Tripping Through Uncanny Valley

Shauna details her busy week getting interviewed by the national press (and the advocacy work that got their attention, and Olivia describes her slightly less fun adventures (though she did get a chance to consume a LOT of pop culture.) Then Shauna tells us about being a mathlete until Olivia challenges her to a bit of mental arithmetic and...BUSTED! Speaking of mental stuff, this week The Junkies look at the Uncanny Valley phenomenon, that eerie feeling we all get when we see something that is nearly but not quite human. Who discovered it? What's the science behind it? And what did our collective ancestors experience that led us to be so afraid of anything pretending to be human? (Hint: it's not NOT aliens.) Olivia and Shauna list their favorite (least favorite, actually) examples of the Uncanny Valley in pop culture, discuss how plastic surgery, filters and AI are turning humans into uncanny versions of themselves, and try to figure out why Olivia is so freaked out by...claymation?The Pop Culture Junkie Podcast can now be seen on YouTube! Click here: https://www.youtube.com/@popculturejunkiepod/videos We have all new Patreon tiers! Be the first to hear new and uncensored content, if you dare! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/popculturejunkiepodcast/posts Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-culture-junkie/id1536737728Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7k2pUxzNDBXNCHzFM7EL8W Website: www.popculturejunkie.com Facebook: PopCultureJunkiePodcast Instagram: @pop.culturejunkies Threads: @pop.culturejunkies Email: [email protected] Shauna on Instagram: @shaunatrinidad Shauna on TikTok: @shaunatrinidad Shauna on Threads: @shaunatrinidad Olivia on Instagram: @livimariez Olivia on TikTok: @livyolife420