Science Faction Podcast

Patreon-only preshow: Do people have to cite their sources at ITT Tech? Steven says no. Steven got some Marvel Studios blind bag LEGO, gave a Patreon member one of his 80s Storm minifigs. Ben waxes poetic on the joys of opening trading cards, and rails against collecting things that are “maybe” worth money. Was 90s collectible culture a manifestation of the side-hustle? How cool is it to make indie films?

This episode contains: Morning podcasting is a very different vibe than evening podcasting. Twitter is dead, long live notes. Will these notes be a novel? If you're interested in reading a novel about bounty hunting, touch base with Steven. Bounty hunters are cool. How do they work? Cowboy Bebop live action is good, but if you've seen the anime, don't watch it! It's terrible compared to the anime.

What a trip!: Psychedelic Therapy May Be Coming To A VR Headset Near You. Hallucinogenic drugs may have positive effects in fighting depression, PTSD and substance use disorders. What if psychedelic drug-based therapy didn't require drugs at all? A small study published in March 2023 found that those who spent time using a VR program called Psyrreal, which attempts to mimic the hallucinogenic experience in virtual reality, had significant decreases in depressive symptoms two weeks after treatment. Ben tried the VR program Psyrreal, as a 45 minute experience, and felt a distinct connection to all things. What an incredible experience, only using visual and auditory sensations. You can try it too, for free, if you have a VR headset and a computer capable of running it.

https://www.inverse.com/health/psychedelic-therapy-in-virtual-reality

Psyrreal VR: https://psyrreal.mozellosite.com/

Be Naked Like a Mole Rat: Longevity gene from naked mole rats extends lifespan of mice. We need to live longer. In a groundbreaking endeavor, researchers at the University of Rochester have successfully transferred a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice, resulting in improved health and an extension of the mouse's lifespan. Naked mole rats, known for their long lifespans and exceptional resistance to age-related diseases, have long captured the attention of the scientific community. By introducing a specific gene responsible for enhanced cellular repair and protection into mice, researchers at Rochester have opened exciting possibilities for unlocking the secrets of aging and extending human lifespan. Did you know that naked mole rats live up to 41 years?!?! The researchers previously discovered that HMW-HA is one mechanism responsible for naked mole rats' unusual resistance to cancer. Compared to mice and humans, naked mole rats have about ten times more HMW-HA in their bodies. After good results adding HMW-HA in mice, we're almost ready to test on humans. Would this break society? Almost certainly, but it probably will break it for the better! We dream about societal impacts from genetic modification.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230823165402.htm

Patreon-only midshow: Star Trek Lower Decks season 3 is now free on Youtube and a few other places, in prep for season 4. Ben describes Psyrreal in greater depth. Steven's kids love Ralph Breaks The Internet. Disney Dreamlight Valley is a gateway to all the Disney. Ben and his kid loved Ron’s Gone Wrong, even though it's similar to Next Gen.

Science Fiction: Starfield: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/starfield Ben can’t play yet because he’s cheap. Steven says SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. Steven waxes poetic about his new galactic-sized timesink. The music in Starfield is the best part. Except for paying 500 credits for lemonade. 10/10 game of the year.

Secret Little Haven: https://ristar.itch.io/secret-little-haven Ben was captivated by a visual novel that replicates using an operating system circa May 12, 1999. You take the role of Alex, a young trans girl that discovers herself through fandom, chats, and the early internet. It takes about an hour and a half. It helped Ben contextualize the challenge of being your authentic self, from a Trans perspective. You can also get it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/827290/Secret_Little_Haven/

We chat about episode three of Ahsoka, which really opened things up a bit in terms of characterization. The journey has began. Could Star Wars have a story with the scope of Foundation? Steven doubts it.

The Flash is now on Max. Ben says watch it! It's a movie that has nothing to lose. You'll like it, especially if you know about Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future. Is it time for a Batman Beyond project with Michael Keaton? We cast the project with a bunch of previous Batmen.

This episode contains: Everyone is here this week! Steven chats about camping, and spider attacks on a lake. Ben watched Super Mario Bros. in a field with a bunch of rude youths. We revisit the biolocks on guns debate with input from a special listener. 

Insane in the Membrane: Woman’s mystery illness turns out to be 3-inch snake parasite in her brain. A woman in Australia had many symptoms that did not point to a specific disease. Eventually doctors found a snake parasite in her brains. She may have been infected after foraging for warrigal greens. 

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/australian-woman-has-3-inch-snake-parasite-pulled-from-her-brain/ 

Biologically Speaking: Pig kidney xenotransplantation performing optimally after 32 days in human body. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support. We discuss the family and why they would or would not allow testing to continue before the body is laid to rest. We also talk about companies owning genetically engineered animals. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230816114156.htm 

Soapbox Time with Steven: Paper drinking straws may be harmful and may not be better for the environment than plastic versions.'Eco-friendly' paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded. Researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS, with the chemicals detected in 18/20 (90%) of the brands tested.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230825122044.htm 

Science Fiction: Ben talks about Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go and how its a "Perfect Saturday morning cartoon" with an all-star voice cast. Ben (and his son) also watched My Adventures With Superman on Max and enjoys it very much. There is also a slight connection to Star Trek Lower Decks! Devon (as well as Steven and Ben) watched Ahsoka and he tells us his opinions on the first two episodes. Spoilers: he did not like it. All three of us interpreted a specific scene very differently. Devon is curious about Thrawn, but isn't confident the show will deliver. Ben and Steven both enjoyed Ahsoka, and Steven talks about links to other Star Wars properties. Also, Chopper is a total war criminal, and we're here for it. 

This episode contains: Steven and Ben helm this episode. Ben discusses his Chess Renaissance (https://www.youtube.com/@chessplus). Steven tells us about the first week of school and delicious freedom. Ben shares some feedback from a listener about biolocks on guns.

Vaccination Fixation: Fall COVID shots will boost protection against latest subvariants, Moderna says. Pfizer vaccine also reportedly effective against the latest omicrons in mice.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/fall-covid-shots-will-boost-protection-against-latest-subvariants-moderna-says/ 

New malaria vaccine works well in infants, offers adults layered protection. New vaccine targets a distinct stage in the malarial parasite's life cycle.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/new-malaria-vaccine-works-well-in-infants-offers-adults-layered-protection/ 

Squeezing Electricity from a Stone: Energy-storing supercapacitor from cement, water, black carbon. Engineers have created a 'supercapacitor' made of ancient, abundant materials, that can store large amounts of energy. Made of just cement, water, and carbon black (which resembles powdered charcoal), the device could form the basis for inexpensive systems that store intermittently renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731151603.htm 

Science Fiction: ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 Clip Reveals Legacy Returns; Producers Confident In Finding New Home. https://trekmovie.com/2023/08/05/star-trek-prodigy-season-2-clip-reveals-legacy-returns-producers-confident-in-finding-new-home/ We also discuss Star Wars: Ahsoka. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ahsoka_Tano 

This episode contains: Ben's "the problem" this week and Devon's going back to school. What would Devon's show be like? Kindergardner Lawyer! Steven's hanging in there for the end of Summer. When the kids are in school, that's when the stay-at-home parents get a break. Ben loves his Coinops Legends 4 on the Steam Deck. Arcade goodness. Steven is going through the Ahsoka Essentials on Disney+. Watching Ahsoka's chronological story (as opposed to airdate order) is very satisfying.

Just keep talking about AI: AI-powered grocery bot suggests recipe for toxic gas, “poison bread sandwich." An AI-powered recipe bot has been made to help you use up leftovers in new recipes. What if a recipe AI was given harmful ingredients? From ammonia and bleach you get "Aromatic Water Mix". Devon joins the show in the middle of Ben's sentence. "Aromatic Water Mix" is made of ammonia and bleach, but at least it's non-alcoholic! If something is AI powered, turn up your skepticism. Ben drops the mike, but HE'S NOT DONE! Thankfully the recipe AI has been adjusted to no longer accept "invalid ingredients." Steven was one of those kids with a floppy disk of the Anarchist's Cookbook. Information isn't evil. It's what you do with it.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/08/ai-powered-grocery-bot-suggests-recipe-for-toxic-gas-poison-bread-sandwich/

Let's get tatted up!: Tattoo technique transfers gold nanopatterns onto live cells. Researchers have developed a way to tattoo living cells with nanowires. Flexible devices molded to curved surfaces used to be incompatible with living cells. Used to be. We're close to attaching circuits to living beings to create bionic devices and biosensors. Nearer to adjusting humans, we can use lithography to print circuits on clothing. We're closer and closer to Cyberpunk 2077 levels of bio-augmentation. What if a firearm was bio-coded to you? Would that lower child firearm deaths? If people start using bows and arrows instead of firearms, maybe they'd make that a hobby?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230810141018.htm

Science Fiction: Happy Birthday Devon! Here's all the things you hate! How does one say the word "Hegemony?" Strange New Worlds ended the season with a horror episode, and a cliffhanger. This season's finale of Strange New Worlds felt like a Voyager cliffhanger. Welcome to Strange New Worlds, Scotty! "And does he move like a REAL Gorn?" Devon asks, unironically. It's been four years since Strange New Worlds was announced, and only 20 episodes. Wow. We really didn't cover much Secret Invasion. Wonder why? Secret Invasion should have been a Samuel L. Jackson story, should have pushed story farther. What's up with the giant statue taking over half the ocean? TELL BEN. The Eternals should have been more popular. Loki Season 2 is looking incredible. So the TVA is in Deadpool 3? Whoa. Will Deadpool 3 be the death of the Fox Marvel universe? Hugh Jackman is glad to be in the Wolverine suit, doesn't have to get as jacked for Deadpool 3. Andor production is on pause due to the strikes. Steven provides an update. Steven is so excited about Ahsoka. You should be too! Is Slayer or Dragonforce more appropriate for kids? Devon weighs in. Anakin and Ahsoka have never been in the same scene in live action yet! Will this be The Book of Ahsoka? Not all bad guys are Sith, but all Sith are bad guys. Devon's hurt about what was done to Lightyear.

Post-show Patreon only: Steven gushes about Baldur's Gate 3. Ben recommends Rivals of Aether. Star Trek: Resurgence is legit. Support your local library.

This episode contains: Devon, Ben and Steven are all excited for their kids to go back to school! We talk about school supplies, magnet schools and space camps. 

You Did What?!: They just bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print, and they regret nothing. $1200 will get you a 22 volume print encyclopedia. Ben is excited, but Steven isn't convinced. Devon once had a Star Trek encyclopedia. 

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2023/06/rejoice-its-2023-and-you-can-still-buy-a-22-volume-paper-encyclopedia/ 

https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded/dp/073522014X 

https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047 

Exploits!: Social media algorithms exploit how humans learn from their peers. In prehistoric societies, humans learned from members of their ingroup or prestigious individuals. Social media algorithms are misaligned with social instincts which can lead to large-scale polarization and misinformation. We talk quite a bit about social media and the "how" and "why" of what shows up on our social media. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230803113015.htm 

Big Question: What two questions would you ask to get the most information about who a person truly is? We work together and spitball what these questions should be. Many revelations are had. In the end, we each have our own answers. Also, Ben learns that the Alien movies are all about genetalia. And Devon is a pervert. 

This episode contains: All three of us are here on this cosmic journey. We all discuss having to be solo dads for a few days. Ben tells us about Goose, a 4 month old pig at the State Fair. Then there’s “X” for some reason.

Is it Alive?: GPT-3 can reason about as well as a college student, psychologists report. The artificial intelligence language model GPT-3 performed as well as college students in solving certain logic problems like those that appear on standardized tests. The researchers who conducted the experiment write that the results prompt the question of whether the technology is mimicking human reasoning or using a new type of cognitive process. Solving that question would require access to the software that underpins GPT-3 and other AI software.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110750.htm 

Water, Water Everywhere: Dissolving circuit boards in water sounds better than shredding and burning. UK-based Jiva Materials makes Soluboard, printed circuit boards (PCBs) from natural fibers encased in a non-toxic polymer that dissolves in hot water. That leaves behind whole components previously soldered onto the board, which should be easier to recover. Infineon, Germany's largest semiconductor manufacturer and maker of components in cars, Raspberry Pis, and industrial equipment, has produced demo boards using Soluboard's tech.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/dissolving-circuit-boards-in-water-sounds-better-than-shredding-and-burning/ 

Big Question: At what point is a technologically enhanced human not a human anymore? What makes us human? Why does it matter? We discuss all this and more!

