Ben opens the show by talking about vertigo—both experiencing it firsthand and wondering if Devon might be dealing with it too. He shares that he was diagnosed with a mild case and offers genuinely useful advice: if you're experiencing vertigo, see a doctor, figure out what caused it, and which side it's affecting. In some cases, it can be an easy fix, which is reassuring for something that can feel pretty alarming.

Steven checks in with some family time, talking about Perils & Princesses and enjoying it as a group activity. https://perilsandprincesses.com/ Devon, meanwhile, is riding the simple but powerful high of a three-day weekend and sounding very content about it.

The conversation shifts into Starfleet Academy, with Ben admitting that the advertising did the show no favors—he didn't think it looked interesting at all. That said, once he actually watched it, he found it better than an average Star Trek episode, with compelling characters and a standout performance from Gina Yashere. There's even a nod to classic Star Trek: The Original Series vibes, including black-and-white alien aesthetics. Verdict: Starfleet Academy is "worth your time to watch."

This leads into one of Ben's most sarcastic self-aware rants yet, mockingly embodying the ultra-purist Trek fan: buying a DVD box set 13 years ago apparently grants lifelong authority to demand that all Star Trek content conform exactly to personal specifications—and to loudly complain about shows nobody is forcing him to watch. It's sharp, funny, and painfully recognizable.

Steven then takes on a challenge to talk about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which quickly detours into Disney's broader design philosophy and how intentional world-building shapes visitor experience. He also mentions re-listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl and enthusiastically reaffirms his recommendation, even as Devon sounds less convinced it's for him anymore.

Ben brings a genuinely practical tool to the table: Just the Browser
https://justthebrowser.com/
The project strips AI features, telemetry reporting, sponsored content, product integrations, and other annoyances out of desktop browsers using hidden enterprise-level settings. The goal is exactly what it says on the tin—just the browser, nothing else.

Steven dives into a major neuroscience breakthrough. Researchers have developed a protein that can detect faint chemical signals—specifically glutamate—received by neurons from other brain cells. For the first time, scientists can observe how neurons process incoming information before sending signals onward, revealing a previously invisible layer of brain communication. This could significantly reshape how we study learning, memory, and neurological disease.
https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225235950.htm

Next Week's Watch:
Likewise, Olive | Omeleto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwEssWpRrxg

This Week's Read:
Ted Chiang – What's Expected of Us (Nature, July 7, 2005)
http://www.concatenation.org/futures/whatsexpected.pdf

All three hosts enjoyed the story, but Devon absolutely steals the segment by going on a full, passionate tear about free will versus determinism. It's one of those moments where the conversation locks in, the philosophy gets heavy, and the payoff is incredible.

We kick things off with a round of Real Life check-ins, because apparently none of us are allowed to simply exist quietly.

Ben opens with Bedroom Talk with Ben Lawless, which is exactly as awkward, candid, and vaguely alarming as it sounds. No further clarification is offered, nor requested.

Devon reports that snowboarding with his kids was actually great. No injuries, no disasters—just genuine fun on the mountain, which frankly feels suspicious but we'll allow it. He also shares that he's been practicing guitar for an hour a day, really locking in on technique. That means working through BPMs, tightening up tapping and sweeping, and grinding away at the Blackened solo like a man possessed. Progress is being made, fingers are suffering, and discipline is winning (for now).

Steven talks about Hawaii, which lands somewhere between "kinda cool" and "why did we do this to ourselves." The travel was awful, the resort was pretty great, and Moana… apparently isn't Moana anymore? We don't resolve this, but we are confident Disney has a lot to answer for.

Ben also brings in Blippo+, a surreal streaming service that feels like channel surfing through an alternate universe. If you're curious (or concerned), you can explore it directly at https://blippo.plus/ or read more context over at The A.V. Club: https://www.avclub.com/blippo-makes-art-out-of-channel-surfing.

In Future or Now, Ben highlights a sobering study out of Japan linking poor oral health in older adults to higher mortality rates and increased need for long-term care. The research, conducted by Osaka Metropolitan University and the Institute of Science Tokyo, suggests brushing and dental care might matter more than we'd like to admit. You can read the full breakdown via The Japan Times:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/05/japan/science-health/elderly-dental-hygiene/

Devon follows up with This Week in Space, reacting to the news that the U.S. has effectively killed NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission. What happens now? Confusion, disappointment, and a lot of unanswered questions. The full story is covered here:
https://www.iflscience.com/us-just-killed-nasas-mars-sample-return-mission-so-what-happens-now-82148

This week's Book Club pick is "The Janitor in Space" by Amber Sparks, a short story that sparked very different reactions around the table. Steven enjoyed it, Ben didn't care for it at all, and Devon—rather than choosing a side—asked ChatGPT to turn it into a song, which may be the most Devon response possible. You can read the story yourself here:
https://americanshortfiction.org/janitor-space/

Looking ahead, next week's selection is Ted Chiang's "What's Expected of Us", originally published in Nature (July 7, 2005). We'll be digging into free will, determinism, and the uncomfortable feeling that the universe might already know what you're about to do.

As always, thanks for listening, reading, and continuing to question whether brushing your teeth might actually save your life.

Real Life

This week's episode starts where a lot of us have been living lately: sick, tired, and mainlining comfort food. Steven is still sick for Christmas and counting, while Ben also got hit, which pushed Christmas celebrations down the calendar a bit. The upside? More chili. More Fritos. No regrets.

Holiday illness also turned into a surprisingly serious soda tasting panel. Steven gives a strong thumbs-up to Sunset Sarsaparilla, while Nuka Cola Quantum lands squarely in the "fine, I guess" category. Ben, meanwhile, makes a passionate case for Canada Dry Fruit Splash Cherry Ginger Ale, which he insists is gooooood.

On the gaming front, Ben waves the bargain flag for Bang Bang Racing, currently just a dollar on Steam until January 5. It's tiny (about 200MB), has excellent controls, and punches way above its weight. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. You can check the deal details here:
https://isthereanydeal.com/game/bang-bang-racing/info/

Steven also dives deeper into Fallout Season 2, Episode 2, which naturally turns into more Fallout lore and nonsense. Possibly too much. Definitely too much. But that's the price of admission.

Future or Now

Ben brings some sobering science to the table this week. After the January 2025 LA wildfires, hospitals recorded a sharp rise in emergency visits for heart attacks, lung illness, and general sickness over the following three months. Researchers believe fine particles from wildfire smoke, combined with stress, played a major role. Blood tests even showed unusual changes that suggest health impacts lingered long after the fires were out. You can read more about the research here:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104619.htm

Steven talks about Plur1bus on Apple TV+, created by Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad fame (and former X-Files writer). Ben keeps himself updated through Boars, Gore, and Swords:
http://boarsgoreandswords.com/

Steven, meanwhile, supplements his viewing with YouTube deep dives on color theory and visual storytelling. The consensus? An amazing show — but be warned, we eventually wander into spoiler territory. Go watch it first, then come back.

Ben also shares a very cool Google Earth exploration centered on Albuquerque. If you want to follow along, here's the link:
https://earth.google.com/web/search/Albuquerque/@35.16557795,-106.74593037,1672.53654999a,233.96919711d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=Cj4iJgokCUSJAsPilUFAEUCfJ-B8lEFAGTzU80gBr1rAIWpgL9d9sFrAKhAIARIKMjAyNC0wOC0zMBgBQgIIAToDCgEwQgIIAEoNCP___________wEQAA?authuser=0

Book Club

No book club this week — we're waiting on Devon, who seemed very excited, which somehow makes the waiting worse.

Next week's story is "The Janitor in Space" by Amber Sparks, available through American Short Fiction:
https://americanshortfiction.org/janitor-space/

Special Note

We're taking a week off. For shame.

But we'll be back on January 11th, refreshed, rehydrated, and hopefully no longer coughing into our microphones.