Six Degrees of Rumination

Reno, Nina, and producer Michael discuss everything from orca rights to the funniest joke in the world. Science continues to fight its way back into mainstream culture with a children's story book about evolution already gaining $25K in backing money on kickstarter.com, with Neil deGrasse Tyson hosting Cosmos and boldly defending scientific thinking in a CNN interview, and NASA is awarding cash prizes to anyone who can improve existing algorithms to track asteroids more effectively.  

Yes, science seems to be getting better and better at re-energizing a sometimes apathetic public.  

Then again, entropy isn't what it used to be.

https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2014%2F03%2F07%2Fus%2Fcalifornia-bill-orca-killer-whale-seaworld%2F&h=xAQHpa6AF

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/03/10/288656421/evolution-is-coming-to-a-storybook-near-you

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79557637/

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/09/neil-degrasse-tyson-tells-cnn-stop-giving-equal-time-to-the-flat-earthers/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/11/289019265/nasa-offers-35-000-for-help-in-tracking-asteroids

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-telescope-bigger-than-a-galaxy

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/07/283441986/what-s-it-like-to-hear-color

http://www.kurzweilai.net/robotic-prosthesis-turns-drummer-into-a-three-armed-cyborg

http://www.livescience.com/33673-tree-rings-sound-record-player.html 

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/07/283452215/how-do-you-construct-a-voice 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/03/07/287250640/what-is-the-funniest-joke-in-the-world 

http://www.tickld.com/x/20-jokes-that-only-intellectuals-will-understand 

Reno finds a living Barbie who can teach us Breatharianism, producer Michael finds a new program that allows people to read a novel in 90 minutes, and Nina tries to explain disordered hyper-uniformity...but then chaos ensues.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/02/human-barbie-valeria-lukyanova-going-to-live-on-air-and-light-only-4373394/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/27/283071610/u-s-lets-141-trillion-calories-of-food-go-to-waste-each-yearutm_medium=facebook&utm_source=npr&utm_campaign=nprnews&utm_content=02272014

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227092149.htm 

http://www.kurzweilai.net/can-space-elevators-really-work

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/03/14/spritz-speed-reading

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/chicken-eye-weird-state-of-matter_n_4854897.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/26/283090357/integrating-yoga-into-medical-practice-its-more-than-just-relaxation-response?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=npr&utm_campaign=nprnews&utm_content=02272014

http://www.kurzweilai.net/are-you-ready-for-the-internet-of-cops

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/business/20140308/8-reasons-you-should-be-proud-to-sleep-on-the-job

This episode is dedicated to Harold Ramis.

Reno and Nina try to convince producer Michael that technology is ALWAYS amazing--whether you're eating peanuts at 30,000 feet or waving an infrared light to fight enemies on a screen.  Studies on fruit fly neurons show that dendrites in the brain can regrow, thus combating effects from a stroke or brain injuries.  Are we slowly advancing toward becoming a race of cyborgs?  Natural sounding electronic speech devices, super strong muscles made of tightly wound fishing line, and stretchable optic circuits that allow for robotic skin say yes.

Good thing dogs' brains are equipped to respond to human emotions.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/02/25/282516865/everythings-amazing-and-nobodys-happy?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=npr&utm_campaign=nprnews&utm_content=02252014

http://news.psu.edu/story/299739/2014/01/10/research/researchers-find-new-pathway-neuron-repair

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/25/280708234/for-those-unable-to-talk-a-machine-that-speaks-their-voice

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-light-switch-for-pain

http://www.kurzweilai.net/brain-signals-from-a-primate-directly-move-paralyzed-limbs-in-another-primate-avatar

http://www.kurzweilai.net/researchers-create-powerful-muscles-from-fishing-line-sewing-thread

http://www.kurzweilai.net/stretchable-bendable-optical-interconnections-for-body-sensors-and-robotic-skin 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/azodicarbonamide-subway_b_4770189.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/20/280200455/tiny-iron-particles-help-find-cancer-without-using-risky-radiation 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/21/280640267/how-dogs-read-our-moods-emotion-detector-found-in-fidos-brain

Reno and Nina see if producer Mike is smarter than 1 in 4 Americans, Reno speculates what the universe was like before the Big Bang, and Nina checks her freezer for anti-biotic-riddled chicken while Reno compares the cost of salad and fast food.  Not surprisingly, pesticides are linked to neuro-developmental learning disabilities in children.  A new "ultra-precise" method to filter water is discovered.  Have dreams of natural disasters and saving the day?  You're most likely a man....and if you'd rather give people chili than chocolate, you most likely would choose to play Voldemort in a video game. 

***Reno has yet to read the Harry Potter series.  Attack his Facebook page now.***

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/14/277058739/1-in-4-americans-think-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth-survey-says

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/16/277882084/scientists-discover-universes-oldest-star

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/02/14/276976353/americans-want-antibiotic-free-chicken-and-the-industry-is-listening 

http://www.kurzweilai.net/growing-number-of-chemicals-linked-with-brain-disorders-in-children 

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-multilayer-graphene-structure-allows-ultraprecise-ultrafast-water-filtering

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/19/279709447/bluish-light-may-help-alzheimers-patients-find-bearings 

http://www.kurzweilai.net/your-virtual-avatar-can-impact-your-real-world-behavior-researchers-suggest

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/16/277882132/floods-or-family-conflict-bad-dreams-differ-by-gender 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/04/271648691/watch-the-creationism-vs-evolution-debate-bill-nye-and-ken-ham

How many puns can Reno and Nina make about eggs?  Well, they egg each other on constantly, so a lot.  But if you want to learn about chimerism, you must make it through all of them!  If you suspect you're pooping wrong, you're probably right.  If this embarrasses you, chances are you feel that embarrassment in your face, like much of the world.   Also discussed is how most cells could gain the ability to morph into cells for any part of the body, when the autistic brain is creating the most information, how an e-tongue works, and how close we are to a Star Trek world.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/pregnancy-no-proof-of-motherhood-woman-was-her-own-twin-and-the-twin-was-the-mother-of-her-children/

http://thekitchenrag.com/2013/11/youre-pooping-wrong.html

http://www.kurzweilai.net/bodily-maps-of-emotions

http://www.kurzweilai.net/stress-turns-ordinary-cells-pluripotent

http://www.kurzweilai.net/do-autistic-brains-create-more-information-at-rest-or-do-they-have-weaker-connectivity-or-both

http://www.kurzweilai.net/electronic-tongue-identifies-brands-of-beer-with-81-9-accuracy

http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-first-flexible-transparent-and-conductive-material

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/31/269216980/scientists-come-close-to-finding-true-magnetic-monopole 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/12/scientists-in-california-make-landmark-advance-towards-unlimited-fusion-energy/

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/31/269216966/whats-the-problem-with-feeling-on-top-of-the-world 

In the spirit of calculating infinity, we have dubbed our twelfth episode, "Episode -1/12." 

The innovations keep coming as we near the end of the first month of 2014, and each is more inspiring than the next!  Reno and Nina make plans to land on the sun--they will leave, of course, at night.  When they return, maybe they'll take producer Mike out to sushi and see if their rolls are indeed radioactive. There's an app for that!  In a world of sugar batteries, robots in the cloud, and brains that develop like the city of Manhattan, thank goodness we have e-whiskers to guide us safely through life.

 

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/35032/north-korea-confirms-it-has-landed-a-man-on-the-sun/index.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/01/17/263369742/weekly-innovation-a-radiation-detector-in-your-smartphone

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/01/23/265245172/potential-carcinogen-in-colas-has-fda-reviewing-data

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/01/23/265236618/contagious-cancer-in-dogs-leaves-prehistoric-paw-prints

http://www.kurzweilai.net/an-environmentally-friendly-energy-dense-sugar-battery

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-wiki-for-robots

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/03/29/149629657/how-your-brain-is-like-manhattan

http://www.kurzweilai.net/e-whiskers-berkeley-researchers-develop-highly-sensitive-tactile-sensors-for-robotics-and-other-applications

http://www.kurzweilai.net/seeing-things-a-new-transparent-display-system-could-provide-heads-up-data

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/01/28/267923336/neanderthal-genes-live-on-in-our-hair-and-skin

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/06/272385603/no-jail-for-teen-with-affluenza-who-killed-4-in-crash

Oh, to be human!  We have the unique ability to analyze our thoughts, research the world around us, and use all we learn to do things like:

Compress our own ashes into heirloom jewelry

Sequence tens of thousands of genomes for $1,000

Create recognition algorithms that learn without us

Build robots that learn through improvising--and look like Pixar characters!

Model biobots after our own sperm

And, as a bonus, we can also calculate infinity.  What's next?  Or could anything be next after infinity?  If so, we'll find it.

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/19/263128098/swiss-company-compresses-cremation-ashes-into-diamonds?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

http://www.kurzweilai.net/worlds-first-1000-genome-enables-factory-scale-sequencing-for-population-and-disease-studies

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-smart-object-recognition-algorithm-that-doesnt-need-humans

http://www.ted.com/talks/guy_hoffman_robots_with_soul.html

http://www.kurzweilai.net/tiny-swimming-biobots-propelled-by-heart-cells-or-magnetic-fields

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/21/264575969/after-hibernation-rosetta-seeks-its-stone

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2014/01/21/263455905/treat-yourself-to-a-huh

Hey everyone-

The audio is a little wonky on this episode.  My apologies!

-Producer Mike

Welcome to 2014.  We're surrounded by sound waves that can levitate objects, self-driving cars, pens that can draw conductive circuits, and renewable energy that's only getting more efficient.  Anti-psychotic pharmaceuticals are also developing at an insane rate--want perfect pitch?  Just make sure you suffer from seizures first.  But that's not the only advancement in the medical world.  Need a heart transplant?  Hit the farms and grab some pigs.  Want to taste food without the calories?  Hook yourself up to a sensor and have a virtual banquet.  Oh, and fecal matter transplants?  Still relevant.  Now that's good shit.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/organic-flow-battery-promises-breakthrough-for-renewable-energy

http://www.kurzweilai.net/self-driving-vehicles-benefits-to-society-policy-challenges-for-lawmakers

http://www.kurzweilai.net/conductive-ink-for-drawing-circuits-for-flexible-electronic-books-displays-wearables

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/01/02/259148381/using-sound-to-levitate-objects-and-move-them-in-mid-air

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/04/259552442/want-perfect-pitch-you-could-pop-a-pill-for-that

http://www.npr.org/2013/12/20/255831250/is-it-possible-to-live-with-the-voices-in-your-head

http://www.kurzweilai.net/growing-human-organs-inside-pigs-in-japan

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/dolphins-get-high-pufferfish-toxin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/youll-never-believe-what-doctors-are-using-to-fight-gut-infections-fecal-transplants/2014/01/06/24f36388-724a-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html?wpmk=MK0000200

http://www.kurzweilai.net/are-you-ready-for-virtual-taste

It's a good thing our universe is just a hologram and nothing matters, because otherwise we'd have to try to understand what that means!  

However, if you still find yourself up all night thinking about this concept, take comfort: there are plenty of things to distract you, like using your brain waves to control your blender, acting out video games in your house, making replacement organs with a 3D printer...

Also discussed is the hidden code in our DNA, how to make cells communicate to fight the aging process, and what to do when you need a new face.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=universe-really-is-a-holo&page=2

http://www.kurzweilai.net/openbci-opens-up-low-cost-brain-wave-controlled-experimentation-to-everyone

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-system-allows-for-high-accuracy-through-wall-3d-motion-tracking

http://www.kurzweilai.net/cells-taken-from-the-retina-act-as-ink-in-inkjet-printer

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-telescope-techniques-allow-for-imaging-binary-stars-may-soon-image-exoplanets

http://www.kurzweilai.net/scientists-discover-hidden-code-in-dna

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-new-and-reversible-cause-of-aging

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/man%E2%80%99s-hand-grafted-his-foot-transplant

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/teenage-girl-china-grows-new-face-her-chest-0

Reno's lifestyle choice to be a (semi) vegetarian is further supported by plant based diets that change human intestinal bacteria, a European space probe gets ready to ring in the New Year on a comet, and Mike and Nina realize with improved fiber optics, people on the Internet can show how dumb they are....a lot faster.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/10/250007042/chowing-down-on-meat-and-dairy-alters-gut-bacteria-a-lot-and-quickly

http://www.kurzweilai.net/neural-prosthesis-restores-normasl-behavior-after-brain-injury

 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/11/250245336/wake-up-rosetta-europeans-begin-checklist-for-comet-landing

http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-to-produce-enough-hydrogen-to-meet-global-energy-needs-in-50-years

http://www.npr.org/2013/12/11/250043599/big-batteries-needed-to-make-fickle-wind-and-solar-power-work

http://www.kurzweilai.net/ten-times-more-throughput-on-optic-fibers

 http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-algorithm-finds-you-even-in-untagged-photos