Science... sort of
364 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 660 ratingsConversations about things that are science, things that are sort of science, and things that wish they were science.
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Episodes
Ep 156: Science... sort of - Mars 'n' Stars
November 11, 2012 07:03 - 1 hour - 57.3 MB00:00:00 - Not to alarm you, but it's possible we're all living in a simulation (see Rationally Speaking for a primer). Some physicists have thought up a measurement that might prove our reality or show it for the farce it is. Ben poo poos, and the conversation meanders back and forth between philosophy and physics, eventually just settling on The Matrix. 00:36:28 - Drinks can help you simulate happiness. Ben enjoys the oddly spelled Jamaican Cream Soda Sof Drink. Charlie has risks his tong...
Ep 155: Science... sort of - Less is More
October 30, 2012 07:58 - 1 hour - 35.9 MB00:00:00 - Elphant hair: curious leftover or useful coolant? New research suggests the latter, and Derek Mead of Motherboard is here to fill in the sparsely haired gaps! 00:18:02 - Elephants spray water on themselves to keep cool. Since humans sweat, we don't waste precious liquids on our skin when they can easily be put in our mouths. Derek is double-fisting a hometown favorite Sierra Nevada Tumbler brown ale and a new experience in the Peak Hop Noir. Patrick justifies his Gnarly Head Zinf...
Ep 154: Science... sort of - Whether Or Not We Should
October 24, 2012 00:34 - 1 hour - 49.6 MB00:00:00 - After some time back east Patrick has started wondering if we should kill all the mosquitos. An article from Nature intern Janet Fang explores the issue and the paleopals discuss their own awesome ideas on the matter. 00:25:00 - Like male mosquitoes, the paleopals also prefer plants to blood, but for the purposes of the show the guys usually weight for it to ferment a bit first. Patrick "enjoys" a Corona light, Ryan points out that his beer is overpriced based on it's isotopic co...
Ep 153: Science... sort of - The Armadillo at the End of the Universe
October 11, 2012 02:57 - 1 hour - 43.2 MB00:00:00 - Diane Kelly decided to tell the story of how she came to accept scientific sacrifice through the lens of the armadillo penis. This, somehow, leads a larger discussion of scientific storytelling prowess. 00:23:55 - Drinks are a lot like penises, often unexpected and sometimes disappointing. Ryan enjoys the Canadian-made Unibroue Grande Réserve 17, because somebody has to represent the beers of the great white north. Ben enjoys the 'soft' version of the piña colada as made by SoBe....
Ep 152: Science... sort of - A Strong Tail Wind
September 24, 2012 09:02 - 1 hour - 52 MB00:00:00 - Dave Hone talks to Patrick and Ryan about his research into tail length. Turns out there is a lack of consistency and it just might throw everything into a tizzy. Ryan seems fixated on mammals like a jerk. Plus we get an update on the state of his various web project including the ever-entertaining Ask a Biologist, of which Ryan is a proud contributor. 00:37:06 - Drinks are a lot like tails, they vary in length and strength. Jacob touts his "perfect" margarita. Charlie and Ryan t...
Ep 151: Science... sort of - Beers, Bibles, and Bombs
September 24, 2012 08:30 - 1 hour - 45.9 MB00:00:00 - Ryan chats with some of the geographers from the Floating Sheep blog about their stastically rigorous maps charting beer vs. church in the tweets of Americans. What state will win? What state will lose? How will this affect the electoral college? Tune in to find out! 00:36:21 - Big data projects like the one above require alcohol. Literally. It was one of two search parameters. The Paleopals are silmialr in this regard. Patrick has Old Dominion's English Style Ale. Again. Nothing...
Ep 150: Science... sort of - Nostalgia in a Glass
September 24, 2012 02:34 - 1 hour - 48.5 MB00:00:00- Scottish Loch Ness tour guide Captain George Edwards claims to have the best phoot of Nessie yet and Steve D. wants to know what the Paleopals think. We're not impressed, scientists find new species regularly. Neither is the uncredited token skeptic from the clip Benjamin Radford, who hosts the Monster Talk podcast. Ryan attempts to debunk, Charlie finds a conflict of interest, and Patrick comments on the aesthetics. The faithful will no doubt remember that our first episode starte...
Ep 149: Science... sort of - Keeping It Fake
September 10, 2012 15:40 - 1 hour - 49.6 MB00:00:00 - Phil Edwards, the Senior Fake Scientists at Fake Science Labs, joins Patrick and Ryan to talk about his new textbook: Fake Science 101, for when facts are too confusing. Be sure to follow the continuing adventures of the unreal reality by following the Fake Science tumblr blog. 00:39:37 - Drinks can make you feel things that a fake, best just to bottle it up. Kelly joins the show just in time to ruin Ryan's surprise by drinking a gifted Yazoo Hefeweizen. Ryan has a long story inv...
Ep 148: Science... sort of - Through The Looking Gas
September 07, 2012 02:25 - 1 hour - 40 MB00:00:00 - PhD Candidate Trey Mack joins the Paleopals to talk about KELT, a tiny telescope that's able to find planets orbiting other stars. Trey gives us the basics, then we get sidetracked asking him just how he got into this whole astronomy gig in the first place. 00:17:53 - Drinks can also be hard to find, especially if you've already have a few to begin with. Ben, who can't have artifical colors, settle for a Glaceau Vitamin Water Lemonade flavor, to help him through a 'hot' Canadian ...
Ep 147: Science... sort of - Flash Fried Frog Legs
August 28, 2012 22:35 - 1 hour - 43 MB00:00:00 - Much like podcasters, frogs try to avoid talking over each other. It really screws with getting noticed by a mate. They do such a good job that tech nerds are trying to figure out how have networks work the same way. Ribbit. 00:21:05 - Frogs like to take a dip in the drink, whereas the Paleopals like to dip drinks into their mouths. This week Ryan begins with a Triple Digit Aftermath Scotch Ale, just because he can. Ben is very excited about his not too sweet Jamaican grapefruit ...
Ep 146: Science... sort of - Relative Position, Absolute Precision
August 21, 2012 15:16 - 1 hour - 41 MB00:00:00 - A theory is nice, but without the right tech it can sometimes be hard to test. Such was the case with the popular "selfish herd theory" and it took some very precise GPS and some perturbed sheep to finally prove it right. 00:17:12 - Drinks are more fun when you're in a herd. Charlie has mixed feelings towards his Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment. Kelly is refreshed by a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. And Ryan has to explain his B-Craft Black Double IPA by Arcadia Ales. 00:...
Ep 145: Science... sort of - Mind the Gape
July 29, 2012 22:44 - 1 hour - 38.9 MB00:00:00 - Brown snakes may have reached Guam, but once there how do they reach between tree branches? New research shows how these tiny snakes would rather go up than across. 00:19:26 - Drinks bridge the gap between sobriety and drunkenness. Patrick sups a Naked Grape pinto grigrio. Ben kicks back some guava nectar from Egypt. And Ryan has a Jashimi cocktail invented by Jacopo Falleni. 00:24:45 - Ben and Ryan argue over comparisons to other movies while Patrick laments the plot twist seen...
Ep 144: Science... sort of - The Art of Movement
July 25, 2012 07:28 - 1 hour - 42.9 MB00:00:00 - You might never need to plug in your electric car if we just went ahead and made the roads moving charging platforms. Expensive? You bethca! Worth it? Eh... 00:22:40 - One way to get a charge is via ethanol, which consumed in moderation should never require the insertion of wires into your body. You figure out what that means. Jacob went foul by freezing his Yuengling Black & Tan, but he doesn't mind a mixed beer slushy. Charlie enjoys the gift of Rittenhouse Straight Rye whiskey...
Ep 143: Science... sort of - Hot and Bothered
July 18, 2012 19:50 - 1 hour - 42.9 MB00:00:00 - A new Zune review fails to distract the Paleopals from noticing just how hot it's been. According to NOAA, the organization not the dude, it really has been "hot as balls" out lately, and the weather has been whackier than usual too boot. The last time it got this hot might have been the PETM, which we mention here but have talked about in a bit more depth on a previous episode. 00:22:53 - Drinks help you beat the heat. Believe it. Patrick is feeling patriotic with his all-Ameri...
