Serious Inquiries Only

Seriously Awful Movies 3, Good Will Hunting, was approximately 3 episodes worth of content. So, we thought it would be fun to put out some of that for everyone! Dr. Alan Smerbeck and returning SAMtacular guest Omar Najam join us as we explore the science (?) in Good Will Hunting. Is this how therapy actually works? Is Robin Williams even a therapist? Is this movie actually any good? Stormy also tells us about the actual disease Robin Williams died of, and how his case was a cautionary tale of why we shouldn't do armchair diagnosis. If you want to hear more of this SAM, head on over to patreon.com/seriouspod and pledge 2nd tier or above to snag access to these episodes, ad-free shows, and more! Coming up VERY SOON: You can catch Omar on the brand new Dungeons and Dragons series DesiQuest! Their first episode premieres 11/14! Omar's annual 13 Days 13 Shorts project just wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. You can still see all of the submissions from folks around the world - and maybe get inspired to participate next year! The Share Banned Books project is going strong! Huge kudos to Stormy (and you all!) for donating books and serving as librarians for your community's Little Library. Please check it out and contribute if you can! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

Special Education teacher Kelly Burke joins us to debunk the classic Andrew Wakefield vaccine study, but there's probably a whole lot that you don't know about it because holy crap this thing was shockingly terrible. It's especially insane that it had such an impact on the anti-vax movement when it was literally a pile of garbage in every way imaginable. Come learn more about truly one of the worst science thingies to ever thing. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Nicola Throp, a panelist at QED who specializes in covering all things Menopause, joins the show to talk about breaking the taboo surrounding menopause. The speakers discuss the financial impact of menopause on working women, the rejection of menopause as a protected characteristic in the UK, and the proposal for menopause leave. They also address the lack of awareness and challenging controversial issues surrounding menopause, the marketing tactics used to sell caffeine shampoo to menopausal women, and the importance of supporting menopausal women in the workplace.

It's a phun physics phepisode! Dr. Bryan Gillis is here to teach us about some of the interesting physics of air travel. Why is breaking the speed of sound so difficult? What's a sonic boom? How do flights make up time in the air? And probably some way more interesting stuff as well! Veritasium video on turbulent flow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zI9sG3pjVU Extra-Life charity link: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=517279 Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

That's what the UN's top official Secretary General António Guterres said recently. Israel completely blew a fuse over that sentence, and demanded he resign or be removed. They canceled UN Visas. They canceled diplomatic meetings. They say his statement "justifies terrorism." But is he right? I've collected some elements of the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict you might not be aware of, and my contention is that this situation is far from a "vacuum." Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

The podcast explores the Israel-Palestine conflict, discussing issues of justice, complexity, and conflicting claims. The speaker reflects on their conservative past and opposition to war. They also address concerns about bias, power dynamics, and the controversy surrounding a hospital blast in Gaza.

Hey everyone, a big heads up. This episode is about an issue that is literally life or death for our son Arlo. This was not easy to talk about and things get emotional. I did my best to edit all that out but some of it is still pretty tough. (At least normies have auto-ads to break up the tension in the worst possible way though!) A new law went into effect this year adding sesame as the 9th allergen with all the requirements that go with that. Arlo has a pretty bad sesame allergy. So... great, right? Yeah except due to capitalism, companies are literally adding sesame to everything to get around the law. It seems impossibly cruel and stupid, but it's true. Arlo has already been affected twice by this. We tell a bit of our family story around this, and then Lydia takes us through some of the public policy history. We also stop by Joe Manchin's daughter making millions from ripping us off on Epipens. (no, really.) Be sure to stay for the end, if you can, to hear our interview with incredibly cute and silly expert Arlo Smith. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Dr. Alan Smerbeck, researcher on trigger warnings, joins the host to discuss the current research around trigger warnings, exploring their benefits and drawbacks. They also address the debate on handling sensitive topics in the classroom and the potential negative effects of trigger warnings on individuals without anxiety disorders. The use of trigger warnings and content notes is examined, considering their appropriateness and the philosophical nature of the question.

Dr. Wisdom Dogbe, an agricultural economist out of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, joins me to discuss a recent study he led investigating consumer choice with regard to taxing foods that are categorized as high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) in the UK. Does it change behavior? How much? And what are the consequences of that? It's a really fascinating story of the trade-offs involved in public policy. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis explains why recent phenomena are unlikely to be aliens. They discuss the conditions for life in the universe, estimating intelligent life using the Drake equation, limitations of visual imaging of exoplanets, and the challenges of interstellar communication. They explore the rocket equation and improving propulsion in space travel, feasibility of meeting aliens, and hypothetical scenarios of aliens visiting Earth. The chapter ends with discussions on faster than light travel and time travel concerns.