We Have Concerns

AlphaGo the AI developed to play the ancient board game, Go, crushed 18-time world champion Lee Sedol and the reigning world number one player, Ke Jie. But now, an even more superior competitor is in town. AlphaGo Zero has beaten AlphaGo 100-0 after training for just a fraction of the time AlphaGo needed, and it didn't learn from observing humans playing against each other – unlike AlphaGo. Anthon...

For the first time, scientists have caught two neutron stars in the act of colliding, revealing that these strange smashups are the source of heavy elements such as gold and platinum. Anthony and Jeff discuss what this discovery means, and how excited we should be. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swi...

When a harmless placebo becomes effective, it becomes harmful, too, causing side-effects seen in actual therapies. In a new study exploring this mysterious “nocebo effect,” researchers pinpoint regions of the brain that seem to be behind phantom injuries. They also assess factors—framing and price—that can increase the potency of the effect. Jeff and Anthony discuss this phenomenon and what it mea...

NASA is considering the possibility of actually modifying the DNA of Mars astronauts in order to make their bodies more resilient to the dangers of the trip. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether this is a good idea, and how it might trickle down to personal use. Also, Jeff almost dies in this episode. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sw...

Chris Ufere, is the founder and CEO of the dream-interpretation app uDreamed, which allows people to record dreams, connect with other dreamers and consult with psychologists to find more resolution and meaning in their nightly visions. He contends at rather than being universal, dreams are influenced by a combination of psychology, culture, and individual circumstances. Anthony and Jeff delve int...

A team at Mississippi State University conducted an unusual ecological experiment with 3 actual tons of pig carcasses. Jeff and Anthony dig into the gory details to determine if it was worthwhile. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the s...

In the mid-2000s, Amazon had a problem. Every year, the company scrambled to find temporary workers during the peak months of hectic commerce leading up to Christmas. In some areas of the country, reliable on-demand labor was so hard to come by that it resorted to busing in workers from three to five hours away. Then, in 2008, a staffing agency came up with something new: inviting a team of migran...

A trio of Caltech grad students noticed some laboratory jellyfish were acting differently when the lights were turned off, and set about determining if they were sleeping. If so, these are the first animals discovered who sleep and have no brain. Anthony and Jeff discuss why a brainless animal would need to sleep, and what that might mean for how we understand our basic human need for it. GET BONU...

Indiana University freshman Lukas Cavar was on a spelunking trip to Sullivan Cave about 10 miles south of Bloomington when he became separated Sunday afternoon from 12 other members of the university's Caving Club. When he eventually reached the cave entrance, Cavar found club members had padlocked its gate, unaware that he remained inside. He couldn't get a cellphone signal and screamed for hours...

Researchers say 80 percent of North Americans live in areas where light pollution blots out the night sky. Central Idaho officials are proposing the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States. Anthony and Jeff discuss seeing stars, and whether it is worth curbing light pollution. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet...

Six NASA-backed research subjects who have been cooped up in a Mars-like habitat on a remote Hawaii volcano since January emerged from isolation .The crew of four men and two women are part of a study designed to better understand the psychological impacts a long-term space mission would have on astronauts. Jeff and Anthony discuss the findings and whether they'd pretend to be on Mars for 8 months...

An international team of researchers reports that when children are praised for being smart not only are they quicker to give up in the face of obstacles they are also more likely to be dishonest and cheat. Kids as young as age 3 appear to behave differently when told “You are so smart” vs “You did very well this time.” Anthony and Jeff discuss this, especially in light of Jeff being a new dad. GE...

Octlantis is a just-discovered underwater city engineered by octopuses. But that's not all. Octopolis also exists! Ever vigilant to the alien threat that is cephalopods, Anthony and Jeff dig deep into this new development. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey...

Ants are cultural signifiers of busy industriousness, but a new paper in Plos One reveals that, across species, about 40% of "worker" ants spend most of their days doing nothing. Jeff and Anthony discuss this revelation, asking whether lazy always exists in nature. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns me...

There are a few animals that can survive being eaten, and the skill might help them spread and colonise new regions. Jeff and Anthony discuss a new article about these creatures and wonder why more animals don't just evolve to be cool with it. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehave...

In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers found that when it comes time for a pack of wild dogs to determine whether to move, the group engages in a bout of sneezing to see how many members are ready. Anthony thinks this is an amazing insight into canine culture, but Jeff remains unconvinced. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehav...

New research claims to have found traces of evidence that humans may indeed still be evolving. A study looked at the DNA of over 200,000 people living across both the United States and Britain, to see if they could tease out any changes in genetic variation in these populations over time. They report that their analysis of these genomes shows natural selection is weeding out gene variants most oft...

Due to a recording error at PAX West last weekend, there will be no new episode today or Monday. We Have Concerns will be back next Wednesday with new content. Thanks for understanding! Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.social Anthony on Blue Sky: https://...

A new study published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes says that being disorganized can actually increase productivity, as a mess often presents quicker access to relevant information. Anthony is thrilled, but Jeff has his doubts that this methodology can actually work. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all...

Scientists have tested the drug-seeking behavior of zebrafish in a tank that allows them to trigger the release of the opioid hydrocodone in the water. The new tool, described in a study published online today in Behavioral Brain Research, can be used to study the underlying biological pathways that push zebrafish to seek drugs. Jeff and Anthony discuss the drug tank, and examine how exactly it mi...

Alongside the studies telling us how to keep our memories intact, an enormous body of research has led to another conclusion: In many cases, it's okay (and in fact, beneficial) to forget. Human memory is not only unreliable, but often partially or wholly false. And certain kinds of forgetting is actually really good for us. Anthony and Jeff talk about memory, and try to convince themselves that fo...

Using a combination of depth cameras and computer-vision algorithms, a research team has tracked people around two hospital wards and automatically identified when they used gel dispensers to wash their hands. The trial was so successful that the group is now going to fully kit out three hospitals for a whole year, to see if it puts a dent in the acquired infections. Jeff and Anthony discuss the p...

The research firm eMarketer estimates that 60.5 million people in the U.S.—a little less than a fifth of the population—will use a digital assistant at least once a month this year, and about 36 million will do so on a speaker-based device like Amazon Echo or Google Home. These things are most popular among people age 25 to 34, which includes a ton of parents of young children and parents-to-be. W...

Usually, tunnels are made either by human engineers or flowing water. But near the town of Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, there are tunnels large enough to drive a car in that were dug by neither - instead, scientists have a theory that these are the work of ancient, giant sloths. Jeff and Anthony discuss the theory, and suggest a few of their own. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http:...

Neurotic people may get a lot of flak, but in reality neuroticism is linked to some very good traits—intelligence and creativity among them. And a new study suggests that there may be another, unexpected bonus to neuroticism: It may be linked to a longer life. Anthony and Jeff are all about neuroticism, so they are excited to finally discuss an upside. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE....