Weird Things
Episodes
WT: Going Weird Mode
21 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The episode centers on Andrew Mayne explaining his role at OpenAI and the sudden breakout of ChatGPT. He says he works on the communications team help...
WT: Going Weird Mode
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back and have inside sauce on the biggest tech story of the year with an inside-man. Perspectives from inside one of Silicon Valley’...
WT Mini: Lasers, Riffing, and Wasp Wangs
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bryce opens with a short update episode covering a science story about male wasps: researchers at Kobe University found that males of a specific speci...
WT Mini: Lasers, Riffing, and Wasp Wangs
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hey everyone, Bryce here with an update for you! We took the week off again due to the holiday calendar and some moving, but want to give you a little...
AT: We Be On That Phone
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new app has been making waves in the image generation space with “magic avatars.” We talk about the experience of a pay AI art bot and what we t...
WT: Going Weird Mode
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a joke-heavy run of stories, including Bryce recounting a TikTok about Waffle House grill cooks earning shirts for hitting prof...
WT: Going Weird Mode
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Taking *Birken*-stock of this Steve Jobs item auction. A new item has been made an “intangible cultural heritage” item. Disney shows off r...
AT: Doodle-Doo
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re in holiday mode as we talk about roosters, the etymology of adages, and where we think the future of social networks will go. Send your projec...
WT: Lunar Looper
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion of the Artemis launch. The hosts joke about the mission's cost, but also credit the engineers and acknowledge...
WT: Lunar Looper
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Artemis I is launched! Still expensive, but it’s rounded the moon already. Things get spicy as we talk Twitter and what/who may be leaving the w...
AT: Lightswitch
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Modern Rogue and Scam Nation short-form video experiment continues on and to rousing success. What lessons have we learned from over a month of ma...
WT: Pennzoil B-Negative
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion of the FTX collapse and broader crypto trust issues. The hosts talk about insolvency, Alameda/FTX entanglemen...
WT: Pennzoil B-Negative
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tech is advancing at such a rapid clip–and its failures happen just as quickly. Impossible, Premium Blood. Exposing that which shall not be name...
AT: Early to Bed, Early to Rise
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A (final?) update on Structured and the benefits of hitting the hay punctually. Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line “...
WT: Teens On The Loose
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with Halloween talk: Bryce asks why roads in Wyandotte, Michigan were closed for trick-or-treating, and the hosts riff on teenagers ...
WT: Teens On The Loose
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why are these blocks closed? Is it teens? A buzzy eviction case. Family photo time! Something hit Mars and we can see it! Gross monkeys. Got something...
AT: Binge and Bust?
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The binge watching trend: is it in danger becuse week-after-week is better? With Netflix relenting on offering an ad-supported plan, could binging be ...
WT: Definitely Not a Photo
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a visual-guessing segment built around a close-up image that the hosts initially mistake for AI-generated art or a grotesque cr...
WT: Definitely Not a Photo
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is this?! An image the guys have to decipher. Interviewing yourself almost 4 decades later explored. Lurk moar!!1 Got something weird? Email nesh...
AT: Same Colors? Same Colors!
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bryce admits to a productivity solution that can’t be beat. Did you know your iPhone can do something an kinda expensive website can do? Send your p...
WT: Not The Chocolate Cookies
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long biology digression about what makes two animals similar or different, using turtles and tortoises as a lead-in to hyraxe...
WT: Not The Chocolate Cookies
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elephants are remarkably similar to THIS mammal. Adcubes in space? It’s more likely than you think. What might mass-interactive movies look like...
AT: Short-Shorts
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a few weeks of trying out short-form video on YouTube, what seems to be the early indicators of how they’re received? What goes into making th...
WT: Yeet Force
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a discussion of SpinLaunch after a headline about a NASA payload launched by a giant centrifugal system and later dug out with ...
WT: Yeet Force
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
SpinLaunch celebrated their 10th launch using a “kinetic launch system” to throw small payloads into the atmosphere. Confusion in the skie...
AT: Ample Foibles
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Justin and Bryce both tried out the Structured app we talked about last week and have some critical feedback. What features stick out after a week of ...
WT: That’s A Spicy Satellite!
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a discussion of NASA's DART mission, a planned spacecraft impact on the moonlet Dimorphos orbiting Didymos to test asteroid def...
WT: That’s A Spicy Satellite!
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NASA’S DART mission will happen between us recording this and you hearing it! The Delicacies of the Road. Foxy fishing makes history. Shoebacca&...
AT: Smart Calendar
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bryce is diving into a new todo/calendar hybrid app, Structured. How do we use apps and plan our days? Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gm...
WT: Pork Rockets
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion of Artemis/SLS, which the hosts describe as a politically driven NASA program built to preserve existing cont...
WT: Pork Rockets
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Artemis is still on Earth and over-budget. What could we have done at the time to better spend that money and time? Any updates on last week’s B...
WT: Sus My Cringe, Fam
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a discussion of a FOIA request by The Black Vault for additional Navy UAP videos after earlier Navy videos had been publicly re...
WT: Sus My Cringe, Fam
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Navy finally rejects a FOIA campaign to find more footage of UAPs, unidentified aerial phenomena. Rare Snake Alert! Volcanoes: how vulnerable are ...
AT: Good Year Blimp
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew’s considering a move from LA to San Francisco–even though he’s totally work-from home. What’s his anxiety around moving and being close...
WT: Built Fjord Tough
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a discussion of Westworld and how rewatching earlier seasons changes the experience, followed by a broader complaint about stor...
WT: Built Fjord Tough
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Westworld re-watching update and prequelling Jurassic Park. NASA’s Artemis I rocket launch has been scrubbed. What does it mean that this Earth-...
AT: Same-Side!
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Long-time listener Joe Diamond writes in and asks about his EPK–electronic press kit. What works and what improvements can you make when presenting ...
WT: We Solved The Case…!
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion about Mars agriculture: the hosts speculate on what the first plant grown on Mars should be, with guesses lik...
WT: We Solved The Case…!
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the first plant we should grow on Mars? And the second? Did older civilizations leave us warnings about natural and environmental disaster? Th...
WT: One Weird Trick That Solves Climate Change (Russia HATES It!)
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a climate-change segment centered on an MIT Sensible City Lab concept for a large reflective structure in space at the L1 point...
WT: One Weird Trick That Solves Climate Change (Russia HATES It!)
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Concrete: what do you know about it! A new material that could be an AI tech breakthrough. Starlink modems “hacked.” Space bubbles!!! What...
AT: Marbin’ Time
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bryce reports in on how his marbles project is doing after having launched a Patreon. What levels is it setup in and how could he expand what he offer...
WT: Brian, Shut Up!
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a clarification about an AI-related U.S. federal court ruling: the hosts explain that the case is about whether an AI can hold ...
WT: Brian, Shut Up!
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Confusion in print: can an artificial intelligence hold a patent? Stories from using the DALL-E system and prompts that create interesting images. Som...
AT: Label Goes Right There
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew shares the story of Simon Coronel, who took won the FISM Grand Prix Close-up, the top-level international competition for magic. How does your ...
WT: Snakes on a Chip
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with the hosts joking through a grocery-store movie-night snack run, including pretzels, Sun Chips, Reese's cups, Doritos, bean dip,...
WT: Snakes on a Chip
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Justin’s back from the European Weird League. Let’s have a movie night–what snacks do we need? How big of a snake would you live nex...
AT: Yes to You!
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you get an opportunity in a time of high convenience and tech? To get started, who has to tell you yes? Send your project questions/ideas to ne...
WT: C’mon Man!
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with the hosts returning to the Georgia Guidestones after news that the monument had been damaged by an explosion. They walk through...
WT: C’mon Man!
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stone-cold philosophy is blowing up! We have new information on “Bionic speed reading.” Conflicts online and having empathy. Got something...
WT: The Weird Wars
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with the hosts celebrating the end of the "weird wars" and then spending much of the first half discussing the first James Webb Spac...
WT: The Weird Wars
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the first images released from the James Webb Space Telescope and some of the oddities you might have missed. Researchers think theyR...
AT: Circle Rabbit on the Story Table!
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brian held his first class on being a creative and story-telling. How did it go? How much confidence does he have for it? What goals did he hit and wh...
WT: 4D? I Hardly Know Thee!
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with Andrew Mayne describing a YouTube creator, Mashpo, who made a one-dimensional game and then pushed the idea toward a 4D Minecra...
WT: 4D? I Hardly Know Thee!
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Videogames in 1D and 4D: they’re here! The fourth-dimension doesn’t have to be time, it can be an intersection of 3D and 2D spaces. What a...
AT: Algae and Plowshares
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep track of reminders? Email, notes, whiteboards, what works for us? Send your project questions/ideas to [email protected], subject line...
WT: TracGalaxy
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a recap of a friendly wager about when SpaceX Starship will be reused and safely land after a second launch. The hosts discuss ...
WT: TracGalaxy
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We need to think big. Starship will be big and they’ve got a big build bill. Hotels in space: good idea or bad? Where does space tourism sit in ...
AT: Table as a Service
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back and we are imagining training artificial intelligence to create dynamic media that can be rewritten, recut, and A/B tested in realtime. W...
WT: Pie for a Pie Leaves the World Satisfied
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with discussion of SpaceX’s newly reported FAA approval to launch from Boca Chica, Texas. The hosts explain that launch sites need...
WT: Pie for a Pie Leaves the World Satisfied
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We go up and up in SpaceX’s Starbase rocket facility, which the FAA has approved for rocket launches (given a few dozen changes). A bet is made!...
AT: Double-Tapped Out
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the difference between 5 million views on 1 video and 50,000 views on 100 videos? BeReal, a new social network around once-a-day posting, bri...
WT: Fluoride in the Air
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long speculative discussion about rogue planets as possible interstellar transports. The hosts describe free-floating planets...
AT: X is Cool!
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Update time: Bryce’s LFG Marbles project is back on and he talks about opening a Patreon, diving right in from zero, and the anxiety of *not* doing ...
WT: Ed & Bed Buy a Hat
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with the hosts discussing Boeing's Starliner docking at the ISS and using it as a comparison point for NASA's commercial crew progra...
AT: Versatile Sweater
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Slowing down and enjoying something or an international war crime? How is text being handled in a modern age and what could the next information deliv...
WT: Blood Letting Is Back!
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion about the human microbiome and the idea that bacteria in the gut, mouth, and skin are integral to human healt...
AT: Learning Machine Learning
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Nate is fascinated by DALL-E 2, but doesn’t know where to start. How can you get into ML/neural net technology and what are good tricks for...
WT: Keep Traffic Thinking
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode begins with a discussion of an Ars Technica piece about highway message signs, especially Texas signs that display the annual road death t...
AT: TweetX
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter accepted Elon Musk’s offer to buy Twitter. Is Twitter inevitable? What are the uncertainties and what can we infer from the little we know? ...
WT: Golden Palace Infants
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a pre-show anecdote about Brian repeatedly trolling a coffee drive-thru, culminating in him theatrically dropping a penny into ...
AT: Future-You, Enjoying a Future-Sandwich
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is present-you doing to help future-you? How do you handle the future–not just preparing, but shaping your future? Success can come from examin...
WT: Survival of the Balloonist
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a long discussion of NASA's Space Launch System and its failed wet dress rehearsal. Andrew says the test hit valve, cooling, an...
AT: The Story, The Story, The Story
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew’s latest mystery novel, “Sea Storm,” made the WSJ best-sellers list. What inspired the Underwater Investigation Unit series and Sloan McP...
WT: Rockwell’s Box
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode begins with a roleplayed investigation of a North Dakota fossil site, where the hosts describe a Thescelosaurus leg and fossilized Tricera...
