Best Tom Lum Podcasts (2025)

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Relationscapes: “Kids or No Kids? Rethinking Parenthood in Uncertain Times,” with Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman

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5d ago

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“Relationscapes” is the current podcast by Fireside host Blair Hodges. Enjoy this sample episode! Be sure to subscribe directly to Relationscapes now, because this episode will fall out of the Fireside feed next month!By Relationscapes

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94: Paranormal Psychology & Defunct Halloween Traditions 1:41:26

10d ago1:41:26

1:41:26

We know ghosts aren't real, but what is real is the way our brains make us imagine the creepy things that go bump in the night. What about our psychology makes it so easy to be spooked? And we've all heard of costumes and pumpkin carving, but what are the weirdest old Halloween traditions, and what can we take into our own traditions? Things we Tal…

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Relationscapes: “Turning the Tables on Fatphobia,” with Kate Manne

12d ago

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“Relationscapes” is the current podcast by Fireside host Blair Hodges. Enjoy this sample episode! Be sure to subscribe directly to Relationscapes now, because this episode will fall out of the Fireside feed next month!By Relationscapes

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Relationscapes: “Back to the Feminist Drawing Board,” with Aubrey Hirsch

19d ago

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“Relationscapes” is the current podcast by Fireside host Blair Hodges. Enjoy this sample episode! Be sure to subscribe directly to Relationscapes now, because this episode will fall out of the Fireside feed next month!By Relationscapes

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93: Unsolved Math Problems & Video Game Controllers w/ Ellen Weatherford 1:53:51

24d ago1:53:51

1:53:51

Wait... ELLA is doing a math topic?? Not only that but she finds the beauty in searching for answers among the toughest math problems. Then, friend of the show Ellen Weatherford takes us through a tour of video game controllers. My favorite is the- wait how did we end up talking about World War 2?? Images we Talk About: Tesseract Gif Tennis for Two…

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92: The Chemistry of Computers & The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 1:54:30

1M ago1:54:30

1:54:30

What does chemistry have to do with computers? Well it might just be the best way to understand what's actually going on inside a CPU! And how could there have been a moon hoax back in 1835? Well it involves cosmic pluralism and Edgar Allen Poe so buckle up! Images we Talk About: Vaccuum Tubes in Computers The First Integrated Circuit Another early…

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12: Terror-tomas w/ Dr. Ella Hubber 54:24

1M ago54:24

54:24

Get ready to sink your teeth into this week’s topic: teratomas. What is a tumor, and how do they sometimes grow structures like teeth and hair? What is it really like to work in a research lab? Who would we cast in a teratoma puppet duet musical? Find out with us. Links: Hear more from Ella on Let's Learn Everything! Follow Ellen on Instagram or Bl…

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91: Lauren Gawne, Is Pointing Rude, and Gestures Studies 1:28:39

2M ago1:28:39

1:28:39

Is pointing rude? I'm sure it's a simple question with a simple answer that won't completely break our brains in rethinking all we take for granted about gesture. Also, what is Lauren’s holy grail lost media of gesture studies? Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:01) Is Pointing Rude? (00:48:11) Questions for Lauren (01:25:26) Outro Support us with…

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90: Octopuses & The Paralympics 1:46:57

2M ago1:46:57

1:46:57

How strange are octopuses really? We're going to be debunking some claims, then rebunking them with some real, amazing facts about our fellow earthlings. And what the history of the paralympics? What can we learn from its attempts and its failures and its importance in sports? See Tom's Science Game Show in NYC! Things we Talk About: Octopus Virus …

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89: Understanding Blood & Peculiar Percussion 1:30:24

3M ago1:30:24

1:30:24

Blood! We all have it, but how much do we know about it? And more importantly, what was the journey of understanding to get there? And just how deep can the history of these peculiar percussion instruments go? Well we'll be criss-crossing across the planet today to find out! Images we Talk About: The Quijada Son Jarocho Quijada Video The Clapper Th…

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88: The Evolution of the Placebo & Postage Stamp Art 1:47:14

3M ago1:47:14

1:47:14

Chances are you know what a placebo is, but... how does it really work? And what can its evolution teach us about science, medicine, and ethics? And how much art can fit a tiny postage stamp? Well enough to fill a whole history of debate, drama, and ducks. Images we Talk About: Drafts of England's First Stamp Sydney Views Stamp The Train Stamp 2025…

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11: Freaks with Beaks w/ Ralph Crewe 1:11:02

4M ago1:11:02

1:11:02

Who is the absolute worst mom in the animal kingdom? Why is there an ominous population of black vultures haunting Pennsylvania? In your relationship, are you the crab or the raptor? Explore these questions and more with Ellen and special guest, science communicator Ralph Crewe, as we bob for viscera with some of nature's gnarliest bird facts. Spec…

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87: Mating Rituals & True Crime 1:51:18

4M ago1:51:18

1:51:18

Just how complicated can animal mating rituals be, and why did they even evolve them at all? And why is true crime Everywhere, and what can we learn from breaking down what makes it feel so icky? Also see Tom's new Game Show in NYC this Sunday! www.OurFindingsShow.com Things we Talk About: Deathwatch Beetle Red-Winged Blackbird House Finch Lesser F…

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The Best of Everything 2025 1:45:46

4M ago1:45:46

1:45:46

Listeners voted for their favorites topics of the past year, so join us as we chat and relearn the best of everything! Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! The best awards in podcasting that feature hosts named Tom, Ella and Caroline, the best cohost award is a tie (for Charlie and Teddy) actually introducing ourselves again, Tom…

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86: Eyevolution 2 Eyelectric Boogeyeloo & Digital Piracy w/ Sabrina Cruz 1:49:36

5M ago1:49:36

1:49:36

How many eyes do these animals have, and more importantly what are they doing with them? And how long has copyright piracy been around, and would YOU download a car? Also Ella finally drops her fake british accent. Images we Talk About: Bullfrog Parietal Eye Bumble Bee Ocelli Scallop Eyes Scallop Eye Mirrors The Home Taping is Killing Music Logo Ti…

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Vote for the Best Of Everything 2025! 2:42

5M ago2:42

2:42

Vote for your favorite topics at LetsLearnEverything.com/bestof before Sunday June 8th!!!By Tom Lum

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85: David Bennett & Why Humans Like Harmony in Music 1:28:39

5M ago1:28:39

1:28:39

What is it about harmonies in music that just sounds so good? Can science (and our amazing musical guest David Bennet) help us get to the bottom of it? Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:06:24) Why do we like Harmony? (00:56:10) Our Music Theory Questions (01:24:04) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also learn about: Li…

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84: Tree Talk & Trading Card Art 1:40:13

5M ago1:40:13

1:40:13

Can trees talk to each other? And how does that personifying metaphor square with the actual science behind it? And what can we learn from the stories of art on trading cards throughout history? Images we Talk About: Trade Cards 3 Modern Trading Cards Yuka Morii's Cards Terror Hyalopterus Lemure Preposterous Proportions Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro…

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83: The Most Boring Element & Solving Shakespeare's Accent 1:32:48

6M ago1:32:48

1:32:48

What is the most boring element, and just how boring could it possibly be? Turns out: VERY! And how can we decipher what Shakespeare sounded like, and who among us can lay claim to his accent? Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:52) The Most Boring Element (00:48:53) Solving Shakespeare's Accent (01:26:37) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership…

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82: International Space Law & Taxidermy 1:51:32

6M ago1:51:32

1:51:32

What laws are there to worry about in the moon? And what does space law teach us about Earth law? And what can we learn about societies throughout history from the lens of stuffing dead animals? Images we Talk About: Orbiting Space Debris Fallen Space Debris Hanging Christian Crocodile Hanging Christian Crocodile Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03…

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Preview: The Lab Rat Games 38:21

