We Have Concerns

New research aims to quality the health effects of silence. It turns out, just a few hours of quiet time per week can have striking benefits. Anthony and Jeff discuss their own relationship with silence, and how this study might motivate them to turn down the volume. LInk to the story: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/04/turns-out-bonobos-talk-a-lot-like-humans/ Support the show and get...

Tim Friede has allowed himself to be bitten by venomous snakes more then 200 times. As a result, his blood has helped scientists concoct a new antibody cocktail that could save thousands of lives. Jeff and Anthony discuss how to classify Tim's contributions to science. Link to the story: https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5381017/snake-bite-venom-antivenom-tim-friede-univ...

Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have introduced InteRecon, a program that enables users to recapture real-world objects in a mobile app, and then animate them in mixed-reality environments. Jeff and Anthony discuss the notion of ownership, nostalgia, and replacing real-world possessions with digital replacements. Today's story: https://techxpl...

A new study from researchers at the University of Zurich and Harvard University reveals that bonobos, our closest living relatives alongside chimpanzees, use the equivalent of word compounds and phrasings, suggesting that the roots of language predate humans. Anthony and Jeff discuss the ramifications of the discovery of these building blocks of communication in the animal kingdom. LInk to the sto...

Every night, bats emerge out of roosts in massive numbers, creating what scientists have called a 'cocktail party nightmare' of clashing echolocations. Nobody knew how bats managed this severe sensorial challenge. Now, scientists have tracked bats within a group of thousands to find out. Jeff and Anthony don their capes and cowls to investiagte this mystery, and the solution may surprise you! LInk...

A new study places the US at the top of the list of most fatal countries to be a pedestrian. Anthony and Jeff take a look at all the reasons it is so dangerous to walk in America, and what can be done to make foot traffic safer and more practical. Link to the story: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/walking-shouldnt-be-so-dangerous-in-the-u-s/ Support the show and get bonus episodes, vide...

Scientists have developed a device, called “e-Taste”, capable of recreating complex flavours of food and drink from five basic building blocks, and plan to use it to enhance virtual reality and augmented reality systems, boosting immersive experiences. Anthony and Jeff debate whether adding taste to VR will made the world a better place. Today's story: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/...

Researchers have discovered that dense crowds can spontaneously synchronize into collective oscillations, with hundreds of people moving in coordinated, swirling patterns. How did they do it? By studying the Spanish tradition of running with the bulls. Jeff and Anthony discuss getting lost in a crowd, and how science can make these large events safer for everyone. Link to the story: https://phys.o...

People with aphantasia lack the ability to summon images in their "mind's eye." But a new study suggests that the blueprints for those imaginary images might still be nestled in their brains. As someone with aphantasia himself, Anthony tries to explain to Jeff how his inner life works. LInk to the story: https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/people-who-cant-see-with-their-minds-eye-have-...

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have uncovered new insights into the dual nature of scratching an itch, indicating that while it can worsen skin inflammation, it can also boost immune defenses against bacterial infections at the injury site. How did they do it? By torturing mice, of course. Jeff and Anthony dig into the science of itchiness to learn more. https://www.nature.com/article...

The rise of AI has directly resulted in diminishing levels of critical thinking, epseically among young people, a new study shows. Anthony and Jeff discuss how relying on technology must be paired with new ways of thinking, and the dire consequences that may result from algorithmic learning. Today's story: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-ai-linked-eroding-critical-skills.html Support the show and ge...

A new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that one generation in particular has higher exposure to unsafe levels of lead than all others. It just happens to be Jeff and Anthony's generation: Gen X. They take a loook at the impacts, and the long history of cover-up that led to lead staying in gasoline far longer than it should have. Support the show and get bonus...

Much has been made about taking a cold shower in the morning vs a hot one. A new study aims to measure the health benefit of these different temperature extremes for daily washing. Anthony and Jeff get into a lather about it, and the results may surprise you! Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Blue Sky: http...

A study of 26 years' worth of wolf behavioral data, and an analysis of the blood of 229 wolves, has shown that infection with a parasite that can only reproduce in cats makes wolves 46 times more likely to become a pack leader. How can this be? Jeff and Anthony dive into the data, and come away thinking it has far-reaching ramification for how we all behave, every day. For bonus content, check out...

A new study finds that the human body does not age at a constant rate throughout adulthood. Instead, it accelerates dramatically around ages 44 and 60. Jeff and Anthony discuss the findings while trying not to admit how old they feel. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you...

More and more research points to the fact that the microbiome in our gut contributes sigificantly to both our phsyical and mental health. But what defines this microbiome? New analysis of nearly 2,000 people living in remote villages in Honduras has shown that friend groups have nearly as much impact as spouses or co-habitators. Jeff and Anthony discuss sharing gut health with their friends, and w...

Contrary to previous assumption, a new study shows that bat-like echolocation is a skill that can be learned by both blind and sighted practitioners in as little as 10 weeks. Anthony and Jeff discuss the ramifications of this discovery, and what it means about practice and neural plasticity.  Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/weh...

A new study used varying levels of hot sauce to test whether the expectation of spice and discomfort impacted the actual experience. Jeff and Anthony discuss how our brains deal with expectation - and also the way this study was conducted. With, um, squirt tubes. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2450955-hot-sauce-taste-test-reveals-how-expectations-shape-pleasure-and-pain/ Support the show and...

In the 19th century, Scottish scammer Gregor MacGregor made a fortune selling land in Poyais. The only problem? Poyais never existed. Jeff and Anthony step through the history of this nortious fraudster, and try to resist parallels to modern American liars. Link to this week's article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gregor-macgregor-map-of-poyais Support the show and get bonus episodes, vid...

The sport of Slap Fighting has taken the Internet by storm over the last year. But would you believe: it is stupid and dangerous? I KNOW. Jeff and Anthony discuss a new study that says the very good and smart sport is causing intense and permanent damage to its participants. Video Analysis of Concussion Among Slap Fighting Athletes: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/282...

When you see food that is colored blue, what flavor do you expect it to be? As the rarest color in plants and animals, blue might be the strangest color to eat. Jeff and Anthony dig into the unusual history of blue food to  uncover the allure of azure. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://twitt...

Among rural communities in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was taken as fact that a thunderstorm would turn milk sour. Jeff and Anthony look at the journey of scientific discovery around such a strange myth, and what it tell us about how long it takes to dispel misinformation, even in the modern age. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the s...

It's time to celebrate the strangest, silliest, and most weirdly useful science of the last year! The Ig Nobel Prizes are back, and we're going to cover this year's winners. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni If you’ve se...

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/24/world/thomas-midgley-jr-leaded-gas-freon-scn/index.html Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcher...

Researchers in the Arctic are experimenting with drastic plans to geoengineer away the damaging effects of climate change. Jeff and Anthony look at one method, inspired by Dutch Ice Masters. Then, they discuss efforts from the Alameda city council to shut down geoengineering off the coast of California. Which is the best way forward? For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconc...