The big topic this week? Sauce. More specifically, John walks us through how he cooks, stirs, and deploys delicious spaghetti sauce at scale. A general discussion of cooking practices reveals that Merlin is probably America's greatest microwave wizard.

This week kicks off with some follow-up on John's receipt of the coveted Blue Check on Twitter alongside some speculation on the lack of motivation that seems to smother even Twitter's most half-hearted approaches to managing abuse.

Further follow-up concerns pronunciation of "Marina" (say məˈrēnə), thoughts on being "The Other Guy" on a podcast, and more discussion of thought technology. Also, we all get dumb PR email, and, sorry, it looks like Millennium Actress got pulled from the YouTube.

Also, John and Merlin hold a spirited Science Debate on whether and how lighting a match may or may not tackle flatulent effluvia. With Science.

(Episode recorded Wednesday, August 3, 2016)

(This is a great place to contact the hosts and provide feedback. They do read it and often respond!)

"@hotdogsladies @siracusa @RecDiffs For the record, my name does NOT rhyme with a part of the female anatomy"

I think Reconcilable Differences is my favorite podcast. It's like listening to @siracusa try to fly a kite in a hurricane.

Success is a great deodorant.

A thought experiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences. Given the structure of the experiment, it may or may not be possible to actually perform it, and if it can be performed, there need be no intention of any kind to actually perform the experiment in question.

I like pasta. I’d like to help people make better pasta. It pains me to think about all the poorly prepared pasta being served and eaten in America. My advice will focus on plain old store-bought dried pasta. Nothing fancy. You’ve probably made some yourself.

Dan Benjamin and John Siracusa discuss Goodfellas.

Some family traditions are inexplicable . . . as one bride found out when she finally thought to question why cutting off the ends of the roast before cooking the meat made for a better result.

"Whoof! You're pal closes, and all that comes out of your mouth is bile."

John is verified.

Merlin's favorite "Internet Ramen"

Then on to the scintillating topic of the week: food and cooking. In which we learn that your hosts and their families are both/all screwed up and hopeless in different ways. All involved are, as they say, chopped.