The Information Entropy Podcast

Reflection, Christmas Movies, and Family Arguments

Welcome back to the final Information Entropy Podcast of the year! In this episode, we see out the year with a bit more of a relaxed approach (is that possible I hear you ask… well maybe?)! Mitch and Tom reflect on their 2025 resolutions and whether they achieved them and whether it was a good year all in all. Mitch goes on to analyse what makes a film a “Christmas” film by scientific and cultural definitions and the boys get into why love actually is terribly flawed… but perhaps that was the point. Tom examines why so many family holiday gatherings can turn sour… perhaps it’s inevitable at some point! Music: HOME – AWAY

CRISPR 2.0: AI Manipulation and Gene Drives

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we return to finish off our investigation into CRISPR and genetic engineering! In this episode, we skip straight to the fun stuff where Mitch explores the potential for humans and AI to hack the biological instructions with malicious intentions... how far away are we from AI altering our DNA? Tom takes a look at Gene Drives, a system that allows humans to alter the inheritance chance of positive and negative genes and traits that could have devastating ecological consequences if unleashed on the world. In addition to that, the boys get ahead of themselves and rant about Christmas movies and the capitalistic nature of the holiday season. Music: HOME – AWAY

Wrapped 2025: Music, Podcasts, and Controversy

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast and our yearly wrapped episode! This is one of our favourites where we are able to talk about the podcast’s stats this year as well as reveal our own awful (or great) music listening habits. We use this as a launchpad to talk about what music means to us, how we engage with it, and we also discuss some of the controversy around the current RAM production crises, spotify boycotting, and sensory overloading. A massive thank you to everyone who tunes in! Music: HOME – AWAY

Genetic Engineering and CRISPR

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast! In this episode, we break down the building blocks of life, from atoms and molecules to DNA and RNA. We then dive into the world of genetic engineering, exploring what CRISPR is, how it works, and why it’s become one of the most important tools in modern biology and why scientists are so eager to rewrite genetic code. This week is Part 1 where we set the stage and foundational knowledge, next week we will explore the possible exploitations of such a technology… good and bad! Music: HOME – AWAY

Winter Survival Strategies

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we are hunkering down into the cold weather and asking how other species cope with it as well. Mitch takes a deep dive into hibernation, the biology and physiology behind it, as well as what separates it from other bouts of lowered metabolic rate such as torpor (see episode for various pronunciations of that). Tom takes a look at the wood frog and how it survives being 65% frozen each winter and other amazing strategies. Otherwise, the boys tangent their way around the topic as usual, eventually getting to where they meant to be! Music: HOME – AWAY

Addiction: Neurodivergence and Choice

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we are continuing our exploration of addiction! Last week we covered the mechanisms of substance use disorders and behavioural addictions but this week we focus on the interaction between neurodivergence (Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD) and addiction, why some people might be more vulnerable than others, and the nature of video game behavioural addiction. Tom then opens the debate on whether people suffering from addiction actually have a choice or whether the behavioural and biological mechanisms are so far gone that their choice is made for them. Music: HOME – AWAY

Addiction: Substance and Behaviour

This week on The Information Entropy Podcast, we dig into what addiction actually is — beyond the stereotypes. We explore the difference between chemical dependence and behavioural addictions, trace how our understanding has shifted from the old “just say no” model to a modern brain-based view, and look at why teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable. It’s science, it’s storytelling, and as always, it’s us waffling about random things while trying our hardest to stay on track. Music: HOME – AWAY

Poisons and Venoms

This week, we dive into the chemical dark arts of the natural world. What is the difference between a poison and a venom? Why do some animals weaponize their biochemistry while others simply make themselves too toxic to touch? We explore how different toxins work at the molecular level, how evolution turns simple enzymes into precision biological weapons. From cobras fine-tuning neurotoxins in an evolutionary arms race, to plants quietly loading their tissues with defensive chemistry, we unravel how life learned to kill — or defend — with molecules. All while we lose it along the way with our own hilarity and stupidity :D Music: HOME – AWAY

The 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes

This week we dive into the wonderfully weird world of the Ig Nobel Prizes — celebrating research that makes you laugh, then think. But first, as always, we take the scenic route: detouring through music, coffee philosophy, and the art of the perfect cheese toastie before actually getting to the science.
We explore whether painted cows can really fend off flies, how physics explains why cacio e pepe sauce clumps, what happens when scientists get bats drunk on purpose, and how narcissists react when you tell them they’re geniuses (or not).
Between aviation, physics, psychology, and literature, this one’s equal parts silly and smart — the episode where science meets stupidity in the best possible way.
Music: HOME – AWAY

Fractals

This week, Tom dives into the endlessly complex world of fractals, repeating patterns that appear everywhere from galaxies to your lungs. Tom explores how fractals shape the natural world, why measuring something as simple as a coastline turns out to be impossible, and what happens in the brain when people on psychedelics see fractal-like visions. That may not seem like science but LSD consumption and fractals have had a profound impact on our understanding of the brain and how we function. Music: HOME – AWAY