The Mad Scientist Podcast

This is a quick update on the podcast and things going on in our lives! We are coming back this week with the continuation of our series on the science of death (and undeath). Love all of you who listen to us, and who have been so patient during this great summer of our discontent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate change, vaccinate their children against childhood diseases, or practice social distancing during a pandemic? Democracies depend on educated citizens who can make informed decisions for the benefit of their health and well-being, as well as their communities, nations, and planet. Understanding key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understanding—critically important at a time when denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It, the authors identify the problem and why it matters and offer tools for addressing it. In this episode we interview the authors about the book, their work, and what we can do about it! Get a copy of the book, and the new paperback here: https://academic.oup.com/book/39889 or https://www.amazon.com/Science-Denial-Happens-What-About/dp/0190944684 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode Chris and Marie discuss the last thing you'll ever do: die. What does it mean to die? We seem to think it is pretty simple to say something is alive versus dead, but actually it's a pretty difficult question. Join us as we begin our series on Death and human attempts to stave off the grim reaper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to season 7! We are so lucky to be joined by Melanie Trecek-King, one of the best up and coming skeptics in the business. She leads Thinking is Power, a wonderful website with strategies, course guides, and other resources for educators looking to include critical thinking and science communication in their students education. You can find out more about the website here: https://thinkingispower.com/ Since its launch in January of 2021, Thinking Is Power has rapidly become a go-to resource in the area of science communication and critical thinking education. TIP's content has been featured in a range of publications (such as Skeptical Inquirer and Skeptical Science), translated into different languages (such as Italy's CICAP, France's Citizen4Science), and used by dozens of educational institutions globally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's bonus episode time of the season! This time, we are chatting about the world of social media, and if it is evil or not. It is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Chris and Marie as they discuss the movie Nope, what its themes and ideas are, and how it is a satire of all things paranormal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus episode with Brent from Hysteria 51 and Flora from Blurry Photos! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come get weird with us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we end our series on the Irish Famine. It is a shocking time of cruelty, put upon the starving people by a government that would rather let a million suffer than have a single penny given out in unnecessary welfare. Something something repeat our mistakes if we don't learn from history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This bonus episode we are joined by Laura Krantz, host of the Wild Thing podcast. The show covers topics such as Bigfoot, Aliens, and this season Nuclear disasters! Check out the show here: https://www.foxtopus.ink/wildthing and take a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we dig into the early years of the famine, from the time of the first loss of a potato to the end of the Peel government. This begins a long series of disasters, some naturally occurring, and others created by the government in their quest to starve the Irish into becoming good capitalists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What made the government response to the Irish famine so ineffective? What were the social and economic issues which made the blight lead to such significantly worse outcomes for the Irish than other countries in Europe? We dig it into these issues on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we dig deep into the philosophical underpinnings of the Great Irish Famine, and begin to look at some of the causes of this catastrophe. Guess what, it's capitalism and the destructive effects of an extractive economy. Damn you trickle down economics, we've been fooled again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we delve deep into the history and theory behind tulpamancy, the crafting and creation of Tulpas. It's going to get pretty weird and fun. Don't use them for anything gross, for the love of God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, join Chris and Marie as they discuss another form of thought form, that created by the consciousness of it's own body! We get into projecting the astral body, how to get into astral projection yourself, and how these ideas differ or coincide with things like dreaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we dig into the wide, weird world of Tulpamancy or the creation of a Tulpa. A tulpa is an imaginary friend gone amuck, with it's own powers, sentience, and ability to affect the world around you. And sometimes, your Tulpa just so happens to be a trademarked creation of the Nintendo Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode join Chris and Marie as they discuss the latest congressional hearings on UAP, or Unidentified Ariel Phenomena! It's been a month, so are aliens real yet? Did congress vote to turn Skinwalker Ranch into a national park? Has anyone found Stephen Greer's shirt? Find out on this week's episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode we join Chris and Marie as they expose the illuminati lizards who run one of the least enjoyable forms of public transportation: airplanes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, we dig deep into the reasons behind flourishing conspiracy theories so that we can better understand the wackiness surrounding this airport. Are conspiracy theories growing faster than in previous years? What conspiracies do the public believe in? How do we differentiate between a conspiracy theory, and state sponsored propaganda? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen we don't have much time, but the airport is secretly a base for the Illuminati Lizard people and they are trying to turn us into Sheeple, man. Join us this episode as we delve into the most interesting part of history there is: long term public infrastructure development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should the world of science have any bearing on the world of morality? Does a scientific fact imply a moral obligation? Should the way something "is" tell us how we "ought" to act? Or are morals, goodness and badness, justice and injustice, are these concepts that exist outside of the confines of experience? We discuss this interesting challenge on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode join Chris and Marie as we delve into some of the local legends around Riverdale Road, America's most haunted stretch of roadside. From the gates of hell to a ghost Camaro, this road has everything but running water.

Space Elevators are back in business baby. The last upload was enhanced to remove some confusion about the difference between Centripetal Force (a force which causes an object to move in a circular motion, for example the tension in a space elevator string as it whips around the Earth), and Centrifugal Force (the force felt by the person in the space elevator due to the spinning of the Elevator around the Earth).

This series we focus on the urban legends and real horror of growing up! Episode one focuses on amusement parks, and in particular the most dangerous amusement park in the world: Action Park.

