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Sci Guys

The Sci Guyssciguys.co.uk
Sci Guys is a podcast all about the weird and unbelievable ways that scientists learn about the world around us. Each week, Corry (@notcorry) tells the story of a particularly strange scientific study while his cohost Luke (@lukecutforth) does his best to derail the conversation with questions, jokes, and whatever nonsense he can think of.
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Episodes

41: Veganuary

#AD We are SO proud that New Scientist has decided to sponsor our podcast! If you love learning, you’ll love New Scientist, and you can get your first 10 weeks of New Scientist for £10 / $10 / AU$20 including full website access here: http://bit.ly/SciGuysPod This is our first sponsorship, and a real milestone for the podcast. Thanks so much to you guys for listening and supporting the show. January is coming to a close, and that means the end of Veganuary. To see it out in style, we cover an am...

Jan 27, 202049 minEp. 41

40: Split Brains

Have you ever wondered if there was more of one of you in there? Well, there kind of is. Join us as we explore the world of splitting brains and the corpus callosum... Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys References & Further Reading: 1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318065.php#What-is-the-corpus-callosum 2. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120070710.htm 3. https://www.livescience.com/58763-why-your-brain-has-2-halves...

Jan 20, 202057 minEp. 40

39: The Big Bang Theory

It’s the beginning of a new year, a new decade, and the Sci Guys are back with an episode on the oldest beginning of them all! That’s right, this week we’re talking about The Big Bang Theory (no not that one) and some of the contending theories that might replace it… Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys References and Further Reading 1. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/mach/amp/ncna881136 2. https://www.space.com/amp/25126-big-bang-the...

Jan 13, 202052 minEp. 39

38: The Best of 2019

We’ve taken the craziest, weirdest, and most wonderful parts of the past year of Sci Guys and crammed them all into one episode! Relive the best bits and get yourself geared up for another year of fun science stories! Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys Follow the Sci Guys @notcorry / @jampkin / @lukecutforth...

Jan 06, 202022 minEp. 38

37: Science of Dreams

Do you remember your dreams? The Sci Guys take on Inception this week with a deep dive into our sleeping psyche! Thank you to the patrons who voted for this episode topic! References and Further Reading http://medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247927.php#functions-of-rem-sleep https://twitter.com/ykamit/status/948807195205840896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E948807195205840896&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2018%2F04%2F04%2Fhealth%2Frecording-our-dreams%2Findex.html h...

Dec 30, 201944 minEp. 37

36: Newtonian Nativity

Happy Holidays! In this very special Christmas episode we Cover the life of Sir Isaac Newton, the second most famous person to be born on Christmas Day... References and Further Reading https://www.biography.com/.amp/scientist/isaac-newton https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/inventions/isaac-newton https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Newton Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys Follow the Sci Guys @notcorry / @jampkin / @lukecutforth...

Dec 23, 201948 minEp. 36

35: How To Make a Dog

Dogs are mans best friend and foxes are man’s cutest pest, but what would happen if you turned a fox into a dog? That’s what we’re discussing this week, as Corry takes us through the very real, and very scientific guide on making a dog from a fox! Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys References & Further Reading 1. https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12052-018-0090-x 2. https://youtu.be/4dwjS_eI-lQ 3. http://www.bbc.co...

Dec 16, 201948 minEp. 35

34: Rat Addicts

Do rats get high in heaven? This week we tackle the science behind addiction. Is it a disease or does it only exist because drugs are just chemically irresistible? References and Further Reading https://youtu.be/d-0KfwFCMRM https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/substance-use-disorder/what-does-rat-park-teach-us-about-addiction https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/371/ille/presentation/alexender-e.htm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2890392/ https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/substanc...

Dec 09, 201938 minEp. 34

33: The Ig Nobel Prize

Have you ever wondered how Corry comes up with a wacky new science story every week? This episode we dig into one of the inspirations for the podcast, the Ig Nobel Prize! Having a prize for great scientific achievements is certainly an important thing, but when it comes to the crazy, weird, and wonderful stories (that still make you think) there’s the Ig Nobel Prize! References and Further Reading 1. https://www.improbable.com/ 2. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/wired-awake-140918 3. https://www...

Dec 02, 201943 minEp. 33

32: Eugenics

If you had the chance to change your child’s genes, would you? Is that Eugenics? Those are the questions we debate today! Gene editing has come to the point that we can choose almost any feature we like for our unborn children. As usual, science has run far ahead leaving important ethical questions behind. Jurassic Park have been onto something... References and Further Reading https://pged.org/history-eugenics-and-genetics/ https://www.nature.com/scitable/forums/genetics-generation/america-s-hi...

Nov 25, 201958 minEp. 32

31: Talking Animals

“You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you” were the last words of Alex the Parrot, who may have been the only animal to understand and engage in human speech We cover the life of Alex, and the controversy surrounding his supposed ability to actually speak English. References and Further Reading https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/science/10cnd-parrot.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/sep/13/usa.stephenmoss https://youtu.be/rrX1nrvPbLY https://youtu.be/62rXKjXgr60 https://www.nytimes.co...

Nov 18, 201945 minEp. 31

30: Rat Utopia

Do rats go to heaven? The answer is yes, but it’s not as nice as you might think! Corry tells the story of John B Calhoun, a man who ran massive, years long experiments on rats and mice to really see what made them tick. Turns out rats and humans aren’t as different as we expected. References and Further Reading https://youtu.be/5m7X-1V9nOs https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-mouse-utopias-1960s-led-grim-predictions-humans-180954423/ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-...

Nov 11, 201943 minEp. 30

29: Anti-Vax or Anti-Facts?

Do vaccines cause autism? That’s just one of the questions we’re debating this week. We get into the scientific roots of the Antivax movement, and figure out whether it’s really that dangerous to choose to leave a child unvaccinated. Whether you believe in vaccinations or not, there’s something for you in this episode. Have a listen, and hopefully you’ll learn something about both sides of this debate. References and (a lot of) Further Reading https://youtu.be/5F_yj1T8Qu8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni...

Nov 04, 20191 hr 14 minEp. 29

28: The Curious Case of Phineas Gage

When you fall off a horse the only thing you can do is get back on, and when a crowbar flies through your brain you just get up and walk away. Phineas Gage accidentally blew a hole in his brain and, not only did he survive, he just went back to his normal life! References & Further Reading: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aw0zbyQVCEc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yXbAMHzYGJ0 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih...

Oct 28, 201932 minEp. 28

27: Lost Cosmonauts

What’s worse, the cold vacuum of space or a Russian forest during winter? Two Cosmonauts found out the answer to that question the hard way when they crash landed in the woods after the first space walk in history. They had to contend against wolves, bears, and the most useless rescuers imaginable. Tune in to find out the story of the lost cosmonauts! References and Further Reading http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7355912.stm http://archive.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2008/04/20/russi...

Oct 21, 201942 minEp. 27

26: Toxic Umbrellas & Killer Curry

It's our HALF-y Birthday! To celebrate 6 months of Sci Guys, Jamp has taken over the podcast (oh no), and he brings tales from the Alnwick Poison Garden. References & Further Reading http://rhs.org.uk http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/ https://aboutforensics.co.uk/georgi-markov/ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys Follow the Sci Guys @notcorry / @jampkin / @lukecutforth...

Oct 14, 201939 minEp. 26

25: The Little Albert Experiment (with Josh Winslade)

CONTENT WARNING: Mistreatment of children In this episode, The Sci Guys educate Josh about an infamous 1920’s study involving a rat, a Santa mask, and terrorising a small child. References and Further Reading https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25068585 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25197838 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28125246 https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26307-baby-used-in-notorious-fear-experiment-is-lost-no-more/ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03395082 ht...

Oct 07, 201953 minEp. 25

24: Snorting Sores

Have you ever wondered how the first vaccine was made? It involves snorting scabs in China, ulcerous udders, and some good old fashioned child endangerment. This week Corry takes us through the history and eradication of smallpox! References and Further Reading https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069029/ https://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/vaccines/en/ https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html Kennedy, Peter (1715). An Essay on External Remedies Wherein it is Consider...

Sep 30, 201941 minEp. 24

23: Big Bloody Scandal

This week the Sci Guys discuss a Steve Jobs wannabe that tricked everyone into thinking she had a revolutionary blood testing device. Jamp and Luke also discover why their blood cells might be a little bit prejudiced. References and Further Reading https://www.businessinsider.com/the-history-of-silicon-valley-unicorn-theranos-and-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-2018-5?r=US&IR=T#by-the-end-of-2017-theranos-was-in-need-of-a-cash-infusion-and-made-a-deal-with-fortress-investment-group-for-100-million-in-s...

Sep 23, 201950 minEp. 23

22: In Too Deep

This week, Corry recounts humanity’s history of deep sea exploration, and the creatures that lurk in the shadows beneath. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys References and Further Reading 1. https://www.thoughtco.com/deep-sea-exploration-4161315 2. https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/17888496.voyage-bottoms-sea-texan-scots-tackling-ocean-39-s-depths/ 3. https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/marine-snow-and-fecal-pellets/?id=2387&archives...

Sep 16, 201947 minEp. 22

21: Gut Feelings and Crap Diets

This week Corry talks about the benefits of eating poo (no really), and the tiny creatures controlling your brain! Tune in and you’ll also find out how to cure your depression with a yoghurt! References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25624713 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26824647 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/036103v1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29171095 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19043404 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27818083 Escherich T (1885). "Di...

Sep 09, 201952 minEp. 21

20: The Stanford Prison Experiment

This week Corry tells us about a time in the 70s when a group of boys took role playing a little too far... Tune in to hear the truly incredible story of The Stanford Prison Experiment! References and Further Reading 1. https://web.stanford.edu/dept/spec_coll/uarch/exhibits/spe/Narration.pdf 2. https://www.prisonexp.org/ 3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14564182 4. https://psyarxiv.com/b7crx 5. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/rethinking-the-infamous-stanford-prison...

Sep 02, 20191 hr 1 minEp. 20

19: Floating Frogs (with Jake Edwards)

This week Corry talks about how flying frogs led to discovering graphene, a super-powered substance that you can make with just a pencil and some tape! We also have a special guest, Jake Edwards, so tune in and join us for a ribbeting episode! You can see more of Jake on their YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/jakeftmagic References and Further Reading 1. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2010/geim/biographical/ 2. https://slate.com/business/2014/05/nobel-prize-in-physics-andre-geim-w...

Aug 26, 201941 minEp. 19

18: Immortal Moon Bears (Live from Summer in the City)

This episode was recorded live at Summer in the City. This week we talk about the indestructible water bears that we accidentally crashed on the moon. We also answer some burning questions from the audience! References and Further Reading Kinchin, Ian M. (1994) The Biology of Tardigrades, Ashgate Publishing http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150313-the-toughest-animals-on-earth Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/SciGuys Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/SciGuys Follow the Sci Guys @notcorry / @ja...

Aug 19, 201941 minEp. 18

17: The Perfect Black Body (with Daniel J. Layton)

This week we’re talking about the ideal black body with Daniel J Layton, and surprisingly it isn’t Janet Jackson’s. Tune in to find out why you don’t want to go near a black hole! You can find Dan on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/danieljlayton References and Further Reading 1. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-a-black-hole-58.html 2. https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html https://www.businessinsider.com/black-hole-...

Aug 12, 201954 minEp. 17

16: The Wright Stuff (with Evan Edinger)

This episode is all about firsts! We talk about the Wright Brothers and their invention of the first aeroplane with our very first special guest, Evan Edinger! You can see more of Evan on his YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/evan References & Further Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Q83yxdDaI https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/wright-brothers https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/a https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wright-brothers https://scien...

Aug 05, 201945 minEp. 16

15: The Current War

This episode is all about the (mad) scientist, Nikola Tesla and his rivalry with Thomas Edison! We also cover Tesla’s problematic views, insane inventions, and his crush on a dove! References and Further Reading 1. https://www.energy.gov/articles/war-currents-ac-vs-dc-power 2. https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-nikola-tesla-inventions.htm 3. https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/inventions/nikola-tesla 4. https://www.history.com/.amp/news/6-brilliant-tesla-inventi...

Jul 29, 201952 minEp. 15

14: Scoby-Dooby-Doo

This week we talk about the trashiest island in the Pacific Ocean, how to make your own wine, and an edible alternative to plastic! References and Further Reading 1. www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/amp/scoby-edible-packaging-kombucha-roza-janusz.html 2. https://www.creative-conscience.org.uk/grow-your-own-packaging-an-interview-with-roza-janusz/ 3. https://www.makegrowlab.com 4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g4ks7 5. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/qut-and-state-lib...

Jul 22, 201941 minEp. 14

13: The Imitation Gay (Live from Pride in London)

This episode was recorded live at the Pride in London Pop Up. We talk about poisoned apples, Benedict Cumberbatch, and early 1900s party games, which are all somehow related to Alan Turing. If you missed your chance to see us live, tune in and pretend like you were there! References and Further Reading 1. https://www.bl.uk/people/alan-turing 2. https://www.bbc.com/timelines/z8bgr82 3. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/11/cyanide-in-fruit-seeds-how-dangerous-i...

Jul 15, 201930 minEp. 13

12: Boaty McBoatface

This week we tackle the vote that rocked a nation. That’s right, it’s Boaty McBoatface! Don’t miss out on this one, as we also finally manage to make democracy work References and Further Reading 1. https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mcboatface-wins-poll-to-name-polar-research-vessel 2. https://noc.ac.uk/education/educational-resources/boaty-mcboatface 3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/17/boaty-mcboatface-makes-major-climate-change-discovery-maiden/amp/ 4. https:...

Jul 08, 201930 minEp. 12
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