Show Notes for TWS100: A Century of Progress (?)
On the show this week:
- The Important Stuff I Usually Don’t Get To
- “Obvious” Science Anyone Can See
- Things Getting Off The Ground (EXTRA)
- Lawful Refinement (EXTRA)
- The Stuff That Extra Scrapes Off Its Shoes (EXTRA)
This week’s Challenge Question:
A) What do you want to see more of different in the next 100 episodes of TWS?
B) Is science too pedantic? Do we focus too much on the tried-and-true? Where is the adventurous scientist — or is that not possible?
Leave your answer in the comments, send your email to weirdshow[[at]]gmail.com, record your message via the MobaTalk client on the right hand side of Encaffeinated!, leave an answer on Facebook or call in at 206-203-2292.
Full links to all stories covered and many more after the jump!
- Theme Song: Caffeine by Grubspoon from The Podsafe Music Network
- Promo: Podculture — I met Brad and Christina at Dragon*Con; they are really, really nice geeks, and they love to geek about everything. Then they record it and let us in on it. ๐
- The Important Stuff I Usually Don’t Get To
- Marriages come and go, but LEGO is forever! ๐ – Ananova: Lego fan beats record, annoys wife
- Invasion of the blobs? Or is it like The Prisoner? – Stuff: More lumps wash up on Kapiti Coast
- Sometimes, to keep something alive you have to turn to the undead.. – MSNBC/AP: “Vampire tourism” breathes new life into small town
- Some people just take whatever privileges society gives them and push, push, push.. – Ananova: Farmer’s 175 mile trip – by combine
- I thought it was “sing *for* your supper” and not “sing *to* your supper”! – Ananova: Beethoven for bangers
- Of course, your shoes will be destroyed… – Ananova: New suit can be worn in shower
- I wonder if we’ll ever have biological machines such as these as a dominant technology, the way that electronics is dominant today? – New Scientist: Plastic-munching bugs turn waste bottles into cash
- I suspect that 95% of the time, people would say that 90% of polls are far too biased, rigged or wrong. The other 10% ate the pencils. Oh, and the other poll mentioned was to get Stockwell Day to change his first name to “Doris”. – National Post: Bigfoot trumps campaign promises in national poll
- EXTRA: Jurassic Park only much, much slower.. – Live Science: Extinct Giant Tortoise Could Be Revived
- EXTRA: I remember this in an episode of Regenesis last year, I think. Wacky! – Discover Magazine: Gene Therapy Restores Sight to the Blind
- EXTRA: It’s odd, unusual and fantastic, so naturally people hate it.. – BBC: US ‘musical road’ hits bum note
- “Obvious” Science Anyone Can See
- Um.. maybe that’s why they called it “icy”? – New Scientist: An icy stare really does make you feel cold
- Um.. maybe that’s why they called it “sweet”? What next? “Water finally declared to be wet-ish.” – New Scientist: Sweet smells lead to sweet dreams
- So, you mean that the picture is not *actually* moving? Hunh.. – New Scientist: Shifty eye movements behind famous optical illusion
- Aren’t we all happier to know that chimp butts are significant markers of identity? – New Scientist: Chimps can recognise friends by their behinds
- Oh yeah, chimps? Not only can we recognize people by their butts, but we ca prosecute based on it! – Ananova: Robber’s bum rap
- Don’t wasps *also* waggle their butt for communication? – New Scientist: Wasps have a good memory for a face
- So you’re telling that RADIATION EXPERIMENTS might have something to do with CANCER. Craziness! Next you’ll be saying that SUNSHINE has something to do with SUNBURNS! – The UK Telegraph: Four cancer deaths at university ‘may be linked to radioactive experiments’
- The Day The Earth Stood.. Still. (Why aren’t more places using that pun? Or are they, and I just don’t know from my parallel dimension where I’m funny?) – New Scientist: ‘LHC day’ was highest profile physics event in history
- I half expect them to light up or something, but I think they just mean “mentally”. – Discovery News: Full Moon Energizes Birds
- So, you claim that dogs have instincts bred into them over centuries of domestication? Or, maybe not… – New Scientist: Wolves make dog’s dinner out of domestication theory
- Um… Who left the gas on? Shouldn’t there be a sign, or something? (Or wait — maybe that *was* a “sign”, after a fashion. Or just a mistake.) – New Scientist: Gas leak shuts LHC for two months
- EXTRA: So, yeah.. It’s amazing just how much of the invisible, heavily significant “faerie dust” they are seeing in space.. And people scoff when UFOs are sighted? ๐ – PhsyOrg: Astronomers Discover Most Dark Matter-Dominated Galaxy in Universe
- First, a look at how the 1800s were *not* filled with airships, mechanical wonders, UFO sightings and, well.. *hope*. – The Toronto Star: A picture and a thousand words
- Next, a rebuttal indicating that the reporter may have been missing a few things.. like *facts*. But: who will you believe? – The UFO Chronicles: A Picture and a Thousand Words – A Rebuttal
- I’m still thinking it’s for tiny clowns… – PhysOrg: Scientists create world’s thinnest balloon, just 1 atom thick
- EXTRA: Nick Redfern gives advice not so much about how to hunt monsters, but how to live with the fact that you hunt monsters.. – Mania.com: Lair Of The Beasts: How to Hunt Monsters
- EXTRA: There is no greater warning I can give about modern obesity than this one. – Ananova: Cattle trucks carry obese patients
- EXTRA: Obesity may be caused by blackmail in popular media as well as scary schoolchildren.. – Ananova: Student made roommates get fat
- EXTRA: Dr. Rupert Sheldrake was stabbed last year by a Japanese man who claimed Sheldrake was manipulating his mind. His case will be coming up soon. I’m sure this will a wonderfully strange case to watch — or just “mundane” insanity? – The New Mexican: Alleged assailant says he’s not crazy
- EXTRA: When you really think about it, “polygamy” is really “having sex with multiple partners, leading to offspring”, and that really has been going on for.. ever. – New Scientist: Polygamy left its mark on the human genome
- Things Getting Off The Ground (EXTRA)
- EXTRA: I always admire people who figure out what they want to do at an early age and then just do it.. Personally, I’m still searching.. – Ananova: Girl, 16, is UK’s youngest pilot
- EXTRA: Ok, so it’s a prototype; I’m sure they’ll have the whole “can’t fly in mildly crappy weather” thing worked out by the time they get to mass market.. – Ananova: Jet man’s channel bid held up
- EXTRA: When driving, one should never underestimate the gravity of the situation. (*chortle*) – New Scientist: Zero-gravity may make astronauts dangerous drivers
- EXTRA: The race for space has once again heated up — it’s about time! – New Scientist: China prepares to launch first spacewalk mission
- EXTRA: And they’re away! Let’s just hope the “taikonauts” are really just in it to advance space travel, and not to advance space war.. – New Scientist: China’s third crewed mission blasts off
- EXTRA: The space program has always inspired people to “do the impossible” — at least these guys seem to be using steampunk architecture.. – Wired: Chinese Say They’re Building ‘Impossible’ Space Drive
- EXTRA: Well, after getting a taste of 0G last year, now perhaps the most brilliant theoretical space scientist will deliver his essense to space. Now they can perfect his clone in orbit! – Medical News Today: Stephen Hawking Sending DNA Into Space To Promote The Archon X PRIZE For Genomics
- EXTRA: This mysterious new process is called “ZOOM AND CONTRAST”… (No, not really; well, almost.) – American Chronicle: UFO photos examined with new process — MUFON investigate
- EXTRA: There’s nothing like a challenge to ensure that things exist, or that things are fake. I get the distinct impression that this is just being used to drive traffic, and that really offends me.. – ProFindSearch: Proof that Aliens exist: The $10,000 challenge!
- EXTRA: No, not “black triangles”, but triangular lights. And the three of them make a triangle. (Like any three points, really.) More Chinese lanterns, or something more (or less) substantial? – The UK Evening Leader: ‘Triangular’ UFOs spotted near Wrexham
- EXTRA: I hate being duped for no good reason (and yet I like surprises and hate spoilers..). This just further muddies the water in alien contact research. Won’t these people be really embarrassed when the aliens really *do* arrive? – The Harrow Observer: Police investigate school’s alien invasion
- EXTRA: A team-building exercise or a sign of just how expensive fuel is? – Ananova: Airport workers get the push
- Lawful Refinement (EXTRA)
- EXTRA: Never do something in a courtroom that can get you arrested anywhere else — even if you are the judge. – Tusla World/World Capitol Bureau: Former Creek County judge disbarred
- EXTRA: Is breaking wind ever really breaking the law? – Ananova: Man charged with farting at policeman
- EXTRA: If you can’t beat ’em, fake ’em. It’s like the fake dog testicles (“neuticles”) only for your mouth. No, wait.. – The UK Telegraph: Pub uses electronic cigarettes to beat the smoking ban
- EXTRA: Smoking really *can* be bad for your health.. – BBC: Ugandan killed for smoking in bar
- EXTRA: Again with the very strict smoking laws… – Ananova: Cannabis smoker fined for tobacco
- EXTRA: New Life For Brian! – Ananova: Brian ban lifted – 28 years on
- EXTRA: Maybe we should have a manditory tattoo for everyone, administered when a child decides to claim adulthood. It could say: “Don’t do stupid things” or “Think, then act”.. – Ananova: Thief to keep son’s words to hand
- EXTRA: The strangest thing is, he had a condo on the 13th floor. (No, not really.) – Ananova: Horse found on 12th floor
- EXTRA: He’ll huff, and he’ll snuff and gnaw yer legs clean off! – The UK Times: Bruce the pig holds pensioner hostage
- The Stuff That Extra Scrapes Off Its Shoes (EXTRA)
- EXTRA: The house includes a gym and a cinema, so it’s proably pretty modern ghosts.. – The UK Telegraph: Spooked businessman flees ‘haunted’ mansion
- EXTRA: The lapdog of the ancient world. *shudder* Sometimes, extinction is a good thing. – News Daily: Researcher finds tiny dino in world of giants
- EXTRA: Hurricanes as archeological tools: discuss. – CNN/AP: Mystery ship washes ashore in Alabama after Hurricane Ike
- EXTRA: “The Lost City of the Khazars” just sounds like it is the setting for the next Indiana Jones film.. – Yahoo!/AP: Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital
- EXTRA: “Because it would be funny” was apparently the motivation. Now *that* is an esoteric comedian! – The Mercury News: Police arrest suspect in dumping of dead animals in Dublin High lockers
- EXTRA: Was Australia *really* settled by England’s crooks, thieves and liars? Or is that just the popular folk tale? – The Sydney Morning Herald: The rock art that redraws our history
- EXTRA: When you get carried away, always make sure that you won’t *actually* be carried away.. – BBC: Train crushes railway sex couple
- EXTRA: Just as long as he doesn’t find his dead dog. Then you know he’s found the Pet Cemetary, and that won’t turn out good.. – The UK Independent: First a reunion with his ‘dead’ father. Now he’s found his lost brother
- EXTRA: A “chicken cozy”? Makes me think more of kind of chicken pot pie.. Mmmm.. pie.. – The UK Telegraph: Hen that lost feathers in battery farm given knitted jumper
- EXTRA: There is a world of difference between Sydney, NS and Sydney, Australia. Always check your ticket. – The Sydney Morning Herald/AFP: Accidental tourist ends up in the wrong Sydney
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