I Think, Therefore I Google Thomas

Thomas quickly chimes in to let you all know about the exciting year ahead for him.

Thomas and Dzido WILL return...
:)

A bonus episode tie-in to simulation theory! We love simulations so much we decided to bring you a discussion about the video games that have influenced us the most. A fun extra episode recorded as an homage to the great podcast My Perfect Console.


ICE-T1000 (Thomas' console)
Rock Band 2 (2008)
Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
Assassin's Creed IV:  Black Flag (2013)
Halo 3 (2007)
Super Mario Bros 3 (1988)


Dzi-box (Dzido's console)
Duke Nukem 3D (1996)
Quake II (1997)
Subnautica (2018)
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

Did we decide to record an episode about simulation theory or were we programmed to do so by the creators of our virtually-coded reality? Are we living on some super-futuristic civilization's hard drive? Join us as we question the very concept of our own reality and debate the probability that we exist in the one true universe instead of the potential infinite amount of simulated others.



SPOILERS for the following media
Rick and Morty - "M Night Shaym-Aliens" - S01E04
The Jokester - Isaac Asimov (1956)
Total Recall (1990)



Also mentioned (no spoilers)
The Matrix (1999)
Black Mirror



Further reading/links

Unrecord - Official Early Gameplay Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK76q13Aqt0

ChatGPT AI Game Prototypes - Lee Vermeulen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC_pSgAMbUU

The Simulation Argument - Nick Bostrom
https://simulation-argument.com/

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies - Nick Bostrom
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superintelligence-Dangers-Strategies-Nick-Bostrom/dp/0199678111

Is Reality Real? The Simulation Argument - Kurzesagt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlTKTTt47WE

Final Deployment 4: Queen Battle Walkthrough - Adult Swim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKjmDPGJI-4

Who’s the id, who’s the ego and who’s the super-ego in this episode? Thomas and Dzido discuss one of Sigmund Freud’s most famous concepts and delve into neuroses, psychoanalytic theory as well as Thanos and the Simpsons.

Let your imaginations run wild as Thomas and Dzido discuss the philosophy of creativity and try to figure out where our lightbulb moments inherently come from. Do we really come up with our own genius ideas or is it divine inspiration all the way down?



Further links

The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026

Creativity - Don't Hug Me I'm Scared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_HReR_McQ

A Very Muppet Die Hard - Dzido Szoltysek
https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/rjhhg1/a_very_muppet_die_hard_actionmuppetry_77_pages/

Krakow Culture Dance Video - Thomas Szoltysek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG8UFObU50Q

Is the cold harsh reality of an uncaring universe getting you down as you struggle to find the meaning of it all? Then this week's episode on absurdism is for you! Thomas and Dzido discuss Albert Camus and his writings, absurdism in the arts, and how Sisyphus can find joy in his never-ending boulder-pushing task.



SPOILERS for the following media
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
The Tree of Life (2011)
The Trial - Franz Kafka (1925)



Further links

The Trial - Franz Kafka
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trial-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141182903

Optimistic Nihilism - Kurzesagt (In a Nutshell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBRqu0YOH14

The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Sisyphus-Penguin-Great-Ideas/dp/0141023996