Six Degrees of Rumination

Welcome to episode 114 with guest Nicole Armour.  So we did not come up with a creative title for this episode - we'd give our eyeteeth for one!  Perhaps it was difficult because the articles this episode really run the gamut.  Join us for a science grab bag of surgical advancements (and surgical setbacks), strange amphibians, lingering human ancestors, and more.     Eyeteeth     Don't have surgery on a Friday     Blood donor     Homo floresiensis human ancestor may be alive     Flat earthers     Decline in teen drug use     Sea turtle bubble butt     Rhinella proboscidea  

Enjoy Episode 113 with special guest Nicole Armour! We get into one of our favorite topics: the inner workings of the mind.  Find out how to improve your mood, explore your own brand of spirituality, and prevent brain rot. Oh and also, do dogs actually watch TV when they're hanging out with us?    Prevent brain rot   Exploring your spirituality   How to get caffeine out of your system   Pooping affects performance   Why you might not want to pluck or wax your nose hair   Improve your mood   Can dogs watch TV

Welcome to our last episode of 2024! Episode 112, "Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!" is, be warned, one of our longest episodes. So settle in, hopefully as you're starting a long drive to friends or family for the holidays, and prepare to be entertained with an all out throw down on socio-psychological-cultural-conspiracy theory issues, from chemtrails to astrology to coin tosses to artificial intelligence, and then perhaps the ultimate question of our time: who are metal guitarists trying to impress?       Chemtrails https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/31/chemtrails-tennessee-bill-conspiracy-theory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other   Lead exposure if you're born before 1996 https://scitechdaily.com/born-before-1996-according-to-scientists-leaded-gas-may-have-permanently-altered-your-personality/   Urgency culture https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/urgency-culture-burnout?cmpid=org%3Dngp%3A%3Amc%3Dsocial%3A%3Asrc%3Dinstagram%3A%3Acmp%3Deditorial%3A%3Aadd%3Dig20240416science-urgencyculturegatedhedcard&linkId=399615453   How to appear more likable in social situations https://www.iflscience.com/psychology-study-reveals-trick-for-appearing-more-likeable-in-social-situations-77165   Metal guitarists may just be impressing other dudes https://www.psypost.org/extreme-metal-guitar-skills-linked-to-intrasexual-competition-but-not-mating-success/   AI Granny https://www.npr.org/2024/12/10/nx-s1-5220362/daisy-ai-granny-o2-fraud-spam-prevention     Can you tell an AI face from a human one? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones?   (Test):  https://www.whichfaceisreal.com/   Astrologists maybe can't do astrology either https://www.iflscience.com/astrologists-are-overly-confident-and-terrible-at-astrology-study-finds-75562?   (Test): https://programs.clearerthinking.org/astrology_challenge.html?_gl=1%2Az4wyvq%2A_ga%2AMTA5MjA3NjA4OC4xNzIzNDYyNzQ2%2A_ga_58RPQ2D860%2AMTcyMzY0NzE2OC4zLjEuMTcyMzY0NzE4OC40MC4wLjA     Coin flips: 50/50 or not? https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-tossed-350757-coins-and-proved-coin-flips-are-not-5050-77192   Double uterus https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/alabama-double-uterus-twins-delivery?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other   Robotaxi fails https://futurism.com/the-byte/robotaxis-gather-honk-all-night   Nature alters time https://www.sciencealert.com/being-in-nature-has-a-profound-effect-on-how-you-experience-time?   Neanderthals may have been early risers https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/early-risers-neanderthal-dna-scn/index.html?   Fossilized dinosaur poop https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/nx-s1-5206634/fossilized-poops-show-how-dinosaurs-came-rule-earth  

Welcome to episode 111, after about a year's hiatus! "Animus Prime - who let Mike out of the basement?" is filled with wacky animal stories, as our episodes are prone to do.  Albatrosses, dragons, and military dolphins are just some of the friends we encounter in our second to last episode of 2024.     Giant sperm found trapped in amber https://archaeology-world.com/100-million-year-old-giant-sperm-found-trapped-in-amber/?       Ancient dragon https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-dragon-unearthed-in-japan-is-unlike-anything-weve-ever-seen     Nuclear codes https://www.iflscience.com/your-password-may-be-stronger-than-us-nuclear-codes-during-the-cold-war-77173     Military dolphins https://www.iflscience.com/military-dolphins-still-protect-around-a-quarter-of-the-uss-nuclear-arsenal-77088     Orcas attacking boats https://newatlas.com/biology/orcas-killer-whales-boats/     Cocaine pollution in the ocean https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cocaine-sharks-brazil-pollution-contaminated-water       Slingshot spiders https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5214779/slingshot-spiders-rely-on-good-vibrations-to-catch-supper     Robot mushroom https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/robot-mushroom-biohybrid-robotics-cornell-b2610411.html     Stop planting trees https://www.wired.com/story/stop-planting-trees-thomas-crowther/?     Don't plant trees in the wrong places https://www.sciencealert.com/study-planting-trees-in-wrong-places-actually-boosts-global-warming   Wisdom the albatross https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5220094/shes-74-and-expecting-wisdom-the-albatross-astounds-once-again

Welcome to Episode 110 and a whole new year!  But wait, before you forget about 2023 completely, we ask that if you have not yet listened to Episode 109 (air date 12/20/23), go back and do so before enjoying Episode 110.  There are lessons to be learned before you delve further into the holy terror that is AI....   Elongated skulls in Rome https://www.iflscience.com/cemetery-full-of-deformed-long-skulls-reveals-the-chaos-after-the-fall-of-rome-55862   The Mandela Effect https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/unserious-psychology/202312/the-psychology-behind-the-mandela-effect     Theta waves https://singularityhub.com/2023/07/23/scientists-found-the-source-of-a-key-brain-wave-for-memory-and-creativity/     Shape of the brain https://scitechdaily.com/century-old-paradigm-overturned-brain-shape-matters-more-than-neural-connectivity/     AI scores in top percentile for creative thinking https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/ai-scores-in-the-top-percentile-of-creative-thinking-214895     AI can read your thoughts https://www.iflscience.com/ai-brain-activity-decoder-can-translate-thoughts-into-written-words-68686     A breakthrough in understanding whale language https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a35kp/scientists-have-reported-a-breakthrough-in-understanding-whale-language     AI lie detector https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/ai-lie-detector#Echobox=1680279620   AI faces perceived as more real than human ones https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones  

Producer Mike LOSES HIS MIND and treats us to his best rant ever.  Enjoy Episode 109 during your holiday travels or when you want to escape familial joy for a bit and indulge in some sarcasm.  We cover hibernation, 3D printing (food and otherwise), caffeine intake, and of course - artificial intelligence.   Hibernation for space travel https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/25/hibernation-artificially-triggered-in-potential-space-travel-breakthrough?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Astronauts going to Mars should be all women https://www.iflscience.com/astronauts-going-to-mars-should-be-only-women-its-basic-science-68736     Are AI relationships cheating? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/15/a-bot-on-the-side-is-it-adultery-if-you-with-an-ai-companion?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Human skin 3D printing https://www.iflscience.com/we-built-a-human-skin-printer-from-lego-and-we-want-every-lab-to-use-our-blueprint-68664     3D printed cheesecakes https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-create-3d-printed-cheesecakes-cooked-to-perfection-with-lasers-68071     How much caffeine is too much? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-caffeine-is-too-much/     Optimism affects decision making https://neurosciencenews.com/optimism-cognition-decision-making-25307/   Dinosaur legs on chickens https://www.iflscience.com/dinosaur-legs-grown-genetically-modified-chickens-world-first-34465

It's Episode 108! We're glad to be back after such a long time away. What better way to say hello to you all again than with weird animal articles? Some of our favorites!  Hear about reanimated pigs, what snakes have that some humans also have, and how monkeys have made wolves do their bidding. Oh, and dolphins make an appearance, of course.   Snakes have clitorises   https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scientists-snakes-clitorises-evolution   Dolphins and snakes   https://www.businessinsider.com/dolphins-seen-playing-with-anaconda-while-sexually-aroused-study-2022-5   Monkeys have domesticated wolves   https://www.zmescience.com/science/monkeys-and-wolves-domestication-423/       The hidden language of chimpanzees   https://www.sciencealert.com/thousands-of-recordings-of-chimpanzees-reveal-a-hidden-language-we-never-knew-about     AI talking to animals   https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/31/can-artificial-intelligence-really-help-us-talk-to-the-animals?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Plants make noise   https://www.sciencealert.com/plants-really-do-scream-out-loud-we-just-never-heard-it-until-now       Mass of humans vs animals in the world   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/18/a-wake-up-call-total-weight-of-wild-mammals-less-than-10-of-humanitys?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other       Reanimated pigs   https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/zombie-pigs-brainex/#Echobox=1646437812-1  

Welcome to Episode 107, a delightful romp about the psychology of being human.  We're glad to be back after a long and sort of accidental hiatus.  Join us for this semi-focused discussion on all things psychology, like analyzing stress through typing patterns and the particular strategies of raising a genius. Also covered are ketamine spas, mystical thinking vs. psychosis, and lots and lots of brain stuff.   You're probably using these psychological terms wrong   https://lifehacker.com/youre-probably-using-these-psychological-terms-wrong-on-1848582251     Identifying stress through typing   https://www.iflscience.com/how-you-use-your-mouse-or-type-says-a-lot-about-your-stress-levels-at-work-68444     AI reads emotions with radio signals   https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-emotions-radio-signals   How to raise a genius   https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/how-to-raise-genius-kids/#Echobox=1652422457     Creative brains   https://neurosciencenews.com/creativity-connectivity-20274/   Mystical or psychosis?   https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2022/03/03/are-mystical-experiences-a-sign-of-a-healthy-mind/?sh=35d87921f89d     Presence, not impostor sydrome   https://www.forbes.com/sites/lidijaglobokar/2022/03/08/meet-presence-your-antidote-to-the-impostor-syndrome/?sh=36033e93c4cd     Types of sleep patterns   https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-split-up-adult-sleep-into-16-distinct-types     Ketamine spas   https://apple.news/A5tNvzsdJSHSzTQpvbMHxsA https://apple.news/A5tNvzsdJSHSzTQpvbMHxsA     Situationships   https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/here-s-why-ending-a-situationship-may-be-harder-than-a-relationship-breakup/ar-AA1abTIm

Episode 106 - Big Questions, Little Answers In this episode, we explore the macro "why"s: why are we here, what entity or unseen force made this universe we live in, why are there so many mysteries surrounding our earth and the space around it?  These "why"s don't always have concrete answers, but we found a few!   Where are we relative to the Big Bang?   Our sun used to have a twin   The first spacecraft to touch the sun   The Earth is pulsing every 26 seconds - no one agrees why   Balloon borne telescope     Dark matter radio   Dark matter bridges   Are black holes holograms?   Two massive black holes will merge in 10,000 years    

Episode 105 - Life and Living in Space Ever wondered about the day to day ins and outs of living in space?  How does the altered environment affect your bodily functions, daily routine, and mental state? You might be surprised by some of the answers...     Collaboration with aliens   Precursor to life   Red blood cell loss in space   9 reasons sex in space is difficult   Peeing and pooping in space   Affordable housing in space   ISS to break down   Russia threatens that ISS will drop if sanctions continue   Would NASA warn us if an asteroid were about to wipe us out?   Maybe octopuses came from space   World's first skyscraper to hang from asteroid    

It's official - society has reached that terrifying point where technology knows more about you than your own family.  Hooray! Welcome to a world of brain implants, AI turning your thoughts into texts, legislation for sexbots, and, of course - a toilet that recognizes you by your...well, we don't want to give everything away. But don't be afraid! Technology can be good, too.  Technology is your friend...with technology, the sky (net) is the limit.     Redefining life     Xenobots     Tesla bot to take over boring work     Writing laws for sexbots     Brain implant turns thoughts into text     Toilets that identify their users

It's the mammals episode!  From humans lucid dreaming to camel beauty contests, in this episode you'll hear everything you wanted to know about mammals - and maybe a bit more.     Mammals dream before birth     How to Lucid Dream     Analyzing the construction of spiderwebs     Octopuses classified as sentient beings     Octopuses grow extra organs - then they disappear     Squirrels have distinct personalities     Cats have 7 distinguishable personality traits     Cats can track you so watch out   Flesh eating plants - a 12th one found!   Camel beauty contests crack down on Botox

Welcome to episode 102!  We'll take you on a journey through the day in the life of a human, from (before!) birth, birth defects, all those years of punching the clock, health problems, revitalizing marriages...and, finally, to the inevitable end.     Magnetic testes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210728105602.htm?fbclid=IwAR2mpW8MJQX2qUH3Fbv81cdpbXBCODJOaAFMN-4G5PnBe3cNakfDrl2vXLM     Baby with 3 penises https://www.sciencealert.com/a-baby-was-born-with-3-penises-in-a-world-first-medical-case?utm_campaign=AppleNews&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=AppleNews     Eight hour workday https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2021/06/8-hour-workday-is-holdover-of-old-ways-research-suggests-5-hours-is-the-office-time-sweet-spot.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf&fbclid=IwAR1ShAJ1-mu8z-dZfVzTZg9DdmMO7-L62zcBQ7vwHRWHcPvYCk18Uza1DvE     80's and heavy metal music lowers blood pressure   https://consequence.net/2021/02/study-80s-pop-heavy-metal-reducing-blood-pressure-anxiety/?fbclid=IwAR0pAvrE3BGjN6b-RE0SP5bmz7DeABJe0ra-iAy5wkTafFvsSqtNbCkxv4c     Ukranian couple splits after handcuffed together https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ukrainian-couple-split-after-123-days-ha-idUSRTXDE49E     Yoga conspiracy theory   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-55957298?fbclid=IwAR10qT5pyfponnxK-DFFeNFUQFYNEIyWj10yrQbPd-TZNfnhzsxsRe1Uk80       Human composting funeral home https://www.bbc.com/news/world-55957298?fbclid=IwAR10qT5pyfponnxK-DFFeNFUQFYNEIyWj10yrQbPd-TZNfnhzsxsRe1Uk80  

Get your brain fix here! Episode 101 is all about brains: their altered properties after death, the feats they can achieve when paired up with a little technology….or how they take to EXTRA BODY PARTS!   Oh, and there's a little Elon Musk in here.         Brain cell activity spikes after death https://gizmodo.com/some-of-our-brain-cells-get-more-active-hours-after-we-1846537888     How to grow a bigger brain https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-identify-key-neurological-switch-that-makes-human-brains-so-large?fbclid=IwAR18IntcUGST5FrumzykTIO429y7JJY1kxlhfLIIMAWxjvtV5bzKCcDauBI     Fun with magnets! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210204144005.htm?fbclid=IwAR1f7I5hR6Xgcd2kGS9bWKn1wvvmM1VaxCEYoG-ZWYAoIKiIY5xmz-S5B2U     Ultrasound waves can help restore your memory https://interestingengineering.com/ultrasounds-restore-human-memory-reverse-dementia?fbclid=IwAR04KKXJpFbKaBYQXZo2kTl0ttzcNG-QzJv7ESif-YolfXrve7CNYX3AuEM       Brain implants translate imagined handwriting into text https://www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-implants-translate-handwriting-text?fbclid=IwAR3Rcm5zp90RimTso2D0oREsQjEmev1iufzmfeVKTXfQpwqzjxnEXi0S8dE       Elon Musk is at it again https://consequence.net/2021/02/elon-musk-human-trials-neuralink/?fbclid=IwAR18VEnNpNDiQTMvLGR5SLt540LnIIvxd7jj64i_5CgxV1DLCN02NVZ1rCs       Apparently, your brain can support an extra limb https://interestingengineering.com/human-brain-can-support-extra-robotic-body-part-third-thumb?fbclid=IwAR04KKXJpFbKaBYQXZo2kTl0ttzcNG-QzJv7ESif-YolfXrve7CNYX3AuEM   While my artificial tear gland...gently weeps https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-make-tiny-lab-grown-tear-glands-cry-180977267/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&utm_content=algorithm&fbclid=IwAR3JB6kkS60gnayLWc2VgiE0V0RGUJt8BkLCFUw-H6y0scb8OylUt15slsU     People experiencing depression could actually be seeing the world differently https://www.sciencealert.com/study-shows-how-depression-really-does-change-how-we-see-the-world?fbclid=IwAR29JH72mPgwctfXZNrjniZPSU17-gKIEFTrISbTCa1-GqQ8mtaKyeUTQ_s     The "dark watchers" phenomenon https://www.livescience.com/dark-watchers-california-optical-illusion.html?fbclid=IwAR3ZHclY8KYkGJjBcMjpAWw_aQfGgtUm7uAsrKa22kxaJrtzIOFAfguOVGA   *if you have time to venture down a rabbit hole* CIA: how to escape the confines of space and time https://www.vice.com/en/article/7k9qag/how-to-escape-the-confines-of-time-and-space-according-to-the-cia?fbclid=IwAR0oJNRspm-7lcXjb7vpe1zxgIJL--CUraQ-I1FLxLP0-o7osCgCDc-Y4UE

We made it to episode 100!  And so did you. This episode is jam packed with crazy stories from our best friend, science - everything from what happens when you’re allergic to the cold to how our unique brain signatures could help coma patients.   Oh, and also cannibalism.   Enjoy!          Allergic to cold air   Death by black licorice     Tooth extraction via hoverboard     France supersoldiers     Men’s vs women’s brains     Brain signatures     Unconscious learning     Fool's gold     Microsoft chatbots resurrect the dead     Sound beaming     Children’s show controversy     Luminescent wood     Thailand’s Hannibal        

Welcome to episode 99 - almost 100! Like several of our previous episodes, we wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to the beauty and chaos of the animal kingdom - so here is another all-animal episode, featuring some classics like elephants and some of the more exotic variety: platypuses, flying ants, and those of the animal kingdom who are capable of parthenogenesis!       Killer whales   Cat Rapport   Meow talk   Bee sting in the eyeball   Honeybee venom     Ant butts     Flying ants   Alligator helium     Elephant baby boom     The return of the Tasmanian devil   Platypus - totally normal, right?     Virgin births     Crab evolution      

This episode is all about PAIN! Well, kind of.  Sprinkled within it is news about Stonehenge, another advancement in alternative energy, and public opinion on AI. BUT ALSO: Did you know swearing isn't only fun, but helps overcome adversity?  It's a painful truth for anyone who ever told you not to swear so much.  Did you know that science is experimenting with ways to help blind people "see" using electric shocks?  No pain no gain....of...sight... Also, there's now a mutated enzyme that breaks down plastic with ease.  Sounds pretty painful - for the plastic! Come join us in admitting that while pain is f*cking inevitable, maybe it makes life a little better.        The F word   Silicon and mouse neurons     Should AI be allowed to make mistakes?     Another ring at Stonehenge   Crystals that “grow” energy   Mutant enzyme breaks down plastic   Wind turbine could supply half a home’s energy needs    Seeing with electricity     Hearing persists at the end of life     Wife crashes her own funeral  

We're back!  And we're so close to episode 100 we can taste it...it's almost as good as hallucinogenic honey.  Don't know what that is?  You're about to find out about it, along with how scientists grow organs in space, a caterpillar that saves its old heads, and the backstory of a surprising hand transplant.  Life is made up of some strange parts...and this episode captures a lot of them!     Hallucinogenic Honey   Military psychedelics   Growing organs in space     Caterpillar head collector     Animals fake their deep voices     T-rex!   Mysterious elephant deaths     Hand transplant

Six Degrees discusses an eclectic collection of drug developments!  Included is micro dosing in the form of nasal spray, what caffeine cravings really are, and how ultrasound waves may help treat patients with psychiatric disorders.     Psilocybin nasal spray     LSD overdose    Caffeine cravings explained    Can we predict which anti-depressants will work for individuals?    Ultrasound waves can affect your mood; may help with psychiatric disorders    A hemp powered plane      

Enjoy Six Degrees' take on the post apocalyptic world with Episode 95!  We've got touchable holograms, resurrected permafrost worms, and the promise of faster travel to Mars -- hmm, the dystopian life doesn't seem so bad after all.   First touchable hologram   AI discovers antibiotic that kills drug resistant bacteria   Permafrost worms!   Mad Mike rocket crash   Plasma powered rocket engine can get to Mars in half the time   Technology aids in coma patients' communication  

Technology! It’s great, it’s awe-inspiring; how do we live without it? Well, some things might be able to live better if it wasn’t around. On the other hand, it does do wonderful things for some aspects of life. Maybe all we can do is embrace it when it’s good to us and make sure we don’t rely on it completely. We don’t want it taking over our lives, after all. Good thing we haven’t begun working on living robots.   Oh, wait.   Maybe almonds aren't that perfect...   Solar foods   Fireflies are going extinct   Living robots   Liquid that sucks up the sun's energy!?  

We've done several episodes about humans improving life with technology, sometimes to the point of bordering on a bionic existence!  Here are four articles that will have you marveling at humans' constant hunger to evolve, adapt, and ask, "why?" Or they'll have you singing the Terminator theme.  Either one.     Downloading knowledge to your brain   Telescopic lens can zoom 3x   Why not work shorter hours in winter?   Can music help you release sadness?

Episode 92 is all about the silly things humans do—except the Oxford comma. That’s serious, important, and irreplaceable.     Grant for Hookers for Jesus   https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2018-01-23/tribal-divisions-created-by-religion-most-harmful-in-global-conflict-experts-say?utm_source=usn_fb&fbclid=IwAR0bN1RVKH88cK6O2Hg-x365ep-OfRatp05UdCjJUwJx2Hra0l_W_v0ZwLc       https://www.yahoo.com/news/humans-hardwired-dismiss-facts-dont-130032262.html   https://www.patreon.com/posts/33101514?fbclid=IwAR2G8iT6y1-GzUv1ARNEqEgWrkS4DotXjsXqh1iTAXyxYQthqUb9uyw-Azs      https://thewritelife.com/is-the-oxford-comma-necessary/?fbclid=IwAR2wrYGSz-h_fVMfLPK5bs37OgPzQ2FCx8mmE1S5chUzbWM9dcVs6-QD9ew#.XHRDArDjD-N.facebook

Six Degrees rings in the New Year just as you’d expect – with a wide selection of science articles ranging from zany to outright f*cked up!   We discuss everything from the age you discover the meaning of life to what elderly female whales do when their reproductive years are at an end.  Oh, there's also a fair amount on what new horrors the overuse of technology may have in store for us, a story about a baby being buried alive, and we reveal a drug that's wreaking more havoc than the opioid crisis. But you know, it's just another episode in the life of Six Degrees

Celebrate this holiday Six Degrees of Rumination style!  Episode 90 is full of Christmas cheer - and a little Christmas caution.  Sure, the holidays are awesome and most people love them, but if you're one of those individuals who worries more about the waste Christmas generates than how much joy you're spreading, then boy do we have articles for you!  Don't worry, there are plenty of articles about the magic of Christmas too.  There's even a website where you can email Santa! This holiday season, Six Degrees will be joining all the other Christmas travelers.  Producer Mike and host Nina Boyd are headed from one end of the state to the other to be with family, and host Reno Gorman is headed on a drive with even worse traffic to the outskirts of the Bay Area.  You can be sure they'll be listening to their favorite podcasts in the car. We hope this episode keeps you company during all of your holiday traveling!   *shameless self promotion* In this episode, Producer Mike plugged his band- The Bitters- and their new Christmas single.  Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0PUVKTw1rGRYHPvEV9VG7A?si=a873JuZTSUGhMo07Qhs8Ew Host Nina Boyd plugged her Christmas (and other occasions!) cards.  Browse here: https://www.zazzle.com/ninasart?rf=238120189524272000 Finally, host Reno Gorman didn’t plug it this time, but he’s a yoga teacher and yoga teacher trainer AND a body worker!  Find out more here: https://www.renogorman.com/ Thanks for listening! “Why are there no new Christmas songs?”   “Christians have the most abortions”   “Emailing Santa Claus”     “A bad Santa bot”   “’Tis the Season to take out the trash”    “Fruitcake”   “Jesus’ birthday”   “Murderer dies and is resurrected; believes he has completed life sentence”   “10 Facts about the Winter Solstice”  

We're almost at Episode 90!  We really wanted to get there, so we thought we'd make Episode 89 short.  Except for the part where producer Mike talks about Terminator for twenty minutes... After that, Reno explains that plants are renewable and therefore should be eaten by robots, and everyone tries to figure out whether people are growing horns due to cell phone use. Good thing we end on a high note--oh wait.   Robots that eat life forms!?   What's that growth on your skull?   Dogs know when you’re lying   Octopus cities     Freshwater under the ocean   The brain eats itself if chronically sleep-deprived     

The world is a strange place, as we’ve learned on this podcast again and again.  Enjoy this collection of the weird, the hilarious, and the terrible.  Life’s just a bowl of cherries...or, sometimes, a bucket of heads. Thoughts and prayershttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/16/economists-calculate-monetary-value-thoughts-and-prayers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR3KhuaEEgTMiFqPlQ0Lw25P0OSQQp0J8vygf2r84FTSei8tz3nK07j9Cg4 Weed cookieshttps://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3d4yen/science-has-figured-out-how-high-you-will-get-from-those-edibles?utm_source=vicefbin&fbclid=IwAR3L9Vc0Eswf3xymy82q7lJCQ8MN3QSu3afR6f_4W0PZ2qAXXIbMIjxAn9Q NFL Sensory roomshttps://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/759332418/nfl-season-kicks-off-with-refuges-for-fans-with-sensory-needs-to-take-a-timeout?fbclid=IwAR2_lx7FcL7-etr2mjlAgXkCeB1ncyzPFVIq3cxu9MjNLvuAgQVe6Vw95AY Talking to strangershttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/26/744267015/want-to-feel-happier-today-try-talking-to-a-stranger?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20190726&fbclid=IwAR00B70tUPSXnJKrMcF7Ud4V4xQ3fZL-W3rTcGLPGAfPgnVJkWFeijQWQaQ weird and emotional airplane behaviorhttps://www.npr.org/2019/07/14/741619152/cool-your-jets-science-might-explain-your-weird-and-emotional-airplane-behavior?fbclid=IwAR3o3UUqVvsOh0RHLj9H1ViMOCANl9yV3ZsYmhhUj-f9UdFOMnPPWdDlwlY Chernobyl vodkahttps://www.cnn.com/travel/article/chernobyl-vodka-intl-scli/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0YfRXox8rMsnWkA0I6NCFtLGD2L78UrIcX9yNJig8HCqaqqEXK70OTGyE Bucket of headshttps://gizmodo.com/fbi-finds-bucket-of-heads-cooler-of-penises-sewn-fran-1836697819?fbclid=IwAR23NBT3mnTrmnlbCnP6U842l-k7grH5Vhzry9MZeXzyGQFBSYdhz1S-eKk Zombie trees https://www.sciencealert.com/this-tree-stump-is-mysteriously-being-kept-alive-with-a-little-help-from-its-friends?fbclid=IwAR2gd7JaxmAWrJFYSVj-ygR0nVFiIUyIvvT23i1GQcv9vFZXYIh03Xil6uQ Vaginal atrophyhttps://theheartysoul.com/natural-remedies-vaginal-atrophy/?utm_source=THS&fbclid=IwAR2SXnUMMmVPN__EymXInBgcayV84aeiCBl9BHCTBxjcN90e7veTnMQcy5c        

Last episode we brought you tales of humanity...now we bring you tails of animals.  Oh yes we did! Animals are just as crazy as humans, if not more.  Although, since we're the ones studying them, can we really say the evidence isn't biased by the observer?   Cats know their names even if they pretend not to   People in New Jersey are getting high off catnip   A toxic garbage fire in Arkansas   Some birds set their prey on fire   A special kind of jellyfish   A woman had 4 bees living in her eyes   Bullet proof spider silk   Genetically modified mosquitoes   Scientists turn carbon dioxide back into coal  

Six Degrees presents you with episode 86 - tales of humanity.  Oh, how crazy we are.   A cop can't pull you over for flipping them off   Phasing out gas powered leaf blowers in DC   A material that cancels sound   Herbalist is jailed for replacing insulin treatments with lavender oil   This woman can smell Parkinson's   Anger can be contagious     Death metal doesn't desensitize you to violent imagery   A minister of loneliness!?   Under employers' gaze, Gen Z is biting its tongue   China's social credit system   Another article on anxiety  

Have you ever wondered why animals act or look the way they do? What about those really rare strange type of animals you never knew existed—and now that you know, you’re terrified!? Well, Six Degrees covers them all in episode 85, from discussing squirrels of unexpected colors to why zebras have stripes. Oh, and some unborn sharks are cannibals…     Flying squirrels glow in the dark   The answer to why zebras have stripes   Baby sharks are hungry....REALLY HUNGRY   Dracula ants    Scientists create the first successful biohybrid   Printed hemp homes   Is organic food worse for the climate?    Cigarettes are the largest source of ocean trash   A photosynthesis shortcut

It's 1984!  Yes, that's right, you are about to experience the Six Degrees episode bearing that name, BUT ALSO, looking at scientific trends these days, we are apparently living in the horrifying society from the prophetic dystopian novel!  Join hosts Reno and Nina (who are both experts on 1984 since they were born then) as they discuss all of technology's beautiful and terrifying capabilities.  Oh, and producer Mike gets to sing the terminator theme a lot.     Self Driving Cars   Conscious robots with insect brains   Psychedelic parasites   LSD attacks   Robots that sleep and dream perform better     AI can tell if you're gay or straight   Odor free underwear   Shrink rays!   New "dumb phone" can cure your app addiction   Live vicariously through a human uber    Cuteness overload and what it does to some people's brains   Alzheimer's can't destroy memories of good music   Why silence is vital for your brain

Enjoy our last episode of the year! Six Degrees wraps up the year with random articles that are somehow crazier and more fantastical than all the articles of 2018 combined.  China makes plans to launch a second moon, nanorobots are now capable of drilling drugs directly into your eyes, and anti-vaxxers strike once more before 2019. Hope you have a happy new year!

Much to Reno’s dismay, it’s the Holiday Season!  Take a listen as Host Reno Gorman lists all the reasons why he doesn’t like Christmas while Host Nina Boyd and their Producer Mike tell him he’s wrong. Merry Christmas everyone!!   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/dark-side-christmas-saturnalia-christmas-carol-dickens-norse-mythology-festive-traditions-a8112341.html   https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131219-santa-claus-origin-history-christmas-facts-st-nicholas/?fbclid=IwAR026_EHJ5bEXBlHge3fufHVka19lMJBsPI_eO-GBfda-m4RcSCXl-6wLMg   https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-46317225   https://www.npr.org/2018/11/23/670458893/black-friday-online-retail-makes-inroads-but-shoppers-still-pack-the-malls   https://www.vox.com/2014/12/24/7447727/materialism-psychology?fbclid=IwAR3oMUCnoo_Kw-5jj8UDuDM7HooJ6UCimObo9-H5tlSq9Gzpk_fmDxLWY30   https://www.npr.org/2018/11/21/660168325/optimized-prime-how-ai-and-anticipation-power-amazons-1-hour-deliveries?fbclid=IwAR38BNSe9K5NjDTIoQSSFGpggRte7SXmRa646gG4lHEDf_zRYMPhc1Sjilc     https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46306037?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=facebook&ns_campaign=bbcnews   https://www.businessinsider.com/science-says-holiday-music-is-bad-for-your-mental-health-2017-12?utm_content=buffer9466d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-ti&fbclid=IwAR2Wq-VP7qtJfW-3bl7wHzO1nQQxbZhGvvH3qx3bWDW5CWyYH7LdfKg9-x0

In episode 81 (the second installment of a two part episode) Six Degrees covers the "nurture" side of "nature vs. nurture."  This installment is the darker of the two--well, except for the cannibalism in the first installment!--and includes such gems as a vending machine dispensing crack pipes, street corner urinals shaped like mailboxes, and what happens when you leave contact lenses in for twenty-eight years.      https://www.npr.org/2018/09/11/646801811/pen-dispensers-in-long-island-actually-sold-crack-pipes   https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/09/27/study-links-restricting-screen-time-kids-higher-mental-performance/?utm_term=.b5a8dcc42b66   https://foxbaltimore.com/news/offbeat/hundreds-expected-at-satanic-temple-rally-at-ark-capitol-senator-rapert-responds   https://www.npr.org/2018/08/14/638512558/nope-those-arent-mailboxes-paris-rolls-out-sidewalk-urinals?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180815   https://www.npr.org/2018/09/09/645704776/a-documentary-swipes-left-on-dating-apps   https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-your-emojis-say-about-you-according-to-a-new-study   https://ktla.com/2018/08/15/british-woman-had-contact-lens-embedded-in-eyelid-for-28-years/      

Six Degrees had so many good articles this time around, we decided to record TWO episodes at once!  This first of the two has a more positive bent, and is the "nature" side of "nature vs. nurture" if you will (and Reno will).  Learn why elephants get cancer less often than other mammals, how producer Mike would deal with a robot begging for its life, and oh--just so things don't get too serious, Six Degrees also discusses the culinary experiences that ensue following an amputation.     https://psmag.com/environment/the-planet-now-has-more-trees-than-it-did-35-years-ago   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cancer-one-worry-elephants-forget-180969993/   https://www.npr.org/2018/09/11/646724291/a-massive-floating-boom-is-supposed-to-clean-up-the-pacific-can-it-work   https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17642868/robots-turn-off-beg-not-to-empathy-media-equation   https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/would-a-world-without-work-be-so-bad/488711/?utm_source=facebook&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2018-07-25T16%3A25%3A07   https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/09/12/645221590/blind-grocery-shoppers-access-second-set-of-eyes-through-app-at-wegmans   https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/gykmn7/legal-ethical-cannibalism-human-meat-tacos-reddit-wtf?utm_source=vicefbus    

