*PREVIEW* National Boulder Association ft. Jeremy Kaplowitz and Alex Ptak

Summary

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TRASHFUTURE Podcast — PREVIEW National Boulder Association ft. Jeremy Kaplowitz and Alex Ptak

Date: October 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode combines TRASHFUTURE’s signature irreverent take on tech, culture, and online detritus with guests Jeremy Kaplowitz and Alex Ptak. The group dives deep into the strange world of Quora—both its bizarre questions and the oddly earnest experts who answer them. The discussion orbits around the now-memeified news item of a woman smashing a glass bridge with a boulder, broadening out to lampoon Quora culture and, by association, the ways online communities confer authority and validation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Woman-Smashes-Glass-Bridge-with-Boulder Phenomenon ([00:00]–[02:01])

• The hosts open by framing the episode not as a serious tech or business talk but as an unserious, deep dive into online weirdness.
• A: “There's nobody else I wanted the lowdown on the woman smashes glass bridge with boulder gate than you guys.”
• Quora is described as an infinite source of such bizarre and semi-fake events.
  • B: “If you haven't been on Quora, it's pretty much like, Woman smashes glass bridge with boulder. The website.” ([00:22])
  • Quora as a dopamine machine for "people who need their accreditation validated" ([00:53]).

2. How Quora Works, and Who’s on There ([01:11]–[02:01])

• The site is mocked for being a platform where self-appointed experts answer childish or lurid hypothetical questions, often to flaunt their credentials or promote their books.
  • C: “I love the way people ask questions on Quora… like a four-year-old would ask, like, who would win in a fight out of China and America. And then people who claim to have a PhD will go about answering this question. Seriously. Incredible website.” ([00:36])
• Erotic and bizarre fiction emerges naturally from Quora’s open-ended format, often derailed by trolls.
  • A: "A lot of the questions seem to be like people setting up erotic fiction for others to participate in. This is correct." ([01:31])
  • B: "It's like kind of like jerking off in a room with civilians. Don't intend to be there." ([01:56])

3. England-Related Quoras & Medieval Revisionism ([02:07]–[08:14])

• The crew pokes fun at themed Quora questions (“Was King John really the nasty evil villain as portrayed in Robin Hood?”).
• The hosts riff on Britishness, Robin Hood films, and the gravitas of Quora answerers.
  • C: “Yeah, we're at a higher level of XP than you in terms of being British.” ([02:49])
  • They tease Riley (the Canadian host) as insufficiently British for serious Magna Carta discourse.
• They highlight the excessive detail and seriousness of Quora contributors, especially those with impressive-sounding credentials (e.g., “James Huffington, BA in History, University of Worcester…” ([03:33])).
• C: “I've heard about the Huffington Post, but this is ridiculous.” ([03:39])
• The specificity of Quora creates running jokes about doxxing and how answerers include way too much personal information.
  • A: “Here's a list of my weaknesses and possible blackmail.” ([04:14])

The Osteopath’s Defense of Richard III ([05:34]–[06:37])

• The gang chuckles over an answer by a registered osteopath, meticulously documenting Richard III’s scoliosis and proposing it made him more virtuous.
  • A: “This is like King Richard put like, I don't know, £2 into a trust to like, eventually hire a public relations... firm to repair his image on Quora.” ([06:13])
• Succession of riffs about historical revisionism via Quora, and a Shakespeare-bending joke.
  • C: “He fell off his horse and he said, oh no, my horse. My, my back, my back really hurts…” ([06:25])

4. The Quack Science of “Ring Dinger” Chiropractic ([06:37]–[07:39])

• Segues from medieval ailments to the bizarre world of viral chiropractic treatments.
  • A: “My, my, like, YouTube shorts for you page is full of videos of chiropractors doing a treatment that... is the, quote, ring dinger, which is where they wrap a towel around your neck and yank your head as hard as they can.” ([06:46])
  • C: “Jesus Christ.” ([07:03])
  • Jokes escalate to the Chinese chiropractor finishing off with a “very ancient technique where they drop a boulder on your head.” ([07:26])
  • This links back to “woman smashing bridge with boulder” as self-adjustment.

5. Judging Historical Villainy: King John & Richard III vs. Modern Monsters ([07:48]–[08:14])

• The hosts reach a tongue-in-cheek conclusion:
  • A: “You don't see King John or Richard III in the Epstein list.” ([08:01])
  • C: “Richard III was found in a car park, which suggests he may have been a nonce, but we can’t be 100% sure.” ([08:14])
• The debate is settled less on historical evidence than by the hosts’ characteristic dark humor.

6. The Quora Leaderboard & Stratification ([08:14]–[09:32])

• Fascination with Quora stats and the strange pride of “super answerers”; parallel drawn to Wikipedia editors.
  • C: “James Huffington here has 3200 answers. What is this man's job? How does he have the time? That's so much work.” ([08:49])
• The idea of a Quora-Wikipedia rivalry and class society.
  • B: “Quora exists in a class society, as we all do… When you get onto it and you find the big accounts, they will have longer answers with more upvotes ... those answers are locks behind Quora+. You have to pay extra if you want to see the good advice.” ([09:32])
  • Hilarity at the idea that if you have a serious disease, you need Quora+ for a trustworthy answer—the free advice is less than helpful.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• A (on Quora): "Everything on there is a different made up terrorist event that you have to navigate through." ([00:30])
• B (on Quora's credential culture): "It's a major dopamine rush for people who need to have their accreditation validated." ([00:53])
• C (on question quality): “People will ask the sort of questions like a four year old would ask, like, who would win in a fight out of China and America. And then people who claim to have like a PhD will go about answering this question. Seriously. Incredible website.” ([00:36])
• A (on public doxing): “Here's a list of my weaknesses and possible blackmail.” ([04:14])
• C (on Brit credentials): “Yeah, we're at a higher level of XP than you in terms of being British.” ([02:49])
• A (on King John): “You don't see King John or Richard III in the Epstein list... so... they may have been bad, but... they're not the worst.” ([08:01])
• B (on Quora+ answers): "If you have a disease and you're like, I have a lump on my neck... you gotta pay for that... The rest of people are just like, you're fine." ([09:32])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:01 — Opening riff on Quora, “woman smashes glass bridge with boulder,” and site culture.
• 02:07–05:24 — UK's medieval villains, as seen through Quora Q&As.
• 05:34–06:37 — The osteopath’s improbable defense of Richard III.
• 06:37–07:39 — TikTok chiropractic “ring dinger” segues and jokes.
• 07:48–08:14 — Was King John actually the worst? Deciding historical morality by Epstein flight logs.
• 08:49–09:32 — Obsessed Quora answerers, leaderboards, and the Quora class system.

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Tone & Style

The conversation is chaotic, densely referential, self-aware, and mocking. The hosts relish making extended inside jokes, lampooning both the subject matter and the obsessive personalities who answer internet questions for clout. There’s an undercurrent of political cynicism and an irreverence for both history and internet culture. The overall effect is hilarious, a bit nihilistic, and incisively critical of the weird incentives driving digital self-promotion and (pseudo-)expertise.

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Perfect for listeners who enjoy:

• Absurd online phenomena
• Skeptical takes on authority and “expertise”
• British/American culture clash humor
• Sharp, internet-native satirical banter

Transcript

[A]

Look, we aren't really here to talk about the technology industry. I just really, I really wanted to get the lowdown from you guys. There's nobody else I wanted the lowdown on the woman smashes glass bridge with boulder gate than you guys. Because I know you're really plugged in to that kind of thing. You're like really into the parapolitics of the women smashing bridges with boulders.

[B]

We should explain. If you haven't been on Quora, it's pretty much like, Woman smashes glass bridge with boulder. The website.

Everything on there is a different made up terrorist event that you have to navigate through.

[C]

Oh yeah. I love the way people ask questions on Quora. It's very like, like people will ask the sort of questions like a four year old would ask, like, who would win in a fight out of China and America. And then people who claim to have like a PhD will go about answering this question. Seriously. I'm like, incredible website.

[B]

It's a major dopamine rush for people who need to have their accreditation validated. So like, if you've done some kind of like security work, you can log and be like, I'm actually an operator myself. Ghosts are real. They're a persistent threat. I've seen many of them myself and I've dispatched a few.

[D]

But the difference also is that it's a website for writing.

[C]

Right.

[D]

So like a lot of those guys are then like, and you should read.

[C]

My book, buy my book Police Officer fights ghosts.

[B]

There's 400 pages I've written on this already.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, what I also noticed when I did War Raiders, I don't know, Milo said, have you guys done corators?

