Science Faction Podcast

This episode contains: Ben and Devon lead the charge this week because Steven is tired. Devon took his kids on The Polar Express, and everyone was wearing pajamas. Ben just realized that when a kid is in a sport, it consumes the entire family. Ben has a confrontation with a random. How does a pork dish taste like steak?    Gone Rogue: Gigantic Wave in Pacific Ocean Was Most Extreme 'Rogue Wave' on Record. Rogue waves are fun and terrifying; they are rare giant waves that can capsize boats. A 58 foot high wave, three times the height of the waves around it was recorded by a buoy in 2020. Rogue waves were thought to be ocean folklore until an 85 foot wave struck an oil-drilling platform in 1995. The intensity of rogue waves are measured against 'normal' waves around them. We talk about the differences between tsunamis and rogue waves.  https://www.sciencealert.com/gigantic-wave-in-pacific-ocean-was-most-extreme-rogue-wave-on-record    This One's For The Birds: Researchers Taught Parrots to Video Call Other Par

This episode contains: Steven, Ben and Devon are all present for this episode. This episode drops on Steven’s birthday. We discuss real v fake Christmas trees, the Guardians of Galaxy Holiday Special, Beep Beep I’m a Sheep by LilDeuceDeuce, letting kids use Discord, and Devon’s trip to Great Wolf Lodge.   Stop Calling Me: Receive robocalls or text message spam? Help shut the spammer down. Most reputable telecom carriers don't want unsolicited messages on their network or phone numbers. In order to disconnect their abusive customers, they need to hear about the abuse. That's where you come in. Here's how to report abuse to the telecom carrier that is responsible for the spammer's phone number – so the carrier can terminate their service. https://reportphonespam.org/   Hot Rocks: A new solar system has been found in the Milky Way. All 6 planets are perfectly in-sync, astronomers say. The innermost planet completes three orbits for every two by its closest neighbor. It's the same for the second- and third-close

Pre-show Patreon Only: Void Train and other train games, Fallout 4 This episode contains: A chill post-Thanskgiving episode with Steven and Ben. Turns out people get tired after eating smoked turkey and phǒ (phǒ real? phǒget about it), at least people over 40. Good times with family. These kids are talking and love Bluey. If you’re of a certain age, you may not know Bluey, but you should. Are there new Bluey episodes? Not yet, but there is a new Bluey video game. Ben apologizes for talking about old Steam Deck issues, but he’s really not sorry, is he? Anyways, the most recent update (3.5) fixed the issues his son had, so this is just an old man shouting at the cloud. BTW, 30 years ago was not 1970, Steven. You poor thing. Steven was not prepared for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off on Netflix, which looks like the comic book, has all the actors for the movie, and then runs with a “What If?” story, completely changing the Scott Pilgrim story at a fundamental level. Our patron Renee met Mark Hamill while she and her fam

This episode contains: Three hosts again this episode. We talk about Kevin Bacon, Ben has returned and is now known as Numbers. We have an audio diary (that we share with the world). Devon shares a personal story and is now relieved, we chat a bit about Lethal Company and invite Ben to join. Ben tells us all about Patch Quest and the joy he's having with his son. Steven shares how he's brainwashing his kids into enjoying Pokemon (not really).  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1966720/Lethal_Company/  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1347970/Patch_Quest/    Finally, Am I Right?: Please make more USB-C cables like this. Elgato has make a great teleprompter that also has a great USB-C cable that ships with it. Their latest USB-C cable has the bandwidth and USB type imprinted on the connector. A lot of USB-C cables have unknown data speeds, charging speeds or both. More companies should adopt this labeling standard.  https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/6/23948486/usb-c-cables-marking-speed-power-delivery-elga

This episode contains: This is a throwback episode to the old times, before the Dark Times when Ben came. Steven and Devon host the show. We talk about the difficulty of scheduling a time for four people to get together consistently, Devon talks about having his neighbors over for dinner and how over-achieving they are, and the cost of success. Although, what is success? Steven is still dealing with sick kids and his own recurring illness. We also read and respond to comments from our Patrons.   Brain Matters: Rats have an imagination, new research suggests. Researchers have developed a novel system to probe a rat's thoughts, finding that animals can control their brain activity to imagine remote locations.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231102162557.htm Devon also talks about reading Blindsight by Peter Watts and his recent foray into reading about consciousness. Blindsight by Peter Watts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindsight_(Watts_novel) Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea and The Deep O

This episode contains: It’s just Ben with his son, special guest host Flint Lawless! Ben’s got COVID, Steven’s vomiting all over the place and Devon’s in California. Does anyone want to really listen to all that?!?! Instead, Flint and Ben chat about COVID quarantines, Halloween, and how awesome friends are. Everybody wants to be a cat, Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at: Cats Make Nearly 300 Different Facial Expressions. Cats can sometimes get a bad rap for being aloof or not emotive. Compared to dogs, felines tend to be more subtle with how they express themselves—perhaps with a mere flick of an ear or curl of their whiskers. A study has found that cats use nearly 300 distinct facial expressions to communicate with each other. The findings suggest that cats' facial expressions provide information about their emotions and social behavior, and could potentially help humans better understand and communicate with their feline companions. This study may even one day lead to an app that can decod

This episode contains: Three hosts for three times the fun! Steven is drinking some coffee from Green Day and Oakland Coffee, have you heard there's a new album coming? Ben's brother gives us some feedback on space mining and fiction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress We chat about how to read more by listening more. How do you read / listen to books?  Step Up 2 Tha Streetz: 8,000 steps a day to reduce the risk of premature death. A study has identified, for the first time, the optimal number of steps at which people would gain the greatest benefits. We talk about how most people have some sort of pedometer on them in the form of a smartwatch or phone, but getting out there to take the steps can still be a challenge. To be clear, there are no health deficiencies if you walk more than the suggested 8,000 steps. Steven once logged over 20,000 steps (while at Disneyland).  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231026131551.htm How's Your Pokedex coming? ASH - Ai Pocket Field Gui

This episode contains: Steven and Ben are kid free! We revisit Scream, the first one, and how it relates to Dawson’s Creek. Also, how to use walkie talkies to move the moon. Steven discusses the fun of paranormal reality shows. Ben reminisces about the Blair Witch Documentary. Steven gives us an updated on his homelife and dealing with Covid.   I See You!: Molecular age of the eye determined. A team of researchers have mapped almost 6,000 proteins from different cell types within the eye by analyzing tiny drops of eye fluid that are routinely removed during surgery. The researchers used an AI model to create a 'proteomic clock' from this data that can predict a healthy person's age based on their protein profile. The clock revealed that diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and uveitis cause accelerated aging within specific cell types. Surprisingly, the researchers also detected proteins associated with Parkinson's disease within eye fluid, which they say could offer a pathway to earlier Parkinson's diagnose

This episode cotnains: Steven and Ben have a low-effort, high stress-relief episode. Nothing matters anymore: Steven’s world is on fire with COVID hitting his house again, and it’s looking to derail Steven’s wife’s 40th birthday plans. Well, they were secret 40th birthday plans that Steven has worked really hard to set up, and now are in peril. Some days, Steven just needs a nap and a juice box. Ben prefers the term “house spouse” to “stay at home parent,” but Steven HATES it. Devon isn’t here because he went to Omega Mart in Las Vegas: that crazy fever dream/theme park/grocery store. Ben’s mom is recovering well from surgery, and Ben has dealt with stress by forgetting a bunch of stuff he actually did do and escaping into Elden Ring.   Clean your room!: Air purifiers aren’t enough to clean your home from wildfire smoke. After a wildfire, if you want to stay healthy indoors, it’s not enough to just open windows. Volatile Organic Compounds can stay in floors and walls. How do you get rid of them? CLEAN UP! Mop

This episode contains: We have all three hosts this week, and you know what that means...a lot of faffing about until we get to the science. We talk about Ben's kid's Junior Roller Derby, Devon's upcoming trip to Las Vegas and the Omega Mart, and Steven tells us his crazy story about going to LA to look at a 1959 Hillman Minx. We also chat a bit about Indigenous People's Day and German heritage.  Shut Up and Take My Money: Google open-sourced a hat shaped like a giant keycap—and it actually types. Ben attempts to convince Steven that this device is amazing and not completely dumb. This giant hat can be used to "type" by pressing on it in various orientations. This is totally not a joke. This is real. They even offer files to make one of these on your own. Steven offers a $100 bounty if you prove that you make one of these.  https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/google-open-sourced-a-hat-shaped-like-a-giant-keycap-and-it-actually-types/  Big Question: Has the invention of the atomic bomb made the world a mo

This episode contains: All three hosts are present and accounted for. Devon wants to go big for Halloween. Devon and Steven had a weekend long date where Devon tried Pumkin Spice Latte at Starbucks and played a ton of games. This included Wingspan, Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps, and D&D. Steven was the DM for a Jurassic Park themed D&D session. Steven and Devon then argue over the quality of the hotel they stayed in. Meanwhile, Ben went to a wedding and ended up living it up in San Diego with his sister. Ben also teaches us about Kava Kava root and then we argue about it. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kava-kava#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3) (https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-kava-safe/)   The Beautiful Future: Humane Finally Shows Off What the Ai Pin Looks Like Ahead of November 9 Unveil. The intelligent clothing-based wearable uses a range of sensors that enable natural and intuitive compute interactions and is designed to weave seamlessly into users’ day-to-day lives. The device is privacy-

This episode contains: Steven and Ben are joined by Ben's son playing video games in the background. When do you get "you time" when you're a parent? Steven's looking for that time. Ben suggests recontextualizing "you time" by indoctrinating his son with Star Trek. With two kids: turns out when one kid wants something, the other doesn't. Why do kids want to fight things that COULD BE FUN!??! JUST GET IN THE CAR! I guess "giving things a chance" is a form of maturity. Ben is going to a kids birthday, and then his friend's wedding. Is this the Science Faction Therapy Hour? HELL NO. Now You See Me: Let's talk about digital assistants for the visually impaired. OKO App leverages AI to help blind pedestrians recognize traffic signals. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2023/08/10/oko-app-deploys-ai-to-make-crossing-the-street-safer-for-blind-pedestrians/?sh=55bff018687b At the end of 2020, the New York City Department of Transportation had a class action lawsuit filed because only 443 of the city's 13,20

This episode contains: Devon and Steven start out this episode lamenting Ben's absence. We talk about Devon's upcoming trip to California, and Steven's journey with the Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps game. Devon is going to a sort-of costume party while dressing up as a starfleet officer with an alien chestburster coming out. We also chat about kids and xenomorphs. Steven's house should have burned down, but several thousand dollars later, everything is fine.    This Week in Space: Water world? Methane, carbon dioxide in atmosphere of massive exoplanet. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as big as earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide. It could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface. We chat about how we could possibly know anything about this planet.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230911141059.htm    Spit Take: Why People Hate Words Like "Moi

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 a new microwave. Ben had his first roller derby experience.     This Week in Space: The closest planet to Neptune turns out to be... Mercury. While Mercury is the innermost planet in the Solar System, on average it spends more time closer to Earth than Venus does. This applies to all the planets the solar system, including Neptune. ​To identify our closest neighbor, engineers affiliated with NASA, Los Alamos National Observatory, and the US Army's Engineer Research Development Center built a computer simulation to calculate the average proximity of Earth to its three nearest planets (Mars, Venus, and Mercury) over a 10,000-year-period. Because of the way the planets align during their respective orbits, the model shows that Earth spends more time nearer to Mercury than either Venus or Mars. ​ https://www.iflscience.com/the-close

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 80s Storm minifigs. Ben waxes poetic on the joys of opening trading cards, and rails against collecting things that are “maybe” worth money. Was 90s collectible culture a manifestation of the side-hustle? How cool is it to make indie films? This episode contains: Morning podcasting is a very different vibe than evening podcasting. Twitter is dead, long live notes. Will these notes be a novel? If you're interested in reading a novel about bounty hunting, touch base with Steven. Bounty hunters are cool. How do they work? Cowboy Bebop live action is good, but if you've seen the anime, don't watch it! It's terrible compared to the anime. What a trip!: Psychedelic Therapy May Be Coming To A VR Headset Near You. Hallucinogenic drugs may have positive effects in fighting depression, PTSD and substance use disorders. What if psychedelic drug-based ther

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 rude youths. We revisit the biolocks on guns debate with input from a special listener.  Insane in the Membrane: Woman’s mystery illness turns out to be 3-inch snake parasite in her brain. A woman in Australia had many symptoms that did not point to a specific disease. Eventually doctors found a snake parasite in her brains. She may have been infected after foraging for warrigal greens.  https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/australian-woman-has-3-inch-snake-parasite-pulled-from-her-brain/  Biologically Speaking: Pig kidney xenotransplantation performing optimally after 32 days in human body. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support. We discuss the famil

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 feedback from a listener about biolocks on guns.   Vaccination Fixation: Fall COVID shots will boost protection against latest subvariants, Moderna says. Pfizer vaccine also reportedly effective against the latest omicrons in mice. https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/fall-covid-shots-will-boost-protection-against-latest-subvariants-moderna-says/  New malaria vaccine works well in infants, offers adults layered protection. New vaccine targets a distinct stage in the malarial parasite's life cycle. https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/new-malaria-vaccine-works-well-in-infants-offers-adults-layered-protection/    Squeezing Electricity from a Stone: Energy-storing supercapacitor from cement, water, black carbon. Engineers have created a 'supercapacitor' made of ancient, abundant materials, tha

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 Summer. When the kids are in school, that's when the stay-at-home parents get a break. Ben loves his Coinops Legends 4 on the Steam Deck. Arcade goodness. Steven is going through the Ahsoka Essentials on Disney+. Watching Ahsoka's chronological story (as opposed to airdate order) is very satisfying. Just keep talking about AI: AI-powered grocery bot suggests recipe for toxic gas, “poison bread sandwich." An AI-powered recipe bot has been made to help you use up leftovers in new recipes. What if a recipe AI was given harmful ingredients? From ammonia and bleach you get "Aromatic Water Mix". Devon joins the show in the middle of Ben's sentence. "Aromatic Water Mix" is made of ammonia and bleach, but at least it's non-alcoholic! If something is AI powered, turn up your skepticism. Ben drops the mike, but HE'S NOT DONE! Thankfully th

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 What?!: They just bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print, and they regret nothing. $1200 will get you a 22 volume print encyclopedia. Ben is excited, but Steven isn't convinced. Devon once had a Star Trek encyclopedia.  https://arstechnica.com/culture/2023/06/rejoice-its-2023-and-you-can-still-buy-a-22-volume-paper-encyclopedia/  https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded/dp/073522014X  https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047  Exploits!: Social media algorithms exploit how humans learn from their peers. In prehistoric societies, humans learned from members of their ingroup or prestigious individuals. Social media algorithms are misaligned with social instincts which can lead to large-scale polarization and misinformation. We talk quite a bit about social medi

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, a 4 month old pig at the State Fair. Then there’s “X” for some reason. Is it Alive?: GPT-3 can reason about as well as a college student, psychologists report. The artificial intelligence language model GPT-3 performed as well as college students in solving certain logic problems like those that appear on standardized tests. The researchers who conducted the experiment write that the results prompt the question of whether the technology is mimicking human reasoning or using a new type of cognitive process. Solving that question would require access to the software that underpins GPT-3 and other AI software. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110750.htm    Water, Water Everywhere: Dissolving circuit boards in water sounds better than shredding and burning. UK-based Jiva Materials makes Soluboard, printed circuit boards (PCBs) from natural fiber