The Last Show with David Cooper

The show opens with a triumphant return of AFY-TSY: Advice For Your Tomorrow's Self, Yesterday. Career advisor Elizabeth Baxter describes what Nottingham College is doing to combat telephobia. Urban resilience lecturer Dr. Milad Haghani shares his findings on road rage. Marketing and psychology professor Sam Maglio tells David that using abbreviations in texts reduces the chance of getting a reply. (LOL!) Toronto-based comedian Natalie Norman debates whether "bed eating" is disgusting. Author Tracey Williams educates us as to why Lego octopus pieces are washing up on beaches in England. Economics professor Dr. Eric Kam reveals what happens when teachers tailor their lessons to students' individual learning styles.Segments:(00:26) Introduction(01:43) AFY-TSY(08:56) Elizabeth Baxter(19:29) Dr. Milad Haghani(31:11) Sam Maglio(42:59) Natalie Norman pt. 1(52:53) Natalie Norman pt. 2(1:03:33) Tracey Williams(1:13:54) Dr. Eric Kam(1:25:15) Sign-off

The show kicks off with Nathan Radke on Conspiracy Corner with some of the various "end of the world" conspiracy theories over the last millennia or so. (Check out Nathan's podcast, The Uncover Up Conspiracy Cast here.) After that, it's Sex, Et Cetera with sex educator Samantha Bitty with topic: breakup sex. Tech expert Carmi Levy on It's Time For Technology Time breaks down Facebook/Meta eliminating fact-checking on their platform and Microsoft's massive $80 billion spend on its data centers. Finally, bioethicist Dr. Evie Kendal and David consider the ethics of mining the moon for resources.Segments:(00:25) Introduction(01:36) Nathan Radke pt. 1(13:01) Nathan Radke pt. 2(22:44) Nathan Radke pt. 3(32:20) Samantha Bitty pt. 1(42:42) Samantha Bitty pt. 2(52:30) Carmi Levy pt. 1(1:02:23) Carmi Levy pt. 2(1:14:29) Dr. Evie Kendal(1:25:10) Sign-off

The show opens with The Science Appliance with science communicator Dr. Dan Riskin. Dan shares the mathematical wonders of 2025, how to be more believable, and how pooping can make you smarter and faster. (Sign up for Dan's newsletter here.) Then, it's Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday (on a Thursday) with therapist Gary Direnfeld. Despite David's many tangents, Gary and David tackle the topic of navigating stressful life events. Professor Ronnie Shachar shares insights into how storytelling may be the key to a meaningful life. Finally, social psychologist from VU Amsterdam Leonard Peperkoorn discusses how and why wearing the colour red once gave better results in sports, and how that's now no longer the case. See you on Monday!Segments:(00:25) Introduction(01:12) Dan Riskin pt. 1(10:47) Dan Riskin pt. 2(21:28) Dan Riskin pt. 3(32:55) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1(43:20) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2(54:20) Ronnie Shachar pt. 1(1:04:38) Ronnie Shachar pt. 2(1:15:49) Leonard Peperkoorn(1:25:56) Sign-off

The show begins with media personality Caitlin Green on the hilarious captions used during The Golden Globes on Pop Cultured, Like Fungus. David talks about Golden Globe winner A Real Pain with its unique genre of Holocaust comedy. (It's not as bad as it sounds.) The two debate the merits of safety/cancer warnings on alcohol. (Check out Caitlin on The Jann Arden podcast.) After that, it's Conspiracy Corner with Dr. Lee Kuhnle with the strange LSD cult that changed America. (Listen to Lee's podcast The Uncover Up here.) Then, it's veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford on Pet Talk covering pet diabetes and his upcoming trip to the arctic. Cybersecurity expert Francis Syms chats about illegal and dangerous items ending up on Facebook disguised as car parts. Finally, associate professor Dr. Irfan Mehmood shares how bot detection is broken.Segments:(00:26) Introduction(01:29) Caitlin Green pt. 1(12:26) Caitlin Green pt. 2(23:44) Dr. Lee Kuhnle pt. 1(35:35) Dr. Lee Kuhnle pt. 2(48:06) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1(58:12) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2(1:09:03) Francis Syms(1:20:13) Dr. Irfan Mehmood(1:30:37) Sign-off

