Learn It from a Layman: Recent Episodes
learnitfromalayman
We discuss the basics of geology. What is the difference between geography and geology? What are the different types of rocks? How many layers of the earth are there? What are plates and how do they move? Can we predict earthquakes and can AI help?
We discuss the basics of competition. Is competition useful and if so where? What is TruRace? What are benefits of competition? What does research say about how competition can be used? How much more productive are workers when they compete? How much faster do runners go when racing? What are the downsides of competition? Is competition good for your self-esteem?
We discuss the basics of middle school. How does students' performance change from elementary school to middle school? Are middle school teachers paid more? How proficient are students in basic subjects when the leave middle school? What is the ideal age for children to get access to social media and cell phones?
We discussed Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Who was the author, Mary Shelley? What in her history helps in understanding Frankenstein? Who is the protagonist and antagonist in the book? What books inspired Frankenstein? How do different generations view the story and who is at fault for the tragedies in the book? What books are a prerequisite to understand Frankenstein? What unique insight did we deliver that you won't find anywhere else...?
We discuss the basics of psychology. What are the key principles of psychology? What are the different ways we can study psychology? What is the Stanford Prison experiment? What is the Stanford marshmallow experiment? Is psychology "squishy"? How is psychology related to neurodivergence? How can a better understanding of psychology help you in your life?
We discuss two books: George Orwell's Animal Farm and Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. What do these two books have in common? Which books are most like these books? What lessons should we learn from Animal Farm? Are The Lord of the Rings and A Tale of Two Cities more similar than they appear?
We discuss the four fundamental forces of nature. What are force carrying particles? How do magnets work? Which force is the strongest and which is the weakest? What forces power the sun? Does Tim have more gravity than an overweight squirrel? What are quarks and how are they affected by these forces? Are there more forces that we don't understand yet?
We're joined again by Brown University student Kosta Karathanasopoulos to discuss the basics of rowing. What is rowing? What are the different types of rowing? What's the difference between sculling and sweeping? What actually happens in the boat? When do you need to start training and how long do you need to train to be competitive in rowing? What does "catching a crab" mean? Why does rowing get harder the faster you go? How is rowing unique among team sports?
We're joined by Brown University student Kosta Karathanasopoulos to discuss the basics of ChatGPT. What actually is ChatGPT? What is an LLM? What are temperature, Top-K, and Top-P? What is prompt engineering and how can the layman use it? What surprising things can you do with ChatGPT? What do some people report life-changing positives with ChatGPT and others call it overhyped? What unique dangers does using AI tools like ChatGPT present?
We discuss the basics of massage therapy. What are the different types of massage? Is the Swedish Massage actually from Sweden? Is there a difference between a masseuse and a massage therapist? Do massage therapists get taught human anatomy? Does drinking water after a massage help with recovery? Do massage therapists develop arthritis more often from the strain on their hands?
Our full podcast is available on Patreon page. We discussed Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Who was the author, Mary Shelley? What in her history helps in understanding Frankenstein? Who is the protagonist and antagonist in the book? What books inspired Frankenstein? How do different generations view the story and who is at fault for the tragedies in the book? What books are a prerequisite to understand Frankenstein? What unique insight did we deliver that you won't find anywhere else...?
We discuss the basics of hearing with Dr. Jonny. How does hearing work? What causes an ear infection? Why does your hearing get worse temporarily after going to a loud concert? How do you pronounce cochlea and did we just get canceled? How come some people can hear higher pitches? What happens when you pop your ears? What's happening in the ear when you have ringing in your ears? Are over headphones or earbuds better for your ears? Can humans use echolocation?
We are starting a new series! Our Layman Book Club will be where we read and discuss books of any genre. Future Book Club podcasts will only be available on Patreon, so join us there if you want more. https://www.patreon.com/c/LearnItfromaLayman In this podcast, we discuss The Giver by Lois Lowry, and we are joined by a new cohost. What event inspired Lowry to write this book? What role does memory have for a community? What actually happens at the end of The Giver, and when should a book stop? What are dystopian novels and what elements do they often share?
We discuss some dubious honors and awards. What is the Bulwer-Lytton contest? What is a Darwin award? Who has won the Foot In The Mouth award and why haven't others? Should dubious honors be feared? What does Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft teach us about dubious honors?
We are joined by CFO Jared Miller to discuss the basics of CFO and business finance. What's the difference between an accountant and a CFO? What are the job responsibilities of a CFO? What kind of schooling do CFOs traditionally have? What is EBITDA and how long has the concept been around? What kind of debt do companies have and do CFOs manage taking and repaying loans? Do CFOs need to know about tax law? Do CFOs work closely with attorneys? What kind of software do CFOs use? What are the changes in CFO work with AI? Do the numbers always end up clean, or how often does money go missing from a company?
We discuss the basics of UFOs. When did the term UFO start being used? Where in modern times was the first big UFO sighting? What was Project Blue Book? Who was Captain Ruppelt? What's the best book on UFOs? Was an alien spacecraft sighted in the northern United States? Are aliens real and are we prepared for them?
We discuss the basics of cloning. What is the story behind the dire wolf? Is what Colossal Biosciences created actually a dire wolf? What are other ways to do de-extinction? Why would humanity want to bring back certain animals? What are the concerns? Are there still biological and technical roadblocks to creating a human clone? Will there eventually be an extinct animal petting zoo?
We discuss the basics of metabolism. What is metabolism? What factors contribute to metabolism? How much does age contribute to metabolism? What can you do to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)? What foods increase your metabolism? How does sleep affect metabolism? Should you get a standing desk?
We discuss the basics of fraud. What are some different types of fraud? How do you help minimize identity theft risk? What is phishing and how do you recognize it? What is a Ponzi scheme and why is it getting easier to perpetrate? What internet technologies can you use to investigate companies and investments? What kind of security and fraud issues can there be with phone apps? What is a fly-by-night company and how do you avoid charity fraud? How do you recover from credit card fraud?
