We Have Concerns

Nineteen-year old British programmer Joshua Browder has created a robotic appeal system for parking tickets. Since its inception in 2015, this robo-lawyer has successfully appealed $3 million worth of tickets. Anthony is ready to move all of his legal affairs to non-humans, while Jeff wonders how long it will take the government to out-bureaucracy the robot. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story: http://www.techinsider.io/joshua-browder-bot-for-parking-tickets-2016-2 If you

For centuries, Peruvian locals talked about a river in the Amazon that burns so hot it can kill. Now, Peruvian geoscientist, Andrés Ruzo has actually found it. Jeff and Anthony discuss Indiana Jones-esque adventures into the jungle, boiling rivers, and, for some reason, Jolt Cola. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Dan Richardson: http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-found-a-mysterious-boiling-river-straight-out-of-amazonian-legends If you’ve seen a

In an extremely strange case that can’t be found anywhere in medical history, a girl from Deesa, Gujarat in India has been unlucky enough to be chosen as the host for an ant nest — right inside of her ear. Indeed, at least 10 to 15 large ants are emerging from the girl’s ear everyday. Jeff, Anthony, and special guest Travis McElroy contemplate the horror of having an ant's nest inside your skull. This episode is not for the squeamish. Patrons get a bonus, double length episode with Travis! Check out our Patreon to listen to it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/4780788 Check out Travis' other shows! http://mcelroyshows.com/ Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Jeff on Twitter: @jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: @acarboni Travis on twitter: @travismcelroy Today’s story was sent in by Hadega Aamer: http://thescienceexplorer.com/brain-and-body/ant-nest-found-girl-s-ear-stumps-doctors-never-seen-medical-case If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send

A scientist at the University Medical Centre Maribor, Slovenia has presented a way to encode data directly into the DNA of plants, which would continue to pass along that genetic information to all subsequent generations. Jeff is enamored with the idea of plant life that can be used for archival purposes, but Anthony is much more interested in new plastic data discs that will last forever. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Frank LeBel: https://www.newscie

An 18-year old in Florida posed as a doctor for a year without, apparently, any qualifications whatsoever. Anthony can relate, and he and Jeff discuss what is more important, having a skills, education, and certification of the medical field, or the pure, unfettered desire. Turns out, it's those first three. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/17/health/florida-palm-beach-teen-doctor-arrest/ If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show,

Certain birds of prey are picking up burning sticks from brush fires and dropping them in dry grass. Why? Because then all the little critters will run away from the fire and out into the open, where the birds can snatch them up. Jeff and Anthony delve once again into the intelligence and dickish nature of birds. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by XAC: http://gizmodo.com/birds-deliberately-spread-wildfires-because-birds-are-d-1758109903 If you’ve seen a sto

Writer Jeff Wilser ate nothing but processed, packaged junk food for an entire month, and still managed to lose 11 pounds. His hypothesis: If you limit your caloric intake to a moderate amount, but eat garbage, can you still be healthy, feel great, and lose weight? Anthony and Jeff tackle this question, too, and wonder if this is junk science as well as junk food. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story: http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/junk-f

New research published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that being an early riser is in some people's DNA -- and not in others'. The study isolated 15 areas in the human genome that are associated with the tendency toward or against "morningness." Anthony and Jeff discuss their own struggles with rising early, and whether they think it is built into their DNA. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Wil Knoble: http://www.huffingtonpost.co

While investigating non-English words associated with positive emotions and concepts, a British researcher recently discovered 216 foreign words for which there is no English translation. The conclusion being that without words for so many positive emotions, perhaps English speakers represent a demonstrably less positive culture. Jeff and Anthony are both fascinated with language, but argue about whether this observation has any merit. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story

A very different kind of episode of We Have Concerns, this one was recorded live at the PAX South convention in San Antonio Texas, and consists entirely of questions from the audience. It also features not one, but two eulogies for the very much alive Anthony Carboni, and Jeff Cannata's bid to play Mr Fantastic. This episode was recorded LIVE at PAX South 2016 in San Antionio. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live performance! We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni If you’ve seen a s

An article on Fox News says that scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany have reconstructed the Black Death! Oh no, we're all doomed! Why would scientists bring back a long dormant killer disease? Well, buried beneath the alarming rhetoric is the truth: they reconstructed the disease in a computer to learn more about its origins. Anthony and Jeff take this chance to rant against the alarmist nature of faux science news, and advocate for reading beyond the headlines. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.

The prairie vole, unlike 97 percent of mammals, are monogamous, forming bonds that last long after mating, and scientists have been doing experiments to try to understand if the hormone they share with humans - oxytocin - may be the reason. Unfortunately, these experiments are pretty rough on the voles. Jeff and Anthony talk about the so-called "Love Hormone" and what it may mean for human romance. This episode was recorded LIVE at PAX South 2016 in San Antionio. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live performance! We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter

Jumping spiders, members of the Salticidae family of arachnids, have a level of cognizance rarely seen in creatures of their diminutive size, which enables them to plan ahead and work out the most appropriate route to catch their prey. Scientists proved thi fact through a series of obstacle course-like tests, that have Anthony and Jeff terrified of the abilities of eight-legged predators. We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Chris Chase: http://www.iflscience

Australian startup company Humai claims to be working on a way to transfer a person’s consciousness into an artificial body after they’ve died. This is something Anthony and Jeff have been dying to see happen, but they have some serious reservations when they hear some details about how the startup is working. This episode was recorded LIVE at PAX South 2016 in San Antionio. Thanks to everyone who came out to the live performance! We Have Concerns is entirely listener supported! To keep us ad-free and get early episodes/bonus content, check out our Patreon: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was se

The exceptionally mild winter in many areas of the world caused by global climate change has led to squirrels across Europe and North America piling on the pounds. They prepare for frigid temperatures that never come, and end up larger than ever. Jeff and Anthony decide whether fat squirrels are a problem, or just more ticklish. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Emil Lange: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/squirrels-are-getting-tubby-warm-winter-weather If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com or leave it on the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/wehavecon

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology announced that they have found new evidence of a giant icy planet lurking in the darkness of our solar system far beyond the orbit of Pluto. They are calling it "Planet Nine." Jeff and Anthony try to work through what this means for our civilization, and all of the styrofoam solar systems in science fairs everywhere. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by many people, including Anton Strezhnev: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/01/20/new-evidence-suggests-a-ninth-planet-lurking-at-the-edge-of-the-solar-system/ If you’ve seen a s

In the Norwegian town of Longyearbyen, it is forbidden to die. The reason? The Arctic region is so cold year-round, that bodies simply do not decompose. Anthony and Jeff are fascinated by anywhere that asks you to kindly leave town if you're about to die, and wonder if there might be a union of ice wizards in the area who want you to live forever. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by atomlinson89: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7501691.stm If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com or leave it on the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/we

The praying mantis is the only known invertebrate with 3D perception, so, of course, scientists have created tiny 3D glasses and a tiny theater to test whether the same kinds of 3D techniques used for humans will work on them, too. Did the mantises perceive 3D? Were the glasses able to work? Did they stay for a second showing of Avatar? Jeff and Anthony answer all these questions and more. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by reverman: http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/08/mantises-get-tiny-3d-glasses-to-test-depth-perception/# If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com

On the barren Moroccan island of Mogador, falcons seem to imprison small birds by trapping them in crevasses, presumably saving them to eat later. Scientists have never seen this kind of behavior in non-human vertebrates. Anthony and Jeff have some theories about what's going on. Also, they are super excited to talk about falcons. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by FlyingPenguins42: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/health/google-cardboard-baby-saved/index.html If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com or leave it on the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/wehaveconcerns

Google Cardboard has helped save the life of a baby who was born missing a lung and half a heart. Surgeons used the inexpensive VR device to map out the experimental operation. Anthony and Jeff envision more world-changing applications of VR, but also take time to highlight other important technologies... like tables. Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by FlyingPenguins42: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/health/google-cardboard-baby-saved/index.html If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com or leave it on the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/wehaveconcerns