Paper Boys
94 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsEach week, two PhD students read the research papers behind headline science news and give you the details you can't get in the stories.
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Episodes
What happened to the mice of Universe 25? (BONUS EPISODE)
May 21, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBWhat happens when you give a scientist, obsessed with biblical death, near unlimited control over a utopian city of mice? Well...a lot of death, it turns out. In the 1960's and 70's, Dr. John Calhoun created what should have been a perfect mouse city - unlimited food, shelter, and water with no predators or inclement weather. Then he let nature run its course. Within a few years, the city was in ruins. Listen in as we dive into the research paper detailing exactly what happened to the m...
Is solar reflective pavement the cure for hot cities?
May 14, 2020 05:20 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBAs urban environments grow and natural vegetation gets replaced with concrete and asphalt, “Urban Heat Islands” develop, where urbanized areas retain much more heat than surrounding rural areas. The increased heat in densely populated areas can pose significant problems to both comfort and, more importantly, people’s health. The City of Los Angeles is investigating new measures to reduce the heat island effect by making their asphalt more reflective--but how effective is this measure in redu...
What’s inside a Martian meteorite?
May 07, 2020 08:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBReturning rock samples from planets and asteroids can provide new insights into how the solar system, the universe, and life formed. But how much can we learn from meteorite samples that fell to the ground here on Earth? It turns out, quite a bit! Join us this week as we explore a new paper about a 4 billion-year-old rock from Mars that landed in Antarctica. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal cons...
Is eating sugar a gut instinct?
April 30, 2020 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
What happened in the Stanford Prison Experiment? (Bonus episode)
April 23, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBThis week is a bit different - instead of a fresh episode, we are sharing one of our bonus episodes covering the Stanford Prison Experiment. Tune in to hear how this seemingly innocent psychology experiment from the early 1970s went terribly wrong. If you like this episode you can find more like it at www.patreon.com/paperboyspod.
Did Oumuamua come from a destroyed planet?
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBOumuamua is an interstellar object that passed through our solar system in late 2017. It originally made the news thanks to several scientists suggesting its odd shape might be explained if it were a spaceship. New research on Oumuamua presents a much more tractable--and still extremely fascinating--explanation though. Join us this week as we dive into this new paper the search for Oumuamua’s origin. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? W...
Does traffic spread like a virus?
April 09, 2020 08:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
Why is Uranus losing its atmosphere?
April 02, 2020 08:00 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
Why do water balloons pop?
March 26, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34 MBAny kid can intuitively understand how much you need to fill a water balloon to effectively drench someone. But it turns out that predicting this quantitatively with physics is much more challenging! Join us James and Charlie this week for a look into an experimental physics paper that analyzed precisely when a water balloon (or any liquid-filled) balloon might pop. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of univer...
How can we suppress COVID-19?
March 19, 2020 08:00 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBThe coronavirus, COVID-19, has been spreading around the world since it was first detected in December 2019. Since then, drastic measures have been taken in communities around the world to limit its spread. Recent research from Imperial College London looked at how different suppression techniques such as social distancing and isolation could affect the spread, and, critically, the number available of hospital beds. Join us this week as Charlie and James dive into the different epidemiologic...
Why do gray whales strand during solar storms?
March 12, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBGray whales have some of the longest migrations on the planet--between 10,000-12,000 miles long each year! Sadly, they often get stranded on beaches. As weird as it may sound, scientists have found that the whales are more likely to get stranded during solar storms. What is the connection between whales becoming stranded and storms on our sun 92 million miles away? Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into new research that seeks to understand how these whales lose their way. Check o...
What has InSight discovered on Mars?
March 05, 2020 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBOver a year ago we covered the challenges that NASA’s InSight lander overcame to land on Mars and begin performing the first detailed seismographic measurements of Mars. The InSight science team has just published the initial findings from InSight’s measurements, detailing unexpected results about Mars’ seismic activity, magnetism, and more. Join us this week as Charlie and James explore InSight’s exciting new findings. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.co...
Can you stimulate consciousness?
February 27, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBConsciousness is challenging to study. We interact with consciousness everyday, and yet there are still so many questions. Learning about how consciousness arises and where it occurs in the brain could have a significant impact on medicine and fundamental neuroscience. It also begs the question, can consciousness be controlled? Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into new research about stimulating consciousness in the brain. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paper...
Why do extragalactic “fast radio bursts” repeat?
February 20, 2020 09:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBFast radio bursts are millisecond-long signals we detect coming from distant galaxies. They were only recently discovered in 2007 and we still have no clue what’s causing them. These radio bursts appear in short durations on earth at very low powers. At their origin, we have calculated their energies to be enormous--more than our entire sun gives off in 80 years! Join us this week as we dive into new discoveries about these mysterious astronomical phenomena. Check out the paper, news artic...
Do penguins speak like humans?
February 13, 2020 09:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBIt’s clear that birds can communicate. All you have to do is listen to their songs. But when they communicate, do their songs conform to the same linguistic laws as human speech? Join James and Charlie this week as they dive into a paper that analyzes the songs of African "jackass" penguins in search of deeper linguistic structures. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patre...
How should you talk to babies?
February 06, 2020 09:00 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
How did Mount Vesuvius' victims die?
January 30, 2020 09:00 - 41 minutes - 37.5 MBIn the year 79 A.D., the infamous Mt. Vesuvius transformed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum--as well as its residents. For a long time, archaeologists thought that all the victims died quickly, vaporizing from the hot ash and leaving their remains in the dust that cooled and hardened. However, new research analyzing their bodies suggests a grimmer story. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into fascinating new research that seeks to retell the last moments of Mt. Vesuvius’ victim...
How did Mount Vesuvius victims die?
January 30, 2020 09:00 - 41 minutes - 37.5 MBIn the year 79 A.D., the infamous Mt. Vesuvius transformed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum--as well as its residents. For a long time, archaeologists thought that all the victims died quickly, vaporizing from the hot ash and leaving their remains in the dust that cooled and hardened. However, new research analyzing their bodies suggests a grimmer story. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into fascinating new research that seeks to retell the last moments of Mt. Vesuvius’ victim...
How fast is the world's fastest spin?
January 23, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
Does tongue fat cause sleep apnea?
January 16, 2020 09:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBIt is estimated that sleep apnea affects nearly 1 billion worldwide. However, many of the mechanisms behind sleep apnea are still a mystery. New research has pointed to high levels of tongue fat as a primary factor controlling the severity of sleep apnea. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into the “thick” of it and learn about this new discovery. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal consta...
What's OSIRIS-REx doing at asteroid Bennu?
January 09, 2020 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBOSIRIS-REx is an exciting mission from NASA that seeks to return samples from asteroid Bennu back to Earth, providing insight into the original building blocks of our solar system. Touchdown on the asteroid is expected in August 2020, but the spacecraft has already learned a ton about its target. Join us this week as Charlie and James dive into a paper about new findings from OSIRIS-REx. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more ever...
The best science of 2019
January 02, 2020 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBJoin us this new year as we discuss the best science of 2019 that we never got to present on Paper Boys! Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod
Christmas special - Why do we believe in Santa?
December 24, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MB(WARNING: Do not listen with young children!!) For Christmas Eve, the Paper Boys tackle the everlasting mythos of Santa Claus. Why do parents encourage kids to believe? What reactions do kids have when they learn the truth? How far do some parents go to keep the dream alive? Do parents know how upset kids really are to learn the truth? Join us as we dive into a doctoral dissertation (with references all the way back to 1896!) exploring all these questions and more. P.S. we made this episode...
Does Europa actually have water plumes?
December 19, 2019 09:00 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBJupiter’s moon Europa garners a lot of attention for its potential to house life, particularly thanks to what are predicted to be vast oceans beneath the planet’s icy crust. From past observations made by the Galileo spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope, we’ve witnessed large plumes erupting from the surface. But what are these plumes made of? Are they made of liquid water or other materials? Join James and Charlie this week as they dive into ground breaking new research that confirms t...
Why does Enceladus have “tiger stripes”?
December 12, 2019 09:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBSaturn’s tiny moon Enceladus is of great interest to scientists for its unique features and potential for life. Despite its far distance from the sun, a vast ocean exists under its surface, and geyser-like jets regularly shoot water vapor into its atmosphere and space. For many years, planetary scientists have wondered how four deep, nearly parallel trenches formed near the planet’s south pole. Join us this week and Charlie and James nerd out on an excellent paper that digs into this mystery...
Is eating healthier better for the planet?
December 05, 2019 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBFood has a big impact on the world. What we eat can drastically affect our health. It can also have major consequences for the environment. But is there any link between the health and environmental impacts of food? Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into research that seeks to determine whether eating healthy is also better for the planet. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Ch...
How does hibernation work genetically?
November 28, 2019 09:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBWith winter setting in, it’s easy to wonder why we humans can’t simply hibernate. How is it that animals like bears can simply bypass eating and drinking for such a long time? Join us this week as Charlie and James dive into new research investigating the genetic mechanisms of hibernation in bears! Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!
Is there a universal "bit rate" of speech?
November 21, 2019 09:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBCertain languages have reputations for speaking faster. But, over the same amount of time do these languages actually convey more information than other slower languages? Would a slower, more complex language convey more information still? Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into new research that seeks to compare the amount of information transmitted by 17 different languages. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every ...
Can we save penguins from climate change?
November 14, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBWith their habitats heavily dependent on sea ice, Emperor penguins are extremely impacted by climate change in Antarctica. The 2015 Paris Climate agreement sought the commitment of nations to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees centigrade, but how would this level of warming impact emperor penguin populations? Join us this week as Charlie and James explore a new paper that sees if the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement are enough to save the penguins. Check out the paper, new...
Can we save the penguins?
November 14, 2019 09:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBWith their breeding sites heavily dependent on sea ice, Emperor penguins are extremely impacted by climate change in Antarctica. The 2016 Paris Climate agreement sought the commitment of nations to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees centigrade, but how would this level of warming impact emperor penguin populations? Join us this week as Charlie and James explore a new paper that sees if the goals of the Paris Climate agreement are enough to save the penguins. Check out the pape...
Can lasers hack your voice devices?
November 07, 2019 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBCell phones, tablets, home assistants, and even cars are leveraging voice control technology to add convenience to our lives. But are our voice controlled devices at risk for being hacked...by lasers? In an interesting new study, researchers figured out how voice controlled devices could be hacked inconspicuously using laser pointers. Join James and Charlie this week as they dive into the science and implications of the strange weakness in voice controlled systems. Check out the paper, news...
Did Google really achieve quantum supremacy?
October 31, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBIn a new paper in Nature, Google recently claimed that they achieved "quantum supremacy," or using a quantum computer to achieve a task that a classical computer could not. However, not everyone agrees with Google's results. IBM released a paper at nearly the same time that scrutinizes Google's calculations. Listen as Charlie and James dive into this week's paper and unpack this interesting debate on quantum computing research! Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspo...
Could Skin-On make your smartphone ticklish?
October 24, 2019 08:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBTouch screens are ubiquitous in technology today. We’ve grown very accustomed to using our fingers to tap and swipe our way through most tasks. But what if we could do more…like caress, or even tickle, our devices? New research looks at how “skin” interfaces might open up the ways we interact with our technology. Join us this week as James and Charlie unpack the research and discuss this cool (and very strange) new interface. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodc...
Can physical exertion lead to mental burnout?
October 17, 2019 08:00 - 51 minutes - 58.7 MBEndurance athletes are used to pushing themselves; most people would give up if they attempted similar feats. Does this constant push towards finishing difficult physical goals carry a mental burden as well though? Join us this week as Charlie and James take on a new paper about the mental tax of training on athletes’ brains. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/...
Nobel Prize edition: what was the first exoplanet?
October 10, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 50.2 MBThe 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to three researchers whose work significantly advanced our understanding of the universe. Two of the researchers worked together to identify the first exoplanet in the universe that orbits a star similar to our Sun. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into their research in astronomy and physics that won them a Nobel Prize! Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan...
Is Planet 9 actually a black hole?
October 03, 2019 08:00 - 46 minutes - 52.8 MBAstronomers have noticed a strange clustering of objects orbiting our solar system very far from the sun. Their grouping suggests that there might be a planet (dubbed “Planet 9”) responsible for this strange behavior. However, new research has proposed the idea that instead of being a planet, “Planet 9” could instead be a primordial black hole! Join us this week as Charlie dives into the paper behind this exciting proposition - and stay tuned to the end when Charlie blows James' mind with th...
How is the "darkest black" created?
September 26, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 51.9 MBThe material Vantablack made headlines a few years ago as being the “blackest black” color ever known. People were shocked by how this color would transform shapes, and the material even sparked deep running feud in the art community. Well now it turns out there’s a newer black that is 10X darker than Vantablack! Join us this week as James dives into a new paper about a process for growing carbon nanotubes that results in the darkest black we’ve ever seen. Check out the paper, news articles...
What’s the difference between vegetarians and meat-eaters?
September 19, 2019 08:00 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBHealth studies continuously debate the pros and cons of different diets, particularly vegetarian diets vs. carnivorous diets. Will one type of diet lower your risk for certain disease? Could the same diet increase your risk for other diseases? Join us this week as Charlie breaks down a new study making waves in popular science news about the risks and benefits of vegetarianism and carnivorism. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want mor...
Is intermittent fasting healthy?
September 12, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65.1 MBTalk of intermittent fasting has grown in the news. Some feel intermittent fasting is a new dieting fad, others claim that it’s an amazing technique to improve health and lose weight. But what does the research actually have to say on the subject? Join us this week as James looks at a study on the effects of intermittent fasting. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon....
