We Have Concerns
767 episodes - English - Latest episode: 22 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.9K ratingsJeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni talk about the personal philosophical concerns they find lurking inside everyday things. It's fun?
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Episodes
Cocoa Beware
December 08, 2014 06:49 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBWe are consuming more chocolate than we produce, and at the current deficit we may soon be facing a global cocoa shortage. As a fan of chocolatey goodies, Jeff is worried about a potential joyless chocolate-free future, while Anthony welcomes a forced worldwide dietary shift. One thing's for certain, this episode is totally sweet. This show is entirely listener supported. To find out how to help AND get early episodes and bonus content, head to http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If ...
Your Sh@t Don't Stink
December 05, 2014 06:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBBy actually printing DNA, researchers are now able to create entirely new species. They started with a glow-in-the-dark plant, and now have plans to design microbes that will live in your stomach and actually change the smell of your fecal matter. Even crazier, they may be able to associate particular gas odors with biological states, so you can effectively have an early warning system built inside you. Anthony couldn't be more excited, but Jeff wonders when our Frankenstein microbes will ...
The Crystal Method
December 03, 2014 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBResearchers from the University of Southern Denmark have synthesized crystalline materials that can bind and store oxygen in high concentrations. That means that we may be able to use crystals to replace oxygen tanks or even allow divers to simply draw oxygen directly out of H2O through the crystal. Anthony has always wanted to breathe underwater, but Jeff is worried about sucking on crystals for more than good vibes. This show is entirely listener supported. To find out how to help AND ge...
Mouse Wheel Fun Run
December 01, 2014 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBAnthony and Jeff's debate about the joy to be found in running and exercise contuinues. This time, Jeff has an article from the New York Times about a study which showed that mice will spend time on a running wheel, even when they don't have to. When placed out in the woods, completely unattended, mice and other creatures would jump onto a wheel, and spend time running on it... for fun. Is this the proof Jeff has always wanted, or are these just Anthony's alpha Brock mice? This show is e...
Lego Worm Brain
November 28, 2014 06:00 - 17 minutes - 12.4 MBAn open source group has recreated the brain of a worm, neuron for neuron, and recently programmed this data into the body of a Lego Mindspring robot. Rather than dictating specific behavior into the software, the program simply fires each neural imulse exactly as a worm's brain would. The result is remarkably worm-like behavior in Lego form. While Jeff can't exactly pin down the size of this creation, he is excited about what it means, but Anthony is worried worm-behavior is a low bar fo...
28 Days Other
November 26, 2014 06:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBA British performance artist is raising money to live inside the Oculus Rift virtual environment nonstop for 28 days. He will be connected at all times with another human being - someone he has never met - seeing what he sees, eating what he eats, sleeping and going to the bathroom only when he does. Jeff and Anthony are fascinated by this idea, but wonder when and how this experience will break down. Also the puking. There's got to be a lot of puking. This show is entirely listener sup...
Let's Clone a Mammoth
November 24, 2014 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBScientists have found the most well preserved mammoth ever- so fresh they even took a bite of mammoth meat. Does its DNA contain enough complete information to clone it? If so, should we? What happens if we bring back exctinct species? This show is entirely listener supported. To find out how to help AND get early episodes and bonus content, head to http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to lis...
Tearable Information
November 21, 2014 06:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBArizona schools are ripping pages about contraception out of text books and Anthony can't believe it. Jeff tries to figure out the motivation behind such a bonehead move, but both guys can't understand why less knowledge is ever good. It's enough to make them jump off a roof without an inflatable helmet. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a m...
Time is a Cat Circle
November 19, 2014 07:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBJoin us TODAY on our video hangout. Chat with us. Have a beer. Share your concerns. More info on how to join: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Researchers have just created the world's most precise atomic clock- but what do we get out of it? Isn't time just a human construct? What does 'precise' even mean in a universe where time changes depending on where you are? All of this kinda freaks Jeff out. Anthony, for once, isn't too worried about the nature of time. Hey! If you're enjoying th...
You Art What You Eat
November 17, 2014 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBThe Foodini is an example of the new wave of 3D printers for food. Just fill it with fresh ingredients, and out pops meals like ravioli, pizza, and hamburgers, ready to cook. Anthony detests the tyranny of food, and doesn't have time for anything that stands in the way of productivity and effeciency. Jeff, on the other hand, can't wait to eat delicious meals shaped like all sorts of things, and sees a world where design and artful presentation is decoupled from a food's original form. Th...
Dress For Succession
November 14, 2014 06:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBScientists studying the brain's ability to make choices note that the fewer inconsequential decisions you put in front of yourself, the better you'll do when it is time to face a really challenging one. Armed with that knowledge, many prominent deciders like President Obama and Steve Jobs removed the decision of what to wear from their lives. They simply wear the same clothes every day. Anthony and Jeff wonder if wearing a uniform for life might be beneficial, what that outfit might look ...
The Prime Director
November 12, 2014 06:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBJeff is intrigued by an interview he read about Nasa's one and only Planetary Protection Officer. Her job? To protect OTHER planets from us and ensure the galaxy isn't contaminated by microbes, particles, or other detritus that might ruin it. Anthony hopes for the same attention to detail in his own life, and everybody hopes we don't ever accidently create avacado creatures. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out http://patr...
Grin and Bear It
November 10, 2014 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBPark Rangers are asking visitors to state park and forest areas to please stop taking #bearselfies. Anthony and Jeff try to figure out what would possess a person to approach a wild, deadly creature in the woods and snap a pic, decide which type of bears are the most dangerous, and discover the absolute worst clinic to attend when you've been mauled. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey!...
A Tough Pill to Swallow
November 07, 2014 07:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBResearchers at MIT have developed a new pill that is much more efficient at delivering medicine into the bloodstream. Instead of a simple spheroid, it is covered in a multitude of tiny spikes, which stick into the stomache lining and ensure the medicine is absorbed rather than passed through the body undigested. Jeff is fascinated by the evolution of the swallow-able tablet, from its roots thousands of years ago to the more common "friable" form introduced in the 19th century - but Anthon...
I Don't Know
November 05, 2014 06:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBIt's counter-intuative and perplexing, but the truth is, the less human beings know about a particular subject, the more they THINK they know about it. This has become known as The Dunning-Kruger Effectific. A new article in the Pacific Standard by David Dunning himself attempts to explain this phenomenon of confident idiots. Jeff and Anthony can relate, and try to come to terms with their own aversion to not knowing. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clip...
One For the Books
November 03, 2014 07:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBA new article describes the benefits of long-form reading and suggests that the tactile feedback of printed books results in better retention than e-readers. While Jeff and Anthony are definitely on board with reading, they challenge the idea that enjoying books on digital screens is any less effective. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a m...
Tricked by Treats
October 31, 2014 19:43 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBOn this special Halloween episode, Anthony and Jeff consider the nature of of the trick or treat tradition and the urban legend of poisoned Halloween candy. Is asking strangers for food an inherently unsafe activity, or did we manufacture a scare that isn't real? Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’...
Leave it to Beaver
October 29, 2014 19:41 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBA new Wired article recounts the medieval myth that beavers, when cornered by hunters, would castrate themselves by chewing off their own testicles. Jeff and Anthony unpack the myth and try to figure out why the Dark Ages were filled with so much dumb. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTune...
Back to the Hoverboard Future
October 27, 2014 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBPreviously on We Have Concerns... in the Welcome to the Hoverboard Future episode Anthony mocked Jeff's enthusiasm for a mind-bending new technology that indicated that hoverboards may, in fact be possible. Now, there is a new article on Engadget that describes a working prototype soon making its way onto Kickstarter. Does Jeff get the last laugh, hovering his way back into the future he's always wanted, or is Anthony still able to poke penny-sized holes in the dream? Like the show? Want ...
