We Have Concerns

A new virtual reality startup called Project Elysium aims to give Oculus Rift users the ability to have conversations with their deceased loved ones by recreating them digitally, using pictures, video, and data from their lives. Jeff and Anthony think this is the technological version of clairvoyant shysterism, but actually stumble upon some interesting use cases. We Have Concerns is entirely list...

Whelp, it's happening. Scientists in China have begun genetically modifying human embryos. While these initial attempts to replace potentially fatal genes with new, safe, designer genes proved unsuccessful, the fact that Chinese researchers are even experimenting on human embryos has caused a stir in the scientific community. Jeff and Anthony debate whether humans should be playing god in this way...

When his heart was replaced with a constant, flowing artificial pump in March of 2011, Craig Lewis because the first human ever to live without a pulse. Anthony is eager to disregard his biological heart for science's improvements - he'd do it in a heartbeat - but Jeff is worried that living life without a pulse might lead to strange existence out of rhythm. We Have Concerns is entirely listener s...

Moore's Law states that every 2 years the number of transistors on a chip will double. But some scientists predict that in just 10 years, we will hit the upper limit of Moore's Law. Anthony and Jeff wonder what the will happen if we get to the end of the Law and suggest a few ways we might outsmart this presumptive limit. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get...

A group of biohackers is working on a way to create cheese without ever using an animal. The idea is to take custom-fabricated snippets of DNA and insert them into yeast to fabricate truly vegan cheese. In fact, they don't even need to use DNA from a cow. They could end up making human cheese. Jeff and Anthony debate the merits of dairy without the cow, and decide what kind of cheese they'd like t...

No one had ever observed geckos exhibiting behavior that could be described as "play". That is, until the reptiles were jettisoned into space in an unmanned Russian rocket. One of their collars dislodged in zero gravity, and the geckos onboard began to bat it around in improvised games. If such stoic, all-business creatures can discover fun in space, Anthony and Jeff wonder what other ef...

A new study pinpoints the geographic locations where the longest-living humans are most concentrated. Analysis of these "Blue Zones" reveals the kinds of activities and diet that contribute to longevity. Jeff and Anthony discuss the pros and cons of living healthy, as well as a side-plan to eliminate dark magic from the earth. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us a...

The Lujan Zoo outside of Buenos Aires has been dubbed the "World's Most Dangerous Zoo" because it allows visitors to cuddle, fondle, and feed lions, tigers, and bears. But when Anthony and Jeff hear about these practices, all they see are the inhumane and disgusting manner in which the animals are treated to ensure they remain in a state of lethargic docility. Are humans really this inse...

A new study at USC shows evidence that men who are going bald may actually be able to stimulate their dormant follicles by violently plucking out the remaining hairs that do grow. This counter-intuitive solution was reached by ripping out fur in healthy mice, which leads Jeff and Anthony to wonder how far we as humans will go to regrow our hair, and what kind of doctor even thinks to try this. We...

Anthony and Jeff learn about the affliction known as Exploding Head Syndrome, which, it turns out, is a really misleading name. It leads them to discuss sleep, inner voices, and the peace attained from a quiet mind. Oh, and alien probes. Somehow they also get to alien probes. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Pat...

An octopus at the Sea Life Aquarium in New Zealand has been trained to take photos. When visitors stand in front of his tank, Rambo the octopus reaches inside the casing of the underwater camera and presses the button, capturing the image of his "guests". Anthony reveals his long-held hatred of all cephalopods and fear that they will someday live in trees, while Jeff wonders how one trai...

A 30-year-old Russian man Valery Spiridonov has volunteered to become the world's first head transplant. His terrible, degenerative spinal disease has forced him to resort to drastic actions, but some scientists are worried that the resulting neural confusion of a human head transplant may actually be worse than death. Jeff and Anthony wonder what kind of doctor would try such a thing, and conside...

A new biotech startup aims to have synthetic, bioprinted eyeballs on the market by 2027. These could not only solve vision problems, but actually upgrade the eye to apply filters or even record video. Jeff, Anthony, and special guest Trisha Hershberger debate whether cool new functions are worth giving up your natural born eyes. Thanks to Trisha Hershberger for joining us! Visit her YouTube channe...

Cosmologist Fergus Simpson published a new scientific paper in which he suggests that intelligent aliens, if they exist, are likely enormous, weighing at least 650 lbs. Jeff and Anthony are skeptical of Mr, Simpson's mathematical model, but suspect first contact with gigantic aliens might not go smoothly. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bo...

Researchers studying the movements of tarantulas in different climates have discovered that at higher temperatures spiders can actually move much faster. This is due to fluid in their joints becoming more viscous in high heat. The trade-off is that they also become more wobbly and out of control. Jeff and Anthony imagine the hydraulic robots that might be created based on this information, and wor...

Historians uncovered an Old English book of Medieval remedies and decided to recreate and test them in modern conditions. Shockingly, one of the potions, made up of garlic, onions, and the bile from a cow's stomach was actually more effective at treating MRSA than modern antibiotics. Jeff and Anthony marvel at the wisdom that can be derived from trial and error, and wonder what other ailments alch...

Seattle cancer researchers are hoping that they will be able to use scorpion venom to fight deadly brain cancer through a new product called "Tumor Paint." Jeff and Anthony consider the challenges of attacking cancer in the most sensitive areas of the human body and hope something deadly can combat something deadlier. Also, they remember their short-lived cartoon series, Cancer Killers:...

Plastic water bottles are a massive global pollution problem, but new biotech aims to replace traditional non-biodegradable containers with a thin algae membrane. The result is an amorphous spheroid of H2O that is inexpensive to produce and has zero impact on the environment. Anthony and Jeff are ready for the blob water future, and have been working up a series of biohacker adventure novels in an...

Scientists recently discovered a species of sea slug takes genes from the algae it eats, allowing it to photosynthesize like a plant and survive for months at a time on sunlight. Anthony thinks that if we can replicate this process in humans, he might finally be able to shed the need for daily meals, while Jeff wonders if it means he'll end up looking green and needing to be outside much more ofte...

Anthony and Jeff consider the plight of mice in a cage, given the opportunity to drink clean, natural water, or water laced with illicit drugs. Is their choice dependent on the pure addictive properties of the drugs, each individual mouse's brain chemistry, or a simple lack of other interesting things to do? What does this experiment tell us about how we approach drug use in humans? And why is the...

A group of biohackers in Tehachapi, California have figured out a way to give themselves night vision by squirting a kind of chlorophyll analog called Chlorin e6 directly onto their eyeballs. Anthony is thrilled by this development and cannot wait to try it himself, while Jeff is disturbed by the solid black color the eyes take on, and the complete lack of medical oversight. Would you go full Ridd...

[UPDATE: It turns out this story isn't true, but our reactions to it still are.] This year the annual haunted house in Waukegan, Illinois provided an extra terror for visitors after an elderly man passed away inside and was mistaken for a prop for nearly 2 weeks. Jeff and Anthony wonder what kind of haunted house is so good a real dead body goes unnoticed, and whether his ghost actually haunts the...

A dog walker in New York city has turned her apartment into a veterinarian clinic and rehabilitation center for injured squirrels, pigeons, and other overlooked creatures, while keeping it secret from her landlord and local authorities. Anthony and Jeff wonder what that apartment smells like, and consider whether this is a good, generous thing to be doing, or an unsafe headache for her neighbors....

Evidence that a hallucinogenic fungus was readily available to Dinosaurs has some scientists speculating that prehistoric creatures were getting high. This leads Anthony and Jeff to discuss all the various animals that are known to intentionally alter their brain chemistry in nature. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out...

Anthony and Jeff had such high hopes for Mars One - the non-profit offering one-way trips to the red planet to anyone willing to apply. But according to at least one high-ranking applicant, the entire endeavor looks like a scam. A flimsy selection process based on purchases and donations, no actual training, and no plan in place for the technology required to leave Earth's atmosphere. The guys wor...