FULL EPISODE: The Awesome Power Of Incompetence - November 20, 2025

Foreign correspondent Tony Five from the UK bashes into the show covering a New York City subway station ad that smells 'Christmassy'. Tony says why certain small signs in life can feel huge, and David warns that misreading them can snowball into anxiety about future depression. On It's Time For Technology Time, tech expert Carmi Levy covers: Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives; Robotic kitchen with AI cooks and serves 120 meals an hour without human help; Nvidia beats earnings expectations, even as AI bubble concerns mount; Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup called Project Prometheus; and How Epstein used SEO to bury news about his crimes. Neuroscientist Carlos Coronel explains how creative activities are linked to slower brain aging. On Conspiracy Corner, professor of conspiracy studies Nathan Radke uses the public discovery of MKUltra, Watergate, and the Iran-Contra scandal as examples of the awesome power of incompetence. That leads to a discussion of the Dunning-Kruger effect and its origins in analyzing the 1995 Greater Pittsburgh bank robberies. (Check out Nathan's podcast The Uncover Up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.) On Pet Talk – or perhaps Vet Talk – veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford explains why he's traveling to Jamaica to assist animals in need after Hurricane Melissa. Cliff then shares how raccoons are showing early signs of domestication. (Listen to Cliff's podcast Vet Life here⁠⁠⁠.) Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:35) Tony Five (10:00) Carmi Levy pt. 1 (20:00) Carmi Levy pt. 2 (30:00) Carlos Coronel (39:50) Nathan Radke pt. 1 (49:50) Nathan Radke pt. 2 (59:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 1 (1:09:50) Dr. Cliff Redford pt. 2 (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices