Skip to main content
Facts Machine

Facts Machine

By Facts Machine

Facts Machine is a podcast by and for people who are curious about everything — but especially the things that make them laugh. Scientists by day and pub trivia hosts by night, Emily, Noah, and Rob leverage their scientific curiosity and delight in obscure minutiae to bring you a podcast that explores life’s silliest, most unexpected, and outright awe-inspiring stories. And puns. So many puns.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
PodBean Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Episode 35: A Science Séance (ft. Diana Montano) - Live at Caveat

Facts MachineOct 29, 2019

00:00
01:14:25
Episode 66: Hearts & Sciences (ft. Adam Rosenzweig & Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD)

Episode 66: Hearts & Sciences (ft. Adam Rosenzweig & Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD)

Join us on Thursday 3/21 for our latest neuroscience-themed show PIECE OF MIND: https://www.caveat.nyc/events/facts-machine-3-21-2024

In this love-themed episode, we were joined by two beloved science communicators, chemist Adam Rosenzweig & neuroscientist Dr. Paula Croxson for a show full of deep dives on the deepest recesses of our hearts, comedy about commitment, and trivia you'll love at first sight!

Mar 13, 202451:14
Episode 65: Spacing Out (ft. Dr. Mark Popinchalk, PhD & Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD)

Episode 65: Spacing Out (ft. Dr. Mark Popinchalk, PhD & Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD)

In this episode, we were joined by two out-of-this-world science communicators, astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD & astronomer Dr. Mark Popinchalk, PhD for a show full of deep dives on deep space, comet-y about astronomy, and trivia that made us see stars!


Moiya's socials:

Twitter/TikTok/Instagram: @GoAstroMo


Mark's socials:

Twitter/TikTok - @MarkPopinchalk

Instagram - @Mark.Popinchalk

Feb 13, 202457:08
Episode 64: Holi-daze (ft. Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD)
Jan 17, 202401:16:20
Episode 63: Taking A Brain Check (ft. Dr. Thiago Arzua, PhD & Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD)

Episode 63: Taking A Brain Check (ft. Dr. Thiago Arzua, PhD & Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD)

Dec 19, 202301:02:13
Episode 62: Seas Get Degrees (ft. Jaida Elcock, Kyle Marian, & Dr. Diana Li, PhD)

Episode 62: Seas Get Degrees (ft. Jaida Elcock, Kyle Marian, & Dr. Diana Li, PhD)

Tickets for our Friday, 3/17 show "Taking A Brain Check"

Welcome to Facts Marine! Noah was joined live at Caveat in NYC by guest marine biologists and science communicators Jaida Elcock and Dr. Diana Li, PhD, as well as scientist and comedian Kyle Marian! Listen as they make waves, do deep dives on the deep sea, and have a “littoral” whale of a time!

Mar 15, 202301:13:58
Episode 61: All You Need Is Lobe (ft. Leslie Sibener & Dr. Devon Collins, PhD)

Episode 61: All You Need Is Lobe (ft. Leslie Sibener & Dr. Devon Collins, PhD)

Tickets for our Friday, 3/17 show "Taking A Brain Check"

During NYC's Brain Awareness Week, Em and Noah (and Rob in spirit!) were joined live at Caveat by guest neuroscientists and science communicators Leslie Sibener and Dr. Devon Collins, PhD, as they endeavored to get tangled up in neural nets, celebrate Dendritic Arbor Day, and fight for neurite to party!

Piano accompaniment: Rose McCathran & Ryan Brechmacher

May 25, 202201:10:06
Episode 60: The Whole Tooth & Nothing But The Tooth (ft. Jaida Elcock)

Episode 60: The Whole Tooth & Nothing But The Tooth (ft. Jaida Elcock)

Tickets for our Friday, 3/17 show "Taking A Brain Check"

Joined by special guest Jaida Elcock, shark scientist and grad student at MIT-WHOI, co-founder of Minorities in Shark Science (MISS), organizer of #BlackinMarineScienceWeek, and TikTok-er extraordinaire, we take a bite out of TEETH facts! Open (your ears) wide for aquatic melon ballers, the under appreciated craft of dentist office blogging, and a Michael Phelps race that never was, but totally should have been. And for the love of enamel, make sure to floss!!

Apr 27, 202201:32:12
Episode 59: Dark Matters (ft. Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD) – Live at Caveat

Episode 59: Dark Matters (ft. Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD) – Live at Caveat

Tickets for our Friday, 3/17 show "Taking A Brain Check"

Live at Caveat in NYC, just days before Halloween, we were joined by folklorist to the stars, and astrophysicist to the folks, Dr. Moiya McTier, PhD! Listen in to learn about a threatening arrangement of triangles, the ballad of the Space Bat, and an Ohio pig farmer who dreamed of two things: 1) seeing the stars and 2) smashing Confederates...AND HE WAS ALL OUT OF STARS... Listen to Moiya over at her science-based world-building podcast, ExoLore! Watch Moiya over at her show on PBS Digital Services Fate & Fabled! Read Moiya over at her new book The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy!

Mar 08, 202201:04:56
Episode 58: Food for Thought (ft. Kyle Marian) – Live At Caveat

Episode 58: Food for Thought (ft. Kyle Marian) – Live At Caveat

Science Friday engagement producer, comedian, and inclusive science communicator extraordinaire Kyle Marian joins us for a gastronomical live show at Caveat all about FOOD. In a variety show of storytelling, audience challenges, and unrepentant culinary goofiness, we chew the fat, spill the beans, go bananas, and satisfy even the most voracious of trivia appetites. Tune in, and eat your heart out 😋

Oct 19, 202101:05:55
Episode 57: Pigments of Our Imagination (ft. Dr. Latasha Wright, PhD)

Episode 57: Pigments of Our Imagination (ft. Dr. Latasha Wright, PhD)

Accompanied by special guest Dr. Latasha Wright, chief scientific officer at BioBus and Rob’s bio-boss, we finally share all the facts we’ve been dyeing to tell you! Tune in to learn all about the art, science, and history behind pigments and dyes—we hope it all soaks in! 

Oct 05, 202101:21:21
Episode 56: The Nerds & The Bees (ft. Dr. Carly York, PhD)

Episode 56: The Nerds & The Bees (ft. Dr. Carly York, PhD)

 Our guest today is biology professor, science communicator, and co-owner of an animal sanctuary (!) Dr. Carly York, who joins us for a (lightly NSFW) episode about romantic relationships in the animal world. Tune in and keep an eye out for Carly’s upcoming book on romance in the wild!

Jul 20, 202101:10:04
Episode 55: The Extremo-Files (ft. Dr. André Pineda, PhD)

Episode 55: The Extremo-Files (ft. Dr. André Pineda, PhD)

 Science comedian, neuroscience PhD, and “guardian of knowledge” Dr. André Pineda makes his second Facts Machine appearance on an episode in homage to organisms that live on the edge, thrive in the unsurvivable, and take that “grow where you are planted” proverb that gets embroidered on pillows as a personal challenge: extremophiles.

Jun 22, 202101:34:36
Episode 54: Now You're Speaking Our Language (ft. Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, PhD)

Episode 54: Now You're Speaking Our Language (ft. Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, PhD)

This week we’re joined by data science professor, standup comedian, and circus performer, Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy to articulate, communicate, enunciate, extrapolate, debate, formulate…where was I going with this? OH RIGHT we’re talking about language. Word. 

May 25, 202101:25:26
Episode 53: Museum To Our Ears (ft. Dustin Growick)

Episode 53: Museum To Our Ears (ft. Dustin Growick)

Dino 101 host, science communicator, and dinosaur whisperer Dustin Growick is our guest for an episode NOT about dinosaurs (but don’t tell them, we’re sworn to secrecy). Instead, we put favorite museums on display and exhibit our finest trivia that has nothing to do with dinosaurs. Who needs ‘em, anyway?*

*jk, dinosaurs. We love you, dinosaurs.

Apr 27, 202101:21:16
Episode 52: Stop, Communicate, and Listen (ft. Dr. Sarah McAnulty, PhD)

Episode 52: Stop, Communicate, and Listen (ft. Dr. Sarah McAnulty, PhD)

Skype a Scientist founder, cephalopod expert, and all around kickass science communicator Dr. Sarah McAnulty joins the Facts Machinists for an episode all about “communication”. Turns out we had a lot to say! 

Apr 13, 202101:10:54
Episode 51: This Is Your Brain On Brains (ft. Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD) – Live(streamed) at Caveat

Episode 51: This Is Your Brain On Brains (ft. Dr. Paula Croxson, PhD) – Live(streamed) at Caveat

 

Mar 30, 202158:35
Episode 50: Guest Who's Back? (ft. Moiya McTier, Anthony Antonelli, Rich Fisler, Diana Montano, and Sam Corbin)

Episode 50: Guest Who's Back? (ft. Moiya McTier, Anthony Antonelli, Rich Fisler, Diana Montano, and Sam Corbin)

It's our third birthday and fiftieth episode! We're joined by some familiar voices for a special anniversary episode!

