Brain Junk

Have you ever wondered if a hit of helium would change the sound of an alligator's bellows? Lucky for us, there are scientists out there who wanted to know.

Show Notes:

BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54197198

Kyoto University Ig Nobel announcement: https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/news/2020-09-29

YouTube resonance to vocalize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz-plqEyxik

Science: https://www.science.org/content/article/ig-nobel-prizes-reward-research-helium-huffing-alligators-and-knives-made-feces

CNN US: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/us/ig-nobel-awards-alligator-helium-scli-scn-intl/index.html

Journal of Experimental Biology: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/218/15/2442/14244/A-Chinese-alligator-in-heliox-formant-frequencies

Amy looks into how companies change over time. Start making glass jars, segue into making aerospace technology, and end up only doing metal fabrication. We look at a few other companies too!

Show Notes:

Ball historical timeline: https://www.ball.com/our-company/our-story/history-timeline

Wikipedia on Ball Corp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_Corporation

CPR News 2024, Ball Corp sells aerospace division: https://www.cpr.org/2024/02/16/ball-corp-sells-aerospace-division/

HiRISE camera: https://www.ball.com/newswire/article/123308/ball-aerospace-hirise-camera-returns-stunning-images-from-mars

Deep Impact: https://deepimpact.astro.umd.edu/tech/instruments.html

Ball Aerospace and Hubble: https://www.ball.com/newswire/article/123389/ball-aerospace-hubble-space-telescope-science-instruments-shine-a-light-on-the-universes

Dating a Ball jar: https://www.frenchcreekfarmhouse.com/2018/03/how-to-date-ball-mason-jar.html

Mason Jars a history: https://masonjars.com/history-of-ball-jars-html/comment-page-1/

Journey Indiana Youtube, Ball Family Legacy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1z0D_JJzk

Tiktok youthpastorryan talking companies behaving badly: https://www.tiktok.com/@youthpastorryan/video/7305919108434971947?lang=en

Wikipedia r-Gator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-Gator

Honeywell flight control autopilot: https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/products-and-services/product/hardware-and-systems/cockpit-systems-and-displays/flight-controls-and-autopilots

GE hydro power: https://www.gevernova.com/hydropower/

Scientists wanted to know if plants scream and tortured tomatoes to find out the answer. Beckett (Trace's youngest spawn) wanted to know, if plants do scream, can our pets hear it and is this why cats knock plants off shelves?

Show Notes:

YouTube sound of Plants "screaming": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-_AGgoJ3VA

Sci News, Plants Emit Ultrasonic Sounds When Stressed, Groundbreaking Study Shows: https://www.sci.news/biology/plant-ultrasonic-sounds-11794.html

How Well do Animals Hear: https://www.lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html

Hidden Hearing, Human hearing ranges: https://www.hiddenhearing.co.uk/hearing-blog/hearing-loss/what-animals-have-better-hearing-than-humans

Amy laid the perfect web of "lies"; she lured Trace into an episode about shapeshifting women and then sprang the trap...this episode is about the Joro spider. We talk about the convergence of giant invasive spiders and Japanese mythology.

Show Notes:

Joro Spider (warning, there are spider photos): https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/millions-of-joro-spiders-are-moving-up-the-east-coast-heres-what-to-expect/

Wikipedia Joro spider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichonephila_clavata

Wikipedia Jorogumo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jor%C5%8Dgumo

Described and Captioned Media Program: PBS Digital Studios & Monstrum: https://dcmp.org/media/14555-monstrum-jorogumo-the-deadly-spider-woman-from-yokai-lore

(Amy was Right!!!!) Blackarachnia: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Blackarachnia_(BW)

Selkies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie

How do we define and study the little voice in your head? Is it something you HEAR, hear or is it something you think? For some of us, there's no inner monologue, for others, it's so loud in there, it's hard to participate in the outside world. Trace fell down the research stairs on this one! It's a double header of things we hear and see in our heads. Get ready for anendophasia and aphantasia!

Show Notes:

Inner voice: https://neurosciencenews.com/anendophasia-inner-voice-memory-26107/

Prevention: inner voice: https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/a43128717/inner-monologue/

Not everyone has an inner voice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38728320/

Sister “issue” aphantasia: https://aphantasia.com/what-is-aphantasia/

Who knew that a simple combination of oats, water and salt could make for a yearly competition that's lasted for 30 years? We dive into the history of oats in Scotland and the famous Golden Spurtle competition!

Show Notes:

Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship: https://www.goldenspurtle.com/

BBC: World Porridge winner crowned October 2023: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67053001

Wikipedia World Porridge Making Championship: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Porridge_Making_Championship

2023 Golden Spurtle newsletter: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/d871ced870.html#page/1

Bob's Red Mill, Porridge vs Oatmeal: https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/porridge-vs-oatmeal/

BBC How humble oats have fueled a nation: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231004-oats-the-humble-grain-that-fuelled-scotland

YouTube Golden Spurtle prep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJhlAaW5uIA

The Guardian No milk, no rolled oats and always add salt: how to make porridge like a champion

Gravy restaurant: https://gravyrestaurant.com/menu/

We're heading into the end of summer break so it's time for a mash up of wacky facts. Fake navels, cheetahs in heat, the weenus and MORE. Oh yes, we adore a good internet fact deep dive. Also, Trace does drop the 'shit' word once.

Show Notes:

Amazon fake navels: https://www.amazon.com/Belly-Button-Stickers-Fashion-Longer/dp/B0CC5TZ23P?th=1

SCMP Fake belly button article: https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3230438/fake-belly-buttons-all-rage-china-women-seek-freedom-dress-and-boost-confidence-some-raise-body

Cleveland Clinic limb lengthening: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24316-limb-lengthening-surgery

Bears and skunk cabbage: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Skunk-Cabbage

USDA Forest Service yellow skunk cabbage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/?cid=fsm9_019161

Maryland Biodiversity project & skunk cabbage: https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/1660

Nude Cruise: https://cruisebare.com/

Ovulation: https://productions-animales.org/article/download/2583/13696?inline=1

Cheetah vocalization FB: https://www.facebook.com/runningwildconservation/videos/listen-to-jordan-making-stutter-bark-sounds-to-shadow-in-the-camp-adjacent-to-hi/484675892467812/

CNN Travel "Bare-adise" https://www.cnn.com/travel/bare-adise-adventure-nude-cruise-miami-2025/index.html

Pee Pants: https://www.jordanluca.com/collections/denim

Complex designer jeans: https://www.complex.com/style/a/alex-ocho/pee-stained-designer-jeans-sell-out

Wenis. Thanks Merriam-Webster (LOL) https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/weenus-weenis-slang-definition-origin

It's tiny, inscrutable, made with spider silk, and we really don't know much about the mysteries of it's intricate construction.

Show Notes:

Nat Geo https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/silkhenge-spiders-ecuador-mystery

Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkhenge

Internet archive https://web.archive.org/web/20201108125631/https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/01/09/mystery-picket-fence-in-amazon-explained-2/

Earthtouch news network https://www.earthtouchnews.com/discoveries/discoveries/remember-those-mystery-silkhenge-spiders-now-you-can-watch-them-hatch/

Youtube spiders hatching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unc-g9AHl2Y&t=106s

Linkedin post https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dante-fenolio-ms-ph-d-76833a52_silkhenge-spider-amazon-activity-7147602639663316992-gZY4

Live science https://www.livescience.com/silkhenge-returns-video.html

Live science2 https://www.livescience.com/57401-silkhenge-spiders-hatch-on-video.html

Youttube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unc-g9AHl2Y

iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&q=silkhenge&subview=map

Medicinal leeches: https://media.vwr.com/emdocs/docs/scied/Medicinal_Leeches.pdf

In the spring, fish like perch travel through the rivers in the Netherlands to find places to spawn. They used to get stuck behind Weerdsluis lock: waiting for it to open. But not anymore! A virtual doorbell was created to help let the lock keeper know they're there. Hot tip, starting March 3, 2025, you can go to their website to hit the doorbell!!!!

Show Notes:

Visdeurbel!

Youtube: Dutch Wall Fish

Scientific American article: Ring the Dam Doorbell

Ballard Locks fish ladder

Wolfenoot

McGill Office of Science and Safety: Do Fish Drink

It's a super long length summertime episode with the sex lives of penguins, periods in space, Humpback whale sex, swearing parrots, terminal velocity poop, & penis size vs. nose size. Buckle up!

Show Notes:

Dr. George Murray Levick (1876–1956): unpublished notes on the sexual habits of the Adélie penguin

The Guardian: 'Sexual depravity' of penguins that Antarctic scientist dared not reveal

Live Science: Are penguins really monogamous?

Penguin divorce rates

Penguinsinternational.org: Divorcing Penguins

Edinburgh Zoo pebbles for penguins

Popular Science: Menstruation in Space

NPR: TED Radio Hour

Nautilus: Humpback Whales, getting humpy

Happy Whale

Lincolnshire Wildlife Park's swear parrots: FB page with videos

Smithsonian: Parrots, What the Flock?!

The complete sillyness of reindeer poop "science" Instagram: Toiley T Paper

Penis size and Nose size, it's a real scientific paper, we promise: Penile length and circumference: are they related to nose size?