Maxwell's Kitchen

Sketchy Scott and Jabroni play Round 1 of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Pop Culture Trivia Game.

There are buzzers, drinks, categories, points, a heavyweight title belt, and the kind of confidence that usually shows up right before someone gets a very easy question wrong.

This round includes 80s Hair Bands, What Theme Song Is This, Random, 1960s Music, Breakfast Cereals, 90s Hip-Hop, Italy, Sneakers, and Spice Girls.

We get into Axl Rose, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Dawson’s Creek, Miami Vice, Perfect Strangers, All That, Doug, Taylor Swift, Hollywoodland, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Woodstock, Pink Floyd, Kellogg’s, Wheaties, Tupac, MC Hammer, Wu-Tang Clan, Death Row Records, Nike’s original name, and the Spice Girls.

There are also side conversations about bad words, old family sayings, bath days, body odor, mullets, Beastie Boys, childhood haircuts, margaritas, heartburn, and the importance of defending a championship belt that nobody asked for.

In this episode:
• Pop culture trivia drinking game
• Sketchy Scott vs. Jabroni
• 80s hair bands
• TV theme song trivia
• Random trivia
• 1960s music trivia
• Breakfast cereal trivia
• 90s hip-hop trivia
• Italy, sneakers, and Spice Girls
• A final round for the championship belt

Adult language. Adult trivia. Not for kids.

All production by Cody Maxwell.
Artwork by Cody Maxwell.
Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.
maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Human evolution is weird because the story only feels inevitable after it already happened.

Dinosaurs ruled the planet for an amount of time our brains cannot really hold. Then an asteroid hit the Yucatán, the world changed, a bunch of life disappeared, and tiny mammals got their opening.

Very normal way to start the family tree.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Stephen Frost, a professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, about human evolution, primate evolution, extinction events, fossils, climate change, intelligence, social behavior, and why humans ended up here at all.

We talk about the Chicxulub impact, the extinction of the dinosaurs, why mammals survived, how primates evolved, why walking on two legs mattered, why big brains are expensive, how emotions may have helped humans survive, and why evolution is not the same thing as happiness.

This conversation also gets into agriculture, fire, tools, human teeth, brain size, social intelligence, soap operas, iPhones, Mars colonies, dinosaurs, fossils, Sasquatch, UFOs, the moon landing, and why science keeps changing what we think we know.

In this episode:
• Human evolution and primate evolution
• Extinction events and the dinosaur asteroid
• The Chicxulub impact
• Why mammals survived
• Walking on two legs
• Tools, fire, teeth, and brains
• Why intelligence has a cost
• Human emotions and social bonds
• Agriculture and human health
• Evolutionary success vs. happiness
• Fossils, dinosaurs, and scientific discovery
• Sasquatch, UFOs, and evidence
• Why science keeps changing

Guest:
Stephen Frost is a professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon. As a paleontologist and paleoanthropologist, his work focuses on human and primate evolution, African monkeys, biological shape, climate change, and what past ecosystems can tell us about the history of life on Earth.

All production by Cody Maxwell.
Artwork by Cody Maxwell.
Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.
maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Some people relax by watching TV.

I relax by ripping apart a bathroom and immediately wondering if I have made a terrible mistake.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I walk through the first major bathroom remodel in my 1960s house. The bathroom still had a lot of original pieces from 1968, including the sink, vanity, floor, lighting situation, and a general feeling of “someone should probably deal with this.”

That someone became me.

This was a DIY bathroom renovation with an IKEA GODMORGON vanity, Bruce Hydropel flooring, recessed LED lights, smart switches, a GFCI outlet, a bathroom fan, a new toilet, fresh paint, trim, and plenty of moments where I was not completely sure what I was doing.

I talk about removing the old vanity, peeling up the gross old floor, finding old water damage, adding a real bathroom outlet, installing smart switches, putting in LED lights, mounting the IKEA vanity, choosing a very yellow paint color that my family mostly hated, laying the Hydropel flooring, waiting forever for a custom-order toilet, installing trim, and learning as I went.

This is not professional electrical, plumbing, or flooring advice. It is a personal DIY remodel story. Know your limits, turn off the power, follow product instructions, and hire a pro when the project is above your skill level.

In this episode:
• 1960s bathroom remodel
• DIY bathroom renovation
• IKEA GODMORGON vanity
• Bruce Hydropel bathroom flooring
• Recessed LED lights
• Smart dimmer switches
• GFCI bathroom outlet
• Bathroom exhaust fan
• Removing old flooring
• Installing a new toilet
• Bathroom trim and caulk
• Yellow bathroom paint
• Learning home renovation by doing it

All production by Cody Maxwell.
Artwork by Cody Maxwell.
Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.
maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Sex education is usually treated like one awkward class in school, but it is really about a lot more than biology.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with sexuality educators Kris Gowen and Leah Haas about comprehensive sex education, adult sex ed, consent, communication, body language, gender identity, technology, shame, relationships, media literacy, and why so many adults are still trying to untangle the messages they grew up with.

Kris and Leah created Beyond the Talk to help adults with the sex education many people never really received.

We talk about Oregon sex education, abstinence-only education, teaching consent, how technology has changed communication and dating, why body language matters, how people develop language around gender and identity, and why shame can follow people into adulthood if nobody helps them understand where it came from.

This conversation covers sex, technology, identity, marriage, media, therapy, and the basic human problem of trying to understand yourself while also trying to understand everybody else.

Pretty easy assignment.

