Teach Me Something

We are going to educate you on the origins of many of the sayings you are used to hearing every day. Well, at least we are going to try. The internet is full of stories, some of which might be true and some of which may be less than true. Join us so that you can decide for yourself. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Come along with us for a little tour of fire myths. Trickster gods just love to steal fire and sometimes even share it with us. You have probably heard of Prometheus, but do you know how Maui stole fire? Or how opossum stole fire for his people? Well, you will soon! P.S. If you're wondering why this is a 'part 1', Parts 2 and 3 of comparative mythology (dragons and floods), and any other parts I d...

Join us to hear about one of the most important and amazingly innovative minds in history, the Greek mathematician Archimedes. Little is known about his life, so some stories have been embellished (would you ever run naked in the streets screaming just because you got excited?) and some stories have been outright made-up. But what we do know is that his ideas were way ahead of their time. Support...

This episode is all about farming. But did you know that humans are far from the only animal that farms for their food? There is an amazing diversity of farming behaviours found in the animal kingdom (mostly in the insects) and we'll tell you all about them! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode we'll fill you in on the fascinating diversity of cave-living and cave-loving animals. We'll also explain how and why cave animals lose their eyesight and why evolutionary biologists are so interested in these, "wrecks of ancient life." (As they were called by Charles Darwin). Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

This episode is all about THE Inquisition. Not just what happened in Spain, but the whole Office within the Roman Catholic Church called the Inquisition. The Catholic Church, along with greedy, power-hungry monarchs, used torture and interrogation to "suppress heresy" and enforce a uniform religion. So join us to learn all about a pretty crazy period in the history of the Catholic Church. Support...

Join us for a riveting discussion of the dangers lurking in your local baking aisle. Sugar, syrup, honey, and molasses all have their twisted tales from the past (ten years counts as the past, right?) and this episode we are spilling the beans. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode takes a look at some really interesting ways that we use animals in medicine and research. Animal studies not only help us realize how our own bodies work, but they also lead to the discovery of some really important substances like new antibiotics. Join us for answers to questions like, "why is the Gila monster is so important for diabetics?" and, "why have humans become horseshoe cr...

In part 2 of our math history episode, we'll head to the East and check out China, India, and the Arabic Empire. Eventually we'll head over to Europe again (Italy, specifically) and we'll end our math-history tour in the Americas, where we'll talk about some indigenous mathematics. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Join us on a journey through the development of mathematics starting in the Western world. We promise you won't have to solve any math problems or times tables whatsoever. We will also fill you in on what we know so far about how your brain does math and give you some possible reasons why math emerged. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

Yes this episode really is about the ROYGBIV of colours that your body can turn. Let's explore the human body and learn about blood, chemistry, and even food science. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ok maybe a little bit about Balto, but only a little bit. In this episode we explore what made the 1925 Serum Run important and highlight all the heroes. Get ready to learn about Diphtheria and dog sledding—and then to fall in love with a special dog named "Togo." Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode we are focusing on Chicago's rather odd relationship with their river. They have really put some gross things in it, dyed it, and even reversed the direction of its flow. On purpose. Why did they do this? And how in the world did they pull that off? Tune in and we'll tell you! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

We crammed this episode full of as many tales of metamorphoses as we could. We even sprinkle in facts and tidbits about gods, goddesses, and history to tie it all together. Get ready to learn about the mythological origins of olives, myrrh, and more. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we tackle some plant based mythology. In part 1 of this 2 part series, we are going to explore a typical Roman villa to find out how they liked to garden. We'll also take a cue from the Roman poet Ovid and use his famous poem, Metamorphoses, to explore the mythological symbolism of different plants. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast....

In this episode Everett will teach us all about World of Warcraft. Why would he do this you ask??? Turns out, human behaviour is fascinating! Sociologists and epidemiologists have been able to study a great pandemic in World of Warcraft and gain valuable insight into human decision making during a real life pandemic. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast...

This is the episode where you learn everything about bird song. (That's a bit of an exaggeration, but I promise you'll learn a little bit about a lot of things.) If you've ever wanted to know the who, what, where, when, why, or how of bird song, we've got you covered. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us this episode for a light and fun discussion about birds. We talk about some ways birds adapt to their environments, and some cool aspects of their wing and feather design. You can finally learn the answer to why flamingos stand on one leg, and you'll even get to learn about a penguin's secret kickstand (yes, you read that right.) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-someth...

This episode is a short but action-packed summary of the weather concepts we found most interesting. How do tornadoes form? Why do we have hurricanes? What's up with seasons? We'll dive into all these questions, and more, and slip in a brief history of meteorological science. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Do you like obscure facts that are cool but useless (unless you go to trivia night at the pub)? Well this is the episode for you! You'll learn such things as the difference between flammable and inflammable (hint, there is no difference), the most smelly chemical, and the strongest acid ever made. You can also get answers to really pressing questions like, "can humans spontaneously combust?" and "...

This week we are tackling chemistry, specifically the periodic table, in a totally not boring way! (We hope.) We'll give you just a bit of background into the periodic table and the origin of the concept of elements. Then we'll add to your random trivia knowledge by telling you where many of the elements got their names. So tune in to learn interesting and seemingly random facts, like that beans w...

In this episode we'll give you a crash-course on Linnaean taxonomy (the gift you never knew you wanted). Then we'll fill you in on some super cool and tiny monkeys that live in the Americas. Marmosets and Tamarins use a fairly unique mating strategy and boy-oh-boy does it pay off. Make sure to listen to this week's episode to find out how these little guys manage to reproduce like bunnies, and lea...

We have finally come to the conclusion of the Poison Squad series! Thank you for sticking with it all the way to the end; I promise that by the end of this episode, the US will finally end up with a workable national food safety law. Just wait (and then wait and wait...), and you'll finally get the closure you're seeking. We end this episode with some bonus coverage of a huge modern-day food adult...

Here in part 3, we finally introduce you to the Poison Squad (not the people, just the concept). We'll also explain how a novel gave a much needed boost to the Pure Food Movement and we'll finish off by returning to the roots of this series and grossing you out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for part 2 of our Poison Squad series, and this time it's personal. Corporations are mad at the government, the military is mad at the manufacturers and the meatpackers are mad at...the cooks? Listen to this week's episode to see how food got more dangerous, and manufacturers got more reckless. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/teach-me-something . Hosted on Acast. See acast....