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.
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Episodes
From the Vault: Shrooms Like Cedars in the Devonian Wilds
December 26, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBDid 20-foot-tall giant fungi rule the earth 400 million years ago? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the puzzling prototaxites fossils from the Devonian period. (Originally published 12/17/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Robot Jox
December 25, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBWhat if the nations of the Earth solved all their problems with giant robot gladiatorial battles? That’s the concept behind 1990’s “Robot Jox,” directed by horror wizard Stuart Gordon and written by military sci-fi author Joe Haldeman. Join Rob and Joe for a discussion of mech politics in this Christmas Day episode of Weirdhouse Cinema. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Toaster Not Taken
December 24, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBIt’s obvious that our preferences guide our choices, but do our choices also determine our preferences? Join Robert and Joe as they explore this question with the help of a half-century of psychological research and reminiscences concerning Sonic the Hedgehog and Metallica. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: Map of the Underworld
December 23, 2020 08:01 - 4 minutes - 4.08 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses one of humanity's oldest maps -- from a coffin text detailing paths through the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Toy Guns
December 22, 2020 08:01 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBFor many of us, toy guns were part of our childhood, but how are we to think about them today? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe look at some of the current thinking on the use of toy weapons in childhood play. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Holiday Beasts
December 21, 2020 08:01 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBIn this batch of Stuff to Blow Your Mind listener mail, Robert and Joe catch up on Jim e-mails, Krampus talk and Leshy feedback. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Anupam Cares
December 20, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutesWe could all use a little something to lift our spirits right now... and that is exactly what Anupam Kher has set out to do. You may know him from 500+ Bollywood films, and Hollywood hits like Silver Linings Playbook, The Big Sick, or Bend It Like Beckham. But in his podcast, he wanted to try something new. Here, Anupam shares the stories that happened off-screen. You’ll hear about his childhood mischief in the hills of Shimla, the highs and lows of his early career, and the lessons learned a...
From the Vault: Is Santa a god? (parts 1 and 2)
December 19, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 95.1 MBHe knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or does he rise to the status of a god? In this pair of STBYM episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the general attributes of a deity and consider the awesome, reality-warping powers of the one we call Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and of course Santa Claus. (Originally published 12/19/2019 and 12/24/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices a...
Weirdhouse Cinema: Chopping Mall
December 18, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBThe shopping mall is a centerpiece of American holiday traditions -- cathedrals of consumerism, if you will. So in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe venture into “Chopping Mall,” the 1986 sci-fi horror film that pits teenagers against deadly security robots, “where shopping costs you an arm and a leg.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Heavy Water
December 17, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 55 MBNope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays a key role in nuclear power plants and the creation of nuclear weapons. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe get to know heavy water. Can you drink it? Why did the Nazis want it? Find out… Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: The Tongue Stone
December 16, 2020 08:01 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBIn this episode of STBYM's The Artifact, Joe talks about a strange class of tongue-shaped rocks that were believed to have magical and medicinal powers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Holiday Inventions: Christmas Tree Lights, Tinsel and Angels
December 15, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBOnce more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind leans into the holidays -- this time for an invention-minded episode about some of the technologies that bring the winter holidays to life. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss electric Christmas tree lights, tinsel and angelic tree toppers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Das Gravy Boat
December 14, 2020 13:32 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBTime for more listener mail, with your thoughts on antimetaboles, pole dancing, gravy, weird movies and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 2
December 12, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MB“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regeneration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the Unabomber. (originally published 11/21/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Ghost in the Machine
December 11, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBIt’s time for some early 90s cyber-panic! In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss 1993’s “Ghost in the Machine,” in which a serial killer is zapped into the Internet and terrorizes Karen Allen and her painfully cool 90s son. So jack in, get virtual and become one with the screensaver. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 2
December 10, 2020 08:01 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBYou might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Artifact: The Poisoned Tooth
December 09, 2020 08:01 - 3 minutes - 3.57 MBIn this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the fictional idea of the poisoned tooth and the real-life innovations that seem to have inspired it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Like a Circle in a Spiral, Part 1
December 08, 2020 16:50 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBYou might consider spinning around in a circle either great fun or a one-way ticket to barf town, but spinning and whirling are also tied to childhood development, artistic expression and the pursuit of meditative states. Join Robert and Joe as they explore the spin on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover
December 07, 2020 08:01 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBSTBYM Listener Mail is now weekly! In this short installment, Robert and Joe catch up on some of your thoughts on various Halloween episodes from October. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Die Nacht des Krampus
December 05, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBHeute Nacht ist Krampusnacht. Besprechen Sie mit Robert und Joe auf STBYM die beliebtesten Urlaubsmonster aller. (Originally published 12/5/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Battle for Endor
December 04, 2020 12:35 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThe Star Wars franchise is home to many cinematic entries some consider to be unnatural. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1985 made-for-TV film “Ewoks: The Battle For Endor,” starring Wilford Brimley and various forest monsters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks with IBM: How Audi Put Innovation in the Driver's Seat
December 03, 2020 08:01 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBAudi's journey to reinvent the customer experience has evolved from assumptions to data based decisions. In this episode of Smart Talks, Robert and Joe talk with Debbie Vavangas, VP IBM Garage, and Antony Roberts, Audi UK's Head of Digital, about Audi's transformation to create smarter experiences and how they adapted to grow their customer base without the luxury of in-person shopping during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystu...
Airships Over Venus
December 01, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBPlanet Earth a bit much for you right now? Well venture back out to Venus on Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss recent news in the search for possible signs of life in the Venusian clouds, as well as the possibility of probes or even human explorers sailing over Venus in futuristic airships. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Devourer of Memories, Part 1
November 28, 2020 08:01 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MB“You are what you eat,” the saying goes -- but does that apply to memories as well? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, join Robert and Joe on a journey through the world of Planaria worms, controversial research, regeneration, behaviorism and even the machinations of the Unabomber. (originally published 11/19/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Boggy Creek II
November 27, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBWeird movies are a Thanksgiving tradition, because Mystery Science Theater 3000's Turkey Day Marathon is a Thanksgiving tradition. So in this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of their favorite MST-riffed films, b-movie legend Charlies B. Pierce and bigfoot films in general. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thanksgiving Smorgasbord: Turkey, Wishbones and Gravy
November 26, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 68.9 MBIn recognition of Thanksgiving, Robert and Joe devote this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind to the very topics that might float through your head at the dinner table: What is a wishbone, why do we pull it apart and what does it have to do with dinosaurs? Are turkeys messengers of the gods? What is gravy and is it ever considered sacred? Find out... Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Antimetaboles: Sometimes You Eat the Bear
November 24, 2020 12:21 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBFriedrich Nietzsche once observed that if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. That’s an antimetabole, a transposed repetition of words in successive clauses. It’s an ABBA configuration that seems to resonate with meaning, but why? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe gaze into the linguistic abyss once more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Thankful: The Science of Gratitude
November 21, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBTis the season of thankfulness, so in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the science of Gratitude. (Originally published 11/28/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Message From Space
November 20, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBThis time on Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe consider the 1978 Japanese space opera “Message From Space,” starring Sonny Chiba and Vic Morrow. It’s not quite “Star Wars,” but it brings the 70s weirdness and a bunch of space nuts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: The Final Conflict
November 19, 2020 08:01 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBOnce more on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe turn to the mailbot and read some listener mail from previous months. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Invention: The Bed
November 17, 2020 08:01 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBWe sure do spend a lot of time in bed, but what exactly IS a bed and what were ancient beds like? In this invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the ancient history of the bed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Dangerous Foods: Adverse Additives
November 14, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBAs is tradition, Stuff to Blow Your Mind prepares for seasonal feasts with a look at dangerous foods -- this time with a focus on peculiar and sometimes frightful additives such as lead, mercury and more. (Originally published 11/26/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Mad Love (1935)
November 13, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBIn this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of the great weird films of the 1930s: “Mad Love,” in which Peter Lorre gives a stellar performance as the deranged and tragic Dr. Gogol. It’s a film full of obsession, cutting-edge surgery, wax figures, delusion and knife-throwing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fireball with Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer
November 12, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBIn this special interview episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer about their new documentary "Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds," which deals with meteors and comets and their influence on ancient religions and other cultural and physical impacts they've had on Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes
November 10, 2020 08:01 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBAs usual, Robert and Joe take time in early November to discuss some of the winners from this year's Ig Nobel Prizes -- the awards ceremony that celebrates the weirder and more absurd corners of very real scientific investigation. This year, it's frozen feces knives, narcissistic eyebrows, arachnophobic entomologists and helium gators. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes
November 07, 2020 08:01 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBYes, it’s time once more for us to cover the Ig Nobel prizes. This year on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider cubical wombat poop, truly dirty money, diaper-changing robots and much more. (Originally published 11/7/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Troll 2
November 06, 2020 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.4 MB“Troll 2” is a titan of b-movie goodness -- but it’s also overflowing with weirdness. In this edition of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss this 1990 tale of vegetarian goblins -- as well as a couple of additional films written and/or directed by Claudio Fragasso and Rosella Drudi: “Night Killer” and “Robowar.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Melt With Me
November 05, 2020 15:48 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBFrom the horror of “melt movies,” in which the melting human takes on nightmarish qualities, to far more benign and even sublime takes on the concept of the melt, there does seem to be something to our fascination with personal phase transition. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe try to figure out what it all means as they round out 2020’s Halloween offerings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Anthology of Horror, Volume 6
November 03, 2020 16:43 - 1 hour - 78.3 MBThe Halloween tradition continues -- even as Halloween comes to a close. Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystu...
From the Vault: Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Parts 1 & 2
October 31, 2020 07:01 - 2 hours - 114 MBFrom the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert and Joe dive into the mystifying world of the mental image. (Originally published 10/10/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
STBYM presents Weirdhouse Cinema: Without Warning
October 30, 2020 07:01 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBWelcome to Weirdhouse Cinema, a new weekly offering from the hosts of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, published in the STBYM feed. In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss "Without Warning," a perfectly serviceable sci-fi horror film directed by Greydon Clark. The year is 1980 and only a delusional Martin Landau and a Captain Ahab-esque Jack Palance can stop an extraterrestrial killer from treating rural California as its own personal hunting ground. Learn more about your ad-choi...
Anthology of Horror, Volume 5
October 29, 2020 07:01 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBThe Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Anthology of Horror, Volume 4
October 27, 2020 18:44 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBThe Halloween tradition continues as, once more, Robert and Joe dive into the rich history of TV horror and sci-fi anthology series to focus on the STBYM topics they might not otherwise get to discuss on the show. This year, they examine episodes of the 1990s Outer Limits revival, The Hammer House of Horror, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Creepshow and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 3
October 24, 2020 07:01 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBThe time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes The Outer Limits and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. (Originally published 10/31/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Leshii
October 22, 2020 16:43 - 1 hour - 70 MBAccording to Russian folklore, ancient, beastial spirits guard the depths of the forest, raging with each other and punishing any human who might break the law of the forest. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss these haunters of the woodland depths. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks with IBM: How P-TECH Prepares Students for the Future of Work
October 20, 2020 07:01 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBToday on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe talk with IBM's Joel Mangan, Executive Director of P-TECH, and recent P-TECH graduates Suyhalia Karim-Doran and Eric Cholula-Martinez about how P-TECH, a groundbreaking public education model, is addressing education and workforce development challenges for underserved students. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It Sees You
October 20, 2020 03:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBHave you ever had the feeling that someone or something is watching you? Perhaps you even feel a tingle on the back of your neck. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore this creepy feeling, research into its perception and what it means to meet another being’s gaze. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 2
October 17, 2020 07:01 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBThe time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, Robert and Joe discuss episodes of Monsters and The Twilight Zone. (Originally published 10/29/2019) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Minotaur, Part 3
October 15, 2020 15:03 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBTake the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody halls reveal about the human mind and human history? In this series of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the minotaur. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com ...
The Minotaur, Part 2: Minoan Crete with Nicoletta Momigliano
October 13, 2020 16:01 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBTo fully understand the minotaur myth, we also have to consider the Minoan civilization of Crete. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Professor Nicoletta Momigliano, author of “In Search of the Labyrinth: The Cultural Legacy of Minoan Crete.” Learn all about ancient Creteomania as well as modern artistic treatments of the minotaur. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.