Host of Um Actually and nerd of many domains Ify Nwadiwe joins us as Tom helps him deconstruct the infamous Peasant Railgun from D&D. Could it actually work? And can we come up with something even more powerful using real science? We also dig into nerdery old and new, and see if Ify can convince Ella and Caroline to embrace their home country's greatest export: Warhammer.Images we Talk About:A Real Railgun FiringTimestamps:(00:00:00) Intro(00:06:05) The Peasant Railgun(00:43:07) Q&A/Nerding Out(01:12:19) OutroSupport us with a Max Fun Membership!Join our Discord!We also learn about: After this black hole research I do appreciate my family more! we’re here to game, what is a peasant? stealing science experiments for DnD campaigns, Caroline and Ella are delighted to learn the Peasant Railgun for the first time, convincing peasants to hands across america, pandering to the audience telling them their smart, My Monster Manual is On the Origin of Species, a peasant message system/computer, let people accelerate things to the speed of light! I shouldn’t let my players do WHAT, and remember kids DONT use a bong because it gets you SO HIGH, I’m reading between the lines Gary would want us to do this, the real rail gun, UM ACTUALLY ITS A PEASANT COIL GUN, rail guns are more common in fiction, the strength of a rail gun tears itself apart and creates a fireball, Ify would make each peasant in the line roll, if your players try to make the railgun say yes then show them the picture, the peasants have the means of production and destruction - they should unionize, the fastest manmade object, the manhole cover isnt the fastest object recorded, mission to touch the sun, gravity slingshot, it’s not the mass of the planet its the orbit, its not a magnet - its a magnet on a bullettrain, DMs watch out for artificer space programs, the duke of musk keeps stealing our government funding, Morgan you’re welcome to play beyblades with Ify any time, marrying bratz and digimon, England’s main export is Warhammer, can Ify convince Ella to play Warhammer, should we do a separate zoom just talking about nerd stuff? online writing forums, audio books are real books, be mean in magic, playing DnD on stage vs at home, playing true to your character.Sources:First Edition D&D Player's HandbookKnight's Digest on Peasant Railgun OriginsEarliest Peasant Railgun MentionPCGamer on D&D 2024 Dungeon Master Guide UpdateIEEE Early Railgun ResearchVice "This Is Why the Navy Can’t Have Nice Railguns"USC on Railgun FeasabilityPopular Science Interview on Railgun TestJPL Chart of Fastest ObjectsCNET on Parker Solar ProbeNASA Gravity Assist Primer

Explore why math can be both a breeze and a brain-buster, with insights from the psychology of horses, babies, and mathematicians. Discover the captivating journey of Sudoku, tracing its origins from ancient China to global popularity, peppered with fascinating anecdotes about animal cognition. Delve into the cognitive complexities of arithmetic, highlighting the cultural differences in math education. Plus, enjoy personal stories about love and hate for Sudoku that reveal its enchanting challenge and joy.

Why is the common fruit fly the perfect model organism, and the reason for 6 Nobel Prizes?? And what is the british fascination around the meal deal, lunchtime, and the sandwich?Images we Talk About:Map of the Fruit Fly BrainRat My Meal DealThe Sandwich FactoryTimestamps:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:57) Drosophila Melanogaster(00:49:46) The British Meal Deal(01:37:48) OutroSupport us with a Max Fun Membership!Join our Discord!We also learn about: Ella’s former favorite fun fact, are 6 nobel prizes more impressive than long sperm? we need to pause, bolas, Ella’s Virgins, Dew Loving Black Belly, Dros Mel are human commensals - they migrated with us, “they’re undemanding guests”, first life intentionally put into space, maybe Jeff Goldblum became a fly so seamlessly because they share 60% of their DNA, Tom’s great Jeff Goldblum impression, they share a lot of disease related genes, Thomas Morgan - The Lord of the Flies, Morgan knew about genetics but not DNA yet, genetic redundancy, a fly geneticist’s swiss army knife, the varied list of nobel wins, are they cancelled? wait actually? guess that fly gene, “the inside jokes are becoming outside jokes”, the golden wild west era of the fruit fly may be over - but not all science, the beautiful fruit fly brain, we COULD end by talking about how this little organism has been so belovedly studied and helpful, Dros Mel has a mini bachelorette organ, the great british everything, is this a sincere answer? rating meal deals, fluctuations of lunch elitism, a beaver and a noonshine, capitalism made workers hours longer - workers rights made lunch, lunch was given by and for women, the earl of sandwich was too much of a gamer, we can’t re-litigate the cube rule, the “daring” true story of the sandwich, the sandwich storry isn’t about invention it’s about class, food elitism fads, ella invents soup in a tube, 1980s the first pre-packaged sandwich, units of sandwich (UOS), it’s almost like getting separated from the means of production…, the british sandwich association, take your lunch break! you won’t remember doing an extra bit of work - you’ll remember spending time with folks and making a bomb ass sandwich, short lunch breaks make meal deals make sense, drosophola and meal deals cancelled on this episode,Sources:Paper: Drosophila - Model Organism of ChoicePaper: Innate Immune Responses of Drosophila melanogaster Are Altered by SpaceflightNASA: Fruit Flies in SpacePaper: Drosophila – A Versatile Model in Biology & MedicinePaper: The Secret Lives of Drosophila FliesGuardian Article on DrosophilaPaper: Where are Drosphila FromPaper: Gal4 Swiss Army KnifeNobel Prize: DrosophilaNPR: Fruit Fly NamesNature News: Troublesome Names Get the BootPaper: Fly Brain MapFly Brain ImageUKRI: Fruit Fly Neuron MapPaper Drosophila Sperm StorageMeal Deal Sources Coming Soon!

What can we learn from the most modern - but overlooked form of pollution? And can mistakes in art be something actually... good?Images we Talk About:Navajo Rug Ch'ihónít’iRamses II StatueEcce HomoThe Original Ecce Homo3 Versions of Ecce HomoLincoln Memorial MistakeTimestamps:(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:25) Light Pollution(00:48:06) Mistaeks(01:37:02) OutroSupport us with a Max Fun Membership!Join our Discord!We also learn about: Auctioning topics, the origins of pollution, pollution is old but light pollution is from the 1960s, the great stink, the biggest light polluter is the sun, old gas street lights used to be more like beacons than lights, the world’s getting 10% brighter each year, 80% of North American can’t see the milky way, Light Trespass, Sky Glow, light pollution makes telescopes worse, Tom’s parents hearing him scream WHY IS THERE BREAST MILK, the strange lights after the 1994 LA earthquake, amateur astronomers are vital to astronomy, light trapped moths, a 1917 study on lighthouses and bird migration, birds waking up 5 hours earlier, turtles also use moonlight navigation, just move your telescope and evolve your species it’s not our fault, “he glistens you philistine”, the big beautiful glow worm woman in the sky, street lights are like sugar light to plants, light pollution isn’t the biggest issue - but that can make it easy to ignore - and it has some easy wins! it’s solvable at the community level, Tom’s buoyancy broken hand mistake, oops I mixed up my therapy and podcast topic list, the beatles anomalies list, Michelangelo’s beautiful complaint letter poem, we are our own worst critic, the ASMR mistake was just an anomaly, Kintsugi, “it treats breakage as a part of the object’s history rather than an error or a failure to be covered up”, what’s the japanese word for mud covered boots, only god can make perfect fun facts, Ch'ihónít’i, releasing the thoughts from an object - a way out, the journey of Caroline’s darned jumper, how can you tell an old mistake was a mistake? hieroglyphic typos, oh shit control ankh control ankh, revealing an ancient mistake by mistake, Philadelphia isn’t real it can’t hurt you, the Jesus that was… made an anomaly by Gloria Gimenez, the misremembered story of Ecce Homo, art is this emotional roller coaster, wow don’t take Tom’s summary Caroline, Lincoln memorial myths, 1000 years from now a museum in Neo Egypt will carve out the lincoln memorial fix, I know a great art restoration person in spain if you need one, most mistakes are just forgotten, you need mistakes to learn, the mistake of starting this podcast, verbal kintsugi, anomalous jesus, we didn’t learn today that Ella was a contrarian.Sources:Britannica: Light Pollution2020 Paper: A Chronology of Global Air QualityWikipedia: The Great StinkNHM London: Increasing Light Pollution is Drowning out the Stars2023 Paper: Light Pollution is SkyrocketingScientific America: Light Pollution is Dimming Our View of the Sky2009 Paper: Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light PollutionNational Parks Service: Connect with the Galaxy: A case for turning out the lightsCAPE 2023: What are the Effects of Artifical Light on Human Health? An Evidence Brief 2019 Paper: Effects of Light at Night on Laboratory Animals and Research Outcomes1918 Paper: The Destruction of Birds at the Lighthouses on the Coast of California2021 Paper: Characteristics of Light Pollution – A case study of Warsaw (Poland) and Fukuoka (Japan)1973 Paper: Light Pollution BBC: How light pollution disrupts plants' sensesDark Sky: Solutions to Light Pollution---The Beatles Anomalies ListMichelangelo's "Poem"KintsugiJill Ahlberg Yohe's Incredible Paper on Ch’ihónít’iPenn Museum's Ramses IIAncient Egyptian LiteracyNYTimes on Ecce HomoThe Guardian Ecce Homo CritiqueThe Art History of Ecce HomoAP on Ecce Homo a Year Later

