Stuff To Blow Your Mind
2,469 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★ - 5.5K ratingsDeep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Weirdhouse Cinema: Demon Knight
February 19, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBYes, kiddies, in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Ernest Dickerson’s 1995 siege movie “Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.” Strap in for grotesque monsters, a whole host of character actors and some Crypt Keeper puns. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Mighty Sarlacc
February 18, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBFew places in the Star Wars universe are regarded with as much horror as the Great Pit of Carkoon, within the Dune Sea of Tatooine. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the mighty Sarlacc and compare what we know about this organism to denizens of the natural world. (Originally published 5/12/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: The Sword of Gōu Jiàn
February 17, 2021 08:01 - 3 minutes - 3.25 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses an ancient Chinese sword noted for its unusual sharpness and resistance to tarnish... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gold: Metal of the Sun
February 16, 2021 18:49 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBIn this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the nature of gold, humanity’s history extracting it from the Earth and the amazing properties of gold nanoparticles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Here There Be Dragons
February 15, 2021 08:01 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBHere's your weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 2
February 13, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBIn the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. (Originally published 2/11/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Freejack
February 12, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBThe bonejackers thought they could jack Alex Furlong, but now he's gone freejack in the future of 2009. Yep, in this installment of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe jack their way into the 1992 sci-fi thriller "Freejack," starring everyone and costing $30 million. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 2
February 11, 2021 15:53 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBIn the previous episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discussed the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. In this episode, the continue by discussing some of the fantastic creatures mentioned in the text. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: Stone Mushroom Clouds
February 10, 2021 20:12 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about mind-boggling prehistoric mineral formations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Monsters of the Shān Hǎi Jīng, Part 1
February 09, 2021 17:26 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBIn this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Shān Hǎi Jīng or “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” an ancient Chinese text that compiles the mythic geography and fantastic creatures of the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Gravy, Sinkholes and Soviet Sci-Fi
February 08, 2021 08:01 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBHere's your weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Lessons of Vesuvius, Part 1
February 06, 2021 08:01 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBIn the year 79 CE, the Italian volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted with with the thermal energy of 100,000 atomic bombs. Ashen destruction rained down on Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe explore this terrifying episode in history and what we can learn from it. (Originally published 2/6/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Brain
February 05, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBIn this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe cap off Brain Week with the 1988 Canadian monster movie “The Brain.” It’s kind of bargain-bin Cronenberg in many ways, but that’s OK because there’s still a giant brain with eyes and teeth in it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brain and Head Theft, Part 2
February 04, 2021 16:41 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBFirst they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: The Heslington Brain
February 03, 2021 08:01 - 3 minutes - 3.67 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of the oldest, best-preserved human brains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brain and Head Theft, Part 1
February 02, 2021 16:33 - 56 minutes - 52 MBFirst they came for their heads. Then they came for their brains. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the weird and fascinating history of head and brain preservation, veneration and theft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Nightmare Key
February 01, 2021 08:01 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBIt’s time for more listening mail! Robert and Joe use the Nightmare Key to unlock a boss battle with YOUR e-mails... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Here Come the Warm Feels
January 30, 2021 08:01 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBThere’s often a gap between feeling and understanding, but language and classification provide us with tremendous tools for self-reflection. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the concept of kama muta, a broad categorization of emotional states that include loved belonging, patriotism, cuteness, spiritual communion and the feels. (Originally published 1/21/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/liste...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Teens in the Universe
January 29, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 83 MBIt’s Soviet work ethic versus the siren song of fun in 1975’s “Teens in the Universe,” a beautifully crafted and thoroughly weird space adventure. Join Rob and Joe for a Weirdhouse Cinema discussion of robots, space travel and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Tempest Stele
January 28, 2021 17:15 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBDuring the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Ahmose I erected a stele detailing a great storm that destroyed tombs, temples and other structures. Does this artifact describe a real atmospheric disturbance? Or is it propaganda? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the mystery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: Submoon Fever
January 27, 2021 08:01 - 8 minutes - 7.65 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe sees visions of orbits within orbits within orbits within orbits... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Bonsai Tree
January 26, 2021 18:39 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBSpanning centuries of human history, the iconic bonsai tree is a widely recognized example of Japanese mastery. Each miniature tree speaks to the beauty of cultivated nature and the immutability of all things. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history of bonsai, its cultural meaning and the underlying science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: The Flood
January 25, 2021 08:01 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBHere comes the STBYM listener mail, once again. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Horseshoe Crabs
January 23, 2021 08:01 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBTheir fossils date back 450 million years and their copper-rich blue blood continues to benefit various medical applications. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of horseshoe crabs. (Originally published 1/16/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Oily Maniac
January 22, 2021 08:01 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBYes, it’s time to grease up Weirdhouse Cinema with a Shaw Brothers horror film from 1976. “The Oily Maniac” is a tale of sleaze, revenge and a rampaging black-magic oil monster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Funeral for a Bug
