How Recent is Recently?

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 Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.social Anthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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 Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

High-profile studies reporting the presence of microplastics throughout the human body have been thrown into doubt by scientists who say the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives. Anthony and Jeff take a look at these new observations to determine how worried they should actually be. Link to today's story: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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. Story: https://www.sciencealert.com/shock-discovery-reveals-sea-urchins-are-basically-all-brain Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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. Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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.Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.socialLink to today's story: https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-086941 Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.socialWhile 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.Story links:https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/discoverhttps://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03020-9https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/202507/can-ai-chatbots-worsen-psychosis-and-cause-delusionshttps://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-chatbot-psychosis-link-1abf9d57 Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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.Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.socialLinks: https://apnews.com/article/quicksand-arches-national-park-rescue-hiker-cb1a4c2e35a86bd67c003d1f875120dbhttps://www.reddit.com/r/CampingandHiking/comments/1pgxvt5/quicksand_trapped_me_on_the_hayduke_in_arches_np/https://www.livescience.com/33350-how-quicksand-works.htmlhttps://www.nature.com/articles/437635a Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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.LInk to the story: https://www.today.com/health/men-s-health/tooth-in-eye-surgery-restores-vision-rcna230395Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

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.LInk to the story: https://phys.org/news/2025-11-batman-effect-mere-sight-superhero.htmlSupport the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social