Tag: measure

• 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]

  March 10, 2023Episodes

• Hibernation Information and Measuring a Second

  Can humans reach new planets by hibernating during the trip? A new study on hibernation reveals how the benefits of torpor don't scale with size, and Jeff and Anthony debate the science of human hibernation. Then, what does it take to accurately measure a second? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the effort to redefine the unit of measure that relates to all others. [more]

  July 8, 2022Episodes

• Prehistoric Boning and Micromorts

  Scientists know a surprising amount about the historical period when Neanderthals and ancient humans were interbreeding, including whether they kissed and the nature of their sexual organs. Jeff and Anthony take a look at this data with the dispassionate professionalism of real scientists who've seen the trailer for the Croods. Then, the unit measure known as the Micromort quantifies your chance at dying from any number of day to day activities. Anthony and Jeff are obsessed with death, but they might find new ways to employ this illuminating value. [more]

  January 23, 2021Episodes

• Zeptoseconds and Mummy Twinkies

  Scientists have measured the shortest unit of time ever: the time it takes a light particle to cross a hydrogen molecule: 247 zeptoseconds. A zeptosecond is a trillionth of a billionth of a second, or a decimal point followed by 20 zeroes and a 1. Anthony and Jeff sort through all of the smallest units of time and how they were named. Then, Colin Purrington thought that Twinkies could never go bad, so he bit into one he had been holding onto for 8 years. What he found led him to send it to some fungi scientists. Jeff and Anthony discuss what happened to these horrifying treats, perfect for Spook-tober! [more]

  November 2, 2020Episodes