Is This How It Ends?
Is This How It Ends?
From Presidential Petty to Mars Dreams: Politics, Dark Matter, and Robot Faces
Welcome to "Is This How It Ends?" podcast, hosted by Nele and Soph! This week's episode is a whirlwind of bizarre stories, political shenanigans, and futuristic fantasies.
Top Shenanigans:
Man Beefs - Dive into the juicy details of Kendrick Lamar's petty music video for "Not Like Us" and the hilariously sad state of the presidential debates between Biden and Trump.
Project 2025 - Conservative Takeover: Discover the ominous Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation to reshape the US federal government with conservative policies. From dismantling federal agencies to promoting Christian values, it's a diabolical plot that could impact federal workers, women, people of color, and more.
Living in a Sci-Fi Movie: Learn about scientists trying to trap dark matter with a 3D-printed vacuum and ultra-cold lithium atoms.
Robot Revolution: Hear about scientists creating a smiling robot face from living human skin cells for training plastic surgeons. It's giving off serious Silence of the Lambs vibes.
Mars Housing Draft: Who’s making the list? And who is banned for life?
Conspiracy Corner: Uncover the fascinating conspiracy that 42 past US presidents share a common ancestor, King John of England. Plus, learn about the byproduct of making Coca-Cola – two metric tons of pure cocaine, sold to pharmaceutical companies.
Shady Astrology: Nele discusses the influence of the moon in Leo, highlighting heightened creativity, passion, and attention-seeking behavior.
Tune in for a mix of laughter and reflection on the state of the world. Stay cool, stay woke, and keep laughing with "Is This How It Ends?"
#Podcast #DarkMatter #MarsMission, #Conspiracies, #Politics, #RobotRevolution
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Hey girl, you ready for this week's episode?
Nele:Yes, I am.
Soph:I gotta brace myself for this one, because I know what we're talking about and it is a hot ass mess out here. But we're going to cover it all in today's episode of Is this how it Ends? We cover stories that are just I just got to shake my head, man, or you know, this can't be real life, can it? Maybe it is, I don't know Wars, the alien takeover, robot revolution, conspiracies, tripling acts, zodiacs, and we've got so much more for y'all. And we'll pepper in some regular stuff, some lighter stuff, you know, just so it's not all gloom and doom, all the stories you didn't think you wanted to know, but we're gonna tell you anyway. So, oh, our first story is I think it's gonna be the most this can't be real life story of today's episode. So now I'm gonna let you all right.
Nele:So we're gonna get into some normal ish, but it's not that normal at all. So this is going to be politically based. But I'm going to talk a little bit about something else, a little bit lighter first. But the overall theme is man beef, man beef.
Nele:Okay, so the 4th of July, kendrick Lamar he released the video for Not Like Us and it was petty as hell. Now we have not been following the beef like that. We kind of talked about it briefly in the past, but one day, when I was home, I caught up and so, as a writer, I think you'd appreciate it. It's pretty juicy, you know, and I'm obsessed, and you know OVO is Drake's record label or whatever, and they're oh, I know what that means. Okay, the Owl. So you see, in the music video he has a pinata and he's beating up the owl and the owl's in the cage, and then it's like I know why the cage bird sings Maya Angelou. You know, kendrick has quadruple entendres, that's how he does. Okay, but y'all check out that video and maybe down the line we'll talk about it more.
Nele:Okay, so now on from a middle-aged, um rat beef to um geriatric, um political man beef. Yeah, right, they're old, right. So, um, I don't know if you guys have watched the first of two presidential debates. It aired on June 27th and it was hosted by CNN and y'all this has been. If you haven't watched it, please do, because this is the start of why people are scrambling, and I just don't understand why you like, why people are scrambling, and I just don't understand why you guys are just now scrambling. You know this man's gonna get old, but we'll get to that, okay, yeah so I didn't realize how bad it was, until that night it's it's, it's bad, right.
Nele:So they said that, uh, biden, he had a cold, you know. So he's kind of very frail, but he's kind of like girl he was about to meet, go up to the upper room, girl. Like like, don't walk into the light, okay. And then Trump was ducking and dodging questions, like he was doing the little Kim dance, like when it came to the truth, it just wasn't. It just wasn't there, right. And so um Biden called Trump a whiner and Trump talked about immigrants taking black jobs. It was a whole heap of a hot mess and there were times when Biden was just so confused.
Nele:Oh, my God.
Soph:Like the words just couldn't get out right.
Nele:And then it got even weirder when there was a question that was asked to Biden about you know his age and his capability to run, and then all of a sudden it was like, oh well. Trump was like, well, I can still play golf. And then Biden was like, well, can you carry your own golf bag? So I wish I was making this up. I mean, yeah, this. I was like both of y'all are old as hell. You should only be talking about who can outrock each other in a rocking chair. Okay, sit your ass down right.
Nele:And so the debate. The debate did touch on issues like economy and health care and like their tax plans, but Trump lied throughout the whole thing. I don't know where the fact checkers were. They lied throughout the whole thing and I think Biden did have some good points about what he has done, but you're just afraid he's going to take his last breath. You're just scared. You know that he's just going to fall out. It was just very much a hot mess and overall it was very hard to watch. And this is one of two debates. Now there is a theory out there that the reason why this particular debate was held so far in advance because normally it's closer to the time of elections? Is that the Dems, or the people on Biden's team, wanted people to see how bad it was, so that he'd be forced to step down right and it'd be done in enough time so that they'd find someone. If it was closer to when the election was, it'd be harder to find someone, but they still have time. So that's one of the theories that I've heard.