Ep 142: Science... sort of - Running from the Truth
July 04, 2012 15:26 - 1 hour - 50.7 MB00:00:00 - Lousiana wants to implement vouchers to send kids to private schools. Problem is some of these schools teach Creationsist science and math. And it seems the Loch Ness Monster is their ace in the hole to disprove evolution. So there's that... 00:25:07 - Drinks dull the pain of bad science. Ryan has a merlot with a marshmallow. It's a think he's been meaning to try. And Kelly kicks back a Cabernet Sauvignon, which apparently is an old favorite for her. Who knew? Jacob has a Bold C...
Ep 141: Science... sort of - Hot Dog
June 26, 2012 22:55 - 1 hour - 52.2 MB00:00:00 - Supervolcanoes could striek at pretty much any moment. At least that's what Ayla has to say as she joins from a mid-reconstruction New Zealand to tell us all about her research into potentially destructive magma chmabers just waiting to strike! 00:25:53 - Drinks cool you down as the magma heats you up. Ben has some weird vita malt thing from Denmark. He loves it. Ryan suspects it tastes like beer and Ben just doesn't know what that tastes like. Ben washes it down with a banana, y...
Ep 140: Science... sort of - With Great Power
June 22, 2012 04:35 - 1 hour - 47 MB00:00:00 - LeMans is a race that takes 24 hours. It's a Motorsport thing, which comes dangerously close to SPORTZ. So the Paleopals call in reinforcements in the form of Joe Batwinis. Why attempt to recreate Car Talk at all? Because the race was won by a diesel hybrid, and that's quite interesting. 00:21:07 - Drinks are also of interest, at least to the presenters of the show. So here's what they were having. Jacob was loving his saison from Smuttynose. Patrick is perplexed by his Harpoon I...
Ep 139: Science... sort of - The Augmented's Lament
June 12, 2012 16:24 - 1 hour - 39.7 MB00:00:00 - Daniel H. Wilson returns to talk to us about his new novel Amped, as well as his recently published Wall Street Jounral op-ed about the futur eof human augmentation. Hear our first interview with Daniel where we discussed his first novle Robopocalypse in episode 95. 00:22:45 - Kelly has beer on the brain after trying the local craft offering: Good people coffee oatmeal stout. Charlie kicks back a Campari sprtiz and laments the loss of beetles in his beverage. And finally Ryan has...
Ep 138: Science... sort of - Longshot Ideas
June 06, 2012 17:22 - 1 hour - 46.7 MB00:00:00 - Because according the media, 3 disparate events make a global trend, the CDC had to come out and assure everyone that we are not at the beginning of a zombie apocalypse. That being said, no reason you shouldn't prepare anyways, right? 00:17:08 - Jacob enjoys a Dark Night in Munich, a Longshot beer from Sam Adams. Ryan has a Stateside Saison from Maryland. And Ben kicks back with mango nectar from Egypt. 00:23:04 - The Americans try to educate the Canadian on US history, which is...
Ep 137: Science... sort of - Leaving A Mark
June 05, 2012 05:38 - 1 hour - 40.6 MB00:00:00 - Turns out that thing your grandpa did, you know the one, well it's why you have green eyes. Or something like that. Epigenetics is tricky, thankfully Kelly is here to help sequence a new study about how mice respond to stress generations later. 00:24:17 - What you drink now could effect your great-grandkids, so why waste time? Patrick returns to a new favorite in the Loose Cannon, surprising Ryan with his embrace of hops. Ryan keeps it local with a West Mountain Brewing Co. IPA a...
Special Edition 8: Science... sort of Theater 2 - Star Trek
May 20, 2012 15:34 - 2 hours - 73.8 MBWe had so much fun with Jurassic Park that we've decided to come back with our second installment of Science.. sort of Theater 3000! Or something like that. This round we're tackling J. J. Abrams 2009 reboot of Star Trek! If you don't have the movie, don't worry, it's available for instant play from Amazon at this link here. Jacob and Ryan start things off with some instruction for how to sync up the audio then they're joined by Kelly, Ben, and Charlie to watch the movie. We hope you enjoy l...
Ep 136: Science... sort of - Media (Flea) Circus
May 15, 2012 15:43 - 1 hour - 49.7 MB00:00:00 - Science keeps chugging along, and the media keeps reporting it wrong. This week Patrick and Ryan go toe-to-toe in the friendliest of ways with recurring guest Brian Switek and newly minted guest Derek Mead in a discussion of how the science gets reported based on an article by Derek and a how-to guide by Double X Science. 00:32:27 - Having been told that reporters drinks, the Paleopals decide to do the same. Derek downs a Modelo Especial sin Lima, because apparently cirtrus in "c...
Special Edition 7: Science... sort of - AntiAntiEvolution Rally
May 13, 2012 16:16 - 5 minutes - 5.05 MBThis short special edition is a recording of the speech I gave to a group at a rally on April 14, 2012 opposing HB0386 and supporting good science education in TN. My open letter to the governor is available here, and the following is a transcript of my speech: My name is Ryan Haupt, I'm a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. I came to Nashville specifically to study how species evolve in response to climate change, so this bill hits very close to home. I was raised in a state where e...
Ep 135: Science... sort of - Heads and Tails
May 07, 2012 05:35 - 1 hour - 43.3 MB00:00:00 - Jason Head joins us to talk about Titanoboa, the largest snake ever found and subject a new documentary starring Dr. Head himself. Part 1 tackles the initial discovery and piecing together of the biology of the snake. We actually recommend watching the documentary (or play the game) first, but you're a smart person, you'll figure it out regardless. 00:27:29 - Some snakes function better in the water, some scientists podcast better with a drink. Charlie tries his hand at cider, Pa...
Ep 134: Science... sort of - Tilling the Stars
May 02, 2012 18:29 - 1 hour - 36.9 MB00:00:00 - This week the Paloepals are joined by Ryan Brown of the Glacial Till blog! He joins us to break down some space rock basics for diving into our second segment. SYNERGY! 00:16:55 - In the future drinks might come from asteroids. For now they just come from bottles. Ryan B. has a Down Under Stout by Red Hook. Charlie believes in Ninkasi's Believer. Patrick wades into Heavy Seas with a Loose Canon. And Ryan H. tries to balance confusing weather with a Dogfishhead 75 Minute IPA. 00:...
Ep 133: Science... sort of - Bones, Feathers, and Talismanic Scat
April 24, 2012 23:56 - 1 hour - 45.1 MB00:00:00 - Tyranosaurs be feathered! David Hone joins Patrick and Ryan to talk about the cuddliest of all megapredators just released from the fertile fossil fields of the Orient! 00:27:57 - With new dinos out of the way the guys kick back for a cold one. Charlie keeps consistent with a Coors Light, Patrick thinks it's a lovely day for a Guinness, Zach Weiner has a NEW handcrafted cocktail: Thai Iced Weiner. And Ryan harkens back to Zach's first appearance and tries to show him how to do a ...
Ep 132: Science... sort of - Under Pressure
April 19, 2012 04:50 - 47 minutes - 27.1 MB00:00:00 - A new study sheds light on the effects of social hierarchies in monkeys, which may then help us understand why those of lower social status are less healthy than their well-to-do peers. Finally, monkeys helping the poor instead of just messing stuff up. 00:11:39 - Drinks, they're what monkeys wish they had to unwind. Charlie ups the ante with a Drake's IPA. Patrick keeps it local with a Starr Hill Jomo lager. And Ryan is perplexed by the hipster can of his Sixpoint Resin Imperial...
Ep 131: Science... sort of - Sex Kidneys and Other Distinctions
April 16, 2012 19:06 - 1 hour - 38.2 MB00:00:00 - What's the point of being smart if you don't get to argue about the little things? The Paleopals start the show by breaking down some of the pedantic scientific distinctions brought up on io9. 00:27:09 - While there may be no real distinction between left and right, we know for sure that at least one hand of each Paleopal holds a drink, the question is, what is it? For Patrick it's and Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout. Kelly enjoys a Real Ale Rio Blanco, complete with a drawl. Ryan...
Ep 130: Science... sort of - Old Lander On The Moon
April 04, 2012 18:47 - 1 hour - 38.6 MB00:00:00 - The LRO, everyone's favorite lunar orbiter, has taken some photos of Space Race era Soviet landers which has finally answered pressing questions such as: did the lander fall over? and, why was this rock so weird? 17:24 - It's easier to drink on Earth than on the moon, especially carbonated beverages such as Ben's Canada Dry ginger ale or Jacob's Cold Nose brown ale. Ryan, however, would be sipping just fine on his Balcones Rumble, whatever the gravity. 00:23:22 - Trailer Trash T...
Ep 129: Science... sort of - Amateur Hour
April 01, 2012 20:25 - 1 hour - 35.8 MB00:00:00 - Amateur astronomers have been pouring over a cloud on Mars. What could it be? No one is quite sure, but no matter what it's a game-changer for the red planet. 00:16:55 - Mars may be dry but the Paleopals are not. Charlie has an IPA that would be good if not for a better one earlier in the week. Ryan cracks open a microbrew in a tallboy. And Kelly supports gay rights with a decaf Starbucks coffee. 00:22:49 - This week's Trailer Trash Talk is on the trail of a The Hunter, a new mo...
Ep 128: Science... sort of - Mile High Club
March 20, 2012 05:44 - 1 hour - 38.3 MB00:00:00 - Male fruit flies hit the bottle harder after rejection from females. There's brain chemistry involved which might actually help humans suffering from depression and PTSD. A study of drunk flies that could help humans? Potentially the perfect win-win science study. 00:16:26 - In the wake of St. Patrick's Day, what are the Paleopals enjoying? Jacob has a faux-Irish beer with a Killians. Charlie has a possible bourbon with Maker's Mark (including an excellent sounding recipe for bre...
Ep 127: Science... sort of - Padre de Chupacabra
March 16, 2012 16:30 - 1 hour - 40.3 MB00:00:00 - Illustrator David Peters thinks a tiny pterosaur was a vampiric leach of larger sauropods. Does paleontologist Chris Bennett agree? Should we ignore evidence so we can live in a world with blood sucking pterosaurs? These are the important questions of our time, people. 00:23:28 - Some drinks that aren't blood include: a Kona koko brown as enjoyed by Charlie, water from a mug via Ben, Newman's own wine as imbibed by Kelly, and the classic beer and a shot combo Canadian style consu...
Ep 126: Science... sort of - Science Chronicles
March 14, 2012 20:32 - 1 hour - 41.4 MB00:00:00 - Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson joins the Paleopals for the first time in 101 episodes to talk about NASA budgets, exploration, and his new book Space Chronicles! Be sure to check out Dr. Tyson's own podcasting efforts on the show Star Talk Radio. 00:36:17 - Drinks, they're a part of the show, so they get a segment. This is that segment. Ben has a typical (for him) weird coconut drink (with jelly). Charlie has a midday can of Cocoa-Cola Classic. And Ryan has a hasty gimlet. 00:39:31 - T...
Ep 125: Science... sort of - Zombie Plants and Hungry Fungus
February 28, 2012 04:59 - 56 minutes - 32.3 MB00:00:00 - The Russians are repopulating their tundra with 30,000 year old squirrel leftovers i.e. they germinated a plant from a 30,000 year old seed (sort of) and now they have a pretty flower. Awesome. 00:13:18 - Drinks are needed to make plants and Paleopals grow. Jacob has BAWLS, don't ask. Kelly has a favorite win. And Ryan has a Dark Depths Baltic IPA that he's happy to explain. 00:17:38 - Ryan subjects Kelly and Jacob to the insanity of Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie on this ...
Ep 124: Science... sort of - The Lake Lake Show
February 21, 2012 00:36 - 1 hour - 34.6 MB00:00:00 - Lake Vostok is perhaps the most difficult to get to lake in the world. Yet the Russians have spent over a decade attempting to tap it. What's the deal? Why so interesting? And is it even a good idea? There's a lot to say about Vostok and the Paleopals waste no time diving right in. (Also: Secret Nazi Hilter clones from the South Pole, you can't make this stuff up.) 00:22:00 - Many people enjoy drinking near lakes. The Paleopals are no exception. Patrick is sitting on and sipping ...
