stitcherLogoCreated with Sketch.
Get Premium Download App
Listen
Discover
Premium
Shows
Likes
Merch

Listen Now

Discover Premium Shows Likes

Let Me Explain

28 Episodes

5 minutes | Aug 1, 2016
Ep. 27: The last podcast
Thank YOU for listening to this podcast... but this will be the last episode of Let Me Explain. I hope we can still be friends. Reach me on Twitter @RyanWrecker AND check back next week to WOWO.com for a new podcast that I'll be launching that I hope you like. Photo source: https://goo.gl/TsbT18 License: https://goo.gl/sZ7V7x
13 minutes | Jul 25, 2016
Ep. 26: Is NASA hiding aliens?
Is NASA part of the government cover up, hiding the existence of aliens for the safety of the planet?!?! No. No they're not. But if a feed cuts out on the ISS, everyone seems to freak out and say it's because our government won't tell us the truth. We're getting a small update on the Juno satellite... don't expect photos back until October, but we now have a date when they'll start snapping the glamour shots. Have you upgraded to Windows 10? It's the last call to get the new OS from Microsoft, and if you don't conform now, they'll charge you $119 to get it. Remember all that money that Nintendo made from Pokemon Go? Yeah... about that... And will we run out of juice by 2040? No, not orange... not even grapefruit... this time it's electricity. Follow me on Twitter! @RyanWrecker (Photo Source: https://goo.gl/lKgAQ1 License: https://goo.gl/sZ7V7x)
9 minutes | Jul 18, 2016
Ep. 25: Floating Space Junk
There's junk floating all around space, just waiting for a robot cowboy to wrangle it all up. But Europe has a crazy idea to clean it all up. A special capture machine will be sent up to do the space dirty work. We talk about Carl Sagan a few times in this podcast. First, SETI is looking for some new outside ideas to help with leads into new places to explore in the universe. The world's best radio telescope has found hundreds of new galaxies, and there's lots more to explore. AND we're going to be able to hear the wild sounds of Mars. Ever wonder what it sounds like up there? I do. Soon we'll know. All of this and more on this weeks episode. Follow me on Twitter! @RyanWrecker (Photo Source: https://goo.gl/197knY License: https://goo.gl/VAhsB)
11 minutes | Jul 11, 2016
Ep. 24: Juno Spacecraft update
Juno is doing it's thing, and we couldn't be more excited. After a 5 year journey, the spacecraft is ready for a quick adjustment and will be booting up and taking all kinds of interesting measurements of Jupiter. So what's next? We also look at Mars. You might be surprised to find out the USA isn't the only country in the race to get back there. Several other agencies plan to invade the martian planet. And all that water we thought we found on the red planet? New research says not so fast... AND if you can put down the binoculars and stop spying on your neighbors for a few minutes, you might want to look up and observe the moon. Now is the best time to give it a peak. Reach me on Twitter! @RyanWrcker if there's anything you would like me to cover. (Photo Supplied/ NASA/JPL-Caltech)
14 minutes | Jul 4, 2016
Episode 23: ACLU got something right
I don't often side with the ACLU, but they doing good work arguing the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. You're probably a felon and don't even know it. There's certain cyber laws that are written so broadly that everyone is guilty... if the government wants you to be guilty. Have you ever tried to park downtown... only to return to your car and find a ticket on the windshield? There's a new website that uses bots to help fight tickets. Good news is they're beating the system. We also look at the idea that aliens will be friendly... but given the evidence (human nature), I can safely say an encounter would not go well. But would they really dominate us like the movie Independence Day? AND some exciting news from Mars. We have evidence of a rich oxygen filled atmosphere. There's no signs of life, but we're learning more and more from our robot friend. All of this and more -- make sure to reach out to the show on Twitter @RyanWrecker @LetMeExplainPod (photo source: https://goo.gl/3lh2Ax License: https://goo.gl/sZ7V7x)
16 minutes | Jun 27, 2016
Episode 22: SETI is listening
Do you ever get the feeling you're being spied on? Maybe there's aliens 40 light years away that have been listening to us all along. And just maybe we'll start to listen back. But you know how I feel about aliens... they don't exist so... yeah. We also get a follow up on Juno, the probe that's about to orbit Jupiter. It's about to get so close to the planet that you won't know what to do with yourself. What will we learn, and what will the little Lego characters learn? PLUS we look at a follow up to Net Neutrality. The White House is now telling the GOP to back off... and they need to listen. How long before we're all solar powered? With the advancement in the technology, we may find ourselves more and more closer to installing panels everywhere in a mere 15 years. But right now it's just not cost effective. AND good news if you're not pretty. Let me know what you want me to talk about in the future -- and let's connect on Twitter: @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod Photo Source: https://goo.gl/iL0rg1 License: https://goo.gl/OOAQfn
