Probably Science

Author Michael Marshall (@m_c_marshall) joins Matt and Andy to talk about his new book The Genesis Quest, which explores the century-long effort to understand how life began on Earth and the many interesting characters who dedicated themselves to solving this massive scientific puzzle. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably

Comedian John Hastings (@thejohnhastings) joins Andy and Matt to talk about the questionable comedy of Roy Chubby Brown, neanderthal genes and covid-19, water bodies under the surface of Mars, and using balanced rocks to increase nuclear safety. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably  

Comedian Gene Pompa (@genepompa) joins Matt and Andy to discuss methanol-fueled robot beetles, super long words, methylated alcohol, why the moon is rusting, smartphones knowing when you're drunk-walking and corn that makes its own mucus.

The gang's back together to celebrate 400 episodes of Probably Science! Erstwhile hosts Jesse Case (@jessecase) and Brooks Wheelan (@brookswheelan) join Matt and Andy to discuss counting magicians, Jesse's proximity to train tracks, Ig Nobel prizes for alligators on helium and narcissist eyebrows, detecting phosphine in the clouds of Venus, finding super old sperm in amber, an earthquake hack to measure ocean warming and podcast recommendations including Our Fake History, Entry Level and Jesse vs. Cancer. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably

Jesse Case rejoins the show for a cancer special with science writer Dr. Kat Arney (@Kat_Arney), author of Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life's Oldest Betrayal. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably

Comedian Jen Burton (@jensburpin) joins Matt and Andy to discuss Africa getting rid of wild polio, painting turbine blades to save birds, a Jeopardy furry champ, an uncuttable material and Idyllwild's very good boy Mayor Max.

Mia Jackson (@miacomedy) join Matt and Andy to talk about old-time casino heists, asteroids that are the greatest basketball player of all time, ancient Americans, songbirds warming up and 100-million-year-old microbes that are still alive. Check out Mia’s performances on Unprotected Sets on Epix, and her Comedy Central half hour. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably

Despite a technical glitch, the excellent Adam Cayton-Holland (@CaytonHolland), star of Those Who Can’t, the new podcast The Grawlix Saves The World, and his new album Semblance of Normalcy, talks with Andy and Matt about the word stentorian, Earth’s magnetic anomaly, scientific collaborations and X shapes in the galaxy, finding out there's more than one foot, the threat of swooping magpies and what, exactly, ropey means. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably

Writer, actress and story coach Lynn Ferguson (@lynnfergy) joins Matt and Andy to talk about house snooping and fountain misuse, chickens, wasps in figs, coyote melons, spying on penguin poop, Andy's hiking discovery, painting eyes on cow butts and whether hot water freezes faster than cold. Check out Michelle Biloon’s album Permanent Hat and Sara Schaefer's book Grand!

Matt’s Last Comic Standing buddy (and Season 5 winner) Jon Reep @jonreep joins Matt and Andy to talk about getting COVID, meteors and moons, Shazam for spiders, anus-escaping water beetles, unusual places to grow a penis, medieval antibiotics, Jon's new podcast Country-ish and this totally independent, unbiased ranking of podcasts that we hope to break. This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, offering Probably Science listeners a free trial with unlimited access by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/probably