Third Space Podcast

Bennett and Daniel discuss conspiracy theories. It seems like society has grown more prone to conspiracies in recent years, so Bennett and Daniel weigh in on which ones are plausible and which are not. JFK, the moon landing, birds... all are judged. They also discuss why conspiracy theories form and how they can be dangerous.

Wisdom of the Ages, a segment about analyzing common cultural wisdom, makes its return in this pain-themed episode. Bennett has Daniel analyze common sayings that have something to do with pain, and in the process, they ask many thought-provoking questions. What are the differences between physical and mental pain? What is the value of loyalty, and when is it okay to break confidentiality? Is it p...

How do people who wear glasses manage it? That is what Bennett asks after getting his first pair in over 25 years. Warping, shrinking, and chromatic aberration... why not just get contacts?! Bennett and Daniel discuss, and then a long dormant segments returns, just in the nick of time: Bennett Fixes Sports. Bennett, a known fan, and some might say expert, analyzes the pros and cons of football and...

Turnabout is fair play, and in this episode, Bennett avenges himself on Daniel for past gotchas. Daniel has in the past sprung a segment called "Father Bennett" on Bennett, where he puts Bennett in the hypothetical role of a father and asks uncomfortable parenting questions. Bennett turns the tables and asks Daniel, now and actual father of two year old Cosmo, how he would handle situations such a...

In this aging-themed podcast, Bennett and Daniel muse on the adventure of getting older, beginning with a vaguely age-themed Adventures in Etymology. Next, they discuss retirement; what is the purpose of retirement? What are its benefits and drawbacks, and what would happen if we retired in the middle of our lives instead of at the end?

Bennett gives an 18 year out-of-date review of No Country for Old men, criticizing its postmodern qualities, and then Bennett and Daniel discuss surveillance. With the ever-present increase in technological sophistication and affordability, cameras are ubiquitous: doorbells, bodycams, traffic cameras, and more. Is this a good thing? Why do we value privacy? Is security worth it? What about cameras...

Daniel and Bennett discuss the Independence Day fireworks hangover, Costco evangelism, and penny pinching before diving headlong into a long-awaited Superpowers and Drawbacks. This time, they consider the benefits of salvaged food weighed carefully against hirsute bedspreads.

Bennett introduces a new segment called Wisdom of the Ages, in which he takes three common aphorisms that everyone knows and has Daniel assess the wisdom contained in them. How should we treat so-called enemies? How is it that people with seemingly incompatible characteristics end up together? Should one gravitate toward or reject stereotypes? All of these are examined, and Daniel also talks a lit...

Bennett discusses the difficulty of digging holes, and then perhaps digs a metaphorical hole with this episode's spicy (or zesty?) Mind Your Morals, which focuses on homosexuality. What if a substance were invented that could eliminate the same-sex attraction and restore opposite-sex attraction? Bennett quizzes Daniel on multiple scenarios of this hypothetical drug's use to see what the moral impl...

Avocados, pumpkins, and pee durations... oh my! In this episode, Bennett tests Daniel's world record intuition, seeing if he can guess which thing is biggest in a variety of categories. It's a wholesome game, until it isn't. After the game, Bennett and Daniel discuss the inclusion of arachnophobia modes in video games and discuss how it affects accessibility, artistic vision, and the cultural norm...

Slightly above average bats, phantom pitches, and a nightmarish, neverending ball game. Such is the content of the extended sports metaphor that Bennett presents to Daniel in this episode. The tale is a metaphor for dating in the current age, centering on the cultural and technological factors that make it such a dystopian hellscape. Is it uplifting? No. But it is entertaining, philosophical, humo...

After a couple months' gap, Bennett and Daniel return from eventful holidays in this pregnant 2025. It's not pregnant with a child, but with possibilities, of course. In semi-journalistic fashion, they recount Bennett's first meeting with Cosmo, Daniel's current thoughts on fatherhood, Bennett's move into a new house, his newfound Renaissance man capabilities, and lay the groundwork for a discussi...