18 minutes | Jun 20, 2016
Episode 21: Juno satellite
In 2011, a bunch of brainy people at NASA spent $700 million dollars of your money to send a satellite to Jupiter... and it's awesome. Or at least, it better be awesome. It's called Juno, and the spacecraft is planned to get into orbit of the planet on July 4th. After waiting a few years to hitch a ride on the Earth slingshot (and snapping photos), it's been on it's way to the planet and is about to get closer to the gassy giant than ever before. We go over the details of this mission and what to expect from it, including some really awesome photos. But don't expect them for a few months. Some students think they have cracked the code to talking to aliens, but don't wait by the phone for E.T. to call. They think it will take 1,500 more years before we get a call. As a bonus (in a follow up from a few podcasts ago), courts here in the United States have upheld Net Neutrality. For now the battle has been won. But now some cable companies are saying that having more competition is harmful for the consumer. Say that again? It also turns out you can float your new Model S. Not that you should be taking your Tesla into high water, but our friend Elon Musk tweeted out that his car can effectively float on water: We *def* don't recommended this, but Model S floats well enough to turn it into a boat for short periods of time. Thrust via wheel rotation. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2016 Please don't be dumb enough to do this. Make sure to connect on Twitter -- @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod (Photo Source: http://goo.gl/wgyTQw / NASA/JPL-Caltech / )
14 minutes | Jun 13, 2016
Episode 20: Space pizza
Will Domino's deliver in space? No, they won't. But they will let you phantom order a pizza and send it your way without even making a call. They might even send a robot to deliver it to you. If only they can find a way to get it to Mars. I hear we'll have people there soon. Speaking of Mars... will having 3D printing help make space travel more possible? In space, nobody can hear you scream. They'll also scream as the 3D printer takes a day to create a small part. And if we're going to start to populate Mars, we need to figure out it's weather patterns. There's a lot of dust storms that roll across the surface of the rusty planet, and if we're ever going to live on there, we need to be able to predict the storms for our own safety. AND if the job of space meteorologist is still open, please accept my resume. The New York Times ran a piece about alien life at some point existing. They say the number of confirmed exoplanets fit into the Drake equation, and if you have your pocket calculators handy... you'll see it is very possible that trillions of civilizations have at one point existed. PLUS a report says Google is watching you sleep manipulating search results to favor certain political candidates. However they say there's no man behind the curtain. You can reach me on Twitter: @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod Photo Source: https://goo.gl/0ErOYK License: https://goo.gl/OOAQfn
14 minutes | Jun 6, 2016
Episode 19: super villain Elon Musk
Do real life super villains exist? He doesn't have super powers, but he does have a lot of money and wants to nuke Mars. His name is Elon Musk. If you're not familiar with Elon, we'll look over his history and how he worked his way to the top of the tech industry. A few things to point out is that in 2015 he suggested we should nuke Mars (the planet not the candy in a microwave) in order to help build up a the average temperature on the planet. It's a bold suggestion, but does he have the resources to make it happen? He has the money, he as the government contracts, and I'm guessing he has the evil lair where he develops weapons. He also thinks we live in a computer simulation. And he wants to travel in space. Nothing strange about that, just wanted to mention it. So who is Elon Musk? Find out in this podcast. You can react on Twitter -- @RyanWrecker and also @LetMeExplainPod (Photo Source: https://goo.gl/8U893d License: https://goo.gl/VAhsB)
23 minutes | May 30, 2016
Episode 18: Net Neutrality
I’m for keeping the internet free and open, and you should be to. If you’re not familiar with the idea of Net Neutrality, it’s important that you understand it and become an advocate of it. Allowing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the digression to limit, discourage and throttle commerce on the internet is not based on your best interests. Right now there’s another battle in the U.S. Government, and this time Congress is trying to force the FCC to drop the Net Neutrality fight in order to be funded. This completely undermines the entire public input process they went through just a year ago. Net Neutrality has been attacked over and over again. What’s new is trying to get around the regulation by just not funding it. Congress is essentially saying you’re voice is not important, especially after many spoke up during public hearing and public input period. Since we cover space stuff, we also looked at new designs for a military space craft. Too bad it has nothing to do with Star Wars. We also look at the Faint Young Sun Paradox, which has some scientists puzzled. You can reach me on Twitter @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod If you have any input or comments on Net Neutrality, I would love to hear it. (Source: https://goo.gl/D7Cyp8 license: https://goo.gl/sZ7V7x)
