Take Back the Day

Sam overviews her recent problem solving endeavours including poop spatulas and pods for your ears. While deliberating on friction in our lives and how to remove it, we mention... The incredible Shōgun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun_(2024_miniseries)) miniseries. Temu. They really don't need us to link to them. Various Apple products. They, too, seem to be doing fine without our links. The Station Eleven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_Eleven_(miniseries)) miniseries. • Red Dead Redemption 2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dead_Redemption_2) • The Untitled Goose Game (https://goose.game/)

Our intrepid explorers consider the world's many overlooked and dissapearing organisms, and how to think about changing environments while making more of what is already around us. Along the way, Sam and Simon mention: The Cape Silverside, or "Sukkelvis" fish. Else Bostelmann (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Else_Bostelmann) The Schmidt Ocean Institute (https://schmidtocean.org/) Godzilla x Kong (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14539740/) Last Chance to See (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8696.Last_Chance_to_See) by Douglas Adams Cave of Forgotten Dreams (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664894/) Survive the Century (https://survivethecentury.net/) The How to Save a Planet (https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet) podcast. All We Can Save (https://www.allwecansave.earth/) Palworld (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palworld) Love on the Spectrum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_on_the_Spectrum_(American_TV_series)) Saunas and their associated cold-water shenanigans. You don't need a link. The Boy and the Heron (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_and_the_Heron) Vengeance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vengeance_(2022_film)) The Book with No Pictures (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821299-the-book-with-no-pictures)

Games are fun. Work... not so much. Sam and Simon reconnect after many aeons spent not speaking on the internet to talk about games, and why they're fun and important in a way that work isn't and is. Along with other stuff. Things mentioned in this episode: Hearthstone (https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/) (don't you dare click that link). Rabble (https://joinrabble.com/) - for tricking adults in the UK into exercising. The Oatmeal (https://theoatmeal.com/) and Matthew's awesome games, including: Poetry for Neanderthals (https://www.explodingkittens.com/products/poetry-for-neanderthals). Honey Heist (https://gshowitt.itch.io/honey-heist) - be a goddamn bear. FU (https://www.perilplanet.com/freeform-universal/) - The Freeform Universal RPG system. Bouldering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouldering). Go (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game)) - games don't get much gamesier than that. Smallworld (https://www.daysofwonder.com/small-world-universe/small-world/) - especially the digital versions on Steam and elsewhere. The story of Monopoly and American capitalism (https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1151367036/story-monopoly-american-capitalism) The amazing Dr Nechama Brodie (https://nechamabrodie.com/) Microsoft Excel World Championship (https://fmworldcup.com/excel-esports/microsoft-excel-world-championship/) The Future (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/123163147) by Naomi Alderman Girls of Little Hope (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62825562-girls-of-little-hope?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_20) by Sam Beckbessinger and Dale Halvorsen Radiolab's mind-blowing podcast on The Interstitium (https://radiolab.org/podcast/interstitium) Acquired, Cautionary Tales, Search Engine, S-town, and other favourite podcasts of Simon's.

Sam and Simon are together in a room, for a change, and discuss the impact of artificial intelligence, existential crises, and a range of other topics. Along the way they mention: The Cope Zine (https://simon.co.za/COPE.pdf) (instructions on how to fold it below) ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/chat?__cf_chl_tk=B07daYor4vLq8_6t4W8A9OJEqUNGVa2ZYBN1RpViGxI-1674117777-0-gaNycGzNFn0) again. Nick Cave's The Red Hand Files on ChatGPT (https://www.theredhandfiles.com/chat-gpt-what-do-you-think/) Francis Fukuyama (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Fukuyama) and his theories on the progress of civilisation. Irresistible (https://www.netflix.com/title/81249604) the movie (one of the many things Simon could not remember). Also Triangle of Sadness (https://www.triangleofsadness.film/). The incredible art of Fanie Buys (https://www.faniebuys.com/). Many games. Including World of Warcraft, Don't Starve Together, Mario Kart, Stardew Valley, League of Legends, and other candidates for Sam and Simon to play together. Wingspan (https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/). How to fold a zine: https://annabrones.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/make-a-one-page-zine.jpg?w=700&h=467

From trippy breath work to commanding a robot army, Sam and Simon are getting ready for a super weird future with its various perils. While discussing their battle strategy they mention: The Wim Hof breathing method (https://www.wimhofmethod.com/) ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/), of course. Clean: The New Science of Skin and the Beauty of Doing Less by James Hamblin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52260482-clean) Building A Virtual Machine inside ChatGPT by Jonas Degrave (https://www.engraved.blog/building-a-virtual-machine-inside/) Midjourney (https://midjourney.com/) Botto (https://www.botto.com/) the autonomous artist. (Thanks for the album art, DALL·E 2 (https://openai.com/dall-e-2/))

Simon reads Sam a poem and our intrepid duo considers the best ways in which to treat our future selves, the tensions that keep life balanced, pros and cons of social media, and myriad other thingies. Along the way they mention: Swan by Mary Oliver (https://www.poetseers.org/contemporary-poets/mary-oliver/mary-oliver-poems/the-swan/) Twitter's impending doom (https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595207476936413187) No One Is Talking About This (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53733106-no-one-is-talking-about-this) by Patricia Lockwood Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58784475-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow) by Gabrielle Zevin Replay (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/341735.Replay?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4B4rDz35fO&rank=1) by Ken Grimwood Stutz (https://www.netflix.com/za/title/81387962) Breath:The New Science of a Lost Art (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48890486-breath?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vuoOEaNc2p&rank=5) by James Nestor

Sam and Simon explore identity, how we change ourselves for each other, and what it means to push for making things better while appreciating the way things are. It's complicated. Along the way they mention: Adventure Time! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Time) Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (https://www.netflix.com/watch/80209608) Morning Pages (https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/) Ann Patchett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Patchett) Clarkson's Farm (https://www.amazon.com/Clarksons-Farm-Season-1/dp/B095RHJ52R) Wilding (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38891828-wilding) by Isabella Tree The Jamison Valley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamison_Valley) How Wolves Change Rivers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q&t=1s)

Sam's robotic brain and Simon's tin heart contemplate practices such as writing, running, meditating - or antyhing else that curiously calls you to do it for its own sake - and what these commitments mean and ask from us as they curiously make their way into the other parts of our lives. Along the way they mention: Return to Oz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Oz) Google Keep (https://keep.google.com/) Obsidian (https://obsidian.md/) Notion (https://www.notion.so/) Shoe Dog (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27220736-shoe-dog) by Phil Knight Jim Rogers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rogers) Born to Run (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6289283-born-to-run) by Christopher McDougall Eat and Run (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13202092-eat-and-run) by Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman The Hardrock 100 (https://hardrock100.com/) The Dreamachine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamachine) DeepDream (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeepDream) Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_%26_Andy:_The_Great_Beyond) Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58784475-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow) by Gabrielle Zevin

What gives things value, and how much should we be worried about that? Sam and Simon discover that everything is rubbish, and along the way mention: Veblen goods (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good) A lot of garbage things that don't deserve extra attention here Cryptotrunks (https://cryptotrunks.co/) Cryptokitties (https://www.cryptokitties.co/) Sir Digby (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo1uZAJh47f/) Vaccines: A Measured Response (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BIcAZxFfrc) Google Keep (https://keep.google.com/) Semiphemeral (https://semiphemeral.com/)

Prolific heat-thieves Sam and Simon talk about keeping shit together on this sixtieth episode of Take Back the Day. Things mentioned in this episode: Radiolab's Kleptotherms podcast. (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/kleptotherms) The Overstory by Richard Powers. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40180098-the-overstory) Sam's crazy productivity system (https://www.likeafuckinggrownup.com/productivity-isnt-doing-all-the-things/) (subscribe to her newsletter too). Simon's silly ZARP website (https://www.zarp.cash/). Survive the Century (https://survivethecentury.net/) climate-change game. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53968436-the-secret-to-superhuman-strength). Moss (https://moss.earth/en/home/) and their crypto carbon credits.

When do we self-sabotage? How do we break out of cycles? Can we form new habits? Why did Sam choose to move to a frigid, muddy island off the coast of Europe? We ponder all these questions and more in this episode of Take Back the Day, and along the way we mention: Steven Pressfield and the War of Art (https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/). Mr. Ferriss (https://tim.blog). BF Skinner and his superstitious pigeons (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bf-skinner-the-man-who-taught-pigeons-to-play-ping-pong-and-rats-to-pull-levers-5363946/). Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits). Ira Glass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Glass). How to With John Wilson (https://www.hbo.com/how-to-with-john-wilson). Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life).

Yo yo yo. It's another episode of Sam and Simon Speak on the Internet™, bitches! In this episode they touch on: The stupid US elections. Simon's stupid book (https://www.amazon.com/Math-We-Trust-Bitcoin-Cryptocurrency-ebook/dp/B07C7TPXMD). Sam's amazing book (https://www.likeafuckinggrownup.com/books/). M O N E Y . Behavioural.... economics (https://xkcd.com/1894/)? Vanguard (https://investor.vanguard.com/corporate-portal/). Sam's newsletter (https://www.likeafuckinggrownup.com/) (sign up!). Satrix MSCI World ETF (https://satrix.co.za/products/product-details?id=33) (it's a thing you can invest in). Sam's thing she loves: Geocaching (https://www.geocaching.com/play). Simon's thing he thinks is pretty cool: Wave Accounting (https://www.waveapps.com/).

Sam and Simon are making new things, and talking about it on the internet. Some of the things they mention along the way: * Notion (https://www.notion.so/) * Super (https://super.so/) * Product Hunt (https://www.producthunt.com/) * Our friend Lauren (https://laurenbeukes.com/) ♥ * Dr. Bronner's - All-One! (https://www.drbronner.com/) * Gumroad (https://gumroad.com/)

Sam and Simon are extremely locked-down, and explore what this is teaching them. Some of the things mentioned in this episode: The Sims (https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims) (yes, yes, we know) Devs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devs_(miniseries)) Tiger King (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_King) (yes, yes, yes) Quibi (https://quibi.com/) Dungeons & Dragons (https://dnd.wizards.com/) Fiona Apple's new album (https://open.spotify.com/album/0fO1KemWL2uCCQmM22iKlj). One World: Together At Home (https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/connect/togetherathome/) Some Good News (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug) with John Krasinski Hamilton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)) Second Life (https://secondlife.com/)

Sam and Simon had a conversation on the internet after a very long time of not doing so. They examine the reality of this crazy alternate timeline the world has slipped into where sentient cheetohs seemingly run the galaxy and staying at home to play video games all day is sanctioned. Some of the cool, cool things we mention in this episode: * Don't Starve (https://www.klei.com/games/dont-starve) * Fireside (https://fireside.fm/) and Zencastr (https://zencastr.com/) * Daniel Defoe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Defoe) and his [A Short Account of the Progress and Effects of the Plague ...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37281399-a-short-account-of-the-progress-and-effects-of-the-plague-which-prevail?ac=1&fromsearch=true&qid=UBSVEPLXXZ&rank=3)_ * Matthew Barge (https://www.instagram.com/mbarge) * Houseparty (https://houseparty.com/) * Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/) and Zoom (https://zoom.us/) We'll probably talk on the internet again.

Sam and Simon have started a business! With EACH OTHER! It's made them contemplate the joys of tiny ambitions, tiny spaces, and caring about tiny problems.Also howzit, American friends. Y'all okay over there? Things seem pretty bleak. We're sending cuddles.Things we talk about in this episode:Being an entrepreneur is 90% doing adminBusiness science is astrologyThe few things Simon can't live without: Levis 510s, Superga sneakers, and his Samson Go MicSam Harris talking to Scott Adams about TrumpThe Nintendo SwitchHow the US Army uses Sci-fi movies to recruit peopleUlysses, Sam's favourite writing app, and iBooks AuthorThe Economy, an economics textbook for the 21st CenturyThe trailer for Blue Planet II “Motivation consists not of massive bursts of inspiration but instead finding joy in little everyday activities.” — @dailyzen on Twitter

Sam and Simon kick off the year from a wuthering height (Cape Town summer is hella windy, yo) to discuss their intentions for 2017, and their best discoveries from 2016. Simon also tells us why he's planning to build himself a remote cabin in the woods (with high-speed broadband).Discussed in this episode:Tim Ferris discussing his end of year ritual to focus on the things that actually matter, and making "not to do" lists.Scott Adams, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.Freakonomics Radio podcast, A still fascinating 2011 New Yorker profile about that billionaire vampire, Peter Thiel.The (like, only) good thing South Africa did in the 80s: voluntarily dismantled our nukes (probably for terrible reasons, but still).And our favourite things of the year:Two fascinating DAO projects: Wings and BitNation.Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Overture.Adventure Time.Glorious Trainwrecks.Twine.The Hamilton musical.bell hooks, Feminism is for Everybody.

We think 2016 could've tried harder. Disheartened as we are, this episode looks at the up and downiness of a strange few months, and whether the world is really getting stupider. We also manage to talk about some productivity stuff. Charlie Brooker’s yearly ScreenwipeEven Kanye is mentally beleagueredLe Tigre.The Village SquareAlain de Botton's plan for secular churchesThe World Until Yesterday by Jared DiamondTom Waits stopped drinking a long time agoSushi Go! (the board game)Exploding Kittens & Bears vs Babies (the other board games)Google PhotoscanModernist poetry in generalRefly EditorCollaboration on Keynote"The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that, 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'.” -Isaac Asimov

Simon and Sam talk about all the things Pokemon Go can teach us about life, why you should  beware of weird unlabelled food products, and the virtues of deliberately exposing yourself to things that are bad for you.Plus! Hear our friend Jono Hall reading out a bit of his short story, first published on our Medium collection, Drippy Fun Times. Send us your stories too!Things we talk about on this episode:How it's weird when old Apartheid generals give you PokeballsThe Dresden Files - an RPG that makes real life more fantasticalThe Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris - which, fuckit, we still think is kinda smartThe Lean Startup by Eric ReisRuss Fujioka's fun article about Pokemon and MillenialsThe 2014 April Fool's Day video from Google that gave us a sneak peak of Pokemon Go without us realisingThe Code: Numbers, Shapes and Predictions - a documentaryI'm a Strange Loop by Douglas HofstadterGabriel Weinberg's excellent list of Mental ModelsThe strange subreddit, "Insightful Squirrel Men"The NSFW subreddit, "Library Girls"Minitel, France's version of the Internet before the Internet was a thingThe Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber BUT DON'T READ ANY BLURBS JUST READ THE BOOKMoney From Nothing by Deborah James

