Tangential Banter
By Tangential Banter
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Tangential BanterMay 03, 2023
Tangent #63: A Bonanza of Tangents
This week's topics were inspired by a visit to the US National Fish & Wildlife Service FAQ page and musing about the origins of tortillas and roti.
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Tangent #62: Equipment Shredder Factories & Darth Vader's Battle T-Rex
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.
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Tangent #61: Eclectic Professors w/Matthew Hess
The two mechanicals are joined by an electrical as they reflect on the interesting and odd experiences from their collegiate academic careers.
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Tangent #60: Nudist Mammals, Wholly Water, and Staynear w/Kevin Juhl
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.
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Tangent #59: Human Intervention in the Food Chain
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.
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Tangent #58: Let's do some gort!
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.
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Tangent #57: "What is the difference between a sport and a game?"
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.
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Tangent #56: What do congress and murder have in common?
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.
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Tangent #55: Exploring the Unintuitive
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.
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Tangent #54: What is heaven like? w/JJ Harm
Your favorite engineering duo is joined by a third to make it a trio - the Trifecta of Tangents, if you will.
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Tangent #53: What if humans were more like hummingbirds?
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.
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Tangent #52: Things which should be invented w/Andrew Lloyd
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.
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Tangent #51: Defining Things from Fast Food to Salad
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?
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Tangent #50: Food Delivery, Tips, and the Gig Economy w/Luke Palandech
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.
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Tangent #49: What if modern inventions didn't exist? w/Terry Koons
Jack and Ben are joined by mutual friend, Terry Koons, to ruminate on what life would be like if certain inventions did not exist.
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Tangent #48: Restroom Design Considerations w/Bob Bair
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.
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Tangent #47: Should you pay it forward?
Ben reintroduces the topic from last episode's tease before the waiting world learns what Jack values in a gift.
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Tangent #46: Jumping the Shark & Is breakfast cereal a chowder?
Jack explains the meaning of the term "jumping the shark" before Ben introduces a topic from a work team meeting.
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Tangent #45: Is the view worth the climb? w/Sam Sayles
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.
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Tangent #44: Driving Etiquette
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.
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Tangent #43 - Why is saying "no" so hard?
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.
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Season III, Episode 21: Twins, Content Creation, and Human Achievements w/Kabbod Alkhalil
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.
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Season III, Episode 20: Humans weren't meant for Modern Society & Technology
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.
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Season III, Episode 19: $120 Per Cubic Foot of Brie
What started as a whimsical wondering progresses into an analytical awakening when fromage de lune comes calling.
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Season III, Episode 18: Empirical Observation
Jack highlights how little we actually know theoretically about the human body vs. what we know only through trial and error observation.
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Season III, Episode 17: How difficult is a hole-in-one?
Jack poses a question and Ben goes ham into data in a spreadsheet.
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Season III, Episode 16: Bababooey Burger vs. Double-Down
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.
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Elevator Music used under open license from:
Season III, Episode 15: Vermilion & Albumen
Jack put a bow on his thoughts regarding ancient civilizations before Ben introduced an etymology topic.
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Season III, Episode 14: Were ancient civilizations more advanced than we give them credit for? w/Andy Moul
Jack and Ben invite a special guest to debate an age-old topic.
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Season III, Episode 13: Why do we find things beautiful? & Denying the Negative
Can Jack and Ben deduce a pragmatic cause for humans finding beauty around them, particularly in sunrise and sunset? Join us to find out!
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Season III, Episode 12: Are worms bugs?
Unpacking a question which has puzzled philosophers for centuries, Jack and Ben muse about the nature of earthworms.
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Season III, Episode 11: Figures of Speech or Idioms?
Season III, Episode 10: "Space Lawns & Skydiving"
In this extended episode, Jack and Ben transition seamlessly from a discussion on whether or not space colonies will have lawns to the finer details most people don't consider when thinking about the sport of skydiving.
Season III, Episode 9: "How old does a human need to be to survive on its own?"
In this, the novenary episode of season three, Jack and Ben delve into a subject that no listener hopes to ever experience.
Season III, Episode 8: The Unintended Consequences of Technology on Society
After music played over the speakers at a restaurant crystallized a thought, Ben and Jack examine the price we often overlook to receive the benefits we see keenly.
Season III, Episode 7: "What if all professions were like sports?" & Eggs
Ben posits a hypothetical related to the attention and critique received by professional athletes before Jack wonders aloud about how fowl manage such prodigious production without suffering caloric depletion.
Season III, Episode 6: Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin'?
Season III, Episode 5: Ownership vs. Subscription vs. Transaction
Season III, Episode 4: "Why are humans fixated on keeping things the same?"
Season III, Episode 3: Polygamy
Season III, Episode 2: Memory Algebra, Genetic Mutation, and Human Uniqueness
Season III, Episode 1: I can't hear you over the fire
Season II, Episode 6: What is ranch and how did it become so popular?
Season II, Episode 5: Which college degrees are worth it? w/Luke Palandech
The Tangentialists, Jack and Ben, invite their first guest to discuss the necessity and value of college degrees pertaining to various career paths.