Hey everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to share an update, as I know many of you are wondering about the next episode. Unfortunately, a combination of factors has caused a significant delay, and I want to be upfront about what’s going on.
First and foremost is my health. While I’m doing okay overall, I’ve been undergoing multiple oral surgeries (with a few more still ahead), which has affected my ability to speak clearly. As the host of an audio podcast, that presents an obvious challenge. Looking at my schedule, I won’t have much time between recovery periods to record new episodes.
Second is my work schedule. January through March has been overwhelmingly busy between my job, ongoing training, and grad school. That alone would be enough to delay episodes until late March, but there’s also a broader challenge affecting federal employees. We’re facing unprecedented uncertainty, with actions being taken to reverse protections that have existed for over 150 years, and the very real possibility of significant reductions in force across the entire government. It’s a confusing and stressful time, and like many others, I’m having to consider what the future holds—not just for my career, but for how best to support my family. The prospect of potentially losing my role at NASA is difficult to put into words. I’ve dedicated 16 years to public service—first in the military, then in civil service—because I believe in the mission and in serving my community and country. The uncertainty of whether that will still be possible in six months is something I’m still processing.
On top of all this, my co-host Todd Jackson has made the decision to step away from the show. His reasons are his own to share, but I hope we’ll be able to have him back from time to time in the future.
With everything going on, I’ve made the difficult decision to put the show on hiatus until July 1st. This is not the end—I’ve been doing this show, on and off, since 2017, and I’m absolutely not walking away. But this has always been a passion project, one that comes second to my family, my career, and most certainly my health.
While I can’t guarantee new episodes before July (in fact, you should count on there not being any), I’ll still be working behind the scenes and moving forward with our new mini-series format as best I can.
To those who support the show on Patreon—your generosity means the world to me. If you choose to continue, those funds will go toward keeping the show running during the hiatus (covering hosting fees, software subscriptions, etc.). Most of the costs still come out of pocket, which is completely fine, but if you need to cancel, I completely understand. That said, I realize I’ve fallen behind on sending out the annual thank-you gifts for those in the higher tiers—keep an eye out for those soon, and please make sure your address is up to date on Patreon.
Finally, as you go about your day, remember: critical thinking isn’t just about having better answers—it’s about asking better questions. Not just for our own benefit, but so we can leave the world a little better than we found it.
Thank you all for your patience, support, and understanding. I’ll see you soon.
Chris