Is the Uncanny Valley Real?
In 1970, roboticist Masahiro Mori wrote an essay that said the closer robots come to lifelike, the more they unsettle humans. His theory became the Uncanny Valley, and science has been evaluating it –...
22 Elo 20171h 7min
SYSK Selects: How Exploitation Films Work
In today's SYSK Select episode, we learn about exploitation films. During the 1930s-80s, the work of directors operating in the shadows of Hollywood led to explorations in sexuality and violence that ...
19 Elo 201748min
What's the deal with accents?
Accents are truly fascinating. Put simply, they are how a person sounds when they talk. From England to America and all over the world, the way people speak in their native tongue can vary drastically...
17 Elo 201756min
How Stuttering Works
Despite as much as one percent of the adult population having the condition, science doesn't actually know how stuttering works. The best it's come up with so far: there seems to be an issue between t...
15 Elo 201750min
SYSK Selects: How McCarthyism Works
In this week's SYSK Select episode, if you're accusing someone of disloyalty or subversion without decent evidence, then you may be guilty of McCarthyism. In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the o...
12 Elo 201742min
How Bioarchaeology Works
Thanks to advancements in fields like genetics, and molecular chemistry, archaeology is undergoing a renaissance and opening up new understanding of the past. Learn more about your ad-choices at http...
10 Elo 201754min
Do motivational speakers motivate people?
There are all kinds of motivational speakers, from people who have overcome incredible hardships to those who hold pep-rally style events in stadiums. But do these speakers actually help anyone? Scien...
8 Elo 201750min
SYSK Selects: Why do men have nipples?
In this week's SYSK Select episode, they're always right there, taunting you: why do you have me, they ask? Why do men have nipples? It turns out there's a good answer why and nipples on men aren't en...
5 Elo 201725min
