Stuff To Blow Your Mind
Episodes
The Necessary Spice
23 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Spices are essentially chemical weapons. They protect a plant from animals and microbes. yet humans long ago learned to hack these defenses and use th...
Scrooge: Post-traumatic Embitterment Disorder
18 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Was Scrooge's bitterness an actual mental disorder? And was his visitation by the ghosts of the past, present and future his subconscious mind's attem...
Deconstructing the Grinch
16 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Find out why the Grinch had the personality of a toadstool sandwich, with arsenic sauce. Robert and Julie explore the physiology of the Green One, not...
Mystery of the Antler
11 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Why do deer and moose boast antlers? How does this material grow faster than any living vertebrate bones on Earth? You'd think we'd know the answers t...
Bring Your Own Oxygen
09 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What if you could suck all the oxygen out of a room with a nifty piece of material? Soon you may be able to with a crystalline material that stores, b...
The Future of Tattoos
04 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're a tattoo virgin or a sleeved-and-stamped ink enthusiast, there's no denying the cultural staying power of the tattoo. But where do we g...
The Science of Tattoos
02 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Tattoos allow us to make the outer body reflect the inner self. In a life of flux, they allow us to make names, symbols, gods and ideas a semi-permane...
The Science of Comfort
27 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What does comfort mean to you? Thanksgiving dinner? A cup of tomato soup and a warm blanket? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Rober...
Surviving Thanksgiving
25 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You may not be the turkey on the chopping block, but holiday get-togethers with family can make you feel that way. Find out how to navigate the holida...
Fecal Transplants and You
20 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What if you were suffering from a debilitating bacterial infection and you found out that pumping someone else's fecal matter into your rectum could v...
Listener Mail: Arnie's Revenge
18 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Robert and Julie bow down to the will of Arnie the Mailbot and finally get to the mounting stack of listener mail. Tune in for discussions on past epi...
Reboot the Biosphere
13 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Sure Biosphere 2 was the laughingstock of the science community when its mission came to a close in 1993. (Blame the Star Trek-like uniforms.) But sci...
Two Years and 20 Minutes Inside Biosphere 2
11 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Enter Biosphere 2 with Robert and Julie and tour a technological wonder of the early 90s -- a 7,200,000 cubic foot Earth-in-miniature. Find out about ...
The Spiral of Silence
06 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard someone say something you disagreed with and kept your opinions to yourself? You, my friend, just fell into the spiral of silence....
Mass Hysteria and the Mad Gasser
04 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Did a masked madman terrorize a sleepy Illinois town with a paralyzing gas gun? Or did something equally bizarre transpire back in August of 1944? Len...
The Science of Uncanny Music
30 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Why is scary music so scary? Why does an uncanny tune creep us out so? Is it all context and culture or is there something deeper at work? In this cla...
What's in a witches' brew?
28 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Gather round the cauldron with Robert and Julie as they ladle out hefty servings of magical thinking, medieval psychedelics, feminist history and the ...
The Dark
23 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What about darkness is so unsettling? Find out about the most extreme instances of an absence of light and how it works on our bodies. Learn more abo...
Steven Johnson: How We Got to Now
21 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Glass, Cold, Sound, Clean, Time and Light. Just a random collection of items in the physical world, right? Not in the hands of science journalist Stev...
Trypophobia: Fear of Holes
16 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Phobias can arise from all sorts of lurking dangers, like venomous snakes. But holes? Is trypophobia really a thing? Find out why a person might fear ...
The Zen of Pain
14 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Can pain elevate us to a higher state of conscious? Can we find peace and forgiveness with self-inflicted cuts and lashes? Join Robert and Julie as th...
The Infinity Hotel
09 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a hotel with infinite rooms and infinite guests. Do you fancy they have space for one more late arrival? Join Robert and Julie as they check i...
Infinity + One
07 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Contemplate the boundless. Contemplate the endless. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss what infinity is, what infinity isn't and the philosopher's ...
Wendigo...
02 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What are we to make of this evil spirit of Algonquin folklore, said to transform unfortunate travelers into cannibalistic monsters? Have true accounts...
The Horror Movie Aphrodisiac
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Are horror movies a sure-fire aphrodisiac? Does the haunted house really exit into the bed room? Join Robert and Julie as they examine the old scary m...
How Rewilding Works
25 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Anthropocene era has exacted quite a toll on Earth's ecosystem, but could rewilding reverse the damage and restore balance to Earth? Could it brin...
The Ghosts of Evolution
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We now inhabit the Anthropocene era -- one where man-made environments have displaced entire ecosystems and the plants and animals that inhabited them...
Money and Happiness
18 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Can money buy happiness? Find out if being flush with cash really makes a difference in your outlook. Join Robert and Julie once more for a fascinatin...
Greed Redux
16 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like more money? Sure, we all would. In this encore presentation, Robert and Julie dive into the world of Scrooge McDuck, King Midas and loo...
The Myth of Average
11 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Find out why using statistical averages to understand individuals is a crappy strategy for healthcare and education. Robert and Julie also look at how...
Ignorance is Bliss
09 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we humans sometimes stick our heads in the sand -- even at the risk of our health and well-being? Robert and Julie explore the topic of informa...
Attention Schema Theory: Consciousness and God
04 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Life is an enduring mystery. We're forced to unravel the mystery of human consciousness from within, while the enigma of cosmos bears down on us from ...
Gaming the Flow
02 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Join Robert and Julie as they explore what is to enter "the flow state," a place of both clarity and ecstasy that some say leads to ultimate contentme...
Syphilis Through The Ages
28 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It's difficult to overstate the impact of syphilis on the Western world, and it remains a threat to this day despite effective antibiotic treatments. ...
Syphilis: The Great Imitator
26 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Doctors have called it the great imitator because this destructive venereal disease can manifest almost any symptom. Initially spreading through sexua...
The Mathematics of Happiness
21 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a mathematical equation for happiness? Is there a formula for contentment? Explore the science and chase the ephemeral in this episode of Stu...
The Power of Origami
19 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There's far more to origami than paper swans. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the mathematics and real-world appl...
Quarantine
14 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, we've all seen medical quarantines against infectious disease in the movies, but how do they work in real life? Find out in this episode of Stuf...
Understanding Ebola
12 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The word "Ebola" is enough to summon feelings of fear, body horror and even xenophobia. But don't give in to paranoia. In this episode of Stuff to Blo...
The Scientist and the Shaman: Hallucination
07 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert continue their discussion of the overlap between shamanism and cognitive neurosci...
The Scientist and the Shaman: My Egoic Mind
05 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A shaman consumes a psychedelic mushroom and visits the spirit world. Meanwhile, a scientist studies the effects of psilocybin on depression and conce...
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 2
31 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie d...
Wind Beneath My Surgical Wings, Part 1
29 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Can science give us the wings we've always envied in birds? Can plastic surgery elevate us to a higher human form? In this episode, Robert and Julie d...
Lost Continent: Part 2
24 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There's something intoxicating about the notion of a lost continent. Imagine an entire landscape - perhaps even an entire civilization untouched by We...
Lost Continent: Part 1
22 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There's something intoxicating about the notion of a lost continent. Imagine an entire landscape - perhaps even an entire civilization untouched by We...
Humanity's Lullaby
17 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Lullabies are soothing, grotesque and universal. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the surprisingly rich world of h...
Earwax: Portable Time Capsules
15 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we have ear wax? Why does it build up and what can it tell us about ourselves? Enter the mysterious ear canal in this sticky new episode of Stu...
Ballad of the Electric Fish
10 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
How does the electric eel generate its juice and how did six different lineages of bioelectric fish evolve on this planet of ours? Find out in this ep...
Junk Food Junkies
08 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Why does junk food hold such power over us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie get to the bottom of modern humanity's favori...
Designer Genes
03 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Gene therapy, DNA analysis and genetically modified organisms are increasingly part of our everyday reality. But where is this road taking us and how ...
Summer Reading 2014
01 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for a good, intelligent beach read? Join Robert and Julie for their annual Summer Reading episode, loaded with fiction and non-fiction reading...
A Perfect Circle
26 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What is a mathematically perfect circle and why doesn't it exist in our universe? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Ju...
Neural Pixie Dust
24 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The future of brain-machine interaction will expand human intelligence and forever alter our experience of reality, but where are we now and how long ...
The Science of H.P. Lovecraft
19 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary weird fiction author H.P. Lovecraft revolutionized our understanding of supernatural horror in the early 20th century, but he was also a sci...
Listener Mail: The Power of Names
17 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
As a follow-up to their podcast episode on the nominative determinism, Robert and Julie share YOUR thoughts on names and the power of names in this sp...
The Future of Addiction
12 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Highly addictive substances like meth and heroine are formidable enemies for the recovering addict, but what does the future hold for their treatment?...
The Science of Addiction
10 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What is addiction? Why are some people predisposed to it and what happens in the brain when addiction takes hold? In this episode of Stuff to Blow You...
The Status of Flatus
05 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Status of Flatus: What is a fart? What's the science behind passing gas and why does volume, frequency and stench very so much from person to pers...
The Troglofauna of Fraggle Rock
03 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Troglofauna of Fraggle Rock: What do the fun-loving denizens of Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock" have in common with real-life cave animals? Find out i...
Supernormal Stimuli
29 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
No longer limited by the constrains of their environment or biology, humans have remade their world. Why walk when you can soar? Why shout when you ca...
Heartbeat in the Brain, Hole in the Skull
27 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Trepanation is an ancient surgical procedure and we've found the millennia-aged skulls to prove it - each punctured and gouged to relieve inner-pressu...
You Are Here: Proprioception
22 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
How do we know who and where we are in this ocean of chaos? It's easy to take this question for granted, but the answer goes beyond our five senses an...
A Boy Named Sue
20 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A Boy Named Sue: What's in a name? Does a parentally-bestowed "Fred" force one fate on a hapless child and "Moon Unit" or "Brock" quite another? Join ...
The Science of Beards
15 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
You've probably been wondering, "Is there any data about facial hair, particularly gloriously groomed beards?" Why, yes, there is. Find out how facial...
Over the Moon
13 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Over the Moon: What if we, over at the mother company Earth, Inc., looked at "assets" in our solar system like a corporation looks at its assets? What...
Future Shock: Part II
08 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Future Shock: Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock" envisioned a future human civilization outpaced, overstimulated and mentally stunned b...
Future Shock: Part I
06 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Future Shock: Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler's book "Future Shock" envisioned a future human civilization outpaced, overstimulated and mentally stunned b...
The Cuckoo Mafia
29 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Cuckoo Mafia: Sure, humans have their organized crime, but what about the Earth's other residents? Are their animal mafias? How does "crime" even ...
The Habitable Epoch
24 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Habitable Epoch: What if we're wrong. What if life isn't a rarity in a dead cosmos, but rather a common occurrence in the habitable epoch 10 to 20...
Rise of the Vampire Bat
22 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Rise of the Vampire Bat: It's a hard-knock life for an exclusive blood drinker, yet somehow three species of vampire bat take full honors as the only ...
The Shadow People
17 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Do strange shadow people haunt the corners of our existence, or is there a scientific answer within the human brain? Join Robert and guests Ben and Ma...
Rites of Spring
10 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The season of rebirth may be one of the most uplifting seasons humans experience, with a sense of renewal and meaning materializing before their eyes ...
Through the Looking Glass
08 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
What are we to make of the mirror world? We surround ourselves with looking glasses, yet rarely understand exactly what we're observing. Our reflected...
Extreme Survivors of the Animal World
03 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Extreme Survivors of the Animal World: Think you've got what it takes to hack it in an unforgiving world? You may have the brains, human, but creature...
Outsourcing Memory
01 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Outsourcing Memory: From digital photography to Internet spellcheckers, we allocate more and more of our cognitive processes to the cloud. But what do...
Labyrinths
27 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Labyrinths: Join Robert and Julie once more for their classic series on mazes and labyrinths. Having escaped from the confusion of the Minoan maze, it...
