Stuff To Blow Your Mind
2,469 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days 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
Multitasking Maniacs and the One Track Mind
February 07, 2013 21:48 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBIs multitasking a female super power, a learnable skill or pure myth? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert consider our multitasking world, our unitasking minds and the rare "super taskers" capable of doing it all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Interrupting Cow: Multitasking, Interruptions and Distractions
February 05, 2013 16:26 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBAll joking aside, the Interrupting Cow takes a real toll on your brain and your work life. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie examine just how interruptions and distractions impact our cognitive functions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pineal Optics: My Third Eye
January 31, 2013 15:44 - 39 minutesPineal Optics: Prepare to open that third eye, listeners, because Robert and Julie are taking you on a journey from philosophical ponderings about human spirituality to scientific explorations of the human pineal gland and the extra parietal eye common to other animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
Undercover Actors and the Shadow Self
January 29, 2013 20:21 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBUndercover Actors and the Shadow Self: In this episode, we discuss the place where cover and identity collide in the human mind. It's a topic we first raised in our "Wrestling With Kayfabe" episode - so if you skipped that one because of the wrestling content, I urge you to give it a second chance. In this episode, we keep coming back to the idea of an avatar in the traditional sense: one of many physical forms that a formless deity may take in order to engage with a physical world. Your m...
Wrestling with Kayfabe (with guest Colt Cabana)
January 24, 2013 20:32 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBWrestling with Kayfabe: Professional wrestling is somewhat of a cultural oddity, as it blurs the lines between reality, fiction, sport and theater. Join Robert, Julie and "Art of Wrestling" podcaster Colt Cabana as they lock up with wrestling's mind-twisting layers of fiction. Enjoy part II of this podcast, Undercover Actors and the Shadow Self. Image: French pro-wrestler L'Ange Blanc in Paris, 1959. (Lipnitzki/Roger Viollet/Getty ) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...
Cool Science You May Have Missed in 2012
January 22, 2013 19:13 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBA lot of cool science went down in 2012, but it's possible you missed some of these smaller stories amid all the Mars landing and Higgs searching. In this episode, Julie and Robert take you on a journey full of immortal jelly fish and solar tornados. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Big Science of 2012
January 17, 2013 17:12 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBAs you leave 2012 in the dust, join Julie and Robert as they take one last look in the rearview mirror at some of the truly mind blowing science that went down in the past year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Willpower
January 15, 2013 21:38 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBTemptation is all around us and as humans we only have so much willpower in the tank to fight it. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the science behind willpower, how we deplete this exhaustible resource and what you can do to boost your resolve. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Labyrinths
January 10, 2013 21:23 - 35 minutesHaving escaped from the confusion of the Minoan maze, it's time to walk the serene, calming paths of the Chartres Labyrinth. Why is this experience so different? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the calming effects that labyrinths have on the mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
Mazes
January 08, 2013 21:58 - 42 minutesEnter the Minoan maze and wander its endless halls. Feel your heart race. Feel your limbs quiver as the minotaur's roar echoes through the walls. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the world of mazes and how they affect the brains of humans and rats. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
I Was a Teenage Teen: The Science of Teen Angst
January 03, 2013 21:42 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBThe teenage brain is a wonderful thing, full of intense rewiring and rapid shifts in priority. In this episode, Robert and Julie reminisce about the teenagers they were and just what was going on in their brains to fuel all that odd, erratic behavior. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Year's Life Hacks
January 01, 2013 20:08 - 44 minutes - 41 MBNew Year's Life Hacks: Want improved focus this year? A better creative flow or stronger decision-making skills? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie run through some simple, scientifically-backed ways to maximize your new year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Shaman and the Scientist: Hallucination
December 27, 2012 16:43 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBThe Shaman and the Scientist: Hallucination: Join Robert and Julie as they continue their discussion of the overlap between shamanism and cognitive neuroscience. What sort of experiences do substances like DMT, psilocybin and salvia grant users? Why do human bodies have trace elements of DMT? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Shaman and the Scientist: My Egoic Mind
December 21, 2012 17:48 - 30 minutes - 28 MBThe Shaman and the Scientist: My Egoic Mind: A shaman consumes a psychedelic mushroom and visits the spirit world. Meanwhile, a scientist studies the effects of psilocybin on depression and conceptions of self. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the common ground shared by these disciplines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nutmeg: The Scary Spice
December 20, 2012 21:10 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBSure, you sprinkle nutmeg indifferently on your eggnog, but do you know its bloody history and psychotropic properties? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss the weird side of an everyday spice and why you should use it sparingly but often. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of Gremlins and Mogwai
December 18, 2012 22:08 - 46 minutesThe Science of Gremlins and Mogwai: Mogwai and Gremlins might seem the most unrealistic monsters of the 1980s, but nothing could be further from the truth. Join Robert and Julie as they dissect Gremlin/Mogwai biology and show you these creatures compare to the rest of the animal kingdom. Be sure to check out "How Mogwai and Gremlins Work" for all the info discussed in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Dark Side of Creativity
December 13, 2012 20:43 - 42 minutes - 39 MBCreative minds make our favorite art and develop unique solutions to real-world problems. But is there a dark side? Are creative minds more prone to madness and deception? In this episode, Julie and Robert turn the tables on innovation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Parasite Got Your Tongue?
December 11, 2012 20:26 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBOrganisms do what they can to get ahead and sometimes that means crawling inside a fish head and chewing out a niche. In this episode, Robert and Julie get to know Cymothoa exigua, the horrifying and ingenious parasite that replaces a fish's tongue. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Killing Joke
December 06, 2012 22:36 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBModern minds likely turn to Monty Python when the notion of lethal comedy arises, but accounts of death by laughter date back to ancient times. Can a joke really kill a person? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the dark side of laughter. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Healing Power of Laughter
December 04, 2012 21:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBThey say laughter is the best medicine, but is there any science to back that up? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss what laughter does to us physically and neurologically. And maybe, just maybe, Julie will grow to love laughter yoga. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Fingerprints?
November 29, 2012 22:26 - 31 minutes - 29 MBWhy do we have fingerprints? Why are the human versions generally more complex than those of other animals? Join Robert and Julie as they delve into whorls and swirls, exploring the theories behind why we have these strange patterns on our fingertips. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jive Turkey
November 27, 2012 18:01 - 40 minutes - 37 MBJive Turkey: As another Turkey Day dawns on the United States, Julie and Robert stop to consider the great bird itself. Join them as they dive into the ancient history of this North American avian native, discuss the origins of its name and how humans continues to bend the creature to their Thanksgiving desires. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of Comfort
November 22, 2012 14:50 - 41 minutesWhat does comfort mean to you? Thanksgiving dinner? A cup of tomato soup and a warm blanket? In this episode, Julie and Robert examine the particulars of comfort, why we crave it and what happens when we have too much of a good thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
We Are All Scientists
November 20, 2012 22:15 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBWhile it might not feel like it, humans were born to crunch numbers, engineer solutions and scientifically evaluate the world. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the research on our inborn abilities and how science is ultimately a part of who we are. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to Think Like a Child
November 15, 2012 20:42 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBSure, a kid's unique perspective allows him or her to see Puff the Magic Dragon and say the darndest things. But, as Julie and Robert discover, children are born scientists and their way of viewing the world serves as a fine example to adults. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Consider the Packrat
November 13, 2012 21:11 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBIt's true: the word "packrat" is more than slang for hoarders and collectors. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the pint-size rodent's love of decoration and den-building. Plus how do their toilets aid cowboys and archeologists? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hammer of the Witches
November 08, 2012 16:53 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBWitchcraft trials are a part of our history, but what truly went on during the 1400s? Join Robert and Julie as they explore compelling theories about the nature of superstitious religious persecution. What went wrong? Is it still going wrong today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Anthropocene: The Age of Man
November 06, 2012 21:04 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBWhen viewed from the standpoint of geologic time, what is humanity's ultimate contribution? Have we founded an Age of Man with agriculture, industrialism and war? Join Robert and Julie as they ask hard questions about humanity's relationship with Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ordovician Waters: Life in the Age of Trilobites
November 01, 2012 20:43 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBPrepare to explore an alien Earth as Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes you back to the Ordovician Period, when invertebrates thrived in primal seas that covered most of the super continent Gondwana. Join Julie and Robert as they explore this age of change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board
October 31, 2012 19:25 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBEver reach out to the spirit world with an ouija board? Or stare into a dark mirror for Bloody Mary? Perhaps peer-assisted levitation was more your style. In this episode, Robert and Julie bust through the fantasy of these paranormal parlor tricks and examine the underlying science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of Haunted Houses
October 25, 2012 18:50 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBThere's a lot more going on at your local haunted attraction than costumes and chainsaws. In this episode, Robert and Julie venture to Atlanta's Netherworld Haunted House to learn about the science and art behind the ghoulish shenanigans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do Animals Map the World?
October 23, 2012 17:20 - 20 minutes - 19 MBHumans aren't the only map masters on the planet. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert explore the amazing ways that animals turn space into place and navigate the world around them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cartocacoethes: Map Mania!
