This episode contains: Steven is back “in studio” with the rest of us after having his internet completely replaced. Ben’s son may have broken his arm, if Ben could only open the CD to see the x-rays. Devon then tells us about his recent time in California, which includes playing Death May Die.

Batter Up: Affecting baseball friction with different substances. In baseball, even the smallest detail can tip the scales in favor of the batter or the pitcher. A recent publication has highlighted how rosin powder helps maintain a more constant friction when pitching, something that could bring about a fairer playing field in Major League Baseball.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221215104734.htm

This Week in Space: Here’s what we know, and what we don’t, about the damaged Soyuz spacecraft current docked with the ISS. A leak in an external coolant of the Soyuz spacecraft could cause the flight computers to overheat. This may lead to an early departure from the space station.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/heres-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-about-the-damaged-soyuz-spacecraft/

Science Fiction: Devon discusses the end of the second season of Avenue 5. We then review the most recent season of Rick and Morty, which just came to a close. Ben talks about Star Trek: Prodigy. This leads to a discussion of episodic TV v. serialized story telling. And so much more!!! (not really).

Patreon only: We discuss the use of AI in creative arts and who should get the credit for the final product.