Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Underground Robotic Highways

03 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

As cars become increasingly sophisticated, more and more experts are contemplating the possibility of self-driving vehicles on automated highways. But...

You're Such a Tool (User)

01 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Tool use isn't unique to human beings -- many other organisms have proven capable of learning to use tools in both wild and captive environments. In t...

The Werewolf Principle: Adapting Humans for Space

27 Jan 2011

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 ...

Are computer viruses alive?

25 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Computer viruses can permanently damage the files of unprepared computer users, but does their behavior mean that they are living entities? Join Rober...

The Life Aquatic

20 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The oceans cover the majority of Earth's surface -- that's quite a bit of potential real estate. But what would it be like to live as an underwater de...

The Future of Pain

18 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Pain is a fundamental sensation. While it is by no means pleasant, it is certainly useful. In this podcast, Robert and Julie look at the newest scient...

Inception: I Dream of Science

13 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Modern science still hasn't completely figured out what purpose dreams. In this podcast, Julie and Robert tackle the mysterious realm of dreams. Tune ...

Junkies of the Animal Kingdom

11 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Human beings aren't the only organisms with a predilection for mind-altering substances. In fact, the natural world is filled with bingers and boozers...

Solar Sail Hobos Ride the Laser

06 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

NASA has been experimenting with solar sails that could become the future of spaceflight. But how do they work, exactly? Tune in as Julie and Robert b...

Beyond Human: Accessorize!

04 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that humanity's strong suit is making tools -- we certainly don't have the best physical adaptations for swimming or flying. But could ...

Is your gut a genius?

30 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, you can count on Robert and Julie to blow your mind with the latest -- and strangest -- stories from the world of science. Tune in and lear...

Fine Young Cannibals

28 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, you can count on Robert and Julie to blow your mind with the latest -- and strangest -- stories from the world of science. Tune in and lear...

Life on the 500th Floor

23 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

By 2050, experts believe approximately two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities. How will this urbanization change life for individual...

The Rock Star Weirdo Lives of Scientists

21 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that genius and eccentricity are related, but scientists can be downright weird. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the bizarre ...

Ladies' Night on Planet Earth

16 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

James Brown said that "it's a man's world," but he may have changed his tune if he'd seen the recent studies on gender and evolution. In this podcast,...

The Overview Effect: Tripping Out in Space

14 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Does life in space permanently alter an astronaut's mind? Join Robert and Julie as they analyze the physical and mental changes human beings experienc...

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound?

09 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound? Originally this question was made for meditative purposes, but answering the question incorp...

Probing Questions About Alien Abduction

07 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why are so many people convinced that they were abducted by aliens? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the history of alleged abductions, along...

Can music rebuild my brain?

02 Dec 2010

Contributed by Lukas

It's been said that music has the power to soothe savage beasts, but what scientific impact does music have on humans? In this episode, Julie and Robe...

Evolutionary Hangover

30 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Evolutionary Hangover: Vestigial traits are common in animals across the globe, but why? In this episode, Julie and Robert take a look at the genetic ...

Stuff to Literally Blow Your Mind

25 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, Robert and Julie bring you fascinating, mind-blowing stories about the strangest things in the natural world -- but how could your mind lit...

Has science explained life after death?

23 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have believed in the soul for millennia, and the evolution of science hasn't stopped the search for ghosts and the soul. In fact, modern scient...

You're So Vain, Earthlings

19 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

How do individuals relate to reality? How has humanity attempted to interpret its position in the universe? From navel-gazing to the geocentric univer...

Alien Etiquette 101

16 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

People from different cultures often interpret gestures and etiquette differently, and this can lead to serious misunderstandings. So how should human...

The Podcast that Turns People Inside Out

11 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by Robert's childhood fear of being turned completely inside out, our podcasters attempt to answer the age-old question: Can people really be...

Shush! The Creatures are Sleeping

09 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Not all animals need the same amount of sleep. Some people get by on five hours a day, while other animals (cats, for instance) can easily sleep upwar...