Predicting the future is a chump's game. Going back into history and seeing what they thought the future (i.e. now) would look like, is the best reminder that we have no idea about anything. Join Sam and Simon as they discuss the joys of being a perpetual beginner, how much fun it is to be a Swiss Army Person, admitting we don't know shit about shit, and how our alien overlords are likely to punish us if global politics keep going the way they're going.Things we talk about:Bitcoinsocks.com, Simon's and @nicharry's awesome new online store that sells, YOU GUESSED IT, Bitcoin socks.  They are rad. Simon and Nic launched this thing in like 2 days because they are wizards.CS50, the intro to computer science course you've always wanted, available for free on the interwebz, and other ways of learning to code.The documentary She's Beautiful When She's Angry.Whether Game of Thrones is secretly about climate change.Get your shit together, global politics U R DRUNK. But the New York Times published a pretty interesting long read about who Trump supporters are and you should read it.Is Snapchat a thing now? (tl;dr: no)Shopify, the thing that lets you build an ecommerce business in, like, minutes.Google Fusion Tables, for data nerdz. In the future, there will be HELICOPTERS FOR EVERYBODY! Except, you know, women.

Important news: come write short stories with us over at Drippy Fun Times on Medium. We want your stories!In a conversation that sounds like it's fuelled by caffeine and PCP, Sam and Simon talk about why they're so distracted all the time. They debate why context switching is so bad for you, and whether there's anything we can do to focus more on what matters. Featuring a lot of talk about rats and strange music genres.Things we talk about:Every noise at once, where you too can learn about fun new genres like Strut, Vaporwave, Bubble Trance and Deep Happy Hardcore.Our new short story Medium collection, Drippy Fun Times, which means that Simon doesn't have to donate a Bitcoin to Donald Trump, yay! Also, COME WRITE STORIES WITH US.Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (NOT by Karen Armstrong, woops).A NEW STUDY SHOWS that context switching lowers your IQ. Also, you should never believe anyone who says the words, "a new study shows".Where to put your thoughts while your brain is focusing on important things: the big Google Keep, Google Inbox, Evernote playoff.Google App Scripts are magic and you can throw away Excel now.Fuckoins, the new currency Simon and I are making. Kurzesagt's amazing video about how you're not what you think you are.CGP Grey on why your brain isn't, either.Momentum, a Chrome app that might help you focus.PS: if you live in Cape Town, Simon and I want to take you out for a beer. No, really. Tweet us at @simondingle or @greenhamsam to let us know you're keen and we'll find a time. BOOM. The famous "Rat Park" mentioned in this episode. Go check out the full comic by Stuart McMillen over here. It's rad.   

OMG GUYS LET'S WRITE SOME STORIESSimon and Sam challenge you all to a short story writing competition! All you need to do is write your story on Medium and post a link to it in the comments. We're going to make a collection on Medium. If we love your story we'll read a bit of it out loud on our next podcast. Do eeet! You have until next Tuesday. Whenever next Tuesday might be for you.In this very drippy episode, Sam and Simon consider whether we might be living in a video game. We talk about whole mind simulation, Rick & Morty, keeping it real, and debate whether or not humans might ever forget how plumbing works. Again.Things we talk about:Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life by Nick Lane.This article proving that we know nothing about how weight loss works.Wait But Why writing about Cryonics.The Playboy interview with Ray Kurzweil. Simon reads it for the articles.The philosophical brilliance of Rick & Morty.Whether Jake from Adventure Time is super-creepy.The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.The Dot Spot by Dorothy Black.Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom.J. G. Ballard books. All of them, but specifically Concrete Island.Two of the best short stories ever, "The Last Question" and "The Last Answer" by Isaac Asimov. “We aren’t fleshy bags of magic. We’re fleshy bags of bacteria.”” — Simon Dingle

Simon's back in London-town again where he's avoiding Sam's hugs, so we spoke on the internet about the weird way we classify humans into generations, and what makes this generation's work prospects different. Or maybe exactly the same.The definition of a "Millennial" (Sam speculates it has something to do with belly chains)Proof that old people have been complaining about young people forever Montage of Heck, that Kurt Cobain documentary Gen X's like Charles Bukowski's letter to John Martin about the lie of the 9 to 5Entrepreneurship without capital, and rent-seeking legislation that tries to stop itIs Bitcoin about to fail? Simon gives us an update.Octodad: Dadliest Catch - a game of deception and tentaclesConstruct 2 - an easy way for non-developers to make gamesOn Writing: Charles BukowskiSandman: Overture by Neil GaimanHITRECORD - Jason Gordon Levitt's new internet experiment 

The only thing we can be sure of is that we don't know anything. So, isn't it weird that everyone pretends to be so sure of what they're doing with their life when you meet them at a braai? This leads Sam and Simon down a conversation rabbit hole involving consciousness, language and how to train your washing machine."Screw Finding Your Passion" - an excellent short read by Mark MansonThings boytjies talk about while they're grilling animal flesh over an open flameWaitButWhy on how Elon Musk does amazing thingsHow to answer the question, "So, what do you do?"SelfLife, the religion Simon's kid invented (which is super profound)Life in the Mediterranean, and why people live so long in the Blue ZonesEpicureanism's four principles of happiness (the "Tetrapharmakos") Mindfulness and the spectrum of consciousness your own brain is capable ofThe amazing interactive version of Nam Lee's story, "The Boat"Join the hunt to find out what happened to the refugee boat that went missing on the Mediterranean, Ghost BoatGoogle's open sourced machine learning project, TensorFlow, also, WTF is machine learning?Chomsky on how the brain learns grammarWelcome to your Brain by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang This is the washing machine you heard in the background of the episode. That's Simon on the left, Sam on the right, and a creepy demon child that's possessing Simon's flat on the floor.  “... ‘Not knowing’ is the whole fucking point. Life is all about not knowing, and then doing something anyway. All of life is like this. All of it. And it’s not going to get any easier just because you found out you love your job cleaning septic tanks or you scored a dream gig writing indie movies.” — Mark Manson

Sam and Simon talk about food. Sam's trying a Soylent diet because Veganism is really hard. Simon thinks she's crazy and food is delicious. We talk about why yeast is fascinating, and Katy Perry's boobs. Warning: this episode might make you hungry.Stuff mentioned in this show:Soylent of the DIY variety Why it's hard to be a lazy veganPortlandia on the politics of ordering chicken in restaurantsThe Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael PollanWhy mushrooms are bizarre and wonderfulWhere does yeast come from?A SBMC comic about our body's microfaunaMichiel Heynes and the untranslatability of the Afrikaans word fokGenesis Mining: now YOU TOO can become a mining mogulShapeshifter for swopping cryptocurrenciesOld Mutual Savings Monitor tells us exactly how broke South Africans areThe International (Dota2) and sportsing for geeksThe joy of Katy Perry GIFs Photo : Zuidhof, MJ, et al. 2014 Poultry Science “Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.” — Warren Buffet

One day all humanity is going to be wiped off the face of the planet. What do we do when it does? In this episode, Sam and Simon talk about getting to Mars, doomsday scenarios and the things we want to learn about the world before we all die.The Apple watch, and it's one rad feature (sending heartbeats).How Slack has finally killed email, through the superpower of PIVOTING.What are Bloom Filters, and What is Code, and how we should try to understand the lego blocks that make up our world.XKCD 505, and making computers out of rocks.Pluto is sexy. The science that got a camera there is even sexier.The giant tsunami that's going to wipe out the west of America, and how we can't seem to do anything about doomsday scenarios.The dozen different apps Simon uses to try to wrangle his to-do lists.What we'd do to get onto Mars-One.The Martian by Andy Weir, and Leo Laporte's wonderful interview with him.The Sunrise calendar app.The great Photoshop versus Sketch debate.Sam's new favourite podcast, Mortified podcast.Triggerfish's Storylab contest for screenwriters who want to make films about Africa. Which are sorely needed. Because Adam Sandler. “Physics. It will happen to you.” — Simon Dingle

When we're less afraid to fail, we end up doing more radical stuff. Simon and Sam have a conversation about badassery, Mad Max, lady vikings, and what we can learn from companies that made giant epic failures. Also, you can find out what Simon would do if he had powers of invisibility.Stuff we talk about:Simon's podcast mistress, Binary (it's awesome, give it a listen)Anything You Want by Derek SiversFranschhoek Literary Festival and why traditional publishing is stupidSuper Friendship Arcade and awesome indie gamesGiant Google failures like Wave and GlassGiant Apple failures like the Newton, Maps and PingMad Max is the most bestest thing ever and it's making the MRA menz madMagic Leap is making something magical and we wish we knew what it wasBadass warrior women of history #ladydespotLizards that reproduce without man-lizards. The blogging platform Ghost  

We've reached the point where our technology speaks to us. But does that software have enough to say? When will we be able to build artificial intelligence with personality? And is everything getting more bland because the teams who make things are too big?These and many other questions go completely unanswered when Simon and Sam have a conversation about robotic personalities and constraints on our creativity. Things we talk about: Siri should be weirderAn online version of Jorge Luis Borges' Library of BabelWhy don't more artist types get involved with technologyThe best ever Twitter account, Horse eBooks (Sam knows it was fake but doesn't care)The movie HerBlack Mirror Season 2 Episode 1, "Be Right Back"Why the need for merchandising made Avengers: Age of Ultron so badBenedict Cumberbatch reading Kafka's Metamorphosis makes Sam's panties explodeAnother movie about robots with personality, Ex Machina What you can learn from film-makers about how to run your company betterRelated: how the principles of Agile programming can help you run your family better Assembly: a platform that helps to co-ordinate project-based virtual teamsTwo great dice-based games: StoryCubes and Zombie Dice “Twitter can fuck off.” — Sam

Is the space you're working in making you dumber? Or is that just one of many other excuses we tell ourselves about why we're not getting stuff done? Sam and Simon discuss workspaces and serendipity this week. Also, why Sam secretly wants to join the German navy (her reason involves existentialism, not seamen). Stuff mentioned in this episode:The magic of PrestikDoes having more light in a room make you more productive? Apparently it might make you more productive, but less creative.Shingy, AOL's ridiculous digital "visionary" who took the desk out of the CEO's office at AOLWhy Steve Jobs obsessed about where to build the bathrooms at PixarBarking Up the Wrong Tree on why having other people around might make you more productiveThe secret lives of bored German navy officesMike Rowe in a fascinating Ted Talk about Dirty JobsAmy Wrzesniewski's research indicating that how you feel whether your job is meaningful is probably more about you than about the actual job you're doingBrent Schlender's Becoming Steve Jobs and the cargo cult of SteveData-driven decision making versus following your gutThe incredible story about how one man became an accidental celebrity in China, which led to a chat about Sino Weibo and how social networks have lost the ability to foster serendipitous connections “You don’t follow your passion, you bring it with you.” — Lakey Peterson

A weird Meerkat experiment in which Sam and Simon try live-streaming their conversation, and discuss how we act differently when we're being observed. It's all very meta.Stuff mentioned in this episode:SxSW is happening, so expect new connected toilets any day nowActual meerkats, and why they're awesome, and why you should watch Meerkat Manor, a meerkat soap operaThe Hawthorne EffectSelfie sticksThe first rule of UX Design: "Don't Make Me Think" - hat-tip to Steve KrugHearthstoneSurgeon Simulator: the game, but more importantly, the videos of other people playing the gameSam's secret obsession with videos of people squeezing pimples (no link supplied, go Google it yourself YOU FREAKS)A 100 person LARP of Hamlet in DenmarkAfrikaBurn and ephemeral experiencesWhy Ideocracy is wrong and people are actually getting smarterSnapchat Discover and what this means for how news is changing (again)Timeline, Vox and cribnotes for the newsBlinkist, for 15 minute versions of non-fiction booksSlack: the email killer “It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it’s called Life.” — Terry Pratchett Yet another picture of a naked mole rat. You know you wanted it. 

We all believe honesty is generally a good thing, right? But we all agree to keep secrets, whether for our country or for the company we work for. Sam and Simon think this is bullshit. Honesty surfaces data, and helps people to make better decisions.Except if there's an axe murderer coming to kill a member of your family. Then we think maybe lying isn't a terrible idea.In other news: hey, we launched a Patreon page! If you like what we do, we'd be grateful if you could support us. This will help us to create more betterer podcasts, and one day move into a room without a taxidermied duck in it.Stuff mentioned in this episode:The (blessedly quite boring) leak of South African spy cablesSpeculation about whether Julian Assange is still living in the Ecuadorian embassy (apparently he is)The Tor browser, which is a safer way to rummage around in the Internet's dirty underwearLying by Sam HarrisKant's idea of the categorical imperativeA post from Buffer's Joel Gascoigne about why they've embraced salary transparency in their businessMaverick by Ricardo SemlarThe UK's proposed amendment to the Small Business Bill, requiring companies to disclose gender pay-gap detailsSimon's wonderful piece lamenting the ways little boys are told they're not allowed to be like little girlsAn app that calculates your Lobola value (bride price)Be Not Content by William CraddockYou can now play Cards Against Humanity on the Internet - hoorah!Simon's new favourite podcast app, Overcast Alfred the Goose of Terror. Look at the CLAWS on his WINGS.

This week we cast our doubts in the direction of resolutions and the underwhelming challenges that humans set themselves. Can we stick to our plans and what are ways to game our psychology and do the right things when we really have to? Part of the secret, we decide, is being disagreeable…Stuff mentioned in this episode:Dataclysm by Christian RudderThe year of the goatWaking Up by Sam HarrisThe golden quarterThe Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System by James RickardsSteven LevittCapital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty, Arthur GoldhammerAntifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas TalebThe Internet Archive’s Software Library of MS-DOS GamesIncredipedeFreedom Wars

Sam and Simon get together in one of South Africa’s oldest theatres to discuss mindfulness and being present in the shit that you’re doing while you’re doing it.Stuff mentioned in this show:Mindball – the lack of thinking game thing.Sam Harris’s talk about Free Will at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in 2012.The Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett.Korea.Leo Laporte’s awesome interview with Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, on Triangulation.Radiolab’s amazing Decoding the Void episode.Why Nations Fail by by Daron Acemoğlu, James Robinson.Evernote Context.

Why do we trust people and what makes them trust us? Is it a magical process of magicness or a flow of chemicals we can control once we understand it? After a long hiatus, Sam and Simon decided to have another conversation on the internet about the things that make us trust and how to work with or against them…Stuff mentioned in this episode:The Moral Molecule: the new science of what makes us good or evil by Paul J ZakThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanThe elephant and the rider thing, part of the Happiness HypothesisOryx and Crake by Margaret AtwoodCrash Course  by John GreeneSlate’s Working podcast.

