At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of science and tech stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcY ...
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MY PROMISE: All my podcasts are safe for human consumption. GMOs are never used. Thousands of mice wearing tiny headphones listened to 100 continuous hours. There was no evidence of brain damage, although 12% of mice developed nervous twitches, night terrors, or post-traumatic stress. Fake data available on request. The internet is full of psychology wannabes and posers who are trying to replace me. My name is Dr Flower. I have a PhD in psychology so I’m not a wannabe or a knock-off. I’ve be ...
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Soundcloud home of the Col B Cadell Podcast - I Used to Scream at Things
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WE HAVE LINKED MIND AND MACHINE USING BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACES
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Merging minds and machines has become a reality. You can watch Pager the monkey playing ping pong with his mind by following the link below. It’s quite impressive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXrGH52aoM The image below shows a Utah array which is currently the most popular chip used in brain computer interfaces. It is implanted using neurosurg…
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Literal Treasure You Can Hunt For Right Now, A Nuanced Blue, Manhattants
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Jon Collins Black joins the show to talk treasure hunting. Plus, Laura explains why the color blue is very nuanced, and Rachel talks about local ants living in Manhattan. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn mor…
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The Forbidden Experiment, Too Annoying To Die, Bonny Clabber
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This week, Danielle Bainbridge joins the show to talk a very dark, forbidden experiment. Plus, Rachel talks about milk spoiling in thunderstorms (allegedly), and Sara Kiley explains how sometimes it's better to be annoying than deadly. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with…
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ARE IQ TESTS REALLY SMART OR REALLY STUPID
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Great news everybody. I just found out that my IQ test results came back negative! I guess I’ve been worried all week for nothing. Unfortunately, IQ test results are often misunderstood, misinterpreted, over-interpreted, and over-hyped by many people. So yes, IQ and intelligence are really, really complicated. Do IQ tests accurately measure intelli…
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WE MARRY FOR LOVE SO WHY IS MARRIAGE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DIVORCE
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People probably warned you that marriage is tough, but you thought that yours would be different, that it wouldn't be so challenging. Although marriage can be an amazing part of life, it's not always an easy one. Apparently, marriage is the number one cause of divorce. Does that even make sense? Whether you’ve been married for 30 days or 30 years, …
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Dropout TV's Lily and Grant talk Presidential Possums, Napoleon's Penis, and Split-Level Toilets
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Dropout TV's Lily Du and Grant O'Brien join the show, where Rachel quizzes them Dirty Laundry-style on all kinds of weird history. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Links to Rac…
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ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS - GO BACK TO SLEEP
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Sleep is still a mysterious yet very important part of our lives. Are you unconscious when you sleep? Can you learn new languages or prepare for exams while asleep? Can you sleep with half of your brain while the other half is awake and alert? Do all of us have have an internal biological clock? Why is sleeping through the night like riding a rolle…
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Surgery For Ants, Hot Sharks, Too Many Galaxies
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Astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier rejoins the show to talk about how there are too many galaxies out there. Plus, Sara Kiley talks about sharks of yore and Rachel explains how ants are becoming little mini surgeons. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our …
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Olympic Tug-o-War, Leaping Leeches, Card-Carrying Women
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Rose Eveleth joins the show to talk about chromosome testing in the Olympics. Plus, Claire returns to talk elite tug-o-war, and Rachel talks about the leech that can fly. Listen to Rose's new show, Tested: https://link.chtbl.com/js0J2gTx The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories wi…
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WHY WOMEN HAVE FAR FEWER ORGASMS THAN MEN
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It’s absolutely true that women tend to have fewer and less satisfying orgasms than men. As shown in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, most women at one time or another have faked it. Follow the link below to watch this famous scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNEX0fbGePg Most women have orgasms regularly from masturbation, but no…
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ARE MENTAL DISORDERS ALREADY INSIDE OUR GENES BEFORE BIRTH
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Do you know anyone who has ADHD, autism, severe anxiety disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or schizophrenia? The answer is almost certainly YES, that you have encountered one or likely more of these individuals. In some cases you may not have been aware of their underlying condition, but it was there. Perha…
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Pointy-Headed Vikings, Apocalypse Popularity, Perfect Prism Poops
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Dr. Jessica Ware from the American Museum of Natural History joins the show to talk about the most perfectly shaped poo. Plus, Laura talks about being popular in the apocalypse, and Rachel explains why some Vikings and other folks had especially pointy heads. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdes…
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Reptilian Theater Kids, Gay Giraffes, Impatient Birds
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Owen Ever, co-host of the podcast A Field Guide to Gay Animals, joins the show this week to talk about the scientists who studied homosexuality in giraffes. Plus, Jess explains the most dramatic snakes on the planet, and Rachel gets into birds who wave quite impatiently. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share …
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Robotic Roller Derby, Orangutan Skincare Routines, That Good Pet Stink
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Annalee Newitz returns to the show to discuss the cutest little food delivery robots you've ever seen. Plus, Rachel talks self-medicating apes, and Amanda explains why we love our pets' stink and our lovers' smelly armpits. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our F…
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Hyrax Heaven, Underwater Bees, Carbonated Oceans
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Streamer and science communicator Moohoodles joins the show this week to talk about carbonated oceans on Enceladus (and the moon's recipe for life)! Plus, Jess explains her obsession with the hyrax, and Rachel talks about bees who are somehow able to hibernate underwater. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share…
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WHY EVOLUTION HAS MADE IT SO DIFFICULT TO LOSE WEIGHT
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First the good news. I checked Google and there are 1000 sites that will tell you how to lose weight fast and easy. So, do you want the BAD news now or later? Maybe you too have had this experience when looking in a full length mirror. Mirror mirror glistening glass...tell me this is not my ass. If you think it’s hard to lose weight and keep it off…
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WHY EARLY PREGNANCY LOSS AND MISCARRIAGES ARE SO COMMON
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Have you ever tried high-risk activities such as skydiving, rock climbing, big wave surfing, bungee jumping, or cliff diving? If you have tried any extreme sports, they don’t even come close to the most dangerous experience of your life. We have to travel back in time to the few weeks just before mom found out for sure that she was pregnant. It tur…
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I WILL WHINE CRY AND SCREAM UNTIL I GET WHAT I WANT
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I have used temper tantrums several times, but not when I was a kid. It was just a few years ago when my wife and I were waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store. I was bored and so very hungry. Low blood sugar makes me do crazy things. Temper tantrums range from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath holding. They'r…
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Screaming Frogs, "Talking" Mushrooms, Nonbinary Birds
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Sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky joins the show to discuss talkative fungi, Amanda Reed chats about nonbinary birds, and Rachel gets into animal sounds—especially the ones we can't hear. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here…
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HOW THE HIGHEST RANKED SCHOOLS LIKE HARVARD ALWAYS STAY ON TOP
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The world reputation rankings for 2023 were announced in February 2024. The most respected universities in the world are Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge. Harvard University has been at the very top for quite a few years. The U.S. News & World Report published in …
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LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE - IS IT REALLY THAT EASY TO SPOT A LIAR
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How good are you at recognizing when someone is lying? Do you recall the TV show called Lie to Me that was popular a few years ago? The show followed the work of Dr. Cal Lightman (played by Tim Roth) and his colleagues. Apparently they had devised ways to detect when someone was lying or telling the truth by analyzing facial expressions, body movem…
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Traveling Barber Uprising, Rats Taking Selfies, Honeyguide Helpers
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Maritime archaeologist and historian Joel Cook joins the show to spin the tale of how traveling barbers almost coordinated an uprising that could have derailed the American Civil War. Plus, Rachel talks about a very delicious mutualism between humans and greater honeyguide birds, and Sara Kiley chimes in to talk about why rats might want to take se…
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YOUR BRAIN MAY HAVE EXTRAORDINARY HIDDEN TALENTS
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If you had a hidden talent just waiting to be released, what would you want it to be (only one choice)? Usually, a genius is born that way so most of us already missed that opportunity. But sometimes a person who isn’t born with special abilities, can develop them later in life following brain trauma, an illness, or head injury. Could you imagine b…
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HALLUCINATIONS ARE EVERYWHERE AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE REAL
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What is the difference between a dream, a hallucination, and the real world? Sometimes there is no difference at all. They may be exactly the same as far as your brain is concerned. The nature of reality has been debated by philosophers and scientists for thousands of years. I am not trying to settle the nature of reality issue today. My goal is to…
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NOT DISNEYLAND BUT NORDIC COUNTRIES ARE HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH
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Since the 1950s, California’s Disneyland has been known as "The Happiest Place On Earth". It’s the only place where everyone can feel that childhood happiness. There is just one problem with Disneyland. You can’t apply for citizenship to live there forever. If you could, it would quickly become the most crowded place on Earth. But if you are lookin…
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DO ZOMBIES HAVE A BRAIN OR DO THEY JUST EAT THEM
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Movies tell us that there are many threats to humanity’s existence. And just as we know that EVERYTHING on the internet is TRUE, we can also be pretty sure that movies know exactly what they’re talking about. It could be an alien invasion from outer space, a zombie apocalypse, or destruction by artificial intelligence that we have created. I can’t …
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Lotion Spider Brouhaha, ADHD Superpowers, Earth's Evil Twin
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Scientist and Twitch streamer Knimbley joins the show today to talk about how astronomy and Elden Ring intertwine! Plus, Jess returns to talk about lotion spiders, and Rachel explains how ADHD used to offer a real survival benefit in the olden days. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts an…
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YOUR EYES DO NOT SEE AND PAIN IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD
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You would probably be offended if someone said your pain was all in your head. But guess what - that is actually true. Pain is constructed entirely in the brain. Just because pain is in your head does’nt make it less real. In fact it’s your brain that literally creates what your body feels. For example, if you accidentally hit your finger with a ha…
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LIVING A FULL LIFE WITH HALF A BRAIN
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You can live with just one kidney or a single lung, but whoever thought you could live a normal life with only half a brain? Most of us can’t even live without our cellphone for more than a few hours. A human brain contains about 86 billion neurons or brain cells. A single brain cell isn’t very smart by itself. But when they are connected in vast n…
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Freaky Eclipse Rituals, Cosmic Serendipity, Solar Mysteries
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Scientific American's Lee Billings and Clara Moskowitz join Rachel this week to talk all things eclipse. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us! Click here to learn more about all of our stories! Links to Rachel's TikTok, Newsletter, …
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ARE INTROVERTS OR EXTROVERTS BETTER
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I might as well give you the bad news right now. Referring to people as INTROVERTS or EXTROVERTS is wrong. It is a false dichotomy. Ambiverts who combine elements of both personality styles are far more common. If you read something that mentions introverts and extroverts, but not ambiverts, you are missing approximately 70% of people in the middle…
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CELLPHONES WHY NOT BRAIN YOUR FRY
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Almost all North American adults, adolescents, and many children own a cellphone of some kind. The widespread use of cellphones makes it very important to identify any harmful effects. Several years ago, there was a viral video claiming that cellphone radiation can cook popcorn. OMG that's nuts! We are cooking our brains! We are all in danger! Run …
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Stargazing Poop Bugs, Ancient Beer Ladies, Secret Internet Slang
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Christie Taylor joins the show to talk about dung beetles who love to stargaze. Plus, Laura explains how early beer brewers were women, and Rachel gets into weird internet language on TikTok and beyond. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or twee…
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DO YOU WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN OR DO YOU WANT TO HAVE FUN
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They are certainly bundles of joy but so much more. No moment is more life altering than when your first child is born. Gone are the days of thinking only of yourself. Or a semblance of free time. And forget about having a neat and tidy house. Ask any parent, and they’ll acknowledge that having kids is expensive and exhausting. Sixty or 70 years ag…
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WHY BILINGUAL BRAINS ARE BETTER
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Mi siento muy… excited about this topic. I was born in a galaxy far, far away. I WISH…but actually it was Italy. My family moved to North America when I was five. My name is FIORE which means “flower” in Italian, but I am a MALE. In many parts of the world, being bilingual is common-place and not something unusual. Any young child can become biling…
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IS IT REALLY LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT OR JUST LUST
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Love at first sight can happen any day, anywhere, and any time. It's the feeling you get when you don't want the moment to end because you feel a connection with another person that you haven't felt before. TV, movies, magazines, music—like to promote the notion of love at first sight. We’ve been trained to expect love to strike like lightning quic…
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