Soph:OK.
Nele:But anyway. So basically after the debate, and so the Dems are scrambling. Biden's approval rate has plummeted to 36% and they're scrambling. But I'm confused by the scrambling because we do have a vice president, right, but I feel like no one takes Kamala seriously.
Soph:Did anyone take Pence? Like no one thinks about the vice president, they're kind of like an afterthought, like what do they, what do they do?
Nele:I think people took Pence seriously. And here's why I think people took Pence seriously because, you know, with Trump and everything, people are actually more scared of Mike Pence becoming the president, if something should happen with Trump, because Pence is actually competent. Okay, trump is all over the place or whatever, but Pence actually makes sense. So to have someone with the same kind of ideals as Trump but is competent is more scary. But no one is thinking about what, kamala, I'm like. Why are we scrambling when we have a vice president? What's the point of having a vice president?
Soph:Right, the point of having a vice president Right and they're looking at approval like who has a better chance? So it's her. That Kennedy who I don't know if you heard like it was like some like a worm, like ate a part of his brain, but they compared like a couple of people and they actually said she comes out on top, like by, like points. So I don't know. But I think the way these conservatives are, I think there'll be a coup if she were to get on that. A woman, no less Black and a woman. No, they're like we allow one Black person and we're not allowing another one, especially not a woman.
Nele:Well, I was just watching something where they did a poll and even Hillary Clinton got more than Trump in terms of approval, and they did Kamala as well. So I think the Republicans they don't want the Dems to find someone else, right, because now it's just like anybody else just know Trump. But now we have to choose between a guy with one foot in the grave and Trump. Trump is looking better. So I just feel like the Dems, like you, knew this was happening, knew he's gonna age, and you, none of nobody thought of a contingency plan. Like who's running the country. I saw a video where they talked about he's supposed to have these meetings with, like these, um, this German meeting with Germany, something like that. And um, it was at eight o'clock and I guess that's past his bedtime, so he make it, and so it was like an important meeting and so they were covering, they were covering up for him. So it's like what you can't be the president after eight o'clock. Biden needs his naps. Biden needs to sleep. This is very scary.
Nele:You ever seen that movie, weekend at Bernie's? I just thought about Weekend at Bernie's. It's Weekend at Bernie's, right? Oh, my God, this is just a trickle down effect. Okay. Trickle down effect. Okay, Because Biden's competency it looks bad on the Democrats, right, you have to think about the rest of the ballot and who else is running right. And so this could lead to losses in the House and the Senate and just impacting the overall party's control of, like, the legislative agenda, right. So it's a big deal, deal we should.
Soph:We have retirement ages for every industry, we should have one for them as well.
Nele:Right, he should have been on that ballot yeah, and they know better, and I know saying that maybe the his um administration wants him to continue to run so that they still have jobs, and I was like y'all, if you think that way, then you do not need to be in any political arena whatsoever.
Soph:But everyone in the political arena does think that way. They're very selfish and self-serving.
Soph:You may go in thinking you want to do good, but I don't know what happens, especially if you're in there long enough. I read somewhere that the majority of everyone we elect right the majority of their time I think it's upwards of like 70%, don't quote me on do your research? Is spent on re-election. Right? So you just got into office. A majority of your time is spent on how am I going to get re-elected the next time around. That doesn't make sense to me.
Nele:Yeah, it's all about winning. Yeah, there's so much money in it.
Soph:There's so much money in politics.
Nele:It's just not about what's good, what's for the good of the American people. It's not for the good of the American people. And.
Soph:I talk about this all the time, right, when I think about someone like a Nancy Pelosi I say her name a lot because she's she can't possibly understand the plight of the middle class, right, like I think they're. They're fighting for stuff, not because they believe in it, but that is their base and that is how they're going to win and stay in control. Yeah, you know, definitely she'd give two shits about anything else, like I, I I don't fully, because there were things that democrats could have done while in office that they didn't do it, you know.
Nele:So I it's a mess, but I mean, what's really scary is that it looks like trump. You know trump could be back in the white house and it's. It's. Uh, I don't know if you remember the Supreme Court ruling that just happened, was it like last month? Yeah, this is from NPR. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court found that presidents have absolute immunity for exercising their core constitutional powers and are entitled to a presumption of immunity for other official acts.
Nele:The court also ruled the presidents do not have immunity for unofficial acts. So all this time him being charged and going to court, I don't understand.
Soph:Yeah, so they have to now go back and say what are those unofficial acts?
Nele:And you can make up the definition. What do you define as unofficial, official? And then you can twist and contort the definition to whatever and say that it was all official and so he won't get charged, he's immune. This is insane and I don't know if our forefathers my forefathers, but you know what I mean. Right, the American forefathers thought about these things in terms of the Constitution, in terms of the laws like what do you do in situations like this? No one thought about age limits. Who are the old white men?
Soph:I feel like old white men have been running shit for so long. They'll continue running shit for so long they don't. They love power.
