How likely is the fungal infection in The Last of Us? The one that takes over human brains and brings humanity to the brink of extinction, could something like that really happen?
In this episode we sit down with Emily Monosson, an expert on deadly fungal infections, and discuss the handful of fungi (we know of) that are today, right now, causing catastroph ... Show More
Nov 24
327 - The Trolley Solution - Joshua Greene
<p>Philosopher, neuroscientist, and psychologist, Joshua Greene tells us how the brain generates morality and how his research may have solved the infamous trolley problem, and in so doing created a way to encourage people to contribute to charities that do the most good, and, in ... Show More
1h 19m
Nov 10
326 - The Origin of Language - Madeleine Beekman
<p>We sit down with Dr. Madeleine Beekman, a professor emerita of evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology at the University of Sydney, Australia, whose new book, The Origin of Language, presents a completely new and fascinating theory for how language emerged in homo sapiens, ... Show More
46m 11s
Sep 2023
Ep 125 Blastomycosis: How fungus became amongus
<p>Fungal infections don’t often make an appearance on this podcast, but when they do, you know you’re in for a wild ride. In this episode, we explore the rare but potentially deadly fungal infection blastomycosis. We trace the journey of <em>Blastomyces </em>spores as they depar ... Show More
1h 18m
Feb 2023
The Fungal Science Behind HBO's 'The Last of Us'
The video game series that spawned the new hit HBO drama, The Last of Us, is the zombie genre with a twist. Instead of the standard viral pandemic or bacterial disease that's pushed humanity to the brink, but a fungus that has evolved to survive in human bodies in part due to cli ... Show More
13m 2s