Have you spent an embarrassing amount of money on microtransactions? Did you suffer through hours of a game that you hated just to get a virtual trophy? Are you setting alarms to log on at ungodly hours of the morning to make it to an in-game event? If so, this episode might be for you.

Links:

• Jared recommends Crossplay, "a newsletter at the intersection of parenting and video games" by Patrick Klepek: https://www.crossplay.news/
• Hear more from Jared on Debaser: A Film Podcast! 
• Follow Jared on BlueSky!
• Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky!
• Follow the show on Instagram!

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil
License code: 9EGBBNVRIOZETSGS

Get ready to sink your teeth into this week’s topic: teratomas. What is a tumor, and how do they sometimes grow structures like teeth and hair? What is it really like to work in a research lab? Who would we cast in a teratoma puppet duet musical? Find out with us.

Links:

• Hear more from Ella on Let's Learn Everything!
• Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky!
• Follow the show on Instagram!

Credits:

• Editing by Jared Rusk
• Music from #Uppbeat, https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil 
• License code: 34AJY50U4F8EF7VF

Who is the absolute worst mom in the animal kingdom? Why is there an ominous population of black vultures haunting Pennsylvania? In your relationship, are you the crab or the raptor? Explore these questions and more with Ellen and special guest, science communicator Ralph Crewe, as we bob for viscera with some of nature's gnarliest bird facts.

Special thanks to Jared Rusk for editing help on this episode!

Links:

Follow Ralph on Instagram and check out his work on the Practical Engineering Channel!

Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky!

Follow the show on Instagram!

Music: "Snake Oil" by Doug Organ, from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil
License code: YTJL04XPFNDGFD0C

Why do we feel so weird when robots look a little too much like humans? How have artists navigated the uncanny valley - whether narrowly avoiding it or intentionally plunging into the psychological trench? Ellen & guest, science communicator Tom Lum, ride the zombie train right into the uncanny valley.

Links:
Follow Tom on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!
Follow Ellen on TikTok!
Follow Spellbound and Gagged on Instagram!

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil
License code: P8DTLVUL1FZUMREF

Who is the mysteriously unnamed "rocket enthusiast" behind the founding of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory? Ashley uncovers the story of rocket engineer Jack Parsons and his relationship to space, occultism, sex rituals, L. Ron Hubbard, and more.

Links:

• Follow Ashley on Threads and check out her podcast Taboo Science!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!
• Follow Spellbound and Gagged on Instagram and Facebook!

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil
License code: O018QFJ6T1Y1703L

What makes volcanic eruptions get so catastrophically massive? What's going on below the Earth's surface? Should we be worried about Yellowstone? Ellen & guest, geochemist and science communicator Meagan Ankney, explore all the most burning questions about supervolcanoes.

Links:
Check out Meagan's podcast, Spooky Science Sisters!
Follow Spooky Science Sisters on Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter!

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil
License code: 0GF0ZHRLVQAZWWVI

Understanding a fungus isn't brain surgery... unless you're an ant. Ellen & Ashley discuss how and why the "zombie-ant fungus" takes control over its insect host, compare reality with the way it's portrayed in pop culture, and look ahead into our own fungal future.

Links:

• Follow Spellbound and Gagged on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

Ellen takes Ashley and and guest Alex Schmidt on a journey through the history of Pompeii before, during, and after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Links:

• Follow Alex on Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok and check out his website for more!
• Check out Alex's podcast, Secretly Incredibly Fascinating!
• Follow Spellbound and Gagged on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

We’ve got fire in our belly for this episode’s topic: the puzzling phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion. How does a person suddenly and mysteriously burst into flames, and what happens to the human body when it burns? Find out with us.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil

License code: E0XTG15DVOSBM1F3

The animal kingdom takes toxic relationships to a whole new level. Ellen & guest Katie Goldin discuss their favorite parasites, from snail eyestalk raves to big juicy butts to warm, cozy fish mouths. What’s the matter? Crab got your tongue?

Follow Katie on Twitter & listen to her podcast Creature Feature for more!

Extra credit:

• Video: "This Mind-Controlling Parasite Turns Snails Suicidal"
• "The Mystery at the Base of One of Biology’s Strangest Relationships" by Katherine J. Wu

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/snake-oil

License code: SQOIFYU6QBJCZGW4