Very Bad Wizards

Latest Episodes:

Episode 206: Angel Chasing (Ted Chiang's "Hell is the Absence of God") Feb 09, 2021

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David and Tamler return to the TCU (Ted Chiang Universe) to talk about his short story "Hell is the Absence of God." How would we behave if we had unequivocal proof of God, heaven, hell, and angels? Would that answer our questions about meaning and purpose and justice? Or would those same questions reappear in a different guise? Plus, the hard problem of breakfast, Jewish Space Lasers, and more…

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Episode 205: Making Your Nervous System Your Ally (William James on "Habit") Jan 26, 2021

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Ever wonder why you're still listening to VBW all of these years? Or why you check your phone 50 times a day? Or why you put on your pants the same way every morning? (If you still wear pants these days.) David and Tamler talk about William James' essay on habits, why they're so powerful, and how you can make your nervous system your ally instead of your enemy. Plus, a shocking new neuroscience study reveals that we remember and share funny stories more than boring ones.

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Episode 204: Happy Freedom Day! (with Lauren Anderson) Jan 12, 2021

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The legendary Houston Ballet dancer Lauren Anderson joins us to talk about the Atlanta Episode "Juneteenth" (Season 1, Episode 9), a hilarious exploration of race, class, identity, and carrying around your sister's underwear. But first David and Tamler share some thoughts on the topic on everyone's mind right now…Bean Dad. Oh yeah and the Capitol riot. Pour yourself a Hennessy or some Emancipation Eggnog and enjoy.

Special Guest: Lauren Anderson.

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Episode 203: Gorgias, Tell Me Something I Don't Know (with Agnes Callard) Dec 22, 2020

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Philosopher Agnes Callard joins us to talk about Plato and his dialogue the Gorgias. Why did Plato write dialogues – are they the best way of presenting arguments? Is Plato cheating when characters contradict themselves by making dumb concessions, or is this part of his method - inviting readers to participate in the debates? Why does the Gorgias end on such a sour note, with Socrates giving long speeches after saying that long speeches shouldn't be allowed? Plus we talk about Agnes' recent op-ed in the New York Times, and David and Tamler tackle a new construct: The Tendency for Interpersonal Victimhood.

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Episode 202: Not as It Ought to Be (H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space") Dec 08, 2020

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A phosphorescence casts a pale sickly glow on David and Tamler as talk only in verbs and pronouns about H.P. Lovecraft's 1927 story "The Colour Out of Space." What is this creature or substance that has color only by analogy, that spreads through earth and water driving man, animal, and vegetation into a madness, not as they ought to be…? What gives the story its terrifying power and its avenues for endless interpretation? Plus, does meditation make you a spiritual narcissist? We talk about a new social psychology article that even David can't defend.

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Episode 201: Very Bad Lizard People Nov 24, 2020

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David and Tamler dive deep into the psychology and epistemology of conspiracy theories. What makes people so prone to believe in complex malevolent plots that require meticulous organization and utter secrecy at the highest levels of power? Are some conspiracies like [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] more plausible than [REDACTED] give [REDACTED] for? And what about [REDACTED]? Do [REDACTED] mislead [REDACTED] by making us think [REDACTED]? How are we supposed to [REDACTED]? Plus, we do some navel gazing, reflecting on what we love and have struggled with over 200+ hundred episodes of [REDACTED].

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Episode 200: Our 200th Episode Spectactular Nov 03, 2020

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David and Tamler celebrate their 200th episode with bourbon and a return to their potty humor roots. First we talk about holes, zoom dicks, and the election. Then we relitigate our bitter debate (from episode 45) over gender, toys, and balanced play diets. Have we matured over all these years? Well it's not for us to say…

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Episode 199: When Philosophy Goes Sideways Oct 20, 2020

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David and Tamler check out some recent work in metaphysics and applied ethics. Does playing a Nina Simone song sideways show that Einstein was wrong about spacetime? Does a Dali painting nailed to the wall backwards have intrinsic value (see figure 1)? Is childhood bad for children? Do you have to be a child before you're an adult? Are we kidding? Is this a joke? We don't know but don't play this podcast sideways or it may lose its aesthetic value.

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Episode 198: Is Mental Illness a Myth? (Thomas Szasz's "The Myth of Mental Illness") Oct 06, 2020

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David and Tamler explore Thomas Szasz's provocative and still relevant 1961 book "The Myth of Mental Illness," the topic selected by our beloved Patreon supporters. When we think of mental disorders as "diseases," are we making a category mistake? Are we turning ordinary "problems in living" into pathologies that must be treated (with pills or psychoanalysis)? Does this model rob us of our autonomy in direct or indirect ways? Plus, with VBW 200 only 2 episodes away we give our top 3 dream guests, and David dons his punditry cap to break down the first presidential debate, which already seems like six months ago.

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Episode 197: The Long Slow Death That Is Life Sep 22, 2020

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The psychologist Yoel Inbar has always tried to imbue his work with a sort of interiority, and now he joins us for a deep dive into Charlie Kaufman's baffling and distressing new film "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." Why does Jessie Buckley's name and career keep changing? What's going on with the dog? Why are the parents unstuck in time? Don't worry you'll get home, we have tire chains in the trunk. Plus, aliens, open science, and the illuminati. It's all connected.

Special Guest: Yoel Inbar.

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