Petri Dish

Ep. 42 A Conspiracy of Ravens

Ravens, crows, and other corvids have held a special place in the human imagination for centuries, and deservedly so! In this episode, we discuss ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE in the context of ravens and crows. We talk about tool-making, inductive reasoning, and convergent evolution of counting! Funky stuff! Learn about these cool birds! Special shoutout to Dr. Swift (twitter: @corvidresearch), her twitter and blog inspired us to do this episode! Featuring a promo for the podcast Ignorance Was Bliss...

Ep. 41 Bats Part 2: They're Good!

In part 1 we talked about bat diseases and bat immune system stuff, but this episode is is all about how bats are cool! Bat pollination! Bat pooping! Bat bros! So much bat! Learn about these weirdos! Featuring a promo for the audio drama Oz-9! Check them out on twitter @Oz9podcast Email us at petridishpod -at- gmail.com. On twitter @dishpodcast and instagram @petridishpodcast. References: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/physzool.62.3.30157928 https://www.jstor.org/stab...

Ep. 40 Cellulite and Skincare

Hey! New episode! Part 3 of our series on skin, we welcome back Scientist Matilde Miranda to discuss cellulite and skincare -- a topic she is very passionate about! Learn about all her fancy skincare tips, and don't forget you can tweet us (@dishpodcast) or her (@mirandamspock) to ask questions! Featuring a promo for podcast Grief Burrito -- check them out https://linktr.ee/Griefburrito and on twitter @GriefBurrito! Email us at petridishpod -at- gmail.com. On twitter @dishpodcast and insta...

Ep. 39 Bats Part 1: Awesome AND Diseased

Bats are awesome and do so many useful things for the environment -- BUT that is all for part 2! Part 1 is about bats as disease reservoirs -- something they seem to do very well. We talk about what diseases bats are typically reservoirs for and what particular bat immune system characteristics might enable them to be so good at harboring viruses. This episode has some COVID-19 talk, so if you're burned out on that either skip the first 12 min or skip the whole episode! Also! Bats are trul...

Ep. 38 Immune System Part 2: Adaptive

Hey! New episode (and coronavirus free!) on the adaptive immune system! These are the cells that pump out antibodies, coordinate immune responses, and have memory so you can fight off diseases faster the second time around. Also featured is a note on immune system complexity, complex networks, and emergent properties! Trigger warning -- we mention the word 'suicide' in the context of cells telling other cells to undergo programmed cell death! If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, plea...

Ep. 37.5 Bonus Minisode: COVID-19 Part 5

Hi everyone, this is a SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 update episode on a treatment's (remdesivir) early experimental results, why antibody tests might not be the magic bullet everyone wants them to be, and one final discussion on the conspiracy that SARS-CoV-2 might be a bio-engineered virus. If you don't want any COVID-19 stuff going into your ear holes, avoid this episode! Listen to some of our other stuff, like our episodes on dogs, or skin, or acupuncture! Email us at petridishpod -at- gmail.com....

Ep. 37 Acne and Wrinkles

Hey! It is part 2 of our 4 part series on skin, this time on acne and wrinkles! In our first episode we had Matilde Miranda, skin researcher extraordinaire (@mirandamspock on twitter) tell us about Skin Biology. Well she is back! And she is telling us the secrets of what acne is (not always bacterial!) and where wrinkles come from! Skincare enthusiasts should check this one out! Email us at petridishpod -at- gmail.com. On twitter @dishpodcast and instagram @petridishpodcast. If you're a cr...

Ep. 36 Immune System Part 1: Innate

Hi everyone! Hope you are keeping it safe out there! This week we give you part 1 of 2 on the immune system. We'll be beginning with innate immunity this time and will be talking about the adaptive immune system in the next episode! What cells are on the front line, fighting on the front line to defend your body? Osmosis Jones! Check out our patreon at patreon.com/petridish email us at petridishpod -at- gmail.com. On twitter @dishpodcast and instagram @petridishpodcast. If you're a creator...

Ep. 35 Skin Biology

Hey folks! How about a corona- and disease-break? This special mid-week release of Petri Dish is about SKIN! This episode is part of a (non-sequential) series on skin-related bio stuff, in which we had a guest skin scientist, Matilde Miranda, sit in and chat with us about a bunch of different skin things. This episode is the primer, it is going to help you get nice and situated for the rest of the series, which will cover: acne, wrinkles, cellulite, skincare tips, aging, and the relationship...

