ScienceStuff

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Ever wonder if your pet is lying to you, what's inside a black hole, or whether you'd survive being cryogenically frozen? With infectious curiosity, cartoonist and former roboticist Jorge Cham makes science fun and accessible as he answers your biggest questions on the ScienceStuff podcast.

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68 episodes
Updated May 15

Episodes68

Newest first

May 15 · 42 min
Is A.I. Going to Kill Us All?
How do you make sure A.I. has humanity's best interest at heart? Jorge explores humanity's future with two "A.I. Alignment" experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 7 · 37 min
What Makes Traffic So Bad?
Stuck in traffic? There's someone to blame, but it's not who you think it is. Jorge cruises to an answer with two traffic science experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 2 · 33 min
Can We Talk to Dolphins?
They're some of the smartest animals on Earth. Could we ever have a conversation with them? Jorge takes the plunge with two dolphin experts to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 22 · 35 min
Can A.I. Be Funny?
Can computers crack jokes? Are comedians in trouble? Jorge talks to an AI expert to find the punchline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 15 · 37 min
What Makes Someone Left-Handed?
Is it genetic or random? And why do we have a preferred hand anyway? Jorge gets the right answers from some left-handed experts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 9 · 36 min
Is Math Ruining Sports?
Math is a key player in every major sport these days. Is it helping teams win, or is it making games boring to watch? Jorge talks to a "Moneyball" expert to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 31 · 33 min
Why Are We Going Back to the Moon?
Jorge talks to three scientists involved in the Artemis Moon Program to find out why we're going back there after 50 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 25 · 34 min
Should We Mine the Asteroid Belt? (feat. Phil Plait)
Do asteroids have precious metals we can mine? Or is one of them going to hit us and make us go extinct first? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 20 · 8 min
BONUS: The Bob Ross Effect
Can watching someone paint make you feel better? Scientists have proof that watching Bob Ross can significantly improve your mood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 18 · 30 min
What Did People Eat 3000 Years Ago?
3000 years is a long time. How do we know what was on the menu? And would we eat it today? Jorge talks to an archaeologist about ancient foods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 11 · 37 min
Why Do Our Knuckles Crack?
Why do our joints snap, crackle and pop? And why can't we stop doing it? Jorge investigates the evolution, psychology and physics of this annoying habit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 4 · 35 min
Why Do People Forget Memories?
What happens to the things we remember when we can't remember them anymore? Jorge talks to two psychologists about the science of forgetting and the fascinating world of amnesia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 25 · 35 min
What Is Super Memory (And How Do You Get It)?
Some people can remember 100,000 digits of pi, or everything that's ever happened to them. How do they do it? And can anyone learn this skill? Jorge goes down memory lane to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 18 · 29 min
Do Animals Have a Sense of Humor?
Do chihuahuas chuckle? Or jaguars joke? Jorge kids around with animal experts to find out if animals can be funny (on purpose). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 11 · 35 min
Why Is the Moon So Big?
NASA is sending astronauts back to the moon. But why? What deep mysteries still hide on the far side of the moon? Jorge jumps over the moon to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 4 · 39 min
What Is AI Slop Doing to Us?
AI is everywhere these days. What happened to make it so powerful all of a sudden? And what is all this AI content doing to our brains? Jorge talks to three experts to find the answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 30 · 8 min
BONUS: How to Stop Procrastinating
Is there hope for the eternal procrastinator? Jorge gets some tips for living with procrastination from three expert psychologists. Learn more about our experts' work: procrastinus.com (Dr. Piers Steel) fuschiasirois.com (Dr. Fuschia Sirois) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 28 · 33 min
Why Do We Procrastinate?
We finally got around to it: an episode about procrastination. Why do we do it? Is it really bad? And is there such as a thing as productive procrastination? Jorge talks to three psychologists about the science of putting things off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 21 · 32 min
Why Do We Go Bald?
What's the skinny on why we lose our hair? Is it genetic or avoidable? Or do we need to comb over society's stigma about it? Jorge gets to the hairy truth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 15 · 33 min
Do Supersenses Exist?
Can we hear echoes like bats, or see x-rays like Superman? Believe it or not, scientists think the answer is yes. Jorge talks to three experts involved in extending human senses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ScienceStuff

Is A.I. Going to Kill Us All?

What Makes Traffic So Bad?

Can We Talk to Dolphins?

Can A.I. Be Funny?

What Makes Someone Left-Handed?

Is Math Ruining Sports?

Why Are We Going Back to the Moon?

Should We Mine the Asteroid Belt? (feat. Phil Plait)

BONUS: The Bob Ross Effect

What Did People Eat 3000 Years Ago?

Why Do Our Knuckles Crack?

Why Do People Forget Memories?

What Is Super Memory (And How Do You Get It)?

Do Animals Have a Sense of Humor?

Why Is the Moon So Big?

What Is AI Slop Doing to Us?

BONUS: How to Stop Procrastinating

Why Do We Procrastinate?

Why Do We Go Bald?

Do Supersenses Exist?