Serious Inquiries Only

We're focusing in on some sci-fi with Dr. Bryan Gillis, astrophysicist to the stars! We take you through one of Ted Chiang's incredible short stories, Exhalation, and Dr. Gillis teaches us about entropy and the Laws of Thermodynamics. What is the heat death of the universe? Can we avoid it by turning up the AC a bit or are we just plain effed? Find out!   Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

CW: Discussion of suicide; please skip this episode if it's better for your mental health After a long hiatus, Dr. Alan Smerbeck AKA Stormy Decisis is back to cover a topic we've been talking about discussing for a while. What does the research tell us is the responsible way to cover death by suicide? What kind of impact can the media have on the greater population if they get it wrong? And how many different ways did 13 Reasons Why completely screw up? Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Dr. Bryan Gillis discusses the controversial Em Drive, its potential for space travel efficiency. Explore momentum transfer, directional acceleration, and surprising findings from Chinese research. Learn about navigating uncertainties in experimental measurements, Bayesian statistics, and avoiding bias in research.

Join Quantum Anne as she quizzes the hosts on real vs. fake quantum products, exploring topics like quantum materials, energy bars for quantum scientists, quantum computing credibility, and the mysteries of Mr. Squid. Dive into playful banter on quantum healing skepticism, branding strategies, and the ambiguity of quantum.com's services.

Dr. Joe Siev and Dr. Jake Teeny discuss their studies on how artists and scientists are punished for misconduct. They explore disparities in punishments, moral decoupling, public perception, and personal ramifications. The conversation delves into the unique perspectives of artists and scientists, the impact of sexual misconduct, and the varying consequences in different professional fields.

Dr. Harry Barbee out of Johns Hopkins University recently co-authored a meta-analysis in JAMA Surgery, examining postoperative regret for those people seeking gender-affirming care. We talk about how many people *actually* regret receiving surgery, how that compares with general postoperative regret in the cisgender population, the politics and misinformation influencing the bad science in this area of study, and what we can do about it.    Another piece by Dr. Barbee advocating for sanctuary locations for gender-affirming care: Transgender Youths and Sanctuaries for Gender-Affirming Care    Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Dr. Paul Sutter discusses the flaws in current scientific practices and suggests ways to improve academia. He explores the lack of trust in science, challenges in the scientific profession, and the need for transparency and communication to maintain scientific integrity.

Exploring personal growth and LGBTQ+ support, reflecting on virtue signaling and social justice advocacy. Defiance against banning pride tape in hockey, promoting acceptance and support for marginalized communities through small gestures. Encouraging inclusivity and allyship for queer individuals.

Dr. Jesse Preston, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Warwick, joins to discuss a recent paper she published regarding whether or not science may serve as a spiritual experience for nonbelievers. Could loving science offer similar psychological benefits that the literature has demonstrated for those in religion?   Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis returns to discuss a quirky topic - sperm violating Newton's 3rd Law. They dive into the amusing scenario of a sperm mug shot, explore contra positives in logic with animal classification, and analyze the implications of violating Newton's 3rd Law on fundamental physics. The podcast delves into semen viscosity, sperm physics modeling, and challenges traditional physics assumptions in a fun and informative way.