where science meets fact meets fiction

  • Episode 566: Skeletons Or It Didn’t Happen

    Episode 566: Skeletons Or It Didn’t Happen

    Real Life This week, Steven finally found a superhero movie that didn’t make him want to throw his popcorn at the screen. Superman (2025) has arrived, and according to him, it’s the best take we’ve had on the character in years. No origin story nonsense, just straight into Supes doing good and being good. James…

  • Episode 565: Dark Energy, Glowing Yeast

    Episode 565: Dark Energy, Glowing Yeast

    Real Life Ben took a family trip down to San Diego just in time for the other fireworks night—turns out, there are often more fireworks on the 3rd of July than the 4th. Devon also caught a local 3rd-of-July fireworks show, which has started to feel like the real deal instead of just a warm-up.…

  • Episode 564: Becky Chambers Is My Therapist

    Episode 564: Becky Chambers Is My Therapist

    Real Life BenBen’s been quietly communing with the universe—and possibly with time travelers—through a book of accidental poetry called Adieu, Plane Snake. These are poems born from Wordle guesses, wrangled into a strangely beautiful collection. The result feels like overhearing wisdom whispered from another dimension… or from your roommate’s weird dreams. Ben recommends reading it…

  • Episode 563: Aspergillus Strikes Back

    Episode 563: Aspergillus Strikes Back

    Real Life This week, real life got weird, itchy, nostalgic, and just slightly chaotic. Ben celebrated a birthday by dragging his family through a hike in tick-infested grass. Friendly reminder: Don’t go into the long grass. We’ve seen Jurassic Park, we know how this ends. Devon may or may not be living in Foreverware straight…

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

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

    Real Life Ben had a pretty heartfelt Father’s Day. The kind that makes you wonder what to do with all those sentimental cards—save them? Repurpose them? Wallpaper a studio? He’s thinking bigger: moleskin notebooks and sketchbooks as repositories for meaningful letters, doodles, and moments. He also caught You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at SLOREP,…

  • Episode 561: In Search of Small Comforts

    Episode 561: In Search of Small Comforts

    This week, Steven, Ben, and Devon record remotely to avoid the usual chaos (rat wrestling included). From blacksmithing birthday gifts to questioning the ethics of breakfast, it’s a classic episode full of heart, guilt, and sci-fi coziness. Real Life Devon’s work trip was mostly pointless, thanks to the other party being wildly unprepared. Meanwhile, Steven…

  • Episode 560: Rat Hustlers

    Episode 560: Rat Hustlers

    Real Life Things kicked off with stories from Friday night’s bonfire, where the nature of reality was hotly debated between toasted marshmallows. That conversation somehow spiraled into a serious (and slightly absurd) discussion about Noodles and Soba—Ben’s son’s pet rats—and the potential benefits of getting female rats fixed. Apparently, doing so can add about a…

  • Episode 559: Yesterday’s Dream was a Full Page

    Episode 559: Yesterday’s Dream was a Full Page

    Real Life Roundup  Let’s address the elephant not in the room: Devon is dead. Well, not dead-dead. Just birthday-visit-family-IRL-dead. We pour one out for our absent co-host, and prepare for his resurrection next week. Meanwhile, Steven has been watching robots get wild. The Wild Robot, that is. The new animated flick has dropped (IMDB link),…

  • Episode 558: Starts with S, Ends with T

    Episode 558: Starts with S, Ends with T

    Real Life Devon[Redacted silence.] Possibly building up for a season finale of his own. Or meditating on NASA budget cuts. Either way—stoic. StevenWe wrapped Andor, and while it stuck the landing, there’s still one huge question: Where are Hera, Chopper, and the Ghost crew?!Justice for space moms and droid chaos: #ReleaseAndorTheRebelsCutAlso, Steven took us on…

  • Episode 557: You Can’t Call Them Skin Babies

    Episode 557: You Can’t Call Them Skin Babies

    Real Life Devon went full medieval this week with a trip to a Renaissance Fair—this one featuring permanent structures that actually looked “authentic” instead of slapped together by ye olde hot glue. There were swinging rides, wooden horses, and some legit jousting. Unfortunately, the real fantasy was thinking the kids would have fun. Big downer…