Mark and Toddcast

With the recent spate of Tiny Earthquakes* and subduction activity in the Pacific Northwest, we take a look at some of the different ways volcanic activity still shapes and shifts the earth beneath us. Also:...

The post #40 – Volcanoes Are So Hot Right Now appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

What are “artificial” flavors, and are they different from “natural” flavors? (Short answer: not really.) Taste the rainbow as we explore the science of flavor. Also in this episode: screaming goats, Mark holds coworkers hostage,...

The post #39 – Welcome to Flavor Country appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

The discussion about the power grid and the realities of large-scale EMP weapons is great, but Mark’s surprise story about his experience with a professional cuddler (yes, you read that right) is the best thing...

The post #38 – Come For The Power Grid, Stay For The Cuddles appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

Since made publicly accessible in 2000, GPS has transformed our lives in some surprising ways (and may lead to electrocuting old people who wander too far away). Find out how 33 satellites work together to...

The post #37 – GPS Is Where Its At appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

If time isn’t constant, then what is it? And is traveling through time possible? In this episode we look at the bizarre nature of time, and the ways we currently experience time travel and manipulate...

The post #36 – A Matter of Time appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

How do optical storage formats like CDs and DVDs work? We shed some laser light on the matter in this week’s episode. Also: Todd is in a fog, nerds rend their clothing about “Batman vs....

The post #35 – Optical Storage Is The Pits appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

What meets at the intersection of resonance, oscillation, and the piezoelectric effect? This episode explores how things from electric lighters to the atomic clock keeps ticking. Also: Todd’s over-inflation drama, Mark’s rat infestation, shame-eating and...

The post #34 – A Back-and-Forth About Oscillation appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

Glass is the backbone of the entire modern world, responsible for world-changing revolutions in everything from modern chemistry to yachts to farming to the internet and to the very definition of ourselves. It’s a fascinating...

The post #33 – How Glass Built Humanity appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

Introducing the tardigrade – or “water bear.” A seemingly indestructible little creature, it can’t be frozen or burned or starved or reasoned with, and it’s probably in your backyard (and in space) right now. Also...

The post #32 – Tardigrades – or, “Little Manatees Wearing Terrifying Gas Masks” appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.

Humans rely on herd mentality all the time, but what makes a mob? Why do individuals act so differently in a crowd? And how do we avoid becoming part of madness? Let’s discuss. Also: Todd...

The post # 31 – How (and Why) Mob Mentality Works appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.