You’ve probably been told that democracy is the ultimate, indisputable, best type of governance. But modern democracy is less than 250 years old―It’s largely an experiment with no previous track record!   Myself, and most others, would say that democracy is arguably the best form of governance. But perhaps there are ways to tweak and improve it so that the people ultimately have the power!   That’s what get’s me excited about this episode with David Stasavage. David is the author of the...

It's the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower! Maybe you learned about Plymouth and the Mayflower back in grade school but, if you’re like me, haven’t really thought about it much since.   This episode is a great refresher on the story of the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620. But, more importantly, it’s also a deep dive to understand the whole story that they didn’t tell you in grade school.   To get a sense of real life for the pilgrims at Plymouth and to set the colony properly within global...

This is the story of Sealand, a micronation established on an abandoned WWII fort in international waters, seven miles off the shores of Britain!   Roy Bates, the visionary Prince of Sealand, and his 'micro Royal Family’ declared the Principality of Sealand in 1967. The founding of this country was marked by the raising of a newly designed flag, a declaration of independence, and the signing of its own constitution. Following this, Sealand issued passports to its nationals, commissioned its...

LiDAR is becoming more ubiquitous. You’ve probably heard the term thrown around in regards to autonomous vehicles or as a feature of new iPhones and iPads. But what the heck is LiDAR?   To understand what LiDAR is and how it’ll affect us, I’m joined by Todd Neff in this episode. Todd is the author of the book, The Laser That's Changing the World: The Amazing Stories behind Lidar, from 3D Mapping to Self-Driving Cars.   Tune in to learn… -How LiDAR works, -The ancient ruins LiDAR is...

GMO sounds scary! Most of us associate genetically modified food as a bad thing and think organic is inherently better. But is that even the case?   To help answer those questions I’m joined by Robert Saik, the author of Food 5.0: How We Feed the Future.    Tune in to learn… -If organic farming still uses pesticides, -If Non-GMO labels are deceiving you, -If COVID19 is affecting our food supply, -About farm automation & tech, -If organic farming is sustainable, -How genetically...

You know the Griffith Observatory! It’s in the movie Rebel Without a Cause, Arnold Schwarzenegger walked across it naked for The Terminator, and it’s a freaking Los Angeles landmark!   If you haven’t been to the Griffith Observatory, this episode will make you want to go. If you have been to the Griffith Observatory, this episode will make you appreciate it so much more! Join me in this episode with Mark Pine, the deputy director of the Griffith Observatory, to learn all about this...

Isn’t it frustrating when you're unsure if you can trust what you read on Facebook, watch on YouTube, or hear on a podcast? Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news abound and it’s increasingly difficult to know what’s true.   We need a set of powerful tools and the skill to cut through the most intimidating data! That’s why I’m joined by Professor Jevin West in this episode. Jevin and his coauthor Carl Bergstrom are the authors of the book, Calling B******t: The Art of Skepticism in...

Imagine coming home from work and your 3D food printer has just finished preparing you favorite dish, filet mignon with garlic herb butter and au gratin potatoes. It’s delicious, you didn’t have to prepare it, and it has the perfect combination of nutrients for just you at that specific moment. That’s the future of food!   In this episode I got to talk with David Julian McClements, the author of Future Foods: How Modern Science Is Transforming the Way We Eat. Tune in to learn What food...

Imagine being able to race any car on any track in the world! That’s the power of simulated virtual racing and the realism is mind-blowing!  You could race a Porsche 919 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a couple hundred bucks from the safety and comfort of your home!   In this episode I got to talk with Chris Leone of iRacing. iRacing is an incredibly realistic sim racing program used by professional drivers but available to anyone. All you need is a computer and a digital wheel/pedal.   ...

Imagine being able to convert any car into an EV! That’s right, convert your gas car into an electric vehicle - an electric restomod! You could convert a 1966 Mustang, a 1981 Delorean, or even my personal favorite, a 1961 Jaguar E-type! Get off fossil fuels while increasing your performance and reliability!  In this episode I got to talk with Pete Williamsen of Electric GT. Electric GT is making electric conversions even easier than a traditional motor swap... Pull the stock engine,...

I had assumed lighthouse keepers were a thing of the past but not so! Spence Wilson shares what it’s like to be a modern-day lighthouse keeper in British Columbia. Tune in to learn how lighthouses & their light-source work, the history & construction of lighthouses, modern lighthouse tech and automation, the responsibilities of a lighthouse keeper, how Spence deals with isolation and boredom, and even how mercury poisoning may have led to lighthouse keepers going insane! Check out...

Brendan and Claudio have found some Capuchin monkeys that are actually using stones as tools! Tune in to learn why this is so important, how rare this is, what this discovery means!   Check out this video to see some of Brendan and Claudios footage of capuchin monkeys actually using stone tools: https://youtu.be/8navgU8-tw0 Here are some links to additional papers to learn more: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.181002 ...

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the different types of saunas and the health claims. Eero from the Sauna Society is here to set the record straight. The Sauna Society demonstrates and promotes the traditional nordic sauna experience.   Tune in to learn the 3 steps of a authentic sauna experience, how to pronounce sauna, wet vs. dry saunas, if you have to be naked in a sauna, how hot a sauna needs to be, and much more!   To learn more visit https://www.saunasociety.org     ...

Four-time Academy Award winner Richard Edlund is our guest on this episode! Richard was one of the first to join the groundbreaking visual effects team for Star Wars! He then moved on to supervise visual effects for the next two episodes of Star Wars, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Poltergeist. Learn more about Richard at http://www.richardedlund.com   Visit http://curiosityness.com/giveaway for your chance to win a 3D Star Wars R2-D2 Multicolor Desk Light!     Connect with...

Remember hearing how 3D printing would revolutionize our lives? Just push a button and your new product would be printed right in front of you. You could even customize it however you’d like or make your creations easily! But that hasn’t really happened.  Join me in this episode with Jaime Bonnin Roca as he shares if and when we’ll get 3D printing like we were promised.   Connect with Curiosityness... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositynesspodcast/ ...

Charles Phoenix is a mid-century pop culture expert, humorist and author celebrating classic and kitschy American life and style. He is known for his spirited live performances, colorful coffee table books, “field trip” tours, and madcap videos. The Los Angeles Times says, “Call him the King of Retro.” Join Charles and I in this fun episode as we discuss retro design, classic cars, Long Beach, the Cherpumple (a three-layer cake/pie hybrid), and much much more!    Find Charles and grab a...

An ex-Navy bomb disposal frogman, Stephen Arrington fell from the ranks of heroes when he made a marijuana mistake, which led to his becoming a co-defendant in the John DeLorean Drug Case, AKA “The Drug Trial of the Century. After prison he achieved his childhood dream as chief diver/expedition leader for Captain Jacques Cousteau. Arrington is a talented storyteller and an expert on leadership and youth topics. He has done 5,000+ high-power programs that are life changing. He has produced...

Even if you’re not into wine, you’re gonna love this story about the most notorious con in wine history! Rudy Kurniawan, a young, virtually unknown twenty something from Indonesia, rose to become the leading purveyor of fine wines in a span of only six years. During that time, he sold tens of millions of dollars worth of wine to the American elite.  In time, however, discrepancies begin to appear and crates of Kurniawan’s fine wines are abruptly pulled from auction. It turns out that crates...

If you’re not from California, you may not know about the statewide treasure who is Huell Howser! For 22 years, Huell Howser shared California's history, cultural diversity, natural wonders, and amazing denizens through his travel tv shows, "California's Gold" and “Visiting.”  Born in Tennessee with a prominent southern accent, Huell was an unlikely spokesperson for California. But his unwavering enthusiasm and genuine curiosity gave us episodes featuring dryer lint artwork, age-old soda, an...

You’ve seen the DeLorean car in Back to the Future and may even remember when it was released in 1981. But, as you’ll find out in this episode, production of the car only lasted until 1983! Tune in to hear the incredible story of John DeLorean, the ups and downs of the DeLorean Motor Company, and the truth about the cocaine bust that bankrupted DMC. Plus, learn about the company today (it still exists!) and discover the new DeLorean's that may be rolling off the production line soon...   ...

It’s a bit of a misnomer to say that Stonehenge is a mystery. We actually know a lot about the structure, the people who built it, and why they built it.  Tune in to learn all about Stonehenge! To learn more about Stonehenge, visit https://www.english-heritage.org.uk   Connect with Curiosityness... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositynesspodcast/ Website: https://www.curiosityness.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curiosityness ...

You know those crazy holiday light displays that are animated, synced to music, and use an enormous amount of lights? Well my guest today, Darren Vader, creates those! Tune in to get a behind the scenes look at just how these Christmas light shows are created!   For more info, find Darren at https://www.extremelightscapes.com Or grab some supplies for your own light display at https://thechristmaslightemporium.com   Connect with Curiosityness... ...

If we plan to colonize Mars, the food we eat there is going to be a big deal! In this episode I’m joined by Heidi Neilson & Douglas Paulson who have created a Mars supper club and a Mars test kitchen! Join us to learn what the first food on Mars will be like, what we can start to grow there, how our relationship to food may change, and if we’re going to have Martian dust in everything we eat there.   To learn more visit menu4mars.net   Connect with Curiosityness... ...

Does a Bigfoot species exist? Daniel Perez says yes! But for the scientific community and the public in general, a body needs to be found for hard proof.  Daniel has been writing about Bigfoot since 1979 and has published the Bigfoot Times for over 20 years!  To learn more about and subscribe to the Bigfoot Times, visit http://www.bigfoottimes.net And find Daniel Perez on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/daniel.perez.10888   Connect with Curiosityness... ...

Las Vegas has gone through some phases. It started out as the Wild West, with saloon doors and wagon wheels. Then it decked itself out in midcentury modern sleekness, and moved on to twenty-story high neon signs. Then came Disney-like theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by replicas of Venetian canals, New York skyscrapers, and the Eiffel Tower. More recently, the Strip decided to get classy, with casinos designed by famous architects and zillion-dollar collections of art. ...