A podcast about trading films with friends. Each month I choose a film for a friend to watch and they choose one for me. Then we discuss. Two episodes a month, first my choice and then theirs.
…
continue reading
Once a month, Arik Devens and Allen Pike take turns sharing fun facts. Practical, historical, technical, and trivial facts all deserve their fair shake.
…
continue reading
Exploring jazz history, one record at a time.
…
continue reading
Arik uncovers what things are really named after, Allen goes subatomic, Arik marvels at astronomical coincidence, and Allen considers extraterrestrial flight. Titan Do subatomic particles have a colour?By Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Allen dives in to diodes, Arik explores the origin of taxis, and Allen reveals an unsavoury fact about zygotes. Steve Mould on LEDs and solar panels Why blue LEDs were almost impossible Thornton BlackburnBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Arik throws peanuts, Allen tries to cook vegetables, photographers try to prompt a good pose, and the earth’s magnetic field threatens to cause trouble. High-altitude cooking Say cheese Geomagnetic reversalBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Scientists discover where birds go, the trouble with coin flips, the limits of the human body, and what exactly you can find in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. The majestic Pfeilstorch XCKD’s What If: What if Nascar had no rules? The Perseus Molecular CloudBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Science discovers our galaxy’s flavor, machinists discover precision measurements, and Arik discovers why you shouldn’t rent a car in Germany. Galaxy’s centre tastes of raspberries and smells of rum, say astronomers What Does Space Taste Like and Why Does It Matter? Thousandth of an inchBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
We check in on platypi and Polaris, consider zero’s parity, and make a decision about booby traps. Polaris Parity of zero Legality of booby trapsBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Allen thinks about cans, Arik thinks about governance, and everybody thinks about the Roman Empire. Why are cranberry sauce cans upside down? Roman Dictator Why do bees make honey?By Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Allen considers ancient honey, Arik considers ancient surgeries, and some jobs may or may not get automated. Honey’s Eternal Life, Explained Caesarean section ATMs and tellersBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Allen showcases a very surprising study, Arik recounts a very Canadian heist, and somebody loses a finger. Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial Inside Quebec’s Great, Multi-Million-Dollar Maple-Syrup Heist The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist Sugar Shack Dr Sam Moghtaderi’s finger-l…
…
continue reading
Arik improves an idiom, Allen shares a good news fact, Arik shares a grammar fact, and Allen locates your bones. You can’t have your cake and eat it too in other languages Status update on pandas Pisiform bone Sesamoid bonesBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Arik and Allen attempt a live episode, Allen attempts to store dry ice, Arik attempts to use the word “relative”, and Allen attempts to explain what salt does. Carbon capture and storage Permanent storage of carbon dioxide in the marine environment: The solid CO2 penetrator Starboard and larboard - NOAA Do fish drink?…
…
continue reading
Allen explains why summer exists, Arik outlines a trademark scheme, and Allen betrays Arik with a fishy biology fact. Seasonal lag List of genericized trademarks Cladistics, the effort to recategorize living things into cladesBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Allen goes deep on whale ingestion, and Arik explains what’s really going on with dinosaurs. National Geographic on the plausibility of whales swallowing humans Dinosaur Evolution of birds Ornithischia Saurischia Scott_D._Sampson ‘Dinosaurs Among Us’ Retraces an Evolutionary PathBy Arik Devens and Allen Pike
…
continue reading
Our sun proves a nuisance, the former Soviet Union makes a trade, we consider pepper seeds, Isaac Newton considers an apple, mice consider some cheese, rats get exonerated, and we share a superior alternative to implausible. What would the sun sound like? List of common misconceptions It Shipped That Way #6, where Arik and Allen talk about engineer…
…
continue reading
Women handle backward buttons, Allen handles a lot of feedback about very improbable things, and Arik handles digested asparagus. Why Zippers Are On Different Sides For Men And Women’s Clothing Sumptuary law Understanding the Birthday Paradox Universally unique identifiers (UUID) Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell?…
…
continue reading
Allen saves us from asteroids, Jack Black’s mom saves some astronauts, Allen offends Arik’s sense of probability, and Arik sets the record straight on streetcar conspiracies. Asteroid impact avoidance The Truth About Jack Black’s Mother’s Historic Past Ep. 63, A Heaving Mass of People In Memory of Judith Love Cohen The math behind how unlikely it i…
…
continue reading
A Portuguese scheme attempts to make counterfeit money real, an American scheme attempts to make walking illegal, and we set the record straight on Australian toilets. Alves dos Reis on Wikipedia Rose Bailey’s Mastodon thread on the scheme The forgotten history of how automakers invented the crime of “jaywalking” - Vox The Modern Moloch - 99% Invis…
…
continue reading
Ancient cultures name colours, algae goes wild, toilets inspire poetry, and we attempt to correct the internet. What Is Blue and How Do We See Color? Did Ancient People Really Not See The Color Blue? Himba people - Wikipedia Himba people color chart on Wikipedia Giant kelp Why is a Toilet Called a “John”? Why the Toilet is Sometimes Called a “John”…
…
continue reading
Arik makes an important call, Allen explains flavour, Arik invents football, Allen counts smiths, and we discover Ethiopian Time. Bon Appetite on blue raspberry Serious Eats on banana flavour History of American football William Webb Ellis Association football Blacksmith, whitesmith, greensmith, and brownsmith Fun Fact 36 – Joey Two-Lies Travel Tip…
…
continue reading
We talk about how rice is grown, how eyes are colored, how time is told, and, of course, a scheme. The System of Rice Intensification Eye color percentages around the world and what causes eye color Eye Color Percentage for Across the Globe The World’s Population By Eye Color - WorldAtlas World’s littlest skyscraper - Wikipedia The Thai six-hour cl…
…
continue reading
We consider too much rain, too many dinosaurs, too much bad stuff happening, and too many MIDI notes. Carnian pluvial episode - Wikipedia Ornithosuchus - Wikipedia The Worst Time in History to Be Alive, According to Science Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’ Volcanic winter of 536 - Wikipedia The Nocturnal bottleneck Photolyase 2013 nocturnal…
…
continue reading
A new border appears, and an old new fish appears; we measure stars, and measure aging. Bonus: a special frog fact. Hans Island Holland vs the Netherlands Extinct Fish Species That Predates Dinosaurs Found in Indian Ocean Stellar parallax Huge Fish, Once Believed Extinct, Isn’t the ‘Living Fossil’ Scientists Thought Study “confirms” some people age…
…
continue reading
Vespasian pays for a colosseum, the bible describes angels, frogs jump into the air, and cities tell us how to compost. Was the Colosseum Paid for with Pee? Vespasian: The Emperor Who Gave His Name to a Public Toilet Emperor Vespasian and the Urine Tax - Lessons from History Ezekiel 1:15-21, which describes ophanim Biblically accurate cherubim Atte…
…
continue reading
Allen reveals why pills are the way they are, Arik reveals why trucks are the way they are, and we catch up on followup. Episode now fixed: Episode 57, Butt-Water Air Adventure Tourism Discussion of cold meds on Ep. 29, This is Not Medical Advice The Capsule The Colorful History of Pills Can Fill Many a Tablet How CAFE Killed Compact Trucks And Sta…
…
continue reading
Turtles breathe in a very peculiar way, nut butter makes a mess, bacteria get crushed, and Arik goes on a quest for carbonation. Turtles breathing through their butts The potential future of butt-breathing Some specific examples of High Pressure Processing on YouTube Fun Fact ep. 1 on the dairy cartel Ripple brand pea milk…
…
continue reading