Seeker Plus

Today we're diving into everything you’re ever going to need to know about the tiny bricks that power all the devices on (and in) your person.  We'll talk about some of the best batteries in the world, the oldest batteries ever found, what batteries actually are (they’re not what you think), and we even have a special guest to talk about the atomic movement of batteries!

We're digging deep into the physics and chemistry, design and possible future of these ubiquitous pieces of modern technology. It’s going to be shocking. Get it?

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Sources:

Unlocking the Potential of Cation-Disordered Oxides for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6170/519 

The Configurational Space of Rocksalt‐Type Oxides for High‐Capacity Lithium Battery Electrodes

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aenm.201400478 

Solid electrolytes open doors to solid-state batteries

https://phys.org/news/2016-03-solid-electrolytes-doors-solid-state-batteries.html 

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The red planet has captured our imaginations since it was first spotted in the sky, but is it really the only hope for human survival? Make sure you gear up, because today, we're diving into everything Mars!

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Sources:

Mars Could Have Supported Life, NASA Says

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/science/space/mars-could-have-supported-life-nasa-says.html?_r=0

Why Thousands Of People Are Willing To Die On Mars

https://www.popsci.com/article/science/why-thousands-people-are-willing-die-mars

India's Mission To Mars Could Cost Less Than the Movie 'Gravity'

https://www.vox.com/2014/9/24/6838079/india-mars-mangalyaan

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Today, we find our funny bone. Not literally. Instead, we're going to breakdown the science of humor.  We'll cover what happens in our brains when we find something funny, how a sense of humor evolved, what makes something not funny at all, and even if we can teach robots and A.I. to be funny!

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Sources:

The Biology Of Humor: In Search Of The Cerebral Funny Bone

http://discovermagazine.com/2002/may/featbiology

Is there a scientific formula for funny?

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/formula-for-funny2.htm

Scientists Discovered What Makes Something Funny

http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-mankoff-science-of-funny-humor-new-yorker-cartoon-2014-12

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Today, we’re going to break down the science of humans going to space. We'll cover how we get to space, how astronauts train for it, the dangers of space shuttles, and, of course, the future of space travel!

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Sources:

A Brief History of Space Exploration

http://www.aerospace.org/education/stem-outreach/space-primer/a-brief-history-of-space-exploration/ 

NASA: Astronaut Selection and Training

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/606877main_FS-2011-11-057-JSC-astro_trng.pdf 

Nuclear fusion could power NASA spacecraft

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3294-nuclear-fusion-could-power-nasa-spacecraft/#.VZsNORNVhHw 

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Today, we’re going to break down the science of Internet Addiction or as we like to call it: Information Obsession.

New technologies are always met with skepticism, and yet much of the skepticism we're hearing today dates back hundreds of years. Join SeekerPlus as we explore: where this obsession came from, why it has such a grip on us, how people use our phones to take advantage of our biology, and what we can do about it.

We are warned about the effects of long hours in front of screens, but what if the internet is actually a better way to experience reality?

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Sources:

Some See 'Physiological Changes' After Using Internethttp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-40117312“Both heart rate and blood pressure increased in those who admitted extended time online - along with reported anxiety levels. There was no such changes for those with no internet-usage problems.”

Meet the tech company that wants to make you even more addicted to your phonehttps://techcrunch.com/2017/09/08/meet-the-tech-company-that-wants-to-make-you-even-more-addicted-to-your-phone/ “Now, armed with $1 million in seed funding and some initial data that their experiments in mind control actually work, Dopamine Labs is spending money to boost its staff and sales and marketing efforts to bring more apps in on its brain science.”

Louis Anslow Article - What technology are we addicted to this time?

https://timeline.com/what-technology-are-we-addicted-to-this-time-f0f7860f2fab

“From novels to telephones to smartphones, we’re always supposedly hooked on the latest medium. When a new thing comes along people say it’ll never catch on. When it catches on they say it’s a fad. When the fad gains enough traction, they say it’s an addiction.” 

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Cockroaches can survive decapitation, nuclear explosions and they save our forests. Yes, they're gross, but they're actually kinda cool!

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Sources:

"Cockroaches have been around for a very long time - since before the dinosaurs - and they have not changed very much. One can only conclude that they are doing something right!"

Evolution Saves Cockroaches From Taking The Bait:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/05/23/186359665/evolution-saves-cockroaches-from-taking-the-bait

"Most of us are used to thinking that the evolution of living organisms takes millions of years. But in the case of cockroaches, scientists say the resilient pests have developed a fast-forward mechanism to save their own exoskeleton."

How Pesticides Pushed Cockroaches Into Rapid Evolution:

https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-pesticides-pushed-cockroaches-into-rapid-evolution-509398746

"In the 1980s, manufactures began making cockroach baits that combined sweet glucose with deadly insecticides. By 1993, many cockroach populations somehow developed an aversion to the bait. Now, 20 years later, scientists finally understand how the roaches beat these traps."