Happy New Year! David's top stories: Russia fines "gay-looking" partygoers; and Breathalyzer designer gets caught by breathalyzer. Then it's Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday (on a Thursday) with Gary Direnfeld with the heartfelt topic of: words of wisdom. Zoology professor Tim Coulson from Oxford explains how the humble octopus could give rise to the next civilization if humans die out. Finally, It's Time For Technology Time with Carmi Levy. Topics covered: Trump urging the Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban; Greece prevents children from doom scrolling; "smart" microwaves; CES 2025; and more.Segments:(00:25) Introduction(01:59) Russia fines "gay-looking" partygoers(05:30) Breathalyzer designer gets caught by breathalyzer(08:44) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1(20:04) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2(30:45) Tim Coulson pt. 1(40:14) Tim Coulson pt. 2(52:49) Carmi Levy pt. 1(1:04:30) Carmi Levy pt. 2(1:15:09) Carmi Levy pt. 3(1:26:16) Sign-off

David gives a quick update, then covers stories: Radioactive Floridian roads; and High-viz vest chicken. After that, it's Sex, Et Cetera with sex educator Samantha Bitty who shares a sobriety milestone with the show and then discusses sober sex. Veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford shows up for Pet Talk and covers a recent case of "avian bird flu" caused by a dog's diet and the alarming increase of pet exposure to cocaine since 2019. Comedian Natalie Norman chats about New Year's Eve and other holidays. Finally, professor Alan Fowler explains his recent article on the history of gift-giving.We'll see you in 2025!Segments:(00:26) Introduction(02:00) Monologue(3:29) Radioactive Floridian roads(7:11) High-viz vest chicken(10:16) Samantha Bitty pt. 1(22:23) Samantha Bitty pt. 2(34:04) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1(45:52) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2(57:18) Natalie Norman pt. 1(1:07:56) Natalie Norman pt. 2(1:19:08) Alan Fowler(1:30:18) Sign-off

David's top stories: Flat Earther admits he's wrong; and Murder solved by Google Street View. Then it's Pop Cultured, Like Fungus with Caitlin Green, media personality and co-host of The Jann Arden Podcast. David and Caitlin discuss whether OnlyFans is cheating. After that, it's Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday (on a Thursday) with Gary Direnfeld on the very personal topic of dealing with the imminent death of loved ones. Economics professor Eric Kam explains president-elect Trump's recent comments about Canada becoming the 51st state. Finally, It's Time for Technology Time with Carmi Levy on Google's latest in AI, ChatGPT Search's general availability, and more.Segments:(00:24) Introduction(2:03) Flat Earther admits he's wrong(5:07) Murder solved by Google Street View(8:47) Caitlin Green pt. 1(18:37) Caitlin Green pt. 2(29:48) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1(39:45) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2(49:19) Eric Kam(1:00:47) Carmi Levy pt. 1(1:11:24) Carmi Levy pt. 2(1:22:37) Sign-off

David shares how his cat Tomato loves, and has these top stories: NY town uses laser on crows; and Googly eye vandals. Then, it's The Science Appliance with Dr. Dan Riskin and the two discuss how David is a bad science communicator, how coffee can extend your life, and how math can help you move your mattress. (Sign up for Dan's newsletter here.) After that, it's neurologist, physicist, and author Kelly Clancy on how games have changed the world. Nathan Radke joins the show for Conspiracy Corner and sheds light on the drone hysteria in New Jersey. (Check out Nathan's podcast The Uncover Up here.) Finally, it's Sex, Et Cetera with Samantha Bitty with topics: New Years smooches and holiday expectations.Segments:(00:26) Introduction(02:00) NY town uses laser on crows(05:12) Googly eye vandals(08:48) Dan Riskin pt. 1(20:22) Dan Riskin pt. 2(32:28) Dan Riskin pt. 3(45:08) Kelly Clancy(55:57) Nathan Radke pt. 1(1:05:50) Nathan Radke pt. 2(1:16:59) Samantha Bitty(1:26:12) Sign-off

It's Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday (on a Thursday) with social worker Gary Direnfeld. Gary and David discuss dealing with difficult family members: setting boundaries and managing the pushback. Dr. Claire Guest of Medical Detection Dogs shares how she uses dogs to sniff out cancer. After that, it's sexual health and consent educator Samantha Bitty on orientations – sexual and relationship – for Sex, Et Cetera. Finally, It's Time For Technology Time with expert Carmi Levy. Topics discussed: Google's new quantum computing chip; a "green bubble" update from Apple; Amazon to sell cars; and more. (Drop Tony Five a line by leaving a voicemail at +1-888-505-6644 or at tony@lastshow.pizza!)Segments(00:26) Introduction(01:39) Gary Direnfeld(12:30) Gary Direnfeld, cont'd(22:59) Claire Guest(35:11) Samantha Bitty(46:13) Samantha Bitty, cont'd(57:10) Carmi Levy(1:07:36) Carmi Levy, cont'd(1:18:35) Carmi Levy, cont'd(1:30:35) Sign-off