All of Our Hopes and Fears for Tech in 2025

Lauren Good: I don’t remember.

Zoe Schiffer: I think she did.

McCullough: I don’t know why everyone is looking at me.

Lauren Good: Yes. Mike, what do you suggest?

McCullough: Mine actually has an odd connection to the unboxing we just did because I wanted to recommend condiments. So everyone has something they like to put on their food. I have a friend who puts Jordan za’ata on everything. I have a friend who loves the very expensive, fancy Meyer lemon olive oil, $25 a bottle, and drizzles it over her breakfast every day. Maybe a chili crisp, someone…

Zoe Schiffer: OMG. I just want to say.

McCullough: Yes, because chili chips sell for $20.

Zoe Schiffer: So expensive.

McCullough: So expensive. So just give them a year’s supply. You know they’re going to use it. This is completely deliberate. It shows that you care about them and that you have enough insight into their lives and know them well enough as a person to know how to make them happy. So yeah, that’s…

Zoe Schiffer: That’s great.

McCullough: If you can’t decide, I don’t know what size they are. I don’t know if you have read this book. I don’t know if they’re actually going to use this, give them something that you know they like and you know they’ll use.

Zoe Schiffer: That’s great. That’s a good thing because it’s hard to get by yourself. I’ve always had this problem because my brother and my mother are both chefs. So they would come home and they would give me these really expensive gifts, like Momofuku Chili Crisps, and I would be like, “Okay, I’m totally obsessed with this. I need it for all my meals” all the time. And then I go buy it and I’m like, “This little thing is $18…” No, I can’t.

Lauren Good: In fact, it’s my favorite ingredient. Momofuku Chili Crisp.

Zoe Schiffer: You can put it on everything.

McCullough: Have you tried Jingfei?

Lauren Good: No.

Zoe Schiffer: Haha, it’s really good. This is a Sichuan pepper.

McCullough: Amazing.

Zoe Schiffer: Really delicious.

Lauren Good: This is awesome. OMG, I feel like I actually recommended snake oil and everyone was like, “Oh, Mike. Yes. Thank you.” Now I’m hungry.

McCullough: Okay, that’s our show today. We will be back in the new year. thank you for listening uncanny valley. If you like what you heard today, be sure to follow our show and rate it on your podcast app of choice. If you would like to contact us with any questions, comments or display suggestions, you can write to us at: uncannyvalley@wired.com. Today’s show is produced by Kyana Moghadam. This episode was mixed by Macrosound’s Amar Lal. Jordan Bell is our executive producer. Condé Nast’s global head of communications is Chris Bannon.