20 minutes | May 23, 2016
Episode 17: drone hunting
Is it open season on drone hunting? There's a good piece by the Wall Street Journal that gives both sides of the story regarding done flight in your neighbors of your private property. I think you should have to get prior consent to fly a drone over private property... and if I catch someone trying to spy on me with one of these devices, you better believe I'm going to use something like a high pressured hose to scare it away. It's not worth having those annoying things over your private property doing anything it wants. Gizmodo has a good write up on Facebook and what is considered trending. As it turns out, Facebook Trending is more of a suggestion than it is a literal thing. What's the universal language among aliens? A meeting of the minds in Puerto Rico think it's less about wavelengths and more about what drives procreation. The scientific term, "it's all in the hips" means something completely different than what it means in golf. Could we detect an alien megastructure around a far distant star? You'll have so shell out 100K to find out. And are you holding back the electric car industry? You know, but not buying one since they're terribly inefficient? Some experts think the cost of electric cars will go down by 2020, but then again, it might not. Make sure to follow me on Twitter! @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplain -- and if you want to help me out, take the minute to rate us on iTunes and tell a friend about us. (Image Source: https://goo.gl/V7SZ1Q License: https://goo.gl/sZ7V7x)
15 minutes | May 16, 2016
Episode 16: Self driving death traps
You'll never catch me in a self driving car. I just can't get past the idea that a machine could make one wrong calculation and I'm driving into a lake. That's not to mention the probability hackers could control my car, or a computer chip fails mid-drive. No thank you. This week we look at Google now hiring "drivers" for their self driving cars. So I guess there is a price you can put on your life -- it's $20/hour. We also find out that the FBI can neither confirm nor deny they are spying on you through devices like the Amazon Echo. Either they are or they're trying to, but they're not saying. We're also looking to get boots on the Mars soil in the next 20 years. Is that a job you want? NASA is looking, and you might be the right candidate. But at least for the current Mars rover, they're looking to give the odometer a break and start doing more drilling and scooping instead of driving and traveling. There could be a snag in getting someone to Mars, and that snag is the US Government. In particular there's members of Congress who are chipping away at NASA's budget for an exploration trip to Mars, making it harder for them to scrap enough cash together to make it a successful mission. AND Hubble caught a really cool view of Comet 252P/LINEAR that passed within 3.3 million miles of Earth. That may seem like it was pretty which (which it is), but it's the closest we've seen a comet via the telescope. All of this and more, you can reach me on Twitter @RyanWrecker and also @LetMeExplainPod Photo Source: https://goo.gl/mQ7mxt License: https://goo.gl/VAhsB
13 minutes | May 9, 2016
Episode 15: Staring at the sun
You'll go blind if you stare at the sun... unless scientists tell you it's OK. In that case, go ahead and stare away! (disclaimer: don't be dumb and stare at the sun without the proper protections). I feel like I don't actually need that disclaimer, but it's never a bad idea. In this podcast we look at how NASA has posted real time images of Mercury passing across the sun. For all you sun "watch paint dry" enthusiasts this was a great day. Actually... I might be downplaying this. It only happens about 13 times every 1,000 years. Did you know that you can win all kinds of money piggy backing on the smarts of Einstein? Scientists will share $3 million for detecting gravitational waves. Also... a new research paper titled, "A New Empirical Constraint on the Prevalence of Technological Species in the Universe" says thousands of former civilizations could have existed. First, I don't believe it... and second... couldn't you have come up with an easier name to remember? Scientists now set their sights on 3 planets around a tiny, cold star in hopes to find some alien life. They say it's easier for us to observe with a smaller star, as a large star drowns out a lot of what we can observe. AND you might have a mental disorder and not even know it. There's a report that 50% of teens are addicted to their phones. I for one prefer not to communicate with people if I don't have to. All of this and more in the latest episode of Let Me Explain! Follow us on Twitter @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod (Photo Source: https://goo.gl/fV2vOI / License: https://goo.gl/OqbdT6)
4 minutes | May 2, 2016
Episode 14: election night
I didn't want to miss an upload, but this week in Indiana has been heavy on politics and short on time. I wouldn't leave you guys in the dark! Here's an update of what's going on with me, and we'll have a full update next week.
15 minutes | Apr 25, 2016
Episode 13: Space Waste
My mom always told me to wear fresh underwear in case I'm abducted... hopefully by aliens and not angry conspiracy theorists for saying aliens don't actually exist. Int his episode we continue to look at science, space, technology and some nonsense. What's more likely - a meteorite traveled billions of miles across the universe to make you rich, or you have some furnace slag that you call a meteorite? That's what auctioneers and lunar geochemists have to go through every, kind of like the space version of Antiques Roadshow. If I were to change careers, I would definitely be a space meteorologist. Thanks to new legislation introduced in the United States, we're going to do a better job at monitoring what's going to be threats from outside of this planet, mostly from our own sun. It might help prevent or lessen a world wide catastrophe by dodging the electronic and power issues of things like severe space weather. Would you leave Earth if given a chance to live on Mars? You're not alone. A new poll from Think Geek shows that only 13% of people say Earth is the only place for them. But imagine living on Europa or Mars. You wouldn't have to deal with crazy neighbors or mosquitoes. In technology, it's a good reminder that the US Government has no right looking at your phone... unless they have a warrant. Don't give up your rights. Know them. AND the US Government is also giving drivers a hard time if they're caught texting and driving. It's a serious matter, so many some social shaming could change some habits or make them think twice. All of this and more snarky-ness in the 13th installment of Let Me Explain. (Photo Source: http://goo.gl/gSQqH / University of Tennessee License: http://goo.gl/I5rW9G)
18 minutes | Apr 18, 2016
Episode 12: Pragmatic aliens
Call me Mr. Pragmatic. In this episode we look at the mystery of thy Wow! signal some 40 years after astronomer Jerry Ehman discovered it in 1977. Could we be just a few years away from confirming or denying one theory of it's origin? One scientist thinks so, and he's will to put up your money to solve the puzzle. Stephen Hawking doesn't think we'll find aliens any time soon. Mainly because aliens don't exist. But it won't stop him from planning a fly by of Alpha Centauri thanks to a Russian financial backer. The idea is to create dozens giant lasers on Earth to point at a sail-like probe to shoot across the universe. Will it work? Who knows, but who cares. We're going to build our own Death Star like laser! I also look at self driving cars, and why you'll never find me in one. I'm not letting you put me in a hackers dream. There's also no way to defend my fellow millennials when it comes to listening to voicemail. NPR says we can't be bothered to listen to take the time to hear a message that someone left us. It might be a combination of laziness and more laziness. All of this and more in this weeks episode of Let Me Explain. Follow me on Twitter @RyanWrecker and @LetMeExplainPod
13 minutes | Apr 11, 2016
Episode 11: Aliens prefer chunky over smooth
It's episode 11 of Let Me Explain, looking at technology, space and peanut butter. Are there wanted signs across the universe with a photo of our sun? If the scientists that ruined my childhood by demoting Pluto are correct, the mysterious Planet Nine may have been captured from another star. Some say it was stolen without any apology. We also talk about someone that may or may not be an alien herself, Hillary Clinton, and the pandering to E.T. lovers. She's not fooling me. There's some good news from Kepler. We're now in communication with it and hopefully back on track. It's lonely in space. It would be terrible if that heap of metal and ice had to travel alone. Also, do aliens prefer chunky or smooth peanut butter? What if we weren't talking about peanuts, rather we were talking about people? A gym in England put up billboards that say, "They're coming... and when they arrive they'll take the FAT ones first." Plus we look at security risks and why the U.S. Government is against keeping your private digital information secure. This is a lot of stuff to jam into one podcast, but somehow we manage. Photo Source: http://goo.gl/avZ7m5, License: http://goo.gl/I5rW9G
14 minutes | Apr 5, 2016
Episode 10: lasers that go pew pew pew
This week we look at the shady Oculus Rift Terms of Service practices from #Gizmodo, a #Google engineer who reviews USB cables on #Amazon, a great article from Kevin Burke regarding the TSA Randomizer #iPad app, #SETI's search for life update and using lasers to hide from #aliens. Photo Source: https://goo.gl/bzzuGh License: https://goo.gl/OOAQfn
16 minutes | Mar 29, 2016
Episode 09 - Floating face in space
Give a boy your WIFI password, he'll troubleshoot for the day. Give a boy a programmable computer board, he'll love computers for a lifetime... or something like that. I'm not sure that makes any sense. A new initiative in Britain is giving away mini-computers to 11 year old boys and girls in hope to get them interested in computer sciences. It's a small investment to excite the imaginations of the youth. Hopefully this will be the new standard in places like the United States. We also look at a new satellite that's lost in space, seeing a "face" many light years away, and the big Microsoft mistake of creating an AI monster. Follow me on Twitter -- @RyanWrecker (Image Source: http://goo.gl/4ceblh License: https://goo.gl/OqbdT6)
18 minutes | Mar 21, 2016
Episode 8 — Car hackers and face hackers
You’ll never see me in a self driving car.  I can’t get over the fact that hackers could take control of my car and cause general craziness.   In this episode, I take my wife’s advice and talk more about technology and things happening here on Earth.  We look at the FBI vs Apple, hacking cars, mustaches, pumping coffee into kids, and yes even some aliens.  
COMPANY
About us Careers Stitcher Blog Help
AFFILIATES
Partner Portal Advertisers Podswag Stitcher Studios
Privacy Policy Terms of Service Your Privacy Choices
© Stitcher 2023