Nele:You can't be father time. We're all going to get old. You can't beat it, and you know these old people. I heard Maxine Waters saying something to somebody like I love Auntie Maxine, you know I'm always going to reclaim my time. But like I love Auntie Maxine, I'm always going to reclaim my time. But she's like well, I'm older than Biden, so that means you need to sit your ass down too, maxine.
Soph:Why are they making policies? I think I, just I can't. There should be an age limit. I get it right, there are people still in their 90s who are still with it, who are super smart and all of that, but just I think I can't, I can't, I don't know it's, it's a mess especially for the presidency, right, because once you get up there there, it's a possibility that you might not make it yeah.
Nele:So yeah, so y'all, if Trump or Republican I mean, trump is trying not to attach himself to Project 2025 now, but he was. He's just not saying it outright If we get a Republican in office, then we need to start thinking about what that really means, right? So I've been seeing it more in the news. Even at the freaking BET Awards I saw they talked about Project 2025. So I'll just explain to you guys what it is like. An overall definition. So it is spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, which aims to reshape the US federal government through conservative and right-wing policy proposals If a Republican likely Donald Trump wins the election. The project seeks to consolidate executive power, reclassify federal civil service workers and implement Christian values in government and society.
Soph:That is insane. You know about Christian values.
Nele:But like all the federal workers and you know like you're going to pull them out and then you're going to have people that are more aligned with your agenda. That's a part of like things and services. They want ultimate power people that are more aligned with your agenda.
Soph:That's a part of like things and services that they want ultimate power. They are not satisfied with anything else. They want ultimate power so they could tell you what to do, how to do it. They don't believe in freedom. You cannot tell me. These people believe in actual freedom. It's diabolical.
Nele:So the key goals include dismantling various federal agencies, cutting environmental regulations, reducing social program funding and promoting conservative economic and social policies. Right, so who would this impact? Right, it would impact federal civil service workers. Many could be reclassified or replaced with political appointees. It would affect women, people of color and the LGBTQIA community, potentially undermining of civil rights protections. So all this legislation that had been passed to give us rights could be done with Environmental advocates. Reduced regulations favoring fossil fuel production and global warming is already an issue and also um they don't think.
Soph:that's why they're getting, they're trying to get rid of the um, the no, well, the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Noah, they're against science, so they are anti-science.
Nele:Yes, anti-science. It can also affect the recipients of social programs, so cuts to Medicare, medicaid and potentially, other social services. And also it would affect supporters of public education possible abolition of the Department of Education. Yeah, y'all. So this is what's at stake. If the Dems don't get it together, if we don't go out and vote, I was like I'm not going to vote. I'm not going to vote.
Soph:But yeah, and it. You know, I think sometimes we frame things in terms of race, but this is not. I mean, it's going to impact. You know, we know who's who is going to disproportionately impact, but they don't care about the working class. You know this is an attack on the working class when you think about what they're doing to the unions right, you know or what they're doing to workers. So they and you've talked on this, right they are trying to reinstate a Trump era policy that would make it easier to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. Right, reducing their rights. We can. The NLRB, you know, critical to protecting workers' rights, organizing. They hate unions. They hate unions.
Soph:The craziest thing I heard was that they it's not the craziest, but it was kind of like what? So they propose a company-controlled union. Janelle, could you imagine they don't even want to pay you what they're a company-controlled? Can you imagine that's even want to pay you what they're a company controlled you? Can you imagine that's an oxymoron like right, I'm gonna be. Like I need more vacation days. I'm like you know what the rep would be like.
Soph:You know what we're gonna think about that great idea and then go up to like the ceo. He'll wipe his ass with that and be like let's give him a fucking pizza party. Yep, you're sexually harassed. Pizza has an apology. You know they are real life, but they hate the kids like they hate kids, all right. And this goes back to unions and trying to weaken those laws. They are trying to ease child labor laws, allowing younger workers to take on more dangerous jobs currently restricted under existing regulations. So this proposal is driven by a desire to address labor shortages and hazardous fields by enabling adolescents to perform work typically reserved for adults.
Nele:So adults don't want to take these jobs, so now we're going to give them to kids.
Soph:We don't give them, these kids, because you know what? Fuck them kids. We're going to be pro-life in all aspects. You hear about conservative states constantly cutting school meal benefits for children. You know it's just. And for women, oh my God, women, we can't even. They're very concerned about us, right? They're so concerned about our health and they want to control every aspect of our reproductive health. Be against abortion, but then make it so that there's family planning, right Like. But they want to abolish, even like, getting birth control.
Nele:Yeah, it is, it is. It is wild to me. Right, you want more women to have have children? Right, but look at the pay gap that still exists. Right, you want more women to have children, but look how much child care costs. It costs the amount of freaking tuition out here. You don't, you're not making things easier for women to have children. Women are educated. Women are making the decision not to have children because look look at the economy, look at what's going on here. Yeah, they don't. No, we're gonna force you. You, you don't have these kids.
Soph:Yeah, be in poverty yep, women impacted like children, like the people who are right, the wealthy people, those making these decisions, businesses are the biggest winners, which is why they probably don't care if Trump is in office, right, because they get to continue to maximize profits at the expense of the workers, expense of the workers. Boeing is out here pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States for its role in two fatal max crashes. You know what they will pay, I think for up to 487 million fines, meaning it could be less. No one goes to jail, right, and what's walked to me is like they're under the gun for these safety issues and they have like two, two whistleblowers who who died you know of, I guess of regular natural causes, but we still put our americans on their rocket and they're now stranded.
Soph:They're stranded, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, they were supposed to be home and just so, like all all of this, when you see who benefits, it's not we, the people, it's like the 1% of we, the people, you know, but just regular folks like us. Like this is going to be, it's going to be hard, like I don't care, these Republicans who think for whatever reason. They think Trump, who's been rich all his life, cares about the little people he does not. He cares about himself. His life cares about the little people he does not. He cares about himself, his family, his money.
Nele:Absolutely not. Anyone that tries to fire Black people, any Black person that is aligned with. Oh, I'm going to vote for Trump. You're a dummy. You're an absolute dummy. This man said.
Soph:Black jobs because you know what, when he associates us with certain, we're not even on his level. Dummy, you're an absolute dummy. This man said black jobs because you know what he's. He associates us with certain, like he does, I don't. We're not even on his level.
Nele:We're not equals well, he's not talking to me because I have a caucasian job I just have a damn job.
Soph:Okay, I'm gonna retire from absolutely not, absolutely not.
Nele:But yeah, I just that's what he thinks, that's what he thinks of us. So vote. If you vote, go out there and vote and Dems get it together, get it together. They haven't got. I think they, I don't understand, like, you have no plan B, you have no plan C. Why are these people hired? You know, this man is getting old.
Soph:Yeah, you know what you should be. There are a lot of. Also, there are a lot of undercover Trump voted. You know what. I'm not even going to stop. You can vote however you want, but just know this impacts most Americans.
Nele:Yes, project 2025.
Soph:All the immigrants is not going to do anything, all right. That's why they're trying to get kids in these jobs, because nobody wants to do these jobs. Or like kicking out immigrants is not going to do it's. I don't know what they're expected to do, but no, I mean American women should just be like North.
Nele:Korea. Was it for the 4B? No, that's South Korea. They're doing that 4B.
Soph:Is it South Korea that they're not having babies? I?
Nele:thought North Korea was Well. Kim Jong-un was definitely crying at some um press conference because he wanted women to have more kids and, uh, definitely the 4b movement, which it's been taught it to be bigger than it really is. However, it is a thing and america, we need to catch on okay.
Soph:Well, there are a lot of countries where women are I think japan might be one of them where the birth rate is really low, because people are like it is expensive to raise a family.
Nele:Yeah, it is expensive yeah, like I know I'm gonna need help okay, financial help if I had a child um, and so there's no man in sight and so there'll be no baby in sight.
Soph:Yeah.
Nele:Okay.
Soph:That? Yeah, I'm playing those games. It's hard to do it with two people.
Nele:Yeah, okay. I don't know how single parents do it, so I don't.
Soph:I don't. Women know how to do the impossible, and it's a superpower.
Nele:Women, just in general, mothers, wives Bitch about it.
Soph:Other people, we just get it done.
Nele:Shout out to the mamas and wives and all the ladies I just have a plant and a cat. All right, plants, that's all I can handle.
Soph:All right.
Nele:Girl, that's all I can handle. All right, girl, let's yeah. Well, that is it for um normal-ish.
Soph:It should be called sad-ish sad for real man no more because it's it's really scary out there y'all you know stay woke yeah, and, and let's kick it over to let's talk about science.
Soph:So I love this segment. I can't I don't know what to name it Like. I keep going back and forth every single time. So I might settle on we are living on a 1980s sci-fi movie or novel. Yes, we can, but we definitely shouldn't. No, we should, we should not, or can we not fuck around and find out? I'm sorry, I'm dropping a lot of that foam sitting should you call it stranger things maybe?
Nele:oh, stranger things, oh, I like that is that name? I just thought of that came off the down.
Soph:I like, like it. I like it. This next story is definitely a combination of all of that and it's very science-y. Disclaimer I'm not a scientist. Obviously I do read a lot of science-y stuff, like real and fiction, because it sounds like magic and it's fun, and what I do is I'll pop it into chat GBT. I'm like, explain this to me like I'm five. I highly recommend it because there was an article I saw about dark matter. So, and yeah, so, dark matter and how scientists are really living out, a fuck around and find out scenario in real time. So now, do you, do you know? I'm sure you know what dark matter is, you've heard about it, you understand it, or?
Nele:No, I don't no.
Soph:Okay, so let's, let's let me try to explain it. All right, let's think of the universe as a big, big space with lots of stars, planets and galaxies. Thank you, jackie Petit. Now imagine you have a toy box filled with toys. You can see and touch the toys, but what if there's something in that box that you couldn't see or touch, but you knew it's there because it made the toys move in certain ways? So that invisible thing would be like dark matter. Right, it's making it move, so you can't see it, but you can see that what's happening and this is what scientists believe makes up a big part of the universe. We can't see it, we can't touch it. We can't touch it. We know it's there because it has a strong pull, kind of like a magnet. So it's what holds all of these galaxies together and affects how they move. Or, you know, think of it like this you ever play that game where you rub the balloon against your hair and then it could stick to the wall. Yeah, yeah, so that invisible force that makes it stick, that's kind of like that. So it's an invisible force.
Soph:So, while this is something, it's still a little controversial. Their opinions are divided on whether or not. It really exists and there's like a lot of experiments trying to figure out if it does or does not exist, all of that. So the TLDR dark matter is mysterious, invisible stuff that keeps the universe together, even though we can't see it with our eyes. And side note if these scientists can believe in dark matter, they can believe in freaking ghosts and aliens. Yes, they can. Moving on, so scientists with this thing that we can't observe, we can't see, we can't detect, know nothing about it, they decided why don't we trap it?
Nele:right.
Soph:If you don't know about it, just trap it and, you know, try to figure it out. So, according to an article on the debriefcom, scientists at the University of Nottingham have come up with a new plan to solve the dark matter mystery. They're going to trap it. You're probably wondering how right? Like, how do you try something you can't really With a 3D printed vacuum? I don't know, girl. So it's like they're going to try to catch invisible space skulls with a fancy 3D printed vacuum and ultra cold lithium atoms. I don't know exactly how it works. It just again, I'm not a science.
Soph:Maybe y'all can ask Chap G Petit to explain it to you. But what this experiment is going to do? It's going to reveal the secrets of dark matter and dark energy and, if it's successful, it could explain why our universe is expanding at the rate that it does, or not? Explain it, right Like? I've seen this movie somewhere several times, right, I can imagine the trailer, right. In a world where invisible space ghosts roam free, a team of brave scientists decide to catch them with a 3D printed vacuum and ultra cold lithium atoms what that is? But will they unleash forces beyond their control? 100%, you can't see. It's like freaking Ghostbusters, but with cosmic consequences.
Nele:That's pretty dope, but also pretty trippy.
Soph:I feel like that too.
Nele:I'm like yo, we might learn something really cool, or so they're like life Ghostbusters, then I don't like but kind of you know these, to chop them and that thing. Yeah, exactly.
Soph:Exactly, and that's how you can see them. It is it's like Ghostbusters. Then I don't know what kind of you know these to chop them and that thing. Yeah, exactly Exactly, and that's how you can see them. It is, it's like Coastbusters. So you know, we might open a portal and who knows what could come here, but hey, we're going to do it.
Nele:Well, I have first dibs in the portal because it'll get us away from here, so I'm here for it.
Soph:You're here for it. Well, I have one more to share, just one more, because these are fun. A while back, a couple of episodes ago, I talked about like breakthrough and also using a 3D printer and making robots move like more like humans, right, instead of that stiff motion, right, it would be fluid. If you're trying to get a cup, it's one fluid motion, whereas the robot, the AI, you could see it thinking through and whatever. So there is an obsessive push to make robots as lifelike as possible and I don't get it, because I mean, I've seen Blade Runner, you know, and I've seen other films.
Soph:I know how it ends, you know, it's a really bad idea but I guess humans triumph in the end, you know, but usually after the world is like torn apart, but whatever.
Nele:Okay, we are already a society that's like socially inept. You know, there's like people are talking about they don't have any friends, a loneliness crisis, and now you're going to be friends with that robot, with a robot I don't know, you know, but that's more like being friends with ai or whatever, but it's already happening.
Soph:right, there are people with these dolls, but, um, but let me, let me read the headline for you. Yeah, so, in our quest to make robots as human-like as possible, um, so we could usher in that robot revolution that I'm obsessed about. Um, so the headline of a June 27 Axioscom article scientists create smiling robot face from living human skin cells Gross that was a headline, so just a brief one.
Soph:Scientists unveiled Tuesday a humanoid robot face they created from lab grown self healing human skin. How does one make self? Whatever? Another story for another day. And can you guess why they're doing this? Like, why do you think they're doing this, janelle? Any guess?
Nele:I don't know, to ultimately like replace human, maybe like labor, but still have a sense of humanity to it. I don't know. I mean like why?
Soph:why do you think they're creating these, the humanoid robot face, I mean the. What is it? I don't know, you don't know. Why are they creating smiling robot faces? Well, why they're doing this. The researchers from the University of Tokyo, Japan, hope the breakthrough could one day prove useful in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons. So I'm thinking at first it's like to help burn victims, help with research, maybe cancer, no beauty wow, and beauty stands already messed up so now you're going to be compared to a robot whose skin was grown with self-healing skin, which the crazy part is.
Nele:So because there are. There are skin grafts, where you take like the cells and then you can use it to create like patches of skin and for like burn victims. But I've never heard of like the cells and then you can use it to create like patches of skin for like burn victims. But I've never heard of like the self-like healing which a lot of people could use, so I don't know why this this is used for robots instead of people.
Soph:That would really yeah, well, I think what they're trying, they're using this just to in the beauty industry, right? They're just using it to train these plastic surgeons. So they're creating this lab grown from human skins, and it's just, it's just weird to me, right, like just how how much we're pushing right when it comes to, like, beauty standards, how much this is like overtaking everything.
Nele:Like that industry is know, yes, you know. They have ai beauty pageants now, which I want to talk about because I definitely saw a video on it recently, and I'm like, if women don't feel messed up already, now you're going to be compared to, to women that don't even really exist, and then when you see what these women look like in the ai beauty pageants, it's like oh my god, that's for tonight. We should definitely yeah, I'll definitely discuss that um next time but you know this reminds me of self.
