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Uncommon Knowledge

Recent Episodes

Exoplanets-Kepler Telescope (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010
Run Time: 3:30
The earth may be unique...but it is not the only planet in our galaxy. Astronomers are finding more and more thanks to an eye in the sky. Jay and Janet have the latest on the search for planets and what scientists have already found.

Exoplanets (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010
Run Time: 3:00
For centuries, the only known planets were in our solar system. That's changing as astronomers find more and more planets orbiting distant stars. Jay and Janet have the latest on the planetary search in this episode of Uncommon Knowledge.

Smart Phone Viruses (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010
Run Time: 3:00
No one is talking much about Smart Phone viruses. That could be because there hasn't been a big outbreak. Yet. Discover your risk and how to keep safe in this edition of GLT's Uncommon Knowledge. First broadcast in June 2010.

The Hangover (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010
Run Time: 3:00
The morning after was famously (and hilariously) portrayed to the extreme in the recent movie "The Hangover." While the events are unlikely, the bodily effects are universal. Jay and Janet explain what's happening and what you can do to cure a hangover.

Pregnancy - Beauty Treatments (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Sometimes that pregnancy "glow, " just isn't enough. But do you run the risk of harming your baby with beauty treatments? Jay and Janet have the answers in the final part of the Uncommon Knowledge series on pregnancy.

Pregnancy - Boy or Girl (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010
Run Time: 3:00
You could always just look closely at an ultra-sound image to determine the gender of a baby before born. There are also all sorts of folksy ways that some swear by. It's part three of our series on pregnancy.

Pregnancy - "Dangers" of Lifting (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010
Run Time: 3:00
There are restrictions on how much and how to lift objects while pregnant...but some of the most alarming warnings can be ignored as Jay and Janet explain in part two of our series on pregnancy.

Pregnancy - Heartburn and Hirsute Babies (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Discover the correlation between heartburn symptoms and hairy newborns. It's the first part of a series on pregnancy myths.

World Cup Soccer (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010
Run Time: 3:00
The world has World Cup soccer fever. During this episode of Uncommon Knowledge find out how the sport spread from humble beginnings to become the world's most popular spectator sport.

Smart Phone Viruses (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010
Run Time: 3:00
No one is talking much about Smart Phone viruses. That could be because there hasn't been a big outbreak. Yet. Discover your risk and how to keep safe in this edition of GLT's Uncommon Knowledge.

Bats and Killer Fungus (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 24 May 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Bats have plenty of starring roles in horror movies...but this time, the bats are the victims...and it's not a movie. Jay and Janet explain in the final part of our series about bats.

Bats and Insects (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 17 May 2010
Run Time: 3:00
To control insects -- especially mosquitoes -- choosing bats over birds makes more sense. Jay and Janet explain why in this episode of Uncommon Knowledge.

The Hangover (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 10 May 2010
Run Time: 3:00
The morning after was famously (and hilariously) portrayed to the extreme in the recent movie "The Hangover." While the events are unlikely, the bodily effects are universal. Jay and Janet explain what's happening and what you can do to cure a hangover. First broadcast in May 2010.

Catching Cold (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Cold season is finished. But as you know, you can catch a cold anytime of the year. Listen as Jay and Janet explain what causes the common cold, why it's probably called a "cold" and what you can do to avoid catching a cold.

Encryption (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010
Run Time: 3:00
The computer coded language of spies is more often used for everyday business, like accessing your bank account. Jay and Janet explain encryption in this episode of Uncommon Knowledge.

Predator House Cats (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010
Run Time: 4:30
There's a killer lurking in your neighborhood and maybe even in your own backyard. Jay and Janet explain the danger posed to the environment by the common house cat.

Super-Cooled Liquids (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010
Run Time: 4:30
It's possible to cool water below the freezing point, but not form ice. With a little help from an ISU Chemistry Professor, Jay and Janet explain.

Super-Heated Liquids (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010
Run Time: 4:30
It's possible to overheat liquids in the microwave and get burned when it "explodes." With a little help from an ISU Chemistry Professor, Jay and Janet explain.

Data Compression (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Data compression sounds complicated...and in some cases it is. But you use it everyday with computer photos and music files on your mp3 player. Jay and Janet explain how it works.

Retrieving Fingerprints (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010
Run Time: 3:00
The only thing harder than leaving a fingerprint is finding a useable one. In this episode first broadcast in September of 2009, Jay and Janet get to the bottom of all that fingerprint evidence in all of those CSI shows on TV.

Leaving Fingerprints (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010
Run Time: 3:00
In this episode first broadcast in September of 2009, Jay and Janet get to the bottom of all that fingerprint evidence in all of those CSI shows on TV.

Catching Cold (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Cold season isn't finished yet and as you know, you can catch a cold anytime of the year. Listen as Jay and Janet explain what causes the common cold, why it's probably called a "cold" and what you can do to avoid catching a cold.

Infinity Paradox (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Infinity can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially when trying to count numbers to get "there." In this episode from October, Jay and Janet and an ISU mathematician help explain a paradox associated with infinity

Earth Tilt/Moon Formation (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Jay and Janet answer a question from a podcast listener about why the earth is tilted. Oh...and how the moon formed. The answers are related.

The Four Color Theorem (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010
Run Time: 3:00
From the title, you may be able to figure out the minimum number of colors for a map to ensure the same color states or countries don't touch. Jay and Janet share the story of the Four Color Theorem.

2 Cold 2 Snow (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010
Run Time: 3:00
Myth or truth: It can get so cold it can't snow. Jay and Janet help explain the meteorological truth in this seasonal episode.

New Year's Day (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010
Run Time: 3:00
New Year's Day is January first. Oh yeah, says who? In this encore episode, Jay and Janet explain why the first day of the 2010 was January 1st.

Man on the Moon -- Telescopes (encore) (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009
Run Time: 3:00
Man landed on the moon July 20, 1969. It's a fact. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, Jay and Janet debunk the "evidence" some think prove the landings never happened. In this episode from mid-2009, they ask why a telescope hasn't simply zoomed in on the moon landing sites and snapped a picture.

Man on the Moon -- Radiation (encore) (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009
Run Time: 3:00
It was 40 years ago this year (July 20, 1969) that man landed on the moon. Since then a conspiracy theory that the landing was a hoax has gained momentum. This month to celebrate mankind's first steps on the lunar surface (yes, we believe) Jay and Janet debunk the "evidence" some think prove the landings never happened. This time they tackle whether astronauts could have survived cosmic radiation.

Man on the Moon -- Flag (encore) (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009
Run Time: 3:00
To celebrate mankind's first steps on the lunar surface (yes, we believe) Jay and Janet debunk the "evidence" some think prove the landings never happened. In this episode first broadcast in July 2009, they tackle the "waving flag" planted on the moon.

Man on the Moon -- Stars (encore) (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009
Run Time: 3:00
It was 40 years ago this year (July) that man landed on the moon. Since then a conspiracy theory that the landing was a hoax has gained momentum. This month to celebrate mankind's first steps on the lunar surface (yes, we believe) Jay and Janet debunk the "evidence" some think prove the landings never happened. In this episode, first broadcast earlier this year, they tackle the starless moon sky.