Learn It From A Layman

We are starting a new series! Our Layman Book Club will be where we read and discuss books of any genre. Future Book Club podcasts will only be available on Patreon, so join us there if you want more. https://www.patreon.com/c/LearnItfromaLayman In this podcast, we discuss The Giver by Lois Lowry, and we are joined by a new cohost. What event inspired Lowry to write this book? What role does memory have for a community? What actually happens at the end of The Giver, and when should a book stop? What are dystopian novels and what elements do they often share?

We discuss some dubious honors and awards. What is the Bulwer-Lytton contest? What is a Darwin award? Who has won the Foot In The Mouth award and why haven't others? Should dubious honors be feared? What does Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft teach us about dubious honors?

We are joined by CFO Jared Miller to discuss the basics of CFO and business finance. What's the difference between an accountant and a CFO? What are the job responsibilities of a CFO? What kind of schooling do CFOs traditionally have? What is EBITDA and how long has the concept been around? What kind of debt do companies have and do CFOs manage taking and repaying loans? Do CFOs need to know about tax law? Do CFOs work closely with attorneys? What kind of software do CFOs use? What are the changes in CFO work with AI? Do the numbers always end up clean, or how often does money go missing from a company?

We discuss the basics of UFOs. When did the term UFO start being used? Where in modern times was the first big UFO sighting? What was Project Blue Book? Who was Captain Ruppelt? What's the best book on UFOs? Was an alien spacecraft sighted in the northern United States? Are aliens real and are we prepared for them?

We discuss the basics of cloning. What is the story behind the dire wolf? Is what Colossal Biosciences created actually a dire wolf? What are other ways to do de-extinction? Why would humanity want to bring back certain animals? What are the concerns? Are there still biological and technical roadblocks to creating a human clone? Will there eventually be an extinct animal petting zoo?

We discuss the basics of metabolism. What is metabolism? What factors contribute to metabolism? How much does age contribute to metabolism? What can you do to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)? What foods increase your metabolism? How does sleep affect metabolism? Should you get a standing desk?

We discuss the basics of fraud. What are some different types of fraud? How do you help minimize identity theft risk? What is phishing and how do you recognize it? What is a Ponzi scheme and why is it getting easier to perpetrate? What internet technologies can you use to investigate companies and investments? What kind of security and fraud issues can there be with phone apps? What is a fly-by-night company and how do you avoid charity fraud? How do you recover from credit card fraud?

We discuss the basics of quantum computing. How are quantum computers different than classical computers? Why aren't quantum computers publicly available? What applications do quantum computers have? What effect might quantum computing have on cryptocurrency? And cryptography in general? Is quantum computing useful for AI and how is James Bond involved?

We discuss the evolution of aviation. Where did aviation start? What steps were necessary before the Wright brothers could build the Wright Flyer? Who was Billy Mitchell and why was he court-martialed?  What happened in aviation during World War I? When was the first jet built? What affects did WWII have on aviation? What is the Concord and why was it discontinued? When did space travel spin off from aviation? What is the future of supersonic commercial travel? How long have drones been around and what is the future of drones in aviation?

We discuss the basics of literary devices. What is a literary device and how do you use it? What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Is Tim an eagle? What are the 3 types of irony? What are iambic pentameter, meter, and free verse? Why is onomatopoeia the coolest literary device? Why is hyperbole the absolute worst? Why use literary devices at all?

We discuss the basics of left-handedness. Why are some people left-handed? How many people are left-handed? How many ambidextrous? Are left-handed people more common in certain countries? Are males or females more often left-handed? Are left-handed people right-brained? Are left-handed people more artistic? Can you switch you handedness? What daily microaggressions do left-handed people have to deal with?

We discuss the basics of the Australian Outback. How big is Australia compared to the US? Where did dingoes come from and how long is the Dingo fence? What ground dwelling parrot lives in the outback and are they insomniacs? What are Brumbies? What is a Thylacine and do they still exist? Where did kangaroos come from? What is the topography of Australia?

We are joined by Sam Andersen and Katie Christensen to discuss the basics of Human Resources (HR). What are the core responsibilities of HR? Why isn't HR like pizza? How do HR professionals feel when they have layoff an employee, and why shouldn't you do it like Better.com? What does Nick Bloom's research show about remote work and what's HR's role in figuring out how companies should implement remote policies? How do flexible work policies help working mothers and fathers? How do you stand out in an interview with an HR rep? How is AI used in HR?

Joel Christensen joins us to discuss the basics of Electric Vehicles (EVs). What are the pros and cons of EVs? Where are EVs being adopted? What is the technology behind EV batteries and are they bad for the environment? Are charging stations being built at the same rate that EVs are being sold? What rate are EVs being sold? Are plug-in hybrids a sensible alternative? Where are EVs feasible and where are they not? Is there an actual reason the Cybertruck so ugly? 

We're back from vacation to discuss the Olympics, and a bit about CrowdStrike. What happened when the computers all went down, and how? When did the Olympics start? What is the IOC and what does it do? How are Olympic venues chosen? How are Olympic sports chosen? How much better/faster/stronger are Olympians than your hosts?

We opine on the 10 worst creatures (species, not including individual human mass murderers of the past). What is a lamprey and is it the inspiration for the sandworm in Dune? Why are bats so ugly? What is an assassin bug? How many people do mosquitoes kill every year? Are crocodiles actually dinosaurs? What are Tsetse flies and how do they kill? Where and what variety of snake and spider are the worst and why? Listen to the definitive list.

We discuss how to become a teacher, and why to become a teacher. Why is Tim a teacher? How far can altruism take you? Is there a shortage of teachers? How do we increase the quality of teachers? What certification do you need to be a teacher? Do you need a college degree? How are teachers given specific class assignments? Who were your favorite teachers in school and what does that have to do which subject they taught? What are teachers unions for? How can teachers increase their pay? Does Tim know how to retire? What's the best thing you can do as a teacher to make it through the difficult times?

We discuss the basics of making money. How should you structurally think about making money? What are the principles of improving your financial situation? Who is Steve Ballmer and what does he teach us about making money? Why are all Ivy League grads rich? What does success mean for you financially?

Dr. Erika Handly joins the podcast to discuss the basics of biotech. Is the 'tech' in 'biotech' using technology to understand biology, or using technology to fix biology? What are the types of problems that biotech is being used to understand and solve? What is CRISPR in layman's terms? How predictable are the outcomes of editing DNA? Can biotech help solve global climate change and famine? Are implantable microchips inevitable? What are some of the biggest advancements in biotech for cancer? Can technology reverse aging?

We discuss the basics of vocabulary. What is a word? What is a lemma? What is morphology? How many words do most people have in their vocabulary? How many words are there in the English language? Does cursing mean you're not as intelligent? What is lexical density? How do you increase your vocabulary, and does a larger vocabulary mean you're more intelligent?