Episode 135: The Reverse-Pluto

This episode contains: Third times a charm, hopefully, as we failed twice to get the show started. Once we’re finally up and running Devon tells us about his upcoming trip to Florida, we talk about emulators, and then Steven gushes about the Portal level of Lego Dimensions.

The Kids Aren’t Alright: A study finds that children that frequently interact with super hero culture are more likely to be aggressive. We dissect this study, with a heaping help of skepticism. Overall it seems little kids aren’t ready for the nuance of comic book movies (we say non-ironically). Another study finds that gun violence in PG-13 movies continues to rise past R rated movies. We discuss the difference between types of violence, specifically when blood and suffering are included.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170111131122.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170111131127.htm

Body Shots: We sort of found a new organ in the human body. We all have a mesentery! We discuss how the human body got a reverse-Pluto and why it’s interesting. We then learn why you shouldn’t stick anything in your ear, at all, for any reason. Specifically, there are new guidelines from the people who decide these things. Your body naturally gets rid of ear wax, so you’re really just messing things up, and possibly causing medical problems, by sticking things in there. Lastly we learn what cotton swabs are actually meant for (not cleaning your ear).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161220095129.htm

http://www.popsci.com/for-love-god-please-stop-sticking-things-into-your-ear

Sci-Fi: We first talk about something that has nothing to do with sci-fi: the movies Begin Again and La La Land. As for sci-fi, Steven is reading the Star Wars book Lost Stars by Claudia Grey. It gives us a wider view of the Empire and the events of the original trilogy from the perspective of the average soldier/citizen (as I , Devon, who didn’t read it, understands). Devon, meanwhile, read The Hydrogen Sonata by Ian M. Banks. Just as good as the other Culture books, which is to say, great writing (funny, clever, etc.), grand ideas, but an underwhelming ending. Devon also started watching the NBC show Timeless, a show that is every time travel cliché wrapped into one—but it works! We then consider watching the show Travelers. Lastly, we talk about X-Wing Miniatures and Star Wars: Rebels.