Ep. 34 Epidemic: Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Hey! This is another in our series on pandemics... except there hasn't really been a pandemic of viral hemorrhagic fevers, just epidemics! But that doesn't make them less freaky-deaky, just think about how you feel about EBOLA. Ebola isn't the only virus in town though, so tune in to hear about all the different viruses that cause this class of illness. Content-warning! We discuss, at the end of this episode, a little comparison between ebolavirus and SARS-CoV-2. If you aren't into that, we...

Ep. 33.5 Bonus Minisode: CoronaTreatments

For the 16 people out there that aren't sick of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 information already, here is another BONUS MINISODE on just that topic! This time around we're covering treatments that scientists and doctors around the world are trying to use to fight COVID-19. We discuss the WHO's new clinical trial to gather some data on these treatments, talk about 5 of the treatments more specifically, and then go into debunking mode! Useful links on the latest number of infected: https://covidtrack...

Ep. 33 Pandemic: PLAGUE

The second episode in our pandemic series is about one of the OGs, plague! This sucker has killed hundreds of millions of people in the past couple millennia, but has been brought low by antibiotics (yay SCIENCE!). But is it gone forever? Nah. Also, bubonic plague as a bioweapon?! It isn't a new idea... Promo this week is for Controller Disconnected Podcast! Check them out at  https://www.condisconnected.com/  and on twitter @condisconnected We are also on twitter @dishpodcast and on insta...

Ep. 32 Pandemic: Tuberculosis

This new series of episodes we're doing is on different pandemic diseases throughout history, with our first disease being tuberculosis! The series won't be a bunch of episodes in a row, but as we do more and more diseases we will begin comparing different pandemics. This episode covers the modern tuberculosis situation (2 billion people infected!) and our long history with the disease. We'll talk about treatments, drug resistance, disease characteristics, and the vaccine. Featuring a promo...

Ep. 31 Dogs! Pupperinos Part 2

This is the second half of our two-parter on mankind's best friend! Last week's episode covered domestication and breeds. This week is about dog behavior, dog jobs, and dog fritos feet. Featuring a promo for the podcast Snark Tank -- check them out on twitter @SnarkTankPod and at http://SnarkTankPod.com References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635714000473 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616734.2018.1517812 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-01...

Ep. 30.5 Bonus Minisode: Corona-USA

SARS-CoV-2, HCOV-19, nCoV-19... Whatever you want to call this coronavirus, it is making a splash in countries all over the globe: big outbreaks in Italy, South Korea, and Iran, along with growing numbers of infected people (largely untested) in the USA. In this episode, Sean and Nathan discuss the US CDC's response to the coronavirus and dive a little into a paper about there being two potential 'strains' of this virus already. References: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.25...

Ep. 30 Dogs! (Because We Did One On Cats) Part 1

Humankind's best friend! Pupperinos! In this week's episode of Petri Dish Nathan and Sean talk about dogs! This is part 1, where we talk about the domestication of dogs and some biological information about dog breeds! In part 2 we'll go into of the science of dog behavior and biology.  Featuring a promo for the podcast Controller Disconnected! Follow them @condisconnected on Twitter! Follow us too @dishpodcast and email us petridishpod -at- gmail.com. If you like what we do, consider givi...

Ep. 29 Vaccines! Part 2

Hi Folks! If you're just stopping by, consider listening to Vaccines Part 1 to get info on the types of vaccines and what ingredients go into making them -- we use some of those terms here! In this ep we talk about how vaccines work on a cell level, how long and how well different vaccines work, and wrap it up with next-generation vaccines! Featuring a promo for Dad and Daughter Movies Podcast -- follow them on twitter @DDMovies2! If you like what we do, consider tossing $1 a month our way...

Ep. 28.5 Bonus Minisode: Still Coronavirus!

Hey! The novel coronavirus (now SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19) is still out and about, doing naughty stuff! But what do we know about this sucker now, a couple of months in to this not-quite-pandemic-yet? What are the latest stats on the number of cases, what countries should we be looking at, what do we know now about the biology of COVID-19, and also conspiracy theories are dumb. Get some info on this latest outbreak here on Petri Dish! If you like what we're doing here at Petri Dish,...

Ep. 28 Vaccines! Part 1

If you're a listener to this podcast, it is probably safe to assume that you have heard of vaccines and likely are pro-vaccine. But there is a lot of cool science going on under the hood of vaccines! This week on Petri Dish Sean, Nathan, and guest Andrei dig in to the stuff that make up vaccines, the different kinds of vaccines, and whether vaccines are dangerous or not (they aren't, really). This is part 1! In part 2 we talk about how they work on a cell biology level and what next-gen vacc...

Ep. 27 Intermittent Fasting: How, What, and Why?

Heya folks, today's episode is about intermittent fasting, a new(ish) and increasingly popular way of trying to lose weight. Is it just a fad diet, or something more complicated? How does someone go about doing intermittent fasting and what does it do on a biological level (as far as we know)?As a note: Intermittent fasting involves changing how and when you eat, and therefore is a topic that can be sensitive for those who have eating disorders. If you are concerned about the topic, please fe...

Ep. 26 CATS! (Not the Musical)

This topic was requested by co-host Nathan, who had read several news articles recently suggesting that cats are menaces, plagues upon the world and humankind. IS THIS TRUE?! In this episode, we begin with a brief history on the semi-domestication of cats, and then move into some of their cool and unique biology. Then we discuss cats as invasive species and cats as vectors for Toxoplasma gondii, a crazy parasite! Learn about catnip alternatives and landing on your feet, this week on Petri Dis...

Ep. 25 Aging and Immortality Part 2

Hey everyone, I hope you checked out our bonus minisode on the new coronavirus! Here is our regularly scheduled full episode, the part 2 on Aging and Immortality! This time we turn our focus to humans, and what the current science says about how to live longer and healthier! Can being hungry all the time make you immortal? Does NAD+ supplements or metformin do anything? Find out!If you like what we do, consider supporting us at www.patreon.com/petridish , even a few dollars a month would help...

Ep. 24.5 Bonus Minisode: Coronavirus!

Hi Everyone, Happy Year of the Rat! This is a special mini-episode we are releasing on the novel coronavirus currently infecting people in China (and now elsewhere). This short episode covers what a coronavirus is in general, and what we know about this new one. It also has a little conspiracy theory stuff at the end, but that's just for light hearted purposes, because all in all new diseases can be dour business. Listen in to learn some stuff, and realistically, don't panic! Referenceshttps:...

Ep. 24 Aging and Immortality Part 1

For folks in the USA, happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! This week on Petri Dish Nathan and Sean discuss the biology of aging. What does it actually mean to age, when some animals out there are biologically immortal and get to just hang out forever until they get eaten? What happens on a cellular level when we age? What can we learn from other species about the aging process? This is the first part of a two-part series -- next week we'll discuss human aging in the context of what we can try to...

Ep. 23 Booze and Hangover Science

Welcome to the first Petri Dish episode recorded in 2020! This one is about the science behind the effects of booze (ethanol), and our current best understanding of what hangovers are and what you can do about them! Would this episode have been more apropos if released closer to New Year's Day? Maybe, but we were all too hung over, so whatever. Tune in for a brief history of alcohol, a discussion of what ethanol does to you, and whether that stuff about a glass of wine a day being good for yo...

Ep. 22 What is Epigenetics?

In this week's episode, Sean and Nathan are joined by guest Liliana Escobedo to discuss epigenetics, which is either all of the stuff besides your genes that affects the functions of your cells OR non-genetic stuff that happens in your life that can affect your kids and grandkids, depending on what scientists you ask for a definition! Can eating too much food during your lifetime affect your grandkids through your sperm or eggs getting tweaked? Find out this week on Petri Dish!Featuring a pro...

Ep. 21 Human Sex and Evo Psych

Hey everyone, this week is part 2 of our episodes on sex, this time focusing on sex determination in humans and Sean's rocky relationship with the field of evolutionary psychology! Nathan and Sean discuss the XY chromosome system, the SRY gene, all sorts of things that can make people fall outside of the XX-XY female-male dichotomy, and more!This episode our very real promo is for a non-fiction horror podcast Pomegranates and Pitchforks! They cover true crime, mythology -- anything that has t...

Ep. 20 Animal Sex! Part 1

This week on Petri Dish Sean and Nathan dive into the apparently controversial topic of biological sex. In this part 1 of a two part discussion, Sean and Nathan talk about the biological basis for the concepts of 'male' and 'female' in non-human organisms ranging from yeast to plants to reptiles. They bring up different kinds of chromosomal systems, weirdos like the platypus and clownfish, and whether climate change could turn more sea turtles into ladies!In this episode we feature a promo fo...

