The Tangentialists: Recent Episodes
Benedict Gardner
The Tangentialists is a weekly podcast where three friends, Ben, Jonas, and Inès talk about ... well, not much at all really. We've had unofficial reports that it makes quite a good sleep aid though.
Send comments, questions and discussion ideas at thetangentialists@gmail.com
Tangents can't go on forever. Ben, Jonas, and Inès meetup with four very special guests to finish the Tangentialists as it began - with meandering, inconsequential chatter, and a generous sprinkling of laughs.
Thanks for coming along on the journey with us, we've had a lot of fun, and we hope you have to. Our email inbox is always open if you'd like to say hello - thetangentialists@gmail.com.
Keep Things Tangential!
-
Ben, Inès, and Jonas
-
Show Notes -
[1] Helena's current podcast project is here - tinyurl.com/helenaspodcast
An era is coming to an end. Ben, Jones and Ines take up their microphones for the penultimate time to discuss their journey in podcasting. They discuss about the mistakes (mathematical or otherwise), lessons, and high points of their time hosting the Tangentialists, and throw all their podcasting wisdom to the airwaves. Stay tuned to hear about The Tangentialists alien race, and plans for the Tangentialists to become the first multi-generational podcast.
BEFORE OUR FINAL EPISODE #30, PLEASE DO SAY HELLO! - thetangentialists@gmail.com
- Show Notes -
[1] You can find information on the longest piece of music ever here - tinyurl.com/jonaslongsong
[2] Thanks for listening to the Tangentialists! Please do contact us to have your comment read out on our final episode (#30)
Spring has sprung this week as Ben, Jonas, and Ines discuss Spring, Easter bunnies, and tooth fairies. Jonas also announces a bold new hair decision. As ever, tangents are not only encourage, but relied upon.
[Apologies for the delay this week. We'll be back on in a fortnight!]
- Show Notes -
[1] You can read about the origin of the tooth fairy here - tinyurl.com/toothfairyorigins
[2] You can find a picture of a faux hawk here, if like Ben you were confused by the concept - tinyurl.com/jonasfauxhawk
Love is in the air (or is it?) as Ben, Jonas, and Ines tackle modern romantic love in this week's episode. We discuss competitive rose giving, whether we put too much emphasis on romantic love, and Ben briefly explores a flawed model for friendship living. There is then a romantic reading of poems. As ever, tangents are not only encourage, but relied upon.
[We'll be taking a break next week, but will be back in a fortnight!]
- Show Notes -
[1] Ben mentioned a TED Talk about the perils of romantic love, which you can find here: tinyurl.com/tangentialistslove
This week, Ben, Jonas and Inès dive into the Gamestop saga of 2021, to discuss the value of financial markets to social movements, and then the value of social movements to us all. We end up on sitcoms, and how they're pretty creepy when you think about it. Jonas chills us to the bone with his sitcom guitar sting, and Ben confirms to the world that he's a fair way off being a screenwriter. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
- Show Notes -
[1] Read more about the whole Gamestop case here - tinyurl.com/sagaofgamestop
[2] Jonas mentions a film called The Hummingbird Project (2018)
[3] The paper Inès read this week is here - tinyurl.com/socialmovementpaper
- Next Week's Challenge -
To write a romantic sonnet, in time for Valentine's Day. Or if you're Inès, a romantic haiku.
Inès, Jonas and Ben answer a listener challenge this week. The listener (who may or may not be related to a co-host) suggested the unspeakable - to listen to someone else's podcast. It turns out to be a highly productive prompt, and an interview on wind turbines leads us to the gendered aspects of food, the need to be bold when making societal change, and Jonas' idea for Coronavirus Freedom Day. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
If you have a challenge, question, or piece of feedback for us, send us an email here thetangentialists@gmail.com!
[1] The podcast episode in question is #172 of Reasons to be Cheerful (title: "Blowin' in the Wind"), found here: tinyurl.com/cheerfulchallenge. Thanks to Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd for their wonderfully cheery podcast, which we highly recommend (a quick point - they haven't endorsed the Tangentialists - yet)
[2] Early in the episode, Ben mentions his "Telling a Story" photography challenge. You can find his works in a folder here (tinyurl.com/benphotostorychallenge), or on Instagram @thetangentialists.
[3] An article detailing the shining story of the rise of the diamond can be found on the Atlantic, here - tinyurl.com/diamondmarketing. It's well worth a read.
- Next Week's Challenge -
Jonas has set us the task of responding creatively to the prompt "a Sitcom character is fed up with the mysterious laughing they hear every day and decide to find out where it's coming from". Find out The Tangentialists' responses next week!
Ben and Jonas are once again flying duo this week, discussing the value of 5 year plans, and the merits of being cheesemakers, hand models, and glassblowers. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
Inès will be back for the recording next week!
- Show Notes -
[1] You can read more about the 'Stanford' plan, actually called the Odyssey Plan, here - https://tinyurl.com/fiveyearhandmodel. In true Tangentialists fashion, we end up taking a loose interpretation of our source material. In reality, the plan is designed to combat the monotony of the 5 year plan (which we end up critiquing), and we'd encourage you take a look and make your own assessment on it (as with anything we say, of course).
[2] Blown Away, a 2-series Reality TV show about Glass Blowing, is available on Netflix.
[3] Jonas mentions the Duchamp fountain/urinal, put in the Grand Central Palace in New York in 1917. You can read more about it here: https://tinyurl.com/fountainurinal
In a very special episode, Jonas, Ines and Ben play lyric-less, personality-encompassing songs they've composed for each other. The results are, well, mixed. It leads to a sweeping trip down memory lane, as well as the devising of an innovative new post-it productivity method. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
- Show Notes -
[1] The (honestly amazing) guitar riff Jonas mentions can be found on Ichika Nito's Youtube channel here: tinyurl.com/ikeaguitar
[2] The program that Jonas mentions for digital brain organising is Notion - www.notion.so
[3] The blog post written by Ben which includes the 'Post-It Snowstorm' method can be found here - tinyurl.com/benpostit
NEXT WEEK'S CHALLENGE
To listen to episode #172 ("Blowin' in the Wind") of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast. Reasons to be Cheerful can be found on all podcast platforms, but a Spotify link is here: tinyurl.com/cheerfulchallenge
Ben and Jonas are on their own for this week (don't worry, Ines will be back soon!), and almost immediately get lost down the rabbit hole of social media and the metaphysics of attachment. In the process, Ben inadvertently commits to deleting his Instagram. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
We're trialling a shorter episode length this week - let us know what you think by email - thetangentialists@gmail.com - or by Instagram (@thetangentialists). Yes, the irony of relying on Instagram in relation to this episode is not lost on us.
- Show Notes -
[1] The orchestra pit scene Ben referred to, from the 2015 film Steve Jobs, can be found here: tinyurl.com/stevejobsorchestra
It's worth mentioning that Ben misquotes the film quite considerably (the line is "I play the orchestra", not "I'm the conductor"), but the point still stands. Roughly.
[2] The 2020 documentary Ben mentioned is called The Social Dilemma, still available on Netflix
[3] 15th of January is official Delete Social Media Day, as ordained by the Tangentialists. You're welcome to take part with us, along with the hashtag #thetangentialiststakedownzuck
Ben, Jonas and Inès wave goodbye to a bumpy 12 months this week, discussing what they learnt, how they grew, and the ways that friendship changed in 2020. Hopefully it provides a cheerier outlook on the year to end all years. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
- Show Notes -
[1] Photos from the photo challenge can be found at @thetangentialists on Instagram, or on Google Drive here: tinyurl.com/21unfamiliar
[2] The questions we asked one another are below. How would you answer them?
1) When did you feel proud of yourself in 2020? What were you doing?
2) What kept you up at night with excitement this year? Was it worth it? Would you want to do more of it?
3) How did you have fun differently in 2020?
4) What is a new hobby or skill you'd like to learn in 2021?
5) How would you rate your personal 2020 out of 10?
Ben, Jones and Ines are wondering when childhood ends this week. Jonas updates us on his icy river swims, and Ines gives a rousing speech to inspire us for 2021 to come. Ben briefly tries to become a poet, though the results are far from conclusive. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
- Show Notes -
[1] Ben is reading The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr this week
[2] Ben recommended Boyhood this week, a 2014 Richard Linklater film that's worth watching
[2] All visual content (including Ben's poem) will be made available on the NEW @thetangentialists Instagram account
This week, Jonas, Ben and Inès tangent their way through the virtues of stoicisms, the components of a great speech, and the value in making playlists for ducks. Yes, 'to tangent' is now a verb. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
- Show Notes -
[1] Speech from The Newsroom - tinyurl.com/newsroomspeech
[2] Speech from Independence Day (1996) - tinyurl.com/idayspeech
[3] Speech from Lord of the Rings - Return of the King (2003) - tinyurl.com/ringsspeech
[4] What happens if you remove a laughter track from Friends - tinyurl.com/friendspsycho
[5] Scene from 12 Angry Men (1957) - tinyurl.com/12angrymenspeech (worth watching the film in its entirety)
[6] Speech from Mean Girls (2004) - tinyurl.com/meangirlsspeech
[7] Speech given by Hilary Benn in favour of airstrikes in Syria - tinyurl.com/hbennspeech (Ben incorrectly said Libya)
- Challenges -
[8] Inès' Duck Playlist - tinyurl.com/inesduckplaylist
[9] Jonas' self-portrait - tinyurl.com/jonasportrait
Ben, Jonas, and Inès were all inspired by Netflix juggernaut The Queen's Gambit this week, and move conversation through its opening moves on chess, to an endgame considering the ingredients of a world champion, all with the grace and poise of Anya Taylor-Joy (we wish, at least). Stay tuned to find out why Ben has stopped believing in mouths, why Inès has traded cows for ducks in her playlist-making endeavours, and which podcast that Jonas recommends as being both interesting and not interesting at the same time. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
Show Notes
[1] You can find the Queen's Gambit on Netflix. It's worth a watch.
[2] You can play Beth Harmon online at tinyurl.com/tryandbeatbeth
[3] Listen to Carol Dweck expalin growth mindsets much better than Ben, here: tinyurl.com/growthatmindset
[4] Notes from The Pen can be found here: www.notesfromthepen.com/podcast
[5] We're still awaiting the Duck Playlist from Inès
Ben, Jonas, and Inès are joined by their good friend Helena this week to talk about becoming a Twitter meme, creating a brand new kind of dating algorithm, and discussing what kind of music cows like. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
-Show Notes-
[1] The book Ben and Helena talks about is What Goes Around by Emily Chappell - available at all good bookstores
[2] To read more about the Elena Canalizares - tinyurl.com/elenatwittermeme
[3] Further Reading recomended by Ben - So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson - also available at all good bookstores
[4] The Bovine Playlist - tinyurl.com/thebovineplaylist
Speculation is in the air this week, as Ben, Jonas and Inès discuss whether Ben has coronavirus. They also discuss the future of that unpleasant neologism 'content consumption', and discuss discipline in its many forms. Along the way, all three hosts betray the fact they've never worked in a office before. As always, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
Ths week, Jonas, Ben and Inès discuss working standing up, working on trains, and working in zero-gravity environments. We also talk about the cyclical nature of fashion, Ben's only hope to ever be fashionable. We finish with a debate on whether Elon Musk could pull off wearing swim shorts to work. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
*PS very sorry for Ben's tinny audio this week, it will be fixed for last week. We know we said this last week two, but this time it's a promise.
Energy is high in the room this week, as Ben, Jonas and Inès discuss sports, staring at people's faces, and the many life paths of Tinder. They also hypothesise on the existence of the Evil Tangentialists, in a parallel universe somewhere. Perhaps they're better at maths. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Ben, Jonas and Inès tackle education in all its forms - including a 13th Century passage about a biblical courtroom. We also consider whether JK Simmons' character in Whiplash was a role model (he definitely wasn't). As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
There's a choatic energy in the room this week, as Ben, Jonas, and Inès power through topic after topic. Along the way, we discuss the intricacies of linguistic context, Jonas' thrilling family Christmas, and Ines insults Ben many times. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Inès joins Ben and Jonas on a tour of music tastes, film tastes and food tastes. Fortunately, there is no maths in this episode for us to embarrass ourselves with. Attentive listeners will hear a fit of dog barking half-way through - apologies, Ben has some loud new neighbours.
The website we talk about at the start is Obscurify - find out if you're as generic as we are here - https://obscurifymusic.com/login.
To celebrate their 10th podcast, Ben and Jonas this week open some fan mail - well, two bits of fan mail at least. We also deep-dive into some Gatsby and Jonas speaks some Legalese. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
Feel free to contact us with comments, questions or suggestions at thetangentialists@gmail.com. We love to hear from listeners!
This week, Ben and Jonas are joined by their friend Ines. We discuss dissapointing our past selves, disappointing our future selves, and in the process, dissapoint our present selves with some truly awful maths. Our apologies if you're mathematically inclined. As ever, tangents are not encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Ben complains to Jonas about queueing, and Jonas reveals his curious Sherlock Holmes obsession. No guitars are features in this episode. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Ben pitches Jonas some of his business ideas. The reception is mixed. Ben also insists on saying Karl Lagerfeld's name incorrectly. Sorry Karl. As always, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Ben and Jonas have an existential crisis, before turning to some recently released University Rankings. We end by discussing a random array of topics, ranging from university housing ballots to Jonas's favourite show: 'Instant Hotel'.
This week, Ben & Jonas talk trends of all varieties - music, fashion, social sciences, you name it. We end with a game of the classic 'Cat or Eagle'. Enjoy!
This week, Ben and Jonas spend a long time talking about books, followed by a brief segment where they try to appear knowledgeable about sport. Our apologies to any sports fans out there. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
This week, Ben & Jonas try something a little new - they pre-prepare something to talk about. It wasn't particularly appreciated by either party, but please enjoy nonetheless a chat about the University of Oxford, University life in general, and how the pair feel about being two fresh-faced graduates.
In this episode, Ben and Jonas spending a numbing length of time talking about the intricacies of care. If you're able to work out what they were trying to say, please do get in touch to tell them what that was - it would be news to them.
This week, Ben and Jonas embark on their journey to full millenial status by starting a podcast. They also fail to play the Wikipedia Game, and Jonas reveals a shocking truth about his film habits. As ever, tangents are not only encouraged, but relied upon.
[1] Slate.com article that Ben mentioned - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-wikipedia-page-editor.html
[2] Epic Music from bensound.com