The episode opens with a pre-show anecdote about Brian repeatedly trolling a coffee drive-thru, culminating in him theatrically dropping a penny into a hot chocolate in front of a very young worker. From there the hosts move into a discussion of a Florida spider monkey born with a Batman-shaped face marking, joking about whether it looks painted or stenciled and using it as a springboard into questions about the ethics of cosmetic changes to animals. That animal-marking discussion expands into a broader moral debate about human genetic modification, concierge IVF, and whether adding a cosmetic corporate-style mark would be acceptable if paired with advantages like health or intelligence. The conversation then shifts into sponsorships, scholarships, and controversial naming, and later into a long segment on cryptocurrency, money, inflation, proof-of-work versus proof-of-stake, fusion power, climate optimism, and the social and political resistance that can shape how new technologies are judged. In the back half of the episode, the hosts briefly mention Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and then turn to picks. Justin recommends The Batman, praising its Gotham worldbuilding, dark tone, and performances despite its length; he also strongly recommends The Book of Nile Kickstarter graphic novel. Bryce recommends Heartstopper on Netflix. Andrew recommends Conversation with the Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes, and the episode ends with a comic discussion of the notorious serial kille

What is present-you doing to help future-you? How do you handle the future–not just preparing, but shaping your future? Success can come from examining other successful people. Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “After Things.”

The episode opens with a long discussion of NASA's Space Launch System and its failed wet dress rehearsal. Andrew says the test hit valve, cooling, and sensor problems, leaving most of the liquid hydrogen unloaded, and he argues the program is an outdated, expensive government rocket that should be scrapped rather than preserved by sunk-cost logic. The panel contrasts SLS with newer commercial launch companies and notes the oddity that Artemis would use SLS to ferry astronauts to SpaceX hardware, which they describe as inefficient and hard to justify. After the space segment, Andrew launches into a series of science and weird-news stories. He explains a 1832 Darwin-era observation that leads into spider ballooning, where the hosts discuss the idea that spiders use electrostatic charge on silk rather than wind alone to lift off. They then move to a story about bacteria that help nucleate ice in clouds and can influence rain, followed by a Florida python-and-bobcat video that prompts joking interpretation, and finally a personal anecdote about seeing a kangaroo at a Hollywood Hills party. The last portion of the episode covers Andrew's work with OpenAI on DALL·E 2 and the need for a gradual, controlled rollout because of misuse concerns. The show then transitions into picks: Brian recommends Come From Away, Justin recommends Severance, Bryce recommends Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, and Andrew closes with Mitchell and Webb Look, tying it to a Jimmy Savile documentary rabbit hole and

Andrew’s latest mystery novel, “Sea Storm,” made the WSJ best-sellers list. What inspired the Underwater Investigation Unit series and Sloan McPherson? Plus, a system to give feedback. Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “After Things.”

The episode begins with a roleplayed investigation of a North Dakota fossil site, where the hosts describe a Thescelosaurus leg and fossilized Triceratops skin and joke about what could have caused the remains. They settle into the reported claim that the site preserves evidence from the Chicxulub impact event, including fish, a turtle, a pterosaur embryo in an egg, and glass-like particles in fish gills, while also noting skepticism in the paleontology community about aspects of the site and its publication history. A long middle segment is devoted to Andrew Mayne discussing OpenAI's DALL·E 2 image generation system, emphasizing that it turns text prompts into images, supports style changes and edits, and is meant as a tool that amplifies creativity rather than replaces artists. The conversation also covers technical limits, staged rollout, concerns about deepfakes and misinformation, and Andrew's argument that AI development should include a wide range of expertise; the episode then closes with picks for Guardians of Justice, Raised by Wolves season two, Severance, and Moonwalking with Einstein. Key topics North Dakota fossil site and preserved dinosaur remains: The hosts frame the opening discussion as a mystery at a North Dakota site with a Thescelosaurus leg and fossilized Triceratops skin, treating the remains as unusual evidence from the dinosaur era. Impact hypothesis for the Tanis site: Andrew explains the claim that the site records the day of the asteroid strike th

How to get started and two tools you can use to get the ball rolling: the social media “scary hour” and the classic pomodoro timer technique. How can you organize your work and get unstuck? Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “After Things.” PICKS: Andrew: Anthony Metivier’s video on memory palaces Bryce: Pommie

The episode opens with a discussion of NASA's wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket, the Artemis program, and the tension between the expensive, delayed SLS approach and SpaceX's lower-cost reusable systems. The hosts note that SLS has repeatedly run into problems and that Starship is still unproven, while also arguing that having multiple launch providers is strategically useful. They then broaden into a critique of defense contracting and military logistics, saying the system is often inefficient because of procurement structures, reporting incentives, and the hidden importance of mundane logistics. The conversation then shifts to Elon Musk becoming Twitter's largest shareholder and what that might mean. The hosts argue that Twitter matters less as a place where news is created and more as a news-distribution and amplification engine, with 'King Media' and social proof determining what gets attention. They also debate moderation, free speech, hate speech, and the limits of platform-wide rules, including references to the Hunter Biden laptop episode, ISIS remaining on the platform, and Germany's speech laws. Key topics SLS versus SpaceX and the cost of space launch procurement: The hosts compare NASA's SLS to SpaceX's reusable launch approach, stressing SLS delays, overruns, and high costs while noting that Starship remains unproven and that multiple launch providers may be wise. Defense-industry incentives and cost-plus contracting: They argue that defense contracting can

World’s Greatest Con’s season 2 finale is out today. How was the process of building this season compared to season 1? Plus, a discussion on the crowd-funding campaign for Brandon Sanderson’s surprise novel series. Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “After Things.”

The episode opens with banter about meme culture and shared cultural shorthand, then moves into Andrew's discussion of the Soviet Venus probe and the space race. The hosts connect early space ambitions to Cold War ideology, Soviet engineering strengths, and why some technologies and missions were dismissed before they worked. A long middle section focuses on speculative transport ideas and then COVID strategy, including herd immunity, excess-death comparisons, and differing roles for public-health officials versus scientific consensus. The latter half turns to Andrew Mayne's OpenAI discussion of Codex, embeddings, large language model limitations and safety, and creative uses like code generation, story completion, and custom training. The episode closes with the hosts' media picks and reactions to Our Flag Means Death, Severance, Frequency, and Legion. Key topics Memes as shared cultural shorthand: The opening conversation compares meme culture to a Star Trek metaphor-speaking alien and notes how people now share the same references and reactions online. Soviet Venus probe and space race ambitions: Andrew discusses the Soviet probe to Venus, its short surface time, and how the space race and Cold War shaped Soviet and American priorities in rocketry. Soviet engineering strengths and limits: The hosts talk about Soviet metallurgy, engine quality, large-scale manufacturing, and the difficulty of complex systems and consumer goods under the Soviet system. Why technologies get d

Listener David sends in an update on his guitar-lesson project, Song Notes. What advice can he take away when he takes Song Notes full time? Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “After Things.” Picks: Andrew: The Intelligent Investor from Benjamin Graham Brian: Cordkillers