Sickboy

This week the fellas chat "The Last Of Us". The HBO show depicts a world overrun by deadly fungi, but experts say the threat is all too real. Fungi can infect and control the brain, killing hundreds of thousands of people annually. The WHO's list of high-risk fungi includes Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida species, and Cryptococcosis neoformans. Cordyceps, the fungus depicted in the show, is real and can change an insect's behavior. Climate change's impact on fungi is also a concern, highlighting the need for more research to understand their potential impact on humans and the environment. Jer went to a medium and took a lil' something something from it. One man wears RayBan smart glasses to record his hallucinations. A baby is born a giant down in Brazil. For WHAT THE HELLTH?! Addicted to drugs or alcohol? No worries! Just grab a piece of skin, edit it with CRISPR, reattach it, and voila! You'll turn your nose up at that bottle of whiskey or that line of coke. Mice experiments were a success and now researchers are seeking FDA approval for human trials. In five years or so, you'll be saying goodbye to your secret stash and hello to addiction-free skin! Who knew the solution was just a small piece of skin away! Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

Racism, xenophobia and discrimination have a profound impact on health but are largely overlooked. This week the fellas chat with Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, the director of critical care at the Ottawa hospital about his work as a physician leader and the racism he’s experienced during his time as a physician. Be sure to check out all of the amazing work Kwadwo does on social media at @kwadcast on all social media platforms.

Misha Montana is an award-winning adult film star, hardcore wrestler and stroke survivor. This week she sits down with the fellas to talk about her career in hardcore wrestling and the thrill of bleeding in front of a crowd while being tossed around like a ragdoll. Misha is also a stroke survivor! She spills the tea and reveals how she had her stroke in the middle of making coitus. This led to a long recovery where she still doesn’t have movement or feeling in one side of her face. Misha is one tough cookie. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

This week the fellas tackle their irrational anxieties. It is common for individuals to experience irrational anxieties, which are fears that are not based on reality or are out of proportion to the situation at hand. Scientists accidentally discovered that life may flash before our eyes as we die... while trying to figure out why an elderly patient's brain was having seizures. Whoopsie! Experts calculated the human brain storage by gauging connections between brain cells and decoded that number into bytes and computer memory units. The memory capacity of the human brain is far more than we ever imagined and even more than the most advanced computers. So next time you are struggling to remember where you put your keys, just remember that your brain is a genius storage device, maybe they are just hiding in one of the quadrillions of bytes. Scientists at the University of St Andrews in Scotland have a very important job ahead of them: figuring out what to do if we ever make contact with aliens. But let's be real, it's not like they're going to be able to come up with a plan better than "run and hide." Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

This week the fellas are joined by George from Eternal Reefs. An Eternal Reef is a unique blend of cremation urn, ash scattering, and burial at sea. It is part of a designed reef system created from individual reef balls made of environmentally safe, marine grade concrete that quickly assimilates into the natural ocean environment. These permanent memorials placed on the ocean floor create new marine habitats for fish and other forms of sea life. Eternal Reefs takes the cremated remains of an individual and incorporates them into a proprietary, environmentally safe cement mixture designed to create artificial reef formations. The Eternal Reefs are then placed in one of the permitted ocean locations selected by the individual, friend or family member. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

Siobhan lives with Bipolar 1 & generalized anxiety disorder. Back in 2018, Siobhan came on the show to talk about her mental health. 5 years later she joins the fellas once more. However this time she comes into the conversation with zero memory of her past. Siobhan, unfortunately, got her memory zapped while undergoing treatment for Bipolar 1 and generalized anxiety. Siobhan shares her struggles of rediscovering the world and reintroducing herself to the people in her life, including her husband. She shares how this incident makes her feel like a character in a science-fiction movie. But don't worry, she's found the silver lining in all of this, thanks to her trusty iPhone camera and social media accounts, she was able to piece together her life and spark some memories from the past. Siobhan shares tips on how you too can document your life and keep your memories safe from any future memory-erasing treatments. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

Jer's brain feels like mush after a 12 hour drive from Montreal. Maybe all he needs is a good ol' BT! Neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero's latest plan to extend human life by transplanting brains into younger bodies is met with skepticism and laughter. Critics question the feasibility and ethics of the "brain swap-a-roo", dubbing it a "brain-in-a-vat" science fiction fantasy. In other news, mosquitoes have once again outsmarted humans, evolving to resist insecticides and being dubbed "super mosquitoes" by scientists. The pests now have a new superpower, leaving scientists scratching their heads and reaching for the bug spray in frustration... but the damn stuff don't work no more. The "Maiden" mummy, a teenage girl sacrificed 500 years ago, has been found to have had a lung infection at the time of death. Looks like the Incas knew a thing or two about preserving mummies, even if it was by accident. Who needs embalming fluid when you've got high altitude and chicha? Finally, WHAT THE HELLTH covers the story of an old man who loves WWI-era artillery so much that he shoved one up his bum-bum for pleasure and in turn caused a full evacuation of the hospital. Needless to say the staff of the hospital were shell-shocked. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

In this episode, Jer and Tay explore the world of chronic pain and discover the true meaning of 'no pain, no gain.' Spoiler alert: it's a lot of pain and not much gain. 8 million Canadians are living with it. For those who may not be familiar, chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for longer than three months, past the point of typical tissue healing. This can include anything from headaches and back pain to fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. In this conversation facilitated by Pain BC for their national conference the fellas are joined by Natasha and Virgina to talk about their very different experiences in living with chronic pain.

In this episode, Jer and Bri sit down with Tara to chat about her wild ride living with cystic fibrosis and undergoing not one, but 2 double lung transplants! Folks... that's 6 lungs in total! But despite the setbacks, Tara has a great sense of humour and shares some funny moments from her journey. She also talks about the importance of therapy and how it has helped her navigate the medical and emotional challenges of living with CF. Tara also shares her thoughts on organ donation and why she thinks it's so important for people to register. And in the midst of all this, she found time to fall in love and get married after her second lung transplant. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

Jer's birthday and the dude is too sick to even co-host with the fellas. Luckily Bri, Tay, and a couple of (not so) quiet co-hosts are stepping in to fill the void. Big day in video game accessibility! Sony announced Project Leonardo, a new controller for the PlayStation 5 designed to improve accessibility for players with limited motor control. With swappable components, extensible button mapping, and multiple control profiles, Project Leonardo is the ultimate tool for gaming accessibility. Speaking of tech, how about that new home urine sample product?! Seems more useful than Theranos. For this week's What The Hellth?! The first patient in the world to receive a 3D-printed nose. After intense chemotherapy for nasal cavity cancer, one person lost the majority of their schnoz and was left with a failed reconstruction and a lack of self-esteem. But a researcher from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a young doctoral student embarked on a two-year journey to give our guest a new honker. Using synthetic biomaterial and 3D printing magic, they connected a graft to the patient's forearm's radial artery and two veins, creating a fully formed nose in just two months. Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN