The Broken Brain

What's with all of these weird science experiments? Waste of money and time, right? wellllllll.......probably not. This week history dive looks at 2 examples of when science sounded crazy but delivered something cool. A full half of the episode this week is available to non-subscribers, the rest is on the Patreon feed for you super-cool supporters of the show. Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org for this month's highlighted charity.

Benjamin Cohen & Max Strand are the Writers and Directors of "Rocky's" a new coming-of-age film focused on the lives of several young adults spending time in the local hangout, Rocky's Deli. They joined me to discuss their film, character development, growing up, and storytelling. Check out our February Nonprofit-of-choice: The D Coffey Foundation, which helps youth in need to find athletic scholarships to advance their education.

Telling inspirational stories about disabled people is all over the internet, which raises the question: do we treat them as individuals, listening and learning from them? Or do we fall into the trap of identifying people by their disability, or as an inspirational meme?

Sharon & Dwight are reacting to the teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," focused on the psychological and cultural aspects of the project. Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's highlighted charity.

Following the Civil War in the USA, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era, freed Black Americans fought hard to establish communities and defend their rights. None of these struggles were more important than access to education, and the efforts of Black American pioneers of public education helped to form the model of publicly funded school for children in the US, as well as codify this into law. Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity-of-choice, helping young people in need to further their education through athletic scholarships.

Elio Zarmati is a retired filmmaker, journalist, and author of the new memoir "Goodbye Tahrir Square: Coming of Age as a Jew of the Nile." He tells the story of his life, aged 7-14, growing up in war-torn Egypt. It is a message of growing up during societal unrest, and how our life is not defined by outside conflict. Go to www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity of focus. The D Coffey Foundation helps young people to pursue their goals through athleticism and scholarship.

Don't Give Up!

In 1925 Hugo Gernsback invented the "Isolation Helmet," a device to limit distraction, and a wild device at that. Gernsback also pioneered many things in the area of radio, television, and Science Fiction. This is a sample of the weekly history episode, available in full for all patrons of the show.

In his new book "The Sexual Evolution," Biologist and Professor Nathan Lents shares the diverse examples of sex, sexual orientation, and flexible gender roles in the animal kingdom. A look at what truly is natural as well as how we learn about the world around us and the important role that sex and gender play in our lives. At a time when issues of sexuality and gender Identity are controversial, and the Queer population is under attack, this book is timely and informative. Check out www.dcoffey.org for this month's highlighted charity, The D Coffey foundation. Started by former guest Dr Delice Coffey, this nonprofit helps students achieve scholarships and opportunities through athleticism.

Author Dr Lakeysha Hallmon discusses her book "No One is Self-Made," and the myth of self-made success. As a Social Entrepreneur she uses the strength of community to create success for local business, and teaches others to do the same, with her mantra: "Support is a Verb." Dr Key is the founder of Village Market, connecting Black-owned businesses, and Our Village United, a nonprofit focused on providing small businesses with funding and tech support. Follow her work at www.drkeyhallmon.com Remember to check out our highlighted nonprofit this month: www.whitebirdclinic.org, helping people fill their dental, mental health, and other medical needs.