Serious Inquiries Only

You Don’t Actually Need to Condemn the Murder of the CEO Guy Dec 12, 2024

I've felt like I wanted to say a ton about this since day 1, but keep holding back. I finally hit brain saturation and just need to share. I think I have a useful way of looking at this whole thing, hope you'll consider it. Oh and also, f--- UnitedHealthcare and f--- the for profit healthcare industry in its entirety.

Please read this incredible ProPublica piece. I finally started a monthly donation to them, which I should have long ago. https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-healthcare-insurance-denial-ulcerative-colitis

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Epidemiologist Claims MAGA Is An Epidemic Caused By "Brain Flaws." Only Problem Is, That's Completely Unscientific and Based On Almost Nothing. Nov 30, 2024

SIO466 - Dr. Gary Slutkin has been cited in Salon and other outlets as an expert epidemiologist who runs an impressive NGO that helps reduce violence. While he may be an epidemiologist, almost everything else about him and his claims seems to be... very likely bull shit. Dr. Jenessa Seymour joins us to break this down. It gets more and more bull shit as we go, and eventually we're both live debunking parts of this nonsense.

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No, She Didn't 'Lose' 15m Democratic Votes Nov 07, 2024

Hey folks, this is more of an SIO, but I recorded a solo show because I have to debunk this myth about Kamala losing 10-15m Democratic votes, and Trump only keeping his same voters from 2020. That isn't correct at all. I also have a million other thoughts that I really just want to get out there and that I hope will be helpful.

SIO464: All About Synesthesia, Part 2 Nov 01, 2024

Dr. Jenessa Seymour is back to talk more about synesthesia! There are some absolutely fascinating case studies that Jenessa covers in this episode, and we theorize how in the world synesthesia happens. The brain is impossible.

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SIO463: Synesthesia - How Does It Work? Oct 31, 2024

Dr. Janessa Seymour is back! This time she teaches us all about synesthesia. How does it work? How many people have it? Are they just faking it? How do we test for it?

This episode features one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever heard on this show. I really enjoyed this one!

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SIO462: The Day the Dinos Died Oct 31, 2024

Everyone's favorite dino guy Dr. Eric Jaffe returns! This time, he takes us through what happened when the dinosaurs died. How did it happen? What does the evidence show and how has our understanding of that changed over time? How in the world did anything survive? Also, what did other mass extinctions look like? All this and so much more!

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SIO461: So You Want To Destroy the Earth... Oct 01, 2024

What's your best option? Stop the moon and let it fall? Nuke the center of the planet? Create a mini black hole?

Astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis is here to help us destroy the entire planet. It might not be as easy as the movies make it seem...

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SIO460: Actual Experts Debunk the Cass Review Sep 20, 2024

In 2020, the United Kingdom’s (NHS) commissioned an inquiry to provide recommendations for the healthcare of transgender adolescents. It was overseen by a pediatrician named Dr. Hillary Cass and was completed in April 2024. It became known as the Cass Review, and it has since been used to justify depriving a lot of people of the healthcare they badly need. But is it good science? Obviously not.

Yale's Integrity Project gathered several actual experts in the field to conduct their own review of the review. The results are not pretty. They published an excellent report entitled "An Evidence-Based Critique of “The Cass Review” on Gender-affirming Care for Adolescent Gender Dysphoria." Three of these experts, Drs. Meredithe McNamara, Kellan Baker, and Ken C. Pang, were kind enough to join us to talk about their findings.

It looks to me like the anti-trans side is winning this information war, so please share this far and wide to get the word out!

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SIO459: Understanding CRISPR with Dr. Eric Jaffe Sep 13, 2024

In this episode, Dr. Eric Jaffe walks us through the history of CRISPR, how it works, how it's being used currently, and how it could be applied in the future. How quickly will we be able to eradicate mosquitoes? I say let's just do it, but Dr. Jaffe has some concerns.

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SIO458: How Eye Color Reveals the Complexity of Genetics Sep 11, 2024

Dr. Eric Jaffe is back! This time, he's going to teach us about CRISPR. But, in order to do that, he first needs to lay a foundation about genetics more broadly, and how complex it actually is. Why is it that mapping the human genome didn't instantly give us the ability to change whatever we want about ourselves?

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SIO457: Facilitated Communication is Fake, with Kelly Burke Sep 01, 2024

Kelly Burke joins the pod again, this time to break down Facilitated Communication. A documentary recently came out on Netflix that explored this, and Kelly tells us why it's not just nonsense but also harmful, and how she and other experts in this field actually help people learn real communication techniques.

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SIO456: Are You a Good Drug or a Bad Drug? Aug 30, 2024

Part 2! Dr. Jenessa Seymour continues to walk us through our drug journey with a brief stop to cover why it's impossible to get ADHD medication.

PSA: Narcan is over the counter and (last we checked) less than $50 for two doses. Please consider buying some to have on hand so you can help save a life.

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SIO455: This Is Your Brain on Drugs, With Dr. Jenessa Seymour Aug 29, 2024

Dr. Jenessa Seymour is here to do drugs. I mean, discuss drugs. How exactly do they work in your brain? What is addiction? I learned so much in this fascinating two-parter.

This is Part 1 of 2! Part 2 is out early for patrons. In it, Jenessa talks about solutions: what works and what definitely doesn't.

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SIO454: Bret Weinstein's Incredibly Curious PhD Thesis Aug 10, 2024

(Well, I spaced on posting part 2 of this, so I'm posting the patron cut of parts 2-3 together to make it up to yous. Sorry about the delay!)

Dr. Eric Jaffe was so appalled by Bret Weinstein's idiotic takes on matters of basic biology surrounding COVID and the vaccines, that he wondered how Bret could possibly have the PhD that he does. Well, what Eric found was... weird.

For patrons, I'm putting 454 and 455 together as one for convenience. The next post will just be for charge purposes.

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SIO453: How Could Bret Weinstein Have Been So Wrong About COVID? Aug 01, 2024

Dr. Eric Jaffe (like me) used to watch Bill Maher. One night in early 2021, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying

And because Eric cares about intellectual integrity, he's included some of his thoughts here while listening to the unedited episode. We also cover this interview specifically.

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SIO452: Ambivalent Attitudes Promote Support for Extreme Political Actions Jul 30, 2024

Dr. Joe Siev from SIO429 is back with us to discuss a new study he's published regarding political behavior among those who hold ambivalent attitudes. This one is very subtle and trickier to grasp fully than you might think. I talk more after the interview about how I've come to understand what this study means. Additionally, there's a blog post that makes it easier.

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SIO451: IUD Insertion Videos on TikTok - 0/10 Do Not Recommend Jun 30, 2024

The New York Times had a recent article discussing the United States' absence of effective pain management for IUD insertion procedures, but it doesn't have to be that way. Dr. Jenny Wu joins the show to tell us about how her research influenced her practice and the approach she now takes with patients seeking pain relief, and what she believes we can look forward to with the next generation of providers. Also, Lydia regales us with her personal IUD trauma.

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SIO450: From Trump Voter in 2016 to Progressive Making a Real Difference in 2024 Jun 18, 2024

I was speaking with an OA listener the other day, and she mentioned a few things that made me reallllly want to interview her on this show. First off, she said she is a progressive working in a prosecutor's office in an extremely conservative area. That's already interesting enough, but then she said thing 2 which is: she voted for Trump in 2016! So, I just had to get her on to find out how she made that journey, and how she makes a difference in people's lives as a progressive prosecutor.

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SIO449: The Northern Lights Went South for the Summer May 27, 2024

And also... maybe the Southern Lights went North? Earlier this month, an incredible thing happened. The Aurora Borealis was visible to folks much further south than usual. Dr. Bryan Gillis is with us to talk about what exactly the Aurora is, what makes it happen, and how in the world it was recently seen down in my neck of the woods.

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SIO448: How To Build A Dinosaur May 21, 2024

Dr. Eric Jaffe joins the show and walks us through the dream so many of us have had - building a dinosaur! With his expertise in molecular biology, we learn if this is even possible, and how exactly it would work. Would we use mosquitoes for this project like Jurassic Park tells us is totally possible and sound? Actually, what even is a dinosaur anyway? Lots of fascinating dino-talk in this one from a great science communicator!

Building a Dinosaur Is a project spearheaded by the Paleontologist Jack Horner. He has worked with the labs of numerous scientists including but not limited to: Hans Larsson, Dana Rashid and Mary Schweitzer.

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SIO447: Steve Vladeck on the Shadow Docket May 01, 2024

Today's guest, or should I say last year's guest, is Steve Vladeck! He holds the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the University of Texas School of Law, and is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice. Last year, he released the New York Times bestselling book, "The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic." We spoke about the book and about the state of our horrible Supreme Court. Steve will be appearing on Opening Arguments soon for a sequel to this conversation!

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SIO446: Believe It Or Not, The Right Has An Effective Youth Movement Apr 29, 2024

Author and journalist Kyle Spencer knows - she wrote the book on it. It's called Raising Them Right, soon to be out in paperback. She spent extensive time with Charlie Kirk, among others, and saw how he built an effective right wing youth movement. How did he do it? Who is funding it? Do these people really believe what they say? She answers those questions and more.

We're also big fans of Kyle's Reporting Right newsletter. Check it out!

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SIO445: The Science of 3 Body Problem with Paul Sutter Apr 28, 2024

We welcome back cosmologist and science communicator Dr. Paul Sutter! Previously, he had come on to talk about his book, Rescuing Science. This time, he's here to take us through some of the science of the super cool new Netflix show 3 Body Problem. What does it get right and what does it get wrong? Or does that even matter? Paul takes us through it! Make sure to check out his podcast Ask A Spaceman!

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SIO444: Climate Change Made "the Blob." It Killed Tons of Marine Life Apr 28, 2024

Everyone's favorite marine biologist, Dr. Heidi Pearson is back! This time, we're talking about a new, large scale study just out about the massive loss of marine life caused by "the blob." It's another tale of man-made climate change wreaking havoc on the world. But, we've also got some more fun stories to talk about! Gay whales caught in the act, a solo orca that didn't wait for its pod to hunt and kill a Great White Shark, and menopause in whales.

You can upload photos and follow your favorite whales here: https://happywhale.com/home

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SIO443: Dr. Jo Boaler Tried To Improve Math Education. Then An Anti-woke Mob Came For Her Apr 25, 2024

Dr. Jo Boaler is a leading math education expert and one of the writers of the California Mathematics Framework, a set of guidelines focused on improving equity in California's math classrooms. We first talk about her upcoming book, Math-ish, and the beauty of pursuing more "ish" in our lives. Then, we discuss a recent anonymous complaint that was filed with Stanford University, accusing Dr. Boaler of misrepresenting research to serve her own agenda.

Update: Shortly after recording with us, Stanford University announced they would not be pursuing a formal investigation of Dr. Boaler, and that "...the allegations reflect scholarly disagreement and interpretation.”

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SIO442: Is Quantum Technology Actually Better? Apr 23, 2024

In honor of World Quantum Day (April 14th), Quantum Anne is here to discuss when quantum is better, when it's worse, and when it could honestly go either way.

Quantum Sensing Quantum Computing Overview 100 Years of Quantum!

For ideas on how to celebrate World Quantum Day, check out: https://www.quantum.gov/world-quantum-day/! Anne made cake (photo attached), that represents a Hadamard gate. It turns a |0> or a |1> into a (|0> +|1>)÷2 - a qubit into a superposition of two states.

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SIO441: Elon Musk's Neuralink - Real Or Just Hype? Part 2 Apr 18, 2024

Here's Part 2 of our deep dive into neural implants with Dr. Jenessa Seymour! The brain is still completely amazing, and so are the folks who are creating innovative technology to help people do things that have been otherwise out of reach. And then there's Elon.

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SIO440: Elon Musk's Neuralink - Real or Just Hype? Apr 18, 2024

We've got an expert to take us through it! Dr. Jenessa Seymour is a former neuroscientist currently working in disability rights and she has looked through the history of neural implant efforts to investigate Elon's Neuralink claims. Just how full of it is he? And how in the world does any of this even work? What is clear is that the brain is insanely amazing.

There's so much to talk about that this ended up being a two-parter!

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SIO439: God and Country with Katherine Stewart Mar 30, 2024

Author and journalist Katherine Stewart joins us today to discuss her reporting on religious nationalism, as well as the organization and structure behind these efforts, and what we can do in the face of it all.

Be sure to check out the recent film God and Country which is based on her 2020 book, The Power Worshippers!

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SIO438: That's Absurd Please Elaborate Mar 28, 2024

I'm joined by Trace and Julian from the podcast, That's Absurd Please Elaborate! It's an incredibly fun and cool science show where they take questions that might seem weird or crazy but answer them using science! They're here to talk science communication, and what some of their favorite questions they've answered have been. Could vampires evolve through natural processes? Could x-rays cook soup? Could we teach aliens left and right?

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SIO437: Zoë Schiffer on Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover Mar 26, 2024

Elon Musk accidentally buying Twitter and then ruining it is a story so absurd and wild that someone should write a book about it. Lucky for us, Zoë Schiffer has! It's called Extremely Hardcore, and it's extremely good! She joins us to discuss the book.

Be sure to buy Zoë's book, Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter! You can also follow Zoë's reporting on Platformer.

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SIO436: They’re Retconning George Floyd’s Murder, but Radley Balko Is Fighting Back Mar 21, 2024

Radley Balko is the guest today as we discuss the Right's efforts to retcon George Floyd's murder and Derek Chauvin's responsibility in a "documentary" from Alpha News, The Fall of Minneapolis. We walk through some of the debunks together, and chat about the broader systemic circumstances that lead for calls of police reform. Radley has done an absolutely incredible series covering this in meticulous detail on his Substack (linked below as well). Be sure to check it out and subscribe; supporting independent journalism is critical!

The retconning of George Floyd

Part 1 - Part 2 - Interim Update/Response to Coleman Hughes - Part 3

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SIO435: The Radical Idea That We Shouldn’t Work Ourselves to Death Mar 19, 2024

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced Senate Bill 3947 to change the standard 40-hour workweek to 32 hours with no loss in pay and held a hearing on March 14th. Naturally the right doesn't love this. But what do the studies say? And where did the 40-hour week even come from? SeriousPod colleague Lydia Smith explains how this particular issue highlights ways in which we can combat rhetoric from the right and move towards something that is, on every metric, better than what we have now.

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SIO434: Biden Is Failing On Israel-Palestine. So What Do We Do? Mar 14, 2024

It feels like this comes up precisely every 4 years, but once again I find myself having to point out that the way to make things better isn't to make them worse. That math just doesn't work. But what should we do? A campaign to vote "Uncommitted" for the Democratic Primary Election went viral. Lydia Smith from Where There's Woke joins as we discuss what this movement is, what kind of impact it could have, and whether or not a vote can be a "message".

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SIO433: The Robot at the End of the Universe Mar 12, 2024

We're focusing in on some sci-fi with Dr. Bryan Gillis, astrophysicist to the stars! We take you through one of Ted Chiang's incredible short stories, Exhalation, and Dr. Gillis teaches us about entropy and the Laws of Thermodynamics. What is the heat death of the universe? Can we avoid it by turning up the AC a bit or are we just plain effed? Find out!

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SIO432: How 13 Reasons Why Killed Kids Mar 04, 2024

CW: Discussion of suicide; please skip this episode if it's better for your mental health

After a long hiatus, Dr. Alan Smerbeck AKA Stormy Decisis is back to cover a topic we've been talking about discussing for a while. What does the research tell us is the responsible way to cover death by suicide? What kind of impact can the media have on the greater population if they get it wrong? And how many different ways did 13 Reasons Why completely screw up?

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SIO431: The Em Drive Is Supposed To Be Impossible. So Why Did Experiments Say It Worked? Feb 29, 2024

Dr. Bryan Gillis is back to walk us through a space travel concept that would have upended Physics as we know it if it had worked. But, wait a second - turns out there were quite a number of studies that actually successfully demonstrated its effect so why aren't we using it to zip through the universe these days? We also learn a bit of statistics in this discussion to help us uncover what happened here and what this means for the broader understanding of statistical significance when evaluating scientific findings. Bryan's Notes Check out Up and Atom on YouTube! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO430: Real or Bullshit: Quantum Products Edition! Feb 27, 2024

Quantum Anne is back! She had a fantastic idea to quiz us all on some quantum products she has come across. Here's the thing though, mixed into the bull shit is the real stuff that she actually uses in her lab! Can you pass the test? It's not as easy as you might think! This one was lots of fun. Don't forget about the Patron Hangout Tuesday 2/27 at 3pm pacific 6pm eastern! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO429: Artists Punished More Than Scientists for Same Misconduct Feb 26, 2024

This was a really fun one! Dr. Joe Siev and Dr. Jake Teeny join to walk us through their findings from a series of studies in their recent article, which explored the differences in how artists and scientists are punished following news of misconduct, and the mechanism for why this may be the case. Be sure to check out the Academic Sexual Misconduct Database too! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO428: Regret After Gender-Affirming Surgery Is Virtually Nonexistent Feb 22, 2024

Dr. Harry Barbee out of Johns Hopkins University recently co-authored a meta-analysis in JAMA Surgery, examining postoperative regret for those people seeking gender-affirming care. We talk about how many people *actually* regret receiving surgery, how that compares with general postoperative regret in the cisgender population, the politics and misinformation influencing the bad science in this area of study, and what we can do about it. Another piece by Dr. Barbee advocating for sanctuary locations for gender-affirming care: Transgender Youths and Sanctuaries for Gender-Affirming Care Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO427: Rescuing Science, with Dr. Paul Sutter Feb 13, 2024

We speak with cosmologist and science communicator Dr. Paul Sutter about his upcoming book, Rescuing Science. Dr. Sutter thinks (Capital S) Science has made some significant errors, and that people do not trust science because of the very system it has created for itself. Where has the discipline gone wrong, why is academia such a mess, and how do we fix it? Be sure to buy his book when it comes out on March 5th; you can also check out his podcast Ask A Spaceman! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content! Graphic generated by Dall-e.

SIO426: In Defense of Virtue Signaling Feb 09, 2024

First off... I'M BACK ON OPENING ARGUMENTS!!! Good court thingies! Please please please go check it out! patreon.com/law! OK after that announcement, I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind for a few months, ever since the NHL announced they were banning pride tape. While I used to be way more cynical back in the day about corporatized pride and that kind of virtual signaling, I now feel completely differently and I wanted to talk about the evolution. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO425: Can Science Be Spiritual? Feb 06, 2024

Dr. Jesse Preston, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Warwick, joins to discuss a recent paper she published regarding whether or not science may serve as a spiritual experience for nonbelievers. Could loving science offer similar psychological benefits that the literature has demonstrated for those in religion? Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO424: Semen Caught Violating Newton's 3rd Law? (the one about cum) Feb 01, 2024

Astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis is back! And here's here to talk about... sperm? Well, when a science headline claims that sperm is violating Newton's 3rd Law, that's when the science police have to lay down the law, no matter how weird the topic. But before you think this is just a bad journalist, the paper may actually be where the problem is... Bryan explains the whole damn thing.

Public articles:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397442-sperm-caught-breaking-newtons-third-law-of-motion/
https://www.iflscience.com/sperm-caught-breaking-the-law-newtons-third-law-of-motion-that-is-71245
Original publication:
https://journals.aps.org/prxlife/abstract/10.1103/PRXLife.1.023002#fulltext (and on ArXiV) https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.07162

SIO423: Bill Maher Gets Owned By Peter Griffin On COVID Nonsense Jan 31, 2024

For the Bonus this month, Dr. Rick Sullivan, SIO's resident synthetic biologist, joined me to comment on the recent "debate" between Bill Maher and Seth MacFarlane on the COVID vaccine. The right says Bill pWnEd Seth, but what do you all think? Will Dr. Rick's PhD in immunology be enough to stand up to Maher's COVID "facts"? There was so much important information here that I wanted to be sure the normies got to hear some of it as well. So check out the first part of our conversation, but for the full episode, you'll need to pledge on Patreon!

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SIO422: Tucker Carlson, Space Genius Jan 30, 2024

On a recent episode of Tucker Carlson's show, fossil fuel shill Dr. Willie Soon came on to discuss ... friggen... dinosaurs on Saturn's moon. I mean, not quite but close. It's nonsense. Too bad for Tucker, cause we have a resident expert on space resource acquisition over here on SIO! J.D. Menges is currently working towards his PhD in Space Resources at Colorado School of Mines with a focus in Planetary Geology, Remote Sensing, and Resource Acquisition Strategy. He's here to break down what Tucker and Dr. Soon get wrong in this interview...

Who is Willie Soon? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/smithsonian-climate-change-scientist-180954380/
2009 Abiogenic Study (Kolesnikov et al., 2009) https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo591
Oil formation theories (Hook et al., 2010) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.06.005
TITAN Abiogenic Oil Theories (Mousis et al., 2009) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2009.07.040
Total Solar Irradiance, TSI (Schmutz, 2021) https://www.swsc-journal.org/articles/swsc/full_html/2021/01/swsc200108/swsc200108.html

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SIO421: More Technological Anti-Solutions Jan 26, 2024

he 2nd half of my conversation with Alejandro Ruiz! We get deeper into examples of technological anti-solutions. If you work for a self-driving car company, should you quit? Also why are people burying trees to save the planet? Alejandro's experience in the tech industry, including his time at CERN, led him to creating the engineering co-operative Interstitial Technology, as well as The Luddite that he manages with the irreplaceable co-author/illustrator Julia Zimmerman and editor Dr. Christina Iglesias. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO420: Technological Anti-Solutions Jan 25, 2024

We have a guest expert today! Alejandro Ruiz, a graduate of MIT, joins us to discuss a topic that he refers to as "technology anti-solutions." It's a really useful and fascinating framework that explains a lot about today's world, including why Substack sucks, for example. Or Patreon. And even, the Paris Climate Accords. Also, Elon Musk is basically the king of tech anti-solutions. It's way too much for a single episode so we'll have to close it out in a Part 2! Check it out - Alejandro's experience in the tech industry, including his time at CERN, led him to creating the engineering co-operative Interstitial Technology, as well as The Luddite that he manages with the irreplaceable co-author/illustrator Julia Zimmerman and editor Dr. Christina Iglesias. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO419: Men Are From App and Women Are From Browser Jan 18, 2024

Lydia Smith of Where There's Woke joins us to break down a fascinating online dating study that featured an experiment in which men and women viewed online dating profiles on either a mobile device or standard PC and rated the individual's attractiveness. The findings are very interesting! We discuss what the implications could be, and we also have a little classic WTW fun too because why not.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO418: The Polarization Express Jan 15, 2024

Joe Magestro is back! First we get an update with what's going on in Wisconsin, and then we pick up where we left off in SIO405 to walk through why polarization happens, and what, if anything, we can do to reduce it.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO417: Does Our Evolutionary History Doom Us To Failure? Jan 11, 2024

When it comes to climate change, for example, it can certainly feel that way. Dr. Timothy Waring from The University of Maine has written a paper exploring these ideas. He's an expert in Cultural Evolution, and he believes that new lens may give us a clearer picture of our mysterious inability to solve many of these big challenges. You can read the paper here: Characteristic processes of human evolution caused the Anthropocene and may obstruct its global solutions Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO416: What Is A Living Wage? Jan 08, 2024

And how does that differ from the minimum wage? Or, for that matter, the federal poverty line?California has mandated a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers starting April 1st. As far as I'm concerned, those folks are saints and deserve the world. But Glenn Beck and other conservatives strongly disagree and had a meltdown over it. But who is right? Will this new $20 wage cause California as we know it to cease to exist and drift off into the sea? Or is Glenn Beck an idiot?

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO415: We Don't Live In A Simulation Jan 02, 2024

THE SIMULATION SERIES FINALE! After much philosophy and physics reading, and after the excellent breakdown of the physics and computing aspects by Dr. Bryan Gillis, here is an episode on why I don't think we live in a simulation. I'm hoping this will be an accessible final episode to sum up the case for why we should not be worrying about this!

SIO414: So You Want To Simulate The Universe... Jan 01, 2024

Ok, so we've done a bunch of philosophizing about whether or not we live in a simulation, but what about the physics and computing involved? Dr. Bryan Gillis takes us through what it might actually take to simulate our whole universe. Spoiler... it would not be easy. Find out why!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO413: The Search for the Man-Hating Feminist Continues Dec 31, 2023

The elusive man-hating feminist avoided scientific detection in the previous episode, but the chase continues! The game is the foot!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO412: Do Feminists Hate Men? Dec 30, 2023

I decided to call an audible and give us a mini-break from the intense philosophy and physics stuff, and instead invite expert Lydia Smith on to break down an extensive set of studies into the question: do feminists hate men? This is one of those interesting questions where on one hand, I could imagine that attitudes toward men might certainly be different among those who self-identify as feminists vs those who don't. But on the other hand... the man-hating feminist is definitely a myth perpetuated by the right to try to discredit the movement... So what does the science say? Find out!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO411: Zeno, Pascal, and Sleeping Beauty All Walk Into a Bar... Dec 29, 2023

Do you like philosophical thought experiments and probability theory and have a structured settlement and want cash now? Have I got the podcast episode for you! Dr. Bryan Gillis takes us through some fun and fascinating philosophical quandaries related to the Simulation Hypothesis! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO410: Futurama and Simulation Theory Dec 28, 2023

Good news, everyone! Today we embark upon a bit of a miniseries! Dr. Bryan Gillis and I began with the idea to do a sort of Philosophers in Space-esque kind of thing where we talk about a Futurama episode and then discuss the science and philosophy behind it. But as we did so, and as Bryan did more and more research (including calculations of his own!) around the question "Do we live in a simulation?" what unfolded was hours of really fascinating deep dive into the issue! And so here is part 1, where we set up the arguments a bit, and talk about a great episode of Futurama. If you want to watch it before listening, it's s11e10 "All The Way Down." Hope you enjoy! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO409: Can You "Boost" Your Immune System? Dec 17, 2023

It's an Emergen-C episode with Dr. Rick Sullivan! With the holidays approaching, you may be wondering if there's a good way to boost your immune system and prevent getting sick. Well, there are many products that purport to do just that. Vitamins, Emergen-C, etc. Do they work? Find out! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO408: Dr. Steve Proper, On the House Dec 14, 2023

For Seriously Awful Movies 4, we reviewed S6E15 of House called Black Hole. We brought Dr. Steve Proper along because the episode deals with a very curious type of allergy... We brought my brother Sam Smith along because the episode... sucks. Lydia handles the play by play. I made a cut of this into a normal episode because, for one, it was very hilarious and you should definitely become a patron at Patreon.com/seriouspod. But secondly, Dr. Steve provided some actual medical knowledge for us that I didn't want the normie feed to miss out on!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO407: Entropy and Information Dec 11, 2023

It's another physicode with Dr. Bryan Gillis! Bryan heard the food episode recently and wanted to chime in with a physics perspective on why your brain needs energy. Sure, there are obvious biological reasons, but also, speaking more universally, there's a reason why computing information requires energy. It involves entropy! Come learn about it! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO406: How Science Made Food Too Addictive Dec 01, 2023

Dr. Dawn Fariello, a lecturer at Fordham University who helped develop their popular course The Ecology and Economics of Food Systems, joins the show today to walk us through cravings and how our body's response to sugar is being weaponized by, you guessed it, capitalism. Sources: Moss, Michael. Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. Random House trade Paperbacks. 2014. https://mossbooks.us/ Lenoir M, Serre F, Cantin L, Ahmed SH (2007) Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. PLOS ONE 2(8): e698. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698 Bijoch, Ł., Klos, J., Pawłowska, M. et al. Whole-brain tracking of cocaine and sugar rewards processing. Transl Psychiatry 13, 20 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02318-4 Samaha, AN. Sugar now or cocaine later?. Neuropsychopharmacol. 46, 271–272 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00836-z

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SIO405: Are we Really More Polarized Than Ever? Nov 30, 2023

Well..... Yes and no. Political science expert Joe Magestro joins us for a fascinating conversation! We catch up on a little bit of Wisconsin politics. The news is actually pretty decent lately! And then we talk about the concept of polarization. There are many different ways to look at it, including one you might not have considered that is perhaps the most important going forward! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO404: Are We Attracted To Our Mate's Immune System? Nov 28, 2023

As crazy as that sounds, it seems to be the case! How does that work? And also... how does the immune system work? And can someone please explain it using vampires and hot dogs as analogies? If those are for some reason questions you've ever had, then Dr. Rick Sullivan is your guy! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO403: At What Age Can You Talk To Kids about Race? Parents Wildly Overestimate Nov 25, 2023

Dr. Elizabeth Deitch returns to the show to take us through some science thingies! CRT bannings and other conservative nonsense got Beth interested in the question: when should we actually talk to kids about race? When will they understand it? When do they actually notice race? These questions brought her to two studies. These studies reveal some interesting things about how parents approach conversations on race. When do they think they should have them? And when do they actually have them? And there's a bit of a Thanksgiving tie-in as well!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO402: How Biden's Climate Legislation Is Making A Difference Nov 21, 2023

Today's expert takes us through some of the ways that Biden's underrated climate legislation is driving research and investment into clean energy, carbon capture, and more! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO401: Dr. Steve Proper on the Science of Food Allergies Nov 17, 2023

You may have heard our episode about our struggles with food labeling and Arlo's allergies. Well, so did Dr. Steve Proper, and he is an actual expert in the field! He teaches us about the medical science involved. What are allergies? What aren't they? How are they different from other seemingly similar phenomena? But even more interestingly, a somewhat recent study completely changed our understanding of how food allergies are caused! Dr. Steve takes us through it. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO400: Good Will Hunting, Bad Science Thingy Nov 13, 2023

Seriously Awful Movies 3, Good Will Hunting, was approximately 3 episodes worth of content. So, we thought it would be fun to put out some of that for everyone! Dr. Alan Smerbeck and returning SAMtacular guest Omar Najam join us as we explore the science (?) in Good Will Hunting. Is this how therapy actually works? Is Robin Williams even a therapist? Is this movie actually any good? Stormy also tells us about the actual disease Robin Williams died of, and how his case was a cautionary tale of why we shouldn't do armchair diagnosis. If you want to hear more of this SAM, head on over to patreon.com/seriouspod and pledge 2nd tier or above to snag access to these episodes, ad-free shows, and more! Coming up VERY SOON: You can catch Omar on the brand new Dungeons and Dragons series DesiQuest! Their first episode premieres 11/14! Omar's annual 13 Days 13 Shorts project just wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. You can still see all of the submissions from folks around the world - and maybe get inspired to participate next year! The Share Banned Books project is going strong! Huge kudos to Stormy (and you all!) for donating books and serving as librarians for your community's Little Library. Please check it out and contribute if you can! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

SIO399: Andrew Wakefield's "Study" Was So Much Worse Than You Know Nov 08, 2023

Special Education teacher Kelly Burke joins us to debunk the classic Andrew Wakefield vaccine study, but there's probably a whole lot that you don't know about it because holy crap this thing was shockingly terrible. It's especially insane that it had such an impact on the anti-vax movement when it was literally a pile of garbage in every way imaginable. Come learn more about truly one of the worst science thingies to ever thing. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO398: Hot Women In Your Area Nov 02, 2023

We're borrowing this brilliant title from a panel at QED, and while we're at it, we're also borrowing one of the panelists, Nicola Throp, to cover all things Menopause - what it is, why we need to talk about it, and the barriers that women face in not just its treatment, but the recognition of what is happening to them and diagnosis from their providers. This is a significant life event that half of the world will experience, and women have historically kept it to themselves. It's well beyond the time to break this taboo.

Some fantastic resources that Nicola shared: British Menopause Society; Menopause Support UK; The Menopause Charity; Black Menopause & Beyond Podcast (with Anita Powell); The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

SIO397: Why Is Flying Not Any Faster Than 60 Years Ago? Oct 31, 2023

It's a phun physics phepisode! Dr. Bryan Gillis is here to teach us about some of the interesting physics of air travel. Why is breaking the speed of sound so difficult? What's a sonic boom? How do flights make up time in the air? And probably some way more interesting stuff as well! Veritasium video on turbulent flow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zI9sG3pjVU Extra-Life charity link: https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=517279 Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO396: "This Didn't Happen In A Vacuum" Oct 30, 2023

That's what the UN's top official Secretary General António Guterres said recently. Israel completely blew a fuse over that sentence, and demanded he resign or be removed. They canceled UN Visas. They canceled diplomatic meetings. They say his statement "justifies terrorism." But is he right? I've collected some elements of the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict you might not be aware of, and my contention is that this situation is far from a "vacuum." Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO395: Are We Complicit In A Genocide? Oct 28, 2023

It's Israel's 9/11. Or as Biden says, it's like 15 9/11s. So I guess they get to do 15 Iraq Wars? This feels like an incredibly difficult time to do anything other than sympathize with the Israeli victims of the brutal, horrifying terror attack. But right now 7,000 Palestinians are dead, 19,000 are injured, and 1.2 million are displaced. When is enough enough? What exactly is justice? We need to speak up. Our (American) tax dollars are funding a genocide.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO394: New Law Makes Sesame 9th Allergen. Companies Are Now Adding Sesame to Foods To Get Around It Oct 19, 2023

Hey everyone, a big heads up. This episode is about an issue that is literally life or death for our son Arlo. This was not easy to talk about and things get emotional. I did my best to edit all that out but some of it is still pretty tough. (At least normies have auto-ads to break up the tension in the worst possible way though!) A new law went into effect this year adding sesame as the 9th allergen with all the requirements that go with that. Arlo has a pretty bad sesame allergy. So... great, right? Yeah except due to capitalism, companies are literally adding sesame to everything to get around the law. It seems impossibly cruel and stupid, but it's true. Arlo has already been affected twice by this. We tell a bit of our family story around this, and then Lydia takes us through some of the public policy history. We also stop by Joe Manchin's daughter making millions from ripping us off on Epipens. (no, really.) Be sure to stay for the end, if you can, to hear our interview with incredibly cute and silly expert Arlo Smith. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO393: Dr. Alan Smerbeck on Trigger Warnings Oct 17, 2023

Stormy's back! Dr. Smerbeck joins us today to discuss the current research around trigger warnings. Are they a no-brainer or are there downsides? If there are, are we going anti-woke and telling triggered snowflakes they need to be able to handle different ideas? Or is that still dumb? But first we start off with a fantastic update from the Little Library Project that Stormy has been spearheading. Be sure to check out sharebannedbooks.com to donate books for this initiative! A big shout out and thank you to Bookishly for providing READ BANNED BOOKS bookmarks to include in each book. And, if you live in an area where books are at risk or have already been banned, censored, or challenged, please consider signing up to deliver gifted books to a Little Library near you! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO392: How Taxes on Foods Affect Health and Climate Oct 12, 2023

Dr. Wisdom Dogbe, an agricultural economist out of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, joins me to discuss a recent study he led investigating consumer choice with regard to taxing foods that are categorized as high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) in the UK. Does it change behavior? How much? And what are the consequences of that? It's a really fascinating story of the trade-offs involved in public policy.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO391: Astrophysicist Wet Blankets All The Alien Talk Oct 09, 2023

Dr. Bryan Gillis is here to tell us why it just isn't aliens. Sorry. BUT WHAT IF IT WERE. That question too. This one is a super fun and educational deep dive on space, space travel, the Drake Equation, and more! I also get Bryan's best guess for how aliens ever COULD visit.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO390: So Wait, Are There Aliens? What Were Those Hearings Oct 09, 2023

So what's the deal with all this? UFOs or now UAPs... government programs... crash retrieval... basically... what the hell? Also werewolves. Hot correspondent and now FULL TIME PODCASTER Lydia Smith is here with the skinny. It actually ties back to some of our other work in an unexpected way... THEN In part 2, astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis will science the heck out of about why it isn't aliens!

We've also got some really cool announcements at the end of the show!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO389: “Wikipedia Is the Most Accurate Form of Information Ever Created” Sep 27, 2023

So says my esteemed guest, Dr. Amy Bruckman! Is she right? I won't be coy, I tend to think she is. But what a fascinating statement! And her thesis makes for an equally fascinating book - Wikipedia: The Most Reliable Source on the Internet? So let's dig in!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO388: Get Psyched! More Dr. Decisis QnA Sep 21, 2023

We've got even more great answers to questions in part 2! Many are about therapy. How do you know when you need it? How do you make sure you're getting good therapy? Should you change therapists? And more! One more reminder about Stormy's Woke Little Library Project. If you are able to contribute to these efforts, you can purchase banned books through the following Amazon wishlist accounts, where three incredible people will be ensuring their communities have access to topics that are being targeted and censored. http://tiny.cc/kbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/lbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/sbannedbooks Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO387: Chemical Imbalance, Personality Tests, Double Empathy Problem, and More! It's a Psych QnA! Sep 18, 2023

It was such a great turnout of questions for our first ever Q&A with Dr. Smerbeck that we ended up going double! This first part touches on the misnomer of "chemical imbalance" with regard to depression, personality tests, and Alan's favorite dinosaur, among other things. Be sure to check out Part 2 later this week! Dr. Smerbeck also shares an update on the Woke Little Library Project, and if you are able to contribute to these efforts, you can purchase banned books through the following Amazon wishlist accounts, where three incredible people will be ensuring their communities have access to topics that are being targeted and censored. http://tiny.cc/kbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/lbannedbooks http://tiny.cc/sbannedbooks Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO386: Actually, Opposites Very Much Do NOT Attract Sep 14, 2023

It's another fun science thingy! Today's guest is Tanya Horwitz, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics with University of Colorado at Boulder. She is one of the lead authors on a new meta-analysis of studies including millions of couples over more than a century. In the vast majority of traits, sames(?) attract. There are a few exceptions that are interesting to talk about and we go through those as well. This one is fun and relatable, and even if the top-line conclusion is pretty predictable, the data is very interesting and the discussion was great!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO385: What Exactly Is A Psychological Diagnosis? Sep 11, 2023

And perhaps more importantly, what ISN'T it? Lots of people are diagnosing themselves and others via social media these days, and you're never going to believe this, but they're not always doing it right. After far too long, we welcome back Dr. Alan Smerbeck to the show to discuss what exactly is a diagnosis in mental health and whether or not we give them too much weight. It's science, it's philosophy, it's a little personal too - you don't want to miss it!

Could be a product of long COVID or Stormy is just the best, but he's dialed freedom up a notch in Little Library advocacy - if you're up for it, please visit this link to submit your information and Dr. Smerbeck will set up an Amazon Wishlist just for you to help supply your neighborhood with "woke" books. bit.ly/wokebooks

ALSO, if you have any questions for Stormy, drop them here! We're thinking of maybe doing a psych QnA!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO384: Even More Askings of Astrophysicist Bryan! Sep 07, 2023

It's part 2 of astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis answering all your amazing questions! Time to learn even MORE about the universe! So much universe knowledge is now yours!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO383: Ask An Astrophysicist Anything! Sep 05, 2023

I thought it would be cool to have patrons pose whatever questions they wanted to our illustrious astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis. Well, they must have agreed because they came through with some great ones! We've got a two-parter this week, as we learn a bunch of cool new space stuff!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO382: Being Reasonable with Michael Marshall Sep 01, 2023

You've heard me reference Be Reasonable about a billion times lately. Well, that's because it's truly a fantastic show! On it, Marsh talks to people with extremely weird and terrible beliefs, but in a respectful and kind manner. And now that I've finished binging every episode, I wanted to have Marsh on for a discussion! We talk about platforming and de-platforming, arguing vs discussing, which beliefs are beyond the pale, and the ONE time that Marsh genuinely got angry on the show.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO381: The Bible Is Not Monotheistic Aug 28, 2023

Like, at all. Now that might sound like me, an atheist, trying to bash the bible and point out the obviously flawed nature of it, but no, this is like, a respectable scholarly take on it. Today I'm joined by the two Dans of Data over Dogma! It's a cool new bible podcast that features an actual scholar. And not an atheist one, either! We talk about the good book and some things about it you really might not have ever heard!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO380: Does Which College You Go To Really Matter? (Part 2) Aug 24, 2023

This is part 2! Make sure you listened to part 1! Dr. Elizabeth has a PhD in Organizational Psychology. She did a massive dive into the research on college selection and whether or not it makes a difference in outcomes. In part 2, we get to more recent studies and studies that looked at slightly different questions around this.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO379: Does Which College You Go To Really Matter? Aug 21, 2023

This episode, like a few before it, was inspired by a Dear Old Dads! A while back, Tom dropped the bombshell over there that which college you go to really doesn't matter much. Dr. Elizabeth Deitch happens to be a listener of both shows and has a PhD in Organizational Psychology, and was very curious to see if this was an accurate representation of the available data. So, she underwent a massive deep dive! So, listen in and find out what the science says! This was such a massive research undertaking that Beth actually has two episodes worth of goodness for us. Listen to part 2 on Patreon now! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO378: A Not Conspiracy Theory About Conspiracy Theories Aug 17, 2023

Psychology professor Dr. Ashley Scolaro is back! This time she's giving us a primer on the psychological theories about conspiracy theories. I think this will be the beginning of a series on this, since it might be the most important issue of our time. A whole lot of people right now believe a whole lot of really stupid things that are disconnected from reality. So, let's try to understand why, and to start the process of figuring out how to deprogram people. Should be super easy, simple, done in like 10 minutes. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO377: Did Scientists Really Invent A Room Temperature Superconductor? Aug 15, 2023

Also what the hell is that? What would that mean for society? Is it even physically possible? Or is this all some sort of hoax? We've got Quantum Anne back for a third time to explain all this stuff to us and more!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO376: What Portal Teaches Us About the Physics of Our Universe Aug 10, 2023

Astrophysicist Dr. Bryan Gillis is back! It's another really fun one as Bryan teaches us some phascinating physics by way of the Portal video game universe. Why do we have conservation of momentum? Energy? But wait do we REALLY have conservation of energy? What if that was just made up by physicists to sell more physics?

