1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hey you welcome to Stuff to Blow 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: your Mind. Listener mail. My name is Robert Lamb and 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: I'm Joe McCormick, and we're catching up on some of 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: your messages in response to our episode about Christmas decorations. First, Robert, 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: let's see do you want to read this first one 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: or should I? Yeah, sure, I'll do this one. This 8 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: one comes to us from Lucy. I loved your Holiday 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: inventions episode and wanted to write in that My parents 10 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: still do many of the old and or dangerous traditions. 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: We put bubble lights in the tree every year when 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: I was a kid. They still have some of those 13 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: strings from the nineties, but they've also gotten replacement bulbs 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: for burnt out ones over the years. These new ones 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: are hopefully less toxic than the originals. The best, though, 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: is live candles on the Christmas tree. My family is 17 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: aginally from Germany, and when my grandparents were first married, 18 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: they studied in Germany for a year or two on 19 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: my grandmother's Fulbright scholarship. They picked up their tradition of 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: candles there and kept it up every year until they 21 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: moved into a retirement home that would not allow it. 22 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: Since then, my parents have taken over the tradition. The 23 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 1: key is to get a fresh tree instead of buying 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: it from a Christmas tree lot. We go out to 25 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: a Christmas tree farm a day or two before Christmas 26 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: Eve and cut down a fresh one. This means that 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: when you light the candles a few days later, there 28 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: is still so much moisture in the needles and branches 29 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: that have a flame touches it, it just fizzles out. 30 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: We always like the tree from top to bottom, so 31 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,639 Speaker 1: that as we sit around seeing Christmas carols and talking, 32 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: the top candles burn out first and we can watch 33 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: the shadows from the lower candles on the ceiling. Sometimes 34 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: my dad will even get the ornaments hung so that 35 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: the rising heat from a candle beneath it will make 36 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: the ornament spin. Whoa. Obviously we still have a pitcher 37 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: of water nearby, but we've never had to use it. 38 00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: I've grown up with these traditions, so I sometimes for 39 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: get that not everyone does them. Great to hear about 40 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: the history behind them. I always love listening to you guys, Lucy. 41 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: Oh well, that does sound very nice, Lucy, but I 42 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: still I don't think i'd risk it. Yeah, there's a 43 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: there's a story in my family, and I've asked around 44 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: to see if I could find out who it was. 45 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: But so this one's gonna be one of those kind 46 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: of like horrible third hand stories. But there's somebody I 47 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: was connected to where the wife brought with her German 48 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 1: traditions and insisted on doing the candles. But then the 49 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: husband was very suspicious of of actual candles on a 50 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: Christmas tree and would stand by with a with a 51 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: fire extinguisher aimed at the tree the whole time, just 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: ready for it to go up. I mean, you're gonna 53 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: do candles on the tree, why not just like hang 54 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: butane torches from the branches. They make their own ornaments 55 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: and candles. All right, Well, it looks like Carney is 56 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: still in the Christmas spirit and has another one of 57 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: these list males for you too. Okay, this one comes 58 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: from Rose. Rose says, Hi, Robert and Joe loved your 59 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: latest episode on the history of Christmas decorations. To talk 60 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: about whether gingerbread houses are meant for eating brought back 61 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: some early childhood memories. When I was a little kid 62 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: in the nineties, my family decorated gingerbread houses every year, 63 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: except we didn't use any actual gingerbread. My grandma would 64 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: construct houses out of cardboard, which we would code in 65 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: frosting and decorate with candy and pretzels. I think some 66 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: might say that gingerbread and cardboard have negligible differences. Uh, 67 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: but that would be a true grunch of a person 68 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: who said, oh, I mean real gingerbread. If you're using 69 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: real ginger, you get that kind of like it's almost spicy, 70 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: So it can it can really work. What are are 71 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: you supposed to use fresh ginger and gingerbread? I thought 72 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: you're supposed to use ginger powder in baking. Maybe I 73 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: don't know anything