Third Space Podcast

45: Chat3SP

In this episode of Third Space Podcast (3SP, see what I did with the title there?), Daniel enthusiastically introduces the conversational topic of ChatGPT, the recently popular AI chatbot. They discuss its function, potential, limitations, and the implications of AI bots for education and society; whether we will be overtaken by AI or tame it and be better humans with better tools.

44: Death and Saxes

In this well-paced episode, Bennett blows smoke about smoke detectors, then Superpowers and Drawbacks returns to its roots with a level 1 set of choices, and finally Bennett and Daniel discuss a generally unpleasant but also strangely interesting topic: death. Namely, the associated costs and rituals that accompany death and the possibility of exploitation in the death industry.

43: Country or Crock?

This is a very fun episode. We begin with This or That, back for the third or fourth run, and then we launch Country or Crock, which is very reminiscent of episode 35's Rap or Crap. Bennett presents Daniel with snippets of stereotypical or hilarious country songs in a variety of categories and has Daniel try to guess which are real and which Bennett just made up. If you don't hear from Bennett again, it's because he's moved to Nashville to become a honky-tonk star.

42: The Elimination Button

Bennett and Daniel kick things off by wondering why we still bother with signatures, which spawns multiple mini-topics ranging from celebrity autographs to retro video games. Then, after a long absence, Mind Your Morals returns, and by the end of the segment, we've eliminated cancer, racism, and mosquitos. So moral!

41: Daniel, the Wedding Specialist

It's been a while since the last episode, but for good reason: Daniel got married! Not only that, but he's also gotten a new job and moved to a new state, so there's lots to catch up on. We talk about all things wedding-related, but not before discussing the difference between generalists and specialists, and how the US seems to be specializing more and more, for both good and ill.

40: June the 12th Be With You, Always

This episode is all about Star Wars! Bennett and Daniel both, at some time or another, have considered themselves Star Wars fans, and here they discuss how they were exposed to Lucas' creative world and how they came to love it. And then, Bennett recounts his recent experience watching all of the live-action Star Wars content, including the more recent Disney productions that he skipped (out of disgust). Has his opinion matured? Has Disney redeemed itself? Listen and find out. Beware of spoilers.

39: Addressing Soccer

In this episode, Bennett once again does his social duty by fixing the world's worst sport in Bennett Fixes Sports, and then Bennett and Daniel discuss a classy topic: dressing up. Has society ceased valuing dressing up? Is there some moral component to how we dress? Should dressing up be preserved, or is it better for us to accept a more casual fashion?

38: Misadventures, Adventures, and Telepathy

Bennett divulges a dubious dating drama to Daniel, we wonder about the whereabouts of words like wheelbarrow in another Adventures in Etymology, and finally we fantasize about the fraught future of phones and how terrific or terrible two-way telepathic telecommunication might be were it to become reality.

37: Powers of Creativity

In the introductory small talk section of this episode, Daniel and Bennett appropriately discuss small talk and its possible utility before quickly getting to the level 8 (!) Superpowers and Drawbacks promised in the last episode. Finally, we round off the podcast with a discussion on creativity. What is it, exactly? Can animals have it? What about machines? This leads us into discussing consciousness and AI and other similarly enjoyable rabbit holes.

36: Covid-eo Games

This is a podcast filled with experience: Bennett's recent solo ski trip, a Christmas break where Bennett and Daniel both caught Covid, and a New Year where Bennett and Daniel got to hang out and play lots of VR games. We discuss the pros and cons of VR, the Oculus Quest 2 in particular, and some of the games on it, then we talk about whether catching Covid lived up to the hype, and we comment on how the world collectively responded.

35: Rap or Crap?

It's been a few weeks since the last episode, during which time Daniel and Bennett both got a year older, and Bennett moved some 2000+ miles across the US. We kick things off by talking about these things, including B movies, midget wrestling, VR headsets, cowboy roadblocks, and more. Then Bennett tests Daniel's hip hop acuity by having him try to guess whether certain verses are from real rap songs or fake ones written by Bennett, AKA Lil' Bennett, reminiscent of Episode 8: Hereditary Poetry.

34: Wormhole Punishments

After some introductory minutiae about sleep and video game emulation, Daniel and Bennett discuss Bennett's impending cross-country move, his packing process, and how (un)stressful it is to him. Then, Mind Your Morals makes an appearance, this time involving a one-way wormhole and its potential uses as an alternative to current methods of capital punishment.

33: The Insomnotron

This episode kicks off with some musing on fear responses. What makes people startle easily? And can a person's susceptibility to jump scares depend on their class or even the surrounding technology? Then, Superpowers and Drawbacks returns with a delightfully-ranked set of level 2 choices, and we round the episode off by imagining what the world would be like if we had devices that could near-instantly replenish our sleepiness.

32: Cut and Run Like the Tipper

Are you ready for an adventure? YEAH! And Adventure in Etymology? Y-yeah! Adventures in Etymology returns with a few common idioms, then Daniel and Bennett discuss organization and efficiency for a bit before questioning the culture of tipping. Why do we tip, and should we continue to? An age-old debate sure to annoy waiters and waitresses everywhere (or maybe convince them).

31: The Omegalympics

This episode covers a wide range of topics, including Daniel's experimentation with a juice cleanse, another rendition of Bennett Fixes Sports with the timely subject of the Olympics, and a discussion about nostalgia, fantasy, and classic video games.

30: The Case Against Empathy?

How much should those in a conversation consider their audience? Is it permissible to behave dis-harmoniously for audience benefit? How was Daniel's recent trip to Alaska? And, primarily: Bennett tries to present an argument against the claim that the world would be a better place with more empathy, and that instead sympathy is the better response to suffering.

29: Teleporting Refrigerators

After a four episode absence, Superpowers and Drawbacks returns to its level 1 roots with an enjoyably named set of options, and then Daniel and Bennett imagine a world where humanity has invented refrigerator-sized consumer teleportation devices. What would happen to shopping trends, vacationing, education, crime, and more with the restrictions of proximity broken?

28: Geographical Delusion

In a beautiful springtime walkabout podcast, Bennett very cruelly grills Daniel in what is perhaps his weakest area, geography, in a long-awaited Daniel Does Science. Afterwards, we discuss whether it is ever useful for people to delude themselves, and if such a thing is even possible.

27: Dingleberry Vaccine

Up to this point, we've studiously avoided talking much about covid, but Daniel recently got a vaccine, which spurs much covid-related discussion on risk, reaction, and reflection. We also laugh at a weird guy playing strange music on a bow, and we introduce a new segment called Adventures in Etymology that starts off in the classiest way: poop words.

26: Dictionary Curriculum

This or That makes its triumphant return, which spurs discussions about desserty delicacies, methods of death, and the offensiveness of drag. We also examine the "word gap," a proposed reason for differences in achievement of kids of different classes. Mixed in, there's some talk about entertainment, technology, the hero's journey, and more.