 1
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we consider and predict the actions and intentions of others? How much do we lean on an individual’s presumed internal disposition versus the...
Invention: Toilets, Part 1
27 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you subscribed to Robert and Joe's other podcast INVENTION yet? If not, here's a taste of what they're up to in part 1 of their look at toilet te...
The Sacred Mountain, Part 2
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes th...
The Sacred Mountain, Part 1
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why do sacred mountains exist in so many cultures and myths? To what extent could high altitude conditions contribute to the way our mind processes th...
From the Vault: Humanity's THC Odyssey
20 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have known about cannabis for thousands of years, crafting hemp textiles and consuming its psychoactive THC. In this classic episode of Stuff t...
The Imp of the Perverse
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a tale about a man overcome by the compulsion to confess to the heinous crime he sought to keep secret. The conundrum p...
The Pressure
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Atmospheric pressure. Water pressure. Geologic pressure. What exactly IS pressure and how do humans interact with it? Join Robert and Joe for a look a...
From the Vault: Bicameralism, Part 2
13 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Cons...
Against Narrative: Are stories bad for us? Part 2
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to imagine human beings without storytelling and literature. Surely, these are some of the very things that define us. Narratives give our...
Against Narrative: Are stories bad for us? Part 1
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to imagine human beings without storytelling and literature. Surely, these are some of the very things that define us. Narratives give our...
From the Vault: Bicameralism, Part 1
06 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1976, psychologist Julian Jaynes presented the world with a stunning new take on the history of human consciousness. His book “The Origin of Cons...
The Dark Crystal
04 Apr 2019
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...
Listener Mail: The Quickening
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Once more, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick bust out some listener mail -- with the aid of their mailboy Karny, who was accidently infected by the recent...
From the Vault: Eternal Youth, Part 2
30 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what come...
Flatus Ex Machina, Part 2
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lam...
Flatus Ex Machina, Part 1
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lam...
From the Vault: Eternal Youth, Part 1
23 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what come...
M.I.B. or N.I.B. ?
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Belief in UFOs is very much like a religion. It can fulfill the same purpose in an individual's life, give them a community of believers and provide g...
Bugs Under The Skin
19 Mar 2019
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 ...
From the Vault: Don't Drink the Salt Water
16 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you draw your wisdom from 18th century poems or experience in the surf, you probably know that drinking seawater is a terrible idea. But exact...
Let's Make a List
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why are humans so fascinated by lists? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the reason we can’t pass a ...
The Tunnelers
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How deep into the Earth have humans traveled? How far have we drilled? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explo...
From the Vault: Jade Immortality
09 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chinese aristocracy of the Western Han Dynasty embarked on their journey into the afterlife within garments of stone -- luxurious suits of jade armor ...
Highlander 2: The Sciencing
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, the time of the Quickening is at hand! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick finally make good on their threa...
The Lost Daughters of Aten: Planet 9
05 Mar 2019
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...
From the Vault: Talos
02 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Among the many humanoid gods and bestial monsters of Greek mythology, one finds a peculiar outlier: Talos the bronze automaton. Said to stalk the shor...
The Lost Daughters of Aten, Part 1
28 Feb 2019
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...
Mystery of the Sea Circles
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard about crop circles, and the entirely terrestrial reason they pop up in the occasional wheat field. But what about strange circles on...
From the Vault: The Winter People, Part 2
23 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel like a different person during the winter? In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick examine the...