Amusing Minds

Why do we tease people when making friends? When is it teasing and when is it bullying? Ben Goldschmidt, long time friend of Ben of Amusing Minds, comes to the show to talk about interpersonal relationships and testing boundaries.

CW: Explicit language and sexual innuendo

What's it like being a freelance artist in 2021? What is the weirdest commission you've ever been asked to do? What are some tips for someone that wants to make their art into a living? These questions burn in the minds of Ben, Larry, and Rodney as they interview Mario, the Artisan Rogue. 

If you time traveled to 1000 AD, could you survive? How important is it to trick Satan into building a bridge for your village? Should you bring water on a crusade? Travis Buck has been researching these ideas for his upcoming book, and he chose to share with us some of the weirder stories from history about surviving the middle ages!

*Editor's note: The religion in southern France mentioned in the podcast was actually Cathar and not Catalan.

How many hobbies do you have? Is it a hobby, or a hustle? Why should we have hobbies? Mike Hewitt has so many hobbies, he's tried just about all of them. Join us as we explore how hobbies positively impact our lives in this episode of Amusing Minds.

You have a great idea, but what do you do next? Brainstorm! In this episode we talk to Jay Sparks, a game designer, bartender, and the guy that entrepreneurs go to for some great brainstorming. Also, we ponder the benefits of turning entire walls into whiteboards.

Fan fiction, fan theories, and head canon are all different ways we can express our individual creativity around a fandom. What drives us to make up new stories within established universes? Why do we become so obsessed over theories about answers to questions left by the creators of a film or tv series? Jashin Lin has written fan fiction and been involved with the community for years. She shares with Ben and Rodney her experiences and wisdom when it comes to head canon. 

https://archiveofourown.org/

https://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page

Is it a wild conspiracy theory, or a new philosophy? Charlie Geiser has a unique perspective on the origin of everything, and he came by Amusing Minds to share with us the Rule of 7. Religion, the human soul, sentient energy, and a theory about ghosts and time travel are all explored in this extra deep episode of Amusing Minds.

Have you ever gotten into a heated discussion online? Did it end positively or negatively? In this episode, we share our experiences and learn how to be better listeners (even if you're reading comments online). 

Travis Buck knows some weird stories from history. In this episode, he recounts the tale of the first (and last) sandwich in space. How it happened, who was involved, and more are discussed. We even imagine what we would bring into space if we could smuggle food aboard a shuttle.

Kate from Children of Proteus brings us some fish facts and the origin of her funny voices!