Nele:I've seen silence of the lambs when, like, they made the skin suit. Hello clarice, that's what it's giving me, the skin suit guy. Oh, I should.
Soph:Let me bring up the picture.
Nele:Can you see it? Yes, that is giving silence of the lambs. That is creepy as hell.
Soph:Yes, oh, my God, yes, I mean my God.
Nele:Yes.
Soph:I mean, you know what? It's not human-like, but we're getting there. It's creepy as hell, but we're going to get there. And, girl, I hate it here. When is our ride to Mars coming? All right, it's all I can ask.
Nele:All right, speaking of that was a segue, so I like how you did that. Yeah of segue, so I like how you did that. On to our next segment, the Mar as a Housing Draft, because the earth is ghetto and as you can tell, and we need a contingency plan and we have one, unlike the Dems.
Nele:And so every episode, sophie and I um nominate three people um each to um make it to mars, and but as a whole, we do three people each in each episode. Right, but we have a little twist as well. We also have who was banned from Mars? Okay, because y'all ain't gonna mess up this planet. Okay, we need to have a do-over. Do you want to go first with your choices or do you want me to go first?
Soph:I'll go first. I think it's gonna be quick. So the first thing I thought about is we're gonna need some teachers, right, we gotta think about the babies, because we don't care about our kids, you know we don't that's right we're loving babies that's right um, and we're gonna need teachers and currently, as it stands, I hate the concept of school, right like I hate that my kid has to be inside a building for six to seven hours a day in, like you know 18 freaking years.
Nele:Not everyone learns the same way.
Soph:Yeah, right, they get talked at. You know, there's barely enough time for play, there's little. I think there's so little room for creativity, especially as they get older, and I don't think they're taught real life skills. I agree, yeah. So I think it's really flawed, right. And this concept of kids being in school all day it's for daycare, right. It came about in the 1800s industrial revolution. Parents worked really long hours in factories. In school served as daycare. We are today and we need to rethink that. We need to change that.
Soph:But for Mars, I want teachers who are untraditional, you know. I want them because we have to survive, we have to be creative, you know, we have to work with what we're given. And I want you know, I want these kids to be smart but also really I don't know really creative and all of that. So my first pick is Sugata Mitra. He's an education scientist. Gata Mitra, he's an Indian education scientist.
Soph:He revolutionized learning with his hole in the wall experiment, which is where children taught themselves using a computer in a slum, and his findings show that. So he kind of just left the computer there and kids could just kind of like come and play with it Like no one was teaching them. So they just it was really self-taught and they learned and they were able to teach themselves and become like super good at it and smart and like doing things that you would think they would need schooling for. But no, you kind of just left and kids are like that. Yeah, you know, kids are like that.
Soph:Uh, my son could. He could create with legos. He could create like these really cool things. He makes them transform, he'll combine them with other things and no one taught him that it's just sits there, he just plays with it. I wish they had more of that in schools. So this is what this guy sort of believes in. And again, his findings show that children can self-organize their education without formal instruction. This led to the concept of SOULs self-organized learning environments promoting curiosity-driven education. His work underscores the power of curiosity and Self-Organized Learning Environments Promoting Curiosity-Driven Education.
Nele:His work underscores the power of curiosity and technology and transforming education and making learning accessible and engaging for all. I like that and I feel like you know, in college certain colleges you can create your own major and so it's you know, kind of like that you can be creative. But I wish we could do that for other like yeah, but it's still the same thing.
Soph:A lot of times you're in a classroom, yeah. I think maybe science might be one where you know, like the science field, where you get like a lot of hands on, yeah stuff through like clinics or labs or whatever.
Nele:For the most part, all I remember doing doing was sitting in a room being talked at and then it's us and they don't even in schools anymore, these high schools that used to have home ec and wood shop, because not everyone is meant to go to college but some people are good with their hands. Maybe if you do home ec, you may want to be a chef yeah, to be in that way.
Nele:or maybe, like, maybe if you, if you do something woodshop, you're good with your hands and you know there's other things that you can do, but if you just say you have to sit down and yeah, you know, it's kind of kind of limits people and let's give them a chance to explore other things that they could be interested in, and even now schools are cutting arts programs and things of that nature, so it's like yeah.
Soph:And then I so Belle plays a tuba. Oh, a tuba. I know I was like, why would you pick this? But that's what she wanted and she's been playing it for two years now. In her middle school now she got to learn how to play the guitar and I remember her asking me what instrument did I play? And I was like, what is that? That cheap flute, that's five dollars A recorder, like a recorder, like in New York City. That's what you got, that's what I got. Especially in these poor areas, they have so little money. The district is so chopped up. New York City is the worst when it comes to that. Whatever, that's another topic for another day, but anywho, anywho, anywho, my next selection. So I only have the two, because this one is a collective.
Soph:Okay, so I want the whole crew who spent 378 days in the Mars stimulator. So for over a year, four crew members participating in NASA's Mars Dune Alpha simulated experience, communicated aids, slept in research as if they were stationed over 200 million miles away on the Red Planet. So we go to Mars and they went through the simulation. So we might, you know. And so this mission, which marked the first completed installment of pre-planned programs from NASA's Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, which lasted 378 days, and I will say so.
Soph:I was reading something and saw the link that you could apply for it for the following year and I thought about it. I was like man, I got kids, I got a husband, I can't leave him for a whole year. So I was like I'm not going to do it and I can't imagine doing that for a whole year. But if anyone is interested for the crew health and performance exploration analog, I think so. The deadline was April, so that already passed, but they're doing several more, so they might release the application for 2026 sometime next year. Might be something to look into. If you want to go, if you want to live with four people, then like really small spaces, create your own food and just try to. You know, but it's fake Mars, but I think it's better than nothing. They might have some really good stuff to tell us and you know.
Nele:Those are good candidates. I think we're going to get those two and maybe one of mine. The first one is good. All right, the first one is Victor J Glover. He's an accomplished NASA astronaut and a US Navy commander known for his significant contributions to space exploration. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013, glover competed his training in 2015. He made history in November 2020 as the pilot of the SpaceX crew one mission, becoming the first Black astronaut to have an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. He did like 167 hours, something like that. It was a long time. Shout out to Victor J Glover.
Soph:Victor.
Nele:Yes, also, I forgot to say that Glover has been selected as the pilot for the Artemis 2 mission, which aims to return humans to the moon, scheduled no earlier than September 2025. Ok.
Soph:September 2025. Yeah, oh, I thought it was 2030. All right, I mean, it took us how many years now to return to the moon? Okay, yeah.
Nele:We lost the technology, apparently. My next person talked all this shit about Biden being old and I was like we're going to need laws and cool things. We don't need what Laws and rules for Mars, and there's going to be politics and rules for mars and there's gonna be politics on mars no, they're not I just thought who would be a fair politician?
Soph:no, we're not gonna have who bernie sanders. Bernie sanders will not make the trip. All right that man is old as dirt.
Nele:He's a fair politician, we would have Bernie Sanders.
Soph:No, and we can make our own laws. We don't need an old white man making our laws for us.
Nele:Dang. I knew he wasn't going to make it. I'm a Bernie fan but no, no, bernie, all right. And my last one is a Hail. Mary wasn't gonna make it, I was just. You know I'm a bernie fan, but no, no, burning, all right. And my last one is a is a hail mary? Dave chapelle, I don't know. Yes, dave chapelle, we even need some comedy on mars. I want to hear his take on mars, just sitting, just spewing his thoughts about Mars and comparing it to Earth.
Soph:No, no, we can, like I don't know, pack some of his DVDs. I mean, what else has he done like, besides make people laugh? I don't know. I like how he doubles down, though.
Nele:I don't know. Okay, can he be on the wait list?
Soph:He could be definitely on the wait list. Okay, he's on the wait list, definitely on the wait list.
Nele:So Based off of these options, we're going to go with Victor that's the black NASA guy and the teacher and the group the Mars group people. I did good. Now let's talk about people. And the group the Mars group people. I did good, you did good, you did good, you did good. Now let's talk about people that cannot go. Now, my choice is petty and very specific to be banned. It's a group of people Okay, these are people that play their music without headphones on the subway and in the street. You cannot come to Mars with that noise pollution. No one wants to hear you play the OJs, no, on the streets. That's what headphones are for. They are banned. They have no consideration.
Nele:I'm a part-day worker for the man on the hot-ass platform and I don't want to hear little baby on the hot-ass platform, so they are banned I agree to your awful music yes, no one wants that mars.
Soph:We're going to be considerate yeah, um, I have someone who's banned for infinity number of light times, just in case we discover the secret to longevity. I want to make sure they never get it. So, paul Danz. He directs Heritage's the Project 25. So he directs their presidential transition project, and he also looks like Stan Smith from American Dad. I don't know if you've ever seen American Dad, but look at him, and we know Stan is like a hardcore Republican.
Soph:I think they created Stan from his image. Yeah, but yes, man for life. Before we do move on, though, I just wanted to say that the people we selected are in good company, all right. So I wanted to shout out to Tosin Oshinoa I'm not sure if that's how I say it, but I love that name. She is a Nigerian architect and designer renowned for her innovative and sustainable approach to architecture and design, particularly in the context of African urban environments. We are going to need all the architects okay, lots of them especially those who are about sustainability and local materials. We're not going to be about wasting stuff. We're going to be that's right Sustainability. I like that word keyword here.
Nele:So far we have two Black architects, if I can recall who's making that list? I'm not making the list or checking it twice. Yeah, I'm going to do it.
Soph:I'm going to do it girl we have two Black architects, okay, good, all right. We got our peoples and we got our band for life list All right. Yes, I will, and we got our band for life list, all right.
Nele:I will definitely make sure to do that list. They're not coming. All right, you can do the conspiracy and then the shady astrology.
Soph:All right, we'll do the conspiracy, so I only have two that you get to pick from. Okay, the first one 42 of our past presidents share a common ancestry. And then the next one. The byproduct of making Coca-Cola is two metric tons of pure cocaine annually, which is worth about $2 million, and it is sold to the US government, and that is what the CIA uses to fund its illicit activities.
Nele:I think the first one is the conspiracy theory.
