After Things Podcast

The episode opens with a discussion of a viral Chinese zoo story in which sun bears were mistaken by some viewers for people in costumes. The hosts joke about the bears' upright posture and sagging skin making them look suspiciously human, but they ultimately treat them as real bears with odd anatomy rather than a hoax. Later, the conversation moves through LK-99 and the speed of scientific debunking, a broader discussion of pessimism about progress, then several space-and-Moon topics including the lunar south pole, water ice, lunar bases, and far-side radio astronomy. The episode ends with picks: Brian recommends Project Hail Mary and The Afterparty, Bryce recommends Planet of the Bass, Andrew recommends Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, and Justin recommends What We Do in the Shadows. Key topics Visual ambiguity of sun bears standing upright: The hosts repeatedly note that sun bears can look like people in costumes because of their posture and body shape, but they conclude they are real bears. Zoo pub