Science... Sort Of

00:00:00 - As winter ends the Paleopals pay tribute to the snowy north that is Canada. And what better way to celebrate the world's 2nd largest country than by talking about it's favorite fictional son, Logan the Wolverine? Ben, Patrick, and Ryan interview Sigrid Alvarez and Emma Conway who have written a "totally real" paper about Logan's healing abilities (get the PDF here) and why Logan may be more amphibian than mammal. Want to learn more about Wolverine? Why not check out this graphic novel?   00:33:48 - James Howlett is known for excessive drinking, but the Paleopals try to promote responsibility. Ben has some Canadian water, because he's the most responsible of us all.  Patrick snubs Canada with a Koko Brown Ale from Kona Brewing out of Hawaii, possibly the least Canadian state in the entire US. And Ryan has a cerveza Atlas, yet another in his series of Panamanian brews.   00:39:41 - Much as Ben may try to derail the conversation with proclamations of Canadian superiority, Patrick and Ryan see some har

00:00:00 - Contrary to what cryptozoologists would have you believe, scientists don't often find new large species, which is what makes this new tapir so very exciting! But does this discovery help or hinder bigfoot's chances of existing? Listen in and find out...   00:16:35 - We may not have built-in face-straws, but that doesn't mean the Paleopals can't enjoy a drink! Patrick learns a lesson from his father and enjoys some Evan Williams 10-Year Single Barrel bourbon. Abe classes it up with the authentic Orval Trappist Ale. And Ryan continues his tour of Panamanian beers with a refreshing Balboa.   00:25:02 - Patrick can't quite understand the excitement Abe and Ryan have for LEGO: The Movie, possibly because as a parent he might have to watch it roughly 1,000,000 times, but that doesn't prevent them from discussing it on this week's Trailer Trash Talk!   00:35:51 - As if volcanoes weren't already scary enough, now new research is suggesting that magma can move a lot faster than we thought. So, y'know, duck

00:00:00 - Charlie and Ryan are joined by Chad Jones, the host of the newest show in the Brachiolope Media Network, The Collapsed Wavefunction! Our first topic is about modifying the surface of the planet to run experiments about sand dune formations. It's possibly the most excited Charlie has been on the mic in a long time. Plus, Chad informs us about hydrophobic sand, which sounds dangerously fun.   00:18:55 - The drinks too, must flow. Charlie has the very proprietary Rogue Chocolate Stout. Chad, clearly worried he won't be invited back anytime soon, doubles down with a Jone's Soda and a Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer. Ryan begins his local beer journal with the totally expected Cerveza Panama.   oo:24:55 - Trailer Trash Talk goes tactical (whatever that means) with the preview for the all-new but not really new at all remake of the 80's 'classic' Robocop.   00:36:09 - Robots may not sweat, but people do. People also need drinking water. Well now some nerds have made a machine to turn human sweat into d

00:00:00 - Don't look now, but crocodiles have learned to hide themselves using sticks. You see that stick over to your left? Well that's actually a crocodile. You almost got eaten just now. We saved you. You're welcome. Keep listening.   00:13:50 - We can't promise that drinks will keep you safe from sneaky croc attacks, but if you're going to get eaten you might as well enjoy yourself until then, eh? Patrick enjoys a Fireside Chat that he's disappointed to learn has already been consumed by Ryan. Ben forgot his drink. Ryan kills the last of some old bourbon paired with an Ale8One in preparation for heading to Panama.   00:22:15 - Speaking of Ryan's last days in the United States, the preview for this week's Trailer Trash Talk purports to show the titular The Last Days On Mars, which don't seem to be going that well if space zombies are any indication. This reminds Ryan of his friend's blog, and Patrick of an old game. Good times.   00:33:11 - To escape space zombies, it could be necessary to leave the galax

As is tradition around these parts, we like to dedicate one show of the year towards thanking you, the loyal listeners of the Paleoposse. This year we're 1) a bit late, sorry, and 2) doing it a bit differently by thanking specifically those who have donated to the show and have sent in a question we might be able to take a crack at answering. Yes, one of the questions is a repeat, we're not sure why we're terrible at this, we just are and people donate anyways. We think it best not to question these small miracles. 00:00:00 - Our first batch of donations come from Danielle N., who gets her voicemail about self-driving cars and traffic answered for a second time but with a refreshingly different answer. That's followed up by Christopher L., who reminds us about a term we taught him in the first place, completing some sort of twisted cycle of knowledge. And we end the segment with a query from Joseph T., who needs ammunition to argue about whether or not something can be "more evolved" than something else. It'

