Mark and Toddcast

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!

This week we give into good ole' self-indulgence, as Mark recounts his recent trip to Beijing and Shanghai, China, and Todd recounts his soft spot for Madonna, who turned 60 recently. We also catch up on some news and other things we've missed being gone for the past few weeks. News: Lloyd Center officially gets a LiveNation venue, Google still tracking you, the tale of the orca mom and her dead calf, a lonely dolphin just wants to fit in, and which prescribed medication will give you a flesh-eating genital infection? You may be taking it right now. I mean, probably not, but maybe. Enjoy!

This week we're joined by special guest Wayne Schwind, chemical engineer and owner of Periodic Edibles, and host of the Periodic Effects Podcast, who talks all about the science, medical, and social aspects of cannabis and the emerging industry of cannabis products and legalization. Also: Portland's latest protest, more NECCO candy drama, Google's censored Chinese search engine, the amazing book "Stuff Matters," and Todd's vacation travel thoughts. Enjoy!

Emmy Noether (1882-1935) was a mathematician in algebra and theoretical physics that Einstein himself called an inspiration and genius. The Noether Theorem helped make sense of things that science just couldn't make sense of, and led to huge advancements in math and science. Find out all about her this week! Also, the Unipiper calls in to talk Best Celebrity, Best Podcast, and other great Portland news! News: Are "laser AK-47s" real?, US weapons show up on dark web, the Great Plastic Straw Debate continues, Kah-Nee-Tah resort to close, oldest human tools found, a vaping pilot causes airplane to plunge 25,000 ft., and a woman has a tapeworm in her spine. Enjoy!

This week we take a look at an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks who died of cancer in 1951 at the age of 31. Unbeknownst to her or her family, her cancer cells were taken and discovered to be "immortal"- which led to breakthroughs in the study of polio, herpes, leukemia, influenza, hemophilia, Parkinson's disease, cancer, AIDS, cloning, and in vitro fertilization, and more. It's a fascinating look at where ethics meet science. Also: Boyd Coffee Company is sold, Multnomah Falls bridge back open, Disney's "stunt robots," crows reverse-engineer tools from memory, RIP Route 66?, and the FDA approves the first drug derived from marijuana. Enjoy, and happy 4th of July!

Synesthesia is a term for when a person's sensory inputs get crossed; it may cause them to see numbers as colors, or colors as tastes, or any number of different sensory combinations. Join us this week as we explore this fascinating condition! Also: Jerry Springer signs off, Koko the gorilla dies, Porltand's upcoming traffic hell-scape, roller derby talk, and more!