Serious Inquiries Only - SIO392: How Taxes on Foods Affect Health and Climate

Dr. Wisdom Dogbe, an agricultural economist out of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, joins me to discuss a recent study he led investigating consumer choice with regard to taxing foods that are categorized as high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) in the UK. Does it change behavior? How much? And what are the consequences of that? It's a really fascinating story of the trade-offs involved in public policy.

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Serious Inquiries Only - SIO391: Astrophysicist Wet Blankets All The Alien Talk

Dr. Bryan Gillis is here to tell us why it just isn't aliens. Sorry. BUT WHAT IF IT WERE. That question too. This one is a super fun and educational deep dive on space, space travel, the Drake Equation, and more! I also get Bryan's best guess for how aliens ever COULD visit.

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Serious Inquiries Only - SIO390: So Wait, Are There Aliens? What Were Those Hearings

So what's the deal with all this? UFOs or now UAPs... government programs... crash retrieval... basically... what the hell? Also werewolves. Hot correspondent and now FULL TIME PODCASTER Lydia Smith is here with the skinny. It actually ties back to some of our other work in an unexpected way... THEN In part 2, astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis will science the heck out of about why it isn't aliens!

We've also got some really cool announcements at the end of the show! 

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Serious Inquiries Only - SIO389: “Wikipedia Is the Most Accurate Form of Information Ever Created”

So says my esteemed guest, Dr. Amy Bruckman! Is she right? I won't be coy, I tend to think she is. But what a fascinating statement! And her thesis makes for an equally fascinating book - Wikipedia: The Most Reliable Source on the Internet? So let's dig in!

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Serious Inquiries Only - SIO388: Get Psyched! More Dr. Decisis QnA

We've got even more great answers to questions in part 2! Many are about therapy. How do you know when you need it? How do you make sure you're getting good therapy? Should you change therapists? And more! One more reminder about Stormy's Woke Little Library Project. If you are able to contribute to these efforts, you can purchase banned books through the following Amazon wishlist accounts, where three incredible people will be ensuring their communities have access to topics that are being targeted and censored.   http://tiny.cc/kbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/lbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/sbannedbooks     Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO387: Chemical Imbalance, Personality Tests, Double Empathy Problem, and More! It’s a Psych QnA!

It was such a great turnout of questions for our first ever Q&A with Dr. Smerbeck that we ended up going double! This first part touches on the misnomer of "chemical imbalance" with regard to depression, personality tests, and Alan's favorite dinosaur, among other things. Be sure to check out Part 2 later this week! Dr. Smerbeck also shares an update on the Woke Little Library Project, and if you are able to contribute to these efforts, you can purchase banned books through the following Amazon wishlist accounts, where three incredible people will be ensuring their communities have access to topics that are being targeted and censored.   http://tiny.cc/kbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/lbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/sbannedbooks   Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO386: Actually, Opposites Very Much Do NOT Attract

It's another fun science thingy! Today's guest is Tanya Horwitz, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics with University of Colorado at Boulder. She is one of the lead authors on a new meta-analysis of studies including millions of couples over more than a century. In the vast majority of traits, sames(?) attract. There are a few exceptions that are interesting to talk about and we go through those as well. This one is fun and relatable, and even if the top-line conclusion is pretty predictable, the data is very interesting and the discussion was great!

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Serious Inquiries Only - SIO385: What Exactly Is A Psychological Diagnosis?

And perhaps more importantly, what ISN'T it? Lots of people are diagnosing themselves and others via social media these days, and you're never going to believe this, but they're not always doing it right. After far too long, we welcome back Dr. Alan Smerbeck to the show to discuss what exactly is a diagnosis in mental health and whether or not we give them too much weight. It's science, it's philosophy, it's a little personal too - you don't want to miss it!

Could be a product of long COVID or Stormy is just the best, but he's dialed freedom up a notch in Little Library advocacy - if you're up for it, please visit this link to submit your information and Dr. Smerbeck will set up an Amazon Wishlist just for you to help supply your neighborhood with "woke" books.  bit.ly/wokebooks

ALSO, if you have any questions for Stormy, drop them here! We're thinking of maybe doing a psych QnA! 

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO384: Even More Askings of Astrophysicist Bryan!

It's part 2 of astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis answering all your amazing questions! Time to learn even MORE about the universe! So much universe knowledge is now yours!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Serious Inquiries Only - SIO383: Ask An Astrophysicist Anything!

I thought it would be cool to have patrons pose whatever questions they wanted to our illustrious astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis. Well, they must have agreed because they came through with some great ones! We've got a two-parter this week, as we learn a bunch of cool new space stuff!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!