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A Little Bit Of Science

A Little Bit Of Sciencewholesomeshow.com

From tales of historical idiocracy and scientific genius to weird and wacky cultural phenomena, Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant are here to take you on a wild conversational journey, deep diving into the crevices of science, history and culture that you never knew existed. 

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Episodes

"Earth Has An Anus" - The Weird Ideas of Alfred Lawson

You can be, on the outside, a normal - even successful - person, but still hold a core of quackery on the inside. Alfred Lawson was one such person. A successful journalist, aircraft manufacturer and pilot - and the first person to commute by plane - Lawson also had some intensely weird Ideas about how the world works. Rod tells Will his story! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! Se...

May 22, 20201 hr 8 min

Henry Cotton's Terrible Psychiatry

Henry Cotton had some interesting ideas about the causes of psychiatric disorders. The problem wasn't the ideas, it was the dogged pursuit of following them through.. The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, joined today by Dr Madeleine Hinwood! Proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 15, 202053 min

The Woman Who Felt No Fear

Nobody likes being afraid - but even so, fear is a pretty useful emotion. It protects us from tigers and bad parties and what not. But what if you don't experience it? Rod tells Will the story of S. M., the woman who feels no fear! The Wholesome Show is made by Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

May 09, 202054 min

The Eradication of Smallpox

For thousands of years smallpox was the worst virus in the world. It killed more people than any other disease - perhaps as many as half a billion in the 20th Century alone. But then, following a concerted global effort of vaccination, we wiped it out - the only disease threatening humans to have been fully eradicated. Will tells Rod how this happened! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Sci...

May 01, 20201 hr 12 min

The Made Up Asia Of George Psalmanazar

In the 18th Century the people of Europe had heard of Asia - but they didn't know much about it. And so to fill the information vacuum, some enterprising folk... filled the gap with bullshit. The champion of this was George Psalmanazar... Rod tells Will his story! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 24, 202056 min

Documenting the Infodemic!

While we're living through a pandemic, we're also in the midst of a tsunami of misinformation, a plague of snake oil, a veritable shit-storm of bad communication! And we wanted to document it. So today, Will tells Rod - and special guest Darren Saunders - all about some of the awful people spreading awful lies in this Covid-19 world! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudi...

Apr 19, 20201 hr 14 min

Horace Fletcher, King of Chewing!

We're all told as kids to chew our food properly - but people don't usually go as far as The Great Masticator, Horace Fletcher. As Fletcher held it, food should be chewed until liquefied before swallowing. "Nature will castigate those who don't masticate." Rod tells Will all about him! The Wholesome Show is made by Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, and proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Apr 10, 202055 min

The Spanish Flu!

In 1918-1919, the Spanish Flu killed perhaps as many as 100 million people. More than anything else ever. But for decades, we barely spoke about it - in fact it was called the forgotten pandemic. Will tells Rod all about it! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 03, 20201 hr 4 min

Munchausen's, Munchausen's by Proxy, Munchausen's by Internet!

The internet, you may be shocked to learn, is full of lies - half truths, fraud, fakery! Some of the lying may in fact be diagnosable... Rod tells Will about Munchausen's syndrome, Munchausen's by proxy, and Munchausen's by Internet! This is our first social distancing podcast, bear with us while we polish our tech :) The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Mar 27, 202047 min

The History and Science of Panic Buying!

Pandemics suck. You know that. You also know that panic buying sucks, particularly when everyone is buying your delicious brand of muesli. But what causes it? Will tells Rod a little about the history and science of panic buying! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science - take care everybody! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Mar 18, 20201 hr 2 min

The Life and Times of Alfred Nobel

The Nobel Prizes are really pretty famous. But what about the guy who set them up? Rod tells Will the story of Alfred Nobel! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 13, 202054 min

Weather War!

In 1996 the US Air Force released an 'ideas paper' exploring how "US aerospace forces can ‘own the weather’ by capitalising on emerging technologies and focusing development of those technologies to war-fighting applications." In short, they were looking at making weather a weapon against their enemies! Will tells Rod about the history behind this idea... The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of ...

Mar 04, 20201 hr 3 min

Bioweapons Testing!

In 1966 a group of US Army scientists wanted to find out just how vulnerable the New York Subway system was to a biological attack. The good news? They found it was... pretty vulnerable. The bad news? The way they found this out was... pretty dodgy. Will tells Rod and Hans all about it! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, joined today by Dr Hans Thulstrup, and proudly presented by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener...

Feb 27, 202044 min

The Science of Heavy Metal

Kant holds that the fundamental principle of our moral duties is a categorical imperative. For people who listen to Heavy Metal, that means categorising music with the most awesome array of sub-categories you can imagine! Rod tells Will (and Hans!) all about the science of Heavy Metal! The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, joined today by Hans Thulstrup! Proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Feb 20, 20201 hr 11 min

The Dunning-Kruger Effect!

It's a sad fact of humanity that people who don't know much about something wildly over estimate how good they are at that thing. Heard about Iran's nuclear program? Then you're basically an expert. Played a video game with a helicopter? You're basically a pilot. This phenomenon is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. But it's not just a reason we should calm down our self-estimation, it has real world consequences. Rod tells Will more! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, pro...

Feb 13, 20201 hr 9 min

The Difficult Legacy of J Marion Sims

Can an enslaved person suffering a terrible condition consent to an experimental medical procedure? The short answer is no! The long answer is still no, but with a side order of 'it's complicated'. But can the rest of society benefit? Will tells Rod about the difficult legacy of J Marion Sims! The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Feb 05, 202047 min

Faecal Microbiota Transplants!

Listener you knew it was coming - if you were going to draw a Venn diagram of Wholesome Show topics (juvenile and science being the key circles), then poo transplants would sit right in the middle! So this episode, Rod tells Will the history and science of Faecal Microbiota Transplants! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jan 30, 20201 hr 9 min

The Sugar Experiments of Vipeholm

We all know sugar is bad for our teeth. But... how did we come to know that? Rod tells Will the story of the Vipeholm Hospital sugar experiments! The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 22, 202044 min

The Pedoscope!

What's a pedoscope, and why were they banned? Will tells Rod the weird story of this weird invention from the dark ages of the 20th Century... The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 15, 20208 min

A Weird Marshmallow Experiment

Listener, are you the type to delay gratification? To study for your test now, and save the night of partying till afterwards? To save your pennies for a sensible purchase only when you have the money? To avoid eating one marshmallow now, to get two later? Or do you need what you need/want right now, and consequences be damned? Either is fine, we're not judging. But for years, perhaps the most famous experiment in cognitive psychology has... Will tells Rod and Hannah the story of the weird marsh...

Jan 01, 202047 min

Fighting Big Corpse!

Hey listener, what are you going to do with your body when you die? Like most sensible people, you're going to get turned into a diamond and fired into the sun (of course!) - but if that's not quite for you, what's an environmentally and socially responsible solution for your mortal remains? Rod tells Will and Hannah about the science and politics of Big Corpse! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, joined today by Hannah Carle and proudly brought to you by The Australian Nati...

Dec 26, 20191 hr 9 min

The Harvard Psilocybin Project!

In the early 1960s a team of Harvard researchers... got high. All good, each to their own! But because they were researchers, they decided to become a little more rigorous on what happens when you take psychedelic drugs. Will tells Rod the story of the Harvard Psilocybin Project! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Dec 19, 201958 min

Animals in Space!

In 1957 a stray dog was rescued from the streets of Moscow - and then strapped to the top of a rocket and sent into space! She died :( But she paved the way for the rest of us to reach the stars, so that's nice! Hannah Carle joins the Wholesome Show today to tell Rod and Will about the animals who've gone to space! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, joined today by Hannah Carle from ANU's Research School of Biology! Proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre f...

Dec 11, 201959 min

Drug Smuggling Logistics!

Supply chain logistics is one of the fastest growing and most innovative industries in the world. In shipping companies around the world scientists and engineers are working on robot factories and drone delivery and ways to get your packages to you faster and faster. And the drug industry is keen on this too! Rod tells Will about the innovative ways drug barons are shipping drugs around the world... The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian...

Dec 04, 20191 hr

Radioactive Snake Oil!

In the late 19th century Marie and Pierre Curie conducted some groundbreaking work on radioactivity. Their results were exciting - so exciting, we went around putting radioactive ingredients in everything! Will tells Rod the story of radioactive snake oil! The Wholesome Show is Dr Will Grant and Dr Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Nov 29, 201946 min

The Fake Money of JSG Boggs

What even is money? Is it even really real? Money, as all you wise Wholesome Show listeners know, is a social construct. We made it up and we believe in it because it's useful. And so we know making fake money is naughty... But what if you fake it as an art project? Rod tells Will the story of JSG Boggs and his fake money! The Wholesome Show is Will Grant and Rod Lamberts, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Nov 20, 20191 hr

Phrenology!

The idea of studying the bumps on people's heads to understand their personality is often held up as one of the dumbest mistakes ever made in science... But the story of phrenology is a little more complicated than that. Will tells Rod why! The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, proudly brought to you by the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Nov 13, 20191 hr 3 min

A Brief History Of Anti-Vaccination!

The first vaccination was invented in 1796 by Edward Jenner. The first anti-vaccination movement was invented mere moments later - and their ideas then parallel strongly with the ideas you see pushed now. Rod tells Will their story! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Nov 08, 20191 hr 5 min

Domesticating The Fox!

How did wolves turn into dogs? Dmitri Belyaev wanted to find out, so he launched a secret experiment in the middle of Stalinist Soviet Union to domesticate the fox! The Wholesome Show is Rod Lamberts and Will Grant, joined today by Hannah Carle! Normally brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, today we're also brought to you by the Research School of Biology at ANU as the final Director's Seminar for 2019! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Oct 28, 201953 min

Stats Porn!

PornHub is one of the biggest porn sites on the planet - and every year they release a data dump of what the world watches! Rod tells Will all about it! The Wholesome Show is Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant, proudly brought to you by The Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 23, 20191 hr 10 min
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