Ep 123: Science... sort of - Bio-feedback
February 17, 2012 15:48 - 1 hour - 48.8 MB00:00:00 - Brynn Metheney joins us to talk about coffee, aparently, but also her new world-building project 'The Red Valley' and her new print for sale featuring a very familiar mascot. 00:18:31 - This week we're dealing with feedback asking about biology. Leslie L. wants to know about ring species and Summer F. asks about genetic bottlenecks. Charlie explains. (Just kidding, Ryan and Patrick explain, but Charlie asks good questions.) 00:40:35 - Everyone is drinking something new. Charlie ...
Special Edition 6: Science... sort of Theater 1 - Jurassic Park
February 13, 2012 22:22 - 2 hours - 77.3 MBAnd now for something completely different! We Paleopals figured it might be fun to watch a movie together. We also figured it might be fun for you to join us. Thus this experiment was born. So the entire crew sat down and watched the 1993 cinematic classic Jurassic Park, while simultaneously on Skype and these are the results. This show is intended as a fun and scientificially informed running commentary to be listened to while watching the movie. Jacob provides instructions in the first fe...
Ep 122: Science... sort of - Finding a New Course
February 08, 2012 19:32 - 1 hour - 51.5 MB00:00:00 - Bora Zivkovic chats with Ryan about Science Online 2012, the unconference that we're happy to have clutter our twitter feeds! Then Jacquelyn Gill returns to tell us about her experiences as a participant as the very same conferences. Two perspectives?! It's like real journalism in here. 00:34:34 - Taking a cue from #Scio12, the paleopals also kick back with a beverage. Guest Jacquelyn is chilling out with some hot ginger lemon tea. Patrick is searching for nirvana in a Japanese b...
Ep 121: Science... sort of - Diamonds are for Feather
January 30, 2012 01:53 - 1 hour - 34.9 MB00:00:00 - Are you dying to know how diamonds make it to Earth's surface? Well the answer just might kill you. Abraham Padilla joins the Paleopals once more to talk about gas-powered kimberlite super-volcanoes on steroids. BOOM! 00:22:20 - Beer is also gas powered... sort of. Charlie has a beer of a different sort with his Bundaberg ginger beer from the land down under. Ben is stocked up on weird pop and this week choses to enjoy a Blue Sky Cherry Vanilla Cream Natural Soda. The name is as ...
Ep 120: Science... sort of - Black Swans
January 24, 2012 03:26 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB00:00:00 - David Shiffman, from the Why Sharks Matter blog, joins the Paleopals to discuss the recently discovered hybrid shark in Australia. He has a lot to say about the media coverage of sharks, global warming, and this story in particular. Be sure to check out Southern Fried Science for more marine science blogging! 00:33:04 - Fact: sharks are found in water. Fact: Water is a drink. Fact: The Paleopals have drinks. Conclusion: the Paleopals are actually sharks. Charlie breaks out a Boo...
Ep 119: Science... sort of - Lost In Transmission
January 16, 2012 19:06 - 1 hour - 36.5 MB00:00:00 - This week Ben, Jacob, and Ryan start the week off by getting the science behind temporal cloaking with Alessandro Farsi. If you can make sense of it you win a laser to the ye, but you'll also be able to avoid it, so there's that. 00:23:00 - Drinks are only hidden by cloaking them in your mouth. Boring Ben has plain old water. Jacob has tossed some top shelf Canadian whiskey into a Pepsi. And Ryan brings up the rear with a Snow Cap from Shelly. 00:27:00 - Trailer Trash Talk gets ...
Ep 118: Science... sort of - Not What They Seem
January 09, 2012 15:09 - 55 minutes - 31.5 MB00:00:00 - Kelly tell us about the fascinating world of kleptoparasites, specifically silverfish that hide inside ant colonies with chemical mimicry. Patrick and Ryan interrupt. 00:14:55 - Drinks also use chemicals, and they hide inside your glass until attacking your mouth. Patrick picked Kona's Coffee Porter, he's been there before, and he'll go back again. Kelly also chooses an old favorite in Great Lake's Edmund Fitzgerald. And finally, Ryan has brought something back from the slopes of...
Ep 117: Science... sort of - Wrapped Up In Science
December 20, 2011 07:18 - 58 minutes - 33.7 MB00:00:00 - Kepler (the satellite, not the dude, who would be a zombie at this point) done found us a planet within the habitable zone of a star a mere 600 light years away. THANKS KEPLER! 00:13:08 - Drinks are like planets, wait long enough and one of them goes away. Ryan has some holiday cheer with Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2010. Patrick is double-fisting an unimpressive Guinness black lager and a more palatable Lagunitas, even if they messed up their holiday schedule. And finally Ch...
Ep 116: Science... sort of - Subnormal
December 13, 2011 08:09 - 59 minutes - 34.2 MB00:00:00 - Naked mole rats are even more awesome than previous thought: their sperm is terrible. Doesn't sound like a good thing? Well how come their awful sperm still works just fine? Because mole rates cannot be stopped, that's why. 00:11:53 - Like it or not, drinks are a part of the show and thus require a moment of discussion. Charlie has an old standby in the form of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Patrick has a nondescript merlot, he can assert that it is in fact red. Ryan has a hot buttere...
Ep 115: Science... sort of - Feeling Crabby
December 06, 2011 23:59 - 1 hour - 37.9 MB00:00:00 - Who knew crustaceans could be so crafty? An amphipod has evovled the ability to spin silk like a spider, except under water! Fraught with awesome imagery and potential medical applications to be sure. 11:11:11 - Every week we consume something on air and this week those consumables varied more than usual. Kelly has crafty Norwegian chocolate with an unexpected surprise. Ben has homo milk from a bag? We don't know either, Canada is even weirder than previously imagined. Ryan desce...
Ep 114: Science... sort of - Giving Thanks II, The Thankening
November 30, 2011 22:49 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBIt's time for the annual Thanksgiving Science... sort of special! Each year the Paleopals pick an extra-long PaleoPOW and cover it in a little more detail than usual. Just like the pilgrims did. 00:00:00 - Charlie starts things off with an e-mail from Michal about our dismissal of Evolutionary Psychology. Maybe the PaleoPOWsevolved to think that it's just not up to snuff? 00:24:56 - Ben has a question from Liz about anti-gravity. He answers it with his usual aplomb, while artfully plugging...
Ep 113: Science... sort of - Mo' Money, Mo' Science
November 21, 2011 02:15 - 1 hour - 46.8 MB00:00:00 - Jai Ranganthan joins Paleopals Charlie, Jacob, and Ryan to update everyone on the #SciFund Challenge. First and foremost, congrats to our own Kelly Weinersmith on being the very first project to get fully funded! Yay! But the Paleopals go one further and actually highlight a few projects that caught their eye. Jacob was intrigued by the dolphin with the backwards fin, mostly because he lives near a beach and this was the closest to an engineer project he could find. Charlie real...
Special Edition 5: Science... sort of - Switek, SVP, and Socialized Science
November 21, 2011 02:11 - 36 minutes - 20.8 MBBrian Switek is fast becoming the arbiter of the special edition. This time Ryan and Brian sit down in person at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas to opine on the goings on of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. They discuss some of the cool talks and posters they saw, the benefits of socializing science, and even the very reasons meetings like this exist. Enjoy! And as always, be sure to follow Brian on Twitter (@Laelaps), subscribe to his blog, and buy his book,...
Ep 112: Science... sort of - Philosophy... sort of
November 13, 2011 22:55 - 1 hour - 51.4 MB00:00:00 - The Paleopals are joined by Massimo Pigliucci, of Rationally Speaking, to talk about philosophy, science, and philosophy of science. This here is the bulk of the episode, so enjoy as Dr. Pigliucci waxes poetic about the deep inner workings of the scientific system we all hold so dear. Be sure to read the blog and listen to the podcast of Rationally Speaking. But be especially sure to pick up Massimo's book: Nonsense on Stilts 01:06:07 - After we say goodbye to Massimo (and his ...
Ep 111: Science... sort of - Land of the Lost in Space
November 08, 2011 04:47 - 1 hour - 39.1 MB00:00:00 - Ben begins the show this week talking about Jacob. Eventually Ryan and Patrick force him into talking about the agreed up topic: The 100 Year Starship symposium which took place recently in Orlando, FL. Which happens to be near Jacob. Big ideas about how to get off this tiny planet abound, and the Paleopals break down a few but encourage you to read up on the details yourself! 00:26:11 - What the Paleopals lack in rocketry they more than make for in 'jet fuel', if you know what I...