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO375: Why Are Whales Attacking Rich People Boats? Aug 08, 2023

My guest today is Dr. Heidi Pearson! She's a marine biologist and someone who had no idea I was going to ask about when whales attack rich people boats. But she was more than ready for the question! Her paper on whales and the carbon cycle caught our eye here, and the interview was definitely more about that but let's face it, we all want to know about the boat attacks first and foremost. But after that, we talk about animal intelligence, evolution, climate change, and so much more! Dr. Pearson was a delight, don't miss this interview! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SAM1: Armageddon (First Half for Everyone) Aug 03, 2023

Hey folks, if you're not a 2nd Tier Patron or above, you should fix that, but if you can't for some reason, I wanted to make sure you can still enjoy the fun of Seriously Awful Movies 1: Armageddon! It's so, so bad. And don't worry, this isn't some stingy 4 minute preview, you're getting an entire hour! It's so much fun and stands on its own with a bunch of fun jokes and science, even if you can't afford to jump on the 2nd Tier Patron list for the rest of it. I truly hope you enjoy! Thank you for listening!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, and 2nd Tier and above gets Seriously Awful Movies!

SIO374: Maybe Swearing Around Your Kids Is Fine? Jul 31, 2023

Today's guest is Dr. Ashley Scolaro! She is a cognitive neuroscientist who teaches psychology and whose research includes taboo language, conspiracy theory belief, and memory and decision making. And she is here to tell why maybe it's totally fine to swear around your damn hell ass kids! F yeah! But also we delve into a lot of brain stuff too that's super fascinating regardless of the parenting angle.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO373: Headline Claims Neutron Star 'Defies Laws of Physics.' What Does Astrophysicist Bryan Think? Jul 29, 2023

I recently came across a headline that read: "NASA Confirms That Cosmic Object Is so Bright That It Defies Laws of Physics. It's definitely not an optical illusion." So... what does Dr. Bryan Gillis think? We have a really fun time on this one crafting the headline into something a bit more... accurate. And Bryan teaches us some really cool space stuff along the way! The article: https://futurism.com/nasa-confirms-object-so-bright-defies-physics The original paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ac8d67#apjac8d67s2 Check out Bryan's YouTube Channel! Bridge Portal Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8927tjnHt4 Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO372: Quantum Entanglement In The Real World Jul 24, 2023

It's another quantum SIO! Hopefully you caught Ann's last appearance when we discussed quantum computing. This time we're going more basic! Quantum entanglement, non-locality, Schrödinger's Cat... all that good stuff. But, with a bit of a twist. Ann tells us about how she actually accomplishes this stuff in the real world, and it's so much... messier than you would think. It's fascinating! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO371: When Christian Nationalists Crash Your School Board Meetings Jul 20, 2023

It's part 2 with Adrienne Martin! Her story just does not quit! We haven't even gotten to her viral video moment, and on the way there she tells us about a Christian Karen who is a main force behind the attempted book bans, and her gay son she disowned who fought back. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO370: Adrienne Martin - Suburban Mom Hairstylist Turned Superstar Activist Jul 17, 2023

"The speakers speaking about what great Christians they are? Great. Go tell your pastor. Our schools are not your church.” If you happen to recognize those words, that means you've seen the viral video in which Adrienne Martin fought back against moral panicking conservatives at a Texas school board meeting. But how did she get here? There's so much to it, and it makes for a really fascinating and inspiring story. Listen to how this, in her words, "typical suburban mom" went from hairdresser to superstar activist! And also still a hairdresser. It's not like grassroots activism is super lucrative or something... Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO369: Stress Increases Alzheimer's Risk in Women... But Not Men? Jul 13, 2023

Today's guest is Hannah Edwards, a neuroscience grad student at Washington University in St. Louis, and part of the Cirrito Lab, which has released a new study on Alzheimer's and stress in mice. Stress causes the levels of Alzheimer's proteins to rise in females' brains but not males' brains. This difference may shed some light on the greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease that women have. Hannah will take us through the study and also teach us a bit of the basics on Alzheimer's along the way!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO368: The Euclid Space Telescope Just Launched! What Will It Teach Us and How? Jul 10, 2023

Don't worry, Euclid hasn't been canceled or anything this is JUST about the science! Dr. Bryan Gillis joins us to talk about the fascinating science behind the Euclid Space Telescope! How does it work? What data are we looking to get? How will it be interpreted? Is the universe infinite? Are there aliens? WAIT those last two were part of the conversation available for patrons only! That's right, this episode has an extendo version for patrons! And it contains the most interesting stuff imaginable, not to overpromise or anything. So make sure to pledge at the link below! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO367: Science Says Slurs Are Bad, No Matter the Context Jul 06, 2023

Maybe this sounds like a "no duh" but it's not neceessarily so straightforward. There are plenty of people who believe that not saying certain words gives them more power and we ought not to be afraid of them. Specifically, when the context is informational and not at all meant to be offensive. Dr. Alan Smerbeck is here to present the science of slurs and bad words and the effects they can have on us. Plus, there's plenty of interesting stuff along the way!

The website Stormy recommended at the end was https://bethematch.org/. I'm thinking I'll sign up too!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO366: Learning Styles Are BS?! Jul 03, 2023

Oh come on, ANOTHER thing we thought we all knew was true isn't? That's what today's expert, Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow, says! They are a PhD student in learning sciences at the University of New Mexico and they are here to explain what the science actually says! But it's not only a debunk, Madalyn also has some very useful info for us on how to ACTUALLY learn things more effectively! You don't want to miss it! (also I said this was 367 but I got mixed up from all the WTWing. It's 366.)

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

WTW2 part 2 Jun 29, 2023

Now here's the second half of the monster part 2 of WTW2! This one's a beast so I'm breaking it in two here, but you can get it all at once over at the Where There's Woke patreon or main feed!

Reminder, once we get to July the podcasts will fully go to their separate corners and we'll be on a regular schedule for both shows independently!

WTW2 part 1 Jun 29, 2023

We're starting on the second episode of Where There's Woke! This one's a beast so I'm breaking it in two here, but you can get it all at once over at the Where There's Woke patreon or main feed!

Reminder, once we get to July the podcasts will fully go to their separate corners and we'll be on a regular schedule for both shows independently!

Huge Announcement! A New Podcast Has Entered the Chat Jun 26, 2023

Yayyyyyyy I'm finally getting this out to you! Listen for the details, but this podcast is splitting in two. The other half will become Where There's Woke. I'm so excited! Please, pretty please check it out and support at patreon.com/wherethereswoke

SIO365: I Finally Get To Defend Myself. A Little. Jun 18, 2023

Hey folks, this is an episode related to the crap. Just be forewarned this isn't like a normal standard expert interview one. Thank you for listening.

Andrew's counter suit stuff

Docs backing up everything I'm saying.

SIO364: How To Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, According to the Data Jun 01, 2023

This admittedly will sound like a very dark topic, but I promise the conversation was actually quite pleasant and VERY useful. Dr. Alan Smerbeck joins us to give actual, real, evidence based information on what to look out for to prevent child sexual abuse. But also, we talk quite a lot about kid body curiosity stuff and how to tell what's totally normal and what might be concerning. As a parent, I found this conversation incredibly useful and I think you will too!

May Bonus! Thomas and Lydia Roast "Marriage and the Public Good" May 23, 2023

Super hottie Lydia Smith is on today so that we can evaluate whether or not our marriage is really helping the public good, according to this Catholic propaganda bull shit. You may remember that this was referenced by Dr. Alan Smerbeck (Stormy Decisis) in our recent episode. It sounded like a fun thing to... do a little review of. We had a great time, hope you enjoy!

Listen to the full thing at patreon.com/seriouspod!

SIO363: Study Shows Video Games Are Good! See Mom, I Told You May 18, 2023

Today I'm joined by Dr. Bader Chaarani, Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont Ph.D. in Biomedical engineering. Dr. Chaarani is here to break down the study he led that has us all yelling at our parents in 1994 saying why didn't you just let me play as much SNES as I wanted! You guys are the WORST! This sucks!

Anyway, also surprise-ish announcement to go along with this episode, my amazing wife Lydia and I are going to stream Tears of the Kingdom on twitch tomorrow! That's twitch.tv/srsnes, Thursday May 18th 2pm pacific! Come hang with us!

SIO362: The Whale and Fatphobia May 16, 2023

This movie was just so needlessly cruel. It was also, and this is true, f$%&ing terrible. It was so bad. Seriously, if you haven't seen it you might not even believe it when we tell you about it. Charone Frankel joins me to discuss the shocking fatphobia of this film, and how its writer and director were seemingly completely oblivious to it.

SIO361: Seasoning Liberally, with Cecil! May 11, 2023

Today's expert is longtime friend of the show Cecil, from Cognitive Dissonance and Citation Needed! You might not know, but Cecil is also a trained chef with a delightful YouTube channel called Season Liberally. It is absolutely as delicious as it sounds and you should definitely check it out! Cecil and I chat about when and how he became a professionally trained chef, and he gives us some great tips on how to be (in my case) slightly less shitty at cooking! This one is so much fun, I hope you'll give it a listen!

SIO360: How Gravitational Lensing Helps Us Understand the Universe May 09, 2023

Dr. Bryan Gillis is back! This time he's here to teach us about gravitational lensing. And along the way, we learn about dark matter and dark energy! What the hell are they? What the hell aren't they? Could you have a black hole made out of dark matter? So much fascinating stuff!

Links: ESA Euclid Page, Euclid Wikipedia page, Vimeo Channel for the Royal Observatory.

SIO359: How Different Are The Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? May 04, 2023

It's a science thingy breakdown! This one can barely be called a science thingy. It's not great. Dr. Alan Smerbeck is here to debunk one of the go-to citations for conservatives' homophobia. Does it hold up? No. Look I'm not going to pretend like it's a close call. Listen to find out why this is a shit study.

Regnerus, M. (2012). How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships? findings from the new family structures study. Social Science Research, 41(4), 752-770

Cheng, S., & Powell, B. (2015). Measurement, methods, and divergent patterns: Reassessing the effects of same-sex parents. Social Science Research, 52, 615-626

Rosenfeld, M. (2015). Revisiting the data from the new family structure study: Taking family instability into account. Sociological Science, 2(23), 478-501

And the Witherspoon Institute's weird marriage spiel

Bonus: Heath and Thomas Watch Republican Ads! Apr 29, 2023

My podcast colleague and hopefully one day boyfriend if I can ever get him to commit, Heath Enwright, of Puzzle in a Thunderstorm podverse joins me to roast some Republican Ads! This is a Patron bonus but I wanted to give you folks a preview. But also it's a full self-contained segment so even if you can't become a patron, it's still super fun listening! I hope you enjoy, and please consider pledging to hear the rest of the ads, they are INCREDIBLE.

Hear the full 64 minutes, covering 6 ads! patreon.com/seriouspod.

Here's the ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLMMxgtxQ1Y&ab_channel=GOP

SIO358: Tucker Carlson Fired! ... Hurray? I Think? Apr 27, 2023

Racist nazi prick Tucker Carlson was fired by Fox News. But how should we feel about that? Can we have nice things? Or like sort of ok things? And how the hell did this happen? And what happens next? Will he run for president? I share my thoughts, and play a few of his shittiest hits to send him off properly.

SIO357: Quantum Computers Part 2 - Inevitable Game Changer or... Hyperloop? Apr 26, 2023

Are all our password not belong to us? Part 2 of quantum computers! Our expert Anne tells us about the current landscape of actual quantum computers in the real world. It may not be what you think!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO356: Quantum Computers: How the Hell? No really Apr 25, 2023

What is this wizardry? I'm joined by a semi-anonymous expert who explains all about quantum computers. How they work, how they don't work, what's a qubit, all that kind of stuff. She also explains the limitations. After that, I explain why the delay in episodes and go on an unhinged rant about my new obsession... quantum computers... They're impossible and it's amazing!

Look for part 2 soon, in which Anne tells us how far away we actually are from real, working quantum computers. Are they about to crack all our passwords?

SIO355: Afroman vs Police and Clarence Thomas vs Ethics Apr 11, 2023

Two stories today! First a more upbeat delightful one. The musician Afroman had his home raided by police for reasons no one seems to know for sure. He and his wife took footage, and he used that footage in music videos and on merch. The police want... a cut? Or something. And Matt also gives us a breakdown of the Clarence Thomas situation. Look we all already know there's not a damn thing we can immediately do about it, but that doesn't mean we should give up and not be angry. It truly is an astonishing breach of ethics.

Follow Matt Cameron on twitter!

Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO354: Serial's Adnan Syed Conviction Reinstated. What Happened? Apr 04, 2023

When I saw the headlines that Adnan Syed's murder conviction had been reinstated, I asked our friendly SIO legal expert Matt Cameron to take a look. We both assumed it was likely just some procedural thingy that would be quickly resolved. Well, turns out there's a lot more to it than that. Find out what happened and why Matt thinks there's a chance the conviction might not be going away after all.

Follow Matt Cameron on twitter!

Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

Matt's footnotes:

85-page Court of Appeals decision in Lee v. State reinstating Adnan Syed’s conviction (3/28/23)
Mosby’s Sep 14, 2022 motion to vacate Adnan Syed’s conviction
Judge Phinn’s September 19, 2022 order on motion to vacate
Attorney General Brian Frosh’s statement re: SA Mosby’s motion to vacate
Attorney General’s fiery response to Adnan Syed’s motion to disqualify AG’s office from representing the state of Maryland in this appeal
More on the feud between the Attorney General and Baltimore City State’s Attorney over the Adnan Syed conviction: “Maryland AG questions integrity of process used to exonerate Adnan Syed,” Maryland Daily Record (10/25/22)
Full transcription of prosecutor’s handwritten note which Mosby alleged constituted Brady evidence and more information in this Baltimore Banner story: “Was Adnan Syed Note Misinterpreted?” Baltimore Banner, (11/1/2022)
Appellant Young Lee’s brief in Lee v. State
Defendant Adnan Syed’s brief in Lee v. State
2019 Court of Appeals case finding ineffective assistance of prior counsel in Adnan Syed’s case, but not enough prejudice to justify a new trial: State v. Syed :: 2019 :: Maryland Court of Appeals Decisions
Jay Wilds Plea Agreement (adnansyedwiki.com)

SIO353: A General Episode on Special Relativity! Apr 03, 2023

Or wait... is it a special episode on General Relativity? Find out! Dr. Bryan Gillis takes us through some fascinating history on the discoveries and experiments that ultimately led to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. How did they measure the speed of light in like 18 dickety 2 or whatever? Impossible. Also why is faster than light travel equivalent to time travel? So much fun.

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

TRUMP INDICTED!!!!!!!!!!!1111 Mar 31, 2023

HOLY SHIT WE GOT ONE JUSTICE UNIT POSSIBLY! THAT'S SO MANY MORE JUSTICE UNITS THAN WE'VE EVER RECEIVED WITH REGARD TO TRUMP!

Matt was kind enough to join me for a late night emergency recording on the Trump indictments. 34 counts!!!! And Lydia makes a quick guest appearance for an indictment toast!

This is going to have to take the place of the patron bonus I had planned. I'll save that for April. Only so many hours in the day!

SIO352: The Picard Maneuver... IT. COULD. WORRKKKK! Says Bryan the Astrophysicist Mar 30, 2023

It's another delightful and educational journey through sci-fi! In a Star Trek Next Gen episode, we learn about the famous Picard Maneuver - where Picard made his ship appear in two places at once. As much as this may sound like unrealistic sci-fi flair, could it actually work? Dr. Bryan Gillis says yes! Kind of. Come learn cool things about astrophysics and relativity and whatnot! Make sure to pledge to get Part 2 early!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO351: Ok So About That Whole 'Trump Being Arrested' Thing Mar 26, 2023

Matt's back! Ok so Trump was not arrested or indicted last week. What happened? No idea. But, Matt's here with some more in depth coverage of the cases we discussed last week. There's some fascinating stuff here and still reason for optimism. Does a letter by Michael Cohen ruin the whole Stormy case, as some pundits think? No. But is there a different, less... completely stupid reason the case might be problematic. Also, more from Georgia, and some SPEED law happened.

Follow Matt Cameron on twitter!

SIO350: A Very ADHD Episode on ADHD Mar 25, 2023

Today's expert is none other than Stormy Decisis himself, Dr. Alan Smerbeck! Alan heard a recent episode of Dear Old Dads in which I talked about my efforts to get an ADHD diagnosis and it raised all kinds of interesting questions.

Here's the volunteer link Alan told us about!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!

SIO349: Thomas and an Astrophysicist See a Star War Mar 23, 2023

Dr. Bryan Gillis breaks down some bad astrophysics in The Last Jedi, and we have some fun trying to reconstruct it to make sense!

Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!

Please consider supporting SIO on Patreon! You get an ad free show, and goodies! Right now patrons are 1 episode ahead!

SIO348: Is... Is Trump Going To Be Arrested? Like... Really? Mar 20, 2023

Ok I know how this sounds but like, it might actually happen. And it all links back to, no shit, Stormy Daniels. Having been a little preoccupied lately, I'm very lucky to have expert Matt Cameron on to catch me up and explain which of the eleventy billion crimes Trump has committed might actually come with consequences. Matt is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, serves on the board of the Student Immigrant Movement (“SIM”), and is an adjunct lecturer at Northeastern University.

Hey go to patreon.com/seriouspod for the Star Wars episode and more to come asap!

Serious Inquiries Only Update Feb 26, 2023

Hey folks, I'm excited to get the show going again! In this update, I talk about my plans with it, and I put out a call for people to be on the show. Also, let's get the Facebook group active again!

Thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me and my family in these times. You're the absolute best. Heart emojis and heart eyes emojis.

Little Update Feb 10, 2023

Andrew Torrez, Thomas's 50/50 partner in Opening Arguments Media, LLC has been accused of sexual misconduct and unwanted/uncomfortable behavior by many women and 1 Thomas. Thomas's allegations are here, major content warning. Here's Since then Andrew has gone off the deep end and completely stolen control of the show and company assets. Here's a drive link with tons of info. I talk about all that, how you can support me if you choose, and give a heartbreaking update: Lindsey Osterman has left SIO. So much heartbreak these past weeks.

Please, pretty please, support this feed at patreon.com/seriouspod. Thank you so much, truly.

SIO347: Does Microdosing Work? Recorded LIVE at QED! Nov 17, 2022

Science person and apparent druggy drug person Lindsey Osterman took us through what the science says on microdosing!

Links: Cavanna et al (2022) Microdosing with Psilocybin Mushrooms, Lea et al (2020) Microdosing Psychedelics: Motivations, Subjective Effects and Harm Reduction, Goldberg et al (2021) Post-Acute Psychological Effects of Classical Serotonergic Psychedelics, Yu et al (2021) Psilocybin for End-of-Life Anxiety Symptoms

Mason et al (2021) Spontaneous and Deliberate Creative Cognition During and After Psilocybin Exposure

Amoroso & Workman (2016) Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

SIO346: Even More Reasons To Never Let Republicans Have Power Nov 08, 2022

This is perhaps the final part in our series on the Turnaway Studies. The last part focuses on what happens when women are made to undergo an unneccesary ultrasound as a condition to get an abortion. And also, another perhaps under-covered way that abortion care is even more unaffordable for many people. These are all things that are perpetrated on uterus havers by Republicans. So... I guess what I'm saying is VOTE THEM OUT

Links: Kimport et al (2014) Beyond Political Claims: Women's Interest In and Emotional Response to Viewing Their Ultrasound Image in Abortion Care, Roberts et al (2014) Out-of-Pocket Costs and Insurance Coverage for Abortion in the United States , Guttmacher Institute: State Policies Regulating Abortion Coverage

SIO345: The Effects of Counseling and Protestors on People Who Get Abortions Nov 01, 2022

It's a 3rd edition of turnaway studies!

Links: Gould et al. (2012) Patient Education and Emotional Support Practices in Abortion Care Facilities in the United States, Gould et al. (2013) Predictors of Abortion Counseling Receipt and Helpfulness in the United States, Foster et al (2013) Effect of Abortion Protesters on Women’s Emotional Response to Abortion, National Abortion Federation Releases 2020 Violence & Disruption Statistics

October QnA! Oct 29, 2022

Would I go so far to call this qna spooktacular? I don't know. We report, you decide.

SIO344: Is There More Perceived Consensus on the Right or the Left? Oct 25, 2022

Another very fascinating science thingy, in the realm of politics. This one is about how the right and the left perceive political consensus among their ranks and among the other side. It always feels harder to organize on the left... but should it?

Links: Stern et al. (2014) Ditto Heads: Do Conservatives Perceive Greater Consensus Within Their Ranks Than Liberals?, Ondish & Stern (2018) Liberals Possess More National Consensus on Political Attitudes in the US: An Examination Across 40 Years

SIO343: Excess Republican COVID Deaths Are Massive. But Not Surprising. Oct 18, 2022

Science denialism kills. Anti-vax conspiracy theory kills. This was obvious. But what are the numbers? How many more Republicans died of COVID than might have anyway? A new study has done a rigorous job answering that question, and the answer is grim. Very grim.

Links: Wallace et al. (2022) Excess Death Rates for Republicans and Democrats During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Pink et al. (2021) Vaccine endorsement from Republican leaders increases vaccine intentions in Republicans, Allcott et al (2020) Partisan differences in social distancing and transmission rates, KFF poll on partisan gap in COVID-19 vaccination status, Estimates of unnecessary deaths due to unvaccinated adults (Brown School of Public Health)

SIO342: New Study on Sedentary Lifestyle and Health Oct 12, 2022

So many of us in this day and age are stuck at our desks, or at our homes, or both, and not getting enough movement. It doesn't take a certified science thingy person to know that's probably not great. But how bad is it? And what levels of exercise or movement make a difference? Find out!

Links:

Farrahi et al. (2022) Joint Profiles of Sedentary Time and Physical Activity in Adults and their Associations with Cardiometabolic Health, Matthews et al. (2021) Sedentary Behavior in US Adults: Fall 2019, Matthews et al. (2008) Amount of Time Spent in Sedentary Behaviors in the US, 2003-2004, Evenson et al. (2015) Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns Using Accelerometry from a National Sample of US Adults, Pomeroy (Feb. 2022) Does Sex Count As Exercise? , METs for Common Recreational Activities, METs for 800+ Activities

September QnA! Oct 04, 2022

Thanks so much for the questions! Lots of personal ones, plus some behind the scenes stuff.

SIO341: Does Belief in Astrology Correlate with Narcissism? Oct 01, 2022

It's a science thingy, but more fun! A recently published study claims that belief in Astrology correlates with some negative personality traits, like narcissism. But, is it a Good Science Thingy(tm)? Or did Mars being in retrograde cause the researchers to overstate their conclusions? It's definitely one or the other!

Links: Andersson et al (2022) Even the stars think that I am superior: Personality, intelligence, and belief in astrology, Pew Report (2018) "New Age' Beliefs Common Among Both Religious and Nonreligious Americans, YouGovAmerica Poll Report (2022) One in four Americans say they believe in Astrology, Mosher (1966) - Paper about sex guilt and belief in psychic abilities , Longest & Smith (2011) Finding about astrology belief prevalence in a cohort of millennials

SIO340: Are Most Late Term Abortions for Health Reasons? Actually... No Sep 15, 2022

It's an often cited statistic that a high percentage of late term abortions are to protect the health of the mother, or due to some complication. As it turns out... this is one example of a left wing talking point that just... isn't substantiated. But importantly, it does not matter. In part 2 of our series on The Turnaway Studies, Lindsey takes us through the data on later term abortions. If you plan on trying to change the minds of pro-lifers, this is a great episode to prepare you. Learn what the data say, and why even though the traditional pro-choice talking point may be incorrect, it doesn't actually affect the argument.

Links: Foster & Kimport (2013) Who Seeks Abortions at or After 20 Weeks?, Jones & Kooistra (2011) Abortion Incidence and Access to Services In The US, 2008, Foster et al. (2012) Attitudes and Decision Making Among Women Seeking Abortions at One US Clinic, Questions and Answers on Born-Alive Abortion Survivors (Pro-life article about later abortion), Foster & Biggs (2021) Timing of Pregnancy Discovery Among Women Seeking Abortion, Upadhyay et al. (2014) Denial of Abortion Because of Provider Gestational Age Limits in the US

SIO339: The Turnaway Studies, Part 1 Sep 08, 2022

What happens to people who seek abortions but cannot get them? I imagine listeners to this show know the outcomes aren't good. But the Turnaway Studies put real, tangible data into the picture. Your arguments for abortion access will be made much sharper by listening to Lindsey break down the science.

Links: The Turnaway Study overview, Annotated bibliography of The Turnaway Study publications, The Turnaway Study Book info, Biggs, Gould, & Foster (2013) Understanding why women seek abortions in the US

SIO338: Is Depression 'Just a Chemical Imbalance?' with Dr. Dean Burnett Sep 01, 2022

Recently a study made the rounds that sought to cast doubt on the efficacy of antidepressants. At the core of this misleading study was a real truth – that depression isn't merely a question of "not enough serotonin." But what exactly does that mean? Is this a new discovery? And why doesn't that mean that medication focused on serotonin doesn't work? Explaining this brilliantly and with singular charm is Dr. Dean Burnett!

SIO337: Major Announcement! Academia Has Lost a Science Person... Aug 28, 2022

But SIO has gained one! That's right, Lindsey has left her job as a professor and has entered our hearts as (hopefully) a full time science communicator person! We discuss the change and the reasons for Lindsey's departure.

Pretty please help the show afford to pay Lindsey! patreon.com/seriouspod!

SIO336: How Night People Suffer in a Morning Person World Jul 31, 2022

It's part 2! This time we talk about melatonin, and then go on through the many negative outcomes associated with being a night person in this horrible morning person world. It's a lot. But there's like one good thing so that's cool.

Links: Li et al (2019) - Melatonin to treat secondary sleep disorders, Brzezinski et al (2005) - Melatonin and sleep, Schrire (2021) - Safety of high dose melatonin in adults, Wei et al (2020) - Safety and efficacy of melatonin for children, Grigg-Damberger & Ianakieva (2017) Poor quality control of OTC melatonin, Yam et al (2014) Morning employees are perceived as better employees, Hepburn, Ortiz, & Locksley (1984) Stereotypes of evening types, Zielinska et al (2021) Political orientation and chronotype, Norbury (2021) Depression and chronotype, Antypa et al (2015) Anxiety and chronotype , Cox & Olatunji (2019) Anxiety and chronotype, Durmus et al (2017) ADHD and sleep, McGowan et al (2016) ADHD and sleep in adults, Preckel et al (2011) Cognitive ability, and academic achievement, Gorgol et al (2018) IQ, conscientiousness, and chronotype, Bhar et al (2022) Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance, Lotti et al (2022) Cardiometabolic Risk, Cancer, and Depression, Hasler et al (2013) Chronotype and reward response, Ahrens & Ahmed (2019) Sleep deprivation, reward circuitry, and addiction, Kivela et al (2018) Chronotype and psychiatric disorders, Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, Kantermann et al (2007) Transition to DST, Allebrandt et al (2014) Chronotype and seasonal sleep duration

SIO335: Are There Morning People and Night People? What the Science Says Jul 30, 2022

Day man! Fighter of the night man! As someone who has never been able to wake up in the morning, I've always been curious how much of that was determined and how much I might have control over it. What does the science say? Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to teach us! There are a lot of interesting factors that go into it. Links: Bear, Wolf, Lion, & Dolphin Sleep Types, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Adan & Almirall (1991) Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire: A reduced scale, Munich ChronoType Questionnaire, Roenneberg (2019) Chronotype and social jetlag: A (self-) critical review, Yetish et al (2015) Natural sleep and its seasonal variations in three pre-industrial societies, Kalmbach et al (2017) Genetic basis of chronotype in humans, Roenneberg et al (2007) Epidemiology of the human circadian clock, Hagenauer & Lee (2013) Adolescent sleep patterns in humans and laboratory animals, Shawa, Rae, & Roden (2018) Impact of seasons on an individual’s chronotype

SIO334: ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ with the Glass Box Podcast, Part 2! Jun 29, 2022

We continue our descent into Mormon Madness with Bryce and Shannon! If you haven't listened to part 1, STOP and go back! Check out the Glass Box Podcast!

SIO333: 'Under the Banner of Heaven' and the Lafferty Murders, with The Glass Box Podcast Jun 27, 2022

When I started watching Under the Banner of Heaven, I honestly had no idea it was a: true crime and b: MORMON AS HELL. (I had just wanted to watch Andrew Garfield in a thing...) Well, if you were left a little confused by the Mormon lore in this true-crime thriller, have we got the show for you! Bryce Blankenagel and Shannon Grover help us understand this very... bizarre religious history. And Shannon has a personal connection to the real case! Check out the excellent Glass Box Podcast!

SIO332: Science Says Stop Spanking Your Kids, A-Holes! – Dear Old Dads Crossover Jun 09, 2022

That's right, it's a crossover spectacular! Tom and Eli (and I) from Dear Old Dads are here to learn from Lindsey why no the f you should not spank your kids you a-hole! Science is clear. Don't do it. But Lindsey breaks it down and we make lottttts of jokes and hear more amazing dad stories!

Subscribe to Dear Old Dads!

Links: 2019 APA Resolution on Physical Discipline of Children by Parents, Gershoff and colleagues (2018) - Review on physical punishment and detrimental outcomes

SIO331: Study Shows Privileged People Perceive Equality as Unfair Jun 01, 2022

It's another science thingy subjected to the Lindsey treatment! A study purports to show that people in a position of privilege view any effort to promote equality as an attack on them. Does the study hold up? Will Lindsey talk methods to us? Find out!

Stay tuned after for a special message from Andrew Torrez.

Links: New Scientist Article, Brown et al study 2022

SIO330: Does Meditation Reduce Prosocial Behavior? May 19, 2022

By popular request, Lindsey will be taking us through this fascinating science-thingy! Certain kinds of meditation can reduce feelings like guilt, sadness, etc. But is that good? Does it make people less likely to help others in different ways? Find out!

Links: Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Guilt and Prosocial Reparation, popular coverage

SIO329: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story May 05, 2022

Our own Dr. Lindsey Osterman has had an abortion, does not regret it, and wants to tell us why this basic healthcare right matters not just for those in extreme circumstances. Then, we discuss the political situation and what can actually be done about it. Yelling may be involved.

SIO328: Making Sense of Sensemaking with Aaron Rabinowitz Apr 30, 2022

There's possibly a new brand of centrist-IDW-know-it-all online, and it's called a "sensemaker." Or, is it a totally normal good thing? I don't know. So I brought in way-too-online-person Aaron Rabinowitz to explain just wtf is going on here. We ended up having a wide ranging discussion on the centristy-IDW manosphere and what makes it tick. And why Elon Musk blows.

SIO327: Does Paying Fox News Viewers to Watch CNN Pull Them Back Into Reality? Apr 14, 2022

You've likely seen this study covered across the interwebs. Well, does it hold up to the SIO-Osterman treatment? Find out!

SIO325: How to Be Persuasive, According to Science - Part 2 Mar 13, 2022

Dr. Lindsey Osterman explains the rest of the persuasion review paper. This episode has a lot of good, practical info if you're wanting to try to change minds, for real!

Links: Hussein & Tormala (2021) Undermining Your Case to Enhance Your Impact, Jost et al (2003) Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition, Jost et al (2007) Are Needs to Manage Uncertainty and Threat Associated With Political Conservatism or Ideological Extremity?

SIO324: How To Be Persuasive, According to Science Mar 09, 2022

With so many people in our country seemingly living in an alternate universe of facts, persuading people to change their mind has never been more important. But... how can we actually do that? What actually works? Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to science us about it!

Hussein & Tormala (2021) Undermining Your Case to Enhance Your Impact

SIO323: Did COVID Precautions Increase Adolescent Suicide Risk? Feb 19, 2022

That's the claim made by many right wing anti COVID restriction people. What's more, it seems to be based on a CDC report. So is there anything to it? Find out!

Links: Yard et al (2021) CDC report, Popular press coverage of report 1, 2, 2020 CDC report (claiming that adolescent ED visits for mental health increased by 31% in 2020 compared to 2019), CDC Reports on decline in total ED visits for March/April 2020, Through March 2021, Timing of State and Territorial COVID-19 Response, CDC Mortality data 2014-2019, 2020-2022 (provisional), WISQARS nonfatal injury reports, WISQARS fatal injury reports, Lindsey's Graphs

SIO322: Again with the Garbage Free Speech Arguments Feb 10, 2022

Yeah it's some commentary about the Joe Rogan controversy. I couldn't help it. People are being too wrong on the internet.

SIO321: Does Giving Money to Mothers Boost Baby Brain Activity? Feb 05, 2022

You might have seen the coverage recently of a study that claims to show that giving poor mothers cash payments changed their babies’ brain activity in ways associated with stronger cognitive development. So what is the study, and does it hold up to SIO science thingy scrutiny courtesy of Dr. Lindsey Osterman? Find out!

Links: NYT write-up, Troller-Renfree and colleagues (2022) The Impact of a Poverty Reduction Intervention on Infant Brain Activity, Other publications from Baby’s First Years

SIO320: Patreon QnA 8! Feb 03, 2022

We had a number of questions from the November QnA that never happened to get to, as well as some new ones for January. Here's to getting back to regular on these!

SIO319: The Rise (and Fall?) of r/antiwork Jan 27, 2022

What the saga around the subreddit r/antiwork says about our society and capitalism's death grip on us.

SIO318: Study Says the People Have 'Near-Zero' Influence on Policy. Does it Hold Up? Jan 21, 2022

It's time to give another viral thingy the Dr. Lindsey Osterman treatment! A viral tweet summarizing the findings of a political science study alleges that the people have "near-zero" impact on public policy. What is this study, what did it find, and was it good science? Find out!

Links: Gilens & Page (2014) - Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, Vox article on Gilens and Page and rebuttals, Bashir (2015) – Response to Gilens and Page, Enns (2015) - Response to Gilens and Page, Middle class income calculator (by region)

SIO317: Is Instagram Bad for Mental Health? What the Science Says Might Surprise You Nov 11, 2021

The Facebook Whistleblower's testimony and interviews have made some alarming claims about social media and the harms it may cause. But do all of those claims hold up to scrutiny? Maybe not! Let's see what psychologist Dr. Lindsey Osterman has to say!

Lindsay's billion links: Internal Report 1, Teen Mental Health Deep Dive, Internal Report 2, Hard Life Moments: Mental Health Deep Dive, Whistleblower Full Senate Hearing Transcript, Body image dissatisfaction in preadolescent children, Disordered eating and the transition to college: A prospective study, Prevalence of body dissatisfaction among a United States adult sample, Prevalence, Onset, and Course of Suicidal Behavior Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Germany, Lim et al (2019) Suicidality and Self Harm in Children and Adolescents, Swannell et al (2014) Prevalence of NSSI in nonclinical samples, Woods & Scott (2019) #Sleepteens, Keles et al (2002) Social Media and Depression, Anxiety, and Distress, Ferguson et al (2013) Peer, TV, and Social Media Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, ED Symptoms and Life Satisfaction in Adolescent Girl, Orben et al (2019) Social Media’s Enduring Effect on Adolescent Life Satisfaction

SIO316: Spooktacular October Patreon QnA! Oct 31, 2021

Is it ghosts? Dave Chappelle's boring unoriginal transphobia, rat jacket fetishes, Democratic party bashing, and more! Here's that Grandpa Joe blackface post.

SIO315: Lisa Littman's Latest Trans Study is Garbage Oct 29, 2021

It's part 2 of our Littman breakdown, find out what her latest junk study says. This time it's about detransitioning and it suffers from many of the same problems as her first study we covered in part 1. Also, friend of the show Aaron Rabinowitz, host of Embrace the Void, dug up some of the questions Littman asked. Which ones were and were not included says a ton about what the answers must have been. Links: MacKinnon (2021), Littman (2021), Turban (2021)

SIO314: Lisa Littman's Bogus Trans Studies, Part 1 Oct 26, 2021

Recently, a study by Lisa Littman has been making the rounds among the anti-woke. You may remember Littman mentioned in the amazing 2 part series debunking The End of Gender. She is the inventor of the transphobic bull shit concept "rapid onset gender dysphoria" which is science words for "kids these days." In this two part series, Dr. Lindsey Osterman breaks down both of her bogus studies and why they are terrible science thingies.

SIO313: US Police Killings Undercounted by More than Half, According to New Study Oct 07, 2021

In a vital follow up to our police bias episodes, today we break down a new study that shows police killings were undercounted by MORE THAN HALF. This confirms what many of us have suspected about the "official data" on police violence, and it's only the tip of the iceberg.

Links: Lancet article, Fatal Encounters, Mapping Police Violence, The Counted

SIO312: September Patreon QnA! Sep 30, 2021

We've got some great questions as always! This time we start with some personal slash whimsical stuff including what song lyrics we have been wrong about. Other great segments include sex stuff and why Jordan Peterson is wrong about evo-psych. Or just... everything.

Links: Dwulit & Rzymski (2019) - Associations of Porn Use with Sexual Dysfunctions

SIO311: What the Science Actually Says on Porn Consumption Sep 26, 2021

It's part 2 of our sex stuff series. Dr. Lindsey Osterman did a deep dive into porn related research. Either that or I caught her looking at porn and she proposed this series as an elaborate cover. But either way you're getting some great stuff! Does the anti-porn side of the argument have the weight of evidence on their side? Is porn actually totally fine? Find out!

Links: Michael Hobbes, Human Trafficking, Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Revenge porn laws by state, Fisher & Kohut (2017) Pornography viewing: Keep calm and carry on, Grubbs et al (2018) Pornography problems due to moral incongruence, Reward Foundation (promotes porn abstinence; one of the authors on a review article claiming that porn is bad holds a position at this foundation), Ferguson and Hartley (2020) Pornography and sexual aggression: Can meta-analysis find a link?

SIO310: Banning Sex Work and Sex Work Websites Is Bad and We Should Stop Doing It Sep 16, 2021

But don't take my word for it, Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to break down the social science for us! And guess what, SURPRISE SURPRISE, it doesn't support the conservative war on porn and sex work. And it's not just conservatives, it's NYT's Nicholas D. Kristof, and prominent anti-porn feminists like Catharine MacKinnon. Listen as Lindsey explains why the war against sex work is bad for everyone.

You're Wrong About: Sex Trafficking, The Butterfly Effect, Perry (2021) "Scientific authority, religious conservatism, and support for outlawing pornography", Platt et al (2018) "Associations between sex work laws and sex workers’ health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies", McCarthy et al (2021) "Job attributes and mental health: A comparative study of sex work and hairstyling", Cowen & Colosi (2021) "Sex Work and Online Platforms: What Should Regulation Do?", Jiao et al (2021) "Information and Communication Technologies in Commercial Sex Work: A Double-Edged Sword for Occupational Health and Safety", Bleakley (2014) "500 Tokens to Go Private”: Camgirls, Cybersex and Feminist Entrepreneurship, Cunningham et al (2018) "Behind the screen: Commercial sex, digital spaces and working online"

SIO309: A Veterinarian Answers our Ivermectin Questions Sep 09, 2021

Therese Chan, an actual vet (though not a horse doctor) is here to talk about Ivermectin. What is it, what does it do, what does it not do, why are so many people taking it, will it turn you into a horse, will it turn you back from a horse to a human, is this a simulation, no really is it, how is any of this real, and more!

SIO308: August Patreon QnA! Sep 01, 2021

It's that time again! Patrons asked some fantastic questions. Like, what's our favorite piece of visual art? Is Bari Weiss right about Amy Cooper? What are Lindsey's thoughts on tenure? Are morals taught or learned? When should people resign in protest vs. staying and fighting? And more!

SIO307: Newly Published Study Shows Atheists are Prejudiced... Aug 26, 2021

... AGAINST ANTI GAY ACTIVISTS. Yeah. It's a bad science thingy. But bad science thingies are a bat signal for Dr. Lindsey Osterman, who is here to break down this study for us! What does the study prove? What does it definitely not prove? Find out!

Uzarevic et al. (2021) "Are Atheists Unprejudiced?", Uzarevic et al. (2017) "Are Atheists Undogmatic?", Speed & Brewster (2021) "Christians, but not Atheists, Show High In-Group Favoritism"

SIO306: What Does the Massachusetts Outbreak Say About Vaccine Effectiveness? Aug 12, 2021

You might have seen the very scary headlines about a Massachusetts outbreak in which 74% of those infected were vaccinated. That sounds terrifying! But is it? What does actual science person Dr. Lindsey Osterman make of these numbers? The news is actually far better than you might think! Find out why! In a quick first segment, Lindsey gives us a hilarious recap of how thoroughly Sam Harris accidentally parodied the hell out of himself!

Links: WaPo article on Provincetown Outbreak, Original CDC Report on Provincetown Outbreak, Bear Week, CDC data, Delta’s dominance in US, NYT Tracker of MA COVID cases, COVID-19 Vaccine Report, from MA Dept of Public Health, Tegan and Sara Study

SIO305: July Patreon QnA! Aug 05, 2021

After some thrilling haircut talk, we get to this month's questions! Topics this time include: choosing government by sortition, Manchin and Sinema ruining the country, who was the best movie president, vaccinating yourself vs. your children, a general strike, and neoliberalism!

SIO304: Are the Woke Left and Alt-Right Alike? Part 2: The Study So Bad It Made Quillette Look Good Jul 30, 2021

Continuing from the last episode, Lindsey backs up her claim that the bulk of the terrible science was yet to come. WOW. This study was complete garbage. You really ought to hear how terrible it is. Lindsey, as usual, did other people's homework for them. She got a hold of some of the data and did her own work with it, which revealed some interesting stuff. Here is the doc.

Links: the study, the article, Moss & O’Connor (2020b; origin of White Identitarianism Scale), Pew Poll, Political Polarization in the American Public, Master’s thesis (origin of the PC scales)

SIO303: Are the Woke Left and Alt-Right Alike? AKA Debunking a Garbage Quillette Article About a Garbage Study Jul 22, 2021

Holy both sides, Batman! Yeah no suspense on this one, Quillette is garbage and the study this article references is garbage. But how garbage and why exactly? Is there any truth to it? As usual, Lindsey is here to give us the breakdown! This is a part 1. In order to grab part 2 early, make sure to pledge on patreon!

Links: Moss & O’Connor (2020b; origin of White Identitarianism Scale), Pew Poll, Political Polarization in the American Public, Master’s thesis (origin of the PC scales)

SIO302: Are Boomers Narcissistic? Are Millennials Entitled? What a Large Narcissism Study Does and Doesn't Tell Us Jul 15, 2021

This episode was inspired by this Insider article, Baby Boomers Are More Sensitive Than Millennials. Science is often butchered by the media, so I sent it along to our own Dr. Lindsey Osterman to see if the study backs up the article. As it turns out... not really. But it does say some interesting things. Listen in and find out!

Wetzel and colleagues (2017), The Narcissism Epidemic is Dead; Long Live the Narcissism Epidemic

SIO301: Evidence Based Mental Healthcare, with Dr. Caleb Lack Jul 08, 2021

Today Lindsey and I are joined by Dr. Caleb Lack. Caleb is a full professor of psychology at the University of Central Oklahoma, and he's here to talk about evidence based mental healthcare. When it comes to treatment, what is actually evidence based and what is unsupported at best and pseudoscience at worst? Also, find out how Caleb trolled a predatory academic journal!

Check out Caleb's book, Critical Thinking, Science, and Pseudoscience.

Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, short and to the point! Support the show at patreon.com/seriouspod! Come watch us on Twitch! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SIOmembers For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO300: June Patreon QnA! Jul 01, 2021

It's episode 300! And also the June patreon QnA! Topics covered include: moral panics – does the left engage in them too? Syria and an old SIO guest. Are we close to full institutional breakdown? How f*cked are we in 2022 and 2024? Who would we root for in a war against America? Christian socialists, critical race theory, people on the left wanting to lift mask mandates. And, what episodes are good for reachable right wing people?

SIO299: Debunking CRT Attacks with Dr. Ery Shin Jun 27, 2021

You've seen Critical Race Theory discussed everywhere thanks to an entirely ginned up moral panic by Christopher Rufo, but have you gotten to hear someone who actually teaches it talk about what it's really about? If not, I hope you'll listen as Dr. Ery Shin takes us through some basics, and also answers a few anti-CRT talking points from James Lindsay's Christian Nationalist funded New Discourses.

SIO298: Is Life Pointless? More from the Journal of Controversial Ideas Jun 15, 2021

with special guest Aaron Rabinowitz! You know him from Embrace the Void and Philosophers in Space, but today he's here to philosophize at us. A paper on pointlessness was published in the first issue of the Journal of Controversial ideas. How good is it? How controversial? Find out!

SIO297: New Atheists Didn't "Merge with the Far Right" Jun 10, 2021

Perhaps some number of them did, but neither these atheist leaders, nor the movement as a whole "merged with the far right," as this Salon article says. I suppose it may seem like a minor point to some, but I think it's pretty significantly journalistically irresponsible to have a headline as explosive as that, with the picture like that, and not have it be supported by the article.

SIO296: The Journal of Controversial Ideas Jun 03, 2021

Recently, Jeff McMahan, Francesca Minerva and Peter Singer started a journal called The Journal of Controversial Ideas. In it, people can post racist transphobic stuff that is TOO controversial for other journals! (except that it totally isn't.) Lindsey and I give some background, and do a fair bit of yelling about the race science paper published in the first issue of the journal. Links: "Who Is The Victim In The Anna Stubblefield Case?", "Gender Muddle: Reply to Dembroff", "Cognitive Creationism Compared to Young-Earth Creationism", Holly Dunsworth's essay, VBW on IQ & Race, pt 1 https://www.verybadwizards.com/122 and pt 2 https://www.verybadwizards.com/123

SIO295: Patreon QnA 2! Jun 01, 2021

Lots of great questions from our patrons! Lindsey gives us a taser research update; why are puppies cuter than humans? Is PZ Myers wrong about EvoPsych? Spike proteins, anti-vax stuff, and more! Links: TASER study, Kurzban's response to PZ, Russian fox domestication experiment, Contrapoints on AGP, Blogpost on spike proteins, Aaaaaand one bonus link for you

SIO294: The Hannah-Jones Tenure Denial is Worse Than You Think May 27, 2021

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer-winning journalist and developer of the 1619 Project, was appointed to a tenured professorship at UNC Chapel Hill. This is a position that is funded by the Knight foundation. However, a board of old white lawyers who happen to be the Trustees of the University, denied Hannah-Jones tenure, against the recommendations of, well... everyone who should matter in the decision making process. Many people have made bad faith arguments and whataboutisms, but Dr. Lindsey Osterman (tenured professor) is here to give us real perspective on it.

NYT: Nikole Hannah-Jones Denied Tenure, The 1619 Project, UNC Chapel Hill Faculty Handbook, Hussman School of Journalism Tenure Procedures, Open letter from the Hussman faculty, "We Are Critics of Nikole Hannah-Jones. Her Tenure Denial Is A Travesty.", Criticisms of her appointment, NYT note explaining revision of Hannah-Jones's essay, NC Policy Watch's Special Report on NHJ's tenure denial

SIO293: Did The CDC Screw Up? May 20, 2021

The CDC recently made a surprise announcement that vaccinated people don't need to wear masks, with only a few exceptions. This was greeted with some excitement, but also with vigorous pushback by people on the left. So what's the science behind this decision, and what are the practical concerns? We break it down! Then, we talk about a very premature victory lap taken by Bret Weinstein over the lab-leak hypothesis being confir... I mean not quite technically disproven. ***FACTUAL CORRECTION*** I said that 27 states never had mask mandates. I misread that. 27 didn't have them in place at the time of the CDC's announcement. 11 states never had mandates. Links: CDC Updates To Recommendations, CDC Science Brief, KFF Report on Vaccine Hesitancy/Enthusiasm, Science Letter, "Investigate the origins of COVID-19", NYT Article on Science Letter

SIO292: More Weinstein and Heying Anti-vax Nonsense May 13, 2021

It's part 2 of our debunk of the disgraceful anti-vaccine garbage being spewed from the Dark Horse Podcast. It's a YouTube show featuring two biologists who ABSOLUTELY should know better, but don't. Since I forgot links on part 1, here are ALL the links: Two articles who interview experts about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines: 1, 2; Edited Fauci clip; Longer Fauci clip; Summary of WHO report on origins of COVID-19 pandemic; WaPo article about Joe Rogan; The Atlantic, The Pandemic’s Wrongest Man; Worst Year Ever, “Vaccines are Dope;” Absolute vs. relative risk reduction; Salk Institute news release about spike proteins study; That elusive full text article about spike proteins; CDC Chart of Risk By Age:; FDA, on Ivermectin; NIH, on Ivermectin; “Ivermectin and Covid-19: How a cheap antiparasitic became political”

SIO291: Bret Weinstein Spreads Dangerous Anti-vax Nonsense May 06, 2021

Joe Rogan said healthy, young people shouldn't get the COVID vaccine. This is dangerous and anti-science and incorrect. Though Rogan apologized, Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein took to their YouTube channel to double down on Rogan's claims and do further damage to the cause of science and the effort to vaccinate and protect the public against this deadly disease. It's shameful, and Lindsey is here to explain why they are wrong.

SIO290: Patreon QnA 1! May 04, 2021

We got some great questions from patrons, and we ended up answering almost all of them! They include: How did Sam Harris end up being so wrong? Should we ignore the Supreme Court? Evopsych, non-lethal weapons, parasocial relationships, and more!

SIO289: Our Disgustingly Racist Death Penalty Apr 29, 2021

This is the second part of our racial bias in criminal justice episodes. This one focuses on sentencing, and explores studies showing just how desperate the death penalty is, and how racial bias drives that.

Baldus et al (1998) -Racial Discrimination and the Death Penalty in the Post-Furman Era Eberhardt et al (2006) – Looking deathworthy: Perceived Stereotypicality of Black defendants predicts capital-sentencing outcomes Eberhardt et al (2004) – Seeing Black: Race, crime, and visual processing

SIO288: The AHA Dawkins Debacle, Part 2 Apr 28, 2021

This episode is the sequel to the last one, so make sure to check that out. I go into the "whataboutism" around the AHA Dawkins award thing, and talk about a really terrible thing another atheist said that I think people should know about.

SIO287: AHA Revokes Dawkins Award, Atheists Lose Minds Apr 27, 2021

Sorry, we interrupt the scheduled programming to bring you a yelly rant episode about how terrible all the arguments around the Richard Dawkins humanist award revocation are. It's a bunch of the "smartest people on the internet" saying really stupid things and I've had enough.

SIO286: Studies of Racial Bias in Criminal Justice Apr 22, 2021

Official co-host Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to give us a breakdown of some studies measuring racial bias in Criminal Justice. Part 1 talks about split decision shooting studies, part 2 will focus on sentencing discrepancies.

Links: Meta-analysis on racial bias in first-person shooter tasks, Across the Thin Blue Line: Police Officers and Racial Bias in the Decision to Shoot, When Fatigue Turns Deadly: The Effects of Cognitive Depletion and Sleep Deprivation on the Decision To Shoot, When Practice Fails to Reduce Racial Bias in the Decision to Shoot: The Case of Cognitive Load

SIO285: Debunking "The End of Gender" Part 2 Apr 01, 2021

Here is Part 2 of our debunking of a book by Dr. Debra Soh called "The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society." Soh is someone with a relevant credential, which perhaps makes her anti-trans schtick even more dangerous. Within the text are kernels of truth about the science of sex and gender, but she abuses that science beyond recognition to defend cultural conservative norms. Lindsey has the breakdown for us!

Links: (for both parts)

Proposal about the definition of "sex," Nature editorial responding to the definition, Teen vogue video on gender diversity, Myth of persistence, Response to Soh re: rapid onset gender dysphoria, Original study on ROGD, Transgender suicide, Review on current best practices in care of transgender youth

SIO284: Debunking "The End of Gender" Part 1 Mar 31, 2021

Somehow, esteemed co-host Dr. Lindsey Osterman got through all of the terribly transphobic book by Dr. Debra Soh called "The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society." Soh is someone with a relevant credential, which perhaps makes her anti-trans schtick even more dangerous. Within the text are kernels of truth about the science of sex and gender, but she abuses that science beyond recognition to defend cultural conservative norms. Lindsey has the breakdown for us, and it's too much for one episode so look for part 2 tomorrow!

Links: (for both parts)

Proposal about the definition of "sex," Nature editorial responding to the definition, Teen vogue video on gender diversity, Myth of persistence, Response to Soh re: rapid onset gender dysphoria, Original study on ROGD, Transgender suicide, Review on current best practices in care of transgender youth

SIO283: Quantum Physics 101, with the What the FUP Podcast! Mar 18, 2021

What is the "What the FUP?" Podcast, you ask? It's none other than Dr. Lindsey Osterman's new show with physicist Dr. Brian Gentry! We all watched "What the BLEEP Do We Know?" with a mind to critique it, but the episode turned into a fascinating Quantum Physics 101 lecture because there was so much to go over before we could even dive into how wrong the documentary is on every level!

SIO282: Debunking the Latest 'Campus Craziness' Stories Mar 11, 2021

If you're thinking "are they still doing this whole thing?" about 'campus craziness' then you're not alone. But fortunately Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to do some debunking for us! Did a professor get fired for racist tweets? Did a research paper get retracted due to progressive outrage? Find out!

Links:

Jussim's blogpost, Articles on the Negy firing: Orlando Sentinel, NYT, pro-Negy article about it: Inside Sources Sources for the AlShebli retraction: Original article, Retraction note from the editors, Response, More Response: https://osf.io/ybfk6

SIO281: Frank and Dan Want You To Run for Something! Mar 01, 2021

Somehow we've all been podcasting for 10 years in atheism and never done anything together (except a midnight tryst back on NYE) but Frank and Dan of Thank God I'm Atheist are finally on the show! We talk about their background and also their drive to get more atheists into office! That could mean you! Click on the link and check it out, but also listen to this really fun interview!

SIO280: A Scientific Case for Repressed Memory? Feb 25, 2021

After last week's episode with Carrie Poppy, I got a number of responses saying we might have been a little too dismissive of the evolutionary case for repressed memory. As it turns out, Dr. Jennifer Freyd, has developed a theory that could account for something like it. Yes, that Jennifer Freyd, the accuser whose story was told in The Cut's article that started this whole thing! The entire situation is as fascinating as it is tragic for virtually everyone involved, but Dr. Lindsey Osterman is here to give us a more complete understanding of the science!

SIO279: How 'The Cut' Dangerously Mishandled Recovered Memory, with Carrie Poppy Feb 18, 2021

A recent article in The Cut discusses allegations of sexual abuse which were made based on "recovered memories." Regardless of the truth or falsity of the accusations, the science of memory may have been very badly represented in this article, to harmful effect. Carrie of Oh No Ross and Carrie breaks it down for us! Complete with a Satanic Panic tie-in.

(Link to the letters.)

SIO278: The Filibuster is F***ing Stupid Feb 04, 2021

It is unfathomable to me that Senator Kyrsten Sinema wants to preserve this idiotic accident of history. It is not anything the founders intended. It's not in the constitution. It's pure crap that stands in the way of not just progress but basic governance. I do a mini break down of how we got here, and I have a few ideas of how we could get around the filibuster and not make liars out of Manchin and Sinema.

SIO277: The GameStop Fiasco, with Phil Ferguson Jan 30, 2021

The only thing that could possibly wrestle the internet back from Bernie Sanders's warm mittened hands is the GameStop madness. Joining me to break it down and try to explain and comment on approximately 1 billionth of everything to it is Phil Ferguson of the Phil Ferguson Show!

Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, short and to the point! Support the show at patreon.com/seriouspod! Come watch us on Twitch! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SIOmembers For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO276: Is the Dunning-Kruger Effect Real? Jan 28, 2021

A recent article by Jonathan Jarry made a few waves on the internet recently, as it claims that the Dunning-Kruger effect might not actually be real! Official SIO Science-splainer Lindsey Osterman is on with a full breakdown! Is the effect real or is it just statistical noise? Tune in and find out!

Links: (Original paper) Kruger & Dunning (1999), (Review chapter) Dunning (2011), (Response to early statistical critiques) Kruger & Dunning (2002), (First Nuhfer paper): Nuhfer et al (2016), (Second Nuhfer paper): Nuhfer et al (2017)

SIO275: President Biden! (marginal happiness warranted) Jan 21, 2021

It's a celebratory show! I've got some thoughts on it all, and why we shouldn't waste any time being mad at Joe Manchin. Also, this election was closer than 2016 and that blew my mind.

SIO274: A Pornhub Rebuttal with Tom Curry Jan 16, 2021

A few weeks back I had Eli Bosnick on to talk about Nicholas D. Kristof's Pornhub article. Eli attacked some of the fundamentalist Christian sources for the piece, and talked about the plight sex workers who had been left without income after the backlash. Tom, from Cognitive Dissonance and Citation Needed, has major disagreements with Eli on the topic and wanted to respond.

SIO273: Sam Harris is Wrong Again Jan 14, 2021

Harris recently released another both sidesy "I'm the only rational one" podcast episode about the recent insurrection at the Capitol. While he condemns Trump and the right, he also makes a series of terrible arguments in the name of anti-wokeness. Lindsey and I are here to set him straight! *note I said 2 Capitol officers were arrested. They were only suspended.*

Check us out at twitch.tv/seriouspod!

Lindsey's Links: Reporting on police response to January 6th vs. BLM -WaPo, ProPublica, nbc news, Business Insider, Uprising: A Guide From Portland

Articles contextualizing the “bending the knee” moment during the BLM protests: Metro Times, WaPo

Reporting/video of police instigating and escalating violence in BLM protests: Drone Video of the BLM protest in Richmond, Guardian, CNN

SIO272: Sedition Special with Andrew Torrez and Allison Gill Jan 07, 2021

I had a whole good news episode planned about Georgia. I have so much to say, and so many things to be positive about. And then some fascist f*cks stormed the Capitol building. Andrew and I just felt that we needed to get on the stream with our audience and talk it out. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of time for the good news later!

SIO271: Listener Qs! Dec 31, 2020

Topics include Democratic messaging, the working class, tips for cutting out meat, and more!

SIO270: NYT's Kristof Duped by Christian Anti-Porn Group Dec 29, 2020

Today's show features fan-favorite Eli Bosnick explaining how much is completely wrong about an op-ed by Nicholas Kristof. The article claims that PornHub is "...infested with rape videos. It monetizes child rapes, revenge pornography, spy cam videos of women showering, racist and misogynist content, and footage of women being asphyxiated in plastic bags." These are very serious claims, and reading the article might make you feel ill. However, there is a serious problem with it. Listen in and hear the breakdown!

Eli's Links: http://Trafickinghub.com, Daily Beast article about them, Exodus Cry page, Open Democracy on Exodus Cry, Exodus Cry's documentary on Netflix about how tinder leads to young teens getting kidnapped, Exodus Cry faq page, their Intervention manual, trafficking hub’s petition to shut the site down, Elevate Academy, their courses, their staff page, PornHub human screening, trusted flaggers, content removal form, digital systems for blocking content, PornHub best in class policies, Visa and other card companies pulled plug on PornHub.

SIO269: Evolutionary Psychology and Sex Differences Dec 24, 2020

It's part 2 of the Defending Evo-Psych series! This one was so much fun. Lindsey talks about sex differences in different species and how they are also present in human behavior. We talk about ridiculous birds, mating dollars, casual sex, and all kinds of fun stuff!

Studies referenced: Singh (2002) - REVIEW, WHR, attractiveness, and fecundity, Li et al. (2002) - necessities and luxuries of mate preferences

SIO268: Defending Evolutionary Psychology with Lindsey Osterman Dec 17, 2020

Since Lindsey has started to appear on the show more often, we've heard from a few people who were under the impression that her field (evolutionary psychology) is "bunk" or is all unprovable just-so stories. As an expert, Lindsey takes us through where these objections come from and why they aren't accurate. Plus she takes us through some fascinating research!

Studies mentioned: Wertz & Wynn 2014 Infant avoidance of plants, Wertz 2019 Ho plants shape the mind

SIO267: We Should Eat Less Meat Dec 11, 2020

... and other monologues and listener questions! I have not eaten meat for 2 months, and I want to explain why and why I think you should do your best to reduce meat eating as well. Don't worry, no excessive shaming. I just want to share my reasoning and hope it influences people. Also, more listener questions!

Bonus: Yelling at Sam Harris Dec 10, 2020

I asked the patrons over at patreon.com/seriouspod and they overwhelmingly said I should publish this on the main feed. Keep in mind, it's raw and explicit, but I think some great points were made and it's useful listening. If you'd like to hear episode 267 sign up as a patron!

SIO266: Why Sam Harris Is Wrong about Police Killings Nov 26, 2020

It's been something like 70 years since the George Floyd protests, and the news cycle has had no choice but to move onto so many other huge and terrible things. But Lindsey Osterman and I still haven't forgotten the terrible arguments used by people like Sam Harris, and many in the right-wing information ecosystem, to push back against Black Lives Matter and to try to undermine the massive protests we saw. Lindsey takes us through two papers that have heavily influence this view, and why they're completely wrong. (spoiler: one was even RETRACTED!)

This episode was far more focused on the academic papers than on Sam Harris, but if you'd like to hear us absolutely destroy his "Can We Pull Back From the Brink" episode, make to become a Patron!

SIO265: Did The System Work? Nov 19, 2020

I'm finally answering my listener email! It's been a tense... year, and I haven't gone to the inbox for a while. Today that changes! Before that, I can't help but unload a bit about whether or not "the system worked." When I hear people say that, it just does not seem right. But also... it did... kinda? Then I get to your questions and comments, about Constitutional Conventions and lizard people and revolution and progressive policies and more!

SIO264: Did Progressive Causes Lead To House Losses? Nov 12, 2020

After Democrats had a disappointing election in the House, there was a group call in which some centrist members blamed progressives. AOC responded in the New York Times. This has set off a pretty bitter debate. I wanted to get to the bottom of the claims using the actual voting data and see if there was anything to be learned going either way. Hours of data entry later, I believe I have (some) answers.

SIO263: Not The Worst Possible Outcome, But Close Nov 05, 2020

As of recording, it's looking like a narrow Biden victory and Republican control of the Senate. This isn't set in stone, and there's still an outside shot of taking the Senate and winning the Presidency by a more comfortable margin, but this analysis is under the assumption that we won't. Here are my thoughts.

SIO262: I'm Perfectly Calm Nov 03, 2020

Calmer than you are. It's election day. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Here are a series of disjointed thoughts. God damn I hope this all ends.

SIO261: A Monster Island Follow-up Nov 01, 2020

Listeners were fascinated by the Monster Island experiment Aaron told us about last episode! At the same time, another member of the group responded by posting that Aaron had perhaps left some things out of his account. I thought it would be a great opportunity to hear more about the experiment and also see how identity can affect how things like this are experienced.

SIO260: Aaron Rabinowitz on James Lindsay and Monster Island Oct 24, 2020

My brother from another pod-mother Aaron Rabinowitz is on to discuss the fantastic article he wrote for The Skeptic! The article is about his experience in the Facebook group Monster Island, which was a no-holds-barred debate group that some of you may have been involved with. If you weren't, Aaron will detail what happened, including a pretty scary twist (or predictable?) ending.

Before that, we talk about James Lindsay going full Trump supporter.

SIO259: Hunter's Damned Emails Oct 21, 2020

I've been wondering how two things could be true - that Giuliani has an obviously fake story about obtaining Hunter Biden's laptop, and that the leak contains seemingly real texts between Joe and Hunter Biden. I tried to get to the bottom of it.

I also talk about the recent murder of a teacher in Paris, committed by a Muslim refugee with radical beliefs, and how we can try to maintain proper perspective in the wake of visceral acts of terror.

SIO258: How Social Media Can Subvert Democracy Oct 15, 2020

Lindsey Osterman is back for a follow-up to our Social Dilemma episode. Last time we talked about where the documentary got things a little wrong. Today Lindsey's here to tell us what they had right, but didn't go enough into. It's not a pretty picture! As usual, she's got the science to back the claims: 3 major studies which show that Facebook has affected real elections.

Studies: Kramer et al 2014, Bond et al 2012, Haenschen

SIO257: The Psychology Behind Cults, Part 2! Oct 14, 2020

The second part of our conversation on cults. We finish up on the psychology and then talk about Q anon and Trumpism and whether or not they can fairly be called cults.

SIO256: The Psychology Behind Cults, with Lindsey Osterman Oct 08, 2020

If you've been watching The Vow on HBO (or any number of other cult related shows) you may have been wondering how cults work - why people join, and how cults hang onto their members. There is a lot of psychology behind it, so who better to help break it down than our evo psych expert Lindsey Osterman!

SIO255: That Horrendous Debate, with Andrew and Alex Torrez! Oct 01, 2020

We're doubling our usual Torrez here! Andrew's son Alex, high school debate champ, is here to help us break down the monstrosity that was that presidential debate!

SIO254: We Have To Win Sep 23, 2020

The death of the great RBG is absolutely devastating, and has made the stakes so much higher. In this episode, I talk about what we HAVE to do to keep our democracy. Things aren't good.

Toward the end, I get into the arguments over whether RBG should have retired, mainly because in EVERY interaction I've seen online about this, people get a bunch of the factual information wrong. However, the arguments are almost completely moot, so if you feel you don't need a history lesson, feel free to skip this part.

Links: Ideological measures of the court, Avg justice retirement age, excellent Rebecca Traister article, RBG on why she can't retire, 2014 article asking her to retire.

SIO253: Unpacking 'The Social Dilemma' Sep 17, 2020

The new doc 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix is making quite an impression on people. It tells a riveting story of the harms of social media, and has led to many people deleting their accounts or limiting their usage. But are all the claims backed up by science? Yes and no... If you've got an urge to delete all your accounts, you might want to hear what social psychologist Lindsey Osterman has to say about it! (and then maybe still delete your accounts if you want..)

Links: Verge article I really liked, social network sites and well-being study, A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents, Time Spent on Social Network Sites and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis.

SIO252: Lindsey Osterman on Parasocial Relationships Aug 27, 2020

It's been a while, but today we've got a science episode! Making her return to the show is Lindsey Osterman, a psychologist who has been studying parasocial relationships. It's already incredibly likely that you take part in some number of parasocial relationships, but now in the time of COVID they're more prevalent and important than ever.

Here are the studies Lindsey references!

Gabriel et al (2018) - From apprentice to president Download Osterman & Hecmanczuk (2019) - Parasocial Forgiveness Download

SIO251: Dimensions of Political Identity Aug 20, 2020

I've got thoughts and lots of them. How do we as progressives criticize Democrats without damaging our future? Is someone who thinks the DNC is corrupt more left than I am, or more.. something else? No prison stocks didn't go up because of Kamala Harris. Julian Assange is an absolute crap. And lots more.

SIO250: James Lindsay's "New Discourses" Funded By Far Right Christian Nationalist Aug 13, 2020

Today I'm joined by philosopher Aaron Rabinowitz of Embrace the Void and Philosophers in Space to discuss the some revelations about James Lindsay's organization "New Discourses." If you're a long time listener, you'll remember James Lindsay from this show back when he didn't totally suck. Well he now very much sucks, and to no one's surprise, he's being propped up by right wing Christian Nationalist Michael O'Fallon. PZ Myers has a good writeup of it on his blog. Aaron and I talk about that, our history with James, and what to make of all this.

SIO249: Can Trump Refuse to Leave? with Andrew Torrez Aug 06, 2020

Here's part 2 of my discussion with Andrew Torrez of Opening Arguments! This time we focus on (hopefully) wild and unlikely scenarios if Trump refuses to leave office. Find out if any of them scare the expert and always optimistic P. Andrew Torrez, Esquire!

SIO248: Can Trump Steal the Election? with Andrew Torrez Jul 30, 2020

Hey folks, this is one of those unintentional 2-parters! I originally intended to have Andrew on to discuss the scary (and hopefully unlikely?) ways that Trump might try to stay in power even if he lost, but before we even got to that discussion, we go through the ways that Trump and the Republicans are cheating to try to win. Is vote by mail safe? What's the deal with poll-watchers? Those questions and more became part 1, and next episode we talk about the scary theories of how Trump could potentially try to remain president.

SIO247: Reflections on White Fragility and How To Be An Antiracist Jul 18, 2020

It's a solo show today. I have a lot of thoughts on two books I've read - White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. The monopoly example I used I should have credited to Kimberly Jones.

SIO246: That Harper's Letter, with Eli Bosnick Jul 09, 2020

A lot of prominent writers, journalists, thinkers, etc, have signed an open letter about "Cancel Culture." New dad and world's funniest podcaster Eli Bosnick is back on the show to break it down!

Here are links we discuss: brilliant New Republic Article; James Bennet Resigns as New York Times Opinion Editor; Harper's Editor Fired Over 'Sh*tty Men in Media' Story; Longtime Deadspin editor fired after controversial internal memo; Jeanine Cummins Syndrome; Pittsburgh Newspaper Bars Black Reporter From Covering Protests; UCLA Poli Sci Department Condemns Lecturer for Reading MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail, Showing Video About Lynching; White professor investigated for quoting James Baldwin's use of N-word.

SIO245: Brandon J. McKoy on #defundthepolice Jun 18, 2020

We're joined this week by Brandon J. McKoy! He's the president of the New Jersey Policy Perspective, a think-tank whose focus is policy change to advance economic justice and prosperity. We discuss what #defundthepolice means to different advocacy groups, what it might look like in practice, and what other potential policy might lead to better policing in this country.

SIO244: On Publishing Fascist Op-Eds, with Bryan W. Van Norden Jun 11, 2020

The New York Times recently published an Op-Ed by Tom Cotton advocating a severe crackdown on the protests. The piece sparked a giant backlash and even a bit of a civil war within the Times. The Opinion editor officially stepped down. Joining us today is Professor Bryan Van Norden, who has written about why not all opinions deserve to be heard. Much of the justification people use tends to derive from Mill's On Liberty, but does that essay really justify platforming fascism?

Links: Bryan's Op-Ed, Bryan's lecture on political discourse, Mill's essay, Marcuse's essay, exposure to false claims increases likelihood to believe them.

SIO243: Alix Jules Jun 04, 2020

It has been far, far too long since we've heard from Alix Jules on this show. I can't think of a more perfect guest to help us better understand the mayhem happening around the country right now.

SIO242: Jane Roe's Deathbed Confession May 28, 2020

Jamie and I are on to discuss the pandemic, the attacks on abortion rights coming from the right, and Jane Roe's deathbed conversion.

Jamie's links: http://yellowhammerfund.org, http://bwhi.org, http://prochoice.org, http://lilithfund.org, http://prochoicetexas.org, http://teafund.org, http://westfund.org

SIO241: A Parasitic Review May 21, 2020

I recently watched Parasite and was so blown away by it that I wanted to do a review/discussion of the film, and fortunately, Jamie was game! I loved it and there is so much to analyze and enjoy, so we hope you enjoy it along with us. We recommend you watch it first!

SIO240: Listener Questions, Continued! May 14, 2020

We've got questions on politics, philosophy, and more! As always, they lead to a spirited debate.

SIO239: Listener Questions! May 06, 2020

We've got questions on politics, philosophy, and more! As always, they lead to a spirited debate.

SIO238: Skye Cleary on Existentialism and Love Apr 23, 2020

Today we bring you something not at all COVID (or politics) related. We recorded a wonderful interview with Skye Cleary back over a month ago, just before the pandemic changed all our lives. We thought it would be a much needed change of pace. Skye is a philosopher who teaches at Columbia University, and is the author of Existentialism and Romantic Love (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life (Vintage 2020).

SIO237: Dissecting the Primary, with Jamie Apr 13, 2020

Jamie is back! We set out to discuss what happened in the primary and have a spirited debate as well. Some things I mentioned: 538, Vox, Weeds episode.

SIO236: Honestly Evaluating the Biden Accusation Apr 11, 2020

Joe Biden has been accused of sexual assault by Tara Reade, with the alleged incident taking place in 1993 when she worked for him. In my opinion, there has been a tremendous amount of bad faith in how this has been talked about my many outlets. This story has consumed my brain and I haven't been able to think of anything else for a few days, so I have just felt I had to do my best to lend an objective voice to a very charged topic. I know I'm just another privileged dude opining, but I believe I've shown that I take accusations very seriously and am willing to kill my heroes. With all that in mind, what follows is likely convoluted and circuitous, but that's because my feelings on this have been all over the place. I hope you find it useful.

Here are the links I reference: Jezebel; Salon, Current Affairs Robinson Piece; Tara Reade Transcript on Current Affairs; Krassensteins Medium; Reade's Medium post; Lucy Flores's Accusation

SIO235: Cardinal Pell Wins on Appeal Apr 09, 2020

It has been about a year since we talked about the charges against Cardinal Pell for sex crimes against minors, and now he has won on appeal to the highest court in Australia. This sounds like terrible news, but Andrew Torrez and Australian lawyer James Rogers are here to break it down for us! It's an Opening Arguments crossover spectacular!

SIO234: Podcasting the Apocalypse Mar 21, 2020

Jamie and I talk about the pandemic.

SIO233: Welp.... Joe Biden. Mar 12, 2020

It's a solo show! We've got a couple Tuesdays' worth of primary results to discuss, and they aren't good for Bernie Sanders. So why is Bernie doing so much worse than in 2016? According to Amanda Marcotte and others, it's maybe due to sexism. I discuss that and other responses to it. I also talk about some mindset changes I've been having, spurred by how awful Twitter has been in this primary and also by the book Politics is for Power, that really has opened my eyes to how many ways politics is merely a hobby and why that's not good.

SIO232: Gregg Caruso on Free Will, Part 2 Mar 05, 2020

This is a part 2 of 2. We continue the discussion with Gregg Caruso! He is a professor of philosophy at SUNY Corning in New York, honorary professor of philosophy at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and visiting researcher at the University of Aberdeen School of Law in Scotland. His latest book is Unjust Deserts: Free Will, Punishment, and Criminal Justice (forthcoming). He also debated Daniel Dennett on free will in written form on Aeon, which we highly encourage you to check out!

SIO231: Gregg Caruso on Free Will and Moral Responsibility Feb 29, 2020

This is a part 1 of 2! We're doubling the number of philosophers on the show this week, with a fantastic guest in Gregg Caruso! He is a professor of philosophy at SUNY Corning in New York, honorary professor of philosophy at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and visiting researcher at the University of Aberdeen School of Law in Scotland. His latest book is Unjust Deserts: Free Will, Punishment, and Criminal Justice (forthcoming). He also debated Daniel Dennett on free will in written form on Aeon, which we highly encourage you to check out!

SIO230: Blue No Matter Whomberg? Feb 27, 2020

We had ourselves another debate and it was intense, and poorly moderated. Jamie and I break it down, and also go into the question that seemed a lot more relevant last week: would we vote for Bloomberg if he's the candidate to face Trump in the general? Find out!

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SIO229: Means Testing, #metoo, and Bernie Bros Feb 20, 2020

It's time for listener questions! It's been far too long so some of these are older, but they're very worthwhile to discuss still. First up, why do we prefer means testing for Yang's UBI but not free tuition to public universities? Then, was there no evidence that Dr. Ford ever met Kavanaugh? Should Franken be able to make a comeback? Why do daycare workers make so little? (insert heated debate about Bernie supporters...) Then finally, some questions about inner monologue!

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SIO228: Iowa, The Debate, and New Hampshire Feb 13, 2020

Well we took a week off of politics and a WHOLE bunch of politics happened, so we need to do some catch-up!

***Jamie had some severe audio problems. Due to a family trip, I don't have the ability to re-record so I figured it was better to release than not have an episode this week. Apologies for the quality issues.

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SIO227: Do You Have an Internal Monologue? Feb 06, 2020

... because one of your beloved hosts of SIO does not! Needless to say, this was a mind blowing realization to that person. We talk about the extraordinary differences in human internal experience, and some of the current science and philosophy on the topic. This was really one of my favorite episodes in SIO history!

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SIO226: Ben Burgis on Logic, the Left, and Joe Rogan's Endorsement Jan 31, 2020

Ben Burgis teaches philosophy at Rutgers. He also writes for Jacobin, and delivers regular essays to his patrons, in addition to appearing on the Michael Brooks show regularly. He recently wrote a book called Give Them an Argument: Logic for the Left. We discuss his book, the left in general, and the arguments over Bernie being endorsed by Joe Rogan.

***due to a number of technical issues before and during the recording, we ran out of time and the interview had to end a bit abruptly. Apologies for that!***

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SIO225: Australia on Fire, with Jake and Gregg of The Pouch Podcast Jan 23, 2020

You've likely seen in the news that Australia is being absolutely pummeled by wildfires, well today we get to speak to two actual Australians about it! We talk about the fires, climate change, the political response, the animal loss, and more. Jake and Gregg have a new podcast about Australian politics called The Pouch Podcast, which you should check out!

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SIO224: Dem Debate 7 Or Something Jan 15, 2020

Jamie and I watched the debate and we have lots of thoughts! Including on some of the pre-debate topics, like the Warren-Sanders stuff, Booker dropping out, and more.

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SIO223: Iran and Ricky Gervais Jan 09, 2020

Jamie and I are back at it to talk about the big events in the news! Some are bigger and more life threatening than others...

Here's the article I referenced.

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SIO222: What Happened in the UK Election? with Dr. Kristi Winters Jan 01, 2020

Recently, Boris Johnson's party won a significant majority in what seems to be the final nail in the Brexit Coffin. Many a liberal around the world are shocked and saddened by this, and many a columnist in the US has a hot take on what this portends for US politics. Here to give us more info than we can feasibly fit into 60 minutes is Dr. Kristi Winters, who has been studying British political elections for around 10 years.

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SIO221: Debate Reaction Episode! Dec 20, 2019

It was a much more productive debate, given that there were only 5 candidates plus some billionaire who bought a ticket to be onstage. Jamie and I talk through some of the arguments and issues!

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SIO220: Trump Impeached! Dec 19, 2019

The most corrupt president in history has been impeached, and Jamie and I are here with the rapid response!

