Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1

FromStuff To Blow Your Mind

Start listening View podcast show

Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1

FromStuff To Blow Your Mind

ratings:

Length:

24 minutes

Released:

Oct 9, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Yes, 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://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Oct 9, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Deep 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.

Skip carousel

How well do you know the T. Rex?: The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of history's most well-known, feared and misunderstood dinosaurs. Children often learn that this dinosaur was a ferocious predator ... but this might not be the whole story. Listen in and learn more in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
Regenerate This!: According to Richard J. Goss, "If there were no regeneration, there could be no life. If everything regenerated, then there could be no death." But how does this process work? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind regeneration. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
15 min listen
Man Vs. Flu: Influenza is a virus that causes the flu, and it shares a long, lethal history with the human race. In this episode, Robert and Allison explore what's made the flu such a successful disease, and what you can do to avoid an infection. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
The Kardashev Scale: When Nicolai Kardashev began searching the universe for intelligent life, he built an energy-based scale to measure the progress of any given civilization. Tune in to discover how this scale works -- and why humanity's place on the scale may surprise you. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
21 min listen
Evolution in Action: Charles Darwin's revolutionary study of evolution isn't even two hundred years old yet. In terms of evolutionary processes, this is a miniscule amount of time. Yet is is possible to observe evolution within our lifetimes? Tune in and find out. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Weighing the Human Soul: In the early 1900s, Duncan Macdougall set out to prove the existence of the soul. By placing consumption patients on a scale as they died, he tried to find a difference between the weight of a person before and after death. Learn more in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
14 min listen
How Fighting Asteroids Works: Asteroid impacts are inevitable. As they hurtle toward Earth, experts race against the clock to build an effective asteroid deterrent. Will they succeed in time? Learn more about asteroid fighters -- and their plans to save the world -- in this episode. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Do I live next to a Grow House?: When drug dealers want to grow marijuana without getting caught, they often set up a "grow house." These buildings look like any other building, and they often fool bystanders. Tune in and learn how to tell if your neighbors are running a grow house. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
The Great Space Elevator: It's no secret that space shuttles need a vast amount of fuel to escape the pull of gravity -- but are space elevators a better alternative? In this episode, Robert and Allison explore the merits of literally building an elevator from Earth into space. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
24 min listen
Flat Stanley Across the 11th Dimension: The world famous globetrotter Flat Stanley is used to encourage literacy in children. Since Flat Stanley is two-dimensional, he's a perfect jumping-off point for Robert and Allison's exploration of string theory and our multidimensional universe. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
21 min listen
Are we better off in the dark?: Most city dwellers are familiar with contaminated water and smoggy air -- but have you heard of light pollution? Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the effects of light pollution -- and whether humans are better off in the dark. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Book Sniffers and You: You can learn a lot from a book's smell. For example, the books of heavy smokers tend to smell of smoke. When you smell a book, you're encountering more than 200 individual components combining to produce an olfactory fingerprint. Tune in to learn more. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
12 min listen
Running with Parasites: Are you a fan of running outside without shoes? Many people enjoy walking barefoot, especially in warmer weather. Yet there's a dark side to the joy of a shoe-free life: parasites. Listen in and learn more about parasites in this episode. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
Toilets in Space: Every astronaut knows that life in space requires numerous adjustments -- after all, things just aren't the same without gravity. So how exactly does a toilet work in space? Learn more about the science behind space's supertoilets in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
22 min listen
Fathers of the Wild: The Good, Bad and the Ugly: What makes a dog a lousy father and a wolf a stellar patriarch? Join Robert and Julie as they anthropomorphize the animal kingdom in an effort to find out why some species are more like Cliff Huxtable while some are more like Darth Vader. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
34 min listen
Mining the Moon: Since helium-3 can be used to power the fusion reactors of the future, it may be one of the world's most important fuel sources. It's rare on Earth, but experts believe the moon may have an abundant supply. Tune in and learn more about moon mining. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
13 min listen
Growing a Green Roof: Are you stuck in the city, sweltering under the summer heat and missing the trees and grass of the natural world? Then why not transform the nearest rooftop into a garden or a park? Tune in and learn more about green roofs in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
25 min listen
Noise Pollution: Pipe Down, People!: Like any other form of pollution, loud noises can seriously affect your health over time -- and that's just the beginning. As Robert and Allison break down the science behind noise, they also explain how noise pollution affects the natural world. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
In the Lair of the Rat King: In medieval Germany it was a dire omen of plague-ridden doom. Today, it remains more of a grotesque cultural reference. Join Robert and Julie as they enter the lair of the rat king, and prepare to be shocked by the reality of microbial rat kings. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28 min listen
Dinner in Space!: Let's say you're an astronaut: Each day you wake up, conduct research and make adjustments to your orbit. Eventually you grab some chow -- but what kind of food do you eat, and why? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind space food. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
In Search of Offshore Oil: In an economy driven by fossil fuels, oil exploration is big business -- but how do scientists actually find oil? In this podcast, Allison and Robert break down the techniques and technologies used to find offshore oil. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
23 min listen
Junkies of the Animal Kingdom: Human beings aren't the only organisms with a predilection for mind-altering substances. In fact, the natural world is filled with bingers and boozers. Listen in and learn more about junkie animals. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Underground Robotic Highways: As cars become increasingly sophisticated, more and more experts are contemplating the possibility of self-driving vehicles on automated highways. But how close are we to actually achieving this futuristic dream? The answer might surprise you. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
Evolutionary Hangover: Evolutionary Hangover: Vestigial traits are common in animals across the globe, but why? In this episode, Julie and Robert take a look at the genetic leftovers that lost their usefulness during evolution. Tune in to learn more about evolution, atavism and by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
Neuromyths: What You Think You Know About Your Brain: We all know the myth that we use only 10% of our brains, but how we know it's a myth in the first place? In this episode, Robert and Julie interview neurosurgeon Dr. T. Glenn Pait and learn how neuroscience is changing the way we think about our brains. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
24 min listen
Monogamy Shamogamy: From black vultures to angler fish, the Earth is home to many monogamous species. Humans, however, don't quite make the list. In this episode, Julie and Robert explore why humans have a hard time with the concept of monogamy. Are we hard wired to stray? by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
(Kick)Astrobiology: Astrobiology is a lot more than sitting around wondering what aliens look like -- instead, this discipline draws on multiple fields to study the basic building blocks of life in space or on other worlds. Join Robert and Julie as they explore astrobiology. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
19 min listen
Probing Questions About Alien Abduction: Why are so many people convinced that they were abducted by aliens? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the history of alleged abductions, along with the scientific explanations for the experiences of the witnesses. Tune in to learn more. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
36 min listen
Has science explained life after death?: Humans have believed in the soul for millennia, and the evolution of science hasn't stopped the search for ghosts and the soul. In fact, modern scientists still search for proof of life after death. Tune in to learn more about the latest research. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
The Bad Seed: Tales 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? by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
31 min listen