Scientists think cockroach milk could be the superfood of the future:

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-show-why-we-should-all-start-drinking-cockroach-milk

"An international team of scientists has just sequenced a protein crystal located in the midgut of cockroaches. The reason? It’s more than four times as nutritious as cow’s milk and, the researchers think it could be the key to feeding our growing population in the future."

Cockroach Milk: Yes. You Read That Right:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/06/488861223/cockroach-milk-yes-you-read-that-right

"The female Pacific beetle cockroach is one of a kind. Unlike other insect species, this Hawaiian native gives birth to live young. And she feeds them a pale, yellow liquid "milk" from her brood sack."

Sexy perfume ‘lures’ cockroaches to their doom:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6947269/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/sexy-perfume-lures-cockroaches-their-doom/#.V644NtArKgR

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It's a common goal of propaganda to promote a biased opinion, and while many may resist, propaganda actually has the ability to save lives!

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Sources:

A Very Brief History of Propaganda in Times Past:

https://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/Propaganda/history.html

"Propaganda has been around for a long time, going back to ancient Greece. Chapter 2 of Jowett & O'Donnell provides an excellent historical background. In there you will find numerous examples of historical propaganda campaigns. "

The Story of Propaganda:

https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/what-is-propaganda/the-story-of-propaganda

"The American Historical Association produced the G.I. Roundtable Series to help win World War II. Or so they were led to believe. In fact the U.S. Army sought the pamphlets as part of a larger effort to prepare for the transition to the postwar world, and represent a novel effort at social control."

From stamps to social media, the history of propaganda:

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/from-stamps-to-social-media-the-history-of-propaganda-1.303748

"Since the twentieth century, propaganda has largely had pejorative associations. The term continues to imply something sinister; synonyms for propaganda frequently include lies, falsehood, deceit, and brainwashing."

Here's some incredible pro-independence propaganda from the American Revolution:

http://www.businessinsider.com/pro-independence-propaganda-from-the-american-revolution-2015-7

"During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere were among the people who created stunning pieces of art that inspired the fight for America's independence."

House of Bourbon:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/house-of-Bourbon

"House of Bourbon, Spanish Borbón, Italian Borbone, one of the most important ruling houses of Europe. Its members were descended from Louis I, duc de Bourbon from 1327 to 1342, the grandson of the French king Louis IX (ruled 1226-70)."

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Matter Makes Up Everything, So What Makes Up Matter?

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Sources:

Discovery of the Electron

http://www.pbs.org/transistor/science/events/electron.html

“Scientists worked with electricity long before they understood that current was made of electrons. The cathode tube was a prime example, no one knew how it worked. Some thought the rays were a wave traveling through a mysterious "ether" which they thought permeated all space.”

Who was Democritus?

https://www.universetoday.com/60058/democritus-atom/

“One such person is Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher who is viewed by many as being the ‘father of modern science.’ This is due to his theory of universe that is made up of tiny ‘atoms’, which bears a striking resemblance to modern atomic theory.”

Thales of Miletus

http://www.iep.utm.edu/thales/

“The ancient Greek philosopher Thales was born in Miletus in Greek Ionia. Aristotle, the major source for Thales's philosophy and science, identified Thales as the first person to investigate the basic principles, the question of the originating substances of matter and, therefore, as the founder of the school of natural philosophy.” 

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Globalization is a complicated issue with pros and cons both for and against. But what would a world with complete globalization be like?

Originally broadcast December 2015.

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Sources:

The Pros And Cons Of Globalization:https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikecollins/2015/05/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-globalization/&refURL=https://www.youtube.com/&referrer=https://www.youtube.com/ “A story in the Washington Post said “20 years ago globalization was pitched as a strategy that would raise all boats in poor and rich countries alike. In the U.S. and Europe consumers would have their pick of inexpensive items made by people thousands of miles away whose pay was much lower than theirs."

Nations Without Borders: The Gifts Of Folk Gone Abroad:https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/1996-03-01/nations-without-borders-gifts-folk-gone-abroad

“More than ever before, migration is a global phenomenon. In search of employment, higher wages, educational opportunities for themselves and their children, and escape from persecution and violence, millions of people cross international borders each year."

Frequently Requested Statistics On Immigrants And Immigration In The United States:https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states

“Immigration has a significant impact on many aspects of life in the United States, from the workforce and the classroom to communities across the country."

Ten Ways Immigrants Help Build And Strengthen Our Economy:https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2012/07/12/ten-ways-immigrants-help-build-and-strengthen-our-economy

“America is a nation of immigrants. Our American journey and our success would simply not be possible without the generations of immigrants who have come to our shores from every corner of the globe."____________________

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Climate change is becoming increasingly difficult to deny. As people see changes happening all around us, we're all wondering whether or not humans are to blame.

Originally broadcast August 2016.

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Sources:

NASA - What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html

Earth is Cooling... No It's Warming:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GISSTemperature/giss_temperature2.php

National Health Statistics Reports:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr076.pdf

Mass Extinctions:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/index.html

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