Science... Sort Of

This week's theme: Hilarity Ensues You never know what you're gonna get with Science... sort of and this week it's no exception. Somehow we lost segments and wound up with a longer than usual show, ain't it whacky!? 00:00:00 Apologies instead of intros, but you get enough info to keep listening. 00:01:36 We talk to science comedian Brian Malow. What more do you need to know? Isn't that enough? It's funny, I promise. 00:31:08 Trailer Trash Talk takes a trip... through time! The Paleopals ponder Hot Tub Time Machine. 00:42:26 Why do we laugh? Sounds philosophical but we try to tackle it from the psychological. Mallow provides most valuable insights. 01:04:02 Turns out a bee could pick your face out of a lineup. Is this an accident of evolution, or an intelligently designed plot to sting you on the nose?   Music this week provided by: The Final Countdown - Europe One More Time - Daft Punk Help, I'm Alive - Metric Queen Bee - Taj Mahal  

15 February 2010 - We're sticking tight to a theme this week. CHANNEL your DISCOVERY of this week's show with episode 23 - SHARK WEEK!! 00:00:00 - The gang's all here plus one extra-Sharky, but never too snarky, Sora Kim! Beers are both thematic and provided. 00:05:47 - The Paleopals grill Sora on her underwater research. Patrick makes up species, Sora sets us all straight. 00:24:28 - It's insanity in the PaleoCave with this week's Trailer: The Crazies! Can you handle not-so-zombie zombies? 00:35:06 - Would you want to be headbutted by something called a shark but isn't a shark with something called genitalia but isn't actually genitalia? Yeah, us neither. But the science reporting is what it is, so that may be our fate. 00:47:48 - And you thought Great White Sharks were bad? How would you like to get chomped by a Megalodon? Chris from NJ asks the important questions. 01:05:06 - Then we bring it all home with a lengthy PaleoPOW segment. It's finally safe to go back in the mailbox.

00:00:00 – Ryan, Patrick, and Charlie are settling into their roles as the standard Paleopal permutation, recording once again in the same tower (err… empty classroom). NASA scientist Shawn Hart is our special guest this week and he complements the entire show. Ryan struggles with the drink... in a funny way not the 'affecting friends and family' sort of way. Patrick supports earthquake prone Eureka, CA with his brew selection. Charlie gets creeped out by his beer label. Shawn’s not much of a beer drinker but represents with a classic microbrew favorite. 00:06:36 – This week starts off science heavy with Shawn telling us all about the benevolent robot camera HiRISE. HiRISE, onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, circles Mars 300 km above the surface and takes pictures at submeter per pixel resolution. It makes one wonder what spy satellites can see on Earth. Find out why HiRISE is the people's camera and how you can choose where on Mars it should look next. 00:28:08 – Trailer Trash Talk – Think incessant ph

00:00:00 - The Paleopals are together again for the first time.  We explore the art of podcasting from the same time and space.  Also, we explore what we are drinking.  Finally, Ryan disappoints us… sort of! 00:03:42 - We kick off the science this week with a story of a stranded red (planet) rover.  The spirit has finally left the little robot in a pile of sand.  Spirit still works, she just doesn't get out as much as she used to.  00:13:30 - Trailer Trash Talk - This week we go down the rabbit hole to discuss the Disney/Tim Burton live-action Alice in Wonderland. Apparently, this is an extension of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.  Best we can tell Tim Burton just put the band back together.  Is that a good or a bad thing?  The Paleopals will set you straight. 00:21:56 - Dinosaurs were a colorful lot, at least according to this story.  Science finds evidence of coloration on dinosaur feathers.  Naturally, this news makes Ryan want a pet Velociraptor even more than he did.  We d

Ep. 20 - Skepticism... sort of 00:00:00 - Just in case you don't remember who the Paleopals are they introduce themselves and introduce their drinks too! Patrick claims to have found a hard to find beer, Ryan has over-thought things again, Ben represents the non-alcoholics and Charlie's drink is a surprise! 00:05:28 - Dr. Steve Novella of the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe stops by for a chat. A long chat. But it's all golden as Steve walks the Paleopals down the short road between SCIENCE and skepticism. 00:54:13 - Terribly Happy is a movie not many will likely be able to see or even want to see but it ties in to a later segment of the show and it's all done in foreign talk. Has anyone even been to Dane-land? What's so Great about Danes anyway? Why would you name both a dog and a pastry after them? 01:03:00 - To be prepared for the future you'll need to know how to battle in space, the Paleopals break down the basics and help you decide what to watch to best give you the specifics. Physics ensues. 01:2

00:00:00 - Intro: Alcohol is a double-edged sword, but is that a redundant statement? Probably, unless you're in Japan. And our guest, Ryan Lipscomb, keeps up with beer talk, so you know he can be trusted. 00:08:54 What happens if you get shot in the gonads with a high dose of radiation? Should you listen to "Science... sort of" with you laptop on your lap? More serious questions, like the health of children, are also addressed. 00:23:10 More derailment as we find out what happens when you go through the scanners at the airport. Is it better to wear leather chaps or nothing at all? And the age-old question: Are spies more susceptible to radiation? 00:32:30 Darwin creates romance in the upcoming film "Creation." Provocative title, but will it be worth the hype? Look us up on hsx.com and find out. Or just listen, that works too. 41:20 Planning a trip? Try Chernobyl: Now with 100% more radiotrophic fungus! In all the world this is the closest living thing to the Incredible Hulk. 51:30 A new way of doing listene

It's a bit late and it's a bit long but it's all Science... sort of! 00:00:00 Imbibing is part of the show. Charlie has a thing for numbers, Patrick needs a pick-me-up and Ryan over explains things. 00:07:00 Charlie wonders why sea lions follow him up and down the coast. The other Paleopals learn some shocking secrets about his past as a lawbreaker. And a wild theory turns out to have some merit. 00:25:54 Would Cujo have been as scary if you were suspended above the mean dog? The guys try to suss out survival by trailer trash-talking the movie Frozen! 00:40:40 Patrick talks to Dr. Blaine Schubert, he's literally titularly excellent! 01:05:55 Cows have feelings too (for now), but humans eat cows: that's a fact according to Charlie. Patrick may throw him a curve ball. And Ryan tries not to confuse the issue, but it'll probably happen anyway. 01:21:15 Listeners also feed… back! But we think listeners are sacred and therefore should never be eaten. Music this week provided by: I've got your number – Passio

Welcome to the post-Solstice Science… sort of Special: All New for a New Decade… sort of. 00:00:00 – An unusual lineup leads to unusual drinks. Who are these people and just what are they drinking? Here’s a hint but tune in to find out! 00:03:35 – An interview with Dr. Bruce Haupt who lengthens bones for a living. Get your mind out of the gutter and pay attention to the science. 00:25:07 – Tools are fun. Octopi are fun. Why not put them together? A new video shows just that, but only the Paleopals can tell you what this means for humanity and our potentially threatened future. 00:39:38 – Sam Neil keeps screwing things up as the Paleopals discuss this week’s trailer: Daybreakers. Fortunately silly sounding scientists (our favorite!) and Willem Defoe (another favorite!) are there to save us (us being all of humanity). 00:47:00 – Feedback Frenzy! The Paleopals have fallen behind on their email and the iTunes reviews keep rolling. Hold on as they race you through the updates. Bonus feature: LAZORS!! 01:05:4

Ep. 16: Science... sort of - Warm Light on a Winter's Day 00:00:00 - Your Paleopals bring the Heat this Winter's Solstice. Charlie and Ryan question the theoretical limits of the International Bitter Unit (I.B.U.) and discover a very 'science... sort of' I.P.A. (India Pale Ale), while Patrick, the ever-composed southern gentleman, calmly sips a Texan staple. 00:04:48 - We humans have been playing the global warming game so well, the Earth has decided to generously comp us a greenhouse gas bonus -- methane. Patrick takes us to the ocean depths where methane hydrates, a sherbet-like substance made of methane molecules trapped inside frozen water molecules resides. 00:21:50 - Trailer Trash Talks with Ryan nearly falling from the rarefied pedestal of comic geekhood. But with an impressive recovery his status shall not be questioned again. we discuss the disturbing iterative trend in the number of villains in superhero movie sequels -- Iron Man 2 plots right on the line unless you count the bottle as a villain (we

Ep 15: Science… sort of - Fire and Ice. The paleopals begin as they always begin, with chilled savory refreshments. Ryan and Patrick come up with a new meaning for an old label, while Justin samples from a vintage year for Trader Joes. 00:04:42 After discussing their iced beverages, Patrick delves into a study that explores a hotspot below our favorite island state. Justin ponders whether or not magma still glows if no one can see it. 00:26:51 Trailer Trash Talk opens with a discussion of 'The Book of Eli'. All wonder what the book could possibly be- maybe this is a marketing ploy from Amazon to sell Kindles? 00:26:51 Ryan returns to the deep to discuss life under the ice on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, with Richard Greenberg, Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona. 00:52:31 What would a Science… sort of Episode be like without a quick trip to our favorite continent Africa? Ryan leads the way on a journey through the strange world of mole-rats- animals that

