Super Awesome Science Show (SASS) Curiouscast

Today, we’re joined by scientist and host of the Super Awesome Science Show Jason Tetro to talk about what we know about how the coronavirus spreads and how to properly practice social distancing. As we’re at the point now where health officials are saying the only way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is through social distancing. But the thing is, in order for us to have any kind of impact and get back to our normal lives, experts are stressing that we have to do it properly. 

This week, we’re going to explore the problems associated with lead exposure and lead poisoning that you may not have heard in the news. We’ll learn about how it impacts intelligence and also may affect the mental health not of just the exposed, but also their children. And in our SASS Class, we’re going to find out why it is so difficult to remove lead from our modern world and how you may still be able to stay safe

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

Guests:

- Gina Muckle 
- Sidney Kennedy 
- Adrienne Katner

It’s something that we all encounter. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to think straight. Our thoughts get jumbled and before we know it, we’re lost. We tend to call it being scatterbrained and for the most part, that’s considered a bad thing. On this week’s show, we’re going to look at the science behind this apparent flaw in our mental machinery and why it may be good for us when it comes to learning and understanding. Our guest for the entire show is Henning Beck, a neuroscientist, science slammer, consultant, and the author of the new book, Scatterbrain.

We first explore why this problem occurs in the first place. It turns out that our brains can only do so much especially when it is learning and committing thoughts to memory. It’s impossible to collect a large number of individual pieces and so our brains tend to forget almost as fast as we learn. But as Beck explains, there is a better approach in the form of understanding. Putting items into context can help us develop links and that improves both memory and our actions in the future.

We next discuss the issue of distractions. In our modern world, we are surrounded by them and this can quickly take us off any mental path. Beck reveals the reasons behind our inability to stay focused due to boredom, fear, and the ever present reality of fake news. We also find out whether isolation is the best option to ensure mental success.  

In our SASS Class, Beck offers us ideas on how we can improve our brain function through a variety of different tactics he discusses in his book. We learn about curiosity, creativity, framing, and focusing mechanisms such as meditation and mindfulness. Some work, others don’t but in the end, Beck reveals that information for the brain is like food for our stomach. As long as we take the time to learn and digest the information, we can achieve great things.  

If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  We have just completed our first year and we look forward to bringing you even more awesome science in the year ahead.

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

Guests:

Henning Beck
Web: https://www.henning-beck.com/english/
Twitter: @HenningBeck1

We tend to go overboard on spending. If we are not careful, our celebrations of December can become a January curse that may last for the rest of the year.

This week, we’re going to explore our tendency to spend money and how we can keep ourselves from falling into debt. Our guest for the entire show is Gail Vaz Oxlade, who is one of Canada’s best financial experts. She’s been an author, radio host, and the star of internationally acclaimed television programs such as Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess. If anyone can help us to understand how to ensure our bank accounts are as happy as we are during the Holidays, it’s her.

We first start off by learning about her background and how she became Canada’s super nanny for money. We then learn about the science behind the tendency to go into debt. It’s a combination of psychological as well as societal factors. She also reveals some of the warning signs that can signal trouble is on the way including the one item most of us have in our wallets or purses that can make shopping easier and far more dangerous:  the credit card.   

With the science set, we venture into the problems associated with shopping during the Holidays. Since we are hardwired to believe we can spend throughout the season, we need to be aware of the dangers that could lead us into debt. Gail shares with us her tips on how to enjoy yourself while making sure you don’t go overboard with the purchases. More importantly, she makes it clear that we need to focus not just on the joy of making a purchase, but also the pain of losing our money in the process.

In our SASS Class, we discuss Gail’s newest venture in helping us to be financially smart. It’s a new master class she is providing on Twitter. Her hope is to convey the necessary steps and then let us optimize it to find a personal fit that will last. Because as she makes clear, it’s not hard to be economically secure, but you need to be committed to it.

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

Guests:

Gail Vaz Oxlade
Twitter: @GailVazOxlade

As we get ready for the holidays we thought we would share with you this episode about the smells of the Holiday Season in case you missed it in the hustle and bustle of the most wonderful time of the year.

On this week’s episode of the Super Awesome Science Show, we stick our noses into the science of smelling, scientifically known as olfaction, and find out how certain scents can draw out attention, bring back memories, and even affect our buying behaviour.

We first talk with Dr. Leslie Cameron at Carthage College. She’s been studying how we detect and recognize odours throughout life and how we can equate some aromas with the festive season.

Next we hear from renowned smellosopher, Dr. Ann-Sophie Barwich at Indiana University Bloomington. She’s examining how certain odours can be autobiographical in nature leading us to open up memories of times of past Holidays and other moment long gone by.

In our SASS Class, we speak with Dr. Jenny Lin at California State University Monterey Bay. She’s researching how the sense of smell affects our brains through what is known as event-related potential. As she tells us, the right combination of odours may prompt us to stick around in a store and inevitably buy more. 

If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, tell us what you think and please tell a friend about the show.

Twitter: @JATetro
Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

Guests:
Dr. Leslie Cameron, Carthage College
Website: https://www.carthage.edu/live/profiles/261-leslie-cameron

Dr. Ann-Sophie Barwich, Indiana University Bloomington
Twitter: @smellosopher
Website: http://www.smellosophy.com/

Dr. Jenny Lin, California State University Monterey Bay
Website: https://csumb.edu/directory/people/jenny-lin

This week we're introducing you to a new podcast called Issue Zero to answer the questions what makes Aliens and the Xenomorph, so terrifying? and could a scenario like Alien happen here on earth?

Taking you on this voyage of discover is your host, not in a parasitic way, Fred Kennedy, and he'll share with you the backstory on the Alien film franchise…and more specifically, its star player…the Xenomorph. He's joined by Johnnie Christmas, who just adapted the original William Gibson screenplay for Alien 3 into a comic for Darkhorse…and is a guy who’s knee deep in the ORIGINAL source material to find our what makes these creatures so terrifying.

To answer whether humanity could survive a xenomorph invasion he looks to an actual scientist, Dan Riskin, former host of Daily Planet and a Canadian evolutionary biologist, television personality and producer. 

Spoiler alert! both guests will not let you sleep at night.

Host: Fred Kennedy

Twitter @Fearless_Fred

Facebook @fearlessfredontheradio

Guests:

Johnnie Christmas - @j_xmas

Dan Riskin - @riskindan