Inference and Incense

Inference and Incense

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. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    Japan Panicked Over a Manga Prediction

    July 5th, 2025: half of Japan held its breath. Not because of breaking news or government warnings—because of a manga comic strip. Artist Ryo Tatsuki's "Future I Saw" predicted a major earthquake, and the country responded with mass panic. Hotels emptied. Schools postponed. Billions evaporated. But here's the twist: Japan experiences 2,000 earthquakes a year and 12+ violent ones per decade. Predicting an earthquake in Japan is statistically unremarkable. So why did prophecy outrun proof? In this clip, we unpack how fear doesn't need facts—it just needs a date and a story.

    4 min

  2. May 15

    Perception of Free Will

    What if you've never actually met your unfiltered self?In this episode, we unpack the unsettling reality that most of what you watch, read, click, and consume isn't chosen by you—it's pre-selected by algorithms optimizing for one thing: keeping you engaged. We start with a late-night YouTube spiral that goes from data visualization to aesthetic nationalism in under 10 minutes, and ask: did the algorithm find your interests, or did it create them? Then we dive into Netflix—the OG godfather of recommendations—where 80% of viewing comes from algorithmic curation, not user search. You think you're browsing a library of millions of titles, but the platform only shows you 0.1% of its catalog. The rest? Hidden in the stock room. We explore the exposure effect: did Lucy organically love true crime, or did Netflix train her to through repetition and convenience? And we confront the deeper question: does free will exist when you can't choose what you don't know exists, can't evaluate options you're never shown, and are constantly auto-played into the next thing? We talk about postpartum K-drama binges, the illusion of emotional resonance, phones listening to your conversations, and why "just one more episode" isn't always your decision. This isn't anti-streaming. It's anti-forgetting that you're the one being optimized. Because consciousness is shaped by its objects—and right now, the algorithm is choosing your objects. Not for your growth. For quarterly earnings. The question isn't whether you have free will. It's whether you're aware enough to use it.

    32 min

  3. May 8 ·  Bonus

    Did You Choose True Crime, Or Did Netflix Choose For You?

    Lucy watched one true crime doc because a friend recommended it. Netflix saw engagement. Suddenly her entire homepage is flooded with true crime. She watches more—not because she loves it, but because it's there, and she's lazy, and some look interesting. Now 50%+ of her feed is true crime. So the question: did Lucy become a "true crime person" by choice, or did the algorithm groom her into one through exposure and repetition? This clip unpacks the causality trap—and asks whether your taste is authentic, or just an algorithmic artifact.

    3 min

  4. May 1 ·  Bonus

    Do You Have Free Will If You Can't See Your Options?

    Free will requires three things: awareness of options, ability to evaluate them, and freedom from coercion. But Netflix only displays 0.1% of its catalog—curated specifically to keep you watching. The rest is hidden in the stock room. You can't choose what you don't know exists. Add autoplay, and you're not even deciding to continue—the platform is deciding for you. In this clip, we argue that most streaming behavior isn't choice. It's algorithmically managed compliance. And the wildest part? Everyone feels like they chose what they watched.

    3 min

  5. Apr 24 ·  Bonus

    Netflix Isn't Your Friend: The Illusion of Emotional Resonance

    During postpartum recovery, Lucy binged K-dramas for months. Netflix kept serving them, long afterwards, —comfort show after comfort show. It felt like the platform understood her emotional state. But here's the truth: Netflix doesn't care how you feel. It only tracks what you do. The algorithm inferred emotional vulnerability from watch patterns and optimized for retention. "User stayed. Serve more." In this clip, we expose the difference between emotional support and behavioral manipulation—and why one is mistaken for the other.

    3 min

  6. Apr 17

    The Algorithm Got Me - When Curiosity Becomes a Rabbit Hole

    It starts innocent: a data visualization video for work. Then autoplay kicks in. Next thing you know, you're 10 minutes deep into "the decline of Western aesthetics" and dangerously close to an aesthetic nationalism rabbit hole—and you were interested the whole time. In this clip, we break down how algorithms don't just recommend content—they escalate it, testing your boundaries, learning your triggers, and engineering the path of least resistance. You didn't choose the journey. You just didn't stop it.

    4 min

  7. Apr 10

    When Desire Becomes Data (And Dating Feels Different)

    When did desire turn into data? In this episode, we dive into what dating feels like when attraction becomes analytics. Profiles, filters, compatibility scores, swipe rates — modern romance now comes with dashboards. You don’t just meet someone. You match at 92%. We start with Lucy’s real-life origin story — yes, she met her husband on an app — and unpack the difference between Profile You and Embodied You. The curated, keyword-optimized, well-lit version… versus the 4K human who laughs weird, holds a coffee cup a certain way, and can’t be reduced to dropdown menus. Then we follow the money. A $9 billion industry built on one paradox: if you fall in love, you leave. But if you almost fall in love, you become revenue. We talk intermittent reinforcement, attachment styles, “Designed to be deleted” marketing, and how maximum hope + maximum uncertainty is suspiciously good for quarterly earnings. Finally, we confront the hyper-selection trap. Dating as KPI. A/B testing your photos. Filtering out 85% of humanity by one metric. Watching rejection become quantified — and then quietly internalized as identity. The app tracks behavior. Your brain turns it into self-worth. This isn’t anti-app. It’s anti-forgetting-you’re-human. Because compatibility isn’t sameness. It’s willingness. Intimacy isn’t optimized for volume. It grows in slowness, vulnerability, repetition. The algorithm may introduce you. But love? Love happens in the unmeasurable spaces. And no compatibility percentage can calculate that.

    32 min

  8. Apr 3 ·  Bonus

    You Are Not Your Metrics - 4 Rules For Staying Human On Apps

    When did your love life turn into analytics? In this mini, we hit reset. Because somewhere between match rates, response times, and “seen at 9:42 PM,” it’s easy to start treating dating apps like a performance dashboard — and yourself like the product being reviewed. We share 4 rules for staying human on apps:Know which version of you you’re presenting.Stop spiraling stories about what a delayed reply means.Meet in person sooner.And know when it’s time to delete — not because you failed, but because you’re done optimizing. The core truth? The algorithm may introduce you… but love happens in the unmeasurable spaces. Tone of voice. Awkward pauses. Eye contact. The parts no metric can capture. If you’ve ever felt your worth quietly rising and falling with notifications, this one’s your reminder: you are not your metrics.

    3 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Inference and Incense
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Inference and Incense
  • Show Website
    Inference and Incense