We Have Concerns

If humanity is to successfully colonize the lunar surface, we will have to bring other animals with us. Which species are essential to create a thriving ecosystem? Which should arrive first? Anthony and Jeff discuss the factors involved in deciding which kinds of creatures will join us on the moon.

It is the 200th anniversary of the first dinosaur discovery, so Jeff and Anthony dig into the story of finding fossils and naming them. It leads them to the wild story of William Buckland, the man who coined the term Megalosaurus, in 1824. If you think you know dinosaurs, you may be shocked by how they entered popular culture.

A pair of recent studies suggest that the act of putting pen or pencil to paper increases brain activity and retention when compared to typing words into a computer. Anthony and Jeff discuss living a papered life, and whether taking physical notes is worth the increase in learning.

Statistics are amazing things. This week, Anthony and Jeff dig into the data around death to determine the most likely month and day that people all around the world will meet their end.

In 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services—now the CIA—published the "Simple Sabotage Field Manual," a top secret guide teaching the average citizen how to cause problems to any organization. Jeff and Anthony step through the instructions and marvel at how a by-gone era's tactics for creating chaos sound all-too similar to the everyday experience of daily life today.

In a new study by Harvard scientists, researchers have found that healing happens faster when the person involved thinks that time is progressing more quickly than it actually is. Jeff and Anthony discuss Mind/Body Unity, and what to do with all of the evidence that suggests we can control our physiology if we just believe.

Your average indoor/outdoor domestic cat is responsible for the destruction of other animal species on a scale that boggles the mind. Anthony and Jeff take a look at the data, and discuss why one cute, cudly pet might just be more than the planet can handle.

A new study breaks down comedy into specific types, and correlates those types of humor with mood and personality. Anthony and Jeff take a look at what their jokes might be saying about them.

New research has found that while people are often concerned that turning down an invitation will upset the inviter, and lead to fewer invitations in the future, their fears tend to be exaggerated. Jeff and Anthony dig into the five=part hard-hitting study of party invites!

When did ancient humans start wearing clothes? It is a trickier question than you might think, and one that researchers have used some very interesting ways to try to answer. Jeff and Anthony discuss clothing, it's origins and evolution.

We've heard processed foods are bad for us. But what does that mean exactly? And are they actually more desirable than whole foods? Anthony and Jeff take a look at a new study that claims to answer that question, but raises questions of its own.

Ancient legends, comic book sagas and blockbuster movies alike share a storytelling blueprint called “the hero’s journey.” This timeless narrative structure was first described by mythologist Joseph Campbell in 1949, but could it help you, today? Jeff and Anthony discuss new research that suggests simply "restorying" your own life into a hero's journey could have profound effects.

The Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University, Denmark studies the effects - good and bad - of fear on the human psyche. In a recent experiment, two volunteers in Sweden shared their worst fears to the scientists, who then recreated them in an amusement park in Sweden. Anthony and Jeff discuss The Peak Fear Experiment, and whether this type of research is worthwhile or just good branding.

Lunar colonization faces many potential problems, not the least of which is the fact that landing and moving around on the moon kicks up lots of dust and dirt that can wreak havoc on equipment. One solution is to pave roads and landing pads on the surface before settling begins, and the European Space Agency has a plan to do just that. Jeff and Anthony discuss the ingenious method devised to make the process efficient and effective.

A common trope in evolutionary anthropology is the notion of the male as hunter and the female as gatherer. But was this binary division of labor actually in place among developing cultures? New research challenges this all too accepted belief, and forces Anthony and Jeff to reexamine one of science's most common misconceptions.

Newly published research represents “a fantastic step forward” for understanding the neural basis of play and laughter in mammals. That research involves tickling rats and playing games with them, and may reveal where in the brain play is localized. Jeff and Anthony are tickled to see it, and discuss their own thoughts on rodent play.

Researchers at CU Boulder analyzed more than 130 traits, including millions of couples over more than a century, to determine whether opposite kinds of people are actually attracted to one another. Anthony and Jeff delve into the data and compare it to their own experience as an odd couple themselves.

Exactly how our taste buds sense saltiness is a mystery, and researchers haven’t deciphered all of the details yet. In fact, the more they look at salt sensation, the weirder it gets. Jeff and Anthony get their licks in, working through everything that is known - and unknown - about tasting salt.

With calorie limiting diet fads like intermittent fasting spreading in popularity on the Internet, researchers have started looking into the effects that not eating has, not just on the body, but on the mood. Anthony and Jeff take a look at the data to determine whether skipping meals is really worth it.

Climate change is having all sorts of unexpected side-effects. One of which has been recorded over the last 14 years by Pesky Pete of Pesky Pete's Poison Ivy Removal. It turns out, poison Ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac love warmer climates and higher carbon dioxide, and have been growing bigger, faster and itchier than ever before. Jeff and Anthony pull out the calamine lotion to discuss this disturbing phenomenon.

Gallup Polls, famous for its political odds-making every election cycle, has released a new poll that attempts to draw correlation between general happiness and certain everyday activities - like saying hello to your neighbors. As Anthony and Jeff dig into the data, however, it reveals the way polling can seemingly justify misleading conclusions.

An enormous new publicly available dataset containing over 1,300 studies of millions of people from across the world, establishes reliable relationships between personality traits and cognitive abilities. Jeff and Anthony dig into this vast amount of information to see if our assumptions about the relationship between intelligence and personality are true.

A French company has developed a new way to pull cargo ships using a kite, which it says could help reduce their fuel consumption and cut their carbon emissions by an average of 20%. Jeff and Anthony examine the details of this wild approach to determine if this could really change the greenhouse impact of global shipping.

In 1948, environmentalists actually used parachutes to relocate beavers into their natural habitat in Idaho, hoping to encourage their numbers to increase. Anthony and Jeff discuss the novel method of moving species in and out of different environment, and whether its wise to be altering nature in this was at all.

Scientists in Russia have thawed worms trapped in the Siberian Permafrost 46,000 years ago and found that the creatures returned to normal activity. Could their ability to survive in a state of suspended animation offer clues for humans to survive extreme, inhospitable conditions? Anthony and Jeff talk about what the permafrost gives and what it could take away from the future of humanity.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the idea that the least skilled people overestimate their abilities more than anyone else. But a new study suggests that the mathematical approach used to show this effect may be incorrect. Jeff and Anthony discuss one of the most often cited psychological papers of all time and why it might not say what we all think it says.

According to a new study, napping appears to be associated with a larger brain volume in adults, raising the possibility that it could offer some protection against neurodegeneration. Anthony and Jeff are big fans of naps, and discuss all the ways we need to rethink our society to make them more acceptable.

According to a new study, it's now possible to sift scraps of human DNA out of the air, water, or soil and decipher personal details about the individuals who dropped them. Jeff and Anthony take a look at the technology that makes this possible, and sort through the ramifications.

When a cycling accident left Gert-Jan Oskam paralyzed after his spinal cord was damaged in his neck, few believed he would ever walk again. But a new device has created a digital bridge between his brain and the nerves below his injury, allowing him to control his legs again. Anthony and Jeff discuss the breakthroughs that make this possible and what it could mean for the future.

A team of engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown that nearly any material can be turned into a device that continuously harvests electricity from humidity in the air. Jeff and Anthony think this could be a paradigm-shifting breakthrough, and discuss how it is being done and why it might change everything.

US health officials have approved the first pill made from healthy bacteria found in human waste to fight dangerous gut infections – an easier way of performing fecal transplants. Anthony and Jeff talk about how the poop pill might change the world, and the mega corporation that could make it palatable.

A study was published in Nature examining communication among chimpanzees. It found that chimps use "words," and can combine the words into "syntactic-like structures," the beginnings of phrases and sentences. Jeff and Anthony dig into how the researchers came to this conclusion, and discuss how this might alter their perception of primates.

By combining fMRI brain imaging with an AI predictive text system, researchers have demonstrated a process that is akin to mind reading. Anthony and Jeff discuss the methodology and ramifications of such a system, and decide whether they'd sign up for a COU mind-meld.

A Spanish extreme athlete has emerged from a cave after spending 500 days with no human contact, in what could be a world record. Jeff and Anthony discuss what went into the feat, and whether it qualifies for Chronicles of a Badass!

An Australian company revealed a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct mammoth. Anthony and Jeff decide whether they'd eat such a thing, and dig into the real purpose behind this headline grabbing stunt - to fire up public debate about sustainability

A new study suggests that Future Oriented People - those you act in ways that affect their future states, rather than their current well-being - are happier, more at peace, and better able to sleep at night. Anthony and Jeff analyze this notion and compare it to their own experiences as... well, as people who don't generally live like that.

Scientists from the University of Manchester have created a new building material dubbed ‘StarCrete’ that could be the key to settling Mars and the Moon. Jeff and Anthony discuss the amazing breakthrough, and the dark road to its discovery.

An international team of researchers has done a global analysis on the potential of floating solar panels, and the results are striking. Jeff and Anthony discuss the feasibility of using reservoirs to harness solar energy, and why more countries aren't doing it.

Back in 2003, an artists collective calling themselves the Tummerkind moved into a gap between stores in a shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. Over the next few years, they lived rent free in that very public space, unbeknownst to the shoppers and retailer alike. Anthony is fascinated with this story and presents it to Jeff as a Chronicle of a Badass. Do you agree?

How much do all the wild mammals that roam the Earth weigh? Which wild mammal accounts for the most cumulative weight? Does any of this matter? Jeff and Anthony look at a remarkable project attempting to quantify the weight of biomass on Earth to see how measuring something seemingly unmeasurable can actually make the human impact on the planet clearer.

The Fermi Paradox is the story that started We Have Concerns, and Anthony and Jeff return to the topic this week. There is new research that might explain why we haven't seen evidence of alien life in the universe, and it's shockingly simple.

Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. Could this be the natural remedy that saves humanity from itself? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the ramifications - and challenges - of this discovery. THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED IN OCTOBER. ANTHONY DID NOT GET HIT BY ANOTHER TRUCK

With unlimited funds and intense commitment, is it possible for a 45 year old to have the body of an 18 year old? That is what tech billionaire Bryan Johnson is finding out with his Project Blueprint, an extreme organ-by-organ regimen he and his team of 30 doctors have created. Jeff and Anthony step through the process to determine is Johnson is a pioneer or a Dracula.

Mainstream news has picked up on a report that the molten core of the Earth has stopped spinning, and, in fact, might reverse direction. This has led to wild speculation and dire predictions. Anthony and Jeff dig a bit deeper themselves, and get to the core of the matter - the poor job of reporting the actual science of this discovery.

It is a simple question that requires some pretty complicated investigation. Calculating the number of people who have ever lived since the dawn of humanity is part science and part art. Jeff and Anthony dig in to the fascinating process by which scientists have come up with a pretty definitive answer. Are you able to guess it?

Sometimes, when something seems obvious, science still needs to confirm it. This week, Anthony and Jeff take a look at a trio of stories that may seem not to require investigation, but reveal interesting subtleties upon further study. First up, a look at how working fewer hours may lead to happiness. Then, a report on how and why Americans are having fewer children. And finally, a report that shows acts of kindness are actually therapeutic.

Inside a building in Minneapolis, there is a room so quiet that people believe an hour inside will drive anyone mad. It is so quiet, they say, that you will hear the sound of your own internal organs. A writer from the New York Times recently decided to put that claim to the test by breaking the record for the longest stay inside. Jeff and Anthony look at the history of anechoic chambers, and decide how long they could last in the deafening silence.

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford has found via experimentation that goldfish use markings on the floor below them to measure how far they have traveled. The study disproves the long-held belief goldfish have little or no memory. Anthony and Jeff talk about what this means for goldfish reputations, worldwide, and other animals who fight with unfair stigmas.

Scientists have known that mosquitos are drawn to people at varying rates, but they have struggled to explain what makes certain people “mosquito magnets” while others get off bite-free. In a new paper published in the journal Cell, researchers suggest that certain body odors are the deciding factor. Jeff and Anthony draw out as much wisdom as they can from this vein, sucking every last morsel of insight.

The idea that cannabis enhances creativity has permeated pop culture. Although recreational cannabis use is currently only legal in a handful of countries and U.S. states, it has become increasingly common for artists, business leaders, and other celebrities to suggest that marijuana has aided in their creative pursuits. But does pot actually make you more creative? Or does it just make you think you’re being more creative? Anthony and Jeff take a look at a new study that aims to answer that question. And the results may surprise you.

Established in 1991, the Ig Nobels are a good-natured parody of the Nobel Prizes; they honor "achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think" - a designation that Jeff and Anthony think applies to We Have Concerns as well. So each year, the guys take a look at their favorite award winners. This year, scorpion constipation, frustrating legal jargon, ancient Mayan enemas, and more!

