We are joined by CFO Jared Miller to discuss the basics of CFO and business finance. What's the difference between an accountant and a CFO? What are the job responsibilities of a CFO? What kind of schooling do CFOs traditionally have? What is EBITDA and how long has the concept been around? What kind of debt do companies have and do CFOs manage taking and repaying loans? Do CFOs need to know about tax law? Do CFOs work closely with attorneys? What kind of software do CFOs use? What are the chang...
Jun 12, 2025•49 min•Ep. 150
We discuss the basics of UFOs. When did the term UFO start being used? Where in modern times was the first big UFO sighting? What was Project Blue Book? Who was Captain Ruppelt? What's the best book on UFOs? Was an alien spacecraft sighted in the northern United States? Are aliens real and are we prepared for them?
Jun 06, 2025•47 min•Ep. 149
We discuss the basics of cloning. What is the story behind the dire wolf? Is what Colossal Biosciences created actually a dire wolf? What are other ways to do de-extinction? Why would humanity want to bring back certain animals? What are the concerns? Are there still biological and technical roadblocks to creating a human clone? Will there eventually be an extinct animal petting zoo?
May 05, 2025•52 min•Ep. 148
We discuss the basics of metabolism. What is metabolism? What factors contribute to metabolism? How much does age contribute to metabolism? What can you do to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)? What foods increase your metabolism? How does sleep affect metabolism? Should you get a standing desk?
Apr 02, 2025•59 min•Ep. 147
We discuss the basics of fraud. What are some different types of fraud? How do you help minimize identity theft risk? What is phishing and how do you recognize it? What is a Ponzi scheme and why is it getting easier to perpetrate? What internet technologies can you use to investigate companies and investments? What kind of security and fraud issues can there be with phone apps? What is a fly-by-night company and how do you avoid charity fraud? How do you recover from credit card fraud?
Mar 07, 2025•59 min•Ep. 146
We discuss the basics of quantum computing. How are quantum computers different than classical computers? Why aren't quantum computers publicly available? What applications do quantum computers have? What effect might quantum computing have on cryptocurrency? And cryptography in general? Is quantum computing useful for AI and how is James Bond involved?
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 145
We discuss the evolution of aviation. Where did aviation start? What steps were necessary before the Wright brothers could build the Wright Flyer? Who was Billy Mitchell and why was he court-martialed? What happened in aviation during World War I? When was the first jet built? What affects did WWII have on aviation? What is the Concord and why was it discontinued? When did space travel spin off from aviation? What is the future of supersonic commercial travel? How long have drones been around an...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 144
We discuss the basics of literary devices. What is a literary device and how do you use it? What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Is Tim an eagle? What are the 3 types of irony? What are iambic pentameter, meter, and free verse? Why is onomatopoeia the coolest literary device? Why is hyperbole the absolute worst? Why use literary devices at all?
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 143
We discuss the basics of left-handedness. Why are some people left-handed? How many people are left-handed? How many ambidextrous? Are left-handed people more common in certain countries? Are males or females more often left-handed? Are left-handed people right-brained? Are left-handed people more artistic? Can you switch you handedness? What daily microaggressions do left-handed people have to deal with?
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 142
We discuss the basics of the Australian Outback. How big is Australia compared to the US? Where did dingoes come from and how long is the Dingo fence? What ground dwelling parrot lives in the outback and are they insomniacs? What are Brumbies? What is a Thylacine and do they still exist? Where did kangaroos come from? What is the topography of Australia?
Sep 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 141
We are joined by Sam Andersen and Katie Christensen to discuss the basics of Human Resources (HR). What are the core responsibilities of HR? Why isn't HR like pizza? How do HR professionals feel when they have layoff an employee, and why shouldn't you do it like Better.com? What does Nick Bloom's research show about remote work and what's HR's role in figuring out how companies should implement remote policies? How do flexible work policies help working mothers and fathers? How do you stand out ...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 140
Joel Christensen joins us to discuss the basics of Electric Vehicles (EVs). What are the pros and cons of EVs? Where are EVs being adopted? What is the technology behind EV batteries and are they bad for the environment? Are charging stations being built at the same rate that EVs are being sold? What rate are EVs being sold? Are plug-in hybrids a sensible alternative? Where are EVs feasible and where are they not? Is there an actual reason the Cybertruck so ugly?
Aug 19, 2024•56 min•Ep. 139
We're back from vacation to discuss the Olympics, and a bit about CrowdStrike. What happened when the computers all went down, and how? When did the Olympics start? What is the IOC and what does it do? How are Olympic venues chosen? How are Olympic sports chosen? How much better/faster/stronger are Olympians than your hosts?
Aug 04, 2024•56 min•Ep. 138
We opine on the 10 worst creatures (species, not including individual human mass murderers of the past). What is a lamprey and is it the inspiration for the sandworm in Dune? Why are bats so ugly? What is an assassin bug? How many people do mosquitoes kill every year? Are crocodiles actually dinosaurs? What are Tsetse flies and how do they kill? Where and what variety of snake and spider are the worst and why? Listen to the definitive list.
Jun 27, 2024•56 min•Ep. 137
We discuss how to become a teacher, and why to become a teacher. Why is Tim a teacher? How far can altruism take you? Is there a shortage of teachers? How do we increase the quality of teachers? What certification do you need to be a teacher? Do you need a college degree? How are teachers given specific class assignments? Who were your favorite teachers in school and what does that have to do which subject they taught? What are teachers unions for? How can teachers increase their pay? Does Tim k...
Jun 03, 2024•55 min•Ep. 136
We discuss the basics of making money. How should you structurally think about making money? What are the principles of improving your financial situation? Who is Steve Ballmer and what does he teach us about making money? Why are all Ivy League grads rich? What does success mean for you financially?
May 23, 2024•18 min•Ep. 135
Dr. Erika Handly joins the podcast to discuss the basics of biotech. Is the 'tech' in 'biotech' using technology to understand biology, or using technology to fix biology? What are the types of problems that biotech is being used to understand and solve? What is CRISPR in layman's terms? How predictable are the outcomes of editing DNA? Can biotech help solve global climate change and famine? Are implantable microchips inevitable? What are some of the biggest advancements in biotech for cancer? C...
May 06, 2024•48 min•Ep. 134
We discuss the basics of vocabulary. What is a word? What is a lemma? What is morphology? How many words do most people have in their vocabulary? How many words are there in the English language? Does cursing mean you're not as intelligent? What is lexical density? How do you increase your vocabulary, and does a larger vocabulary mean you're more intelligent?
Apr 22, 2024•57 min•Ep. 133
We discuss the basics of rocket science. What is the difference between a rocket and a jet? What is the rocket equation? What is delta-v? Was Wall-e actually saying delta-v? What is rocket fuel? What is rapid unscheduled disassembly? What is a specific impulse? What are stages of a rocket for? Why does it look like rockets aren't going straight up? Why are rockets clamped to the launch pad?
Apr 09, 2024•57 min•Ep. 132
MD-PhD Seth Vogel joins us to discuss the basics of anesthesia. What happens in the brain when you put someone under? What are the drugs that you use and how do they work differently? How often does general anesthesia cause incontinence, or is that a thing? Are there drugs that can wake you up from general anesthesia? How common are medical issues resulting directly from general anesthesia? How difficult are epidurals for the anesthesiologists? Why are people loopy when they're waking up? In the...
Mar 25, 2024•58 min•Ep. 131
We're joined by doctor of physical therapy Natalie Vogel as we discuss the basics of physical therapy. Can physical therapy help people avoid surgery? Does each injury/disease require a different therapy plan, or are there just go-to therapies depending on body part? Should physical therapy be viewed as a life-habit, or a medication to be taken for a specific amount of time? What are common issues that physical therapy is best at treating?
Mar 04, 2024•46 min•Ep. 130
Dr. Jonny discusses the basics of dementia. What happens in your brain when you have dementia? Are there different kinds of dementia, affecting different parts of the brain? What's the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's? How young does dementia start? Does dementia affect life expectancy? Can dementia be reversed?
Feb 19, 2024•56 min•Ep. 129
We discuss the basics of digital illustration with freelance illustrator Jarom Vogel. What's the difference between digital illustration and graphic design? How technical does digital illustration get, i.e. do you need to code, or just draw? What hardware and software do you use to do digital illustration? What forums are there to sell and distribute your illustrations? What are recent advancements in digital illustration? Have you used AI in any digital illustration or is it a threat to the ind...
Feb 05, 2024•57 min•Ep. 128
We discuss the basics of demographics. What is a demographic? What are the most common demographic characteristics? What is the world population and how quickly has it grown? What is the most densely populated city and country? What is the world wide fertility rate? What is the biggest world religion and which countries are the most and least religious? What is the median household income in the US and why is it so high?
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 127
We talk about facts for the New Year. How many days does it take to make or break a habit? Is it better to lift weights first or do cardio first? How did Winston Churchill's career get started? What was the battle of Middle Creek and what did Abraham Lincoln say about Kentucky? What is intellectual humility and is it acquirable? Does the brain use different mechanisms for numbers?
Jan 08, 2024•41 min•Ep. 126
We discuss the basics of grades. How well do grades reflect intelligence? Are grades predictive of future performance? What is grade inflation and is it harmful? How do you raise your grades according to a teacher? How can you identify bad teachers?
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 125
We discuss the basics of sleep. What is sleep and why do we do it? What happens when you're asleep? What are the different stages of sleep? How does sleep affect physical and mental performance? Are naps bad for you? How does caffeine affect you? Do some people need more sleep than others? Can you sleep with your eyes open? Why do loud noises wake you up and are reddit doctors the best source of information? Do we sleep more or less than other animals? How much sleep do you need?
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 124
We discuss the basics of chemistry. What is the periodic table? What is a molecule and why do atoms bond? What is radioactivity? What is an isotope and an ion? What are some common chemical reactions that the layman sees daily?
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 123
We discuss the basics of fluid mechanics. What is a Newtonian fluid? Can fluids be compressed? How do hydraulics work? What are fluid statics vs fluid dynamics? What is Pascal's Law? What are some of the formulas used in fluid mechanics? Can a fluid be squishy? What are the Navier–Stokes equations? How do you design a submarine and a jet engine? What is laminar flow vs turbulent flow?
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 122
We discuss the basics of insurance. What is liability insurance? What are bodily injury and property damage limits in auto insurance? What are coverages A-F in home owners insurance? Did Tim have children out-of-network and is he currently on the lamb? What is a health share plan? What is an insurance actuary? What is the difference between a PPO and an HMO? What is term life vs whole life vs universal life? Can Geico save you 15% or more? How can you manage your insurance costs and lower your r...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 121
