On Endings and Gratitude w/ Mitchell Del Bianco

On Endings and Gratitude w/ Mitchell Del Bianco

In this final bonus episode (and final episode), reflection is given on the purpose and ending of the podcast. Recorded June 12, 2022 @ Industry Plant® [https://industryplant.co/]

Elden Ring and Changes in the Gaming Industry w/ Finnian Hourihan

In this bonus episode centered on gaming, artist and animator Finnian Hourihan converses about topics spanning from the advent of Chess 2.0 to the shifting economics involved in making profitable multiplayer games and the impact of such changes on player experience. Recorded June 11, 2022 @ Industry Plant® [https://industryplant.co/]

Hatred and Handling Harassment w/ Dr. Kevin Folta

The earlier episode with Dr. Kevin Folta alluded to some of the controversies that he has dealt with in scientific communication. In this episode, our second conversation addresses the extent of online and in-person hatred received and its effects on Dr. Folta. Additionally, we discuss how he has managed in light of attacks on his character and scientific claims as well as the forms such attacks can take. Recorded February 10, 2022 @ Industry Plant® [https://industryplant.co/]

Luck and Embracing Individuality w/ Robert Smith and Ohee Syed

After the course of a hectic season of recording episodes, making videos, and designing clothes, there was a well-needed opportunity to return to talking to friends on the podcast. That being said, it would be a mistake to assume that this season finale would contain only friendly banter. In this concluding episode of the fourth season, Robert Smith returns with Ohee Syed to talk about the beginnings of their friendship, embracing individuality, and creating art. Also discussed is the reality of luck versus hard work in determining outcomes, the (un)necessity of suffering in order to live a good life, cyberbullying, goal-orientation, the use of violence in response to words, and more. When the recording ended, it was clear that there was no better way to end the season. With the breadth of the discussion in mind, it should be clear that there was more to add to the conversation than time could allow. Each topic can (and should) be explored beyond our own words about it. Recorded April 9, 2022 @ Industry Plant® [https://industryplant.co/]

Postmodernity and the Absurd w/ Dr. Esteban Leonardo Santis

Purely rational or quantitative means can prove unsatisfactory in answering and fully understanding existential questions. In previous episodes of this show, there have been offhanded references to absurdism, the future of the United States' political landscape, and the value of literature in exploring philosophical ideas. In this episode, a conversation with Dr. Esteban Leonardo Santis of the Florida Policy Institute helps to flesh out these concepts, from a discussion on the creation of meaning to one on the ongoing movement away from rationalism and positivism in political discourse. Further discussion centers on the relevance of Albert Camus' The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus as well as Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude to the postmodern world and present-day public administration. Recorded March 27, 2022 @ Industry Plant® [https://industryplant.co/]