SYSK Selects: How Fire Works

Data centers are the backbone of our digital world. All the sites you visit and social media you post happen there. A boom in huge data centers to support AI is underway, and they’re taking a big toll on the environment and life for the people around them.See omnystudio.com/liste ... Show More

During the Cold War, the CIA used the legend of a vampire named Aswang to scare locals into not helping the communists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

West Virginia is home to sensitive radio telescopes that could easily pick up your cell phone’s signal on Mars. And the cell reception on Mars is about as good as it is in the NRQZ, since cell towers are banned in the interest of furthering astronomy.See omnystudio.com/listener f ... Show More

<p>We've all heard the saying "fight fire with fire," but could it actually work? Tune in as Robert and Allison break down the ways in which firefighters actually do use fire and explosives to fight fires in this episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="h ... Show More

<p>It's a Hollywood classic: Our hero leaps in the nick of time, right before tendrils of flames close in. But could you escape a raging fire in real life? Run from wild fires and explosions in this red-hot episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad- ... Show More

<p>In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the history and science of MSG and explore just why we demonized it for so long.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c ... Show More

The creation of atomic weaponry changed human civilization forever, but it also left its mark on the Earth itself -- in both obvious and subtle ways. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the ways in which the world would not be the same. Lear ... Show More

<p>Do people really just go up in flames? Do grannies really flare up like roman candles in their rockers and is there anything in science that explains why a middle-aged bachelor might burn down to his sneakers without warning? In this episode, Julie and Robert enter the dubious ... Show More

It’s time for another invention-based episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. In this episode, Robert and Joe discuss a very old invention that we can scarcely imagine life without: the spoon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/ ... Show More

<p>Creativity is one of humanity's most crucial skills, and it is also one of the least-understood. In this episode, Robert and Julian explore the science, myths and theories surrounding creativity.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcas ... Show More

<p>The atoms in your heart once burned in the fires of a dead star. Does this constitute an almost-spiritual connection to the cosmos or is it mere chemistry? In this episode, Robert and Julie discuss the billion-year-old carbon inside us.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-cho ... Show More

Hot chili peppers can make you feel like your mouth is on fire, but are they actually doing any damage? Learn about the science of spice in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ... Show More

It might surprise you to learn that the oldest raging fires on Earth are actually underground. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the world of eternal flames and coal seam fires. (originally published 05/05/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More