Bennett and Daniel discuss technology! Bennett relives joyful childhood memories with Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Daniel discusses the infiltration of attention-fragmenting technology into schools. He explains how and why phones in schools are so harmful to success, how he addressed this issue in his school, and then he and Bennett talk more generally about the psychological and practical reasons w...

With the 2024 US Presidential election looming, the media lying, the campaigns exaggerating, and everyone bringing their biases to the table, Bennett presents Daniel with clarity through the one medium that speaks directly to the human soul: poetry. He accrues poems about the candidates, issues, and events relevant to this election, brilliant specimens of art and language, and Daniel analyzes them...

Bennett and Daniel return after a long hiatus with lots of complaints stored up. At least they're interesting complaints! Bennett discusses the trailer for the upcoming movie, Wicked, and with Daniel analyzes its message and relation to modern movie trends (spoiler: they suck). Then Bennett and Daniel compare the experience of using the internet in the 90s and 00s to using the internet today. How...

With the arrival of summer and intense heat, Bennett brings a relevant Mind Your Morals to the podcast pertaining to hot dogs. Not the food; no, the act of leaving dogs in hot cars unattended. When, if ever, is it acceptable, and under what circumstances? Bennett and Daniel attempt to balance animal welfare and property damage, discuss legal and scientific data, and consult internet comment sectio...

The theme of this episode is adventure! That's right, beginning with an adventure... in etymology! Exciting! After that, Bennett shares his experience playing the game Outer Wilds, a game with a neat gameplay gimmick that deals with space exploration. This naturally leads into a discussion of space exploration in the real world; is it worth it? Do the benefits we've gained from space exploration j...

Bennett and Daniel discuss one of the most annoying aspects of travel: airport security. This valiant system costs trillions of man-hours, billions of dollars, and even confiscates Bennett's toothpaste, which undoubtedly really pisses off the terrorists. Or, perhaps, it's just a gargantuan waster of time and money for little or no benefit. The negatives, positives, and possible technological alter...

Daniel makes his transition from dude to dad, as they say, with the birth of his new baby boy, Cosmo, which is the reason for the long gap between episodes (that we will try to remedy going forward). Bennett peppers Daniel with questions about fatherhood, parenting, infants, the medical industry, and more.

Bennett discovers a game that somewhat embodies an old video game idea he had: exploring flooded ruins. Daniel and Bennett discuss this setting, underwater video game controls, human-computer interfaces in general, and then a piece of current tech in the news: Neuralink. How does it work, and how might it be used in the future, either for good (helping the disabled, de facto telekinesis, and music...

Superpowers and Drawbacks returns after some hiatus, and Daniel and Bennett discuss a level 2 set of choices in this episode, debating the merits of various free foods and the economic viability of throwing trash in impressive ways.

Bennett grills Daniel with a very personal but not very tempting Mind Your Morals that deals with the "content creation" site OnlyFans. Would he be okay with his wife posting on the site if it meant a huge boost in income? What about under certain milder circumstances? We also discuss moral topics about purity, harm, self-exploitation, and technology.

Daniel and Bennett discuss rites of passage. In an increasingly digital age, do we even have traditional rites of passage anymore? In a culture that values marriage and families less and less, are we losing our collective ability to establish our identities or encourage identity-building in our children? How analogous are learning to drive a car and learning to use the internet? What possible reme...

Bennett briefly flexes his professional handegg knowledge in discussing the upcoming Level 3 Super Bowl, then leads Daniel on a somewhat Valentine's Day-themed adventure... an Adventure in Etymology, of course! And lastly, Daniel discusses the Pain Gate Theory, which postulates that pain can be mitigated with what is essentially physiological distraction. Is it real? How does it interact with psyc...

Daniel and Bennett do some holiday cleaning in this episode. That is to say, they propose revisions to the US calendar of federal holidays, giving the axe to a surprising number of existing holidays and supplanting them with arguably better ones. See if you agree with the changes!