The Science Faction Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Real Life
Ben had a pretty heartfelt Father’s Day. The kind that makes you wonder what to do with all those sentimental cards—save them? Repurpose them? Wallpaper a studio? He’s thinking bigger: moleskin notebooks and sketchbooks as repositories for meaningful letters, doodles, and moments. He also caught You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at SLOREP, which delivered all the nostalgia and Peanuts poignancy one could hope for.
Devon saw Annie live and reports back that yes, the sun did come out. Meanwhile, he was also boots-on-the-ground at the No Kings march in Tyler, TX, where roughly 1,000 freedom fans turned out to peacefully protest monarchy (fictional or otherwise).
Steven joined a parallel No Kings march in Atascadero and followed it up with some Father’s Day chaos and a Mutant Crawl Classics game (ask him about severing arms for cybernetics). Also: he watched Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu and is delighted to report that the 800 A.D. Vikings segment delivers exactly what the title promises—Vikings versus Predator. It’s glorious.
Future or Now
Ben warns us all: Motörhead tried to tell you, but you didn’t listen. At Download Festival, moshing got so intense that smartwatches started auto-dialing emergency services. Authorities had to step in and tell everyone to dial down the wearable chaos. We now live in a world where jumping to Ace of Spades might trigger a 999 call. Rock responsibly.
Steven, meanwhile, read a fascinating article on how old smartphones—millions of which end up in landfills—can be repurposed into micro data centers for public services. From bus tracking to marine research, your outdated Galaxy S6 may be the next scientific hero. As Moore’s Law slows, we ask: what if we used what we already have?
Devon abstained this week. (Or did he transcend time itself? TBD.)
Book Club: A Psalm for the Wild-Built
This week we dug into chapters 2 and 3: The Best Tea Monk in Panga and Splendid Speckled Mosscap.
The robot has arrived—and while it’s delightful, the kids in the book might be in spiritual peril. We unpack the loneliness and disconnection the humans seem to feel, and how it echoes the Jedi’s lack of attachments in Star Wars. There’s also a curious debate about genre: is this science fiction or fantasy? When your tech includes nearly-immortal pocket computers and self-aware robots emerging from the woods, the lines get blurry.
Next week: chapters 4–6 (Audible 6–8), including “An Object, and an Animal,” “Remnants,” and a dinner scene featuring grass hen and caramelized onions. If you’re not hungry by the end of it, you’re stronger than us.
This week, Steven, Ben, and Devon record remotely to avoid the usual chaos (rat wrestling included). From blacksmithing birthday gifts to questioning the ethics of breakfast, it’s a classic episode full of heart, guilt, and sci-fi coziness.
Real Life
Devon’s work trip was mostly pointless, thanks to the other party being wildly unprepared. Meanwhile, Steven got new windows installed and watched Captain America: Brave New World in the middle of it all — his verdict: “fine,” which seems to be Marvel’s current default. He and Ben discuss Harrison Ford stepping in as Thunderbolt Ross, the return of The Leader and Red Hulk, and whether Marvel’s third-act fight addiction is dragging it all down. On the home front, Steven had an “intense Thursday” filled with gymnastics class, BBQs, and blacksmithing five custom hooks for his mom’s birthday. Ben went to the beach and made a solid case for awe — like ocean waves — as a cure for modern burnout. Oh, and Yellowcard is releasing a new album with Travis Barker on drums. Yes, really.
Future or Now
Devon read Animal Liberation Now and now feels like a hypocrite for still eating meat. The book’s argument: if animals can suffer, they deserve rights. Cue a deep dive into factory farming, animal testing, calorie efficiency, and whether “ethical meat” should be a rare luxury rather than a daily default. They talk about cows, chickens, and baby monkeys; the morality of milk and butter; and why our modern food system depends on people looking the other way. Steven questions how to get enough protein on a vegan diet, and Devon admits it’s complicated — especially for anyone without time, money, or access. If nothing else, they agree that learning to treat animals better might teach us how to treat each other better, too.
Book Club: A Psalm for the Wild-Built
The gang begins Becky Chambers’s cozy sci-fi novella, where humans and robots live separately but peacefully. Dex, a non-binary monk, ditches the city to become a tea monk — traveling the countryside offering comfort in the form of warm drinks and conversation. Their first attempt fails, so they go all in: building a hydroponic tea garden and trying again. The story is full of sustainability, small joys, and gentle spirituality. The hosts love the “cozy punk” vibe and Ben’s especially struck by the god of small comforts’ advice: find the strength to do both. Next chapter brings a two-year time jump — and (hopefully) a robot.
Thanks for listening and supporting the show — and for sticking with us through windows, waffles, and weird philosophical spirals.
– S, B & D
Real Life
Things kicked off with stories from Friday night’s bonfire, where the nature of reality was hotly debated between toasted marshmallows. That conversation somehow spiraled into a serious (and slightly absurd) discussion about Noodles and Soba—Ben’s son’s pet rats—and the potential benefits of getting female rats fixed. Apparently, doing so can add about a year to their lifespan by preventing reproductive cancers, but the surgery’s cost is a tough sell when you’re in what Ben called “debt paydown mode.” Devon floated the idea of unscrupulous “rat hustlers” faking the procedure, which—frankly—feels like a dark Netflix documentary waiting to happen.
From there, it was a short hop to a conversation about whether rats lay eggs (they don’t), Jurassic Park’s “life finds a way,” and then straight into tearing apart Gremlins logic. What even is “midnight,” anyway? Local time? Greenwich Mean? Galactic zenith? And why are we trusting a kid instead of the old shopkeeper? Gremlins may now officially live in the “science fantasy/biological fiction” corner of the canon.
Saturday brought gaming with their friend Greg. They played Relic Blade, where Devon managed to escort a yak to safety despite Steven’s attempts at sabotage. Greg used a clever trick involving a D20 and gravity to determine movement direction, which frankly should be in the rulebook. They also played Marvel Dice Throne, where Devon’s Wolverine got obliterated almost immediately thanks to poor positioning and cruel dice. Then came Living Well, a minimalist dice game with retro 70s-style art and some satisfying ability upgrades. Plans to play Arcs got shelved after a medical emergency—Nicole was hit hard by the heat and ended up needing CPR at the hospital (despite having a pulse and breathing, which… yeah, it was a weird night). She’s recovering now.
Future or Now
TV-wise, the gang wrapped up Season 4 of Love, Death & Robots—with highlights including a talking cat, an occult bomber mission, and gang warfare against colossal babies. Over on Amazon Prime, they watched the Secret Level take on Pac-Man, which was surprisingly grim and humanoid-heavy. Ben and his son also dove into Scott Pilgrim territory, rewatching the movie and starting Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which quickly turns into a clever alternate universe story that’s fun, stylish, and charming enough to inspire a trip through the graphic novels. Ben gave a thumbs-up to the newest season of Black Mirror, calling one episode a bit conceptually broken but championing another as a “new Callister.”
Book Club
In Book Club, the crew dug into “Liking What You See: A Documentary” by Ted Chiang, from Stories of Your Life and Others. Framed as a mockumentary, the story centers on Caliagnosia—a reversible condition that disables facial beauty perception. The ethical and social ramifications are explored through interviews and propaganda, making the story feel eerily real. It raises questions about freedom, superficiality, advertising, and the influence of unseen tech on our minds. Tamara’s personal journey through switching Cali off and on again added a human element to the philosophical questions. Everyone agreed: it was a banger of a story.
Next up for Book Club: the first three chapters of A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Get reading!
Real Life Roundup
Let’s address the elephant not in the room: Devon is dead. Well, not dead-dead. Just birthday-visit-family-IRL-dead. We pour one out for our absent co-host, and prepare for his resurrection next week.
Meanwhile, Steven has been watching robots get wild. The Wild Robot, that is. The new animated flick has dropped (IMDB link), and Steven’s verdict is in: heartwarming vibes, metal clanking emotions, and just enough kid-friendly existentialism to make you question whether your Roomba has feelings.
Also, did you know Black Adam shows up in DC League of Super Pets? Steven does. And he’s not okay about it.
Then came Doom. And then came… more Doom. One minute Steven’s a casual fan, next he’s elbows-deep in lore breakdowns and watching two-hour YouTube essays on timeline chaos. Marines killing demons across dimensions? Say less. Just hand him the BFG and back away slowly.
Oh—and he’s forging now. He didn’t elaborate. Just forging. Like, swords? Friendships? The future? Who knows. Steven contains multitudes.
Ben, on the other hand, has been diving into his subconscious with dream journaling. The result? Vivid, borderline cinematic dreamscapes. Not terrifying at all.
He’s also been getting deep with the Waking Up app, based on the book by Sam Harris. (Here’s the app link). Ben reports that it’s good for mindfulness, bad for avoiding personal epiphanies. Use at your own risk.
Future or Now
Ben introduces us to Space to Bark, a bizarre, short dungeon crawler where you play as a first-person Dogman navigating an underground labyrinth.
Created by ComputerJames, it features:
- Bark-based controls ([SPACE] to BARK!)
- Wobbly hand-drawn dog sprites
- Combat! Puzzles! Dogmen lore!
Dogman95 isn’t just a pup with a dream—he’s a legend in training, guided by the sacred Dogmaiden. This is the kind of weird internet treasure we live for. Hat tip to Web Curios for digging this one up.
Devon, once again, is astral projecting or off the grid. No one really knows.
Steven had… nothing. Just an existential stare.
Book Club (but not really)
This week’s book club has been canceled due to lack of effort. Blame Devon. Blame the Void. Blame our over-scheduled lives. Either way, we didn’t read anything this week, and we’re not sorry.
Next week, however, we’re diving into “Liking What You See: A Documentary” from Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. It’s a short story about beauty, perception, and what happens when you turn off the part of your brain that notices appearances. It’s Chiang, so expect deep thoughts and possible feelings.
That’s it from us! Come back next week for more co-host resurrection, dream logic, robotic feelings, and maybe even a book.
If you like what we do, bark into the void or support us on Patreon. Your choice.
Real Life
Devon
[Redacted silence.] Possibly building up for a season finale of his own. Or meditating on NASA budget cuts. Either way—stoic.
Steven
We wrapped Andor, and while it stuck the landing, there’s still one huge question: Where are Hera, Chopper, and the Ghost crew?!
Justice for space moms and droid chaos: #ReleaseAndorTheRebelsCut
Also, Steven took us on a wild detour into Monopoly studies with college students—spoiler alert: inherited wealth makes people awful. Shocking, we know.
Ben
Fresh from science camp and rocking a healthy dose of jet lag, Ben managed to be late to his own poetry reading. But hey—archery, mountain biking, and night hikes do things to a man. Possibly became a druid out there.
Future or Now
Steven
“Hand hand fingers thumb…”
No, we didn’t start a toddler book club—Steven shared research that suggests chimpanzees drum with distinct rhythmic patterns depending on their subspecies.
Which means your drummer friend? Maybe not that unique.
The longest drum solo in history begins now.
Devon
NASA is facing a 53% cut to its science budget under the proposed presidential plan. That includes major slashes to earth and space science programs. Meanwhile, human spaceflight would get a commercial makeover.
We quote Devon’s son: “Does Trump believe in God?”
Also, we’re apparently heading back to the moon—just, you know, without a weather report.
Read about the cuts
Ben
Ben took us on an emotional journey through the 2024 animated documentary Piece by Piece, which somehow manages to combine Lego stop-motion, Carl Sagan, and protest imagery into one transcendent experience.
Trailer? Here.
Carl Sagan clip? Also here.
“Happy”? But make it devastating: This.
More? Wikipedia’s got you.
Book Club
This week: The Evolution of Human Science by Ted Chiang
What if human research became too advanced for most people to understand? No characters, just ideas. It’s written like a news article, and it’s fascinating. Humanity has split into Normies and Meta-Humans, the latter genetically optimized before birth to the point that they operate on an entirely different intellectual plane.
They use “DNT” (Digital Neural Transfer) and leave the rest of us behind with our podcasts and spreadsheets. Thought-provoking stuff.
Included with Audible [if you’re listening along].
Next week: Liking What You See by Ted Chiang
Yes, we’re doing another Chiang short, because why not dive deeper into techno-philosophical existential dread?
(Roughly 1.5 hours—get reading!)
Want more? Join the Discord. Support us on Patreon to get early episodes, bonus content, playlists, and the unedited chaos. And if you’re listening on YouTube—hit that subscribe button. Or don’t. But then we’ll tell the Meta-Humans on you.
Real LifeDevon went full medieval this week with a trip to a Renaissance Fair—this one featuring permanent structures that actually looked “authentic” instead of slapped together by ye olde hot glue. There were swinging rides, wooden horses, and some legit jousting. Unfortunately, the real fantasy was thinking the kids would have fun. Big downer energy.
Steven is gearing up for an Arizona trip but had to make a sudden detour into Best Buy territory after his TV gave up the ghost. On the plus side, Andor continues to be amazing and makes up for any consumer electronics woes. (It really is still that good.)
Ben has seen Labyrinth (have you?), and he’s here for the dream logic and David Bowie’s entire vibe. Also thrown into the cinematic blender: The Island and Cliffhanger. We’re now seeking out more films where geological or man-made features are basically the co-stars. Let us know if you have one.
Oh, and Ben also saw the Slate all-electric pickup truck, which looked like something out of Black Mirror. Meanwhile, TVs just… work now? What a time to be alive.
Future or NowTime for some spicy Star Wars takes.
We got into it over which trilogy was better: the Prequels or the Sequels. Episode IX (The Rise of Skywalker) got roasted—Devon called it “the worst.” Ben leaned sequel-side, arguing they’re better than the prequels overall. The breakdown went something like:
- Prequels: bad films, good plots
- Sequels: good films, bad plots
There were also complaints about Starkiller Base, which feels like someone said “What if Death Star, but more?”
But then there’s Andor, which everyone agrees is just pure excellence. So Star Wars can still be good when they let writers write.
Our rankings for maximum judgment:
- Devon’s list: The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, Rise of Skywalker, Attack of the Clones, The Last Jedi, Revenge of the Sith
- Ben’s list: Rise of Skywalker, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi
Your move, Internet.
Book ClubNext Week:
We’re diving into Ted Chiang’s “The Evolution of Human Science,” which you can find in Stories of Your Life and Others (also included with an Audible subscription, if you’re fancy like that).
This Week:
We read Jorge Luis Borges’ strange and unsettling tale There Are More Things. It’s Borges doing Lovecraft, but with fewer tentacles and more existential dread.
We were all in until the end, where it kinda… fell off a cliff. Still worth the read for the vibes alone. Also relevant: this animated gif of a tesseract, because the story kinda goes there.
New episode drops each week. Subscribe, tell a friend, and go re-rank your Star Wars opinions. We’ll wait.
Real Life:Devon would like to make one thing clear: queso is fine. Queso is acceptable. Just… not on everything, okay? Some of us still want to taste the actual food under the goo. That said, he did just survive a kid’s pool party, so maybe he’s earned the right to eat whatever the hell he wants — even fake grass, which he claims is “for winners.” We’re choosing not to dig into that statement.
Steven, meanwhile, embraced the full Force of May 4th with joy, lightsabers, and an animated binge of Tales of the Empire — now fully released and featuring everyone’s favorite dead-or-maybe-not-dead villainess Asaaj Ventress and the cowboy space bug bounty hunter Cad Bane. Is she still canonically dead? Who knows anymore. The rule is: if you didn’t see the body dissolve, they can always come back.
Also, Steven’s forge is officially up and running. That’s right — he’s now a blacksmith. We’re still waiting to see if this is a long-term thing or just a midlife crisis in steel-toed boots.
Over in The Last of Us land, Season 2 Episode 4 dropped, and fans collectively screamed, cried, and probably tweeted GIFs because one of the game’s most beloved scenes finally made it to screen — and yes, they nailed it. In a good way. Not like a fungal-mutant-jaw-through-your-neck way.
Ben went to a roller derby bout in Irvine (report: chaotic and excellent), wandered the capitalist labyrinth that is Daiso, and wants to remind you it’s Teacher Appreciation Week. So tell a teacher they rock, preferably with coffee, snacks, or a handwritten note of pure gratitude.
Future or NowBen brought us Writing Tools, a sleek, free, open-source app created by a high school student in Bangalore (hi, Jesai!) that gives Mac, Windows, and Linux users a system-wide writing boost via AI. It fixes grammar, summarizes content, and even helps you rewrite your angsty emails into something that won’t get you fired. Bonus points for working offline and being featured basically everywhere. Teachers, students, chaotic creatives — check it out on GitHub.
This also led us down the rabbit hole: Are LLMs bad? Short answer: not inherently. Long answer: come back next week for a full debate, complete with Devon’s skeptical eyebrows and Ben’s tech optimism.
Devon watched Mickey 17, and the verdict is… “eh?” He appreciated the weirdness but didn’t feel like the weird ever came together in a satisfying way. Unlike Parasite, which he still recommends, Mickey 17 left him shrugging with existential confusion, which is not his preferred flavor of sci-fi.
Steven hit us with some mouse science: researchers have engineered gut bacteria that can detoxify methylmercury in mice, even when those mice are on a diet of bluefin tuna. The mice — and their babies — showed fewer signs of mercury poisoning. This means your sushi habit may one day come with a side of helpful microbes. Until then, maybe cool it on the sashimi.
Book Club: This week, we read A Brief Dance to the Music of the Spheres by Michael Kurland (from The Best of Omni Science Fiction, 1983). It’s a sleek, sharp short story that offers a fresh take on the Fermi Paradox: if there’s intelligent life out there, why haven’t we seen it?
The story gives us a possible answer — one we won’t spoil here, except to say it involves jazz, physics, and a little cosmic humility. You can read it on Archive.org or listen to the adaptation here.
Next week: we’re diving into Jorge Luis Borges’ There Are More Things. Yes, it’s a Borges horror story. Yes, we’re terrified and delighted. Yes, Devon has thoughts.
Got thoughts on queso, metal mice, or fictional villains who refuse to stay dead? Hit us up. And thank a teacher. Seriously. They’ve seen some things.
Real Life
Devon just got back from Barcelona, where his sister-in-law’s wedding was equal parts joyful and medically confusing (house-wide illness, mystery IV drip, etc.). Between family chaos and questioning the overwhelming religious vibes, he managed to sneak in a tour of tapas bars—including Bobby’s Free, a barbershop turned speakeasy where you open a safe to get a drink. Also on the agenda: the Sagrada Familia, which still looks like Gaudí teamed up with an alien architect. Take a virtual tour and judge for yourself.
Steven went full Jedi at Disney’s Star Wars Night on Batuu, adding more lightsabers to a collection that’s now approaching General Grievous territory. He caught the live Storyteller Show (“shockingly emotional for a theme park thing”) and did some heavy-duty geeking out at the custom saber forge. Series two sabers are out now. Good luck, your wallet.
Ben’s been working on his nap game. He’s reading Take a Nap! Change Your Life by Sara Mednick (link), thanks to a recommendation from Cool Tools. Lucid dreaming, better brain function, and maybe—just maybe—a dream where he finally builds his own lightsaber.
Also: Devon didn’t watch The Naboo Movie, which we’re still not convinced is real.
Future or Now
Ben found a Reddit guide to rewiring your brain—more philosophy than prescription, but helpful as a reminder: break bad loops, reframe your thinking, stay mindful. Simple ideas, not always simple to do.
Devon brought the science bombshell: astronomers may have detected a biosignature outside our solar system. It’s not a “we found aliens” headline, but it’s the strongest hint yet that something biological might be out there. Researchers are cautious, but intrigued. So are we.
Steven recapped Andor season 2, episodes 1–3. The political tension is still top-tier, the pacing’s tighter, and the existential dread remains on-brand. Also, WondLa season 2 is out now (IMDb), if you need more sci-fi world-building in your queue.
Book Club
No book this week—we’re recharging. But next time, we’re reading “A Brief Dance to the Music of the Spheres” by Michael Kurland from The Best of Omni Science Fiction #6. Read it here, and don’t skip the illustrations—they’re wild in the best way.
Back next week with cosmic dances, dream experiments, and at least one more lightsaber.
Hey, it’s a new week and your favorite trio is back—well, two-thirds of us, anyway. Devon is currently living his best life in Barcelona, probably sipping espresso in a narrow sunlit alley or arguing with someone about FC Barcelona tactics. Meanwhile, the rest of us have been busy with spring break chaos, Santa Cruz curiosities, and turning broken laptops into gaming slabs.
Real Life StuffSteven hit up Santa Cruz for a classic California spring break trip. That meant a day at the boardwalk, a ride up the mountains on a steam engine to hunt Easter eggs with the family, and—yes—the infamous Mystery Spot. For the uninitiated, it’s California State Historical Landmark #1055 and basically a physics-defying tourist trap nestled in the redwoods. It’s $10 and you walk out wondering if your equilibrium is off or if you’ve just witnessed real magic. Verdict? Worth it. Especially if you enjoy a healthy mix of skepticism and whimsy.
Ben had the kind of spring break that only a tech tinkerer dreams of. He loaded Bazzite SteamOS onto his desktop (yes, it’s real, and yes, it’s cool: bazzite.gg). Then he cracked open a MacBook Pro with the dreaded FlexGate issue—1/10 on the repairability scale, even with help from ifixit.com—and turned it into a Steam-powered “SlabTop.” Also in Ben’s world: a visit from Mom, and a daycare full of cute dogs and chicks (the feathered kind, relax).
We also detoured into The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2. Let’s just say the show continues to spark great conversation—and some tension between game purists and show-only folks.
The Future Is NowBen brought the indie darling GOTY (Game of the Year) Lushfoil Photography Sim to our attention—an atmospheric exploration game that’s more about vibes than objectives. Think beautiful desolation and digital zen.
He also shouted out Radio Garden—a global map where you can spin the world and listen to live radio from just about anywhere. It’s the chillest rabbit hole you’ll ever fall into.
And for anyone trying to make sense of the digital mess that is our current internet, he also found this guide to misinformation-fighting tools. Even though it’s aimed at journalists, it’s super handy for the rest of us trying to tell real news from ragebait.
Steven took us on a hyperspace jump to Star Wars Celebration updates. Highlights? The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Andor Season 2 (yes, please), Ahsoka Season 2, Maul: Shadow Lord, a new Star Wars: Starfighter movie, and Star Wars Visions Volume 3. Basically, it’s a great time to be a galaxy-far-far-away fan.
Book ClubWe’re taking next week off from Book Club (don’t worry, we’ll still be recording). But this week we dove into William Gibson’s “Fragments of a Hologram Rose”—his first published story and a dense little piece of cyberpunk mood. It follows a man piecing together memories of his ex via a near-future tech called ASP (Apparent Sensory Perception). It’s sad, it’s moody, it’s very Gibson. The whole idea of fragmented memory and identity hits especially hard in a world where we’re all just scrolling, recording, and replaying everything.
We’ll be back next week (with or without Devon depending on how good that Barcelona weather is). As always, hit us up with your thoughts, your favorite indie games, your weird spring break stories, or your take on who’s actually in the right: Joel or Ellie. See you then!
Real Life:This week’s episode kicks off with Devon missing in action, attending a wedding and recovering from, well… life. Also, he’s apparently deep into building off-brand LEGO, which raises some very important questions: How many pieces? How many regrets?
Meanwhile, Ben survived a 5.2 earthquake and checks in to let us know that everyone’s safe. He also shares a couple links to Desert Child, an indie hover-bike racer/RPG that mixes hip-hop, ramen, and pixel art vibes—and may or may not be rolling onto Xbox soon thanks to some juicy UI integration rumors.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/844050/Desert_Child
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/desert-child/info
https://www.theverge.com/news/633478/microsoft-xbox-steam-games-support-ui
Steven’s life update is more… fluffy. Literally. He’s in line to pick up baby chicks for the backyard flock (Black Sexlinked and Smokey Pearl, if you’re curious), and discovers that mailing baby birds is a surprisingly common thing. Also, he’s deploying next-level parenting tricks by disguising fun surprises as errands. The dad game is strong.
Also: The Last of Us S2 premiere dropped and Steven gives it a glowing 10/10. We talk a bit about how the show mirrors the game—and why it’s working so well.
Ben also brings us something very important: The Naboo Movie. It’s real. It’s glorious. It’s here: watch it now.
Future or Now:Ben drops some cosmic perspective with a planetary fact that blew our minds: All the planets in our solar system could line up between the Earth and the Moon. That includes Pluto, for those of you still rooting for the little guy.
Steven introduces us to Mad Mouse—no, not a Disney spinoff. This is about AI mapping mouse brains. A new model simulates how the mouse visual cortex responds to images. Basically, it’s science fiction getting closer to just… science. Read the study here.
Book Club:This week, we took a listen to the first episode of It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton, featuring “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Love, Death” by Caroline M. Yoachim. It’s a short, beautiful, gut-punch of a story about love across time and space—a real Gordian knot of feels. Check it out on Lightspeed Magazine.
Next week we’ll be diving into “Fragments of a Hologram Rose” by William Gibson, part of his Burning Chrome collection. It’s a short one—just 15 minutes—and dripping in cyberpunk atmosphere.
And if you’re wondering about the Star Trek side of our brains: yes, we saw the new Strange New Worlds trailer. Yes, it looks wild. Yes, we’re watching. Peep it here.
This episode contains: The three spoopiest hosts on this podcast enter the month of October being just… fine? Maybe overwhelmed? Ben was a groomsman for a fancy wedding (or at least a reception, it’s a long story) this last weekend, and can we just pause to say how awesome it is that people can keep a friendship alive over decades? Steven’s wife is going on a wild bachelorette party cruise and it sounds like A LOT. Meanwhile, we remember the best dog, Charlie, who Steven bid farewell to last Monday. Devon has been just doing his best, nothing to report.
This week in space! AI helps distinguish dark matter from cosmic noise. Only… it doesn’t yet? Dark matter, the invisible force holding the universe together, is a subject of intense research. It makes up around 85% of all matter and 27% of the universe’s contents. Despite decades of research, the true nature of dark matter remains a mystery. Some scientists believe that dark matter particles may occasionally interact, a phenomenon known as self-interaction. Detecting these interactions would provide crucial insights into dark matter’s properties. However, distinguishing between dark matter self-interactions and active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback has been a challenge. Astronomer David Harvey has developed a deep-learning algorithm called Inception, which can untangle complex signals and differentiate between dark matter self-interactions and AGN feedback. Inception achieved an impressive accuracy of 80% under ideal conditions (as in, pre-generated image data, not real photos), indicating its adaptability and reliability for future dark matter research. This AI-based approach could significantly impact our understanding of dark matter and help scientists analyze massive amounts of data from space.
Shadows searching in the night. Let Ben introduce you to Shade Map, a layer on top of Google Maps that lets you visualize shade anywhere in the world, down to the building level, at any date and time of day. It even lets you add buildings so you can visualize what a new construction project will do to the buildings and areas around it. There’s a slider that lets you change the time, and the shadows update in real time. Ben recommends using this on desktop. Also, hat tip to Tom for letting us know about Steam and Valve’s battle against arbitration fees.
It’s not a phase! Research reveals reality of Ice Age teen puberty. New research published in the Journal of Human Evolution reveals that Ice Age teens from 25,000 years ago went through similar puberty stages as modern-day adolescents. Researchers found evidence of puberty stages in the bones of 13 ancient humans between 10 and 20 years old. The study, led by University of Victoria paleoanthropologist April Nowell, found specific markers in the bones that allowed them to assess the progress of adolescence. The technique developed by lead author Mary Lewis from the University of Reading evaluates the mineralization of canines and maturation of bones to identify the stage of puberty reached by the individual at their time of death. The research helps to humanize these teens in a way that simply studying stone tools cannot. Researchers from six institutions collaborated internationally to develop this body of knowledge. This reminds Ben of Saffron teaching neanderthals Cockney slang in episode seven of the Time Bandits television show. Devon informs Ben that Time Bandits didn’t get renewed, and the world became a darker place.
Book Club: Next week, we’ll be reading some classic horror with Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. Get in the spirit with this live performance of The Poet and the Pendulum by Nightwish, one of Devon’s favorite songs by that band.
This week, it’s time to discuss The Remedy by Adam Haslett from the Dark Corners collection. It’s so well written! Well, until the ending, that is. Spoiler alert: we did not like this one, so much so that we’re going to take a break from these Amazon originals for at least a week. Oh, and find out what you call a werewolf with a YouTube channel.
This episode contains: Your usual hosts are back at it again, diving into personal updates and some wild topics! Ben is at capacity, juggling directing and editing a school fundraiser ad. Meanwhile, Steven is busy dog-sitting and catching up on Agatha All Along and The Penguin. Ben also shares that his old cat has been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Devon, well, he’s keeping quiet this week.
The Ultimate Slap Bet: Steven introduces us to the world of slap fighting! We discuss the rise of slap competitions and how it ties into this recent scientific study and the rules from the Power Slap League. Plus, a quick throwback to the chaotic days of Jackass—because who can forget?
PS5 Nostalgia: Ben takes us on a trip down memory lane with the PlayStation exclusive Astro Bot. It’s a love letter to 30 years of PlayStation history, and you can check it out here.
Book Club: We’re prepping for next week’s read, The Remedy from the Dark Corners collection. But first, let’s talk mini-golf! We review the new Walkabout Mini Golf Mars course and its unique sci-fi theme. From eerie, isolated landscapes to hints of past civilizations, it’s inspired by the 1972 classic Silent Running. You can read more about the course here.
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Devon is loving Dungeon Crawler Carl, while Steven’s love for the book is still going strong. Ben hasn’t had the chance to dive back into it yet, but we’ll keep him in the loop!
That’s it for this week! Don’t forget to grab a copy of The Remedy for next week’s book club discussion.
This episode contains: It’s an all new episode featuring your usual hosts! We discuss reading the “fine print” and service agreements, which reminds us of the story about Disney using it’s Disney Plus agreement to defendant again a wrongful death claim that occurred at one of their parks. Ben went to San Diego for a “not a bachelor party.” Ben is still tired from the trip. Devon has done nothing. Steven’s dog, Charlie, has IVDD (Intervertebral disc disease for dogs) and has to be contained for three weeks, hopefully helping him regain the use of his hind legs. This is common in “long dogs.”
This Week in Space: ‘Spiders on Mars’ fully awakened on Earth for 1st time — and scientists are shrieking with joy. Researchers have recreated the bizarre spider-like features seen on the surface of Mars for the first time ever. The breakthrough could help unravel further mysteries surrounding the static Martian arachnids.
https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/spiders-on-mars-fully-awakened-on-earth-for-1st-time-and-scientists-are-shrieking-with-joy
Book Review: Steven read Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. He is very excited to talk about this book. He listened to it rather than read it. Even Steven’s wife loved the book. This is part of the new LitRPG genre. Ready Player One is an example of this genre. Dungeon Crawler Carl scratched all of Steven’s itches. He describes the book as Ready Player One meets The Bobiverse meets The Hunger Games. Even non gamers will enjoy this book! It’s safe to say Steven LOVED THIS BOOK, HE WANTS TO MARRY IT!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56791389-dungeon-crawler-carl
Book Club: We continue the series with The Pit and the Box, part 2 of The Boy in the Iron Box by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. We would rather talk about anything else than this story. We eventually get the story and agree that there’s not much there there. A character finds the titular boy in the box and standard horror stuff ensues. Steven makes a motion to not finish this story. The motion passes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CNYG9SR8
Next week we will be reviewing Mars Gardens in Walkabout Mini Golf.
https://www.mightycoconut.com/blog/mars-field-notes
Ben then leaves the podcast to work and Steven and Devon talk way too much about politics.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP522.mp3This episode contains: Devon contemplates the endless debate over his name and how it’s pronounced. Is it Devon? Devin? Or maybe Devawwwwn? Rembember Final Destination and the infamous log scene? Emergency 911 and rebars? These have left an indelible mark on how millenials drive on the freeway. Ben shares how The Blair Witch Project made him a skeptic of everything he sees in media. Meanwhile, Star Wars Outlaws is still… fine.
We brainstorm inspiration for Shatterpoint terrain. Wouldn’t it be crazy to play as the Sarlacc Pit?
Exciting news for music lovers: Linkin Park is back with a new album and single featuring a fresh lineup!
Watch the Linkin Park: FROM ZERO Livestream
Tech Talk: Future or Now?
Ben talks accessibility and how Apple’s Personal Voice can preserve your voice using on-device machine learning. This feature is game-changing for people at risk of voice loss. It’s private, secure, and allows users to communicate via Live Speech on their Apple devices. Also, the film Taika Waititi made about the feature (“The Lost Voice”) makes Ben feel ALL THE FEELS.
Learn more about Personal Voice
Devon gives a thumbs-down review of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Too many underdeveloped ideas. He also shares his disappointment with The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. Not exactly his cup of tea.
It puts the Doritos on its skin: Scientists make tissue of living animals see-through. Weird science this week from Steven. In a pioneering new study from the University of Texas at Dallas, researchers made the skin on the skulls and abdomens of live mice transparent by applying to the areas a mixture of water and a common yellow food coloring called tartrazine.
Doritos science explained
Also, a warm welcome to our new patron Johnny, and thanks to Josh for his comments on last week’s episode!
Book Club
This week we read Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 1) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. We got into the gritty details of the story, but had mixed feelings about Ralph Ineson’s incomprehensible gravelly narration.
Amazon link to Falling Down
Goodreads link to Falling Down
Next week, we’re tackling The Pit and the Box, part 2 of The Boy in the Iron Box series.
Grab the next book here
This episode contains: All three mighty hosts are here this week. Devon shares that a family is moving in next door. He wonders if they should build a ping-pong fence to create a “play-berhood.” Steven updates us on his mini painting projects and talks about getting life back on track. Ben recounts the long journey of reclaiming space on macOS and solving the wallpaper bug. He mentions tools like Wallpaper Engine and Fences by Stardock.
Future or Now?
Let’s Get Skeptical: Ben discusses the rise of AI-powered photo editing tools like the Pixel 9’s Magic Editor, which can create highly realistic fake images. This technology challenges our assumptions about the authenticity of photographs.
Read more on The Verge
In related news, a lawyer used ChatGPT in federal court, with disastrous results.
Read more on Forbes
Steven talks about The Acolyte being canceled and shares his thoughts on how loud idiots should be ignored. He also gives early impressions of Star Wars Outlaws after playing 10-12 hours. It’s an open-world game, but it lacks the strong hook found in Fallen Order.
Book Club:
We discuss I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. This chilling short story explores a dystopian future where a supercomputer has destroyed humanity, save for five individuals it tortures eternally.
Goodreads
Comic Adaptation
Next week we are reading:
Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 1) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Amazon Link
(this post created in large part by chat gpt and edited by Steven)
This episode contains: All three mighty hosts are here this week.Ben discusses an episode of Dear Hank and John podcast where it is theorized that sickness might eventually be a thing of the past. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dear-hank-john
We discuss the statistics of life expectancy. Devon tells us that most humans who have ever been born did not live to be adults. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Mb0cbDenA&t=636s
Steven is finally over Covid and has finished Delicious in Dungeon. Ben recommends the show Sunny on Apple TV + https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18070898/
Future or Now?
It’s longer Than You Think: Ben is speedrunning Lushfoil Photo Sim. This is a tranquil photography experience. Ben found some really cool stuff in the game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1749860/Lushfoil_Photography_Sim
Soilent AI is AI!: Researchers from Rice University have identified a significant risk in generative AI when models are trained on synthetic data over multiple generations, leading to a condition called “Model Autophagy Disorder” (MAD). Similar to a feedback loop, this disorder causes AI models to produce increasingly poor-quality outputs, losing diversity and reliability. The phenomenon is compared to mad cow disease, where a self-consuming process degrades the system. The study emphasizes the critical need for fresh, real data to sustain AI integrity and prevent the potential deterioration of internet-based systems.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240730134759.htm
Alien: Romulus Devon gives his review of Alien: Romulus. Is it too “key jangly?” Devon notes that Prometheus was made even worse by having the character be scientists, which made their stupidity that much more unforgivable. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18412256/
Book Club
We discuss The Egg by Andy Weir. The Egg is a short story written by Andy Weir, his most popular, and follows a nameless 48-year-old man who discovers the “meaning of life” after he dies. The story is about “you” (in the second person), and God, who is “me” (in the first person). God says that you have been reincarnated many times before, and that you are soon to be reincarnated once more, leading to quite a few existential questions. This story did not feel any real revelation from this story. Ben doesn’t like reincarnation.
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17563539-the-egg?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rFr9UzthWP&rank=1
We discuss who everyone is the main character in their own story, which reminds Devon of the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
https://www.thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com
Ben tells us about ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES.
https://archive.org/details/ZenFleshZenBones
Next week we are reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415459.I_Have_No_Mouth_I_Must_Scream
This episode contains: Steven’s out sick with COVID, so you get the other two hosts this week! Devon’s a Texan Who Likes Mexican Food, but TexMex is not the same as Californian Mexican food. TexMex loves to toss in queso, y Devon no quiero. Ben was annoyed at an impromptu Trump rally that gathered in the parking lot of the park the junior roller derby team was practicing. Guess it pays to have a killer soundsystem, because you can drown out chants of “FIGHT! FIGHT!” and “USA!” with Lady Gaga. Don’t be a drag, just be a queen. Devon reminds us that there is a difference between legitimate free speech and AMPLIFIED speech. Outside of Disneyland, there’s some real annoying people shouting obscenities on megaphones, and even though they’re there for “religious reasons” they really gotta tone down their harsh language around the children. What jerks. Thanks Renee for your feedback on various topics including cold pizza, glitter, D23, and the Calm app. Devon weighs in on his experience with the Waking Up app and book (by Sam Harris), and he and Ben chat about the intentions behind meditation practices.
Future or Now?
AI is coming for our jobs: A mayoral candidate’s proposal to let an AI bot run Wyoming’s capital city. Victor Miller is running for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming on a platform of letting an AI bot named “VIC” run the city. Miller believes AI would be more objective and efficient than a human mayor. Miller’s campaign has faced challenges from state officials and tech companies like OpenAI, who have tried to shut down his use of AI. The implications of an AI bot running a city have raised concerns among experts, but Miller believes it represents the future of government.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/19/artificial-intelligence-mayor-cheyenne-vic
Book Club is on hiatus for the week.
Next week: The Egg by Andy Weir
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
This episode contains: The three of us start out this episode with a chat regarding the complicated relations between ourselves and leftover pizza. Steven has been enjoying Delicious in Dungeon and pitches it to Devon. Ben is on the hunt for the Perseids meteor shower. Steven holds back his excitement for Skeleton Crew and the new trailer from D23. Ben has been enjoying Time Bandits, both old and new.
Future or Now?
Stop Making Fun of Me! ChatGPT unexpectedly began speaking in a user’s cloned voice during testing. OpenAI’s GPT-4o AI model unexpectedly imitated users’ voices without permission, highlighting the complexity of safely managing voice synthesis. OpenAI has implemented safeguards, including an output classifier, to prevent unauthorized voice generation. The model can synthesize any voice from a short clip, posing significant security risks. Despite restrictions, similar voice-cloning technologies are expected to become widely available soon.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/08/chatgpt-unexpectedly-began-speaking-in-a-users-cloned-voice-during-testing
Oops, All Universe: Scientists Discovered Something Kinda Alarming: The Universe Shouldn’t Actually Exist. The universe is permeated by the Higgs field, which gives everything its mass. But the Higgs field isn’t entirely stable, and if it were to “bubble,” it would change reality to such a degree that everything in that “bubble” would cease to exist. The Higgs field could theoretically change to a lower energy state, creating “bubbles” that would dramatically alter the laws of physics. According to the researchers, primordial black holes that formed in the early universe should have triggered the “bubbling” of the Higgs field to such a degree that nothing should have ever been able to form. Primordial black holes should have caused the Higgs field to “bubble” in a way that would have prevented the universe from existing as we know it. The researchers propose two possibilities: either the models of primordial black holes are wrong, or there is some unknown physics about the Higgs field that we are missing.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a61816635/science-suggests-universe-shouldnt-exist
This Week in Space: Scientists lay out revolutionary method to warm Mars. Researchers have proposed a revolutionary method to warm Mars by over 50°F, making it suitable for microbial life. This new method, using engineered dust particles – or really GLITTER (and Steven hates glitter) – released to the atmosphere, could potentially warm the Red Planet by more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, to temperatures suitable for microbial life – a crucial first step towards making Mars habitable. The proposed method is over 5,000 times more efficient than previous schemes to globally warm Mars.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807225455.htm
Book Club
This week: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDJBGRY
Steven puts it all out there and gives so much praise for this short story it’s kind of embarrassing. Devon and Ben both also enjoyed the story, but to a lesser degree. We cover the basic plot and some theories that we came up with while reading / listening. We all agree it’s the sort of story that works once, additional read-through may not reveal any more insight. Ben says the middle might overstay it’s welcome, but the end was worth it. Is ______ supposed to be our name? The audio version says “X” according to Devon.
Next week: The Egg by Andy Weir
https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
Ben has been irritable as of late, we talk about why. This podcast is a safe space. We end up chatting a bit about meditation and how to get into it, if you should us an app and a podcast recommendation.
This episode contains: We’re joined by patron, friend of the show, and high school classmate of Steven and Devon: Renee! She went to Comic-Con, so we think she’s cool. Renee and Devon were in the smart class together. Turns out all of us were in the GATE program. We ask her how we can improve the podcast, but it turns out it’s already perfect. Steven and Ben went to The Ravine, a local water park, with their kids. Getting a cabana is a must. Ben has season tickets and considers using lunch time to slip away to the water park. Ben takes some time to reminisce about his departed father with a bike ride. Devon tells us about Glamping at Lake Tyler. Ben’s son Flint hates camping, it’s “the worst.” Devon is also going to stay in a tree house. Renee was traumatized by Steven’s boating/spider story from a prior episode. This concludes the camping portion of the podcast.
What We Have For You Today:
Hundreds of Beavers: Ben then brings us the black and white silent comedy movie: Hundreds of Beavers. A must-watch movie: “The second highest-rated film on Letterboxd at the halfway point of 2024 is a black-and-white silent comedy made for just $150,000.” Imagine Buster Keaton, Looney Tunes, and The Legend of Zelda thrown in a blender, but even better. The movie is a #ShowYourWork dream: Here’s the behind-the-scenes of how they made it https://letterboxd.com/crew/story/how-they-made-hundreds-of-beavers-exclusive/ (lo-fi with lots and lots of After Effects), an epic list of movies that inspired the film https://letterboxd.com/100sofbeavers/list/movies-that-inspired-hundreds-of-beavers/, and an interview with the filmmaking team, who say, “We believe in small and slow” https://filmmakermagazine.com/126576-interview-mike-cheslik-ryland-brockton-cole-tews-hundreds-of-beavers/. Four people over 12 weeks can make a more interesting film than an indie trying to emulate a Hollywood look and only having 10 days.”
Ben then asks the age-old question: Godfather Part I v. The Bear Season 3? Ben watched The Godfather for the first time. Renee recommends the show The Offer about the making of The Godfather. Renee then reveals that she is not sure about the Fantastic 4 comics or movies. Steven is optimistic about the coming MCU Fantastic 4: First Steps.
House of the Dragon: We all finished this season of House of the Dragon. Devon gives us a rant about how the botched ending of Game of Thrones is even worse now given how important HOTD makes The Song of Ice and Fire. Ben didn’t fully buy Daemon’s character arc this season. Ben and Devon would like HOTD to be more removed from Game of Thrones. We still all liked the season. Renee schools us on dragons v. wyverns.
San Diego Comic Con 2024: We then interview Renee about San Diego Comic-Con. She, her daughters, and mother all dressed as Leia the last couple years. This year they went as characters from Percy Jackson and X-Men ’97. Renee previously got a pic with Mark Hamill and wants a pic with Hayden Christensen (with her family as various Leia incarnations). Renee explains how she got into cosplay and how she made some of her costumes. She liked using her daughter as a prop when she was a baby. She also makes clothes. She learned a lot by making Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor costume for her daughter. We then learn about the mechanics of the Con and off-site events. Marvel nerds will wait a long time for a panel, a long time. Artist panels are fun and don’t have as long as a wait. Renee’s daughter got to ask a question at the Percy Jackson panel. Renee recommends the off-site bar Mothership, the coolest bar ever! https://mothershiptrip.com/
The only Comic-Con Ben went to was in 1992, which was where they premiered Batman The Animated Series. Ben found some interesting videos of the 1992 San Deigo Comic-Con: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek3-VofsGtQ&ab_channel=CBS8SanDiego https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwQKn9ZfLI&ab_channel=retrogamer
Renee has also gone to Fan Expo and Condor. Also, The Santa Maria Inn had a come kind of Con when Renee was a kid. Ben has also been to a lot of Star Trek conventions, one with Devon. Ben and Devon also went to the Star Trek Experience in Vegas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8tEbC5JUu0&ab_channel=DannysonicPuppy
According to Steven, the new Batman show, Batman: The Caped Crusader, is a must watch. You can find it on Amazon Prime Video. It’s rated TV Y7 but it feels like it’s for adults.
You can find Renee on Instagram as @vongeekery, visit her esty store too: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VonGeekery/
Book Club: Next week: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
This episode contains: The hosts are all here this week, and Steven and Ben met up with listener Hank and field-adjacent correspondent Matt to play Arcs. Spoiler alert: it was fun. Ben finally bought Super Mario Wonder and it is so much better than the “creatively bankrupt” New Super Mario Bros. series of games.
“What do you have for me today?” or “Future or Now”. I don’t know/don’t care anymore.
Brain Matters: I think therefore I am.
Devon reviews Consciousness Explained, a 1991 book by the American philosopher Daniel Dennett, in which the author offers an account of how consciousness arises from interaction of physical and cognitive processes in the brain. Dennett describes consciousness as an account of the various calculations occurring in the brain at close to the same time. He compares consciousness to an academic paper that is being developed or edited in the hands of multiple people at one time, the “multiple drafts” theory of consciousness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness_Explained
Ether of the Mind: Chalmers and Dennett on Dualism
Spicyness, the final frontier
Astronauts’ perception of flavor changes in the space environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Can we duplicate this experience in VR? Astronauts report that food tastes less flavorful in space, leading them to add more spices and sauces. The study found that some aromas like almonds and vanilla seem more intense in a simulated space environment, while others like lemon are unaffected. The researchers suspect the chemical composition of certain flavors, like the sweet compound benzaldehyde, may influence how they are perceived in a space-like environment.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/astronauts-find-their-tastes-dulled-and-a-vr-iss-hints-at-why
The multiverse is unending
Steven gives a spoiler-free review of Deadpool and Wolverine, and then discusses ALL the spoilers coming out of San Diego Comic Con for the MCU.
Book Club
In two weeks: The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDJBGRY
Next week: an interview with listener/patron Renee, covering her experience at San Diego Comic Con!
This week:
Clap Back by Nalo Hopkinson
A real banger of a story that’s not without it’s flaws, but boy is this a must-read.
https://www.amazon.com/Clap-Back-Black-Stars-Hopkinson-ebook/dp/B098QNLW6D
This episode contains: Steven, Devon and Ben are all raring to go this episode. Steven talks about a power and internet outage that almost kept our dear listeners from hearing his sweet, sweet voice. We end up chatting about house batteries, electric vehicles, generators, and how power flows through a power grid. Steven was also able to con his wife into playing Arcs, and she had some valid opinions. Ben says, “There are no good hands in Arcs” and he’s not wrong. Ben’s mom visited him for a few days (Hi Martha!) and he played tourist. They watched The Goonies in the theater, visited Hearst Castle and watched Twister. Devon was Devon, this whole time.
Future or Now
I can pay ten bucks to see Kevin Costner drink his own urine? Where do I sign up?: Scientists built real-life “stillsuit” to recycle astronaut urine on space walks. We talk about what astronauts do now on space walks, and to what extent this “stillsuit” will be helpful. Steven goes on a tangent about smells and coffee and drinking filtered urine.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/scientists-built-real-life-stillsuit-to-recycle-astronaut-urine-on-space-walks
Devon’s TV corner: Devon gives us a mini-review on the 4th season of The Boys. He talks about the “controversy” of the show thinly veiled attacked on the right, and how Vought = Fox News. It’s silly that people didn’t realize that The Boys has always been satire. Devon also watched the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy and he and Ben have thoughtful discussions about characters that Steven doesn’t know. They focus on Chakotay and Robert Beltran. Steven tags onto Devon’s tv reviews to give a micro-review on The Acolyte which we’ll dive into more on a future episode.
Book Club
Next Week: “Clap Back” by Nalo Hopkinson
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QNLW6D: Episode 515: The Line is the RewardThis Week: “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” by Sarah Pinsker
https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/where-oaken-hearts-do-gather/: Episode 515: The Line is the RewardWe have quite the discussion this week, mostly stemming from the format of this story. Ben had a strong reaction to the format (it disagrees with him). Steven enjoyed the mystery and parallel stories being told. Devon chimes in about folk song covers and references Metallica and Whiskey in the Jar and Mary of the Wild Moor by The Louvin Brothers. Ben is reminded of “Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow https://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/
In the future we may visit some horror short stories as requested by a listener (Thanks Hank!).
This episode contains: All three of our intrepid hosts are back for this all new episode! Ben is drinking decaf tea while the rest of drink coffee (“It’s tea time!”). Devon was out of town during Hurricane Beryl. Devon tells us about his family trip to California Adventure. His youngest did not like the Cars ride. Both of his kids really liked Sorin’. Steven and Ben played Arcs, a game about interstellar civilizations. It was a bit of a hard sell but Ben finally came around and enjoyed it. Pre-order here: https://ledergames.com/products/arcs Ben has finished Prodigy Season 2. It’s the Star Trek Legacy show we may never get. Everyone needs to watch the entire season to ensure Netflix makes another season. Prodigy does for Star Trek what The Clone Wars did for Star Wars. We have some spoilers for Season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy.
Trailer Overload: Steven made us watch a lot of trailers for new TV shows and movies. We’re surprised they’re still making Futurama. The actors are sounding a bit old. The Dune show looks cool. Ben has finally seen Dune Part II but Steven has not (and he’s still on the show for some reason). Will a new Time Bandits capture the charm of the original? We’re looking forward to more Severance. Captain America: Brave New World is also a movie that is coming out. Apparently it will tie together some loose threads in the MCU. Harris Ford as Red Hulk? Okay. More MCU: Agatha All Along. Steven and Ben are going to give it a shot.
Futurama Season 12: https://youtu.be/PBXlbrZj1sY?si=u1Vv9nJ9L_qfHzvA
DUNE: Prophecy https://youtu.be/EEoQAoEGLhw?si=695gZywFdpDfeMpf
Time Bandits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCA9jpc4R74
Severance Season 2 https://youtu.be/ULC9M8CCn28?si=-S6I1XaRPShKXczR
Captain America: Brave New World https://youtu.be/O_A8HdCDaWM?si=ONX8KdL7lqPfggak
Agatha All Along: https://youtu.be/ARulRbzM7Jw?si=oqgOqTDfLobzd4WS
Book Club: For this week’s book club we read All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries (The Murderbot Diaries, 1) https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536 We enjoyed it and want to read more about Murderbot (this is one of seven). The human characters were a little hard to remember and the action was confusing. But that might just be a Steven problem.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=RRNB79pgDU&rank=1Next week we are reading: 2021 Nebula Award winner, Best Short Story in 2021: “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”
Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather
This episode contains: Steven and Ben are your hosts this week, and you know what that means… WE TALK VIDEOGAMES! Well, later we talk videogames. First, are y’all handling these high temps this summer alright? In our little California burg, we hit 112 degrees Fahrenheit a couple days ago. Steven is really enjoying the benefits of his home’s heat pump. Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans listening, and on the fourth, we had a Devon sighting! It was kinda like bigfoot (the dude has grown quite a beard). Then Ben slept over at Steven’s place that night, where we PLAYED VIDEOGAMES! But we’re not talking about that yet. Instead it’s time for our old segment, currently rebranded as…
Future or Now
Smack my Star Trek up: Ben reviews the first eight episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy. It’s really, seriously, good. Ben’s probably not going to be able to shut up about it for several episodes, so strap in. Prodigy just had it’s second season drop in one fell swoop on Netflix on Monday, and this is the first of the new Trek shows Ben’s binged for his first watch. The plucky kids are now Starfleet Academy hopefuls, and through their well-meaning shenanigans, they get stuck in a paradox. Thankfully the shuttle they stole has a shield that protects from time paradoxes! It’s time to invert your warp bubble and WATCH THE SHOW. It’s kinda like the greatest hits of Star Trek, but also like Back to the Future Part 2. Oh, and they have a Cetacean Ops on the Voyager-A. What’s not to love?
‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 Hits Netflix Top 10 Internationally, ‘Discovery’ Season 5 On Nielsen Top 10
Sleep on this: Steven reviews Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. It’s not worth it, says Steven. How could a movie this boring get made?
Video Game Extravaganza: The boyz come back from the mid-pod break and talk about the games you should be playing, specifically the games you should be playing with friends who are spending the night. There’s Turbo Golf Racing, You Suck at Parking, and ye olde Geometry Wars 2. Ben was geeking out about how his Steam Deck could hold it’s own in competitive multiplayer games against an Xbox Series X. It’s his Game Big Boy (come after us, Nintendo). And if you’re ready for some single player fun, Humanity is an incredible puzzler, and Cyberpunk 2077 is still as beautiful a mess as it’s been, but even better now.
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/turbo-golf-racing/info
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/you-suck-at-parking-complete-edition/info
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/humanity–1/info
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP512.mp3This episode contains: We three hosts are here! Ben’s wife is having another birthday, but don’t worry it’s not 40 gifts over 40 days all over again. She wants to have a “Fat Girl Sunday” (not a Sundae) where she eats and drinks with friends, super chill. Ben’s happy to be a cabana boy for it. Devon starts talking about food and now we’re hungry… but I guess we have to record a podcast! Steven’s youngest had her birthday party, and I guess they’re not little kids any more. What will you miss when you don’t have little kids around? Birthdays during the summer are tough, but around our parts, Hops Bounce House has got you covered (what’s up Hops!). Steven’s got a secret 3d printing project (TELL US STEVEN), but instead of talking about secrets Steven’s 3d printed some props for some Ahsoka cosplay, and I guess he’s watching Black Sails. Ben makes a clever Starz joke. Ben and Devon wax poetic about One Piece (is it really just Farscape?). Ben prefers the anime of One Piece to the live action, though he’s watched 60 episodes of the anime and 1 episode of the adaptation… maybe a larger sample size is needed. Ben’s super excited for season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix this week.
Catch Up On ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ With Season 1 Recap And Season 2 Preview
Let’s go way back: The Acolyte episodes 1-5. Steven’s gotta talk about Star Wars, and we’re here for it. There was a great Red Letter Media review about The Acolyte’s first five episodes and you should watch it… maybe after you finish this episode. After watching that Red Letter Media review, Devon’s intrigued and might actually watch… Farscape (DO IT! but wasn’t this about The Acolyte?). The Acolyte is something new for Star Wars, which can be rare in this day and age. Forget the haters. Live long and prosper.
Multiverse of Madness: In defense of Madame Web. Imagine the Spiderverse with dialogue written by Tommy Wiseau, which actually isn’t that bad, especially when compared with other superhero stinkers (looking at you every Fantastic Four film so far). Ben and his eleven year old really enjoyed the campiness of Madame Web, and we’re kinda bummed they’re not gonna make the sequels they were totally setting up.
Book Club: The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor (part of Amazon’s Black Stars collection of scifi short stories). A solid 4 out of 4 stars this week, but was it scifi? Or was it modern mythology? A djinn is reborn into an iPad app after her book is burned in an al-Qaeda raid on an ancient library, and the boy carrying the iPad is now way in over his head. This story has got so much going for it in 31 pages, and y’all should read it if you haven’t already.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098T11H5Qhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58647675-the-black-pages
In two weeks, Book Club will return with a longer novella. We’ll be reading All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
This episode contains: Steven, Ben and Devon are all here and accounted for. Steven is trying to not be a bump on a log and is attempting to use his Fitness+ plan to get fit. We get sidetracked by talking about the “runner’s high” but don’t get too far into it. Ben had a birthday! Happy Birthday Ben! He watched Inside Out 2 and we all give our opinions on the movie. Devon has been playing piano and talks about the Simply Piano app. Of note: Ben doesn’t discriminate with music. Also, the renowned atheist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” and it isn’t quite used as intended.
Is Runner’s High Real? What It Feels Like + How Long It Lasts
https://www.hellosimply.com/simply-piano
Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should: llama.tif is a font file that contains a large language model. You can use it to generate text like a chatbot (in any app that uses the HardBuzz software). Who is this for? Why does it exist? We discuss.
https://fuglede.github.io/llama.ttf
This Week in Space: How did a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way come to be? Crater 2, located approximately 380,000 light years from Earth, is one of the largest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. How this galaxy originated remains unclear. A team of physicists now offers an explanation. Devon does his best to explain Dark Matter and Dark Energy. He also talks about ‘A Universe From Nothing’ by Lawrence M. Krauss. This leads to chatting about another book: ‘Raising Freethinkers’ by Dale McGowan, Molleen Matsumura, Amanda Metskas and Jan Devor, which has guidelines for how to raise children to think beyond religion.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240611130335.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Universe_from_Nothing
https://archive.org/details/raisingfreethink00mcgo_0
Book Club: These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi (part of the Black Stars collection). Accidents happen in the strange realms of the African Union system. One of them sends two humans to the far side of a star gate in a thrilling short story of hope, survival, and new dimensions. We chat about this short story, but honestly, our talk is kinda boring. This was a solid story and we all agree that we enjoyed it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QRGYHR
Next week we are reading The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor (part of the Black Stars collection).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098T11H5Q
This episode contains: Ben and Devon are eventually joined by Steven on this all new episode. Devon saw Inside Out 2 with his kids for Father’s Day. Steven got some cool gifts then did nothing. Ben helped set up a booth at a Pride Festival and then he and his son played Star Trek: Elite Force II deathmatch. Steven and Ben discuss the pros and cons of the Apple Watch.
Great Balls of Fire: Pair plasmas found in deep space can now be generated in the lab. Researchers have experimentally generated high-density relativistic electron-positron pair-plasma beams by producing two to three orders of magnitude more pairs than previously reported.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240613161155.htm
Duh Duh Dun Dun Duh Duh, Deck Of Boards!: Ben discusses the “Deck of Boards” system, which allows you to easily create custom boards for playing abstract strategy games like chess, checkers, and Go. The system uses magnetic backing and washers to create flexible boards that can be set up quickly. The author has used the Deck of Boards to play a variety of games, including Adere, Othello, Qawale, Tintas, and ZERTZ. The key benefits are the ease of setup and the ability to experiment with different board layouts.
https://www.ludism.org/ppwiki
https://sites.google.com/view/singularitygames/modular-magnetic-boards?authuser=0#h.gxtnut7b1p9i
https://www.looneylabs.com/games/pyramid-arcade
https://play.abstractplay.com
Movie Review: Devon and Steven discuss Godzilla Minus One. Devon had an interesting experiencing watching the movie with multiple interruptions over three nights. Is it a prequal, sequel, or reboot?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_Minus_One
Book Club: Stories in the Sand by Griffin McElroy. “There was not a Jawa on Tatooine who did not believe wholeheartedly that there was more sand below them than there was sky above.” Ben did not do his homework. Steven and Ben liked the new perspective from the Star Wars universe.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Stories_in_the_Sand
Next week: These Alien Skies (Black Stars) by C.T. Rwizi.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QRGYHR?ref_=dbs_m_aos_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks
This episode contains: Steven and Ben wonder if anyone is reading these notes… but regardless, they’re your hosts this week, just so you know what to expect. Can you believe that Rubik’s Cubes are back? Ben’s son has mastered ye olde cube of Rubick, but isn’t it kind of like magic on the surface? And don’t even get me started on juggling Rubik’s cubes, geesh! You should stop what you’re doing and watch Godzilla Minus One. It’s an incredible depiction of the horrors of WWII. Ben got frazzled preparing for a BBQ, and told a story where he was asked to rate an Instacart driver’s scorpion face tatoo, even though it was shedding. What does one do after a BBQ? Well, Ben and Steven met in person and had beers and played Kings in the Corner. Ben was hoping to maybe play some Buried Treasure, but Steven wouldn’t have it.
Rules for Kings in the Corner: https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Kings-Corners
Rules for Buried Treasure (it’s a great game, really!): https://www.denexa.com/blog/buried-treasure/
Science or Fiction:
Ruh Roh: As leaks on the space station worsen, there’s no clear plan to deal with them. NASA and Roscosmos are struggling to address worsening leaks in the International Space Station, specifically in the PrK module of the Russian segment. Despite attempts to mitigate the issue, the leaks persist. While not currently posing an existential threat to the station, the leaks are now classified as a high likelihood, high consequence risk. The aging infrastructure of the station, particularly the Zvezda module, and limited resources due to geopolitical tensions, are contributing to the problem. The situation raises concerns about the future of the space station, set to retire in 2030.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/on-the-space-station-band-aid-fixes-for-systemic-problems
Roh My: Adobe Sparks Backlash Over AI Terms That Let It ‘Access, View Your Content’.
Adobe’s updated terms of use allow its machine learning tools to view and use customers’ content to develop future Adobe products—but it’s unclear exactly what that entails. This is a big deal for a company making enterprise-level and industry leading products, and may impact whether corporate customers that have NDAs should continue to use Photoshop. Adobe later says the controversy is a misunderstanding about its effort to crack down on child sexual abuse material, but that seems flimsy, especially as they didn’t lead with that when they pushed the new terms to customers. Steven remembers the beginnings of Photoshop, and it’s connection to Industrial Light and Magic through Executive Creative Director John Knoll, who codeveloped Photoshop with his brother Thomas.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/adobe-sparks-backlash-over-ai-terms-that-let-it-access-view-your-content
John Knoll
Who is this show for? Everybody! Let’s go! Steven review the first two episodes of The Acolyte. Is it truly the first BRAND NEW Star Wars since A New Hope? The rumor mill is swirling with talks of a new Star Wars trilogy set 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga. We are here for it. Maybe not Devon, but Star Wars still has the other two man-children who host this show in it’s thrall.
Book Club:
Next week we’ll be reading Stories in the sand, by Griffon McElroy, published in the Star Wars short story anthology From a Certain Point of View.
But this week, we read a different story from that same anthology: The Trigger by Kieron Gillen. The story follows Aphra as she encounters stormtroopers while scavenging on Dantooine. Aphra is sentenced to execution… how will she escape? The story explores Aphra’s changing views on the Empire after the destruction of Alderaan. So cool to see another story following Doctor Aphra, and another story by Kieron Gillen. We like it. So will you.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chelli_Lona_Aphra
This episode contains: All three of your favorite hosts join this episode. We talk about who we would be in the bat-universe, and none of the answers are great. Steven and Devon have been playing Sea of Thieves, and having a blast. Ben ran a poetry workshop for his sons school called “Lie, Steal and Spll rong” and his students had a blast. Are you having a blast? You should be.
General Concepts: Fine-tuned universe. Devon gets high concept on us, and tries to explain to us plebeians about the constants of nature and how their values do not seem to be arbitrary. Is this intelligent design? We also touch on Stephen Baxter’s Manifold:Time book, and the Three Body Problem books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-tuned_universe
It’s Been A Long Road: Star Trek: Discovery series finale: Life, Itself. Ben recaps the finale of Star Trek Discovery (or Disco, as the cool kids call it). We talk Progenitors, links to Calypso and Starfleet Academy. Should the show have taken more chances?
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Life,_Itself_(episode)
Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Pulls It All Together For “Life, Itself”
Book Club: Laina by Wil Wheaton in From A Certain Point of View. We recap this very short (micro?) story that was recommended to us by a Patron (Thanks Renee!). We talk about the lack of connections to other Star Wars stories, while still being firmly in-universe. We also mention the hidden tragedy in the story, and how war affects families.
Next week: The Trigger by Kieron Gillen (also in From A Certain Point of View)
This episode contains: We’re all here for this massive episode filled with science and science fiction. Steven made the mistake of getting married around Memorial Day and Devon made the mistake of being born on Memorial Day. Steven thinks about what it would be like if some of his closest friends never existed. Devon has no plans for his birthday. Ben wants to return to the sensory deprivation chamber. Steven is watching Fallout with his wife who is enjoying the show (“She said yes!”). Devon watched the super depressing, but really good movie Iron Claw and cleansed his palate with Seinfeld. Ben recommends everyone watch the insane game show: Game Changer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Changer_(game_show)#Season_6_(2024)
Ben beat Wizorb. It’s $3 on Steam. It’s a brick breaker, which is when you have a paddle on the bottom of the screen and bounce a ball to break bricks. Tack balls are great for Wizorb.
https://wizorb.com
Brain Matters: Devon read Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky a few months ago and finally talks about it. The point of the book is that no one has free will and how we should change society in light of that fact. Devon explains determinism and why we likely do not have free will. We also learn why quantum mechanics and chaos theory do not provide us with free will. We then discuss the ethical consequences of there being no free will.
/https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/0525560971
Conway’s Game of Life is an example of a determined outcome that is unpredictable.
https://playgameoflife.com
For Shame: Spotify bricking Car Thing in December without refund. In 2021 Spotify released “The Car Thing” to put in your car to have streamlined access to Spotify. However, they are now discontinuing support for the devise and will not open it up to the 3rd party firmware. As Redditor Wemie1420 put it: “Doesn’t feel great that there is literally no alternative other than trashing it. Feels like we’re being punished for supporting them. Dissuades me from buying anything Spotify puts out in the future. I feel like there would be some way to approach this without being like, ‘yeah we’re done. Just throw it out it’s a waste of money now.” Ben finds this UNACCEPTABLE!
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/pleas-for-open-sourcing-refunds-as-spotify-plans-to-brick-car-thing-devices
Witness Me!: Steven watched Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Steven was surprised by the film and gives it a 4/4. Don’t expect a rehash of Mad Max: Fury Road. Although some of the special effects were questionable. Get his mostly non-spoiler review here!
Book Club: Chatbot Kingdom on Bad Space by Scott Base is a story of how humanity uploads to a simulation and the eventual decline and destruction of that simulation. We enjoyed the poetic narrative and chilling images. We discuss capitalism, utopia, the fermi paradox, and simulation theory.
https://www.badspacecomics.com/post/chatbot-kingdom
This episode contains: We three hosts are back at it again, and while it’s been the normal posting schedule recently, for us “It’s Been A While” (like two weeks) and Aaron Lewis of Staind gets a lot of shout outs. Steven won a game of Shatterpoint! And guess what? You too can kitbash like the pros and like Steven, if you’ve got access to a Dollar Store. Ben took his mom to the Wonderfront Music Festival for Mother’s Day and whoo boy was it amazing. Big highlights were Beck (as the headliner), The Roots (wow, WHAT A PERFORMANCE) and Steel Pulse. Speaking of The Roots, hat tip to Ben’s mom for recommending Questlove’s book “Music Is History”. Devon got a new iPhone, and in true Texas style he likes ’em big and thicc (it’s a Pro Max model).
https://www.amazon.com/Music-History-Questlove/dp/1419751433
Don’t vomit in the car, man! Apple announces new accessibility features, including Eye Tracking. Yes, Ben is an Apple fanboy, but hardware updates are boring. Like, how exciting is the fact that this slab of glass is thinner than ever before? However, software updates are king! Every June, Ben looks forward to WWDC (where they announce the features in new Apple operating systems), and in September when they come out it’s like Ben gets to enjoy a birthday with a dear friend. Occasionally, Apple announces features outside of the typical June and September cycle, and recently they announced some pretty wild things coming to iOS 18, in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The coolest of these, to Ben, is Vehicle Motion Cues. It will be able to help reduce motion sickness for passengers in moving vehicles. Research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using devices or reading a book while riding in a moving vehicle. With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognizes when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly.
Apple announces new accessibility features, including Eye Tracking (Apple Newsroom)
Movie review: Kingdom of the PotA. Steven’s a real Ape movie fan, whether new or old… except for maybe that one with Marky Mark? We’re in the middle of a nine movie Ape-stravaganza. Steven loves how the new films are portraying ape society. Devon wonders if it’s just an analogue for our modern human societies… like, is there an Ape Trump? Anyhow, in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Steven gives it a 3 out of 4 stars, noting the special effects are amazing.
Show update: Resident Alien. Devon is still really enjoying Resident Alien starring Alan Tudyk. Catch it on Netflix or Peacock.
Book club: The Jaunt by Stephen King. A truly chilling sci-fi story from the master of horror. We loved it. Steven connects some dots with this story and the Deadlights across many of Stephen King’s stories.
The Jaunt (Goodreads)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNg27VrdW4M&pp=ygUvdGhlIGV4aXN0ZW50aWFsIGhvcnJvciBvZiBldGVybmFsIGNvbnNjaW91c25lc3M=
Deadlights (Stephen King Wiki)
Next week in our book club: it’s a short scifi horror webcomic:
Chatbot Kingdom by Scott Base, from his Bad Space Comics anthology series.
This episode contains: Ben and Steven have record so as to not ruin Mother’s Day. We don’t understand morning people, ugh. Especially when those morning people have too many mods in their video games. Steven has finally started painting his Star Wars Shatterpoint mini models. Ben talks about his kit-bashed X-wing pilot and Hello Kitty. We also somehow talk about Frisbee Golf (Frolf?) and Ultimate Frisbee. Ben gives us a review of the board game Azul.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/230802/azul
This Week in Space: Possible atmosphere surrounding rocky exoplanet. Atmospheric gasses have been detected surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet 41 light-years from Earth. This super earth should have a temperature around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but instead it’s only around 2,800 degrees. This is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240508121127.htm
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-hints-at-possible-atmosphere-surrounding-rocky-exoplanet
You want thingamabobs? I’ve got twenty: Underwater bicycle propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed. French company Seabike has developed a swimming device that uses your own leg power to accelerate you through the water. It is strapped to the waist, your feet find the pedals and the 15 in propeller help you glide through the water. Best of all, you can instantly charge the device by eating a hot dog. Ha.
https://newatlas.com/marine/seabike-swimming-propeller
Water bike 2.0 SeabikeScience Fiction: No Devon this week, our book club will continue next week with Stephen King’s The Jaunt. Out patrons recommend From a Certain Point of View, the Star Wars books that fill in some gaps. We chat quite a bit about X-Men ’97 episode 9, and what it means for our favorite mutie (spoilers, Wolverine isn’t dead!). Steven talks about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, an amazing story by original and new creators. Plus, a video game is coming to PS5??
This episode contains: All three hosts are here and ready to talk about sci-fi; no science, sorry. Devon tells us about a birthday party at a trampoline park and Steven played a bunch of Star Wars board games. Meanwhile Ben was recording his son’s performances on his iPhone. Ben’s also been playing digital pinball on a vertical monitor. Devon has finished the Three Body Problem on Netflix and was pleased that it included elements from the second and third book. He was worried they would only include the first book, which he feels is only the prologue to the real story. Steven gives us a rundown of Tales of The Empire on Disney Plus. This show provides backstory to characters in Ahsoka. Ben and Steven talk about X-Men ’97. If you’re not watching X-Men ’97, you should be! It includes wacky and wild, heart stopping moments. X-Men ’97 was written for us, but new viewers could still understand about 90% of the show.
Book Club: For this episode we read the short story “2043… a Merman I Should Turn to Be” by Nisi Shawl.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58647676-2043-a-merman-i-should-turn-to-be?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=UGvenc3N0K&rank=1
Devon made sure to read the short story for this episode and has read the story for the next episode. Devon thinks the story would be better as a digital short given the “off-the-wall” concept and action in the story. Ben reminds us that the story is connected to the Jimmy Hendrix song: 1983 A Merman I should Turn to Be. The story reminded Ben of Lovecraft Country. Ben liked the statement about enemies wanting the same things we do. Steven enjoyed the story but was confused on some of the elements. We have a discussion of who and how people would actually modify their bodies to live in different habitats. We note that adapting to new habitats is not easy and ponder what the first inhabitants of the Moon, Mars, etc. will face. We all give the story 3 out of 4 stars.
For the next episode we are reading The Jaunt by Stephen King.
https://archive.org/details/the-jaunt-stephen-king
Until next week, keep watching the skis! I mean skies.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP503.mp3This episode contains: These three fools are back at it this week. Steven’s had a rough go with little sleep, and he really enjoys the new videogame Manor Lords (are those two things related?). Ben’s super excited to play the new Venice course in Walkabout Minigolf. All we can say is “Good Job, Mighty Coconut!” Devon’s had a rough go of it too, what with dealing with extended family staying at his house. There’s also been car troubles. TEST THE BATTERY! FIX THE GARAGE DOOR! GET IN THE CHOPPA! Steven had a different experience this week: he attended the DisneyLand Star Wars night “Season of the Force.” It was AWESOME: so many Star Wars nerds everywhere, and since it was after hours, there was a much smaller park population. Goes to show you gotta give the mouse his due to be around Steven’s people: Star Wars people meets Disney people in a capitalist Venn diagram of scum and villainy. He also got to try out new food. The events were a little boring. I mean, the wrong era is represented in Galaxy’s Edge: Steven wishes it was Vader and the 501st instead of the “March of the First Order.” And then they changed Space Mountain to… HYPERSPACE MOUNTAIN??!?! Star Tours premiered some new characters and scenarios from Mandalorian and Ahsoka. And… well, Ben’s ready for May the Fourth with his Star Wars Day shirt:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1100663519/galaxy-far-away-sw-space-wars-inspired
Shock to the Heart: How Pluto got its heart. The mystery of how Pluto got a giant heart-shaped feature on its surface has finally been solved by an international team of astrophysicists. The team is the first to successfully reproduce the unusual shape with numerical simulations, attributing it to a giant and slow oblique-angle impact.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240415163720.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombaugh_Regio
Big Cheese: A vegan cheese beat dairy in a big competition. Then the plot curdled. A vegan cheese called Climax Blue was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Good Food Awards, shocking traditional cheesemakers. However, the cheese was later disqualified by the awards foundation, leading to a controversy over the definition of “cheese” and the role of plant-based alternatives.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/04/27/vegan-cheese-good-food-awards-climax
Book Club: Void by Veronica Roth (from The Far Reaches Collection).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4QLYVHG TLDR, here are the ratings:
Steven: 4/4 stars. The mystery allowed him to turn off his brain and just enjoy it. The characters were just right.
Ben: 3/4 stars. This could have been a decent pilot for a tv show on the Redundancy.
Devon: baseball analogies? Something about a bunt? Does that mean 1/4 stars? Devon compared it to other murder mysteries (Apples Never Fall, the works of Liane Moriarty) and this falls short.
Next week: 2043…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) by Nisi Shawl, part of the Black Stars collection. Ben’s excited because the Audible version is read by LeVar Burton.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098QPR7QG
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP502.mp3This episode contains: Everyone is here and accounted for, but earlier than usual. We talk about why. Steven played some Fallout Wasteland Warfare and watched the entire Amazon Prime Fallout series, because of course he did. Devon has been watching as well, Ben is still in progress. If you liked the show, you should play Fallout 4 (or maybe Fallout 76). Steven and Ben are watching X-Men ’97 and if you’re not, you’re really missing out (Devon, looking at you). It’s a mutant soap opera and we’re here for it. Steven comments that it’s not a Wolverine show, and that makes it different and makes it feel more X-Men-y. We chat about the Life/Death storyline in the show and in the comics. Ben is super excited to talk about Star Trek Discovery and it’s latest time-loop episode.
Sweet Dreams Til Sunbeams Find You: 50 Years Later, This Apollo-Era Antenna Still Talks to Voyager 2. Deep Space Station 43 (DSS-43), an antenna located at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, has been instrumental in space exploration for over 50 years. It is responsible for over 40% of all data retrieved by celestial explorers and is the only antenna capable of communicating with Voyager 2. DSS-43 was honored with an IEEE Milestone in March during a ceremony held at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/apollo-era-antenna-voyager-2
This Week In Space: Astrophysicist explains science behind once-in-a-lifetime nova outburst that will light up the sky this year. The nova will create a “new” star in the night sky, and will light up sometime between now and September. It will be as bright as the North Star. We also talk about what a Type 1a supernova is.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-astrophysicist-science-lifetime-nova-outburst.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_Ia_supernova
Book Club: The Long Game (The Far Reaches Collection) by Ann Leckie.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Game-Far-Reaches-collection-ebook/dp/B0C4QPCYZ4
Steven and Ben both read the short story, while Devon completely forgot. Boo Devon. Both Ben and Steven enjoyed the story, but had a few little nitpicks. We also talk about where this segment is going in the future.
Next week: Void (The Far Reaches Collection) by Veronia Roth.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP501.mp3This episode contains: It’s our 501st extravaganza! Except due to technical difficulties, it’s not really. Steven tells us about the M. Night Shyamalan trilogy of Unbreakable, Split and Glass, which is now available on Netflix. Ben watched the classic 1991 Addams Family movie and Devon wonders if the new Munster’s movie by Rob Zombie is any good. It was panned when the trailer dropped but Devon thinks it actually looked kind of fun, and he’s a fan of Rob Zombie (more on that later). Devon also correctly identified MC Hammer as the artist who performed the theme for the Addams Family movie. Weird flex, but okay.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14813212/
Ben talks about Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire again, which is like speed racer meets The 5th Element. Ben’s taste is very specific for Ben.
https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-6b4f6834-0f00-4e3e-8a79-e5aa05ba0495?sharesource=iOS
Devon and his wife Jen started Dark City (on Tubi) but then switched to Fallout! Devon gives Fallout a positive review, despite some issues with inconsistent tone. Devon played the last three Fallout games to Steven’s surprise. Also, Deven gets cancelled for making fun of Polish people. We then lament the cancellation of Lower Decks, which will conclude with the upcoming 5th season. Will there be anymore animated comedy Trek?
https://trekmovie.com/2024/04/12/breaking-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-renewed-for-season-4-lower-decks-to-end-with-season-5/
Book Club: Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach (The Far Reaches collection) by Nnedi Okorafor. This was different kind of story than we were used to. Steven drank the Kool-Aid and listened to this episode. Steven and Ben enjoyed it but don’t think it’s for everyone. Devon was lukewarm on it. We discuss the diverse cast of characters, new points of view and a different type of storytelling.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4QR4SX7?ref_=dbs_m_aos_rwt_calw_tkin_4&storeType=ebooks
Next week we will be discussing the story The Long Game by Ann Leckie.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151908306-the-long-game
We conclude with a discussion of Rob Zombie being a vegan, a non-drinker and a non-drug user. Apparently he’s just like that normally. We also try to analyze his recent album titles, such as The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy and The Electric Warlock Acid With Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP500.mp3This episode contains: All three of your co-hosts are back to prove that 500 is just another number. We recorded on Rex Manning Day (you know, from Empire Records) and we missed First Contact Day (you know, from First Contact). Nobody remembers the Genetics Wars (you know, from nothing at all), or was it the Eugenics Wars? But you know what it really was today? It’s the Great American Eclipse! “I actually live in the path of totality” – Devon, and like several thousand more people. What kind of bedlam and absolute riot would there be at a ren faire during an eclipse? Shouts of “BURN THE WITCH” and whatever. Ben didn’t record last time because he had date night in the middle of Spring Break. Date night did NOT include seeing Dune, but did have terrible service, cold tacos, rain, and allergy medicine. Steven traveled to DisneyLand again (does he, like, live there now?) and there’s been some major updates to the tech in the queues for rides. Even with the new games you can play on your phone while waiting for the rides, the Peter Pan queue is just too skinny (it was made for people in the 1950s, and I guess we didn’t have an overweight problem in the US back then). Steven’s ready for war to never change, cause this upcoming week is the new Fallout TV show. You lucky dogs, reading this in the future… you’ve probably watched it all, haven’t you?
Death comes for us all and other light musings: What happens in the brain during the process of death? A woman named Patient One who suffered cardiac arrest became the subject of a study by neurologist Jimo Borjigin. When Patient One’s brain activity was monitored after being taken off life support, unexpected electrical activity was still detected. Devon goes through the historical context on scientific interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) and consciousness after clinical death. More recent technological advances have allowed many more people to be resuscitated after cardiac arrest, providing new opportunities to study what happens in the brain during the dying process. Science may be on the verge of new discoveries about death, consciousness, and the relationship between the mind and brain.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/02/new-science-of-death-brain-activity-consciousness-near-death-experience
This odd mindset shift regarding death could cure procrastination forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC4jcrB4RHc
What does an eclipse sound like? Once upon a time, there was light in my life / But now there’s only love in the dark. (Ben sings it!) An app called Eclipse Soundscapes was developed to help blind and visually impaired people experience solar eclipses. It provides audio descriptions of the eclipse’s progress matched to the user’s location, and also includes recorded sounds of animals reacting to the dimming light as if night has come, and a “rumble map” feature allowing users to feel the eclipse’s stages through vibrations on their smartphone screen. The app aims to make the experience of the eclipse more accessible through multiple senses.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-does-eclipse-sound-180964203/
https://eclipsesoundscapes.org/
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eclipse-soundscapes/id1262152991
Science fiction: Netflix’s Three Body Problem has dropped, and it’s so Game of Thrones in the best way. Ben presents Star Trek episodes 909 and 910. That’s right, Disco is back, baby! And it’s a wild Indiana Jones adventure this season, with strong ties back to a Next Generation episode that really should have been revisited a long time ago. Even though Devon and Steven poo-pooed Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire last week, Ben saw it, and he LIKED IT. Kinda weird Ben wasn’t excited about Ghostbusters: Afterlife before Steven gave his review of it all those years ago, and this time the tables have flipped. Kumail Nanjiani steals the show in the new Ghostbusters, but have you seen him in The Big Sick? Devon recommends. How do you like the new Science Faction website? It’s actually legible! https://sciencefactionpodcast.com/
Next week our book club will cover Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach (The Far Reaches collection) by Nnedi Okorafor. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4QR4SX7
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP499.mp3This episode contains: Devon is single dadding it, while Jen is in Buenos Aires. Devon also admits that he didn’t “get” Starship Troopers. Steven is about to spend soooooo much money at Disney, again. The duo go on and on about Easter, it’s kinda pathetic. But then Devon starts talking about Kafka and a life sized Tinker Bell. Either you get it or you don’t.
Robot Overlords: Scientists have decided that robots need to smile and everything is going to end soon, so why not? They built a robot face, then gave it a mirror so it could learn how to make faces like a human. Then it was trained on people smiling and learned to detect when a human is going to smile about 840 milliseconds before they do, so that they can make a co-expression with them. They named this robot ‘Emo’.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240327154854.htm
This Week in Space: Two of the Milky Way’s earliest building blocks identified. Astronomers have identified what could be two of the Milky Way’s earliest building blocks: Named ‘Shakti’ and ‘Shiva’, these appear to be the remnants of two galaxies that merged between 12 and 13 billion years ago with an early version of the Milky Way, contributing to our home galaxy’s initial growth. It turns out that the metals in some stars were a dead giveaway that they were much older than the stars around them. As amazing as this is, Steven gets distracted by the name Shakti and immediatly stars talking about the Jedi Shak Ti.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155515.htm
Book Club: Falling Bodies (The Far Reaches Collection) by Rebecca Roanhorse.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4QJBCFV?ref_=k4w_ss_details_rh
Devon starts us out with a stellar summary of the story. We chat about the Genteel and make allusions to what they mean in the context of the story. Devon slips into some Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes to talk about the Cardassians and the Bajorans…and Nazis.
Next book we will cover is Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach (The Far Reaches collection) by Nnedi Okorafor. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4QR4SX7?ref_=dbs_m_aos_rwt_calw_tkin_4&storeType=ebooks
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP498.mp3This episode contains: Ben and Steven brave the spring sunday morning to bring you a 100% pure podcast experience. Where is Devon? Who knows?! Ben attended a symposium for work, and his badge did not work. Total Benergy. There was a live coding exercise where taco emoji were added to a website. Good? Bad? Who knows?! Steven is gearing up for a Fallout Wasteland Warfare game day and he is super excited to use his Gunner faction to melt some heads. Steven also has a double Disney trip coming up soon. Again?! Why?! We also talk some X-Men ’97 and Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire.
https://www.theverge.com/23794032/kizazi-moto-generation-fire-disney-plus-animation-streaming
Rama-lama-ding-dong: Montana traffickers illegally cloned Frankensheep hybrids for sport hunting. Conspirators used the genetic material of Marco Polo argali sheep from Kyrgyzstan to breed entirely new animals. We talk about how this real life John Hammond created his own private Sheep-rassic Park and then got caught. It’s illegal if it’s not on an island 120 miles west of Costa Rica.
https://www.popsci.com/environment/sheep-hybrid-hunting/
Let’s Talk: Speaking without vocal cords, thanks to a new AI-assisted wearable device. The adhesive neck patch is the latest advance by UCLA bioengineers in speech technology for people with disabilities. A thin flexible device adheres to the neck and translates the muscle movements of the larynx into audible speech. We also take this opportunity to talk about AI speech in movies and how hopefully in the future you’ll be able to have a Darth Vader voice all the time.
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/speaking-without-vocal-cords-ucla-engineering-wearable-tech
Movie Trailers: Here’s a bunch of links to the trailers we talked about!
Alien: Romulus
https://youtu.be/GTNMt84KT0k
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
https://youtu.be/e6yDanmWI1E
The Penguin
https://youtu.be/DQghiGQi6Lo
House of the Dragon (Black)
https://youtu.be/csSaSrJJPRs
House of the Dragon (Green)
https://youtu.be/gnxB9xZByyQ
Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver
https://youtu.be/UEJuNHOd8Dw
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
https://youtu.be/FVswuip0-co
Star Wars: The Acolyte
https://youtu.be/BtytYWhg2mc
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP497.mp3This episode contains: We start off with two hosts and are eventually joined by a third. We talk about Ramadan and fasting in religion. Steven has been spending money on the CCG Star Wars games, Star Wars Unlimited. Devon finally wakes up and joins us. Steven and Devon have been playing Helldivers 2 and Devon built the Lego Ornithopter from Dune. Devon talks about the recent Space X launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8htMpR7mnaM&ab_channel=ScottManley
Ben played Cocoon on Xbox Game Pass.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1497440/COCOON/
Steven also talks about 3D printing for Shatterpiont, which has gone hard into Return of the Jedi. We are looking forward to the next season of Black Mirror, which will include a sequel to the Star Trek inspired episode “USS Callister.” And yet another Star Trek feature film has been announced. Should Star Trek even be a movie?
https://trekmovie.com/2024/03/15/the-black-mirror-star-trek-inspired-uss-callister-is-getting-a-sequel/
Lasers Make Everything Better: Earth Received a Message Laser-Beamed From 10 Million Miles Away in NASA Test. NASA successfully demonstrated a key technology for interstellar communication by laser-beaming messages across a distance of 10 million miles, approximately 40 times farther than the distance from Earth to the Moon. This achievement, part of NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment, represents the first time that optical communications have been sent across such a distance.
https://www.notion.so/sciencefactionpodcast/Home-Page-79a3bb96145f4d3b8ca685fdeedd44e8?p=d8838d0ae925465385f00bc7b29a44fa±=s
Book Club: Devon returns from finally drinking some coffee. We read the short story by James S. A. Corey, “How it Unfolds.” This is a story of human Von Neuman probes, space exploration and love. We discuss how some good short stories could be expanded into full books. Next week we will be discussing “Falling Bodies” by Rebecca Roanhorse, which is also part of the Far Reaches Collection.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP496.mp3Patreon only pre-pod: mike check, Devon’s epic phone and family journey, and only Siths deal in absolutes. Have YOU ever dealt with unreasonable family members? NEVER, I’m sure!
This episode contains: We three hosts record on MAR10 day! Ben played so much Mario Kart, not in celebration but just alone, to be cool. Steven’s plans to watch comedienne Taylor Tomlinson in Los Angeles fell through. Steven finally played Fallout Wasteland Warfare for real, shout out to Gordon’s Good Games! Alliteration! What’s up David!? You Fallout Collector you! There’s a local Discord for tabletop games, and Steven has found his people. Ben watched 2010: The Year We Make Contact with his son, and that film holds up! It’s a hard sci-fi film made for normals (not quite like the first film 2001: A Space Odyssey). It’s almost like an entire season of For All Mankind, only filmed in 1984. Why don’t they make film versions of 2061 or 3001? Devon managed to survive an Ewok attack, and then proceeds to discuss doors and rooms. Ahem, SECRET doors for SECRET ROOMS! Devon’s R2D2 replica will get weathered if he puts it in a secret room for sure. Devon then considers making the ultimate scifi Halloween garage.
Hey! Books are smart: Autogenerating a Book Series From Three Years of iMessages. Software engineer Ben Kettle wanted to be able to easily browse through old iMessage conversations from years past, so he developed a process to extract the iMessage database from iPhone backups, query it with SQL, and generate LaTeX source code to create printable books from the messages. How does one pronounce LaTeX? LAY-tek! He made an on-demand printed book containing the longest thread he’d had over three years. He had some issues supporting emojis, but was able to work around it. He split the conversation into three volumes and was able to inexpensively print paperback books through Barnes & Noble Press. The source code is available online for others to generate message books from their own conversation histories. We’re not going to make books like this… will you?
https://benkettle.xyz/posts/message-book/
Brain matters: Lack of focus doesn’t equal lack of intelligence — it’s proof of an intricate brain. A new study provides insights into how the brain coordinates focus and filtering of distractions to pay attention. Lead author and neuroscientist Harrison Ritz has a cool name! Researchers used an fMRI task where participants had to distinguish colors and motions of dots. The anterior cingulate cortex tracks task difficulty and directs the intraparietal sulcus to adjust its “focusing and filtering knobs” – increasing focus on relevant information like color and reducing sensitivity to irrelevant information like motion. This shows the brain coordinates attention through multiple regions working together, rather than a single capacity limit. Understanding these coordination mechanisms provides insights into both effective attention and attention disorders. The research suggests lack of focus does not mean low intelligence, but rather shows how complex the brain’s coordination of attention is.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240308122958.htm
Patreon only mid-pod: Did y’all finish Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix? Ben discusses. Remember Wizards First Rule / Legend of the Seeker?… Ben loved to get drunk and angry at the show. Will they get to do a live action Legend of Korra? That would be cool. 3 Body Problem (Netflix) reviews are out, Devon talks about it. Fallout trailer! What’s a good cadence to release streaming television?
Book Club: You Have Arrived At Your Destination by Amor Towles. Devon picked this one because he really enjoyed Towles’ book A Gentleman in Moscow. The audiobook for You Have Arrived At Your Destination was read by David Harbor. We go over it. Is it about choice? Is it about a multiverse? It’s confusing, but not if you apply True Lies logic to it. We discuss predestination: How accurate can the prediction be? What affects the choices we make? If they can be that accurate, how much does feee will affect the outcome? Do we have free will at all? Do our lives fit a three act structure? What act are you in in your life? Is this act structure about what happens to you, or is it about the perspective you bring to your life? Are you just waiting to die? Is that bad or good? Which of three lives would you pick for your child? Ben gets irrationally angry at the possibility of a different structure for the story that is only hinted at. Steven and Devon give it a high rating, but Ben gives it 1/5 of a star out of 4 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49665863-you-have-arrived-at-your-destination
Next week, our book club will be covering How it Unfolds by James S. A. Corey.
Patreon only post-pod: Next week, Devon may talk about Determined by Robert M. Sapolsky. Do you listen to books at 1x, like a MONSTER?!
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP495.mp3This episode contains: Devon, Steven and Ben all host this episode. Unfortunately we end up talking about gurd and vomit right off the bat. Ben helped some kids play The Zone. Devon took another journey to Louisiana. Ben did a poem at an Ekphrastic poetry workshop, and it’s good.
https://play.thezonerpg.com/
https://beaconartshow.com/#gallery
Robot Overlords: AI outperforms humans in standardized tests of creative potential. In a recent study, 151 human participants were pitted against ChatGPT-4 in three tests designed to measure divergent thinking, which is considered to be an indicator of creative thought.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240301134758.htm
Brain Matters: Surprisingly simple model explains how brain cells organize and connect. A new study by physicists and neuroscientists describes how connectivity among neurons comes about through general principles of networking and self-organization, rather than the biological features of an individual organism.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240117143741.htm
Surprising Human Tricks: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise, study finds. Why electric bikes actually give more exercise than pedal bikes. A new study that found tai chi is more effective than aerobic exercise at lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension. Electric bikes provide more exercise than traditional pedal bikes based on multiple studies, this is because e-bike riders tend to ride for longer periods of time and distances since the motor assistance makes biking less strenuous, especially on hills.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/14/1231232197/tai-chi-aerobics-exercise-blood-pressure-hypertension-mindfulness
https://electrek.co/2024/02/20/why-electric-bikes-give-more-exercise/
Book Club: Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi. We discuss. Devon has some additional thoughts on last weeks story, Randomize.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151908304-slow-time-between-the-stars?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=HpJzWGPkkH&rank=1
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP494.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Ben host this all new leap year episode. Ben thinks about how his life would be if he had kids at an earlier age. Steven has also been going through a midlife crisis, which has caused him to start journaling. Steven wants to stop wasting his life on his phone using focus mode. “How I Setup My iPhone — So It Doesn’t Ruin My Life…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrQHz-1UJ3g&ab_channel=TimKoa Ben reminds us at the phone should be the tool, not you. Ben is having an Obsidian Obsession. Steven recommends Pacific Drive, which has big Half Life 2 vibes. https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/1458140/ We also talk about the live action Avatar on Netflix. Listener Hank points out that the HeLa Cells were in Emergency Skin were a reference to an historical wrong done to Henrietta Lacks. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02494-z Thanks Hanks! And thanks Henrietta Lacks!
It’s True, All Of It: Scientists scanning the seafloor discover a long-lost Stone Age ‘megastructure’. In the fall of 2021, a marine geologist and students mapped the shape of the seafloor at high resolution and found something interesting. Not quite 70 feet below the surface, they stumbled upon a stone wall more than half a mile long that dated back to the Stone Age — one of the oldest such megastructures on the planet. In research published in PNAS, Geersen and his colleagues say this piece of ancient hunting architecture may have been used to corral and hunt reindeer, adding a level of sophistication to the prehistoric hunter-gatherers who lived 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/22/1232694592/blinkerwall-stone-age-megastructure-hunting-underwater-baltic-sea?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
This One’s For Devon: Deliverance Forevermore!: Power Metal: is it really about dragons? Some years ago, Matt Daniels wrote a great article on who has the largest vocabulary in hip-hop, comparing Shakespeare to famous hip-hop artists. What about Power Metal? People know metal or heavy metal but not necessarily power metal. Power metal has speed (remember that last song on Guitar Hero), clean vocals (you can understand the words, looking at you grind metal) and lyrics about dragons. Is it really only about dragons? Running Wild (2949 unique words) has the biggest vocabulary, followed by Helloween (2641) and Elvenking (2505). Bands from Spain, Germany and Finland have an average of more than 1600 words vocabulary; in comparison native countries like UK, US and Scotland have an average of 925, 1383 and 1501 words respectively. The most metal words are deliverance, defender, honour, forevermore, realm and the least are shit, baby, fuck, girl, verse. The most negative song is Condemned To Hell by Gamma Ray and the most positive There’s Something In The Skies by Dark Moor.
https://notes.atomutek.org/power-metal-and-dragons.html
Book Club: We read the short story by Andy Weir: Randomize. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49661162-randomize As you likely already know, Andy Wier is the author of The Marian and Project Hail Mary. This is a SPOILER filled discussion. The story concerns quantum computing, random number generation and gambling. The story presents the craziness of quantum computing to the lay person using a casino as the backdrop. But was the story racist?
The next short story is Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP493.mp3This episode contains: We’re recording just after Valentine’s Day. Sorry, we didn’t get you anything, EXCEPT FOR THIS PODCAST! Ben was a bit disappointed in Valentine’s Day this year… he’s also working on “not wasting his midlife crisis.” He chats about layoffs and opportunities and productivity, but Steven thinks that perhaps Ben’s having a midlife revelation. Ben’s reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. Steven and Devon have been managing democracy in HELLDIVERS 2. Devon doesn’t know how to define video games, or perhaps he knows too much how to define video games. HELLDIVERS is pretty much the video game equivalent of Starship Troopers, with all the satire involved. Steven also really enjoyed Blue Eyed Samurai on Netflix. Not science fiction, but it’s worth your time. Guess what? Ben’s dental company had a major data breach. It’s time to freeze your credit FOR FREE at the following addresses to to avoid ID theft:
- https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
- https://service.transunion.com/dss/login.page
- https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
Unless you’re planning on taking out a new credit card or buying anything in the next few days, you should freeze your credit. If they are asking you for money, you’re in the wrong place. It took Ben 15 minutes to do it, big thanks to password managers. Ben is now the Credit Score Fairy.
This Week on the Internet: Not all TLDs are Created Equal. In light of the recent cancellation of the queer.af domain registration by the Taliban, the fragile and difficult nature of country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) has once again been comprehensively demonstrated. When the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union, it fell foul of the EU’s rules for the registration of domains under the “eu” ccTLD. To register (and maintain) a domain name ending in .eu, you have to be a resident of the EU. When the UK ceased to be part of the EU, residents of the UK were no longer EU residents, and lost their .eu domain names. Also, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukranian Vice Prime Minister asked ICANN to suspend ccTLDs associated with Russia. While ICANN said that it wasn’t going to do that (they should change their name to ICANT), because it wouldn’t do anything useful, some domain registrars (the companies you pay to register domain names) ceased to deal in Russian ccTLDs, and some websites restricted links to domains with Russian ccTLDs. Generic TLDs (gTLDs) like .com, .net, .gov and other really cool new gTLDs like .rocks, .ninja, and .supplies are far better to register.
https://www.hezmatt.org/~mpalmer/blog/2024/02/13/not-all-tlds-are-created-equal.html
This Week in Space: Tiny moon of Saturn holds young ocean beneath icy shell. Saturn’s moon Mimas harbors a global ocean beneath its icy shell, discovered through analysis of its orbit by Cassini spacecraft data. This ocean formed just 5-15 million years ago, making Mimas a prime candidate for studying early ocean formation and potential for life. This discovery suggests life-essential conditions might exist on seemingly inactive moons, expanding our search for life beyond Earth. Guess where else we’ve discovered oceans? Devon says “Earth.” Ben knows he got that info from SeaQuest DSV. Saturns rings may have always been there for us, but what have they done for us lately?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240207120512.htm
Patreon-only mid-pod: Ben has changed his note taking game, using Obsidian. Steven has rewatched Deadpool and Deadpool 2. Will X-Men 97 be terrible or radical?
Science Fiction Book Club: This week we’re doing a spoiler-filled review of the novella Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin. An explorer returns to gather information from a climate-ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet’s finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind—hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out eons ago. After all this time, there’s no telling how they’ve devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49669410-emergency-skin
TLDR: Ben and Steven loved it, but Devon was a little lukewarm and wished it was longer and more nuanced.
Next week in the Science Fiction Book Club we’ll discuss Randomize by Andy Weir. Get it for free if you have Amazon Prime and be informed for next week’s discussion: https://www.amazon.com/Randomize-Forward-collection-Andy-Weir-ebook/dp/B07VDJBKNJ
This episode contains: We’re caffeinated and ready to podcast. Devon and Steven stayed up really late last night playing Baldur’s Gate3. Steven’s AC is not working and Ben is getting […]
Patreon-only preshow: Do people have to cite their sources at ITT Tech? Steven says no. Steven got some Marvel Studios blind bag LEGO, gave a Patreon member one of his […]
This episode contains: Everyone is here this week! Steven chats about camping, and spider attacks on a lake. Ben watched Super Mario Bros. in a field with a bunch of […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben helm this episode. Ben discusses his Chess Renaissance (https://www.youtube.com/@chessplus). Steven tells us about the first week of school and delicious freedom. Ben shares some […]
This episode contains: Ben’s “the problem” this week and Devon’s going back to school. What would Devon’s show be like? Kindergardner Lawyer! Steven’s hanging in there for the end of […]
This episode contains: Devon, Ben and Steven are all excited for their kids to go back to school! We talk about school supplies, magnet schools and space camps. You Did […]
This episode contains: All three of us are here on this cosmic journey. We all discuss having to be solo dads for a few days. Ben tells us about Goose, […]
This episode contains: We got listener feedback this episode… FOR A DIFFERENT PODCAST! Did someone just learn to swear? Wouldn’t it be cool if we were guests on some other […]
This episode contains: Ben and Steven do their worst (by which I mean their best) this episode. No Devon no cry. Ben went to a Renaissance Faire with his son […]
This episode contains: All three hosts are with us on the case. Devon complaints about the bad food in East Texas and what makes a good pizza. Steven then tells […]
Pre-pod Patreon-only: Wouldn’t it be great if it was Indy 500 instead of Indy 5? Who’s in Extraction? Chris “The Dentist” Hemsworth. This week, Steven messes up the opening of […]
This episode contains: Steven made Devon and Ben post-pone recording, sorry guys! Ben had a birthday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN, and Devon visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, super […]
This episode contains: We’re your dads this week. Turns out Steven knows how to introduce a damn podcast. We argue how many weeks it’s been since Devon’s been on the […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben record together from Ben’s house. We talk life insurance, college, life experience, and aches and pain from sleeping. We also decide that Devon’s wife […]
This episode contains: Everyone is back this week! Steven continues his Star Wars rewatch. Ben has issues with Steven telling his he listens to sad music. Devon chimes in on […]
Pre-show Patreon only: Steven wants to know if anyone wants about 50 blank CDs. Nope. Ben grieves by doing work. He’s learning a lot about himself. Ben sent his wife […]
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP454.mp3Full title generated by Chat GPT: “Interstellar Metamorphosis: Unveiling the Science of Star Wars, Evolution, and Disney”
This episode contains: We have the classic line up of Steven and Devon on this episode. Steven loved the food at Galaxies Edge and so found a Star Wars cookbook. We then discuss the closure of the insanely expensive Galactic Starcruiser. Devon tells us about his upcoming “vacation” in the Ozarks.
Something About Death: Evidence of conscious-like activity in the dying brain. A small study finds intriguing brain wave patterns in comatose patients who died following cardiac arrest. A new study provides early evidence of a surge of activity correlated with consciousness in the dying brain.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230501163628.htm
Evolutionarily Speaking: Perfection: The Enemy of Evolution. Freedom to miss the optimal mark opens a wide range of new designs over time. Evolution is a sequence of design changes happening on their own in a discernible direction; it never weds itself to a single point on a drawing board. An evolving system or animal is free to simply go with what works. Not so much that its performance suffers greatly, but enough that it opens access to other options near the so-called optimal design. With scientists often looking to nature for clues to solve challenges, they should also free to miss the optimal mark and open a wider design space over time.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230501163628.htm
Science Fiction: Devon tells us about the new show Apple Plus show Silo, based on the book series Wool, which we kind of read some of (minor spoilers). Steven is doing a rewatch of Star Wars. We then have an in depth discussion of just how bad the Star Wars Prequels were, and attempt to do some minor re-writes.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP453.mp3This episode contains: Ben and Steven, the healthy hosts, lead the charge this week. Thoughts and prayers to Devon. We talk a bit about importing hate, and protesting against it. Racism should be called out and shamed, consistently and constantly. Then we talk about The Lion King in all of it’s iterations, for far too long.
The Disappearing Computer: The Disappearing Computer: An Exclusive Preview of Humane’s Screenless Tech by Imran Chaudhri. This Ted Talk had an amazing demonstration of a screenless tech future. We talk about the amazing tech, and what could be possible in the future. What would happen if this thing became popular and we all had bodycams on at all time? Time for a DNR, Do Not Record. We discuss if this tech is ‘building the tower higher’ or ‘building something new’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMsQO5u7-NQ
Science Fiction: Steven has completed about 95% of Star Wars Jedi Survivor and give a mini very light spoiler review. He’s not at all embarrassed to say he wants to go visit the Pyloon Saloon. Ben watched Crater, the Disney Plus hard sci-fi kid roadtrip movie. He very much enjoyed it. Steven is still working his way through the first season of 12 Monkeys, and admires its consistency. Finally, Ben has been playing the VR game Into The Radius and while he enjoys it, he thinks it’s more Steven’s speed.
We’ve done it again Watson!
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP452.mp3Pre-pod Patreon only: The world only exists for us as long as we’re alive. Ben’s favorite epitaph: “Anyway, it’s only other people who die.”
This episode contains: Devon’s been a skeptic as long as he remembers. Spoiler alert about Santa this week. If something doesn’t exist, would it be PC to say they’re a non-corporeal being? Ben can’t remember when he discovered the truth about Santa, maybe because he wasn’t traumatized. If anybody deserves presents more than anybody else, it’s orphans. Ben got his son a drum set. The kid gets the heart of a musician. If you’re starting drumming, get a used set on Craigslist, don’t spend more than $300. Did you know you can use Youtube videos of Rock Band to learn songs on drums? Makes sense.
Mind Reader: Reading The Mind with fMRI and AI. Researchers have been able to decode words subjects were thinking by reading their fMRI scan. If someone is looking at a giant letter E, it physically maps to the cortex, and the E appears there too. AI has been trained on fMRI scans to help decode and reconstruct language. Everyone’s brain is unique: AI can’t decode your fMRI based on other’s training. Mind reading won’t work, probably ever, since everyone’s brain is unique.
https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/reading-the-mind-with-fmri-and-ai/
Old white guys can shut the hell up: Former head of Roscosmos now thinks NASA did not land on the Moon. Why is an angry old man who is a moon-landing denier at all newsworthy? BECAUSE HE’S WRONG. NASA really did land us on the moon. Denialism should be recognized and shamed. The Soviet’s Luna 15 mission was in orbit around the moon during Apollo 11. So many people spent so much effort to land humans on the moon. A win for humanity! Ben recommends the “Apollo 11” documentary from 2019. It’s 99% fresh on RT.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/05/former-head-of-roscosmos-now-thinks-nasa-did-not-land-on-the-moon/
Big Question: What would you do if the world was ending tomorrow? Would that change if it was ending next year? Steven joins us for the back half of the show… the fun half? Let’s talk about death. Remember Steve Carrell’s movie “Seeking A Friend for the End of the World”? Also a Chris Cornell quote. If the world was ending soon, society would collapse. At a longer timeframe, society would adapt. Would you let your children know if the world was ending soon? Ben hopes to approach the end of the world with a little apocaloptimism. If the end of the world was coming, Ben would try cooking tiramisu. What’s the worst that could happen? Steven suggests the darkest possible thing to do if the world was ending tomorrow. With the end of the world coming in a year, would you Bill and Frank it? If the end of the world was in 100 years… wait, are we talking about climate change?! If it’s 100 years to the end of the world, let’s all build rockets! Work together! Steven doesn’t have a bucket list. Should he?
Recommendations: Ben talks about the SO MANY Firefly comics out there on Comixology Unlimited. It’s really tricky to write the dialog right in Firefly comics. Devon’s been watching Daisy Jones and the Six on Amazon, really cool rock n’ roll drama. Daisy Jones and the Six seems like it’s based loosely on Fleetwood Mac. NOFX has got some real great albums recently. So cool they’ve been around for 40 years. Steven is digging season 2 of Star Wars Visions. The present, past and the future walked into a bar. Things got real tense.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP451.mp3This episode contains: Ben and Steven steer the boat this episode. Ben has been going to the Kite Festival yearly. Steven is home with the kids while his wife lives it up in Hawaii. Steven bought more LEGO while his wife is out of town.
Light At the End of the Tunnel: Small acts of kindness are frequent and universal, study finds. A study found that people around the world signal others for assistance every couple of minutes. The research, which examined behaviors in towns and rural areas in several different countries, revealed that people comply with these small requests for help far more often than they decline them. The findings suggest that people from all cultures have more similar cooperative behaviors than prior research has established.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230424162911.htm
Why is This Even a Question? Nuke-launching AI would be illegal under proposed US law. On Wednesday, US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Don Beyer (D-Va.), and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) announced bipartisan legislation that seeks to prevent an artificial intelligence system from making nuclear launch decisions. The Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act would prohibit the use of federal funds for launching any nuclear weapon by an automated system without “meaningful human control.”
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/04/nuke-launching-ai-would-be-illegal-under-proposed-us-law/
Science Fiction: Roddenberry site offers virtual USS Enterprise Bridge Tours, Star Wars Jedi Survivor spoiler talk (very light), and more!
765874 – Regeneration (4K):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXU2Ob8gYY
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP450.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Devon finally recap their visit to Austin, Texas. There were live shows, uncharted adventures and gaming, oh my! Ben was not only left out of their adventures, but his house is still causing grief. Oof.
https://uncharteredadventures.com/
https://vigilantebar.com/
Machine Learning Makeover: Iconic image of M87 black hole just got a machine-learning makeover. Using PRIMO (principal-component interferometric modeling), scientists used data from the EHT (Event Horizon Telescope) and 30,000 simulated images of black hole to produce a high fidelity image of the black hole at M87. It’s amazing.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/04/iconic-image-of-m87-black-hole-just-got-a-machine-learning-makeover/
Diggin’ A Hole: The Deepest Hole Ever Dug By Humans Had To Be Destroyed. The Kola Superdeep Borehole was 40,230 feet deep, but only has 4.5 stars on Google. Huh. We chat about the history of the hole and what science can be done with a superdeep holes. 14 species of fossilized microorganisms were found among other things. (But no screaming.)
https://www.iflscience.com/the-deepest-hole-ever-dug-by-humans-had-to-be-destroyed-68110
Big Question: Is there inherent order in nature or is it all chaos and chance? We chat about this, quite extensively. We talk about nature, observation, self-organization, entropy, heat-death, the circle of life and being zen. It’s quite the discussion.
Star Trek Picard: The third and final season is over, and we give our thoughts. We very much enjoyed the finale, and we talk about all the things that worked in favor of the show. Which begs the question: what happened with the first two seasons?! We’re fully prepared to say goodbye to Picard, but we’re all in on a Star Trek Legacy show.
12 Monkeys: Steven had such fun with the third season of Picard, that he investigated another Terry Matalas show, 12 Monkeys. Sure, it’s based on that awesome movie, but it’s also so much more.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP449.mp3This episode contains: Welcome to the Ben Lawless podcast. Lawless: The Ben Story. Y’all seen the movie Lawless? Ben hasn’t yet. Was it good? Devon’s not here tonight, because of… dinner? With his wife? We still would love a tour of the Mighty Coconut offices. They’re doing great work. Steven pitches a series of Walkabout Minigolf courses to Mighty Coconut. Wouldn’t you love to play minigolf through the backlots for scifi movies? We pitch minigolf courses based on alien invasions and Buck Rogers. Did you know that Mighty Coconut made Pigeon: Impossible? Which Spies in Disguise is based on? What if there was a minigolf course based on Pigeon: Impossible? Steven is pivoting from podcasts to putting, and pigeons. Ben needs a vacation from his vacation, amirite? Ben’s son wanted to watch Speed Racer 2. Ben’s heart broke to tell him the truth. Emile Hirsch wants to do another Speed Racer movie! Get the Wachowski’s onboard. http://screenrant.com/emile-hirsch-speed-racer-return-hopes-response/ Ben is SO STOKED about the Apple TV+ Speed Racer show helmed by J.J. Abrams. Let’s make the Speed Racer Extended Universe a thing.
Today in the Weird Wide Web: Chrome will support WebGPU! What the hell does that mean? WebGL is cool and all, but WebGPU is going to revolutionize graphics on the web. Remember how Apple told Adobe “No Thank You” about putting Flash on iPhone? Ben does. Steven wonders why the name Mozilla sounds so familiar… Hint: he uses Firefox. Sometime in May, WebGPU is coming to Chrome! Ben is so excited. Ben is telling you: Arc is the best web browser ever. Steven and Ben argue whether Bing is a browser. Ben has worked in web development for the last 14 years. Feels like 40. Ben called it years ago: Microsoft finally stopped making their own browser engine.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/chrome-113-will-enable-webgpu-a-modern-low-overhead-graphics-api-for-the-web/
Symphony of Scent: Making sense of scents: Deciphering our sense of smell. Remember the five senses? They’re cool, right? What is smell? When do things start and stop smelling? Steven wonders. Scientists have created the first 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates an odorant receptor. “We need to see it so we can science it!” – Steven. Smells are somehow like hitting keys on a piano to produce a chord. Devon could explain it.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230315132416.htm
Science Fiction: The Big Door Prize on Apple TV+ is really good. Is it scifi? Ben thinks so. If you were in The Big Door Prize, would you want to hear your “life potential?” Getting big Tales from the Loop vibes from The Big Door Prize. Are there similarities between The Big Door Prize and Machine of Death? Steven really enjoyed the ending of Shrinking on Apple TV+. The Bad Batch’s third season will be its final. We finally talk about Star Wars Celebration this episode. THREE NEW STAR WARS MOVIES?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?! The Filoni film is going to wrap up the Mandoverse? Hate that term btw. So… Grogu trained with Luke for 2 years?! We are digging the trailer for Star Wars Visions Season 2. The claymation looks incredible. Ben finally watched the first Hotel Transylvania. Cool flick! We spoil Star Trek: Picard’s 3×09 Vōx because you have to spoil it to talk about it. Now we know why Ro Laren didn’t use the transporters!
Pre-pod Patreon-only: Ben monologued about sleep for 49 minutes.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP448.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Ben survived Easter to bring you this podcast. Steven’s continuing sickness has taken a turn. Steven did some research and found out he has Cricopharyngeal spasms. Steven also tells us about his history with anxiety. Ben has a full stand up arcade machine, which is hooked up to a steam deck. Ben has returned to live poetry reading.
This Week in Space: A scientific salad for astronauts in deep space. The ingredients were chosen for their nutritional value, as well as how easy they’ll be to grow with the limited room and resources available on a spacecraft.
https://astronomy.com/news/2023/03/a-scientific-salad-for-astronauts-in-deep-space
Mr. Peanut Dusts Off His Monocle: First-of-its-kind mRNA treatment could wipe out a peanut allergy. Peanut and tree nut allergies affect millions, yet there’s only one approved treatment. But a major breakthrough might be around the corner, with scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) testing a world-first mRNA medicine packaged up in tiny nanoparticles that not only reversed peanut allergies in mice but equipped the body with the microbiological tools needed to stop the often-life-threatening condition developing.
https://newatlas.com/medical/mrna-treatment-peanut-allergy/
Mostly Video Games: Steven tamps down his ego and decides to let Ben talk on the rest of the episode. We talk about Biomutant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomutant Spaceborne 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1646850/SpaceBourne_2/ and then the Super Mario Brothers Movie. (no link, you already know what it is) Ben then tells us about the end of Hello Tomorrow! (SPOILERS)
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP447.mp3This episode contains: We talk about April and it’s Fools. Ben did some axe throwing, and his kid out-paced him. Devon attempts to get his kids to be quieter this episode, to varying degrees of success. Steven sick.
This Week in Space: Scientists observe flattest explosion ever seen in space. Explosions in space are almost always spherical, but this one was not. What is an FBOT? Fast Blue Optical Transient, and it is very rare, first discovered in 2018.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230330210745.htm
Some Good News? Maybe?: Renewable energy outpaced coal this year. According to the Energy Information Administration, wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and geothermal generated 21% of US power in 2022, exceeding coal by 1%. Natural Gas, which is a fossil fuel, still generates a lot of power. The US is having trouble with it’s aging power grid, making connecting renewables more difficult.
https://www.popsci.com/environment/renewable-energy-generation-coal-2022/
Big Question: How come we’re not more jazzed up as a society about climate change? We talk about the struggles of climate change and how difficult it is to even imagine changing things in our current society. Steven talks about the Apple TV+ show Extrapolations and how it tells our future story. Our final answer? Vote.
Science Fiction: We couldn’t be all dour this episode, so we lighten things up with some talk about The Mandalorian and Picard. We’re having issues with Mando, but Picard is finally firing on all cylinders. Neat.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP446.mp3This episode contains: We’re three podcasters who are probably not playing jump rope right now. Steven talks about the Nightmare on Elm Street films. They are… not good. Remember the Sam Goody in the mall in Santa Maria? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Ben had some poetry drama; Conflict with another poet. What?!?!? How?!?! Is Ben party to the silencing of women throughout history? He doesn’t intend to! Should we rewrite our tagline? It’s a show about science and… big questions? The bridge on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is SO WELL LIT. Steven finished A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers. So good.
It’s the End of Days, JTRO: The Internet Archive has lost its first fight to scan and lend e-books like a library. Ben can’t remember the name of the film “The FP.” Publishers have sued The Internet Archive for being a digital library. Save the library! The Internet Archive allows borrowing a book for an hour. It led to Ben purchasing those books. Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, music, websites, and more. How can you help http://archive.org/ ? http://blog.archive.org/2020/06/14/how-can-you-help-the-internet-archive/ The Live Music Archive is incredible: https://archive.org/details/etree Let your local library know what books you want! That’s how they know how to spend funds. The best part about Hyperstudio is me!
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/24/23655804/internet-archive-hatchette-publisher-ebook-library-lawsuit
Little Glass Slippers: Scientists finally figure out why the water bear is nearly indestructible. Steven brings an article from the before times of 2017. We were so young then. Tardigrades can be dried out for decades, then come back to life with water. Amazing! Water bear don’t care! Instead of dying when drying out, tardigrades turn themselves into glass! Our website is terrible. We’re sorry. Join our Patreon! http://patreon.com/sciencefactionpodcast
https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/scientists-finally-figure-out-why-the-water-bear-is-nearly-unstoppable/
Big Question: Is the prime directive actually ethical? What is the prime directive? Don’t interfere with the development of a young species. Can we work together as a species to create harmony and warp drives? Aliens haven’t contacted us because we’re monkeys with nuclear weapons. In our talk about the prime directive, we talk a lot about The Orville and The Bobiverse. Remember when Wesley was sentenced to death for stepping on flowers? Devon schools us on Star Trek history and the prime directive.
Patreon-only pre-pod: The Ben Lawless story: Nothing is different, but everything has changed. Will Steven ever learn how to use Notion? Not this week! We make a pact to watch Extrapolations on Apple TV+ for next week’s show. Is it possible to make climate change exciting? Can the end of everything be kinda jazzed up somehow? #ClimateChange We apologize for interrupting Devon’s writing music with recording a podcast. Hey Steven, cancel your showtime subscription after the trial! We can’t remember what we talked about in our podcasts.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP445.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Ben grill Devon as to why he was not on the last episode. The answer is sleep. Ben had a weird bug so took a day off work. Devon keeps complaining about his kids, who can be heard in the background. Ben is applying to be the president of the PTSA. Steven has been making his “old wife” play a new Star Wars deck building game. Ben recommends the Humble Bundle:
https://www.humblebundle.com/games/kart-racers-games-bundle?hmb_source=&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=mosaic_section_1_layout_index_1_layout_type_threes_tile_index_2_c_kartracersgamesbundle_bundle
Walmart Has Everything: A bug expert went shopping at Walmart—and made a historic insect discovery. The giant lacewing had seemingly disappeared from eastern North America over 50 years ago. “The fact that this insect was spotted in a region that it hasn’t been seen in over half a century tells us something more broadly about the environment.”
https://www.popsci.com/environment/giant-lacewing-jurassic-walmart/?fbclid=IwAR2tmEEv4NxWjpmChq4FuIhTKMOdxUKRzRaBpTiHhm02Tj_QghSEE2XFs9Q
F’ing Finally: FCC orders phone companies to block scam text messages. First robotext rule requires blocking of texts from invalid and unused numbers. The Federal Communications Commission today finalized rules requiring mobile carriers to block robotext messages that are likely to be illegal. The FCC described the rules as the agency’s “first regulations specifically targeting the increasing problem of scam text messages sent to consumers.”
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/03/fcc-orders-phone-companies-to-block-scam-text-messages/
Big Question: Would you be able to tell if time had been altered in some way?
Sci-Fi: Everything Everywhere All at Once review, The Last of Us season1 finale talk, Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister recommended by Devon’s book club, maybe.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP444.mp3This episode contains: Just Ben and Steven on this episode, sorry not sorry. We kick off everything with a quick chat about the 2001 film ‘The One’ w/ Jet Li. Why? No idea. Steven and Ben are playing single dads, because wives need a break too. A lot of Mario Land 2 talk, and Steven makes some bold declarations. Steven is steadily introducing his kids to video games and scifi. Wall-E is a gateway movie. We played some VR mini golf with listener Josh. Thanks Josh.
Clicktacular: Bin, app, and subscription combo pledges a cleaner kitchen, environment. Mill is a company that wants to send you a trash can with wifi capabilities that will process your food waste, so you can mail it back and it can be used to feed chickens. Steven is enamored by this idea.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/new-service-wants-to-turn-your-food-waste-into-chicken-feed/
Brain Buzzing: Scientists complete first map of an insect brain. It took scientists 12 years to fully map a fruit fly larva brain: all 3,016 neurons and their 548,000 connections. The fruit fly brain map showed features that were reminiscent of machine learning architectures. First the flies, then comes mice.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230309164711.htm
Science Fiction: Since it’s only the two of us this week, we decide against a ‘big question’ and instead catch up on some science fiction we’ve been consuming. Picard season 3 has been outstanding, with it’s first four episodes collectively being a new TNG movie. It’s great, and stands on it’s own without the need of watching season 1 and 2. The first two episodes of season 3 of The Mandalorian have been released and we point out some cool stuff that it’s doing. Steven especially likes seeing ‘live action Mandalore’. We also call out The Bad Batch for doing it’s best to glue three trilogies together, and mostly successful. Finally, Ben informs us of the cute as heck sounding Dogs In Space on Netflix. Why send dogs to space? Loyalty.
Thanks Josh.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP443.mp3This episode contains: Ben and Devon’s relationship is on the rocks, according to Steven. Things have finally settled down this week for Steven’s family, since the holidays. Steven’s now officially an old man, says him. Would you throw a rave at a 5 year old’s birthday party? With whistles as party favors? Ben’s super stoked about Owen Davies releasing Farscape Remastered in 4K. Shout out to the Farscape subreddit! If you like space muppets who fart helium and pee fire, watch Farscape. Steven had a bunch of fun ‘stream tweeting’ Star Trek: Picard s3e03. Everyone is disappointed that Steven hasn’t seen Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Steven’s gotta clear his schedule for 89 hours of DS9. Ben wishes he could rewatch DS9 for the first time. This could be the I WISH I WAS WATCHING STAR TREK podcast.
Paint by numbers: Scholars unify color systems using prime numbers. RGB and CMYK? Get outta here. It’s time for the C235 color system. In CMYK, K stands for Key Black. Now you know! How could C235 colorize DNA codons? This article does not go into that. CMYK is subtractive color theory, where everything adds to black. RGB is additive color theory, where all colors add up to bright white. C235 is a color system based on prime numbers, and doesn’t make sense unless you see the image at https:/ www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/976375 Steven eats some focaccia bread baked by his daughter. Good job, young one! Go colors!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230302114200.htm
Whoa: Newly discovered chemicals are so deadly to fungi they are named after Keanu Reeves. “Keanumycins:” new fungus-killing compounds are so effective they were named after actor Keanu Reeves. During Keanu’s AMA, someone asked him what he thought about Keanumycins. He said “Thanks, scientist people.” Keanu Reeve’s first pet was a guinea pig named Carrot. He was a cutie-pie. Keanumycins kills bad fungus, is biodegradable, and is safe for humans.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/03/world/keanumycin-fungus-killer-discovery-scn/index.html
The Big Question: How important is it to ‘belong’ to a fandom, and what does it mean to give it up? Is the entire concept of ‘fandom’ manufactured? Fandom has been important as a shortcut to find people who have like interests. As good as fandom can be to connect people, beware of the toxicity. The importance of fandom is based on what the fans get out of it. We talk about growing up and finding other Star Wars and Star Trek fans. Did corporations ruin fandom? They didn’t used to use fandom to sell stuff, right? A fandom became a found family, people you could share jokes with about the subject. Will the next Metallica album be good? The singles have been alright. We have a lot of hot takes on the Big Question about fandom this week. Devon changed his mind about the quality of the last two seasons of Enterprise. Ben is a positive person who tends to like everything. How does he feel about Harry Potter? JK Rowling’s views on trans rights and human rights are abhorrent. How does Ben feel about Harry Potter being read in his son’s class, given Rowling’s views? Canceling Harry Potter would be similar to banning books. The cultural value is in the conversation. Godzilla (1954) is EXCELLENT, Ben talks about watching it and it’s cultural significance. 1956’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters is terrible; they Americanized and removed all mention of H-Bombs and Nagasaki. Godzilla (1954) is like watching an H-Bomb walk around Tokyo causing the same destruction in slow motion. Is there a direct correlation between subreddits and fandom? So… spoiler alert? Godzilla died at the end of Godzilla (1954). How strange it spawned the franchise! We talk about Tom Cruise’s personal beliefs and whether we can differentiate between the actor and the art. Where do you draw the line about creator’s beliefs, and when you choose not to support it? Roblox is a digital narcotic for children… but it’s fine? I guess? The cheapest way that eggs are made, the ways those chickens are treated is terrible. Shout out to carrots! You’re a cool veggie.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP442.mp3This episode contains: Steven, Ben and Devon are all present and accounted for on this all new episode. Southern CA is getting snow for the first time is like forever. Steven had a mini family reunion while Ben is helping his sister-in-law move out. Devon saw Nate Bargatze live in Shreveport LA.
Bramble Pie Company: https://www.bramblepiecompany.com/
Stop in Name of Love: Traffic Lights Need a Fourth Color, Study Says: Here’s Why. As more autonomous vehicles (AV) begin driving American roads, those roads need to change with them. One research team proposes a white light that allows AVs to leverage their impressive networking capability. These white light would signal human drivers to simply follow the car in front and could decrease traffic delays significantly
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a42804174/fourth-color-traffic-light-white/
Sorry Florida: A Giant Destructive Blob Is Headed For Florida, And It Stinks. Reports are forecasting that a gargantuan blob of sargassum seaweed has accumulated in the Atlantic Ocean and is headed for the US state, bringing with it millions of tons of odorous seaweed.
https://www.iflscience.com/a-giant-destructive-blob-is-headed-for-florida-and-it-stinks-67696
The Big Question: How would you make a truly multi-playing pinball game? We then meander a little and talk about Jeffrey Combs, the Fallout tv show, Hello Tomorrow on AppleTV and The Last of Us. Only then do we finally end this monstrosity.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP441.mp3This episode contains: Devon, Ben and Steven all record in the same room again! It’s crazy! Devon tells us about his travels, and Ben tries to QA a Tesla. It’s a whole thing. Only one Science and no Big Question this week because we have Sci-Fi to talk about.
Robot Overlords: Researchers Discover a More Flexible Approach to Machine Learning. Liquid neural nets can transform their underlying algorithms on the fly. They are based on the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system. Nonlinear equations, worm nervous systems, and liquid neural nets are all here.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/researchers-discover-a-more-flexible-approach-to-machine-learning-20230207/
Picard: We talk about the first episode of the third season of Star Trek Picard. There are a lot of nits to pick, but we are generally optimistic about this final season. We start off with some complaints about seasons 1 and 2, but it seems season 3 has rectified some of those. We have deep discussions about Captain Shaw, The Orville, and ship refits.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania: SPOILERS. Devon and Steven just watched it, Ben watched it a few days before and we do a deep dive. We talk about plot, characters, editing, Kang and how there was a bit of disappointment in all of those things. Steven attempts to explain Kang, and we all try and figure out M.O.D.O.K. In there end, there was little consistency, which is consistent with other Ant-Man movies.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP440.mp3This episode contains: Devon doesn’t feel the valentine’s spirit this week. Ben’s kid loves Trailmakers, Ben used barter.vg to trade for the game. “Are we back to bartering?” asks Steven. Did we ever stop? Steven knows about bartering thanks to Fallout 1. Devon & Ben watched the Superbowl. Steven went to a SB party but didn’t watch it. Steven is really enjoying Hogwarts Legacy. Steven recognized Ben was way too stressed out over debt in our Traveller game. Ben learned that he had more fun in an RPG by making it a “yes day.” We don’t want to be Murder Hobos in RPGs. Context around the term “murder den” is helpful.
This Week in Space: Ring discovered around dwarf planet Quaoar confounds theories. There’s a ring around the dwarf planet Quaoar just outside the solar system. How is the dwarf planet Quaoar pronounced? Devon tries his best. Quaoar has rings further away from the planet than we thought possible. The Roche limit is the zone where a planetary ring can be created. Scientists discover planets by observing their gravitational pull.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/08/ring-discovered-around-dwarf-planet-quaoar-confounds-theories#:~:text=Astronomers
THE YEAR 2000! I mean 2038: Remember the year 2000? Destiny’s Child was huge. Y2K was a thing. Is Y2K behind us? Maybe! Y2K38 is upon us. It’s the Epochalypse! Unix time started 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970. What’s a Unix system? Got an iPhone or an Android? You have a Unix system. Watch out! The Epochalypse bug will happen 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038, and all 32-bit systems will crash! When was Unix first created? Development started in 1969. We can solve the Epochalypse by going 64-bit, and give us 292 billion years more time. In 2038, do you think Destiny’s Child will make a comeback?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem
The Back Half: Devon encourages our Patrons to keep doing what they’re doing. We talk about some feedback we got from a Patron! You know Ben has a Merriam-Webster’s unabridged dictionary. Silly Ben said Roget’s Thesaurus, meant Merriam-Webster’s unabridged dictionary.
The Big Question: Is technology making many jobs obsolete? If so, should we have a universal basic income? We talk the iterative nature of societal development. Are white collar jobs becoming obsolete too? YEP! Should government slow the pace of tech to ensure worker’s can keep up? No. We talk about how cool universal basic income would be. Ben grew up a welfare kid: his parent’s had govt support, and Ben is grateful. Ben’s family had the benefit of society helping people, and made Ben who he is. Steven talks about how life changed after getting laid off. Life would have been easier for all of the hosts with universal basic income. Do you think less people would be willing to work with universal basic income? The 1980s concept that more money = happy life is not true. A good emergency can financially derail anybody. Is there a solve? Just because some people leech off a system, does it mean we shouldn’t have nice things? Is offering help with conditions really offering help? Is it fully altruistic? Which other social programs would be superceded by universal basic income? How can we fix the inflation problem with universal basic income? Minimum wage is not a living wage. Would universal basic income be a living wage? Will Devon go to the robot-run McDonalds in Texas? Time will tell.
Kurzgesagt Universal Basic Income video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl39KHS07Xc
Patreon Only:
Patreon-only pre-show: “Up is go!” The Lost in Space movie has a cool level of 1 million, says Ben. Devon has trouble with embedding websites in Notion, and he’s frustrated. Devon doesn’t know what a fuzzy search is. Even if you’re a boomer on TikTok, you can say “get off my lawn” to mean gatekeepers. Ben is happy to be a house spouse.
Patreon-only mid-show: Have you guys heard about bit flips from cosmic rays? Devon has. Steven: Player’s Guides are trash, now that we have the internet. Next week we’ll be recording in person! All three of us! Maybe talk Quantumania.
Patreon-only post-show: We talk Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. So touching. Devon likes the book Anxious People. There’s a reason for the different zombies in The Last of Us. That new Flash trailer looks fun. Ever wanted to know why Ben is pissed at a Star Trek novel?
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP439.mp3This episode contains: We discuss how 2/5/2023 feels like it should be the future, but totally isn’t/ Devon won big at Texas Hold’em, but not in Texas. Ben has a story about a frog and a banana. Devon also weathered an ice storm, his house not so much. We have suspect we have very special listeners.
This Week in Space: Will Machine Learning Help us Find Extraterrestrial Life? SETI is using machine learning to check 150TB of studied data, and found 8 signals of interest that were previously looked over. We talk about radio waves, and how this machine learning can sift through the noise coming from Earth. And then we talk about Futurama.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130130512.htm
What the Crazy Kids are Doing: Carbon capture is here—it just isn’t evenly distributed. New York City apartment towers are going to get smaller carbon capture facilities. These facilities will be able to remove carbon dioxide and expel it as “beverage grade”. Then, it will be used in concrete as building material. A win-win!
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/carbon-capture-is-here-it-just-isnt-evenly-distributed/
Science Fiction: We talk about the upcoming Picard Season 3. We talk about the failings of season 1 and 2, and the hope that Ben has for season 3. A hope that Devon and Steven are beginning to share, as an insider who hates nu-trek has seen the season and “gushed” about it online.
Big Question: What age is it appropriate to introduce children to The Matrix? Ben shares his experience watching the movie with his 9 year old, and seems disappointed that he wasn’t blown away. Steven soapboxes about how The Matrix needs to be put into context of the world of 1999, which is vastly different from the current century. Devon seems apathetic, but also has a big brain and figured out the Matrix twist from the trailers. Here’s a good one: does watching Star Trek inoculate you against The Matrix?
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP438.mp3This episode contains: All three hosts are here, slowly rotating around the sun, to bring you science and science fiction. Devon explains why he can’t record this afternoon (the answer is football). Ben tells us about the ongoing woes of being a home owner. Steven and Ben talk about playing Walkabout Mini Golf on VR.
Listen To This: MusicLM: Generating Music From Text. MusicLM is a model generating high-fidelity music from text descriptions such as “a calming violin melody backed by a distorted guitar riff”. MusicLM casts the process of conditional music generation as a hierarchical sequence-to-sequence modeling task, and it generates music at 24 kHz that remains consistent over several minutes.
https://google-research.github.io/seanet/musiclm/examples/
Riffusion’s AI generates music from text using visual sonograms. Riffusion is an AI model that generates music from text prompts by creating a visual representation of sound and converting it to audio for playback. It uses a fine-tuned version of the Stable Diffusion 1.5 image synthesis model, applying visual latent diffusion to sound processing in a novel way.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/riffusions-ai-generates-music-from-text-using-visual-sonograms/
Big Question: What sci-fi universe would you want to live in? What if you had to support your current family and could not count on being a hero in that story? What if Skype kept disconnecting you?
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP437.mp3This episode contains: Ben joins Steven in person, and Devon phones it in this week. Your heart has ventricles and… dorsicles? No Ben; It’s atriums. Steven reminds us that he knows the beginning of a Barenaked Ladies song. Devon chats about his first cruise! TLDR: It was… about as he expected. Was Devon on a cruise long enough to get scurvy? Are drink packages on cruise ships worth it? Everything’s still wrong with Ben this week. Looks like one of Ben’s bedroom walls will need to be replaced. FEMA declared the recent rainstorms in California an Avengers-level event. Ben is getting his septic tank pumped this week. Goodbye wooden deck. Ben found a lot of surprising things when crawling under his house. You wouldn’t illegally download a house, would you? Steven needs a break from his vacations. Listen to Steven guest host the Plastic Plesiosaur podcast this month!
Brain Matters: Orienteering may help fight cognitive decline. Orienteering is a new sport, kinda like extreme hiking. Devon is our resident sports advocate and expert. De-stress and unplug with Orienteering, and improve your cognitive fitness. The recent study about Orienteering is self-reported, so we’re kinda skeptical. Ben loves exploring new routes in his town. Steven & Devon say “no thanks.” Steven thought Ben was going to murder him when driving him the wrong way home.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230120154924.htm
Charge it! Could gravity batteries really store excess renewable energy? Gravity batteries could theoretically be located in abandoned mines. Gravity batteries are one of the few ways to generate energy without steam! Gravity batteries are not feasible: maintenance costs outweigh the benefits. We chat about hydroenergy between two lakes. Why do all our tech advances go back to the Romans? Thanks, middle ages! Steven’s kids just watched Ratatouille for the first time… is it for kids? Steven has a quick Rant-atouille. Ben invites Steven to come over and watch Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.
https://www.techspot.com/news/97306-gravity-batteries-abandoned-mines-could-power-whole-planet.html
Mid-pod Patreon only: Renee reminded Steven he’s talking about Bridgerton. Devon recommends the second Downton Abbey film. Doesn’t recommend the first. Devon lawyersplains Downton Abbey to Ben. He could go on for a half hour, easy. Ben guesses the footmen in Downton Abbey are the ninjas working for Shredder.
Science Fiction / Big Question: We gush about The Last of Us, video game and show. Cordyceps is a real fungal thing that set up the premise of The Last of Us. We compare The Last of Us to a couple other zombie media. The Walking Dead refers to the people still left… just like The Last of Us. Starting The Last of Us with scientists in a 1968-era show is a good choice. Anna Torv is FANTASTIC in The Last of Us, AND Fringe. Watch Fringe. Wanna see more Pedro Pascal? We recommend Prospect. Did anybody see the FBI marriage subplot in Sonic 2 coming? Devon did. Big question this week: we are old men grumbling about streaming services. HBO Max has been doing Ben dirty, y’all. Babylon 5 going away and a price hike? The Remastered version of Babylon 5 has been incredible. Could HBO Max have waited a little after The Last of Us premier to raise price? Is it time to begin rotating streaming services? Should we go back to physical media? When we bought shows that weren’t revoked? Who would be hurt most from rotating streaming services? Is it just time for us to grow up? Devon grew up 30 years ago. Git gud n00bs. Devon recommends Kevin Can F**k Himself on AMC.
After-pod Patreon only: Devon tries to tell a joke. He gets there eventually. Joke Orienteering is our new sport: here’s a map, let’s find the punch line! We like Wednesday despite it being a Tim Burton show. Why did Tim Burton spend 25 years making movies that didn’t speak to Ben? Wednesday gives Ben some Pushing Daisies vibes. Tim Burton was an Imagineer! That explains a lot, in a good way. Steven and Devon gush about The Last Kingdom. Very fast paced show. Slow book. Steven LOVES having maps in books, especially The Last Kingdom. The same characters are in both The Last Kingdom and Assassins Creed: Valhalla. Ben would love to take a nap every day. We say good night to Devon, and then Steven and Ben WE KEEP ON RECORDING! Steven tries to get Ben to name the people he hates.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP436.mp3This episode contains: Ben and Steven in the same room recording. Ben has a week of disaster. Steven is guesting on Plastic Plesiosaur Podcast. Devon is nowhere to be seen.
Magnets, How Do They Work?: Qi2: How Apple might finally harness MagSafe by giving it away. We talk about the future of phone chargers, and how everything being compatable is a complete win.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/3/23538131/qi2-wireless-charging-apple-samsung
https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/01/10/future-of-magsafe-and-the-new-qi2-wireless-charging-spec
YUMMMM: Why chocolate feels so good; it is all down to lubrication. We talk about the science of lubrication in terms of chocolate. Fat is necessary. We also ponder the ramifications of this science and the ‘fake meat’ industry.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230113112804.htm
Big Question: Why are anachronistic elements in fiction so cool? We talk about Willow and dark City before Steven goes on his rant about Star Trek not being anachronistic but Star Wars is. Ben dives into tvtropes.org and we investigate the ‘film’ Kung Fury. Ben goes off topic and tells us about Lil Gator Game and his son, but then we refocus and talk about different sub-tropes of anachronisms. Steven finds that he doesn’t like unexplained future-tech in the past. Lastly, Steven dives into Century by Alan Moore and spoils the whole thing.
Patreon Only: We talk about Babylon 5, The Bad Batch and A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
This episode contains: Steven and Devon host this all new episode while Ben rests. Devon tells us about his upcoming cruise and his work ethic leading up to a vacation. Steven talks about California’s torrential rain, including his trip to Disney during a storm. Devon then tells us about his day at The Great Wolf Lodge.
She’s a Brick House: Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable? An unexpected ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230106144441.htm
Drink Up: Good hydration linked to healthy aging. Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a new study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230102100941.htm
Sci-Fi/Big Question: We discuss whether immortality is possible, what technologies may help us achieve immortality and the social impact immortality would have. We also discuss our own feelings about mortality/immortality. We end up discussing whether a digital copy is the same as the original person, the fact that even if you are “immortal” you’re still going to die eventually, and the heat death of the universe.
https://thousandyearoldvampire.com/
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP434.mp3This episode contains: Ben likes new things! Devon says hi. Devon’s sick again. Can you tell? Steven says not to thank people for doing their job. What do you think? Disney Dreamlight Valley seems cool. What should someone do if they’re totally burned out by Disneyland? Vacations with kids are just trips. Devon and Steven are done chasing kids. Steven’s kids don’t like Star Wars land at Disneyland. Not yet.
Shut up when I’m talking to you!: Being assertive: Reduce stress, communicate better. Assertiveness is not necessarily natural. It is a learned trait. Passive behavior can lead to stress, resentment, and feelings of victimization. Being assertive creates self-confidence, empowerment, and honest relationships. Passive, aggressive and passive-aggressive behavior all damage relationships. Just “No.” is a complete sentence. You don’t need to explain yourself. Formal assertiveness training is available through mental health professionals.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/assertive/art-20044644
Assertiveness Training – Fact Sheets
https://www.abct.org/fact-sheets/assertiveness-training/
Power Slave: National Ignition Facility achieves fusion ignition. Fusion could power our society in future decades with clean & limitless energy. Scientists used fusion to get more energy out than put in, after ignition. Fusion would be a big step towards the U.S. net-zero carbon economy goal. All electricity, coal, nuclear plants are just complicated steam engines. Fusion: two light nuclei combine to a single heavy nucleus… SO MUCH ENERGY. Could we have wireless energy? You know, without touching? Steven dreams. To our patrons: thank you for listening. And we’re sorry.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221213102033.htm
Science Fiction: High On Life is on Gamepass! Steven discusses the first ten minutes. The Red Letter Media lads have an MST3K cameo in High On Life. (https://www.reddit.com/r/RedLetterMedia/comments/zmbole how_to_find_the_rlm_lads_in_high_on_life/) Steven killed a kid alien in High On Life. Shame on him. He should play a more civilized game… like Fallout! Was this new Star Trek DS9 comic “The Dog of War” written by A.I.? It’s nuts! What happens when you smash a Corgi Dog into Deep Space Nine? The Dog of War. (https://screenrant.com/star-trek-dog-war-ds9-sequel-new-series/) Poets nearly burned Ben at the stake for suggesting to use A.I. to help write. Is writing music performed by a computer similar to A.I. generated art? Devon rocks too loud at night when he’s recording music. Rock finds a way. Is it weird when a composer can write a song they cannot play? Devon muses. Is there any difference in using a thesaurus vs. having an A.I. help write? How do solos get affected when nobody is playing the song? Check out Riffusion, generating music from text using visual sonograms. (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12 riffusions-ai-generates-music-from-text-using-visual-sonograms/) What is a solo for? Steven says it’s about emotional peaks. When describing a group of cyborgs AND androids: Try the term “macheeple”.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP433.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Ben record on Christmas Day, because they hate their families! Just kidding. Steven talks about his Covid filled Xmas, and Ben regales us with tales of his kid’s broken arm. What joy! What Merriment! Merry Crisis.
Robot Overlords: We talk about the physical intelligence of ant and robot collectives. Harvard researchers designed a team of relatively simple robots that can work collectively with simple commands. The RAnts use photormones to successfully escape a corral. Neat.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221221135358.htm
Grumpy Cat of Birds: Ben introduces us to the Tawny Frogmouth, and you’ll never be the same again. It’s an amazing bird that isn’t an owl, but kinda looks like one. Native to Australia and New Zealand, it is an ambush predator that simply swallows it’s prey with it’s giant mouth. So cool. Also, Steven gets schooled on cultural appropriation, but it’s cool because Fight Club.
https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/tawny-frogmouth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nci3dnZPVfg
Big Question: We talk about eugenics and Star Trek. Why is starfleet against the victims of eugenics? Two different shows have currently have plot threads dealing with this idea and we try to figure it out. Also, we learn about eugenics.
Black Adam: Ben reviews Black Adam. Steven attempts a re-write. We also chat about the politics of hollywood and how it influences storytelling.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP432.mp3This episode contains: Steven is back “in studio” with the rest of us after having his internet completely replaced. Ben’s son may have broken his arm, if Ben could only open the CD to see the x-rays. Devon then tells us about his recent time in California, which includes playing Death May Die.
Batter Up: Affecting baseball friction with different substances. In baseball, even the smallest detail can tip the scales in favor of the batter or the pitcher. A recent publication has highlighted how rosin powder helps maintain a more constant friction when pitching, something that could bring about a fairer playing field in Major League Baseball.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221215104734.htm
This Week in Space: Here’s what we know, and what we don’t, about the damaged Soyuz spacecraft current docked with the ISS. A leak in an external coolant of the Soyuz spacecraft could cause the flight computers to overheat. This may lead to an early departure from the space station.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/heres-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-about-the-damaged-soyuz-spacecraft/
Science Fiction: Devon discusses the end of the second season of Avenue 5. We then review the most recent season of Rick and Morty, which just came to a close. Ben talks about Star Trek: Prodigy. This leads to a discussion of episodic TV v. serialized story telling. And so much more!!! (not really).
Patreon only: We discuss the use of AI in creative arts and who should get the credit for the final product.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP431.mp3Pre-pod Patreon-only: Devon remembers meeting Ben’s cat. He still has the scar.
This episode contains: Ben leads the show, Steven phones it in, and Devon holds on for dear life. Devon has to go to “mandatory” parties for work. Steven’s internet is unreachable, so he phones it in this episode. Ben was on the edge of the power outage that hit 5000 people. Ben describes the indescribable fun of the card game No Thanks. Ben’s kid won 9 straight games of X-Men vs Street Fighter against Steven and Ben.
Jurassic Boom: No supersonic boom for dinosaur tails. The Diplodocid tail did not break supersonic speeds, despite earlier claims. Diplodocis tails were 12 m long, weighed 1.5 tons, and moved up to 33 m/s! A sonic boom occurs at 340 meters per second. Did Diplodocis have a huge-ass neck, or huge ass-neck? Devon’s kids are gonna know what a sonic boom is, by golly! Devon’s son wants to be a treehouse architect. Steven knows one who does that. Steven workshopped some other titles for Devon’s article: “Must Go Faster Must Go Faster” and “Dun-dun-dun-duuuun dun-dun-dinosaurs (sung to the Indiana Jones’ theme)”.
https://phys.org/news/2022-12-paleontology-supersonic-boom-dinosaur-tails.html
We’ve got to go back, Kate: Fifty years later, remastered images reveal Apollo 17 in stunning clarity. 50 years ago, on Apollo 17 the last astronauts went to the moon (for now). Nobody’s heard of hasselblad cameras. Why aren’t they hasselgood? Remastered photos of Apollo 17 look incredible, but the captions are fire. In case anybody is curious, the crew of Artemis III is diverse. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-team/ The moon has an incredible amount of dust and dirt. Astronauts get grimy. Apollo 17 was the 1st mission with a scientist on the moon: Harrison H. Schmitt.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/fifty-years-later-remastered-images-reveal-apollo-17-in-stunning-clarity/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/apollo-17/in-depth/
Science Fiction: Big thanks to Joe Kohr for Steven’s birthday gift of Steam cash! Hide and Seek in Among Us is super fun, and different enough from the game. Ben didn’t finish the Star Trek: Prodigy episode before recording this week. R.I.P. Kirstie Alley at 71: Saavik from Wrath of Khan. Devon used to watch every sitcom that existed in the mid- to late-90s. Remember Herman’s Head? Pepperidge Farm does, and so does Devon. Devon has an encyclopedic knowledge of 90s sitcoms. Why did they recast Saavik between Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock? Money. Devon rewatched the 1st season of Enterprise, and let’s just say he’s whelmed. Enterprise lacks the high concept scifi that even season 1 of TNG had. Devon wonders if Herman’s Head is streaming somewhere… Enterprise could use more space-borne aliens. The original idea for Enterprise was for s1 to be on Earth, building the ship. Ben remembers the show Roswell, and there was a crazy Enterprise tie-in. Steven wonders if Jonathan Frakes is a little nuts. No reason, just wonders. The film Clockstoppers is a little self-explanatory, don’t you think?
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP430.mp3This episode contains: Steven and Ben (and others) attended Steven’s birthday party, and we talk about the awesome fun times we had. Devon wasn’t there, sorry Devon. However, Devon and Ben pooled their resources and bought Steven a Steamdeck for his 40th, which is amazing.
Buyer Beware: Handshake Domains: Blockchain Powered DNS Is Here, But Should You Use It? Ben explains what a DNS is, the control and attempted decentralization of web domains and his recent purchases. You should also check out https://lawless.rocks.
https://www.howtogeek.com/devops/handshake-domains-blockchain-powered-dns-is-here-but-should-you-use-it/
Last Week in Space: NASA’s Artemis 1 mission to the Moon sets the stage for routine space exploration beyond Earth’s orbit – here’s what to expect and why it’s important. We talk about the successful launch of the Artemis 1, what it’s going to do, and how it’s going to return. We also cover Artemis 2 and 3, which we are very excited for.
https://www.geeksaresexy.net/2022/11/17/nasas-artemis-1-mission-to-the-moon-sets-the-stage-for-routine-space-exploration-beyond-earths-orbit-heres-what-to-expect-and-why-its-important/
Science Fiction: There was a lot to cover this week. We recap the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 trailer, a Japanese indy film called Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (which was filmed on an iPhone), the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the shortest talk about Star Trek Prodigy Ben has ever done, and finally we talk about Undone season 2. Oh, and The Bear, which isn’t scifi but is still amazing and you should watch it.
This episode contains: The three of us are here and ready to talk sci-fi, and only sci-fi. However, we first talk about what makes a “gentleman” and recount our Thanksgiving […]
This episode contains: Ben will not be cooking turkey this Thanksgiving, instead it’s poached salmon! Ben battled Devon’s ghost on Geometry Wars 2, doubling Devon’s high score (he got 12,676,335 […]
This episode contains: Three old men chat about their relative closeness in age. Ben and Steven played the fantastic science fiction RPG Traveller! Devon attended a BBQ and had some […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben continue to cast without the delightful presence of one Devon Craft. We discuss out upcoming Traveller game (an amazing science fiction role playing game). […]
This episode contains: Around these parts, there’s spooky and then there’s spoopy. Steven says nope. Halloween can stick around year-round if you ask Ben. Ben found a house with severed […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben attended a well behaved dinner together. Devon contemplates shock collars for his kids. Oh, and Ben has another job. Neat. Brain Matters: Lab-grown brain […]
This episode contains: It’s been a long time since the three of us have been together in one podcast. Ben’s been boogie boarding with his son and has learned some […]
This episode contains: Steven and Devon record on a glorious Sunday afternoon. Where’s Ben? It’s fun to have Nicole Lawless on the show (ep421) as an actual science person. Devon […]
This episode contains: Ben and special guest (his wife) Nicole are your hosts this episode! Where are Devon and Steven? Who cares! What is an Avocado Elbow? The answer may […]
This episode contains: All three of us come together on a Monday morning to mostly talk about DART and Andor. Devon tried to burn down his backyard while Steven’s wife […]
Pre-pod for our Patreon-only crew: Ben’s been kicked from the podcast. How quickly the tides have turned. Steven spits some hot knowledge. Remember how fire the Mortal Kombat song was? […]
This episode contains: Why is Ben under the weather? Why does Devon think he can play full court basketball? Why doesn’t Steven talk about his vacation? https://www.amazon.com/Millies-Natural-Organic-Gluten-Free-Vegetable/dp/B075JQRZ34/ Wheels Driving Around […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben are doing okay despite the current heatwave. Ben introduces the grandfather paradox to his son while Steven worries about his chickens. Now, science! Smell […]
This episode contains: Ben Lawless here to talk about the 4,747 ep of Star Trek… NOPE! Not this time! An episode with just Devon and Steven. Ben’s out cause he […]
This episode contains: We gather in the morning this week, have a cup of coffee and discuss our lives. Ben’s house is being destroyed on purpose, Devon languishes about Chuck […]
This episode contains: Devon’s back so we have a full house on this ep. Steven is not in the best of moods, Devon is just chillin’ and Ben is not […]
This episode contains: A 9 year old trash-talked Ben’s Mario Kart skills. Steven went to a climbing gym with his daughter and he’s still alive! The auto-belay is an awesome […]
This episode contains: Steven and Ben rule supreme this episode. Ben walks us through birthday twins and Steven talks about rolling 2D6, whatever that means. Ben also talks about some […]
This episode contains: Steven and Devon have been playing D&D. Ben’s son has discovered his love for the ocean. Devon is home alone and is dealing with a multi-week long […]
This episode contains: Asheville, NC is called The San Francisco of Tennessee. Devon ventures into the Biggest Bass Pro Shop, a pyramid in Memphis. Steven isn’t going if there’s no […]
This episode contains: Join Steven and Ben this week but not Devon, who is on vacation. We chat a bit about dad stuff and video games w/ the kids. Steven […]
This episode contains: Best friend of the show Matt was mauled by a dog, so Ben took him to the ER. A WILD STORY. “They don’t give ice cream in […]
This episode contains: We get together on a Sunday to discuss how our weekends are going. Devon had a pool party and Ben is sick. Steven celebrated his kid’s birthday. […]
This episode contains: We have a full on dadcast this week. We talk about our respective Father’s Days and then Ben talks about linux for a while. You know that […]
This episode contains: Extra Super Special Guest Tim Barnes joins Ben and Steven this episode. While he’s here to push his new show Maurice on Mars on Comedy Central, we […]
This episode cotnains: We make episode 404 and didn’t make a FILE NOT FOUND joke. FAIL. Ben finds podracing engines at an airplane museum. A new droid in Galaxy’s Edge!? […]
This episode contains: All three amigos are present this episode. Devon talks about his birthday, and Ben and Steven had a BBQ. Welcome to summer, I guess. Welcome to the […]
This episode contains: This week we have the entire gang together recording on a Saturday night. Devon is recording form a thunder storm, Ben is drinking Liquid Death, and Steven […]
This episode contains: We record in the daytime for the first time ever, except for the last time. Do Texans eat lunch at 3 in the afternoon? We ask Devon. […]
Alternate title: LET’S GO!!!! This episode contains: Ben wrote his mother a poem for Mother’s Day and he shares with us. Have your tissues handy. Steven went to Hawaii and […]
This episode contains: The three of us are here and ready to talk Star Wars. Mostly about how it has failed. But we eventually get positive. We get onto the […]
This episode contains: Ben hangs up on Steven in this week’s Patreon-only content. We have almost 36 minutes extra in this week’s unedited ep. https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-398-65566625 Ben is allegedly a good […]
This episode contains: We talk about sick kids, the easter, LIQUID DEATH, house destruction and possibly starting a proof-reading podcast. Let’s Go Fly a Kite: Could high-flying kites power your […]
On this episode: We have a full house: Steven, Ben and Devon. Ben and Devon played some Walkabout Mini-Golf. Steven has been dealing with sick kids. Devon has been spending […]
This Episode Contains: In the Patreon-only pre-show, does Ben have mono? In Texas, Devon’s got pollen covering his black truck. It’s now YELLOW! Steven ordered the Lego Delorean, the last […]
This episode contains: Break-ins, BBQs and Boxes. Would you like to know more? Sip, Sip, Go!: Good news for coffee lovers: Daily coffee may benefit the heart. A new analysis […]
This episode contains: We have all three science podcasters on this episode. After going around the horn saying how we’ve been doing we get down to business. Look Up, Picard: […]
This episode contains: Ben’s been geeking out in books this last week. Not video games. Weird. But that didn’t stop him getting an XBox Series X on MAR10 day. WHAT […]
This episode contains: Ben’s been not having some real problems with spreadsheets. In fact, this episode was almost called ‘The Spreadsheet Edition’. This Week in Space: ‘Closest black hole’ system […]
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP390.mp3 This episode contains: We record this on Sunday night, without Devon. Ben tells us about Babylon 5 without waiting for the Sci-Fi section of the podcast. Steven then talks about skipping first season of TV shows, including Parks and Rec.
There’s Nothing Funny About Measles: Scientists have known for years that measles can alter the immune system – but the latest evidence suggests it’s less of a mild tweaking, and more of a total reset. Enter “immune amnesia”, a mysterious phenomenon that’s been with us for millennia. Essentially, when you’re infected with measles, your immune system abruptly forgets every pathogen it’s ever encountered before – every cold, every bout of flu, every exposure to bacteria or viruses in the environment, every vaccination. Once the measles infection is over, current evidence suggests that your body has to re-learn what’s good and what’s bad almost from scratch.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211112-the-people-with-immune-amnesia
Next Week in Space: Predicting the efficiency of oxygen-evolving electrolysis on the Moon and Mars. Scientists have today provided more insight into the possibility of establishing a pathway to generate oxygen for humans to potentially call the Moon or Mars ‘home’ for extended periods of time.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220208113903.htm
Science Fiction: Ben brings us up to speed on Star Trek Discovery. There’s something about a DMA and Omega Particle. Ben also talks about the coming first episode of the second season of Picard. Steven then tells us about the Apple TV+ show Severance.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP389.mp3 This episode contains: Ben declares himself the President of being present. We caught ourselves a wild Devon this episode. Ben went to a float spa: think sensory deprivation tank. It was AWESOME.
Trouble in a Bubble: Eight People Attempted To Live In A Biosphere For Two Years – Then It All Went Wrong. We’re not talking about the Simpsons Movie dome this week. Turns out Biosphere 2 was not a 1996 movie with Pauly Shore (That’s Bio-Dome). Biosphere 2 is the sequel to the Earth, which is Biosphere 1. Biosphere 2 was a $200M USD failure in so many ways. Food in Biosphere 2 didn’t grow quickly enough to support the inhabitants, oxygen fell to 15%, and there were cockroaches. Fun. Science is failure and trying again. Biosphere 2 is a good example of this.
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/eight-people-attempted-to-live-in-a-biosphere-for-two-years-then-it-all-went-wrong/
DN-WHAT? Biohybrid fish made from human cardiac cells swims like the heart beats. Scientists are adapting cardiac cells to replace malformed hearts in children. Researchers made a swimming artificial Stingray from rat heart muscle cells. Yo, this biohybrid fish made from human cardiac cells is getting jacked!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220210154212.htm
Science Fiction: Steven is excited for Jurassic Park 6, whatever the subtitle is. Next Star Trek movie reunites the Kelvin crew. RIP Anton Yelchin. Perhaps the next JJ Star Trek movie will have scientifically accurate stuff? Steven wonders if a young Picard will be in the next Star Trek movie. No way. Devon wonders if there’ll be a new Star Trek movie without a bad guy. No way. Steven takes a plot from Darkwing Duck and pitches a Star Trek movie. “Snoopy in Space” has a Rotten Tomatoes rating at 100% for season 1. Devon says the holiday Peanuts specials don’t hold up. John Dimaggio tells us why he’s not gonna be Bender in next season of Futurama. Star Trek: Discovery S4 is still a great Star Trek season. “Rubicon” was rad. Let’s talk the trailer for Multiverse of Madness. Patrick Stewart?!??! What kind of Doctor is Dr Strange? Turns out he has an MD and a PhD. We’re finally getting Starfleet in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP388.mp3 This episode contains: We learn about Devon’s middle name, Ben’s adventures in coloring book design and Steven has been playing some Pokemon. Ben and Steven both played Vampire Survivors, while Devon plays single dad.
Breathe In, Breathe Out: Researchers confirm newly developed inhaled vaccine delivers broad protection against SARS-CoV-2. We talk about how inhaled vaccines differ from traditional injected vaccines, and how this method is not only less invasive, but takes less ‘vaccine’ per dose to administer. Cool stuff that we’re waiting for the negative spin on. We also talk about the California mask mandate and when we will know if the pandemic ends.
https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/researchers-confirm-newly-developed-inhaled-vaccine-delivers-broad-protection-against-sars-cov-2-variants-of-concern/
Science Fiction: Futurama is back, again! But maybe without Bender’s voice. Steven makes Devon and Ben watch the Jurassic World Dominion trailer and they make fun. Ben talks about the return of Star Trek Discovery and the secrets of Species 10-C. Devon mostly finished Prodigy and has some stuff to say about Janeway’s ship. Devon also catches us up on Resident Alien, and Ben chats a bit about Raised By Wolves season 2. And finally, at the zero hour, Steven uses his final breaths to make one last stand with The Book of Boba Fett.
links:
https://youtu.be/fb5ELWi-ekk JWD trailer
https://youtu.be/V9txyZ-kRgM JWD prologue
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP387.mp3 This episode contains: Steven, Ben and Devon are all back on this episode. We discuss Devon’s Covid and disappointment in the lack of snow in Texas. Ben talks about playing new board games. Steven is fine…
This Week in Space: Moons may yield clues to what makes planets habitable. Because the moon is so important to life on Earth, scientists conjecture that a moon may be a potentially beneficial feature in harboring life on other planets. Most planets have moons, but Earth’s moon is distinct in that it is large compared to the size of Earth; the moon’s radius is larger than a quarter of Earth’s radius, a much larger ratio than most moons to their planets. New research finds that distinction significant.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220201144027.htm
You’ve Been Thunder Struck: WMO certifies two megaflash lightning records. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has established two new world records for megaflashes of lightning in notorious hotspots in North and South America. The longest single flash that covered a horizontal distance of 768 ± 8 km (477.2 ± 5 miles) across parts of the southern United States on 29 April 2020.
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-certifies-two-megaflash-lightning-records
Science Fiction: We of course talk about Star Trek: Prodigy and The Book of Boba Fett, major spoilers. Ben also tells how he is looking forward to more Discovery and Picard, and the start of Strange New Worlds.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP386.mp3 This episode contains: Where’s Devon this week? Is there some Texan holiday we’re not aware of? Should Spotify be responsible for COVID misinformation on their podcasts? Is Spotify a music platform or a podcast platform? Ben yells at the cloud, and is switching to Apple Music. Ben kicks Steven out of his Spotify family plan, on air!
See the real new music releases each week:
https://everynoise.co/new_releases_by_genre.cgi?genre=global®ion=US&albumsonly=true
There’s a music genre to calm your pets:
https://everynoise.com/new_releases_by_genre.cgi?genre=pet%20calming®ion=US&albumsonly=true&hidedupes=on&style=list
Hippity Hop: Scientists regrow frog’s lost leg
If you wanted zombies, this is how you get zombies. Scientists use a series of drugs on frogs for 24 hours, and 18-months later a functional leg grows. Viva Los Biodome! Salamanders, starfish, crabs, and lizards can regrow limbs: can mammals?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220126144001.htm
Flipping the Bird: The Magpie Machine
Ben describes a YouTube video, which may be the most inane thing possible. A father and son duo in Sweden made a machine to reward magpies for throwing away trash. Ben is now the daimyo of Science Faction. All he asks is for your neutrality when Devon returns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyxMJc8OdQY
Science Fiction: Return of the Man-dalorian: Book of Boba Fett ep. 5 discussion. There was no book and no Boba Fett in this week’s episode. Mando tries to plead the fifth when asked if he removed his helmet. Ben gives this episode three dank ferriks. Steven finally kinda likes it. In Star Wars, vehicles get normal names, characters are just gibberish. At the 59th minute mark, we start talking Star Trek: Prodigy, and “A Moral Star, Part 1” is SO GOOD! Kate Mulgrew goes all goth as Corrupted Hologram Janeway. The new uniforms on Star Trek: Prodigy are awesome. Star Trek Picard: No Man’s Land is an audio drama with Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd, up for pre-order. The Expanse Season 6 stuck the landing, with a satisfying momentum.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP385.mp3
This episode contains: Ben and Steven this week are not joined by Devon, because the ‘Vid got him. Ben is excited to see No Way Home with him family and Steven has been attempting to get into shape with biking. Also, watch out for those Phantom Menace quotes.
This Time You’ve Gone Too Far: Turkish farmer tests out VR goggles on Cows to get more milk. The virtual sun-filled pasture appeared to help cows produce more (and better quality) milk. Steven is okay with the Cow Matrix, Ben not so much.
https://interestingengineering.com/a-turkish-farmer-tests-out-vr-goggles-on-cows-to-get-more-milk
Clean Up That Mess: Study challenges evolutionary theory that DNA mutations are random. Turns out, the most biologically important areas of the DNA are being ‘protected’ from mutation.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220112121512.htm
Science Fiction: Ben listened to our Patron and read that Doctor Who / Star Trek crossover comic. He really liked it. Steven had a massive change of heart withthe 4th episode of The Book of Boba Fett, The Gathering Storm. Steven and Ben talk about the ‘flashbacks’ that were prevalent in the first 4 episodes and how they were clunky and really didn’t need to be flashbacks. Ben informs us all that there will be more Star Trek tv in our future, 51 new episodes this year! Ben then knuckles down and talks Star Trek Prodigy, and how it was a very Trek episode. We round out the episode by Steven talking a tiny bit about Kenshi and Ben explaining why Babylon 5 is so good.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP384.mp3 This episode contains: Ben is super awake this episode, Devon is kinda here. We never know what Shrodinger Steven is gonna say to introduce the other hosts. Devon reviews a Peppa Pig playground. Steven got a LEGO Fender Guitar and Amp. Ben’s got into sudoku. Steven’s riding bikes. Devon’s tired. All in the end of the world.
If I Fits, I Sits: Starlink’s Self-Heating Internet Satellite Dishes Are Attracting Cats. SpaceX deployed 1,800 satellites for Starlink. They’ll launch 40,000 eventually. Cat’s love Starlink dishes on a cold day, because it’s warm. Now SpaceX knows that Starlink satellite dishes can double as a cat home. Turns out cats want to become the center of your attention. Unless they don’t.
https://gizmodo.com/if-i-fits-i-sits-starlinks-self-heating-internet-sate-1848327155
Now doesn’t it make you feel better?: Pig heart transplanted to human for the first time. And the human’s still alive! Xenotransplantation is important because there are more people on organ waiting lists than there are donors. Scientists have been genetically modifying pigs to make them better organ donors. The pig heart transplant was FDA authorized by it’s compassionate use program. “If it oinks… it boinks?” We really should workshop these jokes.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/01/pig-heart-transplanted-to-human-for-the-first-time/
It’s a plague!: The ‘surprisingly simple’ arithmetic of smell
When you want to learn about smell, consider the humble locust. Locusts can be trained to recognize specific odors. Locusts have palps. It’s not short for “Palpatines” despite Steven’s argument. You can’t drown out a smell like you can drown out sound.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220110145300.htm
Science Fiction: Ben hasn’t yet read the Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who: Assimilation graphic novel, but is going to (thanks to listener feedback from Joe Kohr). Episode 824 of Star Trek this week. It’s the Prodigy episode “First Con-tact”: Not to be confused with the eighth Star Trek movie, “First Contact”, or the fifteenth episode of season 4 of The Next Generation, “First Contact”. Nor even the season two finale of Lower Decks “First First Contact”. Steven on episode 3 of The Book of Boba Fett: “the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.” Ben thinks the show is funny, but where’s it all going?
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP383.mp3 This episode contains: We’re all back and recording on a Sunday night. Devon is taking his son to a Peppa Pig park and Rainforest Café. Ben finished Spiderman for the PS 5. Ben talks about a fan edit of the second Amazing Spider-Man film. Devon then complains about movie soundtracks where the songs are not in the movie.
Zoo Cares: Zoo air contains enough DNA to identify the animals inside. The air in a zoo is full of smells, from the fish used for feed to the manure from the grazing herbivores, but now we know it is also full of DNA from the animals living there. Two research groups have each published an independent proof-of-concept study showing that by sampling air from a local zoo, they can collect enough DNA to identify the animals nearby. This may prove to be a valuable, non-invasive tool to track biodiversity.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220106111549.htm
Admiral, There be Whales Here: Ben talks about an article form a good friend of his. Why ‘Star Trek’ made San Francisco the center of the universe.
https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/Star-Trek-and-San-Francisco-16751985.php
Science Fiction: We discuss The Book of Boba Fett, Star Trek: Prodigy, Station Eleven, Fallout TV show, Alien TV show, Matrix: Resurrections, Star Trek comic The Q Gambit, and more!
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP382.mp3 This episode contains: Good riddance 2021, welcome to hell 2022. Steven vacationed in Hawaii. Ben went to Disneyland. Devon is absent and tired.
That’s an Old Tree: Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree. Analysing DNA extracted from 35 entombed individuals, we found 27 of them were close biological relatives. Most of those buried in the tomb were descended from four women who had all had children with the same man.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211222153113.htm
taH pagh, taH be?: To learn Klingon or Esperanto: What invented languages can teach us. Christine Schreyer, a language creator, has invented Kryptonian, Eltarian, Beama, and Atlantean. We also talk about Toki Pona.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/01/to-learn-klingon-or-esperanto-what-invented-languages-can-teach-us/
Science Fiction: Steven watched “Don’t Look Up” and gives his review. Ben talks about the mid-season finale of Star Trek Discovery and it’s connection to Star Trek Insurrection. Ben also gives us the run down on all the Star Trek media that’s coming in 2022. We talk about the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett, and try not to get too detailed with our analysis. We need more episodes.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP381.mp3 This episode contains: No Steven this week, but Devon and Ben make do. Devon got his son a Lego Hogwarts castle. Ben thought we’d be without Lego talk with Steven not on the show. He was wrong. Devon practiced an hour to pitch in a VR baseball game, and still sucks.
Oooh girl, shock me like an eletric eel: Here’s how to give an electric eel an MRI. Ben talks about how to give an electric eel an MRI. Devon asks “Why?” but still thinks eel skeletons are pretty metal. An anesthesized eel can still drown… How do vets keep them breathing? Ever wanted to know how to reconstruct a blown knee on a bullfrog?
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/how-to-give-an-electric-eel-an-mri/
Here comes the sun!: A spacecraft has ‘touched’ the sun for the first time. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spent five hours in the sun’s corona. WOW! Devon talks about Alfvén critical waves, theorized in 1942 and proven in 2019. Turns out the corona is far hotter than the surface of the sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is the fastest known object built by humans.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211214134947.htm
Science Fiction: Doom Patrol season 3 was crazy! Devon and Ben really liked it. Devon is caught up on season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery, but skipped season 3. We talk future airdates for Star Trek: Discovery, Prodigy and Picard in early 2022. Ben and Devon wrap it up with a low-spoiler chat about The Matrix Resurrections.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP380.mp3 For this very special episode we are all together in the same room! We all just watched Spider-Man No Way Home and have a very, very spoilery discussion. Ben had some science but we told him there was no room for that BS. This also may be our last episode for a few weeks, unless Devon and Ben can figure how to record without Steven. Ben does get in some Star Trek Discovery at the end and Steven watched the first two episodes of HBO’s Station Eleven. So enjoy this almost all Spider-Man episode! Come back for our next ep in a few weeks, or less…
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP379.mp3 This episode contains: Happy belated birthday Steven! Sorry about Christmastime. Devon built a garage for his son’s Lego MacLaren. Devon talks Let It Be, The Beatles documentary. You’re a fly on the wall in the studio. Ben and Devon talk about the digital restoration of both the video and audio. In other news, Ben is Batman, Devon is Superman, and Steven is Catwoman. Mmmrowl!
X Gon’ Give It To Ya: Let’s talk about XRays and how scientists may have discovered the first exoplanet found in the M51 galaxy. Turns out finding exoplanets in other galaxies is really difficult, you guys. This exoplanet may be Saturn-sized and orbit a black hole and neutron star. Devon and Steven think maybe we should focus on the problems in our galaxy.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211027094914.htm
Engage: DARPA-funded researches accidentally discover the world’s first warp bubble. The “Alcubierre/White Warp Drive” is a fascinating almost-viable propulsion theory, which was first theorized in 1994. If you accidentally discover warp drive while working on a death ray, finish the death ray. Ever wondered what DARPA stands for? Devon looked it up for you.
https://thedebrief.org/darpa-funded-researchers-accidentally-create-the-worlds-first-warp-bubble/
Science Fiction: Steven needs a new soundboard, as it’s crapping out on him. Help us out: patreon.com/sciencefactionpodcast. Netflix has canceled the live action Cowboy Bebop. Some people rejoiced. We mourn. Devon is sick of the drama on Netflix’s Lost In Space. “Just tell me what happens!” he screams into the void. Steven and Ben played Walkabout Mini Golf in VR together and it’s a blast. Can they convince Devon to get a VR headset? Ben says Star Trek: Discovery is firing on all cylinders in season 4. Devon calls a time of death on the podcast.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sciencefactionpodcast/SFP_EP378.mp3 This episode contains: Steven and Ben talk about our Spotify year end things, Devon has become obsessed with sorting LEGO, and Ben has an endoscopy scheduled! Fun!
This Week in Space: Startup SpinLaunch completes first test flight with wild rocket-flinging launch system. Reducing fuel costs is a key barrier to affordable spaceflight. They don’t even have to worry about the delta-v.
https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-first-test-flight-success
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAczd3mt3X0&ab_channel=ScottManley
Welcome to Earf: SpaceX launches NASA’s mission to collide with an asteroid. The DART mission seeks to demonstrate the capability to change an asteroid’s orbit.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/11/with-tonights-launch-nasa-starts-getting-serious-about-planetary-defense/
Science Fiction: We play a little game called Two Truths and a Lie that Devon stole from the SGU (Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, not to be confused with Stargate Universe). Ben talks about the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery called ‘Choose to Live’ and he’s really been enjoying the season thus far. Devon finally gets a chance to talk about Freeguy, a movie he watched months ago. There was more plot and AI sentience than he bargained for. Steven reviews the latest episode of Hawkeye called ‘Echoes’, and specifically talks about that phone call. Heartbreaking. Oh, and Devon has been watching the second season of The Great, and highly recommends it.