Episode 173 – Steel Bodies In Motion

00:00:00 – Scientists are now using old government drones to monitor volcano activity in Costa Rica. Thus, we bring together our resident engineer, Jacob, and fan-favorite Latin American volcanologist, Abe, to discuss this new cool use of technology.

00:17:53 – Drinks can keep you cool and refreshed when near a volcano. Abe has a Meantime Coffee Porter, Ben slurps some Korean plum juice, and Jacob overstates his Dos Equis Amber. Ryan concocts a mint julep, complete with muddler.

00:26:38 – Ben writes papers about him, Abe is an immigrant like him, Jacob helps people fly like him, and Ryan just loves him; all of which is discussed in this week’s Trailer Trash Talk of Man of Steel.

00:52:01 – The 3-body problem does not describe a love triangle, it’s actually a physics thing. The timer duck comes out for Ben to tell us all about some new solutions to this old problem.

01:08:03 – PaleoPOWs are a lot like physics problems, hard to understand and with ambiguous solutions. Abe rereads an e-mail from Blair H. down in Antarctica, but Blair also sent us a donation which is awesome. Thanks, Blair! Ryan has a donation as well from Wade W. who also wants us to know that he’s heading back to school thanks in part to Episode 110 – Back to School. Congrats on the renewed education and thanks for the cash! Jacob takes Ben to task with a voicemail from Tim in Gillette, WY. And finally, Randall H. wants answer to just how long a straw needs to be for it to foil even Superman. Ben answers… sort of.

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

Music for this week’s show provided by:

Have to Explode – The Mountain Goats

One Mint Julep – Ray Charles

Save Me – Remy Zero

Three – Massive Attack

Image Credit: Modern Art Gallery Sofia

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Episode 172 – Net Wars

00:00:00 – The elusive yeti, Justin Yeakel, joins Ryan and Patrick to talk about networks! What is a network? How are they useful in science and in life? And other such questions may very well be answered. Read more about Justin’s work on his blog.

00:17:00 – Drinks are one way people try to network. Justin laments the expense of Canadian beer, but still manages to enjoy his End of Reason by Gigantic Brewing. Patrick thanks his sister for the gift of a Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout from Flying Dog Brewery. And Ryan puts himself through the heat of a bottle of Ghost Face Killah from the Twisted Pine Brewing Company.

00:25:49 – Justin conflates a couple of the recently released sci-fi movies of the year, but we eventually get Trailer Trash Talk on track enough to talk about the new Smith^2 movie After Earth.

00:34:07 – Hearkening back to the very first episode of Science… sort of, we decide to discussion the acquisition of Star Wars by Disney. And while we may be sparse on the details, we do want to congratulate George Lucas on his decision to give a lot of the money made from the purchase to education charities. Finally, Justin and Ryan impress upon Patrick (i.e. the only one on the show with kids) the importance of the Machete Order.

00:54:25 – PaleoPOWs are a lot like machetes, used improperly they can really hurt an unsuspecting gringo. Ryan has a voicemail and donation from Will T. who wants to thank us for introducing him to Daniel H. Wilson, among other things. Patrick has a recurring donation from Luke J. across the pond. Thanks so much to both Will and Luke!

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

Music for this week’s show provided by:

Cuffed & Linked – The Reigning Monarchs

Pain for Pleasure – Sum 41

Before and After – Lyrics Born

The Star Wars That I Used To Know – Israel Curtis

Image Credit: Games Database

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Episode 171 – Beatrice Walks The Plank

00:00:00 – Katie McKissick, creator of the Beatrice the Biologist and contributor to Symbiartic, joins Ben and Ryan to talk all about the highs and lows of making comics about biology. (NOTE TO PARENTS: The language does get a bit salty, it is biology after all.) Katie has also recently put out a book of her comics, Amoeba Hugs and Other Nonsense, which you would be an utter fool not to buy.

00:38:39 – Drinks go into your biology and that can be a good thing. Katie has a Gams-bart Roggenbier from Los Angeles Ale Works, aka her husband’s brewery! Ben enjoys some sticky sweet soursop juice. And Ryan makes a Corpse Reviver #2 in honor of a certain holiday.

00:49:24 – We talk about zombies often, so how could we avoid covering the trailer for the upcoming fire monkey zombie movie World War Z. And don’t forget, we talked to the author of the book, Max Brooks, back in episode 66.

01:13:14 – Some clever chaps at the Max Plank Institute have released their findings readjusting the ratios of dark energy, dark matter, and regular matter. Ben takes a long time to explain this and Ryan forgot to turn on the timer duck. Sorry Christina! (And really everyone else too.)

01:41:52 – PaleoPOWs are a lot like constants in phyisics, they change all the time. Ryan has a generous donation from Bryan E. Thanks, Bryan! And Trevor R. wants to know what’s up with this “archive” thing. Turns out it’s spelled arXiv and you can go there to learn stuff.

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

Music for this week’s show provided by:

The Plank – The Devil Makes Three

Payday at the Pub – Slim Dusy

Search and Destroy - The Stooges

I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys

Image Credit: Beatrice the Biologist

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Episode 170 – Story Time

00:00:00 – Erin Barker and Ben Lillie of The Story Collider live show and podcast join Patrick and Ryan to discuss the magic of science disseminated via story. We also talk about their successful Kickstart of Science Studio, featuring a little podcast you may know and enjoy. Be sure to check out their podcast, especially the episode featuring our very own Kelly Weinersmith! (and some guy she brought along to help.)

00:27:05 – Drinks often lead to stories, so let’s have some. Patrick embraces Spring with an Old Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager. Charlie cuts through the nonsense with a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye. And Ryan keep is “local” with some Buffalo Bill Cody Rye Ale!

00:.33:10 – Speaking of stories, how about a new one featuring some old characters, which is exactly what we have in this week’s Trailer Trash Talk with Star Trek Into Darkness.

00:44:58 – Charlie also has a story to tell, it’s all about big batteries and their applications. Apparently your best bet to charge your phone is a big tub of water. It makes more sense when Charlie explains it.

01:05:51 – PaleoPOWs are a lot like batteries, they never last as long as you think. Patrick gets a stern correction from Bec B. concerning his bungling of Australian geography, but she softens the blow with some cold hard cash. Thanks, Bec! Charlie has an update from Antarctic pilot Blair H. who exposed his Science… sort of  T-shirt to the open air near the South Pole (here’s the photo for proof). HARDCORE. And Ryan wraps things up by unwrapping some sweet science cards from Jonathan Horn at Blue Dot Prints. Jon sent enough that we’ll be including packs to winners of the Flyer Contest, so get on it and be sure to thank Jon for your good fortune!

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

Music for this week’s show provided by:

Might Tell You Tonight – Scissor Sisters

Ruthless – Something Corporate

The Dark of the Matinée - Franz Ferdinand

Battery – Aesop Rock

Image Credit: storycollider.org/

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Special Edition 9 – The Feline Phenomenon!

Derek Mead, the Editor in Chief of Motherboard came out to visit Ryan and so of course they sat down on the mic to talk about CATS! (And yes, the photo is Derek and Ryan out looking for cats in Costa Rica.)

No time stamps for this one. We were drinking an Incredible Hop Series Imperial Rye IPA from the Fort Collins Brewery and a cheeky nip of some Balcones True Blue cask strength Texas corn whiskey.

And here are the stories we talked about:

• Humans on the internet apparently prefer dogs over cats
• China has tiger farms, and somehow that’s not illegal (and how you can help endangered felids)
• Black cats get treated worse, and that not cool

And we end with Derek and Ryan quizzing each other on science trivia using the Science Trivia Quiz Book by Matt Silverman which Ryan bought at a used bookstore for a buck.

Thanks for listening and be sure to check out all the great content available from the Brachiolope Media Network and our friends over at Motherboard!

Music for this episode:

Black Cat – Black Mountain (Only available in the In the Future [Deluxe] album)

Image credit: Ryan and his buddy Garren

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