The Phantasmagorical Think Tank

What can Dungeons and Dragons tell us about the way humans tell stories? A game you can always win—if you play it right. An obscure monetary system that poses deep questions about the nature of money. Matt and Scott entertain all of these and more in this episode of T.P.T.T.

Bibliography and Additional Resources

Dungeons and Dragons

Episode 1 of The Adventure Zone, an actual-play podcast: www.maximumfun.org/adventure-zone/ep-1-here-there-be-gerblins-chapter-one 

Basic Rules for Dungeons and Dragons: http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules 

Nim and Prisoner’s Dilemma

Standupmaths explains the game of Nim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KABcmczPdg 

Yapese Currency

Atlas Obscura, which contains an entry on Rai Stones: https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Obscura-Explorers-Worlds-Wonders/dp/0761169083 

NPR shines light onto the Rai Stones: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2011/02/15/131934618/the-island-of-stone-money 

Music

The Ranch by Rafael Krux: fhttps://freepd.com/epic.php

Drum Roll: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/soundeffects 

Seasons by DJ AG: https://open.spotify.com/search/results/seasons%20dj%20ag 

Buckle up and plunge once more into the analytical wonderland of Phantasmagoria. In this episode, Matt and Scott discuss the spine-tingling science behind the supposedly supernatural Ouija board, reconcile the mind-bending Paradox of the Ravens (so that it will frustrate us… nevermore), and seek to properly categorize the multifaceted political opinions of the world.

Bibliography & Additional Resources

Ouija Boards

Clip from National Geographic’s Brain Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNk8-A1gRMo

Steven Woodford (aka Rationality Rules) debunks the Ouija Board (quick trigger warning: his tone and word choice in this particular video is somewhat condescending, but there’s still some great science in there): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4W5bF7H-1A 

Penn & Teller: B.S.! Season 1, Episode 12: Ouija Boards & Near Death Experiences (IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode is not appropriate for children): https://www.sho.com/penn-and-teller-bullshit/season/1/episode/12/ouija-boards-near-death-experiences 

The Paradox of the Ravens

Wireless Philosophy explains the paradox of the ravens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKmqh5Eu4Y&vl=en 

Meta-politics

The Political Compass: https://www.politicalcompass.org/ 

8Values: https://8values.github.io/ 

Political Typology: http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/ 

Theme Music: Seasons by DJ AG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46qQWSbSJSo 

The President’s March: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_United_States_Army_Old_Guard_Fife_and_Drum_Corps/Celebrating_50_Years/ 

 Scott and Matt put on their thinking caps and discuss the philosophical quandary known as The Ship of Theseus, the blockbuster movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and the obscure yet elegant whistled languages found around the globe.

Bibliography

The Ship of Theseus

http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil1020/Hobbes3.pdf 

https://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/ship-of-theseus-identity-ze0z1311zjhar 

https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/enquiries/view/the-ship-of-theseus 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQHBAdShgYI 

http://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil1020/Hobbes3.pdf 

Whistled Languages

http://idiom.ucsd.edu/~rose/Whistled%20and%20drum%20languages.pdf 

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170731-greeces-disappearing-whistled-language 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQf38Ybo1IY

Theme Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46qQWSbSJSo