Weird Things

Latest Episodes:

WT: Keep Traffic Thinking May 03, 2022

Show notes

The episode begins with a discussion of an Ars Technica piece about highway message signs, especially Texas signs that display the annual road death toll. The hosts weigh whether such alerts and clever roadside messages help or distract drivers, with some arguing that simple, practical information like travel times may be more useful and that overly complex messaging can pull attention away from the road. Later, the conversation moves through several science and psychology topics: a study about who dislikes magic, research on how people generate "random" choices, and a broader reflection on free will, rationalization, and bias. The back half of the episode turns into media recommendations, including enthusiastic discussion of Severance, The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe, Not Words, and Yellowstone season four, along with praise for strong internal logic in fiction. Key topics Highway message signs and driver distraction: The hosts debate whether variable highway signs and safety messages help or distract drivers. They discuss death-toll messaging, amber and silver alerts, travel-time displays, and the possibility that some signs should be simpler or even left blank. Alert systems and the tradeoff between seen and unseen benefits: Justin argues that pre-smartphone alert systems likely helped find missing people and warn the public, while also acknowledging potential distraction and uncertain side effects. Funny, sponsored, or overly clever road-sign messaging: The group jokes a

AT: TweetX Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Twitter accepted Elon Musk’s offer to buy Twitter. Is Twitter inevitable? What are the uncertainties and what can we infer from the little we know? Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.” Pick: Bryce: Killing Time at Lightspeed

WT: Golden Palace Infants Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

The episode opens with a pre-show anecdote about Brian repeatedly trolling a coffee drive-thru, culminating in him theatrically dropping a penny into a hot chocolate in front of a very young worker. From there the hosts move into a discussion of a Florida spider monkey born with a Batman-shaped face marking, joking about whether it looks painted or stenciled and using it as a springboard into questions about the ethics of cosmetic changes to animals. That animal-marking discussion expands into a broader moral debate about human genetic modification, concierge IVF, and whether adding a cosmetic corporate-style mark would be acceptable if paired with advantages like health or intelligence. The conversation then shifts into sponsorships, scholarships, and controversial naming, and later into a long segment on cryptocurrency, money, inflation, proof-of-work versus proof-of-stake, fusion power, climate optimism, and the social and political resistance that can shape how new technologies are judged. In the back half of the episode, the hosts briefly mention Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and then turn to picks. Justin recommends The Batman, praising its Gotham worldbuilding, dark tone, and performances despite its length; he also strongly recommends The Book of Nile Kickstarter graphic novel. Bryce recommends Heartstopper on Netflix. Andrew recommends Conversation with the Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes, and the episode ends with a comic discussion of the notorious serial kille

AT: Future-You, Enjoying a Future-Sandwich Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

What is present-you doing to help future-you? How do you handle the future–not just preparing, but shaping your future? Success can come from examining other successful people. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.”

WT: Survival of the Balloonist Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

The episode opens with a long discussion of NASA's Space Launch System and its failed wet dress rehearsal. Andrew says the test hit valve, cooling, and sensor problems, leaving most of the liquid hydrogen unloaded, and he argues the program is an outdated, expensive government rocket that should be scrapped rather than preserved by sunk-cost logic. The panel contrasts SLS with newer commercial launch companies and notes the oddity that Artemis would use SLS to ferry astronauts to SpaceX hardware, which they describe as inefficient and hard to justify. After the space segment, Andrew launches into a series of science and weird-news stories. He explains a 1832 Darwin-era observation that leads into spider ballooning, where the hosts discuss the idea that spiders use electrostatic charge on silk rather than wind alone to lift off. They then move to a story about bacteria that help nucleate ice in clouds and can influence rain, followed by a Florida python-and-bobcat video that prompts joking interpretation, and finally a personal anecdote about seeing a kangaroo at a Hollywood Hills party. The last portion of the episode covers Andrew's work with OpenAI on DALL·E 2 and the need for a gradual, controlled rollout because of misuse concerns. The show then transitions into picks: Brian recommends Come From Away, Justin recommends Severance, Bryce recommends Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, and Andrew closes with Mitchell and Webb Look, tying it to a Jimmy Savile documentary rabbit hole and

AT: The Story, The Story, The Story Apr 13, 2022

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Andrew’s latest mystery novel, “Sea Storm,” made the WSJ best-sellers list. What inspired the Underwater Investigation Unit series and Sloan McPherson? Plus, a system to give feedback. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.”

WT: Rockwell’s Box Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

The episode begins with a roleplayed investigation of a North Dakota fossil site, where the hosts describe a Thescelosaurus leg and fossilized Triceratops skin and joke about what could have caused the remains. They settle into the reported claim that the site preserves evidence from the Chicxulub impact event, including fish, a turtle, a pterosaur embryo in an egg, and glass-like particles in fish gills, while also noting skepticism in the paleontology community about aspects of the site and its publication history. A long middle segment is devoted to Andrew Mayne discussing OpenAI's DALL·E 2 image generation system, emphasizing that it turns text prompts into images, supports style changes and edits, and is meant as a tool that amplifies creativity rather than replaces artists. The conversation also covers technical limits, staged rollout, concerns about deepfakes and misinformation, and Andrew's argument that AI development should include a wide range of expertise; the episode then closes with picks for Guardians of Justice, Raised by Wolves season two, Severance, and Moonwalking with Einstein. Key topics North Dakota fossil site and preserved dinosaur remains: The hosts frame the opening discussion as a mystery at a North Dakota site with a Thescelosaurus leg and fossilized Triceratops skin, treating the remains as unusual evidence from the dinosaur era. Impact hypothesis for the Tanis site: Andrew explains the claim that the site records the day of the asteroid strike th

AT: What You Can Get Done In 20 Minutes Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

How to get started and two tools you can use to get the ball rolling: the social media “scary hour” and the classic pomodoro timer technique. How can you organize your work and get unstuck? Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.” PICKS: Andrew: Anthony Metivier’s video on memory palaces Bryce: Pommie

WT: Do the Dew Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

The episode opens with a discussion of NASA's wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket, the Artemis program, and the tension between the expensive, delayed SLS approach and SpaceX's lower-cost reusable systems. The hosts note that SLS has repeatedly run into problems and that Starship is still unproven, while also arguing that having multiple launch providers is strategically useful. They then broaden into a critique of defense contracting and military logistics, saying the system is often inefficient because of procurement structures, reporting incentives, and the hidden importance of mundane logistics. The conversation then shifts to Elon Musk becoming Twitter's largest shareholder and what that might mean. The hosts argue that Twitter matters less as a place where news is created and more as a news-distribution and amplification engine, with 'King Media' and social proof determining what gets attention. They also debate moderation, free speech, hate speech, and the limits of platform-wide rules, including references to the Hunter Biden laptop episode, ISIS remaining on the platform, and Germany's speech laws. Key topics SLS versus SpaceX and the cost of space launch procurement: The hosts compare NASA's SLS to SpaceX's reusable launch approach, stressing SLS delays, overruns, and high costs while noting that Starship remains unproven and that multiple launch providers may be wise. Defense-industry incentives and cost-plus contracting: They argue that defense contracting can

AT: UNSIGNED Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

World’s Greatest Con’s season 2 finale is out today. How was the process of building this season compared to season 1? Plus, a discussion on the crowd-funding campaign for Brandon Sanderson’s surprise novel series. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.”

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