Latest Speculation Podcast Episodes
Vaguely Scientific #37: Hippopoctopusamus
Vaguely Scientific - February 05, 2020 08:00 - 41 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Andy to discuss what might happen if everything in the universe were to double in size. As usual, we would all probably die. Then, we kitbash different animals together to make some truly outlandish hybrids. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Andy
Vaguely Scientific #36: You Can't Have Purple Eye Lasers
Vaguely Scientific - January 22, 2020 08:00 - 40 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Jonathan to discuss how eye lasers work, both the kind that zap your lens and the kind that zap outwards towards other people. Then, we get into a deep philosophical debate about colors and how they're entirely pointless. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Jona...
Vaguely Scientific #35: We Made All of the Internet Mad at Once
Vaguely Scientific - January 08, 2020 08:00 - 42 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Ryan to discuss whether or not we should chat with all those wild aliens that we've definitely for sure found. Then, we mash together Star Wars and Star Trek just to spite the entire internet. We can feel your hatred... Panelists: Jim, Derek, Ryan
Vaguely Extra #3: Outtakes Part 2
Vaguely Scientific - January 01, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsHappy Near Year! To help you ease into the new year, enjoy these outtakes, which were wisely clipped from episodes 14-26. And remember, hindsight is 2020.
Vaguely Scientific #34: The Last Son of Christmas
Vaguely Scientific - December 25, 2019 08:00 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode chock full of good tidings, Jim and Derek are joined by Big A to tackle your holiday questions. First, how could we safely turn a reindeer's nose into a 30,000 W light source? Then, we tackle Dr. Seuss's greatest riddle: how do you stop Christmas from coming? Panelists: Jim, Dere...
Vaguely Scientific #33: Philanthrolycanthropy
Vaguely Scientific - December 11, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Addison to discuss the benefits of practicing werewolfery, either involuntarily or as a trade. Then, they dig deep to figure out where fantasy monsters are getting all of that sweet, sweet loot. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Addison
Vaguely Scientific #32: Breaking Your Bones: A Primer
Vaguely Scientific - November 27, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Chris to discuss the practicality, consequences, and tragedies of building a dome over a city. Then, we journey to Duckburg to try and figure out how Scrooge McDuck dives into that money pit without shattering every bone in his body. Panelists: Jim, D...
Vaguely Scientific #31: Talking About Aliens Talking
Vaguely Scientific - November 13, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Aly to discuss how aliens discuss things. Then, we blow the lid off of the flu shot conspiracy (spoiler: there isn't one). Finally, we cap off the episode by talking about how bad everything would be if water stopped behaving in all the strange ways wa...
Vaguely Scientific #30: Vaguely Spooky 2
Vaguely Scientific - October 30, 2019 07:00 - 55 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Justin and David to discuss more spooky tales of terror! This year, we figure out which animals would make the best and worst familiars for a witch. Then, we revisit last year's question in which we updated movie monsters to be more realistic. This tim...
Vaguely Extra #2: Batman Villains
Vaguely Scientific - October 25, 2019 17:34 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsHalloween is quickly approaching, so what better time to return to Gotham City and discuss some of the greatest villains Batman has ever faced. This was originally part of episode 27, but there just wasn't enough time to include it. Enjoy!
Vaguely Scientific #29: Soylent Green Is Derek
Vaguely Scientific - October 16, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Sierra to discuss how we can pipe food into our houses and completely cut out human contact forever. Yay! Then, we try to figure out how to swap out these cheap, human bones for some slick metal ones. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Sierra
Vaguely Scientific #28: Egg on Your Face
Vaguely Scientific - October 02, 2019 07:00 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Jonathan, who helps them to figure out how to convert hit points and fall damage to the real world, since we have no practical way of gauging how much damage a person would take falling out of an open window, I guess. Then, we uncook an egg for science...
Vaguely Scientific #27: Happy Birthday Batman!
Vaguely Scientific - September 18, 2019 07:00 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Dave and Justin to celebrate Batman's 80th birthday! To celebrate, we discuss whether or not someone could actually become Batman. Then, we discuss the stupidest gadgets the Dark Night has ever used in the line of duty. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Dave, Ju...
Vaguely Scientific #26: This Time It's Just Raining Meat
Vaguely Scientific - September 04, 2019 04:00 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Marcus as they discuss which animal deserves to take the top spot on planet Earth after humans get our stupid selves killed. Then, we dive into the deep lore of the Weather Girls' Song "It's Raining Men" to really figure out what the ramifications of ...
Vaguely Scientific #25: Alien vs. Predator vs. Nighttime Stuffiness
Vaguely Scientific - August 21, 2019 04:00 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsJim and Derek are joined by Aly to discuss why we haven't viciously stamped out that longtime scourge to mankind--the common cold. Then, we try to figure out the Xenomorph and how it achieves such an impressive kill count without actually having to see any of the things it's doing. Panelists: J...
Vaguely Scientific #24: Tons of Phalanges
Vaguely Scientific - August 07, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsJim and Derek are joined once again by Andy to discuss what's inside of everyone's favorite pink puffball/eldritch horror: Kirby! Then, we try to figure out why people can't tell that Clark Kent is Superman. I mean, it's so obvious, right? Panelists: Jim, Derek, Andy
Vaguely Scientific #23: All Hail Our Computer Overlords
Vaguely Scientific - July 24, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined once again by Addison. He's finished with his time travel shenanigans and has returned to discuss a future in which Google shutters its doors overnight. Oh no, my spreadsheets! Then, if you eat something that grew in the garden you buried that body in, ar...
Vaguely Scientific #22: Lunar Lunacy
Vaguely Scientific - July 10, 2019 04:00 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Big A to discuss the different ways we might go about colonizing the moon to build our first cheese factory. To keep the moon theme rolling, we tackle the conspiracy that the moon is artificial which, spoiler alert, it's not. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Bi...
Vaguely Scientific #21: Vaguely Rotten in the State of Denmark
Vaguely Scientific - June 26, 2019 04:00 - 37 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by David to discuss the scienceiest science of them all: English literature. Specifically, we debate the notion that Hamlet's madness had any method to it. Then, we have a genie infestation, and we really need to try to figure out what to store them all i...
Vaguely Extra #1: Early Outtakes
Vaguely Scientific - June 21, 2019 04:00 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn celebration of the first day of summer, we dust off some of the best outtakes from the first six months of the podcast!
Vaguely Scientific #20: Humans Are Garbage; Robots Are Racist
Vaguely Scientific - June 12, 2019 04:00 - 34 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Ryan to discuss how putting your brain in a robot body would get you exiled from both human society and robotkind. Then, we delve deeper into the world of beep boops by deciding if we want to be a cyborg in a fantasy setting or a wizard in a sci-fi one...
Vaguely Scientific #19: A Chilly Reception
Vaguely Scientific - May 29, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined once more by Marcus to discuss what would happen if all of the water in the world froze. Brr! Then we discuss what kinds of tools we might be able to cobble together out of ice since that's all we're really going to have access to after this cataclysm. P...
Vaguely Scientific #18: It's Raining Bast and Anubis
Vaguely Scientific - May 15, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Justin to discuss how to bring the diabolical weather machine from General Hospital (yes, the soap opera) to life! Then, we contemplate the anatomy, vocal skills, and communication prowess of the Egyptian gods. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Justin
Vaguely Scientific #17: You Sound Just Terrible
Vaguely Scientific - May 01, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by David to really drive home the point that everyone's voice is garbage. Then, we get topical by discussing what might happen in a world where superheroes actually existed. Panelists: Jim, Derek, David
Vaguely Scientific #16: No Hippos, Interestingly Enough
Vaguely Scientific - April 17, 2019 04:00 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Aly to discuss what would happen if animals and humans lived side by side as best friends and we trained them for horrible battle. Then, we chat about some of the coolest mythological creatures and their real world counterparts. Panelists: Jim, Derek,...
Vaguely Scientific #15: Polar Bears Could Be Fish
Vaguely Scientific - April 03, 2019 04:00 - 42 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Justin to discuss a smattering of smaller questions, from the true identities of the hosts to the myriad reasons why you're sandwiching wrong. Laugh, cry, and have other approximately human emotions along with the cast on this lovely April Fools episod...
Vaguely Scientific #14: Chromoso-My-Gosh
Vaguely Scientific - March 20, 2019 04:00 - 37 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Big A to discuss whether or not clones count as people. We keep that theme rolling into question two, where we look at whether or not we can hack our genetic code so that we're even better than we already are. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Big A
Vaguely Scientific #13: Addison 3: Dinosaurs in Black
Vaguely Scientific - March 06, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Addison returns to face his greatest challenge--a trip back to the Jurassic to survive as long as humanly possible. Then, we try to unearth the secret origins of the technologies supplied to us by the Men in Black. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Addison
Vaguely Scientific #12: The Stupidest Dragon on the Stupidest Planet
Vaguely Scientific - February 20, 2019 05:00 - 36 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Jonathan to discuss all the different ways that dragons can kill people with their breath. Then, we round out this episode by taking a trip to the cubed planet and smoothing over its gravitational issues. Panelists: Jim, Derek, Jonathan
Vaguely Scientific #11: By the Light of the Silver-Age Moon
Vaguely Scientific - February 06, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsIn this episode, Jim and Derek are joined by Marcus to discuss whether it's a good idea to fundamentally and catastrophically alter the mass balance of the Earth system. It's probably fine. Then, we give the DC superhero Animal Man a power boost to rival any Silver Age power creep. Panelists: Ji...