Drain Dead

FromWe Have Concerns

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Drain Dead

FromWe Have Concerns

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Length:

22 minutes

Released:

Jul 5, 2016

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

A Canadian funeral business is offering "green" funerals by dissolving the dead and pouring them into town sewers. Anthony and Jeff consider if this practice should cause alarm, or if they might one day prefer it to cremation or burial themselves.

Released:

Jul 5, 2016

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Jeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni talk about the personal philosophical concerns they find lurking inside everyday things. It's fun?

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Tale as Old as Slime: US Customs and Border Security confiscated 67 of the world's largest snails at Los Angeles International airport, on their way from Nigeria to San Dimas, California. Which, of course, leads Anthony and Jeff to ponder the horrors of 8 inch long snails, and by We Have Concerns
20 min listen
The Guilt of the Netflix Queue: A new study proves we rarely finish the books we start. Our Netflix queues are full of deep, intelligent films that we never watch- why is it so hard to stick to what's good for us? The Bestsellers on Amazon that go unread: http://online.wsj.com/articles by We Have Concerns
25 min listen
Test Sessions: Siri, Google Me a Bing Watch: Jeff and Anthony talk about Android Wear and wearable technology in general. Anthony is concerned he’s turning into one of those cranky old dads who never gets rid of his VCR because it ‘works perfectly fine.’ Jeff worries about his hummingbird feeder. T by We Have Concerns
20 min listen
Welcome to the Hoverboard Future: The "impossible" propulsion drive, which uses microwaves and invisible matter to theoretically power space travel - and which seems to violate the laws of physics, has actually been validated by NASA. This causes Jeff to go bananas, dreaming of a fantasy by We Have Concerns
22 min listen
Let's Die in Space: A simulated Mars mission on Hawaii comes to an end, prompting Jeff and Anthony to wonder whether they'd go to Mars, what it's like to knowingly go somewhere strange to die, and if these fakers even got a decent Mars experience. Hey! If you're enjoying th by We Have Concerns
21 min listen
Routine Inspection: Anthony and Jeff found an infographic charting the daily routines of some of the world's most famous creative people. Does it reveal anything about the creative process? Is there a way to be productive and only sleep 3 hours a night? Is it better to be s by We Have Concerns
20 min listen
Living That Brock Life: The construction of the world’s largest water slide gets Jeff and Anthony thinking about daredevil mentality, the line between brave and stupid, and the secret wish to be an alpha male. The story: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-trb-verruckt-w by We Have Concerns
24 min listen
Cupcakes and the Nature of Longing: A chain of cupcake stores went out of business and the Internet is FREAKING OUT, MAN. An enterprising eBay user is selling the 'last cupcake' for $250. Jeff and Anthony try to figure out why we cling to the past so much. Special bonus mentions: Potato sa by We Have Concerns
21 min listen
Follow Your Dreeeeeeam!: An article about how one Chinese gamer turned his "gaming addiction" into a profitable business prompts Anthony and Jeff to discuss dreams, responsibility, passion, and choosing the right career. Also, Sir Patrick Stewart's hidden love of crude oil. Thi by We Have Concerns
22 min listen
Salmon Fodder: Humans controlling waterways by building dams has caused major problems for salmon, who must return to fresh water to breed. But a new company - Whooshh Innovations (not making that up) - has developed a better way to help salmon get upstream: a giant sal by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Luxury and Executioner: Anthony and Jeff are both on board for self-driving cars. But a new article that poses a thought experiment about what might happen if an autonomous automobile had to make a decision to sacrifice the few to save the many has them re-ordering the entire s by We Have Concerns
21 min listen
Free Monkey Smiles: When a monkey grabbed his camera in Indonesia, snapped the perfect selfie, and the photo went viral, British photojournalist David Slater assumed he'd make a pretty penny from the iconic image. But the in a 1,222 page report, the US Copyright Office just by We Have Concerns
15 min listen
Immortality Transfusion: Researchers in California are planning to treat Alzheimer patients by replacing their blood with blood of young people. Even crazier, there is reason to believe it may work, since old mice have become healthier and more youthful when their circulatory sy by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
004- Leave the Machine That is Britney Alone: Some jackass leaked a version of Brittany Spears' vocals for 'Alien' without auto-tune and the Internet went wild. Jeff and Anthony wonder if the outrage is more tone-deaf than the track. Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/08/britney-spe by We Have Concerns