00:00:00 - Patrick and Ryan take a moment to tell everyone about an upcoming event. You can get tickets for our 2014 DC Meetup here.  00:01:59 - Two of long articles (here and here) about reproducibility in science leads to a long discussion. Everything from different types of errors, biases to only research certain types of questions, and attempts such as the Reproducibility Initiative to fix it are covered. 00:24:16 - Drinks are easy enough to reproduce, but we strive for novelty in this segment with Ben having black cherry flavored Canada Pure Sparkling Refresher. Ryan gives the Blood Orange Imperial IPA from Freedom's Edge Brewing Company a try. And Jacob has a glass of water, which brings about a discussion of hardness and how you can test your own taps for hardness. SCIENCE!! 00:29:18 - Trailer Trash Talk rolls its eyes at "Based on true events" tag in the preview for Skinwalker Ranch, a place so steeped in mystery that Brian Dunning already did a Skeptoid episode on it. 00:42:38 - In a shocking tur

00:00:00 - Joe Batwinis, from our sister show Technically Speaking, joins us to discuss whether or not we should drop the S (for science) from STEM education as the hard work to earn the degree doesn't seem to be paying off for most graduates. 00:16:42 - Regardless of their major, many college students enjoy a drink. We're not in college anymore, but we do our best. Joe enjoys a Raspberry Brown from the Lost Coast Brewery but Patrick thinks his Rogue made Mocha Porter is superior. Ryan avoids the fray with a cocktail called the "Gentle Giraffe" invented by former guest of the show Willow Belden. To make one for yourself and a friend, simply combine in a shaker: 2 shots of good aged rum 1 shot Maraschino liqueur 6 ozpineapple juice 00:22:40 - You should never drink and drive. You can, however, drink and discuss movies about driving such as Rush which this week gets the Trailer Trash Talk treatment! 00:33:21 - Photographing lions is both risky and difficult. Two intrepid photographers build some robots to

00:00:00 - New planets may be starting to seem like old hat, but this time we're using Ben's favorite fundamental force, gravity, to find them! Charlie also enlightens us on the BEER method for detecting planets. 00:14:55 - Speaking of BEER... Ben has a grass jelly drink, which brings up the topic of hippos spraying their poop somehow. Ryan is enjoying a Cerahopsian IPA given to him by Paloeposse member extraordinaire, Danielle. N. Thanks, Danielle! And Charlie is having an appropriately titled Stark Raving Red wine. 00:20:28 - Revelations as surprising as those made in the story itself are discussed alongside the trailer for the controversial Ender's Game. 00:36:43 - Given the right circumstances, you can turn your own digestive system into a very tiny brewery, which is exactly what has happened to one man in Texas. 00:49:44 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like breweries, they smell like bread and are lots of fun. Ben has a question from Luke J. about the mechanics surrounding Krypton's distance from Earth, includ

Live from the Jurassic... sort of. Ryan sits down with the manager of University of Wyoming's Geological Museum Kelli Trujillo to watch Allosaurus: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special featuring the museum's very own Big Al! Whilst sipping on a Smoky Hollow Scotch Ale from El Segundo Brewing Company.  Will the facts outweigh the fiction? Will Big Al find true love? Will the dinosaurs survive? Listen and find out! If you don't already have the DVD, you can stream the whole thing on Amazon here. Come see Big Al in the bones at the museum for free Mon - Sat 10am - 4pm and follow him on Twitter @BigAlWyo and like the museum on Facebook! Music for this week's show:  Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

00:00:00 - Returning guest Kevin Uno drops by to tell us about his research into tracking the age of elephant ivory using leftover atoms from nuclear bombs tests. Who'd have thunk it? Kevin and his collaborators, that's who! 00:24:53 - Kevin, like an elephant, remembers well the drinking segment and comes armed with a dark and stormy. Ryan has the hard to explain Homefront IPA from Left Hand Brewing. And Patrick sups outside his comfort zone with a Out Of Your Gourd pumpkin porter. 00:32:17 - Life during armageddon can be tricky, but it helps to have a friend. Or does it? The topic is explored in the upcoming indie flick Best Friends Forever, the subject for this week's Trailer Trash Talk! 00:41:43 - And because you can never have too much elephant science, Wyoming Public Radio reporter Willow Belden joins us to talk about her recent trip to South Africa to learn more about why a country would want to castrate their elephants, including some bonus content about how scientists and reporters communicate. Her

00:00:00 - For the first time in the history of ever, scientists have discovered a bug with functional gears in its legs! Jacob makes sure  to explain it in such a way as to not give the Creationist any footing from which to perform a perfectly timed leap. Or something like that. The point is this evolved naturally and is awesome. 00:13:36 - Jacob did intelligently design his drink, which he's calling the Dragon's Tongue and can be made by shaking: 1 oz. Fireball Whiskey 1/2 oz. peach schnapps 3 oz. cranberry juice Even though he's not on a plane Charlie enjoys some Canada Dry ginger ale. And Ryan tries to improve a Coors Light by dropping a shot of Hop Vodka in it. 00:19:34 - The secret is out when the guys pan the seemingly lackluster and derivative preview of The Secret Lives of Dorks in this week's Trailer Trash Talk! 00:27:44 - Some comrades in scientific arms have managed to track down a long lost Soviet lander on Mars using HiRISE, which apparently anyone can ask to be pointed at whatever you want

00:00:00 - Jane Zelikova returns to talk about ants! Our guide is the wonderful and free Dr. Eleanor's Book of Common Ants but also including a few new species just described by science. There are a lot ants out there people. But seriously, go snag the pdf of the book so you can follow along with our Ant Science 101 segment. 00:36:51 - We may not change colors like the honeypot ants, but we still enjoy a drink. Jane and Ryan enjoy a sampling of beers from Snake River from Jackson, WY. While Patrick opts for south of the Wyoming border with a Colorado made Breckenridge Brewing Vanilla Porter. 00:40:56 - Like humans, even the gods doth drink, and few moreso than the mighty Thor. However, we see less drinking and more fighitng as we Trailer Trash Talk about Thor 2: The Dark World. If you want some science from this segment, you can read the piece Ryan wrote about the first movie for Marvel.com! 00:53:04 - Now that you know the ant basics it's time to get into the specifics of bleeding edge ant science. Jane t

00:00:00 - Charlie and Ryan are delighted to be joined by Miles Traer and Leslie Chang of the Generation Anthropocene podcast. The discussion begins, albeit easily and effectively distracted (by things like sea dragons aka oarfish), talking a bit about their paths leading up to the inception of the podcast. 00:12:00 - Drinks are definitely something our generation excels at. Ryan enjoys some Daybreak dark roast COFFEE from Turtle Rock Coffee & Cafe near his lab. Miles is wrapping his head around an Arnold Palmer made with rooibos, an herbal tea whose pronunciation is debated. Leslie struggles with her lactose-infused tiger spice chai latter. And Charlie has water, but he's clever about it. You'll see. 00:20:48 - This conversation couldn't have finished without at least once discussion of the apocalypse and the preview of the upcoming movie The Colony in this week's Trailer Trash Talk! 00:38:44 - In part 2 of our discussion with Leslie and Miles we dive into the specifics of their show. What it is, how

00:00:00 - As with most other fish tales, the truth of the story of the really old rockfish is that it wasn't really all that old in the first place. Oh well. Charlie also learns why it's hard to describe what a fish is, which you can learn more about on the What the Fish? podcast. And if you want to learn how to eat the right kinds of fish, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has you covered with this handy app. 00:16:22 - Drinks are for when you're old enough. This week Charlie enjoys a Fresh-Squeezed IPA from Deschuttes Brewery. Kelly makes a startling confession, but you'll have to listen to learn it. And Ryan is trying to up his game with a La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, which Charlie agrees is a good one. 00:20:47 - Things get heavy when the gang straps in to discuss Gravity on this week's Trailer Trash Talk! 00:33:23 - We all know we have plenty of wind floating around, but how do we make sure it's around when we need it? A new study proposes storing wind in porous rocks to be used later. One step closer t

00:00:00 - Sora Kim returns to the show to talk all about the latest and greatest in shark science! In 25 minutes she teaches us all more than Discovery Channel could in an entire week. We covered: Oldest evidence of intestinal parasitism found in fossil shark poop Thresher sharks hunt with tail slaps Everything going on inside the uteri of sand tiger sharks is insane 00:24:07 - Drinks are a thing that is needed to prepare for our upcoming segment. Patrick is practically done with his Founder's Brewing Dark, Rich and Sexy Porter. Ryan and Sora share a Golden 8 Ale from Crabtree Brewing. And Charlie keeps it sharky with the Dogfishhead Brewing 90-minute IPA. 00:30:55 - This week on Trailer Trash Talk we get to watch Charlie's stunt double drink beer and deal with drama in the preview for the upcoming movie Drinking Buddies. 00:40:29 - Shark Week seemed like a great idea when it started, but now Sora worries it's more fear-mongering than informative. We also discuss the outrage sparked by the airing of a f

