After Things Podcast

The episode opens with the hosts celebrating the end of the "weird wars" and then spending much of the first half discussing the first James Webb Space Telescope images. They talk about gravitational lensing in the SMACS 0723 deep field, the telescope's six-point diffraction spikes, the Southern Ring Nebula in near- and mid-infrared, the Carina Nebula, and Stephan's Quintet, including mention of a dual-star system, an active black hole, and many newly visible stars. The conversation then moves into broader space speculation, including NASA's release strategy, the telescope's expected longevity, the idea of simulated exploration versus physically traveling to other galaxies, and possible orbital solar-energy projects. After that, the episode covers a story about pocket gophers possibly practicing agriculture, a Bass Pro Shops class action over sock warranty changes, and ends with recommendations for The Old Man, Bad Sport: Need for Weed, and The Bob's Burgers Movie, followed by a short discussion of AI-generat