Probably Science

British comedian, actor, writer and radio personality Adam Buxton (twitter.com/AdamBuxton) joins the proceedings this week to chat about: Messing up comedians' introductions! Sci-fi coverage of the papal inauguration! The history of the Shriners! Deciding on a uniform for an evil empire! Jaundice Shitstone! The counting skills of black bears! Whittling your fingers to type on a Blackberry! A digression on areolar Montgomery glands! Are female-named hurricanes killing more people than male-named ones? Working with Edgar Wright! Chimps beat humans at game theory! Adam's childhood tours of the USA with his travel writer father! Astronomers discover a mega-Earth 560 light years away! Jesse's incredible Rocky impressions! Adam's hilarious show Bug!

Comedian/podcaster/director/writer/producer/Viner Jason Nash (twitter.com/Jason23Nash) returns to the podcast this week just ahead of the release of his first feature film to talk with the gang about: Who gets credit for living at Bluebell? Jason’s Ron & Fez appearance! The upcoming movie JASON NASH IS MARRIED that Andy produced! Shooting scenes with Andy Richter and Jon Benjamin at Bluebell! Matt’s frustration with check-obsessed America! Jason’s reaction to Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover! Erasing memories and bringing them back! Explaining binary information to Jason! New research showing how sleep is good for your memory! Jason’s upcoming appearance on Funniest Wins! New information on how the Moon was formed! Would listeners contribute to help us record the podcast in zero gravity? A debate on parabolic flights! New research on why Facebook bums you out! Jesse’s decision to leave Facebook! Shitty comedy club introductions! The discovery of the largest dinosaur ever! How changing your facial expression changes first impressions!

British comedy writer Sarah Morgan (twitter.com/sarahlmorgan) found herself stateside this week for MaxFunCon and was kind enough to join Matt, Andy and Jesse to talk about: What constitutes The Holidays! Teaching British comedy! Americans rooting for bro heroes! Jesse overhearing Andy's ukulele rendition of Tiny Dancer! The lyrical prowess of Boynie Toypin! Head trauma that created a math savant! A defense of common core math! Children's natural skepticism of circular arguments! Jesse's nightmarish stuffed animals! Turning light into matter! Maybe no one knows how static electricity works! Matt chipping his teeth in a children's science museum! The protein that unites sperm and egg! Updates on male birth control! Our first on-air earthquake!

Comedian and literal master of linguistics Myq Kaplan (twitter.com/myqkaplan) joins Matt, Jesse and Andy this week to discuss: Birthday shenanigans! Plug 'n' chug! John Lennon's true assassin Stephen King! A defense of puns! Competing against a computer in a joke-off! A smartphone app that detects bipolar mood swings by the sound of your voice! Paul Simon's recent arrest! The origin of the country suffix -stan! Robot laws! Why octopuses don't stick to themselves! Holding a hot beverage makes you cooperative! Andy's continuing laptop woes! Making sperm precursors from the skin cells of infertile men!

Matt and Andy venture to Portland this week for a live Probably Science from the seventh annual Bridgetown Comedy Festival featuring comedian/director/actor Paul Provenza (twitter.com/PaulProvenza) and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case (twitter.com/caseorganic) who join together to discuss: Jesse's sitcom success! Confusing The Aristocrats with The Aristocats! Paul giving Dave Chappelle his first TV appearance! The Wild West days of early Comedy Central! Alan Dershowitz consulting on Kids Court! The economics of renting clowns vs. clown costumes! Why we're all actually cyborgs! Going through second-self adolescence! Computer-induced junk sleep! Andy's shocking discovery about the house he owned in Portland, aka the Gaytown Academy! Writing a thesis on cell phones! Digital hoarding! Being consumers vs. producers! Royal portraits as proto-Internet dating profile pics! People who brag about not watching TV!

Andy's in Portland, our planned guest is drunk, so Matt and Jesse fly alone on this one, as we talk about: Jesse's successes! Peeing outdoors! Hitler's disabilities! Stephen Hawking's worries! Building pyramids! Rock Paper Scissors! New elements! Nervous mice!

Comedian and past Probably Science guest host Auggie Smith (twitter.com/auggiesmith) returns to the show this week, joining Matt, Andy and Jesse to talk about: Craziness in Valley Village! Listening to police scanners! Reinventing the axe! A study that reveals the best way for men to dance! Being goofy-footed! A correction about Jesse's boneless, featherless chicken! A hacky plant that copies other plants! Jesse's vast typewriter knowledge! Making graphene in a blender! Babies that cry to keep from having siblings! Prison goofs! Glow-in-the-dark roads in the Netherlands! Playing the electric shock quick reflex game!

Radio personality, author, trivia whiz and cancer survivor Bryan Bishop (twitter.com/baldbryan) joins Matt, Andy and Jesse this week to talk about his experience battling an inoperable brain tumor en route to discussing: Bryan's upcoming book Shrinkage! Tumor tips! Changing doctors! Jumprope failures as cancer symptoms! Going through chemo and radiation therapy while planning your wedding! Getting (and giving) horrible news! Deciding which douchebags get fake names in your memoir! Doctors with less-than-perfect bedside manner! Pooping yourself because of cancer! Alternative medicine and the placebo effect! The tumor-shrinking magic of Avastin! MRIs vs. CT scans! The lunacy of David Arquette! Ringo Starr songs that may have been written by George Harrison! Jesse's crazy Oasis story! Solo pub trivia victories! Taking home $100,000 on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire! The evolutionary reason why beards are over!

Science communicator, teacher and podcaster Cara Santa Maria (twitter.com/CaraSantaMaria) lends her actual science pedigree to the proceedings this week, discussing: The Cosmos reboot! The unlikely funder of Karen Gillan's Oculus! Comparing goofy holidays! A listener's complaint about on-air eating that may relate to misophonia! Bath salts: They don't actually make you hungry for faces! Andy's first kiss being arrested for throwing a shoe at Hillary Clinton! The percentage of neurons vs. glial cells in your brain! A Cornell grad students letting a bee sting every part of his body! A generous listener hooking us up with Lagunitas beer! Growing up LDS! The puritans and their obsession with buckles! Lab-grown vaginas and edible meats! Futuristic cars without side-view mirrors!

Comedian Beth Donahue (twitter.com/bdonahueweedman) recently relocated from Nashville to Los Angeles, and she joins Jesse, Matt and Andy this week to get to talk about: Finding $600 and spending it on a shirt! Red flags in the form of KISS paraphernalia! Taking four-hour acid! Using 12-step meetings to work out comedy material! Former child sitcom stars who turn to standup! The truth about the stem cell acid bath story! Carrot Top's track record with the ladies! Matt's idea for revolutionizing a plane's black box! The possibility of a topical fat-burning cream! One of Saturn's moons might have liquid water! Jesse's butt problems! Women who are night owls are big risk-takers! Beth's sleep apnea pacemaker!