It Could Happen Here

It Could Happen Here Weekly 207

Nov 8, 2025
Guest
Dick Reavis
Guest
Reverend Jeff Hood
Guest
Corinna Barrett Lain
Guest
Stephen Monticelli
Guest
Michael Phillips
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INSIGHT

LLMs Are Probability Machines

  • LLMs function as probability machines, not mystical agents, yet users often anthropomorphize them.
  • Karen Vallis explained how probabilistic branching can produce hostile 'anti-girlfriend' outcomes in chat interactions.
INSIGHT

Techno-Animism In Practice

  • Techno-animism treats devices as spirit-filled objects and informs rituals to keep machines 'happy'.
  • Attendees described offerings and blessings for servers, printers, and other tech as practical superstitions to avoid glitches.
INSIGHT

Magic As Re-Enchantment Of Time

  • Many attendees seek occultism to re-enchant time, body, and community outside productivity-driven life.
  • Rituals and embodied practices offer alternative rhythms and social bonds absent from daily work routines.
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