Stuff To Blow Your Mind

In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss one of the towering monoliths of Japanese weird cinema: Nobuhiko Obayashi’s “House” AKA “Hausu.”

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Before the dawn of the iron age, ancient humans had but one source of workable iron for their artifacts and weapons: meteorites. In this very-metal episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss various examples of meteoric metal artifacts, including several precious sky-weapons of antiquity. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Ceti eels of the Star Trek universe, a form of fictional brain parasite… 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with evolutionary biologist and historian of science Lee Alan Dugatkin about his new book “The Well-Connected Animal: Social Networks and the Wondrous Complexity of Animal Societies.” You'll learn about the complex social networks of vampire bats, dolphins, bees and more. 

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the so-called “telephone game,” in which a whispered message travels through a chain of individuals and is eventually announced again in an altered form. What does this game reveal about communication and what else can we learn from it? (part 1 of 2, originally published 05/02/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob is joined by Seth Nicholas Johnson of Rusty Needle’s Record Club to discuss 2000’s “Psycho Beach Party,” a sendup of 1960s beach party movies and their cultural ideals, starring Lauren Ambrose and written by Charles Busch, who also co-stars. 

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Before the dawn of the iron age, ancient humans had but one source of workable iron for their artifacts and weapons: meteorites. In this very-metal episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss various examples of meteoric metal artifacts, including several precious sky-weapons of antiquity. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the prolific and adorable tribbles of the Star Trek universe…

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Before the dawn of the iron age, ancient humans had but one source of workable iron for their artifacts and weapons: meteorites. In this very-metal episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss various examples of meteoric metal artifacts, including several precious sky-weapons of antiquity. 

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the science of whale spout, as well as various misconceptions about just how watery, caustic or explosive these plumes really are. (Originally published 04/27/2023)

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In this special two-part episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the original theatrical cut of Russell Mulcahy’s “Highlander II: The Quickening,” starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Michael Ironside. Long live the Zeist cut! 

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Asexual reproduction has its advantages, but organisms that depend too much on it also face potential extinction. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss mutational meltdown and Muller's ratchet. (originally published 04/20/2023)

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the blue-skinned, antennae-equipped aliens of the Star Trek universe… 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with space strategies expert Paul Szymanski, co-author with Jerry Drew of the new book “The Battle Beyond: Fighting and Winning the Coming War in Space.” 

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In this special episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, enjoy an assortment of six previously-published Monstrefact episodes concerning the mummy, knots, the salamander, Ikuutayuuq, the Moon Rabbit and the Hecatoncheires. 

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the science of whale spout, as well as various misconceptions about just how watery, caustic or explosive these plumes really are. (Originally published 04/25/2023)

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In this special two-part episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the original theatrical cut of Russell Mulcahy’s “Highlander II: The Quickening,” starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Michael Ironside. Long live the Zeist cut! 

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What exactly constitutes dust? What creatures thrive on it? How does it factor into our planet’s atmosphere? In this series of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of dust, from the scientific facts to the magical and the mythical. (Part 5 of 5)

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Bored with dragons, the wizard Argomandanies turns his arcane attention to the fantastic fauna of the natural world. Welcome to Animalia Stupendium, a chronicle of Earth’s amazing biodiversity with all the enthusiasm of a fantasy monster book. In this episode, the wizard will consider the subtle wonders of the common kingfisher…

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What exactly constitutes dust? What creatures thrive on it? How does it factor into our planet’s atmosphere? In this series of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of dust, from the scientific facts to the magical and the mythical. 

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Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind… (originally published 04/18/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1988 Polish science fiction film “On the Silver Globe,” directed by Andrzej Żuławski.

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What exactly constitutes dust? What creatures thrive on it? How does it factor into our planet’s atmosphere? In this series of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of dust, from the scientific facts to the magical and the mythical. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses a curious proposed method of dragon flight proposed by author Peter Dickinson in the 1979 book “The Flight of Dragons.”

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What exactly constitutes dust? What creatures thrive on it? How does it factor into our planet’s atmosphere? In this series of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of dust, from the scientific facts to the magical and the mythical. 

