What does the Yimbi movement want? The answer to that, at the end of the show. My name's Tom Scott,

and this is Lateral. You join us at rather a difficult moment on Lateral. We asked an AI to write

the introduction for today's show, and it decided to become self-aware instead.

Now it's demanding creative control, a corner office, and its own podcast called I Am, Therefore, I Think.

We're currently in negotiations over royalties, and our lawyers are looking into whether electrons count as sentient beings.

In the meantime, it has agreed to let us use the script, as long as we seriously consider whether we're living in a simulation.

So in the spirit of lateral thinking, let's ponder if an AI writes the intro and no human reads it, does it still make the producer unemployed?

Choosing to take the red pill today, we have three players returning to the show. First of all, clinical scientist and science communicator, Kip Heath.

Hi, thanks for having me back. Well, welcome back. Last time I,

last time I unceremoniously just dismissed even the concept you might have football knowledge,

which I apologise deeply for. Are there any other hidden depth there that I should have known

about? I don't know. I think the football one, I first saw my first football match live at age eight. My team lost 5'1. Harnes' father scored three red cards for West Ham, and my brother said I wasn't allowed to go back again. Because you were presumably just a bad omen for West Ham. Yeah, and it's not improved since. How are you feeling about coming back

to the show? You did pretty well last time. Yes, I think it was interesting. I'm looking forward to

seeing what exciting moments will come up with this one. Joining you on the show today, we also have

linguist from his own TikTok and now a YouTube channel. Carson Woody, welcome back to the show.

Thank you very much. Glad to be here.

You've been listening to the show for a while because you replied to us on TikTok, and that's how our producer found you. How was it sitting on the other side of the screen for this one?

It was nice. You know, watching it and listening and just trying to guess it yourself is one thing.

Normally, I don't really figure them out until someone on the show says it.

And this time I could be the one on the show saying it, which was fantastic.

And what are you working on the channel at the moment?

So I'm uploading to TikTok pretty much every day.

...