More Episodes from Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Skip carousel

From the Vault: Thar She Blows, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
54 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Highlander II, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
96 min listen
From the Vault: Mutational Meltdown by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
39 min listen
The Monstrefact: The Andorians of Star Trek by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
8 min listen
Space Warfare, with Paul Szymanski by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
41 min listen
The Monstrefact Omnibus: Creatures of Myth and Legend by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
From the Vault: Thar She Blows, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Highlander II, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
73 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 5 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
38 min listen
Animalia Stupendium: The Common Kingfisher by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
7 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 4: Mythology in Dust by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Listener Mail: The Ripe Program by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
26 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
52 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: On the Silver Globe by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
90 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
47 min listen
The Monstrefact: The Flight of Dragons by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
4 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
41 min listen
Listener Mail: Ephemerol by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
34 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
45 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Dragonslayer by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
88 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Smart Talks with IBM: The Power of Collaboration: How IBM Teams Up with Microsoft by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
13 min listen
In the Name of Osiris by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
46 min listen
Listener Mail: Vale's Lonely Walk by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
49 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Wolf Devil Woman by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
82 min listen
The Cult of Osiris, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
46 min listen
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Man-Thing by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
6 min listen
The Cult of Osiris, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Listener Mail: Realm of Refraction by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
27 min listen
$Listener Mail: Realm of Refraction$

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Ig Nobel: Strange Science Part 2: In 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. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
We Are All Scientists: While 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. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
The 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
57 min listen
45 — How important is curiosity in L&D?: New tech, new approaches, new fads: Our industry is awash with exciting developments, but do we approach them with the curiosity of a magpie or the curiosity of a scientist? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G is joined by Owen and Giorgio to... by The Mind Tools L&D Podcast
28 min listen
Hands on with Apple's AirPods by Geared Up
29 min listen
The Ig Nobel Prizes 2021 by Dude! Nature
65 min listen
Big Science of 2012: As 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. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
46 min listen
Sustainable healthcare, climate science and the anaesthetist: Our new 2024 special supplement is now online! We have put together a collection of articles that are at the cutting edge of peri-operative science. Joining @GongGasGirl is Dame Julia Slingo, Miss Virginia Ledda and Ms Alifia Chakera. Their articles... by The Anaesthesia Journal Podcast
30 min listen
Dog intelligence, with Jules Howard by Instant Genius
36 min listen
What If We Settled on an Exoplanet? - with Didier Queloz by What If, discussed.
35 min listen
#38: Tackling the climate crisis; essential, like, filler words of, um, language; mystery of the human penis; your covid questions answered by New Scientist Podcasts
33 min listen
From batteries to distant worlds: Nobel Prize wins for a range of well-known discoveries by Unexpected Elements
57 min listen
#37: Black holes and CRISPR gene editing spring Nobel surprises; climate change and indigenous people in the Arctic; symptom clusters identified for covid-19 by New Scientist Podcasts
31 min listen
Episode 148 - Igor!: Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie discuss Djokovic and tat by BudPod with Phil Wang & Pierre Novellie
48 min listen
How Quantum Technology Could Change Our Future With David Awschalom: In October of 2019, Google announced their supercomputer had reached quantum supremacy. With that announcement, and as we take a short break for the holidays, we thought we should replay a prior Big Brains episode for you with David Awschalom, one of the world's leading quantum scientists. Awschalom is turning what was once in the realm of science fiction into reality—which could offer revolutionary breakthroughs in communications, digital encryption, sensor technology and even medicine. by Big Brains
20 min listen
What else could I do during my PhD?: When the phrase "it'll look good on your CV" makes you shudder. by PhD: Addicted to Research
45 min listen
With a PhD you can do anything: UK careers consultant Sarah Blackford describes how a "SWOT analysis" of your skills can identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your career roadmap. Sarah's sound advice might well have been followed by biotechnolog... by Working Scientist
14 min listen
75 - our design horror stories: James and Nick have their bottle openers back in stock. Nick has been playing around with his new OP-Z and updated his familiarism article. We follow up on some comments from last week’s modular episode. In design news, we round out the wireless earbud market with Apple’s new Airpods Pro. by minor details
66 min listen
Ep 85 It's a Booby Trap! by TRUE
37 min listen
S2E4: The World Forest ID with Phil Guillery, Jade Saunders and Victor Deklerk from Kew Gardens by Words on Wood
31 min listen
Motley Fool Money: 09 13 2013: Apple gets a weak reception. Twitter announces plans to go public. McDonald's serves up surprising earnings. And the Dow does some remodeling. Our analysts discuss those stories and tech writer Rob Pegoraro talks smartphones,... by Motley Fool Money
39 min listen
Apple’s Next Big Thing is Upon Us w/ Dan Barbera by Geared Up
55 min listen
The Sounds of the Sky - The Galileo Project's Search for UAP - with Andy Mead | Merged Podcast EP 15 by MERGED
65 min listen
EPISODE 170 - EPIC UNIVERSE, 1-UP CAFE, and KNOTT'S PEANUTS CELEBRATION: THE THEME PARK DUO PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, STITCHER, iHEART RADIO AND SPOTIFY! On the Season 8 Premiere episode of The Theme Park Duo Podcast, Gabe and Nikki discuss the latest news surrounding Epic Universe. This includes a special... by The Theme Park Duo Podcast
70 min listen
The Ig Nobel Prize: Levitating frogs, constipated scorpions, and other science that makes you laugh then think: The Ig Nobel Prize celebrates discoveries and inventions that are unusual and imaginative. Think of it as the younger, more fun sibling of the revered Nobel Prize. Ig Nobel Prize winners are often recognized for research that might not make it into a... by Tiny Matters
24 min listen
The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?: The team behind BBC Science Focus magazine discuss food myths, algorithms, hybrid cars and nudibranchs as we dive into the November issue. by Instant Genius
46 min listen
Pro Diver Reveals The Truth About Dive Watches by The Watchfinder Podcast
26 min listen
Episode 103 - Reimagining the Chemistry Set: Janet Coffey - program officer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation talks about SPARK, The Science Play and Research Kit competition by Lab Out Loud
29 min listen
59. A Game Show! Circular Economy with Double Dribble, REnato Lab, AIT by Waste Not WHY Not
39 min listen
Barry Barish Interviews Brian Keating: Part 2: Barry Barish Interviews Brian Keating: Part 2 by Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
43 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1

Ig Nobel: Strange Science, Part 1

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Related podcast episodes