Recreational Science

How are dogs so good at navigation? Can they sense the earth’s magnetic field? How can you measure this? Elephants are intelligent and noble beasts. Do they yawn though? In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss whether dogs can sense the earth’s magnetic field when they poop and whether elephants yawn. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:59 Tirth’s run-in with the TSA 8:41 Dog magnetism study 20:54 Elephant yaw...

Why do men manspread? Do women on dating apps prefer men who manspread their legs (and arms) in their profile pictures? Are goats brave? Can the Dutch air force scare goats using attack helicopters? In this episode, Lu tests Tirth's knowledge of the people with a "family feud" style game and the two discuss how to get likes on Tinder and an attempt to scare goats using air force heli...

Why is double dipping frowned upon? Does it actually transfer oral bacteria from the chip to the dip? Scratching an itch is bad for the skin. What if you can relieve an itch on one arm by scratching your other arm while tricking your brain with a mirror? In this episode, Lu and Tirth review research ideas from ChatGPT and discuss the microbiology of double dipping and how to scratch an itch using...

To some people, eating meat is immoral. It’s a subjective opinion. However, does eating meat make you immoral objectively? Should hippies be allowed to work in a microbiology laboratory? Are their beards and long hair a contamination risk? How can chickens be used in this study? In this episode, Lu gives Tirth an opportunity to redeem himself with another science quiz, and the two discuss how eati...

If you replace the water in a swimming pool with syrup and convince some of your colleagues to swim in it, will they swim slower or faster? Drunk people find others and themselves more attractive. However, do people tricked into believing they are drunk also find themselves more attractive? In this episode, Lu quizzes Tirth on his science knowledge and the two discuss how fast humans swim in syrup...

Sheep shearing is hard, especially the step where you drag sheep around. What type of flooring is easiest to drag sheep on? There’s only one way to find out. Every scientist has asked the following question: how do I publish whatever I want in a peer-reviewed journal? Can I publish my personal blog? In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss the hazards of sheep shearing and how to publish anything you...

How do humans learn what’s beautiful in a face? Can chickens be trained to find beauty in human faces the way humans do? Do teenage boys pick their nose? How often? Why do they do it? How do they feel about it? Is it pathological? In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss how to train chickens to become attracted to human faces and the prevalence of nose picking in teenagers. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:...

Fruit bats engage in fellatio, obviously, but does this sexual behavior decrease or increase total copulation time? What do you do if a venomous rattlesnake bites you? Should you try shocking yourself with a car battery? In the inaugural episode of the podcast, Lu and Tirth discuss the importance of foreplay in fruit bat copulation and what happens when electrocution is attempted as therapy for ve...