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SIO219: Are You In the Right Headspace for a Podcast? Dec 05, 2019

Jamie and I talk about Kamala Harris dropping out, a powerful #metoo account, and then the latest meme about asking people if they're in the headspace to receive harmful information.

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SIO218: Joe Biden Punches Violence in the Face Nov 22, 2019

...and other tales from the nth Democratic Debate. We've got the breakdown and some various and sundry rants and opinions!

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SIO217: Ok, Boomer Nov 14, 2019

It's time for a listener question episode! First we start with a discussion on the "Ok Boomer" meme, and social media more generally. Then we've got questions about Warren's debate answers, abortion being safe legal and rare, Tulsi Gabbard, and more!

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SIO216: The NYT Polling Panic Nov 07, 2019

Recent polling done by the New York Times has many liberals very worried about the 2020 election. Despite being so unpopular, Trump is polling well against the major Democratic rivals in 6 key states that the NYT polled. Jamie and I discuss the polling and why we should or should not be freaked out, and the implications this has on running more to the center or to the left.

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SIO215: The Case of Rep. Katie Hill Nov 01, 2019

Representative Katie Hill's story contains the intersection of so many issues - revenge porn, sexism, double standards, consent, #metoo, sexual and relationship ethics, and more. Jamie and I give the breakdown and give our opinions on whether or not she should have resigned.

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SIO214: Ok WTF is with Tulsi Gabbard? Oct 24, 2019

Jamie and I embark on a Tulsi Gabbard deep dive! We've struggled trying to figure out what her deal is, and then the Hillary Clinton story blew up, so we figured it would be a great time to do a deep dive and try to answer the question of.... WTF. Is she an asset for Russia? Is she a secret Republican? Is she a progressive? Find out what we dug up!

Here are some key sources. I read a lot for this but many sources were redundant. The main two would be Jacobin and Daily Kos.

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SIO213: Democratic Debate No. 43 Oct 17, 2019

Jamie and I watched the latest Democratic Primary Debate so that you don't have to. Unless you want to. We've got opinions! Come listen and let us know what you think!

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SIO212: A Joker Review Oct 10, 2019

Jamie and I watched Joker, so you don't have to! Unless you still want to, that's fine. The movie has generated a lot of buzz and think pieces, with people worried that it would inspire white terrorism. On the other end, though, some people think it is an absolutely brilliant movie. So where do we come down? Listen and find out!

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SIO211: Listener Questions, with Jamie! Oct 03, 2019

It's a great time to stay on top of some listener mail! But first, a new segment, "Feminist Yells at News!" Jamie talks about Brett Kavanaugh's latest victim complex, and Hillary Clinton opening up in recent interviews. After that, it's listener questions! Topics include: supporting local news organizations vs. national news organizations; comedians feeling like they can't do comedy because of the PC left; is it useful to have conservatives like Ross Douthat in the NYT opinion section; are we strawmanning the Yang UBI arguments?

After that, we've got an excellent bonus 30 minutes for patrons! We talk about needing meaning in life, Jamie answers criticism on her Biden comments, and then we talk about which are our favorite musicals! (and not so favorite...)

SIO210: The Case of David Silverman Oct 01, 2019

Former President of American Atheists, David Silverman, has been on an attempted comeback tour. He has done some interviews, including with noted sexual harasser of British PMs, Carl Benjamin. It's one thing if Silverman wanted to try to seek forgiveness and start over, but he seems to be completely re-writing history and is also adopting MRA talking points in the process. Jamie and I are here to set the record straight as to what he was accused of, and argue that his victim-narrative is quite bogus.

Sources: American Atheists Statement; BuzzFeed Article; WaPo Article.

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SIO209: More Listener Questions! Sep 20, 2019

I'm here with an old fashioned solo-pod, since there are so many more good listener questions to answer! Topics are: more non-binary folks respond to ContraPoints, racism, cancel culture, the real dark web, bubbles, and atheists still associating with certain problematic atheists. Hope you enjoy the bonus episode!

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SIO208: Kavanaugh, Weinstein, and Listener Qs with Jamie Sep 19, 2019

Jamie and I start off with a bit of a '#metoo in the news' update. There were new allegations against Kavanaugh that were revealed in a truly bizarre way by the New York Times, and there was also a devastation episode of the NYT Daily Podcast that talked about Gloria Allred and her daughter Lisa Bloom, and the work Lisa did to defend Harvey Weinstein and discredit his accusers. After that, we've got some voicemail and email on Yang and UBI. Finally, we discuss an email about white guilt and dealing with relative privilege in our society.

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SIO207: Post-Debate Special! Sep 13, 2019

Jamie is here to talk Democratic Debate, and we've got a fun one for you! We've got lots of opinions on the nature of the debate itself, the highlights the low-lights, which candidates shined and which were Joe Biden. Plus, and EXTRA segment for patrons! Hop onto patreon and get a bonus 25 minutes!

SIO206: ContraPoints and Cancel Culture Sep 12, 2019

What could turn a left-tube favorite into the IDW's poster child overnight? Just ask ContraPoints. Well actually you can't, because she deleted her Twitter after a run-in with some folks who have accused her of saying things that are offensive to non-binary people. To get more info, Tris Mamone has a good explainer here that I would recommend. I'd also recommend this video by another non-binary YouTuber, and this video by trans YouTuber Kat Blaque. So Jamie and I are here, not to adjudicate the trans questions involved but to talk about so-called "cancel culture." Was ContraPoints canceled? What does that mean exactly? Is it true that the left is a circle firing squad cancel machine? How ought we deal with tough criticism online? And since Jamie is a smart philosopher person, what insights does philosophy offer us on these questions? I think this was a really valuable discussion that will help put a lot of these issues into the proper perspective.

If you are a smart philosopher person like Jamie, here is some reading she recommends:

Rachel McKinnon: Allies Behaving Badly; Talia Mae Bettcher: Trapped in the Wrong Theory; Robin Dembroff: Beyond the Binary; Katie Dotson: Tracking Epistemic Violence.

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SIO205: What Camus Can Still Teach Us Aug 29, 2019

It's time for a philosophy lesson with Jamie! She's here to teach us about one of her faves, Albert Camus. We touch on absurdism, existentialism, nihilism, and more. Camus lived and wrote during the time of literal Nazis, so his work has a lot to tell us about our current time of arguably literal Nazis. Content note: there's a brief discussion of hypothetical suicide. Here's the essay that Jamie recommends reading if you want to get a taste of Camus's writing.

After that, patrons get a bonus segment about a statement Elizabeth Warren made that people are saying is victim blaming Hillary for Trump's bad behavior. Make sure you're a patron so you can hear it!

SIO204: Sexual Ethics, and More Listener Questions with Jamie Aug 26, 2019

I've got good news and better news. First, Jamie and I are back for a bonus early SIO to tackle more amazing listeners questions and voicemail! We start off with a very deep and thoughtful #metoo related email from a male listener about his potential bad behavior in the past. From there we've got more on #metoo and responses to our Al Franken episode including a voicemail that asks "what about the Minnesota voters, shouldn't they have gotten a say in Franken's case?"

The even better news is: we stayed on to tackle some bonus questions and we talked so long that there's ANOTHER entire bonus episode for patrons! Please hop on patreon.com/seriouspod and give it a listen! We end up disagreeing on some things and we chart a course for some more episodes in the future based on that.

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SIO203: Jamie and the Yang Gang Aug 22, 2019

Jamie Lombardi is back to talk about the curious case of Andrew Yang! We explore why there seems to be so much support for him among the alt-right, 4chan, and IDW type people. We also discuss his flagship policy - the UBI. Hop on to patreon.com/seriouspod to enjoy a bonus QnA segment!

SIO202: The Russia Hoax Hoax Aug 15, 2019

In catching up on some of your many amazing questions, emails, and voicemails, I stumbled into a Glenn Greenwald vortex that I cannot help but sound off on. There is a contingent of the far left (if indeed they are that) that believes liberals fabricated the bulk of the Russia story in order to deflect from Democratic shortcomings. I explore this, and also take a look at what I believe to be the blatant hypocrisy of some of Greenwald's stances on this. Then, I answer another few questions and two bonus questions in a much needed patron only segment!

SIO201: Did Al Franken Get Railroaded? with Jamie Lombardi Aug 08, 2019

Recently, a New Yorker article made a case for Al Franken and why he didn't get the due process he deserved. It points to some inconsistencies in Franken's first accuser's story, and explains some misconceptions about the USO tour and the skits that he wrote. But does the evidence justify the central claim - that he was railroaded and shouldn't have had to resign? Joining me to discuss this question, as well as the wider #metoo implications, is Jamie Lombardi! Jamie also introduces herself and gives some of her background and we talk about a 'free speech in academia' talk that she is giving in the fall.

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SIO200: Democratic Debate, Round 2, Night 1 Aug 01, 2019

Hey folks, I'm back with a rapid response on night 1 of the... TIME, thank you Thomas. But I didn't get to explain what the.. TIME thank you Thomas. Moving on. But I... ok you have 3.2 more seconds. That's it? Ok it'sanepisodeaboutthedebates TIME!

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SIO199: The Problem with #Antifa Jul 28, 2019

... is they get no credit for any good they do, and they get infinite sh*t for anything bad a masked person does, anywhere in the country ever. Today, the occupant of the White House tweeted that "ANTIFA" should be declared "an Organization of Terror." Well, this sounds like a good time for me to deliver to you an episode I spent hours developing back when Andy Ngo was attacked by someone, but hadn't ever recorded. So, here it is. Today's episode is about antifa and how we ought to be thinking about them, how we ought to put them into context, and why no one should give a sh*t about Andy Ngo.

Links: Ngo Claims Brain Hemorrhage; Attack Video; Other Report's Account; Disturbing Texts Between Oregon Police and Far-Right Group; Right-Wing Extremism Responsible for Every 2018 Extremist Murder; Right Falls for Its Own Fake Antifa Accounts; Disturbing Rape Case; My FB Post Where Medical Professionals Commented; Atlantic Article Epidemic of Disbelief; Police Shootings Database

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SIO198: Why No One Is Racist Jul 27, 2019

.... according to Republicans. Hey folks, sorry for the long hiatus. At the end of the episode, I talk about why I haven't been recording this show. But before that, I had a conversation with a family member that really made me think about Republicans and how they think about race. I sort of had an epiphany that I wanted to share. Here are a couple links I mention in the show: Sam Harris black friend audio; Philosophy Tube video.

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SIO197: The #DemDebate, Part 2 Jun 28, 2019

This one wasn't as good. Why does hollywood keep pumping out crap sequels. However, Kamala Harris dismantling Biden was maybe worth it. Harris was far and away the winner, in my book. Her poise is something to behold. Buttigieg is a very effective communicator. As weird as it is, I think he has an outside shot. Then there are a bunch of mediocre white men who I can't keep straight. Plus, I'm definitely ageist. I admit it. All this and more!

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SIO196: The #DemDebate, Part 1 Jun 27, 2019

Warren was great, Castro might be a rising star, why don't people like Cory Booker, and who the hell is Delaney? I watched the debate, and I took copious notes, a couple of which will be utilized. I've got lots of preamble, lots of thoughts, and even a ranking of these 10 at the end. Let me know what your ranking is!

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SIO195: A Mormon #metoo Reckoning, with Colleen Dietz Jun 13, 2019

This week my guest is Colleen Dietz, who is the host of the Mormon Happy Hour podcast. On her show, Colleen does a great job discussing important and sometimes heavy topics while still maintaining laughter and good spirits. She'll need that skill today because unfortunately we're here to discuss a traumatic assault that happened years ago when she was a new student at BYU, and the woefully inadequate response by the school and the church. We don't into too much gory detail, but if you want the full weight of her awful experience she has written more about it here. BYU's victim blaming response was in her opinion almost worse than the assault itself. It took her a long time to come to terms with what happened and why her Mormon faith was not just wrong but how their unhealthy and repressive relationship to sex actually made her more vulnerable to her attacker. However, she's in a much better place now, and she's doing amazing work trying to reform the church from without, and helping others reform it from within.

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SIO194: Milkshaking with Eli Bosnick May 29, 2019

When Eli Bosnick asks to come on your show and give his lava hot milkshake take you say YES. So that's what I've done. If you've wondered how liberals ought to respond to things like the milkshaking or Nazi punching controversies, listen to this episode and wonder no more!

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SIO193: The JV IDW, and More - with Eiynah May 23, 2019

Eiynah returns to the show for the first time in probably way too long! She is a Pakistani-Canadian podcaster/illustrator/blogger who also has dealt with a lot of the same Rational(tm) Intellectual Dark Web types that I have talked about on this show a lot. We talk about that, delusional centrism, unexamined white identity and false objectivity, before venturing on in the second half to talk about Islam. As an ex-Muslim, Eiynah has unique insight into the balancing act of criticizing the bad ideas of Islam without feeding into disgusting anti-Muslim bigotry.

As promised, here is a list of some people/events we referenced with links:

Intellectual Dark Web and NYT Photo Shoot; James Lindsay, JV IDW, past guest on the show, former friend but current warrior against the Humanities for.. not good reasons; Michael Shermer - past guest on the show, never will be again, very credibly accused of being a creep; Carl Benjamin - the douchebag I debated who calls himself Sargon, running for MP and can't stop getting hit with stuff; Sam Harris interview we referenced; Claire Lehmann head of Quillette; Steven Pinker - guy who is super smart in his field but feels the need to venture into lots of other fields and do them badly; Jerry Coyne - minor new atheist who has an angry old man yelling at clouds blog, turned down half a dozen respectful requests WAY back in the day to have conversations on social justice despite claiming to be all about debate; Rashida Tlaib NYT Daily Interview; Secular Jihadist Ali Rizvi Armin discussion.

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SIO192: Some Punditry, with Andrew Torrez May 17, 2019

Andrew Torrez joins me to discuss the Democratic Primary -- Buttigieg, Warren, and whether or not we should be trying to determine who can best beat Trump. As Opening Arguments listeners well know, Andrew always brings insight, history, legal brilliance, and plain charm!

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SIO191: Why I Changed My Mind May 09, 2019

With the birth of our second child, Arlo, I was faced with a decision that many parents have to make... and I fundamentally changed my mind from where I was several years ago. That, plus other voicemail! Old AS episode on the subject; good Vice article.

SIO190: Dating Economy Inequality? with Kristi Winters Apr 25, 2019

Are women "creating an unequal dating environment for men?" Quillette recently published an article that made alarming claims about the dating economy on the basis of some online dating studies. Dr. Kristi Winters is here to bring some social science understanding to it and help us separate fact from fiction! Here's the NYT article I mention.

SIO189: Impeach the Motherf*cker Apr 20, 2019

This episode was delayed due to a new baby in the Smith house! However, it worked out great, since the redacted Mueller report was released on Thursday. Of course, check out Opening Arguments for some in-depth legal analysis, but I've been brewing a ton of thoughts about the report and what Democrats should do in response. I talk about what an insult Barr is to the position of AG, why we don't need to listen to Republicans anymore, and why we should impeach Trump. I think a lot of the arguments against impeachment are worth considering, but ultimately I argue they are based on outdated political conceptions and misused analogy.

SIO188: Voicemail 2! AIPAC, Omar, and the 2020 Dem Primary Apr 11, 2019

Listeners had so many great voicemail messages this month, it demanded a second episode! Also I am a talker, so it could be that. Lots of a great discussion here, starting with a very appropriate callout of a mistake I made on a previous show. After that, I discuss the right wing attacks on Congresswoman Omar and the fact that we never have to listen to Republicans ever again. Then, I clarify some thoughts on the 2020 Democratic candidates thus far, and the difference between token representation, and fighting systemic bias in what kinds of candidates we value.

SIO187: Voicemail! Anti-Vaxers, Christchurch, White Fragility, and Other Topics Apr 04, 2019

It's time for a listener voicemail episode! We've got some really good topics/questions/critiques, so much so that I had to split this into a couple episodes. Topics include changing minds on things like anti-vax and white fragility, and how to be an atheist critical of Islam white not contributing to problematic anti-Muslim bigotry, and voting rights! Here's a good article on what changes anti-vaxxers' minds.

SIO186: (Not) Defending Cardinal Pell, with Jake Farr-Wharton Mar 28, 2019

Longtime friend of the show Jake Farr-Wharton is here to take us through the unpleasant story of Cardinal Pell. He is yet another Catholic priest in a long list who have been accused (and now found guilty) of serious sexual misconduct with minors. This story has a few wrinkles, though, as many high profile, powerful people supported Pell with character references. As it turns out, when Jake was in high school, he was asked to be a character witness for his priest, who was a very valued friend and mentor. Jake takes us through all this and we talk about the ethics involved.

SIO185: The NZ Attack Blame Game Mar 21, 2019

After a horrendous, disgusting, racist massacre in New Zealand, the killer left a trollish manifesto. While it's clear some amount of it is pure sh*tposting, there is also a reason he targeted who he did. The internet has been on fire with who to blame, who not to blame, and as usual I've got some thoughts.

SIO184: Progressives Ruining Things Mar 14, 2019

... like good old fashioned pedophilia? I've some miscellany and voicemails! The theme of today's show is centered around people (usually white men) complaining about what they are losing when standards change. For example, us evil progressives have taken away this immensely popular picture of a sexual assault. And, for some reason, Eric Weinstein thinks the Simpsons taking down their Michael Jackson episode is bad? I also talk about lowering the voting age (and raising it.)

SIO183: The Killing of #StephonClark Mar 08, 2019

It's been a year since Stephon Clark was gunned down in his grandmother's backyard while holding a cell phone. Last weekend it was announced that the two officers would face no charges. I talk about the news, why it's outrageous, and why something needs to change.

SIO182: A Conversation with Russell Glasser Feb 28, 2019

If you've been an atheist any time in the last 15 years, it's highly likely you've enjoyed the contributions of Russell Glasser on The Atheist Experience. Over the years, he's answered countless calls from theists and atheists of all kinds. But in the last year or so, he has taken a firm step back from atheism and hasn't appeared on TAE. He's agreed to come on to talk about why, and about many related issues.

SIO181: The Jussie Smollett Story Feb 21, 2019

Jussie Smollett told the world he was the victim of a hate crime. What happened next, according to the right, is a bunch of insectional libtards believed his obviously false story because of the oppression olympics, or something. For example, check out this SJW's reaction to the news. In the midst of my research on this story, Smollett has been officially charged with making a false statement. It was initially reported that a grand jury indicted him so that's what I said in the episode, but that was corrected to say he was charged by the prosecutor. There is a lot to talk about regarding the reaction to this. I want to argue that the message to believe victims is perfectly compatible with believing someone like Dr. Ford and not believing Smollett.

SIO180: Liam Neeson and White Fragility Feb 14, 2019

After a brief wade into the (I think mistaken) uproar over tax refunds not being as high as last year, I go on to tackle the story of an old white actor telling about the time he was George Zimmerman and then expecting it to be totally cool. And furthermore, how on Earth could ANYONE not accept his semi-pology? We must be living in the Salem Witch Trials era! In all seriousness though, I want to explore the issue and where I think people are going right, wrong, and possibly missing good points. I reference the excellent book White Fragility by Robin DeAngelo, which I highly recommend. Here is the Vox article I mention. Here's Trevor Noah's take. Liam Neeson's second interview.

SIO179: Phil Torres on X-Risks and Pinker's Sloppy Scholarship Feb 07, 2019

Returning to the show is everyone's favorite scholar of global catastrophic risks, Phil Torres! In the first half of the show, we discuss how global risk has changed and evolved in the years since Trump was elected. I also ask Phil if climate change has gotten so dire that it overshadows other existential risks. In the second half, we discuss the recent article Phil wrote for Salon, in which he was very critical of some of Steven Pinker's scholarship in his book Enlightenment Now. Pinker responded in a roundabout way on Jerry Coyne's blog. I also highly recommend you check out this thread by Mangy Jay on Twitter in which she breaks down some other problems with Pinker's book. Check out Phil's latest book!

SIO178: Listener Voicemail! Jan 31, 2019

Today's show starts with an observation about how we talk about the primary candidates and how we tell the history of 2016. Then I've got lots of voicemail! Topics include: Trump being a Russian mole, technology improving quality of life while taking jobs from us, a few on whether Kristi and I unfairly lumped Sam Harris in with Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin in our episode on Louis CK, further insight into the IRB process, and finally how exactly do we define the term 'racism'? Lots of great stuff, thank you so much for the messages and keep them coming for next month!

SIO177: Covington Catholic and the Monument Showdown Jan 24, 2019

Lots of people have asked me for an episode about this, and it turns out I was working on one anyway! Happy coincidence. Lots and lots to talk about here, and since it's me, I have to start by getting all meta on you. Very curious to hear the response on this one, make sure to leave a voicemail for next week's show!

SIO176: Eli Bosnick on the Trial of Peter Boghossian Jan 17, 2019

There has been another chapter in the ongoing saga of classical liberal types seeking to prove that entire fields of academia are bogus. They allegedly do so by publishing a handful of fake studies and papers in a few different academic journals, mostly in the field of gender studies. Due to the fact that these hoaxes have utilized fake data, wasted tons of innocent people's time, and possibly constituted human experimentation, Peter Boghossian has come under a totally reasonable investigation. This hasn't stopped the usual IDW types from reacting as though Boghossian is awaiting public execution. Eli, who broke down the original hoax expertly in SIO44, is back to provide an informed and hilarious breakdown of the whole thing!

Twitter thread on datasets; letter from PSU faculty; excellent Slate article.

Here are Eli's notes and links that I am publishing in a clear violation of his copyright:

Singal article; hey wait don’t I remember that Jesse Signal Guy from somewhere; Turning points USA is terrifying; here’s their professor watchlist; Go down the rabbit hole of highly funded crazy; They are coming for Peter’s Vital Fluids Video Source; Digilante; hey speaking of crazy shit boghossian has said; Hey look more people with brains

SIO175: Andrew Torrez on the FGM Court Decision Jan 10, 2019

Andrew Torrez, of the hit legal pod Opening Arguments, was kind enough to hop onto the ol' SIO to break down the recent Michigan FGM law court decision. This is one of those times the law wasn't covered very well by some media outlets. It's great to have a genius lawyer we can trust to tell us what is actually going on! Along the way we get to learn about plenary powers, the commerce clause, and all kinds of other legal goodies! Here's the NYT coverage (which was more or less correct, but Andrew still gives us way more context!)

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SIO174: With Kristi Winters on Louis CK Jan 03, 2019

Recently, some audio leaked of a new Louis CK standup set and.... it wasn't good. It was so bad it led to Dennis Miller trending on Twitter. Lazy, unfunny, punching down using anti-trans punchlines that are at least a decade old. I wanted to do some solo commentary on this and so many of the thoughts I'm having and bad arguments and borderline harassment on Twitter I've seen over this, but then I remembered that Kristi also used to be a huge Louis CK fan and she was kind enough to join me! Kind of using each other as sounding boards, we share our thoughts and ideas and talk about the collateral damage to fans that can happen in the wake of #metoo. Maybe Louis wasn't your thing necessarily, but I think these same ideas and principles might be helpful when/if your fave goes down in a Ronan Farrow article or something. Later on, Kristi gives us a bit of an update on Carl and how Sam Harris and Jordan B. Peterson are shutting off their Patreon accounts in protest of Carl not being able to use the n-word however he wants (yeah, really....) Here's the full video of the standup.

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SIO173: Voicemail: Ethics, Robots, FGM Laws, and More! Dec 27, 2018

Got a great voicemail episode for you fine folks! There were a lot of really excellent calls this month. Please keep them coming for next month! This week's topics include: doing business with conservatives, robots taking all the jobs, FGM laws in the US, the QED mental health panel, meditation, and how I stopped being a conservative!

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SIO172: Dr. Keith Kahn-Harris on Denialism Dec 20, 2018

SIO171: Bryce Blankenagel on Mormon Fundamentalists Dec 13, 2018

Bryce Blankenagel is an expert on all things Mormon, and he brings history to life in brilliant narrative form. He joins us today to bring to our attention a somewhat frightening strain of fundamentalist Mormonism he has observed, which is making its way online in social media hashtag form. And be sure to check out Bryce's work over on The Naked Mormonism Podcast, The Glass Box Podcast, and My Book of Mormon!

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SIO170: Panel on Neil deGrasse Tyson Allegations, Part 2 Dec 10, 2018

The panel with Kristi Winters and Chantelle Boduel continues! Since our recording, BuzzFeed has put out an excellent article with another accuser and also some more info on the first few. I highly recommend reading it. If you haven't heard part 1 of our discussion, definitely listen to that first!

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SIO169: Panel on Neil deGrasse Tyson Allegations, Part 1 Dec 06, 2018

I'm joined by Chantelle Boduel and Kristi Winters as the nation's favorite astrophysicist and host of the reboot of Cosmos, Neil deGrasse Tyson, has been accused of sexual harassment by (at the time of recording) 3 women (and 1 more shortly after recording, see here.) The oldest accusation is of a horrifying date rape in college, the other two involve a woman who says he touched her inappropriately and an assistant who has an alarming story of Tyson attempting to seduce her. We go over the facts, Tyson's response, and discuss how we feel about the accusations and work our way through some deeper #metoo issues.

HuffPo article on deeper history of 1st accuser; Tyson's statement; Patheos article

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SIO168: Tear Gas Was Used Under Obama, and More Rants Nov 29, 2018

And some listener email. Some topics: climate change is going to kill us; simply being 'not a Republican' is more than enough; comparing Obama and Trump on the border; Avenatti the liberal version of Trump; listener not voting for Democrats because they are too cozy with Islam; and mansplaining mansplaining mansplaining!

Tear gas fact check; Trump's border crisis

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SIO167: Studying Sexism and Video Games with Johannes Breuer Nov 22, 2018

Johannes Breuer is the co-author of a study which looked into the relationship between sexist attitudes and video game playing. To be as precise as possible and not misrepresent it, here is what they found in their words: “We found that the amount of overall video game use at time 1 was not predictive of sexist attitudes/beliefs about gender roles at time 2 (i.e., 2 years later) and that (sexist) beliefs about gender roles at time 1 were equally not predictive of video game use at time 2 (for sample of German players aged 14 and older)." So that's the bland tl;dr version, but we talk through the study, methodology, and what the implications are. We also talk a lot about what this study does NOT show, which is equally important and is easy to lose track of sometimes.

Here are the links to the book chapters where Johannes's work is featured, and here's a good writeup on the original study.

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SIO166: Evidence Based Mental Health Panel at QED Nov 15, 2018

Really proud to have been a small part of this excellent panel at QED! The discussion centers around mental health challenges, de-stigmatization, communication, and which treatments actually work.

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SIO165: Blue Wave Meets Red Wall Nov 08, 2018

The moment we waited 2 years for finally happened. I talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

SIO164: Listener Voicemail! Nov 01, 2018

October was a great month for my voice inbox! I was very happy about that until I realized it's probably because the news was so bad... But still, some amazing calls this month, topics ranging from #metoo stories probably Kavanaugh inspired, to Elizabeth Warren, to voter suppression, and third parties. Thank you so much and keep the calls coming!

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SIO163: Live at QED with Emma McClure on Prison Reform Oct 25, 2018

For those who weren't able to make it to the incredible, bar-setting skeptic conference that is QED in Manchester, here is the audio from my first ever live SIO I did there! Joining me was Emma McClure, a solicitor who, among many other things, has represented very serious criminals in parole hearings. We talk about what prison should be for, what it actually is for, and lots of ways the justice system is really not doing the job it should be.

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SIO162: In Defense of Elizabeth Warren Oct 18, 2018

And also it's the end of the world as we know it, in like 2040, due to climate change. Shouldn't that mean we maybe vote democrat to have a chance for our kids to not die in the climate wars?

After that I do an in-depth analysis of the Elizabeth Warren situation, from the beginning. Many people, including some Native American groups, have been very critical of her DNA test promotion. I think they've been very unfair and in fact completely ignored most of what she said. Critiques that I referenced are linked below.

Vox Article; Atlantic Article by Native Geneticist; Cherokee Nation Response; Warren Video; Politifact on the DNA Test; Politifact on Warren Native History

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SIO161: Mandisa Thomas, President of Black Nonbelievers Oct 11, 2018

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mandisa Thomas, the president and founder of Black Nonbelievers! Mandisa talks about her fascinating background and the work she's doing, and then we go on to talk about the black experience, some of the history involved, and how it is unique within atheism. We talk about what organizations might do to better serve a diverse community. For all the challenges we've faced as a country lately, Mandisa does have some optimism about the future and talks about why. Make sure to check out her Patreon here!

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SIO160: The President Mocked A Sexual Assault Survivor Oct 05, 2018

And all I've got for you this week is rage. Warning: this is an explicit podcast and involves yelling. I break down the horrible news from this week, from a sexual predator being confirmed to the Supreme Court and Trump mocking his victim, to the Trump crime family committing fraud and avoid hundreds of millions in taxes. And NONE of this has any consequences. Because we didn't vote. Democrats didn't excite us.

The Incredible NYT Investigation

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SIO159: He's Going To Be Confirmed Sep 28, 2018

Let's face it. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I am. I watched the entire Kavanaugh hearing and I've got thoughts. And rants. And raves. I hope it helps.

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For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO158: Why Skeptics Should Believe the Kavanaugh Accusations Sep 20, 2018

In this episode, I walk through all the evidence, testimony, and witnesses we have for the accusations against Brett Kavanaugh. I believe that after applying a skeptical lense, any rational person would have to conclude that Christine Blasey Ford is almost certainly telling us the truth about what happened. I also walk through a few of the most egregious examples of patriarchy bull sh*t responses to the accusations. Some important sources: Original WaPo Story; NYT Reporting on Accusations; Brilliant Slate Piece by Lili Loofbourow; Franklin Graham Wins Worst Person; Mark Judge is Horrible; Republicans Not Making Judge Testify; Kavanaugh is a Liar; Kavanaugh is a Worse Liar; Christine Ford Forced to Move; Friend Corroborates Story? Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO157: Sustainable Agriculture, with Dr. Sarah Taber Sep 13, 2018

What does a parking lot layout tell you about food safety? Why are sprouts so damn unhygienic? And more seriously, who should shoulder the burden for making our food more sustainable? Dr. Sarah Taber gives us her expertise on these questions and many more! (teaser alert: she also might have a pretty controversial view on farmers markets...) Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO156: Healthcare Policy with Dr. Richard Schloss Sep 06, 2018

Joining me today is physician and president of Long Island Atheists, Dr. Richard Schloss! We talk about his background, the secular group he leads, and then go on to talk about healthcare policy in the US. Dr. Schloss takes us through some history on healthcare and answers basics like what are the differences between Medicare for All and Single Payer, etc. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO155: Thoughts On McCain and Louis CK; Listener Voicemail Aug 30, 2018

First I've got some monologuing to do on John McCain and speaking ill of the dead, and Louis CK apparently deciding he can just come back now. After recording this, I saw a great article by Roxane Gay that says a lot of what I said but also more and better, so check this out as well. After that, it's listener voicemail time! Got a lot of passionate reaction to my dire political predictions about 2022 and beyond. Here are some links for points I made: Obama's Income as President; Larry Summers Withdraws from Fed Job; Awesome 538 Trump Rating Tool Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO154: Immigration Attorney Ryan Witmer Aug 23, 2018

Zerin Firoze set me up with this interview with Ryan Witmer, an immigration attorney who has worked on asylum claims, and all kinds of other immigration cases. He joins us to give an insider's perspective on US immigration policy, the law, asylum system, and where we're really shooting ourselves in the foot. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO153: Blame the Green Party? Plus - An Interview with Steve Hill Aug 16, 2018

Today's episode starts off with a bit of monologuing. I heard what I think are some bad arguments around the recent election results, so I wanted to put some thoughts out there. After that, I have a brief interview with Steve Hill! Steve will be the emcee of California Freethought Day this year. He is a comedian, atheist, satanist, activist, and more! We talk about his background, his run for the CA state senate, why he's boycotting the NFL, and about a tragedy that struck his family this year. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO152: Philosopher Elizabeth Picciuto on Trump's Moral Code Aug 09, 2018

Dr. Elizabeth Picciuto wrote an article on Trump's ethics and how his ethical code centers around basically one value: loyalty to him. We discuss the article, different ethical systems, and the limits and drawbacks of loyalty as a virtue. After that, we talk about a tweet of hers which went massively viral. In it, she lamented that the state of our politics has a lot to do with the decline in the Humanities. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO151: Dire Political Predictions; Listener Voicemail Aug 02, 2018

I've been researching recent US political and election history, and I had some realizations that made me incredibly depressed about the future. I'm making predictions about 2018, 2020, and 2022 that you can hold me to. I really hope I'll be wrong. After that I've got some fantastic listener email and voicemail! Topics include being sad about #metoo, being hopeful about #metoo, how to reconcile good science with bad peer reviewed papers, and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO150: Ok ESP Isn't Real... with Dr. Lindsey Osterman Aug 01, 2018

Last week's episode featured what I thought was a rational and philosophically consistent approach that educated, but non-expert, skeptics took toward a peer-reviewed article in a top journal making claims of evidence for ESP related phenomena. In today's episode though, we get a chance to hear from an expert in the field of Experimental Psychology who took an in-depth look at some of the studies mentioned in the original review paper. Here's the link again if you'd like to go back and read it. Dr. Lindsey Osterman also teaches classes on appropriate research methods, so she is absolutely perfect to help teach us where this review paper went wrong! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO149: Is ESP Real? No, Really... It Might Be... Jul 26, 2018

A new meta-study was recently published in the American Psychologist, the major journal of the American Psychological Association, which shows statistically significant results regarding ESP-like stuff. While this seems completely fantastical and against everything materialists like me tend to believe in, it has passed peer review in a major journal. So what are skeptics like us to make of this? To help us sort out these questions, I've got philosopher Aaron Rabi from ETV and Philosophers in Space, and Aaron's dad Jessie Rabinowitz, who happens to have expertise in the field of psychology. We also discuss the SGU reaction to the paper, which was incredibly dismissive. Here's an article on Ganzfeld studies that Aaron mentions. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO148: Zerin Firoze - Ex-Muslim, Abuse Survivor, Asylum Seeker Jul 19, 2018

On the show this week is another incredible person with a compelling story to tell. Zerin Firoze is an ex-Muslim atheist, currently residing in the US, but on a student Visa which may not last for much longer. She has applied for asylum but given the horrendous nature of our asylum process, she hasn't yet gotten a meeting or anything. Being an atheist in her home country has literally meant abuse and death for others. Listen as Zerin tells her story and puts a real voice behind all kinds of reasons why Trump and Republican policy hurts people. I normally leave this spot to promote my support methods, but this week let's give Zerin some love at https://www.patreon.com/ZerinFiroze Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! The last week in each month will feature listen voicemail from that month! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO147: Callie Wright on ScarJo and Nanette Jul 12, 2018

I'm so pleased to bring you an interview with Callie Wright, co-host (along with Ari Stillman!) of the Gaytheist Manifesto! Callie speaks about social justice issues with clarity and humanity and is incredible at bringing understanding and learning to those who might not otherwise find it. In that spirit, she's here to take on the recent controversy over Scarlett Johansson playing a transgender role in an upcoming movie. (If you'd like to get a quick introduction to how badly people can misunderstand the issue, check out this aborted column from Business Insider.) After that, we talk about the Netflix Comedy Special from Hannah Gadsby called "Nanette." I absolutely recommend you watch the special before the second half of the show, because - oddly enough - there are spoilers. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO146: Voicemail! Socialism, Pithy Catchphrases, Mandatory Voting, and Lots of #metoo Jul 05, 2018

First up in this episode are some factual corrections I need to make regarding episode 145, as well as an apology to Aimee for neglecting to honor a request she made. After that, it's a rousing edition of SIO voicemail! We talk socialism, putting the liberal agenda into pithy catchphrases, mandatory voting, and a whole lot about metoo! Lots of discussion on BDSM and the fact that the Canadian Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that you can't consent to sexual activity while unconscious, even if you want to ahead of time.. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO145: Left Critique of #metoo with Aimee Terese Jun 28, 2018

It's part 2 with Aimee Terese! Aimee offers what she views as legitimate leftist critique of the #metoo moment. She also shares her own story. We have what I hope is a healthy, but rigorous debate about areas where the movement has gone too far, and affirmative consent vs. the previous paradigm. I'm very curious to get feedback on this one! Next episode will be voicemail, so that makes it an extra good time to chime in with a phone call! Hillary Facebook Explanation; Vice Article on BDSM and Consent Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO144: Aimee Terese on Socialism Jun 21, 2018

My guest this week is Aimee Terese, co-host of the Dead Pundits podcast. She is a self-described socialist, which allows us to shift the SI-Overton Window a bit to the left, for once. We talk about what socialism means to her, how liberals and socialists can and should work together, and more! Aimee has a background in philosophy and is currently studying law with an emphasis on critical legal theory. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO143: YouTuber T1J @the1janitor Jun 14, 2018

By popular request, I'm joined by Kevin, who goes by The One Janitor or T1J on YouTube, recently put out a brilliant critique of Sam Harris. I found it to be keenly critical while still being fair. We talk about that, YouTube in general, and delve into his political views as well. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO142: Andrews Seidel and Torrez on Masterpiece Cakeshop Jun 07, 2018

It's a coven of Andrews! We had so much to talk about regarding the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision handed down by the Supreme Court recently, that we had to do some overflow from Opening Arguments! These two expert Andrews are here to break it down for us, including how many different ways Dave Rubin is wrong about this. (It's a lot). Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO141: Hillary for President 2020; Jen Keane Update on #Repealthe8th May 31, 2018

Am I kidding? I don't know, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You'll have to listen and find out! With news that Bernie is running in 2020, I've got some reaction to the reaction, beginning with a sort of analogy or allegory for 2016 you might find interesting. After that, it's a long overdue voicemail segment! I plan on doing these at the end of each month, so call in! Then, Jen Keane joins us for an update on #Repealthe8th in Ireland! And it's a rare bit of good news! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO140: Surviving Gay Conversion Therapy, with Tim Rymel May 24, 2018

Time Rymel grew up under the incredibly dogmatic and restrictive religion of Pentecostalism. At a young age, Tim realized he just wasn't attracted to women like he was "supposed" to be. But, his intense belief system didn't allow for that sort of thing, so Tim felt compelled to pursue gay conversion therapy. After he was "cured," he married a woman and became a leader in "ex-gay" ministry. Eventually, though, things began to unravel... Check out Tim's website, and also his Facebook group. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO139: Eli Bosnick on Meditation May 17, 2018

The funniest guy I know is here to talk about... meditation? Turns out Eli has a wealth of knowledge on the practice, and has become something of an evangelist for it. Eli had a pretty heartbreaking revelation after a difficult time, and it led him to really want to get better. Meditation has really made a difference for him and he (and science) thinks it can make a difference for you, too! That sounds like a sales pitch but this is entirely free and Eli in no way makes any money off of it. Also come see me in New Orleans on the 19th! It's free, come visit and hear my talk! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO138: BJ Mendelson on Internet Privacy May 10, 2018

***For 30 dollars off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com/seriouspod30 and enter seriouspod30.*** BJ Mendelson has a number of fascinating stories to tell us today! He went viral in 1998, long before it was called that. He amassed 1 million Twitter followers in kind of a weird way... He's privy to some of the darker stories behind Silicon Valley startups... And, he's got a lot to teach us about internet privacy! It's a really fun and informative interview you won't want to miss! Also, I'm speaking to the New Orleans Secular Humanist Association on May 19th!! If you're anywhere near the area, please consider attending! You can find more info here. Direct Download

SIO137: Christianity No Longer Makes Sense, with Evan Davids May 04, 2018

On the show this week is Evan Davids, author of the book Christianity No Longer Makes Sense and owner of a hilarious dog who can't catch food! (yeah, that dog!) Despite having written an anti-Christianity book, Evan doesn't consider himself an atheist! We talk about that and why he believes Christianity no longer makes any sense in today's world! Also, if you're a patron, make sure to catch the bonus episode I released on Nazi Pugs and Free Speech! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO136: Don't Surf on Tsunami, and Other Disaster Advice from Mika McKinnon Apr 26, 2018

Mika McKinnon is a geophysicist, science communicator, sci-fi science consultant, and all around badass! We talk about her awesome job as part Bond Villain, part MacGyver. AFter that, Mika gives us some very good disaster advice and teaches us all about tsunamis and volcanoes! Then we go on to discuss her work as a sci-fi consultant where we finally give the movie The Core the scientific thrashing it deserves. Mika also tells us about one of her scientific heroes, Vera Rubin, and how she never got the Nobel Prize she likely deserved. This is something of a common occurrence with women in science. You don't want to miss this incredibly educational and inspirational interview! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO135: Alix Jules on Silverman, Starbucks and S'more Apr 19, 2018

Alright that was shameless alliteration, I admit it. But the truth is that outrage brigade member Alix Jules is here to speak on a wide array of issues and I think you'll find him as informative and entertaining as always! Other issues we touched on were raising atheist children, protesting, police reform and the Stoneman Douglas students using their privilege for good. If you're a supporter of the show, make sure to catch this week's bonus episode for supporters only! either seriouspod.com/support or patreon.com/seriouspod. Direct Download

SIO134: Nuclear Power is Critical to Saving the Environment, with Evan McDonell Apr 12, 2018

***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter seriouspod30*** Part of the value I believe the skeptic community could provide to our society is in leading on issues of science. This is an issue where it is my belief that the public is badly and dangerously misinformed. Here to answer some questions on just what nuclear power is and why it's crucial to our energy future is Evan McDonell. He's an SIO listener who also happens to be pursuing a degree in nuclear engineering. He teaches us the basics like how it works, what radiation actually is, and why nuclear is one of our cleanest and most promising energy sources. Great Ted Talk on Nuclear; 2016 Gallup Polls Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO133: Jen Keane on #IStillBelieveHer and #Repealthe8th Apr 05, 2018

Recently in Ireland, a verdict was finally reached in a high-profile rape and sexual assault case involving famous rugby players. When it was announced, there was cheering by many men and despair among many women. Here to lay it all out for us is Irish feminist Jen Keane. In the wake of all this, she wrote a great Twitter thread about her experience on a jury in a rape case. Later on in the episode, she also breaks down 'Repeal the 8th,' which is about abortion rights in Ireland. Make sure to read the text messages that were part of the evidence in the case. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO132: Ezra Klein Out-Sam-Harrises Sam Harris Mar 29, 2018

Today's episode is full of drama. So naturally, I have to talk about why there is drama and what I am trying to do in all this. One key question is: which issues do atheists tend to say "eh, agree to disagree" vs. "this disqualifies someone?" There are some patterns there to examine. Then, don't miss the later half where I discuss the Harris-Klein issue. I think there's an extremely fascinating insight to come out of that. And it's something that I don't think many people are picking up on. Klein-Harris email exchange; NYT article on the study; Excellent 2nd Klein piece; those Seth Andrews deems friends. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO131: Horseshoe Theory and Centrism with Peter Coffin Mar 26, 2018

Peter Coffin has a popular YouTube channel where he makes Very Important Documentaries(tm) that are both entertaining and thought provoking. He was last on to discuss the Marketplace of Ideas as a flawed model. We touch on that briefly and then move on to discuss the American political landscape, focussing on the conundrum of Centrism in the age of Trump. Check out Peter's book! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO130: Is Antifa Winning? Mar 22, 2018

Recently there have been a few articles to this effect, because of something Richard Spencer said in a video. What should we make of it? On this show, this topic dates back to the Nazi punching debates of yesteryear, but was reinvigorated what a local antifa group interrupted an event at King's College of London featuring Carl of Akkad and someone named Yaron Brook. Here's a video that shows most of the scuffle. At the time I condemned it as not the way to solve things. I stand by that. But I also think I haven't given antifa a proper shake. So this episode seeks to do all of that and to do my best to find what I think the proper balance should be. It's quite a tightrope walk! Here's a fantastic Philosophy Tube video on antifa, and a quick Vox one as well. Also I've got quite an important show announcement at the end. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO129: Atheists (and Lawyers..) In Foxholes Mar 19, 2018

Today I'm joined by Victoria Gettman and Geoffrey Blackwell! Vicki has a military background and currently serves as Texas State Director at American Atheists, as well as Executive Director for South Texas Atheists for Reason. Geoffrey is a staff attorney for American Atheists. Being an atheist in the military, Vicki has seen her share of Christian privilege and likely unconstitutional behavior. One such incident launched her into activism! Working with American Atheists, Geoff receives reports of possible church state separation issues and seeks solutions through legal action if necessary. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO128: Every Vote Matters!!! and Listener Voicemail Mar 15, 2018

The Democrats picked up a +20R seat in the House! Or did they? Some people are alleging that Lamb is too centrist or even conservative. I analyze that a bit, and then talk about a couple other news items before talking some of your voicemail messages! Lots of calls on gun control (that topic definitely sparked some response), and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO127: Rise of the Nones! with Kristi Winters Mar 12, 2018

**For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter seriouspod30 Dr. Kristi Winters is back on the show to talk about a rising demographic group in America - the Nones. That is, those without any serious allegiance to any organized religion. But just who are they? Are they atheists? What are their politics? Kristi is here to answer these questions and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO126: Lawrence Krauss Responds To Allegations Mar 08, 2018

Well Lawrence Krauss released his statement on the accusations. It's 9 pages long and about what you'd expect. I've got a lot of thoughts that I wasn't able to get to last week so we're doing another show on #metoo. I really think the thought leaders of the skeptic community are missing out on an opportunity for mainstream relevance. They are exactly the kinds of people we should be hearing from on questions like these. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO125: Are We Headed for Another Depression? with Dr. Robert S. McElvaine Mar 05, 2018

A few months back in the midst of the Republican tax reform bill, Dr. Robert S. McElvaine wrote an article for the Washington Post about the parallels between our current situation and the Great Depression. Being a historian of the depression, he might know a thing or two about it. I interviewed him on this and surrounding issues! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO124: Lawrence Krauss Accused of Sexual Misconduct; Interview with Monette Richards Mar 01, 2018

This is a doozy of an episode. Lawrence Krauss was recently accused of a range of sexual harassment and misconduct. I believe his accusers. It's documented quite thoroughly by BuzzFeed. Since people are trying to casually dismiss the accusations as "Ugh, BuzzFeed" and "Anonymous sources," I took the time to make a quick and dirty breakdown of the individual charges and how many named and unnamed sources there are, and the corroborating evidence. It's not just "anonymous sources" or "rumors" by any means. Here's a great breakdown by Rebecca Watson, and here's an episode by Godless Mama. Sam Harris and Matt Dillahunty had an event scheduled with Krauss a few days after the article dropped. They ultimately agreed he shouldn't appear onstage, but for what I think were bad reasons. There's a 15 minute recording of the event that I break down. It's profoundly disappointing. Though they give pay some lip service to #metoo, it is my opinion that their actual words and conduct in this instance has fallen way short. In fact, I believe the way they have handled this instance is part of the sexist system that is leading to predators getting away with bad behavior for so long. Sam references Keillor as though he's a victim of #metoo, but I go back into that story and there are even more updates about his sexual misconduct. And finally, on a more positive note, I have a great interview with Monette Richards, who has an exciting announcement! The Kickstarter has begun for Secular Women Work! Please check it out and consider supporting them! She was quoted in this Gizmodo article about Krauss. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO123: David Silverman of American Atheists Feb 26, 2018

David Silverman joins us to talk about an awesome convention coming up in AAcon2018! I really valued David's response to the nonsense that happened in Milwaukee last September, and he's putting his money where his mouth is in how American Atheists has organized their 2018 conference. It's atheism, but with a heart and with compassion. We talk about that and much more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO122: Yes, I Want To Take Away Your Guns Feb 22, 2018

No the title isn't just clickbait. I've decided I do want to take your guns away. I'm tired of Democrats saying they don't actually want that, and then being labeled as such by the right anyway. So why not embrace it? Sources: NRA Payouts; Bret Stephens Repeal the 2nd Amendment; Vox Comprehensive Article on US Gun Violence; Most Gun Deaths Are Suicides; New Quinnipiac Poll; Trump Budget Cuts Mental Health; Injuries and Deaths Due To Firearms in the Home Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO121: Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios Feb 19, 2018

Should we ever talk to the alt-right? When we do so, why does it feel so unproductive? Why can't we on the left ever seem to "win" debates with the alt-right? Why are Gamer-Gaters so angry? These are just a few of the questions Ian Danskin of the YouTube channel Innuendo Studios has sought to answer. He does so brilliantly and incisively. I've found his work to be incredibly illuminating. He was kind enough to come on the show and talk about his background, how he got into this line of work, and answer some of my questions about political discourse and his videos! Brilliant GamerGate Series; The Alt-Right Playbook Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO120: Philosophers In Space with Aaron Rabi Feb 15, 2018

I'm so excited to finally present what I've been vaguebooking about! Today's show features episode 1 of a new project called Philosophers In Space! Each episode uses our favorite science fiction to teach related philosophical concepts. In this episode, we use the USS Callister episode of Black Mirror to talk about The Experience Machine by Nozick. Try it on, see how you like it, and if you want to hear more check out patreon.com/0g! Eventually the show will be on iTunes but for now it's only available to patrons! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO119: Getting Satanic with Jex Blackmore Feb 12, 2018

Jex Blackmore is the spokeswoman for the Satanic Temple! They've been responsible for a lot of provocative and effectively targeted public performances. Their target is very often Christian theocrats who either don't realize they're inflicting their religious views on everyone else, or they don't care. Jex takes us through the basics of the Satanic Temple and her experiences! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO118: Intercontinental Culture Wars, with Michael Marshall Feb 08, 2018

***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Michael Marshall is the host of Be Reasonable and co-host of Skeptics with a K. He is heavily involved in the UK Skeptic movement, and has been somewhat alarmed by the state of movement atheism in the US. We talk about some of the differences and possible reasons for them. Later in the show, he takes us through a very difficult article he co-wrote about Jonathan Bryan - a child with severe brain damage who seems to be able to read and write at a precocious level... but only using facilitated communication. It's a sensitive story but one where skepticism is sorely needed. Here's the awful, racist Sargon clip I referenced. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO117: Jaclyn Friedman on Yes Means Yes, Feminism, and Sexual Liberation Feb 05, 2018

Today I'm joined by Jaclyn Friedman! From her website: She is a writer, speaker and activist, and creator of the hit books Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape (one of Publishers’ Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and #11 on Ms. Magazine’s Top 100 Feminist Nonfiction of All Time list) and What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety. Her podcast, Unscrewed, is paving new paths to sexual liberation, and was named one of the Best Sex Podcasts by both Marie Claire and Esquire. Check out these articles she has written, in particular: Vox Article on Aziz Ansari; New York Times Opinion on Consent Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO116: What Is Jordan Peterson Saying? with Aaron Rabi Feb 01, 2018

Every atheist's favorite Christian, Jordan B. Peterson, went on Channel 4 News and had a heated exchange with Cathy Newman. Though she made some good points, Newman's technique centered around replying with "..so you're saying.." and then straw man Peterson. So what was he actually saying? Is there a better way of trying to engage with people like Peterson or should we not bother at all? Joining me to sift through Peterson's paranoid nonsense about gender and postmodernism is philosopher Aaron Rabi of the Embrace the Void podcast! Here are some excellent links to check out: Claudia Goldin on Gender Equality; Globe and Mail Write Up on Peterson Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO115: What Happens When We Accidentally Decriminalize Prostitution? Jan 29, 2018

You might laugh, but it happened in Rhode Island! My two guests, Dr. Manisha Shah and Dr. Scott Cunningham, did an extensive study on the results. It's called "Decriminalizing Indoor Prostitution: Implications for Sexual Violence and Public Health." What happened might surprise you! Special thanks to Lydia for arranging this recording! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO114: Getting on the Same Page #metoo Jan 25, 2018

The last episode, the debate between Chris and Tracey on the Aziz Ansari incident, caused a decent amount of controversy. Many women were frustrated by Chris and also felt like we didn't need to hear from another male on this issue. I talk about these valid concerns and what I was trying to do with this episode and in general. This first half is very meta and involves working through criticism, so if that's not something you're interested in, please skip to 26:40 because there are two incredible recordings from women who wanted to share. They are a must listen. Also btw there's more to the Garrison Keillor story. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO113: Panel Discussion on Aziz Ansari Jan 22, 2018

Where does the Babe.net article on Aziz Ansari land on the spectrum of #metoo moments? Are the old-school feminists correct when they say women ought to say no and call a cab? Today's episode is a discussion between two people who come out on different ends of some of these questions. It's an attempt to find some common ground and understanding on a very important issue. Note: This episode contains strong language and discussion of sexual activity. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO112: Fat-Shaming Trump or Hypocrisy-Shaming? plus Listener Voicemails! Jan 18, 2018

***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Today's episode begins with some thoughts on what can be a moral blindspot when it comes to fat shaming and looks shaming Trump. Is there a way to hit all the criticism we want to while not unnecessarily insulting and offending innocent bystanders? I think so, and I outline my case. Then I go through several listener voicemails! They cover a range of recent topics from reparations to Sam Harris. Athletes with Trump's Weight and Height; The Case for Reparations Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO111: Andrew Breaks Down the James Damore Google Lawsuit! Jan 15, 2018

Andrew Torrez joins me from world-famous podcast Opening Arguments to break down the James Damore lawsuit against Google! Is it the most important lawsuit in modern history as some have called it? You'll have to listen to find out! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO110: No, Steven Pinker Isn't Alt-Right (but he's still wrong...) Jan 11, 2018

*I mention Eiynah as the one who sent me the video. I just want to emphasize she had the full context and I didn't mean to imply she was spreading the fake news version without thinking. She has a great thread on it here. Recently, an edited video circulated and caused an uproar among liberals. It features Steven Pinker seeming to praise the intelligence of the alt-right and asserting that there are certain "truths" to be found there. Is there more to the story? Always. But it doesn't mean he isn't still wrong about stuff. I talk about that video and a few others of his that I've analyzed, including an incredibly frustrating one called "Why Do Progressives Hate Progress?" (this video features absolutely zero examples of progressives hating progress.) Full Redpill Video; Free Speech Video; Progressives Hate Progress Video; PZ Myers Post; Quora Article on Larry Summers; Pinker's Self Confessed Political Leanings; Shaun King on Why US Isn't the Best; US Life Expectancy Down; How Liberal Are Professors; BREW CITY BENEFIT!! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO109: A Carefully Curated Tom Curry Jan 08, 2018

Is Twitter real life? Tom from Cognitive Dissonance is here with me to talk about his philosophy on dealing with criticism and unpleasant people online. It's very zen and interesting, but is it something you and I would be able to adopt? Then we move on to the broader topic of the morphing of analog and digital lives and how the world is changing. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO108: Sam Harris Sides with Ben Shapiro Over the FFRF Jan 04, 2018

What in the hell is the atheism world coming to when atheist horse-person Sam Harris would agree with a religious conservative on a matter of Church-State Separation over the Freedom from Religion Foundation? I talk about the details of this strange and depressing convergence, as well as some of the other broader implications of the Eric Weinstein, Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris conversation, and Weinstein's so-called Intellectual Dark Web. Sources: Harris Podcast; FFRF View on Masterpiece Cake Case; Ben Shapiro Lying About the Case; Eric Weinstein Tinfoil Hat Tweet; Contra Video Taken Down; German Law. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO107: Alix Jules on the Coates-West Controversy Jan 01, 2018

Back for another great conversation is Alix Jules! This was originally going to be a follow up commentary but in speaking with Alix, it became clear that having him on would make for a much better episode! We discuss a Coates critique Twitter thread that got a lot of traction with the anti-feminist, anti-BLM factions but that I find quite off-base. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO106: Thinking Rationally on Cenk Uygur's Past Sexism Dec 28, 2017

... and another great round of your voicemails! A website called thewrap.com unearthed some old blog posts by Cenk Uygur in which he wrote some alarmingly sexist things. He has since apologized and emphasized that he doesn't believe those things anymore. Here is their article and here's the biased Gateway Pundit Article. How ought we to evaluate something like this in the wake of the #metoo moment? I have a lot to say about that, and about the cynical, bad-faith attempts on the right to both claim #metoo is a witch hunt, but also to use it when it pleases them. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO105: Traumatic Brain Injuries, with Dr. Topher Stephenson Dec 25, 2017

Dr. Topher Stephenson joins me today to talk about traumatic brain injuries. He educates us a bit on the basics, and then we talk about how he, as a parent, evaluates the decision of letting his kids play sports. Which ones are safe? Should youth soccer require headgear? And much more. Check out his organization here. Also the CDC page on TBI is a good resource. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO104: Cornel West Owes Ta-Nehisi Coates an Apology Dec 21, 2017

Ok so maybe the left is eating its own... After brushing by a couple points on the tax bill, I talk about a few instances of people on the left being unfairly demonized and harassed by other people on the left. It sucks. ContraPoints on YouTube seemed to me to be very affected by harassment over her decision to attend an event with Blaire White and Theryn Meyer. I talk briefly about that but then I move onto a bigger example that I discuss in depth, and that is Cornel West's hit-piece on Ta-Nehisi Coates. It's very straw-manny and disturbing to me. Here are some links: West's Piece; Weird Coates Atheism Piece; Slate Breakdown; Vox Breakdown Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO103: Samantha Corbin of #WeSaidEnough Dec 18, 2017

Samantha Corbin is a Sacramento lobbyist who was fed up with the pervasive culture of sexual misconduct in the Capitol. She and some colleagues wrote an open letter and started an organization called #WeSaidEnough. It has absolutely caught fire! Her co-founder ended up on the cover of Time Magazine. In this interview, Samantha takes us through how pervasive this behavior has been and what her and others plan to do about it! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO102: Moral Philosophy with Aaron Rabi Dec 14, 2017

Congratulations to Doug Jones and thank you so much to black voters of Alabama for turning out and getting us 1 vote closer to taking back the Senate!!!! First up today I've got an update on the Patreon situation. They backed down, but I'm still going forward with a membership option on my website. I explain in more depth, and then I've got a fantastic conversation with Aaron Rabi of Embrace the Void! Due to a great response to the idea of me taking on the anti-natalism topic again, I endeavor to do so and I brought an actual philosopher along for the ride! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO101: Science Mom Natalie Newell Dec 11, 2017

Natalie Newell was just a science loving mom who wanted to make a documentary about some other science loving moms... but once she did, she found herself the topic of some bizarre conspiracies! We talk about that experience, and we discuss some common anti-scientific attitudes in this country, like chiropractic, vaccinations, GMOs, and alternative medicine. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO100: The Red Pill, Part 2: MRAs Should Be Democrats Dec 07, 2017

It's finally here! Part of of my series examining the arguments in the "documentary" "The Red Pill." Today we talk about video game addiction, porn addiction, toxic masculinity, and then the main topic: sentencing disparity. Are men treated unfairly by the justice system? Spoiler, the answer is actually yes. Here's the study most in line with MRA claims. Others have it lower, but this one is very convincing. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO99: Crystal Lee, 2014 Miss America Runner-Up and Entrepreneur Dec 04, 2017

Crystal Lee was First Runner-Up in the 2014 Miss America pageant, and now she's part of a tech startup in Silicon Valley. Crystal has written some incisive pieces including one for CNN.com in response to what happened at the most recent Miss America - that is, a contested answered a question competently and the world exploded. We talk about her background, how exactly one becomes a Miss America contestant, and whether she thinks pageants will be able to escape their undeniably sexist roots!

SIO98: Republicans Don't Care About You Nov 30, 2017

...unless you're a bazillionaire or a bank or some other corporation. I talk about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - the brainchild of one future president Elizabeth Warren - and that the only reason you could possibly be against it is if you hate people and prefer banks. So, naturally the Republicans are against it. Then I'm onto another rousing voicemail segment that takes up most of the show because I love hearing from you and engaging your arguments and criticisms! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO97: Lonnie Miller, Republican Candidate for TN Governor Nov 27, 2017

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, during which you no doubt spent hours arguing with your conservative family members, I bring you a discussion with a Trump supporting Republican. Though undoubtedly a gigantic underdog, Lonnie Miller is making a grassroots effort to become Governor of Tennessee. We talk about how he decided to do that, and we have some cross-political dialogue and the electoral college, healthcare, and taxes. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO96: Franken Must Go; What Happened At Laurier University? Nov 23, 2017

In the first part of this episode I do some followup on Monday's show. There's another Franken accuser (and another 2...) and there are some more points to be made. A woman tweeted that she didn't care that men might be falsely accused, and the internet exploded. Did it matter that she clarified and apologized? Nah. Also, the process for dealing with sexual harassment in Congress is AWFUL. Then at 27:30, I discuss the latest obsession of the free speech warriors, and that is a secretly recorded meeting in which a Laurier professor and some other admin scolded a grad student for showing a Jordan B. Peterson debate in a class. Here's a reasonable breakdown of the facts. So is this a case of the free speech right losing their minds or the SJWs going out of control? Full Audio; Laurier Apologies Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO95: The Franken Fallout, with Dr. Kristi Winters and Charone Frankel Nov 20, 2017

In a world where we're finally starting to take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, what is next? How do we as a society treat the perpetrators? Does it matter if they are contrite? Are there different levels of seriousness? All these are very tough questions that I don't think we, as a whole, quite have the answers to yet. Here to help us get the dialogue started are Dr. Kristi Winters and Charone Frankel! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO94: Do We Really Need A Tax Cut? Nov 16, 2017

A House vote on the new Republican Tax Bill is happening as early as today, so I reluctantly have decided to take a peek into Paul Ryan's deepest fantasies. I cover some of the low-lights, and then talk about putting the Bill and income inequality into historical context. Do we really need a tax cut right now? Paul Ryan Explains Himself; Biggest Tax Cut Ever?; 538 on House Reps Who Could Cause Trouble; Blue States Hit Harder; NYT Breakdown of House Bill; Dem Medium Post on the Bill; Grad School Students Are Screwed; Bartlett Adapted Testimony on Trickle Down; Republicans May Cut Entitlements; Why Aren't Hands Up?; Income Inequality Factsheet; Historic Tax Rates; NYT Opinion on Paradise Papers Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO93: Listener Voicemail! Nov 13, 2017

It's time for one of my favorite things, and that is - hearing from you! We've got some great voicemail for this episode, from diverse viewpoints. For example, did you know that equality happened in 1992? Neither did I! These are always my favorite episodes, so I highly recommend you don't miss it! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO92: Was the DNC Rigged? Nov 09, 2017

It's another topic decide by the fine folks over at patreon.com/seriouspod! Donna Brazile made a huge stir with her article on Politico.com claiming the DNC was rigged in favor of Hillary. She actually later walked back that language, but that didn't stop an avalanche of accusations on both sides. I tried very hard to check all my biases and take a look at the evidence and see what really happened. Intercept Article; 2015 Politico Article; 2016 Politico Article; 538 on Number of Debates; Politifact on DWS Claim; 2016 Dem Primary Polls; Vox Clinton Dem Victory Timeline; WaPo Brazile Walks Back Claim; Flaw in Brazile Argument; Joint Fundraising Agreement; Stephanie Zvan Piece; 538 System Isn't Rigged Against Bernie; DNC Pledges to Change Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO91: Dr. Kate Biberdorf on Science Outreach Nov 06, 2017

Dr. Kate Biberdorf is the brains behind the science outreach program 'Fun with Chemistry!' We talk about the disturbing anti-science attitude prevalent in our society right now and the exciting and laudable work she and others are doing to make science cool again! Check her out at https://www.katethechemist.com or http://www.funwithchem.com! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO90: Uranium and #DARVO: An Epistemological Crisis Nov 03, 2017

A listener sent me an email about a concept called DARVO. It's a tactic abusers use and it's shockingly exactly what Trump (and maybe a certain other someone we all know...) is doing. I talk about that and then look into some questions like, did Hillary give 20% of our Uranium to the Russians? Did the DNC and the HIllary campaign collude with Russia to fix the election? Then I talk about why we shouldn't be talking about those questions.... It's meta. Medium Article Explaining DARVO; Fact checks on Uranium - 1, 2, 3, 4; WaPo on Clinton and Giustra; 2008 NYT on Kazakhstan Mining Deal; NYT 2015 on Uranium Deal; Clinton Foundation Money; Clinton Foundation Statement; Murdoch Outlets Bash Mueller; WaPo Dossier DNC Connection; Vox Epistemic Crisis Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO89: Three Stories of #metoo Oct 30, 2017

As you likely saw, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, women started sharing their stories of sexual harassment and assault under the hashtag #metoo. I wish we lived in a world where this kind of thing wasn't necessary, but unfortunately we don't. We live in a world where people still somehow believe this isn't a widespread problem. Where people are in, at best, a state of ignorance. I want to do whatever I can to remove that ignorance, so I've invited 3 women onto the show who are willing to tell their stories. Let's listen. It's really the least we can do. Special thanks to Felicia Entwistle of Utah Outcasts for guest outreach. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO88: Trump's Participation Trophies, Part 3 Oct 26, 2017

It's part 3, which may or may not be the final part! Once again, here is the original list of accomplishments. We've got some doozies today! 20. Pentagon Report 21. The NASA Bill 22. NY Times on the Rule; NPR on Obama's Rule 23. Polling on Obamacare 24. Bombing ISIS 25. Trump's Fake Philanthropy; AP on Inaugural Fund 26. Republicans Hate Veterans 27. No link needed yet 28. Pointless Education EO Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO87: Eli Bosnick with Brian, Dmitry and not Sean from Mythicist Milwaukee Oct 23, 2017

Well, here's the terrible recording with Brian and Dmitry from Mythicist Milwaukee, but not their president and co-founder, Sean. Thanks to Eli for coming on. This will be the last episode dedicated to Mythicist Milwaukee. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO86: Emotion is Critical to Reasoning Oct 19, 2017

Today's episode I have to explain a few things about the next couple recordings, and then I talk about some of the science behind emotion and logic. My more qualified wife, Lydia, did some research on this question. A man lost his ability to feel emotion when a brain tumor operation went badly. What do you think happened to him? Was he all of a sudden a superhero of logic and rationality? Or was his entire life ruined? Find out! Then I do a long overdue voicemail segment. I play several of your voicemails left after the MM event, and I play a few from more of the Sargon crowd who actually make some arguments worth discussing. Because I am in favor of a battle of ideas when those ideas aren't "Should we sexually harass women." Here are some links! XKCD; Using Only Logic Destroys Decision Making; Emotion is not the Enemy of Reason; Mental Shortcuts, Not Emotions, Guide Irrational Decisions. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO85: PZ Myers Oct 16, 2017

Joining me on the show for the first time is biologist and blogger PZ Myers! I wanted to get PZ's view of the atheist movement and how it has evolved, from his perspective. He has a fascinating story to tell, and we barely scratched the surface! Check out his blog Pharyngula. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO84: Interview with Jessica Xiao; Sargon's Persecution Complex Oct 12, 2017

Today's episode is a bit of a double feature. First up is a conversation with feminist writer Jessica Xiao! Jessica had a post about male feminists that I found very interesting and I'm so glad she agreed to come on to talk about it. We also discuss her background and where she sees herself (if at all) within the atheist movement. Check out Jessica's website for more about her and her writing! After that, I break down just how much dishonesty and victim complex there is in a video Sargon made about me. I wouldn't bother, except that it so perfectly encapsulates why Sargon and his followers feel so persecuted all the time. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO83: Dr. Kristi Winters Oct 09, 2017

Today I'm very pleased to bring you an interview with Kristi Winters! Kristi was perhaps the main driver behind the awareness campaign for just how awful Sargon is. But, there is so much misinformation out there about what exactly she did that even I was surprised by the full story, despite the fact that we were in semi-regular communication. You should definitely check out her youtube channel here! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO82: The Mythinformation Shitshow Oct 05, 2017

As you likely know by now, Mythinformation conference was a shitshow. Here's my story. This whopper could have easily been 2 episodes but I didn't want to make you wait. Don't say I never did anything for you. I've got a message to anyone involved in the Mythicist Milwaukee organization at the 77 minute mark. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO81: David Tamayo of Hispanic American Freethinkers Oct 02, 2017

Hey, I know there's a ton to talk about with the Mythinformation fiasco but that will have to wait, as today I have David Tamayo of Hispanic American Freethinkers! David will be at California Freethought Day (we hope you'll join us!) We discuss atheism and religion in the Hispanic and Latino community, and talk about the really interesting things his organization is doing to try to bring some more skepticism into the world! A huge, huge thank you to everyone who pledge at patreon.com/seriouspod. It really means alot to me, and I am going to get you the MM episode early as a thanks! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO80: The Red Pill: Debunking the MRAs, Part 1 Sep 28, 2017

I watched The Red Pill so you don't have to... In today's episode, due to some scheduling circumstances, I'm starting my next series before ending my previous one. Instead of Part 3 on Trump's participation trophies, it's part 1 on debunking the MRAs! #whatabout: workplace fatalities, suicide rates, college graduation rates, and homelessness rates? I take a look at these MRA claims in detail. Here are some key links: The Red Pill Funding; Understanding Red Pill People; Article on Job Deaths; Suicide Rate CDC Stats; Women Are Testing Better At Math; Census Data on College; Benefits from Degrees are Better for Men; HUD Homelessness Stats. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO79: James Damore, Author of the Google Memo Sep 25, 2017

On an episode of Dave Rubin, James Damore lamented the fact that no one on the left had been willing to have a long form discussion with him and that his previous ones had been edited to be misleading. So, I wanted to show that I, as a lefty, would be more than willing to have a long form, unedited discussion with him. Here is his original memo. Here's probably the best source of scientific refutations of his memo. Google Unconscious Bias Training I referenced. Really good source on sexism in tech. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO78: More of Trump's Participation Trophies! Sep 21, 2017

Thanks to Got Science? Podcast for supporting today's show! Listen and subscribe at gotsciencepodcast.org or in iTunes! It's another deep dive into Trump's alleged accomplishments. This one covers fascinating and wide-ranging territory including immigration, the wall, regulations, coal miners, and more! I really do try to be as fair as possible. There are some things we can give Trump a bit of credit for. There are also outright lies and cons as well as idiotic misunderstandings on the part of the r/The_Donald listmaker. Links: 11. Police killings in decline, executive order meaningless. 12. Redefining the wall, Deportation problems, Trump deportations. 13. Senate passes NCAA, NCAA above cap levels. 14. Lobbying ban waivers, more on that. 15. Cartels order is nothing. 16. Trump's coal spin, Trump's not bringing back coal jobs. 17. Carrier deal pointless, jobs numbers are fake!, nothing to do with Intel factory, softbank deal. 18. NATO speech upsets team, NATO increases pre-date Trump. 19. Trump scraps good regulations. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO77: Stephanie Zvan on Anti-Harassment Policies and More Sep 18, 2017

Stephanie is a writer for The Orbit, her blog Almost Diamonds can be found here. Stephanie was on the ground floor in terms of trying to get anti-harassment policies into the codes of conduct for skeptic and atheist conferences. We talk about the history of that, and then we discuss whether the atheist movement is worth saving or if we ought to abandon it altogether and start something new. Stephanie is also the organizer of Secular Women Work. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO76: Debunking Scott Adams on Trump Sep 14, 2017

Scott Adams is the creator of Dilbert, and he also happens to be a Trump apologist to end all Trump apologists. He thinks Trump is the greatest persuader of people that has maybe ever lived, and he thinks half the country is in a mass hysteria and cognitive dissonance for not realizing that fact. You might have heard him on Sam Harris's podcast a while back and you might also have slammed your head into your desk a few times. In a couple recent blog posts, Scott references a list of Trump's incredible achievements. He alleges that lefties like me won't be able to fit this list into their worldviews and will have to pretend it doesn't exist. Let's see how this list holds up!

Scott Adams blog 1, 2, pipelines, 100 ways Trump is hurting women, the women's council that is MIA, Trump's 2 for 1 regulation thing sucks, Trump hasn't followed through on HBCUs.

I was on the Mythicist Milwaukee Podcast discussing the conference which I'll be appearing at this month. Check them out here.

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SIO75: Dr. Roberta Chevrette on Feminism and Gender Studies Sep 11, 2017

Today's episode is brought to you by Hello Fresh! Go to hellofresh.com and enter promo code seriouspod30 for $30 off your first week of deliveries! At long last, I finally have someone with expertise in the field of Gender Studies to ask about the Conceptual Penis Hoax and more! Dr. Roberta Chevrette completed her Ph.D in Communication and a graduate certificate in Gender Studies at Arizona State University in July 2016. She holds a BA in Anthropology and Women’s Studies from Sacramento State University. Here is Roberta's academic site: http://www.robertachevrette.com/ Also, Roberta will be playing her music at California Freethought Day in Sacramento! Here's one of her songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTQkUp6jzuw. Also check out the website for the event here. I will also be there, so I'll be excited to see you if you can make it! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO74: Interview with a Dreamer on #DACA Sep 07, 2017

I once again interrupt my regularly scheduled whatever in order to bring you an interview with an undocumented immigrant, Christian. Christian is currently working under DACA and if the program is ended, he won't be able to work anymore, short of under the table/off the books jobs. He tells us his story and what exactly DACA means for him. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO73: FGM in the UK, with Chantelle Sep 04, 2017

I'm joined by Chantelle Boduel, who recently completed her Masters in Human Rights Law at the University of Kent in Brussels. She did her thesis on FGM in the UK, and I thought it would be very educational to have her on to speak about what she learned. See the attached Word document for her sources. FGM-Sources Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO72: But Didn’t Obama Pardon Terrorists? Aug 31, 2017

Today I'm talking about the Arpaio pardon - how awful Arpaio is as a human, what he did that was so egregious, what he was found guilty of, and how he compares to some other historically bad pardons. Isn't it true that Obama pardoned some people who were WAY WORSE??? I investigate. Also, some great voicemails allow me the chance to talk about my appearance on wethepeoplelive - Josh Zepps' show - and the whitelash that resulted. Additionally, I need to correct some statistic related mistakes I made on Monday's episode. Master Tweet Thread of Arpaio Shittiness; 538 Article on the Pardon; WaPo Article on the Pardon; Slate Piece on Manning Commutation; Obama's Clemency Initiative; Forbes on Tech Job Deficit Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO71: That Whole Google Memo Thing with Felicia Entwistle Aug 28, 2017

Today I'm joined by Felicia Entwistle of the Utah Outcasts to talk about that Google memo and the science of gender differences. I think we did a good job of representing the nuance of the science and outlining some of the fallacies in the discourse over this whole thing. Lots of links! Original Memo With Links; NPR Why Women Stopped Coding; Justices Interrupted; Gender Differences Study; Another Gender Differences Study; Women Face More Stress; Stress Study; Women from Google; Sexism in Tech; Debra So Article Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO70: WTF Sam Harris Aug 24, 2017

Sam once again had Douglas Murray on his show and they both said some incredibly ignorant things, in my opinion. The worst was Sam's condemnation of Black Lives Matter. He provided absolutely no facts about it or insights into his reasoning, something I would think you'd want to do before making a claim like that. I play a few clips and try to get to the bottom of this "Identity Politics" bogeyman. Identity Politics Interview; Douglas Murray - Gentrified Xenophobia; Criminal Justice Fact Sheet; WaPo on Incarceration; ACLU and Guns Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO69: Malaysian Officials Want To Hunt Down Atheists Aug 21, 2017

You might have seen the news around Skeptic circles that Malaysian government officials want to hunt down members of an atheist group after a picture of a meetup went viral. Here's some coverage of it from Patheos. Well it turns out a long-time listener and friend of the show, Adrian, lives in Malaysia and is a member of the Atheist Republic group there! He's on today to tell us about so-called religious freedom in Malaysia, and what happened with this viral photo! Penalty for Leaving Islam is Death; Lina Joy's Case Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO68: On Many Sides in Charlottesville and the ACLU with Charone Frankel Aug 17, 2017

I've got some thoughts about Charlottesville, and then Charone Frankel of Habeas Humor to talk about whether the ACLU holds any responsibility for Nazi movements in America, since they've defended them in the past (and had a small hand in the Charlottesville case). Confederate Monuments Ward Churchill: - Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chicken https://cryptome.org/ward-churchill.htm - ACLU brief https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ward-churchill-v-university-colorado-et-al-amicus-brief Habeas humor: habhumor.libsyn.com Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO67: Andrew Torrez on The Crime Bill and Broken Window Theory Aug 14, 2017

This episode is brought to you by Hello Fresh! Go to hellofresh.com and enter promo code seriouspod30 for $30 off! Andrew Torrez of the impossibly famous podcast Opening Arguments is here to talk about the Crime Bill of 1994 and some surrounding issues! Hillary was blamed for supporting this bill, by Bernie Bros, despite the fact that she wasn't in the Senate and the time and Bernie actually VOTED for the bill. The conversation will be continued on tomorrow's Opening Arguments Podcast because we're doing a super cool crossover thingy! Here is who voted on the crime bill: https://votesmart.org/bill/votes/8585#.WZDy91GGOUl And here's Bernie talking about the crime bill, it's the third full paragraph that begins "The second bill...." https://www.congress.gov/crec/1995/01/26/modified/CREC-1995-01-26-pt1-PgE192-5.htm Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO66: North Korea and the REAL Trump Aug 10, 2017

This episode is brought to you by Hello Fresh! Go to hellofresh.com and enter promo code seriouspod30 for $30 off! With the leak of some phone call transcripts we discover that the REAL Trump is...... the same Trump we've seen this entire time. There's no real Trump, there's just Trump. I go over some of the absolutely horrific details of these phones calls, then I talk about how Tillerson has gutted the State Department at the worst possible time, and all that is just as we face a nuclear North Korea! Fun times! Links: The Call Transcripts; Understanding Trade Deficits; Australia-US Refugee Deal; Gutted State Department Source 1, 2, 3 Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO65: Alix Jules Part Deaux Aug 07, 2017

Alix is back for another fascinating conversation! He answers my questions on The New Jim Crow, and much more. The Counted Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO64: No, Progressives Aren't Embracing Hate Aug 03, 2017

But first, I give a little book review of The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. The book illustrated some vital concepts that are often missing from our conversation on race. I share some highlights. Then, it's a voicemail segment during which I talk at length about a column a lot of people have been sharing lately. It's called When Progressives Embrace Hate and it talks about the leaders of the Women's March and their ties to some questionable people. Hollywood Harris Hit Piece; Article with Anti-Semitism Poll Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO63: Dangers of Neoliberalism with Michael A. Wood Jr. Jul 31, 2017

Joining me for some lively debate about the harms of neoliberalism is Michael A. Wood Jr. Michael ended his service in the USMC in 1998, and joined the Baltimore Police Department where he served as a narcotics detective until retiring as a patrol Sergeant medically in 2014. In 2015 Michael turned to twitter to reveal the culture of law enforcement and authored several essays and books on reforms. Interest went wild. In 2016 Michael led a veterans group to Standing Rock where they protested the pipeline. Michael has since also focused on civilian led policing as a national grassroots form of action. He is currently a PHD candidate and a criminal and social justice activist. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO62: Trans and in the Military with Sarah Jul 27, 2017

Today I'm joined by not-her-real-name-Sarah, who is trans and is currently serving in the military. She is in danger of losing her job, given Trump's recent tweets. She discusses a bit of the policy history and helps put these monstrous ideas into perspective. After that, I do some commentary on some things including the fact that, yes, I'm outraged. Things are outrageous currently. But, if you're really worried about the "whole transgender thing" being a distraction, make sure you're still doing everything you can to stop Trumpcare here. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO61: What Is True Islam? with Qasim Rashid Jul 24, 2017

Joining us this week is Qasim Rashid. Qasim is an Ahmadi Muslim and author of the book Talk To Me. He claims that the true Islam is peaceful, but is he justified in making that claim? Is it bigoted to say otherwise? Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO60: An Objective Look at Linda Sarsour Jul 20, 2017

... to the degree that's possible on the internet these days... When Dave Rubin tweeted that we need to stop giving money to the ACLU and Sam Harris retweeted it, simply because they wrote a profile on Linda Sarsour, I decided I needed to look into this person. This is certainly a minefield... So here we go... my best effort at an objective look at Linda Sarsour. Links: ACLU profile on Sarsour; Women's march mission; Snopes on accusations against Sarsour; Sarsour opinion piece; NY police Muslim spy unit; Jihad speech being taken out of context; Women's march Assata Shakur tweet; Sarsour 2011 tweet on Ayaan; Sarsour response to being called out Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO59: Alix Jules Jul 17, 2017

Joining me on the show is Alix Jules! Alix is a super fascinating guy, and we talked for several hours, half of which is captured in today's episode. We definitely did not have the time to get to everything, or even a significant portion, but don't worry! We are already booked for another interview. In this iteration, we discuss his background, some of his activism, and he lends his perspectives to many of the ongoing themes of SIO lately! Here are some links Alix discussed: Lawsuit for Valedictorian: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/06/30/white-student-made-co-valedictorian-with-black-student-despite-having-lower-gpa-lawsuit-claims/?utm_term=.4013f6aec165 Mississippi School Desegregates (2016): https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/a-mississippi-school-district-is-finally-getting-desegregated/519573/ Mississippi School District Drops Challenge on desegregation (2017): https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/mississippi-school-district-drops-challenge-to-desegregation-order/2017/01/31/8480177e-e7f4-11e6-bf6f-301b6b443624_story.html?utm_term=.29c750d2f9fb Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO58: Yes, Call Out Assholes (Including me, if you see it that way) Jul 13, 2017

The first portion of this show, as referenced at the end of last episode, is about Peter Boghossian finally showing himself to be a sexist asshole. I also respond to the argument I frequently see of "Stop infighting, stop calling out atheist leaders, it distracts from our movement!" I think I have a good counter to that. After that, it's some amazing and difficult voicemails! Really top notch calls. I love hearing from you guys and being challenged! Some links: African American Vernacular English; The Word "Thug"; The Cornrows Incident Come to the Inciting Incident 100th show! I'll be there with Andrew and many of your other podcasting faves! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO57: Problems in Academia Jul 10, 2017

Today's conversation is with Matthew Facciani and Jeremiah Traeger. They're here to educate us on some of the problems in publishing and academia! Matthew began his academic career in cognitive neuroscience and later switched to sociology where he is now finishing his PhD at The University of South Carolina. Currently, his main research area investigates why people reject scientific evidence. Facciani is also involved with secular and gender equality activism. His blog and podcast are both titled According to Matthew. @MatthewFacciani on Twitter. Jeremiah is currently a graduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder; who has been involved in secular and progressive activism. He contributes to A Tippling Philosopher on Patheos. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tippling/ @jerbivore on Twitter Here are some links Jeremiah covered: Nature - Academic jobs not keeping up with PhDs awarded. https://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v31/n10/fig_tab/nbt.2706_F1.html 70% of scientists have failed to reproduce results. http://www.nature.com/news/1-500-scientists-lift-the-lid-on-reproducibility-1.19970 Half of clinical trials left unpublished: http://www.nature.com/news/half-of-us-clinical-trials-go-unpublished-1.14286 Statistical restraints on researchers that Nature is proposing: https://www.nature.com/news/announcement-reducing-our-irreproducibility-1.12852 Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO56: Who Speaks for the Atheist Movement? Jul 06, 2017

This podcast is an audio version, with some elaborations, of my first ever blog post, entitled "Whoever I Don't Like Is Ruining The Atheist Movement." Definitely check out and share the blog version! It has screenshots and links and stuff. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO55: Debating Evergreen and the Merits of Whitesplaining Jul 03, 2017

This episode is another attempt at debate across the social justice divide. CJ (@VieKeng on Twitter) has taken exception with my characterization of the Evergreen situation, and perhaps most strenuously with my use of the term "whitesplain." I'm very curious for feedback on this one! Listen to most post-analysis and if you have thoughts, I'd love to heard them in voicemail form! The debate ends around 59:00. Links from CJ: VICE gets students & President on camera https://youtu.be/2cMYfxOFBBM Trustees condemn protest tactics https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=9271 Faculty Praise protests https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=9260 Student letter against protests http://freepdfhosting.com/840d72d60d.pdf More to EVGN than Weinstein http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/matt-driscoll/article153694734.html Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com

SIO54: Ishmael of Angry Black Rant on Appropriation, Bill Maher and More Jun 29, 2017

Back for the severalith time is Ishmael from Angry Black Rant! Lots of listeners requested this interview and Ish was kind enough to oblige. We discuss cultural appropriation, the Bill Maher situation, and more race-related issues in today's discourse. It's always fun talking with Ishmael, but it's also very real and revealing as well! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO53: What Is Postmodernism? With Aaron Rabi Jun 26, 2017

What the Gender Studies Hoax and Jordan B. Peterson's pronoun mania both have in common is the bogeyman of postmodernism. It seems to be conventional wisdom that postmodernism is manifestly crazy. But how substantive is that criticism in reality? I've invited a philosopher, Aaron Rabi, to give us a bit of a lesson on what postmodernism is and perhaps where the criticisms are accurate and where they fall short. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO52: Democrats Should Be Happy About the Special Elections Jun 22, 2017

Please share this podcast with any Democrat you witness losing their mind about the special election results. In reality, the trend is very, very positive for Democrats going into 2018 elections. I go into why. After that, we have a lengthy and most excellent voicemail segment. Listen in! Our Brand Is Worse Than Trump; Anti-Pelosi Republican Ad; Lots of Info On Special Elections At Ballotpedia Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO51: Andrew Torrez on Manslaughter: Philando Castile and Michelle Carter Jun 19, 2017

In the same weekend, a teen found guilty of manslaughter for convincing her boyfriend to commit suicide, and a police officer found NOT guilty after shooting and killing Philando Castile. It has left many wondering, how did this happen? This demands expert analysis, so I've brought in the big guns in Andrew Torrez, resident law expert at the Opening Arguments Podcast to help us understand the situation! Philando Castile; Michelle Carter; Andrew's Case Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO50: Michael Shermer on Evergreen and Gender Studies Jun 15, 2017

Back for a second time is Michael Shermer! He's the editor of Skeptic Magazine and has been a very prominent voice in the community for decades. After our last conversation, a couple of things happened. One was the gender studies hoax, which was explained and endorsed by his magazine. The other was the Evergreen incident, which Shermer tweeted about and wanted to know my thoughts on. We discussed both of these at length! Refer to my earlier episode on Evergreen for those references Faculty of color say they are receiving death threats; President disappointed in protesters, may discipline; Weinstein second Tucker Carlson appearance; Sokal's response to the gender studies hoax; Feminist glaciology TED talk. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO49: The Pro-Truth Pledge, with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky Jun 12, 2017

Joining me this week for interview Monday is Dr. Gleb Tsipursky! Gleb is an expert in decision sciences, focusing on politics and business. In the wake of the 2016 election, Gleb has decided to focus on fighting against fake news and misinformation in our politics. That's why he has created the Truth Pledge, which he tells us all about in the interview. His insight is very valuable and is another in the series on how to change minds and where to focus our efforts. Make sure you take the Pro-Truth Pledge! https://www.protruthpledge.org/ Research links: http://intentionalinsights.org/how-can-facts-trump-ideology/ http://intentionalinsights.org/how-behavioral-science-can-help-truth-triumph-over-baseless-accusations/ http://intentionalinsights.org/the-brain-science-of-political-deception-in-the-2016-election/ Link to Gleb's bio: http://glebtsipursky.com/about/ Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO48: What's Really Going On at Evergreen College? Jun 08, 2017

Due to popular demand, I've decided to embark on a fact-finding mission regarding the Brett Weinstein/Evergreen College fiasco. It took an incredible amount of digging to find anything beyond the same few talking points that have exploded across conservative media in the past few weeks, but the deeper story is a little more complicated and worthy of our attention. As usual, the easy way out is to filter the facts so they comport to a narrative we want, but I do my best to investigate the facts from a neutral standpoint. What I found might surprise you! Here are links: Tucker Carlson Interview; Email Exchange; Cooper Point Journal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Weinstein View on Equity Policy; Demographics of Professors; Detainment of Black Students; President Letter on Trigger Warnings; President Response to Demands; Letter from 50 Faculty; Professor Solidarity with Students; Prof Setting Record Straight. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO47: Conversation with a Critic on Bill C-16 Jun 05, 2017

It is immensely important to me that I do my best to engage with those who disagree, and in that spirit I present a conversation with someone who argued a lot with me on Twitter about Jordan B. Peterson and Canadian bill C-16. This conversation took place on May 4th, but with a lot of Trump news and some key interviews I kept the interview as patron only. Lots of listeners have requested its release though, and I think it's also an inspiring and useful dialogue to hear. So at long last, I give you my conversation with @PithyJoe on the merits of bill C-16. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO46: AHCA - The Scandal Hiding in Plain Sight Jun 01, 2017

After a few small points about the last couple episodes on the hoax paper, we're back to normal here on commentary Thursday! Today's main topic is the CBO score on the new incarnation of the evil AHCA bill. AHCA is, in my opinion, the most important political scandal currently happening. After that is a very difficult voicemail segment, in that there are 3 tough questions with no easy answers. But those are the most important kind! Links: CBO Score on AHCA 2; NPR Breakdown on CBO Score; In Depth Uproxx Article on the Burrito Truck; Google Doc on Portland Appropriation; Academic Paper on Cultural Appropriation Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO45: James Lindsay, Co-Author of the 'Conceptual Penis' Hoax Paper May 29, 2017

Last week you heard Eli Bosnick's side of why the 'Conceptual Penis' hoax paper was disingenuous and unskeptical, and today I speak with one of the paper's authors, James Lindsay. James has been a previous guest on the show; he's been someone I have always admired for his intellectual rigor and willingness to back up what he believes and to have the tough conversations. For that much I really, really respect him coming on. But I can't hide my opinion on this hoax. I think it was garbage and it was latched onto unskeptically by people who fancy themselves critical thinkers. I challenge James on the paper and we get to hear his side of it. Today's episode is actually 2 in 1, because after the conversation I reminded James to send me the links corroborating his arguments. When I received them, I was appalled that each description of the scholarly articles he sent was a lazy and ideologically motivated strawman. As such, I emailed him a heads up that I would be going in depth into his sources and describing exactly how he (or maybe Real Peer Review, if that was his source) is either intentionally or just ignorantly misunderstanding these abstracts. I'm incredibly disappointed at this dishonest or careless behavior. If you are going to waltz into a field that ISN'T your expertise and claim that the bulk of it is bunk, it is incumbent upon you to do the research and know what you're talking about. For the sake of transparency, I will paste word for word the sources email James sent me: "Hi Thomas, In all the fuss, I can't remember what I was supposed to send you, but I'll give it a try. Periods are a social construct: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243216672662?journalCode=gasa "Doing Gender" (number one cited gender studies paper in the number one journal -- referred to first sentence of abstract): https://campus.fsu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/academic/social_sciences/sociology/Reading%20Lists/Social%20Psych%20Prelim%20Readings/IV.%20Structures%20and%20Inequalities/1987%20West%20Zimmerman%20-%20Doing%20Gender.pdf Donated blood is a social construction: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09581596.2017.1297384?src=recsys&journalCode=ccph20 Scientific method is sexist: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/027753959580031J Alligators teach hegemonic masculinity: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0190272516656620?etoc= Squirrels: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0966369X.2017.1314949?journalCode=cgpc20 Pilates is racist: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/dance-research-journal/article/div-classtitlethe-pilates-pelvis-racial-implications-of-the-immobile-hipsdiv/2CDDDB16BFD648003DCAB3DD0634FF81 Curing erectile dysfunction reinforces hegemonic masculinity: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1097184X00003001004 (we cited this paper in ours) Fat men's penises might not exist, social construction: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1363460716640734 Male lactation can exist through social construction: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2916660 Pregnancy shouldn't be associated with femininity: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10894160.2012.653766 Wikipedia shouldn't demand sources because sexism: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8755461515000547 STEM syllabi are sexist because focus on facts: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2467&context=tqr Feminists see themselves as activists to infect other fields of study with ideological biases, compare themselves favorably to viruses like HIV and ebola: http://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/generos/article/viewFile/1983/1624#page=78 Feminist glaciers: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0309132515623368#corresp-1 Meanwhile, almost 15000 kids a year are graduating from such programs: https://datausa.io/profile/cip/05/ Also, T&F supports Cogent: http://editorresources.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/introducing-cogent-oa/ " Those are all the papers. In the later half of the episode I discuss the research I did on all of them and how atrocious James's descriptions were. Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO44: Debunking the 'Conceptual Penis' Stunt with Eli Bosnick May 25, 2017

An embarrassingly unskeptical article appeared in Skeptic Magazine recently featuring a hoax paper published in a Gender Studies journal by two authors: James Lindsay (past guest of the show) and Peter Boghossian. Michael Shermer, the editor of Skeptic magazine, and several major figures in the skeptic movement like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins took the conclusion that Gender Studies as a field has been demolished by this hoax. This is incredibly irresponsible. The hoax paper accomplished no such thing, and Eli is here to explain in depth why. Links: Skeptic Magazine Article Other sokal hoaxes:

A US nuclear physics conference accepted a paper written entirely in autocomplete.
A trio of MIT grad students created an algorithm that creates fake scientific papers – in 2013 IEEE and Springer Publishing found 120 published papers had been generated by the program.
A paper entitled “Get me off your fucking mailing list” was accepted for publication by computer science journal.
A 2013 hoax saw a scientific paper about fictional lichen published in several hundred journals.

Cogent OA FAQ Lichen Paper published in 45% of DOAJ publishers Gender Studies Journal Rankings Excellent Debunk by Bleedingheartlibertarians Other Excellent Debunk, with Source for Sokal Quote Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO43: Debate and Discussion with Dan Arel May 22, 2017

I'm pleased to bring you Dan Arel, of danthropology.net, who is self-admittedly far, far left. While last week had me debating free speech with a more right-wing friendly Michael Shermer, this week I'll be debating from the other side. Dan, in my opinion, is quite extreme in his tweeting and online expression. I do not hide the fact that I disagree adamantly with a lot of what he has said, but I wanted to try to have a conversation because I imagined I might be a bit of a bridge since I agree with him that a lot of the atheist community is enabling the right while pretending not to. The resulting discussion I think was very productive and a must listen! Links: I found the Bill Maher thing, looks like from 2014 and then he changed his mind a year later. I wasn't following him as much back then so that's why I didn't remember. First link, second link. Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO42: Trump Impeachment Talk; Fox News Is A Fairytale Land Right Now May 18, 2017

We've reached the point where it might actually be reasonable to talk impeachment. Can we let ourselves get carried away though? I don't know. I've definitely got some thoughts on it for you! Also, I watched Fox News this week and it made me fear for the future of our politics.... But in happier news, Gad Saad was obliterated in the Canadian Senate while testifying about C-16. I play an amazing clip and talk briefly about it. Link below! After that, it's my favorite segment, your voicemails! Republicans Believe Comey Firing Had Nothing To Do with Russia; Presidential Poll Numbers; Great Politifact Article on Potential Indictment; Gad's Full Testimony (The Last 3 Minutes Are Magic!!!) Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO41: Talking Free Speech, with Michael Shermer May 15, 2017

I'm very pleased to be speaking to Michael Shermer this week, someone who has been more on the free speech war side of things, and someone who has said previously that liberals won't dialogue with him. Well, to his credit, he eventually noticed my Twitter chirpings at him and was willing to have a long form conversation about our disagreements. I think there's a lot of room for optimism at the result, so check it out! Links discussed: Overblown Piece on WaPo Advocating Censorship; Study on Racism and Trump Voting; George Mason Study on Dissonance and Party Affiliation; 538 Article on Perceived Discrimination; Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO40: Actually, Berkeley Is A Fierce Defender of Free Speech May 11, 2017

This might be my magnum opus on the overblown "war on free speech" in Universities. In my research I discovered that, to a degree even further than I thought, Berkeley administration has gone above and beyond in protecting free speech. They were willing to have Milo on campus despite the fact that intended to call out individual undocumented students AND call for the defunding of Berkeley itself. They offered several acceptable times and places to have Ann Coulter speak and she and the groups who invited her refused to comply with them. I go into more detail in the episode. I also discuss some recent studies and what they have to say about this whole free speech thing. I believe I have outlined a nuanced and principled position on this that will likely piss off people on either side of this debate. Give it a listen! Sources: Coulter Withdrew; Milo's Disgusting Attack; Berkeley Chancellor Statement on Milo; Breitbart Article on Milo's Intentions; Milo Riot; Liberty University Policy; Jail Time for Chuckling; Kansas Study on Free Speech Defense; Partisanship Study Keep sharing my video!! Honest Republican Campaign Ad Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO39: Seth Andrews of The Thinking Atheist May 08, 2017

Joining me today is Seth Andrews, of the immensely popular podcast The Thinking Atheist! I've long followed Seth's work and have always wanted an excuse to talk to him on the show, but somehow only just now gathered the courage! But Seth is here to talk about something he has seen cropping up recently which is a sort of "inactivism," or people who want to discourage others from speaking up and speaking out about the harmful effects of religion in our country. We get into that and more! Here's the link to the video I played at the end of the show, please please share everywhere you can! Honest Republican Campaign Ad Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO38: Obama's Unfortunate Payday May 04, 2017

When I saw the news of Obama's $400k paycheck for a speech to a Wall St bank, I posted this reaction on Facebook. The slew of comments that resulted was quite surprising to me. In my view, a lot of liberals are doing some logical backflips to justify Obama's payday, or to obfuscate and divert attention away from it. I think these gymnastics are unbecoming of skeptical people. I hope to add a little nuance to this black and white thinking! White Liberals BS clickbait, Obama Record Setting Book Deal, Obamas Could Earn $200 Million, Obama $2 Million Donation Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO37: Josh Zepps of #WeThePeople LIVE May 01, 2017

Joining me today is Josh Zepps! I first came across Josh's work when Sam Harris and Hannibal Buress had a bizarre interaction on his podcast #WeThePeople LIVE (here's a SoundCloud link). I was impressed with how Josh handled it and have followed him ever since. He has interviewed people like Gad Saad and ACTUALLY challenged them on their narratives. Josh is an impressive thinker and interviewer, and we talk about his broadcasting history (which might not be what you expect!) and about where our focuses are and should be in today's political climate. It's a fascinating conversation on many fronts and I look forward to many more with Josh! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO36: The New Version of Trumpcare Should Scare You Apr 27, 2017

Trump is closing in on 100 days as president, something that he simultaneously has said means nothing but is also important enough to have him scrambling for any sort of policy victory. I'm going to give you the details of two very important pieces of legislation to keep an eye on - that is the new version of the AHCA, and Trump's Tax Reform bill. They're both.... not good. So tune in and find out the details! Definitely check out this site on whose cage to rattle over this terrible healthcare bill!!! Changes to the AHCA, Trump's Tax Reform Bill, ABC News Poll on Obamacare Provisions, Trump's Border Wall, Inciting Incident 100th Episode Live Show!!! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO35: The Perils of Being Ex-Muslim, with Eiynah Apr 24, 2017

Joining me today is Eiynah! You may know her from her podcast Polite Conversations or from a very active and insightful Twitter account, @NiceMangos. First up we talk a bit about the jarring experience I had of seeing fully burka'd women in Europe and what, if anything, can anyone do about it. Then we talk about the hatred that Eiynah has been the subject of from multiple fronts. Some of the discussion gets a little particular to Twitter. I did my best to make sure Eiynah spelled it out for the uninitiated, but I highly recommend checking out her blog where she is able to spell this out in more detail. Find it here! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO34: Episode no longer available Apr 20, 2017

The guest has requested I take this episode down and I'm respecting that request. Apologies.

SIO33: Thinking Clearly on Syria Apr 17, 2017

I support Trump's Syria strike against the Shayrat airfield. That is the punchline of today's episode but I encourage you to listen with an open mind as I go through the reaction to the Syria strike, what different pundits and columnists and congresspersons have said, and why I think ultimately it was a good idea. There's a lot of muddy and motivated thinking going on in our public discourse; I'm doing my best to go where the facts lead. And as always, I'm very open to counter argument! Here are some selected sources: How Many Bombs Obama Dropped on Syria; Breakdown of Senate Support for the Strike; Congress Syria Statements 2013 vs 2017; Blatant Republican Hypocrisy on Syria; Opinion Piece Alleging Liberals 'Cooing' Over Trump; Shadi Hamid Avoiding Fallacies on Syria; Possible Anti-Trump Backlash in Special Elections Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO32: What Happened In Syria? Apr 13, 2017

I'm back from my Europe trip! And it couldn't have come at a more news-heavy time. First I've got a couple quick stories to talk about - Chechnya and Susan Rice. After that I go to the main topic for this show, and unfortunately next show... which is Trump's strike on Syria. This part one involves the backstory, what happened, how we know what we know, and some thoughts on the Putin Trump relationship. Part 2 will be available early for patrons, and it will focus on the reaction to the strike, prominent leaders' opinions on it, and my overall take. Chechnya Concentration Camps Shift In Trump Policy on Assad BBC Piece on What We Know Much more to come in part 2!! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO31: Why We Ignore Facts, with Sara Gorman Apr 10, 2017

Joining me today is Sara Gorman! Sara is a public health expert and author based in New York. She is the co-founder of Critica, a community committed to making rational decisions about health and security. Critica’s mission is to develop and test new methods of advancing public acceptance of scientific evidence and promoting informed health decision-making. Sara’s first book, Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us, was published in September 2016. It looks into the psychology of healthcare decision making and how people draw conclusions about perception of risk. It includes tips for the general public about how to discriminate between valid and invalid science and for public health professionals and doctors on how to communicate with people who don’t believe the best current scientific research. The book and her work have also been cited in articles about how to change people's minds about many other things, including politics. We discuss her book, and the possible lessons we can learn about how to convince people of things they don't necessarily want to believe! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO30: America Last, with Zachary Kiser Apr 06, 2017

Joining me today is Zach Kiser, a graduate researcher and Director of Policy and Communications for the National Science Policy Group (NSPG)! Zach is here to give us some perspective on just how awful Trump's budget proposal is and how backbreaking it might potentially be to science research in the US. Though Trump touts an America First slogan, this kind of thing is really an embarrassment and puts America behind even by Republican standards. American Association for the Advancement of Science If you're interested in more information or in how to help, contact Zach directly via email here! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO29: No Longer Available Apr 03, 2017

The guest from this episode has requested that I take it down and I'm respecting that request.

SIO28: The Discussion With Dave Rubin That Never Was (and more bad news....) Mar 30, 2017

Yeah, that excitement didn't last too long. I was scheduled to speak to Dave Rubin at Mythinformation in Milwaukee in September, but despite everything having been agreed to and announced, Dave dropped out due to a previously overlooked scheduling conflict. In light of that, I share some thoughts on what happened, what I tried to do in response, and what the result was. I also looked back through Dave's guest history at his alleged "liberals" he has interviewed to see whether I haven't given him enough credit for hearing opposing views. The answer may, or may not, shock you. After that it's more bad news... I researched the senate races in 2018 and the results are... problematic. Find out just how problematic, and whether there is any hope to hold onto in terms of finally getting some accountability in the Trump presidency. Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO27: What Grounds Our Morals? With Aaron Rabi Mar 27, 2017

Joining me for the second time is philosopher and now podcaster, Aaron Rabi! Aaron specializes in ethics, and I have questions. I'm fairly certain that our morality ultimately boils down to consequences, for reasons I explain, but not all philosophers see it that way. Aaron and I have a very interesting discussion on what exactly grounds our morals, given that there are problems to be found in every moral system. Does consequentialism ultimately win out, as I have previously opined? Find out! Find Aaron's podcast here! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO26: The Trump Administration and Russia - An Incredible Amount of Smoke Mar 23, 2017

With a heavy news week full of depositions, testimony, odd press conferences and more, today I take a look at some of the evidence of Russia-Trump collusion and what it all means. Ok, what it MIGHT mean... while trying not to descend into full on conspiracy theorist mode. It's not exactly easy. After that, I go into the details of a case Gorsuch decided that perfectly illustrates why the originalist/literalist method of jurisprudence leaves this podcaster cold. Some sources used: Politico Trump Timeline Nicholas Kristof on Trump-Russia Paul Manafort AP Exclusive Greenwald Russia Article Gorsuch Truck Driver Case Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO25: Lawrence Krauss - The Greatest Story Ever Told Mar 20, 2017

I'm so excited to have Lawrence Krauss on the show today! Professor Krauss is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist who blew all of our minds with his lecture and previous book, A Universe from Nothing. His new book, The Greatest Story Ever Told, takes us back through the history of how exactly we know what we do about our universe. I highly recommend it, and I hope you enjoy the interview even half as much as I did! Check out the new book here! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO24: Can We Rely on the CBO's Projections? Mar 16, 2017

Given the preemptive bashing of the CBO by Republicans and the subsequent release of a pretty damning score on the AHCA bill, I wanted to take a look at how the CBO did at predicting the effects of Obamacare. Is the Trump administration on solid ground when it says that the CBO is wildly inaccurate and partisan? After that I discuss four very thought provoking questions I received in the voicemail segment! Sources: CBO Basic History Fact Check on CBO Predictions More Critical Look at CBO Predictions CBO Predictions for AHCA Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO23: Is It Morally Acceptable to Have Children? with Travis Rieder Mar 13, 2017

Joining us today is Travis Rieder! Travis is a philosopher at Johns Hopkins who deals with Population Ethics and related questions. Find his academic page here. Given the uncertainty of outcomes of our potential children, and given the many problems humanity faces due to overpopulation, is it morally acceptable to have children? Travis and I discuss that question and many related ones in a fascinating philosophy edition of SIO! Here are Travis's main works on these questions, for further reading: 1. Adoption and Procreation 2. Population Engineering 3. Small Family Ethic (book) Highest-impact Media Pieces: 4. NPR Profile 5. Response to Critics Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO22: From Obamacare to Trumpcare Mar 09, 2017

In today's episode I want to discuss one of the most significant battles that will be fought in the new administration: that is the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. While looking into a lot of the claims made by Sean Spicer and other Trump apologists, I was struck by how fascinating the story of Obamacare really is. So, the first 15 minutes or so of today's episode is on the history of Obamacare, and what implications it has for the future of Trumpcare. Good Obamacare Timeline, Another Good Timeline, CNN's Piss-Poor Timeline NYT Article on Trumpcare, Demographics That Will Suffer Most Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO21: Be Reasonable, with Michael Marshall Mar 06, 2017

Joining me today is Michael Marshall, host of the podcast Be Reasonable. On his show, Marsh speaks with people who have incredibly fringe views. Whether it's a ghost hunter or flat Earther, Be Reasonable allows a place for these folks to speak at length on their views. Marsh messaged me after my interview with Trump supporter Dr. Price because of the similarity in that recording to what Marsh is doing on his show. In this interview, Marsh and I have a dialogue about what tactics he uses when speaking to people of vastly different views, and I pick his brain on a number of issues involved. There's a lot to learn here about how I want to conduct interviews in the future when I'm dealing with someone of vastly different views. Check out Marsh's charity goodthinkingsociety.org Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO20: Can We Change Minds? Mar 02, 2017

In today's episode, after a few thoughts on the Trump address to Congress and his BS spending plan, the topic is "How to change people's minds." Haeley and I set about to do some research on a: how possible it is to change minds, and b: if so, what are the best methods? I take a look at and describe a number of studies that shed light on this issue, and the goal is to apply it to both the Dr. Price debate and any future debates! Have a listen and see what conclusions we reached! After that I've got an extra long voicemail and response segment, since I didn't do one last week. I had a ton of voicemail and I picked out some good ones to react to. Here are the links to the articles/studies we referenced: Paradoxical Thinking study ChangeMyView study Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO19: Interview with Ron Miscavige Feb 27, 2017

Joining us today is Ron Miscavige - the father of Scientology cult leader David Miscavige. Ron has a long history with the church and he takes us through the background of how his son went from an asthmatic 9 year old to the supreme leader of Scientology, and further, how Ron managed his and his wife's eventual escape from the organization. To get deeper into Ron's story, check out his book here. Here are links to the documents Ron mentioned: Document 1 from Ron Fair Game Policy Document Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO18: Milo's Long Overdue Downfall Feb 23, 2017

It finally happened. Milo said something that was horrifying enough for people who 5 minutes ago talked like it's all about freedom of expression and it doesn't matter how much we disagree, to say "nah never mind, let's de-platform him." In today's episode I clear up what I view as SO much fallacious reasoning on this issue. People are actually viewing what happened to Milo as a reason that we should have been platforming him all along. To me, this is completely contradictory. Find out why in today's episode! Overtime Larry Wilmore Detailed article about the Adelaide Kramer harassment Current Affairs article Conatus News interviewed Thomas Black Bloc protesting Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO17: Dialogue with Trump Supporter Dr. Robert Price Feb 20, 2017

Today's episode is my attempt at a calm, rational dialogue with a Trump supporter. I knew Dr. Price supported Trump as a candidate but I was unsure how he would view the first month plus of Trump's presidency. I ask him about that, and some debate and discussion follows. I don't want to give anything away about it, but please listen and I'll provide some comment after. If you're interested in Dr. Price's work, check out his website. Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO16: Debunking Liberal Fake News Feb 16, 2017

This week, Thomas talks about the recent increase in "fake news" coming from the more liberal outlets. From "spin", to misinformation, to outright lies there are plenty of examples to choose from among recent headlines! Is this just what happens to the party that is not in power? Thomas also tackles some Trump updates and some listener voicemails. Atlantic interview with the managing editor or Snopes New York Magazine article on possible election hacking 538 article debunking it Washington Post Article about State Department Resignations CNN article debunking it Woman dies because of Trump's "Muslim Ban" Follow-up debunking it Police Raid and burn Tipis at Standing Rock Debunked here, here, and here. Bill Maher and Piers Morgan Clip Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO15: Did the Catholic Church Support Hitler? with Tim O'Neill Feb 13, 2017

Joining me for a third time is Tim O'Neill of the blog History for Atheists! Tim is back to take us through some really fascinating possible misconceptions about whether or not the Pope and the Catholic church were supportive of Hitler and the Nazis. Tim also discusses whether or not Hitler himself was religious. Lots of claims have been made by atheists and others about these questions and Tim is here to clear up misconceptions and give his view of what the evidence tells us! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO14: President Bannon Feb 09, 2017

Today Thomas is taking a closer look at the other terrible hairstyle in the White House, Steve Bannon. There has been a lot circulating about how much power and influence Bannon may have, many say it's far too much. So we decided to look into just who this guy is and exactly what kind of power he actually has. As seems to be the case with most current political news, what we found is...concerning. Thomas also replies to some of our wonderful listener comments and voicemails. Keep them coming, we love hearing from you! NY Times OpEd- I Was on the National Security Council. Bannon Doesn’t Belong There. CNN- David Axelrod: I woke up this morning as an alternative fact NPR- FACT CHECK: Spin Aside, Trump's National Security Council Has A Very Big Change Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO13: Food Fight! With Kavin Senapathy Feb 06, 2017

Today Thomas talks with Kavin Senapathy about science, food, and the misinformation and pseudo science that is so prevalent in the food industry today. Kavin is co-Executive Director of March Against Myths, a Forbes contributor, and co-author of "The Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari's Glass House". You can find more from her on Facebook and Twitter. Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO12: Is the Left to Blame for Trump's Muslim Ban? Feb 02, 2017

But first I have to offer a correction on the Jordan B. Peterson episode. He said in other interviews that he would use she and he appropriately for trans people but not any other pronouns. I made it sound like he wouldn't do so. I apologize for getting that wrong. I explain my thinking on this, as well as point out how frustrating it has been for people to try to dismiss my entire message based on one point of misunderstanding. After that, I cover Trump's executive orders so far, and in particular the Muslim ban. Is it the same as Obama's act from 2011? Are liberals responsible for it? Find out what I think and see if you agree or disagree! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO11: Do We Have Free Will? with Aaron Jan 30, 2017

Today's episode is brought to you by hellofresh.com!! Click the link and make sure to enter promo code seriouspod for $35 off your first delivery! Today I have philosopher Aaron on to discuss free will. I've been wanting to revisit the topic for quite a while now, ever since the debate between Sam Harris and Dan Dennett that I covered in detail at the time. Today's show is exploring an anti-compatibilist position, and I'm hoping a future show will explore the compatibilist one! (if you're a philosopher who believes free will exists, please contact us using the links below to potentially be on a future episode!) Aaron attempts to define free will in the way most amenable to compatibilist arguments, yet still believes he has good reason to doubt free will! Listen and see if you agree! If you like Aaron, make sure to check out his book here! Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO10: Jordan B. Peterson is Just Wrong (or lying...or both). Jan 26, 2017

This week we listened to Waking Up with Sam Harris and as big fans we were very disappointed in how he handled his interview with Jordan B. Peterson. So in this episode Thomas goes over exactly why that is, in the hopes that this message reaches Sam. We also have some more great listener voicemails, thank you so much for all the great feedback and keep it coming! Find the record of Bill C-16 from the Canadian Parliament here Find the Ontario Provisions Peterson mentioned here Find Brenda Cossman's article rebutting Peterson's Claims here Some even argue that C-16 doesn't go far enough! here And VICE has a pretty good breakdown of everything here Leave us a Voicemail: (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? email: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO9: Punching Nazis, with Eli Bosnick Jan 23, 2017

Recently the internet exploded in debate over a video in which neo-Nazi Richard Spencer was punched while giving an interview. Even the New York Times published an article that asked whether this is something that should be morally permissible. I have come out against violence over words of any non-imminently threatening kind, and my guest Eli Bosnick has come out strong the other way. Since Eli is an awesome guy willing to discuss disagreements and try to find the truth, he's here to have a bit of a debate with me on what the correct course of action is re: Nazi punching. To leave a voicemail to potentially be played on the show, call (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO8: Completely Unpresidented Jan 19, 2017

It's another Thursday full of inquiry! In this episode I discuss Trump's inauguration and the obscene amount of money he's collecting for it, as well as the congress persons boycotting it. Are they right to do so? Next up are updates on Trump's cabinet confirmation hearings. How are our favorite incompetents faring in congressional hearings? And finally, I've got some great voicemails to react to. Thanks for those contributions! Included is one from a Republican atheist telling me why Trump won. Also, a listener commented that the far left is just as bad as the far right because of their anti-science positions. Do the numbers really bear that out? Here are some links I used to evaluate that: GMOs, Vaccines, Climate Change To leave a voicemail to potentially be played on the show, call (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com

SIO7: An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a Bar... Jan 16, 2017

Joining me today are that atheist and that Christian, and their names are Justin Schieber and Randal Rauser. Justin and Randal have written a book containing a very fruitful and respectful dialogue between an atheist and a Christian. Today they talk about the origins of the project and then were kind enough to go over one of the many arguments contained in the book! The argument is on the hostility of the universe and whether it makes sense under theism. There's a very spirited back and forth that I encourage you to listen to! You can find the book here. If you'd like to leave a voicemail to potentially be played on the show, call (916) 750-4746! Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO6: Too Much Identity Politics Or Not Enough? Jan 12, 2017

Welcome to the first edition of Thursday Inquiries!! My unofficial or maybe official name for the new format. Mondays will be interviews and Thursdays will be commentary and news and so forth. A lot is happening in the news and a lot of people are still very sloppy thinkers. In an episode of The Waking Up Podcast, Sam Harris said that Trump was the end of the Democratic Party. Could this really be true in an election where Democrats won by 3 million votes? Also Trump had his first press conference as president elect and it was predictably terrifying. And yes, Trump mocked a disabled person. All this and more, plus leave me a voicemail at my new Serious Pod number!! It's (916) 750-4746. Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO5: Fake News Epidemic Jan 09, 2017

Today I'm talking with Dr. Joel Breakstone, director of the Stanford History Education Group. He was co-director of a recent study that looked at thousands of students, from middle school through college, and tested their ability to discern fake news from real news. The results are worrying, and may give us some insight into why this is such a problem in America today. Then I take a few minutes to talk to Bruce Gleason, Director of LogiCal LA about their upcoming conference. Find the Executive Summary of the Stanford University research study here And an article discussing the study here Learn more about LogiCal LA and get tickets to the upcoming event here Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO4: Trollology 101 Jan 05, 2017

In this episode I am joined by Scott and David. We discuss some of the science behind the rise in internet trolling. They share their ideas about the ways psychology, sociology, and our ever increasing dependence on technology for socialization; have led to more trolling. We also discuss some other behaviors and traits that correlate with online trolling, some of the possible origins of these behaviors, and speculate as to what can be done about it. Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com Questions, Suggestions, Episode ideas? Contact us: haeley@seriouspod.com Direct Download

SIO3: Trump's Cabinet: Filling the Swamp 2 Jan 02, 2017

Direct Download In this episode we cover more of Trump's cabinet picks. This time we take a look at his nominations for Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Education, and Secretary of Energy. This isn't funny anymore. 10 things to know about Sen. Jeff Sessions- Washington Post Will Rick Perry Promote Science at the Department of Energy? -The Atlantic Betsy Devos and the Plan to Break Public Schools- The New Yorker Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod

SIO2: Trump's Cabinet: Filling the Swamp Dec 29, 2016

Direct Download In this episode, we start taking a look Trump's picks for his cabinet members; beginning with his choices for Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury. Just to be sure we have some perspective, we go over the job descriptions and look at some of the individuals that held these positions during the Obama and G.W. Bush administrations. You might say we have some concerns... Will ‘drain the swamp’ be Trump’s first broken promise?- Politco Rex Tillerson, an Aggressive Dealmaker Whose Ties With Russia May Prompt Scrutiny- NY Times Trump’s Treasury Secretary Pick is a Lucky Man. Very Lucky. -ProPublica Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod

SIO1: Chris Shelton; No Longer Atheistically Speaking Dec 26, 2016

The podcast name change is officially underway!! It's going to take a little while for everything to filter through, but as you should already be noticing, things are different. Joining me for episode 1 of Serious Inquiries Only is multi-time guest and everyone's favorite ex-Scientologist Chris Shelton! Check out his website here. Chris was recently the target of a Scientology hate-page, which is something of a badge of honor, but is also a very odd thing to go through. We find out just what Chris has been up to in the past year since we last spoke to him which prompted such a response from the church!

AS304: Clarifying Empathy, with Eli Bosnick Dec 22, 2016

A few weeks ago, Eli and I had a conversation with two people who may or may not be characterized as trolls. This can be found on AS298. In the beginning of that recording, Eli made a bit of a speech on empathy which contained a lot of insight but also wasn’t quite perfect. We … Continue reading AS304: Clarifying Empathy, with Eli Bosnick →

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AS303: Doing Charity Better, with Foundation Beyond Belief Dec 19, 2016

Joining me for today is Noelle George, Executive Director of Foundation Beyond Belief! Since the holidays have rolled around again and you’ve likely started to hear the annoying, holier than thou jangle of constant Salvation Army bells outside of every grocery store and mall, I thought it might be a good idea to talk with someone … Continue reading AS303: Doing Charity Better, with Foundation Beyond Belief →

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AS302: Andrew Torrez and Cognitive Dissonance! Dec 15, 2016

Here’s the 3rd and final part of my episode 300 spectacular! Joining me first is Andrew Torrez from the little known fledgling podcast Opening Arguments! First we do a little reminiscing, then a segment where I try to play the lawyer and he plays the questioner! Finally, we discuss the hate speech law that Jake … Continue reading AS302: Andrew Torrez and Cognitive Dissonance! →

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AS301: Angry Black Rant and Jake Farr-Wharton! Dec 12, 2016

Two more great guests for part 2 of the 3 part episode 300 spectacular! First up is Ishmael Brown of the Angry Black Rant podcast. Ishmael is someone I really enjoy speaking to because he’s thoughtful, provocative, and hilarious all in one. We talk about whitelash, Colin Kaepernick, and other post-Trump victory issues facing our … Continue reading AS301: Angry Black Rant and Jake Farr-Wharton! →

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AS300: The Scathing Atheist, Plus a Personal Message and Announcement! Dec 08, 2016

Joining me first to kick off my extra special 300th episode, 3 part, 3+ hour extravaganza are none other than Noah, Heath, and Eli of the Scathing Atheist and God Awful Movies! Oh right, and the Skepticrat… I interview the guys on a few different topics related to their particular approach to atheist activism and … Continue reading AS300: The Scathing Atheist, Plus a Personal Message and Announcement! →

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AS299: Let’s Get Into the Arguments Dec 05, 2016

Alright the response for part 2 of the discussion that went bad was actually pretty overwhelming. Eyeballing it, I’d say it was at least 4 to 1 in favor. However, the people who didn’t want to hear part 2 had really good reasons… So I’ve sort of split the difference. I’m going to talk a … Continue reading AS299: Let’s Get Into the Arguments →

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AS298: The Best Podcast Ever, Part 1 Dec 01, 2016

Well, this is the recording you may have heard or seen me allude to. Joining me is Eli Bosnick, Mike, and Dustin. WARNING: This episode contains a lot of profanity. This is an attempt at a really difficult conversation between two sides coming from way different perspectives. It will be up to you to judge … Continue reading AS298: The Best Podcast Ever, Part 1 →

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AS297: Are the PC Police Out to Get Us? Nov 28, 2016

In today’s episode I talk about several very striking examples of misleading headlines that have been created and shared in furtherance of the narrative that the PC police are ruining our lives. When I investigated these news stories though, I found that the truth was somewhat more complex and in many cases the stories were … Continue reading AS297: Are the PC Police Out to Get Us? →

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AS296: Life in the Light of Death, with James Lindsay Nov 24, 2016

I’m joined once again by James Lindsay! James has a new book out with some very useful insights on death. Find it here. The first 20 minutes we talk a bit about the election and the fact that many of James’s listeners are likely Trump supporters, despite James himself not being one. Then from there we … Continue reading AS296: Life in the Light of Death, with James Lindsay →

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AS295: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 2 Nov 21, 2016

Time for part 2 with Michael A. Wood Jr! Michael is a retired Baltimore police officer and veteran of the USMC. He originally went viral in 2015 for publicly speaking out against police brutality and has become an advocate for police reform. Part 2 focused on problems in policing and his proposed solutions to them, among other topics! … Continue reading AS295: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 2 →

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AS294: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 1 Nov 17, 2016

Today’s guest is Michael A. Wood Jr! Michael is a retired Baltimore police officer and veteran of the USMC. He originally went viral in 2015 for publicly speaking out against police brutality and has become an advocate for police reform. We had a wide ranging discussion, with part 1 focused more on his background and how he … Continue reading AS294: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 1 →

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AS293: President Trump’s Second Term, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez Nov 14, 2016

Here is part 2 of my truly excellent recording with Andrew and Eli. We commiserate, we give our answers to a lot of the common questions, we laughed, we feared and I feel slightly better knowing I’ll still have these two amazing people and more to get me through this. I hope everyone else is as … Continue reading AS293: President Trump’s Second Term, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez →

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AS292: President Trump, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez Nov 10, 2016

It f*cking happened. President Trump. We elected President Trump. The first 12 minutes of this episode are my live reaction from Tuesday night when it happened. It may make you uncomfortable. It’s raw and emotional but it’s how I was feeling. I left it in in case it helps anyone feel less alone in this. … Continue reading AS292: President Trump, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez →

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AS291: What In the World Is The SPLC Thinking? Nov 07, 2016

On October 25th, the SPLC released this report identifying 15 individuals who they view as anti-Muslim extremists. Some inclusions make total sense, but 2 stood out: Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Maajid Nawaz. Do their claims about Maajid and Ayaan survive scrutiny? Find out. Here are some links I reference: Great Atlantic article Guardian article on Quilliam … Continue reading AS291: What In the World Is The SPLC Thinking? →

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AS290: Are We Living In A Simulation? With Phil Torres Nov 03, 2016

Got a nice long action packed episode for you today. In what was originally going to be a two parter, Phil Torres and I talk about the simulation argument made popular by Nick Bostrom. I highly recommend you read the original paper and some of the other resources found here. In the second half, I make … Continue reading AS290: Are We Living In A Simulation? With Phil Torres →

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AS289: Abortion Clinic Escort, Michelle Oct 31, 2016

Today we are joined by Michelle. Michelle works with a group that defends abortion rights by volunteering as safe escorts for patients through protestors. Recently some of the tactics the protestors have used are against local laws and local police have not been responsive. We talk to her about the experiences of her and the … Continue reading AS289: Abortion Clinic Escort, Michelle →

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AS288: A Final Election 2016 Episode (VOTE!!!) Oct 27, 2016

I’ve got plenty of interviews loaded up for the coming weeks, so I wanted to get in one final commentary on this election before we vote Trump out of relevance. I’ve got several new thoughts that I haven’t yet expressed in Tommentary form, so don’t worry it’s fresh stuff! I talk about my final verdict … Continue reading AS288: A Final Election 2016 Episode (VOTE!!!) →

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AS287: Atheist Ethics and Implicit Biases, with Alonzo Fyfe Oct 24, 2016

Joining me today is Alonzo Fyfe, who publishes the blog “Atheist Ethicist.” We talk about some really interesting topics including implicit biases and how they’re affecting this election. Alonzo has a theory that, though they might not be aware of it, most people who are anti-Hillary are actually victims of their own implicit biases. We … Continue reading AS287: Atheist Ethics and Implicit Biases, with Alonzo Fyfe →

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AS286: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 2 Oct 20, 2016

Today we are talking to Dr. Robert Price about the historicity of Jesus. Dr. Price is a former Baptist minister and current Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on this topic. In this part 2 we cover the references to Jesus found in Josephus. Find … Continue reading AS286: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 2 →

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AS285: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 1 Oct 17, 2016

Today we are talking to Dr. Robert Price about the historicity of Jesus. Dr. Price is a former Baptist minister and current Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on this topic. In this episode we talk about Jesus as the Mythic Hero Archetype and combination … Continue reading AS285: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 1 →

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AS284: Vaccines Are Not Killing Us! with Ken Camargo Oct 13, 2016

My guest today is Dr. Ken Camargo. We discuss the anti-vaccination movement, the facts about vaccination, and what is behind all the misinformation out there. Ken is an MD with a Master’s and a PhD in public health, a professor and researcher of the graduate program in public health at the Institute of Social Medicine, … Continue reading AS284: Vaccines Are Not Killing Us! with Ken Camargo →

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AS283: The Liberal Version of Trump Oct 10, 2016

Today’s episode is a Tommentary on… Trump. Look I can’t help it, he’s the news right now. I’ve got a few thoughts on Trump’s taxes and his comments on PTSD that may run counter to what you’ve been hearing. Also I speculate on what a liberal version of Trump might look like. Hey come see … Continue reading AS283: The Liberal Version of Trump →

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AS282: How Not To Hit On Tracey Moody Oct 06, 2016

Today’s episode might be a bit of a departure but this is a very important topic to me. No matter what your views on the whole social justice divide might be, I am hoping that Tracey’s story of online harassment might make an impact. Tracey is not at all sensitive to male attention online. It’s … Continue reading AS282: How Not To Hit On Tracey Moody →

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AS281: Village Atheists with Leigh Schmidt Oct 03, 2016

My guest today is Leigh Schmidt. Leigh has a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton and his latest area of study is the irreligious. He has written a book called Village Atheists in which he discuses the history of atheism and looks at specific examples of atheists in US history. His book was the subject of an … Continue reading AS281: Village Atheists with Leigh Schmidt →

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AS280: Richard Carrier’s Lawsuit, with Andrew Torrez Sep 29, 2016

Dr. Richard Carrier has launched a lawsuit against several parties, including prominent atheists that the listeners will likely be familiar with. You can find the details spelled out pretty well here. I wanted to learn more about these cases in general so I invited legal expert Andrew Torrez on the show to teach us! Stay … Continue reading AS280: Richard Carrier’s Lawsuit, with Andrew Torrez →

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AS279: No Child Left Alone, Part 2 Sep 26, 2016

Today we delve even further into the study found here. We talk more about the implications and possible explanations for the ultimate finding, which of course was a strong effect of people evaluating the danger of a situation not based on actual risk but on moral judgment.

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AS278: No Child Left Alone Sep 22, 2016

For the next two episodes I bring you a fascinating discussion with two of the three researchers who conducted the study described here. This is the perfect topic for this show because it illustrates how badly our intuitions track the data sometimes. It’s also a critical issue that could affect any of us! I hope you … Continue reading AS278: No Child Left Alone →

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AS277: Tommentary on the Harris-Buress Trainwreck, Kaepernick and More Sep 19, 2016

It’s Tommentary time! I’ve got a few brief thoughts on the Sam Harris Hannibal Buress conversation that went off the rails a bit. After that I offer some brief thoughts on some general themes of the overwhelming number of comments I got about the Smalley episode. Then, an impassioned talk about the Kaepernick controversy. That’s … Continue reading AS277: Tommentary on the Harris-Buress Trainwreck, Kaepernick and More →

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AS276: Jesus Mythicism, with Tim O’Neill, Part 2 Sep 15, 2016

Tim is back with much, much more on the case for why Jesus was a historical figure! Tim blogs about history here. Here’s an article that I used to try to grill Tim a bit on the counter arguments, for your reference. Here’s the post he specifically mentioned responding to Carrier’s paper.

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AS275: Did Jesus Exist? With Tim O’Neill Sep 12, 2016

Joining me for a second appearance is Tim O’Neill! Tim blogs about history here. After Tim’s very successful first appearance on the show, many listeners asked for a follow up on Mythicism and Tim was nice enough to oblige! Here’s an article that I used to try to grill Tim a bit on the counter arguments, … Continue reading AS275: Did Jesus Exist? With Tim O’Neill →

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AS274: David Smalley of Dogma Debate and Andrew Torrez Sep 08, 2016

Listeners will know I’ve been very critical of a particular exchange David had with Andrew, so I feel absolutely obligated to give David the chance to come on the show to provide his point of view. The result is an unedited conversation between the 3 of us. Andrew and I did some commentary afterward on … Continue reading AS274: David Smalley of Dogma Debate and Andrew Torrez →

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AS273: The Marketplace of Ideas, with Peter Coffin Sep 05, 2016

Here’s part 2 of my discussion with Peter Coffin! In this one, we finish up talking free speech and then wade into the topic of his second mini doc. This one is about what created Trump and Peter’s opinion on the marketplace of ideas. Free Speech Video Trump Marketplace of Ideas Video

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AS272: Comedian, Satirist, Weirdo… Peter Coffin Sep 01, 2016

Joining me for an extensive and wide ranging interview is comedian, youtuber, and satirist Peter Coffin! Peter has been making high quality and thought provoking mini documentaries on youtube recently, which you can find here. The first we discuss is a video that reflects on free speech and whether or not unfettered free speech is possible. … Continue reading AS272: Comedian, Satirist, Weirdo… Peter Coffin →

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AS271: Living Up To Smalley’s Message Aug 29, 2016

I’ve gotten quite a few requests that I comment on David Smalley’s debate with PZ Meyers, so in today’s episode I do just that. Smalley has a message of putting aside our petty differences in service of the atheism movement as a whole. Find the Patheos article here. Find out my take on his post … Continue reading AS271: Living Up To Smalley’s Message →

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AS270: Rondale and Jabari, Part 2 Aug 25, 2016

We’ve got even more of the great discussion between Rondale and Jabari. This time we talk about, in addition to other things, racism as a term and how it is being defined. We also briefly discuss the Ellen Usain Bolt picture and whether or not the pushback was warranted or productive.

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AS269: Rondale and Jabari on Black Lives Matter Aug 22, 2016

This week I’m very excited to bring you a discussion between Rondale and Jabari, two black atheists who have differing views on Black Lives Matter and on race in America in general. I also interject a question and comment here and there to keep discussion going as well. I want to give a HUGE thank … Continue reading AS269: Rondale and Jabari on Black Lives Matter →

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AS268: Tommentary: Is BLM Trash? Is Ellen Racist? Aug 18, 2016

It’s been so long since I’ve been able to do some Tommentarying! I’ve had so many great interviews lately, but today is a chance for me to get my thoughts out on a few issues buzzing around. Rubin has gone even further off the deep end in my opinion, with a climate change denier guest and … Continue reading AS268: Tommentary: Is BLM Trash? Is Ellen Racist? →

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AS267: Just How Close Was Al Gore to Being President? Aug 15, 2016

Andrew Torrez is here to tell you, he was REALLY REALLY close. Andrew takes us through the background politically and through was he views as some mistakes the campaign made that cost Gore the election and maybe America, dearly. Andrew also takes us through the legal intricacies and implications of the election and Bush v. … Continue reading AS267: Just How Close Was Al Gore to Being President? →

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AS266: Was Richard Carrier Wrong About Evo Psych? Aug 11, 2016

Here’s part 2 with Lindsey and her defense of evolutionary psychology against the incredibly critical attack featured on this show several months back. We get into even more interesting territory!

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AS265: A Defense of Evolutionary Psychology Aug 08, 2016

Some time ago, I had Richard Carrier on to discuss an article he wrote that harshly criticized Evolutionary Psychology as a pseudo-science. Well, at long last, we now get a chance to hear from the other side! Joining me is someone with deep knowledge of the field. A listener named Lindsey! She shares her credentials in … Continue reading AS265: A Defense of Evolutionary Psychology →

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AS264: Sarah Haider, Part 2 Aug 04, 2016

Sarah is back for more! In this episode we discuss her talk for the AHA that went viral, and we debate about whether or not the left is to blame for Trump.

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AS263: Sarah Haider Aug 01, 2016

Joining me this week is Sarah Haider! Sarah is someone I’ve wanted to have on the show for quite a while. You likely saw her talk on YouTube to the AHA which went viral and became quite a sensation in the atheist community. Sarah also co-founded an organization called Ex-Muslims of North America! In part 1, … Continue reading AS263: Sarah Haider →

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AS262: History for Atheists Jul 28, 2016

Joining me today is Tim O’Neil. Tim has a website called History for Atheists (find it here http://historyforatheists.blogspot.com/) But I thought religious people had a monopoly on biased and revisionist history? Well, if Tim is right, and he makes some pretty compelling arguments, then atheists are doing their share as well. Was Giordano Bruno really killed … Continue reading AS262: History for Atheists →

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AS261: Interview with a Chicago Police Officer Jul 25, 2016

A listener named Elizabeth reached out to me offering her perspective on Black Lives Matter vs Blue Lives Matter and the police violence that has been dominating the media lately. Elizabeth talks about having to keep her liberal opinions to herself on the force due to bullying and intimidation, among many other things. She’s able … Continue reading AS261: Interview with a Chicago Police Officer →

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AS260: President Trump Jul 21, 2016

Get used to it! That’s what’s going to happen if we screw around and vote third party and all that because we can’t get around our dislike for Hillary. Yes, there are reasons to dislike her. I go into two BIG ones today. But Trump is WORSE. It’s a simple calculation. I make one last … Continue reading AS260: President Trump →

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AS259: 2nd Amendment Masterclass, Part 2 Jul 18, 2016

Andrew Torrez is back for the exciting conclusion of his 2nd Amendment Masterclass. Everything you need to know in order to speak from a more educated perspective on the 2nd Amendment!

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AS258: 2nd Amendment Masterclass, Part 1 Jul 14, 2016

At long last! The great Andrew Torrez is here for part one of his masterclass in 2nd amendment history!

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AS257: Andrew Torrez on Christian Mingle Jul 11, 2016

Today I’ve got Andrew Torrez to talk about the Christian Mingle settlement and hi quite awful interaction with David Smalley. After that I offer some commentary on the shootings and related events. The next 2 shows are the promised amazing lesson on the 2nd Amendment, with Andrew. Patrons can listen to that entire recording on … Continue reading AS257: Andrew Torrez on Christian Mingle →

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AS256: Super AI and Terrorism, with Phil Torres Jul 07, 2016

Today I’m joined by existential risk expert Phil Torres! Phil wrote a book called The End, in which he detailed out several different ways that humanity might become extinct. Phil has written several fascinating articles for a few different online publications, and he’s here to talk about some of the ideas he has explored in … Continue reading AS256: Super AI and Terrorism, with Phil Torres →

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AS255: How To Be Wrong Better Jul 04, 2016

I’ll come right out and say it: David Smalley was badly mistaken in his legal analysis of a settlement (find the article here) and when he was corrected by an actual lawyer, he doubled down and got personal and insulting. That lawyer happens to be Andrew Torrez, one of my favorite guests of the show … Continue reading AS255: How To Be Wrong Better →

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AS254: Eli vs Travis Part 2 Jun 30, 2016

It’s time for part 2 with Eli and Travis on gun control. After they’re done, I offer a few thoughts on the debate. Thanks so much for listening!

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AS253: Eli vs Travis on Gun Control Jun 27, 2016

Everyone’s favorite Christian movie critic and Atheistically Speaking master debater, Eli Bosnick, is back at it defending a strong anti-gun position against listener Travis. Atheists actually tend to be quite split on this issue, as made clear by the comments I get on both sides. So, I’m very happy to be hosting a dialogue between … Continue reading AS253: Eli vs Travis on Gun Control →

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AS252: Commentary; Inciting Incident Jun 23, 2016

First up is some commentary on a common misconception about my Trump arguments. I do not think PC culture is blame to Trump. There’s a comment of disagreement I keep getting that I deal with in the first part of this episode. The second part is an interview with Al Laiman from the Inciting Incident … Continue reading AS252: Commentary; Inciting Incident →

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AS251: Andrew Torrez on Hate Speech Jun 20, 2016

Recently a hashtag went viral called #IStandWithHateSpeech. While that might seem to be on its surface a pretty insensitive statement, it perhaps voices a legitimate concern with EU hate speech laws. Here to help us wade through the details is everyone’s favorite legal correspondent, Andrew Torrez! Here’s a news story that describes it a bit: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1937_en.htm

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AS250: Thinking Clearly on Orlando Jun 16, 2016

In a world of knee jerk reactions and the desire for easy scapegoats, I hope to bring you some balanced analysis on the shooting. Many different contributing factors coalesce here – Islam, homophobia, homophobia in Christianity, gun control, masculinity. What are we to make of all these? Well, listen in and I hope we can … Continue reading AS250: Thinking Clearly on Orlando →

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AS249: Tom and Cecil, Part 2 Jun 13, 2016

I’ve got those dirty bastards Tom and Cecil back for more! We talk about whether or not Hillary can get more done than Bernie would have, and whether PC culture has led to Trump. After the dudes are gone I address some of the response I got to the Ania debate over ableist language. It … Continue reading AS249: Tom and Cecil, Part 2 →

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AS248: Cognitive Dissonance Or Bust Jun 09, 2016

The dudes are back! Tom and Cecil are in the house, and we’re talking everything politics. What do they think about Bernie or Bust? Are they #neverTrump? Also, how do they feel about free college? Find out, and of course, enjoy a heaping helping of profanity and off-color jokes! If you’d like to hear part … Continue reading AS248: Cognitive Dissonance Or Bust →

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AS247: Ableist Language with Ania Bula Jun 06, 2016

Here’s the somewhat more contentious part 2 you’ve all been waiting for! In this one, Ania is a bit more critical of some of the ableist aspects of society, including language used by your host. We got into a hearty debate on the issue, and then I comment on it after. I’m very, very curious … Continue reading AS247: Ableist Language with Ania Bula →

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AS246: Ania Bula on Living with Disability Jun 02, 2016

Ania Bula has written a book called Young, Sick, and Disabled. Find it on amazon here. It’s about the challenges of living with disabilities and having everyone and their mother recommend things to you constantly. We talk about her life experiences as well as some reasons why society might still have a way to go in … Continue reading AS246: Ania Bula on Living with Disability →

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AS245: Objective Morality, Boltzmann Brains and More May 30, 2016

I’m back for some more analysis of points brought up in the Sean Carroll episodes. Spoiler alert: Sean Carroll was right about Boltzmann brains. Who would have thought! It took a commenter with a background in physics to actually address the problem I brought up on its own terms to convince me. I got even … Continue reading AS245: Objective Morality, Boltzmann Brains and More →

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AS244: Sean Carroll, Part 2 May 26, 2016

We’re back for more with Dr. Sean Carroll! This time it’s even more action packed. We talk about his debate with William Lane Craig, which I think is one of the best atheism/religion debates out there on the YouTubes. In addition to that, we talk about the Boltzmann Brain Problem, and Sean answers questions from … Continue reading AS244: Sean Carroll, Part 2 →

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AS243: The Big Picture, with Sean Carroll May 23, 2016

This week I have Dr. Sean Carroll on the show!!! I’m more excited than I can contain! Sean has a new book called The Big Picture. You can find it on Amazon by clicking here. In today’s episode, we talk about Sean’s new book, which I highly recommend everyone go buy! In additional to discussing the … Continue reading AS243: The Big Picture, with Sean Carroll →

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AS242: Einstein, Godel, and God May 19, 2016

Time for a change of pace! This episode I speak to a listener who doesn’t want to call himself an atheist. We debate about that, and we also discuss Einstein and Godel’s religious views. If those men were so brilliant and yet had some amount of belief in god, who are we to disagree? Godel’s … Continue reading AS242: Einstein, Godel, and God →

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AS241: Social Justice Commentary 2 May 16, 2016

Back by popular demand! I had almost universally positive answers when I asked listeners if I could get away with doing some more commentary on this. So I did! This time I’m getting more into the issues that I wasn’t able to last Thursday. I have a few links I said I’d post as well: … Continue reading AS241: Social Justice Commentary 2 →

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AS240: Social Justice Commentary May 12, 2016

Well today’s the day I finally speak up after staying virtually silent for 3 episodes. I talk about some aspects of the Eli James debate and actually also explain some practical issues, like why I stayed virtually silent for 4 hours. There’s absolutely no way I can cover everything or even like half the things, … Continue reading AS240: Social Justice Commentary →

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AS239: Eli and James on Trigger Warnings May 09, 2016

The third and final part of the lengthy debate between Eli and James focuses on trigger warnings.

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AS238: Eli and James, Part 2 May 05, 2016

You guys know the drill. Two great minds squaring off on social justice and related topics. Here’s a nice long part 2 out of 3! If you’d like to hear part 3 early, you can always hop on over to Patreon and subscribe!

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AS237: James Lindsay and Eli Bosnick on Social Justice May 02, 2016

This is it! Something I’ve been trying to have happen for a long time! I’ve been critical of people on both sides of these issues only dealing with their respective echo chambers and never engaging, and I’ve wanted to be a better example for you guys for quite some time now. It has been very … Continue reading AS237: James Lindsay and Eli Bosnick on Social Justice →

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AS236: Originalism with Andrew Torrez Apr 28, 2016

Back by popular demand is Andrew Torrez! Last time we talked about Scalia and originalism, this time we’re going to do that again but also touch on some surrounding issues. Prepare to learn a ton about why Scalia was even more annoying that you thought! Check out his blog here.

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AS235: Do We Live In A Simulation? Apr 25, 2016

It’s an argument I’ve seen floating around multiple places lately. In the future, simulations of universes will surely outnumber the one regular universe. Therefore, it’s more likely we’re in a simulation! I think it’s actually a terrible argument and I talk about why. Plus, more on the soccer team pay discrepency from last week, as … Continue reading AS235: Do We Live In A Simulation? →

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AS234: Scientifically Speaking Apr 21, 2016

It’s time for some science up in this podcast! Joining me for the second time is Krakus Varsovian, who you may remember from an episode back in September. The state of science funding in Canada back then was dire, but it has since improved! In addition to a science funding update, Krakus is going to … Continue reading AS234: Scientifically Speaking →

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AS233: The Gender Wage Gap Apr 18, 2016

In the spirit of Equal Pay Day which happened recently, I’ve got Miss Bea Haven from Promoting Secular Feminism on to talk about gender inequality in income. Is the 79 cents figure a myth? well… sort of but also sort of not… You’d better listen to see what I mean! If you enjoyed Miss Bea, … Continue reading AS233: The Gender Wage Gap →

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AS232: Finding Uncommon Ground Apr 14, 2016

Today’s episode was scheduled to be a Tommentary, but after a back and forth with a listener by the name of Ben Young, I decided to have him on for a little chat in place of my normal monologuing! We touch on a number of different topics involving the infamous Gad Saad story, blocking people … Continue reading AS232: Finding Uncommon Ground →

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AS231: Dr. Kevin Folta, Part 2 Apr 11, 2016

It’s part 2 with Kevin! Lots more on GMOs and labeling controversies. Also, I found out WE AREN’T EVEN USING FISH GENES. My mind is blown. I’ve been defending something we weren’t even doing. Though I still maintain it would be totally fine if we were doing it!

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AS230: Dr. Kevin Folta Apr 07, 2016

In light of all this GMO debate, Dr. Kevin Folta was kind enough to hop on the show and educate us! Kevin is the professor and chairman of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida. He doesn’t like the word “advocate,” but he has been very vocal about GMOs and dispelling the misconceptions … Continue reading AS230: Dr. Kevin Folta →

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AS229: No Straw Men Allowed Apr 04, 2016

It’s a Tommentary episode! Last week I let a straw man argument get by me and I even encouraged it. So, I spend the first part of this Tommentary trying to right that wrong. I never want to perpetuate straw man arguments if I can help it! From there, I take us on a look … Continue reading AS229: No Straw Men Allowed →

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AS228: Should We Label GMOs? Mar 31, 2016

In today’s show, I’ve got two siblings! We’ve got Melonnie, a listener of the show and someone wary of GMO products. Also on is Derek, her brother and a scientist who has some expertise on GMO foods. Will Melonnie’s concerns about labeling change Derek’s mind or will Derek be able to convince Melonnie that the technology … Continue reading AS228: Should We Label GMOs? →

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AS227: Tommentary Time, Easter Edition Mar 28, 2016

Several announcements in this show!!! One you may already have noticed, and another has something to do with this page here. I’m very excited! In this episode I’ve got a ton of Tommenting for you guys. I start with some Easter apologetics and then move onto a terrible flier some church put on my door. It … Continue reading AS227: Tommentary Time, Easter Edition →

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AS226: Sarah Morehead Mar 24, 2016

Sarah Morehead recently wrote a must-read article, which you can find here. It deals with something I also expressed an opinion about online, which is the disgusting positive reaction people seem to have over news of Jared Fogle being beaten in prison. It seems odd to see so many in the humanist community advocating extrajudicial punishment … Continue reading AS226: Sarah Morehead →

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AS225: Andrew Torrez on Scalia’s Legal Activism Mar 21, 2016

Have you always known Scalia was the worst but didn’t quite have the legal expertise to say exactly why? I’ve got the podcast for you! My guest is Andrew Torrez who is a graduate of Harvard Law and owns his own practice in Baltimore, and he’s got some great blog posts on things like Scalia … Continue reading AS225: Andrew Torrez on Scalia’s Legal Activism →

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AS224: Tommentary Mar 17, 2016

Fresh off a great interview, it’s time for some Tommenting! Lots of people asked if I was going to talk about Sam Harris and Omer Aziz, and while I’m definitely not doing a full review like I did with Maryam Namazie, I want to at least talk about some broad themes. So I do that, … Continue reading AS224: Tommentary →

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AS223: Angry Black Rant Mar 14, 2016

Today we’ve got a lot more discussion with Ishmael Brown, host of Angry Black Rant! This time we talk about Black Lives Matter and whether or not their protests go too far! And there are other topics and laughs and lots of good stuff!

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AS222: The N Word, with Ishmael Brown Mar 10, 2016

My guest today is Ishmael Brown, host of Angry Black Rant! His podcast may or may not have been somewhat inspired by yours truly… But that’s neither here nor there, as he’s here today to talk about the N word. Should we use it? Can white people use it? If Sam Jackson tells you to use … Continue reading AS222: The N Word, with Ishmael Brown →

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AS221: Tommentary Mar 07, 2016

Haven’t had an opinion episode in a while, so here it is! Lots of interesting stuff discussed today. Peter Hitchens thinks Christopher and the rest of us atheists just didn’t believe in god because we want to have lots of sex. He’s only half right… Also, are Republicans the only party that rejects science? A … Continue reading AS221: Tommentary →

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AS220: Eiynah Returns Mar 03, 2016

My guest today is Eiynah, @nicemangos on Twitter. She’s a blogger/writer/and now podcaster who has been on the show before. Being an ex-Muslim is a distinctly difficult place to be because of the hate mail comes in from all sides! Today, Eiynah is here to talk about Tommy Robinson and anti-Muslim bigotry. Eiynah sees Islamophobia … Continue reading AS220: Eiynah Returns →

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AS219: The Sam Harris Maryam Namazie Breakdown Feb 29, 2016

The Sam Harris Maryam Namazie Breakdown Today’s episode is all about breaking down the Sam Harris Maryam Namazie breakdown which happened on Harris’s Waking Up Podcast. The episode in question can be found here. While my podcast will provide a more detailed explanation, I’m also going to do a bit of a blog post here to hit some … Continue reading AS219: The Sam Harris Maryam Namazie Breakdown →

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AS218: Politics with The Skepticrat, Part 2 Feb 25, 2016

Noah and Heath are back at it for a tasty part 2!

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AS217: Politics with The Skepticrat Feb 22, 2016

The Skepticrat are back!! Noah and Heath of The Skepticrat and of course Scathing Atheist and Godawful Movies are back! In this first part we’re talking all about the US primaries. Are the guys for Bernie or Hillary? Or Trump? Probably not Trump. But wait I want to leave you with a feeling of suspense, … Continue reading AS217: Politics with The Skepticrat →

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AS216: The End, with Phil Torres, part 2 Feb 18, 2016

This week I have an incredibly interesting guest by the name of Phil Torres. Phil just wrote a book called The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us about the Apocalypse. We’ve got a really cool 2 part discussion for you. In today’s part, we discuss some other issues like foreign policy, the Middle East, … Continue reading AS216: The End, with Phil Torres, part 2 →

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AS215: The End, with Phil Torres Feb 15, 2016

This week I have an incredibly interesting guest by the name of Phil Torres. Phil just wrote a book called The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us about the Apocalypse. We’ve got a really cool 2 part discussion for you. In today’s part, we talk about Phil and the book and the different ways … Continue reading AS215: The End, with Phil Torres →

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AS214: Eli and Cecil Feb 11, 2016

Eli and Cecil are back for an extra long show! No two parter this time, I figure you guys deserve a nice long juicy episode. The 3 of us talk about the infamous Eli episodes and what we all learned from it, and then go on to talk about other issues like Dawkins and the … Continue reading AS214: Eli and Cecil →

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AS213: Thoughts on the Dillahunty-Giunta Exchange Feb 08, 2016

As promised, I’ve got a breakdown of the Matt Dillahunty Blake Giunta debate over Divine Hiddenness. I opted not to do any sort of detailed breakdown of the exchanges because that could devolve into a tedious infinity, rather I have some interesting themes picked out to discuss. I also go into some comments from listeners, … Continue reading AS213: Thoughts on the Dillahunty-Giunta Exchange →

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AS212: On Dawkins, the NECSS, and Bernie Bros Feb 04, 2016

Today I share my thoughts on what happened with Richard Dawkins and the NECSS. Find out where I come down on that whole mess! Heavy spoilers: I have criticism for all involved. After that, I talk about the myth of the Bernie Bro. It’s an incredibly frustrating slander on the part of Hilary feminists.

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AS211: Matt Dillahunty and Blake Giunta, Part 2 Feb 01, 2016

Matt and Blake continue the discussion on Divine Hiddenness.

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AS210: Matt Dillahunty and Blake Giunta Jan 28, 2016

Matt Dillahunty and Blake Giunta Today’s episode is part 1 of a fascinating discussion on the problem of Divine Hiddenness. Matt Dillahunty joins us, who you no doubt have heard on Atheist Experience and countless other debates. He can be found here. On the other side is Blake Giunta, a Christian and past guest of … Continue reading AS210: Matt Dillahunty and Blake Giunta →

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AS209: Twitter Trolls and Online Harassment, with Eli Bosnick Jan 25, 2016

This episode came about in kind of an interesting way.. I explain in the first few minutes of the show. Long story short, Eli is here to talk about Twitter and our blocking policies (or lacks thereof). We also go into harassment online and what the implications are for the atheism movement and other movements.

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AS208: Misogyny, PZ Myers, and Politics Jan 21, 2016

I’ve got some commentary on the aforementioned issues. Lots of stuff. PLUS big announcement for next week’s shows!! Here’s a link I reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-scheer/hillary-blames-bernie-for_b_9018360.html

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AS207: Abortion Debate Criticisms, Part 2 Jan 18, 2016

We continue the conversation on the abortion debate with Tyler, and how to go about such debates in the future.

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AS206: Abortion Debate Criticisms Jan 14, 2016

I’m joined by two female commenters who had some criticism for me on how I dealt with the Tyler Vela abortion debate. In the spirit of listening to criticism and learning from it, I thought I’d extend the invitation to talk to them about it, and they accepted! Was it a fruitful conversation? You’ll have … Continue reading AS206: Abortion Debate Criticisms →

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AS205: Listener Tomments Jan 11, 2016

I hope everyone knows changing comments to Tomments is completely meant to be a stupid joke. I wonder if anyone thinks I’m super into changing words into being my name? It’s actually the opposite, hence the joke. Anyway… Today it’s time to finally get to some listener comments on the last few episodes. I always … Continue reading AS205: Listener Tomments →

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AS204: Tommentary Thursday Jan 07, 2016

In today’s episode I talk about a number of things I found interesting. Among them are gun control, Obama’s tearful speech, the sexual assault crisis in Germany, and free speech.

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AS203: Dr. Richard Carrier, Part 2 Jan 04, 2016

We continue the discussion on whether or not 90% of all Evo Psych false. That’s the claim Dr. Richard Carrier makes in his mammoth article, which can be found here. While I’m hoping to have Richard on at a later date to discuss the topic he’s likely most known for – Jesus’s existence, this visit is … Continue reading AS203: Dr. Richard Carrier, Part 2 →

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AS202: Dr. Richard Carrier on EvoPsych Dec 31, 2015

Is 90% of all Evo Psych false? That’s the claim Dr. Richard Carrier makes in his mammoth article, which can be found here. While I’m hoping to have Richard on at a later date to discuss the topic he’s likely most known for – Jesus’s existence, this visit is all about Evolutionary Psychology and whether or … Continue reading AS202: Dr. Richard Carrier on EvoPsych →

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AS201: Tommentary; Critical Comments Dec 28, 2015

This episode, I look at a story from a few months back that I never got to comment on. It’s a very fascinating news item about a parent allowing her child to choose to end her medical care and thus end her life. But it’s done on the basis that she’ll go to heaven… Here’s … Continue reading AS201: Tommentary; Critical Comments →

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AS200: Abortion Debate Followup Dec 24, 2015

Thank you guys for the avalanche of comments, emails and messages on my debate with Tyler Vela. This is likely the most response I’ve gotten to anything, and I think it’s because there is plenty to disagree and argue about. That’s my favorite kind of topic! Today’s episode is a bit of a post-mortem on … Continue reading AS200: Abortion Debate Followup →

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AS199: Debating Abortion, with Tyler Vela Part 2 Dec 21, 2015

Here’s part 2 of a 2 part spirited debate with Christian and past guest, Tyler Vela. Tyler hosts a podcast called the Freed Thinker, which you can find on iTunes or through google. I will be doing a commentary and break down of exactly how this debate broke down on Thursday’s show.

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AS198: Debating Abortion, with Tyler Vela Dec 17, 2015

Here’s part 1 of a 2 part spirited debate with Christian and past guest, Tyler Vela. Tyler hosts a podcast called the Freed Thinker, which you can find on iTunes or through google. If you’d like access to part 2 right away, check out http://www.patreon.com/atheist!

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AS197: Goldsmiths Followup; Radicalizing Muslims Dec 14, 2015

Today I’ve got some more Tommentary for you. Because I’m pretty sure Eli and Cog Dis will all agree with me on the Goldsmiths issue, I decided to tackle a brief portion of commenter Mike Samsa’s incredibly long disagreements with me on the treatment of Maryam Namazie. It amazes me that someone could condone how … Continue reading AS197: Goldsmiths Followup; Radicalizing Muslims →

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AS196: Tommentary on Tump, Eli Bosnick Followup Dec 10, 2015

I’ve got a couple Tommentary items to talk about that I promise aren’t trigger warning or safe space related… But then after that I go into the Eli Bosnick adventures both Cog Dis and I have had. I did a lot more research into the fact claims and came out in a pretty different place … Continue reading AS196: Tommentary on Tump, Eli Bosnick Followup →

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AS195: Eli Bosnick, Part 2 Dec 07, 2015

The funniest man on the planet is back for part 2 to talk about SJW issues further. Be sure to let me know your opinions on this episode, because I think these issues are important and controversial. I’ll be addressing your comments in the next Tommentary. Some links Eli referenced: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/11/02/students-accuse-yale-sae-fraternity-brothers-of-having-a-white-girls-only-policy-at-their-party/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/12/opinions/kohn-yale-protests/ http://www.sae.net/oklahoma

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AS194: Eli Bosnick On Safe Spaces Dec 03, 2015

The funniest man on the planet is here to talk about something not funny. Safe spaces, trigger warnings, and is the secular community targeting the wrong thing when we speak out against shrieking 19 year olds at Yale. Eli holds a very passionate position on this and we have a good discussion on it. Here … Continue reading AS194: Eli Bosnick On Safe Spaces →

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AS193: Abortion and Christian Terrorism Nov 30, 2015

I’m back to my Tommentarying ways with some thoughts on the abortion clinic shooting. Is it Christian terrorism? Is Christianity just as responsible for the shooting as Islam is for Islamic terrorism? Find out my thoughts and be sure to share yours if you disagree. Or maybe if you agree!

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AS192: Everybody Is Wrong About God, Part 2 Nov 26, 2015

We’re back for the second installment with James Lindsay, discussing his new book, Everybody Is Wrong About God. The book can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Is-Wrong-About-God/dp/1634310365 Part 2 starts with a question on whether or not atheist vs theist debates should be a thing of the past, in light of James’ observations on the nature of god. … Continue reading AS192: Everybody Is Wrong About God, Part 2 →

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AS191: Everybody Is Wrong About God, with James Lindsay Nov 23, 2015

This is an interview that has been months in the making. James Lindsay is here to talk about his exciting new book, Everybody Is Wrong About God, which you can find here: http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Is-Wrong-About-God/dp/1634310365 James was kind enough to send me an advance copy, so I was very prepared to talk about the fascinating thesis expressed in … Continue reading AS191: Everybody Is Wrong About God, with James Lindsay →

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AS190: Scientology with Chris Shelton Nov 19, 2015

This week I’m joined again by the great Chris Shelton! Chris appeared on the show some months back to discuss his 27 years of working for the Church of Scientology! I definitely recommend checking those episodes out if you weren’t a listener at the time. He’s here for an update on the goings on of … Continue reading AS190: Scientology with Chris Shelton →

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AS189: Paris and Beirut Attacks Nov 16, 2015

Well, I wasn’t about to ignore this major event that everyone is talking about. I offer my opinion on some of the reactions people are having, from the far right to the far left. As usual, find out why everyone is wrong! (Maybe.)

