In this week’s episode, we set out to discuss animals but end up mostly going on a series of wild goose chases. From animals’ heightened senses to the insect worlds living beneath and all around us, tune in to hear a whole lot of horsing around and the occasional gem of wisdom.

Episode Easter Eggs

• Want to learn about how we try to copy nature? Biomimicry is for you!
• Ants are pretty cool. Watch them build a floating raft of… ants!
• Be wary of skin-walkers and changelings (+2 for your due diligence).
• Hear about the circle of life in a catchy song you may recognize from 90s Disney.
• A lame and forgotten superhero tries to reignite his career in Grant Morrison’s Animal Man.
• Who remembers Animorphs?
• David Foster Wallace asks you to “Consider the Lobster.”
• Did you know owls can see the ultraviolet spectrum?
• Listen to whales communicating and let us know how close we were to emulating their calls (+5).
• Octopi and Cephalopods oh my!
• Was anyone else afraid of sharks after watching Jaws?

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In this episode, we’re falling into the void, a concept ripe for exploration by scientists, artists, and spiritual seekers. But what is the void, exactly? The source of everything, or the nothingness that came before it? We discuss a variety of interpretations of the void, from its role in a few major religions to the overwhelming terror it seems to invoke in most of us. But what if the void isn’t something to be frightened of at all? What if it’s just something we don’t understand yet?

Episode Resources & Easter Eggs:

Science Sinkholes:

• Alive or dead? Schrödinger’s cat is both.
• You know the highest point of a rollercoaster? That’s potential energy.
• Glimpse Earth from space in this famous photo: the pale blue dot.

Spiritual Snacks:

• Wuji: a formless nothingness in Taoism.
• Ashes to ashes, dust to dust on Ash Wednesday.
• Ever felt god-like? Welcome to theosis.
• Draw parallels between the Buddhist idea of Nirvana and the void.

Mind Benders:

• L’appel du vide (French for the call of the void).
• Learn about Nietzsche.
• Check out the big three: existentialism, fatalism and nihilism (warning: existential malaise may ensue).

Books and Media:

• Ever thought it would be cool to live mostly virtually? Ready Player 1 says it might not be so fun, after all.
• Confuse your brain with this documentary by trying to comprehend infinity (+infinity if you manage it).
• Draw a creature from one of Lovecraft’s stories. (Don’t forget the unspeakable horrors +5.)

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