Today on the show, HAPPY NEW FEAR! Let’s discover fears you didn’t even know you had with some horrifying creatures! Take a one way trip to decapitation station, check out some very creepy babies, and endure the existential crisis after finding out when a butt is NOT a butt. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, is 80 worms too many worms to have inside of you? With special guests Tess Lynch, Molly Lambert, and Emily Yoshida of the Night Call Podcast. CONTENT WARNING: the try...
Jan 01, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Happy holidays everyone, it’s me, Katie Goldin, your host of many parasites! Today, on the second part of our two-part holiday special, we’ll be creating our own non-denominational holiday using evolutionary biology to make this magical time of year scientifically accurate! We’ll talk the biology of reindeer, and the best bacteria-filled lightshow in the world! With special guest Jamie Loftus of The Bechdel Cast. FOOTNOTES: Cute reindeer noses Reindeer eyeballs magically change color Glowing Fir...
Dec 25, 2019•54 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Happy holidays everyone, it’s me, Katie Goldin, your host of many parasites! On this two-part holiday special, we’ll be creating our own non-denominational holiday using evolutionary biology to make this magical time of year scientifically accurate! We’ll make our own, better Santa out of animal DNA, learning about these animals along the way! With special guest Jamie Loftus of the Bechdel Cast . FOOTNOTES: Hydra, an immortal wiener with tentacles Quetzalcoatlus northropi Peregrin falcon dive El...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Today we'll be talking about how animals prepare for winter! From hibernation, to magical wardrobe changes, to cryogenic freezing! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: when, if ever, is the right time to breathe through your butt? With special guest Caitlin Durante of the Bechdel Cast . FOOTNOTES: My frozen bear heart Calendar cells Arctic fox faceplanting into snow Arctic fox's awkward wardrobe malfunctions Arctic fox shedding its coat Ancient snow goggles Frozen wood frog ...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Today on the show, Gobble Gobble! No, we’re not talking about turkeys this time, but the weird and wild eating behaviors of people and animals! We’re talking gluttonous grubs who gobble on gastropods, animals who store their leftovers like they’re leatherface on steroids, animal chefs and foodies with very peculiar tastes. Discover these animals and more as we answer the age old question: is eating civet poop a crappy thing to do? With special guests Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum of the Savor...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Welcome to domestication station as we talk about the weird and wild world of artificial selection! Giant chickens, turkeys, swole cows, oh my. Discover these animals and more as we answer the age old question: if Arnold Schwarzenegger was a chicken, what would he look like? With special guest David Bell. FOOTNOTES: Dong tao chicken ko shamo chicken English pouter Silkie chickens Frizzle chicken Serama "Arnold Schwarzenegger" chicken Ayam cemani "goth chicken" What really killed the dodo? Mangal...
Nov 27, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Today we’re talking about virtual reality, but ditch those computer goggles and just listen with your brain meats, because we’re talking about a more organic, squishy form of virtual reality. What happens when the human or animal brain takes some creative license? Or when your own hand rebels against you? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: if you call a fish four-eyes, is that science or just bullying? With special guest Anna Salinas. FOOTNOTES: Find your blindspot Blindsp...
Nov 20, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Today on the show, PLAYTIME! It’s time to have fun in the sun, or the sea, or, you know, in a rotting carcass or whatever! Dogs fetch balls, rats giggle with glee when you tickle them, birds like to snowboard, spiders like to fool around… wait, spiders? We’re going to talk about all the animals who love to play, and the list is more extensive than you may think. With special guest Kimia Behpoornia. FOOTNOTES: Beluga playing rugby video Beluga noises Beluga sounding very much like a foghorn/crow/...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Today on the show, we’re talking about animals who are BACK FROM THE DEAD! Animals who were previously thought to be gone from the face of the earth get rediscovered: reports of these animals’ extinction have been greatly exaggerated. With special guest Forrest Galante from Animal Planet's Extinct or Alive . Extinct or Alive TV show The Pinocchio Lizard The Horned Frog Giant Extinct Crocodiles Thylacosmilus was a Bit of a Doof Gastric Brooding Frog A Case for De-Extinction A Case Against De-Exti...
