FULL EPISODE: Have You Considered Dating a Robot? - March 26, 2026

On It's Time For Technology Time, tech analyst Carmi Levy covers the following news stories: The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the country; OpenAI announces plans to shut down its Sora video generator; Teens are using AI to create 'slander' videos of their teachers; Judge says witness wore smart glasses to sneakily inform their testimony; and Publisher pulls novel over AI concerns. Psychology professor Ghayda Hassan details her testing of an AI dating simulator to help chronically single men practice romantic skills. Computational biologist Nicholas Chia discusses whether the fictional star-eating 'astrophage' bacteria from sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary could plausibly exist out in the cosmos. Bursting with contagious excitement for the ordinary, elevator enthusiast Andrew Reams – of popular YouTube channel DieselDucy – talks about his love of elevators, living with autism, and running an elevator museum. Psychological sciences professor Peter M. Vishton reveals how plants can count, and that they can track the number of events they experience. David calls Peter a plant psychologist and asks, "Are plants people, too?" For Vet Talk or Pet Talk, veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford covers stories: Pharmacies fill pet prescriptions, sparking debate among veterinarians; How an island became ferret free – thanks, in part, to Woody the wonderdog; and Be wary of these metal-related toxicities for pets. Cliff quizzes David with some veterinary trivia. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:46) Carmi Levy pt. 1 (10:00) Carmi Levy pt. 2 (20:00) Ghayda Hassan (30:00) Nicholas Chia (39:50) Andrew Reams (DieselDucy) (49:50) Peter M. Vishton (59:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1 (1:09:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2 (1:19:19) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices