Periodic Round Table

Have you ever experienced something so strange that you were convinced you were dreaming, crazy, or even living in a simulation? Did you think Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s? Do you think that we all died in a cataclysm and our consciousness transferred to an alternate dimension? This is the episode for you! We discuss the science behind the weird "glitches in the matrix" that can cause us to question our reality, as well as discuss some real experiments that show us how weird reality really is.

Monsters are a part of every culture in the world, but how can we link them to discoveries in science, and how do they evolve based on these discoveries? We talk about this, as well as play a monster game, in today's episode.

Ghosts are a supernatural phenomenon that has captured the imagination -- and fear -- of people for millennia. But are there scientific explanations for the creepy, shadowy figures that plague our peripheral vision? Continuing our series of spooky episodes, we talk about the science behind what we can interpret as ghosts!

We kick off our spooky science series starting with everyone's favorite flesh-eating ghouls, zombies! Did you know that there are lots of real examples in science that relate to these festering fiends? We talk about zombie-like cases including disease, mental illness, and parasites.

We are currently 100 seconds from midnight in 2020, but what exactly does that mean? In this episode, we talk about the Doomsday Clock, invented by scientists during the height of the nuclear arms race. How close is humanity to wiping itself out? How much time do we have left? Have we become death, destroyer of worlds? So much doom!

Dinosaurs fascinated all of us as children, but did you know how many connections are found between these giant ancient lizards and creatures of lore and mythology? Join us as we discuss our fine, ferocious feathered friends and their links to thunderbirds, griffins, and dragons!

We sit down with Trevor Motley to discuss organ and tissue recovery (or is it harvesting? Farming? Mining?), how tissues are recovered, and the organ donation process. We also discuss some common myths about being an organ donor. Neither of us woke up in a bathtub full of ice with no kidneys following recording, so we'll call it a win!

We finish up our two-parter on personality disorders by discussing Cluster B, such as narcissistic and borderline personality disorders, and Cluster C, such as dependent personality disorder. Joel also discovers a new type, known as puppy personality disorder. It's a real thing, and we're real scientists.

In the first of our two-part series on personality disorders, we discuss the differences between mood, psychotic, and personality disorders, the clusters of personality disorders, and also go over Cluster A types.

Reproduction: a favorite pastime for many creatures. We talk about the various forms of reproduction, including self-love (aka asexual reproduction), the crazy world of animal sexual behaviors, and some interesting mating rituals.

Black holes are one of the most mysterious and strangest objects in all of space. Once purely theoretical according to general relativity, astronomers now have compelling observational evidence, including direct imaging of the accretion disk around a black hole. In this episode, we’ll get into what a black hole is, how they’re formed, how scientists detect them, and some of the strange physics behind them.

A quick update on the Periodic Round Table concerning COVID-19.

We interview entomology graduate student Mika Pagani about the creepy-crawlies of our world, and talk about everything from their effects on agriculture to what the coolest bugs undoubtedly are.

We're all focused on being safe right now with the threat of a pandemic bearing down upon us. But what about lab safety? We sit down with Dr. Brian Tissue to discuss safety in research, academic, and industrial settings.

With a bit of a delay thanks to our favorite pandemic virus COVID-19, we bring you today's episode with Lee Mason on investing in technology. What are the fastest-growing tech industries and which investment opportunities are the highest risk (or even lowest risk), but highest reward?

Why does it take so long to get a drug from the research phase to clinical trials to on the market? Why are we losing our fight against bacteria despite the use of antibiotics and hand sanitizers? How can we use microbes to do all of our drug research grunt work for us? Dr. Andrew Lowell answers all of these questions and more on today's episode!

What are the solutions to our growing energy crisis? Where are we heading in both best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of energy, climate change, and conservation efforts? What needs to change? We sit down with Dr. Joe Merola, chemistry professor at Virginia Tech, to talk about sustainable energy, both in the present and future.

We're back for Season 2 with more interviews! Today, we talk with plasma physicist Petr Cagas about fusion energy, spacecraft thrusters, and the history of plasma physics.

We're back for a second season! More interviews from experts! Better equipment! And most importantly, more segments!

We talk about the dirty truth of soil conservation with Bill Keith, including composting, no-till farming, and the price of organics.

We talk with biologist Sam Freeze about the cutest flying death on the planet: bats! We learn about their behavior, their interesting courting styles, and how important bats are to the ecosystem.

We talk with Thomas Reilly about a topic sometimes considered a science, but sometimes considered an art -- finance -- and learn that the only real solution is to overthrow the system, eat the rich, and start our own religion/bank.

We speak with tracking expert Rob Speiden of the Search & Rescue Tracking Institute, Cybertracker Conservation, and Natural Awareness Tracking School, LLC, about the science of tracking both animals and humans.

Insects are cool. What more do you need? Completely different structures of society and different goals, the variety of these small creatures make them the masters of the world than us. Let’s take a look into the dark holes of the world and see what crawls around.

Ebola virus? Weak. Influenza? Child’s play. The plague? Small potatoes. At least, compared to one of the most terrifying categories of diseases known to man: prions. These ruthless misfolded proteins are unstoppable killing machines, responsible for such epidemics as Mad Cow Disease. In this episode, we discuss what prions actually are, how they spread, and go over some examples of prion diseases.

In this episode, we talk carnivorous plants. There’s more than one way to lure in sweet tasty treats. And what makes you more complete than traps to collect them all. Like a green still siren, we can look at the nectar that’s too deadly to not eat. The ultimate snack attack!

Where is everyone in the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life? We talk the Fermi paradox and a few of its solutions, the Drake equation, and radio telescopy. In addition, we travel to Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia to speak with scientist Ryan Lynch about his work with radio telescopy and pulsars, as well as clear up some common misconceptions about the field.

In part 2 of our series on the science of fitness, we get into the effects of nutrition on performance including macronutrient balance and caloric intake. We also seek to debunk some bro-science myths that you may have heard around the gym, as well as get into an almost lustful discussion on potatoes and other carbs.

Exercise: a lot of people hate it, some people love it, and a few are crazily obsessive about it. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discuss how cardio and strength-training affect physiology and mental and physical health, as well as the science behind the fitness-building process and why lactic acid milkshakes are a bad idea.

The proof is there: the Earth is on fire and we’re causing it. But what can we do to help slow it down or even stop it? Can small, insignificant individuals make a difference? In this episode, we discuss what each of us can do to help save the planet, the biggest contributors to climate change, what we can't change, and our inevitable future consisting of roving bands of pirate ships searching for the fabled Everest Isle.

In Part 2 of our climate change series, we look into some scientific articles and case studies of the effects global warming and carbon dioxide emissions are having on our planet. From ocean acidification, ice cap melt, and sea level rise, to intense weather patterns and mass extinctions, and even a bit of introductory discussion on the worst movie ever made, we can conclude one thing: things aren’t looking so good.

Scientists have been warning the general public about climate change for many years, and only recently are people starting to take heed. However, there are still many opponents that decry climate change as “fake news.” In the first episode of our climate change series, we hope to educate you on the effects humans are having on not only the average global temperature, but also weather patterns, extinctions, and the overall health of the planet.

Artificial intelligence has its steady role in sci-fi as the villainous mastermind that destroys the human race, but what are its real-life applications, both in the present and the future? We delve into the history of AI, how it works, and where it’s heading. Will AI bring humans to utopia, or will it take all of our jobs, wipe out our economy, and destroy the foundations of humanity? Wow, what a depressing thought. Alexa, play Despacito.

Everyone is familiar with addiction, but why do we get addicted to things? Why can we experience addiction with not only substances such as drugs, alcohol, and caffeine, but activities such as video games or shopping? We go into the psychology and chemical mechanisms of addiction, the pharmacological criteria for addiction, brain chemistry, and if it’s possible to be addicted to being naked in a river.

Everyone knows humans are destroying the Earth at a rapid pace, so why not go find another cozy planet until all of this blows over? In this episode, we talk Earth-like planets: what they are, how astronomers detect them, and the possibilities of us ever even reaching these planets. In addition, we discuss some requirements for life and a biosphere, terraforming our closest rocky neighbors, and whether we would ever undergo this multi-lightyear journey ourselves.

We talk about why all creatures with a psyche need sleep and the stages of non-REM and REM sleep. We touch upon dreaming, the psychological and physiological effects of sleep deprivation, and discuss some sleep disorders that are perhaps a little more poorly understood. Somehow, gremlins and leprechauns make a mention here, but don’t worry, it’s totally relevant.

In our first episode, we discuss terrifying creatures of the abyss, the Kraken, the Leviathan, and sea serpents, and their ties to real-life cuddly deep-sea critters. We also clear up some misconceptions about abyssal life such as the colossal squid, and are joined by marine biologist Leah Gaines Sewell, in which she answers some burning questions about animals of the deep.

An introduction to the Periodic Round Table.