We Have Concerns - podcast cover

We Have Concerns

Jeff Cannata/Anthony Carboniwehaveconcerns.com
Jeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni talk about the personal philosophical concerns they find lurking inside everyday things. It's fun?
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Episodes

Check Yourself in Store You Wreck Yourself

Research from the United Kingdom found self-service checkouts allowed people to normalize and excuse stealing, even among those who would never consider theft in any other setting. Anthony and Jeff discuss the role technology takes in illegal behavior, and consider whether they are more or less likely to screw over poor old Mr. Albertsons. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveco...

Aug 10, 201621 minEp. 314

P is for Power

A team of researchers based at the University of the West of England in Bristol has developed a method for turning human effluent into electricity. Urine is basically chemicals in solution, so if those chemicals can be properly utilized, it can be a fuel like any other. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether the infinite renewability of pee will save us all. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by ht...

Aug 08, 201621 minEp. 313

The Last 10%

A 44-year-old French father of two who found out one day that he had most of his brain missing. Instead his skull is mostly full of liquid, with only 10% of his brain tissue left. He has a life-long condition known as hydrocephalus, commonly called “water on the brain” or “water head”. Jeff and Anthony discuss the surprising malleability of the brain, and wonder what life could be like for this man. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all you...

Aug 05, 201619 minEp. 312

City Hall of Mirrors

With the rise of autonomous machines and the possibility of an invading army comprised of robots, scientists are starting to think about designing spatial environments deliberately to deceive, misdirect, or otherwise baffle the sensors inside them. Could we retrofit cities specifically to confuse robotic attackers? Anthony and Jeff discuss what a machine-proof metropolitan area might look like. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your swe...

Aug 03, 201619 minEp. 311

Those Lion Eyes

Scientists in Botswana are painting intimidating eyes onto the rumps of cattle that graze near wildlife areas to prevent them from being preyed upon by lions. The idea is that the eyes will trick the lions into thinking they’ve been spotted, causing them to abandon the hunt. Jeff and Anthony debate this ridiculously simplistic approach, and wonder why the king of the jungle is such a scared-y cat. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your ...

Aug 01, 201618 minEp. 310

A Growing Smile

A team of scientists from the University of Nottingham and Harvard University have developed a method of regrowing damaged teeth using a filling-like material seeded from stem cells. The new approach would greatly reduce the need for uncomfortable dental drilling. Anthony and Jeff discuss their own dental histories, and what this kind of regrowth science might mean for the future. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Con...

Jul 27, 201623 minEp. 309

Skin Vogue

Tina Gorjanc has sourced the late designer Alexander McQueen’s DNA to harvest into skin tissue, which she’ll then tan and turn into human leather. In turn, she’ll fashion this leather into an already-designed collection – dubbed “The Pure Human” – of jackets, bags and backpacks. Jeff and Anthony discuss the consequences and legality of using famous DNA without permission, and imagine a world of high priced skin suits. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehavec...

Jul 20, 201622 minEp. 308

Plate and Switch

A new book called Real Food Fake Food: Why You Don't Know What You're Eating and What You Can Do About It, by Larry Olmsted, has caught Anthony's eye. When we buy fish and beef and olive oil, are we actually getting something completely different? Jeff reacts to these claims, and the guys try to figure out what they can do with the information. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://weh...

Jul 18, 201623 minEp. 307

Me Grow Horny

With Rhinos on the brink of extinction, some bioengineers are 3D printing horns to flood the market with fakes, in an attempt to stop the decline. Jeff and Anthony debate the merits of this plan, and what it might lead to. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to...

Jul 15, 201625 minEp. 306

Animal Magnetism

A researcher in US thinks he might have finally found evidence of humanity's sixth sense - the ability to detect, in some subconscious way, Earth's magnetic field. Jeff and Anthony consider whether this might in fact be a thing. Can you feel the magnetic field? And if so, what might that mean? GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the sho...

Jul 13, 201624 minEp. 305

Manifestingray

Scientists have built a robotic stingray made of heart muscle cells from a rat, a skeleton of gold, plastic fins, and light-activated algae proteins. The tiny, 16-millimeter-long robots take about a week to make and can be controlled with light. Anthony and Jeff discuss the nature of abominations, and try to decide if this qualifies as one. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehavec...

Jul 11, 201622 minEp. 304

Fire Walk With Me

More than 30 people were treated for burns in Dallas after walking on hot coals at an event hosted by self-help guru Tony Robbins. Jeff and Anthony talk about whether they buy into the self-help subculture. Does mind over matter really work? Is doing something you never thought you could do worth doing? GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoyi...

Jul 08, 201630 minEp. 303

Drain Dead

A Canadian funeral business is offering "green" funerals by dissolving the dead and pouring them into town sewers. Anthony and Jeff consider if this practice should cause alarm, or if they might one day prefer it to cremation or burial themselves. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on wh...

Jul 06, 201622 minEp. 302

Oh Pear

Physicists have confirmed the existence of a new form of atomic nuclei, and the fact that it’s not symmetrical challenges the fundamental theories of physics that explain our Universe. This pear-shaped nucleus could change everything we think we know about the universe, including the possibility of time travel. Jeff and Anthony dive into this discovery and talk through what it means, and how it has been covered by the media. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/...

Jul 04, 201624 minEp. 301

Sell No We Won't Go

Buying your first house is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but for young Tamara Holloway, from Nashville, Tennessee it was a terrible nightmare she couldn’t wake up from, because the man she bought the house from refused to move out. Jeff and Anthony are baffled by this problem. How could it occur? They work through the issue and come up with some ways this could have gone better. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have C...

