Tangential Banter

Have you ever wondered if mint is the opposite of capsaicin? How do you know if your opinion is valid? Why do humans have fewer offspring in wealthy countries? All these questions answered and more on this episode of zany banter.

The two mechanicals are joined by an electrical as they reflect on the interesting and odd experiences from their collegiate academic careers.

Jack and Ben are joined by one of Ben's oldest friends, Kevin. Together they explore what animals think of us, space cowboys, and contrasting concepts.

Whether predator or prey, humans seem to have a lot of thoughts and feelings about other species in the food chain. The Moulowski Boys investigate.

Jack and Ben make good on their promise to finish the discussion of games vs. sports, while also managing to work in idioms, engineering theory, and unpacking old wives' tales.

The boys reminisce about Lord of the Rings production methods, issue corrections for details of previous episodes, and then plumb the depths of understanding when it comes to the nexus of athletics and enjoyment.

Which question have humans been asking since we first looked up at the stars and why haven't the Tangential Banter boys answered it? Jack knows the question and Ben joins him in answering it.

Ever been in a situation where you "knew" exactly what the outcome should be, but then it wasn't? Diving deep into the maths of just such a scenario, Jack leads the duo on a mind-bending journey to the center of our misconceptions.

Your favorite engineering duo is joined by a third to make it a trio - the Trifecta of Tangents, if you will.

Jack asked to be surprised by the topic this week and here is the result. The boys dive into human limitations and consciousness, ending on a sweet note.

Jack and Ben are joined by long-time listener, first-time caller Andrew Lloyd to speculate about the future and what is missing from the present. They leave no stone unturned in their dogged pursuit of answers.

Jack and Ben were musing during Thanksgiving week about food-related topics and decided to put the conversation on pause until it could be recorded for posterity -- and all of you! When defining terms, are we to follow the spirit or the letter?

In celebration of the 50th episode milestone, Jack and Ben are joined by their first repeat guest and "friend of the progrum" - Luke Palandech to discuss why people order food deliveries, the outsized role of tipping in the service industry, and the future of the gig economy.

Jack and Ben are joined by mutual friend, Terry Koons, to ruminate on what life would be like if certain inventions did not exist.

As an addendum to the topic of Season I, Episode 6 titled "Male Restroom Etiquette", Ben's father-in-law, Bob Bair, joins the show to shed some light from renovations projects he led in his career.

Ben reintroduces the topic from last episode's tease before the waiting world learns what Jack values in a gift.

Jack explains the meaning of the term "jumping the shark" before Ben introduces a topic from a work team meeting.

Jack is so worked up about Iowa drivers that he finds a way to bring the topic back before we dive into our main topic with Ben's friend from college, Sam Sayles.

Jack wonders about his garbage disposal whilst chopping vegetables before the duo embarks on a road trip through the many pitfalls of bad driving behaviors.

Jack and Ben reflect on the podcast structure and powering electricity from human effort before delving into the topic of why saying no is so hard.

Jack and Ben are joined by co-worker and friend Kabbod Alkhalil while discussing the origin of this podcast, habits and practices for improving content, our ever-present nature vs. nurture ruminations, and the ice-breaker question of what is humanity's most significant achievement.

Steering a meandering course through initial tangents, Jack and Ben eventually get the ship on a heading while discussing how humanity has adapted to the society of our own making as technology influences behaviors.

What started as a whimsical wondering progresses into an analytical awakening when fromage de lune comes calling.

Jack highlights how little we actually know theoretically about the human body vs. what we know only through trial and error observation.

Jack poses a question and Ben goes ham into data in a spreadsheet.

The Fast Food Challenge is revealed with contenders in each corner of the ring. Jack and Ben deal with adversity to bring you entertainment your ears can savor like our taste buds did these tasty numbers.

Jack put a bow on his thoughts regarding ancient civilizations before Ben introduced an etymology topic.