Science... Sort Of

00:00:00 - This week, Joe and Ryan chat with Mike Snyder, c0-founder and chief engineer of Made In Space, which has already begun 3D printing all sorts of things for astronauts about the International Space Station. So kind of a big deal.   00:21:50 - Even co-founders need a beverage now and again, and Mike is no exception. But since they're productive people, all Mike has to promote is coffee, water, and tea (he likes Zelda themed blends from Adagio). Ryan takes a different tact with some Herman Marshall bourbon out of Dallas, TX. Joe brings up the rear with some Death Valley root beer.   00:33:03 - Part 2 of our interview with Mike brings even more science and engineering to the table! Be sure to check out Mike on Twitter and like Made in Space's Facebook page!   01:01:25 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like 3D printing; we're not totally sure why it's a big deal, but it probably is. Ryan has a donation from Andre R., who also left a comment on episode 205 about his favorite local cryptid/upcoming brewery. Joe also h

00:00:00 - We're doing something a little different this week. Now that Charlie is an Assistant Professor he can assign things to students, and it turns out he assigned them a podcast about energy in Washington state. The topics are all across the board, everything from wind energy, solar power, LEED certification, salmon spawning, and more!   01:01:51 - Ben laments being at work while his home fridge is chock-full of strange juices. Charlie has kombucha which throws everyone for a loop and leads to a discussion of disgust (as informed by the book That's Disgusting). Ryan has some green tea because you have to take care of yourself, and some Eau de Brau, a white whiskey distilled in DC from DC beer. Ben thinks that also sounds disgusting. You be the judge!   01:16:33 - Round two of Charlie's students. Enjoy!   02:05:24 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like assignments, you can maybe get away with not doing them, but I wouldn't risk it. Ryan begins with a donation from Gordon Br., who wanted some advice on podcasting and

00:00:00 - Even though the heat is on in most places now did you find your air conditioning over the summer oppressive? You may be right! A study published in Nature (open access) suggests that the way we cool our buildings is woefully out of date and skews the temperature in favor of men over women. Well guess what, world? Women are in the workplace now too! Plus it hasn't been the 1970s for YEARS now. So let's update this, OK? Thanks.   00:23:14 - It also isn't even cool to drink in the workplace anymore. Fortunately this isn't work, this is podcasting. Kelly gives her hangover some hair of the dog in the form of a Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon. Joe continues his love affair with the weird soda shop and this time has some Bug Barf because why not? Ryan enjoys a Mosaic IPA from the Crux Fermentation Project left over from his bachelor party.   00:30:43 - You know how sometimes wasps do horrible things to the other critters they parasitize? Ever wonder how they get their hosts to do such specific things? Well

00:00:00 - Way way back in the 1980's some scientists found a... thing. No this isn't the start of an excellent John Carpenter movie, it's something that happened in real life! Only this year did someone get around to describing the thing, and it turns out they couldn't. Does this new animal deserve a new phylum all to itself? Listen and decide for yourself!   00:22:54 - Ethanol is a great way to preserve specimens when done properly. It's also a great way to socialize, but again, only when used properly. Here are three examples of its proper use. Charlie kicks back a Phosphorescent Pale from the sentimental Island Hoppin' Brewery, near where he got hitched. Patrick enjoys a Devils Tale collaboration from Devil's Backbone Brewing Company and Coronado Brewing Company. He's come so far from his early days as a hops detractor. Ryan claims the greatest beer in the history of the show, a bold claim but can he pull it off? You be the judge, for he sups a Camarasaurus Cream Ale from Fossil Brewing Company!   00:30:3

00:00:00 - Most of this week is dedicated to our interview with author Andy Weir, author of The Martian. The free-wheeling discussion includes how Andy tackled the science of the book, what the reception has been like (including getting a little movie about it made), and what's coming up next. We finish up our discussion with Andy's favorite cocktail: a rum old-fashioned made with either Ron Zacapa or Ron Abuelo, two very fine choices not available on Mars anytime soon, whether there's water there or not.   Miscellaneous things you might want links to: Follow Andy on Twitter Check out The Martian subreddit  The xkcd comic about how we really feel Actual astronauts doing videos like the ones the movie made for viral marketing   01:14:14 - Since Andy brought it up, it only makes sense to complete the thought. Joe knocks it into orbit with his kumquat flavored Martian Soda. Ryan has a Track #8 from The Lost Abbey, which has an overly complicated connection to the subject matter at hand.   01:17:23 - PaleoPOWs

