Evil Neuroscience Part 1: Popping Whale Brains and Suffocating Dolphins (Premium E335) Sample

Summary

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QAA Podcast – “Evil Neuroscience Part 1: Popping Whale Brains and Suffocating Dolphins” (Premium E335) Sample

Release Date: May 10, 2026
Hosts: Jake Rockatansky, Julian Feeld, Travis View, Jack LaRoche
Theme: Examining the boundary between humans and animals—particularly through language, communication, and the weird history of interspecies experiments.

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Episode Overview

This episode launches a two-part series diving into the infamous neuroscientist John C. Lilly, and his controversial experiments attempting to bridge communication gaps between humans and marine animals—most notably dolphins and whales. Mixing humor, pop culture, and sharp history, the hosts trace the Biblical and philosophical roots of humanity’s sense of linguistic supremacy, setting the stage for Lilly’s weird, species-blurring ambition. Expect deep dives into the obsession with whale songs, the freaky 20th-century search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and how these quests led to scientific extremes and conspiratorial thinking.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Language as Divine Power and Human-Animal Boundaries

• Genesis & Naming the Animals (00:54–04:03):
  • Julian shares how the act of naming animals in Genesis is both minor and profound, offering a lens into how language sets humans apart—“Language, in essence, is a holy concept. This is what sets humans apart not only from the animals who lack it, but also from the angels who are incapable of understanding the divine essence of it.” (Julian, 04:03)
  • The hosts riff on midrashic interpretations, poking fun at Sunday school memories and imagining Adam as a kind of proto-linguist:
    • “So he knew all the Hebrew words. He studied his Hebrew animals, basically, is what they're saying.” (Jake, 02:39)

2. Setting the Stage: John C. Lilly and the Quest for Interspecies Communication

• Introduction to John C. Lilly’s Experiments (04:03–04:55):
  • Julian teases the episode’s focus: “In this two part series, I want to introduce y’all to John Cunningham Lilly, the scientist who challenged this idea of human supremacy… why whale songs were all the rage throughout the 90s and just how far some will go to try to bridge the interspecies communication gap.” (Julian, 04:03)
  • Hints for next episode: Lilly’s telepathic dolphin communication efforts and CIA involvement.

3. Pop Culture Tangents: Childhood, Dolphins, and Animal Crossover Toys

• Linking Animal Fascination to Popular Media (04:58–05:32):
  • Jake reminisces about the proliferation of animal-themed action figures in the ‘90s and GI Joe/dolphin crossovers.
  • Fun asides about “ninja turtle” animal mutations and blending toy lines.

4. The Quietest Town in America and the Search for Extraterrestrial Communication

• Green Bank & SETI (05:36–07:13):
  • Julian segues into Green Bank, West Virginia, where cell phones & microwaves are illegal due to the sensitive radio telescope’s presence—“Did y’all know that the quietest town in the United States is located in West Virginia?... bans the use of cell phones, microwaves, and all other wireless devices.” (Julian, 05:36)
  • Jack jokes about conspiracy theorists in the “quiet zone” (06:07).
  • Introduction to Frank Drake and the SETI project’s hunt for alien signals, linking modern search for extraterrestrials with earlier ideas of cross-species communication.

5. Humorous Personal Stories & Nostalgic Asides

• Jumanji 'Jambalay' & Adam Sandler Movies (07:14–08:38):
  • Hosts spiral into a warm, absurd anecdote about mispronounced movie titles—“My grandma, I remember she walked right up to the box office. She was taking us to see Jumanji in the theater... and she goes, three tickets for Jambalay.” (Jake, 08:10)
  • Good-natured generational teasing about misremembering Adam Sandler films, culminating in, “If it was called Space Spider, I’d probably watch it, to be honest.” (Julian, 08:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Language as a Defining Human Trait:

  “Language, in essence, is a holy concept. This is what sets humans apart not only from the animals who lack it, but also from the angels who are incapable of understanding the divine essence of it. Language not only makes us human, but it makes us aware of what being human is.”
  — Julian (04:03)

• On the Obscure Old Testament Detail:

  “Man gave names to all the animals. It's a very small detail in a book that is full of them, but it's one of those details that gets brought up again and again in theological and philosophical circles.”
  — Julian (02:17)

• On Animal-Themed Action Figures:

  “If you're thinking about the figurine crossovers, there was a ton of, like, crazy, like, animal crossovers, you know, not just turtles.”
  — Jake (05:25)

• On Green Bank’s Tech Ban:

  “The quietest town in the United States is located in West Virginia... bans the use of cell phones, microwaves, and all other wireless devices. The reason... is the Green bank telescope.”
  — Julian (05:36)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:54–04:03: Language, Genesis, and the philosophical weight of naming animals
• 04:03–04:55: Introduction to John C. Lilly and his quest for interspecies communication
• 05:08–05:32: Pop culture animal crossovers and ‘90s nostalgia
• 05:36–07:13: Green Bank, SETI, and the search for extraterrestrial contact
• 08:10–08:38: Humorous family stories and movie title confusion

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Tone & Style

The discussion is irreverent, witty, and smoothly blends deep history with pop culture references. The hosts keep the tone playful even when touching on dense theological and scientific material, making the episode accessible regardless of prior familiarity.

