Thanks for being part of the Gang…

This podcast has been fun, but I have decided to discontinue it for the time being. I’m still a big HTTYD fan.

Making each episode takes much more time than I realized, and this has really increased my respect for those to release podcast episodes every week or two. Also, I have received very little feedback (comments, likes on Facebook, etc.). This despite the fact that Spreaker says I have 1307 downloads as of now. Either those statistics are wrong, most of the downloads are bots, or I am much more popular than I realize.

If you are listening to this and want me to continue, please send me an e-mail at smidvarg.thorston@gmail.com, leave a comment on the website, or on the Facebook page.

My domain registration http://www.smidvargandthegang.com will expire on Aug. 24. The website will remain active, but only at https://smidvargandthegang.video.blog/ The episodes will continue to be hosted on Spreaker until Nov. 30.

Thank you everone for listening so far, and thanks for being part of the gang.

Shall I continue the podcast?

Spreaker says we have over 1,000 downloads! But, I have received almost no feedback other than that. Feedback from listeners and knowing that people enjoy what I make is my primary motivation for continuing this podcast.

So, I am asking for your help. If you are listening and want me to make more episodes, leave a comment here, e-mail me, or otherwise let me know you are out there.

11: How to Pick Your Dragon (ROB 7)

Stoick brings his fists to a dragon fight and wins, which is just as awesome as it sounds!

Hiccup takes him on a sunset flight around Berk, accompanied by “Romantic Flight,” which is at least as awkward as it sounds!

https://www.spreaker.com/user/13261882/sg-011-rob-07-howtopick

Sources

Word of the episode: eyeshine

Episode Discussion and Reviews

10: Alvin and the outcasts (ROB 6)

In which I go on for so long that I wonder aloud if Hiccup and Astrid are aliens…

Sources

A comparison of population distribution in Norse Lands in 1000 AD (right) and Iceland in 2000 AD (left) from “Families and Demographics in the Viking Age” on hurstwic.org

Margaryan, A., Lawson, D.J., Sikora, M. et al. Population genomics of the Viking world. Nature 585, 390–396 (2020).

What rhymes with empty?

Word of the episode: treacherous

Episode Discussion and Reviews

9: In Dragons We Trust (ROB 5)

In which we learn that Hookfang is a better physicist than Hiccup…

The riders take trust falling to extremes and teach us something about the physics of falling (and landing).

The resident curmudgeon (Mildew) tries again to rid Berk of dragons after they are accused of boot theft, vandalism, and blowing up the armory; in the process, he becomes a much more formidable villain.

Hiccup tries defending the dragons with a DUMB solution.

Gobber tries his hand at being a cobbler (our word of the day).

The writers try their first two-part episode of the series, but forget to tell the title.

Calculations

For Hiccup, coming to a stop on Toothless’ back in 1/15 of a second (or less):

a= \dfrac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} = \dfrac{100 \mathrm{mph}}{\frac{1}{15}\mathrm{s}}=\dfrac{44.704\mathrm{m/s}}{\frac{1}{15}\mathrm{s}} = 670.56 \mathrm{\dfrac{m}{s^2}} = 68.4g

For Snotlout:

a= \dfrac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} = \dfrac{120 \mathrm{mph}}{2.2\mathrm{s}}=\dfrac{53.645\mathrm{m/s}}{\frac{1}{15}\mathrm{s}} = 24.38 \mathrm{\dfrac{m}{s^2}} = 2.5g

Sources

Episode Discussion and Reviews

8: The Terrible Twos (ROB 4)

Is Hiccup’s first girlfriend a dragon? Was Gobber’s? The riders are excited to discover their first new dragon species; Hiccup’s hypocrisy nearly gets them all incinerated; and we continue to explore what it means to be a man in a world full of dragons.

Sources:

Episode Discussion and Reviews:

7: Animal House (ROB 3)

The yaks have stopped giving milk, and the chickens have stopped laying eggs! Sheep are acting like the Three Stooges, and a blizzard is coming. Integrating dragons with a society that has been at war with them for 300 years is going to have some difficulties, and in this episode, we see the problems that arise when the “big scaly lizards” try to live alongside the farm animals they have stealing for centuries.

The science section of this one is longer than usual because the episode actually brought up some very interesting questions. I did a bit of research to find some of the answers, and for those, I cite my sources!

5: How to Start a Dragon Academy (ROB 1)

Sweet baby Thor in a thunderstorm! The Dragons TV series begins with a new villain, new voices, new tricks, and new questions. What kind of tricks can you teach a dragon? How do humans and dragons live together now that the war is over? Does Snotlout have a heart? Is Toothless supersonic? What color is dragon poo? How do you start a dragon academy? Listen as we try to find the answers and I go on a very long tangent about speculative dragon evolutionary history; this is going to be awesome and scary!

Sources on the vapor cone effect are here, here, here, and here.

Tetrapod sources: Snake article on Wikipedia, Tetrapod page at UC-Berekely.

4: Gift of the Night Fury

Happy Snoggletog, everyone!

The eggs explode?

We learn about the power of friendship (even across species), how dragons hatch their eggs, and Meatlug’s gender

The eggs explode!

Of course, the day would not be complete without unpredictable and rampant explosions … with surprisingly cute results. Grab a mug of yak nog, sit down, enjoy this heartwarming holiday special, and watch as…

The eggs explode.