Episode 546: Overfilled Wine Glasses, Octavarium, and Overpopulation
Release Date: 02/26/2025
Episode 575: Yogurt, but Make It Sci-Fi
Science Faction Podcast
This week’s episode was a ride through everything from neighborhood drama to yogurt overlords, with plenty of science and sci-fi sprinkled along the way. Real Life Ben kicked things off with Five Nights at Freddy’s—because apparently, jump scares are just how he likes to unwind. From there, he veered into a wild story involving a crossing guard, a flag man, and threats from a community member that had us questioning if this was real life or the start of a low-budget thriller. Devon had politics on his mind (as he often does), and let’s just say it was… cathartic. Steven...
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Episode 574: Cozy Apocalyptic
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life This week’s episode is stacked—like a plate at Boar & Barley (Ben barely survived, oh God). Speaking of Milwaukee, Devon had some things to say, and Steven dove into Rick and Morty season 8 on HBO—has the quality shifted? Plus, Marvel’s Thunderbolts snuck its way into the convo. Future or Now Devon brought us back to the Bob-verse world with Dennis E. Taylor’s Flybot. He called it “enjoyable” (which is Devon for a glowing review). Near-future tech, asteroid mining, eco-terrorists, and a scrappy AI robot pieced together from spare parts—this one’s a...
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Episode 573: From Breweries to Broken Biblical Logic
Science Faction Podcast
This week’s episode had a slightly different vibe—Ben was buried under a mountain of work, so he wasn’t able to make it. But don’t worry, Steven and Devon had plenty to talk about. Real Life Devon’s mom was visiting, and he took a trip out to Milwaukee for baseball. Turns out the city is super clean… but also a little seedy after dark. Naturally, breweries came up (because it’s Milwaukee), and he hit up Broken Bat Brewery—complete with darts, wiffle ball, and the echo of a chant we kept repeating: Miller Miller! Meanwhile, Steven went full hobby mode. He finished painting...
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Episode 572: Alternate Universes and the Nature of Canon
Science Faction Podcast
California, what are you doing? Rain in the summer? Hail in Tahoe? Absolute chaos. At least Steven’s chickens are thriving in this strange new climate—they’ve started laying eggs. A LOT of eggs. So many, in fact, that we’re considering a new Patreon tier: Egg Delivery from Steven. Fresh, farm-to-door… assuming you live close enough for him to walk them over. Gaming Corner: From Voyager to Vaults Ben dove deep into nostalgia this week with a first look at the Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown game. It’s got exploration, it’s got starships, it’s got Janeway energy. Check...
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Episode 571: Boy Band Calculus
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Devon has been knee-deep in yard work, prepping and installing artificial grass and fixing up fences. But the real highlight was his trip to Milwaukee for some baseball—and of course, some Alice Cooper trivia because apparently Milwaukee and Alice Cooper are forever linked thanks to Wayne’s World. Ben gave us an update on Orion. He’s starting to lose his appetite, which is always tough. What do you do when your dog doesn’t want to eat? It’s something a lot of pet owners face, and Ben’s in the thick of it. On a lighter note, he’s been living in a world of Clue....
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Episode 570: My Journey to K-Pop Demon Hunters
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Ben’s having a bit of an “old man yells at cloud” week. Everything is changing, young people adapt, old people stretch (sometimes), and Orion—our good doggo—is in late-stage kidney failure. Can the universe just… not for five minutes? Steven is counting the days until school starts again. When does he get his elusive “me time”? Devon? Out in the yard, living the Yard Work Man life, which means he’s off the show this week. The Domingues household is fully embracing lazy summer mode. Ben’s been watching K-Pop Demon Hunters—thanks to field-adjacent reporter...
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Episode 569: Desert Suns and Distant Moons
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Devon Gone again, off doing what families do. Probably eating responsibly and not playing Magic with middle schoolers. We’ll get a full download when he returns from the wilds of familial bonding. Steven Steven melted in Palm Springs last weekend. Like, cartoon puddle of clothes and glasses melted. It hit 112°F, and not in the fun "desert dry heat" way—it was more like a hairdryer set to regret. But he survived the heat and a surprise 65th birthday party for his mother-in-law. (Note: surprise party for a 65-year-old in 112-degree weather? Bold.) To escape the heat and...
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Episode 568: Bradbury Wasn't Kidding
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Ben spent the week playing nurse, but at least it was a summer cold—infinitely easier than juggling tissues and PTO requests during the school year. The only upside to a sick kid when the sun’s out? More cartoons, fewer emails. Hearing Ben wiping noses and handing out popsicles, Steven got nostalgic about Scrubs. Remember Scrubs? Wholesome chaos. Heartfelt weirdness. Probably due for a chaotic Gen Z reboot starring TikTok doctors and JD’s ghost AI. Devon was out of town. No details, just gone. Like a Vulcan on shore leave or a cowboy riding off into a logical sunset. We assume...
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Episode 567: Regular Human Shenanigans
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Ben showed up with a box of magic and a handful of links, and we spiraled from there. We started off with Piecepack, the infinitely expandable system of tile-based board games. If you haven’t seen it, The Infinite Board Game is a great intro — it comes with a full Piecepack set and over 50 games: 👉 Two standouts we tried: Whirlpool Pond (Tube Wars) — hilariously chaotic and surprisingly strategic. Steven said it reminded him of playing little games at a picnic table on camping trips. 🎯 Moto-X — a racing game with dexterity and movement rules that feel like...
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Episode 566: Skeletons Or It Didn’t Happen
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life This week, Steven finally found a superhero movie that didn’t make him want to throw his popcorn at the screen. Superman (2025) has arrived, and according to him, it’s the best take we’ve had on the character in years. No origin story nonsense, just straight into Supes doing good and being good. James Gunn gets it—Superman is an immigrant, a boy scout, and a damn firefighter (not a cop). The moral core is there, the cape looks good, and apparently, if you hate it, it’s because it’s “woke”? Whatever. Steven liked it. You probably will too. Meanwhile, Devon has been...
info_outlineReal Life Updates
Devon’s Redecoration Adventure
Devon has been painting and redecorating—at Jen’s request—to make things look more "adult." This involved taking down metal posters to put up a TV for gaming, which led to a frustrating experience with Displate (spoiler: they suck). While redecorating, Devon also came across a fascinating philosophy YouTuber, Alex O’Connor.
▶️ Watch Alex O’Connor: YouTube Link
Also, ChatGPT can apparently generate a perfect glass of wine… all the way to the top.
Steven’s Gaming Corner
Steven has been playing Avowed (part of Xbox Game Pass—so "free"). His verdict? "Pretty fun." Thanks to his beefy new graphics card, he’s playing on PC.
▶️ Check out Avowed: Steam Link
He also tried Keep Driving, a game about driving to the right, avoiding potholes, picking up hitchhikers, and helping a little girl find her parents—all while managing fuel, energy, and car repairs.
▶️ Try Keep Driving: Steam Link
Ben’s Solitaire Obsession
Ben has discovered Scoundrel Solitaire by Zach Gage and Kurt Bieg, a solitaire game played with a real deck of cards and a D20.
▶️ Learn how to play: Rules PDF
▶️ Play online: Itch.io Link
Future or Now: Music & Media
Renee’s Music Question:
Renee’s kid is getting into 90s rock (Weezer, The Offspring, etc.), and that sparked a conversation about favorite musical sounds and guitar solos. Here’s what we came up with:
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Ben: The sound of an orchestra tuning up (potential energy). Favorite solo: We Will Fall Together – Streetlight Manifesto
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Steven: Any heavy bass sound. Favorite solo: Waking the Demon
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Devon: Pinched harmonics. Favorite solo: Octavarium (Razor’s Edge) – John Petrucci
▶️ Dream Theater - Octavarium Guitar Solo: YouTube Link
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
We checked out Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which fills in gaps between the Tom Holland movies. Like X-Men '97, it takes some big swings.
▶️ More on the show: IMDB Link
Devon’s Disturbing Read
Devon is reading Animal Liberation Now by Peter Singer. It’s unsettling, to say the least. More thoughts after he finishes.
▶️ Read it here: Google Books Link
Steven’s Movie Night
Steven watched some of Wicked Part 1 with his kids. They haven’t asked to watch more. Suspicious. He also revisited Return to Oz, which remains a fever dream.
▶️ Return to Oz: Rotten Tomatoes Link
Book Club Corner
Next Week: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
A look at 22nd-century space exploration using somaforming—biological modifications that allow astronauts to survive hostile environments. But what happens when Earth moves on without them?
▶️ Audiobook: Audible Link
This Week: Billennium by J.G. Ballard
A classic dystopian short story exploring extreme overpopulation. But why "20,000 million"? And what would you do if you suddenly came into wealth? Would you help others?
▶️ Read it here: PDF Link
▶️ World population discussion: Worldometer