From the ashes of episode 13 rises the phoenix of episode 14.  The Theme: Below the Crust. Be sure to check out each of the Paleopal's solstice shopping recommendations under their individual "About" pages at www.sciencesortof.comIntro: 00:00:00 One of the Paleopals is missing but, on the other hand, that means that 75% of them are here.  That's a passing grade.   It could be a lot worse.  Crocs… sort of: 00:02:55 Patrick is his usual crusty self in examining this feast of fossils.  Did these fossil crocs rule the world? Are they even crocs? Does duckcroc satisfy Kirk Cameron?Nitrogenous Isopterans: 00:21:35 We interview professor Kena Fox-Dobbs about her work suggesting that when in Africa, the termite is king of the nitrogen hill (or mound).  You might think that big organisms would hold the keys to moving nitrogen around the savannah, but you might be wrong. Trailer Trash Talk -  Clash of the Titans: 00:43:54 A remake of a 1980's stop-motion classic.  Patrick reminisces about the original movie that tells

Episode 13: Science... sort of - Digging Deep Links and more available at sciencesortof.com In which Patrick puns, Ryan runs (his mouth), Charlie contemplates and Justin bothers to show up. 00:00:00 The Paleopals begin with bickering and confusion. Who's there? What's being drunk? (drinked? drankened?) Who wants to get a word in edgewise? 00:05:31 Then they talk to the Acid Queen. She says something interesting, Ryan says something awkward in response. The usual. 00:30:22 Trail Trash Talk steps inside the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus this week. It's a confusing place, and Gilliam's luck sends the show off the rails but can the guys recover and make sense of it enough to buy stock? 00:47:23 After a trip to the Imaginarium the guys'll want a stiff drink, but the one they're talking about requires a bit of effort. 00:59:15 Self-correcting listener feedback from Jameson, just like Science... sort of. Music provided by: Adventures in Solitude - The New Pornographers Acid Queen - Tina Turner Make You Feel Be

Welcome to episode 12! This week's theme is Boldly Going.  We are seeking out new (fake) life and (potential) new civilizations.  00:00:00 Intro and what-are-you-drinking? Justin has decided to pursue a career doing actual science and thus leaves us stranded for this episode.  So, we call upon Charlie again to bail us out.  00:03:57 Ecoterraforming Plot - How do we turn Mars into Earth?  Well, driving some Hummers around the Red Planet would be a start.  Charlie has a few other ideas but they all sound really hard.  Maybe we'll just hurl some nukes at Venus and see what happens.  Ryan contemplates the future leggy Martian race, once the planet is livable.  00:21:25 The Morae River - Category: Best Faux Naturalist Art;  and the Award goes to… Brynn Metheney.  Brynn tells us how she thought up the Morae River and her plans for  life after kicking her Velociraptor habit.  We learn about her artistic process and then put in a request some future faux naturalist art.  Outside of her blog, Brynn has a book on Blurb

00:00:00 Intro and What are you Drinking: The Paleopals are drinking a wide variety of beverages this week and Africa sneaks back into the show (nearly unnoticed. 00:02:43 Oxytocin.  All your relationship problems might be solved with just a little extra oxytocin.  Or, you might just turn into a naked mole rat; it's too soon to tell.  The hormone might also explain why you can't seem to get along with your siblings during thanksgiving.  00:18:48 Trailer Trash Talk - Avatar.  The Paleopals have been holding this one back waiting for the perfect time to pass judgment on James Cameron's remake of Dances with Wolves (in space).  Turns out this is the week.  Lucky you.  We discuss floating minerals and CG romance, then we reach a conclusion.  But you'll have to listen to find out if we are long or short on this one.  C'mon we even have time stamps now. 00:29:48 Babies Cry with Accents.  Patrick records his recent offspring for our listening pleasure.  Hard to place the accent but maybe she sounds a little like Zsa

Welcome to the Decasode! Pulling out all the stops for the Paleopalophiles this week’s show notes include… time stamps! @ 00:00:27 – The intro! Has Patrick realized his fitness? Do the guys have a theme? Do they have drinks? All these questions will be answered. @ 00:09:23 – Topic #1: The audio equivalent of Hemmingway’s Snows of Kilimanjaro as the guys discus melting tropical glaciers, and the gumption they had daring to exist in the first place. @ 00:25:42 – This week on Trailer Trash Talk the guys take 2012 to task. Patrick again name drops the competition so here’s a link their site, cause we’re just that nice. The Paleopals even manage to include some Science… sort of (Hey! That’s the name of the show!) @ 00:38:36 – Topic #2: The universe shows the LHC a thing or two about how to accelerate a subatomic particle. Justin explains the science, Ryan drops some metaphors with SPORTZ. A science book is mentioned, and a non-science book is lamented. @ 00:51:22 – Ryan feels like he gets hit with a fist ful

In episode 9 the paleopals add Charlie to the mix again and then turn the mic on themselves, Justin specifically.  Justin had a paper come out in PNAS discussing the famous man-eating lions of Tsavo (of Ghosts in the Darkness fame).  He thinks that it was just one of the pair that was causing all of the trouble.  He also figured how many people they ate using only science.  Next the paleopals take a stab at The Box.  Is it a masterpiece of moral dilemma or another Richard Kelly debacle?  Would you push the button? Finally, the guys learn all about how Superman's various abilities are really just one physics defying power.  We start out discussing amongst ourselves, but Ryan has a surprise.  He brings in the big gun, Benjamin Tippet (AKA Lenny Lippet?), to infom us that unless you have a pocket full of kryptonite or a black hole at your disposal, you don't tug on Superman's cape (spitting in the wind is optional). 

In Episode 8 of Science... sort of, Patrick Ryan and Justin sit back, relax, and eat some science... while drinking their favorite beverages. Patrick discusses a recent meeting on global species diversity, while Ryan and Justin can't decide what a species is in the first place. Then the trio discuss the trailer for the upcoming movie, Sherlock Holmes. Opinions of the trailer are varied, but all agree to buy stock in Rachel McAdams. Next, the Paleopals move on to the topic of parallel universes, and agree that productivity would be greatly increased if the idea were true. Finally, Ryan, Patrick, and Justin briefly discuss 'Starman' by James Robinson before playing Ryan's interview with Robinson recorded directly from the field, that is- in a bar.

In this week’s installment of Science… sort of; The mysterious Sr. Nino makes an appearance, he teaches the guys and important lesson about jumping to meteorological conclusions but he also needs your help! Once you’ve listened to the show you can e-mail him, "seniornino" at "sciencesortof.com" and find out how you can get involved in SCIENCE! Next Patrick’s tell us about butterflies having sex with caterpillars, which seems like incest but is really bestiality. The lesson: you’re never too old to start a blog for your crackpot theories. Gentleman Broncos is up on the chopping block for this week’s Trailer Trash Talk. We learn a secret of Patrick’s past, a not so secret about Justin’s current, and Ryan hears Kiwis everywhere. Justin is excited about Ardi, a “new” hominid fossil from Africa. The guys disagree with the consensus in a few spots and go through some of the basics of evolutionary theory that confuse creationists and other laymen. Lucy’s grandma is full of surprises! Or maybe she’s exactly what we

Episode 6 of Science… sort of is probably the most sciencey episode so far.  We bring in an extra-terrestrial expert to talk about water on the moon.We contemplate the price of lunar bottled water and where to hide a space elevator from terrorists. Next we discuss NASA’s LCROSS mission, which is essentially launching a missile at the moon to see what happens. Ryan reminds us that there may be dinosaurs on the moon just waiting for cyborg paleontologists to discover them.We return to earth to discuss the upcoming Chinese epic, Red Cliff.  Patrick has a surprise up his sleeve and Justin and Ryan don’t care for it (I think they are just jealous).Are you going to die 3 billion years from now when our galaxy collides with another? Chances are you’ll be dead already but at least future humans will get to crown a galactic champion, or will they?

Science... sort of: Episode 5. Do pretty women actually make men loose their minds? Justin, Ryan, and Patrick explore a new study that suggests that this is indeed true. Next the paleopals continue to be lost in space as they discuss the trailer for the upcoming horror scifi flick "Pandorum". Then the Nile crocodile tries to avoid extinction in the Okavango Delta, as the trio analyze opportunities for artificial insemination. Finally, Justin plays the odd-man-out as Ryan and Patrick continue their love-affair with werewolves as they discuss the comic "The Astounding Wolfman".