Researchers have discovered that dense crowds can spontaneously synchronize into collective oscillations, with hundreds of people moving in coordinated, swirling patterns. How did they do it? By studying the Spanish tradition of running with the bulls. Jeff and Anthony discuss getting lost in a crowd, and how science can make these large events saf…

People with aphantasia lack the ability to summon images in their "mind's eye." But a new study suggests that the blueprints for those imaginary images might still be nestled in their brains. As someone with aphantasia himself, Anthony tries to explain to Jeff how his inner life works. LInk to the story: https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscie…

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have uncovered new insights into the dual nature of scratching an itch, indicating that while it can worsen skin inflammation, it can also boost immune defenses against bacterial infections at the injury site. How did they do it? By torturing mice, of course. Jeff and Anthony dig into the science of itchi…

The rise of AI has directly resulted in diminishing levels of critical thinking, epseically among young people, a new study shows. Anthony and Jeff discuss how relying on technology must be paired with new ways of thinking, and the dire consequences that may result from algorithmic learning. Today's story: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-ai-linked-er…

A new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that one generation in particular has higher exposure to unsafe levels of lead than all others. It just happens to be Jeff and Anthony's generation: Gen X. They take a loook at the impacts, and the long history of cover-up that led to lead staying in gasoline far longer t…

Much has been made about taking a cold shower in the morning vs a hot one. A new study aims to measure the health benefit of these different temperature extremes for daily washing. Anthony and Jeff get into a lather about it, and the results may surprise you! Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http:/…

A study of 26 years' worth of wolf behavioral data, and an analysis of the blood of 229 wolves, has shown that infection with a parasite that can only reproduce in cats makes wolves 46 times more likely to become a pack leader. How can this be? Jeff and Anthony dive into the data, and come away thinking it has far-reaching ramification for how we a…

A new study finds that the human body does not age at a constant rate throughout adulthood. Instead, it accelerates dramatically around ages 44 and 60. Jeff and Anthony discuss the findings while trying not to admit how old they feel. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take …

More and more research points to the fact that the microbiome in our gut contributes sigificantly to both our phsyical and mental health. But what defines this microbiome? New analysis of nearly 2,000 people living in remote villages in Honduras has shown that friend groups have nearly as much impact as spouses or co-habitators. Jeff and Anthony di…

Contrary to previous assumption, a new study shows that bat-like echolocation is a skill that can be learned by both blind and sighted practitioners in as little as 10 weeks. Anthony and Jeff discuss the ramifications of this discovery, and what it means about practice and neural plasticity. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord …

A new study used varying levels of hot sauce to test whether the expectation of spice and discomfort impacted the actual experience. Jeff and Anthony discuss how our brains deal with expectation - and also the way this study was conducted. With, um, squirt tubes. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2450955-hot-sauce-taste-test-reveals-how-expectat…

In the 19th century, Scottish scammer Gregor MacGregor made a fortune selling land in Poyais. The only problem? Poyais never existed. Jeff and Anthony step through the history of this nortious fraudster, and try to resist parallels to modern American liars. Link to this week's article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gregor-macgregor-map-of-p…

The sport of Slap Fighting has taken the Internet by storm over the last year. But would you believe: it is stupid and dangerous? I KNOW. Jeff and Anthony discuss a new study that says the very good and smart sport is causing intense and permanent damage to its participants. Video Analysis of Concussion Among Slap Fighting Athletes: https://jamanet…

When you see food that is colored blue, what flavor do you expect it to be? As the rarest color in plants and animals, blue might be the strangest color to eat. Jeff and Anthony dig into the unusual history of blue food to uncover the allure of azure. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon…

Among rural communities in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was taken as fact that a thunderstorm would turn milk sour. Jeff and Anthony look at the journey of scientific discovery around such a strange myth, and what it tell us about how long it takes to dispel misinformation, even in the modern age. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreo…

It's time to celebrate the strangest, silliest, and most weirdly useful science of the last year! The Ig Nobel Prizes are back, and we're going to cover this year's winners. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/24/world/thomas-midgley-jr-leaded-gas-freon-scn/index.html Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns An…

Researchers in the Arctic are experimenting with drastic plans to geoengineer away the damaging effects of climate change. Jeff and Anthony look at one method, inspired by Dutch Ice Masters. Then, they discuss efforts from the Alameda city council to shut down geoengineering off the coast of California. Which is the best way forward? For bonus cont…

When birds collide with airplanes, their remains are sent to a special lab in Washington, DC. There, an elite team of avian detectives works to identify the exact type of bird to help prevent future catastrophes. Jeff and Anthony discuss the science behind the role of forensic ornithologist. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/weh…

A new study shows that some insomniacs who claim to have been up through the night have actually been sleeping. What is going on in their brains? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the data and discuss how even our perception of our own sleep my be warped. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

By analyzing the brain waves of improvising jazz musicians, researchers now understand how the brain achieves a creative flow state. The findings have practical implications for anyone wanting to get ‘in the zone’ to generate creative ideas. Jeff and Anthony go with the flow and discuss how and when they are able to achieve this state of heightened…

Two stories this week, both involving kids who get more than they bargained for. In the first, a toddler is certain she hears a monster in the walls of her family's 100 year old North Carolina farmhouse. In a way, she was right. And in the second, a 9 year old boy pines for a pet he shouldn't, and his parents find out the hard way why they shouldn'…

No two human fingerprints are alike. Even different fingers from the same person are unique. But new research from Columbia University using an applied neural network suggests there may be a new way to link intra-person fingerprints with a high degree of accuracy. Jeff and Anthony take a look at fingerprinting analysis and discuss the use of machin…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/10/1243939166/lunchables-consumer-reports-school-lunch Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And he…

Consumer Reports released a new report on Lunchables in which it found lead and cadmium, and also observed the presence of phthalates, which can impact reproductive health and the human hormonal system. Anthony and Jeff discuss the findings, and how to face the challenge of eating food that isn't actively trying to kill you. For bonus content, chec…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

It is the 200th anniversary of the first dinosaur discovery, so Jeff and Anthony dig into the story of finding fossils and naming them. It leads them to the wild story of William Buckland, the man who coined the term Megalosaurus, in 1824. If you think you know dinosaurs, you may be shocked by how they entered popular culture. For bonus content, ch…

A pair of recent studies suggest that the act of putting pen or pencil to paper increases brain activity and retention when compared to typing words into a computer. Anthony and Jeff discuss living a papered life, and whether taking physical notes is worth the increase in learning. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcern…

Statistics are amazing things. This week, Anthony and Jeff dig into the data around death to determine the most likely month and day that people all around the world will meet their end. For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service y…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://boingboing.net/2024/02/12/how-to-disrupt-meetings-the-cia-way.html Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.sciencealert.com/our-perception-of-time-can-actually-speed-up-wound-healing Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns A…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/11/want-to-skip-that-christmas-party-the-host-probably-wont-mind-study-shows Here’s the iTunes li…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://nowarchaeology.com/when-and-how-did-people-start-wearing-clothes/ Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the …

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/27/ultra-processed-foods-are-not-more-appealing-study-finds Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-lead-a-meaningful-life-become-your-own-hero/ Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcern…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/peak-fear-experiment-haunted-house Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the S…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://badastronomy.substack.com/p/where-were-going-we-will-need-roads?r=a8hw&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post Here’s the iTunes link: http:/…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.science.org/content/article/tickled-rats-reveal-brain-structure-controls-laughter Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconc…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2023/08/31/news-flash-opposites-dont-actually-attract Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And …

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/09/salt-taste-systems-sodium-mystery/675346/ Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconc…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/22/bigger-earlier-and-itchier-why-poison-ivy-loves-climate-change Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/weha…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://tw…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/study-personality-intelligence-links/ Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stit…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/30/travel/airseas-giant-kites-ships-slash-carbon-emissions-scn-climate-spc/index.html Here’s the iTunes link: http…

For bonus content, check out our Patreon! patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Link to this week's story: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/30/travel/airseas-giant-kites-ships-slash-carbon-emissions-scn-climate-spc/index.html Here’s the iTunes link: http…