Something Offbeat

Vampires are spooky, bacteria can be scary… and when you put them together? Things get a bit spooky-scary. New research published earlier this year reveal that some bacteria actually act like vampires. That is, they thirst for human blood and will feed on it when the chance arrives. Dr. Arden Baylink of Washington State University, the lead author of the study, joined Mike Rogers on the “Something Offbeat” podcast to explain.

Lauren and Chris are finally back with another episode of Offbites. This week, they discuss their Brat summers, the most unattractive qualities in the opposite sex, and say goodbye to a fast food sandwich staple.

For our second anniversary this summer, we’re looking back at one of our first episodes! ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Remember the fun of naming your pet? Now, imagine taking on the task of naming an entire species. Earlier this year, Dr. Christopher Whalen of Yale University got that chance. This week on Something Offbeat, we talk to Whalen about his discovery – an ancient ancestor of the octopus that he named after President Joe Biden – and to Dr. Brittany Kenyon-Flatt of North Carolina State University about the history behind scientific names.

According to a study released this summer, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago likely helped grapes flourish in the Western Hemisphere. While there may not be a direct correlation between dinosaurs and grapes, Monica Carvalho, the assistant curator at the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan and co-author of a study tracing the origins of grapes in our hemisphere, explains what new grape seed fossils discovered in South America reveal.

This Friday marks the 47th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death at age 42, which means that it is Elvis Week, a weeklong celebration of the late King of Rock and Roll at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn. Presley may have left Earth decades ago, but he’s still a household name and an enduring American icon. More than that, Audacy reported earlier this year that fans are still paying big money for Elvis memorabilia – $150,000 for a pair of his blue suede shoes. Why has our love for Elvis stood the test of time? We reached out to Sally Hoedel, author of “Destined to Die Young” and other books about the King to find out.

We love spicy food here at “Something Offbeat”. Sometimes, when the heat is intense, things can get scary. In one case, a spicy chip social media challenge has even been linked to the death of a teen. This week, we talked with Dr. Paul Terry, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. He helped us explore the risks and benefits of eating food with lots of spice.

The Catholic church decided earlier this summer it would canonize the first Millennial saint. Carlos Acutis, an Italian teenager who died in 2006, was credited with a second miracle in May by Pope Francis. To learn more about the canonization process, the novelty of such a young saint, and saints from the United States, Something Offbeat welcomed Dr. Kathleen Cummings, a professor of American studies and history and Notre Dame and the author of the book – A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American.

Elon Musk’s project Neuralink has been bringing a concept that seems out of science fiction, brain implants that allow users to control tech, into reality. So far, the company has implanted the device into a subject with quadriplegia. While he was able to do things like play online chess, he then lost some of the ability when parts of the device slipped out of place. This all begs questions about safety, ethics and the future of the human relationship with technology. Our team at “Something Offbeat” reached out to two experts – L. Syd M. Johnson, associate professor of bioethics and humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and science journalist Faye Flam – to dive into them.

From a voice assistant that sounds just like Scarlett Johansson to political deep fakes to a computer-generated sports broadcaster, AI is beginning to make some of its most public-facing moves yet in the media industry. To discuss what the future holds for artificial intelligence in sports, news, and entertainment, Dr. David Gunkel, a professor of media studies at Northern Illinois University, joined Something Offbeat's Mike Rogers.

On this week's episode of Offbites, Lauren and Chris discuss knockoff Donald Trump sneakers, the 10 most unhealthy fast food items at America's five favorite spots, and a video game argument that wound up with an in-person fight.

When Apple released iOS 17.5 in May, some users found previously deleted files popping up on their devices, including old photos. Apple released a fix -- iOS 17.5.1 -- just days later, but it raised the question of where those deleted files came from. Victoria Song, senior reviewer of wearable and fitness tech for The Verge, joined host Mike Rogers to discuss the iOS bug and the privacy we give up for the sake of convenience with our technology.

In the Colonial Room of the Drake Hotel in Oak Brook, Illinois, near Chicago, there’s a soup – not just any soup. Its price alone sets it apart. It costs around $1,900 to take part in the Bookbinder Soup experience. On this episode of “Something Offbeat” we have a reservation with Chef Colleen Garcia, director of curriculum and content development for the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, to learn more about big ticket menu items. Are they worth the hype, or the price? The answer is complicated.

Avocados have become a beloved part of the U.S. diet. So much so that we’ll even shell out extra money for a scoop of guacamole at Chipotle amid high inflation. This week, the “Something Offbeat” podcast explores how something that we take for granted at the grocery store may become endangered by 2050. Tierra Curry, an endangered species codirector and senior scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity, explained what’s going on and what we can do to keep avocados on the table in the future.

About 90% of tattoo inks in the United States contain ingredients not listed on their labels, according to a study published this spring in the journal Analytical Chemistry. So how can consumers know what is safe to put into their skin? To find out, Mike Rogers visited with Dillon Forte, a tattoo artist based in the Austin, Texas area, about how to know who to trust, the differences between black and colored tattoos, and how the industry is regulated differently in the U.S. than it is in Europe.

It seems like everyone in Hollywood is ready for their close up, even wild animals. For example, a smiling bear that was recently photographed near Pasadena, Calif. According to the Los Angeles Times, wildlife photographer Johanna Turner captured the rare black bear image with a trail cam in late April. Nature and urban life seem to be crossing paths more and more lately. Sam Benson Smith, digital managing editor at Audacy station KNX in Los Angeles, joined the “Something Offbeat” podcast to talk about it.

On this week's episode of Offbites, Chris and Lauren discuss a fast food restaurant's newest dessert, which name could set a world record in a specific country, and why anyone would dive into the water with a killer whale.

A decade ago, a plane carrying 239 people vanished over the Indian Ocean. Since then, the mystery has stumped experts and left the loved ones of those aboard without closure. However, some researchers believe that searching in the right area will reveal the remnants of Malaysia Airlines flight 370. One of them is Vincent Lyne, and he recently joined the “Something Offbeat” podcast to discuss his research. He’s a researcher for the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania who has been independently researching the disappearance for years.

For years, a 17-second song clip was floating around the internet, puzzling music fans. People loved it, but they had no idea where it was from. This year, they finally found out. Laura Holliday, a writer who specializes in internet culture, joined host Mike Rogers on the “Something Offbeat” podcast to talk about the mystery and how it was finally solved.

On this week's Offbites, Lauren and Chris discuss a Florida man who wrangled an alligator near a busy shopping strip, a person regularly using the bathroom at a Michigan cemetery, and how several horses got loose on the streets of London.

It’s cicada-mania! For the first time in more than two centuries, two broods of North American cicadas will emerge from the Earth at the same time. One hasn’t been up in 13 years and the other has been underground for 17 years, and they are both different from the typical cicadas we hear every summer. “Something Offbeat” host Mike Rogers caught up with Tom Tiddens of the Chicago Botanic Garden to learn more about the broods and explore some of the mystery around cicadas. Mysteries like what they are doing for all those years underground.