Exploring bleeding edge experiments, oddities, new and bizarre dicoveries, and fact-checking conspiracy theories since 2008. No question is out of bounds and no topic is too strange for a deep dive.
# politics
Widespread fraud and financial misdeeds have cost us trillions of dollars, but we're having trouble holding the perpetrators responsible. Is it because our minds can't process it?
# podcast
If we compromise encryption standards used to secure almost everything we do electronically, we'll catch more criminals. But we'll also create millions more by giving them easy targets.
# science
Far too much of what passes for forensic science in courtrooms fails to meet basic scientific standards while sending people to jail. And those who could fix this problem are refusing to help us.
# science
Crime and a lack of impulse control go hand in hand. Now, there may be a way to activate that impulse control with an electric current. But we’ll need to be careful how we use it.
# science
Slowly but surely, violence in movies has been escalating, prompting recurring spasms of fear that a surge in violent crime will inevitably follow, yet violent crimes rates keep declining. Why?
# tech
District Attorneys are going to try mandating encryption backdoors again and refuse to understand why it can't be done without cratering the modern economy.
# politics
A thorough study of prison records spanning 15 years shows that recidivism is actually a lot lower than the numbers commonly cited in the media.
# tech
If your code can result in people being sent to jail for decades, if not death row, that code should be open source and subject to review. The courts don't seem to understand that yet.
# science
Crime rates are plummeting and no one seems to be able to explain why.