Good Job, Brain! – Episode 303: Pest Control

Airdate: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Karen, Colin, Chris

Episode Overview

In this fun and knowledge-packed installment, the Good Job, Brain! crew dives into the fascinating and sometimes gross world of pests—everything from bugs and unwanted critters to the blights that have changed history. Expect plenty of laughs, offbeat facts, and competitive trivia. The team quizzes each other on pests in pop culture, unexpected animal behaviors, and the pivotal role of pests in shaping our food history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Farewell to the Penny (00:35–04:26)

• The episode opens with the team mourning (well, mostly) the official discontinuation of the U.S. penny.
  • Colin notes, "The very last penny minted this week, on Wednesday of this week, two days ago in Philadelphia. One of the oldest minting facilities we have." (00:58)
  • Chris calls it “a boondoggle,” as it costs nearly 4 cents to make one penny, and most are just hoarded in jars and never circulated again.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Chris: “All we're doing is people get the pennies, they don't spend the pennies, and then we're spending money to make more pennies to give people to not spend. And it's just. It's just, it's Nuts.” (02:00)

2. The Wonders of the Sea Walnut (Animal Butt Update) (04:29–07:09)

• Karen gives an “animal butt update,” recalling the sea walnut (a comb jelly) which can grow a butthole only when necessary.
  • Karen: "If it doesn't need it. No butthole." (05:18)
• New fact: Sea walnuts can fuse together and share a digestive tract, so food eaten by one can pass through another.
  • Karen: "Your fused friend can poop it out." (06:29)
  • On separating fused jellies: “Within an hour, they could fuse back again. Nine out of ten times.” (06:44)

3. Pop Quiz Hotshot – Classic Card Trivia (07:09–16:01)

• The hosts play through quirky old-school trivia cards.
  • Highlights include learning Sinbad’s sitcom character was a “computer video game designer,” not a gym teacher as guessed. (12:38)
  • Debate on trivia semantics: The “Color of Money” prequel question leads to a tangent about what prequel really means. (13:54–14:32)
  • “Who makes Mighty Dog Dog food?” It started as a Carnation product. (10:51)

4. Modern Pimple Popping and Beekeeper Video Trends (16:56–19:08)

• Karen confesses to a guilty pleasure: pimple popping videos, and more recently, bee removal videos, which leads into the episode’s pest theme.

Pest Control—Main Segments

5. Bugs on Film Quiz (Chris’s Segment) (19:08–28:07)

• Jeopardy-style movie trivia where insects and bugs are key plot elements.
• Movie Questions & Notable Quotes:
  • Arachnophobia (20:40):
    • Colin: "What is Arachnophobia?"
  • Starship Troopers:
    • "Much like his previous film Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven's 1997 sci fi film about humans going to war with arachnids has become a cult classic." (21:22)
  • Animated Ant Films Battle:
    • "Battle of the bugs is how CNN described the release of these two animated films in 1998." (21:56)
    • Karen: "What are Antz and A Bug’s Life?" (22:02)
  • The Fly (famous line origin):
    • Chris: "Be afraid. Be very afraid was uttered by Geena Davis in The Fly." (27:18)
  • Oddball reference: "What is Joe's Apartment?" (27:47)
• Notable Moment:
  • DIY buzzers: Karen improvises with her giant Nike shoes as her buzzer. (21:11)

6. Pesty News & Quiz (Colin’s Segment) (29:24–50:12)

Recent Pest Headlines and Odd Facts

• Mosquitoes now in Iceland:
  • “Scientists in Iceland reported that for the first time ever, what pest was found there?” – Mosquitoes! Due to climate change, they are now surviving Iceland’s weather. (30:03)
• Porcupines chewing car tires:
  • In snowy areas, porcupines are attracted by the salt residue from treated roads—and may gnaw on tires and even car interiors for the salt. (32:02)
• Slug Traps with Beer:
  • Yes, beer attracts and drowns slugs, but may actually recruit more slugs from elsewhere, making the problem worse for some. (34:47–36:02)
• Skunk Spray Facts:
  • Skunks can spray with precision up to 10 feet, but you could still get splashed at up to 15 feet. Myth busted: tomato juice doesn’t actually neutralize skunk stink; hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are better. (37:57–39:58)
  • Fun Fact: Skunk spray is highly flammable! (39:24)
• Tick Removal Myths:
  • Don’t smother or burn—a simple tweezer grab and a careful pull is best for tick removal. (41:03–41:43)
• Seagull Food Theft:
  • New science: Yelling at seagulls (shouting “No, stay away, that’s my food!”) is the only thing proven to make them keep their distance. (42:44–44:45)
  • Chris tells story about being mugged by a hawk for a cheeseburger in Japan:
    • "I got mugged by a hawk... comes down behind me, smacks me in the back of the head... clutches the cheeseburger in its mighty talons, and flies off." (45:13–46:58)

Natural Pest Control

• Ladybugs versus aphids:
  • Releasing ladybugs is a classic, eco-friendly way to control aphids in gardens—though if not released at night, they all fly away at once! (47:16–48:49)
  • Karen: “When aphids give birth to more aphids, the aphids that they give birth to are already pregnant.” (49:13)

7. Pest Blights That Changed History (Karen’s Segment) (50:53–65:27)

• Karen ties historical pest outbreaks to dramatic shifts in agriculture and diet.

Major Pest-Driven Historical Changes

• French Wine Blight:
  • Pre-1950s, Algeria (not France or Italy!) was the world’s top wine exporter due to a devastating aphid (phylloxera) wiping out European vineyards. Recovery involved grafting French vines onto American rootstock resistant to the pest. “Most of what’s currently grown in Europe has American roots. Like, literally American roots.” (57:32)
• Boll Weevil in Alabama:
  • The city of Enterprise, AL, boasts a statue honoring the boll weevil, the beetle that devastated cotton—forcing farmers to plant peanuts and diversify. “Thanking the haters.” (59:59–60:14)
• Ceylon Tea over Coffee in Sri Lanka:
  • Coffee rust disease wiped out Sri Lankan coffee, so colonists pivoted to growing tea—the now world-famous Ceylon (Sri Lankan) variety. (61:54)
• Vanished American Chestnut:
  • Once abundant and critical for food and timber, the American chestnut was virtually eradicated by a fungal blight introduced via Asian chestnut trees. The American chestnut’s highly-valued wood is now the stuff of legends (and wood “piracy”). (62:42–64:39)
• Gross Michel Banana:
  • The “fake” artificial banana flavor is actually based on the now-rare Gross Michel banana; agricultural blight replaced it with the Cavendish, forever altering banana flavor. (53:06–53:55 and 64:47–65:23)
  • Karen: “You wouldn’t pay $17 to eat this long lost banana?” Chris and Colin: “I would. Of course I would.” (65:11–65:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris, on penny production:
  “All we're doing is people get the pennies, they don't spend the pennies, and then we're spending money to make more pennies to give people to not spend. And it's just. It's just, it's Nuts.” (02:00)
• Karen, on sea walnuts:
  “Your fused friend can poop it out.” (06:29)
• Karen, on pop culture trivia:
  “Sinbad’s job was computer video game designer. If only I ever watched that show!” (12:38)
• Chris, on slugs:
  “From how far away is it drawing them in? Is it drawing the slugs from your neighbor's yard too? And now you've got more slugs than you bargained for.” (35:53–36:02)
• Karen, on aphids:
  “When aphids give birth to more aphids, the aphids that they give birth to are already pregnant.” (49:13)
• Chris, on being mugged by wildlife:
  “I got mugged by a hawk... comes down behind me, smacks me in the back of the head... clutches the cheeseburger in its mighty talons, and flies off.” (45:13–46:58)
• Karen, on the Gross Michel banana:
  “That flavor [artificial banana] is indeed based on real banana, but just not the banana... that variety just doesn’t exist anymore.” (53:22)
• Karen and Colin, on historic impact:
  Karen: “Most of what’s currently grown in Europe has American roots. Like, literally American roots.” (57:32)
  Colin: “That is really interesting. That is. I love stuff like that. I really do. That's why we're friends.” (57:39–57:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Farewell to the Penny: 00:35–04:26
• Sea Walnut/Amazing Animal Butt Facts: 04:29–07:09
• Pop Quiz Hotshot (Card Trivia): 07:09–16:01
• Digital Pimple Popping & Beekeeper Videos: 16:56–19:08
• Bugs in Film Quiz: 19:08–28:07
• Pest News & Quiz (Colin): 29:24–50:12
• Impactful Pest Blights in History (Karen): 50:53–65:27

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is lighthearted, irreverent, and fast-paced, with the usual friendly banter and lots of quirky side tangents. Karen’s punny jokes and the group’s playfulness set the tone, making even gross facts about animal butts and pestilential blights engaging. There’s a balance of rigorous trivia competition and collaborative learning that makes the content fun for trivia buffs and casual listeners alike.

Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies why Good Job, Brain! is such a beloved trivia podcast: weird facts, competitive quizzes, deep dives into the impact of pests on history and culture, and, above all, camaraderie and laughter. If you like learning weird, wonderful stuff—and laughing about it—this is a must-listen.

For More

Listen to the full episode and find more content at goodjobbrain.com.
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