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Welcome to The Methods of Rationality podcast – the internet’s first source for Rationalist Fiction in audio format.

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Tables of Contents to our various projects are in the menu at the top.

Latest episodes below.



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RSS feed that loads the narrated audio of the chapters Steven & Brian will be discussing just before the discussion episode.



Blindsided 10: Ow! What the Hell??

Brian and Steven continue their journey into space madness. Buckle up – this one gets nuts!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein

Blindsided 09: Is It Wrong to Torture a Roomba?

Join Brian and Steven as we put jumper cables on this roomba to see if it feels pain!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh

Blindsided 08: We Got A Live One!

Join Brian and Steven as we wrangle up some aliens of dubious sentience so we can confine them and do some mad science at them!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

Blindsided 07: Competitive Ecology

Hold on tight – Brian and Steven throw themselves back into the mysterious alien spacecraft after punching a hole in it with antimatter!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy

Blindsided 06: Madness-Inducing Meat-Grinder

Brian and Steven continue diving into the madness-inducing meat-grinder over and over. Come on and join the party!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Predators run for their dinner. Prey run for their lives.” —Old Ecologist’s Proverb

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein


Here are a couple of videos that demonstrate inattentional blindness. I hope you have as much fun getting your world rocked as I did when I first saw these. :)

Blindsided 05: Alien Space Ghosts!

Join Brian and Steven as they throw caution to the winds, don their Big Daddy costumes, and get ready to rumble with some space ghosts!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own.” —Aristotle

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Predators run for their dinner. Prey run for their lives.” —Old Ecologist’s Proverb

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean