Fact Casual

Fact Casual

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Fact Casual episodes

  • The Berry Blunder

    It's been a minute, but we are back with Season 2! Let's start to year off healthy with some fruits. Specifically, berries.

    Are strawberries actually berries? What about bananas?

    This episode uncovers the overly complex world of berry categorization. Get ready to get berry confused (sorry about the pun).

    To learn more, here are my sources:
    https://stanfordmag.org/contents/bananas-are-berries

    https://www.livescience.com/57477-why-are-bananas-considered-berries.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LybfPwCzs3g

    https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/422/422lab3.htm

    https://science.jburroughs.org/resources/flower/fruit1.html


    6 min
  • #401: Killer Whales Aren't Whales

    Whether you were first introduced to them in Free Willy or SeaWorld (yikes...), orcas are hard to forget. They're fast, smart, and part of the whale family? Well, at least the first two statements are true. Now, let's find out if killer whales are really whales.

    Sources:
    https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ocean-giants-whale-fact-sheet/7567/

    https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/facts-about-orcas/

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/orca/

    https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/13/orca-not-whale/

    7 min
  • Fact #319: Space Smells Like Burnt Steak

    Every wonder what space smells like? Probably not! But some say it's like being at a bad barbecue where no one's watching the grill. Today, we're going to find out if that's true!

    Sources:
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/moon-smells-gunpowder-180952494/

    https://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-space-smell-like-2016-3

    https://www.science.org.au/curious/space-time/smells-space

    https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/what-space-smells-like/259903/

    https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-smells-of-space-burned-steak-gunpowder-raspberries

    https://www.livescience.com/34085-space-smell.html

    6 min
  • Fact #119: Yawns Are Contagious

    Yawning is pretty common. Especially, after being stuck inside during quarantine. But is it contagious too? Let's find out on this episode!

    Sources:
    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/why-is-yawning-so-contagious


    https://www.livescience.com/60288-why-are-yawns-so-contagious.html


    https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/you-asked-why-are-yawns-contagious/


    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-are-yawns-contagious-we-asked-a-scientist


    https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/contagious-yawn.htm


    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/ever-wondered-whether-yawns-are-contagious/2019/03/18/34a10e84-3c5c-11e9-a06c-3ec8ed509d15_story.html


    https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mystery_of_Yawning_in_Physiology_and/dongdGtKUecC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=yawns+contagious&printsec=frontcover


    https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/why-do-bigger-brained-animals-have-longer-yawns/502856/


    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-yawn-and-why-is-it-contagious-3749674/


    https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/15/527106576/yawning-may-promote-social-bonding-even-between-dogs-and-humans

    8 min
  • Fact #211: The Full Moon Makes People Lunatics

    It's not just werewolves who are affected by the full moon. Between emergency room doctors and police officers, people think the full moon makes folks act wild. Is that really what's going on? Let's find out in this episode of Fact Casual!

    Sources:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/10/24/dear-science-does-a-full-moon-really-change-human-behavior/


    https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/why-do-we-still-believe-in-lunacy-during-a-full-moon


    https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html


    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20131029-does-a-full-moon-make-people-mad


    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190731-is-the-moon-impacting-your-mood-and-wellbeing


    https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/vbn7wd/does-the-full-moon-really-make-people-crazy


    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/


    11 min
  • Fact #184: Bulls Hate The Color Red

    Whether you call it maroon, burgundy, or red, there's one thing remains the same. Bulls supposedly hate it. But do bulls really hate that one color? If so, what did it ever do to them? On this episode, we head to the Plaza De Toros to find out if bulls really hate red.

    Sources:
    https://www.businessinsider.com/why-bullfighter-capes-red-2018-9

    https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2012/12/12/what-is-it-about-red-that-makes-bulls-so-angry/

    https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/does-red-really-make-bulls-angry

    https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4tDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=bvB3CWq94h&sig=ACfU3U2v-NPm-uDbuIVTUkKpP5b9awENjg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis6piqztnoAhW0HDQIHV0UAPc4ChDoATABegQIDBAo#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false

    https://books.google.com/booksid=VvTKBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=HhFgW7OrR6&sig=ACfU3U34CXzplFctHaV0Si2J-pIMuZYTJA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJv6L9z9noAhWXHDQIHYURAzc4FBDoATAFegQIDBAt#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false

    https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/you-can-thank-your-fruit-hunting-ancestors-your-color-vision#

    https://www.britannica.com/sports/bullfighting

    https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01249428/document

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781854/

    9 min
  • Fact #357: You Can't Die In Your Dreams

    Anything can happen in your dreams. Or almost anything. Today, we are testing the commonly heard fact that you can't die in your dreams.

    Sources:
    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201602/what-dreams-your-death-are-really-about


    https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/had-a-death-dream-recently-it-might-not-be-your-worst-nightmare/news-story/c9218722849bd5ffc68c1ff05315cbde


    https://www.mic.com/articles/135761/what-dreams-about-death-and-drowning-really-mean-according-to-experts


    https://www.newsweek.com/dream-dying-121675


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TZOiC23CpI&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=SleepioTV


    https://dreams.ucsc.edu/168/deceased_loved_ones.html


    https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/science-of-dreaming


    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/doree/can-you-die-from-a-nightmare


    https://www.bustle.com/articles/33261-what-do-dreams-about-death-mean-can-you-die-in-your-dreams-9-morbid-questions-answered


    https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/your-life-in-numbers-infographic/


    https://time.com/5008693/sleep-start-hypnic-jerk/


    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4481805/


    7 min
  • 1 Human Year = 7 Dog Years = True??

    Whether you're a dog person or not, you've probably heard that one human year is equal to seven dog years. But where did that come from and is it even true?

    Today, we're taking a closer look at man's best friend and finding out if they really age that fast.

    Sources:

    https://www.almanac.com/content/dog-age-chart-dog-years-human-years


    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-new-better-formula-calculating-dog-years-180973575/


    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-human-year-does-not-equal-seven-dog-years-180952929/


    https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q4/calling-all-dogs-and-dog-owners-your-input-is-needed.html


    https://www.inverse.com/article/51806-why-dogs-don-t-live-as-long-as-humans


    https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/12/feature-dog-lives-300-years-solving-mysteries-aging-our-pets


    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201701/why-do-large-dogs-have-shorter-life-spans-small-dogs


    https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-age-calculator


    https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism


    https://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-things-people-used-to-think-were-healthy-2012-9#radioactive-drinks-1


    9 min
  • Pluto Isn't A Planet... Is It?

    Recall the old saying to remember the order of the planets? My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.

    Today, we're focusing on the "Pizzas" part, or otherwise known as Pluto. Some scientists say it's a planet while others disagree. This episode finds out the truth about what exactly lurks out at the edge of our Solar System.

    Sources:
    https://www.britannica.com/list/our-5-dwarf-planets

    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-s-mysterious-floating-hills

    https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/24/world/pluto-no-longer-planet-space-scn/index.html

    https://www.space.com/pluto-is-a-planet-nasa-chief-iac-2019-video.html

    https://www.space.com/why-pluto-is-not-a-planet.html

    https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right

    7 min
  • Water is Blue

    Whether you're at a beach, pool, or even glacier, water is a blue. But when you drink a cup of water at home, where did the vibrancy of the blueness in water go? On the first episode of Fact Casual, we are going to wash away the falsehoods and find out the truth on this fun fact: Water is blue.

    Sources:
    http://inside.mines.edu/fs_home/dwu/classes/CH353/study/Why%20is%20Water%20Blue.pdf

    https://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm

    https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/living-ocean/ocean-color

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-ocean-appear/

    http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2926

    https://www.britannica.com/science/color/Physical-and-chemical-causes-of-colour

    https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-color?qt-
    science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects


    http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/5B.html

    5 min

About Fact Casual

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Is water actually blue? Is Pluto really not a planet? Do bulls honestly hate the color red? There are so many common facts we've been told our whole lives. But how many of us checked to see if they…