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Summary

In this sample, QAA sets out to crack open humanity’s relationship with language, asking what happens when that sense of supremacy is challenged by discoveries in neuroscience, communication, and the weird, sometimes dark, history of human-animal experiments. With teasers about John C. Lilly, the CIA, whale brains, and dolphins—and plenty of asides and laughter—this episode promises a mind-bending journey through both the very old and the radically strange.

Transcript

[A]

Sam, if you're hearing this, well done. You found a way to connect to the Internet. Welcome to the QAA podcast Premium episode 335 Evil Neuroscience Part 1 Popping whale brains and Suffocating Dolphins. Well, as always, we are your hosts, Jake Rockatansky, Jack LaRoche, Julian Field, and Travis View.

[B]

Before the Animorph series sank its talons into my soul, the book I most frequently read was an illustrated children's Bible that was gifted me by my grandma one early Christmas. The illustrations were beautiful and the stories were fascinating. It only had the Old Testament stories, and even then, as you can imagine, a lot was cut out. I spent a good deal of time in Genesis looking at the two inexplicably male lions waltzing up the ramp to board the ark and wondering how Noah was going to handle that particular dilemma.

[A]

Smart, curious kid.

[B]

Before we get to Noah and the ark, there's another story that shaped the Abrahamic perspective of the world. It's only two lines in Genesis, but people have been analyzing the philosophical implications of it for centuries. Here's how it goes in the new international version of the Bible.

[A]

Now, the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky, and all of the wild animals.

[B]

Put more simply by Bob Dylan in what's widely regarded as his worst song, man gave names to all the animals. It's a very small detail in a book that is full of them, but it's one of those details that gets brought up again and again in theological and philosophical circles. The midrash that accompanies Genesis 2:19 explains it in part.

[A]

When the Holy One, blessed be he, was about to create humankind, he consulted with his ministering angels, saying, let us make Adam. The angels responded, what's so wonderful about this Adam? So he brought each creature before the angels and asked them, this creature, what is its name? But they did not know. Then he brought the creatures before Adam and asked them, this creature, what is its name? To which Adam responded, this is shor, Hebrew for ox. This is hamor, donkey. So he knew all the Hebrew words. He studied his Hebrew animals, basically, is what they're saying.

[C]

And shorach, Hamor. Oh, yeah, we're doing different stuff. I'm in the club.

[A]

Little Jewish hymns just packed to the brim over years. Every Sunday they kick you into this place, they stuff you with a couple of hymns. You know, you get to give a couple quarters for the vending machine, then they kick you out. You know, I'm just. It's just floating around in my head

[B]

43 years later, just waiting to come back out.

[A]

Yeah, Just waiting for this episode to be unlocked.

[C]

And the vending machine is just rows and rows of the same matzo ball.

[A]

Jack Laroche is Bruce Campbell from Evil Darkness, and I'm the Necronomicon. I'm just filled with Jewish hymns just waiting to be unlocked, you know, so

[B]

language, in essence, is a holy concept. This is what sets humans apart not only from the animals who lack it, but also from the angels who are incapable of understanding the divine essence of it. Language not only makes us human, but it makes us aware of what being human is. In this two part series, I want to introduce y' all to John Cunningham Lilly, the scientist who challenged this idea of human supremacy. In this episode, we'll learn why whale songs were all the rage throughout the 90s and just how far some will go to try to bridge the interspecies communication gap. In the next episode, we'll explore how telepathically communicating with dolphins for so long will put you in touch with the extraterrestrial intelligences that control your life, as well as get you plenty of CIA grants.

[A]

Mm.

[C]

As benefactors, we are so grateful.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

I remember.

[A]

I vaguely remember GI Joe having some kind of relationship with the dolphins. There was some kind of dolphin like, accessory that would come with one of the guys. I can't remember who it was.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

He had armor and some kind of echolocation sort of amplifier. Yeah, he had some kind of body armor that you put on him. But I remember he came with one of the guys.

[C]

There was also, I think, a ninja turtle. That was a dolphin.

