The Phantasmagorical Think Tank

Scott & Matt

Scott and Matt put on their thinking caps and discuss the vast array of obscure, wondrous, and intellectual topics which the world has to offer. Did you know that some human languages are entirely whistled? Can an AI successfully masquerade as a human? Is morality objective or subjective? Join us as we dive deep into these questions and many more in The Phantasmagorical Think Tank.

  1. 12/22/2020

    30. Time Travel

    How have different movies depicted time travel? How do they differ? Which is more plausible? Find out in this episode of The Phantasmagorical Think Tank. Time Travel in Doctor Who: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmiefoRcfU&ab_channel=BBC Space and Time Flips in a Black Hole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KePNhUJ2reI&ab_channel=PBSSpaceTime

    27 min

  2. 09/06/2020

    29. Roko's Basilisk

    The most terrifying thought experiment ever made! (Unless there's a flaw in the reasoning.) Slate: https://slate.com/technology/2014/07/rokos-basilisk-the-most-terrifying-thought-experiment-of-all-time.html Kyle Hill : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut-zGHLAVLI&ab_channel=KyleHill Less Wrong Wiki: https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Roko's_basilisk Rational Wiki: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk Silicon Valley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUSt1d3M9NY&ab_channel=FunFuse

    36 min

  3. 09/04/2020

    28. Bigfoot, Part 2

    How did the legend of Bigfoot come to be? Is he real? Why do we love him so much? Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C8iiW--uX81YXsFcs0xmYl8bnZLU4GASgKbpWcDwkeA/edit?usp=sharing

    28 min

  4. 09/04/2020

    27. Bigfoot, Part 1

    How did the legend of Bigfoot come to be? Is he real? Why do we love him so much? Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C8iiW--uX81YXsFcs0xmYl8bnZLU4GASgKbpWcDwkeA/edit?usp=sharing

    30 min

  5. 09/04/2020

    26. Voting Systems & Arrow's Impossibility Theorem

    Is a perfect democracy mathematically possible? Bibliography TED-Ed on different voting systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaxVCsnox_4&ab_channel=TED-Ed PBS on Arrow's Impossibility Theorem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVR7gFMKNg&ab_channel=PBSInfiniteSeries PBS on the Condorcet paradox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAnYQZrNrQ&ab_channel=PBSInfiniteSeries CGP Grey on problems with plurality voting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo CGP Grey on single transferrable vote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8XOZJkozfI The Guardian on political dissatisfaction: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/25/american-political-parties-democrats-republicans-representation-survey CNN on political dissatisfaction: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/04/politics/two-party-system-poll/index.html Exploratorium on voting paradoxes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJag3vuG834&ab_channel=Exploratorium

    32 min

  6. 07/24/2020

    25. Sleep and Dreams

    Lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, REM, biphasic sleep, and dream interpretation. How somniferous! Additional Resources Sleep Cycles: https://www.sleep.org/articles/what-happens-during-sleep/ Why Do We Need Sleep? https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-do-we-need-sleep Biphasic Sleep: https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/106/2/343/64370?redirectedFrom=fulltext World's Most Relaxing Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXgqDlrqmzo Night School: Wake Up To The Power of Sleep: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1447248406/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1447248406&linkCode=as2&tag=httpricharcom-21 Why Do We Dream? https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-dream#why-do-we-have-nightmares 9 Common Dreams And What They Supposedly Mean: https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-your-dreams-2795935 Dream Dictionary: https://www.psychologistworld.com/dreams/dictionary/ The Science Behind Sleep Paralysis: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120711131030.htm What Is Sleep Paralysis? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295039#what_is_sleep_paralysis Koalas Sleep 17 Hours Per Day: https://www.livescience.com/27401-koalas-facts.html

    38 min

  7. 07/10/2020

    24. Ludonarrative Dissonance

    Are video games an art form? What makes the art of video games unique? Folding Ideas presents LND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04zaTjuV60A ChronoThoughts misunderstands LND (in our opinion): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQ-mD1LlAs Errant Signal criticizes LND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBN3R0m31bA Game Revo defends LND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lluvrus0QY0 SolePorpoise specifies LND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8PAWO4Y_rY Games as Literature inverts LND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9fm7gtgW8U Clint Hocking with the article that started it all: https://clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothing/2007/10/ludonarrative-d.html Folding Ideas discusses intended play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHmivGmkjJw Theme music is "Levitation" by Mabeha. Listen to the track here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0YS8xR9oPMtUvQj3C4wKHZ?si=jz4eZ9fWTE6F-Wrdl7rb9A

    33 min

  8. 07/10/2020

    23. Ganzfeld Hallucinations

    A totally safe, drug-free way to hallucinate in the comfort of your own home! Spooky, but enjoyable! Additional Resources How to Hallucinate with Ping Pong Balls (BBC): https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180124-how-to-hallucinate-with-ping-pong-balls Ganzfeld Reactions (Mulattolee Videography): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-loHQ0RfQqM More Ganzfeld Reactions (Spartan G695) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9qtI6lTwgo Changing Your Brain State Through the Ganzfeld Effect (PsychReg): https://www.psychreg.org/ganzfeld-effect/ Theme music is "Levitation" by Mabeha. Listen to the track here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0YS8xR9oPMtUvQj3C4wKHZ?si=jz4eZ9fWTE6F-Wrdl7rb9A

    24 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Scott and Matt put on their thinking caps and discuss the vast array of obscure, wondrous, and intellectual topics which the world has to offer. Did you know that some human languages are entirely whistled? Can an AI successfully masquerade as a human? Is morality objective or subjective? Join us as we dive deep into these questions and many more in The Phantasmagorical Think Tank.

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