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

Trump’s Sketchy Nuclear Restarts, Greenhushing Explained and Driverless Car Death Predictions

A ventriloquist once ruled the radio waves, captivating millions with stage tricks that made no visual sense but somehow worked perfectly through a speaker. The world’s love for a good illusion runs deep, stretching from ancient oracles channeling voices through their bellies to audiences mesmerised by dummies with invisible lips. Humans have always been drawn to spectacle, even when it requires a leap of imagination.

The world of competitive chestnut-smashing, known in England as Conkers, has moved far beyond childhood nostalgia. Now it is a battleground for grown-up pride, world championships and the occasional controversy. When the stakes are glory and bragging rights, even a simple game can become the centre of suspicion and scandal.

Even stone skimming is not immune to drama. The World Stone Skimming Championships recently faced its own rule-bending episode, with contestants trying to perfect their throws in shady ways that organisers had to address. Whether it’s radio dummies, nut-bashing or stone skipping, humans will always find a way to turn even the silliest competition into a drama.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction 

02:27 The Curious Case of Radio Ventriloquism

05:18 King of Conkers Controversy 

08:53 Stone Skimming Championships and Cheating Scandals

12:18 Conclusion and Listener Engagement





SOURCES:

Cheating scandal rocks world stone skimming championships

‘King Conker’ cleared of cheating at World Conker Championships

The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show

A ventriloquist once ruled the radio waves, captivating millions with stage tricks that made no visual sense but somehow worked perfectly through a speaker. The world&rsquo;s love for a good illusion runs deep, stretching from ancient oracles channeling voices through their bellies to audiences mesmerised by dummies with invisible lips. Humans have always been drawn to spectacle, even when it requires a leap of imagination.
The world of competitive chestnut-smashing, known in England as Conkers, has moved far beyond childhood nostalgia. Now it is a battleground for grown-up pride, world championships and the occasional controversy. When the stakes are glory and bragging rights, even a simple game can become the centre of suspicion and scandal.
Even stone skimming is not immune to drama. The World Stone Skimming Championships recently faced its own rule-bending episode, with contestants trying to perfect their throws in shady ways that organisers had to address. Whether it&rsquo;s radio dummies, nut-bashing or stone skipping, humans will always find a way to turn even the silliest competition into a drama.
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction&nbsp;
02:27 The Curious Case of Radio Ventriloquism
05:18 King of Conkers Controversy&nbsp;
08:53 Stone Skimming Championships and Cheating Scandals
12:18 Conclusion and Listener Engagement
 
SOURCES:
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp982r99rrmo?_bhlid=efc76fa617769db8a0a1f2c4fa78dd9c2b68485a">Cheating scandal rocks world stone skimming championships</a>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/20/king-conker-cleared-of-cheating-at-world-conker-championships">&lsquo;King Conker&rsquo; cleared of cheating at World Conker Championships</a>
<a href="https://www.museum.tv/portfolio-2/the-edgar-bergen-and-charlie-mccarthy-show">The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show</a>

Radio Ventriloquism, Conkers Controversy and Stone Skimming Cheaters

Academics are now seriously debating the ethics of sex with aliens, with questions swirling around intergalactic consent, the boundaries of romance and whether Captain Kirk’s escapades would pass the cosmic sniff test. Some call it unnatural, others say it’s all about happiness and agreement, and a few even claim to have had their own close encounters. Until E.T. shows up with a clear answer, the verdict is equal parts fascinating and unresolved.

Back on Earth, dogs have been quietly evolving to manipulate us with their eyes. Thanks to unique facial muscles and lightning-fast eyebrow moves, modern pups can pull off that “feed me” look better than any wolf ever could. We bred dogs to be emotionally expressive, and now they’re experts at tugging our heartstrings, turning the human-canine relationship into a masterclass in mutual manipulation.

Meanwhile, StaffCop is turning offices into digital panopticons, logging every keystroke and screenshot in the name of productivity. While management loves the promise of accountability, for employees it means more paranoia, less privacy and a creativity drought. With science and technology serving up weirder dilemmas than ever, it’s safe to say the workplace is starting to look a little too much like 1984.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

00:47 Ethical Dilemma: Sex with Aliens

03:27 Exploring Alien Reproduction

07:53 Human-Alien Sexual Encounters

13:46 Ethics and Consent in Alien Relationships

19:07 Dogs Using Their Eyebrows to Manipulate Humans

23:01 Employee Monitoring Software

27:16 Ethical Concerns and Privacy

31:47 Conclusion and Listener Engagement





SOURCES:

This Guy Paints the Sex He Allegedly Has with Aliens

Would you have sex with an alien?

