Pandemic: A long letter for people who like to listen to long podcast episodes

March 24, 2020

Dear family, friends, bad lawyers, and Magic the Gathering players,

By now, you don't need us to tell you what's been going on in the world. You know. You're probably sitting by yourself knowing it pretty hard right now.

One month - a few measly weeks - ago, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we strutted onto the scene with a request: "Hey, check out our brand new podcast!" and you were like, "Cool. The world seems normal and pandemic-free right now. I think I will." We were stoked you did.

A couple weeks later, as we released our first post-launch episode, the virus had fully arrived on our collective doorstep. That week, things really got hairy in the US, and, while we wanted to share Headshake with you, it also didn't feel right posting our regular nonsense on social media. Still, despite the lack of any substantial promo on our part, many of you listened to Episode 4. Thanks to your downloads, we now know that DOZENS of you are subscribers. At least one of us is humbled.

That brings us to the first of two messages for this letter: gratitude. Thank you for listening to our little, button-nosed baby podcast, even now. We know routine dictates many listeners' podcast habits, and, at a time when many of your routines have been upended, it means the world to us that you still take time to invite some stream-of-consciousness neuroscience to your eardrums.

Hopefully it's become abundantly clear that we recorded this week's Episode 5 a while ago. Heck, we even talk about CORONAL brain sections without any pause. While we (Ruka) were (was) comforted by having planned and recorded episodes well before we posted them, it also meant that we risked having a disconnect between the timing of current events and our show. "That lag won't matter!" Ruka said naively to Libby in happier times, "No event is going to be so big that it would be super weird not to acknowledge it right away in an episode."

Well, shit. Consider this letter our timely acknowledgement of the apocalypse.

And now here comes message number two: what to expect. We currently intend to stick with our regular schedule of posting a new episode every other Monday. Podcasting is usually a fairly quarantine-friendly activity, but we, Libby and Ruka, have always recorded Headshake together in the same room, on one microphone. Let us tell you, it has sucked being apart, but we're looking into alternative recording options. While we work out these details, you might hear an episode or two that we recorded in case of an emergency. Fingers crossed, all will go well, and you will next to hear us trying out remote recording for the first time.

In the meantime, we will resume posting more silliness and neuro on social media again. The virus is serious, but we miss laughing with you. Let's get to the other side of this thing (digitally) together.

We are so grateful for your attention and support. Headshake 4EVAH.

Wash your hands.

<3,

Kristen A. Ruka, Ph.D. & Nathan A. Libby, A.D.D.