7M ago38:21

38:21

Welcome to the (preview for the) Lab Rat Games! The GAME show where we compete to learn anything and everything interesting! We love putting games into our topics, so what happens when we make a whole show of them, with each of us hosting their own section! Plus! We're joined by friend of the show and competitive chaos combatant, Sabrina Cruz! Supp…

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81: Dinosaur Diet Detectives & Proto-Podcasts 2:12:38

7M ago2:12:38

2:12:38

How can scientist's unravel the mystery of what dinosaurs ate? Well the clues are right in front of our eyes, or should I say their teeth! And poop! And listener you may already know what a podcast is, but how did proto-podcasts in a chicken coop give us the DNA for what we love, and how did podcasts even happen? Images we Talk About: First Iguanad…

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Tom, Ella, and Caroline join MFD Spring Break 1:20:29

7M ago1:20:29

1:20:29

It’s not MaxFunDrive without a wild kickoff spectacular! Former real-life VJ and host of MTV's Spring Break 1999, Dave Holmes, takes your favorite MaxFun hosts through some wacky ‘90s- and Spring Break-themed mini games!! Featuring: Dave Holmes, Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya, Dimitry Pompée, Tom Lum, Ellen Weatherford, Alex Schmidt, Brenda Snell, Drea…

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80: Ify Nwadiwe, The Science of the Peasant Railgun, and a Panoply of Nerdery 1:16:19

7M ago1:16:19

1:16:19

Host of Um Actually and nerd of many domains Ify Nwadiwe joins us as Tom helps him deconstruct the infamous Peasant Railgun from D&D. Could it actually work? And can we come up with something even more powerful using real science? We also dig into nerdery old and new, and see if Ify can convince Ella and Caroline to embrace their home country's gre…

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79: The Psychology of Math & Sudoku 1:50:32

8M ago1:50:32

1:50:32

Why is math both so easy and so hard for our brains, and how can the psychology of horses, babies, and mathematicians help answer that? And what wild journey did Sudoku take to become the popular puzzle that Ella adores? Things we Talk About: The Video of a Child Learning to Count The Melencolia Painting Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:59) The …

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78: Drosophila Melanogaster & The British Meal Deal 1:43:10

8M ago1:43:10

1:43:10

Why is the common fruit fly the perfect model organism, and the reason for 6 Nobel Prizes?? And what is the british fascination around the meal deal, lunchtime, and the sandwich? Images we Talk About: Map of the Fruit Fly Brain Rat My Meal Deal The Sandwich Factory Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:57) Drosophila Melanogaster (00:49:46) The Briti…

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77: Light Pollution & Mistaeks 1:43:58

9M ago1:43:58

1:43:58

What can we learn from the most modern - but overlooked form of pollution? And can mistakes in art be something actually... good? Images we Talk About: Navajo Rug Ch'ihónít’i Ramses II Statue Ecce Homo The Original Ecce Homo 3 Versions of Ecce Homo Lincoln Memorial Mistake Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:25) Light Pollution (00:48:06) Mistaeks …

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Recast: The Funcanny Valley - Spellbound and Gagged 1:15:38

9M ago1:15:38

1:15:38

As we plan out the new year, please enjoy a recast of one of my (Tom's) favorite guest appearances on Spellbound and Gagged, hosted by the wonderful friend of the show Ellen Weatherford!By Tom Lum

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New Year Q&A 2024/25 1:59:20

10M ago1:59:20

1:59:20

It's the start of the new year which means a bunch of new questions submitted by YOU! What are our favorite words from the podcast? What's it like to scrap a topic? Would we still love each other if we were worms? Things we Talk About: Contrapoints' Twilight Video Jenny Nicholson's Star Wars Hotel Video Shaun's Channel China's Artifical Sun XOXO 20…

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76: The HaLearnDays Spectacular! 2024 1:44:18

10M ago1:44:18

1:44:18

It's the HaLearn Days!! We've gathered a whole bunch of fun facts from each other and from friends of the show to share the gift of laughter and learning! Images we Talk About: The Rat Car Rat Car Video Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:07:57) Part 1 (00:59:11) Part 2 (01:37:06) Outro We also l…

