We Have Concerns

In their continuing quest to explore the most terrifying creatures on the planet, Jeff and Anthony take a look at the Tarantula Hawk - a wasp with a sting categorized as among the most painful in the known world. This is a creature that hunts tarantulas! The guys discuss their perverse desire to understand what it must be like to be stung by this horrible insect.

Why is it so hard to take our own advice? A new article breaks down the phenomenon, and suggests some reasons as to why it may be the case. Anthony and Jeff relate to being able to give great advice, but unable to actually follow it, and remember times when they should have practiced what they preached.

New, wireless earbuds on Kickstarter promise to personalize live audio by masking out unwanted noises and equalizing sounds in the world around you in real time. Anthony and Jeff are skeptical about how well this particular product will actually work, but look forward to a future in which your senses are curated and managed by technology.

A company called MX3D has developed a new 3D printer that can print using molten steel. To prove the capability of their invention, they plan to print a fully functional cantilevered bridge in Amsterdam. Jeff and Anthony imagine a fully 3D printed future where anything is printable and raw materials are the only currency. Nothing can go wrong with that, right?

New bionic implant has been developed that can replace the human eye lens. If approved, the surgery would take only 8 mins and give the recipients 3x 20/20 vision, forever. Anthony and Jeff are excited about the prospects of superhuman vision in such a short time, and dare each other to sign up for the clinical trials.

New research indicates that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may be linked to a physical swelling in the brain. This leads scientists to believe that by preventing this swelling, they may be able to not only treat PTSD, but actually immunize against fear itself. Jeff and Anthony imagine a world without fear, and wonder what they'd do if they could prevent their own anxieties.

Back in 1999, Sony released a robot dog called Aibo. Now, 15 years later, these toys have started to break down, and Sony has ceased repairing them or manufacturing new models. This has caused the few people who still use and care for these little robotic companions to come to terms with the loss of a wholly inorganic member of their families. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether man-made friends can ever truly replace natural ones, and why we must always accept the inevitable death of all cute things.

In an effort to create a more accurate image recognition system, researchers have been training Google's neural network to pick out objects obscured by denser and denser layers of optical noise. But by feeding the AI the other direction - giving it nothing but noise and asking it to pick out images - they've discovered a surreal and dreamlike quality in the network that is both beautiful and haunting. Anthony and Jeff marvel at the ability for an AI to "dream", and project how this will lead to our ultimate downfall.

As a way to raise funds, some US prisons are offering visitors a way to eat what inmates eat. This experience promises to be the "worst meal of your life" and yet still been successful in attracting curious diners in at least two locations. Anthony shares his experience with jail food, and Jeff wonders what kind of person thinks this is a good idea.

For the first time, scientists have managed to grow an arm in a lab. This rat forelimb seems to be functional and able to circulate blood, giving hope that one day we will be able to grow usable replacement limbs for amputees. Anthony and Jeff are excited about the possibilities, but wonder about the fate of the rats on whom these new arms were tested. Also, Anthony reveals his darkest physical secret.

A London borough has decided to get to start DNA testing abandoned dog droppings and delivering retroactive tickets to the irresponsible owners. Anthony, Jeff, and special guest Greg Miller from Kinda Funny Vids discuss the ethics of cleaning up after your pet, and the ramifications of a DNA-empowered poop task force.

A new review of scientific literature finds that there is no evidence that eating the afterbirth is good for the mother. It could even be harmful. Which leads Anthony and Jeff to weigh the pros and cons of ingesting placenta, and wondering how this practice has become so common.

The de-extinction movement is in full swing, which leads some scientists to consider reconstructing the DNA of Neanderthals. Could that be possible? And what would a prehistoric humanoid be like in the modern world. Anthony and Jeff consider the possible ramifications.

Dean Karnazes has a rare physiological condition that allows him to process lactic acid more efficiently than other humans and effectively run forever. His list of running accomplishments is truly super human. Jeff and Anthony differ on their opinion of whether running is worthwhile, but both of them imagine what they might do if they could replicate Dean's unique attributes.

Scientists have discovered that getting spiders to ingest carbon nanotubes will cause them to weave spider silk that is even stronger than their naturally strong tensile strands. This leads Anthony and Jeff to imagine all kinds of potential uses for this amazing new by-product. There is only one problem: how do you harvest spider silk?