The longest personality study of all time, published in Psychology and Aging and recently highlighted by the British Psychological Society, suggests that over the course of a lifetime, just as your physical appearance changes and your cells are constantly replaced, your personality is also transformed beyond recognition. Jeff and Anthony discuss permanence and personality, and whether they think they, too, have changed. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehav...
Mar 13, 2017•19 min•Ep. 404
UPS trucks almost never take left-hand turns. By favoring right-hand turns at all times -- unless a left is unavoidable -- the carrier saves millions of gallons of fuel each year, and avoids emissions equivalent to over 20,000 passenger cars. Anthony and Jeff discuss the inefficiencies of turns, and how this info might be applied to their own lives. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http:...
Mar 10, 2017•19 min•Ep. 403
A French electrician proved himself to be a bona fide MacGyver by building a makeshift motorbike out of his wrecked car after becoming stranded in the Moroccan dessert. Jeff thinks this also makes him a bona fide bad ass, but Anthony keeps poking holes in the story. 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 r...
Mar 08, 2017•23 min•Ep. 402
By analyzing the pottery from an archaeological dig near Jerusalem, scientists have learned that the geomagnetic field around the earth fluctuated wildly during early human civilizations —and the news isn't good for a world that depends on electrical grids and high-tech devices. Jeff and Anthony discuss magnetic fields, scientific sleuths, and Santa Claus. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging b...
Mar 06, 2017•23 min•Ep. 401
When you don’t know the actual, statistical likelihood of something, the brain uses the most readily surfaceable image. This is known as the availability heuristic, and it has been used by politicians to create unrealistic concepts that stick for decades. In light of the current political climate, Anthony and Jeff discuss this phenomenon, and how we can protect ourselves against it. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have C...
Mar 03, 2017•22 min•Ep. 400
The majority of Americans have no clear idea what “sell by” labels are trying to tell them. But after 40 years of letting us guess, the grocery industry has made moves to clear up the confusion. The Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the two largest trade groups for the grocery industry, announced that they’ve adopted standardized, voluntary regulations to clear up what product date labels mean. Jeff and Anthony discuss their stance on eating past-date food, and ...
Mar 01, 2017•21 min•Ep. 399
Honeybees' role in pollination enables the production of at least 90 commercially grown crops, including apples, blueberries, melons and broccoli, but recently a dwindling bee population has led to concerns for the stability of this eco system. Industrial design major Anna Haldewang wanted more people to understand the significance of bees to human life -- so she created what's essentially a "bee drone" to be a functional teaching tool that couples technology and design. Plan Bee is a personal r...
Feb 27, 2017•20 min•Ep. 398
Studying its effects in the brain, researchers set out to genetically engineer mice that would be more prone to cocaine addiction. Instead, they created mice that appear impervious to it. Even after the genetically engineered animals were given the drug repeatedly, they did not appear to crave it the way typical mice do. Jeff and Anthony discuss these cocaine-proof mice, and what it might mean for addiction treatment in the future. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patre...
Feb 24, 2017•19 min•Ep. 397
Human activity has changed the ocean - rising temperatures and acidifying waters has caused fish populations of all kinds to dwindle. But not all creatures are adversely effected. New research shows that these changes to marine environments are leading to a surge of cephalopods, the invertebrate group that includes octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish. You know Anthony and Jeff have their eyes on cephalopods, so they have to monitor this story. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: htt...
Feb 22, 2017•21 min•Ep. 396
Piaggio, the same company that created the Vespa scooter, has announced it will sell a robot called Gita, which is designed to carry and deliver your stuff around town. It will follow you, or move autonomously, and has a top speed of 22 MPH. Anthony and Jeff are ready for the robot future, especially if it looks as cute and useful as Gita. 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...
Feb 20, 2017•21 min•Ep. 395
Many different emotions have similar bodily symptoms. When we are angry, our pulses race, we breathe faster, we feel our faces flush, and our skin becomes sweaty, but when we are happily excited we also breathe faster, feel our faces flush, and our skin becomes sweaty. A new article by researcher Ian Robertson suggests that how you interpret the symptoms of stress can have a big effect on how stressed you actually become. Anthony and Jeff debate whether re-calibrating your interpretations of sym...