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Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind… (originally published 04/06/2023)

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On the heels of Monday’s solar eclipse, Rob and Joe devote this week’s Weirdhouse Cinema episode to 1981’s “Dragonslayer.” The film features a total solar eclipse, in addition to one of cinema’s most memorable dragons. 

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What exactly constitutes dust? What creatures thrive on it? How does it factor into our planet’s atmosphere? In this series of episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the world of dust, from the scientific facts to the magical and the mythical. 

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Entire industries are being reshaped around the new capabilities of generative AI. In this special bonus episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Tim Harford leads a conversation between two leaders in the field. Srinivasan Venkatarajan is the Director of Global Partner Business at Microsoft, focusing on Azure Data & AI and Azure OpenAI. And Chris McGuire is the General Manager of the Global Microsoft Partnership for IBM.

They discuss the efforts by IBM and Microsoft in the generative AI space, how this relationship has been providing value to clients, and why collaboration is necessary for technological progress.

Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks

Learn more about IBM Consulting for Microsoft     

This is a paid advertisement from IBM.

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe follow up their two-part series on the Egyptian god Osiris with a look at various scientific topics named after him, including NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, the Osiris genus of bees and more. 

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Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind… (originally published 04/04/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1982 Taiwanese fantasy wuxia film Wolf Devil Woman, starring and directed by the amazing Pearl Chang! 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Ancient Egyptian deity Osiris, an underworld fertility god and judge of the dead. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Man-Thing from the world of Marvel Comics…

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the Ancient Egyptian deity Osiris, an underworld fertility god and judge of the dead. 

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Humans obviously don’t have any difficulties finding division and tribalism, but just how little is required for factions to form? In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the minimal group paradigm in social identity theory. (originally published 03/30/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe dive back into the weird, wild world of Dr. Phibes with 1972’s “Dr. Phibes Rises Again,” starring the legendary Vincent Price.

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of authenticity. What is it? Why do we place such value on it? They discuss authenticity in terms of psychology, art, music, religion and more… (part 3 of 3) 

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As artificial intelligence progresses, healthcare providers are exploring how the technology can be used to offer personalized care at scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Dr. Laurie Santos sits down with Alice Crisci, co-founder and CEO of fertility-care provider Ovum Health.

They discuss the barriers to healthcare access, the ways in which AI can be leveraged to expand the reach of healthcare providers, and how Ovum Health’s partnership with IBM and their use of watsonx has been enhancing the patient experience.

Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks  

Learn more about watsonx Assistant

This is a paid advertisement from IBM.

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with author and illustrator George O'Connor, creator of the popular Olympions graphic novel series, about his new venture into the world of Norse mythology, beginning with “Asgardians: Odin,” out now in all formats. 

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The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (originally published 03/23/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1979 Estonian sci-fi thriller “Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel,” based on the novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of authenticity. What is it? Why do we place such value on it? They discuss authenticity in terms of psychology, art, music, religion and more… (part 2 of 3) 

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Bored with dragons, the wizard Argomandanies turns his arcane attention to the fantastic fauna of the natural world. Welcome to Animalia Stupendium, a chronicle of Earth’s amazing biodiversity with all the enthusiasm of a fantasy monster book. In this episode, the wizard will consider the glorious glass frog.

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore the topic of authenticity. What is it? Why do we place such value on it? They discuss authenticity in terms of psychology, art, music, religion and more… (part 1 of 3) 

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Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (originally published 03/21/2023)

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In this special two-part episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the planet of Arrakis in their discussion of David Lynch’s wild 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary novel “Dune.” The sleeper must awaken. 

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We are creatures of the epigean world: the world of light on Earth’s surface. But there is another world – a world beneath the surface. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of cave biology or biospeleology. (part 4 of 4)

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Artifact, Robert discusses the ornithopters of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and its cinematic adaptations… 

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We are creatures of the epigean world: the world of light on Earth’s surface. But there is another world – a world beneath the surface. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of cave biology or biospeleology. (part 3 of 4)

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Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (Originally published 03/16/2023)

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In this special two-part episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the planet of Arrakis in their discussion of David Lynch’s wild 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary novel “Dune.” The sleeper must awaken. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are creatures of the epigean world: the world of light on Earth’s surface. But there is another world – a world beneath the surface. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of cave biology or biospeleology. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the Hecatoncheires or hundred-handed warriors of Greek mythology… 

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We are creatures of the epigean world: the world of light on Earth’s surface. But there is another world – a world beneath the surface. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of cave biology or biospeleology. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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The idea of healing via immersion in sacred or special waters dates back to prehistory, and it’s still alive and well in the modern world. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the myth, history and reality and healing waters. (originally published 03/14/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Seth Nicholas Johnson of Rusty Needle's Record Club joins Joe to discuss 1968's "Head" starring the Monkees and co-written by Jack Nicholson. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe is joined by Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum, hosts of the food podcast Savor, to discuss the mysterious ocean-borne substance known as ambergris, and its use in the cuisine of past and present.

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Puff Adder from the world of Marvel Comics… 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Joe chats with planetary scientist Sabine Stanley about her 2023 book, “What’s Hidden Inside Planets?”

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. (part 3 of 3, originally published 03/09/2023)

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In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the ultimate mind-blowing cinematic experience: David Cronenberg’s 1981 horror thriller “Scanners.” (originally published 01/06/2023)

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. (part 2 of 3, originally published 03/07/2023)

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In this classic episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses Shad-havar, the Persian unicorn with the fluted horn… (originally published 03/01/2023)

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In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the enigmatic gray whale, noted today for its vast oceanic migrations and curiosity, but known as “devilfish” for its ferocity by the American whalers who hunted it in the past. (part 1 of 3, originally published 03/02/2023)

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Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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Join Robert and Joe in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they discuss heart removal rituals, supernatural concepts of the heart and the European tradition of heart burial. (originally published 02/16/2023) 

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Dino De Laurentiis’s 1980 sci-fi comic book extravaganza “Flash Gordon,” directed by Mike Hodges and featuring the music of Queen. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss our psychological tendency to overestimate our control over events, with implications for everything from gambling and paranormal beliefs to our movements through everyday life.

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Bored with dragons, the wizard Argomandanies turns his arcane attention to the fantastic fauna of the natural world. Welcome to Animalia Stupendium, a chronicle of Earth’s amazing biodiversity with all the enthusiasm of a fantasy monster book. In this episode, the wizard will consider the amazing courtship of the deep sea anglerfish. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss our psychological tendency to overestimate our control over events, with implications for everything from gambling and paranormal beliefs to our movements through everyday life. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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Join Robert and Joe in this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind as they discuss heart removal rituals, supernatural concepts of the heart and the European tradition of heart burial. (originally published 02/14/2023) 

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss Tsui Hark's 1983 supernatural wuxia fantasy film “Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain,” starring Biao Yuen, Brigitte Lin and Sammo Hung. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss our psychological tendency to overestimate our control over events, with implications for everything from gambling and paranormal beliefs to our movements through everyday life. 

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the moon rabbit of East Asian and indigenous American folklore… 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, science journalist and author Rebecca Boyle discusses her new book “Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet.” 

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In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… (originally published 02/09/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1972 horror film “Blacula” directed by William Crain and starring William Marshall as Prince Mamuwalde. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form -- as well as some other STBYM angles on ice. 

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Bored with dragons, the wizard Argomandanies turns his arcane attention to the fantastic fauna of the natural world. Welcome to Animalia Stupendium, a chronicle of Earth’s amazing biodiversity with all the enthusiasm of a fantasy monster book. In this episode, the wizard will consider the mighty mantis shrimp! 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form. 

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Once more, it's time for a weekly dose of Stuff to Blow Your Mind and Weirdhouse Cinema listener mail...

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In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the history, mythology, culture and nature of tea. So start a kettle and prepare to listen with your favorite cup… (originally published 02/07/2023)

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In this episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe return to the filmography of Bert I. Gordon with his 1962 fantasy adventure “The Magic Sword,” starring Basil Rathbone, Estille Winwood and Gary Lockwood. 

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In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore various historical interpretations of the diamond, from divine tears to both a potent medicine and a deadly poison.

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In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the monstrous killer from Inuit traditions whose name translates to “One Who Drills.” 

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