This week on the Blunt Letters podcast we discuss the Earth’s changing climate, the steps scientists are taking to combat disasters, and how gophers helped Mt. Saint Helens bounce back after the famous eruption in 1980. Plus! We have another Space Update. Four people recently came back to Earth from the International Space Station, but not Willaims and Wilmore - the astronauts who were only supposed to stay for a week, we’ll tell you why! 

Featuring the original song “Cat Madness” by Micaela Superstar

References:

Best Friends Podcast - The slap 

Good Hair (2009)

A SpaceX capsule just came back to Earth. Here’s why Boeing Starliner’s astronauts weren’t on it

NASA astronauts on readjusting to life on Earth: ‘It’s hard to sit’

Scientists Aim to Halt ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Collapse With a Giant Underwater Curtain

How gophers brought Mount St. Helens back to life in one day

In the Animal Moon Rituals episode of The Blunt Letters podcast, Micaela and Elle dive into the fascinating lives of elephants, horseshoe crabs, fish, and coral. They explore the unique behaviors and ancient rituals these animals have influenced by lunar cycles. Elephants' complex social structures and emotional depth are discussed, along with the strange, age-old spawning practices of horseshoe crabs. This episode blends science and comedy, celebrating animals' mysterious bond with lunar rhythms.

Featuring the original song “2 Moons are Better than 1” by Micaela Superstar

References:

They are very well aware of their agency': Elephant calf burial ritual discovered in India

Ronald Siegel

Moon worship: Pliny the Elder 

Lunar Cycle May Influence Elephants' Crop 'Raids'

The lunar cycle: effects on human and animal behavior and physiology

6 Wild Ways the Moon Affects Animals

Welcome to another installment of the Poop Chronicles! Our guest Jon Bonesi joins us to talk about haunted toilets worldwide! We cover toilet hauntings from Japan, Europe and even our own local bathrooms. Get ready for a spooky poopy episode!

Featuring the original song "Vampyre" by Micaela Superstar

Welcome back to another spooky season episode of The Blunt Letters podcast! This week we get into the science of reanimation. Mary Shelly based her Frankenstein story on “true events,” what were they and where are we now when it comes to restoring life to the dead? And, in light of the new Beetlejuice movie, we bring you a Let Me Tell You About This Movie all about Tim Burton’s new sequel and revisit our favorite sci-fi animation series from the ’90s: Beetlejuice, The Real Ghost Busters, and X-Men: The Animated Series. 

References

Is It Possible to Reanimate the Dead?

How scientists have reanimated cells from dead pigs

Scientists are Giving Dead Brains New Life. What Could Go Wrong?

Johann Konrad Dippel

Giovanni Aldini

Luigi Galvani

Beetlejuice (TV Series)

Ghostbusters (TV Series)

X-Men: The Animated Series

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Mubi

Welcome to spooky season with The Blunt Letters! This week we sink our teeth into the science of vampires! Were there real bloodsuckers in history? Or were they misunderstood patients suffering from a rare disease? Plus, get our little-known vampire recommendations to watch this spooky season!

Featuring Original Song “ Vampyre” by Micaela Superstar

Join our Patreon! Get the "What Are You Drinking?" cocktail recipe book and The Cryptid Cocktail Party recipe book when you join at the $5 level before 12/25/2024.

Don't forget to follow us on Insta, TikTok, Facebook, and Depop! Plus check out The Blunt Letters pod for a science podcast that's irreverently nerdy! Listen wherever you listen to podcasts!

References:
Vampire

Vampires in America (2022)

Netflix will not air documentary of missing Ohio man that was allegedly sacrificed by vampire coven

Bunnicula

Near Dark (1987)

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

What We Do In The Shadows

The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius by Judd Winick

Blood and Water by Judd Winick

Truck Route Serial Killers

30 Days of Night (2007)

Thirst (2009)

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola 

Jerry and The Vampire

This week we dive into the sea to find out what lies deep beneath the ocean. The Titanic is still down there and a crew is again making a deep-sea pilgrimage to check out the wreck. Here at the BL, we’re still wondering why. Then, one of Micaela’s not-so irrational fears may soon be resolved as scientists discover a way to predict devastating rogue waves. And, do you know what the world’s biggest ocean is? What if we told you it was buried beneath the Earth's crust? Learn about the water-absorbing rock deep within the Earth’s mantle and its role in our future. 

Featuring Original Song “Math is Facts” by Micaela Superstar

Join our Patreon! Get 50 minizines, exclusive behind the scenes video, and more!

Don't forget to follow us on Insta, TikTok, Facebook, and Depop! Plus check out The Blunt Letters pod for a science podcast that's irreverently nerdy! Listen wherever you listen to podcasts!

References:

NASA says 'pulsing sound' inside Boeing Starliner has stopped, won't impact slated return

Section of Titanic Made Famous in Movie Collapses Onto Ocean Floor

Ships could predict freak waves before they happen

New Evidence for Oceans of Water Deep in the EarthDehydration melting at the top of the lower mantle

The green children of woolpit!!

Enslaved TV Mini-series (2020)

Welcome to The Blunt Letter’s Space Update Episode! Can you believe those astronauts are still stuck on the International Space Station? A quick 8-day mission has turned into a 2-month (and counting) endeavor. We’ll give you the details on how they’re living and who’s gonna save them. Then, citizen scientists have discovered an object that is moving so fast, that it may escape the Milky Way. And finally, “donuts” on one of Saturn's moons might hold the secret to a new water source.
Check us out: thebluntletters.com, insta, TikTok, YouTube,  Facebook

Join our Patereon!

Featuring Original Song “Two Moons Are Better Than One” by Micaela Superstar

References:

The Boeing Starliner astronauts are cleaning toilets and rationing clothes while they're stranded in space

NASA's Plan B: Why SpaceX Could Finish Boeing’s Starliner Mission

Citizen scientists discover object soaring out of the galaxy

James Webb telescope: Icy moon Enceladus spews massive water plume

Don Jon

Joseph Gordon Levitt

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

Blunt Letters Episode about the Cassini trip to Saturn

What is Solar Sailing?

In this wild episode of The Blunt Letters, Micaela Elle and Jerbil take you on a journey through time as they explore how humans learned to use plants as medicine and intoxicants by watching our furry (and sometimes feathered) friends. From prehistoric cave dwellers spying on trippy goats to modern-day party animals, they uncover the surprisingly clever ways animals helped us discover everything from herbal remedies to mind-bending highs. 

Featuring Original Song “Bing Bong (pants off dance off) by Micaela Superstar

References

Intoxication by Ronald K Siegel

How humans learned to self-medicate with certain plants by observing animals

The origin of Plants and eventually drugs

Animals getting high: 10 common drunks

Orangutan in the wild applied medicinal plant to heal its own injury, biologists say

From the blackest black to the whitest white, in this episode, we talk about the science of paint and pigment!

Did you know we used real human mummies for brown paint for over 200 years? What about Paris Green, the bright and beautiful color that got its name after being used to kill rats in the sewers of France? We cover the toxic paints of the rainbow that have colored our lives for thousands of years!

Featuring original song "Science Shuffle" by Micaela Superstar

References:

The Yattering and Jack

Annihilation (2018)

6 Facts About Vantablack, the Darkest Material Ever Made

Anish Kapoor

Scientists Have Created the Whitest Paint Ever—and It Might Help Cool the Planet

Paris Green

Scheele's Green

Mummy Brown

Virgin Mary’s Blue

A Journey to the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World

TikTok:@Bekahsart

Welcome to The Blunt Letters podcast! In this episode, we dive into the mysterious and captivating world of "Outer Range," we ask the important questions like “What won’t they throw in that hole?” and “Was that a doppelganger?” We also delve into the fascinating concept of Dyson Spheres, those theoretical megastructures that could harness the power of entire stars. Additionally, we discuss the Cryptid Hypothesis paper produced by Harvard-associated scientists, speculating on the potential origins of unknown creatures. 

Featuring Original Song “Murder Bop” by Micaela Superstar

References

The cryptoterrestrial hypothesis: A case for scientific openness to a concealed earthly explanation for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena

Outer Range (TV Show)

Escape from Witch Mountain (1975)

Southland Tales (2006)

‘Dyson spheres’ were theorized as a way to detect alien life. Scientists say they’ve found potential evidence

What Do The Angels From The Bible Actually Look Like?

Astronomers find 60 Dyson sphere candidates, among millions of searched stars

Dyson Sphere Images

Wheel of Ezekiel