Episodes

  • Can Neutron Bombs Really Wipe Out All Humans But Leave the Cities Intact?

    Can Neutron Bombs Really Wipe Out All Humans But Leave the Cities Intact?
    Jul 1 2026
    Thermonuclear weapons are messy. Capable of wiping out millions of humans in one go if detonated in a large city, but unfortunately they also destroy the city the people dwell in, making it a poor choice for a weapon for the up and coming conqueror who wishes the humans gone, but infrastructure still intact. This all brings us to the topic of today, so called enhanced radiation weapons, a special type of atomic bomb which releases a large portion of its energy in the form of neutron radiation. If pop culture is to be believed, this is one of the most insidious weapons ever developed by mankind, capable of killing all the people in a city while leaving all the buildings and other infrastructure untouched. Indeed, the weapon’s purported preference for property over human lives has led commentators in communist countries to pithily describe it as the “capitalist bomb.” But are neutron bombs actually a real thing as often depicted in entertainment - and, if so, are they really as “clean” and “surgical” as everyone seems to believe? Well, grab your welding goggles, lead underwear, don your cowboy hat and prepare to yee-haw, as we dive into the curious science and history of one of the world's most controversial weapons. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Caden Nielsen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Why Does the United States Use the Electoral College and Not a Popular Vote to Decide the President

    Why Does the United States Use the Electoral College and Not a Popular Vote to Decide the President
    Jun 30 2026
    Why did Al Gore lose despite winning more votes? Discover the complex and controversial role of the U.S. Electoral College and how it determines the nation's president in this deep dive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • The Man Who Burned Down One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World So History Would Remember Him

    The Man Who Burned Down One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World So History Would Remember Him
    Jun 29 2026
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at what literal battleships had to do with the creation of the Slinky. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show looking at what is largely considered the greatest of the so-called Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and then look at the guy who burned it down just so history would remember him, as well as what steps the ancients took to try to stop him from achieving that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Does Hand or Foot Size Really Correlate with... Length? Do You Retain Your Partners' DNA and More!

    Does Hand or Foot Size Really Correlate with... Length? Do You Retain Your Partners' DNA and More!
    Jun 26 2026
    In the episode today, we're looking at Does Hand and Foot Size Really Correlate with Penile Length? Why Can’t You Mix Blood Types? Is It True Women Retain the DNA of Every Man They’ve Ever Slept With in Their Bodies? Do Beards Really Grow Faster in the Winter? The Mad Aussie Who Stung Himself and His 9 Year Old Son With a Deadly Creature FOR SCIENCE!!! Can You Really Make Yourself Immune to Poison by Taking Tiny Doses Over Time? Why Do Steroids Make Balls Smaller and Does the Same Thing Happen to Women’s Ovaries? Do People Really Have Repressed Memories or Is It Just Things They’ve Forgotten Are Viruses Actually Alive? and Is It Actually Possible to Be Allergic to Exercise? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 19 mins
  • That Time the British Rioted for Three Months Over a 15% Increase in the Cost of Theater Tickets

    That Time the British Rioted for Three Months Over a 15% Increase in the Cost of Theater Tickets
    Jun 25 2026
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • WTF is Up with the U.S. Military Having a Plan for Countering a Zombie Apocalypse?

    WTF is Up with the U.S. Military Having a Plan for Countering a Zombie Apocalypse?
    Jun 24 2026
    The U.S. Department of Defense apparently has a plan in place in case of a zombie apocalypse. So what is it and why did they make it? “Although it sounds ridiculous, this is actually the only proven class of zombie that actually exists.” - This is a quote from an official government document about zombie chickens, which are totally a thing. More on this later. But to begin with, while zombie fiction is certainly not as popular as it once was in the early 2000s, for a number of reasons up to and presumably including that we all now can’t be bothered to break out of our zombie like trance scrolling social media, the idea of the dead springing back to life and continuing to roam the Earth is still an admittedly very intriguing idea to explore. Which is why our staff here have developed a very well defined plan for what we’d do in the event of a theoretical zombie apocalypse, ensuring we come out the other side not only alive and un-zombified, but using our now decades of time doing nothing but learning all manner of things to help us rule the earth with an iron fist. For anybody out there who doesn’t happen to have a plan in place for when the dead rise from their graves and spread across the land like a plague of meat-hungry locusts the U.S. Government has got you covered. Author: Karl Smallwood Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila 0:00 Intro 3:18 The Official U.S. Counter Zombie Dominance Plan 6:00 So What Did They Come Up With? 9:00 Zombie Types and Approach 14:15 Dealing with Zombie Tropes in Real Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • The Vipeholm Experiments and the Dark Origins of Saturday Candy

    The Vipeholm Experiments and the Dark Origins of Saturday Candy
    Jun 23 2026
    Discover the dark history of unethical dental experiments on vulnerable patients at Vipeholm Mental Hospital. Uncover the shocking secrets behind Sweden’s quest to solve the mystery of dental cavities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Who Invented the Computer and Why is C the Default Drive Letter?

    Who Invented the Computer and Why is C the Default Drive Letter?
    Jun 22 2026
    In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at a rather interesting fact about Pulp Fiction and Samuel L Jackson’s character’s most famous lines in the film. Next up, we jump into the main part of the show looking at the surprisingly old first computer and the truth about who really was the first computer programmer. (Note: Not Ada Lovelace, contrary to popular belief.) Next we jump into a variety of bonus facts including looking at why C is the default hard drive letter on most computers, touch on what this had to do with some rather interesting stuff regarding Microsoft’s early days, the correct way to pronounce “wiki” as in “wikipedia”, what Cunningham’s Law has to do with that, the interesting origin of Tetris, how spam came to mean junk message, and much, much more! And if you’re interested, here’s the video on ⁠Yankee Doodle Dandy we mentioned⁠. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins