Podcast: Face of the Dragon
Posted by Josh on January 11th, 2015
Andrew has found a dragon. A recap of the SpaceX phase one landing. Failure? Success? Bit of both? Is there truly life on Mars? Evidence revealed.
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings011115.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings011115.mp3[/podcast]
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Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Andrew:
Bond 50: The Complete 23 Film Collection
Justin:
Podcast: Memory Door
Posted by Josh on January 5th, 2015A dorm room wormhole creates drama for Justin. Are robots watching Scam School, can they do magic better than Brian?
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings010415.mp3
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Idaho High School Catches Ghost or Possibly a Predator on Surveillance Video
Posted by Tony on January 4th, 2015In mid-September, surveillance cameras at Pocatello High School in Idaho caught what paranormal investigators are calling a human-looking figure wandering the halls during the winter break.
After seeing the video, you’ll probably shake your head, “Nope. Predator.”
During the video, lights repeatedly act strange and flicker on and off before the arrival of the figure. Then the figure makes its appearance outside of the men’s restroom. This knocks out the whole ghost theory.
Pocatello High School has been around since 1917. Over the years it’s been more like Sunnydale with stories of weird activity from suicide pacts to shadow figures to a mysteriously playing piano to the ghost of a drowned boy who died in the school’s pool.
Paranormal investigators were called in to look over the security footage. While excited about the footage, they can’t determine what it is. Shadow figure? Prank-playing science teacher who discovered invisibility? Predator? Sue Richards?
No one’s sure what strolls the halls of Pocatello High…but now it’s been caught on camera so let the hypotheticals begin!
Best part of the story for you long-time fans of Weird Things?
The paranormal group is called SPIRO.
Podcast: Monkey 911
Posted by Josh on January 1st, 2015Nazi party goes to Hollywood? Electric shock at the train station brings an adorbs surprise? When will we know about life on Mars? Are we more likely to live on Venus. Are AI the most dominant form of life in the universe?
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings123114.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings123114.mp3[/podcast]
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Podcast: Return on Adventure
Posted by Josh on December 22nd, 2014The boys are joined by David Lang of OpenROV! He gives us guidance on our Weird Expedition.
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings122114.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings122114.mp3[/podcast]
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Podcast: Mars is for Loons
Posted by Josh on December 14th, 2014An update on the Weird Things underwater expedition. Google bets they can keep a balloon up longer than you, and the future of the world may rest on them being right. Does it make sense to call ANYTHING impossible? New research methods could let you get “hands on” with space research. Seriously though, is Mars One a scam? We get an old fashioned NERD FIGHT between Brian and Andrew.
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[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings121414.mp3[/podcast]
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Say Goodbye to Lawn Gnomes and Flamingos…
You Can Now Buy Full-Size Inflatable Tanks
Posted by Tony on December 10th, 2014
Some of you probably live in a neighborhood that’s got a small population of lawn gnomes or a colony of flamingos. The only message that those ridiculous, overdone pieces of plastic and resin are going to send your neighbors is that you’re friendly, sweet and that you’ve gone soft.
For a measly $300 you can send a message to everyone in the neighborhood and your HOA to just take a step back. For about $1200 you can have a small army and some piece and quiet.
Podcast: Off the Should of Orion
Posted by Josh on December 8th, 2014Recap of the Orion Launch and debate why it may be the most meaningful step to Mars in the history of mankind. The Boys discuss their under water drone expedition to the murky depths of mystery, with a big announcement to speed up the time table. Are you ready to enter a richer virtual environment than you’ve ever conceived of before?
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings120714.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings120714.mp3[/podcast]
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Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do / Successful Performercast
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How Star Wars Conquered the Universe
Follow: @NASASocial
The Dream is Alive! We May be Able to Clone a Murderous T-Rex After All!!!
Posted by Andrew on November 25th, 2014
Two years ago a research paper about the longevity of DNA crushed the hopes and dreams of a generation who grew up believing we one day might be able to clone blood-thirsty, human-devouring dinosaurs. Scientists determined the half-life of DNA, the rate at which it degrades by half, at around 521 years in a best case scenario. This meant that after about 8 million years there would be effectively no DNA left. Which is 60 million years too short for hopefully gleaning any useful T-Rex DNA.
Science and pop culture bloggers were quick to point out that this meant the Jurassic Park idea popularized by Michael Crichton could never possibly work. As the Jurassic World trailer became available, nerds around the globe have reminded us this is an impossibility, along with making pedantic comments about crane flies and feathers.
At the time of the first research paper’s publication, I wrote an article on Weird Things pointing out how we could still make badass dinosaurs without original DNA and suggested that nature throws curveballs and the research paper on DNA half-life may not be the end of the story.
Hold on to your butts.
Science is never settled.
Nature finds a way (maybe).
