Episode 112 - " “Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!” - 12/23/24

Welcome to our last episode of 2024!

Episode 112, "Back to the Basement, Producer Mike!" is, be warned, one of our longest episodes. So settle in, hopefully as you're starting a long drive to friends or family for the holidays, and prepare to be entertained with an all out throw down on socio-psychological-cultural-conspiracy theory issues, from chemtrails to astrology to coin tosses to artificial intelligence, and then perhaps the ultimate question of our time: who are metal guitarists trying to impress?  

Chemtrails

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/31/chemtrails-tennessee-bill-conspiracy-theory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Lead exposure if you’re born before 1996

https://scitechdaily.com/born-before-1996-according-to-scientists-leaded-gas-may-have-permanently-altered-your-personality/

Urgency culture

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/urgency-culture-burnout?cmpid=org%3Dngp%3A%3Amc%3Dsocial%3A%3Asrc%3Dinstagram%3A%3Acmp%3Deditorial%3A%3Aadd%3Dig20240416science-urgencyculturegatedhedcard&linkId=399615453

How to appear more likable in social situations

https://www.iflscience.com/psychology-study-reveals-trick-for-appearing-more-likeable-in-social-situations-77165

Metal guitarists may just be impressing other dudes

https://www.psypost.org/extreme-metal-guitar-skills-linked-to-intrasexual-competition-but-not-mating-success/

AI Granny

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/10/nx-s1-5220362/daisy-ai-granny-o2-fraud-spam-prevention

Can you tell an AI face from a human one?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202311/people-now-see-ai-generated-faces-as-more-real-than-human-ones?

(Test):  https://www.whichfaceisreal.com/

Astrologists maybe can’t do astrology either

https://www.iflscience.com/astrologists-are-overly-confident-and-terrible-at-astrology-study-finds-75562?

(Test): https://programs.clearerthinking.org/astrology_challenge.html?_gl=1%2Az4wyvq%2A_ga%2AMTA5MjA3NjA4OC4xNzIzNDYyNzQ2%2A_ga_58RPQ2D860%2AMTcyMzY0NzE2OC4zLjEuMTcyMzY0NzE4OC40MC4wLjA

Coin flips: 50/50 or not?

https://www.iflscience.com/scientists-tossed-350757-coins-and-proved-coin-flips-are-not-5050-77192

Double uterus

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/alabama-double-uterus-twins-delivery?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Robotaxi fails

https://futurism.com/the-byte/robotaxis-gather-honk-all-night

Nature alters time

https://www.sciencealert.com/being-in-nature-has-a-profound-effect-on-how-you-experience-time?

Neanderthals may have been early risers

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/early-risers-neanderthal-dna-scn/index.html?

Fossilized dinosaur poop

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/nx-s1-5206634/fossilized-poops-show-how-dinosaurs-came-rule-earth