ComedyScienceSociety & Culture

We Have Concerns

Jeff Cannata/Anthony Carboni

Jeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni talk about the personal philosophical concerns they find lurking inside everyday things. It's fun?

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21 episodes
Avg 52 min
English

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#820
Tuesday · 1 hr 2 min
So vs Oh, with Brian Brushwood
Special Guest Brian Brushwood, from the Modern Rogue, stops by the Anxiety Chamber to discuss a recent study about language. As a magician and Scam School professor, Brian is uniquely qualified to lead Anthony and Jeff through the subtle differences between starting a sentence with 'so' and 'oh', and how that can be used to convey a surprising amount of information. Topics also incluse AI protections, and the renewed value of in-person communication.
#819
August 10 · 54 min
Are Attention Spans Really Shrinking?
In the age of social media and digital distraction, the pervailing sentiment is that attention spans are shrinking. But is that the truth? Jeff and Anthony dig into the evidence... at least as long as they are able to focus on it.
#818
August 6 · 42 min
I Ain't 'Fraid of No Ghost
Do you believe a house can be haunted? Scientists interested in finding alternative explanations for reported ghost sightings have found that infrasound, particularly at a frequency of 18.9 Hz might be responsible for those eerie feelings. Anthony and Jeff terll their own spooky stories as they delve into this spine-tingling phenomenon.
#817
July 6 · 42 min
Cool?
You may be shocked to learn that water will freeze faster when it starts hot than when it starts cool. In fact, all of science was shockled to learn this in 1963 when 13 year-old Erasto Mpemba insisted it was true in school. Jeff and Anthony delve into the incredible story of how this phenomenon became known as the Mpemba Effect.
#816
June 30 · 55 min
Moon Poop
NASA is going back to the moon. Which means one of the biggest unsolved problems still looms large: what to do with all of the human waste we leave behind? Anthony and Jeff discuss the poop problem, and what scientists are doing to figure it out.
#815
June 19 · 45 min
Do You Fall for Corporate Bullsh*t?
A researcher at Cornell has designed a Coporate Bullsh*t Receptivity Scale, noting that employees most impressed by corporate nonsense may be least equipped to make effective decisions. Jeff and Anthony dig into the findings, and discuss their own encounters with that particular style of double-speak.
#814
May 17 · 47 min
Time is Perception
A new study comparing the visual capacity of various animals indicates that the perception of time is linked to the pace of their lives. Anthony and Jeff discuss the ramifications of such a study, and what it might mean for understanding evolution.
#813
May 5 · 47 min
Why We Retreat When We're Sick *FIXED*
Do you wanna crawl under the house and hide like a dog when you're sick? You're not alone. I mean, you're alone, you're under the house like a dog. But you're not alone in the FEELING. A recent study published in Cell discusses why we have this instinct, and it's not just because we're grumpy. Spolier: it is also not because we're dogs.
#812
April 30 · 50 min
A Horse is a Horse, of Course of Course
Two stories this week, both involving horses. In the first, a recent study of unearthed bones in Britan reveals that horses were much smaller in medieval times than they are today. Then, the world of polo is dominated by horses that have been cloned. Is that ethical? Jeff and Anthony discuss both stories to get a bit more info about the evolving ecology of earth's most rideable animal.
#811
March 30 · 1 hr 8 min
The AI Social Network
A Reddit-style social network called Moltbook lets AI agents post, comment, upvote, and create subcommunities without human intervention. Anthony and Jeff take a look at this bizarre experiment to suss out why anyone would want this to happen and what it could mean for the future.
#810
March 2 · 48 min
Microplastics aren't a big deal
We've all spent the last couple years being worried about microplastics- but maybe we shouldn't be. More experts have reviewed the original study that freaked us all out, and they say it's full of errors. Today's story: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt
#809
February 26 · 43 min
You're selfish and you never think about sea urchins
It's about time you considered the lowly sea urchin. It's about time you considered their thoughts and feelings, especially since we have just found out they've got thoughts and feelings.
#808
February 2 · 50 min
Discovering the Noperthedron
Can one six-sided cube seamlessly pass through another of equal size? The answer may surprise you. And the quest to discover convex polyhedrons that don't behave that way is even wilder. After more than three centuries, a geometry problem that originated with a royal bet has been solved, and Jeff and Anthony lay it all out for you.
#807
January 19 · 52 min
How Recent is Recently?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word 'recent' is defined as “having happened or started only a short time ago.” And yet, in the world of scientific publishing, it may be one of the most imprecise terms ever used. Jeff and Anthony take a look at a 'recent' study that aims to quantify exactly what is meant by the term. How is Billy Joel involved? You'll have to listen to find out.
#806
January 13 · 1 hr 9 min
AI Psychosis is a Cool Thing We Have to Think About Now
While the research is still early, it looks like AI chatbots can push people who are already at risk into psychotic and delusional episodes. Jeff and Anthony delve into this early research and what AI companies and mental health experts think of it.
#805
Dec 31, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Quicksand is Making a Comeback
An experienced hiker had to be saved by National Parks Search and Rescue last month after getting stuck in quicksand. This made us go "Wait, quicksand? Like, quicksand is a thing?" So here are all the details on the rescue, how quicksand works, how common it really is, and what to do if you get stuck in it.
#804
Dec 24, 2025 · 46 min
Tooth-in-Eye
Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, or “tooth-in-eye” surgery, is a real thing, returning vision to patients with severe corneal blindness. Jeff and Anthony explain the astounding process of using a tooth to repair an eye, and the wild road to discovering that it actually works.
#803
Dec 5, 2025 · 49 min
The Batman Effect
New research conducted by psychologists in Milan shows that if Batman show up, we immediately become more altruistic and considerate. Jeff and Anthony dig into this heroic study, and discuss how it might be applied to making the world a better place.
#802
Nov 30, 2025 · 53 min
New Insights into ADHD
Anthony and Jeff take a look at two new breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.
#801
Nov 22, 2025 · 55 min
The Threat of Mirror Life
Researchers believe it will be possible in the near future to build organisms from molecules with reversed structures. But a recent multi-disciplinary report suggest that creating such "mirror life" could lead to the end of all known life on earth. Jeff and Anthony discuss the report, and what it means for synthetic biology.

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