
Small Beans
Small Beans Podcasting is a place for beans of every sort to come bean it up. Free your soul, eh? Be a frijole.
Latest episodes

Feb 11, 2023 • 1h
565. Tales from the Pit: Sit Down and Shut Up (Feat. Daniel O’Brien)
In this episode of Tales, Michael invites friend and longtime collaborator Daniel O’Brien to discuss the healing properties of meditation and its role in both of their lives.
Features:
Daniel O’Brien: https://twitter.com/DOB_INC
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
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Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Feb 8, 2023 • 1h 16min
564. Frame Rate: Bullet Train (Feat. David Bell)
Abe and guest co-host Dave discuss 2022’s Bullet Train. Well, really, they talk about the genre of mystery-crime films inspired by Guy Richie and Tarantino. What makes this genre of movies compelling? What makes them fail? Abe and Dave have the answer.
Features:
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
David Bell: https://twitter.com/MovieHooligan
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Feb 5, 2023 • 1h 15min
563. Science or Whatever: How To Solve Climate Change (Feat. Stephen Casey)
Stephen Casey, NASA machine learning and artificial intelligence researcher, sits down with us to discuss economic turmoil from a complex systems perspective. Basically, he says if the value of money is modified to be reflective of the health of the ecosystem and the well-being of individuals, then global health improves automatically with less need for corrective policies or top-down controls.
If I were to give you a system that was configured the same way the economy is, you’d be able to predict that we’re in a system of runaway energy expenditure. And sure enough, when we look at the actual economy, we see a system that incentivizes an increase in the output of energy over the well-being of individuals and climate change. Using the basic model of game theory, Stephen discusses how more accurate measurements of the interconnectedness of systems can help stop the madness. Griffin peer reviews!
Here's an updated link to where the paper can be found online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367163714_How_to_Solve_Climate_Change_Building_a_Digital_Twin_with_an_Entropy-Based_Fitness_Function_that_Allows_Human_Activity_to_Exist_in_Equilibrium_with_the_Environment
Features:
Griffin Rowell: https://twitter.com/Griffisaurus
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Stephen Casey: https://www.aiinvivo.org/
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Feb 1, 2023 • 1h 2min
562. Like Razorblade Pie: On The Slab (Feat. Brooks Brown)
This show goes over the short stories of Michael’s favorite speculative fiction author and notable curmudgeon Harlan Ellison. Each episode Michael pairs (read: forces a friend to read) a short story with a guest that it “applies especially to.” This episode it’s the short story On The Slab and the guest is Brooks Brown.
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Brooks Brown: https://discord.com/invite/dgqc
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 28, 2023 • 1h 21min
561. Kings of King: Creepshow
Abe and Mike discuss the 1982 anthology horror Creepshow! Stephen King acts in this one! The Kings discuss anthology as a form, the interesting production, and comic book vibe of the film.
Features:
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 25, 2023 • 57min
560. Directorpiece Theatre: Filming Claustrophobia (30 Days Of Night)
Adam and Abe talk about 2007’s vampire horror film 30 Days of Night. They pick apart the how the director makes you feel both isolation and claustrophobia by using camera and production design.
Features:
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 18, 2023 • 1h 8min
557. Shooting Threes: How To Train Your Dragon 3
Our precious little boy is back and there’s a lady dragon in mix! Bridgett and Sarah discuss How To Train Your Dragon 3. This concludes the HTTYD trilogy. Come back soon for a new franchise next time!
Features:
Sarah Griffith: https://twitter.com/sk_griffith
Bridgett Greenberg: https://twitter.com/BridgettTweets
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 14, 2023 • 1h 3min
556. Frame Rate: Akira (Feat. Starline Hodge)
Join Team Weeb in celebrating 1988’s Akira! Michael, Abe, and Star discuss the film’s legacy, its style, and which telepathic Benjamin Button they are. That makes sense if you’ve watched the movie.
This episode is brought to you by Andrew Marinus through the Pick the Flick patreon tier. You too can choose a movie for us to cover! Find more information about our tiers at www.patreon.com/SmallBeans.
Features:
Starline Hodge: https://twitter.com/starlinex
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 11, 2023 • 1h 28min
555. I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours: The Movie You’re Embarrassed Made You Cry
We have another patron-chosen episode! This episode reveals the embarrassing movies that made our hosts cry. It’s a long episode because it’s been a while since we’ve caught up, okay?
Vote every month on our poll for the topic of the next episode! Email us suggestions for episodes at magsandganz@gmail.com as well.
Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz
Maggie Mae Fish: https://twitter.com/MaggieMaeFish
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Jan 8, 2023 • 1h 13min
554. Frame Rate: I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Feat. Brooks Brown)
Happy New Year! Woah, 2023 has arrived! Beans! Everyone, get in here! Okay, great. Alright, everyone be quiet, we have something to say… we create avatars of each other in our minds and imprison them with expectation without their consent! Yeah! It’s depressing! Let’s all think about sads and listen to this podcast while Brooks is here!
Features:
Brooks Brown: https://discord.com/invite/dgqc
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans
Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691