The DemystifySci Podcast

We discuss Dr. Schmidt's paper on the Silurean Hypothesis - is it possible that an advanced civilization rose and fell in the far reaching distant past without leaving a trace?   The Paper: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/silurian-hypothesis-would-it-be-possible-to-detect-an-industrial-civilization-in-the-geological-record/77818514AA690775...

What does the future of medicine look like? Precision, precision, precision. In the last few decades, neuroengineers have largely relied on optogenetics to achieve single neuron precision, but widespread application in the clinical setting has been hindered by the fact that to get the tech to work you have to have a light in the brain. Which is... invasive, to say the least. Enter magnetogenetics,...

Dr. Buatois is a geologist at the University of Saskatchewan specializing in trace fossils. He responds to our recent short film exploring the cause of the Great Unconformity - a billion years of missing rock record - which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/PRfND4t-038 Support the podcast by becoming a Patron @DemystifySci   ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ https://www.patreon.com/demystifysci ≤≥≤≥∆˚¬ºª #geology...

We discuss quantum behavior under extreme conditions with MIT Quantum Physicist Dr. Yair Margalit. Topics include the relationship between spin and refractivity, fermi gases and fermi energy, and Paul blocking. Dr. Margalit's relevant pre-print can be found here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2103.06921.pdf ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ Join the mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S ≤≥≤≥∆˚¬ºª   Check our main channel, @De...

Dr. Michael Levin is a developmental and synthetic biologist best known for two things - the creation of xenobots - biological robots created from frog cells - and his ability to fine-tune the bodyplan of regenerating organisms with morphogenic bioelectric fields. He's speaks with us about the philosophical foundations of his work in regenerative medicine, which include intricate theories of cogni...

A conversation with Forrest Bishop about the Pleistocene Murders - a whodunnit theory that seeks the cause of the megafaunal extinction that rocked the planet during the most recent period of glaciations - from 2.5 million years ago to about 10,000 years ago. While most theories - including a recent paper from Tel Aviv university point the finger at increasing populations of hungry humans, Forrest...

Followup conversation from "The Silence & the Glitch" with Ivor Catt. Today with John Dore, an associate of Mr. Catt during the famed Glitch years of computer pioneering. Please check out part 1 here first: https://youtu.be/47lcjbyqF_k Support the podcast by becoming a Patron @DemystifySci  ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ https://www.patreon.com/demystifysci ≤≥≤≥∆˚¬ºª   Ivor Catt - http://ivorcatt.co.uk h...

Today on the show we’ve got a conversation with Dr. Zoe Waller, a researcher at UCL, who specializes in the myriad ways that alternative DNA structures affect biological processes. Today’s guest - and this entire line of investigation concerning alternative structures of DNA - comes to us as a recommendation from one of our patrons, Sean Kettle. Shout out and a big thank you to Sean for connecting...

This is the second installment of a multipart series with famed electric heretic Ivor Catt. This time, he is here to tell us the story of the Catt question: where does the instantaneous negative charge on the bottom conductor of a simple circuit come from? A satisfying answer to the question would require us to rewire the common conception of how electrical current moves through a circuit, and so...

Today on the show we are speaking with Etienne Fortier Dubois about the problems with scientific publishing and what an ideal future might look like: One where science is freely shared amongst all thinkers, not merely those within a discipline, or those with the institutional power to pay for access. Etienne is presently working on a new journal called the JAWWS - the journal of actually well writ...

This week’s episode is with Dr. Matthew Herron, professor of Evolutionary Biology at Georgia Tech university. He found us through a series of articles on our blog about the emergence of multicellularity, and joined us for an excellent conversation on the topic. Over the course of the hour we covered all kinds of topics, from what the biology of Volvocine algae can tell us about our own multicelled...

This is the first of a multipart series with famed electric heretic Ivor Catt - pioneer of digital electronics and formulator of the infamous “Catt question” - an apparent contradiction in the fundamental laws of electromagnetism. Today, Ivor tells us about his first encounter with institutional censorship - a theme that he became increasingly familiar with during his years of arguing the Catt Que...

Today, we’re bringing you a conversation with Dr. Ian Hutchinson, professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT’s plasma science and fusion center. In addition to him answering our questions about the very nature of that mysterious fourth state of matter, we also explored hurdles in fusion technology, pernicious problems of ideological anchoring in academic science, and the looming crisis of...

Dr. Harry Cliff is an LHCb particle physicist, Cavendish Fellow, and the writer of an excellent book about subatomic physics called “How to Make an Apple Pie From Scratch: In Search of the Recipe of Our Universe.” Our discussion today circled around the big question of: what exactly IS a subatomic particle? We also go deep into free will vs. determinism, how biology is only one part physics, and b...

Dr. Pierre-Marie Robitaille is a world-class scientist and engineer responsible for doubling the power of the MRI medical imaging system. His insights from radio-imaging human bodies led to groundbreaking revelations about astronomical radio spectra, which ultimately led to him questioning the central dogma of solar science concerning the material nature of Earth's central star. This is the 4th of...

Dr. Pierre-Marie Robitaille is a world-class scientist and engineer responsible for doubling the power of the MRI medical imaging system. His insights from radio-imaging human bodies led to groundbreaking revelations about astronomical radio spectra, which ultimately led to him questioning the central dogma of solar science concerning the material nature of Earth's central star. This is the third...

Dr. Pierre-Marie Robitaille is a world-class scientist and engineer responsible for doubling the power of the MRI medical imaging system. His insights from radio-imaging human bodies led to groundbreaking revelations about astronomical radio spectra, which ultimately led to him questioning the central dogma of solar science concerning the material nature of Earth's central star. This is the second...

Dr. Pierre-Marie Robitaille is a world-class scientist and engineer responsible for doubling the power of the MRI medical imaging system. His insights from radio-imaging human bodies led to groundbreaking revelations about astronomical radio spectra, which ultimately led to him questioning the central dogma of solar science concerning the material nature of Earth's central star. This is the first...

Political Scientist Noah Harvey lays out the spiderweb of connections around the world that is determined to undermine the fragile institution of democracy. From the Silicon Valley-funded neoreactionary movement to Russia's Alexander Dugin, he traces a cohesive ideological system with a shared goal: the end of elections as we know it.    Support the podcast by becoming a Patron: ∆≤≥≤≥ ht...

Dr. Kate O'Neill has spent her career working on the geopolitics of waste, and she's here to tell Micky and Quinn about the future of garbage. She's thought about it all - from the touchy subject of international recycling treaties, to the challenge of disposing of the aftermath of natural disasters.    Help fund the podcast by picking up her book at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BMO37k Donat...

Dr. Todd creates games and visual representations of complex ideas to help other scientists communicate their ideas. We spoke with him about the changing landscape of how we visualize math. We also get into the difference between physical shapes and mathematical shapes, what is a dimension?, and the fear of math that prevents engagement among new learners. ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ Power the spaceship @ https://w...

Dr. Deirdre Barrett has spent her career working with dreamers both in the clinic and classroom. She is also an accomplished visual artist, focused on reproducing her own dreams through a combination of AI and other computer-based manipulations.   ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ Power the spaceship @ https://www.patreon.com/demystifysci ≤≥≤≥∆˚¬ºª   Check our main channel, @DemystifyingScience for in depth-inv...

We speak with neuroscientist Moriel Zelikowsky about the basic brain science of social isolation.  Support us by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/demystifysci Don’t forget to check out the full interview with Moriel Zelikowsky. https://youtu.be/gHCPJzJo_8s Podcast: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science Mailing list http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL PODCAST INFO: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/...

How did humans come to sing? We dig into the evolution of song to answer this question and shine some light on the adaptive role of song in humans.    Support us by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/demystifysci Don’t forget to check out the full interview with mix master Larry Crane.   Full interview: https://youtu.be/LmV5UVo7Ly0Podcast: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-scie...

How can you be human - enjoy a movie, dance, or story - without going under at least a little bit now and then? To be human is to be hypnotized. In this episode, we explore the nature of hypnotism not just in humans but also in your more distant relatives. Why did organisms evolve this strange behavior, anyways?  Don’t forget to check out the full interview with hypnotist Kevin Stone all abou...