Paper Boys

Touch screens are ubiquitous in technology today. We’ve grown very accustomed to using our fingers to tap and swipe our way through most tasks. But what if we could do more…like caress, or even tickle, our devices? New research looks at how “skin” interfaces might open up the ways we interact with our technology. Join us this week as James and Charlie unpack the research and discuss this cool (and very strange) new interface.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Endurance athletes are used to pushing themselves; most people would give up if they attempted similar feats. Does this constant push towards finishing difficult physical goals carry a mental burden as well though? Join us this week as Charlie and James take on a new paper about the mental tax of training on athletes’ brains.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to three researchers whose work significantly advanced our understanding of the universe. Two of the researchers worked together to identify the first exoplanet in the universe that orbits a star similar to our Sun. Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into their research in astronomy and physics that won them a Nobel Prize!

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Astronomers have noticed a strange clustering of objects orbiting our solar system very far from the sun. Their grouping suggests that there might be a planet (dubbed “Planet 9”) responsible for this strange behavior. However, new research has proposed the idea that instead of being a planet, “Planet 9” could instead be a primordial black hole! Join us this week as Charlie dives into the paper behind this exciting proposition - and stay tuned to the end when Charlie blows James' mind with the size of the black hole.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

The material Vantablack made headlines a few years ago as being the “blackest black” color ever known. People were shocked by how this color would transform shapes, and the material even sparked deep running feud in the art community. Well now it turns out there’s a newer black that is 10X darker than Vantablack! Join us this week as James dives into a new paper about a process for growing carbon nanotubes that results in the darkest black we’ve ever seen.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Health studies continuously debate the pros and cons of different diets, particularly vegetarian diets vs. carnivorous diets. Will one type of diet lower your risk for certain disease? Could the same diet increase your risk for other diseases? Join us this week as Charlie breaks down a new study making waves in popular science news about the risks and benefits of vegetarianism and carnivorism.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Talk of intermittent fasting has grown in the news. Some feel intermittent fasting is a new dieting fad, others claim that it’s an amazing technique to improve health and lose weight. But what does the research actually have to say on the subject? Join us this week as James looks at a study on the effects of intermittent fasting.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Our planet is bombarded with tons of extraterrestrial dust every year. While much of the dust comes from asteroids, some of these particles may have come from supernovas - ancient stars that exploded nearly 20 million years ago! But finding this dust on Earth is tricky, and determining that the dust came from an exploding star is even tougher. This week Charlie takes on a new study from some “stellar” researchers who were up to the challenge. Thanks to Ben from Australia for the paper recommendation this week!

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

Tracking the productivity and impact of research has always been problematic. Especially in the highly competitive environment of today where hiring and promotions can be tied to a single performance metric such as “total number of citations” or “h-index.” The problem is that these metrics don’t tell the full story of productivity. Different disciplines in science publish papers at different rates. And many times, your new papers are required to cite your old papers to avoid self-plagiarism. So what are we to do to understand scientific impact? Join us this week as James and Charlie dive into a new investigation on a more nuanced way of looking at citations.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!

For the average person, the words used to describe whiskey can seem strange, if not completely arbitrary. Dignified vs. subtle, austere vs. rich, mouth-coatingly winey...the entire process of tasting feels extremely subjective. However, new research from the University of Glasgow is seeking to change that with their creation of an artificial tongue that can differentiate the subtleties between very closely related whiskeys. Join us this week as Charlie dives into exciting new research that may leave your taste buds looking for a new career.

Check out the paper, news articles, and more at www.paperboyspodcast.com.

Like the show? Want more every month? Fan of universal constants? Check out www.patreon.com/paperboyspod!