Do our dogs really understand us when we talk to them? Or do they just hear us and think “that is a terrible sounding bark”? Alex gets us indistinguishably closer to the answer by discussing methods used by researchers to study the cognitive abilities of animals. Bryan tries to convince everyone that Göbekli Tepe represents a lost human civilization that if true, would upend the currently accepted timeline of our ancestors.
Read moreWandering Barycenter Lyric Edition EP4 - Weigh & Mound
Lyric edition episode 4! Alex and Bryan have a go at deciphering Weigh and Mound by the band Phish.
Wandering Barycenter EP38 - Will to Survive & Jagged Lines of Distinction
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were required to call upon your instinctual will to survive? Us either but join us for some stories of people who have! For the second half we look at the jagged lines of distinction between natural and man-made, as well as new vs. original.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP37 - Nutrition Facts & Fun Conspiracies
Alex explains how the nutrition facts panel attempts to guide and inform consumers about the nutritional composition of packaged foods. However, there are also suspicious aspects of this critical re$ource. Bryan tells of conspiracy theories that are fun, weird, or sometimes both!
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP36 - Electromagnetic Fields & Cartoons
It’s Wandering Barycenter’s 1 Year Anniversary! Join hosts Alex and Bryan as they reflect on the past year and look forward to year number 2. Bryan finally talks about Electromagnetic fields, a topic that was sitting in the wings for quite some time. Alex takes us on another nostalgic journey by exploring a few 90s era cartoons and how they came to be.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP35 - Hypnosis & Dangerous Fads
Bryan and Alex get a little silly this week as they briefly discuss the practice of hypnosis as well as a number of dangerous social fads and ideas people have engage in throughout modern history. Find out how hypnosis is used for both entertainment and therapy and why letting your kids play with radioactive material is no longer recommended.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP34 - Social Experiments & Pets
What if we all got got 50k a year for nothing? Well not all of us, only a few. Think that would go over well? Bryan and Alex suspect not so much. Alex explores what drives us to keep a such a wide variety of pets and how those relationships might have come to be… what’s the deal with keeping fish anyway?
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP33 - Inter-species Symbiosis & Early Flight
Ever wonder “Do fish know how to run a small cleaning business?”. Alex gives us a glimpse into the world of inter-species symbiosis and the answer appears to be yes. Bryan floats us along a slightly more abstract relationship between man and bird with some early attempts at flight
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP32 - Art Crimes & International Waters
Ever thought “I could be an artist” or “I should be a rum runner”? Well you can! Just fake someone else’s art or learn the ins and outs of international waters. Luckily Bryan and Alex are here to guide us through both worlds. They even entertain the idea of combining them!.
Read moreWandering Barycenter Lyric Edition EP3 - Tessellate & Taro
Lyric edition episode 3! Alex and Bryan have a go at deciphering Tessellate and Taro by the band Alt-J.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP31 - NCA4 & Big Data
Did you miss the quiet release of the latest climate assessment? Not to worry! Alex covers the basics of what you need to know. Bryan untangles the complicated web of big data and machine learning.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP30 - Ralph Nader & Micro Mobility Scooters
Buckle up with Bryan this week as we explore the activism and presidential aspirations of Ralph Nader. Next, set those public safety minded advances to the side and hop on a Micro Mobility Scooter with Alex… where did that scooter even come from?
Read moreWandering Barycenter Lyric Edition EP2 - Chop Suey! & Aerials
Keys up on the table? Alex and Bryan tackle a set of classic System of a Down songs in the second lyric edition episode of the Wandering Barycenter podcast.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP29 - Hurricanes & the Library of Alexandria
Given their increasing relevance, Alex takes us through the eye of a hurricane, or cyclone, or typhoon? Bryan ponders what could have been if the Library of Alexandria had survived. Apologies for any audio quality issues this time, tried something new and will have it fixed soon!
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP28 - Space News & Christopher Columbus
Bryan updates us on recent space news! Planet 9, landing on asteroids (or are they meteors?), and impending doom! In the spirit of Columbus day Alex looks at the true story of who this infamous colonist was and why we celebrate him.
Read moreWandering Barycenter Lyric Edition EP1 - Feel Good Inc. & Idaho
This week we try out something a little different! Listen along as we interpret the lyrics of some of our favorite songs. Keeping with the Wandering Barycenter style we analyze the songs separately and then get together to discuss. Let us know what you think and if we should (or should not) do this again!
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP27 - Cereal & Truffles
Alex takes a nostalgic walk down the cereal isle to examine the current state of the market and relive some of cereal’s greatest moments. Bryan investigates the highly competitive and sometimes dangerous world of the truffle trade.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP26 - Weather Manipulation & Left vs Right Brain
Bryan hails the modern history of man’s attempt to control the weather. Has our desire to dominate our surroundings (and others) resulted in successfully manipulating the weather on command? Equally questionable is the potential left/right bias of the human brain. Do you feel you’re more analytical or creative? Alex splits this user suggested theory in half for the second topic this week.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP25 - Venice Beach & Generations
Alex takes us on a walk down Venice Beach while recounting a recent visit to the iconic stretch of sand. Bryan lays out the contrast between recent American generations and the tensions that exist between them. He makes uneducated guesses at what might be the root of these differences.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP24 - Volcanoes & Chicken
Bryan examines the unpredictable and powerful nature of volcanoes. Krakatoa features as the main antagonist as we explore some of the impacts a major eruption can have. Alex goes beyond the coop with a fan requested topic to find out which chicken to buy and why.
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