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
  - 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)

Espresso: Rory Sutherland Why Reading "Anti-Fragile' Will Change Your Life? - Nassim Taleb