Recent Posts
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Floating the Idea of Solar
An international team of researchers has done a global analysis on the potential of floating solar panels, and the results are striking. Jeff and Anthony discuss the feasibility of using reservoirs to harness solar energy, and why more countries aren't doing it. [more]
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Another Brick in the Mall
Back in 2003, an artists collective calling themselves the Tummerkind moved into a gap between stores in a shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. Over the next few years, they lived rent free in that very public space, unbeknownst to the shoppers and retailer alike. Anthony is fascinated with this story and presents it to Jeff as a Chronicle of a Badass. Do you agree? [more]
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The Weight of it All
How much do all the wild mammals that roam the Earth weigh? Which wild mammal accounts for the most cumulative weight? Does any of this matter? Jeff and Anthony look at a remarkable project attempting to quantify the weight of biomass on Earth to see how measuring something seemingly unmeasurable can actually make the human impact on the planet clearer. [more]
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Another One Fermi
The Fermi Paradox is the story that started We Have Concerns, and Anthony and Jeff return to the topic this week. There is new research that might explain why we haven't seen evidence of alien life in the universe, and it's shockingly simple. [more]
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Let the Bugs Eat Your Plastic
Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. Could this be the natural remedy that saves humanity from itself? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the ramifications - and challenges - of this discovery. THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED IN OCTOBER. ANTHONY DID NOT GET HIT BY ANOTHER TRUCK [more]
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18 Again
With unlimited funds and intense commitment, is it possible for a 45 year old to have the body of an 18 year old? That is what tech billionaire Bryan Johnson is finding out with his Project Blueprint, an extreme organ-by-organ regimen he and his team of 30 doctors have created. Jeff and Anthony step through the process to determine is Johnson is a pioneer or a Dracula. [more]
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Crisis at Earth’s Core!
Mainstream news has picked up on a report that the molten core of the Earth has stopped spinning, and, in fact, might reverse direction. This has led to wild speculation and dire predictions. Anthony and Jeff dig a bit deeper themselves, and get to the core of the matter - the poor job of reporting the actual science of this discovery. [more]
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How Many People Have Ever Lived?
It is a simple question that requires some pretty complicated investigation. Calculating the number of people who have ever lived since the dawn of humanity is part science and part art. Jeff and Anthony dig in to the fascinating process by which scientists have come up with a pretty definitive answer. Are you able to guess it? [more]
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Work Less, Have More Kids, and Be Kind
Sometimes, when something seems obvious, science still needs to confirm it. This week, Anthony and Jeff take a look at a trio of stories that may seem not to require investigation, but reveal interesting subtleties upon further study. First up, a look at how working fewer hours may lead to happiness. Then, a report on how and why Americans are having fewer children. And finally, a report that shows acts of kindness are actually therapeutic. [more]
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The Quietest Room on Earth
Inside a building in Minneapolis, there is a room so quiet that people believe an hour inside will drive anyone mad. It is so quiet, they say, that you will hear the sound of your own internal organs. A writer from the New York Times recently decided to put that claim to the test by breaking the record for the longest stay inside. Jeff and Anthony look at the history of anechoic chambers, and decide how long they could last in the deafening silence. [more]
Do NOT join our secret society. You’ll just wind up with a bunch of cool stuff. It’s gross.