Third Space Podcast

Superpowers and Drawbacks returns after some hiatus, and Daniel and Bennett discuss a level 2 set of choices in this episode, debating the merits of various free foods and the economic viability of throwing trash in impressive ways.

Bennett grills Daniel with a very personal but not very tempting Mind Your Morals that deals with the "content creation" site OnlyFans. Would he be okay with his wife posting on the site if it meant a huge boost in income? What about under certain milder circumstances? We also discuss moral topics about purity, harm, self-exploitation, and technology.

Daniel and Bennett discuss rites of passage. In an increasingly digital age, do we even have traditional rites of passage anymore? In a culture that values marriage and families less and less, are we losing our collective ability to establish our identities or encourage identity-building in our children? How analogous are learning to drive a car and learning to use the internet? What possible remedies could we institute in order to get on the "rite" path?

Bennett briefly flexes his professional handegg knowledge in discussing the upcoming Level 3 Super Bowl, then leads Daniel on a somewhat Valentine's Day-themed adventure... an Adventure in Etymology, of course! And lastly, Daniel discusses the Pain Gate Theory, which postulates that pain can be mitigated with what is essentially physiological distraction. Is it real? How does it interact with psychological distraction or mitigation of pain?

Daniel and Bennett do some holiday cleaning in this episode. That is to say, they propose revisions to the US calendar of federal holidays, giving the axe to a surprising number of existing holidays and supplanting them with arguably better ones. See if you agree with the changes!

After a nice, lengthy holiday break, Bennett and Daniel return to report on how their 2024 is going thus far. Daniel's is boring, but Bennett's has started off pretty crappy, with incapable men, illogical women, and a whole lotta snow. After that, Bennett tries his darndest to convert Daniel to veganism using the strongest arguments he can, to a surprising degree of success.

Why do authors insist on having their characters whisper in unrealistic fashion? Are food delivery services trashy, lazy, and low-class or a luxury for people after a hard day? Are tips rewards for good service or blackmail? Is Chili's really a cool ghost kitchen or some garbage restaurant? Bennett and Daniel weigh the pros and cons of services like Uber Eats, discuss their experiences, and predict where they go in the future.

Bennett springs a surprise game on a suddenly very uncomfortable Daniel called: Is It Racist? Before the podcast, Bennett gathered three somewhat random things from Daniel, and the premise of the game is to have Daniel determine whether these things, by modern definitions, are racist. Bennett provides substantiating and totally irrefutable journalistic examples as to why these things are, in fact, racist. In addition to the obvious joke game, the topic of racism is also addressed at least semi-seriously.

Daniel reflects on his recent experience as assistant director of an absurdist play, and he discusses with Bennett whether and why absurdism is entertaining. Then, Bennett reads a very, extremely scientific and valid Forbes article touting the necessity of hugs and consequently discovers he should be dead multiple times over.

After some minor (or major) dispute over whether the universe is fundamentally musical, Bennett springs a Mind Your Morals on Daniel, resurrecting a popular gimmick: The Elimination Button. This is a magical button that can eliminate certain things from reality, and Daniel must consider the moral implications of its pressing. Unlike the last episode, Daniel is put in the position of preventing presses, and by the end of the episode, has saved some surprising things, like marijuana, bees, and pedophiles. Oh my!

All Hallows Month has begun, so Bennett and Daniel discuss when it's appropriate to start decorating for Halloween and whether or not adults who LOVE Halloween have issues. Daniel then introduces a segment called Concision Incision, which he bills as "questions that cut deep in time that's cut short." Essentially, it consists of a series of deep and/or personal questions delivered and answered with some rapidity.

Daniel is a teacher, so he should be hip to the modern pop scene, right? Well, in this episode, Bennett tests his pop music acumen with Pop or Slop! Just like in past episodes about rap or country, Bennett serves up a set of song lyrics, where some are penned by him, and some are real songs. Daniel is then tasked with discerning the difference. Truly, the state of pop is dire, so it's more of a challenge than you might expect, and also it's hilarious.

Daniel reveals his impending fatherhood, which fuels discussion on babies and naming and parenting philosophies. Bennett laments getting laughed at for hiking with an umbrella. And Daniel and Bennett discuss the genre of zombie entertainment.

Are spiders or ladders more dangerous? Doctors or car crashes? Bennett interrogates Daniel to see if he can guess which of a variety of categories kills more people each year. Then, they discuss creativity and its relationship to freedom. Does more freedom generate more creativity, or, paradoxically, does the imposition of limitation? Bennett and Daniel play with the idea, tossing out some examples and possible reasons.

Superpowers and Drawbacks returns after a bit of a hiatus, bringing discussion of candy bar births and crow supervillains. Then, Daniel and Bennett discuss the culture and practice of hunting. Is it moral to hunt? Which animals are okay to hunt, for what reasons, and should children be allowed to do it?

In this episode, Daniel and Bennett discuss the phenomenon of gossip. Is gossip inherently negative? Is there a way that gossip can be a good thing? What sorts of people are more prone to gossip, and what are Daniel and Bennett's experiences with it?

Alternate title: Come Hail or High Water. In this episode, Bennett recounts a very intense hiking experience that he classifies as perhaps the most physically demanding thing he's ever done. Daniel asks questions along the way, making for what is hopefully an entertaining story.

Should we stop shooting fireworks on Independence Day to protect little Floofy's sensitive doggie mental state? What about the supposed veteran with PTSD who gets triggered by the explosions? Or is it reasonable to celebrate a cultural event with fireworks? Daniel and Bennett discuss. Daniel also brings back Father Bennett, this time presenting Bennett with three hypothetical fatherhood scenarios ranging from premonitions of doom to vegetarianism.

Daniel brings multiple fascinating language-related topics to this episode, including an idea borrowed from Malcolm Gladwell about how memory and language are intertwined. This leads Bennett and Daniel to examine other instances of language affecting memory, how culture ties in with language and behavior, and how aliens and AI might play into it all. This was a fun one that certainly contained some third space.

Daniel celebrates his last day of work (for the school year) apparently by recording a podcast. In it, he and Bennett complain about adult obligations like car registration and insurance, but then they transition to a discussion of fear. What does it mean to feel fear? Is it different from anxiety or panic? Do Bennett or Daniel have any phobias? This and more is discussed, so don't be afraid to listen.