Doing an all feedback episode to get caught up on all the wonderful things y'all send our way.    00:00:00 -  Garrett, who doesn't identify his hair color, and seems to think we know a lot about science immediately finds our weak spot by asking about genetics. Specifically, he wants to know if redheads are in danger of going extinct. This leads to a surprisingly long discussion about the origins of redhair. Plus you'll learn once and for all which of the paleopals have red hair in their beards, even if they don't have any on their head.    00:22:32 - Since humanity evolved, there have been drinks. Though some recent evidence suggests animals may have been drinking even before humans. Patrick goes first because he thinks he finally found a beer Ryan hasn't had. It's a Dead Rising from Flying Dog and he's also wrong. Sorry, Patrick. Ben is enjoying some Irish Breakfast Tea, which is supposedly much better than English Breakfast Tea. And Ryan is having a beer he made for a class three years ago. It has not aged

00:00:00 - Why did the mountain lion cross the road? Well it couldn't, because there were too many cars. It has now reached the point where mountain lions (aka pumas, cougars, catamounts, etc.) are showing reduced genetic diversity because they can't get across roads. Turns out there is really simple solution: give them roads or tunnels. The problem is just convincing people to build them (which would save money in the long run, but humans don't think like that so it'll probably never happen). Oh well, the cats were nice to have around while they lasted.   00:17:26 - Joe, who likes both driving and conservation (a rare treat) enjoys a Lilikoi Passionfruit drink he took from a car event just so you, the listener, could hear him enjoy it. Abe goes back to one of his old favorites, a Dos Perros from Yazoo Brewing in Nashville. A brief discussion of Mexican brewing history ensues. Ryan throws his weight behind Negroni Week, an official drinking event that also supports charity. To take it a step further, he even

00:00:00 - Ryan is joined by Dr. Robert Baker, a postdoc in the Department of Botany at University of Wyoming to talk about PLANTS! Rob wants to understand how development and evolution of plants interact using everyone's favorite plant study system: Brassica rapa. It sounds heady but he explains it well, including how development got left out of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis. Ryan tangents to talk about E.T. because of course he does.   00:28:19 - Because they're recording in person Ryan brought along a growler of Salty Dog Oatmeal IPA from the Coal Creek Tap in Laramie, WY. Brewing and bitters are discussed. Rob's friend makes bitters, and Ryan got a book about them one time.   00:34:43 - The second half of the show we get back into the science of shoot architecture, which again, sound complicated, but is pretty cool once we get into it. We also find out what Rob's favorite plant is, and you'll have to listen to hear it for yourself!   01:15:14 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like plants, they keep growing and re

On Endangered Species Day Eve Kelly, Patrick, and Ryan convened at the Science Club in Washington, DC to record a special LIVE episode of Science... sort of!   We featured two guests, the first was Steven Sowell from the Baltimore UnderGround Science Space (BUGSS!) to discuss citizen science, being watched by the FBI, and other challenges associated with setting up a private lab for anyone to come use. BIOHACKING! DIY SCIENCE! CHEESE!   Kelly's drinking something... red. Patrick is having an Exile Red Ale from Evolution Craft Brewing Company. And Ryan nerds out over his Apex Predator from Off Color Brewing, "a third-trophic level beer" which amuses him but nearly starts a fight with Kelly.   Our guest was Michelle Thaller, the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and occasional contributor to Transistor, a science podcast from PRX. We talk a lot about Hubble's birthday, communicating science, and the "two-body problem" of being in a relationship with another scien

00:00:00 - Why do birds suddenly appear (in a V formation)? We've known for a long time that flying in a V is more efficient than other patterns, but now scientists have determined that birds take it a step further: they flap their wings in perfect sync to maximize efficiency. Joe, the aerospace engineer, isn't surprised by this but does think it's pretty cool and tells us all about wingtip vortices. And apparently there are planes with parachutes on them, so Jack Handy really was onto something there.   00:13:21 - Lots of people like to have a drink when they fly, hopefully not the pilot though. Patrick has a Morning Glory Espresso Stout from Dominion. Joe enjoys some Stephen's dark chocolate hot cocoa, how fancy! Finally, Ryan has a sampler pack from Bayern Brewing, he lets Patrick and Joe chose and winds up with a Dragon's Breath.    00:19:14 - It turns out no matter how hard you try you can't educate people into believing in evolution, which is kind of a bummer but maybe that's because most people don't c

00:00:00 - Everyone out there wants to find alien life right? I mean, as pop culture has shown us over and over again, this will definitely work out well for humanity. Well one way we might find other intelligent life is if we use this new fancy James Webb telescope to look for their pollution in the atmosphere. To think all those years of polluting our own planet might finally pay off...   00:26:39 - Worried about polluting our planet to the point where we can no longer survive on it? Stop worrying and have a beer instead. Charlie has a seasonal Irish red from Boundary Bay Brewing, which leads to a rant about hops. Joe, who has had an IPA once before, but instead grabbed a "weird" Sangria Senorial, which does not have alcohol despite the name. Ryan consoles himself with an aged Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout from Widmer Bros.   00:34:00 - Did you know the moon Titan has seas made of farts? Well it does. The question then becomes, how do you get a submarine to function in liquid methane? NASA has some ideas

Now that Jurassic World has made all the money, we decided we should chime into the situation. Joe, Ben, and Ryan sit down to chat about everyone's 4th favorite installment in the Jurassic Park franchise! Just kidding, nothing could be much worse than III. Ryan punishes himself by drinking a bad beer that at least has an accurate representation of a dinosaur on it. And then we begin by discussing the few things we did enjoy about the flick, but this quickly dissolves into pointing out the things not liked so much. Whether you liked the movie or not, we hope you enjoy our discussion and let us know what you thought in the comments!

00:00:00 - Dr. Ellen Currano joins Ryan to talk about her origins as a paleontologist and her current research into the paleobotany of Wyoming during a potent climate shift (but not the current one). They also share a beer ironically named Fanboy, which is un-ironically delicious.    00:26:46 - Ellen recently wrote an article for Paleontology Online about being both a woman and a paleontologists. This obviously involved putting on fake beards and having old-timey photos taken, but you'll have to listen to understand the full connection. Ellen is writing blogs about women doing awesome science and ends the interview by giving some advice based on one of her favorite classic books that most folks only know from the movies: Lawrence of Arabia. Ryan also brings up what he feels to be a classic movie (directed by a woman, no less). Speaking of movies, Ellen is working on one called The Bearded Lady Project: Challenging the Face of Science, check out the trailers and get more info at the link!   00:55:47 - PaleoPOW

00:00:00 - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, you find out that beluga whales now have cat parasites. The parasites are surviving in the cold whales thanks to climate change, and it wouldn't necessarily be a problem expect arctic peoples tend to eat the whale meat raw, which is bad news for pregnant ladies. Moral of the story? Always cook your whale meat thoroughly before consumption! 00:18:50 - Drinks don't often need to be cooked. If they do you're drinking something weird. Joe is driving some V8 over ice, how fancy. Ryan doesn't care what time it is and has a Slope Style Winter IPA from Boulder Beer Company. And Kelly has a latte, how convenient! 00:22:06 - Worried about spilling your coffee? Well if you add some frothy milk you'll reduce your risk, because we no know that a foamy head reduces sloshing, thus reducing spilling. Thanks, science! 00:34:46 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like lattes, they've become very popular in recent years but you shouldn't have too many in a day. Kelly ha

00:00:00 - This week we start off with the sort of and work our way back to science. Dr. Gregory Benford has some ideas for how we could terraform the moon to make it more like Florida (in terms of climate, not all that other weirdness). The Russians have announced plans for a permanent moon-base so they should probably be taking notes or talking with the citizens of Whittier, AK, the town that all lives in one building together.   00:25:38 - It's a stereotype that Russian enjoy a drink, is the stereotype the same for scientists? If not, maybe it should be, because on this show we do. Patrick has a porter from Southern Tier Brewing Company, even though he still has a problem with their name. Ryan has a Deliria, a beer made by women but drinkable by anyone. After forgetting to ask what Abe is having, we learn that it's an unpronounceable Icelandic thing anyways. Thanks a lot, Abe.   00:33:06 - Former guest of the show Jacquelyn Gill would like us to stop calling horses in North America invasive. She presents s

