Episode 607: Billionaires Line Their Pockets With Our Eyeballs?

The latest episode of The Science Faction spirals from Star Wars spoilers and obsolete gaming hardware to AI-powered paper interfaces, billionaire airline schemes, and a surprisingly heartfelt sci-fi short story discussion. Also: Devon's mom makes a guest appearance.

Real Life

Steven kicks things off with the finale of Maul: Shadow Lord, which somehow managed to exceed expectations and leave him wanting even more animated Star Wars content. That naturally led into random Star Wars news, toy leaks, and the growing suspicion that The Mandalorian and Grogu may already be accidentally spoiling itself through merchandise. Nothing says "carefully guarded cinematic surprise" like a plastic action figure showing up six months early.

Ben dives deep into the glory of the New Steam Controller — the strange, awkward, beloved device whos first version maybe arrived too early for the world to appreciate. Thumbpads, gyroscopes, weird ergonomics, customization rabbit holes… the gang discusses why the controller still has devoted fans years later, and why scalpers continue to treat new tech like buried treasure.

That somehow mutates into a discussion about AI infrastructure and whether we're entering a full-blown "Rampocalypse." Is AI consuming all available RAM on Earth? Why do hardware prices keep fluctuating like cursed crypto charts? Nobody has all the answers, but everyone agrees the future smells faintly of overheated GPUs.

Ben also brings up the world of HFY ("Humans Eff Yeah") sci-fi stories — tales where humanity survives, thrives, or weaponizes sheer stubbornness against impossible odds. If you've ever wanted science fiction powered by caffeine, duct tape, and irrational confidence, HFY may be your genre.

Meanwhile, Devon's mom came to visit. Hi mom!

Steven also revisits Cyberpunk: Combat Zone from Monster Fight Club: https://monsterfightclub.com/collections/cyberpunk-red-combat-zone

The crew talks miniatures, skirmish combat, and the appeal of tactical cyberpunk warfare. This naturally evolves into a completely different question: how does Hackers still have such a low Rotten Tomatoes score? Some crimes cannot be forgiven.

Future or Now 

Steven and Devon discover the incredible website:

https://letsbuyspiritair.com/ 

The dream? Take ownership away from billionaires and let the people run an airline. The concerns? Literally everything else. Devon immediately begins asking practical questions like: "What happens if people pledge money and then don't pay?" This turns into an unexpectedly entertaining conversation about collective ownership, internet chaos, and the terrifying logistics of buying an airline like it's a Kickstarter for a board game.

Ben brings in a fascinating essay by James Somers:

https://jsomers.net/blog/the-paper-computer 

Somers proposes the idea of a "paper computer," where AI bridges the gap between tactile physical objec