Hurricane Conspiracies, Screaming Plants, and Turnspit Dogs

A Little Bit Of Science

What is this bizarre world that we’re living in where meteorologists are getting death threats from conspiracy theorists convinced they're controlling hurricanes, while actual climate science gets ignored?

We explore the shocking discovery that plants literally scream when stressed (at frequencies we can't hear, but insects definitely can), and uncover the tragic tale of turnspit dogs - a breed we created specifically to be living kitchen appliances before making them extinct when we invented better technology.

Plus, we take a reality check on Silicon Valley's latest obsession with "vibe coding" and AI utopian fantasies, and discover why humans are surprisingly good at rating the attractiveness of animal mating calls (even though we have no idea why).

From weather warfare theories to screaming gardens, this episode proves that science is always stranger than the conspiracy theories - and infinitely more fascinating.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

01:11 Conspiracy Theories and Election Manipulation

04:40 Meteorologists Under Attack

14:59 Nature Sounds and Animal Communication

20:34 Plants in Distress and Insect Reactions

23:34 The Peculiar Job of Deafening Moths

25:47 Strange and Remarkable Dog Breeds

27:48 The Turnspit Dog: A Kitchen Helper

35:54 The Future of Technology and AI

38:56 Book Review: More Everything Forever

More Everything Forever Book: https://amzn.to/3IGKfNG

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/13/pentagon-pizza-delivery-israel-iran-attack

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/rare-dog-breeds-you-never-knew-existed/

https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/turnspit-dogs.htm

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/turnspit/

https://futurism.com/conspiracy-meteorologists-hurricanes

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/11/meteorologists-death-threats-hurricane-conspiracies-misinformation

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/hurricane-milton-misinformation-meteorlogist-death-threats-1235130352/

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