Six Degrees of Rumination

Episode 117 - 6 Degrees of Coolness (it doesn’t get much cooler than 6 degrees) - 1/4/26

Episode 117 is one of our favorite types: a delightful grab bag of random topics! There's a section all about trends: fashion trends in the chimp community, wellness trends among orca, trends in human coolness over the years; a section about food (talking mushrooms and bitter honey); why deaf people sneeze differently than hearing people; and, of course - chlamydia in koalas.

 

6 traits of coolness

 

Chimp fashion trends

 

Orca wellness trends

 

Orca present humans with offerings of food

 

A chlamydia vaccine....for koalas

 

New flavors of honey

 

Dogs are good for mental health

 

A critical age when thinking begins to decline

 

Can mushrooms actually talk?

 

Why don't deaf people say "achoo" when sneezing?

 

Making a big life move

 

 

Episode 116 - The non-Christmas Christmas episode - 12/22/25

Welcome to Six Degrees of Rumination's "Non-Christmas Christmas episode!"  It's co-host Reno's revenge on co-host Nina and producer Mike, for all the Christmas specials they made him record over the years.  This episode is short and sweet, but spans over thousands of years of history as Reno takes us on a journey from the ancient Mayan pyramids to present day pagan customs.  Also included are the "anti-gift list" and how weird it can be visiting other people's houses.

 

The earliest winter solstice rituals

 

Saturnalian traditions

 

One woman's anti-list for Christmas gifts

 

Visiting other people can be weird

Episode 115 - Producer Mike holds us hostage! Send help!!!! - 09/21/25

In a series of unfortunate events, somehow our diabolical producer, Mike, has taken us hostage and forced us to read articles of his choosing.  In this episode we were forced to discuss why Yoga sucks, how your gluten allergy is bullsh*t, and why Vegans are murderers.

 

Send help...Please....we don't have much time left...

 

6 degrees episode 115

 

Mondays are more stressful than other days

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mondays-really-are-more-stressful-on-the-brain-and-body/

 

 

Yoga is more dangerous that we thought

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/28/yogamore-dangerous-previously-thought-scientists-say/

 

Adverse effects of yoga

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6664709/

9 reasons the art world is unfair

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/9-reasons-art-world-is-unfair-1726653

Why is the art world so toxic?

https://artofericwayne.com/2018/08/30/runaway-rant-why-is-the-art-world-so-toxic/

 

Is gluten the villain we think it is?

https://nyulangone.org/news/one-third-americans-are-trying-avoid-gluten-it-villain-we-think-it-is

The impact of a vegan diet

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10027313/

 

Plants can smell, and hear, and communicate

https://www.gardensillustrated.com/features/plants-communication-research

 

Episode 114 - We'd give our eyeteeth for a good title - with guest Nicole Armour - 6/3/25

Welcome to episode 114 with guest Nicole Armour.  So we did not come up with a creative title for this episode - we'd give our eyeteeth for one!  Perhaps it was difficult because the articles this episode really run the gamut.  Join us for a science grab bag of surgical advancements (and surgical setbacks), strange amphibians, lingering human ancestors, and more.  

 

Eyeteeth

 

 

Don't have surgery on a Friday

 

 

Blood donor

 

 

Homo floresiensis human ancestor may be alive

 

 

Flat earthers

 

 

Decline in teen drug use

 

 

Sea turtle bubble butt

 

 

Rhinella proboscidea

 

Episode 113 - “Spiritual shit on your event horizon - with guest Nicole Armour” - 4/25/25

Enjoy Episode 113 with special guest Nicole Armour!

We get into one of our favorite topics: the inner workings of the mind.  Find out how to improve your mood, explore your own brand of spirituality, and prevent brain rot.

Oh and also, do dogs actually watch TV when they're hanging out with us? 

 

Prevent brain rot

 

Exploring your spirituality

 

How to get caffeine out of your system

 

Pooping affects performance

 

Why you might not want to pluck or wax your nose hair

 

Improve your mood

 

Can dogs watch TV

Episode 112 - " “Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!” - 12/23/24

Welcome to our last episode of 2024!

Episode 112, "Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!" is, be warned, one of our longest episodes. So settle in, hopefully as you're starting a long drive to friends or family for the holidays, and prepare to be entertained with an all out throw down on socio-psychological-cultural-conspiracy theory issues, from chemtrails to astrology to coin tosses to artificial intelligence, and then perhaps the ultimate question of our time: who are metal guitarists trying to impress?  

 

 

Chemtrails

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/31/chemtrails-tennessee-bill-conspiracy-theory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

Lead exposure if you’re born before 1996

https://scitechdaily.com/born-before-1996-according-to-scientists-leaded-gas-may-have-permanently-altered-your-personality/

 

Urgency culture

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/urgency-culture-burnout?cmpid=org%3Dngp%3A%3Amc%3Dsocial%3A%3Asrc%3Dinstagram%3A%3Acmp%3Deditorial%3A%3Aadd%3Dig20240416science-urgencyculturegatedhedcard&linkId=399615453

 

How to appear more likable in social situations

https://www.iflscience.com/psychology-study-reveals-trick-for-appearing-more-likeable-in-social-situations-77165

 

Metal guitarists may just be impressing other dudes

https://www.psypost.org/extreme-metal-guitar-skills-linked-to-intrasexual-competition-but-not-mating-success/

 

AI Granny

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/10/nx-s1-5220362/daisy-ai-granny-o2-fraud-spam-prevention

 

 

Can you tell an AI face from a human one?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones?

 

(Test):  https://www.whichfaceisreal.com/

 

Astrologists maybe can’t do astrology either

https://www.iflscience.com/astrologists-are-overly-confident-and-terrible-at-astrology-study-finds-75562?

 

(Test): https://programs.clearerthinking.org/astrology_challenge.html?_gl=1%2Az4wyvq%2A_ga%2AMTA5MjA3NjA4OC4xNzIzNDYyNzQ2%2A_ga_58RPQ2D860%2AMTcyMzY0NzE2OC4zLjEuMTcyMzY0NzE4OC40MC4wLjA

 

 

Coin flips: 50/50 or not?

https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-tossed-350757-coins-and-proved-coin-flips-are-not-5050-77192

 

Double uterus

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/alabama-double-uterus-twins-delivery?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

Robotaxi fails

https://futurism.com/the-byte/robotaxis-gather-honk-all-night

 

Nature alters time

https://www.sciencealert.com/being-in-nature-has-a-profound-effect-on-how-you-experience-time?

 

Neanderthals may have been early risers

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/early-risers-neanderthal-dna-scn/index.html?

 

Fossilized dinosaur poop

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/nx-s1-5206634/fossilized-poops-show-how-dinosaurs-came-rule-earth

 

Episode 111 - “Animus Prime - who let Mike out of the basement?” - 12/16/24

Welcome to episode 111, after about a year's hiatus!

"Animus Prime - who let Mike out of the basement?" is filled with wacky animal stories, as our episodes are prone to do.  Albatrosses, dragons, and military dolphins are just some of the friends we encounter in our second to last episode of 2024.

 

 

Giant sperm found trapped in amber

https://archaeology-world.com/100-million-year-old-giant-sperm-found-trapped-in-amber/?

 

 

 

Ancient dragon

https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-dragon-unearthed-in-japan-is-unlike-anything-weve-ever-seen

 

 

Nuclear codes

https://www.iflscience.com/your-password-may-be-stronger-than-us-nuclear-codes-during-the-cold-war-77173

 

 

Military dolphins

https://www.iflscience.com/military-dolphins-still-protect-around-a-quarter-of-the-uss-nuclear-arsenal-77088

 

 

Orcas attacking boats

https://newatlas.com/biology/orcas-killer-whales-boats/

 

 

Cocaine pollution in the ocean

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cocaine-sharks-brazil-pollution-contaminated-water

 

 

 

Slingshot spiders

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5214779/slingshot-spiders-rely-on-good-vibrations-to-catch-supper

 

 

Robot mushroom

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/robot-mushroom-biohybrid-robotics-cornell-b2610411.html

 

 

Stop planting trees

https://www.wired.com/story/stop-planting-trees-thomas-crowther/?

 

 

Don’t plant trees in the wrong places

https://www.sciencealert.com/study-planting-trees-in-wrong-places-actually-boosts-global-warming

 

Wisdom the albatross

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5220094/shes-74-and-expecting-wisdom-the-albatross-astounds-once-again

Episode 110 - “Br-AI-n: Listen to episode 109 First” - 1/3/24

Welcome to Episode 110 and a whole new year!  But wait, before you forget about 2023 completely, we ask that if you have not yet listened to Episode 109 (air date 12/20/23), go back and do so before enjoying Episode 110.  There are lessons to be learned before you delve further into the holy terror that is AI....

 

Elongated skulls in Rome

https://www.iflscience.com/cemetery-full-of-deformed-long-skulls-reveals-the-chaos-after-the-fall-of-rome-55862

 

The Mandela Effect

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/unserious-psychology/202312/the-psychology-behind-the-mandela-effect

 

 

Theta waves

https://singularityhub.com/2023/07/23/scientists-found-the-source-of-a-key-brain-wave-for-memory-and-creativity/

 

 

Shape of the brain

https://scitechdaily.com/century-old-paradigm-overturned-brain-shape-matters-more-than-neural-connectivity/

 

 

AI scores in top percentile for creative thinking

https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/ai-scores-in-the-top-percentile-of-creative-thinking-214895

 

 

AI can read your thoughts

https://www.iflscience.com/ai-brain-activity-decoder-can-translate-thoughts-into-written-words-68686

 

 

A breakthrough in understanding whale language

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a35kp/scientists-have-reported-a-breakthrough-in-understanding-whale-language

 

 

AI lie detector

https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/ai-lie-detector#Echobox=1680279620

 

AI faces perceived as more real than human ones

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones

 

Episode 109 - “Shadow Work on the Way to Mars (Producer Mike was Right)” - 12/20/23

Producer Mike LOSES HIS MIND and treats us to his best rant ever.  Enjoy Episode 109 during your holiday travels or when you want to escape familial joy for a bit and indulge in some sarcasm.  We cover hibernation, 3D printing (food and otherwise), caffeine intake, and of course - artificial intelligence.

 

Hibernation for space travel

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/25/hibernation-artificially-triggered-in-potential-space-travel-breakthrough?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

Astronauts going to Mars should be all women

https://www.iflscience.com/astronauts-going-to-mars-should-be-only-women-its-basic-science-68736

 

 

Are AI relationships cheating?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/15/a-bot-on-the-side-is-it-adultery-if-you-with-an-ai-companion?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

Human skin 3D printing

https://www.iflscience.com/we-built-a-human-skin-printer-from-lego-and-we-want-every-lab-to-use-our-blueprint-68664

 

 

3D printed cheesecakes

https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-create-3d-printed-cheesecakes-cooked-to-perfection-with-lasers-68071

 

 

How much caffeine is too much?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-caffeine-is-too-much/

 

 

Optimism affects decision making

https://neurosciencenews.com/optimism-cognition-decision-making-25307/

 

Dinosaur legs on chickens

https://www.iflscience.com/dinosaur-legs-grown-genetically-modified-chickens-world-first-34465

Episode 108 - All Creatures Great and Small and Awkwardly Terrifying - 12/1/23

It's Episode 108! We're glad to be back after such a long time away. What better way to say hello to you all again than with weird animal articles? Some of our favorites!  Hear about reanimated pigs, what snakes have that some humans also have, and how monkeys have made wolves do their bidding. Oh, and dolphins make an appearance, of course.

 

Snakes have clitorises

 

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scientists-snakes-clitorises-evolution

 

Dolphins and snakes

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/dolphins-seen-playing-with-anaconda-while-sexually-aroused-study-2022-5

 

Monkeys have domesticated wolves

 

https://www.zmescience.com/science/monkeys-and-wolves-domestication-423/

 

 

 

The hidden language of chimpanzees

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/thousands-of-recordings-of-chimpanzees-reveal-a-hidden-language-we-never-knew-about

 

 

AI talking to animals

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/31/can-artificial-intelligence-really-help-us-talk-to-the-animals?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

Plants make noise

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/plants-really-do-scream-out-loud-we-just-never-heard-it-until-now

 

 

 

Mass of humans vs animals in the world

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/18/a-wake-up-call-total-weight-of-wild-mammals-less-than-10-of-humanitys?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

 

 

Reanimated pigs

 

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/zombie-pigs-brainex/#Echobox=1646437812-1