Weird Things

By Andrew Mayne

Between science and fiction.... more

· Natural Sciences

4.5

329329 ratings

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FAQs about Weird Things:

How many episodes does Weird Things have?

The podcast currently has 1,052 episodes available.

Weird Things episodes:

January 30, 2026 Space Shenanigans and the Future of Human Spaceflight
In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood kick things off with a discussion about a medical emergency that led to an astronaut’s early return from the International Space Station, sparking rumors of the first space pregnancy. They then shift gears to the Artemis missions, highlighting the Artemis II mission’s goal of sending humans around the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. The conversation takes a turn towards the future of space stations, with companies like Vast Space and Axiom Space aiming to build modular, next-generation stations to replace the ISS. The episode wraps up with a critique of the new Starfleet Academy show, expressing disappointment and questioning its target audience. Picks: Brian Brushwood: Fallout Season 2 Justin Robert Young: Tár Andrew Mayne: Dune Part Two
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53min
January 30, 2026 Bear Evictions and Genetic Tinkering: A Peek into the Future
In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood explore the curious incident of a Californian homeowner, Kenneth Johnson, who discovered a 550-pound bear living under his house and the challenges he faced in evicting it. The conversation then shifts to the broader implications of AI and genetic engineering, pondering a future where animals could possess human-like intelligence and the ethical considerations that come with it. They also touch upon the potential for AI to revolutionize our understanding of animal communication, specifically mentioning Google’s DeepMind project aimed at deciphering dolphin language. Picks: Andrew: Zootopia 2 Justin: Stranger Things, Episode 9 Brian: Apple’s SHARP technology
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1h 16min
November 27, 2025 AI Models and the Dog Man Mystery
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood kick off the episode with a discussion on the latest AI model updates, including Google’s Nano Banana and OpenAI’s GP 5.1. They explore the implications of AI personality and its impact on user experience. The conversation shifts to a group chat feature with ChatGPT, enhancing collaboration and consistency across AI interactions. They also touch upon the integration of AI in various platforms and the challenges of navigating the ever-evolving landscape of AI tools. The episode takes a mysterious turn with a scripted segment on Dog Man sightings, blending humor with curiosity about this cryptic creature. Throughout, the hosts engage in sprite generation experiments, adding a playful element to their tech-heavy dialogue. Picks: Justin Robert Young: Edd Brian Brushwood: Death by Lightning Andrew Mayne: Predator: Badlands
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0min
November 03, 2025 Robots, AI, and the Future of Work: A Deep Dive
In this episode, Andrew shares his experience attending a robot demo by 1X, highlighting the challenges and advancements in robotics. The hosts delve into the broader implications of AI and robotics on the workforce, discussing both the potential benefits and the anxieties surrounding technological change. They explore how AI is already impacting various fields, from healthcare to content creation, and speculate on the future of work in an increasingly automated world. The conversation also touches on the importance of adaptability and self-reliance in navigating these changes. Picks: Andrew: How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton Justin: Chat Atlas Brian: Magnetic Memory Method by Anthony Metivier
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0min
October 27, 2025 The Handful Chronicles: Gravy, AI, and the Future of Content Creation
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a journey through the conceptualization of Handful, a fictional restaurant where gravy is served directly into patrons’ hands. The discussion evolves into the realm of AI-generated content, exploring the implications of AI in creative processes and content distribution. The hosts share insights into the rapid development of AI tools and their personal experiences with technology, emphasizing the importance of human connection and collaboration in navigating the future of creativity. Picks: Andrew Mayne: Tron: Ares Justin Robert Young: Netflix doc series on the 90s Cowboys Brian Brushwood: The Chair Company with Tim Robinson
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1h 10min
October 24, 2025 The Unending Gravy Train of AI Creativity
In this episode, Andrew Mayne and Brian Brushwood embark on a philosophical journey through the realms of storytelling, AI’s burgeoning role in creative processes, and the enigmatic app SO’s contribution to communal humor and creativity. They explore Stephen King’s insights on storytelling, the magic of indirect evidence in magic tricks, and the importance of showing rather than telling in narratives. The conversation then shifts to SO, where they discuss its unique platform that allows for collaborative creativity among friends, using the example of ‘Handful,’ a fictional fast-food chain that serves gravy directly into customers’ hands. This episode is a testament to the evolving landscape of creativity, where AI and human collaboration open new doors to storytelling and humor. Picks: Andrew: Daredevil Season 2 Brian: Speed Racer (1966)
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0min
October 13, 2025 The Sora App Saga: A Tale of AI, Cameos, and Unexpected Marketing Genius
The episode is largely a deep dive into OpenAI's Sora app, with the hosts describing it as more than a video model and instead a new social-media modality built around short generated clips, personal cameos, remixing, and highly shareable strange or funny scenes. They discuss its rapid rise in the App Store, invite-only rollout, the technical jump in Sora 2 Pro, voice and character consistency, and the ways the app is already changing how they think about video, deepfakes, and even the simulation hypothesis. A major thread is the business and cultural impact of Sora: the hosts argue that likeness controls, meme culture, and fan-made IP uses could create new monetization models, including ad-supported video generation and possible revenue-sharing with rights holders. They also discuss how Sora may become a creator-friendly tool rather than a threat, how its clips are spreading to other platforms as memes, and then close with recommendations for Weapons and The Studio, plus a brief look at OpenAI's newer ChatGPT app and image-generation products. Key topics Sora as a social video app: The hosts repeatedly frame Sora as a social feed, not just a model, describing generated clips as shared daydreams or thoughts and emphasizing its strange, personal, and culturally sticky feel. Cameos and likeness permissions: They explain the cameo feature, where users can create avatars and set guardrails for likeness use, including restrictions on political content or other categories. Mark Cub
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1h 6min
October 12, 2025 The Sora App Saga: A Tale of AI, Cameos, and Unexpected Marketing Genius

