This week on the podcast, we dive into a galaxy far, far away, a dangerously beautiful state park, the surprising success of four-day work weeks, and why people are wildly confused about the environmental impact of the food they eat. Then we wrap things up in the Book Club with a poetic AI encounter that left us intrigued, confused, and maybe slightly emotionally mugged in a dark alley behind a fusion restaurant.

Steven and Ben both checked out The Mandalorian & Grogu together… sort of. One of us managed to participate in the review despite not fully seeing the movie, which honestly may be the most authentic Star Wars fan experience possible at this point. We talk about the surprisingly fantastic stop-motion effects, some genuinely cool CG creature work, and whether Hutts should really be speaking Basic. Steven remains unconvinced. Ben argues the movie wisely avoids dragging along the baggage from season 3 of The Mandalorian and feels more focused because of it.

Meanwhile, Devon took a trip to Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area where the scenery was beautiful and the children were apparently training for a career in extreme sports. Watching kids play near dangerous rapids is apparently one of the most effective ways to discover new forms of parental anxiety. Fortunately, nobody was swept away into the wilderness, and everyone had a great time risking life and limb in nature.

Ben brings us a story about 15 Australian companies that switched to a four-day work week and found that things went… suspiciously well. Productivity held steady, employee happiness improved, and workers generally seemed less miserable. We discuss whether shorter work weeks are the inevitable future or whether society is too psychologically dependent on pretending exhaustion equals virtue.

Devon covers a study showing that most people completely misunderstand the environmental impact of food. A lot of folks assume "processed" automatically means environmentally terrible, while massively underestimating the impact of beef production. Even foods people often think of as universally eco-friendly can have surprisingly high environmental costs depending on water usage, transport, and production methods. It turns into a conversation about how humans love oversimplified categories, even when reality stubbornly refuses to cooperate.

Steven, meanwhile, contributes absolutely nothing this week, which honestly may have reduced the overall chaos level of the episode by at least 12%.

This week we read Narcissus Meets the Ghost of AI in a Dark Alley Behind a Fusion Restaurant by Lesley Hart Gunn, and the title alone probably tells you this was not going to be a straightforward experience.

The poem opens with the line:

"I suppose you want my wallet. No? My body then."

…and from there things only become more surreal, philosophical, and emotionally slippery. We spend a good chunk of time trying to unpack what the poem is actually saying about identity, technology, desire, performance, and the strange relationship humans are developing with artificial intelligence. It's dense, layered, and definitely one of those works that demands active engagement instead of passively washing over you.

In other words: the exact kind of thing that makes for a great podcast discussion and an exhausting homework assignment.

Next week we'll be reading The Things by Peter Watts.

"I am being Blair. I escape out the back as the world comes in through the front."

If you enjoy horrifying perspective shifts, existential dread, and science fiction that actively stares into your soul, you may want to read ahead before the episode drops.