Tell Me How to Feel
October 24, 2014 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBA new article describes a study in which doctors told patients they would just be getting a shot of vitamins, but instead gave them something a thousand times more powerful. Whether these subjects thought something strange was happening or not depended entirely upon what the doctors told them they should expect. This leads Jeff and Anthony to wonder just how much impact our conscious mind can have on our reality, and whether or not we can use this to our advantage. Like the show? Want ear...
Objects that Click
October 22, 2014 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBAnthony found an article that describes the community around the IBM Model M keyboard, a sublimely clicky keyboard that has spawned cult-like devotion and a second hand black market. It makes him consider our fetishization of things, and the ties to productivity they create. Jeff just thinks all those objects are yelling at him. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a m...
Who's the Robo Boss?
October 20, 2014 05:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBResearchers have discovered that employees are actually more content taking orders from a robot than a human being in the workplace. This prompts Anthony and Jeff to wonder what it might take to promote robots into middle management, what the perfect form factor for a boss-bot might be, and how companies might implement their new robo-supervisors. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the sho...
That Runner's High
October 17, 2014 05:07 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBAs a runner himself, Jeff was very impressed to read of James Lawrence, the endurance athlete who is attempting 50 ultra-distance triathlons, in 50 different states, in 50 straight days. Anthony, on the other hand, thinks it is unhealthy, obsessive, and downright stupid to push your body to that extreme. Is this just the Brock Life pushing human abilities to new heights, or a crazy person receiving misplaced admiration for a self-destructive act? Like the show? Want early episodes and ext...
Spider House
October 15, 2014 05:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBAnthony has found a story about a Missouri family fleeing their home because between 4500 and 6000 spiders came "bleeding out of the walls". To which Jeff of course wonders, "What the #%$#?!" Spider senses tingle, spider stories are shared, and everybody asks how this could possibly happen. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever ser...
Photo Synthesis
October 13, 2014 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBGoogle's Auto Awesome will take the best areas of slightly different photographs and combine them into one new, never-quite-was best version. A new article suggests that this kind of artful interpretation of history may prove problematic when AI determines what parts of photos are important. Anthony argues that no photograph is a true depiction, while Jeff wonders if we will ever remember something accurately again. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patre...
Saturday Mourning
October 10, 2014 05:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBSaturday morning cartoons are no more! And Jeff has decided that this means something really bad for today's youth - but Anthony is certain that it's a good thing, and that Jeff is just a cranky old man yelling at the winds of change. Does on-demand mean no more shared cultural experience? And where does this leave Capt Crunch in his battle against the soggies? Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’...
Pet Smart
October 08, 2014 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBAnthony has been reading about Chaser, the wonder dog who has learned over 1,000 different words, which makes him wonder how smart Jeff believes canines to be. Is obedience less intelligent than independence? Is there a bias in measuring intelligence in non-human creatures? Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use...
Go Go Gadget Soul!
October 06, 2014 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBShipyard workers in South Korea have been using Exo Suits to assist them in loading and unloading scrap metal, and Jeff and Anthony desperately want to try it out. But why stop there? Why not replace human limbs with robot ones? How far would they go in selling off their humanity to be able to punch down a wall? The answer may surprise you. Our show is entirely listener supported! Subscribers get early episodes, extra audio and a monthly live video hangout. More details: http://patreon.c...
The Part of 'No' We don't Understand
October 03, 2014 04:46 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBAn article by Kevin Ashton proposes that saying "no" to things is vital to the creative process. Anthony and Jeff wonder why they have such a hard time saying "no" and what that might mean about them. Like the show? Want early episodes and extra content? Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff ...
Virtual Empathy
October 01, 2014 05:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBA new article suggests that the Oculus VR headset may be the first step to allowing people to truly experience what it is like to live a different kind of life. This could allow designers to create "empathy engines" whereby users may come to feel emotion for their fellow man in a virtual space. Anthony and Jeff think this is a great idea, especially if causes douchey diners to tip their wait staff. Support us on Patreon to get early release episodes and extra content: http://patreon.com...
These Hugs Ain't Free
September 29, 2014 07:18 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBA woman in Oregon has opened a cuddle service for those looking for a bit of personal contact, but definitely no sexy stuff. Anthony works through his own issues with touching, Jeff determines the fair market value of intimacy, and everybody wonders what to do at a pheromone party. Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And the Stitcher link: http://www.stitche...
Sleep Working
September 26, 2014 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBResearchers in Paris recently proved that the brain can continue to classify words into categories even after it has gone to sleep, causing Jeff and Anthony to wonder what scientists do to make their test subjects fall asleep during an experiment, and how this kind of non-stop brain activity might be harnessed by corporate America. We Have Concerns is entirely listener funded and there's extra content for those that contribute. Find out more: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! I...
Phantom Phone Menace
September 24, 2014 06:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBA new article about the phenomenon of "phantom" phone notifications - those strange moments when you senses a vibration from your cell phone that didn't actually happen - has Jeff ranting on the crazy thoughts that such sensations evoke, and Anthony hearing voices. Is technology making us crazy, or have alerts been messing with the human mind since the beginning of time? Enjoying the show? Review us on iTunes! It really helps out rating and ranking: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Anthony o...
Algorithm is a Dancer
September 22, 2014 06:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBIn an attempt to better understand pop music, Dr. Lior Shamir created an algorithm that can correctly identify and track the Beatles artistic output over the evolution of their career. Now, the same technology is being used to predict whether songs, movies, and other entertainment will be popular, and could even replace creators altogether. Jeff is worried that an equation will never have the soul required to create true beauty, while Anthony is convinced all art can be reduced to math. ...
U Mad Bro?
September 19, 2014 07:05 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBAcross all cultures and geographies, humans scrunch up their faces in the exact same way when they are angry, and a new article examines several possible evolutionary explanations for the consistency. One theory is that older people are more intimidating, but Anthony is ready to fight any older person he meets. Jeff admits to getting angry... and you wouldn't like him when he's angry. Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use t...
Positively Pessimistic
September 17, 2014 18:54 - 21 minutes - 15 MBJeff found an article in the Atlantic that posits that a certain type of negative thinking, called defensive pessimism, might actually be more conducive to productivity and well-being than thinking positively. Anthony, of course, is all over this idea, and calls it pragmatic. Could expecting the worst actually be beneficial? What about if you're seven years old? Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the i...
The Sun is Yellow and Other Lies
September 15, 2014 05:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBAnthony found an article explaining how astronomers gussy up space photography to convey the scope and beauty of the cosmos, and now he has to break it to Jeff that every image he's ever seen of the galaxy isn't really as rich and vibrant as depicted. Is it important for science to be strictly accurate, or does artistic license play into scientific method? This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! I...
Telepathy is Real! (kinda)
September 12, 2014 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBResearchers have now successfully transferred words from one conscious mind to another over long distances... is a sentence that is technically true, but the details of how they did it reveal that true telepathy is still a long way off. That doesn't stop Anthony and Jeff from proposing ways real telepathic communication could be great and/or terrible. Who needs the Apple Watch when you've got a brain-to-brain interface! This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit P...
Cobra Soup
September 10, 2014 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBCooking a Chinese delicacy, a chef in Guangdong province died when the head of a cobra he was preparing bit his hand - long after it had been severed from its body. This freak accident has Jeff and Anthony pondering the safety procedures necessary for serving venomous snakes in a restaurant, the weirdest foods they've eaten, and, of course, GI Joe. This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re...
Mayo on Displayo
September 08, 2014 05:30 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBA museum in Japan devoted entirely to mayonnaise prompts Anthony and Jeff to discuss the proper ways to consume condiments, the joys of seeing mundane "attractions", and the usefulness of obsession. Also, Indiana Jones shows up. If you like the show, support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: ...
Follow Your Dreeeeeeam!
September 05, 2014 05:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBAn article about how one Chinese gamer turned his "gaming addiction" into a profitable business prompts Anthony and Jeff to discuss dreams, responsibility, passion, and choosing the right career. Also, Sir Patrick Stewart's hidden love of crude oil. This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, why not take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen? He...
Biome Sweet Home
September 03, 2014 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBThere is evidence to suggest that a microbe that lives inside the human stomache may be the key to ending deadly peanut allergies. Indeed, the microbiome that each of us carries around all the time may have far more to do with our physical and mental health than previously realized. This makes Anthony and Jeff think twice about who they'd like to share bacteria with, and how exactly these microbes are getting into our bodies. Hey! If you’re enjoying the show please consider supporting it ...
Robo Baby Buggy Bumpers
August 31, 2014 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBSeveral high profile colleges have teamed up to create a universal index of basic knowledge for robots. The theory is that robot brains will need to know how to process even the most elementary interactions with everyday objects, and one consolidated resource for this information could be used in all future robot AI. How are they doing it? Stock photos and YouTube. Anthony just hopes the plans include robot dogs, while Jeff worries that this may lead to a world of Minecraft-addicted robots...
Know More Data
August 29, 2014 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBPlug your email address into a particular part of Google and you'll see a map of everywhere you (and your smartphone) have been in the last month. Anthony isn't surprised and thinks anyone who is worried must be 70 years old. Jeff envisions a world of massive amounts of searchable history of your life - a giant online diary. Who's naive and who's paranoid? Is this kind of record keeping useful, or will it lead to the subjugation of the public? Your support makes this show possible. Ple...
Free Monkey Smiles
August 27, 2014 05:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBWhen a monkey grabbed his camera in Indonesia, snapped the perfect selfie, and the photo went viral, British photojournalist David Slater assumed he'd make a pretty penny from the iconic image. But the in a 1,222 page report, the US Copyright Office just announced that any picture taken by an animal, plant, or deity is cannot be owned by man. This makes Anthony and Jeff wonder what kind of crazy photography is going on inside the US Copyright Office. Support the show on Patreon! http://p...
Immortality Transfusion
August 25, 2014 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBResearchers in California are planning to treat Alzheimer patients by replacing their blood with blood of young people. Even crazier, there is reason to believe it may work, since old mice have become healthier and more youthful when their circulatory systems carried the blood of younger mice. This, combined with the story of a jellyfish that can reverse its aging process when sick or injured, has Anthony and Jeff pondering the possibility of immortality. That, and the inevitable vampire ...
Like This
August 22, 2014 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBA writer for Wired clicked 'like' on every single article, update, or advertisement that Facebook presented to him over the course of two days, and described what it did to his feed. It turns out, the algorithm can go pretty wild if you're willing to follow it down the rabbit hole of thumbs up. This leads Anthony to rail against social media and socializing in general, and Jeff to wonder what it means to be a machine. Support us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you'r...
Welcome to the Hoverboard Future
August 20, 2014 05:30 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBThe "impossible" propulsion drive, which uses microwaves and invisible matter to theoretically power space travel - and which seems to violate the laws of physics, has actually been validated by NASA. This causes Jeff to go bananas, dreaming of a fantasy sci-fi future in his own lifetime and... wait for it... HOVERBOARDS. Anthony is not having any of it. Hey! If you're enjoying the show, consider supporting us on Patreon! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://...
Salmon Fodder
August 18, 2014 09:28 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBHumans controlling waterways by building dams has caused major problems for salmon, who must return to fresh water to breed. But a new company - Whooshh Innovations (not making that up) - has developed a better way to help salmon get upstream: a giant salmon cannon. Anthony thinks this is the perfect Rube Goldberg solution to the problem, while Jeff worries about a country that solves every problem by turning things into guns. HEY LOOK IT'S OUR PATREON! Help support the show! http://patreo...
Ant-y Social
August 15, 2014 03:01 - 21 minutes - 15 MBResearchers have determined that individual ant colonies have their own distinct personalities, and that these personalities are shaped by their environments. This leads Jeff and Anthony to wonder if all animals have personality, and if humans might have personalities that are shaped by their environments, too. Also, only eat animals that are dicks. Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http...