Episode 34: Two Bots Talking

Two Bit Geeks

In this guaranteed 100% human-created podcast, Ped & Tom ponder whether humanity was Earth’s first civilization, whether Google chatbots will subsequently replace humanity, whether Irish drivers are the best in the world, and whether your own DNA will implicate your criminal cousin.

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Yanny and Laurel [00:00]

• Original “What do you guys hear ?” Reddit post
• Most people over 18 can’t hear these sounds

Air Travel [06:29]

• SSSS no more
• Square People Pipe
• Answer: Airplane doors cannot be opened during flight due to cabin pressure
• Twilight Zone: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Was Humanity the first civilization on Earth? [13:32]

• The Silurian Hypothesis: Would it be possible to detect an industrial civilization in the geological record?
• The Silurians (Doctor Who)
• How the domestic chicken rose to define the Anthropocene (The Guardian)
• Super-Earths can’t have space programs

Artificial Intelligence is calling [26:22]

• Google Assistant calls the hair salon
• Xiaoice
• Universal Basic Income

Irish Drivers [42:09]

• Pass Rates of Irish driver’s test centres (Overall average: 54%!!!)
• Reversing around a corner on the Irish Driving Test
• Reversing into parking spaces
• Conor Pass road above Dingle
• Definitive guide to Irish drivers’ hand gestures
• Continuously variable transmission
• Hill starts

DNA Privacy [55:33]

• The Golden State Killer
• GEDmatch, an open source DNA database

Music by Lee Rosevere (CC by 4.0)