Periodic Round Table

We speak with tracking expert Rob Speiden of the Search & Rescue Tracking Institute, Cybertracker Conservation, and Natural Awareness Tracking School, LLC, about the science of tracking both animals and humans.

Insects are cool. What more do you need? Completely different structures of society

Ebola virus? Weak. Influenza? Child’s play. The plague? Small potatoes. At least, compared to one of the most terrifying categories of diseases known to man: prions. These ruthless misfolded proteins are unstoppable killing machines, responsible for such epidemics as Mad Cow Disease. In this episode, we discuss what prions actually are, how they spread, and go over some examples of prion diseases.

In this episode, we talk carnivorous plants. There’s more than one way to lure in sweet tasty treats. And what makes you more complete than traps to collect them all. Like a green still siren, we can look at the nectar that’s too deadly to not eat. The ultimate snack attack!

Where is everyone in the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life? We talk the Fermi paradox and a few of its solutions, the Drake equation, and radio telescopy. In addition, we travel to Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia to speak with scientist Ryan Lynch about his work with radio telescopy and pulsars, as well as clear up some common misconceptions about the field.

In part 2 of our series on the science of fitness, we get into the effects of nutrition on performance including macronutrient balance and caloric intake. We also seek to debunk some bro-science myths that you may have heard around the gym, as well as get into an almost lustful discussion on potatoes and other carbs.

Exercise: a lot of people hate it, some people love it, and a few are crazily obsessive about it. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discuss how cardio and strength-training affect physiology and mental and physical health, as well as the science behind the fitness-building process and why lactic acid milkshakes are a bad idea.

The proof is there: the Earth is on fire and we’re causing it. But what can we do to help slow it down or even stop it? Can small, insignificant individuals make a difference? In this episode, we discuss what each of us can do to help save the planet, the biggest contributors to climate change, what we can't change, and our inevitable future consisting of roving bands of pirate ships searching for the fabled Everest Isle.

In Part 2 of our climate change series, we look into some scientific articles and case studies of the effects global warming and carbon dioxide emissions are having on our planet. From ocean acidification, ice cap melt, and sea level rise, to intense weather patterns and mass extinctions, and even a bit of introductory discussion on the worst movie ever made, we can conclude one thing: things aren’t looking so good.

Scientists have been warning the general public about climate change for many years, and only recently are people starting to take heed. However, there are still many opponents that decry climate change as “fake news.” In the first episode of our climate change series, we hope to educate you on the effects humans are having on not only the average global temperature, but also weather patterns, extinctions, and the overall health of the planet.