The Captain's Log podcast

#Cinema #Comedy #Whatnauts

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying math that powers modern machine learning to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives, even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

The Captain's Log explicit

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The Captain’s Log is a podcast from The Whatnauts where we can talk about all the pop culture news that has caught our attention, share stories from our lives, and get into all kinds of shenanigans. We play games, talk about the movies and TV shows we are watching, and have a great time just hanging out.

286 episodes

The Captain's Log

The Captain's Log explicit

updated 7 days ago

Series home•Feed

286 episodes

#Cinema #Comedy #Whatnauts

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The Captain's Log

1
Ricotta Festival 1:23:23

7 days ago1:23:23

1:23:23

Episode 290. Kyle nominates a new Luigi. Melissa completes another Wet Awards. We both insist you watch Hundreds of Beavers! We also discuss local Oklahoma City sports, regattas, what if F1 had theme nights, a corn musical, dough hooks, blindly filling out an Oscars ballot, and taking your Gundam models to a nice dinner and seating them at the table with pretend food. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - When was the last time you accidentally hurt yourself? (04:10) - Cinema Corner (11:45) - Coffee and soda (13:59) - I vote for Luigi Primo (16:56) - Becoming hockey people (24:15) - Theme nights in F!? (39:47) - Housekeeping (45:05) - Gundam is personally pranking Melissa (51:16) - The Wet awards (55:17) - Kyle's blind Oscars predictions (01:21:22) - Cinema corner reprise (01:22:25) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
The Commercials Hall of Fame 1:33:13

21 days ago1:33:13

1:33:13

Episode 289. When podcast is on a bagel, you can have podcast anytime! We use the Super Bowl as a launching pad into a discussion on our favorite commercials, from the big game and otherwise, from the nostalgic '90s to today. Topics include: campaigns that made one commercial so good they just ran it for years, playing a board game in an abandoned factory, kids who interrupt school to do a berries 'n' cream, Jack Box's human wife, and whether you loved or hated the Quizno's spongemonkeys. We also discuss the Grammy's, the Fantastic Four trailer, an entry point to decades of Star Trek, Thai iced tea, and when people in movies have normal teeth instead of movie star teeth. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Most recent addiction: Thai Tea (02:35) - Melissa does the sports now (05:08) - Cinema Corner (19:13) - Pop culture lightning round (27:35) - Housekeeping (32:45) - Commercial hall of fame (01:31:58) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Sim Racing Mid-Life Crisis 1:27:20

5 weeks ago1:27:20

1:27:20

Episode 288. Kyle's parents bought him a shirt with a dozen different tags on it. He's going to cut them off now, but let the video feed prove that it did happen. We discuss new movies in the "20th century tragedies" genre, including Nickel Boys, September 5, and The Brutalist, balanced out with the breezy comedy One of Them Days and bizarre art film The Timekeepers of Eternity. We look to the future, trying to predict our respective mid-life crises, and planning the rest of the year of Captain's Log episodes. Ideas include: baking a cake, baking a Star Wars, actors who should play Santa Claus, and maybe touching the Gateway Arch. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Mid-life crisis (06:28) - Neighborhood watch update (11:41) - A million tags (16:53) - An unimportant news update (18:59) - Cinema Corner (47:45) - Housekeeping (52:52) - Planarama (01:09:02) - Melissa's Oscar nominations highlights (01:26:27) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Interesting Blue 1:49:38

7 weeks ago1:49:38

1:49:38

Episode 287. It's a snowy start to 2025, blessing Melissa with a sighting of the rare Snow Stan. Kyle still doesn't know how to drive but now has a new car. We catch up on winter break moviegoing and read over our media stats from 2024. Kyle read dozens of detective novels, implores us all to watch Pachinko, and introduces us to Chicken Nugget, a Korean show about a girl who turns into an anonymous, silent chicken nugget and her father and boyfriend just have to deal with that. Melissa experiences the nearly four-hour epic The Brutalist, counts down her top moments in film and her playlist of favorite YouTube videos about media oddities and ill-advised craft experiments, and introduces us to Hundreds of Beavers, a movie that is easy to describe but difficult to believe. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Welcome back, Happy New Year! (01:04) - Do you wanna build a SnowStan? (07:51) - Car shows and buying a new car (23:11) - Cinema Corner (39:18) - Housekeeping (45:38) - Kyle's media consumption stats (01:12:13) - Melissa's Top 10's and more (01:46:25) - Shout out to that Superman teaser trailer (01:48:40) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
The Whatnauts Grand Prix 09 2:14:34

11 weeks ago2:14:34

2:14:34

Kyle and Melissa are here for a chill end-of-year celebration, looking back on our year in podcasting and looking ahead to our 2025 goals. We give out our Review Show awards, play a game of "What the Hell Were We Talking About?", run through our recent cinema experiences, talk about fancy cocktails and fancy mansions, and finally share our thoughts on the weird twist in the otherwise conventional neo-noir show Sugar. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:03) - Welcome (02:17) - Cheers to nine years of The Whatnauts (04:59) - Melissa's holiday parties (09:04) - Have we done anything else for nine years? (13:02) - Break number 1 (13:04) - Kyle's got his pizza (17:36) - Alcoholic slushies and other drinks (27:03) - The mansion tour (37:07) - The Review Show awards (01:21:43) - Break number 2 (01:21:45) - Kyle's got his Old Fashioned (01:24:08) - What the hell were we talking about? (01:42:25) - A quick check in on our fantasy movie draft (01:47:53) - The Cinema Corner (01:55:54) - Spoilers for Sugar (01:57:46) - The Cinema Corner round 2 (02:07:42) - Out of Alcatraz (02:13:41) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Predictions 2025 2:29:06

12 weeks ago2:29:06

2:29:06

Episode 286. We're back for a feature-length discussion on movies! We go over our predictions for the Rotten Tomatoes critics' score for the past year's movies, and create predictions for the year ahead. What movie got an even 50? What's the lowest score we've ever seen? Do we think Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning could match or beat the score for Dead Reckoning? Which will score better, Superman or Fantastic Four: First Steps? How many people will die in The Monkey? How many Mickeys will Mickey 17 ultimately show us? Also: an underwhelming reveal to a secret Mtn Dew flavor, a haunted office, and more Torrington lore. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - The weirdest thing you've seen from your window (01:09) - Kyle's haunted office experience (10:08) - Let the Rotten Tomatoes game begin! (12:06) - Rotten Tomatoes game 2024 results (51:17) - Housekeeping (56:36) - Rotten Tomatoes game 2025 predictions (02:10:31) - Personal predictions for movies in 2025 (02:26:54) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Bit by a Helicopter 1:19:24

16 weeks ago1:19:24

1:19:24

Episode 285. We have a lot of existing movies to talk about, like Conclave, Anora, Heretic, and Piece by Piece, and we have an exciting pitch for a new Inspector Gadget movie that's a Substance-esque body horror but also one of his hands is a different vape on each finger. Hear us, Hollywood!!! Melissa reveals the most mysterious song on the internet. Kyle looks at all those chickens (it's just one chicken). We discuss the trailers for Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, where we want to see new Star Wars characters and where we want to see old ones, what it means when a movie is delayed from January to April, the stigma that reshoots have on a movie's reputation, Godzilla in different time periods, and the enduring legacy of Over the Garden Wall. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - The weirdest thing you've seen from your window (04:01) - The most mysterious song (14:34) - The cinema corner (38:33) - Housekeeping (42:22) - Only two episodes left this year (44:55) - Vampiric helicoptors (48:38) - Pop culture lightning round (01:18:30) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
McRib Sterling VI: The McRooms 1:25:14

18 weeks ago1:25:14

1:25:14

Episode 284. Your ghost hosts Slimer and Mimer are here for another Halloween special re-telling old Captain's Log anecdotes as "scary" "stories." Enjoy your szechuan McFlurry as you hear tales of the last two Kyles in the world, a life wrapped in foil, being kicked by the NFL robot, the fate of The Boobie Bouncer, your life being mysteriously tied to a movie marketing stunt, German Monday, the scariest 90s cartoon character to encounter in a liminal void, and old internet meme becoming a dangerous reality. Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Costume reveal! (04:00) - Is the Mountain Dew VooDew 2024 flavor pink Starbursts? (08:54) - Housekeeping (13:19) - Twisting past Captain's Log stories into scary stories (01:23:53) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
I Now Pronounce You Two Monoliths 1:26:47

19 weeks ago1:26:47

1:26:47

Episode 283. Kyle gets attacked by a falcon. Melissa dares to ask if vests are just adult bibs, and if you can make a paper football out of a Fruit Rollup. She eats an entire bowl of Kelce Mix cereal while Kyle recaps his old roommate's wedding in great detail. We read through our Movie Fantasy League drafts, marvel at Maymont Park, praise Liquid IV, ask if Saturday Night needed more chaos, and applaud SIXTY-YEAR-OLD MAN Keanu Reeves for becoming a race car driver. Click here to watch a video of this episode. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Hitting Brach Bottom 1:26:02

22 weeks ago1:26:02

1:26:02

Episode 282. Get out your T-squares, we're talking Megalopolis! Melissa tries to sell us on The Substance, and Kyle shares the cartoon joy of Transformers One, Avatar: The Last Airbender live in concert, and being the first and maybe only person in his city to buy a ticket to see a Gundam movie in theaters. Melissa recaps her trip to Disney World, featuring edutainment and a biiiig cookie. We also discuss trailers for Thunderbolts*, Ballerina, and Sinners, and try to identify the Mtn Dew mystery flavor of the year. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Mountain Dew Voo-Dew 2024 (07:33) - Melissa's vacation (24:07) - Avatar The Last Airbender in concert (37:47) - Housekeeping (43:02) - The cinema corner (01:07:39) - Pop culture lightning round (01:24:31) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
A Big Year for Sandworms! 1:14:20

24 weeks ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Episode 281. With the success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Dune: Part Two at the box office, is a sequel to Tremors far behind? What if it's already secretly on the calendar, masquerading as a normal film, but surprise, a big worm pops out at the end? Kyle gives us advice on surviving a plane trip. Melissa shares the mystery of Celebrity Number 6. We discuss your new stepdad The Boobie Bouncer, a dishwasher mistake, our favorite weird little guy, Coke-flavored Oreos and Oreo-flavored Coke, memories of James Earl Jones, and how Shogun broke a record for the most Emmy awards before the main awards show even happened. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Childish purchases (03:09) - Airplane travel tips (21:49) - The Boobie Bouncer no more (25:54) - Celebrity number 6 has been found (34:46) - Housekeeping (41:41) - Coca-cola Oreos (45:11) - The cinema corner (01:00:07) - Fantasy Movie League (01:03:42) - Pop culture lightning round (01:13:24) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Wet Detectives 1:21:16

26 weeks ago1:21:16

1:21:16

Episode 280. Kyle goes kayaking in Tampa and sees dolphins and maybe the world's largest sand dollar. Melissa goes to a metal concert less for the music, more for live snakes and big demon puppets. She also deals with her office moving to a new building full of liminal white hallways, heat traps, and incessant beeping. We talk about the prolific crime series Homicide: Life on the Street now that it's finally streaming, the bizarre Tommy Westphall Universe from St. Elsewhere, and the frenetic summertime schemes of Snack Shack, and we wonder who Joel McHale will play in Yellowjackets S3. (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - Melissa goes to a metal concert, Kyle is an outlaw (08:56) - The cinema corner (25:01) - Discovering the Westfall Cinematic Universe (33:11) - Housekeeping (38:56) - Review Show episode 300 failure (43:36) - Moving to a new office (57:09) - Bachelor partying it up in Tampa (01:14:50) - Pop culture lightning round (01:20:19) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
Blue Guy & Green Guy Meet Blue Guy & Green Guy 1:17:25

28 weeks ago1:17:25

1:17:25

Episode 279. Now that the Olympics are over, it's time for fall to begin, with random sightings of kids out in public already wearing their Halloween costumes. We get nostalgic with Didi and confounded with Borderlands, and discuss two new movies based on true events starring the actual people from those events, Kneecap and Sing Sing. We recap movie and TV news from D23 and beyond, including Pixar's first TV show, the weirdly horror-tinged Tron: Ares, and a Pacific Rim prequel. Melissa is allowed "off the leash" to recap the Disney theme park news, including new Avengers rides, a Monsters Inc. door coaster, and a villains-themed land. We also dare to ask, what if humanity's final form is a baby born with full understanding of the movie Tenet? (00:00) - Intro (00:04) - A Pacific Rim Prequel series? (05:54) - The pumpkin is creeping in (10:51) - Breaking and the Olympics (20:14) - The Cinema Corner (41:24) - Housekeeping (45:29) - The sights and sounds of Tampa (47:16) - Melissa UNLEASHED: The D23 news round-up (01:16:19) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
The Doom We Made Along the Way 1:14:29

30 weeks ago1:14:29

1:14:29

Episode 278. Kyle almost witnesses a road war. Melissa is blindsided by a new holiday and eats the best brownie that she may never encounter again. We discuss the wild rides of Longlegs and Trap, and recap the news out of Comic-Con! RDJ is our new Dr. Doom, but what if Marvel kept going and just announced more Dooms every couple weeks until we had a movie of nothing but Dooms? We talk about the potential plans for Doomsday and Secret Wars, DC trailers for Creature Commandos and The Penguin, and finally a Hellboy movie that gives us just a normal day in the life of Hellboy, begrudgingly going to fight a devil. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★…

The Captain's Log

1
McQueen of the Backrooms 1:23:25

32 weeks ago1:23:25