Ep. 19 Cancer Part 2

Hey everyone, this week we complete our discussion about cancer. Last episode we talked about what cancer is, where it comes from, and what the different types are. This week, Sean and Nathan talk about the risk factors associated with cancer, the current treatment methodologies, and the next-generation of treatments that scientists are working on!Also featured in this episode is a promo commercial for another podcast called Songbirding, a chill podcast focused around listening to different b...

Ep. 18 Cancer Part 1

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and it is a biologically complex set of diseases, so Sean and Nathan dive in to the biology this week (and next week) on Petri Dish. Cancer affects almost everyone in the world, with millions of people diagnosed each year and almost everyone knowing someone who has had cancer. This episode, they talk about what cancer is, what the main theories are on the cause of cancer, and the different kinds of cancer out there. Next week we discuss current a...

Ep. 17 Cannabinoids Part 2

Welcome back to Petri Dish! Hope Americans had a nice Thanksgiving break, and are refreshed and recharged for another episode. We're picking up where we left off last time with part 2 of Cannabinoids. We discussed the plant, compounds, and briefly covered what they can do to you last episode. But this episode, we dive deeper into the purported health benefits and hazards of THC and CBD. We talk about cancer, glaucoma, and more!If you have any feedback, positive or negative, let us know! You c...

Ep 16. Cannabinoids Part 1

Hello and happy almost Thanksgiving to folks in the USA! In honor of a holiday that features stuffing yourself, we're covering the muchies-inducing plant, Cannabis, and the chemicals it produces. With more and more locations around the world decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana, this is a great time to ask yourself "what the fuck does this shit actually do, like real science-wise"? This episode, the first half of a two-parter on cannabinoids, covers info about the plant itself, the chemic...

The Wonders and Dangerous of Vaping

Hi Everyone! This week Sean and Nathan are joined by certified young person Griffin Allen, who has street-level knowledge about VAPING -- the recently-in-the-news drug delivery phenomenon that has seen an unexpected uptick in sending people to the hospital over the past year. How does vaping work, and how does it compare to traditional smoking? What can you vape? When people are sucking on USB drives, was that actually them vaping or are they just dumb? We'll get into it! Remember though! We'...

SPAAAACE!

On this week's episode, Sean and Nathan explore the human side of outer space! What happens to our bodies in microgravity? What are galactic cosmic rays? Will Disney own the Lunar Gateway Space Station?! Listen to find out, more or less!CORRECTION: Sean messed up! At a certain point, when discussing Van Allen Belts, Sean states that he thinks a portion of the International Space Station's flight path may slightly touch the edge of the inner Van Allen Belt. N O P E ! The ISS hugs the Earth pre...

Bite Me: Ticks and Mosquitoes

Spooky episode 13 is just dropping just a few days after Halloween! This episode is about disease vectors -- specifically ticks, mosquitoes, and the diseases they carry!Learn about how climate change is somehow going to make this stuff worse too! Find out which hemorrhagic fevers are percolating in those little critters.Sponsors: RAGE SALON; SUCKERS - The Sexy Vampire Dating App References:https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04598.xhttps://www.cdc.go...

Mind-Machine Interfaces

This weeks episode is a spooky sci-fi romp about how we're hooking up brains to computers and minds to machines back to minds again! Except it is all real science! Tune in to hear Nathan and Andrei tell Sean he's crazy, learn what Elon Musk is doing with his latest company, and whether this technology is going to destroy humanity before CRISPR does. For some visual references, I highly recommend this article by "Wait But Why": https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.htmlQuantum shit is not r...

Crispy CRISPRs and Gene Editing: Part 2

Part two of CRISPR and genetic editing! This time, we talk about what plants and animals we have already CRISPR'd! Also, we discuss CRISPRs in the context of human health. Then, at the insistence of Nathan and Andrei, Sean is forced to discuss the ethical conundrums that come up surrounding the democratization of genetic modification. Nathan starts this episode out with a trigger warning about GMOs, but a less facetious trigger warning for this episode is that we discuss CRISPR and genetic mo...

Crispy CRISPRs and Gene Editing: Part 1

Tenth episode of Petri Dish! Going to be honest, didn't think we'd make it this long. Sean and Nathan have a special guest for this episode, Andrei Daye. He's a dude who has read some stuff about CRISPR-Cas9 and how it is a --r e v o l u t i o n a r y-- technology, and wanted to know more! In case you hadn't heard, CRISPR-Cas9 is the hot new way to genetically modify DNA, and has been used in labs for all sorts of research including the controversial CRISPR-ing of those twins in China!But thi...

Extremophiles!

Our animal episodes seem popular, so episode 9 is a return to silly beasties -- in this case Sean and Nathan are talking about organisms that like to live in EXTREME environments, organisms called extremophiles.Sean and Nathan discuss the plural of octopus, with Sean starting out wrong with octopi (wrong!), Nathan offering octopussies (hmm) then switching to octopuses (best accepted answer). Sean tosses in octopodes, which is the correct plural form based on the etymology, but pretty much no ...

The Origin of Life

This week Nathan and Sean discuss the origin of life on Earth! Every cell in your body came, ultimately, from the zygote that was made when your dad’s sperm wiggled its way into your mom’s egg. And those little dudes came from another cell, and another, leading all the way back in time - a physical chain of cell divisions leading back to that very first cell. But what existed in the moments before that? Where did that cell come from?Error Thingy: Nathan asked Sean for a timeline on the origin...

Climate, It Is (Still) A-Changin' Part 2 Redux

Woah woah, we got the end of our first little microseries -- this time wrapping up CLIMATE CHANGE. In this episode, Sean tries to convince Nathan that doomsday scenarios are not cool, they're serious business. The dudes walk through the different potential climate scenarios, and some of the potential ways we can mitigate and reverse climate change. If you thought the first episode was dismal, this one really kind of turns it around near the end, sorta. Yeah!Errors n stuff: Nathan loves asking...

Climate, It Is A-Changin'

This week is part one of our two-part series on CLIMATE CHANGE. For part one, Sean and Nathan talk about what is causing climate change and how humans are involved in all of that. Part two (coming next Monday!) covers the different scenarios for what the world could look like in the year 2100, and what we can do to combat climate change! Stay tuned!In the episode, Sean praises China for building a lot of renewable energy, but he didn't know how aggressively India has been expanding their rene...

Elephants: TREE KILLERS!

Episode 5 of PETRI DISH! This episode is a prequel of sorts to our upcoming 2 part series on CLIMATE CHANGE (oh no!). In this episode, Sean tries to discuss ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS with Nathan, who keeps calling these critters Environmental Engineers, which is 50% right. He seriously did it multiple times, just couldn't say ecological.Anyway, what's up with these engineer guys? They're animals (including humans!) that shape, maintain, and even destroy ecosystems on a big enough scale to impact th...

Stick It To Me

Sean and Nathan wrestle with their doubts over acupuncture in the face of its glorious and undeniable efficacy! Learn about what the current science is on whether acupuncture does anything, what it could be physically doing (if anything at all), and a bit about the history of acupuncture as Nathan demonstrates his historian chops. Check out our patreon page!patreon.com/petridish References:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192271/https://www.nature.com/articles/srep16776#discussio...

Strange Animals and How To Make Them

What do the duck-billed platypus, antarctic toothfish, and sleepy lizard have in common? They exist, they're weird, and it is evolution's fault. In this episode, Sean and Nathan take a very very small survey of weird wildlife and some of the evolutionary forces behind their oddness.Check out our patreon page! www.patreon.com/petridishContact us about corrections and/or questions at petridishpod at gmail.comRate us on iTunes (we're up on iTunes now!), and/or check us out on Stitcher, Google Pl...

Petri Beef

Learn more about the future of meat on the second episode of PETRI DISH. Sean and Nathan discuss lab-grown meat, the not-yet-in-stores futuristic food option that involves growing animal cells in a lab and grinding them up for dinner! Korean Human LCD GIF: https://i.imgur.com/Cnd9rMs.gifvSmall Error Note! At 12:55 Sean says 'cellulose' but he was being dumb -- he meant 'collagen'.References for readin'https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081007228000127https://www.sciencedir...

Baby Got Gut

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the inaugural episode of PETRI DISH. In this episode, Sean and Nathan discuss what is living inside you -- the wonderful and ever-expanding world of the gut microbiome. The microbiome seems to affect things ranging from obesity and diabetes of Alzheimer's and allergies, and we do our best to dip our toes into the big scientific ideas involved in this microscopic world. We'll be trying to use these episode notes to include some reading, if people are feeling scientific...

Petri Dish (Trailer)