logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
1h 29m

3: Mind Controlling Parasites, Are Eleph...

MAXIMUM FUN
About this episode
How do mind controlling (or rather, behavior controlling) parasites work? Are elephants right or left handed? And what is so great about Naruto Bohemian Rhapsody AMVs? 
Up next
Yesterday
MaxFunDrive Bonus: Tom's Casters on Casters
Folks we're halfway through the MaxFunDrive! And to keep the celebration we have Tom chatting behinds the scenes with other Max Fun hosts! For all the details about MFD perks, the livestream, and how to support the show, go to LetsLearnEverything.com! Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro ... Show More
23m 27s
Apr 23
104: The Anthropocene Argument & Sound Effects
What is the Anthropocene? No really, who came up with it, when does it start, and why does that matter? Well it involves nuance, scientific beef, and a surprising amount of freaky little guys. And we all know of some sound effects we love, but what is their history, where are the ... Show More
2h 26m
Apr 20
MaxFunDrive Kickoff! Ella's Casters on Casters
IT'S THE MAX FUN DRIVE!!! We kickoff with a crossover "Casters on Casters" with Ella chatting behinds the scenes with other Max Fun hosts! For all the details about MFD perks, the livestream, and how to support the show, go to LetsLearnEverything.com! Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now ... Show More
25m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Tardigradology (TINY SEMI-INDESTRUCTIBLE WATER BEAR MOSS PIGLET CREATURES CALLED TARDIGRADES) with Paul Bartels
<p>Smaller than you can imagine. Potato-shaped. Mysterious. Romantic. And tough enough to survive the vacuum of space or decades of desiccation. Join professor and confirmed Tardigradologist Dr. Paul Bartels to saunter into a microscopic wonderland of bizarrely long naps, foreign ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 2025
Blattodeology (YES, COCKROACHES) with Dominic Evangelista
<p>Dazzling colors. Remote habitats. Gentle parenting. Fantastic genitalia. And yeah, swimming through sewers to surprise you. It’s cockroaches and I promise you will find something to love about them in this chat with cockroach evangelist and Blattodeologist Dr. Dominic Evangeli ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 2025
Real-life zombies
Zombies might seem like the stuff of horror movies, but there are lots of examples of parasites taking over bugs’ bodies and bending them to their will. Guest: Mindy Weisberger, author of Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control For show transcrip ... Show More
26m 56s
Oct 2025
Bonus Episode: COCKROACH MILK with Joshua Benoit and Sinead English
<p>Cockroach milk for Spooktober. STAY HERE. Don’t tell me you like haunted houses and slasher films but can’t listen to a lovely conversation about how cockroaches make milk to feed their young. It’s one of the most nutritious substances on Earth, and I own some. Sort of. Coem a ... Show More
27m 51s
Mar 2024
The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Murder
Brian Cox, Robin Ince and their guests will send a shiver down your spine as they sift through the science on murder, and hear some of the more creative techniques scientists use to catch killers. Apparently rambling through brambles is a great way to find buried bodies at the ed ... Show More
20m 34s
Sep 2025
Kissing Bugs, Koalas and Clues to Life on Mars
A paper published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argues that Chagas disease is now endemic in the U.S. Koalas may finally be spared from a deadly epidemic. Meanwhile NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has uncovered tantalizing clues about potential ancient microbia ... Show More
9m 37s
Jun 2025
Colossal Creatures
How big can animals really get before they collapse under their own weight or run out of snacks? Could a 12-foot comedian survive their first punchline without snapping in half? Listener Andrew sends Hannah and Dara on a deep dive into the science of supersized species.With evolu ... Show More
28m 57s
Apr 2025
‘Parasites should get more fame’: the nominees for world’s finest invertebrate
Invertebrates don’t get the attention lavished on cute pets or apex predators, but these unsung heroes are some of the most impressive and resilient creatures on the planet. So when the Guardian opened its poll to find the world’s finest invertebrate, readers got in touch in thei ... Show More
18m 16s
Sep 2025
Human Technomorphology (SWAPPING OUT BODY PARTS) with Mary Roach
<p>Pigs with human kidneys. Iron lungs. Bionic prostheses. And bendable genitals. Mary Roach is here, and Alie is freaking out. Over the last two decades, this science icon has written seven New York Times bestsellers, including <i>Stiff</i>, <i>Bonk</i>, <i>Gulp</i>, and <i>Pack ... Show More
57m 48s