1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 2: Hey you, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind Listener mail. 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: My name is Robert. 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 3: Lamb and I am Joe McCormick. And it's Monday, the 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 3: day of each week that we read back messages from 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 3: the Stuff to Blow Your Mind email address. If you 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 3: have never gotten in touch before and we'd like to 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 3: give it a shot, this is the week right on in. 9 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 3: It's contact at stuff to Blow your Mind dot com. 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 3: Anything you want to write us about is fine. We appreciate, 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 3: especially if you have something interesting to add to a 12 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 3: topic we've recently talked about on the show. Let's see 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,319 Speaker 3: a little note at the beginning of today's episode. This 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 3: is going to be running on the Monday of a 15 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 3: week that will begin some vault episodes that we're running 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 3: for a little summer break. Rob and I are doing 17 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 3: for a couple of weeks here, and then we will 18 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 3: be back with all new stuff for you the weeks 19 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 3: following our out. 20 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: That's right, and so keep the listener mails rolling in 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 2: and yet respond to some of the cool stuff you 22 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 2: hear about in the Vault episodes and the Weird House 23 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: Cinema rewinds. We're going to include a few extra of 24 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: those in there. They're also going to be some Monster 25 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: Fact omnibus episodes for those of you who want to 26 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 2: experience the short form episodes in like a longer format. 27 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 3: All Right, I think I'm gonna kick things off with 28 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 3: this message from Lauren about our episodes on the Parrotfish. 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: Lauren says, Hi, Robin Joe. She begins by saying some 30 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 3: very nice things about the podcast, says she's been listening 31 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 3: in hopes that we keep it up for several more decades. 32 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 3: We'll see if that's possible. We will try, Lauren says. Anyways, 33 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 3: the following is a tale that is perhaps only interesting 34 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 3: to me. I purchased this tropical fish shower curtain liner 35 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 3: a few months ago. I always face the patterns inwards 36 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 3: in order to enjoy them from the inside. At first, 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 3: I was pleased, until very quickly I noticed this one 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 3: outstanding fish that gave me the he begbis, so much 39 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 3: so that I considered taking it down and hanging up another. Ultimately, 40 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 3: I was too lazy to swap it out and simply 41 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 3: lived with the fish in the corner, trying not to 42 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 3: think too much about what it may or may not 43 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 3: get up to in its free time. After listening to 44 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 3: your episodes on Parrotfish, I thought, hold the phone, no way, 45 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 3: what do you want to bet and lo and behold. 46 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: After a quick investigation, I was able to identify the 47 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 3: creep that had been weirding me out for months. Now, 48 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 3: now I can put a name to it and know 49 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 3: its habits, I feel much better about its continuous presence 50 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 3: in my life. Thank you for helping me to better 51 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 3: understand the world. I am of the general philosophy that 52 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 3: the more we know and seek to understand, the less 53 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: we fear. Thank you for being amazing kind regards Lauren. 54 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 3: And then Lauren attaches a picture of the shower curtain 55 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 3: liner and how do you know, Yep, it's a coral reef. 56 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 3: There's like a sea turtle swimming along their tropical fish 57 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 3: all around, and then peeking right out from a little 58 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 3: niche in the coral there is just the goofiest looking 59 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: parrotfish with this big toothy grim like hey guys. 60 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's accentuated by the fact that all the 61 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: other sea creatures on this shower curtain are in pure 62 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: side profile, but the parrotfish does appear to be like 63 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 2: creeping in towards the bathe or gazing at the bathe 64 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: and making this weird look. So it's understandable that this 65 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: fish looks a little suss as they said, I. 66 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 3: Would love to know the thinking of whoever designed this. 67 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 3: Let's just put one creepy little parrot fish in there, 68 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 3: just peeking out, saying, what's up? 69 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: All right? This next one comes to us from Peter 70 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: on the subject of dust Peter Wright, High, Robert and 71 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: job and listen to your podcast for a number of years, 72 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: but this, like it is for many who write, is 73 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: my first time emailing you both. I was inspired by 74 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: your listener Jenny, who wrote recently about the dust storm 75 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 2: in Sydney in two thousand and nine. I too have 76 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: a memory of another Australian dust storm. This one was 77 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: in Melbourne in February nineteen eighty three. A quick search 78 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: will bring up some videos pictures of news reports at 79 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: the time. I was only three years and three months 80 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 2: old at the time, but have a clear memory of this. 81 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: It could well be my earliest memory, which ties in 82 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: with one of your other episodes on early childhood memories. 83 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 2: Thanks for all the entertainment you provide cheers, Peter, and 84 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: there is the photo. 85 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is another one where if you look up 86 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 3: the photos, it does look suitably apocalyptic because you can 87 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 3: see in some of them like that. Because sometimes when 88 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 3: you see photos of the front of an advancing dust storm, 89 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 3: it's just against like you know, a plane, or like 90 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 3: a or a desert kind of environment, so there's no 91 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 3: real sense of scale. But this is over a crowded city, 92 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 3: so you can see all these buildings and that gives 93 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 3: you a real scale. It's just like a mountain is 94 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 3: advanced sing on the range of mountains actually is advancing 95 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 3: over the land. It's gigantic. And again, as we talked 96 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 3: about with the dust storms in those episodes, I can't 97 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 3: imagine what this would be like if you didn't know 98 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 3: what it was like, if it surprised you and you 99 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 3: didn't have the context of like, oh, yeah, this is 100 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 3: a dust storm, I'm familiar with it. 101 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: Well, Peter, thanks for writing in with your experience and 102 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: this inspiring photo. 103 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 3: All right, we got some responses to our Vault episodes 104 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 3: on the Beaver. This is from someone who called themselves Lovecat. Hello, 105 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 3: I really enjoyed this episode. You guys do so much 106 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 3: quality research. I hope you know it's appreciated. Thanks for 107 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 3: doing the hard work. I particularly liked the discussion about 108 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 3: orange teeth and stick displays. I had no idea. I 109 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 3: spent a few years in Houston, Texas at the end 110 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 3: of the nineties and swore I saw a beaver hanging 111 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 3: out under an overpass on brays by you. I mentioned 112 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 3: it to a coworker who told me that the critter 113 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 3: was actually a neutria or cooipu. Say what, I looked 114 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 3: up this beast and what Indeed, if you haven't yet 115 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 3: veered off course and discovered that myocastor kipus has grooved poop, 116 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 3: well maybe you should. Thanks again for all you do. 117 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 3: Love kat Rob. I found a picture of a nutria 118 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 3: to attach to the outline here, and I could see 119 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 3: how you could mix them up with the beaver because 120 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 3: they're similarly large, large hairy rodents that can sometimes be 121 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 3: quite wet. You know, they're both semi aquatic rodents, and 122 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 3: I believe both have orange teeth. I think the nutria 123 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 3: has orange teeth, or at least in some cases has 124 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 3: orange teeth as well. Yeah. 125 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, And the time was you had to go to 126 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 2: South America to see these, but they've been introduced to 127 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 2: various other parts of the world. 128 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, They're invasive throughout many places. And I remember when 129 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 3: I was in Louisiana people talking about the the plague 130 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 3: of the nutria really because they would tear up landscapes. Essentially, 131 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,679 Speaker 3: they would cause erosion that messed with how water flowed. 132 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 3: Like I think they eat up the roots of plants 133 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 3: at the edges of water, and so they'll just cut 134 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 3: through marshland, killing all the plants and just turn it 135 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: into essentially open water. 136 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, and we may have to come back and 137 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: do a follow up to the beaver episode and cover 138 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: some other rodents of unusual size. 139 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. I read something somewhere about people trying to create 140 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 3: recipes for cooking with nutria meat. 141 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that I mean Louisyannens could could figure it out, right. 