Episodes

How far would you be willing to go to experiment with your health? This week, Joey and Jess talk about peptides, biohacking, Silicon Valley libertarian culture, Bryan Johnson, exercise, and salt. They don’t talk about The Gelflings. references Confirmations Department: Yes, Tears for Fears Vectorculture: Not For Human Consumption Peptide Mounjaro Wired: Bryan Johnson Is Going to Die Food & Wine: Morton vs. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: What’s the Difference? Solid Wiggles

Why do we keep using short-form video? This week, Joey and Jess talk about dopamine culture, friction, flow state, floating, smoking, and green juice. They don’t talk about cannolis. references American Psychological Association: Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use Designing Friction Bad UX World Cup The Perfect Date Picker Soy Boy Face / Soyjak Canelé

How do you dress for success? This week, Aaron and Joey talk about fashion plates, professionalism, drag, archetyping, navigating differences, and respect. They don’t talk about Rufio. references Fashion plate Professionalism as a Racial Construct Economic Policy Institute: The CROWN Act Paris is Burning Underground ball culture Everyday Feminism: You Call It Professionalism; I Call It Oppression in a Three-Piece Suit

This week, Aaron, Jess and Joey revisit their 2025 prognogs from Episode 296. They talk about the micro social media surge, cynicism, platform madness, informed styling, blockbusters, weaponized compliance, non-apocalyptic runaway AI moments, and our AI overlords. They don’t talk about eggprogs. references If I ruled the world ... People: Bob Mackie Says 'People Were Horrified' by Cher's 'Naked' 1974 Met Gala Dress, Even Ripping Her Photo off Magazine Covers Tasting ultra-aged eggnog America's...

What does your Zero Farts Land future look like? This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about fucks. And farts. references Empire: Jamie Lee Curtis Is Done Compromising – And She’s Not Slowing Down George Wallace (not George Wallace) Kenan Thompson on We Might Be Drunk with Normand and Morril Janelle James on Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

How do you strategy? This week, Aaron and Joey talk about Elliott Kalan, the School of Let's Figure It Out, emotional distance from work, working in teams, meandering, and strategy that bleeds. They don’t talk about Jamesy P. references Pure Moods Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense by Elliott Kalan 99% Invisible Podcast Episode 646: Interview with Elliott Kalan Corrections Department: Les has never ever ever heard, touched, or even seen a copy of Pure Moods and now fears hi...

Why do we expect the worst? This week, Aaron and Jess talk about simple solutions, Karen moments, assuming malice, Thanos, Falkland's Law, and lemmings. They don’t talk about the famous former power forward for the Boston Celtics or the Hamburger Peddler's rhyming buddy. references Corrections Department: Camila Cabello "I'll Be Home for [Quizmois]" Glee's Kevin McHale Kevin McHale on the Loss of Naya Rivera Hanlon’s Razor Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Cringe Blvd. Slow Horses Falkland's ...

How has technology made us less sure of ourselves? This week, Jess and Joey talk about technological change, Christmas cards, scraping, phone numbers, friendships, and FaceTime. They don’t talk about beepers. references Ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop Rolodex propinquity Don't lose that number, Jenny Sternberg’s Triangular Theory and The 8 Types of Love Mr. Postman Desiigner "LOD Freestyle"

Is it better to generalize or to specialize? This week, Joey and Jess talk about polymaths, running, functional fitness, idea people, curiosity, and Starship Troopers. They don’t talk about dilettantes. references Specialization is for insects. Stardew Valley Forbes: Going Pi-Shaped: How To Prepare For The Work Of The Future 129 Ways to Get a Life Robert A. Heinlein

Are there actually interesting life innovations that are coming out of the content creation boom? This week, Joey and Jess talk about homemade pop tarts, learning letters, the power of song, TikTok, mastering movements, and apple dumplings. They don’t talk about Action Bronson. references The recipe is the sooonnggg. cool.missp: ABCs Turn Up EBITDA What Are Popovers And What Do They Taste Like? Pepperidge Farm Bakery Frozen Spiced Apple Dumplings Pastry

How many other things do we have that we think of as imprecise but are actually pretty precise and agreed upon? This week, Joey and Jess talk about box plots, New York neighborhood names, Australian colloquialisms, measurement language, baking, and square roots. They don’t talk about The Smiths. references Box plot Reading a Box and Whisker Plot Perceptions of Probability The New York Times: An Extremely Detailed Map of New York City Neighborhoods The Journal of Neuroscience: Distinct Contrib...

What if we've become less willing to sacrifice our pawns to take the queen? This week, Jess and Joey talk about Ezra Klein, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Obama, game theory, defaulting to passion, and nuclear weapons. They don’t talk about David Lightman. references The Ezra Klein Show: Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines Nash equilibrium Mutual assured destruction A Beautiful Mind Pareto principle

What's in your notes? This week, Aaron and Jess talk about internet chalk, bottle lining, the Pantry Challenge, gold bars, word clothes, and golden milk. They don’t talk about Gold Bond powder. references Heinz Breakfast Ketchup Paris is Burning trailer The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Chinotto Astral Chain Bossa Bros and Nara Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

How much do you think you can change your personality? This week, Joey and Jess talk about life satisfaction, sad auras, nominative determinism, nature versus nurture, Martin Seligman, magical meat sacks. They don’t talk about marinade bags. references Forbes: How Singer-Songwriter EJAE Found Rumi’s Voice In ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ @thetalesoftayls' sad aura tweet Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Most people's life satisfaction matches their personality traits: True correlations in ...

What are places where wisdom exists where it shouldn't? This week, Joey and Jess talk about the Benner Cycle, feng shui, jelly shoes, BMW dashboards, the bullshit asymmetry principle, and Hitchens's razor. They don’t talk about Christopher Robin. references Human League Benner Cycle Bagua Black–Scholes model Joseph Henrich Enneagram of Personality Strauss–Howe generational theory Brandolini's law Hitchens's razor

Why do we wave from trains and boats? This week, Aaron and Jess talk about kids, duck boats, kerchiefs, air travel, cruise ships, and roller coasters. They don’t talk about chucking the deuce. references Knott's Berry Farm Medieval Times New York Transit Museum L.A. Train Festival 2025 Some Kind of Quest

How are you personally preparing mentally, psychologically for the increased engagement with AI? This week, Joey and Jess talk about AI psychosis, Blake Lemoine, the Turing Test, cognative security, red teaming, and hats. They don’t (yet) talk about NonsenseLLM. references Psycho Killer and the big suit X: Keith Sakata, MD The New York Times: They Asked an A.I. Chatbot Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling. The New York Times: Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happe...

When is old good and when is old bad? This week, Jess, Aaron, and Joey talk about The Bible, first editions, berries, Final Destination, whiskey, and Rick Astley. They don’t talk about Flavor Flav. references Dayspring by Anthony Oliveira sarcophagus

How do you make sense? This week, Aaron, Jess, and Joey talk about intention, trust, assumption, context windows, synchronicity, and drinking. They don’t talk about Pal Joey. references Click, Clack, Moo in book form Click, Clack, Moo Read Aloud Palworld

Why do we do hard things? This week, Joey and Jess talk about the Baddie Performance Index, Barkley Marathons, fun types, self flagellation, dessert stomachs, and natural childbirth. They don’t talk about Saquon. references Barkley Marathons Running so far away

Why is it so important to be cool? This week, Jess, Aaron, and Joey talk about Black culture, 21 Jump Street, social approval, bandwaggoning, alternative hierarchies, and Lauryn Hill. They don’t talk about Digable Planets. references Dru Hill's "5 Steps" Old Man, look at my life. Journal of Experimental Psychology: "Cool is cool wherever you are" Miles Davis' The Birth of the Cool Uncola: Seven-Up, Counterculture and the Making of an American Brand Wired Video: Linguists Explain the History o...

How is it we've convinced ourselves sometimes that we like things that we don't really like? This week, Jess and Joey talk about the big light, the beach, group vacations, going to the movies, nature bathing, and bad drinks. They don’t talk about Mr. Nice Guy. references Rest easy, Brian Wilson Lord have mercy

What new rules should we have? This week, Joey and Jess talk about the Irish Goodbye, music at the beach, phones on the train, zipper merging, gift obligations, and desire paths. They don’t talk about Dua Lipa or New Rochelle. references Zipper Merging

How do y'all protect your sense of possibility? This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about optimism, imagination, resilience, cultural technology, escape rooms, and rules. They don’t talk about the endless persistence of existential dread. references A Thousand Miles to the Pink Pony Club Traitors Dinosaur Island Parkitect Monument Valley Royal Kingdom Hollow Night Thank Goodness You're Here Age of Empires II