Afteryearsofbeingpubliclyshamedfor“fleecing”thetaxpayerswiththeirfrivolousandobscurestudies,scientistsdecidedtohitbackwith…anawardsshow?!Thisepisode,wegate-crashtheGrammysofgovernment-fundedresearch,A.K.A.theGoldenGooseAwards.Thetwistoftheseawardsisthattheygotoscientificresearchthatatfirstsoundstrivialorlaughablebutthenturnsouttochangetheworld.Wetellthestoryofoneofthelatestwinners:alonelyFilipinoboywhopickedupanicecreamconethatwasactuallyacovertvampireassassin.Decadeslater,thatdiscoveryleadstoanevenbiggerone:anentirepharmacy'sworthofnewdrugshiddenjustbelowthesurfaceoftheocean.

EPISODECREDITS:

Reportedby-LatifNasserandMariaPazGutiérrezwithhelpfrom-EkediFausther-KeeysProducedby-MariaPazGutiérrezandMattKieltywithhelpfromEkediFausther-KeeysOriginalmusicandsounddesigncontributedbyMattKieltywithmixinghelpfromArianneWack.Fact-checkingbyEmilyKriegerEditingbySorenWheeler,whothoughtthewholeepisodeshouldhavebeenalittleshorter. 

SpecialthankstoErinHeath,HaylieSwenson,GwendolynBogard,ValeriaSabateandeveryoneelseatAAASwhooverseetheGoldenGooseAwards.AlsotoMaggieLuddy,andformerCongressmanJimCooper,TerryLeeMerrittatUniversityofUtah,JimTranquada,JohnMcCormack,andtheCosmanShellCollectionatOccidentalCollege. 

CITATIONS:

Videos-

Gorgeousslomovideoofconesnailshunting(https://zpr.io/uiWrS3J2BuZM).

Arecentsegmentfromourdown-the-hallneighborsatOnTheMedia(https://zpr.io/VZHSLPdkdAxH)aboutbreakthroughsciencefeaturingthelateSenatorWilliamProxmire.

CheckoutdazzlingdocumentaryshortsoneachoftheGoldenGooseAwardswinners(https://zpr.io/Tpxxrzzuz6GS)ontheirwebsite.

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