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Episodes
Pour yourself something warm. Let it drizzle outside. This one's for the curious.
The Mark & Toddcast is your weekly escape from the algorithm, the outrage cycle, and whatever fresh hell is trending. Broadcasting from the rainy heart of Portland, Oregon, two friends have spent 11 years and over 300 episodes doing exactly what you wish you could do at your favorite dimly lit neighborhood pub: sitting down with a pint and wandering through whatever's genuinely interesting.
Consider us comfort food for your brain.
Instead, expect pure Pacific Northwest chill and unfiltered curiosity about topics like:
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Why we absolutely hate the sound of our own voices
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The secret origin of the biohazard symbol
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America’s classified, Cold War plan to nuke the moon
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The Stanford Prison Experiment (and why it was actually kind of BS)
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Portland’s very own infamous Barbie-hacking culture jammers
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The unsolved mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
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And yes... the actual science of farts
What’s in an Episode?
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The Catch-Up: A little life banter between two longtime friends navigating the Rose City.
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Just the Headlines: A quick spin through the weirdest, wildest science and culture news of the week.
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The Deep Dive: A 20-minute, high-level plunge into whatever strange subject one of us couldn't stop reading about.
Meet Your Hosts:
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Mark spent his twenties operating nuclear reactors for the Navy before coming home to Portland's Silicon Forest to keep the machines that build microchips running. Now, he’s a technical director helping companies get found online.
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Todd has lived several lives—ad copywriter, artist, Newsweek-published writer, and an unrepentant Madonna superfan. Today, he’s a local therapist helping people untangle their stories and reconnect with the humans around them.
Pull up a chair. Grab a local beverage.
Science is funny.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 05, 2016
Tuesday Jul 05, 2016
With the Juno space probe successfully arriving in Jupiter’s orbit, we take a closer look at both the mission and the planet itself. Also discussed: Todd’s Hitler mustache and shame-food addiction, Mark’s Road Trip Round-Up,...
The post #46 – Jupiter? I Barely Knew Her! appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Monday Jun 20, 2016
Monday Jun 20, 2016
From a tiny farm in Idaho to every living room on the planet, we take a look at how an unassuming (and still relatively unknown) man named Philo T. Farnsworth brought us a little invention...
The post #45 – The Farnsworth Invention appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Monday Jun 13, 2016
Monday Jun 13, 2016
Dark matter, black holes, galaxies, gravity, the universe, and everything: Mark interviews Dr. Ethan Siegel, PhD in Theoretic Astrophysics, Professor, and astrophysics & space writer for Forbes Magazine in this fantastic journey through the outer...
The post #44 – The Universe and Everything appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Monday Jun 06, 2016
Monday Jun 06, 2016
Capcea…capscies…capcase…..capsaicin… Well, however you pronounce it, this heat-induced episode explores two extremely different topics: where down feathers come from, and the Scoville Scale heat index of hot peppers. Other topics discussed: Road trips, Shia LeBouf:...
The post #43 – Heat Stroke and Naked Baby Ducks appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Sunday May 29, 2016
Sunday May 29, 2016
Find out why we added lead to gasoline, how CFCs eat through the ozone layer, and the M. Night Shyamalan-esque story of how those both are related. It’s a twist! Also: why the Muppets were...
The post #42 – Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Science” appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Monday May 23, 2016
Monday May 23, 2016
Is recycling a hippy scam? Does anyone even know what we’re allowed (or not allowed) to throw in the recycle bin? Find out how processing garbage and recycling works in this week’s action-packed episode. ALSO:...
The post #41 – Recycled Humor appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Tuesday May 17, 2016
Tuesday May 17, 2016
With the recent spate of Tiny Earthquakes* and subduction activity in the Pacific Northwest, we take a look at some of the different ways volcanic activity still shapes and shifts the earth beneath us. Also:...
The post #40 – Volcanoes Are So Hot Right Now appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Wednesday May 11, 2016
Wednesday May 11, 2016
What are “artificial” flavors, and are they different from “natural” flavors? (Short answer: not really.) Taste the rainbow as we explore the science of flavor. Also in this episode: screaming goats, Mark holds coworkers hostage,...
The post #39 – Welcome to Flavor Country appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Sunday May 01, 2016
Sunday May 01, 2016
The discussion about the power grid and the realities of large-scale EMP weapons is great, but Mark’s surprise story about his experience with a professional cuddler (yes, you read that right) is the best thing...
The post #38 – Come For The Power Grid, Stay For The Cuddles appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.
Monday Apr 18, 2016
Monday Apr 18, 2016
Since made publicly accessible in 2000, GPS has transformed our lives in some surprising ways (and may lead to electrocuting old people who wander too far away). Find out how 33 satellites work together to...
The post #37 – GPS Is Where Its At appeared first on Mark and Toddcast.