The psychological experiment they show in this episode is very similar to the Milgram experiment, performed by Stanley Milgram from Yale University in 1961. The result mentioned in the episode, 66% of the people would deliver the maximum voltage, is the actual result from the original experiment. This experiment would be considered unethical in the 21st century based on the psychological harm it causes to the subject instigating the shocks.
Professor Fairbanks named his cat "Skinner." B.F. Skinner was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. However, Fairbanks and Skinner had vastly opposed methodologies. Fairbanks' experiments were loosely conducted in his home basement. Skinner strongly believed that psychological experiments should follow the example of the "hard sciences." He believed experiments should be carefully controlled, observable and conducted in a laboratory. This could explain why Hodgins, self-proclaimed "King of the Lab," took such a liking to Skinner.
The hooded warbler is not a feeder bird - it eats insects, not seeds. Any birder would know that. Also, Bewick's wren is primarily a western bird. It is listed as very rare on the western edge of Maryland. It would have to be a regular bird there for it to be considered endangered.
When Wendell is wrapping up his chemo trial, the nurse asks him to rate his care, he states "a 2," which results in admonishments and immediately Wendell states, "just kidding, I mean the care was a 10. Unless it's 11 if you can use Spinal Tap." That is an inside music joke, as, in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Christopher Guest's character was explaining to Rob Reiner's character that "this amp goes up to 11." Which Reiner says, "Isn't it just as loud as 10?" Guest replies, "No, it's 11." This is a barb at guitar great Jeff Beck, who actually had an amp set to be louder at 11 as the loudest.