Episode 538: Secretion Exploitation

Real Life  Devon shared highlights from their recent trip to Oregon, where they visited the coast, skipped skiing, and explored a lighthouse. The visit to Tillamook stood out, especially encountering a hilariously judgy giant cow head. Check out Tillamook here. Steven went on a major upgrade spree, adding a new desk chair, soundboard, and computer to their setup. They also delved into tabletop RPGs, including Perils & Princesses (official site), The Princess in Black (learn more), and Slugblaster, with its iconic quantum centipede kickflips. Ben talked about navigating a family challenge with their kid's walking pneumonia, which led to a movie marathon featuring The Martian and Sandlot. They're also looking forward to the upcoming adaptation of Project Hail Mary (movie details). On the gaming side, they played Void Crew. The team also reflected on the Lower Decks season finale, discussing intentionality in media consumption, and debated the myth of multitasking. More about Lower Decks here.   Future or Now Ben reviewed the film Hidden Figures, celebrating the incredible achievements of NASA's "human computers" while highlighting anachronisms like gum-chewing in the 1960s. Read more about the film. Devon recapped the year's biggest science stories, from a total solar eclipse to Europa mission updates and record-breaking heat. Other highlights included mapping the fruit fly brain, Icelandic eruptions, and bird flu concerns. Full list of 2024's top science stories. Steven explored a groundbreaking AI-based therapeutic platform that mimics virus structures to develop innovative treatments. Learn more here.   Book Club This week, the team discussed Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder, diving into its themes of time travel, the butterfly effect, and unintended consequences. Read the story here. Next week, they'll tackle Arthur C. Clarke's The Nine Billion Names of God, a fascinating tale blending religion and technology. The story follows two programmers hired by Buddhist monks to list all possible names of God—a task that might just end the universe. Read it here.