The Last Show with David Cooper

Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] covers the strange tale of the Sycamore Gap Tree and its trunk [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygv2n8jy2o] and the sorry state of X's Grok chatbot [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8r34nxeno]. Consumer behavior researcher Ethan Milne explains the rise of retributive philanthropy (or revenge donations) [https://phys.org/news/2025-07-retributive-philanthropy.html]. Evolutionary psychologist Dr. Carey Fitzgerald reveals that common sounds like coughs and sneezes can impair your learning [https://www.psypost.org/these-common-sounds-can-impair-your-learning-according-to-new-psychology-research/]. On It's Time For Technology Time, tech expert Carmi Levy [https://bsky.app/profile/carmilevy.bsky.social] discusses stories: China's new robot soccer league [https://gizmodo.com/move-over-messi-chinas-new-robot-soccer-league-is-wild-2000624533]; Nvidia now at record $4 trillion valuation [https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/07/ai-mania-pushes-nvidia-to-record-4-trillion-valuation/]; TikTok is being flooded with inappropriate AI videos generated by Google tools [https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/07/racist-ai-videos-created-with-google-veo-3-are-proliferating-on-tiktok/]; and TikTok building new version of app ahead of expected US sale [https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/tiktok-building-new-version-of-app-ahead-of-expected-us-sale-the-information-reports/]. Head of the laboratory of neurogenetics of language at Rockefeller University Dr. Erich D. Jarvis [https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/1159-erich-d-jarvis/] educates us as to why scientists are mapping the genomes of every animal, plant, and fungal species in the US [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-policy-experts-genomes-animal.html]. Tony Five attends a short Advice For Your Tomorrow's Self, Yesterday (AFY-TSY) and then caller Gillian from London, Ontario tells the two how she's been enjoying her wedding gift. Assistant professor of psychology Dr. Saida Heshmati [https://www.cgu.edu/people/saida-heshmati/] describes how when people express love, they feel more loved [https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-people.html]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:51) Tony Five pt. 1 * (09:59) Ethan Milne * (19:59) Dr. Carey Fitzgerald * (29:59) Carmi Levy pt. 1 * (39:49) Carmi Levy pt. 2 * (49:49) Dr. Erich Jarvis * (59:49) Tony Five pt. 2 * (1:09:49) Dr. Saida Heshmati * (1:19:29) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] reports on prospective fines for British supermarkets if they don't sell enough healthy food [https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/cost-living/dac1141234f046bfa924b27b86a534c4]. Experimental psychology researcher Maximilian (Max) Maier [https://maximilianmaier.net/] reveals hidden biases in AI's moral advice [https://www.psypost.org/new-research-reveals-hidden-biases-in-ais-moral-advice/]. Dr. Grant Shields [https://www.grantsshields.com/] explains why people make riskier choices when they're stressed [https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-people-riskier-choices-stressed.html]. On Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday, Gary Direnfeld [https://www.facebook.com/GaryDirenfeldSocialWorker/] and David discuss common boundaries people violate without even realizing it. Tony Five joins the show for another installment of Advice For Your Tomorrow's Self, Yesterday (AFY-TSY). Comedian Natalie Norman [https://www.instagram.com/stalkingnatalie/] clarifies what the Labubu doll craze is all about. Parent coach Kim Muench [https://www.reallifeparentguide.com/] discusses how some parents are sacrificing financial security to help their adult children [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/03/american-parents-are-sacrificing-financial-security-to-help-adult-children.html]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:20) Tony Five pt. 1 * (09:59) Maximilian Maier * (19:59) Dr. Grant Shields * (29:59) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1 * (39:49) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2 * (49:49) Tony Five pt. 2 * (59:49) Natalie Norman * (1:09:49) Kim Muench * (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] reports that drones are dropping zombie knives and kilos of drugs into UK prisons [https://www.lbc.co.uk/crime/prisons-struggling-under-overwhelming-drug-smuggling/]. Noah Cappe [https://www.instagram.com/noahcappe/] joins David for Noah vs. The Unknown [https://www.instagram.com/noahvstheunknown] and describes the strange Buga Sphere object from Columbia [https://people.com/mysterious-metal-sphere-sparks-ufo-debate-never-seen-a-piece-like-this-11741579]. Cognitive and brain sciences researcher Christian Montag [https://christianmontag.de/about_me/] explains that positive attitudes toward AI are linked to problematic social media use [https://www.psypost.org/positive-attitudes-toward-ai-linked-to-more-prone-to-problematic-social-media-use/]. Retail analyst Bruce Winder [https://brucewinder.com/] gives the lowdown on Prime Day 2025. On Sex, Et Cetera, sexual health and consent educator Samantha Bitty [https://www.samanthabitty.com/] describes how best to send a sext (responsibly). Tony Five and David give themselves Advice For Your Tomorrow's Self, Yesterday (AFY-TSY). Divorce attorney John Nachlinger [https://www.centraljerseyfamilylaw.com/our-team/john-nachlinger/] and David discuss the gen Z student who got a $10,000 "inheritance" from their dad in lieu of unpaid support money [https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-student-gets-10k-dad-fury-unexpected-twist-2094209]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:51) Tony Five pt. 1 * (09:59) Noah Cappe * (19:59) Christian Montag * (29:59) Bruce Winder * (39:49) Samantha Bitty pt. 1 * (49:49) Samantha Bitty pt. 2 * (59:49) Tony Five pt. 2 * (1:09:49) John Nachlinger * (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Top stories on News You Can't Use with foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive]: Woman convicted of triple murder after serving a fatal beef Wellington [https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/australian-mushroom-cook-is-convicted-of-triple-murder-after-serving-a-fatal-beef-wellington-lunch/]; and Bees attack in French town [https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/unusual-bee-attack-in-french-town-leaves-24-injured-3-critically/]. Psychology professor Dr. Daniel Casasanto [https://www.human.cornell.edu/people/djc457] reveals that the idea that lefties are more creative is a misconception [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-lefties-creative-theyre.html]. Evolutionary anthropology researcher Dr. Joseph Feldblum [https://josephfeldblum.weebly.com/] explains that chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have strong social connections [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-village-chimpanzee-babies-moms-social.html]. On Pet Talk (or is it Vet Talk?) with Dr. Cliff Redford [https://drcliff.ca/cliff-redford/] we cover: Extreme heat linked to increased pet dog deaths [https://phys.org/news/2025-07-extreme-linked-pet-dog-deaths.html]; Pets get hay fever too [https://theconversation.com/pets-get-hay-fever-too-how-to-spot-it-and-manage-it-259155]; Standing out from the crowd can be a survival mechanism [https://phys.org/news/2025-07-aposematism-crowd-survival-mechanism.html]; and Orcas offer food to humans in the wild [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-killer-whales-kind-gestures-orcas.html]. (Check out Cliff's podcast here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2368911].) Freelance journalist Eric Hal Schwartz [https://x.com/erichschwartz] discusses how you don't have to be real to score brand deals as an influencer [https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/you-dont-have-to-be-real-to-score-brand-deals-as-an-influencer]. Political scientist David Macdonald [https://polisci.ufl.edu/directory/david-macdonald/] goes over his findings that student loan debt doesn't deter civic engagement [https://www.psypost.org/student-loan-debt-doesnt-deter-civic-engagement-it-may-actually-drive-it-new-research-suggests/]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:27) Tony Five pt. 1 * (09:59) Tony Five pt. 2 * (19:59) Dr. Daniel Casasanto * (29:59) Dr. Joseph Feldblum * (39:49) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1 * (49:49) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2 * (59:49) Eric Hal Schwartz * (1:09:49) David Macdonald * (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

David's top stories: Snake on a plane delays a flight in Australia [https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/snake-on-a-plane-delays-a-flight-in-australia/]; and Hurdler gets modeling offer after shorts malfunction during race [https://www.themirror.com/sport/other-sport/chris-robinson-sprinter-penis-underwear-1236778]. Social-personality psychologist William Chopik [https://psychology.msu.edu/directory/chopik-bill.html] explains what we get wrong in our misjudgments about people with tattoos [https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-uncovers-surprisingly-consistent-misjudgments-of-tattooed-individuals/]. Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] joins in to chat with environmental psychologist Dr. Jim Uttley [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/architecture-landscape/people/academic/jim-uttley] about why only certain types of crime, but not others, increases after dark [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-uk-crime-dark.html]. Mark – a man who saved a bumblebee [https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/1l8vthk/wingless_bumblebee_living_her_best_life/] – shares [https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/1la94qm/beelinda_update_day_3/] his story [https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/1lcpodm/the_final_update_about_beelinda/] with Tony and David. (Donate to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust here [https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/join-and-donate/donate/].) Jill Connolly from RC Pets [https://rcpets.com/] convinces us to leash our cats [https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/not-just-for-dogs-cat-leashes-are-a-growing-trend/]. Psychology researcher Annika From [https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/graduate-students/annikaf.html] reveals that similarity in long‑term romantic couples probably matters less than you'd think [https://www.psypost.org/similarity-in-long%e2%80%91term-romantic-couples-probably-matters-less-than-we-think/]. Astrophysicist Dr. Jesse Rogerson⁠ [https://www.jesserogerson.com/] describes our first look from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory⁠ [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/science/vera-rubin-telescopes-first-images.html]. Relationship scientist Dr. Marisa Cohen⁠ [https://www.marisatcohen.com/] explains how to spot (and avoid dating) a "man child"⁠ [https://nypost.com/2025/06/15/lifestyle/how-to-avoid-dating-a-man-child/]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:52) Snake on a plain * (05:28) Hurdler shorts oops * (09:59) William Chopik * (19:59) Dr. Jim Uttley & Tony Five * (29:59) Mark (Bumblebee Saver) & Tony Five * (39:49) Jill Connolly * (49:49) Annika From * (59:49) Dr. Jesse Rogerson * (1:09:49) Dr. Marisa Cohen * (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]