Tag: chair

• Extreme Sitting and Worldwide Trolley Problems

  Robert “Robby” Silk, 49, has pioneered the sport of competitive chair-sitting, an endurance activity that involves sitting in extreme environments, from sun-up to sundown without any sort of time pieces or electronic devices. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether this trailblazing behavior makes him a badass. Then, is the infamous "Trolley Problem" considered differently by different cultures around the world? A group of researchers decided to find out, and Anthony and Jeff take a look at the results. [more]

  May 21, 2022Episodes

• Rice Guys Finish Last

  How you behave in Starbucks may reveal something about whether your ancestors grew wheat or rice. That’s the conclusion of a new study in China, which finds that people descended from wheat farmers—who largely rely on themselves—typically drink coffee alone, whereas descendants of rice growers—who must work with their community to build complex irrigation fields—tend to sip in groups. Jeff and Anthony wonder where Pumpkin Spice Latte drinkers came from. [more]

  May 30, 2018Episodes

• Halve A Seat

  Psychology grad student William Blatz built a remote-controlled trick chair that would collapse when he pressed a switch. He then had subjects sit in the chair while wearing electrodes to measure heart rate and other vital signs. Blatz's goal was to "study the physiology of fear under controlled, repeatable conditions." Jeff and Anthony take a seat and discuss Blatz and his life's work. [more]

  January 8, 2018Episodes