Nov 06, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Happy Creatureween everyone! Today on the show, it’s a Monster Mash! All the classic horror movie monsters, brought to life through the very real world of science! We’re looking at animals who can truly call themselves Dracula, real life Frankenstein’s monsters, and ghoOOost sharks! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: can a dog lick you to death? With special guest Jamie Loftus. FOOTNOTES: Halloween crab & halloween snake Dramatic emo vampire squid Vampire finch Dracula...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 23
We love horror movies and horror stories, but when it comes to pure blood-curdling terror, there’s no competing with mother nature. We’ll compare some classic horror tropes to their real-life counterparts, and let me tell ya: when it comes to evolution, the director’s cut holds nothing back. Parasites that contort your body and mind to their will, evil flowers and even more evil worms! With special guest Emily Yoshida of the Night Call Podcast. FOOTNOTES: Video of leucochloridium paradoxum Our D...
Oct 23, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Today on the show, SUPERSTITION! Black cats, crows, ravens, and a mysterious demonic monster… where do superstitions come from? What are the facts behind the superstition? And are crows really conspiring against us. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do satanists like to kiss cat butt? With special guest Joey Clift. FOOTNOTES: 1. 50% of polled Americans are superstitious 2. The Papal Bull behind black cat superstition 3. Kattenstoet cat parade in Ypres, Belgium!! 4. The le...
Oct 16, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Happy October everyone! This week: Dunanunanunanuna BAT FACTS! Why do bats hang upside down? How did bats become associated with Dracula? What are some of the craziest bat species in the world? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: If Batman was bitten by a radioactive bat, what powers would he have? With special guest Molly Lambert from the Night Call Podcast. FOOTNOTES: 1. Bats in folklore 2. Common vampire bat 3. Hairy legged vampire bat 4. Trumpet-nosed bat 5. Lesser long...
Oct 09, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Giant bugs, animals that clone themselves, things that come back to life after being eviscerated... if you're looking for aliens, you can find them under the sea. And later on the show, we’ll be speaking to a professor of marine biology who invited an octopus into his home! With special guests comedian Chris Crofton and Professor of Marine Biology David Scheel. FOOTNOTES: 1. Goblin Sharks (they look like MR. BURNS not MR. SMITHERS whoops) 2. Giant isopod 3. Atolla jellyfish 4. Proboscis worm 5. ...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Today on the show we’re talking PSEUDOSCIENCE! Did you know that sometimes people claim things are scientific, but whoops, they’re not? We’ll be looking at some scammers, some flim-flammers, some people who claim things are scientific but they’re maaaaaaybe not really. With special guests Katy Stoll and Cody Johnston. FOOTNOTES: 1. Study on redness and association with sex 2. Snub nosed monkeys 3. Bearded vulture makeup 4. Baboon utopian society 5. Testosterone not correlated with attractiveness...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Today on the show we’re talking WEIRD DIETS! Animals eating other animals eating other animals! Humans eating well… some pretty freaky things. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: is cannibalism good for you? With special guest Smart Mouth's Katherine Spiers. FOOTNOTES: 1. A lotl Axolotl 2. Greenland sharks 3. Horrifying Fine Dining Lovers article 4. Vilhjalmur Stefansson 5. Butterflies drinking turtle tears 6. Tear drinking moths harassing birbs 7. Vegan ortolan 8. Marijuan...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 17
We’re going to explode some myths about human and animal biology & psychology, and discover that the truth really is stranger than fiction. With special guest comedian and Nerdificent co-host Ify Nwadiwe. Footnotes: 1. Komodo dragon venom 2. Bees are angered by the color red 3. Mathematician & grandfather of the scientific method, Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham 4. Unihemispheric slow wave sleep 5. Lionesses synchronize their "periods" (estrus) 6. Immortal jellyfish 7. Scallop eyeballs 8. Horse mus...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 16
The truth behind Mothman, The Chupacabra, and Bigfoot! Today, we’ll be looking at the facts behind cryptids, what it would mean if they actually existed, and the real animals that are just as crazy as the cryptids themselves. With special guest Tess Lynch of the Night Call podcast. FOOTNOTES: 1. Mothman 2. Sandhill crane 3. Barred owl 4. Owls or aliens? 5. Owl without feathers (artistic rendering) 6. Do those legs go owl the way up 7. Vampire bats 8. Giant Gippsland earthworm 9. Giant Gippsland ...
Sep 04, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Right now, the Amazon is burning — we’re going to talk about why this is happening, what’s at stake, and what you can do to help. With special guest Miles Gray. FOOTNOTES: How you can help the Amazon! 1. WWF 5 Ways To Help The Amazon 2. Donate to protect an acre of rainforest 3. Rainforest Trust 4. Defend Indigenous rights and protect the rainforest by donating or signing a pledge 5. Signal boost the Indigenous Women's March 6. Learn more about Indigenous Rights Images of the beautiful animals o...
