14. Autumn is Nature’s Striptease

“I’ve noticed that the last socially acceptable form of discrimination is astrological prejudice. Stereotyping based on gender, race, or sexual orientation is frowned upon, but it’s completely okay to say, ‘I’ll never date another Scorpio, because they’re evil, promiscuous, two-faced, jealous little bitches.’”

0:00 —A Failed MacGuffin

4:37 —The Library

12:14 —Hannah

17:40 — Autumn Leaves

19:45 — Late Night in the Community Room

30:22 — Chat with the chatty Sagittarius on the balcony

44:46 —Job Interview

61 minutes

“Time After Time,” by Hiroshi Yoshimura, “Beeps,” by Gib Strange, “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere, “An Ending (Ascent),” by Brian Eno, “Thursday Afternoon” by Brian Eno, “Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie, “Nowhere Man,” by The Carpenters, “#3” by Aphex Twin, “Of Cities and Escape,” by The Poppy Family, “Neroli,” by Brian Eno, “Something Blue,” by Hiroshi Yoshimura, “#3” cover by James Devane, “New Space Music,” by Brian Eno, “The Universal,” by Blur

13. I’m a Stranger Here Myself

“If an alien force were observing Earth, would it see humans as the invasive species and send some kind of robot scarecrows to protect the habitat? Or would it further our survival by leading us away from danger? For a moment, I take a guilty solace in the latter fantasy. I imagine electric angels guiding us, like the roach-bots shepherding those cockroaches toward the light.”

0:00 —Intro: a story with a good twist…

00:59 —Light speed in the elevator…

03:49 —Face in the crowd and blood on the tracks

11:55 —More TMI

16:24 —The Return of the Roboroach: “People who can’t even control their own minds want to control the minds of others.”

22:55 —Christmas in the community room

24:19 The death of MacGuffin

27 minutes

“Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki, “Following” by Justin Walter, “Pathologically Bored” by Deru, and “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

12. The Night Watchman

“Maybe all black holes are intelligent civilizations that got sucked up their own assholes.”

0:00 —People call him Superboy…

01:14 —Notes on Bigfoot

05:00 —A bus ride through the snow storm

08:13 —Notes on the Fermi paradox

10:21 —The nightwatchman’s lullaby

13:14 —A cosmic prank in the park

14:06 — “SETI to yeti, do you copy? Over.”

14:43 —An unfinished email to future nonbiological intelligence

22:55 —Exit Sam.

24:30 minutes

“Baby (slowed down 800 percent)” by Justin Bieber, “Three Cheers for Existence,” by Deru, “Murmur’s Ebb” by Greater Than or Equal To, “1979” by Deru, “Kontakte” by Karlheinz Stockhausen, “Pathologically Bored” by Deru, and “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

10. The Healthy Skeptic

“This is an irony you couldn’t get away with in fiction—socially impaired programmers creating social media environments for society to socialize within. And the irony doesn’t stop there. Grandin points out that the programmers require intense concentration to look at information for long periods of time. Meanwhile, the technology and media they create distract and fragment people’s attention. Even Grandin, whose condition is characterized by an inability to recognize irony, recognizes this irony.”

0:00 —Intro: You’re not a hoarder, not if you can put it in order…

01:00 —Notes on weaponized autism

12:15 —Alone at the Social Skills Group Therapy

19 minutes

“Witchs Will” by Wilburn Burchette and “No Riders” by Pye Corner Audio

9. My Selfie Hurts

“Having been enlisted to take a picture of the happy pair in front of the city, to serve as social media trophy and prosthetic memory, I suddenly feel the weight of my duty. Maybe this is to document a special anniversary. Perhaps it’s his birthday. After briefly familiarizing myself with the gadget, I hold it at eye level.”

0:00 —Intro (Ghost in the machine)

0:39 —Photographing a couple at lookout point

05:13 — “The suspense is killing me.”

06:44 —More night trouble with the troubled neighbor

11:41 Minutes

“Baby” by Justin Bieber, “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere  and “Blown-Out Joy from Heaven’s Mercied Hole” by A Silver Mt. Zion