[C]

I have, yeah. A long time ago.

[A]

Yeah. So when I did Cor Raiders, I also noticed that a lot of the questions seem to be like people setting up erotic fiction for others to participate in. This is correct.

[B]

And it, it does get kind of ruined half the time because it is an open format website. And so you get people logging on being like, what kind of sick pervert would wash his own stepsister? The answer below is like, I would wash her. And it's a whole long story. So it's like kind of like jerking off in a room with civilians. Don't intend to be there.

[A]

So look, let's get to the quoras. You've got quoras, we've got answers. Uh, or maybe we do, maybe we don't.

[B]

Okay. I did my best to find England related quoras. I always try to make a loose theme out of it, but it's hard people, because they really tend to go back to the same few places over and over again. Uh, this is our first Quora we have found for the Trash Future podcast. I'm putting it in the chat now and I will read it out loud for the benefit of your listeners. The question is, was King John really the nasty evil villain as portrayed in Robin Hood? Were he and Richard III the two most evil, depraved, nasty monarch ever, or is it all just too one sided?

[A]

All right, so was King John the most nasty evil villain is portrayed in Robinhood? I mean, Milo Hussein, you're like, you've been British longer than I have.

[C]

Yeah, we're at a higher level of XP than you in terms of being British. Yeah, you're kind of like a low bee.

[B]

I wouldn't ask Riley about King John. He probably won't know.

[D]

He'd be too one sided.

[B]

He thinks it's a bathroom guy.

[D]

You gave him a dollar.

[B]

You can only picture that cartoon lion from Disney. He doesn'. No.

[C]

Canadians come over here, don't even respect the Magna Carta.

[A]

They think that the king ought to be able to set taxes without consulting the barons.

[C]

He's never even been to Runnymede.

[A]

I bet he's been to the Runnymede Trust for. Always been to Runnymede. That's a joke for British people.

[C]

There you go.

[B]

All right.

[C]

Even I don't know what the Runnymede Trust is.

[A]

I like that the first answer here is by someone who has really, really trying very hard to do a good job.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Who's just James Huffington. BA in History, University of Worcester, graduated 2017.

[C]

I've heard about the Huffington Post, but this is ridiculous.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I would just also like to comment, to explain again, if you do not go on Quora, everyone puts their full name and like, address on here, so. After you.

[D]

We dox people constantly on our show.

[B]

Our show is pretty much just an open doxing stream that we do where we click. We're now on his account. We're on the James Huffington account.

[D]

Yeah, I won't do it on your show, I suppose, but it does say, like, exactly where he lives.

[B]

Let's just say he's near the Trash Future studio.

[C]

Here are aerial photos of my house. So you know I'm a real guy.

[A]

Here's a list of my weaknesses and possible blackmail.

[C]

Here's my daily routine.

[A]

Yeah, so. So this person, what he really wants and what they really want to know is was Robin Hood? Now when he says Robin Hood, when they say Robin Hood, do they mean the Fox Robin Hood or do they mean men in tights or do they mean another Robin Hood?

[E]

Like what. What Robin Hood film are they talking about? Because, like, wasn't King. King John in the. Robin Hood was like a lion or.

[B]

He was a lion, a cowardly lion, dad.

[D]

And you're not saying he was a liar. You're not saying like, oh, he was a lion.

[B]

I honestly don't remember the events of the film well enough to describe him as a liar or not. But they want to know if it's one sided. They want to know if he's getting a bad go.

[C]

This post was written, I'm guessing about five years ago, which I reckon the closest and most relevant Robin Hood media title would be the 2010 Robin Hood with. With Russell Crowe.

[D]

You're exactly right. This was written August 2, 2020.

[B]

Yes, the new metal ro.

[A]

Oh yeah. They were like, all right, I haven't been able to go outside in five months. Time to get some answers.

[C]

Yeah, finally time to get to the.

[A]

Bottom of this King John thing.

[C]

It's locked down. They're going through old movies. They're like, let's give this Robin Hood movie a spin. I'm sure King John comes out of it. Well.

[A]

What I really like is if you scroll down, one of my favorite answers on this one is from Joanne Larner, a registered osteopath from 1996 to present who has a degree in French.

[C]

Thank you, Joanne.

[A]

Answering a question. Do you think there's anything wr with King Richard III beyond his appearance? And he said there was nothing wrong with his superficial appearance when he was dressed apart from one shoulder higher than the other.

[E]

Oh, yeah, he should have gone to see an osteopath about that.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. She could have saved him.

[A]

Yeah. He had scoliosis, but this would have only been apparent when unclothed and didn't prevent him from leading a normal life and being a badass warrior. In fact, his scoliosis may have even made him more likely to be as virtuous and pious as possible. So this is like someone who. This is like King Richard put like, I don't know, £2 into a trust to like, eventually hire a public relations. And the F in relations is like an F firm to repair his image on Quora.

[C]

Well, because famously, Richard the Third of the Battle of Bosworth, he fell off his horse and he said, oh no, my horse. My, my back, my back really hurts because I fell off my horse. My kingdom for an osteopath. I Think that was what he said?

[A]

Yeah. Oh, God. I just need one of those TikTok quack chiropractors to do, like, the treatment where they, like, wrap a to around my neck and yank my head off.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

I don't know if you see this. My, my, like, YouTube shorts for you page is full of videos of chiropractors doing a treatment that. I think the scientific name of the treatment is the, quote, ring dinger, which is where they wrap a towel around your neck and yank your head as hard as they can.

[C]

Jesus Christ.

[B]

The American Medical association does not approve of the ring dinger.

[A]

Yeah, I've received treatment. It's known as the humdinger. It's where you have a spinal adjustment that is given to the application of force. Threw a baseball bat to the side of my head.

[E]

Well, you haven't even seen, like, in, like, the Chinese. Well, the Chinese chiropractors are really something else because they do, like the humdinger. Was it the humdinger?

[A]

Is that what it's called? The ring dinger? The humdinger.

[C]

But.

[E]

But then they finish it by, like this, this, this very ancient technique where they drop a boulder on your head.

[A]

No, that's what these, that's what those, those women on the bridges were doing. They were just trying to adjust their own spines.

[B]

Do not try this.

[A]

Well, if it works.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

When. When the chiropractor walks in and it's a returned older woman holding a boulder above their head, you're like, oh, no. Oh, I come to.

[A]

Yeah, let's. Let's come to a conclusion here. Was Richard III the. And. And King John? Were they the most evil English kings in history? Look, I'll say you don't see King John or Richard III in the Epstein list.

[B]

You don't.

[C]

You don't see.

[B]

That's a good point. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

They never had sex with children.

[A]

Yep. They're not on the flight logs, you know, so I don't think we can. I think we have to say they may have been bad, but they weren't there, which automatically means that they're not the worst.

[C]

I mean, Richard III was found in a car park, which suggests he may have been a nonce, but we can. 100. Sure.

[A]

All right. Do you feel as though you. You have a satisfactory answer as just. Can we. Can we say that we've answered the question for. Who asked this one?

[B]

Who asked this one? It was Huffington. Correct.

[D]

The guy who asked it was Edward Daly. It's his one question ever.

[B]

This is his only question. He has 285 answers. This is Jeremy's specialty. As he hunts the questioners.

[A]

I do.

[C]

Like, that was all he needed to know.

[A]

Yeah, he's happy now.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The stats on Quora are arguably the best. Bit, like, James Huffington here has 3200 answers. He's answered 3200 Quora questions. What is this man's job? How does he have the time? That's so much work.

[E]

No, I mean. I mean, there are, like, guys who, like, you know, they sort of have spent so long, like, as Wikipedia editors.

[C]

Right.

[E]

I don't think it's, like, that far removed. It's like, I do wonder. I wonder whether you guys have an opinion on this. Whether, like, have you ever sort of come across, like, mega Quora answers who are like, yeah, actually, we're smarter than the people who work at Wikipedia. Like, is it, like, is there, like, beef between the Quora big kind of answerers and, like, the Wikipedia editors?

[B]

Quora exists in a class society, as we all do. As do we all. But it is not immune from that. When you get onto it and you find the big accounts, they will have longer answers with more upvotes, and you'll get to the bottom and they'll start to gray and fade out. And those answers are locks behind quar A plus. You have to pay extra if you want to see the good advice. So if you have a disease and you're like, I have a lump on my neck. What is it? And there's like, a good answer, like, you gotta pay for that. The rest of people are just like, you're fine.