Profoundly Pointless

Mike Blacksmith has been designing sex toys for nearly twenty years. In that time he's created everything from vibrators and paddles to rings and plugs for wherever you want to put them.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore how sex toys are made.

We talk what goes into making a sex toy, how sex toys are tested and the one color everyone wants.

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Introducing Mike Blacksmith: 00:00

Designing a Sex Toy: 01:38

Sex Toys for Men vs. Sex Toys for Women: 05:46

The Best Selling Sex Toy: 07:28

Sex Toy Colors: 10:05

The Future of Sex Toys: 15:14

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Krystal is a dominatrix who caters to a very specific type of clientele, people who want to be humiliated because of how they voted.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the rise of Political Humiliation.

We talk why people are drawn to political humiliation, her most unusual requests and more.

Introducing Krystal: 00:00

What is Political Humiliation: 01:10

How Much They'll Pay: 04:14

Most Interesting Request: 06:57

Changing their Vote: 08:35

Most Common Request: 12:42

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I Want Krystal

Submit to Krystal

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Explorer Alan Jamieson has gone on more than 70 expeditions to the deepest parts of the ocean. From the Mariana Trench to the abyssal plains, he says the deep sea isn't what you think.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the deep sea. We talk what going to the bottom of the ocean is really like, how the deep sea impacts our daily lives and the strangest thing he's ever seen.

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The Deep-Sea Podcast — Armatus Oceanic

Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre

Alan Jamieson Twitter

UWA Research Twitter

00:00 Introducing Alan Jamieson

01:09 Diving to the Bottom of the Ocean

03:54 What We Know About the Deep Sea

06:10 The Sea Floor

08:19 Life at the Bottom of the Ocean

12:30 Favorite Expedition

14:54 Deep Sea Sounds

16:08 Living at the Bottom of the Ocean

18:33 The Strangest Thing I Ever Saw

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For more than 50 years Fine Art Detective Richard Ellis has traveled the world in search of stolen art.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the fine art underworld. Where stolen masterpieces are sold in secret for millions or used as collateral for weapons and drugs by organized crime.

We talk the biggest art heists, the dumbest criminals and the one case Richard is still trying to solve.

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00:00 Introducing Fine Art Detective Richard Ellis

01:12 How Art is Stolen

06:03 Where Stolen Art Goes

11:19 Investigating Art Theft

17:48 The Biggest Art Theft Case

19:50 Smart Criminals and Dumb Criminals

24:28 The Thief that Got Away

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You might not know it. You might now believe it. But occult practices are all around you.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore how the occult shaped American. Influencing everything from cookbooks and movies to wide spread panic and the office of the President.

We talk occult practices, secret ceremonies and what's really on the dollar bill.

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Dr. Brian Regal Website

Dr. Brian Regal Social Media

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Fear is one of our most powerful emotions. It keeps us safe but it can also take over every aspect of our lives. Fear Researcher Dr. Kerry Ressler says there is a way to control it.

In this Episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the science of fear. We talk why we feel fear, why the modern world has made us so afraid and the one thing everyone fears.

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Dr. Kerry Ressler Website

Introducing Dr. Kerry Ressler: 00:00

Why We Feel Fear: 01:10

What Happens When We're Afraid: 04:10

Controlling Fear: 07:27

Fear vs. Anxiety: 15:47

Why We're More Afraid: 18:22

Universal Fear: 22:49

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Haunted House Designer John Denley has spent the last 30 years creating some of the world’s scariest Haunted Houses. He says there’s one thing that makes a Haunted House truly terrifying, vulnerability.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the business of Haunted Houses. We talk what makes a Haunted House scary, the world’s scariest Haunted Houses and the one thing people fear most.

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John Denley Website

Introducing John Denley: 00:00

What Makes a Haunted House Scary: 01:31

The Business of Haunted Houses: 04:59

The Scariest Haunted Houses: 07:43

Crowd Reactions: 11:03

The Future of Haunted Houses: 16:21

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Sometimes it’s inside information, sometimes it’s changing perceptions with huge amounts of cash, sometimes it’s holding a hair dryer to a weather gage.

Prediction Market Researcher Dr. Joshua Mitts says these are just some of the ways Prediction Markets are being manipulated.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore how people are making millions manipulating Prediction Markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.

We talk the different ways Prediction Markets are being manipulated, why some market categories are easier to manipulate than others and why only a very small number of people are actually making money on Prediction Markets.

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Dr. Joshua Mitts

00:00 Introducing Dr. Joshua Mitts

01:21 How Prediction Markets are Manipulated

07:28 The Cost of Prediction Market Manipulation

10:21 Where Prediction Market Manipulation Happens

13:46 Listener Submitted Questions

16:10 Protecting Yourself from Market Manipulation

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Right now Prediction Markets are exploding in popularity and controversy. Going from a niche hobby to a market with billions of dollars in trades.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore the future of Prediction Markets with Prediction Market Researcher Dr. Koleman Strumpf.

We talk how prediction markets really work, the crazy/brilliant strategies some people are using to make millions and why Prediction Markets could become the Wild West.

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Dr. Koleman Strumpf Website

Dr. Koleman Strumpf Social

00:00 Introducing Dr. Koleman Strumpf

01:20 What are Prediction Markets

04:37 Why Prediction Markets are Becoming More Popular

05:49 Regulating Prediction Markets

08:55 Manipulating Prediction Markets

12:52 The Dangers of Prediction Markets

14:51 Prediction Market Strategies

18:58 The Future of Prediction Markets

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In Hollywood casting is everything. Movie Producers and Casting Agents have to find just the right person to make movies and TV shows come to life. Even if that person, isn't a person.

In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we explore how Hollywood casts animals with Hollywood Animal Agent Joel Norton.

We talk what movie producers are looking for in an onscreen animals, why some dog breeds never get case in movies and the most famous movie animals of all time.

00:00 Introducing Hollywood Animal Agent Joel Norton

01:24 How Animals Get Cast in Movies

02:05: What Casting Directors are Looking For

03:51 Hollywood Animal Training

07:46 How Much Animals Get Paid

11:28 The Most and Least Popular Hollywood Dogs

12:24 The Most Famous Hollywood Pet

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