00:00:00 - Darwin, whom we all know and love for his contributions to biology, was also a geologist of note in his day, thereby doubly securing his legacy as one excellent gentleman scientist. 00:18:00 - Gentlemen scientists are also known to enjoy drinks. Ryan cuts everyone off to talk about his Glacier Ale from Red Lodge Ales. Jacob has a Red Shoulder RyePA brewed by a listener/co-worker. And Patrick has the final in his Thunderhead series of beers given to him by Ryan. Speaking of trilogies... 00:26:28 - While Patrick remains skeptical of the idea of The Cornetto Trilogy, the guys generally agree that the preview of The World's End paints a rosy picture in this week's Trailer Trash Talk! 00:37:46 - Terrible headlines aside, io9 provides a cool story about using self-replicating probes for galactic exploration based on a recent study which determined that the galaxy could be fully explored with this method in a mere 10 million years! 00:57:48 In this week's PaleoPOW the Summer of Love wraps up with our

00:00:00 - When Ryan claims that lobsters are immortal, only one man can be relied upon to deliver the hard truths: Zen Faulkes! Zen breaks into the show to tell us all about this immortality meme and his efforts to combat it. Be sure to check out his blog NeuroDojo and his e-book Presentation Tips. 00:30:08 - Lobsters live in the drink, so we decide to have some. Moving his way through a gift given by Ryan, Patrick cracks open a Cropduster Mid-American IPA. Kelly enjoys a Cabernet Sauvingon from Bogle Vineyards, complete with Patrick's approval. And Ryan heartily enjoys his Petrus Aged Pale. 00:35:45 - Trailer Trash Talk has to tackle some troubling issues about animals in captivity after seeing the troubling footage in the trailer for the documentary Blackfish. 00:51:07 - Patrick presents a new study about how freshwater systems may have survived the K/T extinction better than the marine world. Take that dinosaurs! 01:10:27 - PaleoPOWs survive better in freshwater too, not that anyone bothered to

00:00:00 - Patrick and Ryan obviously agree with Sarah Werning that paleontology is relevant. But can they convince Ben, and, by proxy, the world? 00:20:44 - Drinks are what happen when you realize maybe it wasn't that relevant after all. Patrick tries a Constalker Dark Wheat dropped off by Ryan, who in turn is having some overly sweet Choya-brand Umeshoo (i.e. Japanese plum wine). Ben approves, but himself  is having some lemon Pelligrino. 00:26:54 - Matt Damon needs an exosuit to get to the Greek afterline so he can fight Jodie Foster in this week's installment of Trailer Trash Talk all about Neil Blomkamp's Elysium. 00:37:17 - Neutrinos are a thing, but barely. A detector in Antarctica has found a few that we're pretty sure are from outside the solar system. Ben explains, but will he beat the duck? 00:50:16 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like neutrinos, they come in several flavors and are hard to catch. The guys are awed when Ryan reveals a donation from John P. as well as an e-mail about all the good work he'

00:00:00 - According to Charlie, we're watching Saturn's moon Titan at a very special time in it's life. Specifically, it's runnin gout of methane, and all the other -anes to boot. How do we know? What does this mean? And will Ryan's plan to sell Titan survival matches work? Tune in to find out. 00:16:07 - Drinks, especially the kind we like to have on the show, are, like Titan, usually enriched in volatiles. Patrick procures a Peg Leg Imperial Stout from Heavy Seas. Charlie is sipping on the OG volatile, H2O. And Ryan has a disconcerted but not too shabby Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout from Wykoop Brewing Co. (with special thanks for Brew.by). 00:21:52 - Trailer Trash Talk gets a bit awkward as the guys discuss the happenings portrayed in the very dry, very indie, comedy Computer Chess. 00:32:37 - In our latest installment of "science testing common sense" turns out a nice walk in the park is good for you brain. The guys discuss their thoughts on the research, as well as how they handle the brain fatigue tha

Instead of talking about a trailer this week we're talking an ENTIRE MOVIE! Ben, Ryan, and new-to-the-podcast Jesse B. Grove V spend some time going over the ins and outs of the newest addition to the long line of Superman films: Man of Steel. Things get off to a weird Marxist start, but end up covering some of the following: Does Jor-El's robot have a name? Ryan says, "yes." Which Superman actor has the best chin:Reeve,Routh, Cavill, Welling, or maybe even...Daly?. Is Superman boring? To this one, Ryan says, "no." Does the new movie support Ben'sUnified Theory of Superman's Powers? The jury remains out. Enjoy this cathartic episode of the podcast, and be sure to check out Jesse's webcomic, Eating the Bar, and all the other great shows on the Brachiolope Media Network! Music for this week's show provided by: Main Title from Superman - John Williams (what else could it possibly be?)