Ben interviews his brother Adam, also a grad student studying trees. Adam goes into how he's using cellular structure in oaks to reveal climate history. Along the way they talk grad school realities and other student job related stories.

• why oaks can extend climate reconstructions farther back in time
• sanding protocols, imaging, and AI for cell-level features
• grad school workloads, TA work, and lab culture
• work outside of grad school
• sponsor shoutout to Tiger Shark Industrial Abrasives

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We talk with Claire about moving from Minneapolis, how road trips to Taliesin and House on the Rock reshaped her eye, and why Kandinsky’s point-line-plane changed how she sees art, music, and daily life. Art theory turns into simple tools for empathy, spirit, and choosing what matters.

• moving from Minneapolis after 26 years and being closer to family
• Wisconsin travel memories of Taliesin and House on the Rock
• Kandinsky’s shift from law to color and meaning
• objective versus nonobjective art in plain language
• point to line to plane as a guide for choices
• art as therapy for self-knowledge and empathy
• spirit as everyday energy shaping words and actions
• music at the senior center and finding real color in performance
• heritage, work, and names connecting identity to craft
• small compositions in daily routines and aging with dignity

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We drive the Driftless after a late night with Umphrey’s McGee and let the road pull old stories loose, from bike crashes and basement slot cars to a wild cat named George and the quiet joy of becoming a grandparent. Along the way, Amish buggies, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the honest comfort of unpolished podcasts set the rhythm.

• festival glow at a grass amphitheater with Umphrey’s McGee
• why the Driftless landscape feels different and holds sound
• Hillsboro Brewing, Taliesin, and car-camping culture
• curiosity about Amish craft, parts, and Sunday routines
• the new cadence of grandparenthood and re-learning care
• bike freedom, concrete gutters, and gravel-pit adventures
• basement ping-pong, slot cars, and an orange VW dream
• George the cat’s wild streak and what he taught us
• walkie-talkies, voice as company, and low‑polish podcasts

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Ben and Scott have a wide-ranging conversation that touches on identity, career challenges, communication history, and the value of authenticity in podcasting. Their natural dynamic showcases why they started recording these talks in the first place.

• Discussing the origins of their podcast and reintroducing themselves to new listeners
• Ben shares his career uncertainties while studying forestry and seeking part-time work
• Examining the unique appeal of "roots podcasting" without fancy production
• Pondering how people found each other before modern communication technology
• Reflecting on a book from a deceased friend and how many brilliant creative works go unrecognized
• Embracing the podcast's 40-minute time limit as a feature that sets them apart

If you enjoy our conversations, you can find us on all major podcast platforms. Listen for our natural, unscripted discussions that end when our time runs out - sometimes mid-sentence!

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Father and son navigate childhood memories, family dynamics, and philosophical questions in this meandering conversation that reveals surprising vulnerability and humor.

• Discussing how dad actually listened to their entire previous podcast episode rather than skipping through it
• Reminiscing about broken garage windows, including the time a rock was thrown "on purpose" to miss someone's head
• Exploring lunch routines and preferences, from microwaved eggs to grilled cheese sandwiches with croutons
• Unpacking an unexpected definition of love as the moment you start "worrying" about another person
• Revealing the existence of "The I Hate Ben Club," a childhood organization with secret documents
• Attempting to differentiate between charisma and charm while acknowledging limited knowledge on the topic
• Sharing insights about microphone techniques and the art of background vocals
• Self-aware commentary on podcast culture and the tendency to speak authoritatively on unfamiliar topics

Get out there everybody and find people to worry about, because that's what life is all about.

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Ben and Scott explore profound life lessons through everyday experiences, from psychedelic insights at the beach to emergency medical situations in the backcountry.

• Ben shares the story of an octopus sticker creatively placed on his laptop
• Discussion of how people perceive and interact with psychedelics in different settings
• Ben recounts a transformative psilocybin experience while backpacking on the Olympic coast
• Detailed story of severely cutting his knee while searching for his girlfriend's phone
• Ben describes passing out and the disorienting experience of regaining consciousness
• Getting stitches and reflecting on the irony of learning to "let yourself be caught" right before needing help
• Conversation about the nature of wisdom and holding paradoxical truths
• Exploration of how busyness is often a judgment rather than an objective state
• Reflections on motivation, time management, and accepting our limitations

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We explore the peculiar phenomenon of Wi-Fi storms, territorial crow attacks, and the age-old battle against household ant invasions in this wide-ranging conversation about nature's intrusions into daily life.

• Discussing the concept of "Wi-Fi storms" where multiple networks experience issues simultaneously
• Ben recounts being repeatedly attacked by the same territorial crow while walking through Seattle
• Exploring how animals develop unique "idiosyncratic" mating and territorial behaviors
• Analyzing a suspicious door-to-door pest control sales pitch and more environmentally friendly alternatives
• Reflecting on the contrast between open demonstrators and masked individuals at a peaceful protest
• Considering how journaling and reflection can distill complex emotions into meaningful communication

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From AI joke failures to family cabin memories, we traverse the landscape of modern technology while exploring the deeply human experiences that technology can never fully replicate.

• AI struggles with humor and poetry despite its impressive language capabilities
• The "Waymo sandwich" phenomenon reveals the limitations of self-driving cars in complex social situations
• Driving styles across different regions reflect cultural adaptations and collaborative social behavior
• The family cabin purchased in 1949/1950 represents generational connections and simpler pleasures
• A thermostat malfunction that turned the cabin into a 140-degree sauna created both damage and perfectly toasted marshmallows
• Large language models consume disproportionate amounts of energy compared to the human brain
• Neural networks should potentially be treated as public utilities similar to libraries
• German immigrant ancestors came to Wisconsin after the Civil War, escaping European militarism

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