Sam is in the USA. She met Barack Obama. Yes, that one. And we’re not even joking. In this episode we look at the connections people share with other people and how astonishingly useful they can be.The president of the galaxy – who Sam met.Beginner’s Mind.Six degrees of Kevin Bacon.Essentialism by Greg McKeown.Fuck it by John Parkin.Awesome Tapes from Africa – for discovering obscure but awesome music.Trello – for organising all the things.Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull.Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Just quit. You know what we’re talking about – that job you hate… the relationship that’s tanking. Just stop. Say no. Follow Sam’s example and give it up.The many change-proofing systems surrounding cognitive dissonance.The super-smart Daniel Kahneman.The Bassline.Failure is not a cause for celebration.Thingful – find anything in the world that is also on the internet.Apple’s new Swift programming language.The secret cottage Simon doesn’t want you to know about so he can go there whenever he wants.Fuck: An Irreverent History of the F-Word by Rufus Lodge.

Do you need an idea before you create something, or does going through the motions of creating something precede the idea? Sam and Simon reach some conclusions.Stuff mentioned in this episode:Slate’s podcasts, including Gabfest.Stephen King’s On Writing: A memoir of the craft, again.Salmon-wrestling in the Yemen, our smart friend Jono’s comic.Derek Sivers and his book, Anything you want.Zombie Dice.Paper by FiftyThree.A picture of Macaulay Culkin wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Ryan Gosling wearing a t-shirt that has a picture of Macaulay Culkin.Party Monster.Afrika Burn where Sam spoke to god and Simon saw some fire.How Sound – the backstory to great radio storytelling.The largest vocabulary in hip hop.Undercurrent – the organisation Sam referred to.   Macaulay Culkin wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Ryan Gosling wearing a t-shirt that has a picture of Macaulay Culkin  And Popeye. Not so full of iron.

In this episode Sam and Simon discuss getting computers to do and say things for you, so you don’t have to.Stuff mentioned in this episode:Buffer and the act of being current you in the future world.The story of Pia Farrenkopf who may have died in her car a long time ago.Storify and letting computers tell your stories for you.Dashlane – the password manager.StoryWorth – get people to tell you stuff.If This, Then That – a really good way to make computers do stuff for you.Pushbullet – receive messages when stuff happens.The graphic novel version of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.The new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with Neil deGrasse Tyson.Perloo – a strange game.2048, the math game.

You may have figured out how to get data about stuff, but that doesn’t make it important. Or does it? This week Sam and Simon discuss tracking things, the value of conferences and some other stuff too…Stuff discussed in this conversation:NOT Sam’s life.Good Morning in Stockholm – probably Simon’s favourite conference.Design Indaba, which is not being attended by either of us.Marissa Mayer with her fabulous clothes and massive, data-driven brain.Rory Sutherland and the cult of measurebation.Fitbit that Simon pretends to draw data insights from.Her – an amazing movie about technology getting creepy.Ray Kurzweil with his massive brain.Evernote’s Post-It integration that Sam uses to catalogue her entire life.Flappy Braille – in which you can play Flappy Birds in your browser’s address bar.Sarien where you can play classic adventure games.We don’t sell saddles here by Stewart Butterfield – who is also responsible for Slack.How much my novel cost me by Emily Gould.Mark Andreessen‘s predictions for the news industry.

The dichotomy of productivity is that you have to spend a lot of time doing nothing in order to do other stuff well. In this conversation Sam and Simon explore the quest for pointless activities. Stuff mentioned in this episode:The ridiculous cost of sportses, and how it impedes our progress as a species.Bertrand Russell, who had a lot to say about doing nothing.The Pomodoro Technique.The 4-hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.The elephant and rider problem from the Happiness Hypothesis.Freedom for Productivity, which keeps Sam off the internets when she needs to do stuff.Mihály Csíkszentmihályi‘s Flow psychology.Hemingway – Simon’s new favourite writing tool.George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language.The Count Censored.Nyancoin – our new official currency. And Dogecoin. Because Homestar Runner.Momentum for Chrome.Slaan daardie slang.

According to your parents, you can do anything. This sort of over-compensating encouragement presents a number of challenges for adults doing stuff in the world. Sam and Simon discuss this and other things.Stuff mentioned in this conversation:Google’s gay doodle.Sherlock.Carol S. Dweck.Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin.NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman.Benjamin McLane Spock.Vladimir Putin.Krav Maga.Sochi’s hotel disaster.Mitchell and Webb’s Football, Football, Football and also Peep Show.Zen Pencils.Slack: Be less busy.22seven for Android.Buzzfeed.

Does the world happen to you or do you happen to the world? In this week’s conversation Sam and Simon ponder the power of stories and how what we tell ourselves not only affects us, but the people around us too. It’s all science, and very magical…Stuff mentioned in this conversation:The Mindscape of Alan Moore.The flâneur pops up again.The disputed history of the suit.‘The Secret’ – one of those books that doesn’t deserve a link. Because woo bullshit.David McRaney’s You Are Not So Smart blog. Again.Kevin Smith’s Smodcast endeavour and the Fat Man on Batman episode with Grant Morrison.Todoist – Sam’s favourite todo-list thingy.Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon on the legacy of Buffy.

Why do we do things? And when we’ve done them, why must we share them? These seem like trivial questions because they probably are, but Sam and Simon must discuss. And share.Stuff mentioned in this conversation:HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator.Sam’s blog-type thing.Simon’s un-blog on Medium.David McRaney’s very successful blog.Kurt Vonnegut, but actually David Foster Wallace.‘O Superman’ by Laurie Anderson.Cobook.How sleep clears all the shit out your brain.Segmented sleep.Richard Mulholland’s blog post about Creatives.

Money, and the stories we tell ourselves about it and everything else around us, is the focus of conversation this week.Stuff mentioned in this conversation:Bitcoin and Simon’s Bitcoin article.Mark Boyle, the Moneyless Man and an interview with him.La Digue island in the Seychelles.You Are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney.Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.Nassim Taleb, the Twitter curmudgeon.The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall.David Blaine’s Real or Magic.The Renamer. “The three most harmful addictions are heroin,carbohydrates, and a monthly salary. ” — Maybe Nassim Taleb

Will making a resolution take you anywhere except sad? In our first episode of 2014 Sam and Simon look at resolutions and routines, getting smarter with who you are so you can find the best way to work. Happy new year Stuff we mentioned in this episode:How we spend our days is how we spend our lives on Brain Pickings.Nassim Taleb’s Antifragile.Automattic.King of Tokyo and Richard Garfield.The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton.The Pylon Appreciation Society.Workflowy.

Doing what’s right can be difficult when the world is offering you easy rewards for doing the wrong thing. This week Sam and Simon remember Nelson Mandela in their discussion of sticking to your guns, turning enemies into partners and just plain doing the right thing.Stuff mentioned in this episode:Al Jazeera English – online news streaming with no strings attached.Nelson Mandela. Our mascot for doing what’s right.We mentioned Jarred Diamond. Again. For writing The World Until Yesterday.The Fox and the Flies by Charles van Onselen.Bjork’s explanation of how television works.Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno.GTA V.Summoner Wars. So good. And Richard Mulholland for introducing us to it.Fortune and Glory.King of Tokyo and Richard Garfield.

Could you, should you, do more than one thing at a time? Sam and Simon aren’t convinced its possible and discuss the best way to tackle a bunch of things that need doing.Stuff mentioned in this episode:Japan, specifically Sapporo.Gmail’s new features.The Shallows by Nicholas Carr.Flipboard for finding awesome stuff on the internet.Feedly for curating awesome stuff you find on the internet.RescueTime for trying, and probably failing, to take control of your time.FitBit.Workflowy.How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil.Lily Looking Through.

Will winning awards elevate your career to the next level? This week’s conversation looks at being a corporate contrarian and questions the sanity of your virtual CV.Stuff mentioned in this episode:The Bookmarks Awards.Mobile World Congress.A bunch of social networking sites that really don’t need more traffic.Path. Where Simon gets close.Mxit. Sam isn’t sold.Neil Gaiman.Sir David Attenborough.How to interact with the introverted.

Perception is reality a lot of the time, especially where ideas and working with information is involved. This week Sam and Simon talk about managing perceptions and dragging reality along for the ride.Things mentioned in this episode:Sam is learning Monotyping.The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.Poorly Drawn Lines.And Then Steve Said, ‘Let There Be an iPhone’.Nyan Cat.Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.Søren Kierkegaard.Tim Minchin.The Hermann Rorschach Google Doodle.Masters of Sex.

What you put in your body directly affects your moods and ability to do stuff. In this episode Sam and Simon discuss getting to know your body and how to prime it for pure awesomeness. Turns out beer might have a place in your productivity diet - and, of course, coffee. Stuff and people mentioned in this episode:Varenicline that Sam is using to stop smoking.Champex. Not a medicine.23andMe genetic testing.Bonk by Mary Roach.Sophia Wallace.Comedian Simon Amstell.Your brain on coffee vs. beer.This Will Make You Smarter by John Brockman.What Is Your Dangerous Idea?by John Brockman.How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams.The Walking Dead - a great TV show based on an awesome comic.Breaking Bad - another great TV show that Simon watched after everyone else.

Sam and Simon materialise in closely proximate time and space for an actual, real person discussion about goals and systems, democracy in the workplace, memory devices and other curious things. It's all happening. Stuff mentioned in this episode: Brain Pickings. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams. As We May Think by Vannevar Bush. The Blood episode of Radiolab. 23andMe. Sex, Death and The Meaning of Life by Richard Dawkins. Google and Calico.