Ellen Weatherford, host of "Spellbound and Gagged", dives into the fascinating uncanny valley phenomenon, exploring how lifelike robots can evoke discomfort in humans. The conversation mixes humor with science, touching on personal anecdotes and the psychological impacts of AI. They also discuss how perceptions vary among different groups, including children with autism. With hilarious insights on animated characters and media representation, the dialogue navigates the complex emotions intertwined with technology and human attraction to the non-human.

The hosts dive into a playful Q&A, tackling whimsical topics like whether they'd still love each other as worms. They celebrate their favorite words from the show, discuss the evolution of their podcast format, and explore quirky hobbies that reveal surprising insights. There’s a humorous take on video games designed for social interactions and a lighthearted discussion about identity and grooming choices. The lively banter reflects on their journey, engaging listener feedback, and cultivating a vibrant community full of creativity.

Celebrate the quirky HaLearn Days with a delightful mix of fun facts! Discover the bizarre Brussels sprout tradition and the playful behavior of animals during solar eclipses. Laugh along as the hosts delve into the wacky emu wars and the surprising truths about rats driving tiny cars. Explore the strange world of microbial exchanges during kisses and the evolution of iconic horror movie masks. Plus, enjoy reflections on Santa’s influence on kids and the comedic complexities of modern text messaging. Join in for laughter and learning!

Dive into the cosmic hilarity of humanity's misguided maps of the universe! Discover the quirky origins of carrot-related propaganda, especially its WWII roots. Marvel at humorous myths surrounding carrots' impact on night vision, alongside thrilling tales of radar technology. Explore the historical drama of Hubble's discoveries that reshaped our cosmic perceptions, all while reflecting on the awkward teenage years of science. The charm of quirky carrots and their surprising role in public health messaging makes for an entertaining discussion!

It's everyone's favorite holiday: the day we ask you to submit your Q&A questions!!Go to www.LetsLearnEverything.com/questions and submit your questions about truly anything at all from the science to the serious to the silly!

In this engaging discussion, Gretchen McCulloch, a linguist and co-host of the Lingthusiasm podcast, unravels the scientific mystery behind autumn leaves changing color. She shares surprising insights on the role of climate change and animal behavior related to these vibrant transformations. The conversation takes an entertaining turn as they explore the fascinating world of swearing, examining its historical significance and the unique power of expressive language. Expect lots of laughter while debating just how versatile and therapeutic swearing can be!