Fact Casual

John Lemelman

Is water actually blue? Is Pluto really not a planet? Do bulls honestly hate the color red? There are so many common facts we've been told our whole lives. But how many of us checked to see if they were even true before we shouted them from the roof tops? Definitely not me... That's why I made Fact Casual. I research common facts you've probably heard to find out if they're true, false, or somewhere in between. To learn more about the creator, head to johnlemelman.com.

Episodes

  1. 01/04/2021

    The Berry Blunder

    It's been a minute, but we are back with Season 2! Let's start to year off healthy with some fruits. Specifically, berries. Are strawberries actually berries? What about bananas? This episode uncovers the overly complex world of berry categorization. Get ready to get berry confused (sorry about the pun). To learn more, here are my sources: https://stanfordmag.org/contents/bananas-are-berries https://www.livescience.com/57477-why-are-bananas-considered-berries.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LybfPwCzs3g https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/422/422lab3.htm https://science.jburroughs.org/resources/flower/fruit1.html

    5 min

  2. 07/13/2020

    #401: Killer Whales Aren't Whales

    Whether you were first introduced to them in Free Willy or SeaWorld (yikes...), orcas are hard to forget. They're fast, smart, and part of the whale family? Well, at least the first two statements are true. Now, let's find out if killer whales are really whales. Sources: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ocean-giants-whale-fact-sheet/7567/ https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/facts-about-orcas/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/orca/ https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/13/orca-not-whale/

    6 min

  3. 05/26/2020

    Fact #319: Space Smells Like Burnt Steak

    Every wonder what space smells like? Probably not! But some say it's like being at a bad barbecue where no one's watching the grill. Today, we're going to find out if that's true! Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/moon-smells-gunpowder-180952494/ https://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-space-smell-like-2016-3 https://www.science.org.au/curious/space-time/smells-space https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/what-space-smells-like/259903/ https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-smells-of-space-burned-steak-gunpowder-raspberries https://www.livescience.com/34085-space-smell.html

    6 min

  4. 05/11/2020

    Fact #119: Yawns Are Contagious

    Yawning is pretty common. Especially, after being stuck inside during quarantine. But is it contagious too? Let's find out on this episode! Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/why-is-yawning-so-contagious https://www.livescience.com/60288-why-are-yawns-so-contagious.html https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/you-asked-why-are-yawns-contagious/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-are-yawns-contagious-we-asked-a-scientist https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/contagious-yawn.htm https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/ever-wondered-whether-yawns-are-contagious/2019/03/18/34a10e84-3c5c-11e9-a06c-3ec8ed509d15_story.html https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mystery_of_Yawning_in_Physiology_and/dongdGtKUecC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=yawns+contagious&printsec=frontcover https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/why-do-bigger-brained-animals-have-longer-yawns/502856/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-yawn-and-why-is-it-contagious-3749674/ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/15/527106576/yawning-may-promote-social-bonding-even-between-dogs-and-humans

    7 min

  5. 05/04/2020

    Fact #211: The Full Moon Makes People Lunatics

    It's not just werewolves who are affected by the full moon. Between emergency room doctors and police officers, people think the full moon makes folks act wild. Is that really what's going on? Let's find out in this episode of Fact Casual! Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/10/24/dear-science-does-a-full-moon-really-change-human-behavior/ https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/why-do-we-still-believe-in-lunacy-during-a-full-moon https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20131029-does-a-full-moon-make-people-mad https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190731-is-the-moon-impacting-your-mood-and-wellbeing https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/vbn7wd/does-the-full-moon-really-make-people-crazy https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/

    10 min

  6. 04/27/2020

    Fact #184: Bulls Hate The Color Red

    Whether you call it maroon, burgundy, or red, there's one thing remains the same. Bulls supposedly hate it. But do bulls really hate that one color? If so, what did it ever do to them? On this episode, we head to the Plaza De Toros to find out if bulls really hate red. Sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-bullfighter-capes-red-2018-9 https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2012/12/12/what-is-it-about-red-that-makes-bulls-so-angry/ https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/does-red-really-make-bulls-angry https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4tDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=bvB3CWq94h&sig=ACfU3U2v-NPm-uDbuIVTUkKpP5b9awENjg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis6piqztnoAhW0HDQIHV0UAPc4ChDoATABegQIDBAo#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false https://books.google.com/booksid=VvTKBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=HhFgW7OrR6&sig=ACfU3U34CXzplFctHaV0Si2J-pIMuZYTJA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJv6L9z9noAhWXHDQIHYURAzc4FBDoATAFegQIDBAt#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/you-can-thank-your-fruit-hunting-ancestors-your-color-vision# https://www.britannica.com/sports/bullfighting https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01249428/document https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781854/

