We Have Concerns

An article on Fox News says that scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany have reconstructed the Black Death! Oh no, we're all doomed! Why would scientists bring back a long dormant killer disease? Well, buried beneath the alarming rhetoric is the truth: they reconstructed the disease in a computer to learn more about its origins. Anthony and Jeff take t...

The prairie vole, unlike 97 percent of mammals, are monogamous, forming bonds that last long after mating, and scientists have been doing experiments to try to understand if the hormone they share with humans - oxytocin - may be the reason. Unfortunately, these experiments are pretty rough on the voles. Jeff and Anthony talk about the so-called "Love Hormone" and what it may mean for hum...

Jumping spiders, members of the Salticidae family of arachnids, have a level of cognizance rarely seen in creatures of their diminutive size, which enables them to plan ahead and work out the most appropriate route to catch their prey. Scientists proved thi fact through a series of obstacle course-like tests, that have Anthony and Jeff terrified of the abilities of eight-legged predators. We Have...

Australian startup company Humai claims to be working on a way to transfer a person’s consciousness into an artificial body after they’ve died. This is something Anthony and Jeff have been dying to see happen, but they have some serious reservations when they hear some details about how the startup is working. This episode was recorded LIVE at PAX South 2016 in San Antionio. Thanks to everyone who...

The exceptionally mild winter in many areas of the world caused by global climate change has led to squirrels across Europe and North America piling on the pounds. They prepare for frigid temperatures that never come, and end up larger than ever. Jeff and Anthony decide whether fat squirrels are a problem, or just more ticklish. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehav...

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology announced that they have found new evidence of a giant icy planet lurking in the darkness of our solar system far beyond the orbit of Pluto. They are calling it "Planet Nine." Jeff and Anthony try to work through what this means for our civilization, and all of the styrofoam solar systems in science fairs everywhere. Get all your swee...

In the Norwegian town of Longyearbyen, it is forbidden to die. The reason? The Arctic region is so cold year-round, that bodies simply do not decompose. Anthony and Jeff are fascinated by anywhere that asks you to kindly leave town if you're about to die, and wonder if there might be a union of ice wizards in the area who want you to live forever. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swing...

The praying mantis is the only known invertebrate with 3D perception, so, of course, scientists have created tiny 3D glasses and a tiny theater to test whether the same kinds of 3D techniques used for humans will work on them, too. Did the mantises perceive 3D? Were the glasses able to work? Did they stay for a second showing of Avatar? Jeff and Anthony answer all these questions and more. Get all...

On the barren Moroccan island of Mogador, falcons seem to imprison small birds by trapping them in crevasses, presumably saving them to eat later. Scientists have never seen this kind of behavior in non-human vertebrates. Anthony and Jeff have some theories about what's going on. Also, they are super excited to talk about falcons. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://weh...

Google Cardboard has helped save the life of a baby who was born missing a lung and half a heart. Surgeons used the inexpensive VR device to map out the experimental operation. Anthony and Jeff envision more world-changing applications of VR, but also take time to highlight other important technologies... like tables. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.c...

A Mountain View startup called Knightscope has developed a fleet of crime-fighting machinery it hopes to rent for less than minimum wage to malls. Are mall cop jobs in danger? Will punk kids cower in fear at the vaguely Dalek-shaped mall security robots? Anthony and Jeff predict a very different outcome. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! I...

In their continuing series on things that want to kill you, Anthony and Jeff discuss the Manchineel tree, whose poison is so potent, even standing under it during a rainstorm can result in blistered skin and excruciating pain. Join them in a trip down terrifying vegetation lane! Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show...

An essay in The American Journal of Bioethics claims dragons and other spectacular animals could be brought to life using the targeted gene-editing system known as CRISPR-CAS9. Jeff and Anthony are on board! Let's play god and bring mythical creatures of lore into existence! What could possibly go wrong? Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! I...

Over half the Antelope population in Kazakhstan died in 4 days, and scientists are baffled as to the cause. Jeff and Anthony have a few theories, though. Don't worry. It's probably not all dark magic. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen....

Are dogs getting dumber because of their association with humans? New new study comparing intelligence of wolves to domesticated canines seems to indicate that might be the case. Anthony, Jeff, and special guest Christian Spicer talk about relative dog dumbness and what might be the cause. Patrons get a bonus, double length episode with Christian! Check out our Patreon to listen to it: https://www...

Jeff and Anthony uncover the remarkable true story of that iconic symbol of the American west, the tumbleweed. Turns out, it was all a lie. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And her...

A giant squid, rarely seen outside of deep waters, was filmed swimming near a pier in central Japan. Even crazier, a local dive shop owner decided to leap into the water and swim with the deadly creature. What happens next may surprise you. It certainly surprised Anthony and Jeff, who take a moment to enumerate the various ways this is a stupid thing to do. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merc...

Melody Jackson, a computer scientist at Georgia Tech, has been outfitting service dogs with computerized vests, so that in an emergency they can find another human and pull a mechanical lever on the vest that triggers an audio message like, "My handler needs you to come with me!" Anthony and Jeff ponder how they might react when faced with that situation, and discuss use cases for animal...

This year, efforts will resume to drill deeper into the Earth than ever before. In fact, scientists believe this new effort, drilling from a ship at sea, will finally cross the barrier between the crust and the mantle. Jeff and Anthony wonder what horrors wait to be released when we crack into new layers of the Earth, and also take time to rediscover their love of the 2003 film, The Core. Get all...

To combat an epidemic of rabies spread by wild foxes, the Swiss government, from the late seventies through the early nineties, showered their countryside with vaccinated chicken heads. Jeff and Anthony are completely flabbergasted by this plan, and wonder what life must have been like in a Europe littered with thousands of disembodied chicken heads. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by sw...

South Korean companies think they've figured out how to help depressed employees: throw them into coffins and give them fake funerals. One of us loves this idea, one of us is weirded out by it. CAN YOU GUESS WHO? Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you us...

A woman born incapable of feeling pain has been hurt for the first time, thanks to a drug normally prescribed for opioid overdoses. Jeff and Anthony discuss what it must be like to feel pain for the first time, and whether this is a positive breakthrough, or a terrible thing to do to someone with a superpower. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop...

Over the last 5 years, 283 wooden boats have washed up on the shores of Japan, full of decomposing human bodies. No one knows where they came from, who was aboard, or why they died. Of course, that doesn't stop Jeff and Anthony from solving the case. It's gotta be ghost ships, right? Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the...

The problem of splash-back at the urinal has been tackled by Researchers at Utah State University who have developed a new device that's being called a "black hole for urine." Jeff and Anthony discuss the problem of pee splash, and are mystified that this powerful technology isn't being used for more important things. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehave...

The recent International Summit on Human Gene Editing brought scientists from around the worth together to debate the benefits and potential dangers of experimenting on the human genome. Anthony and Jeff have their own debate, and imagine a future where DNA is the ultimate creative canvas. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoyi...