When Wildlife ATTACKS | Pod 102
Locusts, Squirrels, and Birds OH MY! In this wild episode of the show, Julian drones on like the queen he is all about airplanes and bees. Then, Trace finds some fuzzy commandos to gnaw at infrastructure of New Jersey. Squirrel away this knowledge for a rainy day — as long as the locusts don’t attack your airplane.
THE 100 1/2TH ABSURDAGANZA CONTINUES | Pod 100.5 🥳
Dearest Listeners,
We write from our recording studio's trenches. The air is thick and oppressive. The relentless heat tests our resolve. Our studios, once creative havens, now resemble the crannies of camels. The temperature rises each hour, and so do tempers. We are tired–Listeners—bone-tired, the kind that settles deep into one's soul. Yet we press forward, driven by our duty to document the absurd. Julian hasn't fared well; the heat has frayed his nerves, making him snap at small provocations. Sophie has started doing karaoke and wears strange accents. Trace is... indescribable. We all persist, for absurdity waits for no one, and neither shall we. Onward to the 100th And a Halfth.
Your faithful servants of nonsense, warmed like croissants, but unbroken.
THE 100TH EPISODE ABSURDAGANZA! | Pod 100 🥳
WE DID IT.
WE MADE 100 PODCAST EPISODES WITHOUT MISSING AN UPLOAD (almost).
To celebrate Trace and Julian decided to do it big. How big? TEN WHOLE QUESTIONS BIG. SO BIG THEY HAD TO ASK THEIR FRIEND SOPHIE SHRAND TO HELP THEM OUT BIG. BIG ENOUGH TO.... BE... LIKE... REALLY LONG... BIG.
You get the idea.
We pulled out all the stops for this absolute marathon of an episode because we owed it to you all. You have made making each episode such a delight with your weird thoughts, running gags, and delightful dispositions. As just a couple of dudes riddled with ADHD and science nerdiness... what did we do to deserve you?! We're so grateful that y'all have showed up for this show week after week. Thank you.
"MINIONS! Lower Mr. Bond into the Saliva Pool!" | Pod 99
Tired of having to do all your evil deeds yourself? Well with this one simple organism and some ethically dubious genetic engineering you too could have your very own army of immortal minions! (Intelligence and number of eyes may vary). Julian explores what you might need to make these little favorites of moms everywhere. Then Trace explores a pool of saliva.... Just going to leave it at that.
Zooming in on Nano Paintings (They're a BIG deal) | Pod 98
Want to make a nanoscale image of the Mona Lisa? Listener Kodiak does. All they have to do is learn a bit of quantum mechanics, some thermochemical nanolithography, and then tap the genius of ancient superbrain Leonardo da Vinci! EASY!! Scientists did it!! Even though you can't see it without a powerful microscope trust us that she is smirking even harder than usual.
While Trace is poking around like Ant Man, Julian role plays as Frozen's Elsa to see if he can extinguish fire with nothing but an icy blast. Spoiler alert: you may be better off with a magical mystical freeze ray.
This Giant Moon Makes Your Bones Float | Pod 97
The hip bone connected to the basalt rock
The femur bone connected to the lunar maria
The foot bone connected to the gravitational equilibrium of the celestial bodies!
That’s the story of the bones… and… this episode?
I Can Read Your Mind… You're Thinking About Tiny Elephants?! | Pod 96
This week, Julian prunes the universe down to size: bonsai animals, bonsai humans, bonsai...uhm...did he just say bonsai HUMANS? Meanwhile, Trace tunes into the world of telepathy, where mind-reading might sound less like superpowers and more like trying to pick up a radio station with a bent coat hanger.
This Man Built a Fart Gun. Seriously. (feat. Lieven Scheire) | Pod 95
This week, we and guest Lieven Scheire all ruminate about a new job: Fart Safety Officer. Meanwhile, Trace get’s SALTY thinking about what if the oceans weren’t and Julian calculates the pure pasty reflectiveness of the Britons.
Tanks vs Dragons?! | Pod 94
Julian rolls into yet another extremely nerdy community and fires rounds left and right. Meanwhile, Trace calls his mom to help answer a question from a kid. As long as we're not on the subject though, what do tree trunks and military tanks have in common? They’re both flammable.
