Hey, everyone. I have a quick announcement.

We have a new kid's book out.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have this book in the world.

It is a book I made for the 11-year-old, the 10-year-old version of myself and my own son, who's 10.

It is called the Explor's Guide to Inventing the World.

And so if you have any kid in your life who loves nerdy stuff,

loves to talk about electricity or fusion or how metal is smelted, whatever it is, this book

is for them. It is a journey all around the world to unusual, interesting places, but it's

also a connected web through the history of invention,

how we got from fire to writing to steam engines and so much more. For the STEM kid in your

world, this book has their name written all over it. Okay, I'm going to stop gushing,

but the Explor's Guide to Inventing the

world, go get it wherever you get your books from, go to your indie shop, and ask them to stock it.

There is a link in the episode description. I am just incredibly proud of this thing. Okay,

okay, on to the show.

Hi, this is Dylan Thuris, and you have reached the Atlas Obscira podcast line.

I'm not home right now, but leave me a message telling me a story about your neighbors.

Tell me all about your neighbors, the good, the bad, the ugly.

After the beep.

Hi.

So in the late 90s, I was going to college in Santa Barbara, UCSB, Go Gauchos, and I was staying in the dorms. I was a little older. I was in the transfer dorm. And there was a girl next door. And the way our dorm was built, there were two ways in.

And I had a crush on this girl, the neighbor girl.

...