Episodes

  • 89. A is for Authoritarianism

    89. A is for Authoritarianism
    Sep 17 2024

    Katharine tells Lorien about how a democracy might backslide into authoritarianism. They consider an alternate life path for Lorien, heading up an authoritarian regime.


    Sources:

    - https://commonslibrary.org/authoritarianism-how-you-know-it-when-you-see-it/

    - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2018/jan/21/this-is-how-democracies-die

    - https://newrepublic.com/article/183866/americans-want-authoritarian-president-trump

    - https://www.vox.com/politics/361136/far-right-authoritarianism-germany-reactionary-spirit

    - https://jeffreyianross.medium.com/how-do-democracies-slip-into-authoritarianism-5756f54c17a5

    - https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/28/who-likes-authoritarianism-and-how-do-they-want-to-change-their-government/

    - https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-adolf-hitler-happen

    - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism#:~:text=Broadly%20defined%2C%20authoritarian%20states%20include,least%20once%20following%20free%20elections.

    - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • 88. S is for Stuck in Space

    88. S is for Stuck in Space
    Sep 10 2024
    Lorien tells Katharine about a completely relevant, very applicable anxiety. Sources: https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/nasa-decides-to-keep-2-astronauts-in-space-until-19720734.phphttps://apple.news/AhVvRxYYZTlSkb591d26BIQhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/08/29/astronauts-stuck-space-station/74981756007/https://nypost.com/2024/08/30/us-news/boeing-execs-fought-nasa-to-bring-home-stranded-astronauts-in-starliner-sources/https://theconversation.com/stranded-boeing-starliner-astronauts-to-stay-six-more-months-in-space-what-this-means-for-the-future-of-commercial-spaceflight-237739https://www.newscientist.com/article/2445420-stranded-iss-astronauts-reveal-the-us-space-programme-is-not-in-crisis/https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26335032-200-inside-nasas-ambitious-plan-to-bring-the-iss-crashing-back-to-earth/https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-international-space-station-us-deorbit-vehicle/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230502-a-fiery-end-how-the-iss-will-end-its-life-in-orbithttps://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-astronauts-starliner-nasa-df30b94b0463a20eec72ce494d9bccc4https://www.cnet.com/science/astronauts-stranded-in-space-how-theyll-be-rescued-when-theyll-be-home/https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/i-miss-her-she-is-my-best-friend-sunita-williams-mother-talks-about-nasa-astronaut-being-stuck-in-space-443271-2024-08-28https://www.npr.org/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5087892/nasa-starliner-astronaut-return-iss-spacexhttps://time.com/7014400/nasa-decision-stranded-astronauts-february-home-date/https://www.livemint.com/science/news/why-is-sunita-williams-in-space-from-starliner-launch-defects-risks-to-return-plan-nasa-boeing-faq-all-you-need-to-know-11724346145707.htmlhttps://www.ndtv.com/world-news/how-sunita-williams-butch-wilmore-will-spend-another-7-months-in-space-6435012https://www.nasa.gov/reference/international-space-station/https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-visitors-by-country/https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-facts-and-figures/https://www.livemint.com/science/news/sunita-williams-return-what-health-risks-astronauts-may-face-in-space-vision-problem-bone-loss-brain-damage-11723223478278.html
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    55 mins
  • 87. B is for Book Bans

    87. B is for Book Bans
    Sep 3 2024

    Katharine gives Lorien a historical speed run on book banning and what it looks like today.


    Sources:

    - https://newrepublic.com/post/184672/utah-republicans-enact-extreme-school-book-ban

    - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/books/book-ban-florida.html

    - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/books/book-bans-public-schools.html

    - https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/23/11/book-bans-and-librarians-who-wont-be-hushed

    - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_censorship

    - https://smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-banned-books-in-america-180983011/

    - https://pen.org/spineless-shelves/

    - https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data

    - https://www.npr.org/2024/04/16/1245037718/book-bans-2023-pen-america

    - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/history-of-book-bans-in-the-united-states

    - https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/book-burning

    - https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/23/11/book-bans-and-librarians-who-wont-be-hushed
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    52 mins
  • 86. S is for Selfie Deaths

    86. S is for Selfie Deaths
    Aug 27 2024
    Lorien tells Katharine about a public health threat that's 4x more deadly than shark bites. Sources: https://slate.com/technology/2024/08/selfie-death-cliff-waterfall-hike.htmlhttps://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/death-by-selfie-11-disturbing-stories-of-social-media-pics-gone-wrong-15091/dont-selfie-and-fly-28999/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-14/selfie-related-deaths-are-the-new-public-health-risk/103098002https://www.foxnews.com/health/taking-selfies-considered-public-health-problem-requires-safety-messaging-researchershttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46188454https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/selfies-are-art/281772/https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/03/dangerous-selfies-aren-t-just-foolish--we-need-to-treat-them-likhttps://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools#regular-injurieshttps://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2021/12/selfies--is-your-life-worth-a-few--likes--https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/call-to-close-access-to-social-media-favourite-figure-8-pools/10853854https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11770353/Gibraltar-Falls-tragedy-Patrick-Prevett-second-days-die-popular-waterfall-near-Canberra.htmlhttps://the-riotact.com/gibraltar-falls-to-be-fenced-off-after-fatal-falls-last-year/756287https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/five-tourists-fall-off-cliff-while-clicking-selfie-in-goa-2-severely-injured/story-YWOtIL9vfmMMewB4ZO6CMN.htmlhttps://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/lifestyle/travel/deadliest-selfie-spots-in-world-picture-selfies-death-grand-canyon-yosemite-park-mahal-travel#https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/01/16/selfies-are-more-lethal-than-shark-attacks-should-more-tourist-destinations-ban-them#:~:text=The selfie craze is now,over the previous 13 years.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/a-selfie-with-a-weapon-kills-russia-launches-safe-selfie-campaignhttps://www.mygrandcanyonpark.com/photos/bad-selfies/https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2023/02/03/dying-for-the-perfect-photo-or-video--is-social-media-claiming-lives/https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/23536-safe-selfies-get-the-perfect-picture#:~:text=Don't take selfies when,Don't pose with wildlife.https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/why-selfies-arent-going-anywhere-anytime-soon/#:~:text=Gen Z takes the most,take 1 selfie per week.https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/opinion/selfie-deaths-social-media-not-the-problem/https://www.npr.org/2019/05/06/720800572/hundreds-have-died-in-selfie-related-deaths-since-2011
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    51 mins
  • 85. S is for Space Junk

    85. S is for Space Junk
    Aug 20 2024

    We promise this episode is no atmospheric drag!


    Sources:

    Sources:

    - https://payloadspace.com/astroscale-sees-its-debris/

    - https://apple.news/AMWLXbXv-S3SSTbFO1R9xrg

    - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-space-junk-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html#:~:text=While%20there%20are%20about%202%2C000,if%20they%20hit%20something%20else.

    - https://spacenews.com/u-s-satellite-destroyed-in-space-collision/

    - https://www.space.com/space-junk-collision-chinese-satellite-yunhai-1-02

    - https://www.space.com/kessler-syndrome-space-debris

    - https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-25/the-surprising-threat-of-debris-in-space

    - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/14/space-junk-nasa-european-agency/71566411007/

    - https://www.livescience.com/what-is-space-junk

    - https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4837/1

    - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVzbs81bDy0
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    53 mins
  • 84. L is for Lone Star Ticks

    84. L is for Lone Star Ticks
    Aug 13 2024

    We hope you don't acquire an allergy to our podcast after listening to Lorien tell Katharine about the lone star tick.


    Sources:

    • https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0727-emerging-tick-bites.html
    • https://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/
    • https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/lyme-disease-isnt-the-only-tickborne-disease-to-watch
    • https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ticks-and-the-diseases-they-spread
    • https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/where-ticks-live.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/geographic_distribution.html
    • https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/after-a-tick-bite/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
    • https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/species/lone-star--tick/
    • https://www.neregionalvectorcenter.com/lone-star-tick.php
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-gal_syndrome
    • https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/alpha-gal-syndrome-ags
    • https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/06/red-meat-allergy-likely-caused-by-tick-bites/
    • https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html
    • https://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/
    • https://healthmatters.nyp.org/the-lone-star-tick-what-to-know-about-the-tick-that-causes-a-red-meat-allergy/
    • https://tickcontrol.com/blog/which-state-has-the-worst-tick-problem/#:~:text=Alpha-gal carrying ticks are,Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.
    • https://www.wafb.com/2024/05/29/consumer-reports-lone-star-tick-is-spreading/
    • https://apnews.com/article/meat-allergy-lone-star-tick-pig-alphagal-edf82b6c1928450da1373ea61e6a3a44
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 83. T is for Tornadoes

    83. T is for Tornadoes
    Aug 6 2024

    Katharine gets swept up in this natural disaster; Lorien rises from her sick bed to make an extremely brave assertion: Glen Powell looks good in hats.


    Sources:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustnado

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_devil

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_whirl

    https://www.wesh.com/article/tornado-watch-vs-tornado-warning/45521346#

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-State_tornado_outbreak

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/tornadoes

    https://www.weather.gov/lmk/tornadoesfaq#:~:text=The%20vast%20majority%20of%20tornadoes,flying%20debris%20in%20the%20wind.

    https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/tornadoes/faq/

    https://www.britannica.com/video/191998/tornadoes
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 82. H is for Hindenburg

    82. H is for Hindenburg
    Jul 30 2024

    Lorien tells the story of a disaster of gigantic proportions.

    Sources:

    • https://builtin.com/articles/airships#:~:text=There are three main types,gondola and a propulsion system.
    • https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hindenburg
    • https://www.dictionary.com/e/zeppelin-vs-blimp-dirigible-airship/#
    • https://www.historytoday.com/hindenburg-disaster-and-end-airship-era
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors/
    • https://www.airships.net/blog/hindenburg-piano/
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors/control-car-flight-instruments/
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/interiors/crew-areas-keel/
    • https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/aftermath-hindenburg
    • https://www.airships.net/lz127-graf-zeppelin/
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/lz129-hindenburg-detailed-history/
    • https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/fire-ice-hindenburg-and-titanic-exhibition/the-hindenburg-disaster
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/flight-schedule/maiden-voyage/passenger-account/
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/
    • https://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/myths/
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    53 mins