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
The Amazing Minds of Infants
August 16, 2012 19:34 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBWhat goes on inside the minds of babes? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In this episode, Julie and Robert peer inside the infant brain to learn about their enhanced state of consciousness. Plus find out what baby brains have to do with alien abductions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Robot
August 14, 2012 19:18 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBWhen it comes making art, most of us operate under a set of rules. So what happens when you feed machines code for churning out art? Plenty, as it turns out. And if creativity is the seat of the soul, what does that say about our uniqueness? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Penis Episode, Part Two
August 09, 2012 21:26 - 29 minutesSure, the penis is a rather ridonkulous organ, but it's also a marvel of design. Join Robert and Julie for the second part of the penis episode, in which they investigate some of the strangest genitalia in the animal kingdom (and more). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Penis Episode, Part One
August 07, 2012 19:34 - 31 minutesSure, the penis is a rather ridonkulous organ, but it's also a marvel of design. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore a cornucopia of wanger-related topics. What do penises and earthworms have in common? Can you break your penis? Tune in for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
I Scream, You Scream
August 02, 2012 18:58 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBFrom screaming infants to cinematic scream queens, there's no denying the universal language of yelling. But why do we do it? What are we communicating? In this episode, Julie and Robert explain how a little screaming can do you a world of good. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fecal Fossils: The Cave of Forgotten Poops
July 31, 2012 17:22 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBYou can learn a lot from an animal's scat, even if that animal hasn't walked the Earth since prehistoric times. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the fascinating world of coprolite and ponder just what ancient humans and creatures ate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There Once Was a Boson Named Higgs
July 26, 2012 12:55 - 34 minutes - 32 MBIf you're tired of hearing about the Higgs "don't-call-me-a-god-particle" Boson but still want to know what it is, then this is the podcast episode for you. In this episode, Robert and Julie recount our hunt for the Higgs and what it means for science. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Yoga, Sex and Magic
July 24, 2012 14:35 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBSure, you're no stranger to yoga, but how much do you know about its ancient origins in magical ritual and tantric sex? In this episode, Julie and Robert peer into yoga's sensual past and consult modern science on what yoga can do for your sex life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of Downward Dog
July 19, 2012 18:42 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBAbout 20 million people in the U.S. practice some form of yoga. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind Julie and Robert suss out the claims and revelations -- could it really be a telomere fountain of youth? And what poses should a newbie never do? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eliminating River Blindness
July 17, 2012 19:32 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBThe parasitic worm onchocerciasis carries uses a bacterial cloaking device to colonize the human body, causing tremendous suffering and even blindness. Luckily, the Carter Center is waging a campaign against the parasite. Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Magicology: The Science of Magic
July 12, 2012 18:47 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBIllusionists merely engage a fiction of sorcery, but there's a rich foundation of neuroscience beneath the smoke and mirrors. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the ways in which magicians manipulate our senses and the inner workings of our minds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Art and Science of Camouflage
July 10, 2012 15:57 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBThere's far more to military camouflage than painting a tank green. As Robert and Julie discuss in this episode, camouflage design incorporates both the neuroscience of how we perceive the world and the art of cubism and textile design. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Life in the Weightless Void
July 05, 2012 19:32 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBWe all know the potentially dangerous effects of microgravity, but what are the long-term effects? Join Robert and Julie as they wonder what life will be like if evolution continues in space. Imagine the plants and the strange humans who will tend them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Internet that Spans the Stars
July 03, 2012 17:03 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBThe Internet continues to spread its roots through our world, and soon it will launch cosmic seeds, spreading digital humanity into space. How will it all happen? In this episode, Julie and Robert contemplate the future of an interplanetary Internet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Meet Your Bacterial Masters
June 28, 2012 18:06 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB" Humans have mapped the microbiome and changed our understanding of the bacterial worlds thriving inside us. How will this affect our war on bacteria and the state of modern medicine? Julie and Robert discuss all of these questions in this episode." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Search for a New Earth
June 26, 2012 20:51 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBArmed with state-of-the-art telescopes and other high-tech tools, astronomers are spotting new worlds at an astonishing rate. Could any of these planets support life? In this episode, Robert and Julie explore the continuing search for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Science of 'Prometheus'
June 21, 2012 17:37 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBIn this episode, Robert and Julie suit up and venture into the dark and Gigery heart of 'Prometheus.' They’ll examine the film’s futuristic science as well as some of its themes. And fear not! You’ll only encounter spoilers after the commercial break. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fiction: Reality's Secret Master
June 19, 2012 17:13 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MB" Don't underestimate the power of the storyteller. His tale may begin with whimsy, but by the end of it he'll have changed the world you live in. He might even change who you are. In this episode, Julie and Robert examine fiction's effect on reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Horror
June 14, 2012 21:41 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBThe Horror: Why do we enjoy scary movies or a stroll through a haunted house? How is our response colored by our genes, evolution and culture? In this episode, Julie and Robert take a close look at what scares us and why we're so addicted to terror. Image: Doug Gray/© Illustration Works/Corbis Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Bad Seed
June 12, 2012 16:59 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBTales of the enfant terrible have been with us for ages, terrifying us with the notion that strangeness in children portends something darker. But what does science have to say on the matter? Can children be psychopaths? If so, is there any hope for them? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Sound Aquatic
June 07, 2012 15:02 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBUnderwater operas? Submerged speaker systems? Mysterious deep sea noises and the monsters who make them? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the rich world of underwater sound. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Asteroid Gold Rush
June 05, 2012 18:35 - 16 minutes - 15 MBIs there really gold in them there asteroids? Yes, and one private space company already has a three-step plan to suck them dry. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the near and long-term future of asteroid mining. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Centaur with Two Hearts
May 31, 2012 15:20 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBThe mythical centaur represented man's dual nature -- and as one biologist points out, the creature would also need two hearts. In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss all things centaur, from the creature's symbolic meaning to its fictional anatomy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Summer Reading List
May 29, 2012 16:38 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBNeed new ideas for your summer reading? In this episode, Julie and Robert share their favorite books as well as a heads-up on what they intend to read this summer. Tune in to learn more about mind-blowing science fiction, non-fiction and literary fiction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mitochondrial Eve
May 24, 2012 16:06 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBThere's something awe-inspiring about the prospect of a primordial mother figure. Scientists actually discovered such a woman - and her ghost resides in the genetics of every living human. In this episode, Julie and Robert get to know Mitochondrial Eve. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Skin We Live In
May 22, 2012 17:30 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBOur outer layer of flesh is beautiful, disgusting, painful and erotic. But what is it, exactly? What role does it play in anatomy and how will we change it in the future? In this episode, Robert and Julie take a close look at the skin we live in. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nebula in a Box
May 17, 2012 18:37 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBWe've all heard about panspermia, in which the building blocks of life theoretically travel to Earth from elsewhere. But from where, exactly? In this episode, Julie and Robert glimpse inside the nebulae of creation. Also, Robert talks about "The Blob." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three Minutes Till Impact
May 15, 2012 19:26 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBSure, your chances of going down in a plane crash are pretty slim -- but what if it actually happens? Without a parachute, how can you hope to survive a deadly drop to Earth's surface? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss your survival plan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Touching the Void: Psychedelics and Death
May 10, 2012 17:53 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBCan psychedelic drugs help prepare terminal patients for death? Can MDMA ease the pain of dying through the ultimate transcendent experience? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss what some researchers believe may be the future of end-of-life care. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Walls
May 08, 2012 17:12 - 28 minutesCivilizations surround themselves in walls. They raise walls against enemies, against the environment and against the spirit world. In this episode, Robert and Julie examine walls, from Ming Dynasty battlements to the galactic borders of our universe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
Hibernation: The Ultimate Suspended Animation!
May 03, 2012 15:18 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBWhat is hibernation exactly? Is it the opposite of sleep? Is it the future of manned space exploration? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert enter the hibernacula and discuss this perplexing biologic state. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Space Junk in the Trunk
May 01, 2012 16:34 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBHow much junk can we accumulate in Earth's orbit before we seal off our world? Before we cut the planet off from the cosmos and doom civilization to a new dark age? In this episode, Robert and Julie look skyward to space exploration's garbage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Contact Lenses of the Gods
April 26, 2012 15:24 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBImagine a contact lens that displays data against your eyeball, delivering everything from sports scores to soap operas. Contact lens display technology may make this a reality. In this episode, Robert and Julie explore this future augmented reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oh the Lucid Dreams we Weave ...
April 24, 2012 16:36 - 38 minutes - 35.8 MBWhether awake or dreaming, our neocortex is always shuffling about data and creating stories. But what if you could enter your dream and become the master of your fate? Join Julie and Robert as they weave a tale about how and why we lucid dream. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Voyager and the Scale of our Solar System
April 19, 2012 15:37 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBThe Voyager probes continue their journey toward the edge of our solar system, but how much distance have they covered? In this episode, Julie and Robert wrestle with the scale of our solar system, from the atomic fires of our sun to the Ooort cloud. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Odorous Language of Plants
April 17, 2012 16:37 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBDo you speak the language of the carrots? From the screams of grass blades to the stink songs of carnivorous plants, the green kingdom is abuzz with the silent voices of plants. In this episode, Robert and Julie bend their ear to whispers in the leaves. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Illusions and Light
April 13, 2012 16:48 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBThe optical world we perceive is cast in illusion - and the properties of light itself dictate that reality. In this episode, Robert and Julie spin off a discussion of blue skies, sunlight and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Sloth
April 10, 2012 14:26 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBSloth: When does mere laziness become moral failure? When does apathy descend into sloth? In this episode, Julie and Robert tackle one final deadly sin, traveling through both Dante's purgatory and the neural pathways of the human mind. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cat Parasites Conquer the World
April 05, 2012 19:23 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThe most successful organisms hide in the shadows. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is just such a puppet master, and its marionettes include rodents, cats and human beings. In this episode, Julie and Robert uncover Toxo's neural-hijacking scheme. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Wrath
April 03, 2012 15:30 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBWrath: Where does wrath arise from in the human brain and why do we malign it as one of the seven deadly sins? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie continue the buffet of vice in an examination of human anger. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Virtual Sex and Linked Dreaming
March 29, 2012 17:20 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBImagine a future in which astronauts engage in virtual encounters with Earth-bound spouses. What sort of technology will make this possible? In this episode, Julie and Robert discuss computer-mitigated sexual experiences and linked dreaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Lust!
March 27, 2012 17:04 - 39 minutes - 36 MBLust: Are we slaves to our desire? Can we resist our passions, or should we go full-satyr and embrace the inner goat? Join Robert and Julie as they journey through the maelstroms of Dante's Inferno and into a scientific discussion of the ""sin"" called lust. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Organisms: Heavyweight Division
March 22, 2012 16:27 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBJust how big can an Earth organism get? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert look at some of the heavyweight contenders for the largest life form on the planet - and the answer isn't "blue whale." What is it? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Godzilla vs. Kong vs. Barbie
March 20, 2012 17:32 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBGodzilla vs. Kong vs. Barbie: Are you terrified of giant monster attacks? Well, this is the episode for you. Join Robert and Julie as they calm your fears with a healthy dose of science. Listen in as they examine the morphological limitations of gigantic creatures (and more). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stendhal Syndrome: Kicked in the Brain by Art
March 15, 2012 13:57 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBImagine a work of art so beautiful that it causes heart palpitations and hallucinations. This Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode dives into the surreal world of Stendhal syndrome. What's the science behind this psychosomatic illness? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Grasping Greed
March 13, 2012 16:49 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBGreed: Would you like more money? Sure, we all would. But how does greed break down in the mind? Where's the line between appreciating wealth and complete corruption? In this episode, Julie and Robert dive into the world of Scrooge McDuck, King Midas and more. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Novelty Junkies
March 08, 2012 16:14 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBDo you love new experiences and fresh ideas? Join Julie and Robert as they examine neophilia, the love of novelty. How can this swell-sounding human attribute lead one person down the road to ruin and another through a life of success? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Glutton Chops
March 06, 2012 16:43 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBGluttony: When does appetite transform into disorder? What are we to make of competitive eating? Join Robert and Julie as they continue their science-guided tour of hell, chatting with gluttons in the Inferno's third circle and considering modern forms of gluttony. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tidally Locked Perpetual Darkness
March 01, 2012 16:26 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBWhy do we never see the moon's backside? What would the Earth be like if one side always faced the sun? In this episode, Robert and Julie contemplate tidally locked planets and moons, where one side of the globe burns while the other freezes in darkness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Seven Deadlies: Green With Envy
February 28, 2012 17:51 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBEnvy: Guided by science, Julie and Robert continue their journey through the pleasures and perils of the seven deadly sins. This time the vice of choice is envy, so prepare to discover the neuroscience behind schadenfreude in this episode. Painting by Jacques de Backer (Luciano Pedicini/© Alinari Archives/CORBIS) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.