Feb 17, 2017•20 min•Ep. 394
More than 80 years after it was predicted to be possible, a Harvard University team has finally managed to create metallic hydrogen. Why? For one thing, physicists predict that metallic hydrogen is an authentic superconductor. This gives metallic hydrogen a myriad of potential applications. But did they do it? Jeff and Anthony analyse the results to see if the world has actually seen a new man-made substance. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns G...
Feb 15, 2017•23 min•Ep. 393
Extreme music – such as heavy metal – can positively influence those experiencing anger, a study by The University of Queensland has revealed. In contrast to previous studies linking loud and chaotic music to aggression and delinquency, research by UQ’s School of Psychology showed listeners mostly became inspired and calmed. Jeff and Anthony discuss their own calming music of choice, and remember back to a time when they each banged their heads for happiness. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS A...
Feb 13, 2017•23 min•Ep. 392
A very different kind of episode of We Have Concerns, this one was recorded live at the PAX South convention in San Antonio Texas, and consists entirely of questions from the audience. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live performance! Check out http://chainsawsuit.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/chainsawsuitoriginal 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/...
Feb 10, 2017•17 min•Ep. 391
The Austrian town of Saalfelden in the state of Salzburg is looking for someone to live in a nearby hermitage which was built more than 350 years ago in steep, rocky cliffs. So they put out an ad for a hermit. Meanwhile, a hermit in Gothic, Colorado, a ghost town deserted since the 1920s, spent the last 40 years recording all sorts of data, from daily snowfalls, temperatures, snow melting, animal sightings, and became one of the best resources scientists have to better understand global warming....
Feb 08, 2017•19 min•Ep. 390
Scientists have created the first successful human-animal hybrids. The project proves that human cells can be introduced into a non-human organism, survive, and even grow inside a host animal, in this case, pigs. Anthony, Jeff, and special guests Mikey Neuman and Kris Straub from Chainsawsuit discuss the pros and cons of creating human animal hybrids in the lab. This episode was recorded LIVE at PAX South 2017 in San Antionio. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live performance! Check out ht...
Feb 06, 2017•23 min•Ep. 389
Why do we, as humans, have a sense of self? One new theory is that a "self" actually contributes to a stronger and more robust group dynamic. In order for a group to be more capable of surviving, it needs to be made up of specialized individuals who are drawn to disparate tasks. Anthony and Jeff selflessly tackle this subject, and try to figure out if being one is better for the many. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have...
Feb 03, 2017•21 min•Ep. 388
Scientists have created bacteria that thrive using an expanded "genetic alphabet". The blueprint for all life forms on Earth is written in a code consisting of four "letters": A, T, C and G, which pair up in the DNA double helix. But the lab organism has been modified to use an additional two, giving it a genetic code of six letters. Jeff and Anthony try to figure out why they are doing this, and discuss what this might mean for the future. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: htt...
Feb 01, 2017•20 min•Ep. 387
During WWII, there was a mathematician named Abraham Wald. Wald had an idea about allied bombers. Essentially, bombers were coming back after bombing runs with a lot of damage. Engineers were saying "okay, there's a lot of damage in the wings and tail, so that's where we should put the armor." Right? Not so much. Wald's analysis of where they should really be putting armor became the fundamentals of Operational Science. Jeff and Anthony discuss this idea and what it means today. GET BONUS EPISOD...
Jan 30, 2017•22 min•Ep. 386
It's generally thought that the evolution of complex life was a rare, once-in-4.5-billion-years event. But new research suggests that conditions were right for complex cells to evolve and die off at least once - or perhaps several times - before our lineage even got started. The reason? New evidence that there was enough oxygen in Earth's atmosphere between 2.4 and 2 billion years ago before it dropped off again suddenly. This suggests that the ingredients for complex life were present before th...
Jan 27, 2017•20 min•Ep. 385
Everything we eat is flooded with “virtual water,” or water used indirectly to produce food from cradle to grave. In fact, 70% of the world’s water consumption feeds the agriculture industry, and demand for fresh water is increasing at a rate of one trillion liters a year. The GRACE Communications Foundation wants people thinking more critically about the water in their food, and has released a report that includes the average global water footprints for some of our most beloved—and resource-hog...
Jan 25, 2017•20 min•Ep. 384
After exploring a virtual world, some people can’t shake the sense that the actual world isn’t real, either. Does the new technology of VR bring with it a new kind of depression? Anthony and Jeff discuss a world where real life is a let down compared to VR. 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/revie...
Jan 23, 2017•24 min•Ep. 383
Plastic surgeon Stanley Jacobs was obsess with an ancient Egyptian text about surgery known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus. Particularly, a recipe at the back of the book, titled “Transforming an Old Man Into a Youth.” His investigation into what this particular recipe was revealed that ancient Egyptians were far ahead of their time in unexpected ways. Jeff and Anthony discuss moisturizers, skin care, and lost knowledge. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveco...
Jan 20, 2017•23 min•Ep. 382
Scientists have never been certain what the appendix used to do -- and if it is still, in fact, useless. On Jan. 9, a team of researchers led by scientists at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine published a review study proposing an answer: the appendix is a secondary immune function that both catalyzes immune cell responses and floods your gut with beneficial bacteria when they've been depleted. And it still plays that role, in a limited fashion, in human body function...
Jan 18, 2017•25 min•Ep. 381
As self-driving cars become the norm, road deaths due to driver error will begin to diminish. It’s a transformative advancement, but one that comes with consequences in an unexpected place: organ donation. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether a smaller amount of potential organ donors is a good thing or a bad thing. 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’...
Jan 16, 2017•21 min•Ep. 380
A few years ago, three separate books were discovered in Harvard University's library that had particularly strange-looking leather covers. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the smooth binding was actually human flesh... in one case, skin allegedly harvested from a man who was flayed alive. As you can imagine, Anthony is very happy to hear this. He and Jeff discuss the idea of binding books with people parts. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/we...
Jan 13, 2017•18 min•Ep. 379
Some South Koreans have built a mech, and it has taken its first steps. Designed by a veteran of science fiction blockbusters, the 13 foot tall, 1.5 ton Method-2 towers over a room on the outskirts of Seoul, and will be made available to buy by the end of 2017 for a cool $8 million. Jeff and Anthony want one - but who gets to ride in it first? GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://weha...
Jan 11, 2017•21 min•Ep. 378
Researchers recently used a machine learning algorithm to decode the squeaks Egyptian fruit bats make in their roost, revealing that they "speak" to one another as individuals. It turns out, not only do they communicate, but they also argue - a lot. Jeff and Anthony also argue a lot, so they weigh in on this discovery and what it might 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://wehave...
Jan 09, 2017•18 min•Ep. 377
Artist Stuart Semple, creator the world’s ‘pinkest paint’, has a new invention - the world'd 'glitteriest glitter'. The product has been made available to everyone, as long as buyers ensured that it would not make its way “into the hands of Anish Kapoor.” According to Semple, the renowned British-Indian sculptor didn’t deserve access to the colors, as he had been given exclusive rights to ‘Vantablack’ – the world’s blackest ever black – in 2014. Should colors be exclusive? Will this tactic work?...
Jan 06, 2017•21 min•Ep. 376
The 2015 Japanese census laid out a frightening realization for the country: its population is shrinking. In just five years, between 2010 and 2015, Japan's population shrunk by almost 1 million. But while everyone is quick to blame so-called "parasite singles" or a lack of immigration, Toyota is looking for a solution. In October, the car manufacturer introduced the Kirobo Mini, a robot designed to form an emotional connection with a population that is getting older and not reproducing at a rat...
Jan 04, 2017•23 min•Ep. 375
