Fascinating Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gear Based Technologies

Vampires are the one monster that seems to have been around forever (I mean they are immortal), and they never seem to go away.  Their popularity may wax and wane, but these predators are always present, ready to suck away our life force in order to preserve theirs.  Even when it seems like we have discussed everything there is to say about these creatures of the night, the Brain Trust comes through with a new perspective.  This week we discuss their relation to the mosquito, how blood types play a major factor, and how a virus could keep you alive while you are biologically dead. Podcast Links Castlevania Man-Eating Plants Facebook Twitter

Everyone remembers the famous line in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy says “Why did it have to be snakes?”  Well our Daring Druid (and resident ophiophilist) Ben Siepser often wonders “Why isn’t it ALWAYS snakes”?  So this week we take a look at a few of our favorite snake-based humanoids including the naga, the ophidians, and the dreaded Yuan-Ti.  Just a bit of a warning, the reproductive cycles of these creatures gets REALLY weird, so make sure to have a pen and paper ready.  Also keep an ear out (no pun intended) for my DeKalb Flying Corn shout out! Facebook Twitter

Are you ready for MORE petrification!  This week we discuss the basilisk, a creature that can turn you to stone just by looking at you.  Well it has to meet your gaze, but we get into the specifics so you won’t get fooled.  It is also gigantic, which is something to consider.  Listen as we talk about how near-sightedness as an advantage, the deliciousness of magic shell, and how spitting on goggles may or may not prevent fogginess. Facebook Twitter

There are certain creatures in myth and legend who have been said to have the ability to turn those they encounter into stone.  This week we profile one of those creatures, the cockatrice.  With the head of a rooster, the body of a lizard, and the wings of a bat, this tiny creature can petrify the largest of creatures with a single touch.  They are feared in the fantasy world, since their small size and extreme accuracy make them fearsome opponents.  This week we discuss how this would be possible, and what to do if you find one of your companions looking more statuesque than usual. Facebook Twitter

There is a reason every little girl wants a pony:  Because horses are really cool.  They are so great that the world of D&D is filled with horse-based creatures including the unicorn, pegasus, nightmare, and even the centaur.  Why this form?  What tactile advantages does it provide?  How can a horse fly but a pig can’t?  We will answer all these questions on this week’s episode. Facebook Twitter

As human beings, we are lucky enough to be at the top of the food chain.  Being at the top means there is nothing above us.  No predators to watch out for, nothing evolving to eat is specifically.  We never have to check our rear view.  Or do we?  In this episode we discuss what makes a good human predator, and it turns out its plants!  That’s right, if we are going to be taken out, it will be by an attractive, seemingly harmless plant with beautiful flowers and hallucinogenic pollen.  Listen as we discuss the dangers of high coconuts, using a pitcher plant as a toilet, and how Ben deals with nightmares of Muppets. Podcast Links The Muppets on Fascinating Fights Facebook Twitter

The forest is filled with all kinds of creatures great and small. It is also home to one of the most mischievous and dangerous creatures: The Dryad. The woodland spirits are tied to a singular oak tree. They are so tied in fact, that they cannot stray more than 1000 feet from their home. This can be a problem, so they have devised ways of tricking and charming beautiful men to come and stay with them. Some break the spell and are able to return home, some are never seen again. This episode is filled with all sorts of interesting revelations, which include quantum waviness, the discovery of true commensalism, and whether there is such a thing as consensual abduction. Facebook Twitter

Everyone knows that trees are alive…but today we are only concerned with the ones that run around.  We are talking treants from D&D, Ents from Lord of the Rings, and the Fighting Trees of Oz.  Are these creatures plants with animal traits, or secret animals that look like plants?  We discuss the possibilities.  The answer may be found in upside-down jelly fish & leafy sea slugs.  Plus we show you the importance of poemifying your life, and indulging in a little tree sap. Facebook Twitter

