Weird Things – Details, episodes & analysis

Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood dig into the latest UFO-file buzz and explain why alien discourse so often feels like an endless build with no bass drop. They talk through why so much recent evidence comes down to misunderstood thermal imaging, camera artifacts, cropped data, and human storytelling instincts, while also criticizing skeptics who dismiss possibilities too quickly. That opens the door to a much bigger conversation about SETI, microbial life in the solar system, civilization-scale energy use, holographic-universe theory, Boltzmann brains, vacuum decay, and the idea that reality may be far stranger than the evidence currently supports. In the second half, they pivot to AI tools and computer automation, with Justin describing his Codex-powered daily briefing workflow, Andrew showing off weird science poster experiments and iPhone control via Mac mirroring, and Brian reacting in real time after buying a MacBook to start exploring computer-use agents. They wrap with a few enthusiastic recommendations from TV, movies, and a very niche automotive documentary release. Picks: Brian Brushwood: Knight Rider Declassified trailer and limited-release documentary project Justin Robert Young: 30 Rock season 2 episode “Rosemary’s Baby” Andrew Mayne: Michael

Artemis gets a victory lap as the crew celebrates the mission’s safe splashdown and talks about how a future moon landing would dominate the internet in a way Apollo never could. From there the conversation turns into an extended AI state-of-the-industry check-in, focusing on Anthropic’s reported compute bottlenecks, Claude reliability complaints, and the restricted Mythos model that appears powerful but not yet practical to serve widely. They compare Anthropic’s strategy with OpenAI’s emphasis on efficiency, lower-cost coding performance, and upcoming model releases, while also discussing how AI companies are navigating government and defense relationships. The back half becomes a hands-on look at OpenAI’s Codex computer-use features, with examples ranging from inbox summaries and printed morning briefings to media sorting, podcast post automation, and desktop app control, all framed around the idea that AI works best when you identify which parts of a workflow require human taste and which parts are just repetitive clicking. Picks: Andrew Mayne: Astromat YT Justin Robert Young: Defunctland’s video on the broken promise of Disney intelligent characters Brian Brushwood: The pilot of Magnum P.I. Andrew Mayne: Double Reel TV

Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a journey through the conceptualization of Handful, a fictional restaurant where gravy is served directly into patrons’ hands. The discussion evolves into the realm of AI-generated content, exploring the implications of AI in creative processes and content distribution. The hosts share insights into the rapid development of AI tools and their personal experiences with technology, emphasizing the importance of human connection and collaboration in navigating the future of creativity. Picks: Andrew Mayne: Tron: Ares Justin Robert Young: Netflix doc series on the 90s Cowboys Brian Brushwood: The Chair Company with Tim Robinson

Bryce has an idea, but not much more than that? What can a F1 pickem league turn into and how do you plus it? Plus, ChatGPT and a pitch for a presidential TV show. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.”

The episode opens with a long discussion of the Department of Energy report and other government assessments about COVID origins. The hosts say they do not know where COVID came from, but argue that lab-leak possibilities should not have been dismissed, and they criticize the shutdown of discussion on social media and within parts of the scientific community. The conversation widens into concerns about polarization, conflicts of interest, undisclosed funding, and the need for a serious investigation into how the origins question was handled. The show then moves through a set of lighter and more varied topics, including a Crew Dragon docking update, a conversation about SpaceX launch cadence, and a detailed discussion of Brightline rail fatalities and safety design in Florida. Later segments cover a story about video games for dogs, a creepy Reddit post about a house hidden inside an attic, and a Massachusetts school crawl space that may have concealed a crypto-mining setup. The episode ends with the usual picks, including recommendations for TV, a podcast, and a Jack London novel. Key topics Lab-leak theory versus zoonotic origin: The hosts contrast a lab-leak hypothesis with animal-origin explanations and repeatedly stress uncertainty. They argue the central issue is not certainty but whether the question was investigated seriously and fairly. Conflicts of interest and research transparency: Andrew raises concerns about undisclosed funding, research ties, and organizations s

Rovio announced a surprising change to one of their flagship games: they’re trying to remove it! Value propositions and how difficult it is to change directions once your project is out. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.” Picks: Justin: TV Funhouse – Disney Vault Brian: The Ur-Quan Masters Bryce: Schafpudel’s guide to Petz

The episode opens with a discussion of an Embraer patent application for an aircraft-seat system that scans passengers' faces, analyzes facial expressions, and may offer non-invasive transcranial stimulation. The hosts first frame it as a possible customer-satisfaction or unruly-passenger tool, then gradually settle on the idea that it could function as a passenger amenity for calming or helping people relax during flights, while also joking about the broader discomfort of air travel and the fantasy of skipping the flight entirely. A large middle section turns to AI-assisted communication. The hosts discuss Samsung's Bixby voice-cloning feature, then broaden into a near-future vision where calls, texts, voicemail, FaceTime, car play, and automated summaries all blur together. Later, they shift to media authenticity and trust, arguing that AI, image processing, and altered video will force society to rely on some kind of certification or verification system for human identity and evidence. Key topics AI-based passenger emotion tracking on airplanes: The Embraer patent includes a digital camera and facial-expression analysis to identify a passenger's emotion, with the hosts speculating about using it to measure customer satisfaction or detect when people are unhappy on a flight. Non-invasive transcranial stimulation as an in-flight amenity: The third part of the patent is described as offering distressed passengers non-invasive stimulation, including direct current, magnetic st

Adapting and adaptability. How do you balance quality and quantity while taking advantage of new spaces? Effort in a world where effort gets more and more efficient. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.” Picks: Andrew: Super Mario Odyssey Brian: Cunk on Earth Bryce: Poker Face

The episode opens with Andrew talking about how his work at OpenAI makes him more cautious about commenting on outside stories, then moves into a run of stories about elaborate pranks and public misdirection. Andrew recounts two balloon-based stunts from his past: putting a motorcycle inside a balloon for an A&E segment and, earlier, faking a UFO over a Florida school field with a lit balloon, which drew curious bystanders, radio calls, and a sheriff's helicopter before they fled and hid. The conversation then shifts to the long-running Hollandale, Florida outhouse prank, with the hosts reading a news account about an outhouse dropped at the post office every Halloween for years, sometimes in a custom White House shape. From there they discuss what makes a prank feel like performance art, compare old high-effort deception to modern prank videos, and talk about travel as an experience, including a British Rail tavern car and United's former men-only Chicago Executive flight. Later the episode covers a World War II bomb found in Yarmouth, England, then turns to the LAPD bomb squad incident in South Los Angeles where illegal fireworks were packed into a containment vessel despite warnings and the blast damaged vehicles, properties, and injured people. The final stretch becomes the picks segment, where the hosts discuss a book about flying cars and gyrocopters, Bryce recommends Midnight Suns, Brian recommends The Modern Rogue's thermite car episode, Andrew recommends The English,

Health talk today! Apps we like and handling cravings. Diet and exercise stories from *not-professionals* about getting started and staying regular. Send your project questions/ideas to neshcom@gmail.com, subject line “After Things.” Picks: Andrew: Apple Watch Ultra Bryce: JEFIT and Lose It!