We Have Concerns

How much do all the wild mammals that roam the Earth weigh? Which wild mammal accounts for the most cumulative weight? Does any of this matter? Jeff and Anthony look at a remarkable project attempting to quantify the weight of biomass on Earth to see how measuring something seemingly unmeasurable can actually make the human impact on the planet clearer.

The Fermi Paradox is the story that started We Have Concerns, and Anthony and Jeff return to the topic this week. There is new research that might explain why we haven't seen evidence of alien life in the universe, and it's shockingly simple.

Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. Could this be the natural remedy that saves humanity from itself? Anthony and Jeff take a look at the ramifications - and challenges - of this discovery. THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED IN OCTOBER. ANTHONY DID NOT GET HIT BY ANOTHER TRUCK

With unlimited funds and intense commitment, is it possible for a 45 year old to have the body of an 18 year old? That is what tech billionaire Bryan Johnson is finding out with his Project Blueprint, an extreme organ-by-organ regimen he and his team of 30 doctors have created. Jeff and Anthony step through the process to determine is Johnson is a pioneer or a Dracula.

Mainstream news has picked up on a report that the molten core of the Earth has stopped spinning, and, in fact, might reverse direction. This has led to wild speculation and dire predictions. Anthony and Jeff dig a bit deeper themselves, and get to the core of the matter - the poor job of reporting the actual science of this discovery.

It is a simple question that requires some pretty complicated investigation. Calculating the number of people who have ever lived since the dawn of humanity is part science and part art. Jeff and Anthony dig in to the fascinating process by which scientists have come up with a pretty definitive answer. Are you able to guess it?

Sometimes, when something seems obvious, science still needs to confirm it. This week, Anthony and Jeff take a look at a trio of stories that may seem not to require investigation, but reveal interesting subtleties upon further study. First up, a look at how working fewer hours may lead to happiness. Then, a report on how and why Americans are having fewer children. And finally, a report that shows acts of kindness are actually therapeutic.

Inside a building in Minneapolis, there is a room so quiet that people believe an hour inside will drive anyone mad. It is so quiet, they say, that you will hear the sound of your own internal organs. A writer from the New York Times recently decided to put that claim to the test by breaking the record for the longest stay inside. Jeff and Anthony look at the history of anechoic chambers, and decide how long they could last in the deafening silence.

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford has found via experimentation that goldfish use markings on the floor below them to measure how far they have traveled. The study disproves the long-held belief goldfish have little or no memory. Anthony and Jeff talk about what this means for goldfish reputations, worldwide, and other animals who fight with unfair stigmas.

Scientists have known that mosquitos are drawn to people at varying rates, but they have struggled to explain what makes certain people “mosquito magnets” while others get off bite-free. In a new paper published in the journal Cell, researchers suggest that certain body odors are the deciding factor. Jeff and Anthony draw out as much wisdom as they can from this vein, sucking every last morsel of insight.