about this, Well I don't. I've never 74 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: actually made it myself, so I'm I have no idea ultimately, 75 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: but I know that generally you can taste the difference 76 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: between real ginger and um in powder ginger, and then 77 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: of course I feel like I have had gingerbread. When 78 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: a gingerbread is good, it tastes a little spicy, like okay, 79 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: when it kind of like bites you back a little bit. Okay, 80 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: I think that would probably be fresh ginger. Wait, you 81 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: were saying real ginger though, do you do you mean 82 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: fresh ginger? Or is ginger powder not from a not 83 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: from real ginger? Surely it is? Well yeah, well when 84 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: I say real ginger, you know I'm I'm meaning fresh ginger. Okay, okay, okay, 85 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: that's what I thought. Yeah, I mean as I don't 86 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: I don't know that there's actual imitation ginger out there. 87 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: There's imitation vanilla there, there's there's imitation stuff. Yeah, okay, 88 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: sorry to continue with roses message. So we got these 89 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: houses made out of cardboard, decorated with candy and pretzels 90 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: picking up. They definitely weren't meant to be eaten, if 91 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: I'm remembering right. They would sit out as a decoration 92 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: for a while, maybe people would steal a few pieces 93 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: of candy off, and then we just threw them out 94 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: after Christmas. Unfortunately, we stopped this tradition while I was 95 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: still fairly young, but I have fond memories of it. 96 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: That was pretty weird in hindsight. Happy Holidays, Rose. Uh yeah, 97 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's that much weirder than anything else. 98 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: So it sounds kind of nice. Yeah, and then you're 99 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: not wasting the gingerbread this way, So as they go 100 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: for it. All right, we have another one here. This 101 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: one comes to us from Victoria. Victoria Rights. I'm an 102 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: environmental scientist and I allow this in my home. Is 103 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: it dumb? Absolutely? Why do we do it? Tradition? Que 104 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: fiddler theme? And of course it is a picture of 105 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: the Christmas tree with live candles, with burning candles on it. 106 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: They look pretty cool because the candles are twisty. I've 107 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: never seen this before. They're like cork screw shaped a 108 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: little bit, I mean very, very slightly cork screw shaped. 109 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: And in in the photo, a gentleman that I believe 110 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 1: is Victoria's husband is lighting it. Because she continues, my 111 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: German has been grew up placing real candles on a 112 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: real conifer, lighting them with real fire, and watching them 113 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: burn to their bases without a trace of anxiety. He 114 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: clings to this tradition harder than any other, and I 115 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 1: don't mind living a little dangerously. We have some firm 116 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: rules around this practice. Number one, the tree must never 117 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: go thirsty. I pay more attention to this dead plant's 118 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: hydration than that of my own body. The conifer will 119 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: be less of a powder keg if the leaves don't 120 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: dry out. We feel the tips before every lighting if 121 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: they're getting crunchy. The candles are not lit. Number two. 122 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: Everyone knows where the fire extinguisher is and how to 123 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: use it. I acknowledge that this wouldn't be enough to 124 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: put out a fully engulf tree, but it is better 125 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: than nothing. Number three. When lit, the candles are supervised 126 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: at all times. This part can get a little boring. However, 127 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: there's little else to do on Christmas Eve besides sipping 128 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: scotch and staring at your potential doom. Number four. After 129 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: the holidays, take the discarded tree to the bonfire beach 130 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: and burn it. Watching that thing shoot flames high into 131 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: the air puts whole celebratory practices in perspective. Knowing the 132 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: risk makes us more vigilant. Thank you both for the 133 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: stimulating content, and may your holidays be far less perilous 134 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: than mine. Warm regards, Victoria. The regards sound very warm. 135 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing this, Victoria. This is great and 136 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: I love the picture that this was a This was 137 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: a great bit of listener mail. I really love this one. Okay, 138 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: how about this response? Going back to our episodes about spinning, Yeah, 139 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: let's spin. Okay, this uh this comes from Joe, a 140 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: different Joe. Joe says, Dear Robert and Joe, I've been 141 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: enjoying your recent episodes and listener mail on the size 142 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: of spinning as it affects the human body. It's a 143 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: fascinating topic. It was delightful to hear the perspective of 144 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: a ballet dancer, ice skater and pole dancer. But I'm 145 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: surprised no one mentioned aerialists. I gotta say that did 146 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: not even enter my mind. In fact, I don't know 147 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: if I would have known what that word meant before 148 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: this mail, so so thanks for bringing it up, Joe. 149 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: I should have done. I've seen aerialists performed before. I 150 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: mean i've I've certainly been to circus away, so I 151 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: should have thought about the spinning that yeah, the circus lay, 152 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: yeah yeah, yeah, Okay, So Joe goes on aerialists, as 153 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: you probably know, as I didn't know, are the section 154 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: of performance artists of the circus realm that perform aerial 155 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: stunts on aerial apparati. Many common apparatis, such as the 156 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: hoop lyra and aerial straps, also test the brain and body. 157 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: One extra weird apparatus is the Spanish web. The Spanish 158 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: web is essentially a human lasso. One performer hangs from 159 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: a thick rope some distance from the ground, while another 160 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: performer assists in spinning the dangling performer in a giant circle. 161 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: The aerialist in the air then performs stunts and tricks 162 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: and so on. The spinning action is unique because the 163 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: body isn't just turning on a single axis, but is 164 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: also often moving in a slight orbit around the center, 165 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: sometimes at high speed and with changing orientations. The head 166 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: games are very interesting and takes some practice. As you've said, 167 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: one trick that many spinning aerialists use is to focus 168 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: on something that isn't spinning in relation to the performers, 169 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 1: such as the apparatus itself or their own hands or feet. 170 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: It's similar in concept the spotting technique that ballerina is used, 171 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: but without having to turn the head. Since the apparatus 172 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: itself keeps the performer from tipping, the aerialists can divert 173 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: their focus, unlike a ballerina that needs a reference point 174 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: to stay balanced. Focusing the vision intently on the apparatus 175 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: as opposed to the spinning world behind it is a 176 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: massive game changer and as it slightly tricks the brain 177 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: from being disoriented with the spinning room. Also, if one 178 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: can't see their own body or apparatus, such such as 179 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: in many aerials strap spins, the trick is to not 180 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,439 Speaker 1: focus on anything at all. Don't try to follow the 181 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: spinning world in front of you, but fall into soft focus. 182 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: Easier said than done, it takes practice. Other fun tricks 183 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: to help with dizziness before spinning include eating lots of 184 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: ginger or drinking ginger tea to prevent nausea a ginger 185 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: yet again. Also, if one does get dizzy and finds 186 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: themselves with the spins, they can sometimes jump up and 187 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: down to help with the motion. It won't do much 188 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: if your spins are bad, but it seems to help 189 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: some performers who overdo it momentarily For some reason. I 190 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: just thought your listeners might also find this obscure life 191 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: knowledge important as they happen to find themselves trapped inside 192 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: a washer or never ending till to whirl. Thanks for 193 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 1: all you guys do. Keep up the great work, Joe. 194 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: And then Joe also sent a follow up saying it 195 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: was him again, and he sent some links to videos 196 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: of artists performing Spanish web and aerial straps fast spins 197 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: in regards to human spinning very cool. And uh I 198 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: like the ginger tidbit as well. Um yeah, ginger can 199 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: be can be very nice for you know, slight feelings 200 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: of nausea and and stomach illness. We we keep some 201 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 1: some ginger candies on hand in the car and in 202 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: the backpack whenever we're out in the bout just in case. 203 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh it maybe helps with car sickness too, 204 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: yeah yeah, or and if nothing else that you know, 205 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: it's a sweet and has a little ginger e buzz 206 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: to it. So all right. We have some some additional 207 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: um listener mail here coming to us, and these bits 208 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: concerned Weird How Cinema are Friday episodes that are sort 209 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: of a late night celebration of weird films as opposed 210 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: to the general science and culture content that we put out. 211 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: This comes to us from Chris, Hi, Robert and Joe. 212 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: First off, I love Weird How Cinema. I was elapsed 213 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 1: stuff to bow your mind fan too many podcasts to 214 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: listen to, who checked in for the Halloween episodes this 215 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: year and was delighted to find Weird How cinema in 216 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: the feed. It perfectly scratches this itch for strange and 217 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: or bad movie discussion with the science and philosophy angle. 218 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: Please keep doing it. I just finished the Ghost in 219 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: the Machine episode. I'd forgotten all about this movie until 220 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: I saw the title in my feet and immediately was 221 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: reminded of the only scene I ever watched, the microwave scene. 222 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: I was born in and was very young when I 223 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: was flipping through channels and landed on HBO just in 224 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: time to see a man getting his face cooked by 225 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 1: an open microwave. I was sufficiently freaked out and changed 226 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: the channel immediately. Ever since then, I've always had this 227 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: tiny fear in the back of my mind when opening 228 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: a microwave door. What if it didn't shut off? Is 229 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: it going to cook my face? This even cropped up 230 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: recently as my fiancee was has a habit of opening 231 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: the microwave door to grab something while it's still running, 232 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: trusting that the auto off will work as intended. Turns out, 233 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: our microwave door latch is a little hinky and there 234 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: recently and it recently seemed to keep running as that 235 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: she opened it up and reached in to grab whatever 236 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: she was heating up. I had flashbacks to Ghost in 237 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: the machine. It was pretty freaked out, even though nothing 238 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: had happened to her. We looked into it later and 239 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: it's most likely that the magnatron had shut off off 240 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: but the fan in light kept running still. I asked 241 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: that she just hit the off button before opening the door, 242 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: just in case. Anyway, keep up the great work and 243 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: thanks for discussing this movie that gave me a lifelong phobia. 244 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: I can't wait to tune in again next Friday. Chris, 245 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: I've actually seen a malfunction a microwave that worked exactly 246 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: like that, except in this case it was every time 247 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: you would you would open the door, the light inside 248 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: would come on and the rotating plate would start rotating. 249 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: But I think it wasn't cooking well. I appreciate the 250 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: kind comments there. Uh, it's certainly feel you on how 251 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: there being this too many podcasts to listen to at times, 252 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: so you know, hopefully we're not loading anybody up with 253 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: too much. Hopefully with the ideas we just give you 254 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: some some choices, you know. Um and uh, you know, 255 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: if you want to just listen to the Weird House, 256 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: just listen to Weird house. You just want to come 257 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: in and listen to the stuff to blow your mind episodes, 258 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: Go for it. I mean, I think I'm supposed to 259 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: advise everyone to subscribe, but I don't know. Maybe subscription 260 00:13:57,920 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: doesn't work for everybody. I don't know. Do do what 261 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: you want, do what feels good for you. As long 262 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 1: as you're listening to some of our show, UM, I 263 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: guess I'm happy. Okay. I mentioned a few episodes back 264 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: that I thought we had lost some emails that came 265 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: in during September and October. I think somehow they just 266 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: like disappeared from our inbox. UM, and our our longtime 267 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: correspondent Jim in New Jersey actually recent several emails from 268 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: that period, so we wanted to catch up with them now. 269 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: The first one, UH concerned our episodes on mushroom foraging, 270 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: and we were talking about how, UH, sometimes human foraging 271 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: techniques are strangely kind of similar to AI, to computer 272 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: search algorithms, and so Jim often writes in on like 273 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: computer science related topics in and he's got some comments here. 274 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: So Jim says, Robert and Joe, you mentioned AI searching 275 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: algorithms at the end of your mushroom series. I can 276 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: provide one. It's considered an AI algorithm, but it's really 277 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: just an algorithm that I think I can describe sufficiently. 278 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: It's called a star search, and that's spelled like in 279 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: typography with the letter A and then an asterisk. It's 280 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: a type of foraging algorithm through a network. Cities and 281 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: the roadways connecting them are networks. There are many other 282 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: types of networks too, for example, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etcetera, 283 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: communication networks such as the Bell telephone system network and 284 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: the Internet and so forth. The mathematical notion of these 285 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: networks are called graphs. The concepts, properties, and algorithms that 286 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: work for graphs in general can be applied to real 287 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: networks too. There are two traditional network searching or foraging algorithms, 288 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: breadth first and depth first search. Let's say that it's 289 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: Saturday morning and you and your spouse want to look 290 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: for garage sales. You could start in your local neighborhood, 291 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: then proceed to the next ones out and continue spreading 292 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: out in concentric circles. This is breadth first, but let's 293 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: change strategy. This is a special Saturday. There's a group 294 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: garage sale at a church, a few neighborhoods away, or 295 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: in the town center. You would go straight to these 296 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: locations and then visit additional garage sales on the way back. 297 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: This is depth first. A star search is a little 298 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: between the two. Let's look at the strategy. You start 299 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: in your local neighborhood and visit the first garage sale. 300 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: While you're there, you ask other buyers where they've been 301 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: and what looks good out there. You evaluate their best suggestions. 302 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: You would keep track of all the best garage sale 303 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: tips and add new ones as you move from garage 304 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: sale to garage sale. Once you're ready to move to 305 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: another garage sale, you you go to the one that 306 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: shows the best promise on your tips list, even if 307 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: it means driving across town. This is the essence of 308 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: a star search. Though I don't know for sure how 309 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: algorithms in navigation apps such as driving directions work, I 310 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: would consider using a star search. Let's say that you 311 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: want to drive from location A to location B. The 312 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: algorithm starts at A and explores the local roads, almost 313 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: like ten drills of mold you've described before. The heuristic 314 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: it uses to find the best path will BE how 315 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: close you are to BE. Direct paths will get first priority, 316 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: but it won't ignore paths that move further away from 317 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: BE either. That's because an initial direction that moves away 318 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: from B might eventually reach a highway ramp or provide 319 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: a much faster trip to BE, even if driving in 320 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: the wrong direction. Ants foraging kind of do this too. 321 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: As the ants come back from food sources, they drop 322 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: pheromone trails. As the ants confirm the food source, they 323 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: make the pheromone trail stronger, so more ants will exploit it. However, 324 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: there are still foraging ants that don't follow the strong scent. 325 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: They're looking for new sources since the good source might 326 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: eventually fade. Ant foraging can be thought of as a 327 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: type of distributed a star search. The a star search 328 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: Wikipedia page has too many videos that illustrate the algorithm well, 329 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: especially like the example will of finding the most efficient 330 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: train route across the USA. This very much resembles mold tendrils. 331 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: I first encountered a star search when I took an 332 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: online algorithm course taught at Princeton. A star search was 333 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: an assignment in UH solving a tile slider puzzle. I'm 334 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: proud to say that the search tree illustration in the 335 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: assignment was originally created by me as I was working 336 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: with the professor as an online ti A and they 337 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: have included it in the assignment now uh. And he 338 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 1: signs off Jim in New Jersey but not really near Princeton. Uh. 339 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 1: And then Jim also has a follow up that ties 340 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: into the same email that came out after an episode 341 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: about Orcs. Remember, in the episode on Orcs, we talked 342 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: about the Orcs and Hobbits problem, which was about problem 343 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: solving theory. UH. This question about how people psychologically tend 344 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: to adapt when they encounter problems in this this puzzle 345 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: where you need to get Orcs and Hobbits across the river. 346 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: And one of the things that was discovered about this 347 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: was the perils of what's known as the hill climbing algorithm. 