Fact Casual

The Berry Blunder

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

It's been a minute, but we are back with Season 2! Let's start to year off healthy with some fruits. Specifically, berries.

Are strawberries actually berries? What about bananas?

This episode uncovers the overly complex world of berry categorization. Get ready to get berry confused (sorry about the pun).

To learn more, here are my sources:
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/bananas-are-berries

https://www.livescience.com/57477-why-are-bananas-considered-berries.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LybfPwCzs3g

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/422/422lab3.htm

https://science.jburroughs.org/resources/flower/fruit1.html

#401: Killer Whales Aren't Whales

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0400

Whether you were first introduced to them in Free Willy or SeaWorld (yikes...), orcas are hard to forget. They're fast, smart, and part of the whale family? Well, at least the first two statements are true. Now, let's find out if killer whales are really whales.

Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ocean-giants-whale-fact-sheet/7567/

https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/facts-about-orcas/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/orca/

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/13/orca-not-whale/

Fact #319: Space Smells Like Burnt Steak

Tue, 26 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

Every wonder what space smells like? Probably not! But some say it's like being at a bad barbecue where no one's watching the grill. Today, we're going to find out if that's true!

Sources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/moon-smells-gunpowder-180952494/

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-space-smell-like-2016-3

https://www.science.org.au/curious/space-time/smells-space

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/what-space-smells-like/259903/

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-smells-of-space-burned-steak-gunpowder-raspberries

https://www.livescience.com/34085-space-smell.html

Fact #119: Yawns Are Contagious

Mon, 11 May 2020 04:00:00 -0400

Yawning is pretty common. Especially, after being stuck inside during quarantine. But is it contagious too? Let's find out on this episode!

Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/why-is-yawning-so-contagious

https://www.livescience.com/60288-why-are-yawns-so-contagious.html

https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/you-asked-why-are-yawns-contagious/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-are-yawns-contagious-we-asked-a-scientist

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/contagious-yawn.htm

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/ever-wondered-whether-yawns-are-contagious/2019/03/18/34a10e84-3c5c-11e9-a06c-3ec8ed509d15_story.html

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mystery_of_Yawning_in_Physiology_and/dongdGtKUecC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=yawns+contagious&printsec=frontcover

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/why-do-bigger-brained-animals-have-longer-yawns/502856/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-yawn-and-why-is-it-contagious-3749674/

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/15/527106576/yawning-may-promote-social-bonding-even-between-dogs-and-humans

Fact #211: The Full Moon Makes People Lunatics

Mon, 04 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

It's not just werewolves who are affected by the full moon. Between emergency room doctors and police officers, people think the full moon makes folks act wild. Is that really what's going on? Let's find out in this episode of Fact Casual!

Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/10/24/dear-science-does-a-full-moon-really-change-human-behavior/

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/why-do-we-still-believe-in-lunacy-during-a-full-moon

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20131029-does-a-full-moon-make-people-mad

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190731-is-the-moon-impacting-your-mood-and-wellbeing

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/vbn7wd/does-the-full-moon-really-make-people-crazy

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/

Fact #184: Bulls Hate The Color Red

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 04:00:00 -0400

Whether you call it maroon, burgundy, or red, there's one thing remains the same. Bulls supposedly hate it. But do bulls really hate that one color? If so, what did it ever do to them? On this episode, we head to the Plaza De Toros to find out if bulls really hate red.

Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-bullfighter-capes-red-2018-9

https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2012/12/12/what-is-it-about-red-that-makes-bulls-so-angry/

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/does-red-really-make-bulls-angry

https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4tDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=bvB3CWq94h&sig=ACfU3U2v-NPm-uDbuIVTUkKpP5b9awENjg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis6piqztnoAhW0HDQIHV0UAPc4ChDoATABegQIDBAo#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false

https://books.google.com/booksid=VvTKBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=are+bulls+dichromatic&source=bl&ots=HhFgW7OrR6&sig=ACfU3U34CXzplFctHaV0Si2J-pIMuZYTJA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJv6L9z9noAhWXHDQIHYURAzc4FBDoATAFegQIDBAt#v=onepage&q=are%20bulls%20dichromatic&f=false

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/you-can-thank-your-fruit-hunting-ancestors-your-color-vision#

https://www.britannica.com/sports/bullfighting

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01249428/document

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781854/

Fact #357: You Can't Die In Your Dreams

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 04:00:00 -0400

Anything can happen in your dreams. Or almost anything. Today, we are testing the commonly heard fact that you can't die in your dreams.

Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201602/what-dreams-your-death-are-really-about

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/had-a-death-dream-recently-it-might-not-be-your-worst-nightmare/news-story/c9218722849bd5ffc68c1ff05315cbde

https://www.mic.com/articles/135761/what-dreams-about-death-and-drowning-really-mean-according-to-experts

https://www.newsweek.com/dream-dying-121675

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TZOiC23CpI&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=SleepioTV

https://dreams.ucsc.edu/168/deceased_loved_ones.html

https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/science-of-dreaming

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/doree/can-you-die-from-a-nightmare

https://www.bustle.com/articles/33261-what-do-dreams-about-death-mean-can-you-die-in-your-dreams-9-morbid-questions-answered

https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/your-life-in-numbers-infographic/

https://time.com/5008693/sleep-start-hypnic-jerk/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4481805/

1 Human Year = 7 Dog Years = True??

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

Whether you're a dog person or not, you've probably heard that one human year is equal to seven dog years. But where did that come from and is it even true?

Today, we're taking a closer look at man's best friend and finding out if they really age that fast.

Sources:

https://www.almanac.com/content/dog-age-chart-dog-years-human-years

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-new-better-formula-calculating-dog-years-180973575/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-human-year-does-not-equal-seven-dog-years-180952929/

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q4/calling-all-dogs-and-dog-owners-your-input-is-needed.html

https://www.inverse.com/article/51806-why-dogs-don-t-live-as-long-as-humans

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/12/feature-dog-lives-300-years-solving-mysteries-aging-our-pets

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201701/why-do-large-dogs-have-shorter-life-spans-small-dogs

https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-age-calculator

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism

https://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-things-people-used-to-think-were-healthy-2012-9#radioactive-drinks-1

Pluto Isn't A Planet... Is It?

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 13:00:00 -0400

Recall the old saying to remember the order of the planets? My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.

Today, we're focusing on the "Pizzas" part, or otherwise known as Pluto. Some scientists say it's a planet while others disagree. This episode finds out the truth about what exactly lurks out at the edge of our Solar System.

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/list/our-5-dwarf-planets

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-s-mysterious-floating-hills

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/24/world/pluto-no-longer-planet-space-scn/index.html

https://www.space.com/pluto-is-a-planet-nasa-chief-iac-2019-video.html

https://www.space.com/why-pluto-is-not-a-planet.html

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/heres-the-answer-that-will-finally-settle-the-is-pluto-a-planet-debate-for-good-yeah-right

Water is Blue

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:00:00 -0400

Whether you're at a beach, pool, or even glacier, water is a blue. But when you drink a cup of water at home, where did the vibrancy of the blueness in water go? On the first episode of Fact Casual, we are going to wash away the falsehoods and find out the truth on this fun fact: Water is blue.

Sources:
http://inside.mines.edu/fs_home/dwu/classes/CH353/study/Why%20is%20Water%20Blue.pdf

https://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm

https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/living-ocean/ocean-color

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-ocean-appear/

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2926

https://www.britannica.com/science/color/Physical-and-chemical-causes-of-colour

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-color?qt-
science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/5B.html