197: Is This Real Life?

This week, Tommy and Adam break down how we build our realities and the less-obvious reasons why technology has made it much more difficult to tell fact from fiction. Ultimately, what's real and true may have less to do with an objective reality and more to do with the process that creates the subjective realities we all experience as individuals.

This week, Tommy and Adam break down how we build our realities and the less-obvious reasons why technology has made it much more difficult to tell fact from fiction. Ultimately, what's real and true may have less to do with an objective reality and more to do with the process that creates the subjective realities we all experience as individuals.

Links for this episode:

David After Dentist
Wikipedia: "David After Dentist is an Internet phenomenon which started when David DeVore Jr.'s father posted a video on the Internet of his reaction to anesthesia after he had been given oral surgery. As of 10 November 2017, it has been viewed over 136 million times on YouTube."
Monkey-selfie lawsuit finally ends: Court affirms adorable macaque can’t sue
ArsTechnica: "PETA claimed to be a friend to Naruto but "failed" at doing so, 9th Circuit finds." [NOTE: Tommy pointed out some inaccuracies in the reporting of this story in general, which seem to exist in this article in some parts. This is not an issue specific to ArsTechnica, but rather every news outlet as it appears the details of the story are not clearly defined and no one is absolutely sure of them.]
Wiretapping the Secret Service can be easy and fun | Bryan Seely | TEDxKirkland
TED: "In 2014, Bryan Seely hacked the Secret Service and the FBI, and then turned himself in to alert authorities to the problem. He'll tell you what you can do about it in his very entertaining talk."

[NOTE: Adam only mentioned the FBI on the show, but the exploit referred to (as stated in the description above) was more specifically demonstrated using the Secret Service.]
KOHLER GOES GOLD FOR THE GUGGENHEIM!
Kohler: "After months of anticipation Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s “America” installation has opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City (September 16, 2016). The subject of the work that has created worldwide interest and long, winding queues is an 18-carat solid gold replica of the museum’s existing Kohler toilets."
Kohler Laureate™ Gold on Gabrielle™
Kohler: "Laureate combines a textured acanthus leaf pattern with a metalwork style used by the Ottoman Turks. Found in 18th-century embossed fabrics and architectural details, the stunning Laureate leaf motif now embellishes this graceful one-piece Gabrielle toilet. The elongated bowl and standard chair height add comfort to this dramatic design. A 1.28-gallon high-efficiency flush provides significant water savings of up to 16,500 gallons per year, compared to a 3.5-gallon toilet, without sacrificing performance."

This is a real gold-adorned toilet you can buy from Kohler. List price: $5,984.60.