FULL EPISODE: Alien Life, Right Here On Earth - February 5, 2026

The show opens with It's Time For Technology Time and tech analyst Carmi Levy covers the following stories: Moltbook is a new social media platform exclusively for AI, and some of its bots are plotting humanity's downfall; NASA used Claude to plot a route for its Perseverance rover on Mars; A Toronto company is helping Uber go driverless; and Apple just made its second-biggest acquisition ever after Beats. Microbial ecologist Lars Behrendt explains how strange microbes that photosynthesize in the dark of deep caves are transforming our search for extraterrestrial life. Sociology researcher Meaghan Furlano reveals how frustration in hetero relationships has a long history, and that's why today's crisis looks so familiar. For Vet Talk – or is it Cat Talk? – veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford goes over the following: Cats aren't vegans, but why isotopic signatures of their fur could trick us into thinking that way; The signs your cat may not want a feline sibling; and Surge in rabies reports prompts public health concerns. Jane Laboucane⁠, indigenous author of the Kinky Screw novels, goes over the series' smutty, Nancy Drew-inspired protagonist. Therapist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laurel van der Toorn and David discuss how some of Gen Z are turning to ChatGPT to deal with loneliness. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:39) Carmi Levy pt. 1 (10:00) Carmi Levy pt. 2 (20:00) Lars Behrendt (30:00) Meaghan Furlano (39:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1 (49:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2 (59:50) Jane Laboucane (1:09:50) Laurel van der Toorn (1:19:09) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices