The human obsession with vampires runs deep, so deep that it survives our consistent attempts to squeeze all the mystery and fun out of the topic. Inject a little science, however, and the patient returns once more to a state of fabulous un-life. Join Rob
Today
The Shocking Vastness of Prairie , Part 2
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the vast North American grasslands of which poet William Cullen Bryant wrote, “These are the gardens of the desert, these the unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful, for which the speech of England has no name — ... Show More
55m 36s
Aug 1
From the Vault: Dinner with King Tut, with Sam Kean
In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with Sam Kean about his new book “Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations.” (originally published 7/3/2025)See omnystudio.com/liste ... Show More
43m 56s
Oct 2020
#40: Halloween special: real-life vampires, the science of ghosts, deep-sea zombies, monster black holes
What price would you pay for eternal youth? Some real-life vampires in California took part in a trial where they infused themselves with the blood plasma of young people, in an attempt to rejuvenate their brains and extend their lives.
For this Halloween special we gathered jour ... Show More
28m 52s
Oct 2022
#310 | A History of Vampires | Fangs, Fear and Fiction
<p><strong> </strong></p><br><p>For hundreds of years, people have been afraid of blood-sucking creatures that rise from the dead.</p><p>But where does the vampire myth actually come from, what happened to the people accused of being a vampire, and what if there was a simple, bio ... Show More
21m 30s
Jul 2024
Ep. 6 - The WILD World of Victorian Vampires
In today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the wild world of Victorian vampires. She'll discuss vampire panic and vampire autopsies of the 1800s, real vampires - or at least, folks who were believed to be real vampires, and the inspirations for everyone's favorite vampire, Dracul ... Show More
35m 45s
Nov 2021
Decoder Ring - The Philosophy of Vampires
In literature, the choice to become a vampire is a metaphor for transformative experiences. On this episode, we bring you a story from Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast, which explores problems in contemporary philosophy through story. From real-life blood suckers, to Lord Byron, to ... Show More
31m 5s