Our hosts start off contrasting the snow in Korea to the fires all over California.  Jon then complains about speed bumps and somehow generalizes them as a symptom of greater evil in society.  They suggest a way to think about implementing long term permanent changes whether as a city planner or for yourself.  They then touch on the hidden French etymological origins of some word families and how finding these connections between languages can shed meaning on patterns in our own language, discuss the drift of accents in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the influence of German culture and language on the USA.  They go on to speculate over the impact of future medical advances greatly lengthening human lifespans, how our societies might acclimate to them, and whether individual rights include healthcare.  They close with some reflections on 2017 and a few plans for the coming months.

Listen to this Episode and Learn:

Why speed bumps are a terrible solution

How English is a creole and its Germanic and Romantic roots

Speculation on how society would handle people living for 500 years

Our thoughts on new year’s resolutions