In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood, and Justin Robert Young discuss the recent launch of the Soar app by OpenAI, its features, and how it quickly became a platform for both creating AI-generated videos and a new form of social media. They explore the app’s cameo feature, which allows users to create digital avatars and use them in videos, and how Mark Cuban used it for clever marketing. The hosts speculate on the future implications of AI in content creation, advertising, and the potential for new business models. They also share their personal experiences and tips for using the app, highlighting its potential for creators and advertisers alike.
Picks:
Brian Brushwood: Weapons
Justin Robert Young: The Studio episodes on casting the Kool-Aid Man movie and the Golden Globes
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Download url: https://weirdthingspodcast.com/uploads/20251012225715_251010-WEIRD_THINGS_podcast.mp3
[podcast]https://weirdthingspodcast.com/uploads/20251012225715_251010-WEIRD_THINGS_podcast.mp3
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1h 6min
September 13, 2025 Martian Microbes and Robotic Ruminations
The episode opens with a discussion of NASA’s Perseverance rover and a Nature paper about a Martian sample with tiny chemical patterns that, on Earth, are often associated with microbial interaction. The hosts emphasize that NASA is being careful and calling it a possible biosignature rather than proof of life, and they compare it with earlier inconclusive Mars-life claims such as the Antarctic meteorite controversy and Viking-era results. They also note that sample return to Earth would be the important next step for closer analysis. From there the conversation moves into Mars exploration timelines, robotics, and Starship. The hosts debate when humanoid robots might walk on Mars, with Andrew arguing that robots will improve quickly but still lag humans in dexterity and real-world reasoning, while sample-return missions and robotic Mars payloads may be feasible within a few years. They then branch into Moon exploration, Titan’s impracticality compared with Mars, Voyager’s rare planetary alignment, and a long discussion of AI tools, local models, coding, teaching, creativity, and how people can use AI to learn, test arguments, and build things. Near the end, the episode shifts to picks. Andrew recommends The Naked Gun and Alien: Earth, praising both the comedy and Noah Hawley’s sci-fi storytelling, and Justin recommends Friendship, describing it as a more restrained A24 film built around Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson that still fits the spirit of Tim Robinson’s work. Key topics N
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0min
September 12, 2025 Martian Microbes and Robotic Ruminations

In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood delve into NASA’s recent announcement about potential biosignatures found on Mars by the Perseverance rover. The conversation then shifts to the future of humanoid robots on Mars, with speculation on when the first robotic step might occur. They also touch upon the rapid advancements in AI, particularly in coding and its implications for various industries. Throughout, the trio explores the broader implications of these technologies for humanity’s future, both on Earth and in space.
Picks:
Andrew: The Naked Gun and Alien Earth
Justin: Friendship
Support Weird Things on Patreon
Subscribe to the Weird Things podcast on iTunes Podcasts
Podcast RSS feed
Download url: https://weirdthingspodcast.com/uploads/20250912210949_250912_-_weird_things.mp3
[podcast]https://weirdthingspodcast.com/uploads/20250912210949_250912_-_weird_things.mp3
...more
0min

FAQs about Weird Things:

How many episodes does Weird Things have?

The podcast currently has 1,052 episodes available.

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