Sucking Blueberries to Space 'Til You're Blue in the Face | Pod 93
Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo, Julian’s got a blueberry question for you…
Oompa Loompa, do-ba-da-dee, it you are wise you'll listen to … this podcast??
What do you get from a hose to space?
“Is it a straw or a siphon,” asked Trace?
Blaming us for these silly quest-ions
You know exactly what… else happ-pens!
We dig deep and will answer them!
Oompa Loompa do-ba-dee-da,
If you like this pod then you will go far.
You will live in happiness too,
Like the oompa loompa do-ba-dee-doo!
Reverse-Muscled Cat Prisoners | Pod 92
In this rebroadcasted episode, Trace resets the solar system to observe what life would be like on a 2/3rds-sized "Wee Earth." Julian, meanwhile, uses particle physics to finally distinguish between his left and right hands.
TAPE Classic | Trying to Explain 'Left' to Aliens from our Itty Bitty Earth
In this rebroadcasted episode, Trace resets the solar system to observe what life would be like on a 2/3rds-sized "Wee Earth." Julian, meanwhile, uses particle physics to finally distinguish between his left and right hands.
Keeping aBREAST of Our Wild Dreams (feat. Deboki Chakravarti) | Pod 91
In this episode Trace takes way, way too long to explain that dreams are pretty darn short. Meanwhile, friend of the absurd, Deboki Chakravarti squeezes every last drop of information about breastfeeding.
SHAAAAAAAARRRRKKKKS (feat. Jaida Elcock) | Pod 90
It's the most wonderful time of the year! When the fish in the water make the kids scream and holler and panic with fear! That's right, it's Shark Time. You all know what we're referring to but we think the term might be trademarked like the Tuber Bowl and Taco Thursday. Anyway, we're kicking off the celebrations and to help us do so we went out and (politely) caught the coolest shark expert we know, Jaida Elcock, to answer your shark-related musings!
H2Oooooh myyyyyyy! | Pod 89
In this strange episode Trace obsesses over the wild water system stretching across North America, and Julian contemplates indoor clouds and ACTUALLY ANSWERS: Does this solve anything?!?!
DINOSAURS!! (We didn't stop to think if we should, oops) | Pod 88
This week we try something a little different — the ⚡️THUNDER ROUND ⚡️ as Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park Uno, “Your [science nerds] were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should!”
In this special episode, Julian and Trace snagged every dinosaur related question we could fit in a shaving cream can. Then, like a couple of velociraptors in a kitchen we made a huge mess of things. There’s a new Jurassic World movie, so we figured if not now — then when? Maybe people are going to go DINO-CRAZY! (we hope). If you have a Jurassic-leaning friend send them this episode; we spared no expense on it!
Soaring to the Sweater-Powered Ozone Layer With Our Pinkies OUT | Pod 87
Setting: Dry, warm evening in a small pub in Los Angeles.
Deputy Julian: "Whew-whee! What's that smell?!"
Detective Kyle (with a light drawl): "That's ozone, Julian. Something out of this world happened in this English phone box."
Dep. Julian (looking up at the sky): "By out of this world…you mean up there in the sky?"
Det. Kyle: sighs heavily
Dep. Julian: "I'm going to go check!"
Julian unfurls his giant grotesque wings. After a few large flaps, he has risen into the air. He begins sweating profusely.
Dep. Julian: "GAH, I should've taken off this heavy sweatshirt!"
Det. Kyle: Pulls out his bubble pipe "Bye, LaForge. I think you've got it!"
How a Color Could Make You Faster and a Humidifier Could Make Your House Bigger | Pod 86
Trace WOOD really like you to know that Dr Sam Zelinka from the Forest Products Lab is really SWELL, and he is KNOT KIDDING (I’m out of puns). Also, Julian talks about airplanes (again).
Kiss a Boo-Boo and Drug a Dog | Pod 85
When I was a kid, I ran around a corner and a tree branch went right into my eye. Luckily, my mom kissed it and made it all better… or… was it my brain that made it better? And can dogs do that too? Brb, gonna go kiss my dog.
LIVE SHOW: Tunnels of Allergic Plants and Blinding Fireflies (feat. Naila Moriera) | Pod 84
This is our first LIVE SHOW ever!! We were invited to perform the podcast live at Smith College in Massachusetts and people actually came! Thanks for all your support these past two years. We wouldn’t be here without you all. Thank you!