Mark and Toddcast

Synesthesia is a term for when a person's sensory inputs get crossed; it may cause them to see numbers as colors, or colors as tastes, or any number of different sensory combinations. Join us this week as we explore this fascinating condition! Also: Jerry Springer signs off, Koko the gorilla dies, Porltand's upcoming traffic hell-scape, roller derby talk, and more!

This episode Mark dives into some of the old and new internet scams that are making the rounds. In addition, we talk about our new video series with the Unipiper called "Bins Worthy" and let you know where you can find it before its official release! Also discussed: NASA's most/least realistic movies list, Necco Wafers are back!, half mammal/half reptile found in Utah, the plague is in Idaho, dust storm on Mars shuts down NASA rover, and the 10 millionth US patent is approved.

Conspiracy theories are thriving in the internet age, even as access to facts become easier. So what's going on? Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? Greg Nibler of Funemployment Radio and Digital Trends sits in this week to talk about his favorite theories and why these theories continue to thrive. Also: American Airlines' therapy animal guidelines, lie-detecting computer kiosks, world's oldest living person: "every day is a punishment," Google removes "Don't Be Evil" from mission statement, Top 50 websites, and Bitcoin takes up .5% of the world's electricity. Enjoy!

Hear Greg every day on Funemployment Radio!

In this episode we go to war! Both Mark and Todd pick a dozen random and fascinating short articles from Wikipedia and go head-to-head to see who uncovered the most interesting and obscure entries. Cut your hair accordingly! Also: the Unipiper finds his own Wiki-hole and brings us along for the ride. In the news: Amazon record profits!....and Amazon Prime's price increase, ABBA reunites, tinnitus treatment, vomit-inducing caterpillars, Harvard to resurrect woolly mammoth, an undercover Lego crime ring in Portland, and breaking news about exploding urine. Players....FIGHT!

Concrete is such a fundamental aspect of humanity that we barely even notice it anymore. It's literally pedestrian. This episode we find out why and how concrete came to be, and how it formed the modern world we live in. Also: "King of Kong" winner controversy, the sound of black holes colliding, the rapture is upon us, Wapato Jail sold, "Pirates of the Caribbean" ships on Oregon coast, Art Bell dies, Japan's robot mayor, world's most hipster cities, throw out your romaine lettuce, and the world is in the grips of a Necco Wafer panic! Enjoy!

Black holes and dark matter are such a mystery, scientists are still trying to unwrap their secrets. In this episode, we take a look at the basics of black holes, and struggle to understand dark matter, which is the mysterious substance that makes up most of the universe. Plus, the Unipiper joins us in studio to talk fake Unipipers, Sasquatches, and WWeek's "Best of Portland 2018." Also: LED street lights causing headaches, world's largest dinosaur footprint, zombie raccoons, fart detectors, and what 167 theramins sound like playing Beethoven. Enjoy!

If I can't exhale at the speed of sound, how does my voice travel the speed of sound? How do the Eastern Oregon hot springs work? And who knew Alyssa Milano's dad was such a successful Hollywood sound editor? These questions and more will be answered in this meandering and interesting episode. Also discussed: "Embiggen" added to the dictionary, oil companies buy Utah monuments for drilling, Amazon patents drones to recognize flailing and screaming gestures, the Texas-sized (?) Pacific Garbage Patch, earliest North American footprint found, China face IDs and tickets jaywalkers, mind-reading technology, new human organ discovered, and turtles develop karate-chopping flippers. Cowabunga, dude!

Between movies, TV, and advertising, our heads are full of songs we know note-for-note, but know nothing else about. This week, Brian "The Unipiper" sits in for a vacationing Mark and digs into the history and origins or some of the most famous songs we don't know the origins of. Also, "Toys R Us" and "I Heart Radio" file for bankruptcy, autism neurology breakthrough, WalMart patents robot bees, and "Weird" Al makes history. Enjoy!

Like most of us, you probably think of Michael Jackson on the cover of the National Enquirer when you hear "Hyperbaric Chamber." Surprisingly, they're not just kookie, weirdo nonsense, but hold legitimate, scientific purpose. This week we learn all about them, and hear a first-hand account of what it's like to use one. Also, the Unipiper is in-studio to tell us all about the First Annual Tonya Harding Film Festival! Also: Detecting autism, eradicating polio (also, what is polio?), SpaceX, Foreign Accent Syndrome, Best Buy stops selling CDs, Bitcoin heist, and drones take over the fashion runways. Enjoy!

This week Todd recaps his journey into opening his third eye as he describes his sensory deprivation salt water float experience. Then we dive into the surprisingly fascinating and innovative history of a much maligned (well, maligned by Todd) RC Cola! All that, plus: The Unipiper is art!, liquid mirror telescopes, Amazon tracks and "nudges" workers, Amazon/Berkshire Hathaway/JP Morgan insurance, SF clears marijuana convictions, and amateur astronomer finds missing NASA satellite. Enjoy with a frosty cold Nehi!