348 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: It's a common algorithm that is used in some computer programs, 349 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: but we also just use it in our brains, which 350 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: is UH. You basically, you have a goal state that 351 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: you want to get to, and it's something like, you know, 352 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: get to the highest possible altitude and then you take 353 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: a step and you see if you're closer, and if so, 354 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 1: you keep going in that direction, and if not, you 355 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: turn back and you keep doing that until you get 356 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: to the top of the hill. But the problem with 357 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: the hill climbing algorithm is that if you're in a 358 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: landscape with multiple hills and valleys, you will tend to 359 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: just get stuck at the top of the nearest hill, 360 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: and you will not explore hills that could go even 361 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 1: higher if you were willing to go down first to 362 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 1: get to them. And so this is an illustration of 363 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: that when we're trying to solve problems or be creative, 364 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: sometimes we need to apparently backtrack in the short term 365 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: to reach a better outcome in the long term. And 366 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: Jim follows up by saying, Robert and Joe Joe's description 367 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: of the hill climbing algorithm is exactly what occurs with 368 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: a star search. As I had written about previously with 369 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: mushroom searching. The hill climbing technique is very near sighted. 370 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: It can only look at the next potential step and 371 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: not take in the entire landscape. This is not a 372 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: bad technique. Hill climbing exploits what appears to be the 373 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: best path forward toward a solution. But as the example 374 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: captured so well, you might be hiking up the wrong hill. 375 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: Joe introduced randomness, but there's another algorithmic technique which I 376 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: mentioned in my last email as well. That technique is 377 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: to introduce a handicap to the solution path. The more 378 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: you exploit a given solution path based on hill climbing 379 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: or any other heuristic, the more expensive it becomes. As 380 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 1: that solution path gets longer. You may run into a 381 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: situation where the solution path gets so long and the 382 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: handicap is so crippling that you abandon the exploited path 383 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: and venture off to explore another part of the solution space. 384 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:55,199 Speaker 1: While this isn't officially adding randomness, it does introduce the 385 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: concept of hopping around uh in the solution space and 386 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: not becoming fixated upon one possible solution. It's a trade 387 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: off slash balance of exploiting a promising path versus exploring 388 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: new ones. Jim in New Jersey, And you know, I 389 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: gotta say, I really like this, and I think it 390 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: could be applied outside of just pure computer algorithms as well. 391 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: If you think about um, you know, whenever you've found 392 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: a solution that works to do something, or at least 393 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 1: work so far, maybe try out the idea that every 394 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: time you repeat a working solution again, you do it 395 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: again the same way you've done it before. Maybe it 396 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: gets a little bit more expensive, like you're you're having 397 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: to pay an increasing some every time you do that, 398 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: which will eventually encourage you just to, you know, make 399 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: sure you're not missing out on better solutions that are 400 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: available to you just because you you've got one solution 401 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: that you know sort of works. Interesting. Interesting, all right, 402 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: here's another one from Jim in New Jersey. Uh. This 403 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: is a an in response to episode on the Bed 404 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: The Invention of the Bed, Robert and Joe. You didn't 405 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: mention how astronauts sleep in space in your bed episode. 406 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 1: Since there is no gravity, they can sleep almost anywhere, 407 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: but they tether themselves so as not to float around 408 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: in the environment. Private crew quarters on the International Space 409 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 1: Station are only slightly bigger than a phone booth. Part 410 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 1: of that includes a sleeping bag that tethers to the wall. 411 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: But I think they can sleep anywhere on the station 412 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: without gravity. Their arms tend to float in front of them. Uh. 413 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,719 Speaker 1: And he included an illustration of one of these setups 414 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: consists of and yeah, this is interesting. I'd read that 415 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: about having to strap your arms down before. That's that's interesting, 416 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,360 Speaker 1: Like you could if you don't strap them down, your 417 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: arms are just kind of floating free in front of you. 418 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: And uh and I think I've read before they can 419 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: be kind of like this kind of ghostly effect of 420 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: like whose hands are these? Uh poke you in the eye. Yeah. Oh. 421 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: And then Jim follows up and says, I didn't state 422 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: the obvious in my original email. There are no beds 423 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: to speak up in space. You don't need them when 424 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: there's no gravity. That their beds are close to hammocks, 425 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: as are my subject line about snoring in space, which 426 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: I include as a joke, is more interesting than a joke. 427 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 1: Astronauts don't snore in space either. The lack of gravity 428 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 1: doesn't block airways as much. Oh interesting, now that's yeah. 429 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: I had not heard that, So that's that's pretty interesting. Um. 430 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 1: But also interesting that they're basically strung up in hammocks, 431 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: because I do think we could come back and do 432 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: an entire episode based on the invention of the hammock. 433 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: There's some really interesting stuff there. Okay. This next message 434 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: comes from Heather. Heather says, hey, y'all, I frequently Binge 435 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 1: on your podcast episode, says, you happen to be some 436 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: of the only people with whom I can delve deeply 437 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,440 Speaker 1: into obscure and common topics to the point of sheer 438 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: exhaustion and for me intellectual bliss. Well I'm I'm I'm glad. 439 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: It's fun. Um, Heather says, I just heard your December 440 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:57,360 Speaker 1: ninth episode of The Artifact the Poison Tooth. I love 441 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 1: it today. It was for me a great tizer before 442 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: a full length stuff to blow your mind episode. I 443 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 1: imagine on a busy day this kind of informative quickie 444 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: will make a satisfying mental snack. Thank you for keeping 445 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: me well fed with an ever increasing variety of mind 446 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 1: blowing content. Without you, my intellect would certainly stunt atrophy 447 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: and shrivel up into a pathetic shadow of its former potential. 448 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: That's extreme. I guess she's kidding, she says no, But seriously, 449 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: life is better with you, and it so keep going. 450 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for your hard work and all the best 451 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: to you in the coming year. Heather. Well, thank you, Heather, 452 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: thank you so much for the kind words. And we're 453 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: we're we're glad we could be there for you. Yeah, 454 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: and I'm glad to hear hear of some positive feedback 455 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: on the Artifact episodes. They are kind of just sort 456 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 1: of short form audio blog blog posts, and we're just 457 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: switching back and forth for the most part on doing these. 458 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, we're gonna keep at it. And uh yeah, 459 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: it should be a great place to to discuss very 460 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:59,159 Speaker 1: specific ideas, you know, you know, particular items, particular points 461 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 1: in time. That's sort of thing. Uh and and just 462 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,679 Speaker 1: discussed them briefly instead of devoting an entire episode to them. 463 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I feel like they're a great outloo because 464 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: we used to come across things like this all the time, 465 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,679 Speaker 1: where we'd find something that we found really interesting, but 466 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: just like wasn't it wasn't a whole episode worth of anything. 467 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: You know, It's something that might make five or ten 468 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,439 Speaker 1: minutes worth of content, and uh and here you go. 469 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a good outlet for it. I 470 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: feel like back in the day, you used to turn 471 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 1: things like that into blog posts. I only ever wrote 472 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: a few posts for the blog, but you you had 473 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: great blog post back on the old website when that 474 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 1: was alive. But now I feel like this is a 475 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 1: really good alternative to the blog of of old Yeah. 476 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to resurrect some of those blog posts 477 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: of old yeah, you know, pull their bodies out of 478 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: the muck and see if I can resurrect the flesh 479 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: and make it march off into the podcast feed. For me, 480 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,360 Speaker 1: our our old blog and the website have turned into 481 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 1: bog bodies now, but if one knows the appropriate magic, 482 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: they can be revived. All right, here's another one. This 483 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 1: one comes to us from Jeremy. Hey, guys and or 484 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: staff member reading this, Well, that's Seth. Basically, it's just 485 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: us and Seth. But we don't. I think maybe he's 486 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: wondering if we have like a dedicated like employees or 487 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: something to go through our listener mail for us. Unfortunately, no, no, 488 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: now we do have. We we we never give him 489 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: a shout out, but Sam uh is in charge of 490 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: our social media stuff and he does all that's true. 491 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: We don't have to, so uh, massive kudos to to Sam. Sam. 492 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: You do an amazing job. You you you really make 493 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,880 Speaker 1: my life better by allowing me to not really look 494 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: at Twitter or Facebook. Right alright, So anyway, Jeremy continues, 495 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: I've never actually emailed any of the podcast I've listened 496 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: to over the years, so this is a little strange 497 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: for me, but I felt I had to let you 498 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: guys know just how great the New Side Show is. 499 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: I've been listening to stuff to Blow your mind since 500 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 1: back in the Alice in Louder Milk Days from Stuff 501 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: from the Science Lab and have never missed an episode. 502 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: The way you guys can discuss the real or possible 503 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: science of anything, from the mundane to them to mythological 504 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: creatures to world changing technologies never fails to catch my 505 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: interest and keep me engaged in the world around us. 506 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,879 Speaker 1: Being a huge movie buff, especially for terrible B movies. 507 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: I can't tell you how the weekly edition of Weird 508 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: How Cinema is UM. I think they meant to. I mean, 509 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: how great I'm gonna put in great, How how spectacular? 510 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: How life altering? Um? Anyway, they continue. Even my podcast 511 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: free wife is happy because I can listen to you 512 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: guys discuss the movies as an alternative to boring her 513 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: with the behind the scenes details of troll Too. She 514 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 1: made it about fifteen minutes in before quote, remembering she 515 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 1: had errands to run. Now, wait a minute, is that 516 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes into the movie troll to fifteen minutes into 517 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: you talking about it, or fifteen minutes into our episode. 518 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: I took it to mean maybe the movie, like she 519 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: made a fifteen minutes into the movie, because yeah, troll 520 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 1: Too is not for everybody. Um, they continue anyway. I 521 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: just wanted to thank you guys for the great work 522 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: and I hope weird how Cinema will turn into a 523 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: permanent addition to the podcast. I wish you guys the 524 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: best and hope you keep staying safe. Thanks for reading. 525 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: That's the plan for now. Yeah, I mean it's as 526 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: permanent as anything. So uh yeah, we're gonna keep doing it. 527 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: All right. We're gonna go ahead and um and turn 528 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: off Carney. We're gonna we're gonna seal the listener mail 529 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,640 Speaker 1: mail bag for the week. But yeah, we're gonna continue 530 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: to do these, uh what every Monday. We're gonna or 531 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: at least as long as we have a listener mail 532 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: to read. We're gonna keep doing listener mail episodes and 533 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: try and keep this a regular thing where we're having 534 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: more of a dialogue with the listeners. So keep it coming. 535 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: Keep writing in with your feedback to recent episodes of 536 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: the show. To older episodes. You know you hear a 537 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: vault episode and you like an idea in there, have 538 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: some feedback, don't be shy about writing in even if 539 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: it's an older piece. Um, you know, right in about 540 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: Weird how Cinema, right in about the shorties we do 541 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: in anything right in about episodes you'd like to hear 542 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: all of that is fair game. In the meantime, if 543 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: you want to listen to other episodes of Stuff to 544 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: Blow your Mind, you'll find the Stuff to Blow your 545 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: Mind podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts wherever that is. 546 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,719 Speaker 1: We just ask you rate, review, and subscribe. You can 547 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: also go to Stuff to Blow your Mind dot com 548 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: and that will shoot you over to the I heart 549 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: listing for our page. Once you were there, you'll find 550 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: a little tab there you can click on the store 551 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: and that'll take you over to a place where you 552 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: can buy some T shirts and stickers and whatnot that 553 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: have our logo on it or a cool monster design. 554 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: So check that out if you want as well. Huge 555 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: thanks as always, we are excellent audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. 556 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: If you would like to get in touch with us 557 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,959 Speaker 1: with feedback about this episode or any other to suggest 558 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: topic for the future. Just to say hello, You can 559 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 1: email us at contact at stuff to Blow your Mind 560 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: dot com. Stuff to Blow Your Mind is a production 561 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart rate adio, 562 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 563 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.