<description>&lt;p&gt;Brain-eating amoebas, climate change, economists, and Leonardo da Vinci&amp;rsquo;s robot lion all collide in this week&amp;rsquo;s episode. We dig into how warming freshwater is helping dangerous amoebas spread into new places, why these rare but terrifying organisms are linked to water going up the nose, and what that means for swimmers, public health, and the very specific fear of warm lakes. It is science, climate, and nightmare fuel all in one neat package.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;We also unpack a strange finding from economics research. The more economists agree with each other, the more their views can drift away from the general public. It is a fascinating look at expert consensus, groupthink, public opinion, and why economic theory can sometimes feel completely detached from real life. If you have ever wondered why economists sound like they are living on a different planet, this one may help.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Then we head back to the Renaissance for one of the greatest flexes in science and engineering history. Leonardo da Vinci reportedly built a mechanical robot lion that could walk and reveal flowers from its chest, blending robotics, invention, art, and spectacle centuries before modern technology caught up. If you love weird science, history, innovation, robots, and bizarre true stories, this episode is for you.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;CHAPTERS:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;01:10 Brain-Eating Amoeba Basics&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;02:43 How It Infects You&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;03:57 Warming Spreads the Risk&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;04:39 Economists vs Everyone&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;10:10 Assumptions and Governance&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;11:03 Medici Exile Storytime&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;12:23 Bologna Power Play&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;13:07 Medici Politics Banter&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;14:32 Da Vinci Gift Idea&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;16:46 Robot Knight Blueprint&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;18:48 Building the Lion&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;19:44 Courtroom Lion Reveal&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;23:22 Modern Art Machines&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;24:43 Ratings and Farewell&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;SOURCES:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles/pdf/doi/10.1257/aer.103.3.636"&gt;https://www.aeaweb.org/articles/pdf/doi/10.1257/aer.103.3.636&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-eating-amoebas-may-pose-a-growing-global-threat-scientists-warn"&gt;https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-eating-amoebas-may-pose-a-growing-global-threat-scientists-warn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.history.com/articles/da-vinci-robotic-lion"&gt;https://www.history.com/articles/da-vinci-robotic-lion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.history.com/articles/7-early-robots-and-automatons"&gt;https://www.history.com/articles/7-early-robots-and-automatons&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A Little Bit Of Science

A Little Bit Of Science

Brain-Eating Amoebas, Economists vs. Everyone and Da Vinci's Robot Lion

MAR 25, 202625 MIN
A Little Bit Of Science

Brain-Eating Amoebas, Economists vs. Everyone and Da Vinci's Robot Lion

MAR 25, 202625 MIN

Description

Brain-eating amoebas, climate change, economists, and Leonardo da Vinci’s robot lion all collide in this week’s episode. We dig into how warming freshwater is helping dangerous amoebas spread into new places, why these rare but terrifying organisms are linked to water going up the nose, and what that means for swimmers, public health, and the very specific fear of warm lakes. It is science, climate, and nightmare fuel all in one neat package. We also unpack a strange finding from economics research. The more economists agree with each other, the more their views can drift away from the general public. It is a fascinating look at expert consensus, groupthink, public opinion, and why economic theory can sometimes feel completely detached from real life. If you have ever wondered why economists sound like they are living on a different planet, this one may help. Then we head back to the Renaissance for one of the greatest flexes in science and engineering history. Leonardo da Vinci reportedly built a mechanical robot lion that could walk and reveal flowers from its chest, blending robotics, invention, art, and spectacle centuries before modern technology caught up. If you love weird science, history, innovation, robots, and bizarre true stories, this episode is for you.   CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Brain-Eating Amoeba Basics 02:43 How It Infects You 03:57 Warming Spreads the Risk 04:39 Economists vs Everyone 10:10 Assumptions and Governance 11:03 Medici Exile Storytime 12:23 Bologna Power Play 13:07 Medici Politics Banter 14:32 Da Vinci Gift Idea 16:46 Robot Knight Blueprint 18:48 Building the Lion 19:44 Courtroom Lion Reveal 23:22 Modern Art Machines 24:43 Ratings and Farewell   SOURCES: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles/pdf/doi/10.1257/aer.103.3.636 https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-eating-amoebas-may-pose-a-growing-global-threat-scientists-warn https://www.history.com/articles/da-vinci-robotic-lion https://www.history.com/articles/7-early-robots-and-automatonsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.