Stuff To Blow Your Mind

By iHeartRadio & HowStuffWorks

Natural Sciences Social Sciences

What's Stuff To Blow Your Mind about?

Deep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.

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From the Vault: The Ship of...

11.16.2019

An ancient ship rots in the harbor and so we restore it piece by piece until nothing of the original ship remains. Is it still the same ship? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss one of history’s more mind-boggling ...

Stuff To Blow Your Mind episodes:

11.16.2019 From the Vault: The Ship of Theseus An ancient ship rots in the harbor and so we restore it piece by piece until nothing of the original ship remains. Is it still the same ship? Join Robert and Joe as they discuss one of history’s more mind-boggling ...
11.14.2019 Listener Mail: Black Hole Dream Have you ever dreamt that you forgot about a college class until the morning of the final exam — and then dreamt that a black hole swallowed the entire university? Yes, it’s time for yet another Stuff to Blow Your ...
11.12.2019 Listener Mail: Halloween Hangover 2019 Halloween may be over, but Robert and Joe have a bunch of spooky listener mail to unpack before the other holidays kick in. Grab whatever is left of the Halloween candy and tune in... Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
11.09.2019 From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 2 You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of ...
11.07.2019 The 2019 Ig Nobel Prizes Yes, it’s time once more for us to cover the Ig Nobel prizes. This year on Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider cubical wombat poop, truly dirty money, diaper-changing robots and much more. Learn more about your ...
11.06.2019 The Second Oil Age: Episode 1 Dive right into the first episode of the new sci-fi horror podcast "The Second Oil Age." When an oil executive goes missing aboard the deep-sea Atlas Station, the company sends agent Synøve Pan down for answers — and she’s just ...
11.05.2019 Ann Swanson: Science of Yoga What is yoga? How can it heal our bodies and minds? And where do we draw the line between spiritual models of the human condition and proven biology? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Ann Swanson, author ...
11.02.2019 From the Vault: Squirrels, Part 1 You might think you know squirrels, but what do you REALLY know about these woodland tree rodents? In this special two-part episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss their appetite for meat, their alleged acts of ...
10.31.2019 Anthology of Horror, Volume 3 The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, ...
10.29.2019 Anthology of Horror, Volume 2 The time has come. Once more, Stuff to Blow Your Mind reaches into the depths of TV horror anthology history, pulls out a handful of episodes and spins science and wonder out of the monstrosities therein. For this year’s installment, ...
10.26.2019 From the Vault: Anthology of Horror, Volume 1 From “Night Gallery” to “Tales From the Crypt,” everyone loves a great horror anthology show. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick for a new ghoulish tradition, as they pick a few notable installments from horror anthology TV and cinema history ...
10.24.2019 Hellraiser Robert and Joe have such sights to show you in this movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Join them as they discuss Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” and the questions it raises about monastic traditions, flagellation, puzzle boxes and the ...
10.22.2019 Chet van Duzer on Sea Monsters Dive into the haunted seas of history as Joe chats with cartography historian Chet van Duzer about sea monsters, strange maps and the dark mysteries of the global ocean. Chet Van Duzer is a Researcher in Residence at the John ...
10.19.2019 From the Vault: Monstrosity/Cuteness Spectrum It seems the unavoidable fate of all terrifying monsters, doesn’t it? We reduce the most horrifying creatures of myth, legend and folklore to an adorable kids costume or a mega-cute illustration. Why can’t we help ourselves? In this episode of ...
10.17.2019 The Gerasene Demoniac “My name is Legion.” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the Biblical tale of exorcism and swine. What did the story mean? How was it used to enforce our relationship with animals and ...
10.15.2019 Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 2 From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert ...
10.12.2019 From the Vault: The Slayer Myth and folklore are full of monsters and the heroes who slay them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick meet some of these fabulous slayers and discuss the science and potential meaning ...
10.10.2019 Burned from the Mind’s Eye, Part 1 From the VHS horrors of “The Ring” and claims of psychic photography to cutting edge research into neuro technology, humanity continues to wrestle with the notion of the mind’s eye. In this two-part Stuff to Blow Your Mind exploration, Robert ...
10.08.2019 Our Cars, Our Bodies, Our Minds In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the cognitive effects of driving. How does it alter our perceptions of self? How might driving prevent cognitive decline? What are the benefits of automotive ergonomics and ...
10.05.2019 From the Vault: Jenny Greenteeth According to certain English folktales, a vile creature lurks in the slime-caked dark of local ponds. When little ones wander too close to shore, she lashes out to drown them in her slippery embrace. She has many names: Nelly Longarms, ...
10.03.2019 I Drink Your Blood Type Gather round ye blood drinkers and children of the night, for in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe will discuss human blood types -- what they are, why they exist and what powers they hold. ...
10.01.2019 Demogorgon You probably know the Demogorgon as the powerful demon lord from Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps as the interdimensional monster from “Stranger Things.” But where does this curious name come from? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, ...
09.28.2019 From the Vault: Five Reasons to Never Take Your Space Helmet Off You've consumed enough science fiction to know something the average red shirt doesn't: Never take your space helmet off on a foreign planet. But if you're still tempted to breathe deep the gathering gloom, how about five compelling scientific reasons ...
09.26.2019 Mark Mandica: Amphibian Conservation and Vilified Reptiles Mark Mandica, executive director of the Amphibian Foundation, returns to Stuff to Blow Your Mind to discuss the ongoing challenges of amphibian conservation as well as the value of two unfairly-vilified reptiles: the copperhead snake and the common snapping turtle. ...
