73: 2021 IgNobel Prizes

Rob and Joseph wax eloquent and speculative on various aspects of the Christmas story. Have you ever wondered who the Magi were, where they came from, and what was the nature of that star that they saw? Fear no, they go there. What about the genetics of Jesus? Yeah, they speculate about that also, hopefully without getting into too much heretical hot water. Finally, they discuss the physics of Santa Claus, attempting to cast doubt on that aged story, but then they bring in the big guns: four physicists who defend the Santa story using science…or did they?

Rob and Joseph are back with a fun discussion about the all-new rocket technology, and present their take of the 2021 IgNobel prizes! Enjoy!

Rob and Joseph have been enjoying hot coffee and tea lately and it got Rob thinking about the science of caffeine and flavorings. They discuss what makes a lethal dosage of substances, whether stimulants like caffeine are bad for people, and much more!

Dr. C. and Joseph Darnell explore the 2021 Nobel Prizes—who won what and why? Afterward, they discuss some of the coolest technologies “of the future” that you’ve never heard of, including robotic bees and 100% recyclable wind turbines! All this and more in this week’s episode of Equinox!

Rob continues to review the origins of modern computers and together Joseph and Rob are just astonished how far technology has come in the last 50 years. Dr. Carter admits it’s really hard to understand computer sciences and think like an engineer.

Joseph and Rob discuss what insects they’ve seen over the seasons of 2021, give a little update about their bees’ behavior, and in their fascinating main topic, they discuss the origins of the modern computer! Rob takes us back a few centuries to start with the fundamental innovations that allude to the seemingly miraculous technologies we take for granted.

French inventor made a trap to catch hornets to save his bees! Someone discovered that dogs have a heat sense detector! Social scientists inadvertently lied in a study about honesty! For the main discussion, Dr. Carter tells us about Ernst Haeckel’s diabolical fraud.

Joe and Rob talk about things that should never have been, scientific experiments and ideas that were evil or just egregiously wrong. They use four examples: The Tuskegee long-term syphilis experiments, lobotomy, electroshock therapy, and Nazi science (and how much of US technology is based upon it today). This might be a tough listen, but education is sometimes sobering.

It’s one small step for podcasting and one giant leap for today’s Equinox podcast! Rob is crafting a chain mail shirt with his daughter, Rob is fascinated by a nuclear fusion milestone… But enough of that! Rob and Joseph review the 2019 Apollo 11 film and discuss the historical mission to the moon.

Rob and Joe talk about Rob’s Biblical Genetics project, how it is faring, the struggles he has had getting a new show off the ground, what he would do differently, and what successes he has had along the way.