WT: Built Fjord Tough

Episode Notes

The episode opens with a discussion of Westworld and how rewatching earlier seasons changes the experience, followed by a broader complaint about storytelling that relies too much on surprises. The hosts pitch prequel-style ideas for Westworld and Jurassic Park before moving into a long segment on the scrubbed Artemis launch, including the failed wet dress rehearsals, valve and thermal-alignment problems, and the larger political and engineering mess behind the SLS program.

A large middle section turns to Rocket Lab’s planned Photon mission to Venus, including discussion of using a probe and MIT work to scan cloud vapors for signs of life, plus speculation about extremophile biology and possible practical applications if Venus life existed. The show then wanders through stories about an Arctic Ford F-150 retrieval, StoryFile and digital memorials, therapy and AI-assisted therapy, and ends with TV and film recommendations including House of the Dragon, What We Do in the Shadows, Hellraiser, and Andrew’s book pick Eversion.

Key topics

• Westworld rewatch and prequel ideas: Andrew says he rewatched season one and two and appreciated the themes more in sequence, and the group complains about overusing twists. Andrew then pitches prequel-style stories for the early days of Westworld and Jurassic Park.
• Artemis launch scrub and SLS criticism: The hosts discuss the scrubbed Artemis launch, the failed wet dress rehearsals, valve and temperature issues, and the long-running political compromise behind the Space Launch System. They debate whether the program should have been scrapped years earlier.
• SpaceX as necessary launch capacity: Andrew and Brian note that without SpaceX, satellite launch capacity would be much more constrained, especially after Russia's problems, and they frame commercial launch capability as strategically important.
• F-15 satellite shoot-down: Brian raises an article about an F-15 launching a two-stage rocket to hit a satellite, and Andrew explains that an interceptor does not need escape velocity, only enough speed to intercept.
• Moon far side as a radio-quiet telescope site: Brian mentions a speculative idea about reserving the dark side of the Moon for radio telescopes to shield them from Earth's radio noise, and the others entertain the concept positively.
• Patreon promotion and show support: The episode includes a standard Patreon pitch about supporting the show, getting early access, and using the subscriber Discord and custom RSS feeds.
• Rocket Lab Venus mission: Andrew describes Rocket Lab and Peter Beck as clever and ambitious, and says the company is self-funding a Photon mission to Venus's clouds to look for signs of life, with a launch window as soon as next year.
• Venus life and extremophile speculation: The hosts speculate that life in Venus's clouds could have useful properties, mentioning hydrophobic coatings, heat resistance, energy conversion, superconductivity, CRISPR, and other biotech ideas.
• Lunar colonization and other near-term exploration targets: Later discussion ranges across the Moon, Mars, Titan, Venus, and the question of what is practically 'in play' for exploration or colonization in the near future.
• Arctic Ford F-150 recovery and environmental respect: Andrew tells a story about a Ford F-150 lost during the Trans-Global Car Expedition and later recovered because it had sunk in a sensitive Arctic ecosystem, and he uses it to praise preservation and national parks.
• StoryFile digital memorials: Andrew explains that StoryFile records a person's answers to many questions and later lets people interact with a digital version, using Ed Asner and William Shatner as examples.
• AI and therapy: The panel discusses using AI or bots as therapy aids or digital therapists, the value of saying thoughts out loud, the difficulty of finding a good therapist, and the idea that therapy can be valuable but varies a lot in quality.
• House of the Dragon and What We Do in the Shadows: Justin explicitly recommends House of the Dragon and season four of What We Do in the Shadows, praising the acting, political intrigue, and a particularly effective episode built around a house-flipping parody.
• Hellraiser: Bryce says he watched the original Hellraiser, and the group discusses its gore, iconic Cenobites, puzzle-box mythology, and the way it felt transgressive and visually distinctive at the time.
• Eversion by Alastair Reynolds: Andrew explicitly recommends Eversion, saying he likes the shorter length, enjoyed the writing, and liked the premise of repeating historical and futuristic disasters centered on Dr. Silas Code.

Picks

• Justin Robert Young: House of the Dragon — He explicitly calls it a pick and says he likes it a lot, praising the acting, the pared-down story, and the Game of Thrones-style political intrigue.
• Justin Robert Young: What We Do in the Shadows — He explicitly frames it as a pick and says season four has been great, with the latest episode especially rewarding.
• Bryce Castillo: Hellraiser — Bryce clearly frames it as a pick based on his viewing over the weekend, though his comments are mixed and mainly observational rather than a strong recommendation.
• Andrew Mayne: Eversion — Andrew explicitly recommends the book, saying he enjoyed the writing and premise and ending with 'your version is my recommendation.'