Hosted by Merlin Mann and John Siracusa.
John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way.
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Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.Latest Episodes
#43: Pack Mule with a Checkbook
January 12th, 2017 · 117 minutes
The main topic this week is Dad Stuff. Dad Jokes, Dad Hats, and Dad…everything. In particular, when did Dad Jokes become a thing, and exactly what part of that label is supposed to be so bad and insulting?
#42: The Punching in Me
December 22nd, 2016 · 100 minutes
The main topic this week is Merlin’s documentary obsession. Turns out: there are a lot of turns-outs. John and Merlin explore what’s so tantalizing (or off-putting) about some documentary films—as well as the whole genre as a thing.
#41: Jingling Keys
December 15th, 2016 · 180 minutes
Lots of follow-up on Free Will, including thoughts on Heisenberg, tail-chasing, and provocative recent scholarship on whether what we see is “reality.” Around 01:45:00, we fire off the spoiler horn for a discussion of season 1 of HBO’s Westworld.
#40: Slippery Slope to Dr. Manhattan
December 1st, 2016 · 113 minutes
The main topic this week is Free Will. While Merlin has concerns about bong talk and living in a fingernail, John quickly gets things refocused on people's garden-variety defenses of free will and where they probably come from.
#39: Rocks Aren’t Magic
November 16th, 2016 · 116 minutes
This week’s main topic covers teaching kids about technology_ When, how, and what should young students learn about computers at school? How far have things come since Merlin’s Business Administration class and the lectures John suffered on RAM vs. ROM?
#38: The Monkey God Situation
November 1st, 2016 · 108 minutes
The main topic this week has Merlin probing John’s thoughts on the idea of a thing being “wrong within normal parameters.” John calls someone a “super doof,” and both hosts share their strategy for not ending up on a desert island.
#37: A Useless Angle for Swordfighting
October 18th, 2016 · 105 minutes
The main topic this week is whether we’re living in a simulation (and how we’d know it).
#36: The Ragged Edge of What's Possible
October 4th, 2016 · 84 minutes
The main topic is solo parenting. Facing The Shoe Crisis, thrice ruining the dinosaur eggs, and finding yourself in a Staples line that’s literally not moving. Is fear and anxiety really such a smart and time-tested motivator?
#35: A Lot of Them Are Tricks
September 21st, 2016 · 118 minutes
The main topic this week is "magic and superstition." What delights (or angers) your hosts in a magic show? Why can't Cardini get rid of those cards?
#34: All These Assistant Principals are Now Dead
September 6th, 2016 · 131 minutes
The main topic this week is high school reunions. Or, at least it starts out that way.