Industry Plant's Pogscast

In this final bonus episode (and final episode), reflection is given on the purpose and ending of the podcast.

In this bonus episode centered on gaming, artist and animator Finnian Hourihan converses about topics spanning from the advent of Chess 2.0 to the shifting economics involved in making profitable multiplayer games and the impact of such changes on player experience.

The earlier episode with Dr. Kevin Folta alluded to some of the controversies that he has dealt with in scientific communication. In this episode, our second conversation addresses the extent of online and in-person hatred received and its effects on Dr. Folta. Additionally, we discuss how he has managed in light of attacks on his character and scientific claims as well as the forms such attacks can take.

After the course of a hectic season of recording episodes, making videos, and designing clothes, there was a well-needed opportunity to return to talking to friends on the podcast. That being said, it would be a mistake to assume that this season finale would contain only friendly banter. In this concluding episode of the fourth season, Robert Smith returns with Ohee Syed to talk about the beginnings of their friendship, embracing individuality, and creating art. Also discussed is the reality of luck versus hard work in determining outcomes, the (un)necessity of suffering in order to live a good life, cyberbullying, goal-orientation, the use of violence in response to words, and more. When the recording ended, it was clear that there was no better way to end the season. With the breadth of the discussion in mind, it should be clear that there was more to add to the conversation than time could allow. Each topic can (and should) be explored beyond our own words about it.

Purely rational or quantitative means can prove unsatisfactory in answering and fully understanding existential questions. In previous episodes of this show, there have been offhanded references to absurdism, the future of the United States' political landscape, and the value of literature in exploring philosophical ideas. In this episode, a conversation with Dr. Esteban Leonardo Santis of the Florida Policy Institute helps to flesh out these concepts, from a discussion on the creation of meaning to one on the ongoing movement away from rationalism and positivism in political discourse. Further discussion centers on the relevance of Albert Camus' The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus as well as Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude to the postmodern world and present-day public administration.

The world is filled with odd events and strange people who create them. Parsing through these absurd stories to find ones that are both compelling and comical is Oki, a documentary filmmaker and interviewer who entertainingly communicates them in his series, Oki’s Weird Stories. Initially, Oki engaged in a more retrospective approach to documentary-making, gathering old interviews and articles to retell the stories of people like Uwe Boll, Hiroo Onoda, Steve Rocco, and so on. As time went on, he himself began interviewing the subjects of his videos as well as performing investigative journalism. In this lengthy interview, Oki and I talk about the stories he has covered and the process of documenting them. We also converse about cults, the state of the modern news media landscape, mythomania, the reputation of YouTube in Hollywood, censorship on social media, in addition to many other subjects. In talking with Oki, one thing became most apparent: perception is everything.

To understand the behavior of animals is to understand how the vast variety of behaviors across species develop as well as how they function and change according to different contingencies. In pursuit of such understanding, Dr. Nicole Dorey researches animal behavior and training practices, and among many other topics, has studied mirroring behavior, preference assessments, environmental enrichment in enhancing behavioral welfare, and the sensitivity of dogs to human behavioral cues. Conversation in this episode centers around the benefits of training animals without using positive punishment, instinct versus operant learning in animal behavior, the modern role of zoos, and more.

In the modern era, especially in light of the current pandemic, there are more examples than ever of distrust and controversy around scientific information. As someone on the transmitting side of scientific communication, Dr. Kevin Folta lays out how scientists and popular figures can do better at conveying important findings to the public. This episode also contains conversations about genetically modified organisms, ethical barriers within human biotechnology, and more.

It's impossible (at least as of January 21st, 2022) to stop aging, but growing up is something that can be put off indefinitely. In this episode, Jade Long, singer and songwriter for indie band Hotel Fiction, talks about how following her dreams in making music has allowed her to continue to be present and avoid the pitfalls of traditional adulthood. Displaying vulnerability through art, catastrophic thinking, and the pandemic's effects on Hotel Fiction's schedule as well as other topics are discussed within. Beyond this conversation, Jade's musical talent is well-expressed on Soft Focus and at each of Hotel Fiction's live shows throughout the United States.

Returning to talk about the lackluster status of mathematics education in the United States, Robert McLaughlin converses about insights and historical trends that point to a potential route for its revival. Moreover, the conversation focuses on the first volume of Ludwig Von Mises' Human Action and understanding economic and scientific theories of the past and their relevance to today's world and culture. Once again, Robert understands more than I probably ever could on both main topics and offers a unique perspective on how we might approach the lessons learned from the history of politics and economics.

To begin the fourth season, Ari and I reconnect to talk about her foray into game development and programming. Part of the discussion turns towards the nature of videogame creation in recent years as the inventing of addictive mechanisms to increase playtime. We discuss how these design components have drawn criticism and regulation in several countries as well as how the content of videogames can become important as it comes closer to approximating the real world.

Two days before the release of BOOSMOBIL, Timothy Bright returns for a bonus episode to shed light on the changes and future of his discography. We also talk about casinos, Tobey Maguire in Spiderman, Jordan Peele films, and more. Some other notable topics also include the making of BOOSMOBIL with production by Autumn Boy, the woes of customer service work culture, and the shortcomings of Los Angeles as a music capital.

In this season finale, I have a casual conversation with several Industry Plant coworkers about a variety of games, Wikipedia donations, and the derivative nature of culture while mispronouncing "simulacra" at least five times.

Much of the media today borrows from and exhausts previously successful tropes of the past. Dr. Jeanne Ewert returns to continue the conversation about the characteristics missing from much of modern American film and television production, namely narratives that push us beyond our comfort zones and forces us to consider the traditional boundaries of video medium. The implications of anonymous writing and the use of pseudonyms in literature and social media posts are also discussed at length.

The topic of behaviorism has been brought up on several occasions, but this episode provided an opportunity to explore it more fully. Radical behaviorism provides a fresh (and often misunderstood) way to examine the problems of the present day on broad and individual scales. Dr. Jesse Dallery is a clinical psychologist and professor of behavior analysis at the University of Florida. He currently researches and develops technology-based approaches to promote healthy behaviors. Outside of research and clinical work, Dr. Dallery is also interested in the philosophy that underlies behavioral science and directions for its use in contemporary society.

I do not often cave into requests for the podcast, but in-person and digitally I was asked to speak on several topics that I've brought up in the past. Monologuing might not be for me, but for this episode my performance will have to do.

Finnian Hourihan, renowned aesthetician and game theorist, returns to discuss pertinent topics such as meta-moments in videogames, the tutorial of Jet Set Radio, and more.

Mia returns for an interesting discussion that touches on the glamorization and inaccessibility of fashion and common conceptualizations of substance use in American society.

Who said 10,000 hours of experience was necessary to run a podcast? Joseph returns to discuss solipsism, the origins of the podcast, The Matrix, and behaviorism. A freestyle debate about determinism and the human ability to know is also contained herein.

In the first episode of the new season, Dr. Louis Ritz discusses several topics that transcend the more material topics this podcast sometimes emphasizes. Of particular interest are dialogues on how we can view ourselves within the larger universe and where consciousness comes from.

In the final bonus episode of the summer, William Bazzone, creator of BAZZREVIEWS converses at length about the potential for objectivity in art, industry plants, and Pinocchio Story among a flurry of other topics.

One fateful day, Aloesemi's mother forced him to purchase a copy of FL Studio, a music production software. Since then, Aloesemi has become a producer and FL studio guru in quite a short timeframe. Herein, there's talk about music generally, but mostly production. If that's your sort of thing, this episode is for you.

The truth about time is somewhat uncomfortable. Time seems intuitive, at least until one thinks about it. One might claim it is a duration--but of what? Itself? Such a problem is but a single example of the ones that Monica MacKenzie grapples with in her discipline, philosophy of time. Despite time's importance in governing our lives and guiding our perception, it remains an enigma in many ways. Still, even with all the elusiveness about it, one thing is for certain, there is much yet to be fully understood.

Moving organically through the music industry is no easy task. In the longest installment of the podcast to date, Petite League originator Lorenzo Gillis Cook talks about where he has been and where he wants to go creatively and personally with the same characteristic retrospective thoughtfulness that shines through in his music.

There are few people who can energetically move through topics as sensitive and nuanced as body dysmorphia and segregation over multiple hours. Further, openness and unabashed conversation are generally rare between people who are not entirely familiar with one another; this episode is a sort of unique foray into that rarity. Robert Smith might be the most generic name that someone could come up with, but in no way is Robert simple.

It's no secret that pretty much anything can turn into art. When art becomes a commodity, it often becomes imitated and recreated, but such manipulations are not always artless. What would have become trash can be salvaged to make something new while respecting the original purposes for its creation.

Most of the time, it seems like finding love is never given a second thought as an essential goal for every person to complete. In this way the concept of love has become somewhat latent and uninspected, without any reconsideration of what it could be. Dr. Arina Pismenny has thought about the topic extensively and offers an intriguing critique on the common narrative associated with love. There might be other fulfilling ways to experience romance that existed just outside of the typical paradigm all along.