00:00:00 - Turns out our excitement of the detection of really old gravity waves was a bit premature, mostly because it didn't exactly happen. Ben explains. A duck appears. The next segment begins.   00:22:36 - Ryan kicks things off by going with a Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger from his local brewery Altitude (but don't expect to hear the song). Charlie complements with another bold IPA in the form of a Boot Toss from his local brewery Wander Brewing. Ben has a drink that has all the ingredients of beer, but isn't somehow.   00:28:47 - Tom from North Carolina calls in to ask how we can know that some water is older than the solar system? Because if water has memory than the homeopaths we wright and he just can't abide that. We explain the science, and assure everyone that homeopathy remains nonsense.   00:55:53 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like old water; probably fine but you can't help but feeling it's just off somehow. Ryan snuck his in the previous segment so Charlie charges ahead thanking Tom V. from the Net

00:00:00 - This week Abe and Ryan  joined by Dr. Dave McGarvie to get an update on what's going on with those pesky Icelandic volcanoes that seem to keep threatening air travel. What's the deal there, Dave?   00:24:10 - One way to stay cool around hot lava is a drink. Sure, maybe not a flammable one, but that's what the segment is about regardless. Dave is enjoying some Laphroaigh Scotch Whisky but can't help but mention his favorite themed coffee Hot Java Lava. Abe, to ingratiate himself to our guest, enjoys a Full Bore Scotch Ale from Devil's Canyon Brewing Co. And since this was recorded some time ago, Ryan toasts the holidays with a Hanukkah, Chanukah limited edition release from Shmaltz Brewing Company.   The discussion flows as seamlessly as magma back into more volcano talk, but also science news reporting and outreach. Be sure to check out Dave's blog and Twitter feed for the unfiltered on what's really happening on everyone's favorite north Atlantic hotspot!   01:20:41 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like erup

00:00:00 - How did humans domesticate cats? Per usual, the answer may come from chemistry. Also, why did cats never put in the effort to become man's best friend? Aloof jerks. Do you want to know more about cats? Check out actual book Wild Cats of the World. Ryan has a copy, maybe you should too.    00:26:21 - Cats drink using their tongue and physics. We just drink using our mouths, and this week Patrick kicks things off with a The Corruption IPA from DC Brau. Abe is a bit under the weather so relies upon the healing powers of the a Maker's Mark Hot Toddy. And Ryan mixed up Schrodinger and Heisenberg and their respective relevance to cats but manages to power through his Hoppenburg Uncertainty Principle from River North Brewing.    00:33:33 - Now for the really important question: What does your cat think you are? Some say your cat thinks you're a cat. Others say that your cat thinks you're an unpredictable ape. Which is it SCIENCE?   00:56:13 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like cats, they difficult to tame and can g

00:00:00 - This week Ryan is joined by Mara Grunbaum, author of the popular Tumblr blog and now book, WTF, Evolution?! The conversation begins with how Mara got started writing about science, and the challenges that come with writing science for adults and kids alike.   00:17:40 - Trying to make excuses for evolution is enough to drive anyone to drink, and we're no exception. Mara consoles herself with a 400 Pound Monkey from Left Hand Brewery, while Ryan gets feisty with a Two-headed Rooster from Out of Bounds Brewing Co. A discussion of fighting prowess obviously ensues.   00:21:13 - In part two of Ryan's conversation with Mara, we mostly discuss her blog and book all about the quirks and foibles of evolution. Does Mara have favorites? What nonsense did Ryan contribute to her book? Is her book meant to praise or undermine the whackiness of natural selection? You'll have to listen to find out!   00:53:32 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like evolution, sometimes they find deceptively simple solutions to complex problem

Live from the Bay Area Science Festival it's Science... sort of! Featuring Kelly Weinersmith, Ben Tippett, and Ryan Haupt from the fabulous confines of Piston & Chain we bring you a show that encompasses some things that are science, some things that are sort of science, and some things that wish they were science! It's a free-wheeling good time featuring two wonderful interviews, the first with the owner of Piston & Chain, former biochemist Erica Fawell and the second with UC Berkeley graduate student, the disco clam studying Lindsey Dougherty! Beers are had in between and questions are saved for the end. We wish you could have all been there in person, but hopefully you enjoy the audio and our encouraged to demand a live show near you!   Special thanks to Tim Dobbs, Joe Batwinis, and Zach Weinersmith for help with setup, recording, and takedown. Thanks as well to Kishore Hari, who organized the event. And to YOU the listeners (and especially the donors) who literally made it possible for us to pull