How to Die Clever Season 3, Episode 12: The Ig Nobel Prizes

1

Corn on Mars?

Professor Mustache takes a science-comedy look at the scientific plausibility of space colonization stories, especially the idea of growing crops like corn on Mars. He breaks down the real challenges of extraterrestrial agriculture, from radiation and soil chemistry to the limits of current space missions.

3 min

2

Ancient Anatomy

Professor Mustache explores how early thinkers like Aristotle tried to understand human anatomy with limited knowledge. In the absence of “Doctor Google,” ancient theories often mixed apples with pears and chickens with women, blending observation, speculation, and imagination - revealing both ingenuity and misconceptions in early medical thought.

3 min

3

Narcissistic Personality

Professor Mustache explores the psychiatric meaning behind the often casually used label “narcissistic pervert.” Moving beyond everyday language, he explains how such terms are understood in clinical psychology and why popular usage often differs from medical definitions of personality disorders and behavior.

3 min

4

The Future According to Tom Cruise

Professor Mustache explores the gap between science fiction and real technological progress, using films like Minority Report as a starting point. While Hollywood often predicts futuristic innovations, he shows why many of these ideas remain science fiction rather than engineering reality.

3 min

5

Enteric Neurons

Professor Mustache explores the surprising complexity of the digestive system, which contains a vast network of neurons sometimes compared to a small animal brain. He explains how this “second brain” in the gut works and why such comparisons, while striking, have important scientific limits.

3 min

6

Fruit Fly Blues

Professor Mustache takes a science-comedy look at the bizarre reproductive biology of the fruit fly Drosophila, which produces a single sperm cell that can be many times longer than its own body. He explores how extreme evolutionary strategies can lead to surprising and counterintuitive biological adaptations.

3 min

7

Santa Physics

Professor Mustache takes a science-comedy look at the legendary logistics of Santa Claus, who would have to travel unimaginable distances at extreme speeds to deliver gifts worldwide in a single night. He breaks down why this raises serious questions of physics, time, and feasibility.

3 min

8

Female Desire

Professor Mustache explores the science behind female arousal, questioning whether physical and mental stimulation can occur independently. In this science-comedy episode, he examines how researchers study desire, challenging common misconceptions with insights from psychology and physiology.

3 min

9

28 Days Later (Body Edition)

Professor Mustache explores the biological purpose and mechanisms behind the menstrual cycle, asking why humans regularly shed blood each month. In this science-comedy episode, he breaks down reproductive physiology and challenges common misunderstandings about what nature is doing - and why.

3 min

10

Erection Mechanics

Professor Mustache explores the physiology of erection, revealing how the human body uses surprisingly sophisticated hydraulic-like mechanisms. In this science-comedy episode, he breaks down the biological processes behind it, showing that nature’s “engineering” can be as inventive as any human invention.

3 min

11

Raven Messengers

Professor Mustache explores why fictional worlds like Game of Thrones use ravens as message carriers instead of more familiar birds like pigeons. In this science-comedy episode, he looks at real animal behavior, training feasibility, and why certain species are more practical than others for long-distance message delivery.

3 min

12

The Ig Nobel Prizes

Professor Mustache explores the quirky world of the Ig Nobel awards, which celebrate real scientific research that first makes people laugh and then think. In this science-comedy episode, he highlights how seemingly absurd studies can still reveal surprising insights about human curiosity and scientific creativity.

3 min

13

No Exit: The Parachute Problem

Professor Mustache explores why commercial airliners equip passengers with life vests rather than parachutes. In this science-comedy episode, he breaks down the practical, physical, and safety-related reasons that make parachutes unsuitable for mass passenger use during flight emergencies.

3 min

14

Busy Bees and Lazy Myths

Professor Mustache explores the popular belief that bees and ants are tireless workers compared to humans. In this science-comedy episode, he examines insect societies and labor division, questioning how “hard work” really functions in nature and whether these stereotypes hold up under scientific scrutiny.

3 min

15

Passive Aggression

Professor Mustache explores the origins and meaning of the term “passive-aggressive,” tracing it back to its historical use during World War II to describe certain military behaviors. In this science-comedy episode, he unpacks how the concept evolved into everyday language for describing indirect or covert hostility.

3 min

16

Anatomy’s Best-Kept Secret

Professor Mustache explores the anatomy and biology of the clitoris, a highly sensitive and complex organ that has long been underrepresented in scientific discussion. In this science-comedy episode, he sheds light on its structure, function, and the historical gaps in medical understanding.

3 min

17

Mad Geniuses

Professor Mustache takes a science-comedy look at famous scholars like Pythagoras and Newton, often remembered as wise and rational figures. In reality, many historical thinkers had eccentric, strange, or even bizarre ideas alongside their groundbreaking discoveries.

3 min

18

Iron Man Physiology

Professor Mustache explores whether a human could realistically survive inside a high-tech armored suit like Iron Man’s. In this science-comedy episode, he breaks down the extreme forces, acceleration, and physiological limits that would turn superhero flight into a serious biological challenge.

3 min

19

Dino Cloning

Professor Mustache explores the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life, inspired by Jurassic Park. In this science-comedy episode, he examines the limits of ancient DNA preservation, questioning whether genetic material trapped in amber for millions of years could ever be used for cloning extinct species.

3 min

20

Photogenic Mystery

Professor Mustache explores why some people appear more flattering in photos than others. In this science-comedy episode, he examines how perception, optics, and brain processing interact to shape our sense of “photogenic” appearance, questioning whether the issue lies in human vision or photographic technology.

3 min

21

Medical TV Reality Check

Professor Mustache compares the idealized world of hospital dramas with real medical practice. In this science-comedy episode, he examines how series like Grey’s Anatomy or House dramatize medicine, and what aspects of real clinical work are accurately portrayed - and what is pure fiction.

3 min

22

CRISPR Gene Editing

Professor Mustache explores the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 technology, a powerful tool that allows precise editing of DNA. In this science-comedy episode, he explains how genetic “scissors” work across living cells and organisms, and why altering genes raises both exciting possibilities and complex biological and ethical questions.

3 min

23

Autopilot Systems

Professor Mustache explores how automation and autopilot technology work in aviation and beyond. In this science-comedy episode, he examines the limits of replacing human control with machines, from aircraft to cars, and questions how far a fully automated world can realistically go.

3 min

24

The Strange Joy of Schadenfreude

Professor Mustache explores why people sometimes feel pleasure at the misfortune of others. In this science-comedy episode, he examines the neural and psychological mechanisms behind this emotion, showing that it is not simply “meanness,” but a complex and deeply human brain response.

3 min

25

Punk Scientists

Professor Mustache explores the risky side of scientific discovery, where researchers sometimes experimented on themselves in the name of progress. In this science-comedy episode, he highlights how far some scientists went - occasionally to the point of serious harm or even death - in their pursuit of knowledge.

3 min

26

Gene Transfer

Professor Mustache explores how genetic material can be passed or manipulated in nature, contrasting Hollywood-style ideas of gene swapping with real biological mechanisms. In this science-comedy episode, he explains how gene transfer actually works across species and why nature’s methods are both more subtle and more complex than fiction suggests.

3 min

27

Atomic Goat

Professor Mustache explores historical experiments investigating the effects of nuclear explosions on animals, including attempts to understand both physical and behavioral impacts. In this science-comedy episode, he reflects on Cold War-era research practices and the strange lengths taken to study the consequences of atomic weapons.

3 min

28

Pseudoscience

Professor Mustache explores various disciplines that imitate scientific methods without being based on solid evidence. In this science-comedy episode, he shows how such ideas can look convincing on the surface while lacking real scientific foundation, and why critical thinking is essential to tell them apart.

3 min

29

Scientific Congress

Professor Mustache explores the world of academic conferences, where researchers gather to present findings and exchange ideas. In this science-comedy episode, he takes a humorous look at the rituals, networking, and professional dynamics that shape scientific meetings behind the scenes.

3 min

30

The Blob

Professor Mustache explores the extraordinary organism known as the “blob,” a resilient, brainless life form with surprising abilities such as regeneration and problem-solving-like behavior. In this science-comedy episode, he shows how this unusual creature challenges our definitions of intelligence, survival, and biological complexity.

3 min