Mark and Toddcast

We're back with a super-sized episode as we catch up with two weeks' worth of news, more Chinese presents for Todd's birthday, and Mark's recent trip. And that's before we get to the current state of 3D printing! In the news: Polar Vortex kills stinkbugs (hopefully), the Navy's room-temperature superconductor, YouTube demonetizes anti-vaxx channels, humpback whale in the Amazon jungle, a llama on the MAX, the science of "Dad Jokes," and the world's quietest room will drive you crazy in just 45 minutes. Enjoy!

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About 90% of all media in America is owned by just 5 companies. Who are they, and how did we get here? And join us for the best show-and-tell we've had in a long time! News stories: Portland's "Big Pipe" a success, Amazon pays $0 taxes (again), the Opportunity Rover dies, Eastern Washington storm kills 1,500 cows, Bridgeport Brewing closes, and "Acquired Savant Syndrome. Give us a spin!

Waiting is the hardest part, but sometimes it can be the best part. Brian "The Unipiper" joins Todd to talk bout the pop culture milestones of anticipation they remember throughout their lives. In the news: Dwarf tossing ban, $190M in crytocurrency lost, Verizon throttles the fire department, DNA testing companies and the FBI, and Bruce Wayne is born at the Portland zoo!

We're back with a boatload of news stories, and Round #3 of "WikiWar," where Mark and Todd go head-to-head to see who pulled the most interesting short articles from Wikipedia - with special guest judge Nick! Also: No Sweetheart Hearts, Anti-Vaccination and measles breakout, earth's magnetic field going crazy, dwarf tossing ban in Washington State, and a good boy runs a half marathon. Enjoy!

We're finally back! And we recorded an extra long, extra fantastic, extra perfect episode...........that Todd lost the second half of because he pressed the wrong button on the recorder, so now there's only 45 minutes of the show still in tact. But that 45 minutes is a great catch-up of stories from the past month that we've been away. It's great to be back behind the mics again - and we're looking forward to another great year! Thanks for listening!

Ask any parent, grandparent, teacher, babysitter, person with eyes: when a child eats too much sugar, they go bananas with hyperactivity. It's obvious -- literally the one thing everybody agrees with. Except it's just not true. There is no scientific evidence - and never has been - that kids who eat too much sugar behave any differently afterwards than if they had no sugar. So what's going on? How could this universal "truth" be, well, untrue? Hear the evidence on this week's episode. Also: Steel making videos, a billion seconds, surface temperature thermometers, China rewards and punishes citizens based on "merit," wombat faeces, peanut allergy treatment, NY pays Amazon $48,000 per job, and the Art Institute of Chicago releases high-res art for free. Enjoy this week's episode with a nice warm cup of sugar!

In the West, we tend to think of albinism with a low-grade curiosity at most, but in East Africa, being an albino means a lower lifespan due to skin cancer at best, and being hunted and slaughtered for your body parts at worst. This week we welcome Dan Holcomb of Lahash International to talk about the culture of albinism in countries like Tanzania. This week's news: Portland Podcast Festival round up!, the history of "Baby Shark," exciting new cheese news, Red Dead Redemption, Lou Dobbs's diction, Apple's laptop mic, Wapato Jail to be demolished, China goes to the moon, redefining the kilogram, and more! Enjoy!

This week we experiment with a very interesting type of metal called Nitinol, which has the ability to "remember" its shape and instantly return to it after being bent. Does our experiment work? Find out! Plus, a huge pile of news, including: YouTube rabbit holes, psychic gets busted, older people worse at telling news fact from opinion, parking fines at the Goonies house, Nebraska's new tourism slogan, Net Neutrality controversy update, and the "Be My Eyes" app.

You've seen them seemingly everywhere: the gross, dime-sized, shield-shaped "Hummer of the insect world," otherwise knows as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. And it's not your imagination - they've invaded the US in staggering numbers, are causing hundreds of millions of dollars in agricultural damages, and are disgusting, smelly house guests. Learn their surprising history, and why they're different than most pest insects. Plus, the Unipiper is back! Also in the news: Mark gets married and visits a train museum, Banksy shreds, Will Vinton passes away, Oregon cell phone/driving law, space net captures space garbage, teenagers survives 49 days at sea, e-scooter injuries, LHC discovery could "break all of science," the Presidential text, and Pharaoh comes to Portland. Enjoy!

This week we take a look at a forgotten Portland icon named Marie Equi, a fiercely independent Oregon physician who was engaged in the political turmoil and social change of the late 19th and early 20th century. It's a fascinating story. Also: FCC lies, probiotics are useless, SpaceX's space customer (and Elon's sanity), airport security bins, California launching weather rockets, WalMart is listening, solar observatory mysteriously evacuated, Christopher Nolan takes a stand against crappy TV settings, and local hero solves the problem of teenagers on his lawn. Enjoy!