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How do you go about building underwater? Whether it's a dam, a bridge, or a Chunnel (not a C.H.U.D., you have to figure out how to remove water from where water wants to be. So how do you manage that? Find out on this week's episode. We also talk about the news and stuff, but I've closed that document and don't feel like finding it again. Enjoy!
We all know how the story ends, but how did it begin, and how did it all culminate in one fateful 30-second explosion? And can I get the Hindenburg radio guy to read all my news stories? Find out this week! In the news: Billy Michell and his Donkey Kong record, X Æ A-12, visiting shy eels, the Portland Naked Bike ride may or may not be happening, and an underwear-clad hero jumps aboard a moving semi to drink wine straight out of the trailer. Enjoy!
This week we dive into the strange world of holograms. How do they work? How do you create them? And how do they differ from regular photography or filmmaking? Well, the short answer is "lasers," and the long answer is just listening to the full show. We also talk murder hornets, people getting hit by meteorites, quarantining at Disney, and the exciting world of Teledildonics. Enjoy!
Sometimes the conspiracy theories are true. Sort of. MKULTRA was a real CIA operation meant to study the effects of different kinds of drugs and psychological interferences that could lead to mind control. Developed in hopes for use in Cold War spy espionage, the program was eventually discovered and confirmed by 20,000 documents that survived a CIA purge because they were misfiled. It's a fascinating (and terrifying) look at some of the secret ways our government acts. Also discussed: Hubble's 30th anniversary, smart toilets who read your "anal print," rocket launcher-fired drones, MAD Magazine's Mort Drucker passes away, and panda bears get it on. Enjoy!
This week we walk down memory lane, as we find out the tips, tricks, and techniques of people who compete in the World Memory Championships. We also learn how Todd shouldn't place his mic where he did, because there are a lot of popped P's and exhales into the mic. Sorry. We also discuss more covid updates, Alex Jones loses again, and a man pulled over for letting his dog drive at 100mph down the freeway.
War of Wikipedia™ is back! Join Mark and Todd as they go head-to-head to find our who has the most fascinating and entertaining short Wikipedia entries in 7 different categories, and are judged by none other than the Unipiper himself! Who wins? Who loses? IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS! Sort of. I mean, not really, but whatever.
How do you program something to be random? Doesn't that take the randomness out? This week we take a look at some different ways machines and computers are able to produce random results. We also learn why people hoard toilet paper, and discuss Bill Gates leaving Microsoft, Japan's new weapons, and more. Enjoy the randomness!
From the publisher's feed
Pour yourself something warm. Let it drizzle outside. This one's for the curious.
The Mark & Toddcast is your weekly escape from the algorithm, the outrage cycle, and whatever fresh hell is trending. Broadcasting from the rainy heart of Portland, Oregon, two friends have spent 11 years and over 300 episodes doing exactly what you wish you could do at your favorite dimly lit neighborhood pub: sitting down with a pint and wandering through whatever's genuinely interesting.
Consider us comfort food for your brain.
Instead, expect pure Pacific Northwest chill and unfiltered curiosity about topics like:
Why we absolutely hate the sound of our own voices
The secret origin of the biohazard symbol
America’s classified, Cold War plan to nuke the moon
The Stanford Prison Experiment (and why it was actually kind of BS)
Portland’s very own infamous Barbie-hacking culture jammers
The unsolved mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
And yes... the actual science of farts
What’s in an Episode?
The Catch-Up: A little life banter between two longtime friends navigating the Rose City.
Just the Headlines: A quick spin through the weirdest, wildest science and culture news of the week.
The Deep Dive: A 20-minute, high-level plunge into whatever strange subject one of us couldn't stop reading about.
Meet Your Hosts:
Mark spent his twenties operating nuclear reactors for the Navy before coming home to Portland's Silicon Forest to keep the machines that build microchips running. Now, he’s a technical director helping companies get found online.
Todd has lived several lives—ad copywriter, artist, Newsweek-published writer, and an unrepentant Madonna superfan. Today, he’s a local therapist helping people untangle their stories and reconnect with the humans around them.
Pull up a chair. Grab a local beverage.
Science is funny.

513 Listeners