Maxwell’s Kitchen is hosted and produced by Cody Maxwell.

A recap video of all the guests over the first 100 episodes.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Graphic assets by OpenFX.

Music by Paul_Velchev.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Music used to be harder to find, which somehow made finding it feel better.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Terry Currier, owner of Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon, about record stores, vinyl, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, Napster, iPods, Spotify, Record Store Day, Keep Portland Weird, and how people have bought, collected, shared, and discovered music over the last 50 years.

Terry started working in record stores as a teenager in the 1970s and has lived through almost every major format change in modern music.

We talk about the rise and fall of 8-tracks, cassettes, the CD boom, MTV, vinyl disappearing from major-label releases, the return of vinyl, the launch of Record Store Day, and what happened when Napster and digital music changed the record store business almost overnight.

We also get into Portland music history, including live performances at Music Millennium, Joe Strummer, Soundgarden, Elliott Smith, Everclear, the Dandy Warhols, La Luna, Pine Street Theater, Satyricon, X-Ray Cafe, and the local scene that made record stores feel like part of the city’s nervous system.

This is a conversation about music formats, but it is really about why physical music still matters.

The album cover.

The liner notes.

The side breaks.

The record store clerk who knows too much.

The feeling that a record can become a tiny time machine if you own it long enough.

Maxwell’s Kitchen is hosted and produced by Cody Maxwell.

Pop culture trivia gets a lot more interesting when there are more than 30 categories, buzzers, drinks, random questions, and nobody is completely sure how the scoring works.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, Jesse and Phil compete in the first Pop Culture Trivia Game.

The categories cover Taco Bell history, Quentin Tarantino movies, Steven Spielberg films, the Kardashians, 90s TGIF sitcoms, movie quotes, McDonald’s celebrity meals, profanity, random knowledge, and more.

The game gets into Taco Bell’s original 19-cent menu, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, Baja Blast, Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Jaws, Indiana Jones, The Goonies, Band of Brothers, Full House, Dinosaurs, Step by Step, Steve Urkel, Travis Scott, BTS, Saweetie, Nickelback, Zima, and scented Mr. Sketch markers.

There are also detours into moon landing trivia, mullets, Oregon gas stations, William Wallace, celebrity fast-food meals, and plenty of things that were never supposed to become part of the game.

In this episode:
• The first Maxwell’s Kitchen Pop Culture Trivia Game
• Jesse vs. Phil
• Taco Bell history and trivia
• Quentin Tarantino movie trivia
• Steven Spielberg movie trivia
• 90s TGIF sitcom trivia
• Kardashian trivia
• Movie quotes and pop culture
• McDonald’s celebrity meals
• Moon landing and random knowledge trivia
• Nickelback, Zima, and Mr. Sketch in the final round

All production by Cody Maxwell.
Artwork by Cody Maxwell.
Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.
maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

The new studio at 30th & Division in SE Portland.

Watch this one on YouTube.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.

Opening music by Audiophile Trax.

Aerial drone footage by Greg Muhr.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Graham Talley is one of the founders of Float On, a Portland float center that opened in 2010 and became one of the major names in the modern float tank industry.

In this episode, Graham explains what float tanks are, how sensory deprivation works, why modern tanks use Epsom salt, and how floating evolved from early research experiments into a modern wellness practice. We talk about John C. Lilly, soundproof rooms, float tank construction, meditation, psychedelics, stress relief, physical recovery, and what it feels like to float for the first time.

Before the interview, I went to Float On and tried floating myself, so the conversation starts with the real experience of getting into a tank, shutting off the lights, and realizing how hard it can be to stop thinking about everything you are supposed to be doing.

The episode also moves beyond floating into comfort zones, productivity, curiosity, dice rolling, Graham’s old treasure-hunting business, and why unfamiliar experiences can be useful even when they make you nervous.

Maxwell’s Kitchen is hosted and produced by Cody Maxwell.

Viruses are incredibly simple things capable of causing incredibly complicated problems.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Lisa Sardinia, a microbiologist whose PhD research focused on coronavirus replication, about viruses, infectious disease, genetics, human evolution, climate change, and what happens when eight billion people try to live on the same planet.

We start with how viruses work, why coronaviruses spread so effectively, how RNA viruses replicate, gain-of-function research, mutations, immunity, and how mRNA vaccines work.

From there, the conversation expands into HIV resistance, genetic bottlenecks, natural selection, anxiety, population growth, consumerism, homelessness, immigration, the Constitution, Citizens United, ranked-choice voting, and whether human behavior has kept up with the world we built.

In this episode:
• Biology, microbiology, and coronavirus research
• How RNA viruses replicate
• Virus research and laboratory safety
• Gain-of-function research
• COVID-19 and infectious disease
• Vaccines, immunity, and mutations
• How mRNA vaccines work
• HIV resistance and genetic variation
• Human genetic bottlenecks
• Human evolution and natural selection
• Fear, anxiety, and modern life
• Climate change and human extinction
• Population growth and consumerism
• Advertising, algorithms, and attention
• Homelessness and mental health
• Immigration and borders
• The Constitution and American politics
• Citizens United and ranked-choice voting

Guest:
Lisa Sardinia is a microbiologist and professor whose academic background includes biology, chemistry, microbiology, genetics, bioinformatics, and law. Her PhD research focused on coronavirus replication, giving her a particularly interesting perspective when COVID-19 emerged decades later.

This episode was originally recorded in 2022, so the COVID-specific discussion reflects the research and conversation at that time.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com