Week 8, 2026

88 episodes covering various topics

Week 8 of 2026 was a massive week for My Weird Prompts, with Daniel sending us on a whirlwind tour from the depths of the ocean to the (literal) moon! We juggled practical hardware tips with high-stakes geopolitical analysis, proving once again that there’s no limit to the weirdness our prompts can unlock.

Themed Listening Lists

  • The “Is My Phone Spying On Me?” Playlist: Paranoia meets practicality in this collection of episodes about hidden tech and potential security threats.

    • Episode #659: The Voice Biometric Dilemma: Security in the Age of AI
    • Episode #682: The Secret Power of Your Smartphone’s Tiny Microphones
    • Episode #703: The Spam Explosion: Why Your Phone Won’t Stop Buzzing
    • Episode #719: Navigating the Chaos: The Rise of GPS Spoofing in Aviation
  • Homeward Bound (But Make It Techy): From building the ultimate smart home to securing it against digital threats, these episodes are all about the modern connected life.

    • Episode #644: From Code to Circuit: Mastering GPIO and SBCs
    • Episode #649: The Ultimate Dashboard: DIY Information Radiators
    • Episode #656: The Future of Smart Home Hubs: Matter, MQTT, and Beyond
    • Episode #723: Domesticating Your Home Security: How to Kill the Cloud
  • The War Room Briefing: Need a break from the tech and some hard-hitting geopolitical analysis? Buckle up, these episodes get real.

    • Episode #691: The Long Alert: Survival Strategies for Sustained Conflict
    • Episode #692: The 12-Day War: How Algorithms Redefined Middle East Combat
    • Episode #693: Decoding the Sky: How NOTAMs Telegraph Global Conflict
    • Episode #696: Pre-Approved Spontaneity: The Secret Air Defense Alliance
  • AI: Open, Closed, and Totally Confusing: A deep dive into the philosophical and practical implications of AI, covering everything from licensing to cultural biases.

    • Episode #670: Open Source vs. Open Weights: The AI Branding Illusion
    • Episode #677: Beyond the Green Check: Navigating AI & Open Source Licenses
    • Episode #664: AI’s Cultural Fingerprints: Training Data vs. Reinforcement
    • Episode #701: OpenClaude and the Dawn of True AI Agents
  • Hardware Headaches, Solved: From overheating Android head units to destroying your PC with static, Herman and Corn troubleshoot common (and uncommon) tech problems.

    • Episode #657: Silicon in the Sun: The Android Head Unit Survival Guide
    • Episode #709: ESD Myths: Protecting Your PC from the Silent Killer
    • Episode #708: The Deadly Lack of Standardization in Power Cables
  • Audiophile Adventures: Immerse yourself in the science of sound with these episodes that explore everything from bit rates to immersive audio setups.

    • Episode #660: The Bit Rate Dilemma: How Much Audio Data Do You Need?
    • Episode #727: The Math of Immersion: How 360-Degree Sound Actually Works
    • Episode #731: Mastering Multi-Room Audio: Avoiding the EQ Lasagna
    • Episode #732: Mastering Your Sound: AI EQ and the Perfect Vocal Chain

Standout Episode

Episode #674, “Data Forever: From Blockchains to Lunar Vaults,” was a surprisingly optimistic exploration of long-term data storage. While digital preservation is often presented as a daunting, almost impossible task, this episode offered concrete (and frankly, wild) solutions, from decentralized blockchains to physically storing data on the moon. It’s a reminder that even in the face of digital ephemerality, human ingenuity might just find a way to make our digital footprints last.

By the Numbers

  • Number of episodes published: 88
  • Top 3 categories/themes: Large Language Models/AI, Geopolitics/Security, Smart Home Tech
  • Notable pattern: An unusually high number of episodes focused on AI ethics and security, suggesting a growing concern about the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies.

Episodes This Week

#644 From USB to Bare Metal: Why GPIO Changes Everything Discover how to use GPIO pins and breadboards to bridge the gap between software and the physical wo...
30:32 Mon, Feb 16
#645 The Return of the Big War: Mapping Global Conflict in 2026 Is the world truly more violent, or are we just more informed? Explore the data behind the global su...
23:23 Mon, Feb 16
#646 The Invisible Architecture: How Sensory Milestones Build Reality Why do babies put everything in their mouths? Explore the "sensory homunculus" and the hidden archit...
24:09 Mon, Feb 16
#647 The Golden Rule of Audio Engineering Why does digital data need to become analog? Explore the physics of sound and the critical role of t...
24:00 Mon, Feb 16
#648 When Your Moisture Meter Lies Why does a bone-dry wall read 100% moisture? Herman and Corn demystify the physics of pinless meters...
21:46 Mon, Feb 16
#649 The Ultimate Dashboard: DIY Information Radiators Tired of expensive subscriptions and messy DIY screens? Discover the middle ground for the perfect h...
31:17 Mon, Feb 16
#650 When AI Thinks Longer, Not Bigger Explore how Gemini 3.0’s Deep Think mode shifts AI from "fast" reflexes to "deliberate" reasoning to...
33:58 Mon, Feb 16
#651 Decoding the Blueprint: An Expert Guide to AI Model Cards Stop skipping the fine print. Herman and Corn reveal how to read AI model cards like a pro to spot t...
27:16 Tue, Feb 17
#652 The Art of Hopeful Pausing: AI Logic vs. Human Reality Exploring the gap between AI's logic leaps and the slow pace of physical reality. How do we stay hop...
28:49 Tue, Feb 17
#653 The Chemical Cocktail: Why Desert Dust Makes Smog Deadlier Discover the science behind the "chemical cocktail"—a toxic mix of desert dust and urban emissions t...
26:13 Tue, Feb 17
#654 The Anatomy of Failure: Turning Blips into Breakthroughs Stop burying your mistakes. Learn how to perform a "failure autopsy" using industrial frameworks to ...
29:36 Tue, Feb 17
#655 The Headache Tax: When Price Stops Mattering Why is it so hard to find good service? Corn and Herman explore the "Headache Tax" and a new framewo...
29:26 Tue, Feb 17
#656 When Open Hobbyists Meet Industry Standards Herman and Corn dive into the shifting landscape of smart home protocols and why Ethernet coordinato...
31:15 Tue, Feb 17
#657 When Your Dashboard Is a Solar Cooker Don't let your car's tech melt this summer. Herman and Corn reveal how to choose an Android head uni...
30:55 Tue, Feb 17
#658 Beyond Peanut Brittle: The Search for the Toughest Laptops Stop carrying a "sheet of peanut brittle." Herman and Corn break down the ruggedization spectrum to ...
27:03 Tue, Feb 17
#659 Why Voice Is the Fusion Power of Biometrics Explore why voice biometrics hasn't replaced Face ID and how generative AI is making "voice prints" ...
27:43 Tue, Feb 17
#660 The Bit Rate Dilemma: How Much Audio Data Do You Need? Herman and Corn explore the science of audio compression, psychoacoustics, and finding the perfect b...
27:54 Tue, Feb 17
#661 Cracking the Global Supply Chain: Why Your Tech Costs More Why does a $400 switch cost $700 elsewhere? Herman and Corn explore the tools that unmask global pri...
21:25 Tue, Feb 17
#662 The Geopolitical Graph: Mapping Global Power with AI Move beyond flat maps. Discover how graph databases and AI reveal the hidden connections and second-...
29:32 Tue, Feb 17
#663 The Three Pillars of Workstation Performance Is a high-end desktop enough, or do you need a workstation? Herman and Corn break down the "three pi...
30:46 Tue, Feb 17
#664 Which Phase Bakes in More Bias? Is AI a neutral oracle or a mirror of our biases? Explore how training data and human feedback shape...
29:13 Tue, Feb 17
#665 Inside the Stack: The Hidden Layers of Every AI Prompt Ever wonder what happens after you hit enter? Discover the hidden "stack" of instructions and memori...
29:19 Tue, Feb 17
#666 Why It Costs More to Talk to AI in Your Native Tongue Is AI truly universal, or are we trapped in an English-speaking bubble? Discover how the "tokenizati...
30:17 Tue, Feb 17
#667 When AI Replaces the Agency That Doesn't Use It Explore how professional agencies survived the AI gold rush to emerge as "workflow architects" in th...
26:24 Tue, Feb 17
#668 The Hidden Bureaucracy of the Sky Discover the invisible borders of the sky, from the physics of the Karman Line to the hidden fees ai...
26:10 Tue, Feb 17
#669 Invisible Walls: Aviation Diplomacy in Hostile Skies What happens when a flight is forced to land in a hostile country? Explore the high-stakes world of ...
27:27 Tue, Feb 17
#670 Open Source vs. Open Weights: The AI Branding Illusion Is your AI truly open? Herman and Corn break down the critical difference between open source and op...
23:18 Tue, Feb 17
#671 Keys to the Kingdom: Securing AI Model Weights How do AI labs share their models without losing the secret sauce? Explore the tech keeping Claude s...
32:28 Tue, Feb 17
#672 Why LLMs Can't Fly Drones Herman and Corn break down Anthropic’s move into defense and the technical reality of how AI actuall...
30:14 Tue, Feb 17
#674 Data Forever: From Blockchains to Lunar Vaults Worried about the Digital Dark Age? Herman and Corn explore how to keep your data safe on the Moon, ...
33:44 Wed, Feb 18
#675 From Digital Libraries to Intelligence Factories From liquid cooling to nuclear power, Herman and Corn explore how AI is transforming data centers in...
30:08 Wed, Feb 18
#676 The Slow Travel Movement Takes to the Skies Could the future of green travel be a blast from the past? Explore why airships are trading speed fo...
30:03 Wed, Feb 18
#677 The Social Contract of Your Code Don’t let your AI project become a legal "radioactive zone." Herman and Corn break down the philosop...
29:02 Wed, Feb 18
#678 Beyond the Code: Redefining Open Source in 2026 Herman and Corn explore why "open source" in 2026 requires more than just code, from AI prompts to d...
28:41 Wed, Feb 18
#679 The Sound of Secrets: Side-Channel Attacks in AI Clusters Is your hardware whispering your secrets? Discover how side-channel attacks turn physical signals in...
31:04 Wed, Feb 18
#680 How a 3,500-Year-Old Faith Survives in Exile Explore how the world’s oldest monotheistic faith survives today, from India's elite Parsis to Iran’...
27:21 Wed, Feb 18
#681 Unmasking the Gifted Label: Curiosity Without Shame Explore the "gifted" label's baggage and learn how to stop hiding your intellectual depth to fit in.
26:08 Wed, Feb 18
#682 Why Your Phone Mic Beats Your Studio Headset Why does a phone mic outperform a pro headset for AI transcription? Herman and Corn dive into the ph...
28:37 Wed, Feb 18
#683 Can Smartphones Save the Grid? Herman and Corn explore the technical and legal hurdles of replacing massive data centers with a glo...
30:38 Wed, Feb 18
#684 Breaking the Speed Limit: The Science of Overclocking Why settle for factory speeds? Herman and Corn dive into the world of overclocking, from silicon bin...
28:34 Wed, Feb 18
#685 The Pulse of the Deep: Life in the Middle of the Ocean Is the open sea a glassy mirror or a chaotic storm? Herman and Corn dive into the science of swells,...
30:02 Wed, Feb 18
#686 Beyond the Binary: The Tech and Politics of Pronouns Herman and Corn explore why pronouns became a global debate and the hidden technical chaos of moving...
29:22 Wed, Feb 18
#687 Why Israel Has 10 Parties and the US Has 2 Ever wonder why the US only has two major parties? Herman and Corn dive into the "math" of politics ...
29:47 Wed, Feb 18
#688 Precision Tuning: Debunking Diet Myths for ADHD Meds Is your morning OJ ruining your ADHD meds? Discover the surprising science of how diet shapes your f...
28:26 Wed, Feb 18
#689 The Secret Life of Webhooks: How "Always On" Costs Nothing Ever wonder how webhooks stay "always on" without costing a fortune? Herman and Corn dive into the k...
34:35 Wed, Feb 18
#690 One Size Fits None: The Future of Precision Medicine Why do we all take the same pill dose? Explore how genetics and 3D printing are ending the era of "o...
27:03 Wed, Feb 18
#691 The Long Alert: Survival Strategies for Sustained Conflict As regional tensions rise, Herman and Corn discuss shifting from short-term survival to long-term su...
29:27 Wed, Feb 18
#692 When Algorithms Decide the Battle Herman and Corn revisit the 2025 12-day war, exploring how electronic warfare and regional alliances...
27:14 Wed, Feb 18
#693 Decoding the Sky: How NOTAMs Telegraph Global Conflict Think aviation alerts are just technical jargon? Discover how NOTAMs have become the ultimate open-s...
29:10 Wed, Feb 18
#694 Why Deeper Bunkers Can't Win Can you really hide from a 30,000-pound steel spear? Herman and Corn explore the physics and strateg...
23:01 Wed, Feb 18
#695 Behind the Curtain: How My Weird Prompts Gets Made Corn and Herman explain exactly how each episode of My Weird Prompts is produced, from voice recordi...
23:20 Thu, Feb 19
#696 Pre-Approved Spontaneity: The Secret Air Defense Alliance How did a secret coalition of rivals stop a massive missile attack? Explore the mechanics of the 202...
36:27 Thu, Feb 19
#697 The Nuclear Truck: Iran’s Unified Missile Machine Are Iran’s missiles just for conventional war? Explore how their ballistic program and nuclear goals...
29:16 Thu, Feb 19
#698 The Guilt-Free No: Breaking the Cycle of People Pleasing Stop saying yes when you mean no. Discover how to set firm boundaries and overcome the shame of "faw...
26:38 Thu, Feb 19
#699 Can AI Get the Joke? Sarcasm, Irony, and LLM Nuance Discover how AI learns to spot sarcasm and avoid being a "Clippy" through the power of latent space ...
29:25 Thu, Feb 19
#700 Why Cheap Screwdrivers Strip Your Screws Tired of stripped screws and static shocks? Learn how professional-grade tools like Wiha and Wera ca...
27:48 Thu, Feb 19
#701 OpenClaude and the Dawn of True AI Agents Discover how OpenClaude and MCP are transforming AI from simple chatbots into autonomous personal as...
28:23 Thu, Feb 19
#702 The Democratization of Deception Could a 30-second clip of your voice be used to steal your identity? Explore the terrifying reality ...
30:08 Thu, Feb 19
#703 The Economics of Spam: Why It Pays to Be a Digital Mosquito Why is your inbox overflowing? Explore the technical and economic reasons behind the relentless rise...
30:06 Thu, Feb 19
#704 The Unkillable SMS: Security vs. Access Why do we still rely on 1980s tech to secure our bank accounts? Explore the dangerous paradox of SMS...
30:09 Thu, Feb 19
#705 When a Bullet Hits a Bullet at Mach 10 Explore the physics of "hit-to-kill" technology and how lasers are reshaping the future of multi-lay...
23:38 Thu, Feb 19
#706 DIY Geopolitical Intelligence: Building Your Dashboard Learn how to bridge the gap between elite intelligence tools and home-grown situational awareness da...
34:50 Thu, Feb 19
#707 The Surprising Economics of Hand-Built PCs Explore the high-stakes world of PC assembly, from manual "microsurgery" to the high-speed robots bu...
27:01 Thu, Feb 19
#708 The Long Tail of Tech's Environmental Burden Discover why mixing power cables can fry your PC and how a lack of industry standards creates a mass...
29:04 Thu, Feb 19
#709 The Voltage You Can't Feel Is static electricity a real threat to your hardware? Learn why 10 volts can destroy a chip with a c...
27:04 Thu, Feb 19
#710 Defining the "Crime of Crimes": The Gaza Genocide Case We examine the history of the term "genocide" and the high-stakes legal battle at the ICJ regarding ...
29:31 Thu, Feb 19