    8 min

  7. 04/20/2020

    Fact #357: You Can't Die In Your Dreams

    Anything can happen in your dreams. Or almost anything. Today, we are testing the commonly heard fact that you can't die in your dreams. Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201602/what-dreams-your-death-are-really-about https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/had-a-death-dream-recently-it-might-not-be-your-worst-nightmare/news-story/c9218722849bd5ffc68c1ff05315cbde https://www.mic.com/articles/135761/what-dreams-about-death-and-drowning-really-mean-according-to-experts https://www.newsweek.com/dream-dying-121675 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TZOiC23CpI&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=SleepioTV https://dreams.ucsc.edu/168/deceased_loved_ones.html https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/science-of-dreaming https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/doree/can-you-die-from-a-nightmare https://www.bustle.com/articles/33261-what-do-dreams-about-death-mean-can-you-die-in-your-dreams-9-morbid-questions-answered https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/your-life-in-numbers-infographic/ https://time.com/5008693/sleep-start-hypnic-jerk/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4481805/

    7 min

  8. 04/13/2020

    1 Human Year = 7 Dog Years = True??

    Whether you're a dog person or not, you've probably heard that one human year is equal to seven dog years. But where did that come from and is it even true? Today, we're taking a closer look at man's best friend and finding out if they really age that fast. Sources: https://www.almanac.com/content/dog-age-chart-dog-years-human-years https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-new-better-formula-calculating-dog-years-180973575/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-human-year-does-not-equal-seven-dog-years-180952929/ https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q4/calling-all-dogs-and-dog-owners-your-input-is-needed.html https://www.inverse.com/article/51806-why-dogs-don-t-live-as-long-as-humans https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/12/feature-dog-lives-300-years-solving-mysteries-aging-our-pets https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201701/why-do-large-dogs-have-shorter-life-spans-small-dogs https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-age-calculator https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism https://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-things-people-used-to-think-were-healthy-2012-9#radioactive-drinks-1

    8 min

  9. 04/05/2020

    Pluto Isn't A Planet... Is It?

    Recall the old saying to remember the order of the planets? My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Today, we're focusing on the "Pizzas" part, or otherwise known as Pluto. Some scientists say it's a planet while others disagree. This episode finds out the truth about what exactly lurks out at the edge of our Solar System. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/list/our-5-dwarf-planets https://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-s-mysterious-floating-hills https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/24/world/pluto-no-longer-planet-space-scn/index.html https://www.space.com/pluto-is-a-planet-nasa-chief-iac-2019-video.html https://www.space.com/why-pluto-is-not-a-planet.html https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right

    7 min

  10. 03/27/2020

    Water is Blue

    Whether you're at a beach, pool, or even glacier, water is a blue. But when you drink a cup of water at home, where did the vibrancy of the blueness in water go? On the first episode of Fact Casual, we are going to wash away the falsehoods and find out the truth on this fun fact: Water is blue. Sources: http://inside.mines.edu/fs_home/dwu/classes/CH353/study/Why%20is%20Water%20Blue.pdf https://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/living-ocean/ocean-color https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-ocean-appear/ http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2926 https://www.britannica.com/science/color/Physical-and-chemical-causes-of-colour https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-color?qt- science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/5B.html

    5 min
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Is water actually blue? Is Pluto really not a planet? Do bulls honestly hate the color red? There are so many common facts we've been told our whole lives. But how many of us checked to see if they were even true before we shouted them from the roof tops? Definitely not me... That's why I made Fact Casual. I research common facts you've probably heard to find out if they're true, false, or somewhere in between. To learn more about the creator, head to johnlemelman.com.

Information

  • Creator
    John Lemelman
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2021
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fact Casual
  • Show Website
    Fact Casual