[A]

Hmm. I know there was one that was a gecko.

[B]

Mondo Gecko rules.

[C]

They had a lot of animals.

[A]

Well, and there was a lot of. If you're thinking about the figurine crossovers, there was a ton of, like, crazy, like, animal crossovers, you know, not just turtles.

[D]

Yeah, the Order of the Dolphin.

[B]

Did y' all know that the quietest town in the United States is located in West Virginia?

[A]

That makes sense.

[B]

Green bank, population 141 as of 2020, bans the use of cell phones, microwaves, and all other wireless devices. The reason for these bans is the Green bank telescope. Formerly operated by the National Astronomy Observatory. This is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, and it still attracts scientists from all over the world.

[C]

Oh, I so badly want to meet, like, the conspiracist out of the 140, 41. That is like, yeah, we're not getting radiated by other stuff, but do you know what this telescope is doing to us?

[A]

Exactly. He's like, do you know how many things have been kept from me by not being allowed to have a cell phone?

[C]

Yeah. Jake would have never jacked off, like,

[B]

a large amount of that. 141 people are the folks who have the same ailment that Chuck and Better Call Saul did. So they're specifically there because of it.

[C]

Yeah, this is a real Julianne Moore area.

[B]

It also was where Patch Adams was abusing his patients.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

In 1960, this particular telescope attracted none other than astronomer Frank Drake. The influx of flying saucer sightings and contactee reports from the 1950s had people thinking a lot about extraterrestrial communication. Drake believed the best way to find our neighbors was by tuning into radio signals from nearby Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani, which, if any of y' all saw Project Hail Mary. That's why those were the locations chosen.

[C]

Mm. I did. I did watch it. Yeah.

[A]

I haven't seen it.

[C]

A lot of, like, Nice Hope porn.

[A]

Yeah, I want to see it. I haven't seen it yet, and I think it's out of the theaters now. I'm going to have to go to Travis's Town to get it to see it.

[B]

You're going to love it, Jake.

[C]

It's literally like fucking Ryan Gosling makes friends with pet rock.

[A]

Is it kind of like that Adam Sandler movie, but, like, he makes friends with the spider in space kind of similar.

[C]

Don't know what that. What that's in reference to.

[A]

You don't. You're not up on the latest Sandler, bro?

[C]

No, I haven't watched Sandler in a while.

[A]

I'm sorry, bro. Oh, my God.

[C]

I suppose I watched Uncut Gems, but I haven't really watched, like, a proper, like, mainline Sandler movie in a while, bro.

[A]

You haven't seen Space Spider OR Happy Gilmore 2, my man.

[C]

Wait, it's just called Space Spider?

[A]

No, it's something else. But it's Space Spider.

[C]

Okay, so you can't even remember?

[A]

No.

[C]

All right, but you're trying to shame me.

[A]

But look at me. I mean, what name can I remember

[B]

if it was called Space Spider, I'd probably watch it, to be honest.

[C]

Yeah, I'd be grateful Jake remembered the name Adam Sandler.

[A]

I'm like, My grandma, I remember she walked right up to the box office. She was taking us to see Jumanji in the theater. The OG with Patch Adams, I might say, to bring it back full circle. And she walked up and she goes, three tickets for Jambalay. Me and my little brother, we were mortified. We were like, that's not what it's called.

[C]

She thinks it's a Cajun movie about cuisine.

[A]

Turn three for Jambalay. Please close. You know what? As close as Jumanji as you can get, probably.

[C]

She's like, I'll take one ticket for Les Blanks. Jumanja Bellai.

[A]

You've been listening to a sample of a premium episode of the QAA podcast. For access to the full episode, as well as all past premium episodes and all of our podcast miniseries, go to patreon.com qaa Travis, why is that such a good deal?

[D]

Well, Jake, you get hundreds of additional episodes of the QAA podcast for just $5 per month. For that very low price, you get access to over 200 premium episodes, plus all of our miniseries. That includes 10 episodes of Man Clan with Julian the Nanny, 10 episodes of Perverts with Julian Liv, 10 episodes of the Spectral Voyager with Jake and Brad, plus 20 episodes of trickle down with Me. Travis, View. It's a bounty of content and the best deal in podcasting.

[C]

Travis, for once, I agree with you. And I also agree that people could subscribe by going to Patreon Do.

[A]

Well, that's not an opinion. It's a fact.

[C]

You're so right, Jake.

[A]

We love and appreciate all of our listeners.

[C]

Yes, we do. And Travis is actually crying right now, I think out of gratitude.

[D]

Maybe that's not true. The part about me crying, not. Not me being grateful.

[A]

I'm very grateful.