We Have Concerns

By actually printing DNA, researchers are now able to create entirely new species.  They started with a glow-in-the-dark plant, and now have plans to design microbes that will live in your stomach and actually change the smell of your fecal matter. Even crazier, they may be able to associate particular gas odors with biological states, so you can effectively have an early warning system built inside you.  Anthony couldn't be more excited, but Jeff wonders when our Frankenstein microbes will inevitably destroy us all in a flowery-smelling apocalypse.

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have synthesized crystalline materials that can bind and store oxygen in high concentrations. That means that we may be able to use crystals to replace oxygen tanks or even allow divers to simply draw oxygen directly out of H2O through the crystal.  Anthony has always wanted to breathe underwater, but Jeff is worried about sucking on crystals for more than good vibes.

Anthony and Jeff's debate about the joy to be found in running and exercise contuinues.  This time, Jeff has an article from the New York Times about a study which showed that mice will spend time on a running wheel, even when they don't have to.  When placed out in the woods, completely unattended, mice and other creatures would jump onto a wheel, and spend time running on it... for fun.  Is this the proof Jeff has always wanted, or are these just Anthony's alpha Brock mice?

An open source group has recreated the brain of a worm, neuron for neuron, and recently programmed this data into the body of a Lego Mindspring robot.  Rather than dictating specific behavior into the software, the program simply fires each neural imulse exactly as a worm's brain would.  The result is remarkably worm-like behavior in Lego form.  While Jeff can't exactly pin down the size of this creation, he is excited about what it means, but Anthony is worried worm-behavior is a low bar for judging artificial brains.

A British performance artist is raising money to live inside the Oculus Rift virtual environment nonstop for 28 days.  He will be connected at all times with another human being - someone he has never met - seeing what he sees, eating what he eats, sleeping and going to the bathroom only when he does.  Jeff and Anthony are fascinated by this idea, but wonder when and how this experience will break down.  Also the puking.  There's got to be a lot of puking.

Scientists have found the most well preserved mammoth ever- so fresh they even took a bite of mammoth meat. Does its DNA contain enough complete information to clone it? If so, should we? What happens if we bring back exctinct species?

Arizona schools are ripping pages about contraception out of text books and Anthony can't believe it.  Jeff tries to figure out the motivation behind such a bonehead move, but both guys can't understand why less knowledge is ever good.  It's enough to make them jump off a roof without an inflatable helmet.

Join us TODAY on our video hangout. Chat with us. Have a beer. Share your concerns. More info on how to join: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Researchers have just created the world's most precise atomic clock- but what do we get out of it? Isn't time just a human construct? What does 'precise' even mean in a universe where time changes depending on where you are? All of this kinda freaks Jeff out. Anthony, for once, isn't too worried about the nature of time.  Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today's story was submitted by Brandt Hughes! If you've seen a story you think we should cover, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com  http://www.npr.org/2014/11/03/361069820/new-clock-may-end-time-as-we-know-it

The Foodini is an example of the new wave of 3D printers for food.  Just fill it with fresh ingredients, and out pops meals like ravioli, pizza, and hamburgers, ready to cook.  Anthony detests the tyranny of food, and doesn't have time for anything that stands in the way of productivity and effeciency.  Jeff, on the other hand, can't wait to eat delicious meals shaped like all sorts of things, and sees a world where design and artful presentation is decoupled from a food's original form. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article submitted by Mike Bienert:  http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/06/tech/innovation/foodini-machine-print-food/index.html?hpt=hp_c4  

Scientists studying the brain's ability to make choices note that the fewer inconsequential decisions you put in front of yourself, the better you'll do when it is time to face a really challenging one.  Armed with that knowledge, many prominent deciders like President Obama and Steve Jobs removed the decision of what to wear from their lives.  They simply wear the same clothes every day.  Anthony and Jeff wonder if wearing a uniform for life might be beneficial, what that outfit might look like, and how comfort fits into the equation. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article submitted by Jason Sapir:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141105164315-283620963-the-genius-of-wearing-the-same-outfit-every-day?_mSplash=1

Jeff is intrigued by an interview he read about Nasa's one and only Planetary Protection Officer.  Her job?  To protect OTHER planets from us and ensure the galaxy isn't contaminated by microbes, particles, or other detritus that might ruin it.  Anthony hopes for the same attention to detail in his own life, and everybody hopes we don't ever accidently create avacado creatures. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article submitted by Tom Snowden:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/meet-nasa-s-one-and-only-planetary-protection-officer/

Park Rangers are asking visitors to state park and forest areas to please stop taking #bearselfies. Anthony and Jeff try to figure out what would possess a person to approach a wild, deadly creature in the woods and snap a pic, decide which type of bears are the most dangerous, and discover the absolute worst clinic to attend when you've been mauled. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article submitted by Ben Rowe:  http://www.weather.com/news/science/nature/stop-taking-bearselfies-park-officials-warn-20141029

Researchers at MIT have developed a new pill that is much more efficient at delivering medicine into the bloodstream.  Instead of a simple spheroid, it is covered in a multitude of tiny spikes, which stick into the stomache lining and ensure the medicine is absorbed rather than passed through the body undigested.   Jeff is fascinated by the evolution of the swallow-able tablet, from its roots thousands of years ago to the more common "friable" form introduced in the 19th century - but Anthony wants no part of swallowing spike-balls.  Beware the Spike Lobby. This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article:  http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/what-happens-to-a-pill-after-you-pop-it/382183/

It's counter-intuative and perplexing, but the truth is, the less human beings know about a particular subject, the more they THINK they know about it.  This has become known as The Dunning-Kruger Effectific. A new article in the Pacific Standard by David Dunning himself attempts to explain this phenomenon of confident idiots.  Jeff and Anthony can relate, and try to come to terms with their own aversion to not knowing.

A new article describes the benefits of long-form reading and suggests that the tactile feedback of printed books results in better retention than e-readers.  While Jeff and Anthony are definitely on board with reading, they challenge the idea that enjoying books on digital screens is any less effective.   This show is entirely listener supported! For early episode, extra clips and bonus content, check out  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Today's story was suggested by Jonathan Smith:  http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-books To suggest a story, email us at wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com