142 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 2: There are a number of culinary traditions there and in 143 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 2: imported culinary traditions that I think you could make make 144 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 2: some meat out of the nutrio for sure. Mm hmm. 145 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 2: All right. This next one is a topic suggestion from Martin. Hey, guys, 146 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: just recently I found myself in an interesting spot. I 147 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: was thinking about the concept of improvisation, and at first 148 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 2: I thought, oh, yeah, I know what that is. Of 149 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 2: course everybody does, until I rhetorically asked myself to explain 150 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: what it is and quickly realize that I can't and 151 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 2: I mean not can't thoroughly explain more as in failed 152 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: completely after mumbling three or four half big thoughts. And 153 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: that's when I wanted to ask you, would you be 154 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 2: interested in doing that as a topic. I mean, what 155 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: actually is improvisation? Is it really spontaneous or just always 156 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 2: rooted in past experiences and therefore also a learned and 157 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 2: prepared response. Just quicker? Do animals do that? Do we 158 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: always improvise or never or something in between. Maybe this 159 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 2: prompted you to question yourself as much as it threw 160 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: me into a pit of uncertainty. I'd love to someday 161 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: listen to you to tackle this thing. All the best 162 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: in greetings from Germany, Martin. Well, Martin, I have to 163 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 2: say yes and to that suggestion, we could easily do 164 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 2: an episode of an improvisation. 165 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 3: I think this is such a great suggestion. In fact, 166 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 3: I've considered doing exactly the subject before. I guess we 167 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:05,599 Speaker 3: never quite got there yet, But it's been on my 168 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 3: list for a while. I think about it a lot. 169 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 3: When you know, when I play music, sometimes you improvise 170 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 3: and it's hard to really understand what you're doing. Even 171 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 3: when you're doing it. You're like, how is this coming 172 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 3: out of me? What am I am? I? You know, 173 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 3: there's some kind of sense I have that It does 174 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 3: rely a lot on sort of subconsciously chaining together little 175 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 3: bits of memorized phrases and stuff, things that already exist 176 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 3: in little groupings in your mind and you sort of 177 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 3: just chain them together and vacillate between them. But I 178 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:46,719 Speaker 3: don't know, really, I would love to look into the 179 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 3: research on that. 180 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, sounds good. We'll put it on the list. 181 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 2: Thanks for writing in. 182 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 3: Okay. This next message is from Chris and it's a 183 00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 3: suggestion for the Monster Fact Chris says, Hello, Robert, writing 184 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 3: in with a suggestion for the short form Monster Fact series. 185 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 3: I think there would be at least a few short 186 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 3: form options when covering the Inder saga from Orson Scott 187 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 3: Card from the for Mix the ant like hive mind 188 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 3: that's already a threat in the original novel, and the 189 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 3: history of them and Earth is explored in some of 190 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 3: the prequel novels written later to the Peccininos. I think 191 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 3: on Lusitania, whose life cycle involves an execution that ends 192 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 3: in them becoming sentient trees, to the descolatavirus, which is 193 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 3: ultimately found to be in every life form on a 194 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 3: distant planet and is beneficial to their life cycle but 195 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 3: lethal to humans. There's certainly more to be looked into 196 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 3: in this series as well. This is one of my 197 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 3: favorite series of books, having read all of roughly nineteen 198 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 3: of them so far and starting to reshare them with 199 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 3: my kids. Regards Chris, Thank you, Chris. I only ever 200 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 3: read the first book of that series, but I do remember, 201 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 3: and it's been a long time, but I remember being 202 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 3: very interested in the aliens in it who there's kind 203 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 3: of a twist that makes them more sympathetic in the end, 204 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 3: even though most of the novel is about fighting a 205 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 3: war with them. But if I recall correctly, yeah, the 206 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 3: hive Mind conceit was that they were really difficult to 207 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 3: fight in battle because they don't have the sort of 208 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 3: informational coordination constraints that humans do that they can all 209 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 3: sort of be on the same page about how tactics 210 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 3: and strategy are shifting at the same time. 211 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat with you. 212 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 2: I've only ever read the first book, and I really 213 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 2: enjoyed it, but for some reason I didn't press on 214 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 2: and read the next few. I've heard especially great things 215 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 2: about I think what two and three, And I think 216 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 2: then there are also some things in like Ender Shadow 217 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: and so forth that are maybe a little more for 218 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: the devoted fan. But yeah, I've also been thinking about 219 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 2: these recently because my son hasn't read them, so it 220 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: might be something that we could re explore. And if 221 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 2: I do re explore them, yeah, that could be something 222 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 2: that could spill over into the Monster fact. I think 223 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 2: the only other thing by Orson Scott Card that I 224 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 2: read was the Worthing saga, which is a really I 225 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 2: remember it as being a really entertaining far future space 226 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 2: colonization saga involving hot sleep, where the the the the 227 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 2: the form of cryogenic sleep that you undergo while traveling 228 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 2: interstellar distances works, but it is like unpleasant. It is 229 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 2: like it is a sleep, but it's like a hot sleep. 230 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 2: And that's where the title came from, because I think 231 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 2: at one point this or one of the stories in 232 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 2: there was called a hot sleep. Anyway, hot sleep is 233 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,599 Speaker 2: always stuck with me every now and then. You know, 234 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 2: all of us experience a little hot sleep. So anyway, Chris, 235 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: thanks for writing you in the suggestions. 236 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you, Chris. 237 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 2: All right, this next one comes to us from Jeff writes. 238 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: I recently enjoyed the Before You Could Remember of Vault 239 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 2: episodes and they made me think of the twenty fifteen 240 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 2: sci fi series Dark Matter, not to be confused with 241 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 2: the new series of the same name currently on Apple. 242 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 2: I just watched the first episode of that as Jennifer 243 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 2: Connelly in it always terrific. Oh anyway, Jeff goes on 244 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 2: the premise of this twenty fifteen Dark Matter is that 245 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 2: six humans wait from cryos sleep on a spaceship with 246 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 2: no experiential memories and no idea why they are there. 247 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 2: Through the course of the series, the blank slates unlock 248 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 2: the mysteries of their previous lives and have to decide 249 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 2: what to do with that information in who they want 250 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 2: to be in the present. The characters do retain language 251 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: and skills, but are otherwise stripped of their operating systems. 252 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 2: Who are you really? Without any knowledge of your habits, successes, regrets, relationships, drama, etc. 253 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 2: What would it be like to be completely free of guilt, 254 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,559 Speaker 2: hard lessons learned and strategies for coping with the world 255 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 2: and yourself would what have you forgot your religion or 256 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 2: lack thereof, or that you're a vegetarian or what political 257 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 2: team you're on. When the Hugh Lauri series House Not 258 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 2: House was on, I became obsessed with determining if deep 259 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 2: down House was a good person, not whether through his 260 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,719 Speaker 2: actions he was responsible for manufacturing a net goodness in 261 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: the world, but whether he was a man in pain 262 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 2: trying to do good in the only way he found palatable, 263 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: or really was the mean spirited jerk he appeared to 264 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 2: be on the surface and just found problem solving to 265 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 2: be the most effective way to entertain himself. I had 266 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: to unsatisfyingly conclude that it depended on who wrote a 267 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 2: given episode as a fictional character that was the only 268 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 2: true source of his motivations, and I don't believe all 269 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 2: the writers agreed on the issue. 270 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 3: That's kind of interesting in itself. I never really watched House, 271 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 3: but I'm familiar with the premise. But yeah, I don't 272 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 3: think I realized that there was this kind of tension 273 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 3: in the different ways he was portrayed. But I guess 274 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 3: that's often the case in a show that has one 275 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 3: character being written by multiple writers. 276 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I could see that being an issue. 277 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 2: I know, I've seen it come up with shows like 278 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 2: Weirdly Enough, like The Simpsons, Like would Lisa Simpson really 279 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 2: say this or do this? You know, even in a 280 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: comedy series like that, it's so long running, we grow 281 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 2: so attached to the characters, even if they are ultimately 282 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: there as joke delivery systems, that when they do step 283 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 2: out of line with what we expect from them due 284 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 2: to multiple writers, you know, ultimately like generations of writers 285 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: using them, you know, we can have a strong emotional 286 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 2: reaction to that. 287 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 3: Well, it also gives you an even deeper appreciation for 288 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 3: cases where there are stories created by multiple different writers 289 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 3: who do manage to have what feels like a continuity 290 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 3: of character in the end, like they all get the 291 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 3: character well enough that it always feels like the same 292 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 3: person despite different people writing. That's kind of makes that 293 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 3: seem like a miracle. 294 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, And of course people are going to have 295 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 2: different outlooks, like you hear this all the time with 296 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 2: like actors and original character creators, you know, who disagree 297 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: on would this character have done that? The most recent 298 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 2: what I was reading about was when Kirk kills the 299 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 2: SETI worm in Wrath of Khan Like apparently, like Gene 300 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: Roddenberry didn't like that that one moment. He was kind 301 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: of picky about that. He's like, Kirk wouldn't have done this, 302 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 2: you know. And I think I've read some of the 303 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 2: things where where there were disagreements with the actor on 304 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 2: whether this is something Kirk would do. So is always 305 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 2: fascinating to think about, all right, But the email continues, 306 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 2: there's a lot to unpack in this since we had 307 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 2: to pause and go through it a little bit. Okay, 308 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 2: it continues. I don't think I'm built to be a 309 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 2: particularly good person. My first instinct is rarely to do 310 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 2: the brave or most compassionate thing, like forcing myself to 311 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 2: jump into cold water, even though I know I will 312 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 2: ultimately enjoy the swim. I have to fight my programming 313 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 2: to do good, and not because it's intrinsic to my character, 314 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 2: but because I intellectually believe that kindness is the most 315 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 2: advantageous plan for all of us as a species, and frankly, 316 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 2: I enjoyed the selfish blast of positive brain chemicals I 317 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 2: get when I actually managed to present as a decent 318 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 2: human being. Over the years, I've applied various patches and 319 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: worked rounds to my operating system, which I hope have 320 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 2: made me a somewhat less bad human. In context of 321 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 2: the show, would I lose all my progress in the 322 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 2: game save of my life? It seems implausible that simply 323 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 2: wishing I were a better person has fundamentally altered my 324 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 2: core systems. The series touches on some of the above, 325 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 2: but it is mostly just an enjoyable sci fi action show. 326 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: It has a distinctly unsettling, sorry rob Canadian feel to it. 327 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 2: No I love I don't know what that means. I 328 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 2: love an unsettling Canadian field of things. That's why I 329 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 2: watched all those Outer Limits episodes. 330 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 3: Maybe Jeff is apologizing for inadvertently impugning Canadian things as unsettling. 331 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 2: Oh okay, well, fair enough, Key connities alien planets seem 332 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: to be overrun with snow and suspiciously familiar conifers, and 333 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 2: maybe the production value is not of the highest order. 334 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 2: Not all of the characters are equally interesting but it 335 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 2: is fascinating to watch which ones choose to seize the 336 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 2: opportunity to actually think about who they were want to be, 337 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: and which are happy to defer to their most primitive 338 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 2: cranial machine language. My favorite character turned out to be 339 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 2: one of those I initially found to be quite off putting. 340 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 2: Watch it for the characters, occasional nuggets of philosophy, and 341 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 2: the real page turner of a plot, and try to 342 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 2: overlook the dodgy effects in some of the sets. A 343 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,479 Speaker 2: word of warning, the show wasiles mercilessly canceled after a 344 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 2: season ending cliffhanger, so there is no resolution, although by 345 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 2: that point I think the show had mostly run its course. 346 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 2: Thanks again for your time and the free therapy session. Also, 347 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 2: I second the suggestion of Cherry two thousand for weird 348 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 2: House treatment. That's a fun one, Jeff. 349 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 3: That does sound interesting. Jeff, I don't know this show, 350 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 3: but yeah, I mean that and your subsequent thinking about it, 351 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 3: Like what you know if you're stripped, basically, if your 352 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 3: memories and experiences, what kind of person does that leave you? 353 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 3: Operating as a There's sort of an implication that, like, 354 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 3: maybe that's the real you underneath the part of you 355 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 3: that is without all of your memories and experiences. But 356 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 3: I don't know if that is actually any more a 357 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:08,199 Speaker 3: real version of you than the version that has all 358 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 3: the memories and experiences. 359 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but it's it's food for thought. I'm gonna 360 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 2: have to I'm gonna have to look this one up. 361 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 2: I mean, I think I remember seeing the thumbnail art before, 362 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 2: but just look glancing at the cast. Yeah, a number 363 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 2: of familiar contemporary Canadian actors that I like her in it, 364 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 2: so worth checking out. In fact, I'm noticing just right 365 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 2: off the bat Amanda Brugel is in it, who I 366 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 2: quite like. And she is also in the new series 367 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 2: called Dark Matter. So a lot of you probably remember 368 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 2: her as Pastor Nina on Kim's Convenience, but she's been 369 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 2: in a lot of things like The Handmaid's Tale, Infinity 370 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 2: Pool and so forth. 