A 1960s mouse utopia that collapsed into a vanity-obsessed apocalypse, a global database of 150,000 enthusiastic stool photos, and a scientific quest to help humans regrow limbs like a salamander. This week, we bounce between rodent dystopias, AI-powered gut tracking, regenerating toes, and international idioms for absolute chaos.

We start in the late 1960s with Universe 25, an experiment that gave mice everything they wanted and accidentally proved that absolute perfection leads to a total social meltdown and a faction of self-obsessed, grooming-addicted rodents. Then, shifting gears with a violent jerk, we check in on a health app that has amassed a staggering database of 150,000 human poo images to train AI to analyse gut health.

From there, we look to the future, where scientists are trying to steal a trick from the salamander to see if mice and eventually humans can regrow missing limbs. And to end the episode, we take a quick detour into international linguistics to look at how different cultures describe things going completely wrong, from Swedish blue cupboards to vivid Brazilian panic.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

02:20 Why Universe 25 Happened

04:58 Building Mousetopia

08:43 Utopia Turns Violent

11:53 Behavioural Sink Theory

14:04 Misuse And Critiques

18:45 Poop App Citizen Science

24:58 Sharing Stool Online

25:44 Selling Poo Data

27:25 AI Data Hunger

28:23 Elvis Toilet Death

29:43 Constipation Studies

35:02 Mouse Toe Regrowth

41:17 Cactus And Sayings

 

SOURCES:
https://www.404media.co/ai-poop-analysis-app-offered-to-sell-me-access-to-its-users-poops/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72066-8
https://bsky.app/profile/adamcsharp.bsky.social/post/3mlqozoour22z
https://theconversation.com/constipation-increases-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-new-study-finds-and-not-just-on-the-toilet-237209
https://www.mamamia.com.au/elvis-constipation/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/21/the-mad-egghead-who-built-a-mouse-utopia-john-b-calhoun

A 1960s mouse utopia that collapsed into a vanity-obsessed apocalypse, a global database of 150,000 enthusiastic stool photos, and a scientific quest to help humans regrow limbs like a salamander. This week, we bounce between rodent dystopias, AI-powered gut tracking, regenerating toes, and international idioms for absolute chaos.
We start in the late 1960s with Universe 25, an experiment that gave mice everything they wanted and accidentally proved that absolute perfection leads to a total social meltdown and a faction of self-obsessed, grooming-addicted rodents. Then, shifting gears with a violent jerk, we check in on a health app that has amassed a staggering database of 150,000 human poo images to train AI to analyse gut health.
From there, we look to the future, where scientists are trying to steal a trick from the salamander to see if mice and eventually humans can regrow missing limbs. And to end the episode, we take a quick detour into international linguistics to look at how different cultures describe things going completely wrong, from Swedish blue cupboards to vivid Brazilian panic.
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:20 Why Universe 25 Happened
04:58 Building Mousetopia
08:43 Utopia Turns Violent
11:53 Behavioural Sink Theory
14:04 Misuse And Critiques
18:45 Poop App Citizen Science
24:58 Sharing Stool Online
25:44 Selling Poo Data
27:25 AI Data Hunger
28:23 Elvis Toilet Death
29:43 Constipation Studies
35:02 Mouse Toe Regrowth
41:17 Cactus And Sayings
&nbsp;
SOURCES:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.404media.co/ai-poop-analysis-app-offered-to-sell-me-access-to-its-users-poops/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter">https://www.404media.co/ai-poop-analysis-app-offered-to-sell-me-access-to-its-users-poops/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72066-8">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72066-8</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/adamcsharp.bsky.social/post/3mlqozoour22z">https://bsky.app/profile/adamcsharp.bsky.social/post/3mlqozoour22z</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://theconversation.com/constipation-increases-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-new-study-finds-and-not-just-on-the-toilet-237209">https://theconversation.com/constipation-increases-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-new-study-finds-and-not-just-on-the-toilet-237209</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/elvis-constipation/">https://www.mamamia.com.au/elvis-constipation/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/21/the-mad-egghead-who-built-a-mouse-utopia-john-b-calhoun">https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/21/the-mad-egghead-who-built-a-mouse-utopia-john-b-calhoun</a></li>
</ul>

From tales of historical idiocracy and scientific genius to weird and wacky cultural phenomena, Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant are here to take you on a wild conversational journey, deep diving into the crevices of science, history and culture that you never knew existed. 

From tales of historical idiocracy and scientific genius to weird and wacky cultural phenomena, Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant are here to take you on a wild conversational journey, deep diving into the crevices of science, history and culture that you never knew existed.

Bizarre science history from academics with beers

A Little Bit Of Science

Mouse Utopia Experiment, Constipation & Heart Attacks, and Phrases For When Things Go Wrong

Robot wolves are now being used to scare bears away from Japanese schools, scientists have grown mini Neanderthal brains and plugged them into little robots, and snakes are quietly topping the lethality leaderboard while everyone keeps blaming sharks. This week, Will and Rod bounce between wildlife deterrence, prehistoric brain tech, and a public health reality check that hits harder than any movie monster.

We start in Japan, where bears have been wandering into supermarkets and school grounds, and the solution is peak Japan: “monster robot wolves” with sensors, lights, and loud noises designed to scare bears off without harming them. They look like an 80s horror prop, but the goal is serious, keep people safe and avoid lethal control.

Then we head into the lab, where researchers have grown tiny Neanderthal brain organoids, nicknamed Neanderoids, and connected them to small crab like robots. It is fascinating, slightly unsettling, and a reminder that science will always find a way to make the past feel uncomfortably present.

Finally, we look at snakes as one of the world’s biggest killers, with India carrying a huge share of snakebite deaths, and we end with a cybersecurity story where a pen tester talked IT into handing over access on a phone call. Not ideal.

 

 

00:00 Japan Bear Surge

01:20 Meet the Hosts

02:58 Robot Wolf Deterrents

06:37 Upgrades and Risks

08:27 Neanderthal Mini Brains

12:03 Brains Wired to Robot Crabs

13:31 Fascism and Underlings

15:51 Torture Battalion Data

21:46 Animal Killers Teaser

22:35 Mosquitoes Kill Indirectly

23:30 Snakes Top the List

23:40 Floods and Snake Spikes

24:13 India Snakebite Mystery

25:07 Verbal Autopsies Explained

26:51 Antivenom Access Problem

28:22 Next Deadliest Animals Rundown

28:56 Parasites and Kissing Bugs

31:07 Elephants and Hunter Karma

33:15 Bears Sharks and Big Cats

35:06 Social Engineering Hack Story

38:40 Phone Calls Beat Security

39:05 Podcast Wrap and Callouts

 

SOURCES:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-robot-wolves-high-demand-075406454.html

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/japan-built-robot-wolves-to-thwart-bear-attack-and-theyre-flying-off-the-shelves/

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01533-8/abstract

https://theconversation.com/your-gluten-sensitivity-might-be-something-else-entirely-new-study-shows-267098

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/489067/snakebite-antivenom-deaths

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis

https://elifesciences.org/articles/54076

https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-neanderthal-minibrains-grown-dish

https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/05/14/to-gain-root-access-intruder-just-had-to-ask/5239853

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/americas/actually-democracy-dies-in-hr.html

Robot wolves are now being used to scare bears away from Japanese schools, scientists have grown mini Neanderthal brains and plugged them into little robots, and snakes are quietly topping the lethality leaderboard while everyone keeps blaming sharks. This week, Will and Rod bounce between wildlife deterrence, prehistoric brain tech, and a public health reality check that hits harder than any movie monster.
We start in Japan, where bears have been wandering into supermarkets and school grounds, and the solution is peak Japan: &ldquo;monster robot wolves&rdquo; with sensors, lights, and loud noises designed to scare bears off without harming them. They look like an 80s horror prop, but the goal is serious, keep people safe and avoid lethal control.
Then we head into the lab, where researchers have grown tiny Neanderthal brain organoids, nicknamed Neanderoids, and connected them to small crab like robots. It is fascinating, slightly unsettling, and a reminder that science will always find a way to make the past feel uncomfortably present.
Finally, we look at snakes as one of the world&rsquo;s biggest killers, with India carrying a huge share of snakebite deaths, and we end with a cybersecurity story where a pen tester talked IT into handing over access on a phone call. Not ideal.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
00:00 Japan Bear Surge
01:20 Meet the Hosts
02:58 Robot Wolf Deterrents
06:37 Upgrades and Risks
08:27 Neanderthal Mini Brains
12:03 Brains Wired to Robot Crabs
13:31 Fascism and Underlings
15:51 Torture Battalion Data
21:46 Animal Killers Teaser
22:35 Mosquitoes Kill Indirectly
23:30 Snakes Top the List
23:40 Floods and Snake Spikes
24:13 India Snakebite Mystery
25:07 Verbal Autopsies Explained
26:51 Antivenom Access Problem
28:22 Next Deadliest Animals Rundown
28:56 Parasites and Kissing Bugs
31:07 Elephants and Hunter Karma
33:15 Bears Sharks and Big Cats
35:06 Social Engineering Hack Story
38:40 Phone Calls Beat Security
39:05 Podcast Wrap and Callouts
&nbsp;
SOURCES:
<a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-robot-wolves-high-demand-075406454.html">https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-robot-wolves-high-demand-075406454.html</a>
<a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/japan-built-robot-wolves-to-thwart-bear-attack-and-theyre-flying-off-the-shelves/">https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/japan-built-robot-wolves-to-thwart-bear-attack-and-theyre-flying-off-the-shelves/</a>
<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01533-8/abstract">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01533-8/abstract</a>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/your-gluten-sensitivity-might-be-something-else-entirely-new-study-shows-267098">https://theconversation.com/your-gluten-sensitivity-might-be-something-else-entirely-new-study-shows-267098</a>
<a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/489067/snakebite-antivenom-deaths">https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/489067/snakebite-antivenom-deaths</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis</a>
<a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/54076">https://elifesciences.org/articles/54076</a>
https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-neanderthal-minibrains-grown-dish
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/05/14/to-gain-root-access-intruder-just-had-to-ask/5239853
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/americas/actually-democracy-dies-in-hr.html

Robot Wolves, Neanderthal Brains and Why Snakes Are Winning

A poll has asked people if they could win in a fist fight against Donald Trump, a survey on female orgasms has wandered into yawning, crying, and hallucinations, and vulture nests are quietly operating as accidental museums of human history. This week, Will and Rod bounce between political fantasy, private biology, and birds that apparently have a better archive system than most institutions.

We start with the poll that turned politics into Fight Club, which is less about combat and more about confidence, identity, and how people relate to power. Then we get into the science of female orgasms, and why the data is far stranger than the usual “fireworks” story, with reports ranging from tears to yawns to hallucination like effects.

Finally, we head to the vultures, whose nests can preserve scraps and artefacts for decades, creating accidental time capsules for archaeologists. And to end on a rare positive note, we’ve got some good climate news: renewable energy is still surging in the US, despite all the noise.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Political Science Milestones

00:44 Poll Who Beats Trump

01:56 Meet the Hosts

02:50 Science Missed Female Biology

04:00 Mapping the Clitoris

05:49 Surveying Orgasm Effects

08:47 Peri Orgasmic Symptoms

14:08 Taboo and Medical Framing

15:20 Case Report Finger Cure

19:38 Altruism Games

21:38 Resenting Do Gooders

24:05 Tainted Altruism

27:07 Academic Award Hoax

30:49 Self Made Medals

34:11 Vulture Nest Time Capsules

40:07 Climate News Uplift

A poll has asked people if they could win in a fist fight against Donald Trump, a survey on female orgasms has wandered into yawning, crying, and hallucinations, and vulture nests are quietly operating as accidental museums of human history. This week, Will and Rod bounce between political fantasy, private biology, and birds that apparently have a better archive system than most institutions.
We start with the poll that turned politics into Fight Club, which is less about combat and more about confidence, identity, and how people relate to power. Then we get into the science of female orgasms, and why the data is far stranger than the usual &ldquo;fireworks&rdquo; story, with reports ranging from tears to yawns to hallucination like effects.
Finally, we head to the vultures, whose nests can preserve scraps and artefacts for decades, creating accidental time capsules for archaeologists. And to end on a rare positive note, we&rsquo;ve got some good climate news: renewable energy is still surging in the US, despite all the noise.
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Political Science Milestones
00:44 Poll Who Beats Trump
01:56 Meet the Hosts
02:50 Science Missed Female Biology
04:00 Mapping the Clitoris
05:49 Surveying Orgasm Effects
08:47 Peri Orgasmic Symptoms
14:08 Taboo and Medical Framing
15:20 Case Report Finger Cure
19:38 Altruism Games
21:38 Resenting Do Gooders
24:05 Tainted Altruism
27:07 Academic Award Hoax
30:49 Self Made Medals
34:11 Vulture Nest Time Capsules
40:07 Climate News Uplift

The Little Death, the Big Fraud, and the Bird That Stole Your Jerkin

High school students launch blood samples into near space, a real life love story involves a faecal microbiota transplant (FMT), and scientists find cocaine in sharks off The Bahamas. Today we bounce between space medicine, the gut microbiome and mental health, and the uncomfortable reality of ocean pollution.

We break down what those student rocket experiments could mean for space exploration and future medical procedures, then dive into the emerging science of gut bacteria, antibiotics, and how the microbiome may influence conditions like bipolar disorder. It is fascinating, hopeful, and also a bit gross, which is basically the scientific sweet spot.

Then we hit the ocean for the headline nobody asked for: sharks on cocaine. It is not just a meme, it is a sign of how far human contaminants travel through marine ecosystems, and why environmental science keeps finding our mess in places we thought were pristine.

We also unpack why we yawn, including research on brain temperature regulation and whether yawning patterns act like a physiological fingerprint. 

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

01:08 Chivalry Frog Meet Cute

03:37 Bipolar Confession Backstory

05:21 Gut Brain Link Evidence

06:50 DIY FMT Love Story

08:27 FMT Risks And Hype

11:10 Defensive Rewilding Idea

16:40 Cocaine Sharks Explained

17:52 Bahamas Study Findings

22:40 Pollution Everywhere

23:30 Why We Yawn

26:00 Contagious Yawns

27:22 Yawns in the MRI

28:37 Yawning Fingerprints

30:21 Brain Goo Hypothesis

32:06 Student Science Journal

38:12 Blood to Space

39:39 Four-Dimensional Minds

 

SOURCES:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-28/faecal-microbiota-transplant-credited-with-curing-bipolar/105541522
https://futurism.com/science-energy/sharks-high-levels-of-cocaine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724049477
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749126001880
https://emerginginvestigators.org/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03071847.2026.2646067#d1e362
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569904826000340?via=ihub

High school students launch blood samples into near space, a real life love story involves a faecal microbiota transplant (FMT), and scientists find cocaine in sharks off The Bahamas. Today we bounce between space medicine, the gut microbiome and mental health, and the uncomfortable reality of ocean pollution.
We break down what those student rocket experiments could mean for space exploration and future medical procedures, then dive into the emerging science of gut bacteria, antibiotics, and how the microbiome may influence conditions like bipolar disorder. It is fascinating, hopeful, and also a bit gross, which is basically the scientific sweet spot.
Then we hit the ocean for the headline nobody asked for: sharks on cocaine. It is not just a meme, it is a sign of how far human contaminants travel through marine ecosystems, and why environmental science keeps finding our mess in places we thought were pristine.
We also unpack why we yawn, including research on brain temperature regulation and whether yawning patterns act like a physiological fingerprint.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Chivalry Frog Meet Cute
03:37 Bipolar Confession Backstory
05:21 Gut Brain Link Evidence
06:50 DIY FMT Love Story
08:27 FMT Risks And Hype
11:10 Defensive Rewilding Idea
16:40 Cocaine Sharks Explained
17:52 Bahamas Study Findings
22:40 Pollution Everywhere
23:30 Why We Yawn
26:00 Contagious Yawns
27:22 Yawns in the MRI
28:37 Yawning Fingerprints
30:21 Brain Goo Hypothesis
32:06 Student Science Journal
38:12 Blood to Space
39:39 Four-Dimensional Minds
&nbsp;
SOURCES:
<ul>
<li>https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-28/faecal-microbiota-transplant-credited-with-curing-bipolar/105541522</li>
<li>https://futurism.com/science-energy/sharks-high-levels-of-cocaine</li>
<li>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724049477</li>
<li>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749126001880</li>
<li>https://emerginginvestigators.org/</li>
<li>https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03071847.2026.2646067#d1e362</li>
<li>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569904826000340?via=ihub</li>
</ul>

Mouse Utopia Experiment, Constipation & Heart Attacks, and Phrases For When Things Go Wrong

A Little Bit Of Science

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