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18/12/2014

Ep. 3. Here There Be Gerblins - Chapter Three

With one half of their former employers effectively rescued, our party begins the hunt for Gundren Rockseeker in earnest. There are just a few things standing in their way: They don't know where he is, they're all Level Clown-Shoes, and also, a jelly monster. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointaz
03/12/2014

Ep. 1: Here There Be Gerblins - Chapter One

In this, the pilot episode of The Adventure Zone, the McElroys create the characters with which they'll build a new -- and hopefuly very, very lucrative -- fantasy fiction franchise. Join in the campaign as Justin (Taako), Travis (Magnus) and Clint (Merle), led by Dungeon Master Griffin, take their first steps into the unknown. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointaz
04/12/2014

Ep. 2. Here There Be Gerblins - Chapter Two

Our heroes’ first job is not going especially well. Taako, Merle and Magnus are hot on the trail of their employer’s kidnappers, leading them into a perilous gerblin den. Will they discover the fate of Gundren and his ward, Barry Bluejeans? Or will they find themselves held up by complicated gerblin office politics? Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointaz
03/12/2014

Ep. 1.5: Here There Be Gerblins - Chapter One (Super Cut)

In this, the pilot episode of The Adventure Zone, the McElroys create the characters with which they'll build a new -- and hopefuly very, very lucrative -- fantasy fiction franchise. Join in the campaign as Justin (Taako), Travis (Magnus) and Clint (Merle), led by Dungeon Master Griffin, take their first steps into the unknown. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to listen to the FULL first episode! Also, be sure share with friends! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointaz
5 days ago

ECT Isn’t Like in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Ted Scheinman Tells What It Is Like.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is not the first place to turn if you’re experiencing symptoms of major depressive disorder. Any doctor would want you to try talk therapy, medications, just about anything else before turning to a treatment that runs an electrical current through your brain, causing a generalized convulsion. That said, the treatment, if it comes to that, is very effective, with a batting average much higher than any most other methods of treating depression. Ted Scheinman, senior editor at Smithsonian, was at the end of his rope when he opted into the treatment. Unlike Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ted’s experience was not torture. It certainly wasn’t a day at the beach but it was fine. And the results were astonishing with Ted’s appetite, sense of humor, and overall outlooks on life improving steadily and significantly. His memoir about his experience is Jolt: My Electric Journey Out of Darkness. Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun. Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com! Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org. Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741. International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindepresh
15 Oct

355: Axolotl w/ Marco Wendt!

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife ambassador and returning guest Marco Wendt of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, to shine a spotlight on the world’s most famous amphibian. From Mesoamerican legend to medical research labs to the lush caves of Minecraft, axolotls have inspired stories and innovation and wonder in humans all over the world but their story starts in the heart of Mexico, which is why our guest has chosen them as the frilly little faces of this episode in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. We discuss the axolotl’s indigenous name and its roots in a mythological prop hunt, some possible designs for custom skins, what human metamorphosis might look like, setting your future reincarnations up for success, and more. Links: Follow Marco on Instagram and TikTok!Plan your next trip to see axolotls at the San Diego Zoo! For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo
23 Oct

356: Shrews

The arc of history is long, but it bends towards shrew. We discuss tasks that require zero cats, supercontinents, venom and cancer research, iron-plated teeth, load-bearing spines, what shrews have in common with a hostile Minecraft mob, and more. Works Cited: “In Vivo Detection of Human TRPV6-Rich Tumors with Anti-Cancer Peptides Derived from Soricidin” - Chris V. Bowen et al., PLoS One, March 2013“Deciphering an extreme morphology: bone microarchitecture of the hero shrew backbone (Soricidae: Scutisorex)” - Stephanie M. Smith, Proc R. Soc. B, April 2020“Dehnel's phenomenon is not a simple reduction of size: seasonal change in skull shape of the long-clawed shrew (Soricidae, Mammalia)” - Yugo Ikeda et al., Proc R. Soc. B., August 2026"Why Do Some Shrews Have Dark Red Teeth?" - John Wible, Carnegie Museum of Natural History“Moving Nose to Tail, Shrew 'Conga Line' Shimmies Online” - Laura Geggel, LiveScience, July 2017“Acoustic behavior in the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda): Ultrasonic click production in a novel environment” - Margaret E. Gleason, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, July 2023“Sorex palustris underwater Sniffing - Vanderbilt University” - Luis Azevedo Rodrigues, YouTube“Water Shrew Walks on Water” - MyBackyardBirding, YouTubeLinks: For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo
29 Oct

357: Ospreys w/ Mark Smith!

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife photographer and author Mark Smith, for a review of the worldwide masters of sea and sky. Ospreys almost disappeared from our coasts during the 20th century, as our guest shares with us, making us even luckier than ever to share the planet with them today. Through his years traveling the world to capture the beauty of these raptors, our guest has learned a lot of valuable life lessons that he is here to share with you. We discuss optional thumbs, how birds can use the physics of the ocean to their advantage and even turn prey into their ride home, designs for a modern family crest, and more. Links: Get The Spirit of Birds wherever you buy books!Follow Mark on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo
20 Jul

Maybe It IS Time to Panic Over AI Chatbots and Mental Health with Maggie Harrison Dupré

This week, we take a look at a couple of acronyms that are soaring in popularity and ask what their widespread adoption means for mental health. Maggie Harrison Dupré of Futurism has been following the AI space closely and has an update on lawsuits related to chatbots’ culpability in numerous cases of attempted and completed suicides. She also explains some recent research about why prolonged engagement with the sycophantic computer programs can lead to spiraling out of reality. Then we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Rutledge for a look at drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound. While the drugs are so new that research is slim, some psychological issues can emerge, especially related to self image and identity. He asks if food cravings and thinking about food have occupied a lot of space in your mind for years, what happens when that goes away? It’s a complicated world we live in, Depresh Mode is here to help you make more sense of it. Articles by Maggie Harrison Dupré:Lawsuit: Bipolar Man Attempted Suicide After ChatGPT Poured Gasoline on His Religious DelusionsNew Paper Proposes What Really Causes AI PsychosisThese Logs of ChatGPT Allegedly Driving a Suicidal Woman to Her Death Are Deeply Disturbing Article by Thomas Rutledge:Your Brain on GLP-1s: What We're Learning About the Mental Side Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun. Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com! Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org. Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741. International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindepresh
17 Aug

Oh, It’s Autism, Mary H.K. Choi Learned at 43. Okay, She Thought, That Explains a Lot.

Mary H.K. Choi compares living with her brain to just not understanding the operating system on a computer. She didn’t know if this was a result of trauma and neglect in her childhood, the experience of being parentified as a child, grief after the death of her father, or what. So she spent decades of effort and piles of dollars to figure it out. She did cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems therapy, “heroic doses of psilocybin under the watchful gaze of a shaman”, and anything else she could try. Finally, under the burnout and fear from covid, her functionality began to fall apart and she looked into the possibility of autism spectrum disorder as a possible culprit. And ding ding ding goes the slot machine, first a self-diagnosis from online resources and then a confirmed clinical diagnosis. Looking back now, she sees some of the clues, including a lack of empathy for others and the act of “performing competency”, that make more sense now. Mary offers insight on the long path to figuring out one’s mind and what she’s doing now that she has some answers. Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun. Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com! Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org. Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741. International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindepresh

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