Burning tons of jet fuel to propel objects out of Earth's atmosphere and into orbit is an expensive, environmentally damage prospect. One company in California is deleoping an alternative. SpinLaunch just completed their 10th test launch, literally throwing satellites thousands of kilometers up into the air. Jeff and Anthony dig into the engineering challenges - and pure audacity - of such an endeavor... and they come away very impressed.

From the slime coating slugs to the saliva in our mouths, many slippery bodily fluids contain mucus. So how did this biological feature evolve? A new study sheds light on a very unexpected origin for mucins in mammals. Jeff and Anthony slide right into the topic, and are surprised how sticky the topic can be.

Researchers at NASA have been holding on to astronaut blood for 20 years. But that's not the story. The story is that over that period, the blood has been mutating. Anthony and Jeff discuss this new wrinkle in the dangers of space travel - and space colonization - and how some very smart people are thinking about it.

A new study has found that storing important information in a digital device frees up the mind to remember other, less important details — which otherwise would be crowded out by the important stuff. It suggests that tech might be improving our memories, contrary to the popular notion that tech is giving us all “digital dementia.” Anthony and Jeff discuss whether this data changes their opinions about how devices are impacting human memory, and how new technology can make things even better.

Scientists are innovating in the field of Sensory Substitution, using one sense to compensate for an impairment in another. Jeff and Anthony discuss a new study that uses a device called BrainPort to convey visual information to the tongue, in conjunction with audio signals. Could it be an inexpensive alternative to retinal implants?

Rice University mechanical engineers are showing how to repurpose deceased spiders as mechanical grippers that can blend into natural environments while picking up objects, like other insects, that outweigh them. Anthony and Jeff discuss the merits of using spider corpses as engineering materials.

How much of our daily lives are lived out of habit? How can habits shape our behavior in positive ways? Anthony and Jeff take a look at new research that suggests habitual action has a much larger role to play in human life than previously thought. Then, how for would you go to talk to your imaginary friend? One Youtuber decided to use some pretty slick technology to do just that, but the results are surprising. Jeff and Anthony step through the story of AI gone frighteningly wrong.

It's the 700th episode of We Have Concerns and Anthony and Jeff have pulled out absolutely zero stops! Star-studded? Nah. Pomp and circumstance? Eh. Instead, the 700th episode of this award-winning science podcast focuses on new research into the tiny creatures that live on your face. That's right! We all have little monsters living in our face pores, and now we know they have anuses! For pooping! So it looks like the 700th episode is pretty special, after all.

Can humans reach new planets by hibernating during the trip? A new study on hibernation reveals how the benefits of torpor don't scale with size, and Jeff and Anthony debate the science of human hibernation. Then, what does it take to accurately measure a second? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the effort to redefine the unit of measure that relates to all others.

In light of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Anthony and Jeff thought it worthwhile to revisit this episode of We Have Concerns from August, 2015. In it, special guest Brock Wilbur relates his experience volunteering at Planned Parenthood. Brock gives a powerful first hand account of the people affected by the court's decision, and Jeff and Anthony are proud to be able to help share Brock's story. Brock Wilbur is a stand-up comic and writer, and the co-host of the Caring into the Void podcast, which you can find anywhere you get podcasts.

Blake Lemoine, an engineer for Google’s responsible AI organization, described the LaMDA system he has been working on since last fall as sentient, with a perception of, and ability to express thoughts and feelings that was equivalent to a human child. In an extended discussion, Anthony and Jeff step through this fascinating story. Is it possible that this chatbot has achieved personhood, or is it merely an illusion?

Robert “Robby” Silk, 49, has pioneered the sport of competitive chair-sitting, an endurance activity that involves sitting in extreme environments, from sun-up to sundown without any sort of time pieces or electronic devices. Jeff and Anthony discuss whether this trailblazing behavior makes him a badass. Then, is the infamous "Trolley Problem" considered differently by different cultures around the world? A group of researchers decided to find out, and Anthony and Jeff take a look at the results.

Researchers have developed a magnetic slime "robot" that can shift into different shapes to grab objects. It may be used to operate inside humans without the need for surgery. Anthony and Jeff discuss the notion of swallowing the magnetic slime, and the future of soft robots. Then, the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl has given birth to a new type of slime that thrives in radioactive environments. Scientists hope it may be a biological key to creating ways for humans to survive in deep space. Jeff and Anthony talk about how sometimes awful events can reveal useful information.

Words have power - and maybe swear words have the most power. Jeff and Anthony take a look at the data that suggest the best reasons and ways to curse your @$! off. Then, a group of researchers set out to find the most boring person in the world. What makes a person boring? Anthony and Jeff debate the dull.

One of the Apollo 14 astronauts took a bag of tree seeds to the moon. A few years after the astronauts returned home, some of the seeds were planted across the United States... and then forgotten. Anthony and Jeff discuss the effort to track down these Moon Trees, and if they really mean something. Then, researchers have directly observed what happens inside the brain of a zebra fish when it is being traumatized. Jeff and Anthony talk about what this breakthrough means, and how exactly the scientists traumatized those fish.

What is the hardest wood in the world? A simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. Jeff and Anthony take a look at all the factors. Then, is there a tie between ADHD diagnosis and a propensity to collect or horde objects? Anthony and Jeff review a new study that answers that very question.

Researchers in Australia have been trying to track magpies using tiny, featherweight transmitters, but the birds have banded together to escape the magnetic backpacks that house the signal. This kind of cooperation has never been observed among this species and it raises a whole bunch of new questions. Anthony and Jeff take a look at those wily birds, and what this could mean for their incessant pranks. Then, new analysis of a dagger found in King Tut's tomb reveal that it is made out of iron from a meteorite. Jeff and Anthony step through the incredible process used to make that discovery.

Of the classic five categories of taste, sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, only one of them has no discernible evolutionary purpose. Scientists do not understand why we even sense sour, let alone why it is so pervasive across species. Jeff and Anthony look at the evidence and consider the most prominent theories. Then, what if having a touch time remembering something isn't a bug, but a feature? Anthony and Jeff examine a new paper that suggests that out brain is optimizing for success when it limits recall.

Researchers recently witnessed a spider shuttling a droplet of water from a small pond up into its web. They suspect the spider was using the droplet to rehydrate its food, behavior they've never before seen in spiders. Jeff and Anthony discuss food prep in the animal kingdom and why this is so rare. Then, can the natural world be expressed in music? Scientists are applying tonal variations to naturally occurring data to listen to the music of nature. Anthony and Jeff sample the sounds and decide if this is a worthwhile pursuit.

A 23 year-old man has been experiencing constant deja vu for seven years. What would it be like to have the feeling that everything you experienced has happened before? Powerful? Boring? Maddening? Powerful? Boring? Maddening? (see what I did there?)

A new study finds that men who interact with women during the fertile period of their menstrual cycle tend to be more creative with their grammar. Anthony is impressed that human "peacocking" extends into speech patterns, while Jeff is just amazed that men can pick up on when women are most fertile.

Anthony found an article outlining the evidence that Earth is headed for its 6th great extinction event. Animals going extinct, global food tables imbalanced, resource scarcity, all lead up to a massive, worldwide catastrophe. He proceeds to use these facts to completely bum Jeff out. Listen as the show decends into total depression.

A group of researchers studying the effects of alcohol on speech decided to get some birds drunk. They divided a group of zebra finches - birds that learn and produce sounds similar to humans - into two groups. One sipped pure juice and the other a mixture of ethanol and juice. The results may shock you. Or not. Jeff and Anthony wonder how a group of researchers can spend grant money intoxicating birds, and why the fact that they slur their tweets is news to anyone.

A review led by a brain scientist at MIT found growing evidence that brain scans can predict future behaviors. If, one day, we are able to simply scan our brains to determine what kinds of activities we are more inclined to excel at, or problems we may encounter, will that lead to a healthier, more adaptive populace, or one shackled to in-born tendencies? Anthony and Jeff wrestle with that question, and try to predict what their own brain scans might indicate.

NASA is conducting a study about the long-term effects of weightlessness by asking applicants to stay completely horizontal for 70 days. In exchange for staying in bed and never standing up up, even to use the restroom or shower, NASA will pay test subjects $18,000, which works out to $1,200 per week or $257 per day. Anthony and Jeff wonder if they could stand it, and why NASA is holding out on horizontal showering technology for everyone.

A court in Argentina just upheld an animal rights group's request to have an orangutan appear in a court, saying it's illegal to hold 'non-human persons' in cages. Whoops, apes are people now. So is this a good thing? How smart are animals? What sort of rights should they have? Also: what kind of animal skin makes the best sneakers?

In order to find a way to stop bedbugs, Regine Gries allowed herself to be bitten by them 180,000 times over a period of five years. Also, did you know that there's billionaire dinosaur porn? That's unrelated, but it doesn't mean we're not going to talk about it for 10 minutes or whatever.

What makes you you? Is the self somewhere in the body or the brain? If you downloaded your brain into a new body, would it be you? ANSWER ME (whatever 'me' is)

A woman has a condition that makes her see dragons wherever she goes. Anthony and Jeff discuss perception and reality, and if we know what we see is real.

Every Autumn, falling leaves create hazards for the railways. Trains compress the debris by running over it, and the resulting surface becomes slick and unsafe. The solution? Lasers! One Dutch company has developed a way to blast the rails clean with high-tech lasers mounted to the front of the trains - which, of course, inspires Jeff and Anthony to pitch their new action/adventure trilogy, Laser Trains!

Adrian David Cheok, the founder and director of the Mixed Reality Lab in Singapore, is attempting to record odors digitally, and recreate them without the use of chemicals. While a breakthrough in the area is still a long way off, the idea of digital smells has Jeff and Anthony wondering what this technology could possibly be used for, and, moreoever, what working in a place called the Mixed Reality Lab" might be like.

Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have successfully implanted human glial cells into the brains of mice to shocking result. Not only were the cells not rejected, but the human cells completely dominated the mouse brain cells. More incredibly, this led to mice which demonstrated a much higher capacity for memory and cognitive skill. Yep, Anthony and Jeff are thinking what you're thinking: the age of super-intelligent mice is upon us, and it is only a matter of time before we are all doomed. Listen as the guys bid farewell to the human race.

A New Yorker article all about passwords has Jeff musing on what Anthony's passwords mean about him. It is a secret people tell themselves every time they log on to something, so what are the most common topics that appear in passwords? What are the smartest passwords? How can they can used to hack your life?

A new study suggests that using hand dryers in public restrooms is actually less hygienic than using paper towels. This leads Jeff and Anthony to discuss bathroom etiquette, personal hygene, germophobia, assumptions about cleanliness, and the coolest way to dry your hands.

Anthony and Jeff delve into perhaps the most disturbing topic they have ever tackled. An article in National Geographic features the top 5 most terrifying "zombie" creatures - parasites that get inside of other creatures and force them to change their behavior, malform, or otherwise serve the parasite's procreation. These are some of the most horrible organisms in the natural world. This episode is not recommended for sensitive listeners.

New anaysis suggests that the bronze computing device known as the Antikythera, discovered at the bottom of the Aegean Sea in 1901 is even older than previously thought. In fact, this computer dates back to 200 BC and represents a incredible feat of pre-historic human engineering. Anthony and Jeff marvel at a people that could devise such a thing, and rail at the Dark Ages for stealing away so many awesome advancements.

According to quantum physics, Planck's Constant is the smallest unit of measure in the universe, beyond which nothing can be further divided. Scientists at the Fermilab are building a Holographic Interferometer, or Holometer, with which they intend to test this theory. If true, it could mean that our entire dimension is a hologram, projected into 3D space like a pixelized image on your computer screen. Heavy stuff, but Jeff and Anthony wonder if it is cause for existential crisis or if it would even really matter. Of course, that's exactly what holograms would say.

Researchers at the University of Bristol are using ultrasound to create invisible objects in the air that you can reach out and touch. Of course, Anthony and Jeff see this as the first step toward full holodeck technology, and and try to determine which industry can accelerate progress to that goal fastest. Hint: it's porn.

An NPR story about NBC's Peter Pan Live television event points out that a significant portion of the audience of major TV hits are people who self-identify as "hate-watching" the programming. In fact, some networks are even programming to take advantage of these tendencies, embracing the live-tweeters who mock and add snide comments to the viewing experience. Jeff and Anthony have a major problem with the idea of "hate-watching", but also both enjoy a great bad movie. Are they hypocrites, or is there a difference between ironic enjoyment and vicious mockery?

We are consuming more chocolate than we produce, and at the current deficit we may soon be facing a global cocoa shortage. As a fan of chocolatey goodies, Jeff is worried about a potential joyless chocolate-free future, while Anthony welcomes a forced worldwide dietary shift. One thing's for certain, this episode is totally sweet.

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](http://www.npr.org/2014/11/03/361069820/new-clock-may-end-time-as-we-know-it)