AT: What You Can Get Done In 20 Minutes
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How to get started and two tools you can use to get the ball rolling: the social media “scary hour” and the classic pomodoro timer technique. How ...
WT: Do the Dew
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with a discussion of NASA's wet dress rehearsal for the SLS rocket, the Artemis program, and the tension between the expensive, dela...
AT: UNSIGNED
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
World’s Greatest Con’s season 2 finale is out today. How was the process of building this season compared to season 1? Plus, a discussion on the c...
WT: Americans Are From Mars, Russians Are From Venus
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The episode opens with banter about meme culture and shared cultural shorthand, then moves into Andrew's discussion of the Soviet Venus probe and the ...
AT: Diversify!
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listener David sends in an update on his guitar-lesson project, Song Notes. What advice can he take away when he takes Song Notes full time? Send your...
WT: Mammalian Asteroid
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The invasion of Ukraine has affected space! Is yellow really just yellow? Half of a giraffe makes an astral appearance. Got something weird? Email nes...
AT: Protect The Machine
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you make free-time and what are the benefits of taking time off? How do you protect the machine and remember you aren’t a machine? Send your ...
WT: It Can Get Weirder!
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Blue Origin is ferrying a new celebrity to the edge of space while Elon handles the realities of being a celeb. You hear about this doors and wheels t...
AT: Naval Gazing
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok will allow creators to post videos up to 10 minutes long. Bryce shares an experience opting *in* to marketing and what you can take away. Send ...
WT: Martian Buffet
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new discovery on Mars reminds us of Sting. Our new favorite Twitter account! Smart birds make smart devices very dumb. Reflecting on the passing of ...
AT: Personal For Me
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A reminder to think outside the box and updates one week away from the launch of World’s Greatest Con Season 2! Funding, making a trailer, and how t...
WT: Big Pile of Rocks
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A special dagger…alien Egyptians?! Pointy devices that probably aren’t gambling dice. What is that big, red patty? Got something weird? Email nesh...
DELETED IN 48 HOURS : World’s Greatest Con Season 2 Preview
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beginning 2/28/22. You have a decision. Want to enjoy the new season without listening to a single ad? Patreon.com/GreatestCon
AT: Hey Bruce
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Super Bowl was last night and we break down the trailer for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which offers a surprising cameo question. Wh...
WT: Senator McOranges
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Crypto thefts spur a reflection on the similar risks of coins, stocks, and gambling. Not financial advice, but amateur critical thoughts on a still-de...
AT: Oh Joe!
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Joe Rogan news sparks a conversation about communication and the idea of “silencing” in a digital age. Send your project questions/idea...
WT: DeepFakes @ Home
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Automation’s coming–are we worried? Boba Fett uses deep-fake technology to de-age a character and that technology is closer to your fingertips tha...
AT: Bullet DIYme
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew’s new Insta360 One X2 360-degree camera mixes imaging hardware with editing software to offer a lot of flexibility. What do these new realiza...
WT: Pelvic-Less Thrust
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Voice synthesis could be a boon for audiobook services, but the platforms and rights-holders are wary of robots. How could high tech solutions for voi...
AT: Podcast Throats
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re almost one month done with 2022. What do the crew think 2022 holds for us and what would we like to get done, how we’d like to get there, an...
WT: SpaceChode
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The James Webb Telescope has reached its home. When will we get images back and what type of images will they wait to release? Can Brian and Justin tr...
AT: 5 Letter Words
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bryce shares a report on computer literacy and the digital divide. Then, we talk about the social media phenom, Wordle. The simplicity of message vers...
WT: Hashing Asses
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A previous Weird Things story has been SCRUBBED from the maps! Journalistic scrutiny in an all-online world where the documentation of history can dig...
AT: Real Criminals, In Jail
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Totally on the ball and ready to go! Andrew and Justin reflect on iTricks, the magic news blog they founded. The site’s in transition, so what can t...
WT: We Do Not Intend To Stop
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody knows anything and Andrew caught the thing! Tests and variants and how little we know. A China-shaped hole in the maps. Brian and Justin finall...