Listener Mail: Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episodes
Stuff To Blow Your Mind
Deep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.
Episodes
From the Vault: The Cattle Mutilation Panic of the 1970s
Strange lights and black helicopters in the night. Cattle found dead with blood or organs seemingly removed from strange incisions. Alien visitors in the heartland. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe take a skeptical look at the cattle mutilation phenomenon of the 1970s. (originally published 10/06/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: TerrorVision
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe tune their satellite dish to 1986 and discuss the outrageous sci-fi horror camp-fest that is Ted Nicolaou’s “TerrorVision,” starring Gerrit Graham and Mary Woronov. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Necromantic Urge, Part 3
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Monstrefact: Rawhead Rex and Kin
In this special bonus episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Clive Barker’s Rawhead Rex and various related creatures and spirits from English lore and legend… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks with IBM: Hugging Face and watsonx: Why Open Source Is the Future of AI in Business
Open-source innovation is the future of AI. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM , Malcolm Gladwell and Tim Harford discuss the open-source AI community with Jeff Boudier, head of product and growth at Hugging Face. They chat about the history and future of open-source AI, its critical importance to AI progress, the IBM watsonx partnership with Hugging Face, and how businesses can leverage open-source AI for their specific needs. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalks Learn more about the Hugging Fac...
The Necromantic Urge, Part 2
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: Round About The Cauldron Go
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft, with Brian Hoggard
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert discusses witch bottles and other forms of counter-witchcraft of olden days with Brian Hoggard, author of "Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft." His website can be found at www.apotropaios.co.uk. (originally published 11/01/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Sorcerers
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe kick off the Halloween season with 1967’s “The Sorcerers,” starring Boris Karloff. It's a groovy mix of hypnosis, mind control and murder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Necromantic Urge, Part 1
It’s that time of year again. Join Robert and Joe as Stuff to Blow Your Mind descends into the Halloween season. In this episode, explore the historic and psychological origins of necromancy: the ancient practice by which shamans, wizards and sorcerers sought communication with the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Monstrefact: The Nine Faces of Death
In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the mythological Chinese monster known as the Nine Faces of Death… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 2
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and Joe as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Mail: SB-129
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Invention of the Odometer
You might not think your car’s odometer is that exciting, but it’s actually the modern incarnation of an ancient invention with roots in China and the Greco-Roman world. Join Robert and Joe as they discuss the invention of the hodómetron and the li-recording drum carriage in this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. (originally published 09/06/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1965 cult classic crime thriller “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” directed by Russ Myers and starring Tura Santana, Haji and Lori Williams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 1
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and Joe as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks With IBM: Transformations in AI: why foundation models are the future
Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of AI in both business and society. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern AI with Dr. David Cox, VP of AI Models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of AI and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology. Visit us at: https://www.ibm.c...
Future Shock 2023, Part 3
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Listener Mail: Tomorrow Never Knows
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Invention of Surgical Gloves
In this classic invention-themed episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the origin of surgical gloves, the differing concepts for their composition and the struggle to get surgeons to wear them. (originally published 08/30/2022) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: The Man Who Fell to Earth
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Nicolas Roeg's 1976 sci-fi film "The Man Who Fell to Earth," starring the legendary David Bowie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Future Shock 2023, Part 2
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The Artifact: The Gadget Cane
In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses various gadget canes, from Benjamin Franklin’s walking stick to Edgar Alan Poe’s cane sword… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Future Shock 2023, Part 1
In the 1970 book “Future Shock,” futurist Alvin Toffler outlined a vision of post-industrial society in which rapid technological and social changes outstrip the average human’s ability to cope. More than half a century later, how does this idea hold up and are contemporary humans victims of future shock? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss how it seems to be panning out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Listener Mail: Satellite Anthem Icarus
Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the Vault: The Paragraph, Part 2
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the standard nugget of textual thought: the paragraph. (originally published 8/25/22) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weirdhouse Cinema: Diabolik
In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the phantasmagorical world of Mario Bava with the stylish 1968 crime thriller “Danger: Diabolik,” starring John Phillip Law and Marisa Mell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stickiness, Part 3
We encounter sticky surfaces and sticky substances everyday, but what exactly IS “stickiness?” In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the physical properties of stickiness and look at some very sticky examples from the natural world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks with IBM: AI for Business: Multiplying the impact of AI
As businesses adopt AI, a new era of problem-solving, innovation, and creative decision-making can be brought to scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the future of AI in enterprise business AI for business with Kareem Yusuf, senior vice president of product management and growth for IBM software. They discuss the advent of foundation models, how AI can transform data storage and decision-making, and how next-generation AI platforms like wat...