Aug 28, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Today we’re talking about getting bamboozled, pulling shenanigans, getting conned by caterpillars and hoaxed by horses. With special guest Laci Mosley. FOOTNOTES: 1. Chinstrap penguin stealing rocks 2. Gelada male 3. Firefly femme fatale 4. Hawk moth caterpillar mimics viper 5. Passion flower mimicry 6. Automimicry 7. Conformity elevator experiment 8. Jumping spider ant mimics 9. Jumping spider mimicking one ant carrying another (this is ONE spider) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ww...
Aug 21, 2019•2 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Today, we’re going to talk about CUTENESS! Why do we love baby animals? Do baby animals love us? What are some of the cutest studies in science? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: yikes, what’s it like to give birth to a baby porcupine? With special guest Bridgett Greenberg. FOOTNOTES: 1. Peak-a-boo researcher 2. Sea turtle swim suits 3. Cutest age for a dog study 4. Sea lion puppy covered in sand 5. Prehensile Tailed Porcupine "talking" 6. Image of Prehensile Tailed Porcu...
Aug 14, 2019•59 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Join us today as we talk about the history and stories behind mythological creatures, and find out that they have real-life animal counterparts who are just as magical. With special guest Alex Shifman. FOOTNOTES: 1. Bombardier Beetles 2. Warsaw Basilisk 3. Basilisk lizard running on water 4. Argentavis Magnificens 5. Terror Birds 6. Detachable penis 7. Horrible picture of a Stegodyphus lineatus spider being eaten by her babies 8. Atacama skeleton 9. Horrible picture of a "real" Jackalope (papill...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 12
We’re answering some of the weirdest questions about evolution and anatomy, like how do woodpeckers keep from scrambling their brains? What animals have not one, not two, but three vaginas? Why would a doctor want to sew your leg on backwards? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what are some of the most bodacious boobs in the animal kingdom. With special guests hosts of the podcast Ridiculous History, Noel Brown and Ben Bowlin. FOOTNOTES: 1. Weird woodpecker tongues 2. A k...
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 11
We’re going to look at some wild animal teams, how they compare to humans, and what the robot-dominated future may hold! Discover this and more as we answer the age old riddle: what animal doesn’t feel pain and loves eating poop? With special guest comedian Blake Wexler. FOOTNOTES: 1. Dog frees friends from a kennel 2. Dog frees tied up dog 3. Do Dogs Know Other Dogs Are Dogs? 4. More info on nake mole rats than you even want to know 5. Naked mole rats eat poop 6. Zombees 7. Social spider web 8....
Jul 24, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Today we’re talking about some adorable animals who look so sweet and cute, and who want to murder you to death. We’re talking the most surprisingly scary animals you should be afraid of. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what the heck is catfish noodling? With special guest Sofiya Alexandra. FOOTNOTES: 1. World's Weirdest: Killer Cone Snail 2. Noodling for catfish 3. Poison pass: the man who became immune to snake venom 5. Slow Loris 6. Platypus venom 7. leopard seal fee...
Jul 17, 2019•2 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Today we’ll be talking about tools! Tools of the trade, tools of torture, and tools of, well, hehe, you know. Bow-chika-wa-wah! What’s a butcher, a tailor, and a bendy-stick maker got in common? They’re all birds! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what’s the most humiliating thing to happen to an eel? With special guest Carmen Angelica. FOOTNOTES: 1. Bottlenose dolphins wielding sponges 2. Video of a tailor bird sewing leaves together 3. New Caledonian crows create their ...
Jul 10, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Today, we’re talking the classic tale of David and Goliath, unlikely matchups with even unlikelier conclusions. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what’s the best way to round-house kick a wasp? With special guests Alex Schmidt and Dr. Greg Pauly. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 03, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Did you know there are animals out there with real comic-book super powers? And people with superhuman abilities? Today, we’ll be looking at the real life animal and human counterparts to famous superheroes, and maybe some super villains too. With special guest Soren Bowie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 26, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Join us today as we look at some of the most mind-blowing, most important, and weirdest scientific studies that have been done on rats. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: is there eternal sunshine of the spotless rat mind? With special guest comedian Pallavi Gunalan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Today we’ll be talking about SHAPE SHIFTERS, tales of terrific transformers who have some shocking before and after pics. What’s got two thumbs and started life out as a tiny donut? Can snails take laziness to a freaky new level? Humans and animals on the lam: how would you escape the heat? With special guests Anna Hossnieh and Shereen Younes of the Ethnically Ambiguous podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Jun 12, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 4