This episode contains: We got listener feedback this episode... FOR A DIFFERENT PODCAST! Did someone just learn to swear? Wouldn't it be cool if we were guests on some other Science Faction Podcasts? Why did we name this show Science Faction? Remember the Pure BS Podcast? We shout out "PS4 Tom." Nobody gave Devon a PS4. He's sad about it. 

I didn't have enough time to have the AI write a title for this one... so this is it: Google demos “unsettling” tool to help journalists write the news. Remember when Ben used AI to help write poetry? Now Google wants journalism to use AI too. Google's "Genesis" AI tool for journalism writing has been called "unsettling". Buzzfeed, CNET, and Gizmodo have all had pushback for publishing AI-written articles. Remember when io9 was shamed for an error-filled Star Wars article? https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/io9-ai-generated-star-wars-article-errors-1235662194/  Asking AI to write an article about Terminator is how we get Skynet. Will AI one day become indispensible to writers, as word processors are today? Reuters article formatting is so strict, perhaps AI could be trusted to help write it. If we spend money watching movies AI has written, we'll get more AI written movies. Devon probably never would have been a lawyer if it wasn't for spell check. If AI is now writing articles, it is tremendously important for good editing. When AI makes up information, and it does, we've been calling it hallucinations. Did y'all hear about the AI-generated South Park fan episode? https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/18/maybe-showing-off-an-ai-generated-fake-tv-episode-during-a-writers-strike-is-a-bad-idea/?mrfhud=true The first few seasons of South Park are a completely different show than now. Authors wrote movies to be movies, not to be churned into a language learning model. How much do extras make in a movie? If it's nothing, you should be paid. We make wild assumptions about how Hollywood works in this episode. Why is Hollywood so pervasive? Maybe we've had enough and will watch indie films?

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/07/google-demos-unsettling-tool-to-help-journalists-write-the-news/ 

Science Fiction: Ben unveils his high school playlist: lots of pop music! Canadian rock! French hip-hop! Honor the past with Ben and his high school playlist, only for Patreon supporters. Steven reviews 65: Adam Driver shoots dinosaurs. It's by the numbers, but good! Adam Driver plays a spaceship... driver? Steven considers Adam Driver's huge hands. 65 has appropriately sized raptors. Did y'all see the Star Trek Lower Decks/Strange New Worlds crossover? It was incredible to get a surprise Star Trek episode. Thanks SDCC! Ben learned his son can't handle zombies. Thanks Star Trek Strange New Worlds. If you've never seen Lower Decks, you'll be a bit lost in the latest Strange New Worlds. Lots of love for the NX01 in the latest Star Trek Strange New Worlds. Strange New Worlds' animated opening credits were incredible.

Big Question: We discuss how having all media available at all times is affecting the next generation. We no longer have novelizations and trading cards based on TV and movies. Ben's son doesn't listen to his dad anymore for suggestions on video games. "Deep Space Nine is, like, the second best Star Trek series." - Ben's son. Bluey is back, y'all. We talk about the episode "Space".

After pod Patreon-only, we talk the latest season of Black Mirror and The Bear.

This episode contains: Ben and Steven do their worst (by which I mean their best) this episode. No Devon no cry. Ben went to a Renaissance Faire with his son and tells us all about it. Steven and his wife had a date night, with tacos. 

Light, Keep It Light: Light-based “LiFi” is stunningly fast, notably fragile—and now standardized. Wireless communication now has a choice between radio and light waves, but this choice comes at a cost. LiFi has a ability to be extremely fast, but requires line-of-sight to be successful. We're looking forward to future developments! 

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/light-based-lifi-promises-amazing-wireless-speeds-just-not-through-walls/ 

Aaaaauugggghhhhh: Surgical and engineering innovations enable unprecedented control over every finger of a bionic hand. A multidisciplinary team of surgeons and engineers have crafted a bionic arm with unparalled functionality. This prosthetic arm required rewiring nerves, osseointegration, and AI algorithms to function. It's amazing. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230712165138.htm 

Science Fiction: Ben and his son watched Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which prompts a conversation about Transformer movies. But really, they got a very specific fact about technology and games from 1994 WRONG and it really bothers Ben. Steven chimes in with some Stormtrooper facts (that he stole from the YubNub Podcast) and also talks about the SAG-AFTRA strike. Ben is excited to talk about the best new episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Steven is trying to catch up on Foundation. 

This episode contains: All three hosts are with us on the case. Devon complaints about the bad food in East Texas and what makes a good pizza. Steven then tells us about the Threads and Twitter war. Ben tells us about the chaos of his son’s birthday party and Devon tells us about his long drive to and from Virginia.

Evolutionarily Speaking: Why do animals keep evolving into crabs? Crabby bodies are so evolutionarily favorable, they've evolved at least five different times. So why does this process, known as carcinization, keep happening?

https://www.livescience.com/animals/crustaceans/why-do-animals-keep-evolving-into-crabs 

Never Smile at a Crocodile: From 1907 until its relocation in 1953, the area of Lincoln Heights was home to what the Los Angeles Times dubbed “the city’s most exotic residents”: a thousand-strong collection of alligators that welcomed visitors every day of the year to see, pose with, and even ride them.

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/los-angeles-alligator-farm 

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-03-me-19132-story.html 

The Big Question: Would it be more frightening to discover that humans are the most advanced species in the universe or that we are far from being the most advanced species in the universe?

Pre-pod Patreon-only: Wouldn't it be great if it was Indy 500 instead of Indy 5? Who's in Extraction? Chris "The Dentist" Hemsworth. This week, Steven messes up the opening of the show for once.

This episode contains: We're just loving life this episode. I don't know what it is about being 40. It sucks, is what it is. Ben burns the bottoms of his feet off at a water park.  Steven drove down and back from Disneyland to surprise his family. For real. Shout out to the Yub Nub Podcast and Tim Barnes! We got to have him back on. Mickey's Toontown has a new ride?!?! Sweet! Can we just throw money away to fix our problems? Or do we have to do hard work? Ben saw the musical Once at the SLORep. It was incredible! Happy birthday to Ben's wife! We're curious why you listen to this podcast! Let us know at [email protected]

This Week in Space: Galaxies are not scattered randomly across the universe. "The nearby universe" is one of our favorite phrases ever. "The epoch of reionization" would be a killer prog-metal album. Is the formation of life a consequence of the universe going to high entropy? Entropy is very misunderstood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxL2HoqLbyA  Cosmic web strands make Ben think of Orbitz: https://www.tastingtable.com/1185720/what-were-the-floating-balls-in-90s-soda-orbitz-made-from/  90s kids! What's up! Remember the Orbitz flavor Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230629173611.htm 

I'm angry about the internet and I'm gonna talk about it: Reddit API changes are imminent. Here’s what’s happening to your favorite apps. Ben misses how great Reddit was. RIP Apollo. Some apps are surviving the Reddit-ocalypse. Shout out to Narwhal 2! Why do we need 3rd party apps for Reddit? Lack of features, mostly. Will Lemmy replace Reddit? "I replaced social media with micro-journaling for a year" by Struthless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFvdHfhVIsQ  When's the last time you searched for content on the web, instead of having it presented? If you write down small problems, most of them will not matter in 10 days. Do y'all have things that nag in your craw? Do they bug you after ten days? Ben's been writing a diary in the notes app, and he talks about intentionality. Kids should use Breath of the Wild rules to pick who gets which sword in a play fight. Should you listen to Ben about quitting social media? Does he even use social media? If you're concerned about where your attention is going, you have choice.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/06/reddit-api-changes-are-imminent-heres-whats-happening-to-your-favorite-apps/ 

Science Fiction: We're talking a lot about our upcoming Patreon-only High School playlists. How great is Limp Bizkit's Mission Impossible theme? Take A Look Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3UHMV3jrZk  Steven finally saw Across the Spiderverse! We do a full spoiler-filled review. How cool is it that the first half hour of Across the Spiderverse is the Gwen Stacy movie? Even without a lot of hip hop in Across the Spiderverse, the music is still amazing. Donald Glover's love of Spider Man was a big inspiration for Miles Morales. Steven and Ben saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny together. Spoilers ahead! The Temple of Doom was a silly film, which works for kids despite the rest of the film. Ben anticipated a different film from the trailer of Dial of Destiny. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has mostly incredible CGI.