This episode we chat about the wacky world of space elevators. How could one work? Could it support it's own weight? What is the point of this sort of thing anyway? What sort of music do you play on a space elevator?

This episode we dig into the philosophy behind advertising. Frankly, we should all just move to the woods.

This episode we dive into the complicated world of advertising. Is advertising a good thing for society? What does advertising mean for us as individuals? Can you be authentic, and is authenticity what is lacking from advertising? What is the deal with those stupid Change commercials? Find out, this episode!

This episode we are joined by Brian Dunning of Skeptoid, a skeptical multimedia empire! https://skeptoid.com/We discuss the UFO rogues gallery, getting involved in Skepticism, and the outlook for the future of skeptical discussion. https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/what-do-i-do-next/

In this episode, get all bedazzled in gems with us as we delve into the history and theory behind crystal magic. What the heck is a crystal? How are they similar to minerals? Should you buy them from your aunt who smells like the inside of a Hot Topic? Find out, on this weeks episode!

What are the ethics of belief? Do you have a right to the truth? Does the public have an obligation to provide you with the truth, and to stop the spread of misinformation? When does a belief become dangerous? Or are these simply the issues we must abide to live in a society that truly has freedom of thought and speech?

We talkin UAP UAP UAP. Is this finally Disclosure?

This episode we are joined by Dan Kozuh, creator and host of The Extra Mundane with Max Ward. This podcast has interviews with your favorite legendary creatures like Bigfoot, alien investigators, and all kinds of other paranormal guests. Check it out here: https://theextramundane.podbean.com/

The shocking conclusion to our time travel series is here! CAN WE TRAVEL BACK IN TIME? Find out on this episode!

On this episode we finally do away with the idea of the luminiferous aether, and get to the biggest name in all of Science, Albert Einstein. What does Relativity mean, in the context of the aether, electromagnetism, and the studies of lights motion? What does it mean for time?

On this episode we discuss the history of the speed of light! It involves a lot of mirrors. So if you've got a mirror phobia just a heads up.

This episode we are joined by science journalist Sally Best to talk conspiracy culture! Find her podcast here: https://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/news/23022021-the-conspiracy-crushers-podcast-episode-2-vaccine-conspiracy-theories/

Don't you want to know how we keep starting fires?On this episode join Chris and Marie as they take you through a whirlwind tour of electromagnetism, balls falling on trains, and the weirdness of inertial frames of reference!

Join us this episode as we talk Astrobiology, Exoplanets, and the hunt for alien life with Professor Abel Méndez. Professor Abel Méndez is a planetary astrobiologist and Director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. His research focuses on the habitability of Earth, the Solar System, and extrasolar planets. Prof. Méndez is a NASA MIRS Fellow with physics and astrophysics research experience at Fermilab, NASA Goddard, NASA Ames, and the Arecibo Observatory. He can be found on Twitter answering science questions at @profabelmendez

This episode we talk about the philosophy and math behind the concept of time. What IS time? How do we measure it? How did that idea develop? And how will that lay the groundwork for time travel?

What makes a theory "scientific"? How can we differentiate science versus pseudoscience, or belief? Is scientific content different in kind than other types of thought? On this episode, we discuss these questions to build the groundwork for this seasons overarching theme: What happens when science is wrong about the world around us?

On this episode Chris and Marie are joined by Michael Isikoff, Chief investigative journalist for Yahoo News and host of the podcasts Conspiracyland and Skullduggery, to discuss modern American conspiracy theories. What are the roots of Q Anon? Why are conspiracies so prevalent now in American history? How can we combat the spread of these viral conspiracies?

This episode we are joined by attorney, author, podcast host, and overall badass Rabia Chaudry to talk the mythology of the Djinn. You may know Rabia from her work on the Adnan Syed case, as well as her podcasts Undisclosed and recently The Hidden Djinn. Learn more about Rabia's work here: http://www.rabiachaudry.com/https://www.grimandmild.com/thehiddendjinn

This episode join us as we discuss Chris's greatest fear: Dopplegangers!

Join us for the exciting conclusion of the saga of King Tut!

Despite Marie's protests, this episode is called King Butt. HOWARD CARTER PART 3 - On this episode of our intrepid journey, Howard Carter finally finds the tomb of King Tut, the boy king, which they promptly go wandering into despite curses and disease and all kinds of other stuff. Good times.

This episode we are joined by Brian Regal, PhD to discuss his skepticism work, conspiracy theories, and weird archeology!

In this episode we dig into the life of Howard Carter during his time in Egypt. This is the early deep cuts, not the mainstream stuff he did when he turned pop. King Tut is fine but real fans dig Ahmenhotep I.

This episode we talk about an archeologist who DOESN'T destroy evidence and mess up an ancient site.

This episode we are joined by Dr. Yvette Cendes, a postdoctoral Radio Astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She is also a force in the world of science communication, with articles, podcast appearances, and a very lively Reddit community! Learn more about her work at https://www.yvettecendes.com/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/Andromeda321/

This episode we are joined by Coltan Scrivner to talk about his work on Morbid Curiosity!

This episode Chris speaks with Mike Damante, author of Punk Rock and UFOs: Stranger Than Fiction. Follow Mike on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/mikedamante?s=20 and pick up a copy of this very interesting book on the current world of UFOs!