This week’s guest is Moxie LaBouche. Moxie is a former goat farmer (she raised dairy goats and made goat milk soap and skincare products), and burlesque dancer (Moxie LaBouche is her burlesque stage name) who produced the only George R.R. Martin approved Game of Thrones burlesque show (that was also seen by George R. R. Martin). She is also the host of the Your Brain on Facts podcast and author of the Your Brain on Facts: Things you Didn’t Know, Things you thought you Knew, and Things you Never knew you Never Knew.

We discuss some of her more sciencey episodes as well as the importance of science communication during a pandemic.

The Your Brain on Facts Podcast

Moxie describes her head as “just full of extraneous facts” and she just has to stick a fact in everywhere, whether people want it or not. She recalls the time she was a cashier at a grocery store and a customer wanted to buy an avocado. That customer probably did not want to know that prehistoric ground sloths once ate the fruit and pooped out the massive seeds: It is the reason why the seeds evolved to be so big. (That customer probably just wanted to buy the avocado and leave, not get a science lesson).

Around that time, her husband got into podcasting though she admits she was slow to warm up to the idea. Like many people, she had no idea what a podcast was or what it was about. After subscribing to about 100 shows, she though not only could she do this but it would also be a safe way to “vent the useless stuff” in her head.

Unfortunately, that plan backfired. The process of researching and writing a seven-page script for each episode just puts even more useless stuff into her head.

The Your Brain on Facts Book

Moxie admits the book title is long and will contain even more facts not covered in the book: about two-thirds of content will be exclusive to the book and not be on the podcast.

You can check Moxie on social media and follow her podcast:

• Twitter: @brainonfactspod
• Facebook: brainonfacts
• Instagram: yourbrainonfacts
• The Brain on Facts Book