The Science of Everything Podcast

The first of a two part series on special relativity, I provide a brief overview of the historical development of relativity theory, including a discussion of the role of the Michelson-Morley experiment, and considerations from classical electromagnetism. I then outline Einstein's two postulates, discuss their meaning, and provide some explanation for how to interpret a constant speed of light. I also provide an introduction to Lorentz transformations and the notion of spacetime. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 13: Newtonian Mechanics. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a PayPal donation or becoming a Patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

I discuss the methods and results of my Master's Thesis, in which I analysed electrophysiological data of the mouse visual system using a variety of statistical and computational techniques. I consider some of the major research questions addressed in my work, including population encoding, stimulus representation, neural network modelling, and state space modelling of information transformation. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 113: Visual Processing.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

A discussion of higher-order processing of information in the visual system, including an overview of how the brain extracts edges and basic shapes from simple stimuli in the retina, how motion is detected, how parts of objects are distinguished, how object recognition occurs, and the differences between grandmother cell and distributed processing theories of neural encoding. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 47: Vision Part III.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

An overview of the field of microbiology, beginning with a brief history of the discipline, and then proceeding through a summary of the structure and function of various microbial life forms, including protists, yeasts, bacteria, archaea, viruses, and prions. The episode concludes with a discussion of microbial growth and methods to reduce it. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 10: The Cell.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

An introduction to the theory of plate tectonics, beginning with an overview of the internal structure of Earth, the differences between oceanic and continental crust, subduction and other forms of plate boundaries, the formation of volcanic arcs, the origin of the Earth's magnetic field, and the mechanisms underlying tectonic plate movement. The episode concludes with a summary of the varies lines of evidence in favour of continental drift, including seafloor spread, biogeography, and polar wandering. Recommended prelistening is Episode 74: Minerals and Rocks.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

Building on the basic concepts discussed in the previous episode, this episode examines the formation and development of a wide range of weather phenomena, including air fronts, midlatitude cyclones, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 109: Weather Part I.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

An introduction to key concepts relevant to understanding weather, including relative and absolute humidity, atmospheric stability, cloud formation and classification, types of precipitation, and the formation and classification of air masses. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 90: Climate Systems.   If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

In this sixth and final part in our series on economic growth and development, I discuss in more detail some of the key institutions necessary for economic growth to begin, focusing on property rights, enforcement of contracts, and control of corruption. I review the importance of these institutions in the context of historical case studies of countries ranging from the Soviet Union to Mexico, and outline how the most critical institutions vary with the level of development, giving rise to a middle income trap. I also discuss the Washington Consensus and critically analyse the arguments of critics that such institutional reform is not essential for growth. I conclude with a summary of all we have learned and discussed throughout the growth series. The recommended pre-listening is Episode 107: Economic Growth and Development Part V. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

In this fifth part of our series on economic growth and development, I examine the major factors that have been advanced as explaining differences in growth outcomes between countries. I provide a summary of the arguments and evidence for and against the importance of culture, dependency, democracy, geography, education, and institutions in accounting for differential growth outcomes, and conclude with a comparative empirical analysis in which I argue that institutional differences explain the majority of growth differences. The Recommended pre-listening is Episode 106: Economic Growth and Development Part IV. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a paypal donation or becoming a patreon supporter. https://www.patreon.com/jamesfodor https://www.paypal.me/ScienceofEverything

A fast tour through major theories of economic development from Harrod-Domar to modern endogenous growth. Short takes on capital-driven models, diminishing returns, and knowledge spillovers. Discussion of coordination failures, poverty traps, and how institutions, migration, and market size shape divergent growth paths.