Jul 01, 201625 minEp. 300

Dead Shoe Fineries

Remains of found at an altitude of 2,803 metres in the Altai Mountains are being hailed as the first complete Turkik burial found in Central Asia. In the mummy's grave archaeologists found - alongside the human remains - a saddle, bridle, clay vase, wooden bowl, trough, iron kettle, the remains of entire horse, and what looks an awful lot like Adidas sneakers. Anthony and Jeff speculate on the origins of the fly-est mummy, and decide what kinds of things they'd like to be buried with. GET BONUS ...

Jun 29, 201620 minEp. 299

Money for Nothing and Your Pics for Fees

WeLab Ltd., a Hong Kong-based online lender that makes loans in China, looks at what apps people have downloaded, where they go using the phone’s GPS tracker, their social networks and their school records. It offers discounted interest rates for each extra piece of personal information that helps profile customers for credit ratings. Even worse, some student put up naked pictures as embarrassing collateral for their loans. Jeff and Anthony consider what they might give up for the money to get t...

Jun 27, 201625 minEp. 298

A Bridge Too Far

The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is found above the Tianmenshan National Forest Park in the mountainous Hunan province of southern China, and is set to become the longest, highest, and most terrifying glass bridge in the world. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether they'd have the guts to venture out on this incredible architectural accomplishment, and what it might make them do. Watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQWnTEYUobnRXd9sAgwPIeA GET BONUS EPISO...

Jun 24, 201621 minEp. 297

Booty Call

The wreckage of a 500-year-old Portuguese ship filled with gold coins has been unearthed by miners in a Namibian desert. How did a shipwreck end up in the desert? Jeff and Anthony discuss the strange story, and speculate on the nature of pirates and their booties. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rat...

Jun 20, 201624 minEp. 296

A Fish's Edge with Visages

Archerfish shoot high-powered water jets from their mouths to stun prey. By training them to direct those jets of spit at certain individuals, scientists have shown that the little guys seem to be able to distinguish one human face from another. Does this mean fish are smarter than we thought? Or are human faces just very easy to differentiate? Anthony and Jeff have some theories, and try to decide what that means for sushi lovers everywhere. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: h...

Jun 17, 201620 minEp. 295

Solitary Alignment

In 2006, 20 families occupied the village of Xuenshanshe in China, but as people passed away from old age, and others moved due to the decline of natural resources, Eventually, just a single man remained, and he has lived alone in the village for nearly a decade. Jeff and Anthony discuss solitude, and what might lead a person to stay so isolated for so long. Could it be a good thing? GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have ...

Jun 15, 201624 minEp. 294

Babel Wish

A new Indigogo campaign claims to offer an earpiece that can translate between languages. Anthony and Jeff have dreamed of a universal communication tool like those in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Star Trek, but could this thing really be it? They discuss the chances that it'll work, and how such a device could change the world. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcer...

Jun 10, 201623 minEp. 293

DNA'd to Order

A group of 25 scientists has proposed an ambitious project to create a synthetic human genome, or genetic blueprint, in an endeavor raises concerns over the extent to which human life can or should be engineered. Anthony and Jeff imagine if, why, and how this process should be implemented, and what kind of bizarre parent-less beings we can expect to deal with as a result. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns mer...

Jun 08, 201622 minEp. 292

At Bats

An Australian town was reduced to breaking point by the sudden arrival of more than 100,000 giant bats who screeched incessantly and left carpets of foul-smelling droppings. Jeff and Anthony marvel at yet another example of what life can be like in Australia, and wonder how they might deal with such a problem. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re...

Jun 06, 201626 minEp. 291

Keeping Grandma Swarm

Carol Howarth, 65, was amazed when a swarm of over 20,000 insects flew down onto her silver Mitsubishi Outlander, covering the back end of the vehicle. It took a team of 5 beekeepers to deal with the problem, and no one is quite sure why it happened. Anthony and Jeff have some ideas, though. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show,...

Jun 03, 201623 minEp. 290

Gangs of New Look

Wearing a Straw Hat after September 15th was such a fashion faux-pas in 1922 that a group of street toughs began attacking anyone with the gall to do it. The result was a series of violent outbreaks that became known at the Straw Hat Riots. Anthony and Jeff discuss fashion, unwritten rules, and the thing that would make them take to the streets themselves. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging b...

Jun 01, 201623 minEp. 289

Meteor's Ours

Japanese research company ALE is bidding to create an artificial meteor shower for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Jeff and Anthony discuss the tradition of the Olympics, the spectacle of opening ceremonies, and the audacity of humans to control celestial activity for entertainment. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re...

May 30, 201622 minEp. 288

Am I Human or Am I Dancer?

Moon Ribas is a ‘cyborg artist’ who can feel every earthquake on the planet through a tiny sensor permanently grafted under her skin near the crook of her elbow. She moves to these vibrations during her artistic dance performances. Jeff and Anthony ponder whether this extra-sensory sensitivity through tech is useful, and if Moon Ribas is using it in the best way. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swi...

May 27, 201623 minEp. 287

Buy Some Bison

A Texas woman sold her seven-year-old housebroken pet bison named Bullet on Craigslist for $5,960. So, of course, Anthony and Jeff take this opportunity to discuss exotic pets, selling things online, and the curious intersection of each. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever ser...

May 25, 201624 minEp. 285

Another One Bites for Trust

In order to become a member of the Sateré-Mawé, a tribe of roughly ten thousand members that inhabits the northern region of Amazonas, boys as young as twelve will thrust their hands into gloves full of bullet ants, whose sting is said to be the most painful thing on the planet. Anthony and Jeff discuss initiation rituals, and whether there is ever a good reason to subject oneself such intense agony. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all yo...

May 23, 201622 minEp. 284
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