PODCAST

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate

Trace Elements Media

Seriously researched answers to absolutely ridiculous questions. New episodes every week.

science

All Episodes

01:09:59

When Wildlife ATTACKS

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/10/16

Locusts, Squirrels, and Birds OH MY! In this wild episode of the show, Julian drones on like the queen he is all about airplanes and bees. Then, Trace finds some fuzzy commandos to gnaw at infrastructure of New Jersey. Squirrel away this knowledge for a rainy day — as long as the locusts don’t attack your airplane.

01:45:02

THE 100 1/2TH ABSURDAGANZA CONTINUES

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/10/09

Dearest Listeners, We write from our recording studio's trenches. The air is thick and oppressive. The relentless heat tests our resolve. Our studios, once creative havens, now resemble the crannies of camels. The temperature rises each hour, and so do tempers.

01:46:21

THE 100TH EPISODE ABSURDAGANZA!

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/10/02

WE DID IT. WE MADE 100 PODCAST EPISODES WITHOUT MISSING AN UPLOAD (almost). To celebrate Trace and Julian decided to do it big. How big? TEN WHOLE QUESTIONS BIG. SO BIG THEY HAD TO ASK THEIR FRIEND SOPHIE SHRAND TO HELP THEM OUT BIG. BIG ENOUGH TO.... BE... LIKE... REALLY LONG... BIG. You get the idea. We pulled out all the stops for this absolute marathon of an episode because we owed it to you all. You have made making each episode such a delight with your weird thoughts, running gags, and

01:11:49

"MINIONS! Lower Mr. Bond into the Saliva Pool!"

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/09/25

Tired of having to do all your evil deeds yourself? Well with this one simple organism and some ethically dubious genetic engineering you too could have your very own army of immortal minions! (Intelligence and number of eyes may vary). Julian explores what you might need to make these little favorites of moms everywhere. Then Trace explores a pool of saliva.... Just going to leave it at that.QUESTIONS: Julian: "If you were to create a Despicable Me Minion what living thing would you start with?"

01:14:02

Zooming in on Nano Paintings (They're a BIG deal)

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/09/18

What do you get when you mix quantum mechanics, thermochemical nanolithography, and Leonardo da Vinci? The world’s smallest Mona Lisa…which you’d need a microscope, three PhDs, and possibly Ant-Man to see, but trust us—she’s smirking harder than usual. Meanwhile, Julian roleplays as Elsa to see if he can extinguish fire with nothing but an icy blast. Spoiler alert: you may be better off with a magical mystical freeze ray.

01:06:57

This Giant Moon Makes Your Bones Float

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/09/11

The hip bone connected to the basalt rockThe femur bone connected to the lunar maria The foot bone connected to the gravitational equilibrium of the celestial bodies! That’s the story of the bones… and… this episode? QUESTIONS Trace: "How easy would it be to break your bones if humans can fly?" from Anonymous Julian: "How big would the moon have to be to make you weightless?" from Sun Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into your head, a shower thought about

01:12:52

I Can Read Your Mind… You're Thinking About Tiny...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/09/04

his week, Julian prunes the universe down to size: bonsai animals, bonsai humans, bonsai...uhm...did he just say bonsai HUMANS? Meanwhile, Trace tunes into the world of telepathy, where mind-reading might sound less like superpowers and more like trying to pick up a radio station with a bent coat hanger.QUESTIONS Julian: "Can you bonsai any living things other than trees or shrubs?" from Ard Trace: "How would telepathy actually work? Would it be fuzzy like those AI images? Aren’t all brains

01:46:50

This Man Built a Fart Gun. Seriously. | feat. Lieven...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/08/28

This week, we and guest Lieven Scheire all ruminate about a new job: Fart Safety Officer. Meanwhile, Trace get’s SALTY thinking about what if the oceans weren’t and Julian calculates the pure pasty reflectiveness of the Britons.

01:24:15

Tanks vs Dragons?!

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/08/21

Julian rolls into yet another extremely nerdy community and fires rounds left and right. Meanwhile, Trace calls his mom to help answer a question from a kid. As long as we're not on the subject though, what do tree trunks and military tanks have in common? They’re both flammable.QUESTIONS Julian: "Who would win: Dragons vs WW2 tanks” - Tim Trace: “Why are trees Green and Brown why not purple or something else?” - Rhonda Do you have an absurd question? Maybe it's a silly idea that popped into

01:05:49

Sucking Blueberries to Space 'Til You're Blue in the...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/08/14

Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo, Julian’s got a blueberry question for you… Oompa Loompa, do-ba-da-dee, it you are wise you'll listen to … this podcast?? What do you get from a hose to space? “Is it a straw or a siphon,” asked Trace?

01:14:33

Reverse-Muscled Cat Prisoners

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/08/07

In this episode, Trace investigates whether your furry companion is cuddling you... or forging a trauma bond in exchange for treats. Meanwhile, in a shocking twist of anatomy, Julian answers what would happen if your muscles worked in reverse. Flexing? Cancelled. Walking? Complicated. Cuddling your trauma-bonded cat? Still mandatory.QUESTIONS Julian: "What if muscles worked in the opposite direction?" from Eline from the Netherlands Trace: "Does my cat have Stockholm syndrome?" from Rob Do you

01:17:19

Trying to Explain 'Left' to Aliens from our Itty...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/07/31

This episode Trace resets the solar system to see what life would look like on “Wee Earth” and Julian finally learns his left from his right thanks for particle physics.

01:29:12

Keeping aBREAST of Our Wild Dreams | feat. Deboki...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/07/24

In this episode Trace takes way, way too long to explain that dreams are pretty darn short. Meanwhile, friend of the absurd, Deboki Chakravarti squeezes every last drop of information about breastfeeding.

01:42:09

SHAAAAAAAARRRRKKKKS | Feat. Jaida Elcock

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/07/17

It's the most wonderful time of the year! When the fish in the water make the kids scream and holler and panic with fear! That's right, it's Shark Time. You all know what we're referring to but we think the term might be trademarked like the Tuber Bowl and Taco Thursday. Anyway, we're kicking off the celebrations and to help us do so we went out and (politely) caught the coolest shark expert we know, Jaida Elcock, to answer your shark-related musings!

01:06:20

H2Oooooh myyyyyyy!

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/07/10

In this strange episode Trace obsesses over the wild water system stretching across North America, and Julian contemplates indoor clouds and ACTUALLY ANSWERS: Does this solve anything?!?!

01:30:30

DINOSAURS!! (We didn't stop to think if we should, oops)

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/07/03

In this special episode, Julian and Trace snagged every dinosaur related question we could fit in a shaving cream can. Then, like a couple of velociraptors in a kitchen we made a huge mess of things. There’s a new Jurassic World movie, so we figured if not now — then when? Maybe people are going to go DINO-CRAZY! (we hope). If you have a Jurassic-leaning friend send them this episode; we spared no expense on it!

01:15:45

Soaring to the Sweater-Powered Ozone Layer With Our...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/06/26

A dry evening, the sunlight is waning behind the mountain as Detective Kyle and his plucky comic relief Julian find a sweatshirt strewn on the ground near the body…

01:05:24

How a Color Could Make You Faster and a Humidifier...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/06/19

Trace WOOD really like you to know that Dr Sam Zelinka from the Forest Products Lab is really SWELL, and he is KNOT KIDDING (I’m out of puns). Also, Julian talks about airplanes (again).

01:01:52

Kiss a Boo-Boo and Drug a Dog

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/06/12

When I was a kid, I ran around a corner and a tree branch went right into my eye. Luckily, my mom kissed it and made it all better… or… was it my brain that made it better? And can dogs do that too? Brb, gonna go kiss my dog.

01:07:23

LIVE SHOW : Tunnels of Allergic Plants and Blinding...

That"s Absurd Please Elaborate ·

2025/06/05

This is our first LIVE SHOW ever!! We were invited to perform the podcast live at Smith College in Massachusetts and people actually came! Thanks for all your support these past two years. We wouldn’t be here without you all. Thank you!

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