Journey to the Fringe
Journey to the Fringe

Journey to the Fringe

Journey to the Fringe

Overview
Episodes

Details

Thanks for checking out our podcast! We look at fringe topics often neglected, or ill discussed, in a light hearted and open manner. These topics run the gambit from the mundane water pollution, recycling, and tax evasion to the fantastical moth persons, time travellers, and paranormal. For us there’s no cryptid too creepy, topic too trivial, or djinn to dreary. Also we like to do exposes on assholes of the UFO community. To keep things fresh (and also because we aren’t really sure how to start podcasts) we start every week off with a Fringey Mini recent news article and discussion (It’s the podcast equivalent of not knowing what to do with your hands). And as we say in our intro from the unexplained to the mundane, join us on our journey to the fringe.

Recent Episodes

Missing or dead scientists - part 2 of 2
MAY 8, 2026
Missing or dead scientists - part 2 of 2
<p>The internet insists there’s a sinister pattern of “missing and dead scientists,” but when you actually look at the names on the list… things fall apart fast. In this episode, Taylor and Chelsie dig into the supposed wave of vanished NASA researchers, mysterious deaths, and government intrigue — only to discover a mess of bad data, normal statistics, and conspiracy theorists who never bothered to read past the headlines. Come for the mystery, stay for the frustration, and leave with a much better list than the one the internet keeps circulating.</p><p></p><p>The “missing and dead scientists” conspiracy has been everywhere — breathless TikToks, UFO forums, political grifters, and even the White House tossing fuel on the fire. So Taylor and Chelsie sit down with the full list to see whether there’s actually anything there. What follows is a tour through cases that range from tragic but explainable, to statistically ordinary, to outright miscategorized.</p><p>From a NASA engineer who vanished on a hike, to an astrophysicist killed by a local repeat trespasser, to researchers with undisclosed but known medical issues, the pattern quickly dissolves under even basic scrutiny. Along the way, the hosts break down why these lists get made, how conspiracy communities inflate noise into “evidence,” and why mortality statistics alone debunk the idea of a coordinated purge of scientists.</p><p>Chelsie also proposes a <em>much better</em> list — starting with the Boeing whistleblower whose death actually raises real questions — and the two unravel how political incentives, UFO hype, and online myth‑making keep bad conspiracies alive long after the facts run out.</p><p>If you’ve seen the viral posts and wondered whether something big is happening behind the scenes, this episode walks you through the data, the stories, and the reality: sometimes the only conspiracy is that nobody checked the sources.</p>
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27 MIN
Fringey Minis: Memes DOOM brains
MAY 6, 2026
Fringey Minis: Memes DOOM brains
<p>A petri dish full of human brain cells is learning to play <em>DOOM</em> — and somehow that’s not even the strangest part. This week, we dive into Cortical Labs’ “DishBrain,” the hybrid biological‑AI system trained to navigate a classic video game. Is this a scientific breakthrough, a philosophical nightmare, or the moment the singularity decided to speedrun humanity? Journey with us as we unpack the tech, the ethics, and the unsettling implications of a tiny brain getting really good at demon‑slaying.</p><p>------</p><p>In one of the most surreal scientific developments of the decade, researchers at Cortical Labs have taught a cluster of human neurons in a petri dish — nicknamed “DishBrain” — to play <em>DOOM</em>. Yes, the 1993 demon‑blasting shooter. Yes, the neurons actually respond to game states and improve over time. And yes, the ethical questions are piling up faster than imps in E1M1.</p><p>This episode of <em>Journey to the Fringe</em> explores the story behind the headlines: how DishBrain works, why scientists are merging biological tissue with machine learning systems, and what it means when a semi‑sentient blob of cells starts outperforming early ’90s gamers. We dig into the philosophical minefield around consciousness, agency, and whether this is a harmless experiment or the first step toward a future where biological computation blurs into something stranger.</p><p>From sci‑fi parallels to real‑world implications, we break down the hype, the hope, and the horror of a tiny brain learning to rip and tear.</p><p>News story: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/mar/16/petri-dish-brain-cells-playing-doom-cortical-labs">A petri dish of human brain cells is currently playing Doom. Should we be worried? | Games | The Guardian</a></p>
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8 MIN