Episode 579 - Ken Reid

NASA astrophysicist and JPL Exoplanet Science Ambassador Anjali Tripathi joins Andy, Jesse and Matt to talk about exoplanets and the different ways of finding them including radial velocity, transits and gravitational microlensing, the challenges of studying planetary atmospheres, why telescopes are built in deserts or in space, Anjali's time at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, science communication projects like the Logic 44ever rap video, the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, dark matter, lasers in astronomy, Halloween at the White House, the odd “smells” of other planets and how to take a virtual tour of JPL.

Comedian Michelle Murphy (@meeshoffleash) joins Andy, Matt and Jesse to talk about playing tennis for Grinnell, the Enhanced Games, celebrities trying their hands at winter sports, Jesse's accidental mermaid book purchase and the Dr. Seuss book he was aiming for, Burning Man missionaries, LSD to fight anxiety and surprisingly not too uncommon iridescent mammals.

Comedian Ken Reid (@kennethwreid) joins Jesse, Matt and Andy to talk about growing up a child of television, mud wrestling, Ken's podcast TV Guidance Counselor, an HIV prevention breakthrough, the insanity of Movie 43, the human washing machine no one asked for, blasting plastic waste with a plasma torch, Doja Cat's nod to Max Headroom, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, the reason plastic recycling mostly ended, Andy's Oktoberfest shows in Lake Arrowhead and John Williams polka music.

Comedian Ryan O'Flanagan (@ryanoflan) joins Matt, Jesse and Andy to talk about Ryan and Andy's chance encounter in a bar in Leadville, Married With Children tattoos, neanderthals and homo sapiens interbreeding, a novel telescope shape to help search for exoplanets, an insane impression of a neanderthal voice and Ryan's podcast Laser Show.

Comedian Myq Kaplan (@myqkaplan) returns to the show to talk to Andy, Jesse and Matt about growing out his eyebrows during the pandemic, babies distinguishing Ps from Bs, linguistics, sign language variations, standups aping Shane Gillis, the Mr. Beast voice, birds' preference for crapping in the air, strong link versus weak link problems, Ryan North, whether you should pay for bad art, what sequels always get wrong and Myq's great Substack.

Comedian and host of the SSRI’M OK podcast Macey Isaacs joins the gang to talk about a meteorite that’s older than our planet! AI and attachment theory! And some more AI nonsense before Andy’s connection quit in a fury! In the Patreon bonus we find out why living near the ocean extends your life. Follow Macey on instagram and check out her podcast, and her Don’t Tell special when it drops! Click here to support Probably Science via Patreon Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe in Stitcher

Comedian/mathematician/YouTuber/author Matt Parker (@standupmaths) joins Jesse, Andy and Matt to talk about his new book Love Triangle: How Trigonometry Shapes the World, his podcast A Problem Squared, his Edinburgh Fringe show Getting Triggy With It, Mathstodon, a hawk that uses traffic patterns to target prey, desire paths, Earth's leaking core, the Gibeon meteor, Matt's comedy tour dates and Andy's Colorado music dates.

Comedian Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) joins Andy and Matt to talk about his new special Positive Reinforcement, his newsletter, his wife Maris Kreizman's new book of essays, the geek/nerd/dweeb/dork Venn diagram, Nancy Kerrigan and Chris Farley, a new ass-grass fad among chimps, ass/gas/grass bumper stickers, neanderthals eating maggots and rotten meat, how surprisingly warm Uranus is and Tylenol inducing risky behavior.

Comedian Kai Humphries (@kaihumphries) joins Matt, Andy and Jesse to talk about his new special Gallivanting, the passing of Hulk Hogan, superheating solid gold, the Air Bud cinematic universe and an enormous 80,000-year-old blob in Utah.

Comedian Eric Rocha (@ericrochacomedy) joins Andy, Jesse and Matt to talk about competing namesakes, fezzes, last suppers, Jesse's macronutrient gas, sleep hygiene, comedy on airplanes, what would happen if you threw a paper airplane from the ISS, a neanderthal fat factory, Matt's standup tour and Andy's Colorado ska tour.