Self Proclaimed Intellectuals

Self Proclaimed Intellectuals
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  • Education

Intelligent discussions for the common man

Episodes

  1. 08/18/2015

    SPI #20 — Tales! Of! Intellect!

    Sometimes, we all just like to sit back and listen to a story.Maybe something romantic, or action-packed, or fun. A good story can come in many forms, and make the audience feel a broad range of different emotions. But, this being Self-Proclaimed Intellectuals, we threw all that to the wind, and instead opted for three short stories that will have you questioning the nature of your existence and the universe that we occupy. Or maybe it’s just me, talking to myself… https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/spi_20-Tales-Of-Intellect.mp3 The stories we read today can be found in the show notes. Take the time to read over the originals at the links provided below! We’re celebrating 20 full episodes this week, and we still don’t have a visible rating in iTunes! If you haven’t done so yet, please go rate us; we even accept bad ratings as long as you give us some feedback on what you like to hear! Of course, you can subscribe at any of the following sites: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Or wherever podcasts are had! Show Notes The Egg, by Andy Weir I Don’t Know, Timmy, Being God is a Big Responsibility, by Sam Hughes The Last Question, by Isaac Asimov   The post SPI #20 — Tales! Of! Intellect! appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  2. 07/29/2015

    SPI #19 — Outdated

    What do Body Mass Index, the English measurement system, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have in common? They’re all living fossils, masterfully preserved in our culture for… well… no discernible reason. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” and rolled your eyes, then this episode is for you! SPI #19 — Outdated talks about three different things that just won’t go away in spite of better options being available for each of them. Want to stand in defense of these things we called out today? Want to join in on the bashing? Email us your feedback at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_19-Outdated.mp3 We have a special request for you this week! If you’d like to hear our show on public radio, email into KMUW, Wichita’s local NPR affiliate. Let them know you’d like to hear SPI on air! Email info@kmuw.org! If you haven’t already, go rate us and subscribe at your podcast provider of choice: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace   The post SPI #19 — Outdated appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  3. 07/13/2015

    SPI Minisode #2 — Licensed to Cast

    This week, we’ve got an episode for you that once again pushes far beyond the boundaries of political correctness (yay!). It’s an episode we recorded a long time ago and saved for a rainy day while we’re preparing even more awesome content for you next time. Okay, enough tease, what’s the episode today? Licenses. But not just licenses to drive, or own a restaurant, or hunt. Licenses to vote and reproduce. What are the pros and cons? Should we institute these licenses? Would things be better, or worse? We’ll talk about it today, and we’d love to hear your thoughts too. Comment below or hit us up at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_mini_2-License-to-Cast.mp3 Go rate us and subscribe at any of the following hosts: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace   The post SPI Minisode #2 — Licensed to Cast appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  4. 07/06/2015

    SPI #18 – Why Asians are Better at Math, and Why English Speaking People Can’t Save Money

    Oh boy, do we ever have a good one for you today… You’ve probably heard the stereotype that Asians are better at math. Turns out, it’s actually a quantifiable fact. But it isn’t necessarily because American schools are terrible or because young American kids just don’t care. No, it goes much, much deeper than that. In fact, part of the reason is the very language that you’re reading this blurb in. Today’s episode is all about linguistic relativity — the idea that your language can not only change how you communicate, but actually how you perceive the world and interact with it. Give it a listen. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_18-Why-Asians-Are-Better-At-Math-and-Why-You-Cant-Save-Money.mp3 Like hearing our stuff? Subscribe at one of the following places to get new episodes a.s.a.p! And wherever you get it, rate us and leave us some feedback. We wanna feel special too. iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Show Notes: Big shoutout to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers for inspiring the idea and giving us much of the content on Asian mathematics. Get Outliers on Amazon. It’s a fantastic read. Here also is Keith Chen’s study on how language affects savings rates and healthcare choices. And here’s the graph we were talking about as a summary: And finally, if you’ve somehow made it through school without reading 1984, you owe it to yourself to get caught up. Get it on Amazon here.   The post SPI #18 – Why Asians are Better at Math, and Why English Speaking People Can’t Save Money appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  5. 06/24/2015

    SPI #17 – Put Me in, Coach!

    Well, here we are at Episode #17. This week’s show is a bit more introspective; we’re talking about what coaching is and whether we should get ourselves a coach to improve our performance in various aspects of life. As promised, here’s a list of some of our favorite podcasts (in no particular order) and what they’re about: The Dave Ramsey Show: Dave answers all sorts of personal finance questions and teaches his method for getting out of debt and building wealth slowly. Stuff You Should Know: Our heroes Josh and Chuck tackle a wide array of interesting topics from how landfills work to how internet censorship works. It’s a great, lighthearted variety show with some knowledge and humor intermingled. Your Move by Andy Stanley: Andy Stanley is the pastor of Northpoint Church, and teaches some of the most practical and applicable sermons you’ll ever hear. Their church aims to be a “church that un-churched people want to attend,” so give them a try even if you’re not a religious person! Planet Money: The Planet Money team talks about all sorts of economic issues; but don’t worry, it’s far from a bore! They wind intriguing stories and make financial concepts easy for anybody to understand. The Dinner Party Download: DPD is a high-culture variety show that gives you interesting historical tales (with a themed cocktail to match), interviews, and more. Try it if you want to feel a little more cultured and prepared for your next dinner outing. TED Radio Hour: This show takes TED talks and ties them together in ways that more fully flesh out the concepts than any of the individual bits. It tells a much more coherent picture and is great for learning and thought-provoking ideas. RadioLab: RadioLab tells grand tales about odd historical events in super interesting and unique ways. Highly worth it for good stories and history. Freakonomics: Dubner and Levitt offer a different perspective on many issues, as diverse as crime, economics, and more. They always keep it interesting and guarantee that you’ll learn something almost by accident through the cool stuff. And for those of you interested in thumbing through the pages of some great books, here’s a link to Travis’ recommended reading for personal development. Enjoy! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/spi_17-Put-Me-in-Coach.mp3 Head to iTunes and rate us! Subscribe for more at any of the following places: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace The post SPI #17 – Put Me in, Coach! appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  6. 05/12/2015

    SPI #16 – Is Anybody Out There?

    There are trillions of trillions of stars in the observable universe. Billions upon billions of earth-like planets that might support life. All estimates of probability point to the existence of several other advanced, intelligent civilizations in the galaxy. And yet… ….. ……. ……… Silence. In spite of the best guesses and calculations of many great minds, the cold fact remains that we don’t have any reliable evidence of extraterrestrial life. This, is Fermi’s Paradox. Of course, such a big question draws out both geniuses and wackos willing to theorycraft what the answer may be. Are we alone because we’re living in a computer simulation made just for us? Are we just the first intelligent species to emerge in the universe? Is there something in the next stage of human development that will cause us to self-destruct and leave the universe even emptier than it is now? Explore these theories and more in this episode! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/spi_16-Is-Anybody-Out-There.mp3 Like this? Want more? Subscribe to our podcast at any of the following locations, and don’t forget to rate and drop us a review! iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Got comments, or maybe another theory that we didn’t cover? Write us in here: podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com Show Notes Thanks very much to all the sources we used for this podcast. There’s tons of fascinating stuff out there; go get lost in these resources and more! Michio Kaku on the Kardeshev scale and more:      Read about the Dyson Sphere and other megaengineering concepts. This Wait Buy Why article on The Fermi Paradox is a great summary of many of the topics we talked about. Here’s the Hardcore History episode Adam mentioned on World War I, titled Blueprint for Armageddon. If you’re more into history than the future, give this one a listen after you’re finished with us! “They’re Made of Meat” by Terry Bisson. Quite the thoughtful little piece that we read in this show. Here’s a water bear. It is creepy. Oh, and Travis was technically wrong about it being an extremophile. Finally to close out, here’s Michio Kaku again on broadband scanning and “missing” the greater civilizations (the portion we used started at about 2:45 in this video):      The post SPI #16 – Is Anybody Out There? appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  7. 04/27/2015

    SPI #15 – Correct Me If I’m Wrong

    One of the best inventions mankind has ever come up with is political correctness. …pffffffft, as if. SPI #15 — Correct Me If I’m Wrong investigates the way we communicate with each other on topics we disagree on. You’ll hear us discuss some recent events where, shall we say, the ways that people communicated their disagreements with each other weren’t the height of human achievement. We’ll follow up with a tip from Sally Kohn on how better to discuss our differences in a way that we actually might, for once, make an impact. Enjoy! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/spi_15-Correct-Me-If-Im-Wrong.mp3 Subscribe! Rate! Comment! Email! Stuff! iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Were we emotionally correct? Got more thoughts on the topic? Email us at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com! Show Notes Many thanks to Sally Kohn for giving a great name to a great idea. Here’s her TED Talk below on Emotional Correctness (warning: some coarse language) that inspired much of this podcast.   The post SPI #15 – Correct Me If I’m Wrong appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  8. 04/12/2015

    SPI #14 – Can I Have Your Number?

    Numbers: not just for counting anymore! Self Proclaimed Intellectuals #14 — Can I Have Your Number? has two segments. While they’re both about numbers that are named after the people who discovered or theorized them, they couldn’t be more different from each other. Graham’s Number is a number so big, you probably don’t even have the mathematical tools to even scratch the surface of how big it is. Lucky for you, we’ll equip you with those tools and blow your mind at the same time. Dunbar’s Number, on the other hand, is supremely practical, and will have you thinking about who your closest friends are… and just how many people you can really call friend. Listen in now! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/spi_14-Can-I-Have-Your-Number.mp3 If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our show wherever podcasts can be had. Here’s some places: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Go rate and comment too! Got more to say about numbers? Questions? Hatemail? We’ll take it all. Email us at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com! Show Notes The Graham’s number segment was heavily stolen from this Wait But Why article that you should totally read for better understanding of Graham’s and the supporting math. Dunbar’s number referenced Rick Lax’s article on Wired detailing his failure in disproving the number, and a Social Science Bites podcast with Dunbar himself (transcript here)   The post SPI #14 – Can I Have Your Number? appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  9. 03/26/2015

    SPI #13 – Doctor Doctor, Give Me the News

    What’s up, doc? Or more like, what’s up with the doc? Find out now! SPI #13 – Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News delves into the secret world behind your friendly doctor. This episode, we’ll talk about what doctors buy, doctor transparency, and how doctors die. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Episode-13.mp3 Subscribe! Rate! Review! iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Email! podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com Say stuff below!   Show Notes http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/07/25/334459041/when-do-chefs-and-doctors-buy-generic http://www.whosmydoctor.com/ How Doctors Die     The post SPI #13 – Doctor Doctor, Give Me the News appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  10. 03/03/2015

    SPI #12 — Lesser Known Conspiracies

    Everyone has heard the conspiracy theory that NASA faked the moon landing, or that Lee Harvey Oswald was a fall guy for the Kennedy assassination, or that 9/11 was an inside job. But, in true Self Proclaimed Intellectuals fashion, we’re bringing you some conspiracy theories that you may not have ever even heard or considered. We’re all about interesting stuff here, and safe to say, these are “interesting” (with major emphasis on the quotes). SPI #12 — Lesser Known Conspiracies will give you food for thought on the moon landing, Columbus, an island of immortality, and much more, all from the comfort of our reptilian terrarium bunker. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/spi_12-Lesser-Known-Conspiracies.mp3 If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our show wherever podcasts can be had. Here’s some places: iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace And hey, if you’re really feeling generous, leave us a rating and comments. Maybe even tell a friend about the show! Any other conspiracy theories that we missed? Let us know in the comments or at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com. See ya next time!     Show Notes: Thanks to this Thought Catalog article for the Columbus and Super Bowl theories. Here’s two references for the Lucifer Project, one for Jupiter and one for Saturn. Mother Teresa, Gavdo, and more can be found in this ListVerse post. Here’s some stuff on the Denver Airport. Whether or not there’s really something more to this, the art is really creepy, and the stories about Big Blue are chilling. Just Google “Denver Airport Art” and go to images. Wardenclyffe and Grover Cleveland theories are from this tumblr. So, you know, take that for what it’s worth. And lastly, Adam was right, and the “aye aye” is an animal. And it’s freaky. Here’s a picture: The post SPI #12 — Lesser Known Conspiracies appeared first on Self Proclaimed Intellectuals.

  • 10 Episodes

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