It's spooky season! Stephen is SO over it, but he can't escape all the scary stuff happening in this week's episode. We start with a lesson on the necromantic arts of branding and iconography, guided by Mark, a master of these dark magics. After the break, Ellen raises a past topic from the dead in order to explore the ethics of manipulating players' brainnnsssss. Also mentioned: candy corn, houseplants, and—you guessed it—Star Trek.

• Star Trek: Ascendancy

Branding & Iconography 0:10:10 Mark LaCroixMarketingSmash TV - WikipediaThomas Was Alone - Bithell Games The Ethics of Engagement 0:36:22 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignEgg, Inc. - Auxbrain, Inc.Idle Acorns - Aleros LLCBeReal social media

A little learning is a dangerous thing

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.

This is a line from Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism (1711). The Pierian spring is a fountain in Pieria, a district round Mount Olympus and the native country of the Muses. You can read the full text for free h.htm">here on Project Gutenberg.