What do you get when you cross a sheep’s intestine, a TSA agent’s glove, and the gnawing fear that you might be the dullest person at the party? This week’s episode, that’s what.
We’re serving up a scientific sampler platter that’s equal parts awkward, hilarious, and “wait, is that real?” From the surprisingly storied history of animal-based contraception, to the dystopian future of airport pat-downs, to the social perils of being the human equivalent of beige paint, this episode is a wild ride through science’s strangest corners. No sheep were harmed in the writing of this article, though their dignity may never recover.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:21 The Science of Boring People
01:49 Global Population Estimates: Are We Underestimating?
07:29 Airport Security Innovations
12:43 The Most Boring Day in History
17:05 AI and Vending Machines: A Stability Test
21:54 Stereotypes of Boring People
24:09 The Five Most Boring Jobs
26:52 The Most Boring Hobbies
29:30 The Cost of Spending Time with Boring People
32:56 Historical Condoms
37:56 Wildlife Corridors: Do They Work?
Sources:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672221079104
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/2024/04/13/april-11-boring-day
https://www.404media.co/tsa-working-on-haptic-tech-to-feel-your-body-in-virtual-reality/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56906-7
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1617138125000780?via=ihub
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2502.15840
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1de271qg4yo.amp
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