371 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 3: Okay, well, again, thank you Jeff for letting us know 372 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 3: sounds worth a look. Okay, this last message is from 373 00:19:54,320 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 3: David da It says, Dear Robin Joe, longtime listener, first 374 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 3: time writing in. I think I've been listening since the 375 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 3: P versus n P episode whenever that was, uh, that 376 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 3: was many years ago. In the recent Weird House Cinema. 377 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 3: I was amazed that you dedicated two full episodes to 378 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 3: a movie allegedly titled Highlander two. Part of my bafflement 379 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 3: is that, while I've heard many rumors, I'm quite sure 380 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 3: that no such movie was ever made. I saw Highlander 381 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 3: when released in nineteen eighty six in the theaters with 382 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 3: my friends in college. In the overall dismal quality of 383 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 3: fantasy genre movies of the eighties, it was a relative gem. 384 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 3: The supposed plot of Highlander two is that instead of 385 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 3: being a mysterious immortal, the hero is an alien from 386 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 3: the planet Zeist, and his friend whose head was cut 387 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 3: off simply returns to life, only to be crushed pointlessly 388 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 3: by a giant spinning fan blade. Of course, even a 389 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 3: moment of introspection reveals this is completely ludicrous. No, the 390 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 3: far simpler explanation is that you're experiencing a mass hallucination 391 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 3: or subject to some kind of Mendel effect, as the 392 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 3: movie itself said, there can be only one in any event. 393 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 3: To the actual point of my email, which was my 394 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 3: additional surprise that when discussing Sean Connery, you didn't mention 395 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 3: his role in a movie that certainly qualifies for weird House. Zardawes, 396 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 3: Sean Connery in a bikini, flying stoneheads, bored immortals, what's 397 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 3: not to like. I don't think you've covered Zardas yet 398 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 3: as part of weird House, so I'm proposing it to 399 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 3: be added to your list. Thank you for the many 400 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 3: hours of informative and entertaining podcasts, David, Oh, thank you, David. Yeah. 401 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 3: I don't know whether we'll get to Zardas on the 402 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 3: show or not, but Zardas I have seen it and 403 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 3: it is indeed super super weird. 404 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,199 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I don't think we even discussed it on 405 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 2: that Highlander two episode. In part because Sean Connery's filmography 406 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 2: is so extensive, we realize a lot I can cover 407 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 2: it all, so we only covered like a slice of it. 408 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 2: The more the sort of I think we did, we 409 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: didn't leave the eighties like we did eighties plus, and 410 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 2: then realize we're definitely gonna cover some sort of Sean 411 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 2: Conry movie at some point in the future, and we'll 412 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 2: cover the rest of it perhaps. 413 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 3: Then Okay, does that wrap things up for today? 414 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 2: I believe it does. I think we'll go ahead and 415 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,159 Speaker 2: shut the mail bag here but we're gonna let it 416 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 2: accumulate over the next couple of weeks, So write in 417 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 2: with anything that's on you know it crosses your mind, 418 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 2: current past, future episodes of stuff to blow your mind, 419 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 2: a weird House cinema, any of the short form Wednesday episodes, 420 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 2: you name it, you know, just to chat in general. 421 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 2: You have sci fi recommendations, hard science recommendations. You know 422 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 2: we're up for it, So right in. We'd love to 423 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 2: hear from you. What else can we tell you in 424 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 2: the meantime? Oh yeah, follow us on social media. Look 425 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,360 Speaker 2: us up on Instagram. We have an account there. Let's see. 426 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,239 Speaker 2: If you want to join us on discord email it's 427 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,640 Speaker 2: we'll send you a link. If you're on Facebook, join 428 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 2: the Facebook group you can find it has to enter. 429 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 2: It pretty straightforward, and wherever you get the podcast, just 430 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 2: make sure that you're receiving your downloads and that you 431 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 2: are subscribed. That's probably the most important thing that keeps 432 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 2: us going huge. 433 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 3: Thanks as always to our excellent audio producer JJ Posway. 434 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 3: If you would like to get in touch with us 435 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 3: with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest 436 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 3: a topic for the future, or just to say hello, 437 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 3: you can email us at contact at Stuff to Blow 438 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 3: Your Mind dot com. 439 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 440 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 441 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.