(0:00) Open

(2:45) When Good Memories Go Bad: The Distorting Power of Nostalgia

(4:44) The Allure and Deception of Nostalgia

(9:33) How Nostalgia Works

(15:31) The Consequences and Implications of Distorted Nostalgic Memories

(19:50) How to Navigate Nostalgia with Awareness

(30:34) cj’s recommendation: The Handshake From Game 6 of the Dallas-Winnipeg Series

(34:06) Jeff’s Recommendation: Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas

Memory is a tricky, fuzzy thing; your recollection of past experiences may be funny, clever, and enchanting, but if viewed again now, it may instead feel infuriating, obvious, and obscure.

The word nostalgia is a compound word derived from Greek, meaning "homecoming" and "pain." The modern view is that nostalgia is an independent, and even positive, emotion that many people experience often. Nostalgia has been found to have important psychological functions, such as to improve mood, increase social connectedness, enhance positive self-regard, and provide existential meaning.

In this episode the guys discuss the allure and deception of nostalgia, how nostalgia works, the consequences and implications of distorted nostalgic memories, and finally how to navigate nostalgia with awareness.

Fortunately, only half of the hosts of this show derive pain from their memories.

Sierra made the games of my childhood. Are they still fun to play? - Ars Technica

Rosy retrospection - Wikiwand

Nostalgia - Wikiwand

Jets' Scheifele scores one for dad's memory in Game 6 against Stars | NHL.com

Jets teammates, Stars players, take extra time with Scheifele on handshake line | NHL.com

Watch Hannah Gadsby: Douglas | Netflix Official Site

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(0:00) Pre-Show

(0:53) Open

(1:30) National Rescue Dog Day

(2:08) cj's week: My Wife Can’t Stand Nonsense

(3:33) Jeff's Week:

(4:45) Headline: Programmers bore the brunt of Microsoft's layoffs as AI writes up to 30% of its code

(9:51) Headline: Laser-powered fusion experiment more than doubles its power output

(14:12) Headline: Google is about to unleash Gemini Nano's power for third-party Android apps

(17:22) Headline: RFK Jr’s plan to ban fluoride supplements will “hurt rural America,” dentists say

(26:15) Headline: AI Darth Vader goes rogue with profanity & slurs

(28:12) Quantex Multimedia Systems

Guess which role was hit hardest in Microsoft’s recent layoffs? The answer might surprise you if you didn’t already know that AI writes up to 30% of their code these days.

Did you know that turning diamond-encrusted, gold-encased fuel into plasma might be the secret to generating a whole pile of energy? Well, a laser-powered fusion experiment is doing just that - more than doubling its previous power output.

And a local, personal AI continues to inch closer for Android users as Google gives app developers access to Gemini Nano via an on-device AI API. What should we build with it first?

Sorry, a TIME Magazine Cover Did Not Predict a Coming Ice Age

Programmers bore the brunt of Microsoft's layoffs in its home state as AI writes up to 30% of its code | TechCrunch

Laser-powered fusion experiment more than doubles its power output | TechCrunch

Google is about to unleash Gemini Nano's power for third-party Android apps

RFK Jr’s plan to ban fluoride supplements will “hurt rural America,” dentists say - Ars Technica

Dihydrogen monoxide parody - Wikiwand

The empire strikes back with F-bombs: AI Darth Vader goes rogue with profanity, slurs - Ars Technica

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(0:00) Open

(0:37) The Lure of the Lie: Exploring Our Susceptibility to Falsehoods

(2:53) Quantifying Bullshit: Pseudo-Profound Bullshit

(6:28) Why Do People Still Believe in Falsehoods?

(29:55) Fighting The Untruth

(34:24) cj’s recommendation: ChatGPT Likes Me!

(35:40) Jeff’s Recommendation: Poker Face

Why do humans, with our big fancy brains, keep falling for obvious falsehoods? The short answer is because it’s comforting, convenient, and often way more fun than the truth.

Thinking critically is hard. Believing something that feels good or already fits your worldview is easy. Brains are efficiency machines - and unless you tell them otherwise, they’ll take the shortcut every time.

Plus, we are social creatures who desperately want to belong. If your group believes the moon landing was faked or that lizard people run the government, you’re more likely to nod along than risk exile from the brunch circle; especially if they sound confident, even if they’re making most of it up.

This episode the guys dig into what is so alluring about the lie by exploring our susceptibility to falsehoods. We all like stories, especially the ones that go down smoother than the bitter pill of reality, but as it turns out, facts, no matter how uncomfortable, are still the facts.

Would you rather hear “you need a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sleep” or “this one weird trick will melt belly fat in 3 days”? Exactly.

Ray Bradbury - Wikiwand

The psychology of pseudo-profound bullshit: Insights from 8 studies

People with lower cognitive ability more likely to fall for pseudo-profound bullshit

Pizzagate conspiracy theory - Wikiwand

Political Bullshit Receptivity and its Correlates: A Cross-Country Validation of the Concept

‘You can’t bullshit a bullshitter’ (or can you?): Bullshitting frequency predicts receptivity to various types of misleading information - Littrell - 2021 - British Journal of Social Psychology - Wiley Online Library

Sorry, a TIME Magazine Cover Did Not Predict a Coming Ice Age

Superstition in The Pigeon

Milgram experiment - Wikipedia

Alternative facts - Wikipedia

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