Man Vs. Flu

04 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Influenza is a virus that causes the flu, and it shares a long, lethal history with the human race. In this episode, Robert and Allison explore what's...

Cuddling up to the Cuttlefish

02 Nov 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Would you like a pet that can change its appearance and create decoys from ink? What if it also shot through the water via jet propulsion? Then the cu...

Into the Graveyard

28 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Many people find graveyards creepy, but what makes them so unsettling and spooky? In this special Halloween episode, Robert and Allison take you into ...

Hanging with Hawking

26 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Hawking is one of the world's most famous physicists, but why is he so famous? In this episode, Allison and Robert take a closer look at the f...

Mad Scientists: Frankenstein and the Fly

21 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Today mad scientists are common in fiction, and they appear in everything from comedies to science fiction. But they're also relatively recent. What m...

How Military Snipers Work

19 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Military snipers use sophisticated technology and specialized techniques to wreak tremendous damage on enemy forces. But how do they work? In this epi...

We Love the Periodic Table

14 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The periodic table is an invaluable tool for scientists across the planet -- but how does it work? In this episode, Allison and Robert explore the cre...

Science vs. Monsters!

12 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

For thousands of years people across the world have frightened (and entertained) each other by swapping monster tales, but how do these monsters hold ...

Monarchs Head for the Border

07 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Each year, monarch butterflies fly south across North America, returning north in the spring. Normally the butterflies would never live long enough to...

Noise Pollution: Pipe Down, People!

05 Oct 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Like any other form of pollution, loud noises can seriously affect your health over time -- and that's just the beginning. As Robert and Allison break...

Flat Stanley Across the 11th Dimension

30 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The world famous globetrotter Flat Stanley is used to encourage literacy in children. Since Flat Stanley is two-dimensional, he's a perfect jumping-of...

Will California fall into the ocean?

28 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Earthquakes are an inevitable part of living on Earth, and some places are far more prone to earthquakes than others. In this episode, Robert and Alli...

The Scientific Method

23 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays most people have heard of the scientific method, but what exactly is it? More importantly, how does it work? In the second segment of this tw...

A Thing Called Science

21 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Civilization relies on science and couldn't exist without it -- but what exactly is science? In this episode, Allison and Robert explore the definitio...

Altruism is Alive and Well

16 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

If a person helps someone else without receiving an award, then that person has committed an act of altruism. Or have they? In this episode, Robert an...

What did that bacterium say?

14 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Bacterial life is one of the most hardy life forms on Earth. But the impressive talents of bacteria aren't limited to durability. Tune in to learn mor...

The Wow Signal

09 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In 1997, researchers at Ohio State University detected an extraordinary signal from space. Could it have been a message from another civilization? Tun...

Packing for Mars with Mary Roach

07 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

As a science writer, Mary Roach has penned books on everything from cadavers to astronauts. In this episode, Allison and Robert interview Mary Roach a...

Emoticons Saved My Life

02 Sep 2010

Contributed by Lukas

An emoticon is a series of punctuation marks used to draw a picture and convey an emotion. But how did these emoticons come about, and why do they see...

Mulling over Maggots

31 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Maggots have a distinctive (and, some would say, repulsive) appearance. But throughout history doctors and healers have used maggots to treat ulcers a...

Latching on to Leeches

26 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

There are hundreds of different leech species, but they're all built for one thing: sucking blood. Join Allison and Robert as they take a closer look ...

Drilling for Offshore Oil

24 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Robert and Allison broke down the science behind oil exploration. In the second segment of this series, the hosts explore the process of dr...

In Search of Offshore Oil

19 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In an economy driven by fossil fuels, oil exploration is big business -- but how do scientists actually find oil? In this podcast, Allison and Robert ...

Are you mosquito bait?

17 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Why do mosquitoes love biting certain people (and ignore others)? In this podcast, Robert and Allison take a closer look at the science behind mosquit...

Prehistoric Monsters of the Deep

12 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

The Blue Whale is the largest living animal on Earth, but it isn't the first gigantic sea creature. In this podcast, Allison and Robert examine the pr...

Are lefties better at sports?

10 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly 10 percent of the human population is left-handed. This minority lives in a right-handed world, and many tools are made for right-handed peopl...

Evolution in Action

05 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Darwin's revolutionary study of evolution isn't even two hundred years old yet. In terms of evolutionary processes, this is a miniscule amount...

Diamonds Are a Scientist's Best Friend

03 Aug 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Although diamonds are incredibly expensive, they're only lumps of concentrated carbon (one of the most common elements on earth). So how do these diam...

The Smelly Science of Perfume

29 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Designed entirely to cater to the sense of smell, perfume occupies a unique position in fashion and society. But when we catch the whiff of a passing ...

Smells like Science

27 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Smells surround us: Astronauts say that space and the moon possess unique aromas, and many animals also have their own unmistakable odors. In this epi...

The Great Space Elevator

22 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that space shuttles need a vast amount of fuel to escape the pull of gravity -- but are space elevators a better alternative? In this e...

The Kardashev Scale

20 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

When Nicolai Kardashev began searching the universe for intelligent life, he built an energy-based scale to measure the progress of any given civiliza...

What is the smart grid?

15 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Think of the U.S. power grid as one gigantic (and outdated) machine. This system works relatively well, but it has a lot of drawbacks. In this episode...

Growing a Green Roof

13 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Are you stuck in the city, sweltering under the summer heat and missing the trees and grass of the natural world? Then why not transform the nearest r...

Prosthetic Limbs

08 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Prosthetic limbs have been around for thousands of years, but could they eventually become superior to organic appendages? In this episode, Allison an...

Predators, Reapers and Robotic War

06 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

We know that robots are taking over more and more tasks traditionally performed by humans -- but assembling cars isn't the same thing as waging war. I...

World-Changing Science Experiments: Part Two

01 Jul 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In the second installment of Robert and Allison's two-part series on history's world-changing science experiments, your favorite science writers take ...

World-Changing Science Experiments: Part One

29 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Science experiments aren't just for high school students. In the first installment of this special two-part series, Allison and Robert take a look at ...

Science and Wine

24 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Is the sense of taste subjective? Why are some wines bad news for people with particular allergies? If you're anxious for the answers, never fear: In ...

Death on Ice

22 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to freeze a body and bring it back to life? Through cryonics, scientists preserve bodies at extremely low temperatures, hoping to reviv...

Time Travel: Hey, Grandpa

17 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In the second episode of this two-part series, Robert and Allison check out the possibilities of travelling into the past. From wormholes to the grand...

Time Travel: Hey, Future Self

15 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone's familiar with the idea of time travel -- but how would it work? This week Robert and Allison explore time travel, and this episode focuses ...

Galactic Youngsters

10 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

It's difficult -- some would say impossible -- to comprehend the sheer size of one galaxy, much less the universe. But how do these gargantuan galaxie...

Will aliens destroy us?

08 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In science fiction, aliens are usually either incredibly benevolent or incomprehensibly evil -- but how would real extraterrestrials behave? Learn mor...

What's the dirt on composting?

03 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

If you're concerned about generating waste in your household, why not start composting? Breaking solid waste down with some help from microorganisms i...

Are robots alive?

01 Jun 2010

Contributed by Lukas

With each year, scientists are building increasingly complex robots, leading to one vital question: At what point does a robot become defined as a liv...

Road Trip: FIRST Robotics

27 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Robert and Allison take a road trip to the Georgia Dome, where they grab an exclusive look at the FIRST Robotics competition. Tune in...

Birth of a Planet

25 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

To most people, planets are one of the most familiar of astronomical objects. After all, we do live on one. But how do these massive spheres get their...

A Star is Born

20 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Like most things in the universe, stars begin as particles floating around in massive clouds of dust and gas. But what forces these particles to coale...

Why Science Fiction Matters

18 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Even people who don't care for science fiction know about the genre -- thousands of new science fiction stories come out every year. But why does scie...

Toilets in Space

13 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Every astronaut knows that life in space requires numerous adjustments -- after all, things just aren't the same without gravity. So how exactly does ...

Immunocontraception and You

11 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Immunocontraception is a humane type of birth control that's used to control wild animal populations. In this episode, Allison and Robert discuss the ...

Regenerate This!

06 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

According to Richard J. Goss, "If there were no regeneration, there could be no life. If everything regenerated, then there could be no death." But ho...

Save the Bats!

04 May 2010

Contributed by Lukas

As the only flying mammals, bats play unique roles in our world's ecology. Yet in caves across North America more than a million bats have fallen prey...

Death By Volcano

29 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

People often think of volcanoes as conical mountains erupting ash, smoke and lava into the air. But how do they work? Why are they so dangerous? Liste...

How old is that artifact in the window?

27 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Carbon dating is a way of determining the age of organic matter up to 50,000 years old. But how does it work? Listen in as Allison and Robert explore ...

What drugs are astronauts on?

22 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Make no mistake: Space is a very hostile environment. Astronauts in orbit suffer from conditions caused by the lack of gravity, small living quarters ...

The Virtues of Venom

20 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, venom could kill you -- but it could also cure you. The medicinal use of venom dates back thousands of years and continues to the present day. T...

Tetris vs. PTSD

15 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone knows that video games are entertaining -- but could they have therapeutical value? Tune in and learn how Tetris may help victims of post-tra...

Velociraptor Awareness Day

13 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Dinosaur appreciation days are few and far between -- but the Velociraptor is a special case. Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the amazing abil...

Black Hole Bonanza

08 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

A black hole forms when a star's core collapses, increasing in density until its gravitational pull becomes too powerful for light to escape. This cre...

Weapons that Changed the World

06 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Here's the crazy thing about war: It breeds innovation. Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have searched for ways to kill each other. Join R...

What can gravity do for you?

01 Apr 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Gravity is a pervasive and ambiguous force -- we still don't understand everything about it. Yet every physical act on our planet involves gravity. Jo...

Book Sniffers and You

30 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

You can learn a lot from a book's smell. For example, the books of heavy smokers tend to smell of smoke. When you smell a book, you're encountering mo...

5 Strange Things Written in Your Genes

25 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Genetic polymorphism describes a basic fact of human life -- that every set of genes is unique. However, scientists have been able to detect many phys...

Weighing the Human Soul

23 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 1900s, Duncan Macdougall set out to prove the existence of the soul. By placing consumption patients on a scale as they died, he tried to...

How To Get Lost in the Bermuda Triangle

18 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Stretching from Miami to Bermuda and Puerto Rico, the notorious Bermuda Triangle has a bad reputation for wrecking ships and planes. But how much of t...

Are you smarter than a dolphin?

11 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Dolphins are one of Earth's smartest animals. In fact, scientists still aren't sure exactly how smart a dolphin is in relation to the average human be...

Why do whales beach themselves?

09 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

When whales or other aquatic mammals wash onto the shore, they are usually unable to return to the sea without help. What exactly causes a whale to be...

Running with Parasites

04 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a fan of running outside without shoes? Many people enjoy walking barefoot, especially in warmer weather. Yet there's a dark side to the joy o...

How Hurricane Killing Works

02 Mar 2010

Contributed by Lukas

When hurricanes hit land, they can cause enormous damage over a short span of time -- but how can scientists stop these roving natural disasters? The ...

Topsy Rides the Lighting

25 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

What do Edison, Tesla and an unfortunate elephant named Topsy have in common? They were all involved in "The War of Currents," an ongoing battle over ...

Fight Fire with Fire

23 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard the saying "fight fire with fire," but could it actually work? Tune in as Robert and Allison break down the ways in which firefighters...

Those Crazy Komodos

18 Feb 2010

Contributed by Lukas

Located in Indonesia, Komodo dragons are one of nature's fiercest living reptiles. They're also the world's largest lizard. Tune in as Robert and Alli...