We discuss the basics of quantum computing. How are quantum computers different than classical computers? Why aren't quantum computers publicly available? What applications do quantum computers have? What effect might quantum computing have on cryptocurrency? And cryptography in general? Is quantum computing useful for AI and how is James Bond involved?
We discuss the evolution of aviation. Where did aviation start? What steps were necessary before the Wright brothers could build the Wright Flyer? Who was Billy Mitchell and why was he court-martialed? What happened in aviation during World War I? When was the first jet built? What affects did WWII have on aviation? What is the Concord and why was it discontinued? When did space travel spin off from aviation? What is the future of supersonic commercial travel? How long have drones been around and what is the future of drones in aviation?
We discuss the basics of literary devices. What is a literary device and how do you use it? What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Is Tim an eagle? What are the 3 types of irony? What are iambic pentameter, meter, and free verse? Why is onomatopoeia the coolest literary device? Why is hyperbole the absolute worst? Why use literary devices at all?
We discuss the basics of left-handedness. Why are some people left-handed? How many people are left-handed? How many ambidextrous? Are left-handed people more common in certain countries? Are males or females more often left-handed? Are left-handed people right-brained? Are left-handed people more artistic? Can you switch you handedness? What daily microaggressions do left-handed people have to deal with?
We discuss the basics of the Australian Outback. How big is Australia compared to the US? Where did dingoes come from and how long is the Dingo fence? What ground dwelling parrot lives in the outback and are they insomniacs? What are Brumbies? What is a Thylacine and do they still exist? Where did kangaroos come from? What is the topography of Australia?
We are joined by Sam Andersen and Katie Christensen to discuss the basics of Human Resources (HR). What are the core responsibilities of HR? Why isn't HR like pizza? How do HR professionals feel when they have layoff an employee, and why shouldn't you do it like Better.com? What does Nick Bloom's research show about remote work and what's HR's role in figuring out how companies should implement remote policies? How do flexible work policies help working mothers and fathers? How do you stand out in an interview with an HR rep? How is AI used in HR?
Joel Christensen joins us to discuss the basics of Electric Vehicles (EVs). What are the pros and cons of EVs? Where are EVs being adopted? What is the technology behind EV batteries and are they bad for the environment? Are charging stations being built at the same rate that EVs are being sold? What rate are EVs being sold? Are plug-in hybrids a sensible alternative? Where are EVs feasible and where are they not? Is there an actual reason the Cybertruck so ugly?
We're back from vacation to discuss the Olympics, and a bit about CrowdStrike. What happened when the computers all went down, and how? When did the Olympics start? What is the IOC and what does it do? How are Olympic venues chosen? How are Olympic sports chosen? How much better/faster/stronger are Olympians than your hosts?
We opine on the 10 worst creatures (species, not including individual human mass murderers of the past). What is a lamprey and is it the inspiration for the sandworm in Dune? Why are bats so ugly? What is an assassin bug? How many people do mosquitoes kill every year? Are crocodiles actually dinosaurs? What are Tsetse flies and how do they kill? Where and what variety of snake and spider are the worst and why? Listen to the definitive list.
We discuss how to become a teacher, and why to become a teacher. Why is Tim a teacher? How far can altruism take you? Is there a shortage of teachers? How do we increase the quality of teachers? What certification do you need to be a teacher? Do you need a college degree? How are teachers given specific class assignments? Who were your favorite teachers in school and what does that have to do which subject they taught? What are teachers unions for? How can teachers increase their pay? Does Tim know how to retire? What's the best thing you can do as a teacher to make it through the difficult times?
We discuss the basics of making money. How should you structurally think about making money? What are the principles of improving your financial situation? Who is Steve Ballmer and what does he teach us about making money? Why are all Ivy League grads rich? What does success mean for you financially?
Dr. Erika Handly joins the podcast to discuss the basics of biotech. Is the 'tech' in 'biotech' using technology to understand biology, or using technology to fix biology? What are the types of problems that biotech is being used to understand and solve? What is CRISPR in layman's terms? How predictable are the outcomes of editing DNA? Can biotech help solve global climate change and famine? Are implantable microchips inevitable? What are some of the biggest advancements in biotech for cancer? Can technology reverse aging?
We discuss the basics of vocabulary. What is a word? What is a lemma? What is morphology? How many words do most people have in their vocabulary? How many words are there in the English language? Does cursing mean you're not as intelligent? What is lexical density? How do you increase your vocabulary, and does a larger vocabulary mean you're more intelligent?
We discuss the basics of rocket science. What is the difference between a rocket and a jet? What is the rocket equation? What is delta-v? Was Wall-e actually saying delta-v? What is rocket fuel? What is rapid unscheduled disassembly? What is a specific impulse? What are stages of a rocket for? Why does it look like rockets aren't going straight up? Why are rockets clamped to the launch pad?
MD-PhD Seth Vogel joins us to discuss the basics of anesthesia. What happens in the brain when you put someone under? What are the drugs that you use and how do they work differently? How often does general anesthesia cause incontinence, or is that a thing? Are there drugs that can wake you up from general anesthesia? How common are medical issues resulting directly from general anesthesia? How difficult are epidurals for the anesthesiologists? Why are people loopy when they're waking up? In the police academy, you have to be tased before you can have a taser. Is anesthesiologist training similar?
We're joined by doctor of physical therapy Natalie Vogel as we discuss the basics of physical therapy. Can physical therapy help people avoid surgery? Does each injury/disease require a different therapy plan, or are there just go-to therapies depending on body part? Should physical therapy be viewed as a life-habit, or a medication to be taken for a specific amount of time? What are common issues that physical therapy is best at treating?
Dr. Jonny discusses the basics of dementia. What happens in your brain when you have dementia? Are there different kinds of dementia, affecting different parts of the brain? What's the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's? How young does dementia start? Does dementia affect life expectancy? Can dementia be reversed?
We discuss the basics of digital illustration with freelance illustrator Jarom Vogel. What's the difference between digital illustration and graphic design? How technical does digital illustration get, i.e. do you need to code, or just draw? What hardware and software do you use to do digital illustration? What forums are there to sell and distribute your illustrations? What are recent advancements in digital illustration? Have you used AI in any digital illustration or is it a threat to the industry? How do you stand out as a digital illustrator?