How many men here would be willing to have sex with a legitimate alien from another planet?

Alien Attraction

What is StaffCop?

The science behind puppy-dog eyes, and other ways our canines communicate with us

Academics are now seriously debating the ethics of sex with aliens, with questions swirling around intergalactic consent, the boundaries of romance and whether Captain Kirk&rsquo;s escapades would pass the cosmic sniff test. Some call it unnatural, others say it&rsquo;s all about happiness and agreement, and a few even claim to have had their own close encounters. Until E.T. shows up with a clear answer, the verdict is equal parts fascinating and unresolved.
Back on Earth, dogs have been quietly evolving to manipulate us with their eyes. Thanks to unique facial muscles and lightning-fast eyebrow moves, modern pups can pull off that &ldquo;feed me&rdquo; look better than any wolf ever could. We bred dogs to be emotionally expressive, and now they&rsquo;re experts at tugging our heartstrings, turning the human-canine relationship into a masterclass in mutual manipulation.
Meanwhile, StaffCop is turning offices into digital panopticons, logging every keystroke and screenshot in the name of productivity. While management loves the promise of accountability, for employees it means more paranoia, less privacy and a creativity drought. With science and technology serving up weirder dilemmas than ever, it&rsquo;s safe to say the workplace is starting to look a little too much like 1984.
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
00:47 Ethical Dilemma: Sex with Aliens
03:27 Exploring Alien Reproduction
07:53 Human-Alien Sexual Encounters
13:46 Ethics and Consent in Alien Relationships
19:07 Dogs Using Their Eyebrows to Manipulate Humans
23:01 Employee Monitoring Software
27:16 Ethical Concerns and Privacy
31:47 Conclusion and Listener Engagement
 
SOURCES:
<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-paints-the-sex-he-allegedly-has-with-aliens/">This Guy Paints the Sex He Allegedly Has with Aliens</a>
<a href="http://google.com/url?sa=D&amp;q=https://unherd.com/newsroom/would-you-have-sex-with-an-alien/&amp;ust=1765491840000000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1hVx22y4Y7m2wgkohjs3of&amp;hl=en">Would you have sex with an alien?</a>
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/shw91e/how_many_men_here_would_be_willing_to_have_sex/">How many men here would be willing to have sex with a legitimate alien from another planet?</a>
<a href="http://google.com/url?sa=D&amp;q=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-red-light-district/201104/alien-attraction&amp;ust=1765491840000000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0XboGRDHRYslDaSeG0220l&amp;hl=en">Alien Attraction</a>
<a href="https://comparecamp.com/staffcop-review-pricing-pros-cons-features/">What is StaffCop?</a>
<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-04-06/dog-human-communication-puppy-dog-eyes-facial-expression/100955364">The science behind puppy-dog eyes, and other ways our canines communicate with us</a>

Ethics of Sex with Aliens, Dogs’ Cuteness Tactics and the StaffCop Office Overlord

A Rome-based research team discovered poetry can jailbreak AI systems by bypassing safety filters that normal prompts can't crack, making verse a genuine cybersecurity vulnerability. Medieval physicians believed flatulent foods like beans and onions were aphrodisiacs because intestinal gas supposedly enhanced sexual performance, Palmer Luckey, the tech billionaire behind Oculus, now advocates for submarines that tunnel through Earth's crust for national defense, while a Dublin man contracted penile tuberculosis from working with deer in a rarely documented case of genital TB.

Poetry defeats AI security by exploiting how language models process poetic structure, proving Aristotle's warnings about poets in governance were surprisingly futuristic. Medieval fart-based aphrodisiacs never worked but show humanity's eternal optimism for simple bedroom solutions, while Luckey's crust-submarine idea sounds insane until you remember he actually made VR mainstream. The Dublin TB case demonstrates that tuberculosis can infect any body part and that working with animals carries risks nobody considers - including your genitals contracting lung diseases.

The biggest threats to AI are poets, the worst aphrodisiacs involved intestinal wind, crust submarines might actually happen, and deer can give you dick tuberculosis. Science is weird, history is weirder, and Palmer Luckey wants to make it weirder still.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

02:07 Plato's Republic and AI Poetry

03:54 The Power of Poetry in AI

07:59 Historical Aphrodisiacs and Fertility

19:01 Simultaneous Orgasms and Farting

19:36 Windy Meats and Fertility Myths

24:19 Palmer Luckey and Virtual Reality

31:00 Penile Tuberculosis: A Rare Case

36:50 Smart Toilets and Privacy Concerns





SOURCES:

‘End-to-end encrypted’ smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted

Scientists Discover “Universal” Jailbreak for Nearly Every AI, and the Way It Works Will Hurt Your Brain

Adversarial Poetry as a Universal Single-Turn Jailbreak Mechanism in Large Language Models

Palmer Luckey on the Future of Warfare

Beans, ale & 'windy meats': surprising 17th-century aphrodisiac

When Beans were the Food of Lust

Why you don’t want to get tuberculosis on your penis

A Rome-based research team discovered poetry can jailbreak AI systems by bypassing safety filters that normal prompts can't crack, making verse a genuine cybersecurity vulnerability. Medieval physicians believed flatulent foods like beans and onions were aphrodisiacs because intestinal gas supposedly enhanced sexual performance, Palmer Luckey, the tech billionaire behind Oculus, now advocates for submarines that tunnel through Earth's crust for national defense, while a Dublin man contracted penile tuberculosis from working with deer in a rarely documented case of genital TB.
Poetry defeats AI security by exploiting how language models process poetic structure, proving Aristotle's warnings about poets in governance were surprisingly futuristic. Medieval fart-based aphrodisiacs never worked but show humanity's eternal optimism for simple bedroom solutions, while Luckey's crust-submarine idea sounds insane until you remember he actually made VR mainstream. The Dublin TB case demonstrates that tuberculosis can infect any body part and that working with animals carries risks nobody considers - including your genitals contracting lung diseases.
The biggest threats to AI are poets, the worst aphrodisiacs involved intestinal wind, crust submarines might actually happen, and deer can give you dick tuberculosis. Science is weird, history is weirder, and Palmer Luckey wants to make it weirder still.
&nbsp;
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:07 Plato's Republic and AI Poetry
03:54 The Power of Poetry in AI
07:59 Historical Aphrodisiacs and Fertility
19:01 Simultaneous Orgasms and Farting
19:36 Windy Meats and Fertility Myths
24:19 Palmer Luckey and Virtual Reality
31:00 Penile Tuberculosis: A Rare Case
36:50 Smart Toilets and Privacy Concerns
 
SOURCES:
<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/03/end-to-end-encrypted-smart-toilet-camera-is-not-actually-end-to-end-encrypted/">&lsquo;End-to-end encrypted&rsquo; smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted</a>
<a href="http://google.com/url?sa=D&amp;q=https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/universal-jailbreak-ai-poems%3Futm_social_handle_id%3D2557446343%26utm_social_post_id%3D611990555%26utm_source%3Dwww.garbageday.email%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_campaign%3Dthe-cozy-living-room-meltdown%26_bhlid%3Db734a51604080ce74827d99b11c625c6045c84a5&amp;ust=1765336260000000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0A9FRJ828QQ9-HCmcGeaFq&amp;hl=en">Scientists Discover &ldquo;Universal&rdquo; Jailbreak for Nearly Every AI, and the Way It Works Will Hurt Your Brain</a>
<a href="https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1">Adversarial Poetry as a Universal Single-Turn Jailbreak Mechanism in Large Language Models</a>
<a href="https://x.com/omnishwin/status/1996301434611220705">Palmer Luckey on the Future of Warfare</a>
<a href="https://www.historyextra.com/membership/beans-pulses-what-food-aphrodisiac-17th-century/">Beans, ale &amp; 'windy meats': surprising 17th-century aphrodisiac</a>
<a href="https://researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/en/publications/when-beans-were-the-food-of-lust/">When Beans were the Food of Lust</a>
<a href="https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/11/why-you-dont-want-to-get-tuberculosis-on-your-penis/">Why you don&rsquo;t want to get tuberculosis on your penis</a>

Trump’s Sketchy Nuclear Restarts, Greenhushing Explained and Driverless Car Death Predictions

In 1 playlist(s)

A Little Bit Of Science

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips