Explain This

How can you use the Sun, the stars, and time to measure your location on Earth? Why were clocks instrumental in conquering the seas? How can you use shadows and wells to prove that the Earth is round?Today, we learn all about the science of location, location, location! And the fascinating history of how sailors navigated the high seas before satellites and Google Maps.Latitude and longitude visualisedUsing latitude and longitude as coordinatesEratosthene's method for calculating Earth's circumferenceAstrolabeEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

How do infections kill us? What happens when my immune system overreacts? Why is horseshoe crab blood important in medicine?All these questions and more are answered in today's episode, covering the often misunderstoon topic of sepsis. Step inside my world of emergency medicine, and how we fight against infectious diseases!Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

How can you split a supposedly indivisible atom to release a lot of energy? Why was this discovery so controversial in the context of history? What does Einstein have to do with nukes? Are nuclear reactors good or evil?We dive into the nature of the fundamental particles that make up everything in the world, and how we came to harness the awesome yet terrible power that is nuclear energy!Anatomy of an atomNuclear chain reaction visualisedGun-type vs implosion-type nuclear weapon designsHalf-Arsed History - Episode 197: The History of Nuclear WeaponsKurzgesagt - Nuclear Energy Explained Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

What can star signs tell me about my personality and love life? (spoiler: nothing.) How did the Zodiac come about? Who is the mysterious, hidden thirteenth Zodiac sign?Let's kick off 2024 not with pseudoscience, but some real astronomical science and fascinating Greek mythololgy stories!Image of what the Zodiac band looks like, and each constellationRod of Asclepius vs CaduceusExample of The Mentalist cold readingEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

Why do smokers  live 10-18 years fewer on average than non-smokers? What is in cigarette tar and why is it deadly? How can smoking cause impotence? Should I vape?In today's episode, we do a deep dive and tackle the world's greatest cause of preventable death in human society: smoking tobacco! Graph showing relationship between smoking and lung cancer prevalenceDiagram of lung anatomyPhoto comparison of healthy vs smoker's lungsEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

How can you squeeze in infinite people into an already full hotel? Are some infinities bigger than others? What's the relationship between infinity and zero?Come explore the boundless, magical world of infinity with the help of some fantastical thought experiments!Zig zag method to convert a grid into a lineCantor's diagonal argument visualisedMöebius Strip II, 1964 - M.C. EscherOuroborosLemniscate symbol in Roman mosaicsEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

How do doctors put you to sleep for surgery? How do medicines and poison work on our body? What are the anaesthetic medications doing to your brain to keep your unconscious and paralysed? What do you mean we don't know???Today we continue on from our special 50th episode by talking about ANOTHER topic that you'd be surprised to know that we don't know fully about - the mechanism of general anaesthesia!Phospholipid bilayer diagramLipid bilayer expansion hypothesis diagramEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

Why do we sleep? How do bicycles stay upright? Why does gravity exist? Wait...what do you mean you don't know???For our 50th episode, we have a special topic - concepts that we don't fully understand yet! And why it's okay to say "I don't know".Thank you for being a patron of Explain This for so long! We're looking forward to continuing to explain complex concepts in simpler ways for people of all ages. <3Caster wheelsHammer and feather drop on the MoonEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@explainthiscast 

Why do people sometimes say things that they don't mean? What is the difference between irony and a coincidence? What is wrong with Alanis Morissette's hit song "Ironic"?Let's take a deep dive into irony - one of the most misunderstood concepts in English!Rene Magritte - The Treachery of ImagesAlanis Morissette - IronicEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

How does Youflixbook know to recommend the perfect content for me, so I can continue doomscrolling and binging? What makes ChatGPT such a powerful, scary new piece of tech? Will AI kill us all?We're back with a fresh new topic! Come learn all about algorithms, neural networks and large language models, so you can stay informed in all the interesting party and water cooler discussions!ChatGPTEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

How did Romans use calendars for political purposes? When do we have leap years? Where do the names of the months come from? Let's learn about the weirdly fascinating history of the Gregorian calendar, and what can go wrong when calendars aren't made accurately!Knuckle method for figuring out if a month has 30 or 31 daysEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

How can I use a mirror to make a death ray? What is the colour of a mirror? Why do mirrors flip left and right, but not top and bottom?Let's step in through the looking-glass to learn about the simple yet amazing invention that is the mirror! Diagram showing light's angle of incidence and angle of reflection - MinutePhysicsEnantiomers - John Wiley and Sons IncHand with Reflecting Sphere by MC EscherHow a telescope worksEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

How can I level up my gaming with mental shortcuts? Why do smart people make stupid mistakes and believe outrageous things? What the hell ARE vibes?Come learn about our amazing yet very imperfect brains, and how to know when to think fast and when to think slow.Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

What ARE electrolytes? Why do we need them, and do sports drinks give us enough of it? How do nerve cells conduct electricity? What do plants crave?Come get roasted as Jin calls you a meatbag full of salty water! And learn about how cells can waterbend.Sodium/Potassium pump in action - Crash CourseIdiocracy - Electrolytes, it's what plants crave sceneEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

What does science have to say about the possibility of aliens existing? Why haven't we come across any aliens yet? What if we're truly alone? How significant are we in the grand scheme of things?All of these existential questions and more in today's episode about the strange paradox of how aliens SHOULD exist!Yearly Theme (Episode 4 - New Year's Resolution)Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

Why is everything getting pricier? Why did German bread cost billions of marks in the 1920's? What do interest rates have to do with inflation? How has COVID-19 affected the economy?It's time to learn some Economics 101 to understand all of the news posts about inflation and interest rates, and why everything seems to get more expensive each year!Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

What are the vital signs? Why is the nurse checking out my pecs, while choking my biceps with a very tight band? What can go wrong when your blood pressure is too low?All this and more as we learn about how physiological monitoring helps healthcare workers look out for dangerous, life-threatening events while caring for you!Lynn, L.A., Curry, J.P. Patterns of unexpected in-hospital deaths: a root cause analysis. Patient Saf Surg 5, 3 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-5-3Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

What is happening in the brain when someone is depressed? How can an electric shock to the brain treat depression? Why is ECT still used in medicine, when movies such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest show how horrible it is?Today we talk about a controversial medical treatment with a rather terrible public image. We'll discuss how it works, how effective and safe it is, and try debunk some widespread myths about ECT!Watch this video for a visual example of what ECT looks like nowadays!The ECT Journey - Gold Coast HealthEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

How do magnets stick to metals? Why isn't the Iron Throne magnetic? How can we use magnets to record and play sound, or levitate a frog?Let's learn about one of the fundamental physical forces that glues the world together, by learning about how magnets work!Bar magnet field linesIron filing experimentEmail: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/ 

What is DNA and how does it work? How can scientists tweak DNA with molecular scissors, and why would they want to? How could genetic engineering create an unfair society?All this and more on this episode of Explain This, where we learn about how this cool new technology has completely revolutionised the world of genetics!Email: explainthiscast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explainthiscastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ExplainThisCastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/explainthiscast/