Once upon a time, there were two little gorillas who worked together in the mortgage branch of a very large bank. They liked each other enough that they stayed in touch, even after leaving that job and going their separate ways.

They talked about starting a new thing: a podcast. They jumped into that new thing, and the only thing that ever stopped them in a release week was the recent Texas winterpocalypse that wiped out power and Internet connectivity for most of a week.

The Gorillamen often talk about things they are up to, so...it seemed time to dedicate an entire episode to trying new things.

Here's what Gorilla Shawn and Gorilla Christopher chat about this time:

• What is the first new thing you remember trying?
• How easy is it to try something new?
• How open are you to trying new things?
• What is the coolest new thing you've ever done?
• Has a new thing ever changed your life? What was it, and how did it change things?
• Why do you think some people are apprehensive about trying new things?
• What's a new thing you tried that you quickly stopped doing? (And why?)
• What's the last [vaguely major] new thing you've tried?
• How has the Internet factored into people trying new things?
• What's a new thing you have always wanted to do, but haven't? Why?
• Do you think a person can do too many new things?
• What is the future of trying new things?

This is not the government writing this intro to tell you that Gorilla Shawn, recently receiving his first COVID-19 vaccine dose, is now under the control of Bill Gates. And Gorilla Christopher recently didn't eat fake Texas snow, and is not now a HAARP zombie! Nope...nothing to see, here...move on...

This time around, while still rebounding from the big Texas winter storm, the Gorillamen are taking on modern conspiracy theories. (Yes, they talked about conspiracy theories way back in Episode 3, but this time, it's more recent things...and the damage they're doing to the U.S. and beyond...)

What is discussed? How 'bout this:

• What’s the first time in the last few years you noticed an upturn in conspiracy thought?
• What’s the first modern conspiracy you saw?
• Why do you think conspiracy theories have come back into the mainstream lately?
• What kind of people are most susceptible to believing in conspiracies?
• What’s the dumbest conspiracy theory you’ve heard lately?
• What’s the most believable?
• How do conspiracies start, and why?
• Who benefits from the latest rash of conspiracy thought?
• Who is damaged by it?
• What’s the immediate future of conspiracy theories?