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Back to Work

5by5•www.backtowork.limo
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Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
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Episodes

Episode 643: The Price of Lies

Merlin thinks LLMs have raised the bar for voice assistants in general and Siri in particular. Dan and his kid watch the excellent HBO series, Chernobyl. Merlin’s weird, truncated contexts in Things.

Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 29 min

Episode 642: A Better Roll of Toilet Paper

Your hosts discuss facial hair, notebooks, the metric system, flexing about local weather, and becoming the bathroom supplies you want to see in the world.

Mar 20, 2024•2 hr 43 min

Episode 640: Bob's Big Mess

A classic odds n' sods episode. Plus, Merlin has thoughts about memory and ecosystems, and Dan is considering jetting through an eclipse. e640 Bob Evans https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/9RoymJk5.jpeg

Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 20 min

Episode 639: The Commodore's Club

Dan talks about what he's learned from traveling a bunch, and Merlin thinks a lot of weirdness comes from our twin fears of boredom and inconvenience.

Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 16 min

Episode 635: Buffet de Canard

Dan and Merlin kick off the new year with a wide-ranging look at how tools and motivations evolve with how we work.

Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 20 min

Episode 632: Big Strong Beef Boy

Dan and Merlin are excited about technologies that have found a place in their lives. What a blessed season of thanks! Runner-Up Titles: A Lot of Their Unhappiness Came from Me The Smell of a 15-Year-Old My Trans Daddy is a Fox Las Vegas Poops

Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 23 min

Episode 626: Chekhov's Lightsaber

Your hosts catch up on some great media, and Merlin expounds on the magic of Channels. Also, Merlin logrolls a recent podcast episode and re-extolls the power of dictation.

Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min

Episode 624: Rectangle Time

Dan and Merlin have a wide-ranging discussion about technology, and Merlin lays the groundwork for several spirited rants.

Aug 29, 2023•54 min

Episode 623: My Terrible Adhesion

Over the course of this classic Odds n' Sods episode, it becomes clear that all Merlin cares about is babies and 3D printing.

Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 1 min

Episode 621: Hairy Legs and the Whole Nine

You’re either early or you’re late; leave time for a flat tire; have you tried melatonin?; a new search engine and some enthusiasm for blogs.

Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min

Episode 619: A Beautiful Jam-Up

DISCUSSED: A self-hypnosis recommendation leads to another look at meditation (as well as not-meditation), plus Merlin has a few more beta finds that contribute to the Tiny Life Improvement Project.

Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min

Episode 618: The Living Room Test

DISCUSSED: Dan sets up his little office, your hosts talk about the new Apple dingus, and Merlin highlights some strong OS updates.

Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 7 min

Episode 615: An Attractive Nuisance

DISCUSSED: Merlin's family doesn't understand him; an extremely funny TV show is recommended; your hosts address some of the trade-offs that continue to hinder easy smart home adoption; Dan teases a big smart audio episode next week; and Merlin starts trying to tackle an unusual Thought Technology that's become very important to him: First, Make a Hole. e615-herzog https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/3/316b04e9-2b1f-4ccb-98f1-28fe023874a8/b_p4tcMq.jpg

May 17, 2023•1 hr 16 min