Science Faction Podcast

This 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://ser

This episode contains: Devon, Ben and Steven are here this week to give you live coverage of the Super....nah, just kiddin'. We do talk about the Super Bowl though, and with that comes Taylor Swift talk, becuase of course it does. Ben chats about roller derby practice and Devon wonders why us Californians get extra days off of school. We also talk about the death of baseball as it pertains to Star Trek Deep Space Nine. There is also some cricket talk and what would this episode be if we didn't talk about Bluey? Before we get to the science, Ben and Steven recount a gaming experience they had with The Zone RPG.  https://play.thezonerpg.com/  We were not DISAPPOINTED.    Ben is The Password Fairy: I Know What Your Password Was Last Summer... and we talk about why. Ben tells us of old passwords, how they are typically cracked and why having passwords at all is not a great idea. We talk about password creation, and the different options available to have super secure passwords that you would never have to memoriz

This episode contains: We’re coming to you from a rainy Sunday. Devon is BORING, but also has rearranged a room in his home. Ben has Star Trek trivia night, which Steven had to miss to play D&D (BG3 actually). Ben’s team won, of course. Ben then gives us some of his great Star Trek team names. Also, Ben showed up in costume. Steven’s family is healthy. Steven finished a full game of Core Space and paint some minis. Steven also got to watch a movie: Self Reliance on Hulu.   Brain Matters:  The theory that consciousness is a quantum system gains support. Hameroff and Penrose’s Orch Or Theory sees consciousness as the outcome of a quantum collapse of a wave function. https://mindmatters.ai/2024/01/the-theory-that-consciousness-is-a-quantum-system-gains-support/ Other reading: Quantum Approaches to Consciousness. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-consciousness/ Wikipedia: Quantum mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mind#:~:text=The%20quantum%20mind%20or%20quantum,entanglement%20and%20superpositi

Pre-pod Patreon-only: Is Matt our constant? A blank minute with Flint Lawless, Palworld and AI, your parents aren’t cool anymore This Episode Contains: Steven and Ben grace your ears this time 'round, having a chill time. Why are we on our best behavior when Devon’s around? He’s not our dad! Ben has to get dad energy sometimes when dealing with crossing guard stuff, especially when it turns into fight club. The Domingues house has been sick, so that’s been really disordered. He’s excited to continue to overdose on the board game Core Space (Thanks Damon!) https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/240271/core-space. Ben’s sketchbooks he’s been creating are now on Amazon! A Woman Holding a Weasel: Sketchbook : Da Vinci's Doodles, a Woman holding a Weasel Funny Notebook for Sketching, Drawing and Doodling: Perfect gift for art lovers with a sense ... (Size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches | 150 Blank Pages) Cats versus Sailboat: Sketchbook: Cats versus Sailboat, Wrong Turn, A Cat-Themed Notebook for Sketching, Drawing and Doodling

This episode contains: Devon, Ben and Steven are all bright eyed and bushy tailed this fine episode. Steven played Palworld until 4am, and Ben doesn't recommend playing the Xbox version. Ben had an amazing poetry reading with Rock Star Poets. Devon has had some plumbing issues, but he's going to solve them (spoiler, he didn't), plus it's snow-ish in his part of Texas. Steven and Devon both missed the latest Walkabout Minigolf course, but Ben fills us in on the amazingness of it. We eventually get to the science...   Follow up to Moon's Haunted: What Went Wrong With Astrobotic's Moon Lander? And What Happens Next? Instead of landing on the Moon, Peregrine is set to burn up in Earth's atmosphere later this week. Re-entry won't pose any safety risk to anyone on the ground. A valve between the spacecraft’s oxidizer tank and a tank of high-pressure helium got stuck in the open position, so there wasn't enough oxidizer for a safe landing on the Moon.  https://www.inverse.com/science/astrobotic-moon-lander-peregrin

This episode contains: Steven and Ben take the reins while Devon is off at his son’s birthday party. We discuss relaxing mornings, and delightful dinners. Shout out to Barley & Boar which has some high end, delicious food and phenomenal drinks. Also, make sure to ask for the specials. Steven spends the Christmas cash that was burning a hole in his pocket. He bought Castle Panic and Core Space. (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43443/castle-panic) (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/240271/core-space)  Ben tells us about his new book design. Also, check out Ben’s poetry reading on January 20, 2024 at 2 p.m. in the SLO Library Community Room at 995 Palm Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. Ben is very excited so you better attend!   Magic Time!: Largest diversity study of 'magic mushrooms' investigates the evolution of psychoactive psilocybin production. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240109183555.htm   I Brake for Machine Learning: Why autonomous trucking is harder than autonomous ridesh

Pre-pod Patreon-only: The joys of passive agressively pretending you didn’t hear what other people say, 2022 is now 2 years ago (when did that happen?). This episode contains: Three hosts check in for the first episode of the new year. Steven’s speech impediment comes back for a hot moment. Devon fervently rejects New Years resolutions, because as his wife says “he’s perfect the way he is.” Why wait till New Years to make yourself better? Ben resolved to not see a barber this year, as he’s shaved his head. Steven wonders about the bandaid on the back of Marcel’s skull in that OLLLD movie “Pulp Fiction.” We go through all of Ben’s discovered fears about having a completely bald head. Steven’s now getting a bunch of bald head stuff in his algorithm. But really Steven’s just geeking out over Remedy’s newest video game “Alan Wake II,” but he’s been a fan since the original “Max Payne.” Hey, what’s up with our newest member/non-member Dave? We guess some Patreon members cancel because they were looking for a diffe

This episode contains: All three amazing hosts lead the charge into the New Year, but have a few things to get off their collective chests first. Devon's got a wild child on his hands, and details some holiday destruction. Ben has had enough with his hair, and took matters into his own hands. Steven got a chance to let his true Disney self out, and finally played Lorcana (with Ben). He also finished a video game, which hasn't happened in a long time. Who wants a cart racer that's Disney themed? Ben and Steven do.    Let's Talk About the Public Domain: Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: a 95-year Love Triangle. What's going in here? It's complicated. Disney pushed for the law that extended the copyright term to 95 years, which became referred to derisively as the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.” This extension has been criticized by scholars as being economically regressive and having a devastating effect on our ability to digitize, archive, and gain access to our cultural heritage.    https://web.law.duke.e

This episode contains: Welcome to our post-Christmas episode. We discuss how the world’s going to hell, personally and socially. Devon thinks hating the year that’s gone by is a meme but Steven and Ben present there reasons why the world is actually burning down. We then move on to discussing our Christmas’s and Ben not doing his homework. Also, Ben made a youtube video for his mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JckIYYXhw98 Ben then teaches us all about Kwanzaa. Ben reminds us that all holidays are “made up.” In the spirit of Umoja we celebrate unity. https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/umoja.html   100 Positive News from 2023: Despite not planning on doing science on this episode, Ben felt guilty about not doing his homework an so brought some science:  Elimination of malaria close in Ghana Child mortality rate (probably) lowest ever Big drop in aids deaths World’s largest solar farm activated Most new electricity was renewable First green cement that can be used for buildings First fossil fuel-free

This episode contains: It’s December, it’s a big battle getting through the month, and Ben and Steven just can’t wait to be done with 2023. Ben is left alone by his family for the afternoon, and did a real long bike ride! All was well and good until he got a flat. Luckily he has friends. Friends with trucks. Steven was out of town hanging out with Devon, and they didn’t record a podcast. Instead he and Devon hung out IRL with their D&D group, playing an “artisinal cooperative experience” called Oathsworn. Lots of fun but not an easy game to play. The companion app to the game was narrated by Jeor Mormont himself, James Cosmo. Is Jeor just another way to spell “Jeff?” No, Steven. Ben then talks more about biking, specifically in the rain. Oathsworn: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/251661/oathsworn-deepwood Robot Uprising: OpenAI's reported 'superintelligence' breakthrough is so big it nearly destroyed the company, and ChatGPT. Thanks to our Patron Joe Kohr for suggesting this article! ChatGPT, or as th

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