Tag: research
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The Batman Effect
New research conducted by psychologists in Milan shows that if Batman show up, we immediately become more altruistic and considerate. Jeff and Anthony dig into this heroic study, and discuss how it might be applied to making the world …
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Bird Poop in a Hurricane
The Streaked Shearwater Seagull is a remarkable bird. It intentionally flies into the eye of hurricanes. But when scientists strapped video cameras to the gulls to study the behavior they learned something else. These birds are superpoopers. Anthony and …
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Tales From the Crypt
For 60 years, between 1637 and 1697, people who died at the largest hospital in Milan were dropped into a brick-lined crypt. Now, 300 years later, their unearthed remains reveal shocking insights into the lives of the 17th century …
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Silence is Golden
New research aims to quality the health effects of silence. It turns out, just a few hours of quiet time per week can have striking benefits. Anthony and Jeff discuss their own relationship with silence, and how this study …
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Move with the Crowd
Researchers have discovered that dense crowds can spontaneously synchronize into collective oscillations, with hundreds of people moving in coordinated, swirling patterns. How did they do it? By studying the Spanish tradition of running with the bulls. Jeff and Anthony …
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Alpha Wolf Brain Parasite
A study of 26 years’ worth of wolf behavioral data, and an analysis of the blood of 229 wolves, has shown that infection with a parasite that can only reproduce in cats makes wolves 46 times more likely to …
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Bat-Powers Can Be Yours
Contrary to previous assumption, a new study shows that bat-like echolocation is a skill that can be learned by both blind and sighted practitioners in as little as 10 weeks. Anthony and Jeff discuss the ramifications of this discovery, …
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Spicy Expectations
A new study used varying levels of hot sauce to test whether the expectation of spice and discomfort impacted the actual experience. Jeff and Anthony discuss how our brains deal with expectation – and also the way this study …
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Not-So-Happy Slappy
The sport of Slap Fighting has taken the Internet by storm over the last year. But would you believe: it is stupid and dangerous? I KNOW. Jeff and Anthony discuss a new study that says the very good and …
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The Strangest Science of 2024
It’s time to celebrate the strangest, silliest, and most weirdly useful science of the last year! The Ig Nobel Prizes are back, and we’re going to cover this year’s winners.
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