Mazes
25 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Mazes: Join Robert and Julie once more for their classic series on mazes and labyrinths. In this episode, enter the Minoan maze and wander its endless...
Acid Flashbacks
20 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Acid Flashbacks: Are acid flashbacks real or are they merely a ghost story of psychedelic culture or anti-drug messaging? In this episode of Stuff to ...
A Musical Time Machine for the Brain
18 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A Musical Time Machine for the Brain: What is music doing to our perception of time? It seems to transport us to the past. It speeds things up and slo...
Your Body Odor,Your Destiny
13 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Your Body Odor,Your Destiny: Can body odor be destiny? Can it portend health or illness, who we're attracted to and repulsed by? Find out in this pung...
Maneater
11 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Maneater: What happens when an animal turns maneater? Is it the irresistible taste of human flesh? Is it the ease of a human kill? In this episode of ...
Listener Mail: Strange Sleep and Past Lives
06 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Strange Sleep and Past Lives: In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie once again call forth the robot and take care of some accum...
The Barry White Effect
04 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Barry White Effect: What does voice quality tell us about sexual fitness in a potential mate? Do the deep, velvet tones of Barry White have a scie...
Empathic Elephants
27 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Empathic Elephants: The elephant is Earth's largest surviving land creature and an example of nature at its most majestic. But these amazing creatures...
The Illusion of Continuity
25 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Illusion of Continuity: What is perceptual constancy and how does the illusion of continuity pull a fast one over our brains? Find out in this epi...
Reincarnation Blues
20 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The metaphysics of reincarnation are nothing short of enthralling, from the notion of an immortal soul drifting through myriad life forms to the intim...
Night Janitors of the Brain
18 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Night Janitors of the Brain: Do you think other species ever look at humans and raise an eyebrow at the amount of sleep we need? Do cockroaches an...
My Slimey Valentine: Slug Sex Revisited
13 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Slug Sex: Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a Valentine's hater, Robert and Julie have quite the episode for you. Prepare to have your mind blown ...
The Problem of Immortality: Terror Management Theory
11 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are haunted by death. It awaits us all with open arms and all we can do is dream of its blissful antithesis: immortality. And so we've construc...
Leechpunk: The Power of Leeches
06 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Power of Leeches: Are leeches mere bloodsucking parasites or do these creatures have a place in modern medicine? Plus learn about the very real 19...
The Meaning of Stonehenge
04 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Meaning of Stonehenge: Stonehenge remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the ancient world. Was it a burial ground for aristocratic famili...
The Building of Stonehenge
30 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Building of Stonehenge: Rising up from the plains of Salisbury, England is a mammoth structure that has existed for 5,000 years. How was it constr...
It's a Trap!
28 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
It's a Trap: Humans aren't alone in their ability to craft a clever trap out of their surroundings. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert...
Memory/Story Editing
23 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wish you could take a troubling event from your past and dial down the memory without subjecting yourself to total recall erasure? Explore the sc...
Werewolf Principle: Adapting Humans for Space
21 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Werewolf Principle: Will astronauts of the future be able to adapt their physiology for long-term space travel and life on other planets? In this ...
Hibernation: The Ultimate Suspended Animation
16 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Hibernation: What is hibernation exactly? Is it the opposite of sleep? Is it the future of manned space exploration? Revisit the topic with Julie and ...
The War on Creativity
14 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The War on Creativity: There's an entire industry dedicate to creativity and innovation. But do people - and corporations-really want to "think outsid...
Up in the Air
09 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Up in the Air: How long can a bird stay in the air? How about an airplane? From human flight to the future of laser-powered drone aircraft, the answer...
Brain Hacking 101: New Habits for a New Year
07 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
New Habits for a New Year: How long does it take to make or break a habit? Is this really the year you make major changes or learn a new craft? Robert...
Cluttered Desks, Cluttered Minds & Toddler Hands
02 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Cluttered Desks, Cluttered Minds and Toddler Hands: Toddlers might not seem like scientists when they mash up a banana or throws noodles at the wall, ...