Holmberg’s Morning Sickness Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: 09-19-25 – "Sci News On The Comebacks Of The Wooly Mammoth And The Dodo Bird"
Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg (A), Brady Bogen (C), Bret Vesely (B), Dick Toledo (D)
Theme: Exploring the strange science of de-extinction and riffing on the return of the woolly mammoth and dodo bird, mixed with the show’s trademark humor and off-the-wall banter.

Episode Overview

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness dives into trending science news, particularly the efforts to bring extinct creatures like the woolly mammoth and the dodo bird back to life. The hosts mix genuine curiosity and skepticism with their typical irreverent humor, discussing scientific, ecological, and ethical implications (and plenty of what-if jokes). The episode also features their trademark raunchy video review segment, offbeat news, and science oddities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Local Happenings & Offbeat Facts

• Huge crowds expected at State Farm Stadium (01:30): John comments on the influx of people.
  • “That’s a lot...100,000 people. My God, that’s a lot. I will be avoiding the area.” (A, 01:34)
• Talk Like A Pirate Day gets old (03:17): Brief digression into the waning novelty of themed holidays.
• Fun Facts Segment (03:38–06:01): Lincoln on pennies, the history of U.S. coins, skunky beer facts, and odd Pornhub search stats.

2. National Toy Hall of Fame Finalists (08:00–09:08)

• The crew is surprised that classics like Trivial Pursuit, Connect Four, and Tickle Me Elmo aren’t already inducted.
• “They’re so far behind on so many things.” (A, 08:17)
• Discussion devolves into banter about what even qualifies as a toy (is snow a toy?) and some light-hearted jokes.

3. Debt & Financial Anxiety (09:34–10:17)

• Playful discussion of a survey showing most people are more stressed by moderate debt ($2,500–$4,000) than by a massive mortgage.
  • “$4,000 feels like somebody's gonna come and knock you over. $500,000 is like, I got 30 years.” (A, 10:07)

4. Main Theme: Science News – Extinct Beasts Return

[Science News begins at 12:16]

A. Woolly Mammoth and Dodo Bird De-Extinction (12:39–14:33)

• Colossal Biosciences claims pivotal step in reviving dodos; woolly mammoth project proceeding rapidly.
  • “They think they can bring the Dodo back within 10 years.” (C, 12:52)
• John expresses skepticism and concern about ecological impacts and what to actually do with resurrected animals.
  • “Focus on one at a time. Let’s not bring all of these back in.” (A, 13:00)
  • “What are we gonna do with the mammoth once it’s out? ...Can you kill that, like, immediately afterwards? Neat. Let’s not keep this up.” (A, 13:13)
• The hosts joke about possible chaos, referencing invasive species disasters and the risk of ecosystem collapse.
  • “I’m not even allowed to carry an ant into Australia… but we’re gonna build a mammoth and let it wander around?” (A, 13:40)

B. Dodo Bird: Origin and Extinction (14:07–18:54)

• The group struggles to remember the dodo’s native island; after some banter and guessing (“Galapagos?”), Dick confirms it’s Mauritius.
  • “Mauritius. Volcanic island in the Indian Ocean.” (D, 17:25)
• Light mocking of Brady’s lack of detail, with classic group ball-busting about ignorance and misinformation.
• Discussion on why dodos went extinct and whether they deserve a second chance, with tongue-in-cheek dark humor about “God’s plan” and the idea that “they went extinct for a reason.”
  • “I’m against this all the way around. They went extinct for a reason.” (A, 17:41)
  • “Maybe [the dodo] was the rape bird…” (A, 17:48)
• Dick clarifies the dodo’s extinction: overhunting and invasive species killed them off.
  • “Dodo bird was killed off by humans and the invasive species… rats, pigs, and monkeys, which preyed on their eggs and chicks.” (D, 18:44)

C. Moon Mining and Helium (15:10–15:41)

• Brief science news: a Finnish company bids $300 million for helium mining rights on the moon.
  • The hosts poke fun at the notion, questioning priorities ("because we’ve got everything solved here, so it’s time to start looking at that” – A, 15:36).

D. Strange Animal Genetics (15:41–16:10)

• Iberian harvester ant queen can birth two different species—first animal known to do this.
• Cue jokes comparing it to “that one ant, that was questionable, maybe didn’t wear a bra a lot.” (A, 16:01)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On De-extinction Risks:

  • “We do all we can to keep these little things away, and then we're going to build a mammoth and let it wander around.” (A, 13:56)

• On Dodo Bird Comeback:

  • "I’m against this all the way around. They went extinct for a reason." (A, 17:41)
  • “That’s what we’re supposed to do – survival of the fittest.” (D, 17:47)
  • “[The dodo] couldn’t handle any diversity... They brought a little diversity... and the dodo birds threw a fit and they were wiped out. And that’s God’s plan.” (A, 18:54)

• On Moon Helium Mining:

  • “We’ve got everything solved here, so it’s time to start looking at that.” (A, 15:36)

• On Toy Hall of Fame:

  • “Spirograph... I can’t believe that’s not in there either. Loads of fun with the Spirograph when I was a kid.” (A, 08:58)

Irreverent and Gross-out Video Segment (22:22–31:30)

Caution: True to show form, the latter segment goes wildly NSFW as the hosts react to a string of intentionally shocking internet videos (starting at 22:22).
For the faint of heart, skip this section—otherwise, expect outrageous play-by-play on bodily fluids, fetish content, and absurd situations, all delivered with over-the-top disgust and laughter.

• Sample quotes:
  • “Grandpa on a bass boat... dressed just like Hitler’s casual wear.” (A, 23:13)
  • “He’s eating it directly out of the hole in the belly of the fish while the lake water laps onto his hands.” (A, 24:16)
  • “Hot girl and she’s just peeing all over the couch. Oh, now she’s diarrhea poop. And that’s Yoohoo.” (A, 25:51)
  • “He put the fist in that little fella and then started to lift and he got him up onto his shoulders like a puppet. It was a Jeff Dunham show.” (A, 31:36)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Highlight | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | Discussion on State Farm Stadium crowds | | 03:12 | Brady’s intro and light banter on themed “holidays” | | 04:21 | Coin history and skunky beer jokes | | 08:00 | Toy Hall of Fame nominations rundown | | 09:34 | Debt/financial stress survey banter | | 12:16 | Science News begins | | 12:39 | Woolly mammoth & dodo de-extinction updates | | 14:07 | Where did the dodo bird live? | | 15:10 | Moon mining for helium; space resources | | 15:41 | Ant queens and animal genetics oddity | | 17:25 | Confirming dodo’s origin: Mauritius | | 18:44 | Real reason for dodo extinction (predation/invasive species) | | 22:22 | Brady video gross-out segment begins | | 31:36 | Closing comments ("Jeff Dunham" puppet joke) |

Tone & Style

• Language: Casual, off-the-wall, irreverent—loaded with sarcasm, playful snark, and inside jokes.
• Dynamic: Classic “morning zoo” banter with a heavy tilt toward gross-out humor and a willingness to improvise and riff, especially when science news gets weird.
• Audience: Fans expect the collision of real science with raunchy comedy and commentary that intentionally skirts the edge of offensive.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, the crew covers the wild world of science efforts to bring back extinct megafauna, poking fun at the idea of de-extinction and mixing in plenty of jokes at each other's expense. The science news gets genuine curiosity and skepticism in equal measure, but expect things to spiral into irreverence and absurdity—especially with the late-show “video” segment, notorious for its NSFW extremity. Even when they try to inform, they can’t help themselves from one-upping each other and channeling Arizona’s rock-morning radio energy.

Best for: Listeners who enjoy quick-fire banter, aren’t easily offended, and like their science with a heavy dose of “what if?” and “WTF.”