09.24.2019 Daniel Whiteson: Particles and Science How do we relate to the unseen worlds of particle physics and distant stars? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, physicist Daniel Whiteson, co-host of the podcast Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe drops in for a ...
09.21.2019 From the Vault: Euphemisms Sure, euphemisms allow us to talk about something unpleasant or taboo without actually invoking the dreaded word or words -- but what else is going on? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe ...
09.19.2019 The One Ring One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the most powerful artifact ...
09.17.2019 Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 2 A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means -- and doesn’t mean -- for humanity, our solar system and our ...
09.14.2019 From the Vault: John Dee, Part 2 Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion ...
09.12.2019 Flares from Infinity: Sagittarius A* Part 1 A super massive black hole broods at the center of our galaxy. In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe discuss just what that means -- and doesn’t mean -- for humanity, our solar system and our ...
09.10.2019 Summer Reading 2019 It's never too late for Summer Reading! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe welcome back former co-host Christian Sager, host of the podcast Supercontext for a discussion of recent reads. Jump on it before ...
09.07.2019 From the Vault: John Dee, Part 1 Elizabethan scholar Dr. John Dee was one of the most learned men of the 16th century, applying his intense mathematical intellect to matters scientific, political, alchemical and occult. He advised Queen Elizabeth, sought communion with angelic beings, advocated British expansion ...
09.05.2019 The Voynich Manuscript, Part 2 Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode ...
09.03.2019 The Voynich Manuscript, Part 1 Browse the libraries of the world and you’ll find nothing stranger and perplexing than the so-called Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century tome that has perplexed linguists and codebreakers for hundreds of years -- and remains a mystery. In this episode ...
08.31.2019 From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 2 If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and ...
08.29.2019 Listener Mail: That's a Bummer Yes, it's listener mail time once more, this time with e-mails about B.U.M.M.E.R. social media platforms, planetary defense, the Tingler, psychedelics and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
08.27.2019 Surfing Neanderthals What do recent studies about surfer’s ear and neanderthals reveal about their relationship with the ocean? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the condition and some recent findings regarding the neanderthals. Learn more ...
08.24.2019 From the Vault: Illusory Truth Effect, Part 1 If a lie is repeated often enough, are we more likely to believe it? Sadly, the answer is yes. Psychologists call it the illusory truth effect and it influences both our daily lives and the larger movements of politics and ...
08.22.2019 School Dreams Have you ever experienced dreams of forgotten classes, impossible exams and other examples of school-age anxiety? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the pervasive nature of the school dream. Learn more about your ...
08.20.2019 Lot's Wife: Flesh into Salt You’ve probably heard the Biblical tale of Lot’s wife, in which a trio of angels destroy a couple of ancient cities and the resulting blast turns a woman into a pillar of salt. In this episode of Stuff to Blow ...
08.17.2019 From the Vault: The Dark Side of Neuroplasticity When you hear the word “neuroplasticity,” you probably think of it in terms of a young brain’s ability to learn or an older brain’s struggles to rebound from injury. The possibility of a neuroplasticity-boosting drug remains one of medicine's true ...
08.15.2019 How to Survive a Great Fall Anticipating a fall from 10,000 feet or more? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss your chances of survival. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
08.14.2019 The Weird World of Prehistoric Transylvania This episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind takes listeners to Transylvania, where a rogue baron made important early strides in the field of paleobiology and where, during the Late Cretaceous period, giant pterosaur dubbed “Dracula” feasted on pony-sized dwarf ...
08.10.2019 From the Vault: Chariots of the Gods Chances are, you’re already quite familiar with the notion the ancient astronauts visited the earth and gave humans the tech support they needed to climb the ladder of civilization. There's no true proof to back it up, yet ancient astronaut ...
08.08.2019 Asteroid 2019 OK: The Little Doomsday The near-Earth object (NEO) known as Asteroid 2019 OK just made an unexpected close pass, raising the hair on the back of humanity’s collective neck. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe weigh the risks ...
08.07.2019 Bonus Episode: Ephemeral's Alex Williams Former Stuff to Blow Your Mind producer and host of the podcast Ephemeral drops in for a chat about the media of yesteryear and related topics. Listen in and learn more at www.ephemeral.show Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
08.06.2019 Social Media Is a B.U.M.M.E.R. How will you feel the day you finally delete all your social media accounts? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the arguments for doing just that in Jaron Lanier’s book “Ten ...
08.03.2019 From the Vault: The Gods Must Be Counterintuitive What’s the key to a lasting myth, a captivating religion or a sensational film pitch? Some cognitive scientists and anthropologists argue that the key is a minimally counterintuitive narrative: the right balance of the mundane with just a dash of ...
08.01.2019 The Tingler It’s time for another movie episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and you might be surprised to discover all the weird and wonderful themes at work in the often-dismissed 1959 Vincent Price film “The Tingler.” Not only does it ...
07.31.2019 Introducing Sleepwalkers If there's one thing that sets people apart from machines, it's creativity, right? Automation may take over certain jobs, but what happens when algorithms start to learn from our work to create their own? This episode, we speak with people ...

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