In Episode 67: “The Mini,” Joe, Nick, and Georgia recap Episode 66: Saving Earth From Other Worldly Impact. The crew talks about, Episode 66 guest, Charles Blue’s First Light Con, the world’s first science and engineering fandom convention coming in 2027, Joe’s upcoming panel schedule at ConCarolinas in Charlotte (May 29th-31st), a correction from Nick about Bruce Willis, and a May 23rd DIY podcasting event at the Lake County Public Library. Joe shares a typewriter poem written for the show at the Final Girl Bar, and the crew plays back street interviews from the 5th annual MaiFest in Blue Island, IL where they asked the public the hard questions: Mars or lava tube?
In Science Holes, Joe discusses the history of fictional asteroid impacts all the way back to Dante’s Inferno, smart underwear tracking farts in real time, and a newly discovered fluid network that scientists are calling the interstitium. Nick talks about research that shows monkeys are eating mud to cope with tourist junk food, and the crew debates whether humans should do the same.
The crew closes out with what media they’ve been consuming: Widow’s Bay, For All Mankind, Daredevil: Born Again and the Punisher: The Last Kill, Nick is two episodes into Severance, Georgia is reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Nick has been playing Borderlands 4 and Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and the crew suffers from a case of the Mandela Effect.
And don’t forget to wish Joe a Happy Birthday on May 21st!!
Listen to Episode 66:
Check out what the RHR crew is creating:
Joe:
Named by the Guild Literary Complex as one of the 35 Writers to Watch!
Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!
Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?
Essay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in Fiction
It’s science for Weirdos
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Stay curious, stay speculative, stay safe, and we’ll catch you in the next rabbit hole. Love Y'all!
Future Events to Hang with the Crew:
Podcast Cross-Appearances
The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer’s This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine
Events & Conventions:
Creative Arts Summit - DIY Podcast Workshop at Lake County Public Library on May 23rd, 2026
ConCarolinas - Charlotte, NC (May 29–31, 2026 ) - Joe attending as Guest
Shore Leave 46 - Lancaster, PA (July 10-12, 2026)
Lancaster Wyndham Resort and Convention Center
Dragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as Professional
Upcoming Episodes
*The Mini will now be every other episode!
Episode 68 - Hive Mind: Plubris
Guest: Wes Thorn (returning guest — Simulation Hypothesis episode)
The crew dives into hive minds, collective intelligence, and the blurry line between the individual and the swarm.
Episode 70 - Nazca lines of Peru and crop circles
Guest: Lorena Salinas
The crew learns about Peruvian culture, explores ancient glyphs and touch on some alien conspiracies.
Three Part Spider-Man Series to get ready for the new MCU Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Episode 72 – Spider-Man Villain Series 1: Lab Safety
Guest: Tera Lavoie, PhD
The science behind Spider-Man’s rogues gallery starts here, with a deep dive into lab safety and what really happens when experiments go wrong.
Episode 74 – Spider-Man Villain Series 2: Scorpion and the Other Chimeras
Guest: Erin C. Anthony
The crew explores the science of chimeras, genetic splicing, and what it would actually take to create Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes.
Episode 76 – Spider-Man Villain Series 3: What His Villains Reveal About Him
Guest: Comic YouTuber, Alex Hanes (@Hanes4Heroes)
The conclusion of the Spider-Man trilogy takes a step back to ask what the science of his villains tells us about Spider-Man himself.
What the Crew is Digging, Links, Resources, and Topics Mentioned in mini and/or full episode:
Links & Resources:
First Light Con (world’s first science and engineering fandom convention, 2027)
Van Rung — typewriter poet and performer
Environmental Encroachment — New Orleans-style marching band, Chicago, IL
Blue Island Stray Dog Project — Facebook: Blue Island Stray Dog Project /Instagram: @BISTrays
Alex’s art to Georgia for Library Month:
Science Holes:
1) Meteoritics and Dante’s Inferno: Examining Satan’s Fall as an Impact Event
Timothy Burbery
Timothy, a researcher in the field of geomythology, argues that Dante’s Inferno (written 1308-1314) may contain the earliest fictional depiction of a large-body impact event. In Dante’s vision, the Devil is so massive and falls at such velocity that his landing creates Hell: a massive, circular, terraced crater reaching to the center of the Earth. The modern study of meteors wasn’t established until the 19th century, following the 1833 Leonid meteor shower, making Dante’s intuitive grasp of impact physics roughly 500 years ahead of its time.
2) Smart Underwear Tracks Farts in Real Time
Research presented at Digestive Disease Week, Chicago, May 2026
Researcher Brantley Hall at the University of Maryland developed a gas sensor that attaches to the inside of underwear to continuously monitor gut gas production. The study found that people with lactose intolerance produce significantly more gas than they realize or report. The device offers a new continuous method for studying gut metabolism and could improve understanding of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
3) Monkeys Eating Mud to Offset Tourist Junk Food
A two-year study found that monkeys in highly populated tourist areas were eating mud after consuming junk food given to them by tourists and locals. The mud appeared to create a protective barrier in the gut or replenish minerals disrupted by the processed food. When tourist activity decreased, mud consumption dropped proportionally. The crew connected this to broader research suggesting that soil exposure and dirt contact may actually benefit human health, particularly in children, by supporting immune development and reducing allergies.
4) I knew we were all Plants:
https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/dtl4rtId_CfNXeh6lSIpHw
Scientists have identified a third fluid system in the human body, distinct from the lymphatic system (discovered 1622) and the cardiovascular system (discovered 1628). The interstitium is a large interconnected network of fluid-filled spaces found throughout the body, forming pathways between organs and allowing fluids, cells, and molecules to move between them. The discovery came partly from studying tattoo ink biopsies, where researchers noticed ink particles traveling deeper into tissue than the known systems could explain. The crew noted that similar interstitial spaces are well known in plants, raising the possibility that this is an ancient, evolutionarily primitive transport system that humans share with other organisms.
Science Terms:
• Bacteriophages — viruses that infect and replicate inside bacteria, playing an important role in the gut microbiome
• Cardiovascular system — the system of heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries that circulates blood, first described in 1628
• Carcinogens — substances capable of causing cancer in living tissue
• Fascia — the connective tissue layer beneath the skin through which interstitial fluid was observed traveling in tattoo biopsy studies
• Geophagy — the practice of eating earth or clay, documented in humans across parts of Africa, Asia, and South America
• Geomythology — the study of geological events and phenomena as they appear in myth, legend, and ancient literature
• Gut metabolism — the chemical processes by which the gut breaks down food and produces byproducts including gases
• Gut microbiome — the vast community of microorganisms, bacteria, and bacteriophages living in the intestines that help process food, regulate metabolism, and influence overall health
• Interstitium — a newly identified network of fluid-filled connective spaces throughout the body sitting between and connecting other tissue layers
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) — a common gastrointestinal condition affecting the large intestine, characterized by cramping, bloating, and irregular bowel habits
• Lactose intolerance — the inability to fully digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and dairy products, leading to gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort
• Leonids — a recurring meteor shower occurring approximately every 33 years in the constellation Leo; the 1833 shower was a turning point in understanding meteors as astronomical events
• Lymphatic system — the network that removes excess fluid from tissues and plays a role in immune function, first described in 1622
• Teratogens — agents that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus, potentially causing birth defects
What the Crew is Digging:
TV
• Widow’s Bay (Apple TV+) — Georgia and Joe describe it as Stephen King mixed with Twin Peaks, with a creepy old town secret vibe. Released weekly, four episodes in at time of recording.
• For All Mankind — still working their way through the current season
• Daredevil: Born Again — finished, with the Punisher special The Last Kill
• Severance (Apple TV+) — Nick is two episodes in
• The Mandalorian — upcoming, mentioned with excitement
• Obsession — upcoming horror film, crew excited about the marketing campaign which included a phone number and an evolving billboard
Books
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee — Georgia is halfway through and loves it
Video Games
• Borderlands 4 — Nick has been playing
• Marvel Cosmic Invasion — Nick describes it as an arcade side-scroller beat-em-up, tries to recruit Joe
• The Thing (PS2 original / remaster) — mentioned, along with an unresolved debate about whether Nick ever actually gave Joe his copy
