Episodes

When should we "cancel" an artist? And how long should we put up with the negatives of social media? [18:57] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Michael Jackson, redirecting royalties, Picasso, Facebook moderators, flat-earthers, and internet librarians. They don't talk about how "cancelling" by this use has not yet made it into Merriam Webster. references Clips from Leaving Neverland (and presumably, much more to come on the internet). What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men? Claire Ded...

What makes a generation "soft"? And what makes something luxurious? [18:36] This week: Joey and Jess and special guest commentator Camille talk about adversity, erring on the side of caution against abuse, NBA contracts, fine leather goods, stopping time, and instagram-worthy icecream. They don't talk about the technical cut-off year for being "Millennials." references That original HuffPost article on Amy Klobuchar. Another plug for Jonathan Haidt and his book The Coddling of the American M...

Whom does the gig economy benefit? This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the privilege of flexibility, benefits, and big a$$ spears. They don't talk about the extremely dark past of ears on belts. references Claudia Goldin's Harvard study on the pay gap.

What are the new rules of attribution in the age of the internet? And when will smart homes be smart enough? [17:47] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the creative commons, remix culture, /r/ Showerthoughts, Janet, Hue lights, and the Guster meow mix. They don't talk about how /r/ Showerthoughts might just as well be another name for our show. references The Grey Album, by DJ Danger Mouse, for your listening pleasure. https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/ Ask your Janet to play the Guste...

What makes baking special? And what could happen now that sports betting is (mostly) legal? [22:22] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about anxiety, chemistry, grandmas, predictive markets, Sir Francis Galton, and Mary Berry. They don't talk about which of Mary, Merry, and Marry sound the same. references The Atlantic on anxiety-baking. More on prediction markets. Predict it. Wiki's bio on Sir Francis Galton.

Why is it so hard to take professional risks? And what will happen to the horror genre?? [23:11] This week, Joey and special guest host Osei talk about 'Oumuamua, tenure, risks and happiness, UFOs, the Golden Record, and Black Mirror. They don't talk about their up/down votes on Bandersnatch. references The scoop on 'Oumuamua. NPR: The story of NASA engineer Bob Ebeling and the space shuttle challenger.

What's to come in 2019? This week, a special top of the year episode! Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about their wild prognostications, involving Trump-era art, provenance in retail, the next fad diet, the next Facebook, brand values, and unicorns. They don't talk about what kind of animal Gritty is. referencesThe Fiji water PR stunt that began with the Golden Globes.Pew on Americans and Facebook as of 2018.The Gillette ad: "The Best Men Can Be."Vice on Japan's mascot game.Chairs and Facebook.

Why hasn’t the FIRE movement taken off? And what's the point of Best Of Lists? [25:45] This week, Joey, Aaron, and special guest host Kelly talk about retiring early, time as a resource, healthy skepticism, total stock market funds, Beychella, and hispanic literature. They don't talk about Schrödinger's Yanni. Or is it Schrödinger's Laurel? referencesThe Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) subreddit.We only scratched the surface of understanding the FIRE movement: the 1998 Trinity Stud...

What do we lose when we lose nostalgia? And what is going to replace the NFL? [17:40] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about time in different cultures, Finesse, Norman Rockwell, the Kareem Hunt story, culture televised, and ideal NFL alternatives. They don't talk about the power ranking of early 2000s teen films. referencesThe Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.Minnie Riperton's Lovin' You in full.The study around how different cultures understand time.Jonathan Haidt's Big Think video.Get your copy ...

What’s the role of deprivation in a time with so much excess? And why are Disney princes so lame? [16:57] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about fasting, hedonism, the most sinful cities in America, lazy patriarchy, Mr. Mom-ism, and the inevitable queer Disney prince. They don’t talk about how The Beast’s real name is Adam. Beep boop. referencesThe dopamine fasting video from Joey’s feed of science videos.The hedonic escalator is actually a hedonic treadmill.A 2019 list of America’s Most Sinful ...

This week, a special early episode! Aaron and Joey take on a handful of questions likely to come up over Thanksgiving dinner.

What’s special about board games? And how should we treat our pets? [17:33] This week, Aaron and Joey talk about hoop rolling, the Settlers of Catan, Sun Tsu, Modern Family, the health benefits of having a dog, and luxury chicken diapers. They don't talk about the hidden advantages of drawing the Split-Level card. referencesUnderstand why Gloomhaven actually weighs 20 lbs.Thoughts on The Player of Games, by Iain M Banks (spoiler alert)."The Swedish study" on life expectancy and dog ownership.T...

What is mystery in the 21st century? And why are teen soap operas so addictive? [17:30] This week, Joey and Aaron talk about the observer effect, deep fakes, guts that think, socially acceptable hyperbole, compassion fatigue, and the uncanny valley of drama (which is a thing we might've made up). They don't talk about soaps used by teens. referencesAdobe's Project Voco: text to voice replacement.See what Heartmath Institute is up to. For past episodes and more, visit thisisnonsense.com.

This week: Aaron asks Joey about being sexy on Halloween and Joey asks Aaron about the current state of intimacy. With special guest, Katie Sadow.

This week: Joey asks Aaron about how we connect to music and Aaron asks Joey about meaning in work. For all the songs referenced in the first conversation, we made a playlist of nostalgia, disco, and middle-aged saxophone.The Soul Glo song from Coming to America. Eric Erikson's stages of psychology.The Outline: Red Dead Redemption 2.

This week: special guest Ilana Bondell asks Joey about the culture around Sports versus Celebrity and Joey asks Ilana about the potential for climate change moonshots. Canelo Alvarez and the highest paying contract in history: $365M. Lebron's Laker's deal was $153M. Elon Musk's meltdown: a chronology.Taylor Swift getting out the Tennessee vote.

This week: Joey asks Aaron about what it means to be an expert today and Aaron asks Joey about the future of awards shows. The video where Joey learned about the Black-Scholes model.The Pharrell NYU Masterclass that rocketed Maggie Rogers to fame. The Moonlight moment and Lemonade moment that lost Aaron on awards shows for good.

This week: Aaron asks Joey about drag culture and Joey asks Aaron about movie sequels. Viewership on RuPaul's Drag Race. Matt Damon on studios and the fall of DVDs."Joey's" list of movie sequels and reboots.

This week: Joey asks Aaron about how we might be thinking about Kanye wrong, and Aaron asks Joey about depressed futurists. Kanye's YeKid Cudi's KIDS SEE GHOSTS Bain: The Labor Market by 2020The Hugo Award-winner: Robert Charles Wilson's Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America