Episode 589: They Still Make These Films?
Science Faction Podcast
This week’s episode is a little different—Steven is out sick, so it’s just Devon and Ben holding down the fort. The result is a loose, thoughtful conversation that bounces from pop culture overload to philosophy, creativity, and the art of not trying so hard. Real Life Devon kicks things off with a trip looming on the horizon, bringing equal parts snow, stress, and snowboarding. That spirals nicely into media consumption: thoughts on Switch 2, Mario Maker 2, and catching up on a new Wes Anderson film alongside a Knives Out rewatch. Cozy movies, big style, and just enough...
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Episode 588: Ben-nip and the Non-troversy
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life We kick things off with Real Life, where Devon is suspiciously chipper and ahead on billing (don’t worry, it doesn’t last forever). Steven recounts The Great Lice Infestation of ’25, a saga that will echo through the ages—or at least the household laundry room. Ben crowns Sektori as his game of the year, describing it as the best Dreamcast game that never existed and somehow got a remaster. If that sentence alone sells you, here’s the deal-tracking rabbit hole via . Bennnip. Steven also recommends Arc Raiders, a loot-em-up that caught his attention, which leads to a...
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Episode 587: Birthday Overload Apocalypse
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life We opened this week’s episode with real-life updates, starting with Steven’s full-on birthday blitz — his birthday, his kids’ birthdays, all packed into the same window. There was dinner out, a rowdy round of Ransom Notes, and the proud report that his kid nailed a fully successful sleepover. Parenting achievement unlocked. Devon, meanwhile, came in questioning reality: The Onion is still a newspaper? That somehow turned into a whole debate about debates (1 vs. 20 participants), which feels about right. And then his kid dropped the big question at home: how do we stop an...
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Episode 586: Space Clinics & Wartime Critters
Science Faction Podcast
Thanksgiving came and went, and somehow all three of us survived… though some of us survived more deviled eggs than others. Let’s jump in. Real Life Steven kicked things off with the tale of a very boring Thanksgiving that was only made notable by the sheer volume of deviled eggs involved. When you commit to making 36 eggs—times two—you’re basically catering your own side quest. After recovering, he cleansed his palate by watching Jurassic Park with his kid, which is exactly the kind of comfort cinema the holiday demands. Ben had a more people-filled holiday: his mom visited...
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Episode 585: Pass the Physics, Hold the Simulation
Science Faction Podcast
It’s a big week over here, full of visiting parents, cosmic philosophy, and at least one host wrestling with the concept of leftovers. Let’s get into it. Real Life Ben is officially in pre-Thanksgiving hype mode because his mom is coming to visit (hi Martha!). There may or may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on the table—Ben is thinking about it, which is basically the same as committing, right? He’s also deep into a full-spectrum Percy Jackson immersion program: watching the movie, reading the books, and watching the new show. You can check out the show’s current...
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Episode 584: Inheriting the Atom Bomb
Science Faction Podcast
This Week on the Pod: Rain, Parades, Hive Minds, and… Ben’s Brain for Rent? This week’s episode opens with a very rainy round of real-life updates. Ben has been slammed with work and declares—formally, officially, irrevocably—that poetry is better than parades. (He is fully prepared to defend this position.) Meanwhile, Steven reports that the local parade and festival still happened despite the rain, because sometimes community spirit just refuses to check the weather. And Devon? He keeps forgetting that he’s technically a Texan now, which raises several questions about residency,...
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Episode 583: Trickle Down Electronics
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life It’s another week of real life, questionable decisions, and sci-fi tangents. Does Devon Even Like Being on the Show? We ask the question no one dared to before—and yes, Devon does like being here. Just… maybe not for the reasons you think. Ben’s Apology Tour Continues Ben kicks things off with an immediate apology for this podcast. Again. But he makes up for it by diving into Apple TV’s The Big Door Prize ()—a show full of mysteries, midlife crises, and a machine that tells you your true potential. He’s also been watching Zen for Nothing and Piece by Piece, and we learn...
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Episode 582: The Law of Communal Dynamics
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Time changed again. Why? Didn’t we, as a society, vote on not doing this anymore? Every clock reset feels like an act of collective gaslighting. Ben spent his week teaching classes at the Art-a-thon, where he also led a chaotic round of Werewolves featuring the now-immortal line: “I am a delicious villager.” The kids apparently took that declaration at face value. Steven was also at the Art-a-thon, diving into unfamiliar crafts (the kind that require more glue than dignity). Between Halloween, Disney runs, and too much coffee, his week sounded like a montage of exhaustion...
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Episode 581: Fuzzy Wires, Clear Minds
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life: This week’s episode kicks off with Ben wondering what would happen if idioms were costumes. Imagine showing up to a party literally raining cats and dogs or dressed as the elephant in the room. (We’re not sure if that’s genius or horrifying.) Steven reminds everyone to say it to our faces! — meaning, drop us a comment or suggestion. Seriously. We read them. Sometimes we even respond like civilized humans. Devon went to a Halloween party with the Non-Religious Alliance of East Texas Facebook group (yes, that’s a thing), rocking a DS9 uniform costume that probably had...
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Episode 580: 11 Days VS 32 Years
Science Faction Podcast
Real Life Ben was out this week, which left Devon and Steven to hold court—and as Devon reminded us, there are no kings here anyway. He showed up fresh from an event that apparently involved an axolotl costume (details were scarce, which somehow made it funnier), and immediately launched into a whirlwind of thoughts about upcoming elections, funding cuts to science, and the strange, ongoing collision between South Park and real-world politics. Meanwhile, Steven spent his weekend in the world of The Witcher: The Old World board game with Greg, slaying monsters, collecting trophies, and...
info_outlineThis Week on the Pod: Rain, Parades, Hive Minds, and… Ben’s Brain for Rent?
This week’s episode opens with a very rainy round of real-life updates. Ben has been slammed with work and declares—formally, officially, irrevocably—that poetry is better than parades. (He is fully prepared to defend this position.) Meanwhile, Steven reports that the local parade and festival still happened despite the rain, because sometimes community spirit just refuses to check the weather. And Devon? He keeps forgetting that he’s technically a Texan now, which raises several questions about residency, identity, and barbecue obligations.
But the week wasn’t all jokes—Ben also shared the sad news that Orion has passed. He was a very good boy, and the pod raises a collective toast. Ben’s been spending time catching up on life, trying to relearn what “rest” even means, and also casually dropping the bomb that Affinity is now free. (Yes, really—go see for yourself at affinity.studio.) And while you're browsing, you can apparently rent Ben’s actual mind at Penciledin.com, which sounds like a threat but is, in fact, a service.
Steven also let us know that the Fallout Season 2 trailer is out, so it’s time to emotionally prepare for more post-apocalyptic chaos.
Future or Now: Tylenol, Autism, and the Psychology of Hive Minds
Devon kicks off this segment with actual real science: new research shows no clear link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) and autism, which is a big deal considering how long that concern has been floating around. (Links to ScienceDaily and the BMJ included in the show notes for the skeptics and science nerds.)
Then we collectively decide: yes, we need to talk about Plur1bus. And we go deep.
This is a full-spoiler discussion, so skip ahead if you’re still watching. We cover everything—from the protagonist who’s also the antagonist, to the messy moral math of a hive mind, to Devon’s incredibly passionate speech about wanting to understand hive-mind psychology. Steven brings up that Internet-as-proto-hivemind theory, and Ben drops several very good points as per tradition.
If you want episode breakdowns, the Wikipedia page has everything laid out neatly and also serves as a reminder that this show is way smarter than any of us expected when we hit “play.”
Book Club (Sort Of)
We skipped Book Club this week because there was simply too much Plur1bus to process.
Next week:
We’re reading City Grown From Seed by Diana Dima.
Content warning: domestic violence / domestic abuse.
You can read it for free on Strange Horizons.