Reflections on the "Jurassic Park" episode. Who is the true villain in the film? Plus, a quirk in the script that might actually reveal another powerful message.
Aug 26, 2020
10 min
Reflections on the "Millionaire" episode, including a counter-argument to the episode's original thesis. What if "present bias" - the tendency for us to overvalue short term rewards, while putting less worth in long term consequences - is actually a winning strategy in some instances?
Aug 19, 2020
7 min
Reflections on the "Peloton" episode, including a story about gender bias in an iconic American television show that was cut from the original recording. Programming Note: the next bonus clip from Season 1 will drop on August 19.
Jul 22, 2020
13 min
Reflections on the "Monopoly" episode. Should we be upset with Parker Brothers for concealing the true origin story of the board game for decades? Plus, the details of a study on irony and emotion that was cut from the original recording.
Jul 14, 2020
8 min
What if one of Pixar's least remembered films teaches us a profound lesson about how we can find happiness in our future? More than a decade ago, the studio released a daring conceptual project, one that advanced a host of introspective themes about humanity, nostalgia, and personal fulfillment. Take a second look at Wall-E - and the messages within it that we might have originally missed - in the Season 1 finale.
Jul 7, 2020
44 min
A scene from an episode of House, Fox's critically-acclaimed medical drama, serves as a jumping-off point for a conversation about moral luck. How do we judge the actions of others? How do we determine what's right and wrong? What if there are contradictions in how we pass these judgments? Ultimately, our inconsistencies in assigning blame (or praise) to people and institutions might affect everything from how we think about NFL quarterbacks to the 2014 Grammy-winning Song of the Year.
Jun 30, 2020
35 min
Three different short stories. Three unique lessons. So what do Robert Frost, the Chicago Cubs, and Uber have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. But there might be an intersection that surprisingly weaves the lessons of all three stories together - one that connects to a present-day debate raging across our country.
Jun 23, 2020
36 min
In 1993, Jurassic Park stunned audiences with its visual effects, offering a thrilling peek into a world where dinosaurs roamed our planet alongside us. The film spawned a multi-billion dollar empire, but it's rarely recognized for anything other than its technical achievements. What if we've missed the film's underlying messages? Welcome to Jurassic Park - The Podcast Episode, where you'll be met with two unique interpretations of the film. Perhaps this movie isn't a window to our prehistoric past, but rather, a warning alarm sounding about our imminent future.
Jun 16, 2020
39 min
When Inception debuted in theaters in 2010, Christopher Nolan's cerebral science fiction thriller blew audiences away. And for a decade, viewers have questioned what actually happened in the film's ambiguous, emotional ending. This is an interpretation of the film's ending, and the surprising way that Nolan's dream-layered blockbuster actually relates to our everyday lives.
Jun 9, 2020
41 min
In the not-so-distant past, Blockbuster was the quintessential video rental business, a chain as synonymous with weekend entertainment as it was known for its iconic blue and yellow store aesthetic. But one missed opportunity in the year 2000 would go on to haunt the company, as Netflix ultimately eviscerated the brick-and-mortar retail store on its way to global streaming dominance . . . or did it? What if Netflix didn't kill Blockbuster? Forget everything you think you know about the Blockbuster/Netflix saga.
Jun 2, 2020
39 min
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