Best Platypi Podcasts (2024)

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72: Former Cryptids & The Art of a Scary Story 1:57:20

10d ago1:57:20

1:57:20

Cryptids may be spooky, but what about the spooky animals that turned out to be... real?? And what makes a good spooky story? Could it be something secretly... heartwarming?? Timestamps: (00:07:15) Intro (00:04:21) Former Cryptids (00:54:25) The Art of Spooky Stories (01:52:33) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also l…

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71: 🎂 Good Invasive Species, Rock Climbing, and Ig Interviews 2:05:30

20d ago2:05:30

2:05:30

For our birthday this year, we've each gifted a topic for one another! For Caroline, an environmental hot take: can invasive species ever be... good? For Tom, an entire topic about one of his favorite hobbies: rock climbing! And for Ella, interviews from the Ig Nobel Laureates this year. Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Times…

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70: The Core of the Earth & Planned Obsolescence 1:52:07

1M ago1:52:07

1:52:07

What's actually going on in the center of the Earth, and just how interesting and useful could it be? And how did the now ubiquitous Planned Obsolescence start with... bicycles?? Images we Talk About: An Early Bicycle Bilhert's Animations Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:06) The Core (00:58:24) Planned Obsolescence (01:45:52) Outro Support us wi…

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69: Hank Green, Sex Science, Reverse Platypi, and the First Dick Drawing 2:00:56

2M ago2:00:56

2:00:56

Longtime inspiration and friend of the show Hank Green joins us for a very special episode! How do colonial organisms with just one queen avoid incest? How many Ig Nobels have gone to sex science? Can the team figure out the identity of the Reverse Platypus? When was the first dick grafitti, and could the story actually be... wholesome??? Watch: Th…

1
68: Phrenology & Lego 1:42:58

2M ago1:42:58

1:42:58

It's an infamous pseudoscience, but what haven't we learned from the rise and fall of Phrenology? And Lego are ubiquitous, which means there's a lot to learn and a lot of nuance for our love of these stackable bricks. Things we Talk About: The Phrenology Pamphelet The Lego Cullen House Lego Seismometer CERN Lego Device The Brick Experiment Channel …

1
Recast: LLE on SIF - Eeny, meeny, miny, moe 1:05:38

3M ago1:05:38

1:05:38

While we're sending Tom "Well Wissage" and a speedy recovery, enjoy Ella & Caroline on this tremendous episode of one of our sibling shows on the network, Secretly Incredibly Fascinating!By Tom Lum

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67: Epigenetics & The Overlooked World Games 1:56:30

3M ago1:56:30

1:56:30

You may have heard Epigenetics used as a buzzword, but what is it really? Is it something we know about, something still new, or... both? And what in the world are the World Games, and what makes them better than the Olympics? Links we Talk About: Ella's SciShow Video on X Chromosome Diseases Sport Casting Fin Swimming Haudenosaunee Flag Christophe…

1
66: What is a Species & What is UK Voting? 1:55:58

4M ago1:55:58

1:55:58

It's a word we say all the time but... what IS a species? How has it been used in the past, and could the different answers all be right? And how does voting work in the UK? It starts with voting for knights, and could hopefully end in the future with something even better. Images we Talk About: Ella's Zoom Moustache Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (0…

1
The Best of Everything 2023-2024 2:00:03

4M ago2:00:03

2:00:03

After much deliberation, the academy (listeners of the podcast) has voted on the best topics from the past year! If this is your first episode, you'll get a sampling of our favorite moments of science and sillyness, and if you're a long time listener, you'll hear some behind the scenes thoughts about the topics, as well as... a secret teaser at the…

1
65: Black Holes 101 & Tattoos 1:47:56

5M ago1:47:56

1:47:56

What happens when a star collapses to a point of near infinite gravity? And just how hard could that be to actually... find? And why do we love tattoos so much, and how long have human beings across the world been loving them too? Check out Tom's first long form video that's finally out! Images we Talk About: The Crab Nebula First Image of a Black …

1
64: Tom Scott, Human Acceleration, and Failed Videos 1:22:03

5M ago1:22:03

1:22:03

How fast can a regular human accelerate from 0-60? How can you learn to love roller-coasters? And is there a terrifying experience Ella's done that even Tom Scott hasn't?? After having us on his show for so long, it's finally time for Tom Scott to join us on our show! Videos we Talk About: Tom Scott's Amazing Roller Coaster Video Tom Scott's Failed…

1
Pride Merch & Voting for the Best of Everything! 4:08

5M ago4:08

4:08

It's Pride and Poll-jedice! For pride month we have some pride merch including an amazing design by Caroline, with proceeds going to Pride in Stem! Also, toss in your vote to defend the honor of your favorite topic for the next Best Of Everything episode! All of this is at LetsLearnEverything.comBy Tom Lum

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63: Biomimicry & The Evolution of Chess 1:38:23

5M ago1:38:23

1:38:23

What can we learn by mimicking animals in nature, and more importantly, what can we learn about the nuance behind the buzzword of biomimicry? And just how many wild facts are hidden in a simple chess set? Images we Talk About: One of the Oldest Shatranj Sets Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:26) Biomimicry (00:50:25) Chess Chess Evolution (01:33:…

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62: False Memories & House Plants 1:42:15

6M ago1:42:15

1:42:15

How much real science is there to the Mandela Effect, and how much should we be worried about our faulty memories? And what's the science and history behind our long love for house plants? Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:31) False Memories (00:57:30) House Plants (01:37:47) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Yes Ella …

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61: Whale Fall Ecology & Jury Duty 1:37:58

6M ago1:37:58

1:37:58

What happens when the largest living animal becomes the largest dead animal? Just how complex could a dead whale be? And what are the differences, flaws, and nuances of the jury system, and can we be studying it better? Images we Talk About: The Zombie Worm Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:59) Whale Fall Ecology (00:52:52) Jury Duty (01:32:41) O…

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60: Near Earth Objects & Guitar Tabs 1:53:37

7M ago1:53:37

1:53:37

What are all these rocks hurtling through space? Do we need to worry about them, and what can we learn from them? And what are guitar tabs, why don't people take them seriously, and why does Tom love them so dang much? Videos we Talk About: Osiris Boop Gif Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:54) Near Earth Objects (00:56:58) Guitar Tabs (01:47:55) …

1
Preview: Rats! Cheddar Heist! 35:14

7M ago35:14

35:14

With Tom as their DM, Ella, Caroline, and Ellen Weatherford team up for a dicey heist in the big apple. Only one catch: they're rats! Can Rex, Tango, and Muriel ratatouille their way to nab the cheddar, or will they crumble like feta? Believe it or not this is only the first quarter of the full 2 hour episode that you can only get by becoming a mem…

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59: Quantum Physics & Gossip 1:51:37

8M ago1:51:37

1:51:37

Can Tom finally take on his science communication white whale: Quantum Physics?? And what is gossip, what did it mean in the past, and could it actually be... good?? Find out on a very special MaxFunDrive episode! See all the MaxFunDrive events, pins, and links here! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:06:29) Quantum Physics (01:00:14) MaxFunDrive! (0…

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Go Fact Yourself MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, Teresa McElroy, Ross Blocher, and Jordan Morris 20:39

8M ago20:39

20:39

IT'S THE MAXFUNDRIVE!!! And we're kicking it off with a network-wide trivia competition with other MaxFun hosts! You can see all our upcoming events during the drive and become a member at www.LetsLearnEverything.com This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month a…

1
58: Kelly & Zach Weinersmith, Mars Ecology, and Space Communes 1:16:00

8M ago1:16:00

1:16:00

What would a man-made ecosystem look like on mars? Just how complicated could it possibly be? And are the human and societal issues just as complicated? Science communicators and authors Zach and Dr. Kelly Weinersmith ask and answer all of these questions and more! Check out: A City on Mars! The Weinersmith's article on Frontier Mythology and Space…

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57: Don't Lose Your Head! and Constructed Languages 1:40:28

8M ago1:40:28

1:40:28

Losing your head isn't good, but what actually happens, and what can it tell us about animals, ethics, and bad science? And what is a constructed language, when does it fail, and when can it be use to make great... art? As they say, Ni Lernu Ĉion! Content Warning that today's science topic can be a bit grim, so if you want, you can skip ahead to 54…

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56: Are We Still Evolving? & Famous First Messages 1:42:59

9M ago1:42:59

1:42:59

How have human beings evolved, and how could we evolve in the future? And what are some famous first messages, and what can we learn from looking at them? Images we Talk About: Telegram First Record Image Second Record Image Other Record Images Tom's Ingenuity Comic Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intr…

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55: Evolving Electricity & What's "Women's Work"? 1:43:31

9M ago1:43:31

1:43:31

How did eels evolve electricity? And when is "women's work" neither women's nor work? Images we Talk About: Socks More Socks Thimble Bag Crochet Art Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:26) Evolving Electricity (00:51:13) "Women's Work" (01:38:46) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: Happy moisturizer to…

1
Recast: LLE on Creature Feature - The Bird Pee Technique 1:02:16

10M ago1:02:16

1:02:16

While we take our January break we're rebroadcasting our appearance on Creature Feature! Katie pulled out some of the wildest facts for us, so enjoy, thanks for your patience, and see y'all in 2 weeks!By Tom Lum

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New Year Q&A 1:46:53

10M ago1:46:53

1:46:53

It's our annual Q&A episode where we look back on 2023 and answer your questions to learn about our process, our favorite things, and each other! Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: Ella gets on the album, Dodie is very frog people music, pigeons fruit flies and sloths, our favorite topics of each others, bl…

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54: The HaLearnDay Extravaganza! 1:41:24

11M ago1:41:24

1:41:24

It's the HaLearnDays! The time of year when we share gifts of fun facts from us and friends of the show! Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: I wish Katie and Alex were real, pooping every 20 minutes, a human creates 320 pounds of poop a year, when I think about dangerous, “when I think of dangerous bird boop…

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53: Making Superheavy Elements, and Celebrating Public Domain Day 1:23:46

11M ago1:23:46

1:23:46

What are the superheavy elements, and how did we make them? And what is public domain day, and why is next year's going to be so interesting? Things we Talk About: The Mickey Mouse Curve Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:17) Superheavy Elements (00:37:41) Public Domain Day (01:19:19) Outro W…

1
Submit Your Q&A Questions! 0:52

11M ago0:52

0:52

Submit your questions for our end of year Q&A episode at letslearneverything.com/question or in our discord!By Tom Lum

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52: Amy Westervelt, Carbon Capture, and the Cartoonishly Evil Atlas Network 1:11:52

12M ago1:11:52

1:11:52

Investigative journalist Amy Westervelt from Drilled asks us: what is carbon capture and is it good or bad or... complicated? What is the Atlas Network and why are they comically evil dark avengers of the climate world? And how do you go from recording a podcast in your car to creating an award winning podcast network? 🎤 See Tom perform comedy in B…

1
51: Carcinization, The Animal Algorithm Mystery, and The Many Lemming Lies w/ Ellen Weatherford 1:50:36

12M ago1:50:36

1:50:36

Are we really all destined to turn into crabs? Why are there so many animal algorithms, and are they all legit? And just how many times have we been wrong about the lemming? Things we talk about: All the Crabs Caroline mentions The Big List of Animal Algorithms Boid Video Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00…

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49: Goosebumps, (Not) Alien Pyramids, and Nessie & Cryptids 1:55:41

1y ago1:55:41

1:55:41

Why do we get goosebumps when we hear nails on a chalkboard? Obviously aliens didn't make the pyramids, but how were they made and what does that teach us about humanity? And what's the story behind nessie and why the queer community loves cryptids? Things we talk about: Egyptian painting of using water to pull a statue Video of modern people pulli…

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50: 🎂 The Ig Nobel Prize, The 2023 Ig Nobel Winners, and the Ig Nobel Peace Prize 2:05:58

1y ago2:05:58

2:05:58

For our 2nd anniversary and our 50th episode (which it definitely is, don't check) we cooperatively tackled a topic folks have been asking us to do for ages: The Ig Nobel Prize! Check out our new merch! Hats! Posters! Mugs! Images and Videos we talk about: The Levitating Frog Video The Best of Miss Sweetie Poo Ocean Mixing Anchovy Diagram The Grabb…

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48: Wikipedia w/ Annie Rauwerda, The First Boring Number, and Perpetual Stew 1:34:43

1y ago1:34:43

1:34:43

We all use Wikipedia, but how did it come to be? What's the first number to not have a Wikipedia page, and what does that say about math and humans? And what on Earth is Perpetual Stew? Follow Annie and Depths of Wikipedia on Instagam/Twitter/Tiktok! Images we talk about: Sloane's Gap nostalgia.wikipedia.com Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Jo…

1
47: The Abyssopelagic Zone, The Crystal Healing Boom, and Time Capsules 1:59:51

1y ago1:59:51

1:59:51

What lies below the depths of the sea... and why should we stop being so afraid of it? Okay we know crystals can't heal you, but could they actually do... something? And why are time capsules more complicated than you'd think, and why should we love them anyway? Images/Videos we talk about: New Yorker Comic about the Deep Sea The Phantom Jellyfish …

1
46: Lawn Loathing, Spelling Psammophile, and Guinness World Records 1:54:49

1y ago1:54:49

1:54:49

Why are lawns so bad, and what could we grow instead? How much can we learn from an esoteric word like Psammophile? And why is the Guinness Book of World Records wonderful and terrible at the same time? How complicated is trying to scientifically study gender? Why does it feel like water get discovered on Mars every other month? And what's so great…

1
45: Superseded Science, why is TB Still a Thing, and the Radium Girls 1:54:45

1y ago1:54:45

1:54:45

What previous scientific theories would turn into the ones we know today, and what can they teach us? Why is Tuberculosis still a thing in the modern age? And who were the Radium girls, and what did they give us? Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: Oh Fuck Tom and Ella and Caroline, theory vs pseudoscience, …

1
44: Katie Goldin & Alex Schmidt, Space Birds, and the Bison Emoji 🦬 59:39

1+ y ago59:39

59:39

Special guests Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin from Secretly Incredibly Fascinating and Creature Feature answer: Have birds ever been to space? Why does Katie love birds so much? And how did Alex bring about the bison emoji to everyone's phones? Things we Talk About: The Quails in Space video we watched over and over The Club Winged Manakin's "Call" …

1
43: Gravitational Waves, The Loneliest Animal, and Graffiti 1:50:14

1+ y ago1:50:14

1:50:14

How long have we been searching for Gravitational Waves? What is the loneliest animal, and what does it mean to be lonely? And what really makes graffiti... graffiti? Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:26) Gravitational Waves (00:41:01) The Loneliest Animal (01:14:17) Graffiti (01:45:21) Outr…

1
42: Gender Complexity, Mars Water Deja Vu, and Pigeons 1:42:20

1+ y ago1:42:20

1:42:20

How complicated is trying to scientifically study gender? Why does it feel like water get discovered on Mars every other month? And what's so great about these pigeons I see everywhere? Images we talk about: The Brain Gender Chart The Jacobin Pigeon The Pouter Pigeon Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Int…

1
Best Of Everything! 1:32:08

1+ y ago1:32:08

1:32:08

It's our first Best Of episode! We sat down to listen to and talk about the topics YOU told us were your favorites! Temporal Illusions! Eurovision! Dodos, and so much more! Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: The handsome Dr. Ella Hubber, if a friend recommended this to you they’re amazing and didn’t start t…

1
41: Eyevolution, Eliminating Mosquitos, and Bagged Milk w/ Sabrina Cruz 1:46:39

1+ y ago1:46:39

1:46:39

What are some of the wildest ways that eyes have evolved? What would happen if we got rid of all mosquitos, and how would we even do it? And how on Earth did some Canadians come to love bagged milk? Images we talk about: The Picture Tom had on his Dorm Wall The Sheep Video Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:0…

1
40: Mitochondrial Eve, Climate Change CRISPR, and Telephone Music 1:50:47

1+ y ago1:50:47

1:50:47

Who is the most recent human we all share our DNA with? How can CRISPR be used to help the climate crisis? And what do telephones have to do with music? Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:22) Mitochondrial Eve (00:39:21) Climate Change CRISPR (01:14:15) Telephone Music (01:47:15) Outro Images…

1
Tom-nical Difficulties: Back in a Week! (And the week after that!) 2:25

1+ y ago2:25

2:25

Tom threw out his voice screaming about the new Zelda game (not actually) so we're delaying the next episode. But! We're not shifting the release schedule so the next episode will still come out the Thursday after! In the meantime, check out the episode of Veritasium that Tom researched and wrote! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMQbHMgK2rw…

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39: The Pill, The 2 Highest Points on Earth, and Period Products 1:53:11

1+ y ago1:53:11

1:53:11

What are the myths and facts around the hormonal birth control pill? Why are there two highest points on Earth, and does that teach us about our planet? And what are all the ways period products affect the world we live in? Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:04) The Pill (00:52:01) The 2 High…

1
38: Ellen Weatherford, Can Fish Drown, and Real Pokemon 1:21:48

1+ y ago1:21:48

1:21:48

Special guest Ellen Weatherford joins us to ask: just how interesting can water and fish be? And are there any pokemon inspired by strange but real animals? Check out Ellen's podcasts "Just the Zoo of Us" and "Spellbound and Gagged" Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: defining fish, “just be cool about it”, …

1
37: Loving Toxicity, Future Warnings, and Better Burials 1:59:44

1+ y ago1:59:44

1:59:44

Is there more to learn than to fear from toxic animals? How would we warn future humans about present dangers? And what are better ways for us to be buried? Things we mention: WIPP Mock Up Images Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: This ant can kill 1 million elephants, haven’t found a venomous mushroom… yet…

1
Technical Difficulties: Back Next Week! 2:27

1+ y ago2:27

2:27

Apologies all, Ella's computer kicked the bucket, so we'll be back next week with a fresh episode!By Tom Lum

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36: Scientific Language Models, The Smell of Space, and Forgotten Olympic Events 1:58:04

1+ y ago1:58:04

1:58:04

IT'S THE MAX FUN DRIVE!!! See our Game Night Livestream Monday March 27th at 5pm EST! Get cool drive rewards and listen to our special bonus episode! Can Large Language Models be used for good in scientific fields? Could space smell... good? And what olympic events have we tried, abandoned, and completely forgotten about? Things we mention: Compuls…

1
Recast: Just The Zoo Of Us: Rats w/ Let's Learn Everything! 1:11:08

1+ y ago1:11:08

1:11:08

Today we're rebroadcasting our appearance on Just the Zoo of Us as we prepare for an episode coming NEXT week for the MaxFunDrive! On this episode we combine our shows formats to bring you a full Topic, Question, and misc, all about one of the most misunderstood, intelligent, and rascally animals: the rat! Join Tom at a MaxFunDrive Meetup! Support …

1
35: Don't DeExtinct the Dodo, Humans vs Computers, and Art Forgery 2:02:11

1+ y ago2:02:11

2:02:11

Is it really possible to bring back the Dodo, and what even really happened in the first place? Are there any games left that humans can beat computers at, and why might that be okay? And what can art forgery tell us about art and the art world? Images/Videos we Mention: The TinkerToy Tic Tac Toe Computer The Rock Paper Scissors Robot Support us wi…

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