Can you find a supernova in Antarctic snow?
September 05, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBOur planet is bombarded with tons of extraterrestrial dust every year. While much of the dust comes from asteroids, some of these particles may have come from supernovas - ancient stars that exploded nearly 20 million years ago! But finding this dust on Earth is tricky, and determining that the dust came from an exploding star is even tougher. This week Charlie takes on a new study from some “stellar” researchers who were up to the challenge. Thanks to Ben from Australia for the paper recomm...
Are self-citations a problem for science?
August 29, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBTracking the productivity and impact of research has always been problematic. Especially in the highly competitive environment of today where hiring and promotions can be tied to a single performance metric such as “total number of citations” or “h-index.” The problem is that these metrics don’t tell the full story of productivity. Different disciplines in science publish papers at different rates. And many times, your new papers are required to cite your old papers to avoid self-plagiarism....
How does an artificial tongue taste whiskey?
August 22, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65.6 MBFor the average person, the words used to describe whiskey can seem strange, if not completely arbitrary. Dignified vs. subtle, austere vs. rich, mouth-coatingly winey...the entire process of tasting feels extremely subjective. However, new research from the University of Glasgow is seeking to change that with their creation of an artificial tongue that can differentiate the subtleties between very closely related whiskeys. Join us this week as Charlie dives into exciting new research that m...
Can you hide secret messages in music?
August 15, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBCheck out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!
Do you really need 10,000 steps a day?
August 08, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBNearly everyone has heard the advice “walk 10,000 steps per day to be healthy!” As fitness trackers like FitBit have grown in popularity, many people use the 10,000-step benchmark as their goal for daily fitness. But where did this goal come from? And are there actually measurable health benefits if you walk 10,000 steps per day or more? Join us this week as Charlie dives into new research that seeks to quantify the benefits of your daily step tally. Check out the paper, news articles, and ...
How is Neuralink hacking the brain?
August 01, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 59.3 MBNews channels have been buzzing with the new press releases from Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink. The company hopes to develop new devices that could change the way humans interact with technology by interfacing directly to the brain. Join us this week as James dives into a publicly-available paper published by Neuralink to learn more about the technology that has lit up popular science news. Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com. ...
Was Stonehenge built using pig fat?
July 25, 2019 08:00 - 42 minutes - 59.3 MBStonehenge has puzzled people for centuries. What was the purpose of such a massive rock formation? And how were people able to move such large boulders from quarries 50-150 km away? As scientists and archaeologists have learned more though, a new mystery has appeared: why is there such a high concentration of pig fat on pottery found in the area? Join us this week as Charlie explores a new paper looking at how pig fat may have facilitated the construction of this famous, mysterious site. C...
Can your brain see into the future?
July 18, 2019 08:00 - 42 minutes - 58.3 MBRecent research has sparked popular news headlines about the brain “seeing what’s around the corner.” Can your brain actually look around corners? Well, not quite...however, fascinating research from the University of Glasgow has shown that the parts of your brain responsible for vision actually try to predict what you’ll see next--even faster than the time it takes to move your eyes side to side! Join us this week as James breaks down this fascinating neuroscience paper. (Big shout out to D...
How can you measure the expansion of the universe?
July 11, 2019 08:00 - 53 minutes - 73 MBIn the early 20th century, Einstein, Hubble, and other scientists confirmed the universe was expanding. With the exception of a few nearby galaxies, nearly all galaxies are moving away from us. Scientists have long been tempted by the challenging problem that arises from trying to measure how fast these galaxies are moving away, resulting in some fascinating findings. It turns out that by measuring the gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars, we might just find a better answer! Join...
Does caffeine make you burn fat?
July 04, 2019 11:00 - 46 minutes - 63.9 MBMost people don’t need an excuse to drink caffeine in the morning. Pick your poison: whether it’s coffee, tea, or an extra large Red Bull, caffeine’s psychoactive effects are evident. But could that same drug be kickstarting your body to burn more calories than you would be otherwise? Join us this week as James looks at new research studying the effects of caffeine on “brown fat,” the fat we have that helps regulate our body temps and keep us healthy (as opposed to “white fat” that stores ene...
Can seals learn to sing and talk?
June 27, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65 MBResearchers have long been puzzled about how human language evolved. Humans’ ability to create complex, flexible, spoken language stands out in the animal kingdom, but little is known about how language developed, and particularly, how animals evolved to repeatedly create novel recognizable sounds (“formant modification” as it’s called in the study). Could any other animals learn to manipulate sounds in a similar matter and associate these sounds with meaning? Join us this week as Charlie br...