The Science of Everything Podcast

A discussion of the properties and behaviour of gases, focusing on the kinetic theory of gases and the ideal gas law. I also discuss the thermodynamic behaviours of gases, gas partial pressures, and PV diagrams. Recommended prerequisites are Episode 9: Matter and Molecules and Episode 13: Newtonian Mechanics.

A discussion of the behaviour of fluids, including an overview of the concepts of fluid pressure and Pascal’s Principle. I also discuss Archimedes’ principle of buoyancy and its application to why objects float, and Bernoulli’s Principle of the relationship between fluid speed and pressure, and how this can be applied (and misapplied) to explaining how aeroplanes fly. Recommended prerequisites: Episode 13 Newtonian Mechanics, Episode 27 Intermolecular Bonds and Phase Transitions.

A science-based discussion of the issue of gun control in the United States. After reviewing some basic statistics about crime and gun ownership, I examine the empirical evidence concerning the relationship between gun ownership and violent crime, highlighting the many difficulties associated with such studies and the limitations of this literature. I then discuss some more specific aspects of the gun control debate, including the question of who commits most violent crimes, how deadly guns are compared to other weapons, and how criminals acquire guns. I conclude with a discussion of the evidence for and against various types of gun control measures, and some thoughts on contemporary US gun culture and its impact on gun policy. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

An overview of the state as understood in political science, including a discussion of the meaning of terms like ‘state’, ‘country’ and ‘nation’, and a summary of some of the different types of states, including unitary, federal, and confederal. I also discuss some of the core principles of government in modern states, including sovereignty, the rule of law, separation of powers, and separation of church and state.

A discussion of the neuron, the fundamental cell of the brain and the nervous system, including an overview of its morphology and physiology. I also discuss the generation and propagation of action potentials, including the role of graded potentials, voltage-dependant ion channels, and myelination. The episode concludes with an overview of synapses and the important role of neurotransmitters.

An overview of oxidation, reduction, and redox reactions, including a discussion of the definitions of these basic concepts, and an explanation of how they relate to oxidation number and electronegativity. We then apply these concepts to several common examples of redox reactions, including combustion, rust, batteries, fuel cells, and respiration.

A discussion of the theory of consumer choice in economics, including an outline of consumer preferences and the axiomatic assumptions economists make about them, a discussion of the realism of these assumptions, and an explanation of how preferences are used to derive consumer utility functions and demand curves. These basic concepts are then applied to understand consumer behaviour in an analysis of substitution and income effects, complementary and substitute goods, and elasticity of demand. Recommended prerequisites include Episode 12: The Price System and Episode 16: Profits and Competition.

Continuing on from episode 34, I discuss in detail the processes of DNA replication, transcription from DNA to RNA, and the translation of RNA to proteins. In doing so I examine the molecules and structures involved, the mechanisms of their operation, and how all the processes work together to facilitate the production of proteins from DNA.

Dive into the fascinating world of DNA with its iconic double helix structure! Explore the building blocks of life, the nucleotides, and how they play a crucial role in coding proteins. Discover the significance of codons and how they sequence amino acids, revealing the timeless nature of the genetic code. The podcast also unpacks the central dogma of molecular biology, shedding light on how information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. Get ready to unravel the intricate web of genetic information!

A discussion of three of the most chilling experiments in the field of social psychology: the Ash Conformity Experiment, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and the Milgram Obedience Experiment. In each case I discuss the motivation and setup of the experiment, outline the results, discuss replications and variations of the original experiment, and end with a look at the implications of the experiment for understanding the darker side of human nature.