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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP21 - Badge Engineering & Fighting Wildfires
This week Alex takes us into the dubious world of Badge Engineering. Was that a Jimmy or a Blaizer? Bryan explores the increasingly relevant threat of wildfires and what tactics are used to control them.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP17 - Zero Waste & Rare Earth Metals
We all have something to learn from the small city (read: town) of Kamikatsu. Bryan outlines how this small Japanese town has gone to great lengths to become zero-waste. Alex delves into the elemental makeup of our favorite modern day gadgets and the questionable ways some of the materials are mined. This is the closest we’ve come to preparing the same topic!
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP11 - Neurotransmitters & Potholes
Despite the physically small nature of neurons and neurotransmitters, Bryan explains just how complex this human system is. Alex uses the podcast this week to vent about the current state of potholes in the Midwest.
Read moreWandering Barycenter EP10 - Olympic Misfortunes & Racing Obscurities
Episode 10 marks our next milestone! Both Bryan and Alex decided this meant fun topics. In light of the 2018 winter olympics, Alex learned about some ridiculous events in Olympic history. Bryan looked into some of the most obscure forms of racing found around the world. Despite all the options Bryan aspires to race push lawn mowers on foot.
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