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Halloween Countdown 2026: Case 1: Emily and Ollie

from Uncanny

2m 51s

Halloween Countdown 2026: Case 1: Emily and Ollie

This BBC podcast episode, part of the Uncanny Halloween Countdown 2026, begins with a haunting personal story from Rihanna about recurring nightly visits from an old woman named Emily, which she and her sister later experienced independently. The narrative is deepened when census records from 1911 reveal two elderly sisters named Emily and Oli living at the same address, suggesting a real historical link. The story challenges conventional explanations of childhood imagination and raises questions about the nature of memory and shared experience. The hosts, Jess Maddox and Thomas Tremay, use this anecdote as a gateway to explore broader themes—such as the spiritual and algorithmic underpinnings of AI and social media. They examine how digital tools may appear to operate with unseen, almost magical influence, blending technology with superstition. The episode positions these ghostly accounts not just as personal tales, but as metaphors for how AI shapes creativity and perception. It invites listeners to consider the uncanny presence of technology in everyday life, hinting at a future where artificial intelligence and human imagination might converge in unexpected ways. The series launches with daily mini-cases leading up to Halloween, encouraging audience engagement through submissions and reflections.

Transcription

356 Words, 1900 Characters

English
This BBC Podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. It is the spookiest time of year and that's what we're going to be talking about on this week's episode of the interface. We'll be diving into the 11 ghosts that haunt the AI tools that we use every day and what that might tell us about the future of creativity. And we explore the strange world of algorithmic and spirituality and why some people believe social media is controlled by magic. Join me, Jess Maddox. And me, Thomas Tremay, for the interface. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome to the Uncanny Halloween Countdown, 2026. I will be sharing a new mini-case every day until Halloween when we launch a brand new Uncanny podcast series. Our first witness is Rihanna, who emailed me to say in about 2002 when I was very young. I was visited almost every night by an old lady I called Emily. After my mum took me in, Emily would sit at the end of my bed and sing lullabies or tickle my feet. I loved Emily so much. I named many of my dolls after her. I was also allowed to choose my sister's middle name and instantly I chose Emily. In 2007, when my sister was born, that bedroom became hers. She also began describing visits from an old lady, but hers was called Oli. Oli would sit at the end of her bed and sing lullabies or tickle her feet just like what happened to me. You might think that we just had vivid imaginations, but here is the bit that still chills me. Census documents are released to the public after a hundred years. So when the 1911 census was released, I looked up our addresses and there were two elderly sisters living at our house. Their names were Emily and Oli. Thank you Rihanna and it is a corka to kick us off. How can we explain the email me Uncanny at bbc.co.uk. Every day until Halloween. And me, Thomas Germain, for The Interface. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Rihanna shares a personal story of nightly visits from an elderly woman named Emily, which she initially believed to be a childhood hallucination.
  2. Her sister later reported similar experiences with a figure named Oli, mirroring the original encounter in both setting and behavior.
  3. When the 1911 census data was released, it revealed two elderly sisters named Emily and Oli living at the same address, suggesting a possible historical connection.
  4. The story raises questions about the boundary between imagination, memory, and reality, especially in the context of shared family experiences.
  5. The podcast uses this anecdote to open a broader discussion on ghosts, AI, and the spiritual dimensions of technology.
  6. It introduces the concept of algorithmic spirituality, where digital tools may mimic or reflect supernatural experiences.
  7. The hosts explore how social media and AI systems might appear to operate with an unseen, almost magical influence.
  8. The episode frames these stories as part of a larger "Uncanny Halloween Countdown" to examine the intersection of technology, belief, and creativity.

Summary:

This BBC podcast episode, part of the Uncanny Halloween Countdown 2026, begins with a haunting personal story from Rihanna about recurring nightly visits from an old woman named Emily, which she and her sister later experienced independently. The narrative is deepened when census records from 1911 reveal two elderly sisters named Emily and Oli living at the same address, suggesting a real historical link. The story challenges conventional explanations of childhood imagination and raises questions about the nature of memory and shared experience.

The hosts, Jess Maddox and Thomas Tremay, use this anecdote as a gateway to explore broader themes—such as the spiritual and algorithmic underpinnings of AI and social media. They examine how digital tools may appear to operate with unseen, almost magical influence, blending technology with superstition. The episode positions these ghostly accounts not just as personal tales, but as metaphors for how AI shapes creativity and perception.

It invites listeners to consider the uncanny presence of technology in everyday life, hinting at a future where artificial intelligence and human imagination might converge in unexpected ways. The series launches with daily mini-cases leading up to Halloween, encouraging audience engagement through submissions and reflections.

FAQs

The episode explores the concept of ghosts haunting AI tools and examines the intersection of technology, creativity, and spirituality.

The hosts are Jess Maddox and Thomas Tremay, who discuss the uncanny and the supernatural in relation to technology.

It is a daily mini-case shared from September to Halloween, featuring strange or mysterious stories, with a new story revealed each day.

Rihanna shares her childhood experience of nightly visits from an old lady named Emily, and her sister's similar experience with a figure named Oli, which later matched census records.

The 1911 census records showed two elderly sisters named Emily and Oli living at the same address as Rihanna and her family.

It suggests a possible link between personal memories and real historical records, blurring the line between imagination and reality.

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Transcription

356 words