That's Absurd Please Elaborate

This week, Julian and Trace imagine a world where humanity never got around to inventing ships and discovers that the consequences run a WHOLE lot deeper than a disappointing cruise industry. Without boats, trade slows down, migration patterns change dramatically, and some parts of the world might never have been settled at all. Along the way, Julian uncovers just how much nautical history is hiding in our everyday language, from common phrases to metaphors that only exist because somebody, somewhere, looked at a vast expanse of definitely-not-scary open water and thought, “Yeah, I can probably cross that.”

QUESTIONs

Julian: "What if there were seas but no ships?” from Valerie

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!

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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.

In this TAPE classic, Trace tackles a transportation problem of his own creation by figuring out just how many chihuahuas it would take to complete the Iditarod, the legendary dogsled race across hundreds of miles of Alaskan wilderness, forcing him to confront the limits of canine endurance, logistics, and plain old common sense. Meanwhile, Julian investigates whether AI can help cook an egg, only to discover that turning a simple breakfast into a prompt-driven exercise may be far more complicated than cracking a shell.

QUESTIONS

Trace: "How many chihuahuas would it take to complete the Iditarod?" from Loren

Julian: "How many ChatGPT queries would I need to cook an egg?” from AJ

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]

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

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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, Trace and Julian embark on a surprisingly existential mission: finding the most boring day in history. Easy, right? Just pick a day where nothing happened. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—the universe refuses to sit still. From the way our brains define boredom to the impossible task of measuring excitement across an entire planet (and beyond), Trace discovers that "nothing happened" may be one of the hardest things to prove. After all, if trees are growing, species are evolving, galaxies are colliding, and someone somewhere is having the weirdest day of their life, can any day really be boring?

QUESTION

Trace: “What's the boring-est day in history?" from Levi

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 ]]

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

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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.

This week, Trace dives into the eerie blue glow of Cherenkov radiation—the phenomenon that makes nuclear reactors look suspiciously like sci-fi props—and asks the obvious next question: is blue really the best color? Meanwhile, Julian heads beneath the waves to investigate one of nature's most famous "friendships," only to discover that when it comes to biological partnerships, the documentary 'Finding Nemo' might have glossed over a few crucial details. Turns out, even the natural world has its fair share of freeloaders, bad roommates, and complicated relationship dynamics.

QUESTIONS

Trace: “Can we change the colour of Cherenkov Radiation?” from Miles (Jen Jen) in New Zealand

Julian: “How actually symbiotic are clownfish and anemones? For that matter, are symbiotic relationships actually evenly give and take?” from Brendan

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 ]]

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[[ FOLLOW JULIAN ]]

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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.

This week, Julian launches an investigation into “Big Sun” and its wild claim that humans can somehow absorb vitamins from a giant nuclear fireball 93 million miles away. Unfortunately for conspiracy theorists, that actually does somehow happen. Later, Trace ventures into the unexplored corners of the human mind to ask whether there are any feelings that nobody has ever experienced before—and whether humanity might still be hiding entirely new emotions somewhere beyond the edge of our emotional vocabulary.

QUESTIONS

Julian: “Is absorbing vitamin D through sunlight a real thing or is this propaganda from Big Sun? If it is real, how does it work, what else do we absorb from the sun, and does this work on furry animals?” from David

Trace: “Are there emotions that no one has ever felt before?” from Liza

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 ]]

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[[ FOLLOW TRACE ]]

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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.

In this TAPE Classic episode, Trace explores the science of stasis, diving into hyper-sleep, cryogenic freezing, and whether humanity might one day be able to snooze our way through long journeys. Meanwhile, Julian applies rocket science to one of humanity’s least celebrated forms of propulsion, uncovering just how much thrust it would take to achieve the dream of self-powered flight. As a bonus, an unexpected detour reveals that the 1993 classic film “Demolition Man" may have been far more prophetic than anyone intended.

QUESTIONS

Trace: "Could hyper-sleep ever be a possibility?" from Dartland

Julian: "How hard would I have to fart to lift off the ground?" from Ricky

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

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Threads: @ThatsAbsurdShow

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[[ FOLLOW JULIAN ]]

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Threads: @Huggetout

[[ 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.

This week, Trace and Julian are joined by special guest Dr. Ella Hubber as they embark on a quest to stop natural processes both big and small. Julian combines a little physics and engineering, a smidge of meteorology, and a dash of aerodynamics—and, yeah, he brings up airplanes, because he’s Julian—to potentially stop the wind. Meanwhile, Ella explores solutions to one of humanity’s most persistent inconveniences and discovers how we may finally be able to tackle the capital "P" Problem. Literally.

QUESTIONS

Julian: “Wind turbines steal energy as they turn. How many wind turbines would it take to stop the wind?” from Ella Hubber (and her husband)

Ella Hubber: “What if humans only peed once a year?” from Julia

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

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Threads: @ThatsAbsurdShow

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[[ FOLLOW JULIAN ]]

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Threads: @Huggetout

[[ 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.

If our magic button killed every microbe on Earth — all bacteria, all viruses, gone — what would be left standing? Spoiler: You'd be missing something powerful. Julian goes full overachiever and zooms in on FOUR questions all on this devastating topic. Then, Trace, somewhere else in the solar system, is singing in the rain. But does it even rain elsewhere? Is rain weird? Find out this week!

Julian answers:

"What would be the implications, good and bad, we successfully killed all microbes." from JWT2009

"What would happend if ALL bacteria and viruses in the world seized to exist?" from Vicky

"What would happen if all of the bacteria in your body died or disappeared?" from Jacob

"What if there were no microorganisms?" from Stephen

Trace answers:

"How does rain sound like on other planets?" from Villem

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 ]]

Instagram: @ThatsAbsurdShow

Threads: @ThatsAbsurdShow

Bluesky: @thatsabsurdshow.com

[[ 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.

Did you know our very own Trace Dominguez is the host of another podcast, Health vs Hype with the American Medical Association? Every week on HvH Trace talks about health-related trends circulating online. Everything from protein, creatine, fasting, red light therapy, you name it! Each episode centers on one trend and separates what's actually backed by science from what's over-promised hype.

In this episode, Trace uncovers the science behind viral sleep trends, and reveals what actually works to improve sleep quality.

From mouth tape and melatonin to your sleep tracker, breath work, and sleep divorces, millions of Americans are experimenting with trending sleep hacks. More than half of U.S. adults have tried at least one viral sleep trend. But are these methods backed by science…or just social media hype?

Featuring insights from lifestyle content creator Lucie Fink, sleep storyteller Kathryn Nicolai, and sleep medicine expert Dr. Jose Colon, this episode answers the questions:

Does your sleep tracker actually improve sleep or increase anxiety?

Is mouth tape safe or potentially dangerous?

How much sleep do you really need for optimal health?

What is heart rate variability (HRV), and does it matter?

You’ll also learn why “trying harder” to sleep can backfire, how social media influences health behaviors, and which simple, evidence-based strategies can help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling restored.

If you’ve ever struggled with insomnia, experimented with sleep optimization, or wondered whether viral wellness trends are worth it, this episode gets to the bottom of it all.

To learn more, visit: amahealthvshype.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 accidentally stumble into what may be the most in-depth discussion of a certain food-based weather movie ever recorded. To determine whether giant pancakes, spaghetti tornadoes, and burger-based weather systems would actually be fun or the beginning of humanity’s downfall, Trace recruits our associate producer, Sabrina Capello. Longtime listeners may know her as the person who bullies us on social media, but today she joins the show in her true role: professional opinion haver and alarmingly dedicated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs expert. What begins as a whimsical thought experiment quickly turns into a shocking investigation into a world far more horrifying than the movie ever suggests.

QUESTIONS

Trace: “Should it start raining food tomorrow (i.e. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), what would be the worst food weather?” from Connor

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

Bluesky: @thatsabsurdshow.com

[[ 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.