Everyone wants to live forever, dogs are out here doing actual jobs, and someone has tried to work out where heaven might be using astronomy. We dig into the strange science of longevity, including research suggesting reproduction and lifespan might be linked in uncomfortable ways. Then they meet the working dogs sniffing out invasive species, guarding airport runways, and generally making the rest of us look lazy.

From there, things get cosmic. An opinion piece argues heaven could sit beyond our cosmic horizon, which is a great way to accidentally spend your afternoon thinking about infinity. There is also a quick detour into gelatin-based culinary chaos, featuring the kind of vintage recipes that should come with a warning label.

We wrap up with listener stories, including a cow named Veronica who can use a broom as a tool, because of course she can.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction 

00:19 Exploring the Science of Longevity

01:00 Psychology and Climate Action

01:09 Mailbag and Birthday Surprise

01:27 Lifestyle Changes for Longevity

02:47 Reproduction and Longevity

12:58 Dogs with Jobs

21:07 Science Finds Heaven

27:51 Cosmic Horizon and Hubble's Law

29:39 Einstein's Relativity and Speed of Light

31:18 The Mysteries Beyond the Cosmic Horizon

40:49 Veronica the Tool-Using Cow

48:03 Gelatin: A Culinary and Industrial Marvel

54:58 Komodo Dragons and Asexual Reproduction

56:25 Listener Mailbag and Fun Facts

SOURCES:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656622000423

https://futurism.com/health-medicine/conspiracy-theories-psychology

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656622000423

https://futurism.com/health-medicine/men-lifespan-castration

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1109009

https://www.aol.com/articles/heaven-real-science-may-reveal-130016778.html

https://michaelguillen.com

https://www.iflscience.com/we-didnt-even-think-about-looking-broom-wielding-veronika-shows-tool-use-in-cows-isnt-so-absurd-after-all-82260

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9963746/

https://www.nature.com/news/2006/061218/full/news061218-7.html

https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/trending-now/dogs-with-unusual-jobs

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/04/05/schizophrenia-hallucinationspsychiatric-assistance-dog/73171229007/

https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/01/people-like-the-idea-of-being-green-but-they-hate-being-told-what-to-do-even-more/