A few years ago Dr Mary Schweitzer, a palaeobiologist at North Carolina State University, who sawed open a T-Rex bone at Jack Horner’s encouragement (they couldn’t fit it on a helicopter) discovered soft-tissue inside the bone after decalcifying it. This lead to the discovery of cells common to egg-laying birds and blood vessels.
Last year, curious about the process about what lead to the preservation, she and her team working with a group led by Mark Goodwin, a palaeontologist at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted some experiments using fresh ostrich blood and found a process that could occur in nature where DNA would be preserved much, much longer than the half-life research paper indicates.
Using this information, they went back to the original T-Rex samples and used a stain to test for DNA and found surprising results: Evidence that indicates the presence of DNA. It turns out 521 years may not be an absolute. DNA preserved in certain conditions or in certain parts of the body may last millions, maybe tens of millions of years longer.
To be sure, if this is DNA, it’s twisted up into tiny little knots and may be impossible to read. But given the advance of technology, I wouldn’t rule out future developments.
It’s also important to consider that trying to find DNA in fossils that old has only been attempted by a few people. Most paleontologists are afraid to even crack open bones, let alone subject them to these kinds of tests.
Schweitzer’s original discovery of soft-tissue in a T-Rex totally caught the scientific community off guard. Her work with Goodwin suggests that there could be many more awesome surprises awaiting us.
So if any nerd tries to tell you cloning dinosaurs is impossible, tell them to step back. We don’t tell mother nature her rules.
Andrew Mayne is the star of A&E’s Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne and the author of the best-selling thriller, Angel Killer.
(Me touching an actual Tyrannosaurus fossil in Jack Horner’s lab at the Museum of the Rockies)
Podcast: Wings of the Falcon
Posted by Josh on November 24th, 2014SpaceX debuts the X-Wing as the countdown to a reusable rocket begins. Brian deduces a major problem out of Justin. A case that will make you uncomfortable about forgetting again.
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings112414.mp3
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Podcast: CSI: Brazil
Posted by Josh on November 17th, 2014Spyro and the Fudge are on the case to solve a kidnapping in Brazil. A tiger terrorizes Paris… or does it? A really rich dude breaks a massive record and Andrew has an idea on how to break it even harder.
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/Weirdthings111714.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/Weirdthings111714.mp3[/podcast]
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How Star Wars Conquered the Universe
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Predator Might Be Hiding on Rosetta’s Comet – Based on the weird sound we’re hearing
Posted by Tony on November 16th, 2014The jury’s out on what’s causing the sound (which is far, far below the level of human hearing) and a whole lot of theories are being tossed around about it. Everything from magnetic fields to ionization of particles shearing themselves from the traveling comet is suspect at this point.
“This is exciting because it is completely new to us. We did not expect this and we are still working to understand the physics of what is happening.” – RPC principal investigator Karl-Heinz Glaßmeier
Until there’s an answer, which probably won’t be soon because space is just weird, we’re going to assume that the comet is either harboring a Predator who’s looking for payback, the mobile rehearsal space for a marimba-playing Cantina Band member or that we’ve discovered the dial-up connection for an alien race.
[KDSK.com]
Boy Inhabited by Ghost of Deceased Soldier?
Posted by Tony on November 15th, 2014A four-year-old Virginian boy is being inhabited by the spirit of a deceased soldier tragically killed in a bombing.
His mother states that he’s talking about things that a boy his age wouldn’t know anything about.
In a moment straight out of the creepiest movie his mother states:
““He just starts crying hysterically and I say “What’s wrong Andrew?” and he says, “Why did you let me die in that fire?'”
So…Damien from the Omen, the twins from the Shining…and Andrew from Virginia.
[WTKR]
Monster Hunter claims this is the Loch Ness Monster – Looks remarkably like…whatever you want it to be
Posted by Tony on November 14th, 2014
Jonathon Bright, a paranormal investigator who’s started adding ‘Monster Hunter’ to his resume – because who WOULDN’T want ‘Monster Hunter’ on their resume – has started sharing a photo that might be the famous camera-shy creature that has become legendary.
“Three years ago, I came to Scotland to investigate the Nessie legend and took thousands of photographs. It took me six months to look at them all and I found this one which I showed when I spoke at the Scottish Paranormal Festival in Stirling this week. After I had finished there, I came north to spend more time searching for an answer to the Nessie story. My picture is a talking point. Some people will say it is physical and the monster, others will say it is a trick of the water, others will say it is a hoax.”
It would be great if this was in fact the mysterious animal that everyone says lives in the Loch.
It would be even greater if a professional photographer with ninja-like focusing skills and a decent camera would add “Monster Hunter’ to their resume.
Podcast: Weird Things HQ
Posted by Josh on November 9th, 2014
Andrew has a suggestion for a new Weird Things HQ. One man says his Anaconda don’t want none unless it’s a Discovery Channel special, hon. Planets go rogue!
AND THEN a massive spoiler-tastic convo about Interstellar.
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Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings110914.mp3
[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings110914.mp3[/podcast]
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