Inference and Incense

Inference and Incense
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Where data meets divination — and science spars with the sacred. Inference and Incense is a podcast hosted by two data scientists with radically different worldviews — one rooted in logic, the other drawn to mysticism — united by a belief that truth lives in tension. Each week, we dive into a big (or beautifully random) question at the edge of AI, identity, behavior, and spirituality — mixing rigorous analysis with tarot pulls, surprise guests, and the occasional existential spiral. This is a space for the curious, the skeptical, and the beautifully undone.

  1. -3 H · BONUS

    A Noisy Mind

    When was the last time you were actually alone? Not alone with your phone. Not alone with a podcast. Alone alone. In this short, we talk about the truth no one admits: no one rides the elevator alone anymore. Our minds are crowded — with commentary, rehearsed arguments, future disasters, imaginary conversations we’ll never have. We explore what it means to be constantly occupied by our own thoughts — and how noise masquerades as productivity. If silence feels uncomfortable… it might be because it’s the one place you can’t outsource yourself.

    4 min

  2. -6 J · BONUS

    The Buffet That Leaves You Hungry

    Ever walked into a buffet with 200 options… and somehow left unsatisfied? In this mini riff, we unpack why more choice doesn’t feel like freedom — it feels like pressure. When everything is possible, nothing feels right. Your brain doesn’t just pick — it compares, second-guesses, and quietly grieves the 47 other things you didn’t choose. We talk about decision paralysis, the illusion of “keeping options open,” and why scrolling for the perfect thing often leaves you hungrier than just choosing something good. Because abundance without commitment?That’s just anxiety with better lighting.

    5 min

  3. 7 FÉVR.

    The AI Point of No Return (And Why It Feels Inevitable)

    What if the moment we’re afraid of isn’t some dramatic AI takeover—but the quiet day we realize we don’t know how to do things ourselves anymore? In this episode, we stop talking about “the future of AI” and start talking about us. The everyday handoffs we keep making—letting systems decide, recommend, optimize—until responsibility gets blurry and no one’s quite accountable when things go wrong. We talk about real people killed by “driver assistance,” workplaces where no human can explain why a decision was made, and the strange relief of saying “the algorithm decided” instead of “I did.” This isn’t about robots turning evil. It’s about how easily judgment, agency, and skill quietly erode when convenience keeps winning. When we stop practicing discernment. When systems get so complex that opting out no longer feels possible. This episode sits with that uneasy feeling—the sense that something important is slipping away, slowly, politely, and with very good UX. If you’ve ever wondered whether we’re still choosing… or just going along with it—this one’s for you.

    28 min

  4. 31 JANV.

    The AI Shadow: What We're Breeding in the Dark

    What happens when the smartest thing in the room has no conscience—and we let it run anyway? In the Season 2 opening episode of Inference & Incense, we step straight into the shadow side of AI: deepfakes that empty bank accounts, algorithms that quietly scale bias, and systems that optimize engagement while eroding trust, dignity, and democracy. We unpack why “the algorithm decided” is the most convenient lie of our time, how metrics turn into moral shortcuts, and why AI doesn’t invent our flaws—it industrializes them. This episode isn’t anti-AI. It’s pro-consciousness. We explore what it would actually mean to build with accountability—naming trade-offs, owning outcomes, and bringing the unmeasurable back into the room. If you’ve ever felt uneasy about what we’re optimizing for, wondered what gets sacrificed in the process, or suspected we’re breeding something powerful in the dark—this is where Season 2 begins.

    40 min

  5. 24 JANV.

    From Oracle to Algorithm - The Spiral of Knowing

    At what point does “learning everything” stop helping? In this Season 1 finale, we zoom out to look at a strange truth: humans have always been obsessed with understanding reality—we’ve just kept upgrading the tools. From oral prophecy and ancient divination systems to modern AI and black-box algorithms, we keep asking the same questions with shinier interfaces. Season 1 ends where it began: curious, slightly skeptical, and still very much debugging. Blink twice if you’re still here. Then email ⁠inferenceandincense@gmail.com⁠ for a shot at a $50 Amazon gift card.

    32 min

  6. 24 JANV.

    Singularity Seeks Enlightenment

    Is AI a path to enlightenment… or the start of a very weird religion? In this episode of Inference & Incense, we spiral into one of the questions we probably shouldn’t ask at the end of a workday: whether AI is pushing us closer to enlightenment. We talk about what “enlightenment” even means, why knowledge doesn’t always equal freedom, and whether asking better questions matters more than getting better answers. If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is accelerating insight or outsourcing intuition—this one’s for you.

    22 min

  7. 24 JANV.

    How every important decision is spiritual

    Why do we overthink 'the moment' and underthink 'the aftermath'?In this episode of Inference & Incense, we take a hard (and amused) look at the way we inflate certain choices into life-defining events—and quietly lose our minds in the process. We talk about why decisions feel heavier before we make them, how logic and intuition are both unreliable when we’re exhausted. If decision-making has ever felt overwhelming, paralyzing, or weirdly overhyped… welcome. You’re among friends.

    1 h 3 min

  8. 24 JANV.

    Letting Go As A Skill Set?

    What if growth isn’t about trying harder? In this episode of Inference & Incense, we talk about letting go—not in the dramatic, burn-your-life-down way, but in the quieter, messier way that actually creates room to grow. We share stories from our lives as Asian immigrants and women in tech. Along the way, we unpack why letting go feels so hard (ego, fear, sunk costs, cultural conditioning), how modern life keeps us stuck in outdated patterns. If you’ve ever felt tired of holding everything together—or secretly excited by the idea of starting fresh—this one’s for you.

    1 h 8 min
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À propos

Where data meets divination — and science spars with the sacred. Inference and Incense is a podcast hosted by two data scientists with radically different worldviews — one rooted in logic, the other drawn to mysticism — united by a belief that truth lives in tension. Each week, we dive into a big (or beautifully random) question at the edge of AI, identity, behavior, and spirituality — mixing rigorous analysis with tarot pulls, surprise guests, and the occasional existential spiral. This is a space for the curious, the skeptical, and the beautifully undone.

Informations

  • Création
    Inference and Incense
  • Années d’activité
    2 k
  • Épisodes
    13
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Inference and Incense
  • Site web de l’émission
    Inference and Incense
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