Teach Me Something

Canada is a large country with a lot of border. We discuss a few silly wars that have shaped those boarders plus throw in a bonus silly war that Australia fought against its great emu population. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's clear this up right off the bat, MSG is safe to eat and is delicious. Join us to learn about the discovery of MSG and umami and hear about the devastating consequences of bad science. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We travel to all corners of the world in this episode to explore and compare origin stories and mythology from a number of cultures. From primordial waters to wars between generations of gods there are a surprising number of similarities to be found. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Electricity and electrical charge plays a significant role in the animal kingdom. In general animals rely on electrical charge to make their nervous systems, muscles, and hearts function properly but there are a surprising number of animals that take electricity to another level. Some can sense electrical fields and some can use electricity as a weapon. Join us in this episode to find out more. Su...

In this episode we are joined by special guest Hudson (8) as we explore one of his favorite topics, flags. We explore colours, common symbols, and the age of many country flags; and of course we will dive into the history of a few flags that had influence on the flags of other countries. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

Let's talk toxins! Join us to learn about all the surprising and not-so-surprising animals that are poisonous, and find out how they are able to resist succumbing to the poisons themselves. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we continue our exploration of the plants crucial to alcohol production and focus in on Europe and Eurasia. We take on heavy hitters like barley and grapes, but also shine some light on supporting characters, like black currant, wormwood, and coriander. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans have been making and consuming alcohol for thousands of years and the production of booze is steeped in tradition. In this series we explore the plants that have been fermented or added to alcohol starting with the plants found in the Americas. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone has heard of the Venus Flytrap but there are hundreds of other carnivorous plants and they are all quite fascinating. Join us in this episode as we discuss the various ways that plants find nutrients and energy and learn about a number of flesh eating plants that you have probably never knew existed. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See ac...

The ancient Egyptians may have been the first to document the medical "condition" of hysteria, but they were most certainly not the last. This catch-all diagnosis for any woman who didn't fit perfectly into the patriarchy's view of women lasted all the way through the Greeks, middle ages, and into the 20th century. In this episode we focus in on a few prominent/discredited figures who helped devel...

The Yokai of Japanese folklore have become very popular and influential in pop culture all across the world. These spirits, monsters, demons, and extremely old animals have been an integral part of how the Japanese people have often explained spooky and supernatural phenomena for thousands of years. In this episode we discuss their origins and highlight a handful of these fascinating beings. Suppo...

When is a butterfly a moth? Always! But not all moths are butterflies and that is because butterflies and skippers are specialized moths and all of them are part of the order Lepidoptera. In this episode we dive into the interesting and extremely diverse world of these winged insects. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

England and France have often found themselves in conflict with each other, the 100 Years' War is no exception. They were so committed to this specific conflict that not even civil wars, great plagues, nor 130 years could convince them to wrap it up. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And yes, we are going to talk about the "dire wolf" thing. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sleeping is trait shared by every member of the animal kingdom, but how sleep is done varies wildly from species to species. In this episode we will go all around the animal kingdom on a survey of what sleep looks like, how it works, and what impact it has for various animals. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

Measles is an incredibly dangerous disease. Luckily, in the 1960s a vaccine was developed and measles was put on the path towards eradication. Unluckily, Andrew Wakefield entered the picture in the '90s. He has, without a doubt, done more damage to the health of the human race than one man should conceivably be able to do. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on...

Everyone thinks Darwin the moment Evolution is mentioned and while he is the most predominant figure, there a rich history of thoughts, ideas, philosophers, and scientists who came before that paved the way for On the Origin of Species. This episode does include Darwin but focuses on the people and advancements that set the stage for his most famous contribution to science. Support this show http:...

For our 100th episode we have gone back 100 years to the Scopes trial of 1925. More commonly known as The Scopes Monkey Trial, this spectacle of the courtroom was less about determining guilt than it was about pitting evolution against fundamentalism. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crocodilians are cool! These amazing archosaurs are extremely well adapted to their environments, but you probably knew that. What you may not have known is how smart, loud, and caring they are (and their blood has super powers). Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last episode we dove head first into the history of industrial environmental disasters and cover what is arguably the biggest disaster of them all. The reason being the that the Bhopal chemical plant disaster deserves its own feature length discussion. Learn about the events leading up to the disaster, the incident itself, and the effects that are still being occurring 40 years later. Support this...

If you didn't already know, releasing waste chemicals into the environment is generally pretty bad. Sometimes geography and weather team up to trap harmful chemicals in one place and sometimes all it takes is the significant release of toxins all at once to create an industrial induced environmental disaster. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See ac...

You have heard of the Greek constellations, they are the driving force behind every horoscope, but have you heard each of their origin stories? Find out why the Greek gods decided to place various animals and people among the stars. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grosse Île is a small island in the St. Lawrence and was once Canada's primary port of entry for immigrants. It was used to quarantine new immigrants to Canada for years, but what happens when a famine across the ocean causes the facilities to become overrun? The answer isn't pretty... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Living in harsh and extreme environments has been a challenge for humans (and our hominin ancestors). Luckily, a few populations have developed genetic adaptations that have allowed survival in the extreme cold, high elevation, and deep depths. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People have always liked making lists and what better lists are there than the most impressive and wonderful things to see. We explore the original Seven Wonders of the World as outlined by the ancient Greeks and then take on more modern interpretations. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.