This week, John and Merlin reminisce about the Flowbee, sea monkeys, and the alternately disappointing and satisfying quality of the action figures in their youth. Merlin briefly impersonates Dan Moren and shares that his iPhone activation problems were not unique. John conclusively demonstrates the _mini_ ways that Merlin can’t hear himself pronouncing everything wrong and bemoans the travails of jumbled Contacts syncing.

The main topic this week is _whether we’re living in a simulation_ (and how we’d know it). This leads to a spirited tour of scientific methodology and why it so often _turns out_ that some things don’t…turn out.

Is coffee killing us, saving us, or what exactly is the deal here? Your hosts consider the times when it’s useful to question reality, and John still has concerns about smoking.

They read and discuss Sylvester Stallone’s mail.

(_Recorded on Tuesday, October 11, 2016_)