Two Bit Geeks

Ped invites Tom to try some vocal warmup, before moving on to fingers and hands, cursive redux, neuroplasticity and critical thinking, flora and pesky fauna, plus some brief Star Wars news. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Vocal Warmup [00:37] Aerobics for your voice (NPR) Voice and Articulation by Kenneth Crannell – Tom’s college textbook Fingers and Hands [11:48] Muscles of the Hand Neuroplasticity What are today’s kids learning? [22:07] Teaching Controversial Topics Critical Thinking Flora and Fauna [28:09] Mr. McGregor Procyon lotor on the porch Gift-giving crows That Cuddly Kitty Is Deadlier Than You Think Fact or Fiction?: People Swallow 8 Spiders a Year While They Sleep Why Do Cats Bring Home Dead Animals? Han Solo [39:00] Ron Howard filmography Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

After a hello to our Imperial listeners, Ped & Tom discuss the decline of cursive writing, the Common Core Standards, learning cuneiform, and the purpose of purposeless pursuits. Also, squeaky cats and oatmeal. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. An Imperial listener [00:00] The Empire Did Nothing Wrong The Ridgeway National Trail Should we still learn cursive writing? [06:55] What is cursive writing? Left-handed scissors The Common Core State Standards Initiative Sentence diagrams A math teacher answers the question: When Am I Ever Going to Use This? (Matt Kitchen) The Palmer Method Cuneiform script The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh Star Trek:TNG s5e02 “Darmok” The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal Squeaky Cats and Oatmeal [35:35] “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” played on squeaking stuffed cats (Rare and Strange Instruments) Simple vs Complex Carbohydrates Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Fitness tracking followup, setting goals and how to manage them, aspiring towards Inbox Zero, the benefits of side projects and time scheduling, the manager-self versus the worker-self, and the sensitive plant revisited. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Fitbit Followup [00:41] Previous Fitbit discussion in Episode 06 The health hazards of sitting What sleep tracking apps can and can’t tell you Are you a goal setting kind of person? [04:38] Cortex podcast by CGP Grey and Myke Hurley Tom uses OmniFocus for daily task management Ped uses Todoist Getting Things Done Managing your email with Inbox Zero Big Rocks First metaphor for scheduling your time Time chunking with the Pomodoro Technique 7 Ways to Maximize Misery - video by CGP Grey And the Reddit discussion The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment by Thaddeus Golas Harry Potter’s Pensieve Drop testing plant memory [35:17] Previous discussion of plant memory in Episode 13 Mimosa pudica, the sensitive plant The Secret Lif

Alien megastructures on the move, Tom happily hopping across the pond, a lot of bleu at the Pompidou, replicating everything, Fluffernutters in Paris, matching voices with faces and Tom’s tendrils are seriously onto something. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Tabby Star is Dipping! [00:00] “The most mysterious star in the universe” (Tabetha Boyajian TED talk) We should totally build a Dyson Sphere (or not) Just turn the cube, reveal the message? An American (Geek) in Paris [10:42] Rhapsody in Blue (IKB #002EA7, that is) Reddit has spoken: Prado beats the Louvre (for Mona Lisas) The Ship of Theseus consumes us all Fine American cuisine on display The “Vomitorium” (not what Ped thought it was) Voices and Faces [45:36] Great show, but I want to un-see this Exclusive reveal - it’s Brother X! Tom’s Tendrils [54:54] In all their emergent glory Can this sensitive plant learn? To be continued… Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Giving Tom another micro-hobby, celebrating the return of Doctor Who and MST3K, the first trailer for the The Last Jedi, a trip through the galaxy of the Goldberg Variations and throwing dirt and shade on Ender’s Game. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Something earthy, something Who; something reboot, something new [00:00] Gardening means you put seeds in dirt! Nardole, Bill and the Doctor jump start S10 A taste of MST3K The Last Jedi trailer (and some great fan breakdowns) Bach’s Goldberg Variations [18:20] Open Goldberg Variations (free download) Bach is “annoyingly unimpeachable” Glenn Gould, all into “The Black Pearl” Cool viz: Bach showing off with canons (some more) The best orchestra gig, hands down Ender’s Game [44:32] In the end… not of universal acclaim Well, Tom did like the Fantasy Game (a bit?) Existential Crisis Ped is returning to the Earth Public Domain performance of the Goldberg Variations by Kimiko Ishizaka (CC0 1.0) Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Mystery project part two (or, I Can’t Believe I Just Did That), some mildly interesting follow-up, all hail what we objectively know to be true, even more Who, the mathematical beauty of J.S. Bach and will Ped ever finish his homework. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Check Ped’s Project (part 2) [00:29] And the winner is… The importance of trust No time for meta, persona The greatest era of all-time [25:20] A mildly interesting subreddit Praising 1983 pop Waiting in line for Star Wars is awesome (and an upcoming movie) Decathlon tournament? You gotta want it… Spotting-up: Big Finish and Bach [33:58] Big Finish on Spotify (thanks, Gallifrey) Free Bach Intro: Goldberg Variations Is there “mathematical beauty” in elegant logic? A blow-you-away Bach viz: Toccata and Fugue Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Scandinavians have excellent taste in podcasts, floating away on uninteresting waves, occupying attention for sleep and creativity, Tom picks Ped’s brain on meditation, mystery project part one and a micro bit of barely audible follow-up. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. On Scandinavia, Sleep and Static [00:59] “Sleep With Me” podcast White noise for sleep White noise for focus Check Ped’s Head: it’s meditating! [09:55] Ready, set: nothing The mind needs something to hang its hat on Ped is happy for the time to work on discipline This is Ped’s style, but there are many to choose from The back of Ped’s car has good advice A fun song and nice intro to cog sci’s take on the automated mind Check Ped’s Project (part 1) [34:53] It’s a surprise! : ) Micro follow-up [55:41] Tom did his homework; Ped will try… Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0) Crickets by caquet (CC by 3.0)

Wheeling and dealing on a weekday evening, sportsball gets a foot in the door, simulating simulations, tidally locked exoplanets and other cool space stuff that will take forever to get to, lunar tourism and this podcast train is bound for Silly Town. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Coughing along, singing our song… [00:00] Entomology etymology: there’s two XKCDs for that A truly Hall Of Fame cereal, brought to you by the 80s Pretty much Tom’s crack-of-dawn routine Ira Glass and “the NPR voice” (not everyone likes it) Following follow-up [09:19] Can you find Tom’s limerick in HI 77? A closed refutation, and an open discussion, of momentum in sport Living in a simulation? Don’t think too hard about it… Space [21:59] The ultra-cool TRAPPIST–1 Playing with the Drake equation Tom’s Star Destroyer mineral rights: 16 Psyche The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance are pretty chill “One of these days, Elon…” [45:18] “…pow - straight to the moon!” Can one enjoy readi

Evolution and expansion of the greater tribe of geek, a farewell to John Hurt and a bon voyage to Peter Capaldi, pop-culturally informed (?) speculation on Who’s next, and looking forward to the next work from Denis what’s-his-name. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Ped’s podcast recording studio Are we not Geeks? [01:04] The evolution of Geek, visually and narratively Spot-on phase–1 geeks in Stranger Things Nichelle Nichols, pioneering role model of Star Trek Deep Dive on Doctor Who [17:38] John Hurt’s finest hour Who saw this coming? Best cameo ever There’s a subreddit for that: audio drama Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas and more Who’s next? Roll the dice (The Ancient One in the lead as of this writing) A Few Follow-ups [39:08] Deep Dive with Denis V* on Arrival -> Blade Runner -> Dune Don’t diss the Quakers! (FTR, they’re cool with tech) Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Thanking dear listeners (with apologies to the Dutch and Danes), why are we doing this again?, checking out this super happy milkmaid, purposeless beauty, patience and imperfection, regulating news and paying heed (or not) to speed limits. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Reviewing the Reviews [01:45] Thank you, dear listeners! Why create at all? Lotsa different reasons Feeling the Norwegian Love Art of the Intentional, Art of the Accidental [10:40] Behold! The Happy Milkmaid Thomassons: the short shrift to the frivolous no more Embracing imperfection with wabi-sabi and agile Desire Paths and usability Surfing the News Tsunami [30:43] (submit your million-dollar solution here) Or step outside your comfort/country zone Speed Limits: strict laws, or helpful suggestions? [38:03] Ped’s role model from the 80s UK has national speed limits; US, not so much Varying tendencies of (in)attentive drivers between countries Working with psychology through traffic calming Music by

A brush with Brother-X, a penny for your data and the cloud for your consciousness, rolling into the theatre of the mind, abandoning Ped to assimilation in the collective and these aren’t the reviewers you’re looking for with Rogue One. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. The X-Factor and Risk Tolerance [0:57] Essential qualities of a 5-star movie (Brother-X style) Not our cup of tea (but to each his own) One Fit Geek [11:10] Yay, roaming advertising IDs! The Faustian Cloud of our time Rolling with D&D 5e [24:59] A taste of play-by-post Passionate creativity in fractal human subculture (Mike Shea) Free-wheeling narratives-for-fun: The Adventure Zone podcast Hooking In, Wailing Away [36:22] Essential pic: Ped’s new smartphone Ped stands corrected! Quakers are totally fine with tech Rogue One [44:36] For those about to hate (we salute you) But easter eggs are still really fun The fascinating Uncanny Valley The Citizen Kane of action films Music by Lee Rosevere (CC

Updated subscriber totals, exploring echo chambers, managing the meta-leash, the opt-in nature of truth and practicing good mental hygiene: Ped & Tom get into, under, and all up in the grill of everyone’s favorite internet sensation, Fake News. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Meta Disclaimers, Before-we-Beginners [00:00] The President, the Pope and Mark Zuckerberg walk into a bar And the 2016 Oxford Word of the Year is… Tom will blow this bridge up if he has to What is “Fake News?” [06:13] Try an echo chamber on for size Craig Silverman’s landmark analysis This Video Will Make you Angry Why is it a problem for the modern human mind? [17:57] Be thankful Tom pulled on the meta-leash, dear listener Shakespeare distinguishes thing-value from human-value Not everyone is required to see Santa #theresAnXKCDForThat How do we protect ourselves from it? [39:04] Your mind’s instruction manual (404: Page Not Found) #theresAnXCKDForThatToo A practical, psychology-based take o

Quickly drawing on machine learning, practicing good spoiler hygiene, taking a trip with Doctor Strange, the audacious Arrival and Ted Chiang, a language of pure logic, thinking without language and testing episode storage capacity. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Quick, Draw! [00:39] Google doodles with machine learning The nature and role of spoilers [03:25] Darth Vader does the hula dance J.J. Abrams’ Into Darkness mea culpa Doctor Strange [13:00] Homer’s space coyote chili pepper vision quest A treasure trove of tropes “The most widely cited and influential thought experiment about consciousness” With great power comes great responsibility Arrival [24:20] Remembering the Story of Your Life The wonderful Ted Chiang, in his own words Down the wikipedia rabbit-hole with Sapir-Whorf Can we think without language? [42:20] A taste of logical “Lojban” Deciphering inscrutable Hegel Faulkner attempts to go beyond in As I Lay Dying .i coi do mi tavla fo la .lojban. .i

Ped flips the script on a telemarketer, Tom embraces his inner athlete, exploring the value of exploring space, assessing the relative worth of shrimp and Daleks and losing one’s composure with The Moral Machine. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Consciously crafting positive human interactions [00:00] The problem with the Do-Not-Call List Tom’s first 5K (with actual real people) [03:45] C25K Deep Cut: growing tomatoes in Plato’s Cave Tom’s preferred transport method Should we explore Space? [16:50] NASA, The President and Stephen Hawking all seem to think so SpaceX: Elon Musk’s ambitious effort to colonize Mars by 2024 Odds of an asteroid hitting you (and tips on avoiding it) Assessing the value of shrimp and Daleks Putting our best foot forward Self-driving cars and The Moral Machine [30:47] The Moral Machine A novel solution to the trolley problem The effect of podcasts on young children Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

The pure joy of puttering and sneaky morning naps, attempting to drop the philosophy bomb with Carlos Santana and the nature of inspiration, google:defining the divine and the inexpressible experience of feeling and consciousness. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. Achieving a consistent, regular sleep-cycle [01:45] The pure joy of puttering (Sharon Kanner) Recreational sleeping What’s the source of inspiration? [10:37] Top Shower Thoughts of all time Carlos Santana doing his doodle-oodle-ooo The “Flow” state of effortless, immersive creativity Where do thoughts come from? A Scientific answer (Dr. John Yohan) Where do thoughts come from? A Fluffy answer (Eckhart Tolle) What defines the “divine?” [32:37] Google:define: the supernatural, the divine and God Taiji: one take on the “undifferentiated absolute” What explains feeling and consciousness? [39:20] The “hard problem” of consciousness Or, the not-so-hard problem Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)

Ped & Tom are agog with gravitas at the end of Force Awakens, the subjective experience of movies, the marvelous MCU, the 2017 total solar eclipse (featuring the fabulous Path of Totality), climate change XKCD-style, increasing global empathy and saving the species with podcasts in space. Discuss the podcast on Reddit. Support the podcast on Patreon. The end of Force Awakens [00:39] Hello Internet discusses the end of Force Awakens Comprehensive review of Force Awakens easter eggs (Filup Molina) The Marvel Cinematic Universe [05:18] Which is Nerdier: Star Wars or Star Trek? (College Humor) Total Solar Eclipse in the US, Aug 21 2017 [17:01] The August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse in the US The Path of Totality, totally “Eclipse Chasers” XKCD on Climate Change [27:57] XKCD 1732: A Timeline of Earth Temperature (the esteemed Randall Munroe) “The Hockey Stick Graph” NPR critique Saving The Planet (George Carlin) Foundation series (Isaac Asimov) Classic Doctor Who: The Ark in Space Music by Lee Rosev