Learn It from a Layman

Dr. Erika Handly joins the podcast to discuss the basics of biotech. Is the 'tech' in 'biotech' using technology to understand biology, or using technology to fix biology? What are the types of problems that biotech is being used to understand and solve? What is CRISPR in layman's terms? How predictable are the outcomes of editing DNA? Can biotech help solve global climate change and famine? Are implantable microchips inevitable? What are some of the biggest advancements in biotech for cancer? Can technology reverse aging?

We discuss the basics of vocabulary. What is a word? What is a lemma? What is morphology? How many words do most people have in their vocabulary? How many words are there in the English language? Does cursing mean you're not as intelligent? What is lexical density? How do you increase your vocabulary, and does a larger vocabulary mean you're more intelligent?

We discuss the basics of rocket science. What is the difference between a rocket and a jet? What is the rocket equation? What is delta-v? Was Wall-e actually saying delta-v? What is rocket fuel? What is rapid unscheduled disassembly? What is a specific impulse? What are stages of a rocket for? Why does it look like rockets aren't going straight up? Why are rockets clamped to the launch pad?

MD-PhD Seth Vogel joins us to discuss the basics of anesthesia. What happens in the brain when you put someone under? What are the drugs that you use and how do they work differently? How often does general anesthesia cause incontinence, or is that a thing? Are there drugs that can wake you up from general anesthesia? How common are medical issues resulting directly from general anesthesia? How difficult are epidurals for the anesthesiologists? Why are people loopy when they're waking up? In the police academy, you have to be tased before you can have a taser. Is anesthesiologist training similar?

We're joined by doctor of physical therapy Natalie Vogel as we discuss the basics of physical therapy. Can physical therapy help people avoid surgery? Does each injury/disease require a different therapy plan, or are there just go-to therapies depending on body part? Should physical therapy be viewed as a life-habit, or a medication to be taken for a specific amount of time? What are common issues that physical therapy is best at treating?

Dr. Jonny discusses the basics of dementia. What happens in your brain when you have dementia? Are there different kinds of dementia, affecting different parts of the brain? What's the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's? How young does dementia start? Does dementia affect life expectancy? Can dementia be reversed?

We discuss the basics of digital illustration with freelance illustrator Jarom Vogel. What's the difference between digital illustration and graphic design? How technical does digital illustration get, i.e. do you need to code, or just draw? What hardware and software do you use to do digital illustration? What forums are there to sell and distribute your illustrations? What are recent advancements in digital illustration? Have you used AI in any digital illustration or is it a threat to the industry? How do you stand out as a digital illustrator?

We discuss the basics of demographics. What is a demographic? What are the most common demographic characteristics? What is the world population and how quickly has it grown? What is the most densely populated city and country? What is the world wide fertility rate? What is the biggest world religion and which countries are the most and least religious? What is the median household income in the US and why is it so high?

We talk about facts for the New Year. How many days does it take to make or break a habit? Is it better to lift weights first or do cardio first? How did Winston Churchill's career get started? What was the battle of Middle Creek and what did Abraham Lincoln say about Kentucky? What is intellectual humility and is it acquirable? Does the brain use different mechanisms for numbers?

We discuss the basics of grades. How well do grades reflect intelligence? Are grades predictive of future performance? What is grade inflation and is it harmful? How do you raise your grades according to a teacher? How can you identify bad teachers?