Tests From The Future

Listening back to last week's episode on our old iPod got us a bit worried. It sounds as if we were talking about the "extinct" golden toad, which is everything but extinct. It's actually a bit of a plague. That's not the worrying part though! While we can hear our own voices, we don't actually remember saying those things. And since the plague has been around forever, the things we seem to have s...

This episode starts in Simon's apartment and ends high up in the sky above Cyprus. In between you'll hear about a mystery item, several banana peels, some incense and a campfire, while there'll be a bit of hoverboarding, teleporting, discussing campfires and, of course, we throw some water into the air. To top it all off, we read a listener email about golden toads in a place where no email has ev...

It's not uncommon for people in temperate regions to wish summer would last longer. Well, how about we prolong the season then? Because, on a country level, that's actually possible. It has a few small challenges, especially when neighbouring countries decide not to sync up, but all in all it opens up many possibilities. Longer summers are a no-brainer, but we also give examples for some of the ot...

One of us got invited to join the People of Leisure program, so we take the opportunity to talk about it on the show. Through a set of AI-defined criteria, certain people are identified as being much better suited for leisure than for work. We talk about some of the criteria, as far as we've managed to figure them out, and we speculate about life as a person of leisure. We also answer a listener q...

In a few billion years, our sun might not deliver enough energy anymore. Planning ahead, a group of people, called Star Catchers, are discussing moving another star to our solar system. And they're already making prototypes! Think big ropes and lots of telekinesis. In this episode we talk about the status quo and about some of the challenges that come with moving a star. As Simon puts it: "What's...

Deja vu is a phenomenon of the ages. And during the ages, humanity has tried to find out what deja vu is and what causes it. Then the 23rd century came around and solved the mystery! Is it a technical or a biological phenomenon? Is it caused by alien influence or malfunctioning system updates? In this episode we'll discuss a few of the old ideas, before we reveal the real reason behind deja vu. An...

To become Boss of the Place, you just need to be the person who was somewhere last. This simple application of gamification originally caused many people to explore the world and still does to this day. In this episode we explain the concept in a bit more detail and talk about our own experiences too. We also talk about shoes made out of your own skin! And we finally got to use the word "vermilion...

Why shop next door, when you can fly high up into the sky to a mall where things are cold and windy! After listening to this episode, you'll know exactly why. We join Marvin while he's shopping for bar supplies and we take the opportunity to sit down in the food court and record a live episode. We even got a spot next to the shuttle dock, so there's a constant flow of arriving aircraft, providing...

Marvin the robot is back as a guest, co-host and topic of the week. Remember how we came up with the crazy idea of making a bar that changes location all the time? Apparently, Marvin is the kind of person that doesn't just talk about things, but actually does them too. Not needing time to sleep kind of helps with that. Before we actually visit this rather elusive bar, we take the chance to ask Mar...

We're not kidding! Apparently there really is a new universe emerging, right in the middle of our current one. And here we were, thinking that 'universe' was kind of meant to include everything already. In today's episode we give you the answers to a few questions you might have and then ask many more questions ourselves! Up to the point where the real new universe can only disappoint. Higgspolosi...

You waited seven days for a whole new episode and all you got was "Artichokes"! Well, these inconspicuous little vegetables might just bear a little secret that neither you, nor we, saw coming. At least not until the aliens landed 25 years ago. We'll give a few hints; it has something to do with patterns, shopping and the difference between freshly produced and plainfully printed pizzas. Oh, and w...

Teleporters allow you to transport pretty much anywhere. And just how far this 'anywhere' goes, you'll find out in this episode. As it turns out, many a crazy location has something to do with animals. And mummies! We also talk a little bit about our experiences with dialling the wrong number and the popular teleporter feature 'I feel lucky'. To confirm this episode went back in time, please email...

They have roughly eight arms, enjoy a good conversation, and often live in ceiling fans. That's right, it's BackRubbots! And in this episode you'll find out all about them. What kinds are there? We'll let you know! Do we like them? We'll let you know! What do starfish have to do with them? We'll let you know! And what about minotaurs? We'll let you… uhm… no, that's nonsense. To confirm this episod...

We have to 'face' the truth in this episode. The rock faces that we've known all our lives apparently weren't around in the 21st century. There are thousands of these massive rock heads scattered throughout the landscape, so they really couldn't have been overlooked. In this episode, we try to figure out what happened, without getting 'ahead' of ourselves. To make it even more interesting, Marvin...

After more than two years, it was about time! We finally have a robot on the show. And it's even one that we didn't know until last week. After meeting him at the European Portal Triathlon, we asked Marvin if he wouldn't mind answering some questions on air. And he wouldn't! So, if you want to find out what it's like to be surrounded by beings that are infinitely worse than you at everything, don'...

Simon watches and comments upon the European Portal Triathlon that Dirk is participating in, there's even a surprise at the end. To confirm this episode went back in time, please email michaellasagna5@gmail.com with the episode number in the subject line. We may even respond to your message in a future episode! Chapters 00:00 - Hello 00:25 - Introduction 00:58 - European Portal Triathlon 02:04 - M...

The European Portal Triathlon is coming up. Do you want to know what that is? Where that is? How to train for it? And what gear you use for it in the 23rd century? Then tune in for this short update! To confirm this episode went back in time, please email michaellasagna5@gmail.com with the episode number in the subject line. We may even respond to your message in a future episode! Chapters 00:00 -...

Those 25 years really went by in a blast. In this episode we briefly recap what happened since the Luminati and Partians first landed in Belgium all those years ago. Or was it in Benin? Then we'll talk about the celebrations that are happening across the world this weekend. They're plenty and diverse, and include among other things pub quizzes, fireworks and treadmills. Obviously. To confirm this...

Apparently, Genetics - or Gen - wasn't yet a school subject in the 21st century. A perfect opportunity for us to dig up some childhood memories! What do we remember from those classes? Was it really as boring as we remember? How did it change in the 40 years between our respective times in primary school? Is the famous Genetics mascot still around these days? And how often do we use Genetic Modifi...

While management was at a retreat, the Accounting department of GreenCell staged a coup. With GreenCell being the market leader in teleportation, this affects all of us, which means the topic is being heavily debated! In this episode we bring you up to speed. Which departments side with the new leadership? How did the competition react? And - most importantly - is anybody still going to Brazil? To...

The technology graveyard has them all; cutting-edge inventions that turned out to be short-lived hypes, insanely powerful machines that were uncontrollable, and technological inventions that were already questionable from the get go. Many inventions came and went between the 21st and the 23rd century and we discuss some of them this week. One of them even literally is 'graveyard technology'! And,...

Apparently, for these kinds of clubs, you're supposed to only watch one episode or film and then discuss it afterwards. There was a slight misunderstanding on our part and we actually watched everything you suggested, which was a whole lot! We still try our best to give a 23rd century perspective on 21st century science fiction, things just blur together a little. Was that bizarre spore drive in B...

Technology can take care of absolutely everything in the 23rd century, but only if it receives the proper instructions. You can't just ask your Congo for a pizza. It might just put pineapple on it! And you can't just order a flying car. There might just be pineapple in it! In this episode we explain how 23rd century people prompt properly. And how things go wrong occasionally anyway. Beach body, a...

It would be a shame to get Replicants and then not do anything with them. So, while the 'original' Simon and Dirk go see a Zwaveball match, the Replicant Simon and Dirk get to host a podcast episode. Get ready to learn more about life as a Replicant, and find out what it means if you remember painting your toenails but don't actually have any toes, or to be afraid of the cold when you can actually...

What happens to your old vacuum cleaner when you buy a new one? What happens to your old jacket when you buy a new one? And what happens to an old robot body when they get a new one? While vacuum cleaners and jackets spend the rest of their lives in dusty cupboards, robot bodies will soon be available as Replicant hosts! And any self respecting 23rd century podcast has a duty to try that out as so...