Soph:This one is true. It was was on the news. I don't know, maybe it's not true, but um. So the remarkable discovery was made by 12 year old Bridgette Davion of Salinas, california, who created a groundbreaking family tree in 2012 that connected 42 of 43 US presidents to one common ancestor, king John of England, who signed the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the monarch's power and helped form the British Parliament. He is also the villain in Robin Hood, so other studies will show that it's only 22 presidents, but she looked at both the male and female lines and that's how she came up with her number, and it's only up until 2012. I don't care if it's 42 or 22. That is a lot. That is a lot. That is a lot. Okay, and I think it's a rabbit hole worth going down. And there are other conspiracies we hear about. You know, those who eventually become president are part of these secret societies and it's in their handpicked and all sorts of craziness. But I will ask you, who do you think is not connected? And it's not the obvious.
Nele:No, I actually think Barack is, you know, I think he's connected, I'm sure. Oh, yeah, he is.
Soph:It's the eighth president, martin Van Buren, who had Dutch roots, and then this. So the cocaine one. What's wild is. The byproduct of making Coca-Cola is two metric tons of pure cocaine annually, which is about two million, but it's actually sold to the pharmaceutical companies, allegedly.
Nele:So the.
Soph:Stephan Company, based in Maywood, new Jersey, is the only facility in the United States authorized by the DEA to import and process cocoa leaves. Each year, the plant receives approximately 500 metric tons of cocoa leaves, primarily from Peru and Bolivia. This results in the production of about 2 million grams, or two metric tons of pure cocaine annually. Two metric tons of pure cocaine annually. The cocaine produced is not intended for recreational use. Instead, it is sold to pharmaceutical companies like Malin, which uses it to manufacture medicinal. Cocaine Hydrochloride is employed as a topical anesthetic for dental and medical procedures.
Soph:But there are some conspiracy theory aspects to it and I think I'm going to we're going to talk about that. We might talk about that next week. But we also know there are well, there are theories that well, not theories, but we've heard that you know how the CIA introduced crack into the Black community, right, you know. So, whether you know this is this I read about, I read it and, um, I want to, we'll do this, we'll do this next time, we'll do this next time, because I think it's it's one that should be told. Um, and I know we're running out of time, so I will end it there. They do make cocaine. So in the US. In the US, in New Jersey, there is a company.
Nele:So just go to that place in New Jersey. There is. I'm not going to say no to drugs.
Soph:When it comes to all of our, because you know, there's a war on drugs and we have, like, all of these regulations and all of these regulations. There's a specific line in it that excludes, um, this company and coca-cola to me, because all they, they just use that, whatever. But yeah, so that's all all right.
Nele:So y'all time for some shady astrology rocking all up in your zodiac's ass. It is, you know, I got it with the crab crabs. The crab cancer is last time, it's still their season. So we're gonna talk about the moon in leo, as you. As I explained before, every 2.5 days the moon cycles into a different zodiac, so we're still in the in leo, and so leo, little lions, little lions, leo, leo, leos. It brings a unique influence on emotions, behavior and interactions. The moon represents our emotional nature, instincts and subconscious mind, while Leo, a fire sign ruled by the sun, is associated with qualities like creativity, leadership and a desire for recognition. That's right, because some of y'all Leos just want to be just all up in the videos, all just doing a lot Like. Look at me.
Soph:I'm on it right. I don't know.
Nele:Look at me, leo, I'm on it Leo. So during this time, you may experience heightened creativity and passion, desire for recognition and appreciation, and generosity and warmth.
Soph:All right, you little lions.
Nele:Now, on the other hand, you could also experience ego and pride, a need for admiration, which can sometimes lead to stubbornness, and you might struggle with criticism and being overly sensitive to your public image. Also, attention-seeking behavior, tendency to seek attention and validation, and it sometimes comes off as a little self-centered and emotional. Highs and lows. So, y'all, if you're experiencing these things during this time, it's because the moon is in Leo. So some suggestions of what you should do with all this kind of energy Go to social events and gatherings, you know, but law, it's hot outside, so these gatherings need to be inside where there's air conditioning and seating. All right, because I'm not going anywhere until the sun goes down. All right. Get involved with creative projects, like. It's ideal for starting or continuing artistic endeavors like painting, writing or performing Did you hear that, soph? I did hear that. And leadership roles Taking on leadership roles or initiatives can be particularly successful.
Soph:I like that.
Nele:Yeah, you know. Has any of this applied to you? Have you been feeling this energy?
Soph:I have been feeling this energy, especially the creative one, and I did tell the man or the woman today I'm like. You know what I like. The tone of your emails you made it sound like I don't know what I'm like. You know what I like. The tone of your emails you made it sound like I don't know what I'm doing, respectfully. You know that's that leadership. You're not just going to talk to me. Anyway, I should have responded. I hope this email finds you well.
Nele:Oh, that's like the passive aggressive spiciness that I appreciate. Can I tell a chat TV to write a passive aggressive email telling them I'm not going to do that? You should, it will Come and see. We'll do that. My name is Yom.
Soph:You are too so.
Nele:Yeah, anyway, y'allall, that is it for this episode. We hope that you laughed a little. We sure know that you cried because of the state of the world and we hope that you made you think just a little bit more. Until next time, and guys, stay cool because it is hot, okay. Also, prayers out to Texas and also the Caribbean with the storm barrel happening. All right, y'all, until next time, bye.
