WT: Going Weird Mode

Episode Notes

The episode opens with a joke-heavy run of stories, including Bryce recounting a TikTok about Waffle House grill cooks earning shirts for hitting profit milestones, then a segment about Steve Jobs' pre-worn Birkenstock sandals selling at auction for about $218,750. The hosts riff on the sandals' smell, rarity, and the value of Steve Jobs memorabilia, and briefly detour into jokes about Steve Wozniak, Segway scooters, and what kinds of Jobs-related items might command higher prices.

The middle of the episode covers a ChatGPT test on the AP Computer Science A exam, where Bryce explains that the model scored 32 out of 36 and missed some visual or poorly worded elements. That leads into a broader discussion of AI's growing capabilities, followed by a long segment on Disney research's face-aging/de-aging neural network and speculative uses for film, TV, and even recasting or upcycling older media. The latter half of the episode shifts into word-of-the-year chatter, with the hosts debating 'gaslighting,' 'metaverse,' and especially 'goblin mode,' before finishing with listener picks for Planet Money, 1899, and The Last of Us.

Key topics

• Waffle House profit milestone shirts: Bryce mentions a TikTok about Waffle House grill cooks getting shirts for reaching profit milestones, like a $2 million shirt, and the hosts joke about it.
• Steve Jobs sandals auction: A state auction sold Steve Jobs' pre-worn Birkenstock sandals for about $218,750, with discussion about their provenance, foot imprint, and a bundled NFT.
• Segway and Steve Wozniak tangent: The hosts joke about Steve Wozniak riding a Segway and note that Segway is now mostly associated with scooters rather than the original self-balancing vehicle.
• ChatGPT on the AP Computer Science A exam: Bryce describes a user testing ChatGPT on the AP Computer Science A exam and reports that it scored 32 out of 36 points, with some errors tied to wording and visual elements.
• UNESCO intangible cultural heritage: The hosts discuss UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, including examples like oral traditions, rituals, craftsmanship, and food heritage.
• Baguette origins and French bread law: Bryce explains that the baguette was added to UNESCO's heritage list and summarizes the historical explanation involving August Zang, steam ovens, and a French law limiting bakers' hours before 4 a.m.
• Disney de-aging / re-aging neural network: The discussion covers a Disney research model, referred to as Fran/F-R-A-V, that can age or de-age actors in video while preserving identity better than older methods.
• Using AI to remake or recast old media: The hosts speculate about algorithmically transforming films like Casablanca, changing faces, voices, settings, and plots, and debate whether such versions would still count as the original work.
• Word of the year: gaslighting and metaverse: They revisit 'gaslighting' via Google Trends and discuss Oxford's runner-up 'metaverse,' including how both words gained cultural prominence.
• Goblin mode debate: A long segment debates Oxford's word of the year, 'goblin mode,' over whether it means self-indulgence, laziness, slovenliness, anti-social behavior, or something closer to depression or self-care.
• NPR/Planet Money on stadium concession pricing: Justin recommends a Planet Money episode about Mercedes-Benz Stadium pricing concessions relative to downtown market prices, as an alternative to the usual high stadium markups.
• 1899 as a multilingual mystery-box series: Bryce recommends 1899 on Netflix, describing it as a mystery-puzzle-box show set on an 1899 transatlantic voyage with passengers speaking different languages and receiving a signal from a lost ship.
• The Last of Us adaptation: The hosts discuss the trailer for The Last of Us, expressing cautious optimism and concern about video game adaptations, while noting HBO, Pedro Pascal, and Craig Mazin as positive signs.

Picks

• Justin Robert Young: Planet Money Episode 874: The Hot Dog Hail Mary — Justin explicitly calls it 'my recommendation' and describes it as a good explanation of how Mercedes-Benz Stadium kept concession prices relatively low.
• Bryce Castillo: 1899 — Bryce says he 'really, really dug 1899 on Netflix,' has watched two or three episodes, and encourages others to give it a try.
• Brian Brushwood: The Last of Us — Brian is cautious but clearly positive: he says the trailer has occupied his brain and concludes 'I'm here for it.'