Sci Guys

“You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you” were the last words of Alex the Parrot, who may have been the only animal to understand and engage in human speech We cover the life of Alex, and the controversy surrounding his supposed ability to actually speak English.  References and Further Reading https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/science/10cnd-parrot.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/se...

Do rats go to heaven? The answer is yes, but it’s not as nice as you might think! Corry tells the story of John B Calhoun, a man who ran massive, years long experiments on rats and mice to really see what made them tick. Turns out rats and humans aren’t as different as we expected. References and Further Reading https://youtu.be/5m7X-1V9nOs https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-mouse-utopi...

Do vaccines cause autism? That’s just one of the questions we’re debating this week. We get into the scientific roots of the Antivax movement, and figure out whether it’s really that dangerous to choose to leave a child unvaccinated.  Whether you believe in vaccinations or not, there’s something for you in this episode. Have a listen, and hopefully you’ll learn something about both sides of this d...

When you fall off a horse the only thing you can do is get back on, and when a crowbar flies through your brain you just get up and walk away.  Phineas Gage accidentally blew a hole in his brain and, not only did he survive, he just went back to his normal life! References & Further Reading: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/ https:/...

What’s worse, the cold vacuum of space or a Russian forest during winter?  Two Cosmonauts found out the answer to that question the hard way when they crash landed in the woods after the first space walk in history. They had to contend against wolves, bears, and the most useless rescuers imaginable. Tune in to find out the story of the lost cosmonauts! References and Further Reading http://news.bb...

It's our HALF-y Birthday! To celebrate 6 months of Sci Guys, Jamp has taken over the podcast (oh no), and he brings tales from the Alnwick Poison Garden. References & Further Reading http://rhs.org.uk http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/ https://aboutforensics.co.uk/georgi-markov/ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys Follow the Sci Guys @notcorry / @...

CONTENT WARNING: Mistreatment of children In this episode, The Sci Guys educate Josh about an infamous 1920’s study involving a rat, a Santa mask, and terrorising a small child.  References and Further Reading https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25068585 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25197838 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28125246 https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26307-baby-used-...

Have you ever wondered how the first vaccine was made? It involves snorting scabs in China, ulcerous udders, and some good old fashioned child endangerment.  This week Corry takes us through the history and eradication of smallpox! References and Further Reading https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069029/ https://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/vaccines/en/ https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/...

This week the Sci Guys discuss a Steve Jobs wannabe that tricked everyone into thinking she had a revolutionary blood testing device. Jamp and Luke also discover why their blood cells might be a little bit prejudiced. References and Further Reading https://www.businessinsider.com/the-history-of-silicon-valley-unicorn-theranos-and-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-2018-5?r=US&IR=T#by-the-end-of-2017-therano...

This week, Corry recounts humanity’s history of deep sea exploration, and the creatures that lurk in the shadows beneath.  Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys References and Further Reading 1. https://www.thoughtco.com/deep-sea-exploration-4161315 2. https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/17888496.voyage-bottoms-sea-texan-scots-tackling-ocean-39-...

This week Corry talks about the benefits of eating poo (no really), and the tiny creatures controlling your brain! Tune in and you’ll also find out how to cure your depression with a yoghurt! References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25624713 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26824647   https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/036103v1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29171095 https://www...

This week Corry tells us about a time in the 70s when a group of boys took role playing a little too far... Tune in to hear the truly incredible story of The Stanford Prison Experiment! References and Further Reading 1. https://web.stanford.edu/dept/spec_coll/uarch/exhibits/spe/Narration.pdf 2. https://www.prisonexp.org/ 3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14564182 4. https://psyarxiv.co...

This week Corry talks about how flying frogs led to discovering graphene, a super-powered substance that you can make with just a pencil and some tape! We also have a special guest, Jake Edwards, so tune in and join us for a ribbeting episode! You can see more of Jake on their YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/jakeftmagic References and Further Reading 1. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physi...

This episode was recorded live at Summer in the City. This week we talk about the indestructible water bears that we accidentally crashed on the moon. We also answer some burning questions from the audience! References and Further Reading Kinchin, Ian M. (1994) The Biology of Tardigrades, Ashgate Publishing http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150313-the-toughest-animals-on-earth Support us on Patre...

This week we’re talking about the ideal black body with Daniel J Layton, and surprisingly it isn’t Janet Jackson’s. Tune in to find out why you don’t want to go near a black hole! You can find Dan on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/danieljlayton References and Further Reading 1. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-a-black-hole-58.html 2. https://www.space.co...

This episode is all about firsts! We talk about the Wright Brothers and their invention of the first aeroplane with our very first special guest, Evan Edinger! You can see more of Evan on his YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/evan References & Further Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Q83yxdDaI https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/wright-brothers https://airandspace.si.edu/exh...

This episode is all about the (mad) scientist, Nikola Tesla and his rivalry with Thomas Edison! We also cover Tesla’s problematic views, insane inventions, and his crush on a dove!  References and Further Reading 1. https://www.energy.gov/articles/war-currents-ac-vs-dc-power 2. https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-nikola-tesla-inventions.htm 3. https://www.history.c...

This week we talk about the trashiest island in the Pacific Ocean, how to make your own wine, and an edible alternative to plastic! References and Further Reading 1. www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/amp/scoby-edible-packaging-kombucha-roza-janusz.html 2. https://www.creative-conscience.org.uk/grow-your-own-packaging-an-interview-with-roza-janusz/ 3. https://www.makegrowlab.com 4. http...

This episode was recorded live at the Pride in London Pop Up. We talk about poisoned apples, Benedict Cumberbatch, and early 1900s party games, which are all somehow related to Alan Turing. If you missed your chance to see us live, tune in and pretend like you were there!  References and Further Reading 1. https://www.bl.uk/people/alan-turing 2. https://www.bbc.com/timelines/z8bgr82 3. https://www...

This week we tackle the vote that rocked a nation. That’s right, it’s Boaty McBoatface! Don’t miss out on this one, as we also finally manage to make democracy work References and Further Reading 1. https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mcboatface-wins-poll-to-name-polar-research-vessel 2. https://noc.ac.uk/education/educational-resources/boaty-mcboatface 3. https://www.telegra...

You’ve heard of Spider-Man, and spider-pig, but have you ever heard of spider-goats? That’s exactly what we’re talking about this week, along with bulletproof silk and the true power of the wall crawling web head. References and Further Reading 1. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2012/jan/14/synthetic-biology-spider-goat-genetics 2. https://amp.businessinsider.com/genetic...

This week Luke takes charge and talks us through his theory of everything, why you’re the centre of the universe, and a set of twins that rewrote history! Don’t miss out on our very first (sort of) guest episode! References and Further Reading 1. https://www.britannica.com/science/light/Youngs-double-slit-experiment 2. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-copenhagen/ 3. http://www.bbc.com/earth/s...

Have you ever made a mistake? Don’t worry because this topic will definitely make you feel less worried about it, but maybe a little more worried about the future of humanity. This week Corry tells us all about Chernobyl, the biggest mistake in human history. References and Further Reading 1. http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.a...

Have you ever thought that life would be easier if you could just switch off all your bad thoughts? That’s exactly what Corry is talking about today with the story of Jose Delgado, a Spanish scientist who used brain chips to control peoples minds! References and Further Reading 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23pXqY3X6c8 2. https://www.wireheading.com/delgado/brainchips.pdf 3. https://www.youtu...

This week we enter the world of psychedelics with the accidental invention of LSD. Also in this episode, Corry tells us about the first “bike trip” in history. Tune in for the mind bending history of the Beatles greatest muse! References and Further Reading 1. https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/lsd 2. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2119397-how-lsd-affects-the-brain-and-creates-its-t...