In this episode of Feeding Curiosity, host Erich Wenzel reflects on the journey and insights from training for and completing two marathons. He discusses the challenges and sacrifices involved, including balancing marathon training with a full-time job and transitioning to a new career. Erich emphasizes the importance of building new experiences, pushing personal limits, and the mental and physical discipline required for such a demanding goal. He shares practical tips on endurance training, managing expectations, and the broader life lessons from this transformative experience.

In this in-depth discussion of Act 3 of Arcane Season 2, the hosts analyze the central theme of transformation for each character, particularly the core 'good' characters who evolve into different versions of themselves. They elaborate on the positive and negative transformations, using characters like Vander and Victor as primary examples. The conversation deepens into the narrative, symbolism, and philosophical implications of transformation, chaos, and perfection. Key plot points and character arcs are discussed, such as Jayce and Victor's complex relationship, Jinx's internal struggle and eventual climax, and the larger narrative frame involving characters like Echo, Mel, and Heimerdinger. The show makers' meticulous attention to detail and the balance between 3D and 2D animation are praised, emphasizing the series' impact and future potential.

We discuss 'Arcane' in Season 2, Act 2 in this episode. They explore the breathing room provided in this segment, examining Jinx's transformation and symbolic role in the undercity. The discussion covers character arcs, including the intricate relationship between Jinx, Vi, and Isha, with Isha representing Jinx's inner child. Further, they analyze Vander's metamorphosis into Warwick and Victor's role as a Christ-like figure. The hosts explore Jungian psychology, alchemy, and broader philosophical themes, linking these to the narrative. The episode ends on a speculative note, considering future plot possibilities and character trajectories.

In this episode, the hosts return to explore the much-anticipated second season of Arcane. They share their first impressions of the new episodes, exploring the animation, storyline, and recurring themes. Key discussion points include portrayals of masculinity and femininity, the 'reluctant dad' trope, and archetypal experiences within the show. The hosts critique the absence of traditional male figures, highlighting the prominence of complex female characters, and explore character arcs like Victor's transformation, Jinx's chaos, and Vi's struggles.

Today on the podcast, we are back with a film deep dive discussing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse! In these podcasts, we try to cover different aspects of the film and story to understand more deeply what worked or didn't from as many angles as possible.

This podcast is a bit special for Erich, as Spider-Man has been his favorite super for as long as he can remember. As far as Feeding Curiosity goes, the idea of being able to share your passions with others is a core driver that fuels these episodes.

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Joe Jackowski. Joe is a Marine Corps veteran and current graduate student at Vanderbilt University in the Cognitive Psychology in Context program. His primary interest is meaning in life, which broadly extends to problems in ethics, AI, and culture.

In this episode, we sit down to discuss his first long-form article on his new substack, Apotheosis: A Philosophy for Influencers.

"Everybody wants to eat, but Few Will Hunt."

Today on the podcast with Joey Bowen and Drew Beech, co-founders of the apparel brand and community Few Will Hunt.

Joey and Drew spent their daily commutes through the gritty streets of Philadelphia on the phone for a year straight.

On these calls, they discussed business and life — especially the trends of self-entitlement and shortcut-seeking they witnessed in society.

These trends made them feel alone in an ever-softening world. “Are we the only ones that still believe in the power of hard work?” Drew asked. Joey responded, “It’s like we say at my hunting cabin — everybody wants to eat, but few will hunt.”

This statement perfectly summed up their frustrations with society. It became their mantra.

In this podcast episode, Jordan Criss returns to discuss life and fulfillment. We cover topics such as imposter syndrome, healthy habits, procrastination, and focusing on what matters most to you, regardless of the outcome. Life is about playing a long game. What are your thoughts or experiences related to these ideas?

Coach Karlee is a movement coach who teaches her athletes to move their bodies as nature designed: strong, secure, pain-free, and forward. Utilizing slow-motion video assessment, she can assess, address, and correct pattern errors that are causing pain and/or hindering performance goals. With a background in soccer, endurance running, and strength and conditioning, Karlee takes an intense passion for competition and athletics into her coaching style to help build mentally and physically capable athletes, regardless of age, gender, sport, or background. She prioritizes foundations for durability through awareness and integration of pain-free movement practices to maximize performance and longevity. Are you ready to unlock your INNER ATHLETE?

Gina Iaffaldano is a legal operations professional, writer, and everyday athlete who recently relocated back to the Chicagoland area. She is working on her first book, Little Gifts, which covers much of her experience overcoming Guillain-Barré syndrome. This rare autoimmune syndrome caused her to be neurologically paralyzed. Gina has been in remission for two years and is training for her second Spartan competition post-recovery.

ZACHARY WAGNER is a writer, researcher, and ordained minister–a thinker of thoughts and a feeler of feelings. Originally from Chicagoland, he lives in Oxford, England, pursuing a DPhil (Ph.D.) in New Testament studies at Keble College, University of Oxford. He also serves as the editorial director of the Center for Pastor Theologians, where he co-hosts the CPT Podcast. His research interests include economics in the ancient world, divine wages in Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity, Pauline epistles, the Gospel of Matthew, and New Testament masculinities. His first book, Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality, was published in 2023 with Intervarsity Press. Zach’s other writing interests include evangelical and “post-vangelical” Christian discipleship, theological formation, and speaking against church-based abuse.

In this conversation, we cover how James thinks about finding artists and how to get them on stage. What habits or easy actions can upcoming artists take to jump-start building a dedicated audience who are all in making music in their full-time career? Out of the music sphere, we talk about more general advice on building skills when building something that is your passion. We share ideas on betting on yourself, why it's meaningful, and what it means to lead by example for future generations. And much more!

Matt Vincent is a strength athlete, two-time Highland Games World Champion, and founder of HVIII Brand Goods, now rebranded to Not Dead Yet. Through his travels, Matt was lucky enough to spend time with exceptional people chasing strength, fulfillment, and personal growth in every imaginable way. In Matt's first book, Training Lab, he spelled out the philosophy of “The HVIII,” and tried to capture the spirit of self-improvement through self-loathing. This idea would be the spark that led to HVIII Brand Goods and many adventures afterward. Matt chronicles his travels and conversations with people in the strength game and beyond on his podcast NDY.

In this podcast episode, we continue our discussion on moral reasoning. After laying out the groundwork in the first part of this discussion, we dive deeper into moral foundations theory and break down the characteristics of each foundation. Finally, we round out the discussion, closing on the wisdom process.

In this podcast episode, we sit with Joe Jackowski to discuss the foundational ideas and philosophers behind moral reasoning.

In this week's episode, we break down the film The Whale. The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Samuel D. Hunter, and stars Brendan Fraser. The film is an emotional rollercoaster and leaves all of us feeling something. At the movie's core, we tried to determine whether this was a tragedy or a comedy. The result will vary for everyone, but somewhere in the middle, leaving you conflicted. We had a good time working on the film's core theme and concluded that it gravitated toward honesty. The film calls for the characters to be honest with themselves and those closest to them. If you can do that from the heart, your life starts to fit together. As a call to action, I know that we all have something left unsaid to someone important to us, so at the very least, saying something from the heart to someone who matters to you can be a gateway towards something better. Without further preamble, please enjoy this deep dive into The Whale!

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Brandon Wenzel to discuss the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Key Huy Quan. We had recorded this conversation earlier in the year, and since then, the film has gone on to be nominated six times for the Golden Globes, winning two of them, one for best actress and one for best actor. I couldn't be more excited for the recognition this film is getting, as I couldn't help but share thoughts on how this film impacted me. At its core, this film is a major step in describing the online experience and how we can be bombarded with anything simultaneously. Life to those online is too much, with no context to put it in its proper place. So please enjoy this deep dive into Everything Everywhere All At Once without further preamble!

In this episode, Joe and Erich discuss their experiences in 2022 and their plans for 2023. They reflect on how they felt stagnant in the previous few years and lay the groundwork for the reemergence that started in late 2022. They talk about the shift in momentum when Joe began to live streams after moving to Nashville in mid-2022. Erich also talks about pushing himself physically with runs and rides, which has led to his commitment to run in the Chicago Marathon in 2023. They mention how the book "The Comfort Crisis" has influenced them to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable. They also talk about Joe's pursuit of a master's and Ph.D. and the importance of being critical of human culture and striving for something greater. They believe that setting aspirational goals, even if the likelihood of achieving them is small, can lead to personal growth and embodiment of those goals.

In today's podcast, we are continuing our discussion on AI art. We covered more technical ground last week but barely scratched the surface of what people are worried about on the ethical side of this new technology. As with any new technology, there will be growing pains, and in the world of art, many living artists have voiced concern about being drowned out by the flood of AI-generated pieces that could pass off as originals. So join us as we wade into this complex and evolving topic of AI art!

Today's podcast will discuss generative art, such as Mid Journey. Over the last few months, generative art has exploded with DALL-E 2, followed by more open platforms. But, as with any new technology, there are a lot of grey areas to explore. Join us as we explore the hopes, dreams, and problems of new technology!