The Spoondrift

In this episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund discusses quantum computing and encryption. First, Asher talks about how current computers process data and how that is different from how quantum computers work. Then he shares a bit about his personal experience with encryption. Here are some links to the articles discussed in or used in research for the show: Quantum Computing Announcement m...

In this episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund discusses podcasting. He describes the history of the show and the personal mission that motivates its production.

This episode of The Spoondrift is a raw version of this week's "What is the point of podcasting?" episode. As host Asher Leomund mentions in the show, awkward pauses and botched sentences are all a part of the podcasting process. This version of the episode showcases all of things that were edited out of the official version and highlights all of the behind-the-scenes work necessary to prepare an...

In this episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund discusses the difficulty in identifying a frog while it is still its tadpole stage. He then talks about how microplastics are becoming more of an issue in our oceans than ever before. Here are links to the articles discussed in this episode: Tadpole Identification Microplastics

Host Asher Leomund has a conversation with Carissa, the host of The Indie Popsicle podcast, about great stories. While the main focus is books, the conversation takes lots of intriguing detours into movies, music, and more. Here is a link to The Indie Popsicle on Spotify: The Indie Popsicle **We are aware of the recent opinions/ideology shared by the author of a work we discuss in today's episode....

On this week’s episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund talks about pens. Specifically, he discusses fountain pens and ballpoint pens. He talks about the different parts of pens, how they work, and a bit about his pen preference. Here are the links to the articles referenced in the show: Fountain Pens Ballpoint Pens

In this archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses a recently discovered spider that has a pattern on its back that looks like the Joker, the notion of a stupid question, as well as the deeper meaning behind Dax’s song “Joker”. Here is a link to the article discussed in the episode: Joker Spider

In this episode of the Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund speaks with special guest Lucas Futurist about language. They talk about everything from what you call long pieces of furniture meant to seat multiple people to the history of translating Egyptian hieroglyphics.  Here is a link to Lucas' band: The Citrus Trees on Spotify Here are some links to things discussed in the show: No Stupid Questi...

In this Archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses the potential discovery of a gas giant core visible for the first time as well as the notion of karma. Here is a link to the article discussed in this episode: Discovery of Gas Giant Core

In this episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund talks about The Shining, a novel by Stephen King. SPOILER ALERT! Asher goes into great detail to describe both the book and the movie inspired by the book. He talks about the differences between the book and the movie, which one he liked better, the writing style of Stephen King, themes in the book, and much more.

In this Archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses rarely visited National Parks, an ancient temple discovered in Italy, and new evidence found supporting the General Theory of Relativity. Here are links to articles discussed in this episode: Least Visited National Parks Ancient Temple in Italy Evidence Supporting the General Theory of Relati...

In this week’s episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund discusses the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on loneliness. The conversation starts by analyzing loneliness empirically and then transitions to personal experiences with loneliness and ways to cope with it. Here are some links to the articles discussed in the episode: The Pandemic and its effect on Loneliness Types of Lonelin...

In this Archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses topics spanning how libraries are dealing with the pandemic, a mystery celestial object that could either be a black hole or a neutron star, and how the human perception of time works. Here are links to articles discussed in this episode: Libraries During the Pandemic Black Hole or Neutron St...

In this episode of The Spoondrift, host Asher Leomund discusses how scientists are coming to understand the genetic makeup of squids much better. He then takes a deep dive into romance movies through the lens of the movie "5 Centimeters Per Second". Here is a link to the story discussed in the episode: Altering the Genes of Squid

In this Archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses character development and all of its complexities.

Host Asher Leomund discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected underwater noise pollution in our oceans as well as what the future looks like for polar bears as climate change progresses. Here are the links to the stories discussed in the episode: Underwater Noise Pollution The Future of Polar Bears

In this Archive episode from The Spoondrift pilot series Conjuring Curiosity, host Asher Leomund discusses a number of topics that span the globe. He discusses when the Great Rift Valley is going to split open, how the United Arab Emirates launched an orbiter to Mars, and interesting Google searches. He also compares some of the fastest rap songs ever made.  Here are some links to the stories...