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75: Where are We? & Carrot Propaganda 1:29:14

11M ago1:29:14

1:29:14

Where are we in the universe? And what can we learn from all the hilariously wrong guesses and bad maps that got us there? And just how much carrot propaganda was there? Well, we'll see a lot of posters and a few myths to debunk! Images we Talk About: Dunn's Earth & Moon Maps Herschel's Milky Way Map Wright's Island Universes Drawing The Image of M…

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Submit Your Q&A Questions! 3:58

11M ago3:58

3:58

It's everyone's favorite holiday: the day we ask you to submit your Q&A questions!! Go to www.LetsLearnEverything.com/questions and submit your questions about truly anything at all from the science to the serious to the silly!By Tom Lum

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74: Autumn Leaves & Swearing 1:49:16

11M ago1:49:16

1:49:16

Why do leaves change color? No... like really? Like, show-me-the-scientific-literature-really? After all how mysterious could the answer be? And holy frick we're finally doing a topic on swearing!! What are the eras of swearing, and what is swearing actually good for? Listen to our episode of Escape this Podcast: Oceananigans pt. 3 - The Bering-tos…

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73: Linguist Gretchen McCulloch, Latin in Science, and Internet Linguistics 1:25:39

12M ago1:25:39

1:25:39

Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch of Lingthusiasm joins us to casually answer all of our pressing linguistics questions with the most mind blowing facts. Why does science use so much dang latin, and what is so unique about internet linguistics? Images we Talk About: Gretchen's Favorite Frogs Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:10:58) Latin in Scien…

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72: Former Cryptids & The Art of a Scary Story 1:57:20

12M ago1:57:20

1:57:20

Cryptids may be spooky, but what about the spooky animals that turned out to be... real?? And what makes a good spooky story? Could it be something secretly... heartwarming?? Timestamps: (00:07:15) Intro (00:04:21) Former Cryptids (00:54:25) The Art of Spooky Stories (01:52:33) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! We also l…

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71: 🎂 Good Invasive Species, Rock Climbing, and Ig Interviews 2:05:30

1y ago2:05:30

2:05:30

For our birthday this year, we've each gifted a topic for one another! For Caroline, an environmental hot take: can invasive species ever be... good? For Tom, an entire topic about one of his favorite hobbies: rock climbing! And for Ella, interviews from the Ig Nobel Laureates this year. Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Times…

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70: The Core of the Earth & Planned Obsolescence 1:52:07

1y ago1:52:07

1:52:07

What's actually going on in the center of the Earth, and just how interesting and useful could it be? And how did the now ubiquitous Planned Obsolescence start with... bicycles?? Images we Talk About: An Early Bicycle Bilhert's Animations Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:06) The Core (00:58:24) Planned Obsolescence (01:45:52) Outro Support us wi…

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69: Hank Green, Sex Science, Reverse Platypi, and the First Dick Drawing 2:00:56

1y ago2:00:56

2:00:56

Longtime inspiration and friend of the show Hank Green joins us for a very special episode! How do colonial organisms with just one queen avoid incest? How many Ig Nobels have gone to sex science? Can the team figure out the identity of the Reverse Platypus? When was the first dick grafitti, and could the story actually be... wholesome??? Watch: Th…

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68: Phrenology & Lego 1:42:58

1y ago1:42:58

1:42:58

It's an infamous pseudoscience, but what haven't we learned from the rise and fall of Phrenology? And Lego are ubiquitous, which means there's a lot to learn and a lot of nuance for our love of these stackable bricks. Things we Talk About: The Phrenology Pamphelet The Lego Cullen House Lego Seismometer CERN Lego Device The Brick Experiment Channel …

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Recast: LLE on SIF - Eeny, meeny, miny, moe 1:05:38

1y ago1:05:38

1:05:38

While we're sending Tom "Well Wissage" and a speedy recovery, enjoy Ella & Caroline on this tremendous episode of one of our sibling shows on the network, Secretly Incredibly Fascinating!By Tom Lum

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67: Epigenetics & The Overlooked World Games 1:56:30

1y ago1:56:30

1:56:30

You may have heard Epigenetics used as a buzzword, but what is it really? Is it something we know about, something still new, or... both? And what in the world are the World Games, and what makes them better than the Olympics? Links we Talk About: Ella's SciShow Video on X Chromosome Diseases Sport Casting Fin Swimming Haudenosaunee Flag Christophe…

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10: The Funcanny Valley w/ Tom Lum 1:09:04

1y ago1:09:04

1:09:04

Why do we feel so weird when robots look a little too much like humans? How have artists navigated the uncanny valley - whether narrowly avoiding it or intentionally plunging into the psychological trench? Ellen & guest, science communicator Tom Lum, ride the zombie train right into the uncanny valley. Links: Follow Tom on TikTok, Instagram and You…

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66: What is a Species & What is UK Voting? 1:55:58

1+ y ago1:55:58

1:55:58

It's a word we say all the time but... what IS a species? How has it been used in the past, and could the different answers all be right? And how does voting work in the UK? It starts with voting for knights, and could hopefully end in the future with something even better. Images we Talk About: Ella's Zoom Moustache Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (0…

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The Best of Everything 2023-2024 2:00:03

1+ y ago2:00:03

2:00:03

After much deliberation, the academy (listeners of the podcast) has voted on the best topics from the past year! If this is your first episode, you'll get a sampling of our favorite moments of science and sillyness, and if you're a long time listener, you'll hear some behind the scenes thoughts about the topics, as well as... a secret teaser at the…

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9: Sex, Drugs, and Rocket Fuel 39:36

1+ y ago39:36

39:36

Who is the mysteriously unnamed "rocket enthusiast" behind the founding of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory? Ashley uncovers the story of rocket engineer Jack Parsons and his relationship to space, occultism, sex rituals, L. Ron Hubbard, and more. Links: Follow Ashley on Threads and check out her podcast Taboo Science! Follow Ellen on TikTok! Follo…

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65: Black Holes 101 & Tattoos 1:47:56

1+ y ago1:47:56

1:47:56

What happens when a star collapses to a point of near infinite gravity? And just how hard could that be to actually... find? And why do we love tattoos so much, and how long have human beings across the world been loving them too? Check out Tom's first long form video that's finally out! Images we Talk About: The Crab Nebula First Image of a Black …

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64: Tom Scott, Human Acceleration, and Failed Videos 1:22:03

1+ y ago1:22:03

1:22:03

How fast can a regular human accelerate from 0-60? How can you learn to love roller-coasters? And is there a terrifying experience Ella's done that even Tom Scott hasn't?? After having us on his show for so long, it's finally time for Tom Scott to join us on our show! Videos we Talk About: Tom Scott's Amazing Roller Coaster Video Tom Scott's Failed…

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Pride Merch & Voting for the Best of Everything! 4:08

1+ y ago4:08

4:08

It's Pride and Poll-jedice! For pride month we have some pride merch including an amazing design by Caroline, with proceeds going to Pride in Stem! Also, toss in your vote to defend the honor of your favorite topic for the next Best Of Everything episode! All of this is at LetsLearnEverything.comBy Tom Lum

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63: Biomimicry & The Evolution of Chess 1:38:23

1+ y ago1:38:23

1:38:23

What can we learn by mimicking animals in nature, and more importantly, what can we learn about the nuance behind the buzzword of biomimicry? And just how many wild facts are hidden in a simple chess set? Images we Talk About: One of the Oldest Shatranj Sets Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:26) Biomimicry (00:50:25) Chess Chess Evolution (01:33:…

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62: False Memories & House Plants 1:42:15

1+ y ago1:42:15

1:42:15

How much real science is there to the Mandela Effect, and how much should we be worried about our faulty memories? And what's the science and history behind our long love for house plants? Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:31) False Memories (00:57:30) House Plants (01:37:47) Outro Support us with a Max Fun Membership! Join our Discord! Yes Ella …