This movie is so good!

Just a warning: we really think you should watch this before listening to the episode. It’s so good!

Magic as skeptical training

Taking advantage of human intuition. Taking advantage of our sensory aparatus. Inoculating against credulity and being fooled.

Penn & Teller

Excellent showmen who have been at it forever and who are just great. They are “honest liars” and a lot of their media is great training in cognitive biases.

Saving people from drowning

Attempts to derive scientific guidelines for chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save drowning victims might go back further than you’d expect.

Tesla

David Bowie as the perfect dandy to play the rather dandy-ish Tesla.

Modern railguns might be in a similar vein to Tesla’s “Death Ray”

Taming electricity

The wonderment of the period. Misconceptions about the rivalry between Tesla and Edison.

Dedication and obsession and sacrifice

The difference between simple and easy. Going over the top to solve a problem with technology where it isn’t necessary.