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Episode 117 is one of our favorite types: a delightful grab bag of random topics! There's a section all about trends: fashion trends in the chimp community, wellness trends among orca, trends in human coolness over the years; a section about food (talking mushrooms and bitter honey); why deaf people sneeze differently than hearing people; and, of course - chlamydia in koalas.   6 traits of coolness   Chimp fashion trends   Orca wellness trends   Orca present humans with offerings of food   A chlamydia vaccine....for koalas   New flavors of honey   Dogs are good for mental health   A critical age when thinking begins to decline   Can mushrooms actually talk?   Why don't deaf people say "achoo" when sneezing?   Making a big life move

Welcome to Six Degrees of Rumination's "Non-Christmas Christmas episode!"  It's co-host Reno's revenge on co-host Nina and producer Mike, for all the Christmas specials they made him record over the years.  This episode is short and sweet, but spans over thousands of years of history as Reno takes us on a journey from the ancient Mayan pyramids to present day pagan customs.  Also included are the "anti-gift list" and how weird it can be visiting other people's houses.   The earliest winter solstice rituals   Saturnalian traditions   One woman's anti-list for Christmas gifts   Visiting other people can be weird

In a series of unfortunate events, somehow our diabolical producer, Mike, has taken us hostage and forced us to read articles of his choosing.  In this episode we were forced to discuss why Yoga sucks, how your gluten allergy is bullsh*t, and why Vegans are murderers.   Send help...Please....we don't have much time left...   6 degrees episode 115   Mondays are more stressful than other days https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mondays-really-are-more-stressful-on-the-brain-and-body/     Yoga is more dangerous that we thought https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/28/yogamore-dangerous-previously-thought-scientists-say/   Adverse effects of yoga https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6664709/ 9 reasons the art world is unfair https://news.artnet.com/art-world/9-reasons-art-world-is-unfair-1726653 Why is the art world so toxic? https://artofericwayne.com/2018/08/30/runaway-rant-why-is-the-art-world-so-toxic/   Is gluten the villain we think it is? https://nyulangone.org/news/one-third-americans-are-trying-avoid-gluten-it-villain-we-think-it-is The impact of a vegan diet https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10027313/   Plants can smell, and hear, and communicate https://www.gardensillustrated.com/features/plants-communication-research

Welcome to episode 114 with guest Nicole Armour.  So we did not come up with a creative title for this episode - we'd give our eyeteeth for one!  Perhaps it was difficult because the articles this episode really run the gamut.  Join us for a science grab bag of surgical advancements (and surgical setbacks), strange amphibians, lingering human ancestors, and more.     Eyeteeth     Don't have surgery on a Friday     Blood donor     Homo floresiensis human ancestor may be alive     Flat earthers     Decline in teen drug use     Sea turtle bubble butt     Rhinella proboscidea

Enjoy Episode 113 with special guest Nicole Armour! We get into one of our favorite topics: the inner workings of the mind.  Find out how to improve your mood, explore your own brand of spirituality, and prevent brain rot. Oh and also, do dogs actually watch TV when they're hanging out with us?    Prevent brain rot   Exploring your spirituality   How to get caffeine out of your system   Pooping affects performance   Why you might not want to pluck or wax your nose hair   Improve your mood   Can dogs watch TV

Welcome to our last episode of 2024! Episode 112, "Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!" is, be warned, one of our longest episodes. So settle in, hopefully as you're starting a long drive to friends or family for the holidays, and prepare to be entertained with an all out throw down on socio-psychological-cultural-conspiracy theory issues, from chemtrails to astrology to coin tosses to artificial intelligence, and then perhaps the ultimate question of our time: who are metal guitarists trying to impress?       Chemtrails https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/31/chemtrails-tennessee-bill-conspiracy-theory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other   Lead exposure if you’re born before 1996 https://scitechdaily.com/born-before-1996-according-to-scientists-leaded-gas-may-have-permanently-altered-your-personality/   Urgency culture https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/urgency-culture-burnout?cmpid=org%3Dngp%3A%3Amc%3Dsocial%3A%3Asrc%3Dinstagram%3A%3Acmp%3Deditorial%3A%3Aadd%3Dig20240416science-urgencyculturegatedhedcard&linkId=399615453   How to appear more likable in social situations https://www.iflscience.com/psychology-study-reveals-trick-for-appearing-more-likeable-in-social-situations-77165   Metal guitarists may just be impressing other dudes https://www.psypost.org/extreme-metal-guitar-skills-linked-to-intrasexual-competition-but-not-mating-success/   AI Granny https://www.npr.org/2024/12/10/nx-s1-5220362/daisy-ai-granny-o2-fraud-spam-prevention     Can you tell an AI face from a human one? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones?   (Test):  https://www.whichfaceisreal.com/   Astrologists maybe can’t do astrology either https://www.iflscience.com/astrologists-are-overly-confident-and-terrible-at-astrology-study-finds-75562?   (Test): https://programs.clearerthinking.org/astrology_challenge.html?_gl=1%2Az4wyvq%2A_ga%2AMTA5MjA3NjA4OC4xNzIzNDYyNzQ2%2A_ga_58RPQ2D860%2AMTcyMzY0NzE2OC4zLjEuMTcyMzY0NzE4OC40MC4wLjA     Coin flips: 50/50 or not? https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-tossed-350757-coins-and-proved-coin-flips-are-not-5050-77192   Double uterus https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/alabama-double-uterus-twins-delivery?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other   Robotaxi fails https://futurism.com/the-byte/robotaxis-gather-honk-all-night   Nature alters time https://www.sciencealert.com/being-in-nature-has-a-profound-effect-on-how-you-experience-time?   Neanderthals may have been early risers https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/early-risers-neanderthal-dna-scn/index.html?   Fossilized dinosaur poop https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/nx-s1-5206634/fossilized-poops-show-how-dinosaurs-came-rule-earth

Welcome to episode 111, after about a year's hiatus! "Animus Prime - who let Mike out of the basement?" is filled with wacky animal stories, as our episodes are prone to do.  Albatrosses, dragons, and military dolphins are just some of the friends we encounter in our second to last episode of 2024.     Giant sperm found trapped in amber https://archaeology-world.com/100-million-year-old-giant-sperm-found-trapped-in-amber/?       Ancient dragon https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-dragon-unearthed-in-japan-is-unlike-anything-weve-ever-seen     Nuclear codes https://www.iflscience.com/your-password-may-be-stronger-than-us-nuclear-codes-during-the-cold-war-77173     Military dolphins https://www.iflscience.com/military-dolphins-still-protect-around-a-quarter-of-the-uss-nuclear-arsenal-77088     Orcas attacking boats https://newatlas.com/biology/orcas-killer-whales-boats/     Cocaine pollution in the ocean https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cocaine-sharks-brazil-pollution-contaminated-water       Slingshot spiders https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5214779/slingshot-spiders-rely-on-good-vibrations-to-catch-supper     Robot mushroom https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/robot-mushroom-biohybrid-robotics-cornell-b2610411.html     Stop planting trees https://www.wired.com/story/stop-planting-trees-thomas-crowther/?     Don’t plant trees in the wrong places https://www.sciencealert.com/study-planting-trees-in-wrong-places-actually-boosts-global-warming   Wisdom the albatross https://www.npr.org/2024/12/06/nx-s1-5220094/shes-74-and-expecting-wisdom-the-albatross-astounds-once-again

Welcome to Episode 110 and a whole new year!  But wait, before you forget about 2023 completely, we ask that if you have not yet listened to Episode 109 (air date 12/20/23), go back and do so before enjoying Episode 110.  There are lessons to be learned before you delve further into the holy terror that is AI....   Elongated skulls in Rome https://www.iflscience.com/cemetery-full-of-deformed-long-skulls-reveals-the-chaos-after-the-fall-of-rome-55862   The Mandela Effect https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/unserious-psychology/202312/the-psychology-behind-the-mandela-effect     Theta waves https://singularityhub.com/2023/07/23/scientists-found-the-source-of-a-key-brain-wave-for-memory-and-creativity/     Shape of the brain https://scitechdaily.com/century-old-paradigm-overturned-brain-shape-matters-more-than-neural-connectivity/     AI scores in top percentile for creative thinking https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/ai-scores-in-the-top-percentile-of-creative-thinking-214895     AI can read your thoughts https://www.iflscience.com/ai-brain-activity-decoder-can-translate-thoughts-into-written-words-68686     A breakthrough in understanding whale language https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a35kp/scientists-have-reported-a-breakthrough-in-understanding-whale-language     AI lie detector https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/ai-lie-detector#Echobox=1680279620   AI faces perceived as more real than human ones https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones

Producer Mike LOSES HIS MIND and treats us to his best rant ever.  Enjoy Episode 109 during your holiday travels or when you want to escape familial joy for a bit and indulge in some sarcasm.  We cover hibernation, 3D printing (food and otherwise), caffeine intake, and of course - artificial intelligence.   Hibernation for space travel https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/25/hibernation-artificially-triggered-in-potential-space-travel-breakthrough?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Astronauts going to Mars should be all women https://www.iflscience.com/astronauts-going-to-mars-should-be-only-women-its-basic-science-68736     Are AI relationships cheating? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/15/a-bot-on-the-side-is-it-adultery-if-you-with-an-ai-companion?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Human skin 3D printing https://www.iflscience.com/we-built-a-human-skin-printer-from-lego-and-we-want-every-lab-to-use-our-blueprint-68664     3D printed cheesecakes https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-create-3d-printed-cheesecakes-cooked-to-perfection-with-lasers-68071     How much caffeine is too much? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-caffeine-is-too-much/     Optimism affects decision making https://neurosciencenews.com/optimism-cognition-decision-making-25307/   Dinosaur legs on chickens https://www.iflscience.com/dinosaur-legs-grown-genetically-modified-chickens-world-first-34465

It's Episode 108! We're glad to be back after such a long time away. What better way to say hello to you all again than with weird animal articles? Some of our favorites!  Hear about reanimated pigs, what snakes have that some humans also have, and how monkeys have made wolves do their bidding. Oh, and dolphins make an appearance, of course.   Snakes have clitorises   https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scientists-snakes-clitorises-evolution   Dolphins and snakes   https://www.businessinsider.com/dolphins-seen-playing-with-anaconda-while-sexually-aroused-study-2022-5   Monkeys have domesticated wolves   https://www.zmescience.com/science/monkeys-and-wolves-domestication-423/       The hidden language of chimpanzees   https://www.sciencealert.com/thousands-of-recordings-of-chimpanzees-reveal-a-hidden-language-we-never-knew-about     AI talking to animals   https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/31/can-artificial-intelligence-really-help-us-talk-to-the-animals?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other     Plants make noise   https://www.sciencealert.com/plants-really-do-scream-out-loud-we-just-never-heard-it-until-now       Mass of humans vs animals in the world   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/18/a-wake-up-call-total-weight-of-wild-mammals-less-than-10-of-humanitys?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other       Reanimated pigs   https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/zombie-pigs-brainex/#Echobox=1646437812-1

Welcome to Episode 107, a delightful romp about the psychology of being human.  We're glad to be back after a long and sort of accidental hiatus.  Join us for this semi-focused discussion on all things psychology, like analyzing stress through typing patterns and the particular strategies of raising a genius. Also covered are ketamine spas, mystical thinking vs. psychosis, and lots and lots of brain stuff.   You’re probably using these psychological terms wrong   https://lifehacker.com/youre-probably-using-these-psychological-terms-wrong-on-1848582251     Identifying stress through typing   https://www.iflscience.com/how-you-use-your-mouse-or-type-says-a-lot-about-your-stress-levels-at-work-68444     AI reads emotions with radio signals   https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-emotions-radio-signals   How to raise a genius   https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/how-to-raise-genius-kids/#Echobox=1652422457     Creative brains   https://neurosciencenews.com/creativity-connectivity-20274/   Mystical or psychosis?   https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2022/03/03/are-mystical-experiences-a-sign-of-a-healthy-mind/?sh=35d87921f89d     Presence, not impostor sydrome   https://www.forbes.com/sites/lidijaglobokar/2022/03/08/meet-presence-your-antidote-to-the-impostor-syndrome/?sh=36033e93c4cd     Types of sleep patterns   https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-split-up-adult-sleep-into-16-distinct-types     Ketamine spas   https://apple.news/A5tNvzsdJSHSzTQpvbMHxsA https://apple.news/A5tNvzsdJSHSzTQpvbMHxsA     Situationships   https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/here-s-why-ending-a-situationship-may-be-harder-than-a-relationship-breakup/ar-AA1abTIm

Episode 106 - Big Questions, Little Answers In this episode, we explore the macro "why"s: why are we here, what entity or unseen force made this universe we live in, why are there so many mysteries surrounding our earth and the space around it?  These "why"s don't always have concrete answers, but we found a few!   Where are we relative to the Big Bang?   Our sun used to have a twin   The first spacecraft to touch the sun   The Earth is pulsing every 26 seconds - no one agrees why   Balloon borne telescope     Dark matter radio   Dark matter bridges   Are black holes holograms?   Two massive black holes will merge in 10,000 years

Episode 105 - Life and Living in Space Ever wondered about the day to day ins and outs of living in space?  How does the altered environment affect your bodily functions, daily routine, and mental state? You might be surprised by some of the answers...     Collaboration with aliens   Precursor to life   Red blood cell loss in space   9 reasons sex in space is difficult   Peeing and pooping in space   Affordable housing in space   ISS to break down   Russia threatens that ISS will drop if sanctions continue   Would NASA warn us if an asteroid were about to wipe us out?   Maybe octopuses came from space   World’s first skyscraper to hang from asteroid

It's official - society has reached that terrifying point where technology knows more about you than your own family.  Hooray! Welcome to a world of brain implants, AI turning your thoughts into texts, legislation for sexbots, and, of course - a toilet that recognizes you by your...well, we don't want to give everything away. But don't be afraid! Technology can be good, too.  Technology is your friend...with technology, the sky (net) is the limit.     Redefining life     Xenobots     Tesla bot to take over boring work     Writing laws for sexbots     Brain implant turns thoughts into text     Toilets that identify their users

It's the mammals episode!  From humans lucid dreaming to camel beauty contests, in this episode you'll hear everything you wanted to know about mammals - and maybe a bit more.     Mammals dream before birth     How to Lucid Dream     Analyzing the construction of spiderwebs     Octopuses classified as sentient beings     Octopuses grow extra organs - then they disappear     Squirrels have distinct personalities     Cats have 7 distinguishable personality traits     Cats can track you so watch out   Flesh eating plants - a 12th one found!   Camel beauty contests crack down on Botox