140: Nerdiest Nerds Who Ever Nerded

John is laughing, Alison is coughing, and Liz has already eaten.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Coughing (aftershow)

• Letters of comment
  • Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)
  • Constanze Hofmann (Facebook)
  • David Bamford (Bluesky)
  • Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
  • Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)
  • Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)
  • Tommy Ferguson (email)
  • We also heard from Olav Rokne, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen
• 2025 Worldcon: Seattle
  • Business Meeting
    • Business Meeting Agenda and Recaps
      • File 770 reporting: 4 July, 19 July, 25 July
      • YouTube recordings: 4 July, 19 July, 25 July
      • 13 July was not reported/recorded because of executive session
    • Trial Committee
      • Doctor Science, España Sheriff, Ian Stockdale, Kat Kourbeti, Kris “nchanter” Snyder
    • Mark Protection Committee
      • Nicholas Whyte, Alan Bond, and Chris Rose have benefitted quite massively from shortcomings in the WSFS voting mechanism, reports Nicholas Whyte
      • University of Cambridge’s Single Transferable Vote regulations
      • There’s a new way to remove MPC members
        • Ben Yalow jumped before being pushed
    • E.2 got ratified and then un-ratified again
      • Andrew January visualised what the changes imply
      • Nicholas Whyte pointed out this would accidentally hugely disenfranchise Attending Memberships
      • Meg MacDonald pointed out in the Business Meeting that Glasgow had 1390 “First Worldcon” members
    • We should vote with “Everybody Votes” style
  • Smofcon 42 bursaries are available
• 2027 Worldcon: Montreal bid
  • The prospective co-chairs have been announced
• Picks
  • John: One Soul by Ray Fawkes
  • Alison: Bitter
  • Liz: Superman
• Credits
  • Cover art: “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” by Alison Scott
    • Alt text: Three Miis in the style of John, Alison and Liz on a background reminiscent of the Everybody Votes Channel from the Nintendo Wii. The words “Octothorpe 140” appear at the top and “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” at the bottom.
  • - Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)