Mar 16, 202101:07:26
Episode 49: Bloopers, Outtakes, & Shenanigans II

Episode 49: Bloopers, Outtakes, & Shenanigans II

Hi everyone!! COMING SOON: new episodes, new guests, new facts, same old puns! For now, please enjoy this episode of all the stuff that was too weird to put in a normal episode.

Mar 02, 202123:32
Episode 48: Hea-venom Is A Place On Earth (ft. Anna Klompen)

Episode 48: Hea-venom Is A Place On Earth (ft. Anna Klompen)

🎶We don't think you're ready for these jellies🎶 We are joined by evolutionary biologist, venomologist, and jellyfish expert Anna Klompen for an episode all about venom! Listen for evolutionary arms races, snails that cure cancer, and jellyfish sneezes.

Sep 22, 202001:30:33
Episode 47: Tales From The Cryptologist (ft. Rae Richards)

Episode 47: Tales From The Cryptologist (ft. Rae Richards)

"Guvf jrrx V yrnearq" gung erpbeqvat na rcvfbqr bs Snpgf Znpuvar pna ernyyl trg bhg bs unaq snfg. Jr yrnearq nobhg gur gjb Pnrfnef, gur Ebzna yrnqre NAQ gur fnynq cvbarre. Jr yrnearq ubj cvffrq gurl tbg ng Zrqvriny fyhzore cnegvrf. Naq jr yrnearq nobhg ubj gur Aninwb pbqrgnyxref jba JJVV sbe gur Nyyvrf.
Aug 25, 202001:11:23
Episode 46: Uncharisma (ft. Marion Renault)

Episode 46: Uncharisma (ft. Marion Renault)

In this episode, we're joined by science journalist Marion Renault to swap facts on "uncharisma" in nature. Tune in for facts about the (wrongfully) over-looked and (superficially) unappealing organisms that keep our ecosystems and even our lives running smoothly. By the end, you'll be convinced these critters really *are* more than meets the eye--even the maggots! (Though in their case it may be for the best that this is an entirely audio medium.)

Jul 28, 202001:20:05
Episode 45: Our Fair Share (ft. Kristina Parsons)

Episode 45: Our Fair Share (ft. Kristina Parsons)

*Editor’s note: We had some catastrophic audio failures in this one, especially during the quiz. We were remotely recording early in the pandemic, and just about everything went wrong. Nonetheless, we hope you’ll enjoy the episode despite the sounds of the birds and cars, the echoes we couldn’t eliminate, and the fact that Noah’s whole quiz had to be pieces together from super compressed zoom audio!* We wanted to give our listeners the world...'s fair! We are joined by museum curator Kristina Parsons to dive headlong in the wide world of World's Fairs.
Jul 14, 202001:26:02
Episode 44: The Iceland Cometh (ft. Moiya McTier)

Episode 44: The Iceland Cometh (ft. Moiya McTier)

Everybody knows that old joke, "What did the astrophysicist say to the folklorist? We are the same person..." Maybe it's funnier in the original Icelandic? To find out, we sought the only person we know who fits that description, Moiya McTier! Join Noah, Em, Rob, and Moiya as we discuss Erik the Well-Read, why Lucifer is definitely not from Iceland, and the power of a new pair of skin-pants! Bonus: they come with a pocket!

Jun 16, 202001:16:11
Episode 43: BUGS (ft. Sam Corbin) -- Live(streamed) at Caveat

Episode 43: BUGS (ft. Sam Corbin) -- Live(streamed) at Caveat

Abandon hope, all ye who *ento* here! It's a broadly entomological arthropod-cast about bugs! In this episode, which we live-streamed on Caveat's YouTube page, we welcome comedian, writer, and legendary pun queen Sam Corbin to discuss bees with "daddy tissues", artisanal stings, and the worst kind of jelly donut.

May 20, 202001:23:55
Episode 42: Paradigm-a-dozen (ft. Dr. André Pineda, PhD)

Episode 42: Paradigm-a-dozen (ft. Dr. André Pineda, PhD)

Paradigms, they are a-changin’ in this week’s episode of Facts Machine! We’re joined by friend of the pod and scicomedian extraordinaire Dr. André Pineda, PhD, a neuroscientist, science communicator, and show runner at our home venue Caveat who leverages laughs to share science. Join us as we talk Al-Haytham “going turbo” while Europe was in a dark age, evolution by “naturalist selection”, and rerouting priests to prevent disease.

May 05, 202001:22:27
Episode 41: Facts That Hold Water (ft. Dr. Jessica Noviello, PhD)

Episode 41: Facts That Hold Water (ft. Dr. Jessica Noviello, PhD)

 H2OMG! This episode’s all about the universal solvent, 60% of the human body, and (when it’s feelin’ fancy) dihydrogen monoxide. We’re joined by long time friend of the pod and first time guest of the pod Dr. Jessica Noviello, a planetary geologist, science communicator, and avowed dinosaur enthusiast currently studying the Kuiper Belt Object EL61 Haumea in her post-doctoral research. Tune in to learn how water makes its way around our universe, how a giant aquifer stayed hidden in plain sight, and why Niels Bohr was oddly possessive about a bottle of Carlsberg.

Apr 21, 202001:20:41
Episode 40: The Spy Who Quizzed Me (Triv and Let Die)

Episode 40: The Spy Who Quizzed Me (Triv and Let Die)

 

Apr 07, 202001:03:14
Episode 39: 'Ew, Gross' Anatomy (Special Quiz Episode #3)

Episode 39: 'Ew, Gross' Anatomy (Special Quiz Episode #3)

 This week Noah spills his guts in the finale of our three part anatomy quiz series! Guess along as Rob and Em try to distinguish real and made-up medical terminology and encounter fruity maladies and ambiguous pouches along the way.

Mar 24, 202042:18
Episode 38: We've Got A Bone To Pick (Special Quiz Episode #2)

Episode 38: We've Got A Bone To Pick (Special Quiz Episode #2)

Make no bones about it, in this second of three special anatomical quiz episodes, Rob tests Emily's and Noah's knowledge of his favorite organ, bones! 

Mar 19, 202034:15
Episode 37: Can't We All Just Get A Lung? (Special Quiz Episode #1)

Episode 37: Can't We All Just Get A Lung? (Special Quiz Episode #1)

Don't hate, ventilate! In this first of three special anatomical quiz episodes, Emily tests Noah's and Rob's knowledge of her favorite organ, the lungs! Somehow, they end up debating the merits of different kinds of turtle bums. How? Who knows.
Mar 10, 202047:48
Episode 36: Etymologies

Episode 36: Etymologies

 Facts Machine returns with an episode all about etymologies. Join us as we dig deep to discover our favorite word origins, root and stem! #protologism

Feb 25, 202057:55
Episode 35: A Science Séance (ft. Diana Montano) - Live at Caveat

Episode 35: A Science Séance (ft. Diana Montano) - Live at Caveat

 

Oct 29, 201901:14:25
Episode 34: Technobabble

Episode 34: Technobabble

Oct 15, 201946:34
Episode 33: Do Animals Still Suck?

Episode 33: Do Animals Still Suck?

Oct 02, 201901:00:44
Episode 32: Bloopers, Outtakes, & Shenanigans

Episode 32: Bloopers, Outtakes, & Shenanigans

We're taking a break for a few weeks while we work on some *big plans*! In the meantime enjoy this episode of our unaired failures and musical interludes.

Aug 20, 201909:35
Episode 31: The Ass Files (We Are Not A Mules)

Episode 31: The Ass Files (We Are Not A Mules)

At long last, the Facts Machine episode theme you've all been waiting for -- Donkeys! Our equine friends have an incredible history, from being worshipped by medieval Catholics, causing Stoic philosophers to die laughing in ancient Greece, and carrying the comedic weight for writers from antiquity to the present day. Also it's fun to say "ass".
Aug 06, 201950:07
Episode 30: Women's Issues & Man-Sized Tissues

Episode 30: Women's Issues & Man-Sized Tissues

 In this episode, we talk male show-vinism, tell the incredible story of an Irish pirate queen, and find out what female mice really want.

Jul 23, 201950:20
Episode 29: Fruits & Veggies

Episode 29: Fruits & Veggies

This is a podcast about Pythagoras and beans, Oklahoma and the truth, and Princess Alice and her pet Spinach. Everything you think is a vegetable is a fruit. Ben Franklin has a plan for your farts.
Jul 09, 201953:48
Episode 28: Famous Inventors, Overshadowed Inventions

Episode 28: Famous Inventors, Overshadowed Inventions

Don't you just hate it when people only want to talk about how you discovered universal gravitation, but not about your passion project, making proportionately-sized doors for cats? Or when the press loves how you revolutionized the automobile industry by mass producing affordable cars but not how you tried to make them out of soy beans? Or how no matter how many times you explain that you discovered what E equals, they don't want to use the special refrigerator you invented? Misery loves company, so listen along to our latest episode, all about the lesser known and lesser appreciated ideas of famous scientists and inventors!

Jun 25, 201901:02:09
Episode 27: This Week We Learned (at Science Friday Trivia)

Episode 27: This Week We Learned (at Science Friday Trivia)

Emily, Rob, and Noah went to Science Friday’s science trivia night, and they won! They also learned some interesting facts that they have brought back to share with you in this episode. Listen to find out why you shouldn’t cast your margaritas before swine, how to distinguish between a blue whale and a Soviet submarine, and whether the aurora borealis thinks you are worthy of applause.
Jun 11, 201951:16
Episode 26: Sportsball!

Episode 26: Sportsball!

When Facts Machine does an episode about sports, somehow you leave with more information about the mysteriously accurate predictions of 19th century authors, the ability to pinpoint the true origin of referred pain in the tip of your right shoulder blade, and possibly the first viral marketing campaign than you do about sports themselves. Play ball!

May 28, 201958:50
Episode 25: The Periodic Table of Elements (ft. Rich Fisler) - Live at Caveat

Episode 25: The Periodic Table of Elements (ft. Rich Fisler) - Live at Caveat

Live at Caveat in NYC, Noah, Emily, and Rob head back to class with their first ever guest host, chemistry teacher extraordinaire Rich Fisler! In this episode, the facts are elementary, the laughs are periodic, and discussion of fewer puns was tabled.
May 14, 201901:04:22
Episode 24: In Dog We Trust

Episode 24: In Dog We Trust

In this episode, Facts Machine makes a PAWEDcast! Noah, Rob, and Emily learn all about dogs — the good boys and good girls who make life worth living. Listen to find out how good the first good boy was, how some good girls are helping reseed forests after fires, and how some good boys and good girls (and one especially good boy) braved wind and snow to save a bunch of kids from Diptheria!
Apr 30, 201950:16
Episode 23: Hocus POTUS

Episode 23: Hocus POTUS

Hail to the Chief! It's an episode of Facts Machine all about U.S. presidents. Listen to find out why it's not safe to run for president in 2020, how to win friends and influence people to crowdfund your mausoleum, and which president was arrested for speeding in a horse-drawn carriage.

Apr 16, 201901:01:36
Episode 22: That Sh*t Cray

Episode 22: That Sh*t Cray

“More intellectual than I expected.” Our listeners should expect nothing less from an episode of Facts Machine all about poop! Would you believe that in this episode we discuss the natural philosophy of Aristotle, the finer points of long-term space exploration, AND cutting-edge (or should we say, “surface-level”) biomimicry in engineering? Just to be clear, though, this is definitely an episode about poop. There will be jokes.

Apr 02, 201959:19
Episode 21: My Goodness, My Guinness

Episode 21: My Goodness, My Guinness

Top of the morning to ya! In honor of St. Paddy’s day, we’re Dublin down on this week’s theme: Guinness! Listen to find out why nitrogen is “an obvious gas”, how the t-test was invented by a Guinness employee, and how “factual fisticuffs” inspired the Guinness Book of World Records!

Mar 19, 201951:12
Episode 20: Facts Machine ~After Dark~

Episode 20: Facts Machine ~After Dark~

This week, Facts Machine becomes FaXXX Machine as Emily, Rob, and Noah discuss facts of a more...intimate...nature. Get your mind in the gutter with our titillating (hehehe) tales about the Urban Dictionary of the Victorian era, that time when Hemingway and Fitzgerald compared their penises at the Louvre, and a divine foreskin of purportedly cosmic proportions.

Mar 05, 201953:11
Episode 19: The Wild West

Episode 19: The Wild West

Have your lassos, pistols, and...sarsaparilla (?) at the ready, because this week Facts Machine is comin' atcha with some Wild West facts! Tune in to learn about real life re-enactments of your favorite dysentry-ridden computer game, the dromedaries that were once at home on the range, and the most infamous stagecoach robber in frontier herstory. Yee-haw!

Feb 19, 201901:03:49
Episode 18: Only In New York

Episode 18: Only In New York

You can learn a lot in a New York minute, but you can learn even more in sixty! Facts Machine is back with an episode all about our hometown, the Big Apple. Listen to learn why The Strand bookstore is the last shop standing from New York's legendary Book Row, why electric cars caught on in the 19th century only to be undermined by fragile masculinity, and why a New York sculptor has been creating monuments to fictional disasters all over the city.

Feb 05, 201959:40
Episode 17: Crime Immemorial

Episode 17: Crime Immemorial

It would be criminal to miss this episode of Facts Machine! Let us steal your attention with gritty tales of (surprisingly) true crime, featuring Ohio bank robberies, anti-Stratfordian conspiracy theories, and mysteriously damp socks. Do your ears some justice and tune in!

Jan 22, 201959:22