A Different Topic

Welcome to A Different Topic, a podcast where John and Mike discuss things. And stuff. Sometimes it's articles and sometimes it's just general ideas, like those REALLY good ones you have in the shower.

Episode 1.11 - Meat, Nuclei, and BabyShark Malware

Mike and John discuss artificial meat, some malware with a great name, and an atomic mystery 35 years in the making. 35-year Atomic Mystery Solved - https://www.livescience.com/64844-quarks-emc-effect-nucleus.html BabyShark Malware - https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/new-babyshark-malware-targets-u-s-national-security-think-tanks/ Rhett and Link mess around with Beyond Burgers and trying Beyond Meat in other products - https://youtu.be/T6AeO7flGx8 Thumbnail image by Stijn te Strake: https://unsplash.com/@stijntestrake

03-15
01:12:51

Episode 1.10 - Mike and John did NOT kidnap Matt

Our first guest, Matt, joins us for our tenth episode. We touch on the topics of learning, genetically enhanced learning, and living in a fantasy place. Mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGm8qPEzgoc - Finding the Mystical in... Quidditch - Jordan Peterson Sources: http://mentalfloss.com/article/574449/harry-potter-hogwarts-apartment-rentals?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter -  Harry Potter Fans Can Now Live at Hogwarts  https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612997/the-crispr-twins-had-their-brains-altered/ -  China’s CRISPR twins might have had their brains inadvertently enhanced

03-03
01:22:00

Episode 1.9 - We want to hear each other faster than sound

We wax not quite poetic on the topics of games, entangled networking, evolution, frightening AI, and curing DMD through DNA. Sources: AAV-CRISPER genome editing: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0344-3 Quantum Communications: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612964/what-is-quantum-communications/ OpenAI text generator too scary to release: https://bgr.com/2019/02/17/openai-fake-news-elon-musk-too-scary-release/

02-22
01:11:52

Episode 1.8 - Lasers are making a lot of noise and machines are speaking

Mike and John discuss lasers in use as private sound transport (from MIT Review), searching for extraterrestrial life, and speech synthesized from brain activity (also from MIT Review). You'll be surprised where those topics take them! Other sources mentioned are It's Okay to be Smart and Minute Physics.

02-13
01:17:05

Episode 1.7 - Spying electronics and laughing in groups

Mike and John complain about technology spying on us and some other stuff.

02-10
01:21:23

Episode 1.6 - Do we have free will?

 Mike and John try sorting through some complicated stuff about the nature of free choice.  Shower thought: https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/ak25vk/thanks_to_siri_alexa_and_google_a_whole/  Resources on free will research:  https://samharris.org/the-illusion-of-free-will/ https://www.wired.com/2008/04/mind-decision/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_free_will

01-30
01:11:53

Episode 1.5 - Naturally occurring CRAYFISH CLONES!?

 Mike and John accidentally give some career advice before discussing some wacky crayfish and a shower thought.  Crayfish episode from SciShow: https://youtu.be/9VuBJDq9li4

01-30
42:38

Episode 1.4 - Glitter bomb "faked", outrage media, and another shower thought

Mike and John struggle with the 24-hour news cycle, glitter bomb "fake" thieves, and argue about arguing. 

01-30
40:37

Episode 1.3 - Don't give me a JIFT, give me a GIFT

 Mike and John discuss Artificial Intelligence, Matrioshka brains, and glitter bombs.  Reference Material: Mark Rober: https://www.youtube.com/user/onemeeeliondollars Glitter Bomb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxhDk-hwuo PBS Space Time - Computing a Universe Simulation: https://youtu.be/0GLgZvTCbaA

01-30
01:18:32

Episode 1.2 - Nightmares, alternate universes, eggs, and dragons

Mike and John share some bad dreams, discuss the relationship between sperm/egg fertilization and alternate universes, and there's also a bit about morally perfect dragons. 

01-30
01:24:11

Episode 1.1 - Apple is bad, corporate politics, intergalactic travel

Mike and John discuss Apple's terrible prices, some corporate politics, a bad garage experience, intergalactic travel, and other ramblings. 

01-30
01:10:08

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