What does a 1980 arcade game have to do with artificial intelligence?

More than you'd think.

This week on Side Quest Energy, Dan introduces Jono to Missile Command — a simple Atari game built during the Cold War.

At first glance, it's just pixels, missiles, and explosions.

But underneath?

A surprisingly powerful lesson about fear, technology, responsibility, and what happens when humans create tools that become bigger than themselves.

That conversation takes us somewhere unexpected.

From nuclear anxiety in the 1980s...

To AI in 2026.

Can AI be trusted?

Should it be regulated?

Are we building tools that help humanity level up...

Or creating problems we're not prepared to solve?

Along the way, we explore everything from AI therapists and digital loneliness to the challeng ...