Six Degrees welcomes Reno's brother on their 79th episode!  Chris is like Reno but with less Reno and more Chris. This episode is a collection of articles demonstrating how amazing - and how terrifying - science is getting: reattaching legs backwards, growing brains with Neanderthal DNA, getting pregnant by eating undercooked seafood...it's a strange and beautiful world we live in. Also, a shout out to Jason Ryerson, one of our listeners who met Reno recently :D   https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-why-most-of-us-stop-discovering-new-music-after-30-according-to-science   https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2153310/china-brings-star-wars-life-laser-ak-47-could-set-fire   https://www.sciencealert.com/seven-year-old-girl-rotationplasty-procedure-tumour-surgery   https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/may/11/scientists-to-grow-mini-brains-using-neanderthal-dna?CMP=fb_gu   https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/robotic-living-muscle-tissue-science/   https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/23/605054470/veteran-receives-penis-transplant-to-repair-war-wound?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180423   https://www.sciencealert.com/penis-satellite-space-google-maps-australia-marree-man-geoglyph   https://worldnewsdailyreport.com/lottery-winner-arrested-for-dumping-200000-of-manure-on-ex-boss-lawn/   https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/hippos-poop-so-much-that-sometimes-all-the-fish-die/560486/     http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/womans-tongue-gets-inseminated-by-squid-after-eating-undercooked-seafood/   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34001790   https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/the-electric-flight-of-spiders/564437/   https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-art-of-lying/   https://www.sciencealert.com/cracker-test-how-many-carbs-health-diet-sharon-moalem     https://www.sciencealert.com/experiments-show-that-humans-can-sleep-for-days-when-living-alone-underground     https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/10/610102872/man-allegedly-used-change-of-address-form-to-move-ups-headquarters-to-his-apartm

Join Six Degrees for producer Mike's longest episode, in which he is so angry his co-hosts started late that he cuts them off even before their first segue... The world doesn't disappoint in its strangeness; this episode's articles range from trying to prove small talk can actually be interesting to how a turtle can breathe through its genitals.  Oh, and did you already think platypuses (platypi...) were impossibly weird?  Well, prepare yourself to be blown away yet again by their bizarre genetic make up.   https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/13-genius-questions-most-interesting-people-ask-to-start-great-conversations.html     http://goodfullness.net/science-shows-sister-makes-better-person/     https://www.forbes.com/sites/willburns/2018/04/19/more-scientific-studies-reveal-how-we-can-unleash-our-creativity/#46a9ba102d17   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/11/green-haired-turtle-that-breathes-through-its-genitals-added-to-endangered-list?CMP=fb_gu   https://www.sciencealert.com/birds-see-magnetic-fields-cryptochrome-cry4-photoreceptor   https://www.sciencealert.com/platypus-weirdest-creature-australia-science-sweat-milk-see-electricity-venom   https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-think-we-should-start-drinking-cockroach-milk-superfood   https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/chimpanzees-monkeys-brains-animals-predators/   https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-headache-and-a-migraine   http://www.kurzweilai.net/darpa-funded-prosthetic-memory-system-successful-in-humans-study-finds   https://www.sciencealert.com/counterfeit-cosmetics-seized-by-police-contaminated-with-bacteria-faeces   https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/04/flushing-toilets-launch-germs-and-hot-air-dryers-aim-them-at-your-hands/   http://www.newsweek.com/christians-should-not-do-yoga-says-indian-catholic-church-873140   https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/10/17219406/embalmed-alive-russia-formaldehyde-how-caleb-wilde    

Episode 77 is full of bears, bees, (no birds though), legal and illegal drugs, and what's next for human improvement on a bionic level.  Also discussed is the case of a dead man who couldn't prove he was alive in a court of law. Oh, and heaps and heaps of jokes about cocaine.    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/03/21/woman-dies-after-acupuncture-session-that-used-live-bees-instead-of-needles/?utm_term=.ff2cf6e1d5cb   https://www.sciencealert.com/daycare-workers-arrested-giving-children-melatonin-gummy-bears   https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/03/14/cocaine-bear/   https://science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine4.htm   https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2018/03/22/great-pacific-garbage-patch-grows/446405002/   https://www.sciencealert.com/thousands-of-dead-sea-creatures-star-fish-washed-up-england-frozen-to-death   https://www.sciencealert.com/octopus-and-squid-evolution-is-officially-weirder-than-we-could-have-ever-imagined   https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/15/17124312/nasa-twins-study-dna-scott-kelly-international-space-station   https://futurism.com/bionic-contacts-goodbye-glasses-hello-vision-thats-3x-better-than-2020/   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/iceland-male-circumcision-ban-religious-leaders-outrage-mp-bill-proposed-a8217696.html   https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/16/594431754/man-claims-hes-not-dead-court-doesn-t-buy-it?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180316    

Six Degrees maintains our streak of doing an episode once every time we all meet up with microphones!  This one is all about those odd cases in science, from animals' unusual coping mechanisms to how a change in climate turns mummies into creatures from the black lagoon.  Discussed also are deer who move slower than deer in the headlights and how the Y chromosome of human beings may be on its way out...   https://www.livescience.com/61018-turtles-breathe-through-butt.html   https://www.menshealth.com/health/never-hold-in-a-sneeze   https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/feb/28/barbra-streisand-cloned-her-dog-twice-variety?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other   https://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-oldest-mummies-are-turning-into-black-slime-why   https://www.menshealth.com/health/chronic-wasting-disease-in-humans   https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-engineered-sheep-human-hybrids-first-time-stem-cell-chimera   https://www.sciencealert.com/chemistry-kits-history-risks-benefits-education   https://www.sciencealert.com/y-chromosome-vanishing-changing-genetics-males-evolution   https://nypost.com/2018/02/04/doritos-to-make-lady-friendly-chips-that-dont-crunch-for-women/   https://futurism.com/two-decades-scientists-gmos-corn-good-seriously/amp/   https://www.sciencealert.com/china-will-be-carrying-insects-and-plants-to-the-surface-of-the-moon-this-year   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/08/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/2780303/

