Episode Details

Raff’s Brain hits the streets of New York City.

Recording from Midtown Manhattan, Rob checks in during a visit with the Moving Picture Institute and celebrates the arrival of October by launching his newest creative experiment: Panic Patrol, a short-form historical comedy series about inventions and cultural changes that once inspired genuine public panic.

That launches a broader riff on how quickly yesterday’s terrifying innovation can become today’s ordinary life, and whether history might offer some perspective on the apocalyptic language surrounding new technologies today.

There are also more urgent matters.

Why does a CorePower membership suddenly require another $20 in Manhattan? Can Rob survive New York while trying to eat better? Is a four-dollar bodega coffee actually a triumph of efficiency? And how many slices of New York pizza constitute “moderation”?

Rob reports from the front lines.

Topics include:

• Visiting New York City and the Moving Picture Institute
• Launching Panic Patrol on October 1
• Historical fears surrounding innovation and technological change
• The influence of Pessimists Archive
• Maintaining an exercise routine while traveling
• The infamous $20 Manhattan yoga surcharge
• Choosing convenience over quality
• New York street life and sensory overload
• Diet discipline versus New York pizza
• The superiority of the foldable cheese slice
• Building sustainable health habits through small daily wins
• Using history to put modern panic into perspective

Visit PanicPatrolShow.com to watch the first Panic Patrol dispatches.

Call the Raff's Brain Hotline! Pick a topic, make a statement, ask a question! 571-408-8058.