20 min listen
Test Sessions: The Sky is Falling: Jeff read an article about the Fermi Paradox and now he’s bugging out about the end of the world. (Don’t tell him he’s bugging out, though, he’s in denial) Luckily Anthony Carboni, Science Lawyer, is there to cool his jets. The second of a few test sessi by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Garbage In, Nothing Out: Jeff and Anthony take a look at an article which suggests the more we consume, the less we create. Would keeping track of all the time spent screwing around on the Internet change your behavior? Do you need to absorb media to to be creative, or does bom by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Saturday Mourning: Saturday morning cartoons are no more! And Jeff has decided that this means something really bad for today's youth - but Anthony is certain that it's a good thing, and that Jeff is just a cranky old man yelling at the winds of change. Does on-demand mean by We Have Concerns
18 min listen
Tricked by Treats: On this special Halloween episode, Anthony and Jeff consider the nature of of the trick or treat tradition and the urban legend of poisoned Halloween candy. Is asking strangers for food an inherently unsafe activity, or did we manufacture a scare that is by We Have Concerns
17 min listen
Married to a Troll: A woman on Reddit discovered that her husband had been leaving vile comments on web sites, so she kicked him out of the house. Anthony and Jeff celebrate this principled woman, discuss the nature of internet trolls, and examine what constitutes an online by We Have Concerns
22 min listen
White Penguins Can't Jump: Fossils discovered in the Antarctic reveal a penguin that reached the approximate size of Lebron James, 6'8 and 250 pounds. That's a big penguin. Jeff and Anthony try to figure out exactly how they would defeat such a creature in an ice-fight at the top by We Have Concerns
18 min listen
Must Seethe TV: An NPR story about NBC's Peter Pan Live television event points out that a significant portion of the audience of major TV hits are people who self-identify as "hate-watching" the programming. In fact, some networks are even programming to take advantage by We Have Concerns
21 min listen
Biome Sweet Home: There is evidence to suggest that a microbe that lives inside the human stomache may be the key to ending deadly peanut allergies. Indeed, the microbiome that each of us carries around all the time may have far more to do with our physical and mental hea by We Have Concerns
19 min listen
Cobra Soup: Cooking a Chinese delicacy, a chef in Guangdong province died when the head of a cobra he was preparing bit his hand - long after it had been severed from its body. This freak accident has Jeff and Anthony pondering the safety procedures necessary for se by We Have Concerns
21 min listen
Jolt of Personality: Trans-cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - the process of directly electrocuting parts of the brain to accelerate learning - causes Anthony and Jeff to debate the possibility of the human soul. If we are just a series of electrical impulses, does by We Have Concerns
24 min listen
Online Dataing: You think Facebook doing experiments on their users is creepy? Wait until you hear how OK Cupid has been messing with people trying to find love. Anthony and Jeff discuss whether sociological study is worth invasion of privacy. Hey! If you're enjoying t by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Like This: A writer for Wired clicked 'like' on every single article, update, or advertisement that Facebook presented to him over the course of two days, and described what it did to his feed. It turns out, the algorithm can go pretty wild if you're willing to foll by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Sleep Working: Researchers in Paris recently proved that the brain can continue to classify words into categories even after it has gone to sleep, causing Jeff and Anthony to wonder what scientists do to make their test subjects fall asleep during an experiment, and how by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Who's the Robo Boss?: Researchers have discovered that employees are actually more content taking orders from a robot than a human being in the workplace. This prompts Anthony and Jeff to wonder what it might take to promote robots into middle management, what the perfect for by We Have Concerns
22 min listen
Attention and the BraiSQUIRREL: Anthony read an article that argues in favor to short attention spans, and tries to convince Jeff that multitasking is the next step of evolution for humans. To prove his point, he does the entire episode while watching The Croods. Hey! If you're enjoyin by We Have Concerns
23 min listen
Telepathy is Real! (kinda): Researchers have now successfully transferred words from one conscious mind to another over long distances... is a sentence that is technically true, but the details of how they did it reveal that true telepathy is still a long way off. That doesn't stop by We Have Concerns
25 min listen

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Lead for Lunch: Consumer Reports released a new report on Lunchables in which it found lead and cadmium, and also observed the presence of phthalates, which can impact reproductive health and the human hormonal system. Anthony and Jeff discuss the findings, and how to face the challenge of eating food that isn't actively trying to kill you. by We Have Concerns
73 min listen
Animals on the Moon: If humanity is to successfully colonize the lunar surface, we will have to bring other animals with us. Which species are essential to create a thriving ecosystem? Which should arrive first? Anthony and Jeff discuss the factors involved in deciding which kinds of creatures will join us on the moon. by We Have Concerns
54 min listen
Dinosaur Anniversary: It is the 200th anniversary of the first dinosaur discovery, so Jeff and Anthony dig into the story of finding fossils and naming them. It leads them to the wild story of William Buckland, the man who coined the term Megalosaurus, in 1824. If you think you know dinosaurs, you may be shocked by how they entered popular culture. by We Have Concerns
68 min listen
Handwriting Your Memories: A pair of recent studies suggest that the act of putting pen or pencil to paper increases brain activity and retention when compared to typing words into a computer. Anthony and Jeff discuss living a papered life, and whether taking physical notes is worth the increase in learning. by We Have Concerns
58 min listen
Here's When You're Going To Die: Statistics are amazing things. This week, Anthony and Jeff dig into the data around death to determine the most likely month and day that people all around the world will meet their end. by We Have Concerns
50 min listen
Citizen Saboteur: In 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services—now the CIA—published the "Simple Sabotage Field Manual," a top secret guide teaching the average citizen how to cause problems to any organization. Jeff and Anthony step through the instructions and marvel at how a by-gone era's tactics for creating chaos sound all-too similar to the everyday experience of daily life today. by We Have Concerns
48 min listen
Healing with Your Mind: In a new study by Harvard scientists, researchers have found that healing happens faster when the person involved thinks that time is progressing more quickly than it actually is. Jeff and Anthony discuss Mind/Body Unity, and what to do with all of the evidence that suggests we can control our physiology if we just believe. by We Have Concerns
55 min listen
The Catpocalypse: Your average indoor/outdoor domestic cat is responsible for the destruction of other animal species on a scale that boggles the mind. Anthony and Jeff take a look at the data, and discuss why one cute, cudly pet might just be more than the planet can handle. by We Have Concerns
56 min listen
What Your Humor Says About You: A new study breaks down comedy into specific types, and correlates those types of humor with mood and personality. Anthony and Jeff take a look at what their jokes might be saying about them. by We Have Concerns
60 min listen
RSVP Anxiety: New research has found that while people are often concerned that turning down an invitation will upset the inviter, and lead to fewer invitations in the future, their fears tend to be exaggerated. Jeff and Anthony dig into the five=part hard-hitting study of party invites! by We Have Concerns
61 min listen
Put a Shirt On: When did ancient humans start wearing clothes? It is a trickier question than you might think, and one that researchers have used some very interesting ways to try to answer. Jeff and Anthony discuss clothing, it's origins and evolution. by We Have Concerns
45 min listen
Processing the Process of Processed Food Study: We've heard processed foods are bad for us. But what does that mean exactly? And are they actually more desirable than whole foods? Anthony and Jeff take a look at a new study that claims to answer that question, but raises questions of its own. by We Have Concerns
61 min listen
I Need a Hero: Ancient legends, comic book sagas and blockbuster movies alike share a storytelling blueprint called “the hero’s journey.” This timeless narrative structure was first described by mythologist Joseph Campbell in 1949, but could it help you, today? Jeff and Anthony discuss new research that suggests simply "restorying" your own life into a hero's journey could have profound effects. by We Have Concerns
47 min listen
Peak Fear: The Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University, Denmark studies the effects - good and bad - of fear on the human psyche. In a recent experiment, two volunteers in Sweden shared their worst fears to the scientists, who then recreated them in an amusement park in Sweden. Anthony and Jeff discuss The Peak Fear Experiment, and whether this type of research is worthwhile or just good branding. by We Have Concerns
47 min listen
Pave the Moon: Lunar colonization faces many potential problems, not the least of which is the fact that landing and moving around on the moon kicks up lots of dust and dirt that can wreak havoc on equipment. One solution is to pave roads and landing pads on the surface before settling begins, and the European Space Agency has a plan to do just that. Jeff and Anthony discuss the ingenious method devised to make the process efficient and effective. by We Have Concerns
55 min listen
Man the Hunter Debunked: A common trope in evolutionary anthropology is the notion of the male as hunter and the female as gatherer. But was this binary division of labor actually in place among developing cultures? New research challenges this all too accepted belief, and forces Anthony and Jeff to reexamine one of science's most common misconceptions. by We Have Concerns
47 min listen
