Category: 9-NotNowMaybeSomeday

Today, we’re dipping into the Allusionist mailbag full of listeners’ linguistic requests, with the help of special guest Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder and The West Wing Weekly podcasts. 

What is the expression ‘beyond the pale’ on about? How do you express the absence of feeling? Does ‘testify’ have anything to do with testicles? Do avocados have anything to do with testicles? How does the phrase “It’s all Greek to me” relate to food styling? Can you have a caper with capers? Are sharks misunderstood, etymologically and morally? And finally: where do allusions come from?

Find out more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/shark-week.

The Allusionist live tour comes to the US, Canada, Britain and Ireland during late 2018: live show listings are at http://theallusionist.org/events. If your town is not listed, check back soon, because more gigs will soon be added!

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According to the U.S. Constitution, the President of the United States has the power to pardon pretty much anyone. This is a broad, sweeping power that past administrations have used in a variety of ways, some more controversial than others. However, in recent years scholars, voters and politicians have wrestled with a strange question: Can a standing President pardon him- or herself? In today's episode, the guys speak with Professor Brian C. Kalt, the author of “Constitutional Cliffhangers: A Legal Guide for Presidents and Their Enemies” to learn about the history and future of pardons -- and what to expect if a standing President attempts to pardon themselves.

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They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

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In which John blames the boring skyline of Los Angeles on Regulation Number 10, an ill-conceived attempt at making every building in the city accessible by helicopter. Certificate #38095.

A new meta-study was recently published in the American Psychologist, the major journal of the American Psychological Association, which shows statistically significant results regarding ESP-like stuff. While this seems completely fantastical and against everything materialists like me tend to believe in, it has passed peer review in a major journal. So what are skeptics like us to make of this? To help us sort out these questions, I've got philosopher Aaron Rabi from ETV and Philosophers in Space, and Aaron's dad Jessie Rabinowitz, who happens to have expertise in the field of psychology. We also discuss the SGU reaction to the paper, which was incredibly dismissive. Here's an article on Ganzfeld studies that Aaron mentions. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com  

A new meta-study was recently published in the American Psychologist, the major journal of the American Psychological Association, which shows statistically significant results regarding ESP-like stuff. While this seems completely fantastical and against everything materialists like me tend to believe in, it has passed peer review in a major journal. So what are skeptics like us to make of this? To help us sort out these questions, I've got philosopher Aaron Rabi from ETV and Philosophers in Space, and Aaron's dad Jessie Rabinowitz, who happens to have expertise in the field of psychology. We also discuss the SGU reaction to the paper, which was incredibly dismissive. Here's an article on Ganzfeld studies that Aaron mentions. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

If you're like millions of other people, you hate making phone calls. "Why can't I just text," you might think, "and only call if there's an emergency?" Google may soon have a solution with Duplex, a new technology for conducting natural conversations to carry out “real world” tasks over the phone. For many this feels like a startling and innovative convenience -- no more awkward conversations making appointments or routine check-ins, right? Yet critics of this concept warn we may be approaching something much bigger, and much more dangerous, than a simple piece of helpful software. If computers begin effectively impersonating you, how will you be able to prove your own identity?

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Prepare to have your destiny as a listener reshaped by paternalistic influences! We have on a wonderful guest, David Kyle Johnson of the Great Courses series to talk about the Season 1 Finale of The Orville (available on Hulu) and the ethics of the prime directive, a classic of the Star Trek Universe. Also, does anyone get a Brigadoon vibe from the planet in this episode? Didn't get to bring that up in the show, so easter egg for folks who actually read these.

David's Sci-Phi Great Courses Series (we focus on Ep18): https://www.thegreatcourses.com/SciPhi

Secondary reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetstemwedel/2015/08/20/the-philosophy-of-star-trek-is-the-prime-directive-ethical/2/#54a06c7776ab

Next Week's Material: We're doing Dune finally!!!! I waited 15 whole episodes before subjecting Thomas to the David Lynch version. But now it's here! There's so much to cover it's almost certainly gonna be a two parter, so strap in.     

 

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Serious Inquiries Only: https://seriouspod.com/

Opening Arguments: https://openargs.com/ 

Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/

Recent appearances: None this week. Contact us to come on your show. We promise not to Borg you...much...

In which NASA gives aliens a weird gift basket (opera arias, a welcome from a Nazi war criminal, a lousy map, and absolutely no nipples!) and Ken gossips about wife-swapping astronomers. Certificate #34914.

In this episode, after nearly a year on our list of possible "Deep Dive" episode topics, Dr. Pat finally gets to talk to Rivers and special guest host Joe Raines about one of his favorite artists who also just so happen to be the most infamous musical frauds of all time: MILLI VANILLI! From the late 80's until the early 90's, Milli Vanilli was one of the most popular groups in the world. Then, after winning a Grammy for "Best New Artist" and losing a game of chicken with their evil record producer, it all came crashing down. Now we're here to examine the wreckage. How bad were they? (Not that bad) Could they actually sing? (Yes, kinda). All these questions and more will be answered on this week's INCREDIBLE Deep Dive episode on Rob and Fab aka MILLI VANILLI! You can follow us on Twitter: @TheGoodsPod  Rivers is @RiversLangley  Dr. Pat is @PM_Reilly Joe is @JoeMFRaines  Mr. Goodnight is @SepulvedaCowboy Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt at: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod

SHAAAARKS. Leading shark researcher Dr. Chris Lowe dishes about bad shark PR, behind-the-scenes Jaws trivia, his thoughts on Sharknado, surfing safety, immune system marvels, cannibal twins, shark personalities, sea sex, and knife teeth. Alie learns that sharks are not the ocean's sociopaths but true evolutionary marvels who suffer from sensationalized reputations and sometimes inside-out butts. Listen up as a science primer during this, the holy Week of the Shark.

(Note: the study of sharks can is also called elasmobranchology, a distinction which could also include skates and rays. Both -ologies are difficult to spell.)

Dr. Lowe's Twitter and Facebook

Dr. Chris Lowe's SharkLab at Cal State University Long Beach

Track sharks and fish and turtles at Scattn.org

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