Science Monkey

Yes, we’re back! Sort of. The first of two “lost” episodes, this session was recorded on Oct 13, 2017. Graham and Raywat ask, is the world really overpopulated? How do we measure that? What’s this thing called the Demographic Transition? We run through our regular science trivia segment, which is where Graham schools us about the kappa, which is a creature from Japanese folklore that steals your anus ball. Yes, your anus ball. Bet you didn’t even know you had one. And stay tuned for a bonus bit after the outtro!

After more than two years of podcasting silence, Science Monkey returns with a discussion of…. Monkeypox! Graham and Ray run down what we know of this disease, whether it really is a public health threat, and whether the poor monkeys really are to blame. Also: how much sex do men think women have on a monthly basis? What really is the closest planet to Earth? (It’s not what you think). How many teeth does Graham have? (Again, it’s not what you think). And why is Raywat suddenly unable to do simple statistics?

This episode is available as streaming audio on your favourite podcast app or from the media streamer below, and as a video episode on YouTube:

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, Science Monkey is once more brought to you from a distance, with Graham and Raywat recording from the comforts of their own homes. This is also our second ever video episode, which you can watch on YouTube. Or you can listen to audio version right here. In this episode, we answer more viewer questions, all about this wretched disease.

Science Monkey is back with a very special episode, from deep within the doldrums of pandemic quarantine. This is also our very first video podcast, which you can watch on YouTube. The audio was rendered from that Zoom video call so it is, shall we say, less than ideal. In the episode, we answer several questions about COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus) that were sent in by listeners.

Science Monkey is back! We took a lengthy sabbatical to mourn the passing of our mascot, Ouie the magical wonderdog, whose pawsteps are audible in this particular episode, which of course was recorded before his passing.

On today’s show, we are joined by the erudite Dr Aparna Halpé for a session of The Facts and the Furious, during which we cover topics as diverse as:

As always, if you’d like us to cover any topics, or if you have feedback about the show, please feel free to comment below or send us an email.

The government puts fluoride in our drinking water. What is the evidence that this is safe? We examine two studies that purport to show a connection between fluoride in our water and both thyroid disease and lower IQ. We also learn a little about so-called “ecological” studies, some stuff about statistics, and whose name is the earliest in recorded history. So let’s get our learn on, people.

Links from today’s episode:

We go back to our roots and actually talk about the rigors (or lack thereof) of a scientific study. A famous JAMA paper suggested that slightly overweight people are healthier than “normal weight” people. Is that study rigorous…. or just ridiculous? We also learn where not to get stung by a bee, and why you probably shouldn’t insult a krav maga instructor.

Links from today’s episode:

Recorded outside (hence the sound of passing airplanes) and with Graham annoyingly smacking the microphone (he’s learning, people, he’s learning), today’s episode features our second session of rapid-fire facts, and just the facts (ma’am). You’ll never believe what Alfred Kinsey put into his urethra, or what gas Henry Ford kept in a vial, or which animal we describe as a living surveillance camera.

Links from today’s episode:

In celebration of Pride Week, today’s episode tackles the question of whether female sexual fluidity has evolutionary origins, based on a controversial article by Satoshi Kanazawa (link below). We recorded this outside, so you will hear sounds of actual nature –squirrels and birds– and the occasional airplane and siren… as well as Graham frequently banging the table for emphasis, which causes a weird warbling noise on the microphone. This episode is brought to you by Chekd and by our books.

 Links from today’s episode:

Once again, a listener (Mary Ellen) asks us via Twitter to tackle a big topic: is there such a thing as free will? Graham and Ray examine this question from the perspectives of quantum physics, neurology, multiverse theory, semantics, and sociology. That’s an easy topic for a 30 minute podcast featuring two slightly tipsy professors, right? This episode is brought to you by Chekd and by our books sold on Amazon.

Some of the things we talk about are: