The crew revisits truth, maps, Earthers, and April Fool’s history. Science news: Artemis II, found time, zombie cells, and a spider disguised as a fungus. And no fooling, a fist bump with RZA
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In Episode 61: The Mini, Joe, Nick, and Georgia revisit their conversation from Episode 60: Lassoing the Truth Serumwith retired Purdue Northwest philosophy professor David Detmer, where they explored truth, self-deception, and the uncomfortable science of knowing what’s real, and how your own brain might be the least reliable narrator in the room.
The crew follows up on a few threads from the full episode: the true size of continents and how the Mercator projection has been misleading us for centuries, the myth that girls are bad at math, and the Dunning-Kruger effect, illustrated by one of the most confident bank robbers in history. They also dig into Bob Knodel’s laser gyroscope experiment from the documentary Behind the Curve, where a flat Earther accidentally proved the Earth is round and refused to believe it.
In the new Segment, Science News (still looking for a new name and Georgia wants theme music) they talk about a newly discovered spider species that mimics a zombie fungus to hunt and hide, the surprising psychology of found time, zombie cells revived by genome transplant, and viruses (bacteriophages) that get more potent in space. Plus an Artemis II update/reflection and the crew share their opinions on being close, but not landing on the moon, which happened to Michael Collins on the historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission, he kept the seats warm orbiting the moon, while Neil Armstrongand Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, made history and walked on the moon.
The crew talks about their field trip to the Music Box Theater for the Beyond Chicago Film Festival, where they saw RZA’s One Spoon of Chocolate, and a surprise meeting and fist bump with RZA himself.
Plus, what the crew is digging: Daniel Suarez’s Change Agent, S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed, Maggie Smith’s Dear Writer, Kristen Ritter’s Retreat, the Duffer Brothers’ Something Really Bad is Going to Happen (Netflix), For All Mankind (Apple TV), Daredevil Born Again (Disney+), Monarch and Platonic (Apple TV).
In the 60th episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, Mary, and Georgia are joined by retired Purdue Northwest philosophy professor David Detmer, PhD to discuss with one of the oldest and slipperiest questions in human history, what is truth, and how do we find it?
Check out what the RHR crew is creating:
Joe:
- 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
- Watch Joe on Joe Compton’s YouTube channel 21Grams
- The RHR crew on Ben Tanzer’s This podcast will change your life: episode three hundred seventy-nine
Events & Conventions:
- 5th Annual Mai Fest – Blue Island, IL (May 9th 12-5pm)
- 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 62 – The Science of Fear: Phobias, Physiology & Splatterpunk
Guest: Phrique
Diving into the biology of fear, phobia formation, and the extreme horror genre of splatterpunk with author Phrique. - Episode 64 – Into the Deep: Humans, Caves, and the Final FrontierGuest: Ernie Bell, PhD (NASA and Blue Origin)What can living underground on Earth teach us about surviving on other worlds?
- Episode 66 – Planetary Defense: Saving Earth from Other Worldly Impact
Guest: Charles Blue
Exploring asteroid detection, planetary defense systems, and what it takes to protect Earth from cosmic collisions. - Episode 68 – Hive Mind: PlubrisGuest: 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.
What the Crew is Digging, Links, Resources, and Topics Mentioned in mini and/or full episode:
Maps & Projections
- The True Size Of… : interactive tool to compare real country and continent sizes
- Gall-Peters Projection
Documentaries & Clips
- Behind the Curve (2018) — documentary following flat earthers including Bob Knodel’s laser gyroscope experiment — available on Netflix
- Mon Mothma’s Senate Speech — Andor (Disney+) — Season 1, Episode 10
Listener Contributions
- Alex’ referenced Mon Mothma speech from Andor
- Alex’s observation: “Truth is discovered or known, it doesn’t necessarily lead to accountability.”
- Operation Paperclip
- Identified by David Dunning and Justin Kruger in 1999
- Tendency of people with low ability in a specific area to give overly positive assessments of their ability
Gender & Math
- No intrinsic gender differences in children’s earliest numerical abilities — Kersey et al., Nature, July 6, 2018
- BOYS ARE BETTER AT MATH? THAT COULD BE BECAUSE SCHOOL FAVORS THEM OVER GIRLS
Events
- Slay the Lake — Horror Writers Festival, Kenosha, WI — April 18th
Books
- Change Agent — Daniel Suarez
- All the Sinners Bleed — S.A. Cosby
- Dear Writer — Maggie Smith
- Retreat — Kristen Ritter
Movies
- One Spoon of Chocolate — Written and directed by RZA, presented by Quentin Tarantino. Screened at the Beyond Chicago Film Festival at the Music Box Theater. Wide release expected May 2026.
TV Shows
- Something Really Bad is Going to Happen — Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
- For All Mankind — Season 4 (Apple TV)
- Daredevil: Born Again — (Disney+)
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — (Apple TV)
- Platonic — (Apple TV)
April fool’s day that got Joe:
Science Briefs:
- Launch: April 1, 2026
- NASA’s Artemis II was the first crewed test flight around the moon, carrying four astronauts on a flyby mission to test systems and emergency procedures before future lunar landings.
Viruses Get More Potent in Space
- Research showing that viruses, specifically bacteriophages, alter their structure and increase infection rates in microgravity conditions.
- Potential application: more virulent bacteriophages could lead to a new generation of antibiotic alternatives, since bacteriophages naturally attack bacteria without harming humans.
The Cordyceps Spider: A New Spider Species That Mimics a Zombie Fungus
- Taczanowskia waska sp. nov. — a newly described spider species from Ecuador
- Authors: David R. Díaz-Guevara, Alexander Griffin Bentley, Nadine Dupérré
- This spider mimics the appearance of being infected by Gibellula — the parasitic fungus that turns spiders into zombies — to ward off predators and ambush prey.
- Represents the first reported case of arachnid mimicry of an araneopathogenic fungus.
Gained Time Is Expanded: The Psychology of Found Time
- Study: Gained Time Is Expanded: Examining the Psychological and Behavioral Consequences of Gaining Time
- Authors: Gabriela Tonietto, Selin Malkoc, Kun Wang, and Sam Maglio
- An unexpected windfall of spare time — like a cancelled meeting — feels subjectively longer than the same amount of scheduled time, creating a unique sense of expanded opportunity.
Zombie Cells Return from the Dead After a Genome Transplant
- Paper: Selection-free whole genome transplantation revives dead microbes
- bioRxiv, March 14, 2026
- Authors: Zumra Peksaglam Seidel, Nacyra Assad-Garcia, Vanya Paralanov, Feilun Wu, Olivia Chao, Elizabeth A. Strychalski, Eugenia Romantseva, Tyler Goshia, J. Craig Venter, John I. Glass
- Researchers inserted the genome of one bacterial species into the cellular machinery of a “dead” cell, reviving its biological activity, a breakthrough for synthetic biology that could open doors for engineering organisms to produce medicines and materials.
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