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Episode 561: In Search of Small Comforts

Science Faction Podcast

Release Date: 06/11/2025

Episode 571: Boy Band Calculus show art 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 show art 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 show art Episode 569: Desert Suns and Distant Moons

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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 show art 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 show art 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 show art 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...

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Episode 565: Dark Energy, Glowing Yeast show art Episode 565: Dark Energy, Glowing Yeast

Science Faction Podcast

Real Life Ben took a family trip down to San Diego just in time for the other fireworks night—turns out, there are often more fireworks on the 3rd of July than the 4th. Devon also caught a local 3rd-of-July fireworks show, which has started to feel like the real deal instead of just a warm-up. Ben: “More fireworks on the 3rd than the 4th, easily.” The trend continues. While Ben and Devon were oohing and aahing at sky explosions, Steven stayed home and got some solid mini painting in while the family was off in LA. No notes, just vibes. He and Ben also snuck in a round of Walkabout...

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Episode 564: Becky Chambers Is My Therapist show art Episode 564: Becky Chambers Is My Therapist

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Real Life Ben Ben’s been quietly communing with the universe—and possibly with time travelers—through a book of accidental poetry called . These are poems born from Wordle guesses, wrangled into a strangely beautiful collection. The result feels like overhearing wisdom whispered from another dimension... or from your roommate’s weird dreams. Ben recommends reading it with an open mind and maybe a cup of tea. Or a flux capacitor. Devon Devon had to Dad some emails this week—calmly but firmly correcting errors from people who apparently do not know how email works. He also saw Elio,...

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Episode 563: Aspergillus Strikes Back show art Episode 563: Aspergillus Strikes Back

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Real Life This week, real life got weird, itchy, nostalgic, and just slightly chaotic. Ben celebrated a birthday by dragging his family through a hike in tick-infested grass. Friendly reminder: Don’t go into the long grass. We’ve seen Jurassic Park, we know how this ends. Devon may or may not be living in Foreverware straight out of Eerie, Indiana. Start checking those Tupperware lids, folks. Steven escaped a house overrun with cousins the only way he knows how: board game store therapy. Here’s what we’re playing: is only $5 on Steam right now and it still rules. Devon showed us how...

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Episode 562: The Robot Seems Fun, but the Kids are in Trouble show art Episode 562: The Robot Seems Fun, but the Kids are in Trouble

Science Faction Podcast

Real Life Ben had a pretty heartfelt Father’s Day. The kind that makes you wonder what to do with all those sentimental cards—save them? Repurpose them? Wallpaper a studio? He’s thinking bigger: moleskin notebooks and sketchbooks as repositories for meaningful letters, doodles, and moments. He also caught You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at SLOREP, which delivered all the nostalgia and Peanuts poignancy one could hope for. Devon saw Annie live and reports back that yes, the sun did come out. Meanwhile, he was also boots-on-the-ground at the No Kings march in Tyler, TX, where roughly...

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This week, Steven, Ben, and Devon record remotely to avoid the usual chaos (rat wrestling included). From blacksmithing birthday gifts to questioning the ethics of breakfast, it's a classic episode full of heart, guilt, and sci-fi coziness.

Real Life

Devon’s work trip was mostly pointless, thanks to the other party being wildly unprepared. Meanwhile, Steven got new windows installed and watched Captain America: Brave New World in the middle of it all — his verdict: “fine,” which seems to be Marvel’s current default. He and Ben discuss Harrison Ford stepping in as Thunderbolt Ross, the return of The Leader and Red Hulk, and whether Marvel’s third-act fight addiction is dragging it all down. On the home front, Steven had an “intense Thursday” filled with gymnastics class, BBQs, and blacksmithing five custom hooks for his mom’s birthday. Ben went to the beach and made a solid case for awe — like ocean waves — as a cure for modern burnout. Oh, and Yellowcard is releasing a new album with Travis Barker on drums. Yes, really.


Future or Now

Devon read Animal Liberation Now and now feels like a hypocrite for still eating meat. The book’s argument: if animals can suffer, they deserve rights. Cue a deep dive into factory farming, animal testing, calorie efficiency, and whether “ethical meat” should be a rare luxury rather than a daily default. They talk about cows, chickens, and baby monkeys; the morality of milk and butter; and why our modern food system depends on people looking the other way. Steven questions how to get enough protein on a vegan diet, and Devon admits it’s complicated — especially for anyone without time, money, or access. If nothing else, they agree that learning to treat animals better might teach us how to treat each other better, too.


Book Club: A Psalm for the Wild-Built

The gang begins Becky Chambers’s cozy sci-fi novella, where humans and robots live separately but peacefully. Dex, a non-binary monk, ditches the city to become a tea monk — traveling the countryside offering comfort in the form of warm drinks and conversation. Their first attempt fails, so they go all in: building a hydroponic tea garden and trying again. The story is full of sustainability, small joys, and gentle spirituality. The hosts love the “cozy punk” vibe and Ben’s especially struck by the god of small comforts’ advice: find the strength to do both. Next chapter brings a two-year time jump — and (hopefully) a robot.


Thanks for listening and supporting the show — and for sticking with us through windows, waffles, and weird philosophical spirals.

– S, B & D