October 18, 2012 19:01 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBDo you see a Thailand-shaped birthmark on Gorbachev's forehead? Do clouds remind you of Australia and Indonesia? You may have cartocacoethes, the compulsion to see maps everywhere.Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the past, present and future of maps. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Map-addled Brain
October 16, 2012 16:50 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBMaps show us familiar places as well as far-flung locales that quietly beckon, intertwining the past, present and future. Join Julie and Robert as they explore how our brains work on maps, from neurons to the role of memory and storytelling in mapmaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ig Nobel: Strange Science Part 2
October 11, 2012 20:12 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBIn part two of their 2012 Ig Nobel Prize coverage, Robert and Julie take listeners through some of the more amazing winners at this year's awards ceremony. From monkey butts to exploding colonoscopies, first you'll laugh and then you'll think. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1
October 09, 2012 17:14 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBYes, scientists have a sense of humor - and they have to if their big invention is a bra that doubles as a gas mask. Join Julie and Robert as they explore the Ig Nobel prizes - plus some of the strange studies honored at the 2012 awards ceremony. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cat People
October 04, 2012 20:06 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBWhether you prefer cats, dogs or snakes, you have to admit that humanity's relationship with felines is mysterious. Why do we live with these super predators? What does "meow" mean? Are they really our friends? Join Julie and Robert as they investigate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Song of the Bat
October 02, 2012 19:32 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBBats live in a sonic universe. They call out into the night and construct the world from their song. They listen to the sounds of prey, predator and the social squeaking of other bats. In this episode, Robert and Julie listen in on the song of the bat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Wild World of Bats
September 27, 2012 20:29 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBIs the bat the most successful mammal on the planet? Quite possibly! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert explore the insect-munching, fruit-drinking, blood-lapping world of these amazing winged sound warriors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fire Walk With Me
September 25, 2012 17:52 - 39 minutes - 36 MBIn 2012, Tony Robbins marched thousands of barefoot followers through the coals, injuring under two dozen of them. What was going on in their minds (and in their feet)? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the physics and mindset of the firewalker. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Life in the Plastic Palace
September 20, 2012 20:29 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBHow much of your environment is made out of plastic? Where does it come from? Where does it go? How does plastic affect your iPhone's weight? Join Julie and Robert as they discuss humanity's relationship with plastic and the great Pacific garbage patch. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sleep No More
September 18, 2012 19:10 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBWhat if you could skip a night's sleep without any side effects? It may sound impossible, but the age of sleep replacement drugs is just around the corner. Join Julie and Robert as they discuss the DARPA-funded meds that might let us dodge those 40 winks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
City Creatures
September 13, 2012 21:49 - 48 minutes - 44 MBCity Creatures: Does a crowded street make you care less about your fellow man? Population density manipulates organisms in subtle and shocking ways. Join Robert and Julie as they look at how animals and humans respond to cramped conditions and depleted resources. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Mind of the Kraken
September 11, 2012 19:11 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBWhat strange thoughts fill the brains of cephalopods? Do they ponder mysteries in their lightless lairs? Join Julie and Robert as they dive into the fascinating world of cephalopod intelligence, from the crafty octopus to the social cuttlefish and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The King-sized World of Gigantism
September 06, 2012 18:51 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBFinally, a podcast about Andre the Giant, dinosaurs and Nuralagus rex the bunny king. In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss gigantism. What causes some humans to become giants? Why are island ecosystems like Wonderland? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hear The Mermaids Singing
September 04, 2012 16:58 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBHear The Mermaids Singing: Humans have dreamed of mermaids for ages, but is there any substance to these myths? Is the aquatic ape theory more than just a tale for lonely sailors? Join Robert and Julie as they cast their science net and reel in something half-human and half-fish. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mother's Milk
August 30, 2012 15:08 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBMother's Milk: Milk isn't just an infant-sustaining breast beverage. Join Julie and Robert as they explore the world of lactation. How does milk strengthen our bodies against infection? When did humans mutate into cross-species milk guzzlers? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Personhood: The Animal and Robot Edition
August 28, 2012 16:07 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBWhat exactly is personhood? Over time, the term "person" has evolved to include numerous concepts. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the nature of personhood and sticky concept of consciousness as applied to animals and robots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Personhood: The Human Edition
August 23, 2012 17:18 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat exactly is personhood? Over time, the term "person" has evolved to include numerous concepts. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the nature of personhood, why corporations are considered meta-people and the sticky concept of consciousness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's Performance Art: Challenging Human Nature
August 21, 2012 18:28 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBA woman in a museum stares into your soul. A man implants a cybernetic ear on his arm. A dog starves. In this episode, Robert and Julie dive into the world of performance art, discussing the works of such notable artists as Marina Abramovi? and Stelarc. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.