Book Podcasts

I've been working my way through this 1950s podcast by someone named John Tolkien called 'Lord of the Rings'--it's a deep dive into this fictional world he created. Good stuff, really bingeable!

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Lying

I was, at least at the start of this disastrous game night, your friend.

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Urban Planning Opinion Progression

If they're going to make people ride bikes and scooters in traffic, then it should at LEAST be legal to do the Snow Crash thing where you use a hook-shot-style harpoon to catch free rides from cars.

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xkcd Phone Flip

Theranos partnership: Sorry, we know, but we signed the contract back before all the stuff and the lawyers say we can't back out, so just try to keep your finger away from the bottom of the phone.

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Haunted House

You can leave at any time through the door over there. It's a Louisville door, so you'll need to find a compatible knob. No, don't be silly, that one is a Lexington knob! Of course it won't fit.

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Iceberg Efficiency

Our experimental aerogel iceberg with helium pockets manages true 100% efficiency, barely touching the water, and it can even lift off of the surface and fly to more efficiently pursue fleeing hubristic liners.

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Exoplanet Observation

NASA prefers to say that their rovers are 'looking for signs of past life on Mars' and not 'ghost hunting.'

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Brassica

Sequoia Brussels sprouts are delicious but it's pretty hard to finish one.

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Gold

It can be expensive to hire a professional spectroscopist for your wedding, but the quality of the spectra you get is worth it.

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Autumn and Fall

Of course in reality this is just a US/UK thing; in British English, 'fall' is the brief period in between and 'autumn' is the main season.

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Abstract Pickup

Escape Artist Frees Self From Conversation With Pickup Artist

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Fossil

The two best reasons to get into fossils are booping trilobites and getting to say the word \"fossiliferous\" a lot.

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*@gmail.com

Hi all, just replying to loop in *@outlook.com and *@yahoo.com.

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Path Minimization

Of course you get an ice cream cone for the swimmer too! You're not a monster.

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Inspiration

An apple fell on Isaac Newton's head and gave him the idea that the moon might be a tasty apple, though this turned out not to be true--the Apollo program eventually determined that it was just a desolate and bland Red Delicious.

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Pronunciation

I pronounce the 'u' in 'pronunciation' like in 'putting' but the 'ou' in 'pronounce' like in 'wound'.

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Circuit Symbols

A circle with an A in it means that the circuit has committed a sin and has been marked as punishment.

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Electron Holes

They tried to report me to the authorities, but because I had the device they couldn't charge me.

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Types of Solar Eclipse

The best place to be for a hug eclipse is a scenic natural area with good views and few clouds. The worst place to be is the lunar surface.

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Car Wash

I'm glad modern car washes use synthetic baleen, instead of harvesting it from whales like 1800s car washes did.

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Perseids Pronunciation

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What To Do

FYI: The 'drop, cover, and hold on' advice only applies to earthquakes. If you encounter a mountain lion, you should absolutely not drop to the ground, crawl under it, and hold on to one of its legs.

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Solar Panel Placement

Getting the utility people to run transmission lines to Earth is expensive, but it will pay for itself in no time.

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Free Fallin’

Their crash investigation team had some particularly harsh words for Dave Matthews.

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How to Coil a Cable

The ideal mix for maximum competitive cable-coiling energy is one A/V tech, one rock climber, one sailor, and one topologist.

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Moon

I mean, it's pretty, but it doesn't really affect us beyond that. Except that half the nights aren't really dark, and once or twice a day it makes the oceans flood the coasts.

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Daytime Firefly

Mr. Jones, watch out for Ms. Lenhart! She's from genus Photuris!

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Bad Map Projection: ABS(Longitude)

Positive vibes/longitudes only

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Anti Vaxxers

The vaccine stuff seems pretty simple. But if you take a closer look at the data, it's still simple, but bigger. And slightly blurry. Might need reading glasses.

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Global Atmospheric Circulation

Refs generally say that you can exercise enough altitude control to avoid the ground, but if you start strategically choosing air layers to steer yourself, that's traveling.

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Marshmallow

The increasing number of graham crackers and chocolate bars in orbit has created a growing risk of Kessler s'mores.

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Geohydrotypography

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Fireflies

I feel bad for Earth 2 and their shadowflies.

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Contact Merge

I actually kind of feel like John and Surf King wouldn't like each other, which is a lot to unpack.

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Down

It's just that I get nervous about heights.

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Frankenstein Claim Permutations

When I began trying to form a new claim by stitching together these parts in such an unnatural way, some called me mad.

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Room Temperature

They're also refusing to fund my device that demonstrates uncontrolled hot fusion.

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Actual Progress

Slowly progressing from 'how do protons behave in relativistic collisions?' to 'what the heck are protons even doing when they're just sitting there?'

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Real Estate Analysis

Mars does get a good score on 'noise levels' and 'scenic views,' but the school district ranking isn't great; the only teacher--the Perseverance rover--is too busy with rock samples to teach more than the occasional weekend class.

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Glass-Topped Table

You can pour a drink into it while hosting a party, although it's a real pain to fit in the dishwasher afterward.

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Alphabet Notes

Listen, you're very cute, but if you rearrange the alphabet to put U and I together it will RUIN the spacing!

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Garden Path Sentence

Arboretum Owner Denied Standing in Garden Path Suit on Grounds Grounds Appealing Appealing

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Summer Solstice

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Bookshelf Sorting

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Heat Pump

If I'm not going to upgrade to a powered one, I should at LEAST stop leaving the door open so often.

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Making Plans

Oh no, I haven't checked in with Yvonne in YEARS.

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Musical Scales

In the Hall of the Mountain King was accidentally composed on log/log paper.

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Iceberg

90% of the iceberg is hidden beneath the water, but that 90% only uses 10% of its brain, so it's really only 9%.

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UFO Evidence

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Marble Run

I have so many plans. It would incorporate a Galton board, a Ranque-Hilsch marble vortex tube, and a compartment lined with pinball bouncers with a camera-and-servo Maxwell's Demon that separated the balls into fast and slow sides.

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