Caustic Soda

Fraser Cain from Astronomy Cast helps us discuss the Drake Equation and Fermi Paradox, close encounters, alien abduction insurance, the feasibility of several kinds of alien invasions and aliens in the news. Music: "It Conquered the World" by Sheldon Allman Links Universe Today Universe Today's YouTube Channel AstronomyCast Images  

Toren, Joe, and Kevin talk about the psychology of superstition, harmful superstitions around the world, the unlucky numbers 13 and 4, sati, albino body-harvesting superstition, and more! Music: "I'm Making Believe" by Ella Fitzgerald and The Ink Spots Images  

The Mustard Disaster at Bari, VX, atropine poisoning, The Dugway Sarin Incident, the Halabja Massacre, the Ghouta chemical attack, and the dew of death -- lewisite contamination cleanup in Spring Valley. With Allan Newell. Music: "There's Something in the Air" by Shep Fields (vocals Bob Goday) Links Nerve Agent Treatment Images  

Emergency responder and history buff Allan Newell and the guys talk about the types and reasons for chemical warfare, chemical weapons in history including soul-hunting gas, quicklime, hellebore roots, chlorine and phosgene gas. Plus what to do when you've been tear-gassed. Part 1 of 2. Music: "Mustard Gas" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets Images  

The science of hate in the human brain, 9/11 revenge killings, racial, homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, as well as the Museum of Tolerance. Also American History X, Boys Don't Cry, Milk and the X-Men. Caustic Soda apologizes for the misgendering of Brandon Teena in our Boys Don't Cry segment. Though accidental we agree was problematic, and Joe has digitally altered the file to use his proper pronouns. Note that we have left in a section that quotes his murderers' own words misgendering Brandon while admitting to their crime. Their words are their own, and we report them. Our words we will correct and apologize for. Music: "Guilty" by Margaret Whiting Images  

Soda Jerk Prime 2014 Cameron Potter, who claimed the "Jonestown Massacre" level of our Season 5 Fundraiser (be a guest on the show) joins Kevin, Joe, and Toren to discuss a range of topics including Tornadoes, Oklahoma, Fisticuffs (and Apes!), rat slaver, oral myiasis, Cam's personal cancer story and the ABCs of skin cancer. Plus, more dangerous homeopathy, toxicity and SURPRISE TARANTULAS. Note: Due to a technical glitch we had to re-record the first 20 minutes over Skype, so Cameron's sound quality starts off low, but improves to in-studio quality around the 23 minute mark. Music: "Pizza Day" by Jonathan Coulton Images This image NSFL (Not Safe For Lunch): Oral Myiasis Links The ABCs of Skin Cancer

Proprioception, interoceptors, equilibrium & vertigo, gravitropism, thermoreception in pit vipers and jewel beetles, electroreception in sharks and platypus, magnetoreception, phantom limbs, and synesthesia. Pop culture too! Music: "The Hell Raisers" by Syd Dale Links Ian's Story Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPqPv2SKYUE

Joe, Toren, and Kevin conclude "sight" with historical vision-correction quackery, news, blind movie reviews, porn for the blind, and a look at a pop culture! Music: "I'm Beginning To See The Light" by Ella Fitzgerald Links Blind Film Critic Porn for the Blind Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_83MEuLoz9Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLtok0VgVck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJgKC6sQyMo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1IY6plQKGI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ILDFp5DGA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPvaWtQpXts "Shaking Your Eyes" reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1S5pAF1YYA

Joe, Kevin, and Toren take a look at looking, including how vision works, and the "supervision" of tetrachromacy. Then the amazing eyes of the animal kingdom, including giant squid and the mantis shrimp, plus the full-body "eye" of the Ophiocoma Wendtii, visual defects like floaters, non-24-hour-sleep-wake-disorder, surfer's eye, and Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Music: "I Just Can't See For Looking" by Nat King Cole Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze8VVtBgK7A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9o4VnfHJU

Hugs! Also, tickle torture, the "death touch," touch in plants, Temple Grandin and the squeeze machine, the effects of ciguatera poisoning, news and pop culture. Part 2 of 2 Music: "That Old Feeling" by Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra Images  Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D5o3PYcJoM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8UKDzVmzt8

The 'Senses' series continues with tactile perception, aka touch. In part one we discuss tactile disorders, sensory illusions and haptics. Part 1 of 2. Music: "Feelin' No Pain" by Red Nichols Images  

Dr. Nina Quiskamp joins Toren, Joe, and Kevin as our Five(ish) Senses series continues with "Smell"! We'll talk about how plants can detect scents, smell in the animal kingdom, how our noses work,  various smelling dysfunctions and how one influenced Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, the smell of starvation and the stink of outer-space! Also, awful smells, landmine-sniffing rats, cancer-sniffing dogs and pop culture! Music: "Robot Stink" by The Invasives Images  

Joe, Toren, and Kevin continue the Five(ish) Senses series this week with Hearing. We'll cover how our bodies take in and process sound waves, the various causes of hearing loss, Hyperacusis, hearing in the animal kingdom, the Greater Wax Moth, Krakatoa, and noise pollution. Then it's on to the history of hearing aids, news, and pop culture! Music: "Sounds of Tindalos" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeTriGTENoc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yps7pgq1TAk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo45hWXRWU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9c3GPEtGZg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nN1PekyYZ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0AMKG31wME    

Our Five(ish) Senses series continues with the second part of "Taste". Kevin, Joe, and Toren look at taste in the animal kingdom, the dangers of bitter orange, miracle fruit, vomit fruit, Scientist/Taster Carl Wilhelm Sheele , what happened to French wine, breast milk ice cream and pop culture! Note: The mentioned bonus content will appear mid-week! Music: "There Ain't No Sweet Man (That's Worth the Salt of My Tears)" by Bix Beiderbecke & Bing Crosby Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2Sc1BSMhM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO8V72pDw1o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6i5p8RbTCg

In the first of our multi-part series on the senses, Kevin, Toren, and Joe look at umami, Scoville Heat Units and the world's hottest peppers, Burning Mouth Syndrome, supertasters, plus the effect of vision on taste and the weirdness that is phenylthiocarbamide! Music: "If I Knew You Were Comin' Id've Baked A Cake" by Eileen Barton Images  

Toren, Joe, and Kevin are back with a look at the "collective delusions of threats", or mass hysteria, including the June Bug Epidemic, Tanganyika laughter epidemic, The West Bank fainting epidemic, The Dancing Plague, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, plus news and a brief pop culture! Music: "Blackout" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets Images

Nuclear Accidents continues with Three Mile Island, the Kyshtym Disaster, the Fernald Feed contamination, the SL-1 meltdown, the Soviet sub K-431 refueling disaster, the Zaragoza radiotherapy accident, Chernobyl and Fukushima, plus news and pop culture. Part 2 of 2 with special guespert Bob Apthorpe Music: "Crawl Out Through the Fallout" by Sheldon Allman Links Echo Class II Submarine Images  

Bob Apthorpe, nuclear engineer, defense waste cleanup & severe accident analyst, joins us to talk about nuclear meltdowns and other accidents involving radioactivity. We discuss scavenged radioactive materials recycled for building, the NRX Incident, the Windscale Disaster, as well as the crashed Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Kosmos 954 and Operation: Morning Light Music: "Radioactive Mama" by Sheldon Allman Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4vtUzG6sQ

TRIGGER WARNING:  Some of the images and videos below are GRAPHIC, and of course the episode deals with suicide entirely. Dr. Rob joins Kevin, Toren, and Joe to talk about the act of taking your own life: suicide. We'll discuss the Werther effect, suicide statistics, methods and their consequences, Cato the Minor's intestinal fortitude, seppuku, Budd Dwyer's on-air suicide, Dr. Kevorkian's "Thanatron", the "Deliverance Machine", plus news and pop culture. Music: "Gloomy Sunday" by Billie Holiday Links National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Reddit's r/suicidewatch Kaiju-a-gogo Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory Images   This one (incomplete gun suicide) is pretty gory so we're hiding the thumbnail. You've been warned. Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gO7uemm6Yo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVm88MX2Gw4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2OPV6iuk2o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Q8oM_AnK8

Jonathan Martin and the guys discuss diver's squeeze, the death of David Shaw, the "Diver's Cemetery," the Byford Dolphin diving bell accident, plus news and pop culture. Part 2 of 2. Music: "Stop and Breathe" by The Invasives. Buy their new album "Robot Stink" on iTunes or  http://invasives.bandcamp.com/ Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRC5R1jRO58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4iFJ-G74o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V21qpZ2Y9IA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4iFJ-G74o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcF-Coc1J0