For their 75th episode, Six Degrees is joined by guest Sean Keehan, and celebrates with a plethora of topics, including the alarming number of body parts in the Pacific Ocean, a gene that almost eliminates pain, what LSD does to dolphins (and humans living with dolphins), plus one very special story about Jesus.   https://nypost.com/2017/11/29/300-year-old-note-found-inside-butt-of-jesus-statue/?utm_content=inf_11_2731_2&utm_source=tsefacebook&utm_medium=tsefb&utm_campaign=tse&tse_id=INF_47bf80d0d60611e7b926579f881108d6   https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/12/570189142/human-feet-still-washing-up-in-pacific-northwest-but-dont-panic?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2041   http://www.sciencealert.com/this-italian-family-feels-no-pain-scientists-finally-understand-why-marsili-insensitivity   https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/high-tech-suicide-machine-makes-death-painless-peaceful-optimal-way-go   https://futurism.com/space-kingdom-asgardia-first-nation-territory-orbit/   https://futurism.com/china-is-enacting-a-plastic-waste-import-ban/   https://futurism.com/amino-acid-plant-waste-offers-unexpected-energy-potential/   https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9amw88/what-weve-learned-from-giving-dolphins-lsd?utm_campaign=fansLAL1&utm_source=vicefbusads   https://janest.com/article/2017/12/05/five-plants-beside-cannabis-target-endocannabinoid-system/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pagepost   https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/new-research-finds-that-kids-aged-4-6-perform-better-during-boring-tasks-when-dressed-as-batman/   https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/15/571175252/scientists-say-japanese-monkeys-are-having-sexual-interactions-with-deer?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2044   https://www.space.com/38983-nasa-extends-beam-inflatable-habitat-space-station.html   https://futurism.in/2017/12/11/uae-minister-artificial-intelligence/   https://futurism.in/2017/12/04/new-black-metal-album-published-wasnt-made-human/   https://imgur.com/gallery/u3Ata

Six Degrees discusses surgery to shrink a penis, why toilet paper is destroying parts of the planet, and what 65 cats are capable of when given the proper training.  *They do hit a serious note for one article*  Well, for a few seconds, anyway...       https://www.inquisitr.com/4582284/mans-3-foot-penis-and-11-pound-scrotum-gone-surgeons-give-20-year-old-new-lease-on-life/?utm_content=inf_11_3140_2&source=se&utm_source=se&utm_campaign=se&utm_medium=fb&tse_id=INF_a51b2910beb811e7b926579f881108d6   https://futurism.com/sponsored-15-of-deforestation-is-due-to-toilet-paper-alone-heres-how-we-can-fix-this/   http://www.kurzweilai.net/integrated-circuits-printed-directly-onto-fabric-for-the-first-time   https://futurism.in/2017/11/13/bill-gates-smart-city-arizona/   http://www.gosocial.co/people-born-1977-1983-given-new-name/   http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/elderly-woman-accused-of-training-her-65-cats-to-steal-from-neighbors/   http://wakeuptop.com/2017/11/08/pedophile-priest-who-was-forgiven-by-church-for-raping-26-children-found-dead/   http://www.sciencealert.com/quick-eating-bad-for-waistline-heart-health   http://www.sciencealert.com/beluga-whale-bottlenose-dolphin-learns-new-language    

It’s a scary...ish episode just in time for Halloween!  With topics ranging from sweating blood to robot offspring, Six Degrees covers just what makes us humans cringe, gasp, and scream!   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5008295/Woman-21-sweats-BLOOD-face-palms-hands.html?ITO=applenews https://apple.news/AmkAlb4mGSJmAfTGsNpsnLg http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-turn-conservatives-liberal-john-bargh-psychology-2017-10 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/18/16479796/stockton-california-basic-income-economic-security-experiment http://www.wired.co.uk/article/chinese-government-social-credit-score-privacy-invasion http://www.businessinsider.com/sophia-robot-citizenship-in-saudi-arabia-the-first-of-its-kind-2017-10 https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/02/an-ai-god-will-emerge-by-2042-and-write-its-own-bible-will-you-worship-it/ https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2017/10/23/sex-robot-creator-is-ready-to-make-a-baby-with-his-machine/amp/ https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2016/12/15/boredom-quickies-might-be-why-humans-lost-their-penis-bone/amp/ http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/27/560268250/does-smoking-pot-lead-to-more-sex http://returntonow.net/2017/10/15/yoga-pants-destroying-planet/ http://www.sciencealert.com/dolphins-are-the-first-wild-animals-to-show-traces-of-alzheimer-s http://ewao.com/2017/10/04/people-want-a-reality-show-where-flat-earthers-search-for-the-edge-of-the-world/

Six Degrees returns with a plethora of articles, from what dolphins could do with opposable thumbs to what some people do with their placentas.  Also discussed are the inclusion of hover bikes into policing and how hackers could be plotting your demise through your seemingly innocent sex bot. Enjoy!     http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/california-passes-law-to-ban-the-sale-of-dogs-from-puppy-mills/   http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article124360119.html   http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/we-visited-a-penis-museum-can-you-guess-which-penis-belongs-to-each-animal/   http://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/turkish-archaeologists-claim-found-tomb-santa-claus/   http://www.iflscience.com/space/you-can-now-send-your-ashes-to-be-scattered-in-space-as-british-company-launches-space-funerals/   http://www.iflscience.com/technology/could-hackers-program-sex-robots-to-kill/   http://www.kurzweilai.net/walking-dna-nanorobot-could-deliver-a-drug-to-a-precise-location-in-your-body   https://futurism.in/2017/10/16/officials-electric-police-hoverbikes-will-soon-patrol-dubai/   http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/if-dolphins-had-evolved-opposable-thumbs-they-would-be-ruling-world-instead-humans-1643101   http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kim-kardashian-placenta-eating-trend-cannibalism-says-top-gynaecologist-1643318

Six Degrees welcomes guest Cody Tudor, and quickly degenerates into a frank and appetizing discussion about cannibalism.  Other topics included are human pig chimeras, gene editing, the health benefits of dragon's blood (...Komodo Dragons...), and the latest venture from Elon Musk.   http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/02/22/515668867/cannibalism-its-perfectly-natural-a-new-scientific-history-argues?sc=17&f=1007   http://www.kurzweilai.net/scientists-use-stem-cells-to-create-humanpig-chimera-embryos   http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-say-now-s-the-time-to-talk-about-creating-humans-from-stem-cells   http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/01/01/507244429/unexpected-risks-found-in-editing-genes-to-prevent-inherited-disorders?sc=17&f=1007   http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/blood-dragons-destroy-antibiotic-resistance/   http://www.livescience.com/57746-tinder-for-orangutans-mating-program.html   http://www.techly.com.au/2017/02/10/these-robo-bees-may-one-day-pollinate-the-earth/   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/25/517221933/lucille-horn-who-was-nursed-to-health-in-a-coney-island-sideshow-dies-at-96?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170225   https://www.inverse.com/article/26891-neural-lace-elon-musk-announcement?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=elonquotes&utm_campaign=influencer   https://futurism.com/new-ai-can-write-and-rewrite-its-own-code-to-increase-its-intelligence/   http://www.iflscience.com/technology/new-material-can-turn-light-heat-and-movement-into-electricity-all-at-once/   https://m.phys.org/news/2017-02-lossless-metamaterial-boost-efficiency-lasers.html   http://www.kurzweilai.net/manipulating-silicon-atoms-to-create-future-ultra-fast-ultra-low-power-chip-technology   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/23/515584634/should-scientists-march-u-s-researchers-still-debating-pros-and-cons?sc=17&f=1007

Special guest Amanda Kelly Van Winkle miraculously returns for a second episode!  We must not have scared her off too much.  Six Degrees covers the mechanics of speech in monkeys, giraffes becoming an endangered species, and the mysteries of antimatter.  Reno loses his ability to speak coherently for a few minutes, and we all discuss how we feel about Christmas songs.   http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/09/504890630/say-what-monkey-mouths-and-throats-are-equipped-for-speech?sc=17&f=1001   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/08/504810338/giraffe-now-listed-as-vulnerable-to-extinction-as-population-plummets?sc=17&f=1007   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/elephants-africa-tusks-ivory-poaching-born-without-a7440706.html   http://www.sciencealert.com/this-man-gets-stung-by-the-most-painful-insect-on-earth-and-it-s-pretty-upsetting   http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/which-european-city-takes-the-most-drugs-according-to-sewage-wastewater-analysis/   http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-to-control-a-robotic-arm-with-your-mind-no-implanted-electrodes-required   http://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-have-observed-the-light-spectrum-of-antimatter-for-first-time   http://www.iflscience.com/environment/massive-metal-dragon-hiding-inside-earths-outer-core/   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/19/506151375/this-christmas-song-brought-to-you-by-the-worlds-tiniest-radio-receiver?sc=17&f=1007    

Six Degrees takes on another guest, Amanda Kelly Van Winkle!  After she is properly intiated by producer Mike, she jumps in the discussion of cryogenics, two brothers who are paralyzed during the day, and talking sex robots with warm genitals.  Also, Nina and Reno have a heated debate on why AI judges and lawyers could never argue the existence of Santa Claus.   http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-science-of-why-paper-cuts-hurt-so-much   http://www.sciencealert.com/crispr-gene-editing-has-been-tested-in-a-human-for-the-first-time   http://www.sciencealert.com/these-incredible-brothers-become-paralysed-when-the-sun-sets-each-day   http://www.sciencealert.com/this-woman-survived-the-lowest-body-temperature-ever-recorded   http://www.sciencealert.com/you-have-a-second-brain   http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-say-they-ve-identified-the-physical-source-of-depression-in-the-brain   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/bees-endangered-list/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour   http://www.sciencealert.com/global-warming-is-making-the-oceans-sick-new-report-finds   http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-accidentally-discovered-a-process-that-turns-co2-directly-into-ethanol   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/23/503156414/research-on-chinese-haze-helps-crack-mystery-of-londons-deadly-1952-fog?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2054   http://www.kurzweilai.net/will-ai-replace-judges-and-lawyers    http://www.npr.org/2016/09/24/495186758/as-our-jobs-are-automated-some-say-well-need-a-guaranteed-basic-income?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social   https://www.inverse.com/article/23021-talking-sex-robots-for-sale-next-year?utm_content=inf_11_3448_2&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jabra&utm_campaign=influencer&tse_id=INF_f12a2e40a22211e6ae75d71756b4e6b3    http://www.foodbeast.com/news/mushgasm/     http://www.kurzweilai.net/battery-breakthrough-charges-in-seconds-lasts-for-a-week    

You haven't seen a viral video until you've seen a sloth pooping.  In other science, low fat chocolate is created (Reno is unimpressed), the phenomenon of onions making us cry is explained (producer Mike is unimpressed), and why some people get "skin orgasms" from listening to music is explained (Nina is impressed). http://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-the-horror-that-sloths-have-to-go-through-every-time-they-poop http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/25/482538542/with-a-zap-scientists-create-low-fat-chocolate?sc=17&f=1007 http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/22/482032913/the-science-of-why-onions-make-us-cry?sc=17&f=1007 http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-think-parasitic-worms-could-be-the-key-to-treating-multiple-sclerosis http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/08/412314701/lost-posture-why-indigenous-cultures-dont-have-back-pain?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160703 http://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/2016/06/27/seniors-go-virtual-to-relieve-pain-loneliness/ http://www.popsci.com/ai-pilot-beats-air-combat-expert-in-dogfight?src=SOC&dom=tw http://www.sciencealert.com/iceland-is-the-most-peaceful-place-on-earth-according-to-the-stats http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/24/481859662/invisibilia-is-your-personality-fixed-or-can-you-change-who-you-are?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160624 http://www.sciencealert.com/hundreds-of-genes-caught-sparking-to-life-2-days-after-death http://www.sciencealert.com/the-ozone-hole-is-finally-closing-up http://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-why-some-people-get-skin-orgasms-from-listening-to-music

Technology advances further in the reanimation of dead tissue, and science advances further in studying feelings of fish.  Silicon Valley creates a veggie burger that bleeds, sizzles, and tastes like meat, while new research indicates that depression might be an allergic reaction to inflammation.  Oh, and we get severely off topic discussing vegetables. http://www.callingallscience.com/biotech-given-permission-to-attempt-to-wake-up-the-brain-after-death   http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/20/482468094/fish-have-feelings-too-the-inner-lives-of-our-underwater-cousins?sc=17&f=1001   http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/21/482322571/silicon-valley-s-bloody-plant-burger-smells-tastes-and-sizzles-like-meat   http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/05/donald-trump-is-more-disliked-than-nickelback-according-to-polls/   http://www.feelguide.com/2015/01/06/new-research-discovers-tha-depression-is-an-allergic-reaction-to-inflammation/   http://www.popsci.com/scientists-debut-system-making-fuel-through-more-efficient-photosynthesis   http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-found-a-technique-that-helps-you-learn-new-skills-twice-as-fast   http://qz.com/705398/the-price-of-leds-is-falling-so-fast-its-profitable-to-farm-in-a-new-jersey-nightclub/

Reno and Nina finally admit they might have a serious brain condition--producer Mike is not surprised.  Technology wins against Earth when it comes to leap seconds, but it takes nothing more than a weasel to disarm the most powerful particle collider.  Looks like Earth got technology back.  New York may be one step closer to prosecuting people who text and drive, and accidental developments in the science of energy create a battery that lasts 400 times longer. http://www.dose.com/health/28132/If-You-Frequently-Make-Lame-Jokes-You-Might-Actually-Have-A-Medical-Condition?utm_content=inf_10_71_2&utm_source=partners&utm_medium=WHFacebook&utm_campaign=fijifrost&tse_id=INF_7722b210e94f459fa2acba0c31cc3640   http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/29/476154494/weasel-shuts-down-world-s-most-powerful-particle-collider?sc=17&f=1001   http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/04/27/474980140/new-york-wants-to-know-have-you-been-texting-and-driving?sc=17&f=1019   http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/the-leap-second-because-our-clocks-are-more-accurate-than-the-earth/   http://mentalfloss.com/article/76694/brains-anxious-people-may-perceive-world-differently   http://www.iflscience.com/technology/mechanical-sea-snakes-could-be-there-future-underwater-explanation   http://www.digitaltrends.com/health-fitness/reclaimed-wastewater-drugs/   http://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-accidentally-made-batteries-that-last-400-times-longer