That's Absurd Please Elaborate

Our Sun is an absolutely RIDICULOUS power source, pumping out more energy every second than most of us can even begin to wrap our heads around. And while AA batteries are great for remotes, flashlights, and rolling around in that one drawer (you know the one), they have their limits. Trace and Julian crunch the numbers to see how our humble household batteries stack up against a Sun-like object, digging into the sheer scale of stellar energy production and what it would take to compete with a giant ball of nuclear fusion. Unsurprisingly, the gap between your local hardware store and the nearest star turns out to be a pretty big one.

QUESTION

Trace: "How many AA batteries would it take to power a sun-like object?" from Peter

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

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If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

SIGNAL AWARD!

We’re nominated for a Best Science Show Signal Award! Help us win by voting for our show with the link. Voting is open until October 15. https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/science

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CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we bodily embrace spooky season by digging into the science of what happens when a body returns its borrowed flesh. From flesh-eating microbes and hungry scavengers to composting, cremation, and some surprisingly futuristic methods, Julian investigates the fastest ways for nature to reclaim our materials. Then, in typical Julian fashion, he ranks them by efficiency and cost-effectiveness, because who says decomposition can’t be optimized?

It’s the best time of the year, people!!!

QUESTION

Julian: "What’s the most efficient way to decompose a human body?" from Julie

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

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☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

SIGNAL AWARD!

We’re nominated for a Best Science Show Signal Award! Help us win by voting for our show with the link. Voting is open until October 15. https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/science

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And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When it comes to tiny insects, the ants (formicidae) are an incredible family of organisms. They can build complex structures, they’ve invented and practice agriculture, they work with The Avengers to fight multiversal-level threats … (I’m being told that last one is fictional, but I am still counting it). What no one has ever considered is: what happens when an ant is accelerated to a significant percentage of the speed of light? Don’t worry ANTonio BANTderas — we got you. This week, Trace answers Eddie’s ridiculous questions based on a popular meme, and together we dig (like ants, get it?!) into the amount of energy in their tiny exoskeletoned bodies, and even revisit a long-past episode for inspiration.

QUESTION

Trace: "How fast would an ant have to run to knock me over (or kill)?" from Eddie

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

SIGNAL AWARD!

We’re nominated for a Best Science Show Signal Award! Help us win by voting for our show with the link. Voting is open until October 15. https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/science

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Want to support us and other indie creators? Join Nebula go.nebula.tv/thatsabsurdshow

Want to help decide which questions we answer? Join our patreon patreon.com/thatsabsurdshow

SOCIALS

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And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gelatin is a surprisingly strange material, especially when you stop serving it by the spoonful and start measuring it by the swimming pool. Julian looks into what would happen if someone took a running leap into a pool-sized serving of Jello, then digs into the surprisingly strange material itself. He and Trace explore why gelatin behaves so differently from both liquids and solids, what gives it its signature wobble, and the unexpectedly dark origins hiding beneath all those bright colors and fruity flavors.

QUESTION

Julian: "Let’s say I end up with a swimming pool full of Jello. What happens when I jump in?" from Lisa

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

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SOCIALS

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

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Threads: @tracedominguez

BlueSky: @tracedominguez.com

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The universe is chock-full of things that are hard to find, but figuring out which one deserves the title of “rarest” turns out to be surprisingly complicated. Are we talking about elements that exist for only a fleeting moment before decaying away? Cosmic oddities that appear only under the most extreme conditions? Or something a little more tangible? This week, Trace and Julian follow the twists and turns of a deceptively simple question and discover that rarity depends a lot on how you define it… and that the answer may not be what you’d expect.

QUESTION

Trace: "What is the rarest "thing" in the universe?" from Marco

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

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☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

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BlueSky: @tracedominguez.com

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nature has handed out some wildly uneven perks. While certain animals can regrow entire limbs, humans are limited to patch jobs. Julian and Trace dig into what it would actually take to rebuild an arm or leg from scratch, from the cellular machinery needed to kick-start regeneration to the staggering calorie bill your body would have to pay along the way. Building a replacement limb would mean your body would have to manufacture bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and skin on an industrial scale—all while somehow keeping the rest of you running at the same time.

QUESTION

Julian: "What would be the physical toll on the human body if we could regenerate missing limbs? What would the calorie and nutrition cost be to regrow an arm or a leg, and what would it take to stimulate that response in a complex vertebrate?" from Daniel

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

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SOCIALS

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

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BlueSky: @tracedominguez.com

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve ever been sick and wondered how a seemingly endless supply of mucus can fit inside your face, you’re not alone. This week, Trace and Julian investigate where all that snot actually comes from, explore the surprisingly strange evolutionary history of mucus, and discover how your sinuses can produce so much crud despite being smaller than you’d think. Naturally, Trace uncovers one of the most delightfully bizarre studies we’ve ever discussed on the show that may or may not involve human and goat cadavers, sinus drainage, and a question that apparently required researchers to discover positions neither species was ever meant to be in… and somehow, that’s still only part of the story.

QUESTION

Trace: "How much mucus can a face hold?" from Ivy from Minnesota

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

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SOCIALS

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And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Julian and Trace imagine a world where gravity vanishes for ten seconds every day. There, they discover that humanity would have a lot more to worry about than a few floating tchotchkes. True weightlessness means the slightest movement could send you drifting across a room trapped in mid-air only to crash back down again when gravity returns. The guys think about how society and nature might adapt to this daily gravity outage and (of course) detour into the surprisingly persistent rumor that solar eclipses affect gravity, proving that even a completely absurd scenario can lead to some very real physics.

QUESTIONS

Julian: "If gravity turned off for 10 seconds once a day, how would society adapt?" from Sarah

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? Whatever your question, we want to answer it—tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Want to support us and other indie creators? Join Nebula go.nebula.tv/thatsabsurdshow

Want to help decide which questions we answer? Join our patreon patreon.com/thatsabsurdshow

SOCIALS

[[ FOLLOW OUR SHOW ]]

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[[ FOLLOW JULIAN ]]

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

Instagram: @tracedominguez

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BlueSky: @tracedominguez.com

YouTube: youtube.com/@tracedominguez

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

🎶 Game of Thrones theme 🎶

DRA-GONS. WHAT ARE DRAG-ONS? LET US KNOWWWWWW

OR MER-MAIDS. FRICKIN’ MER-MAIDS… HOW THEY GOOOOO?

PLUS JUUUU-LIAN WANTS TO CHECK ON MIRROR TRAAAACE

HE THINKS, THIS MIRROR TRACE MIGHT BE EVIL TRAAAAAACE!

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Today in Pod 48 Ellen Weatherford from “Just The Zoo of Us” (family friendly) and “Spellbound and Gagged” (NSFW) joins us to talk out about dragons, scientifically correct mermaids and a possible Mirror-Universe Trace! 🤫

QUESTIONS

Trace: "How would you taxaonomically classify a dragon" from Ellen

Ellen: “If mermaids exist, what would they realistically look like?” from Riley

Julian: "If you made a Mirrored Duplicate of Trace, would he survive? Would he be evil?!” from Wren

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's silly idea you had, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? If you want an answer, no matter the question, tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

SUPPORT THE SHOW: JOIN NEBULA

Want to listen to the show without any ads and support the show? You can, just join Nebula with our link. Not only do you get to listen to our show ad-free, but you'll also get it early and it directly supports That's Absurd Please Elaborate and tons of other independent creators. To join visit go.nebula.tv/thatsabsurdshow.

SOCIALS

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[[ FIND ELLEN WEATHERFORD ]]

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PODCAST: Just the Zoo of Us pod.link/1463896106

Website: justthezooofus.com

Thread: threads.net/@justthezooofuspod

Instagram: instagram.com/justthezooofuspod

PODCAST 2: Spellbound and Gagged pod.link/1653440593

[[ JULIAN ]]

Instagram: @Huggetout

Threads: @Huggetout

X (formerly, Twitter): @Huggetout

[[ TRACE ]]

Instagram: @tracedominguez

YouTube: @tracedominguez

Threads: @tracedominguez

BlueSky: @tracedominguez

X (formerly, Twitter): @tracedominguez

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Trace and Julian investigate a deceptively simple mystery: why do things look darker when they’re wet? Although the question sounds almost too obvious to ask, Trace takes us on a fascinating exploration of light, color, optics, and the strange ways our brains make sense of the world around us. It’s one of those everyday phenomena that feels totally obvious—right up until you try to explain it. Kind of like how Trace keeps winning all those wet T-shirt contests… and how Julian’s always the judge.

QUESTION

Trace: "When something gets wet, why do its colors look darker?” from Jill from Green Bay, WI

Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's silly idea you had, a shower thought about the nature of reality, or a ridiculous musing about your favorite food? If you want an answer, no matter the question, tell us!

HOW TO ASK A QUESTION

🖥️ Submit on our website: thatsabsurdshow.com/ask

☎️ Leave a voicemail: (302) TAPE-SHO [+1-302-827-3746‬]

📬 E-mail questions to hello at thatsabsurdshow.com

If we use your question we’ll give you a shout out in the episode.

WANT MORE US? SUPPORT THE SHOW!

Want to support us and other indie creators? Join Nebula go.nebula.tv/thatsabsurdshow

Want to help decide which questions we answer? Join our patreon patreon.com/thatsabsurdshow

SOCIALS

[[ FOLLOW OUR SHOW ]]

YouTube: @ThatsAbsurdShow

Instagram: @ThatsAbsurdShow

Threads: @ThatsAbsurdShow

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[[ FOLLOW JULIAN ]]

Instagram: @Huggetout

Threads: @Huggetout

[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

Instagram: @tracedominguez

Threads: @tracedominguez

BlueSky: @tracedominguez.com

YouTube: youtube.com/@tracedominguez

And don’t sleep on ThatsAbsurdShow.com. There you can browse images and videos we find during our research and listen to every episode of the show.

CREDITS

This episode of That's Absurd Please Elaborate was written by Trace Dominguez and Julian Huguet, edited by Kyle Sisk, and produced by all three of us with the support of our Patrons.

Theme Music by Epidemic Sound; learn more here: http://nebula.tv/epidemic

Thanks for listening to That's Absurd Please Elaborate. We appreciate you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.