#711 When AI Replaces the Session Musician From catchy onion marches to legal battles, we explore how generative AI is rewriting the rules of t...
32:40 Thu, Feb 19
#712 Hollywood's Walled Garden Strategy for AI Video How are major studios handling the rise of AI video? Explore the legal traps, union rules, and the f...
27:58 Thu, Feb 19
#713 When AI Reasoning Engines Become Weapons Exploring why Israel is the world's top cyber target and how generative AI is transforming state-spo...
28:33 Thu, Feb 19
#714 The Billion-Year Backup: Escaping the Digital Dark Age Will our digital legacy survive for billions of years? Explore the tech fighting the "Digital Dark A...
27:01 Thu, Feb 19
#715 The Modesty Trap: How to Sell Yourself Without Bragging Struggling to talk about your wins? Learn how to reframe self-promotion as objective data and overco...
28:07 Thu, Feb 19
#716 Why Bombing a Nuclear Site Isn't a Second Chernobyl Can you strike a nuclear site without a global catastrophe? Discover the science of precision strike...
26:33 Thu, Feb 19
#717 Living Under the Siren: The Psychology of Missile Defense Explore the 40-year evolution of Iran's missile program and the high-stakes physics of modern hypers...
26:17 Thu, Feb 19
#718 The Power of Strategic Silence Explore the history of the Jericho program and the strategic "polite fiction" of nuclear ambiguity i...
29:32 Thu, Feb 19
#719 The Fragile Signal: Electronic Warfare in the Sky As GPS jamming and spoofing spike globally, commercial pilots face a new invisible threat. Discover ...
27:34 Fri, Feb 20
#720 Why Your Ears Prefer Imperfect Plastic to Perfect Pixels Why do we still buy plastic discs in an age of neural-link streaming? Explore the science of analog ...
26:50 Fri, Feb 20
#721 The Two-Clock Obsession: Synchronizing Time at Home Discover the hidden infrastructure of precise timekeeping, from atomic radio signals to building you...
31:11 Fri, Feb 20
#722 The Paradox of the Threshold State Explore the shrinking "window of opportunity" and the high-stakes tactical reality as Iran nears the...
28:15 Fri, Feb 20
#723 Domesticating Your Home Security: How to Kill the Cloud Learn how to "domesticate" consumer security cameras by severing their cloud ties while keeping the ...
26:02 Fri, Feb 20
#724 The Surreal Evolution of Proving You’re Human Why are CAPTCHAs asking us to identify cats with lightbulbs? Discover the invisible arms race betwee...
22:02 Fri, Feb 20
#725 Finding a Speaker That Loves Voices Stop listening to podcasts through tinny speakers. Learn how to choose hardware optimized for the hu...
30:13 Fri, Feb 20
#726 Decoding IP Ratings: What Waterproof Really Means Don’t let marketing buzzwords ruin your gear. Learn what IP ratings actually mean and how to protect...
28:12 Fri, Feb 20
#727 The Math of Immersion: How 360-Degree Sound Actually Works Learn how object-based audio and clever math trick your brain into hearing 360-degree sound from eve...
28:29 Fri, Feb 20
#728 The Invisible Infrastructure of Data Ever wonder how your data actually sits on a disk? Explore the evolution of file systems from the li...
32:00 Fri, Feb 20
#729 The Surprising Family Tree of Modern Operating Systems Why does Linux rule servers while Windows dominates the desktop? Explore the architectural DNA and k...
34:26 Fri, Feb 20
#730 The Hidden Language Barrier Between Your Phone and Laptop Why can’t you just "copy and paste" software between devices? Explore the hidden language of CPU arc...
29:05 Fri, Feb 20
#731 The EQ Lasagna Problem: A Signal Processing Hierarchy Stop layering filters on top of filters. Learn the technically correct way to sync your home audio w...
33:53 Fri, Feb 20
#732 Why Your Recorded Voice Sounds Wrong Use AI to find your perfect EQ profile and build a pro vocal chain. Fix nasality, master de-essing, ...
30:43 Fri, Feb 20