Six Degrees of Rumination

Chimps’ rights come up again, nicotine-like substances add to the mystery of declining bee populations, and we find out a surprising fact about Mt. Everest.  Join Reno, Nina, and producer Mike in their 42nd episode celebrating Earth Day and the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/what-would-happen-if-oxygen-disappeared-fo...

Take a moment to celebrate, everyone--penis transplants are no longer a far off dream.  Jokes aside, a 21 year old man, who lost his penis 3 years ago due to a botched ritual circumcision, can now lead a normal sex life.  Also in this episode, find out how your DNA is not completely human, what technology from The Jetsons may be mass produced within 2 years, and whether cracking your knuckles caus...

Ponder the 15 answers to things you've always wondered about, learn which myths about psychedelic drugs have been dispelled, and find out why those pesky teens are hiding in your bushes.  Also, debate the mysteries of out of body experiences and hear Nina and Annie rant about a man's suspect dating advice. http://answers.diply.com/science-rules/answers-to-lifes-questions/89599   http://www.iflscie...

Join Reno, Nina, and producer Mike with guest podcaster Jennavev van Huuksloot as they discuss how stem cells have changed reproduction, what could happen if you want a new head, and why babies in Iceland may be hardier than babies anywhere.  Oh, and what contributed to the Black Plague in the Middle Ages?  Gerbils. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/human-head-transplants-could-become-...

Want to avoid wrinkles?  You can always stop smiling for 40 years.  No, we're not being sarcastic.  But if we were, just listening to that remark could improve your brain activity--sarcasm is also learned at a young age, and learned better if both parents employ it.  Yet another reason to be sarcastic to children!  Meanwhile, in the world of technology, developers dazzle us again, this time with c...

Find out how to win at rock paper scissors.  That's basically the most important article in this episode. If, for some reason, that doesn't interest you, also listen in about common scientific misconceptions, how to break habits, and why some people appear more trustworthy than others.  Also included is the effect of psychedelics on tech giants in Silicon Valley, how bees use math, and why selling...

A self aware Mario?  3D advertisements that you can't escape?  A bracelet with a touch screen that displays on your forearm?  It's definitely 2015, and more technology is on the way.  But never fear, good old fashioned dream analysis, herbs, and coffee beans are still around, too.  Find out about the horrors that accompany sleep paralysis, how lavender can promote trust between strangers, and the...

How would you like a scientific formula for falling in love?  How about a massive processor that turns human waste into drinkable water?  These things aren't far from reach; in fact, they already exist. Have a listen to also learn about ground breaking performance art and how mice are becoming more like us with every lab experiment. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/fashion/modern-love-to-fall-...

First podcast of the year!  We discuss a myriad of topics, from why humans kiss to what a non-person person might be.  Best of all, in the true spirit of the glitz and sparkle of New Year's celebrations, NASA admits that glitter might be the key to properly viewing space. http://www.nprorg/blog.s/thetwo-way/2014/12/24/372930553/japanese-artist-indicted-for-vagina-kayak?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_...

Six Degrees is sans internet tonight, and reads their articles off paper.  Not rewritable paper, not 3D printed paper...just paper.  Plus, they return to some of their favorite topics of old: bioluminescence, discovering new species of animals, the secret lives of marine folk, and ANY applications to the military. http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-unravel-mechanism-behind-fir...

It's a carnival of the animals on Six Degrees!  Reno's and Nina's penchant for ravens is quenched, mice whose brains are part human are smarter than other mice, and a furry convention is horribly interrupted.  Elsewhere in the news, there could be a scientific reason why we say things like "That baby is so cute, I could just eat him up!" http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/ravens-have-soc...

Halloween is just around the corner, and all the signs of the devil abound: the world's longest snake experiences a virgin birth, the Pope endorses science yet again, evidence of starquakes is found, snobby foodies praise McDonalds as fine cuisine, and prolonged exposure to cat poop appears to alter human behavior.   http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/virgin-birth-confirmed-world-s-longe...

Producer Mike and Reno ruminate on the horrors of testicular assault, while Nina tries to imagine how painful childbirth might be.  Soft robots are discussed, as well as the personality defects of chimps.  Plus, is anyone who hears voices schizophrenic?  What is schizophrenia?  Further advances in science shed light on this disorder, as well as how blood tests could predict clinical depression. ht...

One year and counting.  Here's to approximately twelve months of ruminating on science, psychology, technology....and gargoyles.  There's no stopping us now! http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-church-laments-falling-gargoyle-kills-woman-184400612.html   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746321/Jack-Ripper-unmasked-How-amateur-sleuth-used-DNA-breakthrough-identify-Britains-notorious-criminal-126-...

Interested in seeing a goat/sheep hybrid?  Visit a petting zoo in Arizona to see "Butterfly."  The debate on which came first, the chicken or the egg, is settled once and for all.  Reno, Nina, and Mike also discuss a study on whether being raised religious could impair one's ability to discern fact from fiction, a new device inspired by fly ears, and what might go faster than the speed of light......

Listen to Reno, Nina, and producer Mike debunk 7th myths about the brain, discuss the likelihood of 3D printing options at Kinko's, predict what kind of damage kudzu could do if left completely alone, and what happens when someone has 232 extra teeth.  Also discussed are Lego microscopes, why Mike hates Legos, and how a black hole becomes a white hole. Lastly, in honor of Six Degrees' 25th Episode...

Enjoy a mish-mash of articles in episode 24, including more 3D printing antics, how a parasite adds insult to injury, what new nursery rhymes may be emerging about natural selection, and just what an nT might be... http://www.printing3dtoday.com/news/2014/07/14/002132/japanese-woman-arrested-sending-3d-printer-files-her-genitals http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/07/16/331729614/dogs-sprea...

Join Nina, Reno, and producer Mike to explore the many faces of salad, as well as what you might consume if you give up food altogether.  Would you eat a colorless, nearly tasteless sludge in the name of efficiency and sustainability?  What do you think of AI?  Could it ever be so well done that it fools real humans?  Reno, Nina, and Mike discuss.  As Eugene Goostman might say, "Oh, what a fruitfu...

Chickens are now taking advantage of virtual reality!  Yes, you read that right.  In an ingenious political move, the inventor of the VR chicken helmets creates a stir around the issue: can we afford to return animals to free-range lives?   Moving onto current trends, some gamers have begun using trans-cranial direct stimulation, basically with a non FDA approved device that electrically zaps thei...

Have you ever wanted to draw RIGHT INTO THE AIR?  Now you can, with a kickstarter product dubbed "the smallest 3D printing pen in the world."  It uses moldable plastic instead of ink, and creates 3D lines with every stroke you make.  Nina's on board, especially since Reno figured out how to "erase" mistakes you might make when drawing your 3D model.  Should you want to hang up your 3D creations wh...

Jokes aside, the fact that science can grow new vaginas for disease afflicted young women is pretty amazing.  Jokes not aside, beware of video game controllers that look like bizarre sex toys.    Join Reno, Nina, producer Mike, and guest podcaster Annie Armanino as they navigate through over an hour of science, psychology, technology, and miscellaneous articles.  Spoiler alert: puns abound.  Scien...

Have a listen to discover a few things you didn't know, and probably didn't want to know, about animals.  Spoiler alert, you might not view beavers and whales the same way again.  And, another spoiler alert, Reno still has the hots for dolphins.  If you fear robots may take over the world, you could be right: but first, they're getting better at Pacman.  Perhaps making an invisibility cloak out of...

Learn why our society is going down like the Roman Empire, what to do if you don't like your wife's mitochondria, how water drops can run uphill, and why people's eyes are even more important than you think. http://www.iflscience.com/environment/according-nasa-funded-study-were-pretty-much-screwed http://www.iflscience.com/environment/what-do-when-youre-dead-science-edition http://www.kurzweilai.n...