January 21, 2021 08:01 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBHow do insects factor into our traditions of death -- and how do insects handle their own burials? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as Robert and Joe discuss ants, termites, Virgil, ancient civilizations, bees and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: The Cairo Toe
January 20, 2021 14:43 - 3 minutes - 3.04 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of the oldest known human prosthetics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sinkholes, Part 2
January 19, 2021 15:33 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBIn this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Blue Öyster Cult
January 18, 2021 08:01 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBJoin Robert and Joe for even more STBYM and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: David Grinspoon on Pluto
January 16, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 55 MBIn the book “Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto,” authors Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. David Grinspoon recount the riveting history of the quest to send a spacecraft to the planet Pluto. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Grinspoon chats about the book, the planet and the nature of space exploration. (Originally published 12/31/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Arena
January 15, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBIt’s time to lace up for a boxing movie -- but not just any boxing movie. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1989 sci-fi movie “Arena,” in which a lone human fighter puts up his dukes against an entire galaxy of bizarre, alien combatants. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sinkholes, Part 1
January 14, 2021 08:01 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBIn this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science and history of sinkholes. How have these impressive geographic features impacted our world, and what can they reveal about the past? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact:The Psychedelic Blindfold
January 13, 2021 08:01 - 7 minutes - 6.91 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe talks about a 2004 study of blindfolding and visual hallucinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Invention of the Lock & Key
January 12, 2021 13:09 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBThe lock and key are such a central part of modern life, both technologically and metaphorically, but when and how did this technological advancement take place? In this Invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe dive into the ancient history of security technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Our Blessed Saint Poochie
January 11, 2021 08:01 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBIt's time for more listener mail! Let's dig in. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Psychology of Architecture, Part 2
January 09, 2021 08:01 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBThe natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. (Originally published 12/12/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Doctor X
January 08, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBWelcome to the medical academy where EVERYONE is a suspect in the cannibalistic “Moon Killer” slayings. Yes, from the director of “Casablanca” comes 1932’s “Doctor X.” Join Rob and Joe for a deep gaze into the technicolor abyss in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Bandersnatch
January 07, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 87 MBFrom its literary origins in the mirror realm of Lewis Carroll to its terrifying appearance in Charlie Brooker's “Black Mirror,” the frumious Bandersnatch is a monster from which it is useless to flee. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe follow its trail through a maze of choice, freewill, advertising and streaming media. (originally published 1/9/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
The Artifact: The Mirrors of Dr. Dee
January 06, 2021 08:01 - 4 minutes - 4.61 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the mirrors of English occultist Dr. Dee, including the so-called Devil’s Looking Glass. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Brian Greene on the End of Time
January 05, 2021 08:01 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBTheoretical Physicist Brian Greene’s new book “Until the End of Time” contemplates the entirety of human history and the known universe in a single volume. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with the author about the cosmos, the human experience and science communication during a global pandemic. (Originally published 4/16/2020) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Holiday Hangover
January 04, 2021 08:01 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBIt's listener mail time once more, so Robert and Joe catch up on some Stuff to Blow Your Mind holiday mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Psychology of Architecture, Part 1
January 02, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBThe natural world evokes various feelings in the mind, but humans spend a great deal of their time within spaces that they themselves designed and built out of the environment. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the ways that architecture impacts our thoughts and feelings. (Originally published 12/10/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Not of This Earth
January 01, 2021 08:01 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBDon't switch the blade on the guy in shades -- because that guy might be a psychic alien sent to 1950s Earth to harvest its precious blood. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive into Roger Corman’s 1957 low-budget thriller “Not of This Earth.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
iHeart's Favorite Episodes of 2020 - 'Thankful. The Science of Gratitude'
December 31, 2020 12:00 - 1 hourCheck out this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind about the science of Gratitude. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
STBYM: Electric Microbe Land
December 31, 2020 08:01 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBIt’s easy to think of electricity as the domain of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Street Fighter’s Blanka. But as Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, it’s also the domain of microbes -- and it will change the shape of future technology. (Originally published 7/25/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
iHeart’s Favorite Podcasts of 2020 - There Are No Girls On The Internet
December 30, 2020 23:00 - 25 minutesCheck out this episode of "There Are No Girls On The Internet" about Missy Elliott. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
The Artifact: Cones!
December 30, 2020 08:01 - 9 minutes - 8.38 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Joe discusses why people in ancient Egyptian paintings sometimes have little cones on their heads. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Gerasene Demoniac
December 29, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB“My name is Legion.” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the Biblical tale of exorcism and swine. What did the story mean? How was it used to enforce our relationship with animals and just how intelligent are pigs? (Originally published 10/17/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Spin Kick!
December 28, 2020 13:38 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBWhat's so great a bout a spin kick? Find out in this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Presenting Prodigy: The Polgar Sisters
December 27, 2020 08:01 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBCan prodigies be created with early specialization? Laszlo Polgar was an educational psychologist who believed they could. He experimented with his own children and the results were fascinating. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.