Poke the Bear

Send us Fan Mail

It’s the Hump Day Science special on Poke the Bear! —

Lila B. takes over the mic as guest host, bringing her signature curiosity, humor, and just the right amount of chaos. She answers listener questions, dives into fascinating science facts, and shares fun, surprisingly doable experiments you can try at home — from discovering your blind spot to exploring invisible light. 🧪
It’s smart, playful, and guaranteed to make you look at the world a little differently. Tune in, learn something new, and celebrate making it halfway through the week. 🚀

Beakman vs. Bill Nye: The Great Science Showdown—

Poke the Bear dives into the ultimate ‘90s science TV debate. Jake and Rachel revisit the wildly different worlds of Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beakman’s World — from Disney-polished experiments to Lester the Rat’s existential dread. ⚡ 📺 🐀

Our budget may be smaller than NASA’s, but we still need your support—help today!

Earth.wav by Cyril Laurier -- License: Attribution 4.0

Send us Fan Mail

The Death of Saturday Morning Cartoons—

Saturday mornings used to be loud, colorful, and unapologetically dumb — and somehow… that was good for us. 🦖⚡

In this episode of Poke the Bear, Chloe and Alex dive into the lost era of campy, sincere fun — from rubber-suit monsters and laugh tracks to the bright, theatrical chaos of 90s TV. They unpack how we traded kitsch for prestige, episodic comfort for endless serialized stress, and innocence for irony.

The Authenticity Paradox: I Perform, Therefore I Am—

What if the more you try to be authentic… the less authentic you actually become? 🎭

In this episode of Poke the Bear, Noah and Eloise unpack the “authenticity paradox” — why a culture obsessed with being real may be living in its most performative era ever. From Instagram “photo dumps” to viral outrage and algorithm-driven identity, they explore how social media blurs the line between the person and the persona.

Show us some love 💕 Support the show today!

Send us Fan Mail

Did Boomers Steal the American Dream?—

Did one generation really pull up the ladder behind them? 👀

In this episode, Poke the Bear dives headfirst into the generational blame game, asking the uncomfortable question: did Baby Boomers actually break the deal for everyone who came after? Noah and Eloise spar over wealth gaps, housing math, shifting cultural values, and the transition from “peace and love” to “greed is good.”

Idiocracy: Are We Breeding Out Intelligence?—

What if Idiocracy wasn’t just a joke… but a warning? 🤯

In this episode, Poke the Bear tackles the unsettling idea behind the “Reverse Flynn Effect” — the claim that IQ scores are slipping while birth rates fall, especially among highly educated professionals. Jake leans into the provocative question: are modern incentives pushing the most capable people away from parenthood? Rachel pushes back, arguing that crushing costs, career penalties, and cultural exhaustion — not genetics — are driving the decline.

Keep the fire lit—help support Poke the Bear today! Like, right now. We won't bite.

Send us Fan Mail

Career Fatigue: The Crisis of a Generation—

Career paths used to feel like ladders. Now they feel like escape rooms with missing clues. 😵‍💫

In this episode, Poke the Bear digs into the rising wave of career fatigue hitting Millennials and Gen Z — the burnout that goes deeper than long hours. Chloe and Alex unpack the “broken deal” between education and opportunity, the pressure cooker of LinkedIn performance culture, and how AI and automation are hollowing out entry-level experience.

Why Movies Look Like Garbage—

Blockbusters cost more than ever… so why do they look worse? 🎬

In this episode, Poke the Bear tears into the “digital sludge” era of modern filmmaking. Noah and Eloise break down how LED volume stages flatten visuals, shaky-cam hides bad choreography, and overworked VFX pipelines churn out grey, lifeless spectacle. They also tackle franchise fatigue, bloated budgets, and why so many characters feel like corporate brand ambassadors instead of real people.

Like the episode? Buy us a cup of coffee

Send us Fan Mail

The Meaning Gap : Life After Religion—

What happens after a society loses faith—but still craves meaning? In this episode, we explore the strange cultural moment where science is ascendant, traditional religion is fading, and yet loneliness, anxiety, and existential drift are on the rise. Are we missing something essential?

Colorblind to Divided : What Changed After the 90s?

Was there really a time when Americans felt more united—or is that just nostalgia talking? In this episode, we revisit the late 90s and early 2000s, an era many remember as culturally cohesive, cautiously optimistic, and moving toward a more integrated society. From shared television moments to a widespread embrace of colorblind ideals, the period carried a sense that progress—especially on race—was not only possible, but already underway.

Like whatcha heard? Buy us a coffee ☕