Ep 238: Science... sort of - Fiat Guano

Science... sort of

00:00:00 - Charlie and Ryan are joined by the one and only Tim Dobbs from the Encyclopedia Brunch podcast. In addition to being a fellow podcast and editor for our show, Tim is also a chemical engineer focusing on biotechnology. Our first subject talks about just what the heck biotechnology is, and how it's growing as a part of our economy.

00:29:43 - Biotechnology can apparently make milk, but that's weird so we're drinking other things. Tim is have kombucha. Whatever. Ryan is having a Southern Belle from 3 Stars made with pecans. Also, DC has a nice flag, get on board people. Charlie drinks some fancy espresso because he's fancy like that. We get a bit off track talking about how fruits are all just out to trick us into spreading their seeds. Kind of gross if you really think about it, but you might learn something anyways.

00:42:15 - And for our final topic as we all brace for Batman v Superman: BATS! Bats are great, and if you didn't know that then strap in for some knowledge bombs falling on your head like guano. Our first, more specific story is about a pitcher plant that has evolved to show up really well on echolocation. Why would the plant want to show up? Because it gives the bat a place to roost for the day and uses the guano for food. EVOLUTION IS SO COOL. Next up, bats eat insects. A lot of them. Insects that would eat food we're trying to grow to the tune of about a billion dollars every year. Thanks, bats! Our final story is directly related to the film. Turns out when Zach Snyder learned that North American bat populations were struggling to survive due to White Nose Syndrome (WNS) and decided to use leftover production materials to build bat houses. Regardless of how the movie turns out, that's downright decent. If you want to buy a bat house or learn how to build your own, check out Savebats.org. They really do need your help.

01:15:54 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like bats, they make up roughly 20% of the diversity of the show. Tim thanks new (old) recurring donor Andrew G. This is especially relevant for Tim because we pay him a bit to edit the show. So thanks, Andrew! Tim is also looking for a job at the moment, so if you're hiring biotech people, consider Tim! Charlie has a photo from Shanna H. in which some ice has done something seemingly inappropriate. It's called a pingo, and it's a pretty cool process that forms them. Charlie explains. Ryan has a voicemail from Anne because Ryan was WRONG when he decried tungsten wedding bands as a safety hazard. Way to be misinformed, Ryan. Fortunately, Anne was there to help fix it. Thanks, Anne!

Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the Brachiolope Media Network for more great science podcasts!

Music for this week's show:

Technology - Corey Smith

Espresso (All Jacked Up) - Todd Rundgren

Batman Intro (1966)