10 episodes

Two brothers, talking science and telling bad jokes. Barely scripted, sometimes accurate, almost funny, Thursdays at 8PM pacific.

The Lab With Brad Brad Barton

    • Science
    • 4.5 • 2 Ratings

Two brothers, talking science and telling bad jokes. Barely scripted, sometimes accurate, almost funny, Thursdays at 8PM pacific.

    Ep 408: Nothing to sneeze at

    Ep 408: Nothing to sneeze at

    Nothing to sneeze at



    If you don’t use gold silver or coins, what does one use for money?



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    Here are several links with information, and differing notions, on the sale of Manhattan Island.



    Keep the Change: The Beads that Bought Manhattan



    Was Manhattan really sold for $24 worth of beads and trinkets?



    The Beads That Did Not Buy Manhattan Island



    Here’s more about the use of cacao beans as money.



    The Maya civilization used chocolate as money



    Chocolate Currency?



    And here’s a little something about black pepper, and how it was used as money.



    Black Pepper

    • 12 min
    Ep 407: Why money?

    Ep 407: Why money?

    Why money?



    We take a look at economic activity by nonhumans, and the Incas, with a large empire that never used money.



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    Here are some links about gift giving in the animal kingdom.



    Do Animals Give Gifts?



    Why Dolphins Bring Humans “Gifts” From the Sea at Australian Café



    Gift giving crows



    And here’s more info about the Incas, and the large empire they controlled that never used money.



    Inka Economy



    Economy of the Inca Empire

    • 15 min
    Ep 406: On silly names and loud voices

    Ep 406: On silly names and loud voices

    On silly names and loud voices



    Let’s take a closer look at the sperm whale, with an unfortunate name and the loudest voice in nature.



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    Here are links to videos and articles about shattering glass with the human voice.



    Can You Shatter Glass With Your Voice?



    Jaime Vendera-Glass Shattering MythBuster



    MythBusters Episode 31: Breaking Glass



    Busting Myths About Sound



    And some links to videos and articles about sperm whales and their very loud voices.



    Feeling the Force of Sperm Whales Ultrasound



    Is it true that sperm whales stun giant squid with sonar?



    Sperm Whales Clicking You Inside Out

    • 13 min
    Ep 405: On dragons, fire, and breathing

    Ep 405: On dragons, fire, and breathing

    On dragons, fire, and breathing



    For our last question on DND and fantasy fiction, could any animal ever be able to actually breathe fire?



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    Special thanks to:



    Girls Who Don’t DND



    Here’s the website for the Fuel Girls.



    Fuel Girls - Fire & Pyro Performances



    Here are a couple of things on the jellyfish sting, and the exploding cells behind it.



    Jellyfish Sting Mechanism Unveiled; Could Help Design Future Delivery Devices



    How does a jellyfish sting?



    And here’s one or two things on the bombardier beetle.



    The Bombardier Beetle And Its Crazy Chemical Cannon



    Bombardier Beetles Squirt Boiling Anal Chemicals to Make Frogs Vomit

    • 17 min
    Ep 404: Ouch!

    Ep 404: Ouch!

    Ouch!



    13 types of damage in dungeons and dragons, let’s see how many of them we can find amongst actual living creatures.



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    Special thanks to:



    Girls Who Don’t DND.



    Here’s a bit on chicken hypnosis.



    Can You Hypnotize a Chicken?



    Here’s an article about the firefly that tricks and eats other fireflies.



    Firefly “femmes fatales” acquire defensive steroids (lucibufagins) from their firefly?prey



    Here’s a silly bit on cats and cucumbers.



    Why Are Cats Scared of Cucumbers



    Here are a couple of articles about the Rio Tinto, a brightly colored acidic river.



    Eukaryotic Organisms in Extreme Acidic Environments, the Río Tinto Case



    Why the Red River-The Río Tinto in Spain fascinates scientists?



    Here’s a video about several acid shooting animals.



    These Invertebrates Shoot Acid



    Here’s an article about Japanese honey bees, and how they use heat to defend their hive.



    Key genes enable Japanese honey bees to roast hornets



    Here’s something on how animals use electricity.



    The shocking ways wild animals use electricity



    Here’s a video and an article about the sperm whale and it’s oh so very loud voice.



    Feeling the Force of Sperm Whales Ultrasound



    Is it true that sperm whales stun giant squid with sonar?



    And here’s something on the pistol Shrimp.



    Pistol Shrimp sonic weapon

    • 22 min
    Ep 403: To see in the dark

    Ep 403: To see in the dark

    To see in the dark



    In fantasy novels and roll playing games, some characters can see in the dark. What about in real life?



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    Special thanks to:



    Girls Who Don’t DND



    Here are some articles on human echolocation.



    Echolocation: How It Works and How to Learn It



    Human click-based echolocation: Effects of blindness and age, and real-life implications in a 10-week training program



    Here are some articles about the blind cave fish.



    Blind Cave Fish



    Sensory Adaptation for a Cavefish



    Here are some sites about the star-nosed mole.



    Inside the Bizarre Life of the Star-Nosed Mole, World's Fastest Eater



    Learn to smell underwater with the star-nosed mole



    Here’s an article about active electrical sensing in some weakly electric fish.



    Active electrolocation of objects in weakly electric fish



    And a bit about the lovely and talented platypus.



    Platypus Electroreception: Revealing the Hidden Powers

    • 20 min

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