Podcasts – Weird Things

Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood explore how new AI video tools are changing filmmaking by making real footage more editable and steerable, letting creators keep human performances while using AI for sets, lighting, costumes, and polish. They compare that shift to earlier changes in digital editing and game engines, then turn to viral robot mishap clips to separate remote-controlled demos from true autonomy and to ask the bigger question of who carries legal and moral responsibility when future robots inevitably cause harm. From there they jump to a possible primordial black hole candidate as evidence related to dark matter, a promising one-time gene therapy approach for cholesterol, and the broader effects of GLP-1 drugs on appetite, addiction, gambling, alcohol use, and the business models built around those habits. They wrap by sharing how tools like Codex are already helping them build websites, automate repetitive tasks, migrate infrastructure, and dramatically cut costs, arguing that AI is most useful right now as a way to remove drudgery and free up more time for actual creative work. Picks: Brian Brushwood: Spider-Noir Justin Robert Young: The Hulk Hogan documentary on Netflix Justin Robert Young: Rocky Balboa

In this episode, Andrew Mayne and Brian Brushwood embark on a philosophical journey through the realms of storytelling, AI’s burgeoning role in creative processes, and the enigmatic app SO’s contribution to communal humor and creativity. They explore Stephen King’s insights on storytelling, the magic of indirect evidence in magic tricks, and the importance of showing rather than telling in narratives. The conversation then shifts to SO, where they discuss its unique platform that allows for collaborative creativity among friends, using the example of ‘Handful,’ a fictional fast-food chain that serves gravy directly into customers’ hands. This episode is a testament to the evolving landscape of creativity, where AI and human collaboration open new doors to storytelling and humor. Picks: Andrew: Daredevil Season 2 Brian: Speed Racer (1966)

The episode opens with a discussion of NASA’s Perseverance rover and a Nature paper about a Martian sample with tiny chemical patterns that, on Earth, are often associated with microbial interaction. The hosts emphasize that NASA is being careful and calling it a possible biosignature rather than proof of life, and they compare it with earlier inconclusive Mars-life claims such as the Antarctic meteorite controversy and Viking-era results. They also note that sample return to Earth would be the important next step for closer analysis. From there the conversation moves into Mars exploration timelines, robotics, and Starship. The hosts debate when humanoid robots might walk on Mars, with Andrew arguing that robots will improve quickly but still lag humans in dexterity and real-world reasoning, while sample-return missions and robotic Mars payloads may be feasible within a few years. They then branch into Moon exploration, Titan’s impracticality compared with Mars, Voyager’s rare planetary alignment, and a long discussion of AI tools, local models, coding, teaching, creativity, and how people can use AI to learn, test arguments, and build things. Near the end, the episode shifts to picks. Andrew recommends The Naked Gun and Alien: Earth, praising both the comedy and Noah Hawley’s sci-fi storytelling, and Justin recommends Friendship, describing it as a more restrained A24 film built around Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson that still fits the spirit of Tim Robinson’s work. Key topics N

The episode opens with the hosts reflecting on how quickly AI is changing and pushing back on the idea that it will simply replace human roles. They argue that teaching, parenting, preaching, customer service, banking, and restaurant work still involve human presence, trust, empathy, and cultural meaning that AI cannot fully replace, even if it can augment or automate parts of those jobs. [L41-L49] [L53-L57] [L81-L101] The middle of the episode focuses on OpenAI's GPT-5 and open-source local models. Andrew says GPT-5 is cheaper and more capable than earlier models and describes how OpenAI's open-source GPT OSS models can run locally on a desktop with tools like LM Studio or Ollama. The group also discusses reasoning models for creative writing, showing how better prompts and higher reasoning effort can produce stronger flash fiction and revealing the model's planning process before it writes. [L135-L149] [L155-L165] [L171-L177] [L243-L257] [L259-L273] The latter part turns to practical AI integrations and media picks. The hosts discuss ChatGPT connectors for Gmail and Calendar, agentic workflows, always-on assistants, local speech-to-text, and the idea that AI will keep improving rather than hitting a wall. They close with entertainment recommendations and reactions: Andrew on Fantastic Four, Brian on Predator, Justin on Wednesday, and Brian and Andrew on Alien: Earth and franchise lore. [L295-L305] [L359-L377] [L387-L397] [L401-L417] [L451-L477] [L483-L493] Key topics Human

In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood, and Justin Robert Young tackle the whirlwind of AI news, starting with Google’s I/O announcements, particularly their impressive V O 3 image generation model. They then shift to OpenAI’s advancements and discuss the intriguing, yet mysterious, hardware collaboration between OpenAI and Johnny Ive’s design firm. The trio also touches on Ant Philanthropic’s latest AI models, highlighting the rapid pace of AI development and its implications for various industries, especially Hollywood. The conversation veers into speculative territory with thoughts on how AI could revolutionize content creation, from corporate training videos to high school history projects. Despite the excitement, they remain cautiously optimistic, acknowledging the challenges and limitations that still exist. Picks: Brian: Friendship Andrew: Blood Sport Justin: Andor Season 2

The episode opens with a discussion of a possible biosignature on exoplanet K218b, with Andrew explaining that dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide were reported in the planet's atmosphere and are associated on Earth with marine microorganisms, while stressing that instrument error or unknown abiotic chemistry could still explain it. The hosts broaden that into a conversation about how exoplanet discovery and the search for life have advanced incrementally, and how it would not be surprising to eventually find simple life on some habitable-zone planets. The middle of the episode moves through robotics, AI benchmarks, prompting, and future compute. The hosts discuss Boston Dynamics' humanoid backflip and Andrew explains the Cheetah actuator, then spend a long stretch on model leaderboards, Llama 4/LM Arena concerns, Humanity's Last Exam, pricing, and how frontier models are leapfrogging quickly. They also cover prompt design, Andrew's fractional AI consulting business, fast image generation, likely video and VTuber applications, and a speculative question about what quantum computing could change for AI training, inference, and search. The episode closes with a stunt injury story about human cannonball performer Chachi Valencia, followed by picks. Brian recommends Social Studies on Hulu, Andrew talks through his MCU rewatch and mentions Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 without clearly recommending it, and Justin strongly recommends Daredevil, saying it stuck the landing and m

The episode opens with Andrew describing a workflow automation he built in n8n to collect story ideas and email him a pre-show list, then moves into a discussion of a research team creating the world's smallest shooting video game with nanoscale technology. The hosts react to the demonstration, compare it to miniature hockey or "inner space," and Andrew reflects on how nanotech has proved much harder than early optimism suggested. From there, the conversation broadens into AI-assisted science, automation workflows, and the practical use of tools like make.com and n8n for email-driven systems. Later segments cover model quality and reasoning systems, reactions to Grok voice mode, a Starship launch bet, and the picks segment, which includes Reset, Severance, Mickey Mouse shorts by Paul Rudish, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and X-Men '97. The episode closes with a discussion of art, Blade Runner studies, and broader worries about AI reshaping human work and status competition. Key topics Nanoscale manipulation with electron microscopy: The hosts discuss a "world's smallest shooting video game" built with nanoscale technology, including focused electron beams and force fields between nanoparticles. Nanotech hype versus real-world difficulty: Andrew contrasts earlier expectations of rapid nanotech breakthroughs with the reality that building stable nanoscale systems is much harder than hoped. AI-assisted science and materials discovery: They talk about using AI and machine lea

The episode opens with a discussion of asteroid 2024 YR4 and its reported 2.2% chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. The hosts discuss its estimated building-sized range, possible blast-wave, thermal, seismic, and tsunami effects, and compare the event to Tunguska and Chelyabinsk as examples of severe but non-civilization-ending damage. A long middle section focuses on AI tools and moderation, including Brian's frustration with being restricted or banned by ChatGPT/OpenAI for questions he considers ordinary, plus jokes about copyright, sound-alike music, and inconsistent enforcement. The hosts also praise newer AI features like reasoning mode and deep research, compare asteroid-prediction updates to weather forecasting, discuss James Webb infrared imagery, and later shift to pop culture and media picks including Fantastic Four, Severance, Mac Whisper, and The Expanded Mind. Key topics Asteroid 2024 YR4 and impact risk: The hosts discuss a newly discovered asteroid, 2024 YR4, with a 2.2% chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. They describe potential damage from blast waves, heat, fires, airburst effects, ground impact, tsunamis, and seismic shaking, using Tunguska and Chelyabinsk as historical comparisons. Asteroid deflection and mitigation: They compare long-warning solutions like tractor concepts, mass drivers, and gravity nudges with nuclear options when the object is only years away. The tradeoff discussed is between changing the orbit cleanly and creating r