Rat Ticklers: Newly published research represents “a fantastic step forward” for understanding the neural basis of play and laughter in mammals. That research involves tickling rats and playing games with them, and may reveal where in the brain play is localized. Jeff and Anthony are tickled to see it, and discuss their own thoughts on rodent play. by We Have Concerns
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Do Opposites Attract (feat. DJ Skat Cat): Researchers at CU Boulder analyzed more than 130 traits, including millions of couples over more than a century, to determine whether opposite kinds of people are actually attracted to one another. Anthony and Jeff delve into the data and compare it to their own experience as an odd couple themselves. by We Have Concerns
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Salty: Exactly how our taste buds sense saltiness is a mystery, and researchers haven’t deciphered all of the details yet. In fact, the more they look at salt sensation, the weirder it gets. Jeff and Anthony get their licks in, working through everything that is known - and unknown - about tasting salt. by We Have Concerns
50 min listen
Don't Get Hangry: With calorie limiting diet fads like intermittent fasting spreading in popularity on the Internet, researchers have started looking into the effects that not eating has, not just on the body, but on the mood. Anthony and Jeff take a look at the data to determine whether skipping meals is really worth it. by We Have Concerns
42 min listen
Leaf of Three, Let it Be: Climate change is having all sorts of unexpected side-effects. One of which has been recorded over the last 14 years by Pesky Pete of Pesky Pete's Poison Ivy Removal. It turns out, poison Ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac love warmer climates and higher carbon dioxide, and have been growing bigger, faster and itchier than ever before. Jeff and Anthony pull out the calamine lotion to discuss this disturbing phenomenon. by We Have Concerns
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Howdy Neighbor!: Gallup Polls, famous for its political odds-making every election cycle, has released a new poll that attempts to draw correlation between general happiness and certain everyday activities - like saying hello to your neighbors. As Anthony and Jeff dig into the data, however, it reveals the way polling can seemingly justify misleading conclusions. by We Have Concerns
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Intelligence and Personality: An enormous new publicly available dataset containing over 1,300 studies of millions of people from across the world, establishes reliable relationships between personality traits and cognitive abilities. Jeff and Anthony dig into this vast amount of information to see if our assumptions about the relationship between intelligence and personality are true. by We Have Concerns
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Kitesurfing Cargo: A French company has developed a new way to pull cargo ships using a kite, which it says could help reduce their fuel consumption and cut their carbon emissions by an average of 20%. Jeff and Anthony examine the details of this wild approach to determine if this could really change the greenhouse impact of global shipping. by We Have Concerns
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Beaver Drop: In 1948, environmentalists actually used parachutes to relocate beavers into their natural habitat in Idaho, hoping to encourage their numbers to increase. Anthony and Jeff discuss the novel method of moving species in and out of different environment, and whether its wise to be altering nature in this was at all. by We Have Concerns
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Zombie Worms from the Permafrost: Scientists in Russia have thawed worms trapped in the Siberian Permafrost 46,000 years ago and found that the creatures returned to normal activity. Could their ability to survive in a state of suspended animation offer clues for humans to survive extreme, inhospitable conditions? Anthony and Jeff talk about what the permafrost gives and what it could take away from the future of humanity. by We Have Concerns
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Is Dunning-Kruger Wrong?: The Dunning-Kruger effect is the idea that the least skilled people overestimate their abilities more than anyone else. But a new study suggests that the mathematical approach used to show this effect may be incorrect. Jeff and Anthony discuss one of the most often cited psychological papers of all time and why it might not say what we all think it says. by We Have Concerns
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Take a Nap: According to a new study, napping appears to be associated with a larger brain volume in adults, raising the possibility that it could offer some protection against neurodegeneration. Anthony and Jeff are big fans of naps, and discuss all the ways we need to rethink our society to make them more acceptable. by We Have Concerns
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Your DNA is Everywhere: According to a new study, it's now possible to sift scraps of human DNA out of the air, water, or soil and decipher personal details about the individuals who dropped them. Jeff and Anthony take a look at the technology that makes this possible, and sort through the ramifications. by We Have Concerns
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Mind Spine Control: When a cycling accident left Gert-Jan Oskam paralyzed after his spinal cord was damaged in his neck, few believed he would ever walk again. But a new device has created a digital bridge between his brain and the nerves below his injury, allowing him to control his legs again. Anthony and Jeff discuss the breakthroughs that make this possible and what it could mean for the future. by We Have Concerns
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Drain Dead

Drain Dead

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from We Have Concerns