We discuss the basics of demographics. What is a demographic? What are the most common demographic characteristics? What is the world population and how quickly has it grown? What is the most densely populated city and country? What is the world wide fertility rate? What is the biggest world religion and which countries are the most and least religious? What is the median household income in the US and why is it so high?
We talk about facts for the New Year. How many days does it take to make or break a habit? Is it better to lift weights first or do cardio first? How did Winston Churchill's career get started? What was the battle of Middle Creek and what did Abraham Lincoln say about Kentucky? What is intellectual humility and is it acquirable? Does the brain use different mechanisms for numbers?
We discuss the basics of grades. How well do grades reflect intelligence? Are grades predictive of future performance? What is grade inflation and is it harmful? How do you raise your grades according to a teacher? How can you identify bad teachers?
We discuss the basics of sleep. What is sleep and why do we do it? What happens when you're asleep? What are the different stages of sleep? How does sleep affect physical and mental performance? Are naps bad for you? How does caffeine affect you? Do some people need more sleep than others? Can you sleep with your eyes open? Why do loud noises wake you up and are reddit doctors the best source of information? Do we sleep more or less than other animals? How much sleep do you need?
We discuss the basics of chemistry. What is the periodic table? What is a molecule and why do atoms bond? What is radioactivity? What is an isotope and an ion? What are some common chemical reactions that the layman sees daily?
We discuss the basics of fluid mechanics. What is a Newtonian fluid? Can fluids be compressed? How do hydraulics work? What are fluid statics vs fluid dynamics? What is Pascal's Law? What are some of the formulas used in fluid mechanics? Can a fluid be squishy? What are the Navier–Stokes equations? How do you design a submarine and a jet engine? What is laminar flow vs turbulent flow?
We discuss the basics of insurance. What is liability insurance? What are bodily injury and property damage limits in auto insurance? What are coverages A-F in home owners insurance? Did Tim have children out-of-network and is he currently on the lamb? What is a health share plan? What is an insurance actuary? What is the difference between a PPO and an HMO? What is term life vs whole life vs universal life? Can Geico save you 15% or more? How can you manage your insurance costs and lower your rates?
We discuss the basics of creole languages. What does the word creole mean? How do languages change and how are creoles formed? What is a pidgin language? What are common characteristics of creole languages? What is the largest creole language? How many creole languages are there? Why does it matter?
We're joined by artist and entrepreneur Michelle Christensen to discuss art and business. What is the process of going from artist to entrepreneur? Is there a difference between an artist and a designer? How does the creative process for an artist differ from an entrepreneur? How do you market your business? Do you work with a team to design your products? What are sustainably sourced clothes and how is that different than fast-fashion? How do you decide that you need a brick and mortar store? What do aspiring artists, designers, and entrepreneurs need to do?
Can the naked mole rat help us live longer? Can you survive off the water from metabolism? How many Swedish pirate enthusiasts are there? How are air traffic controllers doing in the United States? What is the speed of fluid that is in contact with a pipe? Which language is most closely related to Finnish? Where did the word Arizona come from? How much of the earth can be seen from a satellite at one moment in time? Does Tim believe the earth is flat?
We're joined by distinguished guest Brent Christensen to discuss the basics of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Why is ICAO one of the most important organizations you've never heard of? What is America's role in the ICAO? Does ICAO work with preflight safety? What kind of powers does ICAO have? What was ICAO's role in Malaysia Airlines Flight 370? Does ICAO work directly with businesses or just national governments? What current issues is ICAO working on? How long until civil aviation is carbon neutral? Did Brent get to meet his predecessor Captain Chesley "Sully Sullenberger, or his currently-nominated successor Charlie Crist?
We're joined by resident physicist and newly minted dentist Peter Vogel DDS to discuss the basics of teeth. What are the different layers of a tooth? What is fluoride and is it helpful or harmful? Is there a right way to brush your teeth? How does sugary food or soda affect the chemistry of your mouth? Are there certain toothbrushes or toothpastes that are better? Why shouldn't you brush your teeth right after eating? How does oral health affect diabetes and cardiovascular health? What happened to the tooth regeneration drug that was in the news a while back?
We're joined by Ian Christensen MD and discuss the basics of eyes. What is an ophthalmologist vs an optometrist? Are ophthalmologists just eye dentists? What tools do ophthalmologists use? What is the process of Lasik? What are other laser eye surgeries? Why is wearing your contacts while you sleep bad? Is rubbing your eyes bad for them? What are floaters and flashers? Do we really see things upside down? What is blindness and are there any effective treatments for blindness? What can the layman do to protect their eyes?
We discuss the basics of guns. Where were guns invented and when? What are the various parts of a firearm? What made shooting accurately possible? What does caliber, gauge, and millimeter measure in a gun? What is a flintlock firearm? Are laser guns ever going to be a reality? How did guns work on airplanes with propellers?
We discuss the basics of building a podcast. How many downloads can you expect? What is the "top 5%" of podcasts in terms of new-episode downloads? How do you build a sustainable podcast? What is the timeline to build an audience? Can a layman produce a successful podcast? Who did Learn It from a Layman's music? Should Tim start a merch store?
We discuss the basics of organs. What is an organ? What is the duodenum? What does your liver do and how many livers do you actually have? How long does food stay in your stomach? Have you ever had the biggest bowel movement in the world? How do the heart and lungs work together? What do your kidneys do?
We are joined by attorney Mick McGirr in discussing the basics of law. What is a trust? What are the different types of law? What is statutory law? Are an attorney and a lawyer the same thing? What is "the bar"? What does a layman need to know about law and lawyers?
What are the basic considerations when making a budget? What is mandatory spending vs discretionary spending? How fast does your internet need to be? How much data do you use on your phone? Why did Tim chose to be a teacher? Should anyone eat pickled okra? When should you choose a higher interest rate over paying PMI?
We discuss the basics of mechanical engineering with first-time guest Curtis Rands. What kinds of problems do mechanical engineers solve? What is tolerance in engineering and how do you measure it? What are static vs dynamic forces? Is there a layman explanation for the d'Alembert principle? Can you establish a speed limit for a specific component given potential forces? How much does weather affect an engineering project? What are the 3 M's of mechanical engineering? How does new technology affect mechanical engineers' work? Did Tim really find his way back out of the AI?
We discuss the basics of robotics. What is a robot? What are the 5 elements of a robot? Is a moving walkway a robot, and should the ground always transport Matt? What sensors do robots need? What is control logic and how does it apply to artificial intelligence? Has Tim become part of the singularity?
David Traina, owner and CEO of Traina, a San-Diego based branding agency, joins us to discuss the basics of branding. What is the most important element of branding? How do you measure branding ROI (return on investment)? Can Dave help our podcast brand, or at least the logo? What are some branding success stories and branding fails? When should a company start considering their brand strategy? What educational background do you need to work in branding?
We discuss the basics of banking. Why do banks fail? What are the primary roles of banks, and what are their vulnerabilities? What is fiat money? What are bonds and securities? Why does Cameron keep his money under his mattress? What is the history of bank regulation in the United States and why is this a tricky issue? What is the FDIC and what is the Fed? How can the laymen protect their money? Is Cameron's dog robbing him and internet shopping?
We discuss the basics of diets. What is the best diet? What are the things you need to consider before starting a diet? Is going vegan or vegetarian a good choice and what are the benefits of those diets? What is the difference between a health diet and a weight loss diet? What impact does only eating cocktail weenies have on your health? Is scurvy a real concern? How can the layman make small but meaningful changes in diet?
We discuss ten questions in physics. Do gaps form in light? Can you accidentally create a blackhole? Can two atoms touch each other? What does touching mean? What is Wi-Fi? Why does time only go one way? Are there other dimensions? How many dimensions is Cameron OK with?
We bring our World War II podcast series to a close. Was what happened in Europe a fait accompli after Normandy? Was FDR naïve in his approach to Stalin? What happened in Dresden and why? How many casualties were there in WWII and how can a layman put that in perspective?
We discuss the basics of American government. What is a democratic republic? What is the difference between the federal and the state governments? What is gerrymandering? Is Tim running for office? What are the roles of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches? What is the difference between a recall and an impeachment?
We talk trivia. What is the most volcanic moon? Why is Tim talking about sperm whale anatomy and organs? What is the smallest mammal? How fast can a heart beat? What land animal can drink salt water? What are the most spoken languages in the world?
For our 100th episode, we go back to our roots, with a twist. We discuss the 10 best ways to die in nature. Are there actual homeopathic pirates? Can you be clicked to death? Has anyone ever died by meteor strike? Can a tortoise kill you? How do pythons kill their prey? Was jungle book based on a true story? Come celebrate our milestone with us!
We discuss the basics of programming languages. What familiar experiences can a layman relate to programming? Why do we need programming languages? What is ambiguity in human language and can there be any in a computer language? What is a compiled language vs a script language? Why aren't all apps available on all phones? Do computers use "little zaps"? Why are there so many different programming languages? What are the top programming languages? Can Carl speak French?
We discuss attention. What does paying attention mean? What's happening in the brain when you pay attention to something? Do humans really have a shorter attention span than a goldfish? Did Tim actually fall asleep while talking to his class? Can caffeine help with attention? What does cognitive modeling tell us about attention? Can we improve our attention span and ability to focus?
We continue our World War II podcast series. What is the D in D-Day for? How did French shrubs cause an issue in retaking France? What was the fallout from Operation Valkyrie? What is Operation Bagration? What happened in the Warsaw Uprising and did the Soviets leave the Poles out to dry? What is the story behind A Bridge Too Far? When did the B-29s join the Pacific Theatre? What were the V-1 and V-2 bombs used for? How many hand grenades were used in the Battle of Peleliu? We discuss one of the most amazing acts of heroism in Naval history at the Battle off Samar at Leyte Gulf.
We are joined by Katie Christensen, Master of Fine Arts, and we discuss the basics of photography. What happens in a film camera? Are there any benefits for film photography over digital? What do all of those settings like ISO and F-stop on your camera mean? Are there camera considerations more than the number of megapixels when buying a camera? Who are some famous historical photographers and what did they do? How do you deal with shadows? How useful is Cameron as a reflective device?
Mike Vedomske, PhD in Systems and Information Engineering and Senior Data Scientist at Nike, joins the podcast to discuss data science. Is data science different than machine learning? What kind of data do you use and how is it collected or mined? What types of algorithms do you use? What is multiple linear regression? What kind of tools are available? How do you use visualization to explore data? How is data science improving the world?
We discuss the basics of DNA. How is DNA organized in a cell? What is RNA? What are chromosomes, how are the structured, and how big are they? How much of our DNA is not used? Do proteins rule the world? How can researchers figure out which part of DNA comes from specific regions of the world? Why is cloning hard? What are stem cells? What does DNA have to do with cancer and what can you do to protect your DNA?
We discuss the basics of international travel. When does your passport actually expire? What's a visa and do you need one? What considerations are there if you drive to another country? Should you fly standby if you can? How can you layover in Iceland for free? What are ways you can save money, and what are ways you shouldn't save money? What are the dos and don'ts of security when traveling? Should you try to learn the language?
We discuss the basics of browsers. What is a browser and what does it do? Is Google Chrome the best browser? How does a browser affect internet privacy? What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Are different browsers better or worse? Is incognito mode useful? What can I do if a website isn't working? What are Dev Tools in a browser and how can they help the layman?
We discuss the basics of conspiracy theories. Did the US really land on the moon? Who killed JFK? Was Obama born in the United States? Is Earth flat? Why do people believe conspiracy theories? How do you tell if something is a conspiracy theory and how do you avoid falling prey to one? Is Tim trying to bring down the podcast? We lay out four steps to help arm yourself against misinformation.
We discuss fixed vs growth mindsets. Should you tell kids that they're "smart" or "pretty"? What problems can that cause? What are growth attributes and how do we encourage and adopt them? Is Brad Pitt Brad Pitt because he's good looking? Is success defined by our abilities? What effects do fixed mindsets have on life?
We continue our WWII podcast series and discuss the events of the first half of 1944. How did American strategy in bombing runs change in 1944 and was it effective? What happened at Monte Cassino? What was the battle of Anzio? How effective are stranded whales in the military? What did General Clark order and why was it one of the most controversial orders of WWII? What was the Soviet's military doctrine and how does it relate to today? How did the Allied forces distract Germany prior to D-Day? What happened to Allied tanks at Omaha Beach on D-Day? What is Operation Ichi-Go? What was happening in China in 1944?
We discuss the basics of accountability. What steps should you need to go through before taking action? What is an axiom? How do you apply axioms to specific situations? What influence should experience have on action? Who can we look at for examples of taking responsible action? Can understanding school subjects be useful in enacting political change? What are affective ways to enact change?
We discuss the basics of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). What's the difference between ADD and ADHD? What percentage of children have ADHD? How is it diagnosed? How do teachers deal with it? Is it inherited or caused by environment? Does screen time cause ADHD? When should you get your child checked out? What accommodations are made at school for kids with ADHD? Do international schools have juice in the drinking fountains? Do you grow out of ADHD as you get older? Do adults ever get diagnosed?
We discuss the basics of electromagnetic forces. What is an electromagnetic field? Can you make a magnet by smacking a metal pole with a rock? How does a medium affect an electromagnetic field? Why does it travel in waves? How does electricity work inside your house? What's a coaxial cable? Why does your hair stand on end when you're close to a lightning strike? Does temperature affect electricity? What's a superconductor? Why does the dentist make you wear that silly vest when taking x-rays?
We are joined by Dr. Larry Walters--PhD in public policy and management--to discuss tax policy. What are the various types of taxes governments use? Why do governments use multiple types of taxes instead of just one? How is the electric grid in Texas run? Are all/any taxes tied to specific government projects? What's a flat tax? How do the wealthy avoid paying taxes so often? Do Tim's taxes cover most of the federal budget? How do taxes affect corporations differently than individuals? What limits are there on a government's ability to tax? Do countries/states that tax less just offer less government services? Are there specific states where you pay less in taxes?
We discuss the basics of memory. How does memory work in the brain? We talk about encoding, storage, and retrieval of memory from the brain. Is there subconscious memory? What is a flashbulb memory? Was Cameron a butterfly once? Why isn't your wedding day a flashbulb memory? How does forgetting work? Why can't you find your keys and how is that different than forgetting an old friend's name? Can you suppress memories? Did Jonny get his medical degree from the mafia? Is photographic memory real? What is Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory? How can you improve your memory?
We continue our WWII podcast series by discussing the events of 1943. What is the unconditional surrender doctrine? Who was Friedrich Paulus and why did Hitler promote him to field marshal? What is the Mareth Line and how did the Codebreakers affect the war in North Africa? What is heavy water? What are operations Freshman and Gunnerside and did they help avert nuclear war? How did the attack on Pearl Harbor help turn the tide on the war in the Atlantic? What is the Dambusters raid and was Rogue Squadron involved? What was the V2 rocket? What were the Hamburg air raids and did the Allied forces bomb civilians? How was the battleship USS Iowa that FDR was riding on fired on by another US destroyer? And how did that prove FDR is a boss?
We discuss the basics of college. What factors do you need to consider when selecting a college or university? Is selecting a college and major a calculus problem? Do public servants burn money? What are AP classes and are they worth taking? What is concurrent enrollment? Should you try to get as much college credit as quickly as possible? How do you prep for college entry essays? Should you deliver a baby to help your college application stand out? Can you get a scholarship for underwater basket weaving? What factors should you consider when selecting your major? Should you chase your dreams? Do you really need to go to college at all?
We continue discussing WWII. What happened at the battle of Midway? Was radar used and why was it not very effective? What is Leningrad and where is it? Where and what is Stalingrad? Why are there so many grads? What happened at the Wannsee Conference? What were the 1000 bomber raids? Why was Malta important in WWII (and so many other wars)? Did the airplanes Faith, Hope, and Charity really hold off the Luftwaffe? What was the German "Happy Time" in the battle of the Atlantic? Who was Erich Hartmann and why were the Germans the highest scoring pilots of all-time? What did Charles Charles de Gaulle do? How did Erwin Rommel's North African campaign go in 1942? What happened at Guadalcanal? Did Japan ever hit American mainland during WWII? Who was Enrico Fermi and what did he do?
We discuss the basics of William Shakespeare. Where was Shakespeare from? How prolific was he? Was Shakespeare poor? Are there direct descendants of Shakespeare today? Did Shakespeare actually write the plays and sonnets attributed to him? Why should the layman be familiar with his works and is there a practical way to read Shakespeare? Come learn with us.
We discuss the basics of the first half of WWII. What was happening in Spain before WWII? Does Luftwaffe mean "air waffle"? Why did Hitler hate the Jews? What was the Winter War? Who was Simo Häyhä? What was the Maginot Line? What was the Vichy government? How long could the German airplanes fly once over England? What did the German navy look like? Who was Francisco Franco? Had the Japanese officially declared war on the US before the attack on Pearl Harbor? What was the Bataan Death March? How did the Americans know to prepare for the Battle of Midway? Come learn it from a layman.
We discuss some basic philosophical or logical razors. What is a razor? What is Hanlon's razor? When someone calls you stupid are they just cutting you some slack? What does the Sagan Standard have to do with cold fusion? What is Popper's falsifiability principle? Should scientists be passionate? What name is better than Newton's Flaming Laser Sword? What is Grice's razor and is it related to the Mines of Moria? How many blades should a razor have?
We revisit thermodynamics and discuss 6 thermodynamics processes. What is an ideal gas? What's the difference between hyperbaric, isobaric, and hypobaric? What are the uses of idealized thermodynamics processes in the real world? We describe what happens to a piston in thermodynamic terms. What is the scientific definition of work? Should you call your refrigerator an isothermal system in front of friends? Is David Bowie exempt from the laws of physics?
We discuss the science of goals. What's the difference between intentions and goals? Who is Edwin Locke? What is goal theory? What are the five key principles of goal setting? What are the three types of goals? Are goals necessary and do they really make a difference? Is disambiguate a real word?
We talk the basics of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. What is the difference between machine learning and AI? What is machine learning used for? What are the models and algorithms used? What is a deep neural network? What's the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning? Is machine learning improving? How does cognitive modeling work? Are robots going to take over the world?
We talk about the basics of biology. What are amino acids? What are organic compounds and why are they important for living things? How do the various components of a cell work? What is osmosis? How does the same DNA create various types of cells? Why do identical twins express different traits? How does evolution work? Why do viruses mutate so quickly? Did Darwin have a better publicist?
What's it take to build a satellite and get it into space? What are the six major factors to consider when building a satellite? How does a satellite get into orbit? What about space dust and space junk? Are solar storms likely to take down our satellites? Can satellites shoot lasers at the earth? What do you call people from the Yukon Territory?
What language should you learn? What are the best ways to learn a language? What is a cognate? Is language emersion the only way to learn? What is L1 transfer? How do you test a language learner for proficiency? We discuss all the things you need to know about learning a second language and how to succeed and what succeeding means. Join us.
We take on economics. What does GDP mean and why is it important? What are the principles of a free market? How can a natural disaster cause economic problems? How does economic inequality happen and does it cause problems? How much gold is there in the world? What is the Federal Reserve? What is a command or planned economy? How does communism work? What is the difference between socialism and communism? What is bitcoin? Come find out with us.
We discuss vaccines. What is the history of vaccines? How do vaccines work? Can you get sick from a vaccine? What is VAERS stand for and what's its purpose? Are there serious side-effects from the COVID vaccine? (We pull numbers from this chart.) What are the reasons to get the COVID (and other) vaccines? Is a vaccine mandate legal? Should you send a picture of a rash to your doctor? We deal with all of these questions and more.
We discuss the basics of units of measurement. What are the international standards for measuring. We cover the seven basic units and some derived units. How is a meter defined? Is the standard kilogram still a large chunk of metal? Is a kilogram measuring mass or weight? What is a joule? What is a gigawatt? Did Back to the Future contain scientific inaccuracies? Come find out how measurement units can help you understand the physical sciences.
We're joined by the former Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, who answers all of our questions about Taiwan. What are the biggest industries in Taiwan? How is Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing affecting the price of cars? How did Taiwan control the COVID-19 pandemic? Why does Taiwan use traditional characters? What is the history of the Taiwanese people? What's going on with Taiwan immigration and education? Brent gives us in-depth analysis into various aspects of the Taiwan-American relationship, and the Taiwanese culture.
We discuss the principles of object oriented programming. What is a script vs a program? What are the four principles of object oriented programming? What's an interface? How can understanding programming help you better understand movies? What's a value type vs a reference type? What is recursion? Come learn about these and more with us.
We give you the inside scoop on everything hotel related. WARNING: This episode does include some discussion of mature topics. Can you ensure you can stay in a hotel, even if it's booked up? Why would you stay at a hotel for 3 years? What crimes happen in hotels? What does the front desk have to offer? What is it ok to take from a hotel room? What's the best time of year to book a hotel? How full are hotels usually? What effects has the pandemic had on the hotel industry? Is staying a month better than staying 28 days? Come learn these and more with us.
We discuss the theory of relativity. What is the difference between special relativity and general relativity? Who is Hendrik Lorentz? Why can't we accelerate a particle to the speed of light? How can there be a massless particle? What is the space-time continuum? Why does time stop when you're traveling at the speed of light and what does it have to do with an asymptote? Does a warp drive mean faster-than-light travel? Is it possible to travel back in time according to the laws of physics? Come find out with us.
Our first ever best-of podcast. We compiled the most insightful and useful information on the subjects of physics, thermodynamics, calculus, orbital mechanics, quantum physics, the electromagnetic spectrum, trigonometry, and lasers. This is your crash-course in math and physics. Enjoy.
We discuss riddles and how to solve them. How do you solve a riddle? What information do you need? What is algorithmic thinking? We help you develop your riddle skills while we walk through 5 specific riddles: The nuts and bolts buckets, the cue balls, the bridge at night, the Othello pieces, and the horse race riddles. Join and us and see if you can solve these riddles.
Come learn about the scientific study of language or linguistics. What is etymology? What is a minimal pair? What is the difference between phonetics on phonics? What's a morpheme? What's syntax and how could a lawyer use it? What's a garden path sentence? What is a semantic prime and how does it help us understand semantics? What is WordNet? Where does humor come from? What influence on language does society have? Does the font affect how quickly someone can read? How does Google read your mind? How do you turn a linguistics degree into marketable skills and money?
We discuss the basics of lasers. What are the physics of lasers? What is a gain medium? What does collimated mean and how does it apply to lasers? How do lasers work for barcodes and DVD players? What is the cat distraction application of lasers and is it relevant to way the military uses lasers? Can lasers be used to create light sabers or a death star? What is a femtosecond? Should you fire lasers at people's eyes? Come learn about lasers with us.
We discuss terraforming. What makes Earth habitable? How do you keep an atmosphere around a planet? What roles do gravity and the magnetosphere play? How would we get people to mars or another planet safely? What is a Hohmann transfer? How could we add a significant amount of mass to Mars or Venus? Should we bomb Mars? Come learn with us.
Tim walks us through the Spanish language. Where did Spanish come from? What is Proto-Indo-European? How did Arabic influence Spanish? How many speakers of Spanish are there? What business usages are there for Spanish? What are the best ways to learn Spanish? Which languages are easy to learn if you already know Spanish? Come learn about one of the world's most important languages.
How likely are you to get in a car accident? What effect does a past event have on the probability of a future event? What is the Monty Hall problem and can we make any sense of it? Did Disney have it right about sports teams and feel-good moments all along? What is a random event vs a deterministic event? Come learn about probability theory with us.
We tackle the basics of astronomy. How many planets are there really? How big is the sun in relation to other stars? How big is our galaxy? How fast is the earth moving? Where is the nearest planet out of our solar system and how likely is it that we'll be able to travel there? Come learn all about our place in the universe.
We discuss all things medical school related with Dr. Jonny Neilson. How do you prepare for the MCAT? How do you raise your score on a standardized test? What can set your medical school application apart? What's the difference between a DO and an MD? How can you get medical school paid for? Can you become a doctor later in life? Come find out with us.
Dr. Conner Harper, PhD in Physical Chemistry, joins the crew to discuss and explain mass spectrometry. What are the main parts of a mass spectrometer? What are its every day uses? How do you measure the mass of large molecules? How accurately can it measure small vs large ions? Come learn about this often unfamiliar (to the layman) but widely used tool of physical chemistry.
Come learn about trigonometry. What are the six trigonometric functions and how do they work? How do you measure the distance to a star? How would you ballpark the height of the Eiffel tower without a compass and without Google? Find out with us.
What makes a good resume? How do you make your resume stand out? What are employers looking for? How do you tailor your resume for an specific job? What do you need to do to prep for an interview? Should you or should you not throw something at your interviewer? Join us to learn it from a layman.
We walk you through the process of buying a home. How do you get the best mortgage? How do property taxes work? What is an adjustable rate mortgage? What are the most important things to consider when buying? Should you pay off your home early? Is a vacation home or a rental property worth buying? Come find out with us.
We discuss car maintenance. How often should you change your oil? Is buying higher octane fuel worth the cost? What is knock and how does it affect engine performance? What type of tires should you buy? What does a tire alignment actually do? How do you tell what are necessary repairs vs. optional repairs if you don't think your mechanic is being honest? When and how should you replace an old vehicle and what's the best way to go car shopping?
We continue our history series. Who were the biggest names in music in the 1930s and how does Justin Bieber measure up? What happened in Nanjing and why do we need to know? What caused the Great Depression? What did Einstein originally think about researching the atomic bomb? Who were the Flying Tigers? What is Blitzkrieg and how does it work? Did Germany really start World War 2?
Come find out what phonetics is all about. What is the IPA? What is an allophone and could it hurt me? How does speech recognition software work? We discuss the basics of machine learning and why masks make listening hard.
What are some American holiday traditions and their origins? Where did Thanksgiving come from? Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? What is the Miracle on 31st street? Is The Man Who Knew Too Little a Christmas movie? What is the best Christmas music and other traditions?
We discuss Suriname, one of the least known countries in the Western Hemisphere. What is the culture of Suriname? What languages do they speak there? What's a creole language vs. a pidgin language? How many times can Carl say "by and large" in one podcast? What do grubs taste like? We give you the highlights and some of the lesser-known facts about Suriname.
We have former physics teacher and soon-to-be dentist Peter Vogel on to discuss quantum physics. What does quantum mean? What are the different types of quarks? What is the Higgs Boson? How much energy does it take to split a proton? What does Schrödinger's cat actually teach us about quantum mechanics? Are there multiple universes and is Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse a documentary? Is Mars bigger than a boson?
We talk the science and the business of solar panels. What makes up a solar cell? What are all the elements necessary to generate usable electricity? How do you store additional power? What is net metering? How much of a difference does it make to the environment? What is the future of solar panels?
We discuss the roaring twenties. Who invented the TV? Did wars take a break after The Great War? Why was a flapper called a flapper? What countries have tried prohibition and for how long? Plus a friend stops by to talk about solar energy.
We walk you through the basics of hardware, discuss computer encoding and language, and attempt to explain the internet. What is binary? What does hexadecimal mean? Is Mac OS better than Microsoft Windows? Come find out with us.
The 1910s are known as the WWI decade, but what else happened? What is superconductivity? How did politics shape the decade? What is the Armenian genocide? When and why was the house of Windsor founded? What was the Halifax explosion? How many people were killed by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918? Come learn about a transformative and relevant decade in world history with us.
We start a twelve-part, decade-based history series. Starting out at the turn of the 20th century, we discuss the first flight, cubism, Einstein, the Tunguska event, the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, and Winston Churchill. Come find out about the politics, culture, and science that shaped the last century.
What is nuclear power? How do we harness it and how safe is it really? How many horses does it take to equal a nuclear fission reactor and why do we keep horse-shaming? Join us for a discussion of nuclear fission and fusion, from the chemical process all the way to the management of radioactive nuclear waste.
What does ad hominem mean? How do you attack a strawman? Can you use ignorance as an argument? Come learn about logical fallacies, how to recognize them, and to avoid them. Plus, we do 3 interesting facts.
If you're starting a YouTube channel, a podcast, a restaurant, a small business, or a band and have questions about copyright, trademark, and licensing, we have your answers. Attorney Mick McGirr explains the basics of copyright law, what trademarking is, and what you need to get a license for. We discuss fair use, derivative works, and copyright infringement. Did Ice Cube stop, collaborate and listen? Can teachers get rich selling their school work? (Spoiler: no.) How do I get legal help with a small budget?
What is a febrile seizure? How many children experience seizures? What's happening in your brain when a seizure happens? What is postictal mean and what does it look like? Doctor Jonny answers these and more and Carl shares his nightmare experience with a seizure.
Do you read faster on a screen or on paper? What is the McGurk effect? Is there a problem with birthdays? Do Americans and Canadians have border disputes? Come listen as we discuss these questions and more.
We cover some basic concepts of statistics including the normal distribution, standard deviation, t-tests, and why the supply of nachos and avocados are linked. What are statistical biases? Can horses do math? Can anything other than potatoes be au gratin? We answer these questions and many more.
What do you translate, language or meaning? How does machine translation work and when is it useful? What's going to happen to professional translators? Come hear us discuss all things translation related.
How do you communicate with a submarine? How does a microwave work? Why is the sky blue? How do you encode information into waves? Come learn about wave modulation and what antennas really do.
We talk about culinary arts and nutrition: Which vegetables are good for you? What is a complete protein and why does that matter if you're becoming a vegetarian or vegan? Do multi-vitamins actually help? Is there a healthy oil? What is organic produce and is it worth it? We discuss the biology and chemistry of GMOs, gluten allergies, and much more.
What is the most common mistake college students make in writing? Which writing rules do you follow? What do you write? We share the secret to becoming a great writer. While we cannot make all things plain to a layman (credit to William Blake), we try to make as many things plain to as many laymen as possible.
In honor of the recent manned space launch from the US, we explain orbital mechanics--or for the layman, rocket science. We discuss Kepler's three laws, ellipses, the various orbits satellites take and what they're for, and much more. Come find out if space junk matters and if lightning has ever hit a spaceship.
How does the brain work? What are neurons and how do they work? Are left-handed people's brains different? What are dreams and how do they change your brain? We discuss these questions and more. We also announce big news.
We take on yet another non-layman subject in calculus. We discuss derivatives and integrals. We talk about real-world uses of calculus including predictive models and passing tests in school.
With much of the world currently doing distance learning or homeschooling, we offer teaching insights from a teacher with well over a decade of experience. We discuss teaching methodology and how to motivate your students. We also share our experiences with homeschooling and how to make learning from home effective, if not enjoyable.
We revisit physics, this time discussing the four laws of thermodynamics. We discuss asymptotes and absolute zero and then move on to the benefits of LED light bulbs and physics-themed band names.
Dr. Kaid Harper, PhD in Organic Chemistry, joins the podcast along with returning guest soon-to-be-MD Dr. Jonny Neilson to discuss the chemistry of viruses and coronavirus in particular. We discuss the development of drugs and vaccines to combat viruses and steps necessary to bring them to the consumer. We also look at the effects of the coronavirus on various industries and how chemists soon will be online gamers.
We welcome Officer Gibbs to our podcast and ask him all our highway patrol questions such as: Which hurts worse, pepper spray or taser? What speed do you get pulled over at? What's the weirdest stop you've had? Officer Gibbs gives us a great overview of what life is like for a patrolman and great advice for what not to do when you get pulled over.
Join us in tackling the various aspects of music. From musical theory and the physics of sound waves, to the Shakespearean take on music and musical eras, we discuss what you need to know and why learning music is valuable. We recommend instruments to learn, talk music vocabulary, and explain sheet music.
We have a soon-to-be doctor visit the podcast, so of course we talk about home improvement. From claw hammers to the kitchen sink, we discuss all the ins and outs of home improvement projects that the layman can attempt, should attempt, or should definitely not attempt.
Where did our calendar come from? Why is December the twelfth month, not the tenth? How do you make time slow down (other than by listening to this podcast)? We tackle these subjects and more as we explore the history and future of time and how it affects us.
Come learn about one of the least layman subjects from two laymen and a highly trained engineer. We give an overview of the laws of motion, discuss the differences between Newton and Einstein, and melt minds by discussing the closing speed of two beams of light. Plus we say hi to Cameron's dog.
Come explore costume ideas, Halloween traditions, and the best holiday foods with us. Plus, we discuss a haunted house scary-scale: if a 4 out of 5 means they can pick you up and throw you around, is 5 out of 5 torture? Join us to get some dos and don'ts for this Halloween season.
Join us as we discuss what polite means and why you should try it. Are people jerks or they just not smart? How do you learn to be polite? Should we bring back the "Korean era" in politeness?
With a combined nearly two decades worth of experience (and yes, we're still laymen as you'll hear), learn from us how to make your wife happy and keep your marriage strong.
We're back and at least as good as we were before. Come learn about Southern California's last snowfall, where the San Andreas fault is according to the Rock, and why SeaWorld is better than Disneyland in every meaningful way.
We list our favorite vacations - both experienced and hoped for. We discuss the ideal way to plan your vacation and the need for millennials to unplug. Come learn how and why to travel to Iceland, Asia, and Cancun.
Join us on a journey into the unknown (which many things are to us laymen). We discuss dark matter and black holes, and of course band names. We take you from the scientific depths of space to the romantic notions of the final frontier and back again.
We discuss garden preparation, planting, maintenance, harvest, and post-harvest. Learn how to hack a garden together and how to enjoy okra. Plus don't miss why cherries probably shouldn't include extra protein.
When did swimming start? What are the different strokes? Are Professor Ubiquitous and Professor Proclivity actual Hogwarts teachers? We discuss the how, when, and where of swimming.
I give you my five favorite movies and Tim and I discuss. We touch on Spielberg's magnum opus, Hook, and clarify the difference between Orpheus and Oedipus. We also compare and contrast Captain Hook to Thanos and decide who would win a celebrity deathmatch.
We give you our top tips for parenting. Aside from discipline and trust, we also discuss bonfires and books and give you some ideas on how to get beyond "Because I said so!"
We discuss the best classic books according to laymen. From Charles Dickens to Madeleine L'Engle, we look at the works of best authors from the last two centuries. We also answer the question of what happens when Les Miserables doesn't include singing.
Why exercise? What is the best type of exercise? What time should you exercise? And most importantly, what is ghrelin? We hit all of these in discussing the science behind exercise.
What makes someone smart? What can you do to make someone believe you are intelligent? We discuss which characteristics contribute to Ken Jennings, Steve Jobs, and Ninja being viewed by many (or at least some) as smart.
What are practical ways to save money? What kind of tacos should you buy? How should Bill Gates spend his money? We discuss all things money related.
Whether you're learning or remembering, follow us through some '90s trivia and trends that may or may not have affected our reality today.
We tackle three of the world's most difficult problems in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the national debt, and the twitter mob. Besides discussing the issues, we present our own layman solutions.
We discuss a few specific jobs--teacher, hospitality manager, and software engineer--and our perceptions vs the day-to-day reality.
Ever wondered why you want to eat paper? What are the benefits of eating bugs? We take on the hard-hitting questions and decide what you can eat, and how to do it.
We discuss some of the most gruesome and disturbing ways that creatures die in nature and rank them from best (relatively of course) to worst.