I Slept Through Science

Inspired by a scene from the TV show Friends, Cheryl wants to know if soap is self-cleaning or not. Through talking about the science behind soap, Cheryl realizes she doesn't really know what soap does. Do you know? It's never too late to learn about the world around you. This is part of the Invisible Things unit. Resources from this episode: Frequent questions about hand hygiene How does...

Gravity is something we experience every day, but do you know what it is and how it works? Does gravity pull bigger objects more than smaller object? Who was that scientist that threw stuff off of a tower to see how it all fell? These questions and more in this week's lesson. It's never too late to learn about the world around you. This is in our Invisible Things unit. Resources from this...

This week we're doing a cross over episode with Ryan & Chery'ls previous travel podcast, Take Me With You. Ryan will share about his trip to Greece & Italy, along with the cool science he got to experience while there. From illusions in Athens to volcanoes in Italy, there's lot's to experience! It's never too late to learn about the world around you. Watch the podcast o...

Unlucky 13, don't step on a crack, black cats, breaking mirrors...while we might claim to not be superstitious, it's amazing how prevalent they are in societies all over the world. Little things we do or say are often rooted in superstitions. What are common superstitions we might believe or even repeat ourselves? Where did our superstitions come from? What makes us want to believe they ar...

We know the Earth isn't flat, but what evidence do we have supporting this? If people think the Earth is flat, how do they explain things like the Sun and Moon and ships getting smaller as they sail away? How long have humans know the Earth isn't flat? And what does it mean to "invoke the conspiracy?" It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is part of the Quackery unit...

Clean eating. Whole 30. Whole food. Natural. Organic. Removing toxins. There are lots of ideas connected to eating healthy. Are any of them true? Are any of them helpful? And what does Ryan get on his soapbox about? Listen this week and find out. It's never too late to learn about the world around you. This is part of the Quackery unit. Resources from this episode: Whole 30 Shopping List Whole 30...

Homeopathy, naturopathy, and other types of alternative medicine. How are they the same and how are they different? What exactly does homeopathy say about curing ailments? And why does Cheryl call it the dilution solution? Listen to this week's episode to find out! It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is part of the Quackery unit.   00:00 - Intro 00:50 - The Qu...

Essential Oils are incredibly popular for their wonderful scents as well as their healing properties. But what about these oils is essential, anyway? And are they able to do all the things they claim? There are so many people who swear by them; how do we evaluate their experiences from a scientific perspective? And how exactly can you align your DNA? Learn all this and more in this week's lesson!...

Ionized water is marketed as a way to balance the pH of our bodies and alkaline water is supposed to be good for us, but is it? What exactly is pH, anyway? Join us this week to learn about how the placebo effect could contribute to the claims that ionized water can heal all sorts of ailments. It's never too late to learn about the world around you.    This is part of our Quackery Unit &n...

Astrology has been around for thousands of years. Since astrology has to do with the stars, does that make it scientific? What exactly is the Zodiac, and what does that have to do with my personality? Does astrology make any claims that science can test? Join us for our first look into pseudoscience. It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is part of our Quackery unit....

Our last listener question for a while, we look into what fog is. Is fog just a cloud that's low to the ground? If so, why is it so close to the ground? Can fog rain? Is fog heavier than clouds? So many questions from such a simple question! It's never too late to learn about the world around you.  \ Resources from this episode: How fog forms Fog What's the difference between fog and clouds?...

Though it might not seem immediately obvious, sometimes plants appear to want their own personal space. Crown shyness is an interesting phenomenon where the tops of trees stay away from each other. But how to trees know where other trees are and how to they stay away from them? Plants are much more complex than we often give them credit for! It's never too late to learn about the world around you....

Another listener question this week about something that seems simple: engines. Do you know the difference between an engine and a motor? How do car engines actually make cars move? Where does all that energy come from? Find out how much Cheryl does (or doesn't) know about engines in this week's episode. It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   Resources from this episode: I...

We've all been annoyed by the drip-drip-drip of water from a leaky faucet, but why is there a rhythm to the dripping? What prevents the water from simply leaking out continuously? And can water defy gravity? Listen to this week's lesson to find out. It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is a listener question.   Resources from this episode: Raindrops are differe...

If you don't have to run your heater all year, you're probably familiar with the smell that accompanies turning it on again in the fall. But what causes that smell? Is something burning? What does it mean for something to burn, anyway? Does there have to be fire for something to burn? Join Cheryl as she learns answers to these and more questions this week. It's never too late to learn about the wo...

This week's question is about drinking straws. Have you ever put your straw in a drink, held your thumb on the top of the straw, and pulled it out of the drink? What keeps the liquid inside the straw? Why doesn't it fall out? Does this mean the liquid is defying gravity? Join us for this week's lesson to find out. It's never too late to learn about the world around you. This is a listener question...

If movies are to be believed, when you are in space, opening a door can have disastrous consequences. Can space really suck all the air out of a spaceship? What about all those science teachers who say that "science doesn't suck?" Learn all about this, as well as a new way to find out if Ryan is excited about a topic, in this week's lesson. It's never too late to learn about the world around you....

Lesson 53 What seems like a simple question ends up being more difficult that you might think: what exactly is fire? Is it a solid? A gas? Something else? And what causes the actual light we see? This week Cheryl & Ryan tackle a listener question from Katie that turns out to be something lots of people have asked and others have struggled to answer. It's never too late to learn about the world...

We've all heard it: reading in dim light is bad for your eyes. But is it true, or is it a myth? Lisa, one of our listeners, asks us this question and Cheryl and Ryan do their best to get to the bottom of it, including learning a bit more about why pirates wear eye patches! It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is a listener question!   Resources from this episod...

After partying a little too hard for New Year's, sometimes we experience a hangover, but what exactly is a hangover and what causes it? And, most importantly, can it make your brain shrink? Cheryl learns more about dehydration, diuretics, and even hormones to help understand that nauseous, achy, head-splitting feeling the morning after imbibing too much. It's never too late to learn about the worl...

Singing Christmas carols is a long tradition, but it got Cheryl thinking: how does singing work? And is the voice box even a real thing? To answer this, Ryan and Cheryl talk about vocal cords and remember back to Lesson 9 about whistling. We even get Cheryl singing a carol for us! It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is part of the Holiday unit.   Resources fro...

Is snow just frozen rain? If so, shouldn't it look like little ice cubes? Does snow form in clouds, or after it's left the clouds? And what about all the other types of frozen precipitation that falls from the sky, like hail and sleet? learn all about this, plus bonus weather songs from Cheryl in this week's lesson! It's never too late to learn about the world around you. This is part of our Holid...

Baking Christmas cookies is a fun holiday tradition, but why do we have to follow the recipe so closely? Cooking seems to be much more forgiving than backing. Is there a science reason for that? Listen to this week's episode and find out! It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is part of the Holiday unit.   Resources from this episode: The science of cookies How...

One of the first things we do when decorating for Christmas is put up lights, but how do they work? And what's the difference between the "old fashioned" type of light bulbs and the new LED bulbs? What does LED even mean? This week Cheryl learns about the different types of bulbs, why LEDs are more energy efficient, and how the same bulbs can be both white and colored! It's never too late to learn...

We've all seen balloons float, but what makes them float? We might be able to understand why a small birthday balloon can float, but what about the big giant Thanksgiving day parade balloons? Why can those float? We also learn why we use Helium instead of Hydrogen, even though Hydrogen would be better at making balloons float. It's never too late to learn about the world around you.   This is...