Yes, a real Christmas tree. Yes, it played music. Kris Abel returns with a mix of awe-inspiring tech and holiday absurdity that’s as delightful as it is surprising.

The episode opens with a bizarre glitch: San Francisco’s Waymo taxis shutting down in a power outage, cluttering the city like ghost cars. Then, the tone shifts — to bio-signals from a tree triggering digital renditions of Jingle Bells, and an AI guitar coach that can teach you “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” over the holidays.

Equal parts science, magic, and mischief, this one captures the spirit of what tech can — and definitely can’t — do.

GUEST:
Kris Abel
@realkrisabel
realkrisabel.com

Originally aired on 2025-12-23