Hate and love can be equally as harmful when trying to evaluate art, but familiarity might provide a better chance at appreciation. After years of brief interactions, the opportunity to have a conversation with AnitaGotBars arose. The content did not disappoint--the disappearance of Crysp, monetary motivation, and mogul aspirations occupied the too-brief interview.

Throughout history, there have been people who regularly attempt pursuits outside of their domain of expertise with great personal success. For Ari Figueredo, these pursuits manifest as tackling game design, music production, and video writing alongside regular self-exploration. Topics discussed within are controversial and personal in nature. Viewers will find that there is more information on Ari's mind than could be properly investigated in a single episode, no matter its length.

In writing this description, there is the notion that it should be written. In the broader culture, there are activists, lobbyists, and politicians who make decisions about activities that should be engaged in that inevitably affect the natural world. In this manner, value judgments abound regardless of conscious awareness. Simultaneously, another process often informs these decisions. Dr. Marcus Lashley is a professor, podcast host, and lab director with a passion for nature and its study. Burning forests and hunting animals may not seem like interests of someone who loves ecology, yet they are. When it comes to nature, even our seemingly unnatural processes are part of it.

Accidents happen, and sometimes they lead to better things. After the first two hours of conversation with Timothy Bright, we had less than a minute of recorded material. Originally we talked about his discography, his relationship with Brockhampton, how he deals with cutting off friends and negativity. With all the pre-written questions exhausted, we talk about a slew of topics: Uncut Gems, the American education system, outtareach, DC and Fort Myers rap culture, and so much more. While nothing is ever guaranteed, Timothy looks forward to developing his musical talent and seeing where it takes him.

Geological timespans are unfathomable. If someone were to mention that the sun has 4.5 billion years left before its death, there would be little effect on one's mental state. In this way, billion might as well be trillion. Simultaneously, humans take the modern world for granted. We want more stuff now. Less than 15,000 years ago, humans found a way to start accumulating that stuff after satisfying basic needs through agriculture. Once people had stuff, in came the rulers and warlords that history remembers fighting for control of it. Such is the fascinating history of the world as told by Daniel, a scholar of agricultural history.

The death penalty stands today as a punishment that, by some accounts, is as barbaric as exists in the developed world. In recent months, the federal government resumed executions after a two-decade pause in the execution schedule. Leigh Kassem has studied the death penalty for years and suggests future directions for capital punishment as well as addressing the death penalty's shortcomings as a tool for justice. Kassem is also the first instructor to teach an undergraduate course focused on the death penalty at the University of Florida. Through insights gained over the years, there is a wealth of information provided that may be both surprising and disturbing to listeners.

Narratives abound in daily life. Movie character arcs and literature plot developments usually follow predictable paths with predictable twists. What happens when narratives are created to reflect human experience? The convolution of stream of consciousness, unreliable memory, and ambiguity of situations takes center stage, displacing clichés and predictability. Dr. Jeanne Ewert has studied narratology and read countless novels and films with common and uncommon narratives. Discussion on Hemingway, Faulkner, Robbe-Grillet and unrelated topics populate this long conversation. The world is complicated and so too are its most uncommon stories.

Fashion in daily life is mostly inconspicuous. Even when trying to make a statement with one's outfit, one will hear comments like "I like your shoes" or "Where'd you get that dress". At celebrity events like the Met Gala, outfits draw thousands of stares as art pieces as well as countless instances of online commentary. At the same time, there exists a hidden world of economic and perceptual consequences for each article of clothing or accessory worn. Sunny realizes this and provides ample discussion and insight into where fashion has been and where it is headed.

The modern world is an inevitably complicated mess of systems, not least of which is economics. Robert understands more than I probably ever could on the topic and offers a unique perspective on how United States industry could shift for a better future.

Mia has something to say about nearly any topic; this makes her a fitting guest for discussing many topics over the course of an hour. Topics discussed would inevitably take years to properly investigate (if they could be fully investigated). There is no claim that the facts discussed are absolute.

There is much that can be said regarding the meaning that many seek to find in their lives. Alex Dye finds such meaning in Nietzschean existentialism. In a deep dive, he explains the historical context of existentialism, dispels the association between edgy teens and true nihilism, and more. For those interested in philosophy and those with no exposure, the listening experience grants new and accessible information regarding nihilism from someone who has given the topic years worth of thought. Listen on.

Joseph is a philosophy scholar with particular interest in AI. He's also quite humorous and cuts quickly into existential topics. There's something to learn from his method of conversation itself.

This episode concerns topics ranging from the 2K franchise to metaphysical inquiries about the nature of a podcast. Stay safe.