When it comes to D&D, there is one apex predator:  The Dragon.  It is even in the name!  These winged creatures come in all sizes and colors, which is lucky for adventurers.  See, a dragon’s color tells you a lot about the creature, including their alignment, their powers, and their magic resistance.  When you are going after something so powerful, you will take any advantage you can.  We discuss why this is the case, and how it works.  We also explore the idea that much like predators in our world, there have to be a whole host of smaller creatures that live around the dragon to ensure their survival.  Why not hitch your wagon to the most powerful creature in the land! Podcast Links The Mimic Cycle Gelatinous Cubes Megalodon Facebook Twitter

Once you sign up to be an adventurer, it is a given that you will raid every chest you come across.  Some will have locks, some will have traps, and some may even eat you.  That last option is the topic of today’s show as we discuss mimics in D&D.  These creatures can take the form of anything wooden, metal, or stone, which is usually a treasure chest.  Not only that, but we will unveil a new natural cycle that includes the mimic and a mind-altering parasite.  It may not save your party from getting eaten, but it may help you appreciate the dungeon’s natural cycles. Podcast Links Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Mind-Altering Parasites Facebook Twitter

If you wear a belt buckle (as any good adventurer does), then battling a rust monster is the only situation where you can get caught with your pants down.  These creatures seem to feed on metals, which means that unless you are proficient with clubs and quarterstaves, you are in big trouble.   If you have good loot, avoid these creatures at all costs.  Luckily in this episode we will tell you how to deal with these annoying creatures, how they are known to team-up with carrion crawlers, and how in the world they eat animated armor.  Plus we spend some time going over the proper way to Galumph. Facebook Twitter

Our 10th season begins!  We decided to do something a little different this year.  We were inspired by last season’s episode on “Delicious in Dungeon”, so we are taking a look at Dungeons & Dragons monsters and explaining how they work.  It turns out, there is a lot of literature on these creatures, and none has been written about more than the classic Gelatinous Cube, officially known as an Althcoid.  As it’s name implies, it a large cube of ooze, similar to a Jello desert, except in this case YOU are the main course!  It is transparent, and if you find yourself stuck inside one, you will dissolve into goo in less than 10 minutes.  We discuss this monster, how to incorporate them into your adventure, and also find a way to compare them to sour dough starter mix. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Delicious in Dungeon Facebook Twitter

Once you reach 200 episodes, you start to consider life expectancy. Should a podcast go on forever? Should a human live forever? While I have no idea about the first one, today’s episode is about the second one. Sure we will quickly congratulate ourselves but then we get down to the real work: Researching the quest for immortality. It turns out we are coming alarmingly close to halting the aging process, and in some cases even reversing it. We are destroying diseases that ravaged humankind, like cancer and AIDS. We even have billionaires who are charting their biomarkers and uploading their numbers to the internet in the world’s first case of open source human experimentation. We have some a long way since Dr. Frankenstein first jolted his monster to life (our first ep. BTW), and while we can’t raise the dead (yet), we are very close to ending death once and for all. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Frankenstein’s Monster FGGGbT Ep. Fallout FGGGbT Ep. Last of Us FGGGbT Ep. The Danger of Sleep Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Paul Hynek Facebook Twitter

For many generations, Santa has been seen as a portly fellow who’s hard work throughout the year makes Christmas Day magical for all.  That view is becoming a thing of the past.  We have done a lot of episodes on the technology of Christmas, and this year we have a new entry:  Red One.  This Santa is absolutely jacked, and has tremendously high powered technology at his control, including a duplicating machine that makes generating toys a cinch, and an enlarging ray that warps the reality around an object so that a toy car can become a full-sized working model.  But there he still has a naughty list that requires round the clock surveillance without your knowledge.  Oh and there is definitely a conspiracy to hide his existence from the world.  Remember, nothing is free, including toys at Christmas.  Even Santa has secrets. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Prep & Landing Dennin’s Discussion of Santa Tech Facebook Twitter

Raiding tombs is tough work, which is maybe Lara Croft, the world’s most famous tomb raider, is such a jerk.  Personally I like Indiana Jones a lot better, but he was definitely not as athletic as Lara.  Sure he had the bullwhip, but Lara uses a magnetic grappling hook with the proficiency of a samurai warrior.  She is excellent at parkour, and is more agile when it comes to avoiding traps.  Let’s say she inspires you to raid tombs of your own, well there are a few things to consider.  This week we discuss the difference between puzzles and traps, the difference between a re-grappler and a de-grappler, and how to restore a painting without ruining it. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Edge of Sleep Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Ian Livingstone Facebook Twitter

On this show we discuss how the world will end every other episode, and since we discussed robot survival skills on the last episode, once again, we are due.  This week we actually explore what Dennin calls the ultimate apocalypse:  Dying if you fall asleep.  This is the concept of Markipliers new series “The Edge of Sleep”, which is what inspired this episode.  How long do you think you could stay awake?  24 hours?  48?  I know I have been up 12 hours as I write this and I can barely keep my eyes open.  I would definitely be toast.  Luckily we explore some of the ways you could stay awake for 19 days, which is what the current world record is.  Plus we share some of our favorite all-nighter stories, and discuss the benefits of caffeinated water. Podcast Links Facebook Twitter

The early part of this century saw an explosion of television shows demonstrating extreme survival skills.  I am talking about Survivor, Naked and Afraid, Man VS Wild, or anything Bear Grylls stars in.  I think this was really to show how far we humans have gone from nature.  We have lost almost all of our primal instincts, but in fairness, we do have them.  Our inner caveman is always simmering below the surface.  This is not true for robots.  Sure AI has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past few months, but could an artificially intelligent robot survive in a harsh, remote environment?  Could they learn survival skills without a single human present?  That is the question we are going to tackle today.  Our Enigmatic Engineer Ben Siepser is mostly robot, and as such, he reveals his first ever memories.  These may hold the key to the survival of all robotdom. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Transformers Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Dog Intelligence FGGGbT Ep. on I Am Mother Facebook Twitter

Let’s say you work with classified documents, or you just have a boring job you want to forget.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could just turn off your brain as you entered work and turned it back on when you left the building?  You know, give the heavy lifting to your unconscious or whatever.  If this sounds like a dream come true, then you will LOVE the TV show Severance.  Here people have an operation that puts a chip in their brain which creates an entirely new personality.  This personality IS you, but it only remembers what happens at work.  The original you gets to experience all the cool stuff like weekends and not working, while this new personality is stuck finishing your mindless tasks.  It’s a dream come true!  That is, of course, you are the original you and not the new you.  Their life sucks.  Anyway, we discuss all the pros and cons of this arrangement on this week’s episode! Facebook Twitter

Beetlejuice has been called “The Ghost with the Most”, but the most of what?  Is there something special that he has that other ghosts in the afterlife don’t have?  The short answer is YES, and it involves the Deadon particle.  Don’t worry, we explain everything for you in this episode.   These give him the power to be the greatest bio-exorcist in the afterlife, which is how the B-man makes his living.  And saying his name three times?  First of all, don’t do it.  Secondly, it makes perfect sense, trust me.  Plus we have a quick conversation about how he would fare against the Ghostbusters, and let me say, the consensus was 50/50, AND we tell you how to properly shrink a head. Podcast Links Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Slavic Myths Fascinating Fights:  The Ghostbusters VS Beetlejuice Articles Vincent Price’s Shrunken Head Apple Sculpture Smithsonian on the Shrunken Head Facebook Twitter

My guess is that most people listening to this episode will NOT find themselves lost in a fantasy dungeon (unless it is while playing a game of D&D of course).  However should you, it may become necessary to start catching and eating monsters.   Luckily the Brain Trust has just finished watching the anime “Delicious in Dungeon” so we have you covered.  A dungeon is its own ecosystem, complete with photosynthetic plants (when there is sunlight), wild fungi, herbivores, scavengers and yes, even carnivores.  What should you eat, and how should it be prepared?  Well a cockatrice is multiple animals, so it should be cooked like a turducken.  Need vegetables?  Try planting some on a dirt golem.  We even discuss the complicated science of cooking so all your meat will taste delicious on out wok.  Just steer clear of the dragons and you will be fine. Podcast Links FGGGbT Ep. on Dune Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Brains in Jars Facebook Twitter