It's that special time of year where scientists are recognised for their research that makes you laugh and then makes you think. We go through our favourite Ig Nobel prize winners of 2019 as well as exploring some of the latest science news.

Not a Buffalo

008 Ig Nobel Prize Special

With the year 2021 comes episode 21 of Not a Buffalo, your favourite podcast about the science and technology that provides the ray of hope and sunshine during gloomy January days. In this episode, Ben has a story that brings together two of his favourite things, graphene and batteries while Jack has a story about AI saving the Amazon rainforest which sparks a deep discussion. We also cover an incredible bacterial breakthrough that could change home life and learn about a new study that suggests identical twins may have more differences than we thought.

021 Bowie is my Tesla

Our last episode of 2020 is jam packed with stories from the discovery of a very large volcano to some unusual but apparently delicious beer. A discussion about returning spacecraft leads into a deep conversation about the power of programmers and the impact they have on language. Jack and Ben also cover some breaking stories about quantum supremacy and elderly fish. Stay tuned until the end for an enlightening conversation in our host knowledge segment. Jack’s Stories https://www.livescience.com/china-quantum-supremacy.html https://www.livescience.com/small-islands-one-big-volcano.html https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/japan-s-hayabusa2-capsule-lands-carbon-rich-asteroid-samples Ben’s Stories https://phys.org/news/2020-11-brewed-beer-recycled-wastewater-great.html https://phys.org/news/2020-11-random-doping-quantum-devices.html https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201201144039.htm https://phys.org/news/2020-12-octogenarian-snapper-wa-oldest-tropical.html https://phys.org/news/2020-12-graphene-block-sustainable-cities.html

020 Life in a Wok

Episode 19 covers a little bit of everything, from octopus-inspired skin graft technology to the power of the mind during the dark winter months. Ben also talks about yeast engineering and the insight it gives into diverse ecosystems whilst Jack talks about the latest developments in some truly sci-fi travelling; the Hyperloop. Ben’s stories Octopus skin grafts https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201016164312.htm Cheaters don’t always win https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019145551.htm Deep learning CT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019133700.htm Jack’s Stories Winter Mindset: https://internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/935 Virgin HyperLoop:  https://www.nu.nl/tech/6089174/virgin-hyperloop-rondt-voor-het-eerst-test-met-passagiers-in-hyperloop-af.html Journal Article: https://www.thegreenjournal.com/article/S0167-8140(20)30809-4/fulltext 

019 Tomographical Endowment

It’s that time again! The ig-nobel prizes have been released, so it’s time for Jack and Ben to run through their favourite picks from this year’s nominations. We’ve got screaming alligators, narcissistic eyebrows and bug catchers who are terrified of spiders. So, poor yourself glass and settle in for another year of science that will make you laugh and then make you think “why?" Jack’s Stories: ACOUSTICS PRIZE If you’ve ever wanted to know what happens when you seal an alligator in a room filled with helium and why you would want to do this, we have the answers to your questions. https://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/15/2442.full PHYSICS PRIZE Something akin to placing earthworms on a wobble board, can make big headlines in the ig-nobel prizes. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-65295-4 ENTOMOLOGY PRIZE Is it possible to study insects for a living and still be afraid of spiders? https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/59/3/168/6813 Ben’s Stories: PSYCHOLOGY PRIZE Learn how to spot a narcissist by checking their eyebrows. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jopy.12396 MANAGEMENT PRIZE How something akin to a sketch comedy landed 5 people in court. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ibIkZBbnZb-menl7Xv4FAQ ECONOMICS PRIZE At last, serious research relating income inequality to making out. Find out more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43267-7 Honorable Mentions: PEACE PRIZE How ginger knocking contributed to world peace. MEDICINE PRIZE Yes, being annoyed at the sound of people chewing is finally a medical ailment. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0054706 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032716321681 MATERIALS SCIENCE PRIZE Researchers confirm, making knives out of poop is not best practice. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352409X19305371

018 Ig Nobel Prizes

Hello fellow science fans, we're back! Not a Buffalo returns for Season 2 with a whole host of new stories about the science and technology that will save the world. 2020 has been a strange year and we are incredibly excited to be back and discussing breakthrough research that can give us all hope about the future. In this episode we find out about Warsaw zoo keeps its elephants calm; the benefits of going through puberty and why we all have a reason to thank dragonflies. The links to all of the stories that appear in this episode are below: Ben’s Stories Marijuana test for stressed-out Warsaw Zoo elephants https://phys.org/news/2020-08-marijuana-stressed-out-warsaw-zoo-elephants.html Scientists use fruit peel to turn old batteries into new https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200826101623.htm Insect wings inspire new ways to fight superbugs: Scientists reveal how nanomaterials inspired by insect wings are able to destroy bacteria on contact - by stretching, slicing or tearing them apart https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200818103841.htm Jack’s Stories Puberty can repair the brain’s stress responses https://www.sciencenews.org/article/puberty-teens-brain-stress-responses-early-trauma CO2 Causes Earthquakes https://www.sciencenews.org/article/carbon-dioxide-earth-mantle-italy-earthquakes Positronium’s energy levels make no sense https://www.sciencenews.org/article/positronium-energy-levels-exotic-atom-physics

017: Season 2 Debut

Episode 16 marks the final episode of this season of Not A Buffalo, we'll be taking a break over the summer and returning in September 2020 but fear not, we're leaving you with some wonderful science stories. Jack and Ben talk about everything from recreating the paint on medieval frescos to sending tiny cardboard planes to Mars. Jack explains how things are heating up in the world of quantum computing and Ben talks about a brain surgery breakthrough using ultrasound. If you are new to the series, we have 16 episodes packed full of great science and technology and w elook forward to discussing what the world has discovered in September!

016 Non-Newtonian Pranks

It's the second episode from lockdown, guess which of our hosts has gone crazy first? After we establish the new metric system involving freedoms and potatoes, we did into some fascinating stories about the gas giants, the ancient jungles at the South Pole and discuss a break through in magnetic research that could revolutionise our electronics. We hope you're all keeping safe and well out there and enjoy the episode!

015 Saturn is a Toaster

The world is going into lockdown from covid-19 but Not a Buffalo is here to give you a little glimmer of hope in these dark times. Jack and Ben discuss the benefits of being infected by zombie-making fungi; how the vast cosmic web relates to a tiny slime mould and the new luxury hotel chain made for seahorses. To cap it all off, we both brought some stories about the wonders of 2-dimensional materials.

014 Everything's Better in 2-D

In this episode, Jack and Ben explore science all over the spectrum from the discovery of a brand new species of bird to the molecular creation breakthrough that is offers a promising path to better drugs. And we talk about everyone's favourite essential insects, bees.

013 Discovering Paradise...Twice

In the first episode of the new decade, Jack and Ben discuss what they would do to get into space; taking cuttlefish to the cinema and how we're all becoming a little bit cooler. They also discuss the controversial topic of golden rice and the dangers of pressing the mortality switch in worms. You can find the episode spotify, google music, apple podcasts and wherever you can find podcasts. 

012 Never Release Your Worms

And a myriad of other festive occasions and what better way to celebrate than the final podcast of the year. In this episode, Jack and Ben keep up the holiday theme about talking about the benefits of board games; the better batteries coming your way for all your Christmas gadgets and that oh so Christmassy topic: dark matter.

011 It's Christmas

This week we received the excellent news that Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will finally be able to have freshly baked cookies, meaning that travelling 27,600 km/h around the Earth will finally smell like home. Ben and Jack also talk about a revolutionary new model that might explain more about our universe and try to figure out what perovskites are and how they will create better solar cells.

010 Space Cookies

Can colours indicate your culture? Are monkeys better problem solvers than humans? What is the cutest tiny photo? Ben and Jack ramble about these questions and more in our latest episode.

009 What About a Bull?

In this episode, Jack displays his great affection for penguins, we discuss India's potential Tiger related Guinness World Record and come up with a new theory for what actually wiped out the dinosaurs.

007 Penguin: Dino Killer

When headlines focus so much on tragedy, it can be easy to miss the kernels of hope. Two friends, Jack and Ben delve beyond the doom and gloom to discuss the science and technology stories you may have missed. From medical breakthroughs to wacky gizmos to just plain awesome science, this podcast will give you the perfect response to the next person who says the world is going mad.

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008 Ig Nobel Prize Special

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