Ninjas Are Butterflies – Episode 164

Greenland’s Nuclear Secret, Salvia’s Past, and AI’s Future
October 17, 2025

Hosts: Josh Hooper, Andy DeNoon, Lily, and Andrew

Overview

Episode 164 of Ninjas Are Butterflies mixes the hosts’ signature wild humor with deep dives into conspiracies, world history oddities, the dangers of unchecked technology, and spiritual reflections. This episode is especially rich in eyebrow-raising stories: from the chillingly secret Project Iceworm in Greenland, to harrowing Salvia trips, to the unsettling advance of AI into Hollywood. The crew also touches on headline events, the unreliability of online narratives, and sobering lessons from history—delivered with plenty of good-natured teasing.

Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Comedy Banter & Celebrations

• The hosts open with their classic rapid-fire, good-natured ribbing about smiling, emotional wrinkles, barbershop visits, and milestone celebrations.
• “We are going to have a big celebration for 200 [episodes], though.” (Andy, 03:07)
• Notable moment: The group discusses how positive self-talk and smiling can genuinely affect mood, though Lily jokes that being forced to smile as a child made her averse to it. (04:28–05:15)

2. “Should Orphans Just Chill Out?”

(13:08–16:32)

• A listener question prompts a tongue-in-cheek debate about orphans, heat exposure, and the importance of air conditioning, with the conversation swinging between absurd and earnest.
• Josh recites the medical risks of heat exposure, listing everything from cardiovascular diseases to cognitive impairment.
  • “Long term heat exposure can cause significant health problems...increased risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases...and potential long term neurological damage and cognitive impairment...” (Josh, 15:05)
• The bit ends in typical NAB fashion: “Orphans aren’t real...Neither are dads, apparently.” (Andy, 16:58–17:01)

3. Conspiracies, Psyops, and Media Mistrust

(17:25–44:29)

• The Greta Thunberg and Kim Jong Un Love Story Meme: Andy and Andrew discuss a viral internet rumor—debunked by the group—about the North Korean dictator threatening “to nuke Tel Aviv if Greta Thunberg is harmed.” (17:32–18:09)
• Peter Thiel as the Antichrist?: The tech billionaire’s cryptic comments about Greta Thunberg and the Antichrist fuel more speculation.
• Trust in Media: The hosts agree that virtually all sources—TikTok, Fox, CNN—push narratives, not always truth.
  • “You can only trust Ninjas Are Butterflies, which is crazy.” (Andy, 37:18)
• Global Tragedies Uncovered: Josh explains how atrocities in Nigeria (over 63,000 Christians killed by extremists) are ignored by major media. (38:15–39:01)
• Plumbline of Christ: Andrew urges listeners to use scripture as their moral compass amidst complex world events. (41:28–43:08)
• The team warns against uncritical acceptance of any narrative and the importance of seeking out “middle ground.” (43:00–43:18)

4. Spiritual Warfare & The State of the World

(44:24–53:18)

• Persecution of Christians: Josh and Andrew recount the historic and current suffering of Christians, comparing it to Old Testament child sacrifices.
  • “God abhors the harming of children. And our nation is just an abortion factory.” (Andrew, 48:46)
• Secular Atheism as a Threat: Orthodox Christian perspectives are introduced, critiquing modern atheism’s corrosive effects on culture. (45:10–46:31)
• Call to Radical Love: Lily shares the story of Polycarp—a kind, loving martyr—and the group discusses loving your enemies even when beliefs deeply differ.
  • “Be the kind of person that even if people don’t agree with your political stance...they’re like, ‘but I like having you around.’” (Lily, 53:16)

5. Greenland’s Nuclear Secret: The Iceworm Story

In-Depth Segment [87:05 – 96:41]

• Secret Project “Iceworm”: Josh walks through America’s Cold War project to hide 600 nuclear missiles under Greenland’s ice cap.
  • “The plan was...thousands of miles worth of tunnels...and their goal was to set up 600 nuclear missiles underground in the ice in Greenland.” (Josh, 92:17)
• Engineering Nightmares: The ever-shifting ice made tunnels collapse; soldiers used chainsaws to return to their quarters.
• Nuclear Waste Timebomb: Decades later, ancient ice cores reveal extensive radioactive dumping, scheduled to reach the ocean within 70 to 100 years.
  • “At Project Iceworm, they had dumped tons and tons of nuclear waste into the ice...this nuclear waste will be in our ocean in 70 to 100 years.” (Josh, 96:06)
• Missing H-Bomb: Lily shares a jaw-dropping anecdote: a B-52 crash lost four nuclear bombs, but only three were ever recovered—the last still lost in Greenland. (97:09–99:06)

6. Salvia’s Nightmarish Trips

[78:16–83:50]

• The team explores accounts of the psychoactive plant salvia and its use by ancient peoples to “communicate with gods and deities.”
• Legendary Bad Trips:
  • One man lived an entire lifetime—married, had kids, grew old—during a brief trip, only to “wake up” weeping in real life. (Story told by Josh, 81:11)
  • Another was stuck as a stone milestone for 300 years, watching centuries pass before snapping back to reality. (82:04)
  • “Dude, that is straight up terrifying. I mean, like, think about claustrophobia. Like, you have a full intellectual mind, yet you’re stuck like that for 300 years.” (Andy, 82:37)

7. AI’s Infiltration into Hollywood

[102:05–104:32]

• Andy introduces “Tilly Norwood,” the world’s first AI actress signed to a real agency.
  • “She is literally getting signed to a talent agency and they believe this is the future of movies.” (Andy, 102:10)
• The team debates how AI is rapidly replacing writers, editors, and now actors—practically overnight.
• The hosts note it’s already happening, with actors de-aged via AI (e.g., Indiana Jones), audio replaced (Adrian Brody’s voice in a Hungarian Oscar-winning film), and the specter of “38 out of 40” set jobs vanishing soon.

8. Ghosts, the Civil War, and Demonic Theories

[72:55–77:50]

• Josh recounts a terrifying firsthand account of a driver encountering a Civil War “ghost” that morphs into a monstrous figure.
• Lily muses: what if mass rituals during the Civil War trapped souls, or, worse, invited demonic possession into the present?
  • “If these people were being summoned in ways they shouldn’t have been...they were all summoned and stuck.” (Lily, 77:44)

9. Lighter Moments: Absurd “Would You Rather,” Parenting, and Pretend Trips to China

(58:26–62:33)

• The group riffs on “Would you rather exhale flour, or blink with a gong sound?” (58:34)
• Josh tells a heartwarming story of pretending to take his daughters to China via their minivan and a “portal in the neighborhood.” (61:26–62:33)

10. Cannibal Tribes and Papua New Guinea Listeners

(65:42–68:19)

• The group watches a video of an explorer attempting to contact a cannibalistic tribe in Papua New Guinea—recounting tense moments and musing on the show’s Papua New Guinean listener rankings.

11. AI, Psyops, and Controlled Narratives

(36:00–40:39)

• Discussion of Tucker Carlson's conspiracy docuseries, potential government psyops, and the broader erosion of public trust across all institutions.
• “If you can't trust anything, then you just cause chaos.” (Josh, 37:04)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Heat Exposure for Orphans:
  “Long term heat exposure can cause significant health problems, including increased risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases...and potential long term neurological damage...” (Josh, 15:05)

• On Media Mistrust:
  “You can only trust Ninjas Are Butterflies, which is crazy.” (Andy, 37:18)

• On Salvia’s Effect:
  “One guy...he was a stone pillar for 300 years...” (Josh, 82:04)

• On Project Iceworm:
  “They had dumped tons and tons of nuclear waste into the ice, thinking that it would be there for millions of years. And now...this nuclear waste will be in our ocean in 70 to 100 years.” (Josh, 96:06)

• On AI Actors:
  “She is literally getting signed to a talent agency and they believe this is the future of movies.” (Andy, 102:10)

• On Loving Enemies:
  “Be the kind of person that even if people don’t agree with your political stance...they’re like, but I like having you around.” (Lily, 53:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ep. celebration banter: 03:07
• Debate: “Should orphans just chill out?” 13:08–16:32
• Kim Jong Un x Greta meme & Peter Thiel speculation: 17:30–19:25
• Media, psyops, and division: 35:00–44:32
• Nigeria genocide & Israel-Palestine conflict: 38:02–44:10
• Spiritual warfare & abortion in America: 44:24–49:58
• Story of Polycarp: 50:59–53:18
• Greenland’s Project Iceworm: 87:05–96:41
• Greenland H-bomb lost: 97:09–99:06
• Salvia’s past & bad trips: 78:16–83:50
• Civil War ghosts & spiritualism: 72:55–77:50
• AI actress Tilly Norwood: 102:05–104:32

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

The episode mixes outlandish, irreverent comedy with deep, sometimes chilling insights. The group’s playful teasing is underscored by real concern for truth, faith, and humanity. Listeners are invited to both laugh and ponder—whether about the hazards of nuclear waste, the reality of spiritual warfare, or the implications of AI replacing human creativity. The hosts urge critical thinking, empathy, and kindness, even while poking fun at nearly everything in sight.

For more, Patreon members enjoy ongoing, even weirder, after-show content!