Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Humans have spent ages evolving into the charming specimens we are today. But what if we could accelerate the pace of evolution, giving our future progeny super-human attributes? Join Julie and Rober…

What happens when we plug into our gadgets and tune out the rest of the world? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the so-called Walkman Effect and the manner in which our precious music and pe…

Although the subject makes some people very uncomfortable, sanitation is enormously important. But what kind of technology will we find in the toilets of the future? Join Robert and Julie as they inv…

With a duck's head and a beaver's body, the duck-billed platypus is often the butt of jokes. Yet this oddity helps us understand how creatures evolve. Join Robert and Julie as they investigate the un…

The notion of Vedic nuclear weapons is a more than a bit far-fetched. Yet from the Antikythera mechanism to Archimedes' death ray, people are fascinated by the idea of ancient advanced technology. Jo…

Day of the Dolphin: In 1973, moviegoers watched dolphins carry out assassination plots in "The Day of the Dolphin," part of the dolphin fever stirred up by John C. Lilly. But just how smart are these…

People around the world practice meditation, but what exactly is it, and how does it affect our brains? Join Robert and Julie as they look at the science behind meditation.

Can robots be programmed to behave ethically? It's possible that future robots may possess emotions like empathy or guilt. Join Robert and Julie as they interview Dr. Ronald Arkin, a leading expert o…

In this episode, Robert and Julie take a sweeping look at math, addressing several important questions. For example: What is math? Where does math come from? What mathematical skills are we born with…

The Hayflick limit posits that we can live for 120 years. But recent research suggests we could live to for 1,000 years. Enter maverick biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, who has pulled the rug out fro…

In the 1950s, residents of Las Vegas partied hard, and their booze-fueled parties sometimes included a special treat -- the observation of nuclear tests. So what happened next? Tune in as Robert and …

It's no secret that the history of paleontology is replete with hoaxes and incorrect conclusions -- but how many can be chalked up to honest mistakes, and how many were scams? Tune in to learn more a…

A placebo is a fake medicine included in drug trials to show, through contrast, the benefits of the real medicine. Yet sometimes the patients taking the placebo still experience improvements -- why? …

When an iron rod shot through Phineas Gage's head, it destroyed the majority of his left frontal lobe. He survived, but his personality and behavior changed -- why? Tune in as Robert and Julie explor…

Although scientists still aren't sure exactly how dinosaurs reproduced, fascinating (and surprising) conjectures abound. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the procedures experts use to recreate t…

Is it possible that human evolution is on the verge of transcending its organic roots? And, if it is possible, how could it actually occur? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the mind-blowing conc…

Are computers approaching singularity? Join Robert and Julie as they discuss the quest for cyberimmortality.

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Mickey Mouse gets along just fine with four digits on each hand, so why do humans have five of these digits? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie ask why so many creatures evo…

We all know the myth that we use only 10% of our brains, but how we know it's a myth in the first place? In this episode, Robert and Julie interview neurosurgeon Dr. T. Glenn Pait and learn how neuro…

It's often said that dogs are man's best friend -- but does science support this claim? In this episode, Robert and Julie examine the science behind human-canine relationships. Tune in to learn wheth…