Sci-gasm Podcast

Byrne and Wade take a look at some of the strangest phobias going around and ask: Why do we have phobias? Are men or women more likely to get phobias? What does the Science say is the best way of treating a phobia? Why does the title of this episode mention Sex Robots? Byrne and Wade discuss phobias in a manner that only Sci-gasm can.

Are there any health benefits in getting on the 'Ganga'? Byrne and Wade look at the merit of some health claims behind smoking/ingesting Marijuana, and its chemical compounds. They also discuss why there's still so much that we don't know.

I think in this episode Byrne & Wade explore just how flawed our recollection of events and past experiences can be. They take a look at how false memories can be ‘implanted’ in a person, and how ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome’ is far more common than you may think

Are we still evolving, or have we removed ourselves from selection pressures? Byrne and Wade discuss how we can observe human evolution around us even today, and Wade learns why he'll never become Wolverine.

Wondering what the odds are of that peanut butter sandwich killing you? Or maybe that Banana in the fruit bowl? In this episode Byrne and Wade look at the odds of being killed when engaging in certain activities, and why scientists actually have a unit of measurement for your untimely death.

The buzz around is that bee's are in trouble. Wade and Byrne look at some of the different reasons people bee-lieve this and what Science says about the pesticides bee-ing used on our food crops.

Did you know that the odds of you staying awake during a statistics lecture are one in five? Or that up to 80% of statistics are fabricated on the spot? Wade and Byrne explain how statistics are used to mislead people and what you can do to see through the spin without having to sit through a soul-sucking university stats course.

Everyone has heard of Schrodinger's Cat but what does this famous thought experiment actually mean? Wade and Byrne explore the seemingly non-sensical world of quantum mechanics through animal cruelty.

NASA recently released Sci-gasmic news with the discovery of 7 Earth-sized planets orbiting a dwarf star 40 light years away. Wade and Byrne explore what this discovery means and how the hell NASA can see these planets from so far away.

From doctors drinking vomit to elephants tripping on acid, Byrne and Wade talk about a few of the times where we just have to ask "WTF Science?"

Badass celebrity palaeontologist and Kesha criticiser Trevor Valle joins Sci-gasm to talk about digging up the past, teaching the present and preserving the future. He also explains why dinosaurs probably tasted like chicken and why moon-landing conspiracy theorists really grind his gears.

Byrne and Wade discuss the pros and cons of scientific experimentation involving live animals. What have we really gained from animal testing? And how relevant is rat biology to humans anyway?

In this episode Wade & Byrne discuss what the Science says about wine tasting being a reliable method in determining the value of a vino. Listen to Wade's pathetic attempt at speaking some French, and Byrne's reaction when he finds a surprise in his wine glass.

Wade and Byrne talk about the recent publication from NASA which looks at the Electro-Magnetic Drive. Does it work and what does it mean for the future of space travel? Also discussed is the peer review process and the importance of "Blue sky" research in saving the world!

Wade and Byrne go into details about Creationism, what it is and what its proponents are offering. The discussion also goes into how being brought up with creationism can lead to dangerous and disruptive decisions being made.