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AS188: More Transgender Discussion with Fiona Nov 12, 2015

In this second installment with Fiona, we debate a bit about what the rules should be for transgender kids or kids who begin identifying as another gender in high school, and request full use of shower/locker rooms. This is a real case that happened recently and the result was that even a separate changing area within … Continue reading AS188: More Transgender Discussion with Fiona →

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AS187: On Being Transgender, with Fiona Nov 09, 2015

This week I’m joined by Fiona to talk about her life as a transgender person. Fiona came out within the past year and has had to overcome a lot of challenges along the way. Fiona talks about how people have reacted, or not reacted, and also how every day things like using a public restroom … Continue reading AS187: On Being Transgender, with Fiona →

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AS186: Skepticrat Noah Lugeons! Nov 05, 2015

One of my absolute favorites is back to talk politics! Best wishes also to Heath and his family, I would have loved to have both the guys on for this one but Noah and I soldiered on with a great show about the election. We broke down the debates, talked about different candidates, and just … Continue reading AS186: Skepticrat Noah Lugeons! →

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AS185: Tommentary Tuesday Monday Sunday Nov 02, 2015

I guess that’s slightly shorter… Alright another few topics in need of some Tommentarying this week! I had so much feedback from last week, thanks to all of you! This week I’ve got a clip from William Lane Craig’s podcast to dissect, as well as a Sam Harris clip. Then, I talk about some of … Continue reading AS185: Tommentary Tuesday Monday Sunday →

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AS184: Jake Farr-Wharton On 23andMe Oct 29, 2015

Joining me today is someone you may be surprised to learn is somewhat an expert in the field of genetic testing, Jake Farr-Wharton! 23andMe has started operating again in the US in certain capacities, after having been shut down by the FDA. While you might think this is a good thing, Jake has some concerns … Continue reading AS184: Jake Farr-Wharton On 23andMe →

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AS183: Tommentary Tuesday, Except It’s Monday Oct 26, 2015

….and is usually released on Sunday nights. That’s my new super catchy slogan for what is now going to be every Monday episode! That’s right, slightly new format for the show, and you’ll be able to expect it on every Monday now! I’m very excited for the change and I think it will make for … Continue reading AS183: Tommentary Tuesday, Except It’s Monday →

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AS182: Portable Atheist, George Eliot Oct 22, 2015

Since I went two months without it, we’re doing back to back Portable Atheists. And with this one, we’re in for a treat! George Eliot, AKA Mary Ann Evans, was an absolutely brilliant writer. Contrasting this with the confusion that was Marx has been interesting. The essay we’re reading today is an absolute verbal ass … Continue reading AS182: Portable Atheist, George Eliot →

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AS181: Portable Atheist: Karl Marx on Religion Oct 19, 2015

It has been a few months since the last portable atheist, and this one’s a weird one. Today’s reading is the essay which features the famous quote “Religion is the opium of the people.” What did Marx really mean by that quote? Hitchens, among others, has always said that people misinterpret those words. Find out … Continue reading AS181: Portable Atheist: Karl Marx on Religion →

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AS180: Anti-Science In Canada Oct 15, 2015

Joining me this week is a scientist from Canada who goes by the name Krakus. @DrVarsovian on Twitter. He’s here to talk about anti-science attitudes and politics in Canada. Did you think the US had it bad with our religious right wing? Well, turns out America’s hat is not doing too much better… find out … Continue reading AS180: Anti-Science In Canada →

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AS179: Tommentary: 2nd Amendment Needs To Go; Blaming Atheism for Atheist Killers Oct 12, 2015

Yeah I decided to just try to pack it all into the title…. Here’s a link to an article I discuss: http://freethoughtblogs.com/ashleymiller/2015/10/02/atheist-tribalism-poisons-everything/ Is atheism at all culpable for atheist shooters? If we say no, are we being hypocritical when we blame Islam for terrorism? I think I have a pretty good answer. Also, politicizing tragedies is … Continue reading AS179: Tommentary: 2nd Amendment Needs To Go; Blaming Atheism for Atheist Killers →

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AS178: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible, Part 2 Oct 08, 2015

More challenges from Tyler Vela on how me and other atheists are reading and interpreting the bible. Am I doing it all wrong or is Tyler simply trying to deflect my biblical criticism? Better listen to find out.

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AS177: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible Oct 05, 2015

I’ve got a great episode for you, but first, I want to inform anyone who hasn’t heard about the Patreon hack. I explain in the first 5 minutes. Here’s a url you can use to see if you are affected: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Alright, now that that’s over with.. Tyler Vela joins us this week because he is … Continue reading AS177: Tyler Vela on Interpreting the Bible →

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AS176: Justin Schieber vs Robert Johnson, Part 2 Oct 01, 2015

The first ever Atheistically Speaking live debate, part 2! Thanks so much to those who participated! If you’d prefer to watch the debate, you can definitely do so by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XGMDVsNVg Or you can listen to the podcast version which has slightly better audio.

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AS175: Justin Schieber vs Robert Johnson, Part 1 Sep 28, 2015

The first ever Atheistically Speaking live debate! Thanks so much to those who participated! If you’d prefer to watch the debate, you can definitely do so by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63XGMDVsNVg Or you can listen to the podcast version which has slightly better audio.

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AS174: Ryan Bell, Part 2 Sep 24, 2015

More with the incredibly engaging and interesting Ryan Bell! Last reminder, watch the live debate between Justin Schieber and Robert Johnson! This Saturday, noon Pacific time! https://plus.google.com/events/cu24d10qirl4m53vsl3f3o7htf4?authkey=CIft9qSSnNS-8QE

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AS173: An Interview with Ryan Bell Sep 21, 2015

This was a really really good interview.I mean it. I know Ryan has been making the rounds lately due to his new project, Life After God, but I’ve wanted to have Ryan on the show for quite a while to just talk about his life experiences. And he did not disappoint! So while you may have heard … Continue reading AS173: An Interview with Ryan Bell →

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AS172: Tommentary On Ahmed; Sam Harris; Maajid Nawaz Sep 17, 2015

It’s about time for another Tommentary show! I have plenty of opinions, and I hope you enjoy an episode where I express those opinions on occasion. Ahmed Mohamed brought a clock to school and was arrested. An outrage, right? Most likely. But there are some things to consider… http://nyti.ms/1UXu0LP Also, Sam Harris is likely wrong … Continue reading AS172: Tommentary On Ahmed; Sam Harris; Maajid Nawaz →

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AS171: Secular Parent Panel, Part 3 Sep 14, 2015

The final installment of the secular parent panel on dealing with the topic of sex and porn. Also, important announcement! First ever Atheistically Speaking Live Debate! Find the details here! https://plus.google.com/events/cu24d10qirl4m53vsl3f3o7htf4?authkey=CIft9qSSnNS-8QE

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AS170: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Part 2 Sep 10, 2015

More with the porno parent panel! What happens when you catch your 8 year old looking at porn? Well, when you are religious, you can freak out and give a very distraught lecture to your child. But what about when you’re an atheist? Does the same moral outrage apply? Joining me this week are 3 … Continue reading AS170: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Part 2 →

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AS169: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Edition Sep 07, 2015

What happens when you catch your 8 year old looking at porn? Well, when you are religious, you can freak out and give a very distraught lecture to your child. But what about when you’re an atheist? Does the same moral outrage apply? Joining me this week are 3 secular parents to discuss this very … Continue reading AS169: Parenting as an Atheist: Sex and Porn Edition →

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AS168: Baha’i With Sahar, Part 2 Sep 03, 2015

More with the lovely Sahar! She was a great guest and really knew her stuff, and I think we as listeners really benefitted from that.

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AS167: Ex-Baha’i Sahar Aug 31, 2015

Sahar is an ex-Baha’i and she is here to tell us all about it! She very recently came to the realization that she is an atheist, and one of the things that she claims has helped her through this process is hearing from the ex-religious on my show. So, in that spirit, I figured we … Continue reading AS167: Ex-Baha’i Sahar →

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AS166: Discussion With Lauren; Postmortem Aug 27, 2015

Here’s the conclusion of the Lauren discussion. After that, I go in a bit of depth on the disagreements of fact we had, and also some analysis on the whole discussion.

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AS165: Lauren Responds To Tim Hunt Episode with Cog Dis Aug 24, 2015

Not the greatest title but I really couldn’t think of a good way to give all the facts… Anyway, listener Lauren, who had a few choice words on Twitter for my discussion with Tom and Cecil about Tim Hunt, is here to talk about that whole debacle. First, we get to know Lauren a little … Continue reading AS165: Lauren Responds To Tim Hunt Episode with Cog Dis →

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AS164: John Stuart Mill, Part 2 Aug 21, 2015

Sorry for the late episode! I believe this is only the second time I’ve missed a deadline with Atheistically Speaking, and I have good reason, I promise! Hear all about the story behind that, plus part two of our John Stuart Mill reading from Portable Atheist!

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AS163: John Stuart Mill Aug 17, 2015

Here we are for the nth installment of the Portable Atheist! This time it’s time to learn about John Stuart Mill and the thinkers who contributed to his upbringing. Very interesting stuff!

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AS162: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber, Part 2 Aug 13, 2015

We’re back for more with Justin Schieber! We delve deeper into the evidential problem of suffering and as always, I ask some meandering questions that hopefully take us in some interesting directions! You can find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa6mPLOE2yuMCrDjRio_nA and just on Twitter @justinsweh.

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AS161: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber Aug 10, 2015

Welcome back to the show for what I think is the third time, Justin Schieber! Justin has himself a brand new youtube channel called Real Atheology that I think you guys will love! We talk about his first video – The Evidential Problem of Suffering. You can find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa6mPLOE2yuMCrDjRio_nA and just on Twitter … Continue reading AS161: Real Atheology with Justin Schieber →

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AS160: Ishmael, Part 2 Aug 06, 2015

Today we have part two of Ishmael from http://www.angryblackrant.com. Ishmael was inspired by my interview with Rondale to possibly start a podcast. When you hear him, maybe you’ll agree with me that he really ought to host a podcast! He’s entertaining, opinionated, and bound for great things. You can also find him on twitter @angryblackrant

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AS159: Tommentary; Interview with Ishmael Aug 03, 2015

First I have some things to say about the whole Cecil the lion debacle. After that, I have a cool interview with Ishmael of http://www.angryblackrant.com. Ishmael was inspired by my interview with Rondale to possibly start a podcast. When you hear him, maybe you’ll agree with me that he really ought to host a podcast! … Continue reading AS159: Tommentary; Interview with Ishmael →

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AS158: “My Father’s Funeral Was Stopped By Gay Marriage” Jul 30, 2015

Yeah, you heard that right. But first, it’s a continuation of Monday’s episode with Nathanael. He turned the interview back on me, and we continued the exchange. Overall I’m very happy to have talked with Nathanael and while I of course disagree with any supernatural claims, he’s a great guy who is doing a lot … Continue reading AS158: “My Father’s Funeral Was Stopped By Gay Marriage” →

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AS157: Dialogue With A Christian, Nathanael Jul 27, 2015

Show friend Tracey Moody connected today’s guest, Nathanael, and I. We ended up having a really cool discussion that I think was very positive and due to the miracles of modern science, was caught on tape! Here it is. You can find Nathanael at nathanaelvitkus.wordpress.com and his twitter @npvitkus

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AS156: Cognitive Dissonance on Tim Hunt Jul 23, 2015

Alright, Cognitive Dissonance, take 2! This time we’re here for real, and the topic at hand is the Tim Hunt controversy. Find out Tom and Cecil’s take on the matter, and see what their responses to some counter arguments are!

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AS155: Cognitive Dissonance Jul 20, 2015

The guys are back! Well, we intended to talk about the Tim Hunt stuff, and its implications on free expression, etc, BUT we got a little sidetracked. I thought the recording was comedy gold, but in case anyone disagrees, you get a 2 for 1 deal on Thursday, during which time we ACTUALLY talk about … Continue reading AS155: Cognitive Dissonance →

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AS154: The Portable Atheist Jul 16, 2015

Ok ok, a REAL one this time! This month’s reading is A Refutation of Deism by Percy Shelley. Lots of cool stuff to talk about in this reading. Shelley was a poet but honestly in my opinion, he could have been a philosopher! Also, did he predict evolution 50 years before Origin of Species? I … Continue reading AS154: The Portable Atheist →

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AS153: An Atheist In A Catholic Church Jul 13, 2015

..plus Portable Atheist, kind of. You’ll see. This weekend I had the unique experience of attending a Catholic wedding. It has been a while since I’ve stepped foot in a Catholic Church and it certainly was fascinating. Also, we were set to do Portable Atheist but the selection was very short and not too amenable … Continue reading AS153: An Atheist In A Catholic Church →

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AS152: An Atheist In A Muslim Country, Part 2 Jul 09, 2015

Today we continue the discussion with Adrian, an atheist who lives in a majority Muslim country. Lots more interesting stuff on part 2! Take a listen!

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AS151: An Atheist In A Muslim Country Jul 06, 2015

My guest this week is Adrian, who has appeared on the show a few times before. This time might be the most interesting yet, however, because Adrian recently moved to Malaysia. So, that makes him an atheist living in a Muslim majority country. He has a lot of really interesting stories and observations about what … Continue reading AS151: An Atheist In A Muslim Country →

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AS150: Pale Blue Dot, Part 2 Jul 02, 2015

We round out our first book club book with a couple more interviews. Then, what better way to take us out than with the man himself, Carl Sagan, reading his most beautiful passage ever.

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AS149: Pale Blue Dot, Part 1 Jun 29, 2015

Yay the first book club book is done! This was so much fun, and thank you to all who participated! Make sure to read the next book and contact me to get on the show next time.

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AS148: Live Listener Feedback Jun 25, 2015

Today I have two listeners on as guests to provide some feedback on the recent Elijiah T episodes. Some of my listeners reacted a bit negatively to Elijiah and I’m curious to find out why. Let’s see if I can find some answers!

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AS147: Tommentary Jun 22, 2015

It’s with a heavy heart that I have to launch on another Tommentary. Pretty much every time there’s a horrible massacre, there are a number of things to react to. Here’s an article I talked about toward the end that was very interesting: http://aeon.co/magazine/philosophy/people-do-violence-because-their-moral-codes-demand-it/

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AS146: Ex-Mormon, Rondale Part 2 Jun 18, 2015

More discussion with Rondale. In part 2 we talk a bit more about being an atheist in the black community.

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AS145: Ex-Mormon, Rondale Jun 15, 2015

This week’s guest is another ex-Mormon, but coming with yet another unique perspective. I’ll give you a hint, he wouldn’t have been allowed in the church before 1978.

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AS144: Atheists Say the Darnedest Things, Part 2 Jun 11, 2015

Here’s the second half with Elijiah T! I’m liking the response to this. Keep those comments coming.

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AS143: Atheists Say the Darnedest Things, with Elijiah T. Jun 08, 2015

Elijiah was a guest about a year ago, and now he’s back for another round! This time, we’re going to discuss what Elijiah alleges are bad arguments atheists make. It’s a really cool discussion and I had a great time. 2 episodes, filled to the brim!

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AS142: Armed Peaceful Protests, with Jake Farr-Wharton Jun 04, 2015

Continuing the discussion from Monday, Jake and I go on to react to the CNN Anderson Cooper interview with the organizer of the obnoxious event. Also, I read most of this really well written response to the event: To the Bikers Who Plan to Protest in Arizona

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AS141: Real Islamophobia, with Jake Farr-Wharton Jun 01, 2015

This week I have Jake on to discuss what is an actual case of Islamophobia. That is, the biker “protest” outside of an Arizona mosque where members wore t-shirts saying “F*** Islam” and carried weapons.

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AS140: At Long Last, Listener Comments May 28, 2015

But not just any comments, really good comments! I go back over the Louis CK stuff from Monday in light of a few comments, and then I finally comment back at a comment on Christina Hoff Sommers.

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AS139: Louis CK, Filters, Mad Max, MRAs… May 25, 2015

It’s a bit of a potpourri for today’s episode! What did Louis CK’s SNL monologue from the other week have to do with free will and determinism? Also, I saw Mad Max and felt the need to talk a bit about it and the intersection with feminism.

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AS138: David Hume, Of Miracles Part 2 May 21, 2015

Continuing from Monday, we’re finishing up Of Miracles by Hume. It’s quite an important piece in skeptic history, and seeks to provide an argument against miracle testimony of many kinds.

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AS137: David Hume, Of Miracles May 18, 2015

The Portable Atheist, part 6! Rather than claim I will come back to the Portable Atheist in a month and then wait like 4 months as I have previously, I decided to be proactive and get right to it! This time, it’s “Of Miracles” by David Hume, very important work for skepticism. This will be … Continue reading AS137: David Hume, Of Miracles →

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AS136: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, Part 2 May 14, 2015

Megan is back for part 2 about being raised as a female Mormon. It’s quite a bit different than as a male.. Also, NCMOs are real! Here’s some of the resources/links Megan mentioned: http://www.colleenkellypoplin.com/home/faith-the-privileges-and-responsibilities-of-sisters http://www.lds-mormon.com/poelman.shtml http://whitefieldseducational.org/ Also if you’d like to contact Megan, she was kind enough to offer her email at megashley@myself.com Thanks for listening!

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AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan May 11, 2015

Some time ago I had two ex-Mormons, Bill and Gerald, on to discuss their experience with the church. After hearing that, Megan sent me a message asking if I wanted to get the female perspective on the Mormon experience. I said absolutely! So Megan is here to give us another side of the story. With … Continue reading AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan →

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AS134: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder, Part 2 May 07, 2015

Much more with Jeffrey Jay Lowder! This time we get even deeper into the arguments, and I get to try out a couple of thoughts I’ve been having on Jeff. It was a real treat to have an expert on to be able to bounce some ideas off of. This is of course in addition … Continue reading AS134: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder, Part 2 →

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AS133: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder May 04, 2015

I’m very pleased to have a special guest this week, Jeffery Jay Lowder! Jeff is one of the founders of Internet Infidels and the Secular Outpost. He’s also someone with a vast knowledge of apologetics and counter-apologetics, having studied at a christian university. One thing about Jeff Lowder though is that he’s very fair and … Continue reading AS133: Moral Arguments, with Jeffery Jay Lowder →

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AS132: The Portable Atheist, Part 5 Apr 30, 2015

Lots of great comments on my last episode to discuss, but ALAS! There’s no time! We’re on to the Portable Atheist 5! I cannot believe how long it has been since I did this last. This edition is David Hume’s “The Natural History of Religion.” I promise to find a time to address these really … Continue reading AS132: The Portable Atheist, Part 5 →

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AS131: Hiding From Ideas Apr 27, 2015

This week I want to take a break from interviews. I’ve absolutely loved the interviews I’ve been doing lately, but I recognize that some people come to my podcast for some commentary, or Tommentary, so today I’d like to do that. SO, I picked a doozy of a topic, which is Christina Hoff Sommers. She … Continue reading AS131: Hiding From Ideas →

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AS130: Reddit Toxicity, with Ben Bell, part 2 Apr 23, 2015

Part 2 with Ben Bell. For a description and if you haven’t heard part one, refer here: http://atheisticallyspeaking.com/as129-reddit-toxicity/

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AS129: Reddit Toxicity, with Idibon’s Ben Bell Apr 20, 2015

Atheism’s Reddit Toxicity The company Idibon recently conducted a Reddit toxicity that made a lot of headlines. The study can be found here. Many subreddits reposted the study and reacted to their position. In a finding that might be relevant to the atheism community, r/atheism was found to be among the top in the Reddit … Continue reading AS129: Reddit Toxicity, with Idibon’s Ben Bell →

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AS128: Ex-Witnesses Kenny and Harley, Part 2 Apr 16, 2015

In part 2 we get to hear @secularlad Harley’s update and story. Then we get into some general stuff about Jehova’s Witnesses with Kenny Wyland. He can be found on twitter @kennywyland or at the awesome url of http://www.liberalgeek.com !

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AS127: Ex-Witnesses Kenny and Harley Apr 13, 2015

Continuing a bit of a series on ex-religion, I have two ex-witnesses this week! You’ve heard @secularlad Harley before, but now we’ve got a brand new guest in Kenny Wyland! He can be found on twitter @kennywyland or at the awesome url of http://www.liberalgeek.com !

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AS126: Women in Bags, with Eiynah Nice Mangos Apr 09, 2015

In part two of our discussion, Eiynah breaks down the recent situation in Canada where a woman wants to be able to wear a niqab during the citizenship oath. Is it basic religious freedom to allow this? Or is it just as ridiculous as allowing a KKK mask during the oath? Thanks so much to … Continue reading AS126: Women in Bags, with Eiynah Nice Mangos →

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AS125: Eiynah Nice Mangos Apr 06, 2015

This week I’m joined by Pakistani-Canadian illustrator/blogger Eiynah! If you’re wondering, that’s not her real name. Why would she need to be anonymous? Well she used to be a Muslim, I wonder if that has anything to do with it… Anyway, in this first part, Eiynah talks about her background growing up in Saudi Arabia and … Continue reading AS125: Eiynah Nice Mangos →

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AS124: Our Secular Wedding, with Lydia Apr 02, 2015

Back by popular demand is my alarmingly attractive fiance Lydia! In a follow up to the Jake and Marilee episode on secular weddings, we discuss our experiences planning a wedding. Well… Lydia’s experience planning a wedding. Lydia also has some unintentionally hilarious examples of religious wedding vows! It’s a raucous time.

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AS123: Religion and Music with Ruby Rose Fox Mar 30, 2015

Here’s the much anticipated interview with Ruby Rose Fox! Ruby is a really unique and talented musician who also happens to be an atheist. We discuss the role religion played in her life and still plays in her music. Also, we get an EXCLUSIVE look at two brand new songs not heard anywhere else! Check … Continue reading AS123: Religion and Music with Ruby Rose Fox →

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AS122: Secular Weddings, with Jake and Marilee Mar 26, 2015

In today’s episode I’m joined by Jake Farr-Wharton and Marilee to discuss secular wedding ceremonies! They can be a challenge, since religion has had a monopoly on weddings and other special occasions. Our guests have some insights on what go into a secular wedding! Catch Jake on the Imaginary Friends Show and of course on … Continue reading AS122: Secular Weddings, with Jake and Marilee →

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AS121: Leaving Scientology, with Chris Shelton Mar 23, 2015

We have the thrilling conclusion of our Chris Shelton trilogy! Today we find out what led Chris out of the cult of Scientology, and how he dealt with leaving the religion that was his life for 27 years. Thanks again to Chris and check him out at http://mncriticalthinker.com

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AS120: 27 Years In Scientology, with Chris Shelton Mar 19, 2015

Prior to the scientology segment, I briefly discuss some rather odd things Patton Oswalt had to say of atheism in this article: http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/salons_patton_oswalt_peace_summit/ With that brief aside, aside, though, we move onto part 2/3 with Chris Shelton and his life inside the cult of Scientology. This time we learn where and how all that 27 years … Continue reading AS120: 27 Years In Scientology, with Chris Shelton →

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AS119: Guide to Scientology, with Chris Shelton Mar 16, 2015

Hello Thetans! In this episode we’ll be learning a ton about Scientology. Chris Shelton is an ex-Scientologist who will be taking us through the basics. I would go on more about Chris, but I actually don’t want to spoil any of his story because we are going to learn all about it in the next … Continue reading AS119: Guide to Scientology, with Chris Shelton →

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AS118: Two Ex-Mormon Stories, Part 2 Mar 12, 2015

We continue the very fascinating conversation with Bill and Gerald. Find out how their stories continued and how they got to where they are today!

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AS117: Two Ex-Mormon Stories, Part 1 Mar 09, 2015

This week I’m very pleased to be joined by two ex-Mormons, Bill and Gerald. Their stories are similar in many ways, but also diverge at a few key points. Get a glimpse into what it’s like to grow up as a Mormon; the missions, the creepy corporate feel of the church, the very firm expectations. … Continue reading AS117: Two Ex-Mormon Stories, Part 1 →

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AS116: Politics With The Skepticrat, Part 2 Mar 05, 2015

We continue our discussion with Noah and Heath. https://www.facebook.com/skepticrat

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AS115: Politics, With The Skepticrat Mar 02, 2015

We’re joined by none other than Noah Lugeons and Heath Enwright! After becoming famous for being Scathing Atheists, the guys are now branching out to politics with their new podcast, The Skepticrat! It’s taking the iTunes by storm, peaking at #51 of all podcasts ever, in any category. Quite impressive! Check out the show by … Continue reading AS115: Politics, With The Skepticrat →

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AS114: Hate Speech Laws, with Michael Feb 26, 2015

Previous guest and awesome Patron Michael, AKA Bangs Naughty Bits, joins me to talk about free speech. In particular, we’re discussing a very interesting article which I read aloud on the show: http://reason.com/archives/2015/02/18/after-copenhagen-the-myth-of-civilized-c Are hate speech laws on the same spectrum as shooting people for drawing Mohammed? That is the allegation of the author, and it’s … Continue reading AS114: Hate Speech Laws, with Michael →

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AS113: Intellectual Honesty Is Important Feb 24, 2015

… And CJ Werleman doesn’t have it. In this 24 hours late episode, my voice is still sounding a little rough, but better than it did. I had a few interactions with the infamous CJ Werleman, and it has now hit a critical mass with me. In this episode I identify 3 times that CJ … Continue reading AS113: Intellectual Honesty Is Important →

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AS112: Justin Schieber Returns, Part 2! Feb 19, 2015

It’s Justin Schieber, part 2! Justin Schieber is back for a discussion on apologetics! Justin is an accomplished debater, and a refreshingly clear thinker regarding apologetics. Justin gives the arguments a very fair shake, and avoids straw men like the plague. Great qualities for an Atheistically Speaking guest! Check out his site http://www.justinsweh.com/ for his upcoming … Continue reading AS112: Justin Schieber Returns, Part 2! →

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AS111: Justin Schieber Returns! Feb 16, 2015

Justin Schieber is back for a discussion on apologetics! Justin is an accomplished debater, and a refreshingly clear thinker regarding apologetics. Justin gives the arguments a very fair shake, and avoids straw men like the plague. Great qualities for an Atheistically Speaking guest! Check out his site http://www.justinsweh.com/ for his upcoming debates! Find him on Twitter … Continue reading AS111: Justin Schieber Returns! →

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AS110: Chapel Hill Shootings Feb 12, 2015

I finish up the Spinoza reading from the Portable Atheist, and then I talk about the awful shooting deaths of three Muslims in Chapel Hill. Is atheism to blame?

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AS109: Portable Atheist 4 Feb 09, 2015

It’s finally time for another edition of the Portable Atheist! This time it’s Benedict de Spinoza!

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AS108: ISIS; Huckabee’s Brilliance Feb 05, 2015

Well you’ve no doubt heard what’s in the news. ISIS is terrible. I discuss some difficult questions involved. Then, since we all went through that ordeal, I give us a nice easy issue: Huckabee’s take on gay marriage! It’s pretty horrendous.

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AS107: Dr. Steve Sentenced to Catholic Mass Feb 02, 2015

Joining me in today’s episode is Anonymous Steve, who you might remember from a previous episode. Steve was oddly sentenced to Catholic Mass by a crazy judge in the UK. You may have seen the story making the rounds lately, retweeted by even Ricky Gervais and Richard Dawkins. Here are some links from the show, … Continue reading AS107: Dr. Steve Sentenced to Catholic Mass →

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AS106: A Few Thoughts; Patron of the Week Jan 29, 2015

I have a few loose ends to tie up with Charlie Hebdo stuff, and then we have a great Patron of the week! This week’s Patron is Wes, and he works in intelligence, which sounds way cooler than it is! Or maybe it is that cool..

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AS105: The Secular Parent Panel, Part 2 Jan 26, 2015

I forgot to announce last week, it has been a year since Atheistically Speaking started! How cool is that! Thanks for everyone’s support and here’s to another great year! Also, second half of the parent panel discussion. Lots more interesting stuff. If anyone has another idea for a panel topic, feel free to throw it … Continue reading AS105: The Secular Parent Panel, Part 2 →

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AS104: Secular Parent Panel, Part 1 Jan 22, 2015

At last, it’s here! The secular parent panel we’ve all heard so much about! This was a ton of fun, and I really appreciate the three panelists coming on to share their experiences as atheist parents in a not so atheist world. Questions we considered were, should we raise our kids with the Santa myth? … Continue reading AS104: Secular Parent Panel, Part 1 →

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AS103: French Atheist Stephane on Charlie Hebdo Jan 19, 2015

I’m very privileged to have listeners all over the world, and one such listener is Stephane, who lives in a small town just outside Paris. Stephane and I discussed Charlie Hebdo from beginning to end, and he taught me a ton about French culture and the mindset behind anti-Burqa laws and other such things in France. … Continue reading AS103: French Atheist Stephane on Charlie Hebdo →

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AS102: Charlie; Patron of the Week Adrian Jan 15, 2015

Today I have some quick thoughts on your comments from the last episode, and then a great Patron of the Week, Adrian! Also, I talked about the terrible stuff that happened with Noah of Scathing Atheist. Here’s the link to the page to donate to the people who helped salvage the situation: http://www.fcnmhp.org/how-to-help/donate/

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AS101: Je Suis Ahmed Jan 12, 2015

This week was supposed to be the Parenting Panel, but given recent events, I am electing to delay those episodes by a week. In this episode I wade into the mess that is the popular response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting. I take a look at the range of responses and have some thoughts on … Continue reading AS101: Je Suis Ahmed →

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AS100: Episode 100 with Cog Dis!! Jan 08, 2015

For the second half of our episode 100 spectacular, Tom, Cecil and I discuss this article: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/dalhousie-dentistry-scandal-free-speech-101406801.html This turned out to be quite a contentious debate on free speech. Please let me know what you think of the arguments!

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AS99: 100 Episodes Celebration Week, with Cog Dis! Jan 05, 2015

This week I have Tom and Cecil, two of my absolute top 100 favorite guests, on to celebrate 100 episodes of Atheistically Speaking! In today’s episode we discuss a variety of impromptu topics, and then on Thursday we’ll have an interesting discussion on free speech. These guys are the best! Thank you all for 100 … Continue reading AS99: 100 Episodes Celebration Week, with Cog Dis! →

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AS98: Transgender Acceptance; Patron of the Week Jan 01, 2015

The bulk of this show was actually a very fun Patron of the Week interview, but I also had some thoughts on the suicide of Leelah Alcorn. Her death is incredibly sad, but I hope her words may help others. Clearly we still have a long way to go regarding transgender acceptance, but if you’re … Continue reading AS98: Transgender Acceptance; Patron of the Week →

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AS97: Holidays; ReThink Prize Results Dec 29, 2014

The ReThink prize results are in and they are very interesting. Winners Did they accomplish what they set out to do though? I have some thoughts. Also, general holiday stuff. And this: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/12/223008-smartest-guy-universe-tm-neil-de-grasse-tyson-trolls-christians-christmas/ Please get in touch with me if you’d like to be on a little panel about parenting as an atheist!

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AS96: Sony Hack Part 2; Patreon of the Week! Dec 25, 2014

We continue the discussion with computer expert Michael about the Sony hack. Then, it’s Patreon of the week Katie!

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AS95: The Sony Hack, with Michael Dec 22, 2014

This week listener and computer expert (imprecise term, I know..) Michael give us a great run down of the Sony hack. I learned a lot from our discussion and I highly recommend listening if you’re curious about the workings of these high profile hacks!

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AS94: Islamism; Patron of the Week Dec 18, 2014

You’ve no doubt heard of the awful incidents of the past few days. In Australia, several people were held hostage for hours and two ended up losing their lives. And of course, in Peshuar in a far more horrifying incident, the Taliban killed 141, most of whom were school children. Do these two atrocities committed … Continue reading AS94: Islamism; Patron of the Week →

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AS93: Enhanced Interrogation Dec 15, 2014

In this episode I discuss the Senate Report on Torture that came out last week. As you’ve no doubt heard by now, it’s pretty horrifying. But does Sam Harris condone such behavior? According to CJ Werleman, yes. According to Sam Harris, likely not. Here are some links I discussed. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/john-yoo-torture-report-dustbin-article-1.2039758 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/11/370055472/dick-cheney-on-senate-torture-investigation-the-report-is-full-of-crap http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/09/senate-torture-report-details_n_6295396.html

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AS92: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson, part 2 Dec 11, 2014

Bobby C and I continue the excellent discussion. Also, we have yet another great Patron of the week!

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AS91: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson Dec 08, 2014

This week I’m joined by Bobby C of No Religion Required. I’m very grateful to Bobby for coming on to give us some insight on what it means to be a police officer. We talk about the NYC case a little as the news broke the day we recorded, but we focus more on Ferguson … Continue reading AS91: Former Officer Bobby C on Ferguson →

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AS90: Atheism in the Netherlands, with Marcel Dec 05, 2014

Atheistically Speaking welcomes to the show an avid listener and fantastic supporter, Marcel! We talked about a wide range of differences between the Netherlands and the US. Turns out they are quite different.. who knew! It was an excellent discussion and provided a really neat look into what it's like not being an American, something I don't have much experience with.

AS89: Comments and Tommentary Dec 01, 2014

In this episode I revisit some Ferguson stuff in light of your comments. I have to revise something I said last week. Then, I do some Tommentary about comments Ayaan Hirsi Ali made a week ago, as well as an interview Dawkins had. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: What I’m Thankful For Dawkins’ take on sexual harassment … Continue reading AS89: Comments and Tommentary →

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AS88: Ferguson Followup Nov 27, 2014

Several months ago I gave my initial thoughts on the happenings in Ferguson. Well, as you’ve no doubt heard, the grand jury came back with no charges filed. Also, the evidence has been made public, so it’s time to dive into it. Also, new segment, Patron of the week! I am going to do a … Continue reading AS88: Ferguson Followup →

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AS87: On Privilege, with Erik Nov 24, 2014

Listener Erik sent me a very thoughtful email outlining some thoughts he had on the James Lindsay episodes, especially our brief discussion on privilege. Since Erik comes from a different background, I thought it would be a good idea to get a different voice in on the discussion so it wasn’t just another case of … Continue reading AS87: On Privilege, with Erik →

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AS86: Jonathan Figdor, Part 2; Commentary Nov 20, 2014

We finish up the discussion with Jonathan Figdor. Lots of interesting stuff! Then I move onto some commentary about last week’s episodes. Definitely a lot to think about and discuss moving forward. Hopefully I can get some more guests on to represent all sides.

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AS85: Jonathan Figdor Nov 17, 2014

This week Jonathan Figdor joins us to discuss a multitude of topics. First up, he’s promoting a new book, Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart. That can be found on Amazon or on the home page here : http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/ Also at that link you can find info on his ReThink prize! It sounds really cool and I’m thinking … Continue reading AS85: Jonathan Figdor →

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AS84: James Lindsay, part 2 Nov 13, 2014

Continued discussion on discussion. We maxed out the time, so I’m going to have to address comments and give more thoughts on a later date. Thanks for the many good comments on this topic!

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AS83: Category 5 Shitstorms, with James Lindsay Nov 10, 2014

This week I have James Lindsay on the show, @goddoesnt on Twitter, to discuss the recent shitstorm that resulted from Peter Boghossian’s tweets. This is a chance to talk at a deeper level about what’s going on when these shitstorms happen. Does the phrase “gay pride” make sense? If so, is it the most effective … Continue reading AS83: Category 5 Shitstorms, with James Lindsay →

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AS82: Catcalling with Lydia (and Actual Cats) Nov 06, 2014

Lydia returns! You likely have seen the video going around featuring a model being catcalled hundreds of times throughout New York. I’ve mentioned before my stance on catcalling and how absolutely idiotic it is. Lydia joins me as a repeated victim of catcalling to talk about it and how it makes women feel. Important stuff … Continue reading AS82: Catcalling with Lydia (and Actual Cats) →

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AS81: Conversation with Ex-Muslim, Ben Nov 03, 2014

Today I have listener Ben on, who is of course much more than simply an ex-Muslim, but having an episode named “Ben” seemed weird. Ben had a great comment on the site about the Affleck/Maher debate, and seeing as how his background is a lot different than mine, I wanted to have him on to … Continue reading AS81: Conversation with Ex-Muslim, Ben →

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AS80: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 (cont.) Oct 30, 2014

I’m continuing where I left off from Hobbes’s Leviathan chapter, Of Religion. Very interesting stuff!

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AS79: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 Oct 27, 2014

We’re back to our Portable Atheists studies! I love these! This time, we’re reading Of Religion by Thomas Hobbes, from his book called Leviathan. It’s very fascinating, and brilliant of course. Tune in and hear my summary and analysis! Also, I discuss a couple comments about the pro-life debate. Since I asked specifically for comments regarding … Continue reading AS79: The Portable Atheist, Part 3 →

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AS78: Islamophobia; Reza Aslan and Nathan Lean Oct 23, 2014

In this episode I’m revisiting some of the Islamophobia ideas. This time I’m reading some new articles and blog posts about the subject. Here are some links: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119898/bill-maher-ben-affleck-islam-debate-there-no-muslim-world http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/10/reza-aslan-on-what-the-new-atheists-get-wrong.html http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/on-the-mechanics-of-defamation

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AS77: Observations on CJ Werleman Oct 20, 2014

Please note that CJ is not actually on this episode. He’s been a guest several times before but this time I wanted to talk about what’s happening with him, and not have him in the proverbial room. He has been very vocal about his dislike of Harris’s views, as seen in this video: And now … Continue reading AS77: Observations on CJ Werleman →

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AS76: Dying with Dignity and Abortion Debate Follow-Up Oct 16, 2014

In this episode I talk way too long about this article: http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/there-is-nothing-brave-about-suicide/ It’s very relevant to topics we’ve discussed recently. Apparently there are people who think you owe it to someone to stay alive in the face of terrible suffering. I’m sure if they were being tortured or something they would never want to have the … Continue reading AS76: Dying with Dignity and Abortion Debate Follow-Up →

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AS75: Pro-Life Humanist, Kristine Kruszelnicki Oct 13, 2014

Today I have the executive director of http://www.prolifehumanists.org, Kristine! Oftentimes it seems as though atheists are 100% pro-choice, but Kristine is here to represent the other side. She contends that there are perfectly reasonable secular arguments to be pro-life. I’m really excited to get into these arguments!

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AS74: Holy Codified Doctrine of Islam, Batman! Oct 09, 2014

On this episode I first discuss the Ben Affleck Sam Harris Bill Maher video that has made some waves. Here’s a link: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/can-liberalism-be-saved-from-itself Then, I spend a lot of time going back on the circumcision discussion from Monday. I received a ton of comments and unfortunately couldn’t get to them all, but I went through a … Continue reading AS74: Holy Codified Doctrine of Islam, Batman! →

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AS73: Circumcision Vs. FGM Oct 06, 2014

I’m joined today by Sarah from The Whole Network. This organization wants to provide accurate information about circumcision. Is it just as bad as FGM? Are Americans culturally blinded about this issue? Find out! https://www.facebook.com/WholeNetwork Thanks to @helpfulatheist3 for bringing this issue to my attention!

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AS72: Anonymous Steve and Jake Farr-Wharton on Suicide, Part 2 Oct 02, 2014

The three of us continue the discussion. Thanks so much for all the positive reaction to these episodes! Talking about this stuff is very difficult but it will become easier the more people talk openly about it. Big thanks to Steve and Jake.

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AS71: Anonymous Steve and Jake Farr-Wharton on Suicide, Part 1 Sep 29, 2014

This episode is exactly what it sounds like. Listener Anonymous Steve, whose has made appearances on the Skepticule podcast, contacted me after the episode with Jake previous, regarding depression and suicide. Steve considers himself suicidal. This was a difficult episode but was an incredibly unique experience and hopefully good will come out of it.

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AS70: Sexism in Atheism Sep 25, 2014

The topic of sexism in atheism has warranted another episode. There was a huge response from Monday, and a huge range of response as well. I discuss a lot of the comments and emails I got, as well as the following blog post: Is Sam Harris Sexist?

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AS69: Is Sam Harris the Sexist Pig We’re Looking For? Sep 22, 2014

Sam Harris made some comments that feminists did not take kindly to. Here’s a link to his explanation: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/im-not-the-sexist-pig-youre-looking-for I think there are some troubling points to his commentary, and here are some critics: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2014/09/12/sam-harris-is-just-factually-wrong-globally-atheism-has-no-gender-split/ http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/09/15/a-professional-responsibility-to-get-the-facts-straight/#more-20633 I find this one pretty outrageous though: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/another-week-another-atheist-demands-we-call-his-sexism-not-sexism-this-time-sam-harris/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+(The+Raw+Story) Amanda Marcotte writes this as though Sam Harris has said women … Continue reading AS69: Is Sam Harris the Sexist Pig We’re Looking For? →

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AS68: Cognitive Dissonance on Atheist Celebrities, Part 2 Sep 18, 2014

Well here we are for part 2. It’s like part one, but twoer.

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AS67: Cognitive Dissonance on Atheist Celebrities, Part 1 Sep 15, 2014

Tom and Cecil are back! Talking with these guys is the absolute most fun. They are such a great blend of humor and insight! This time we’re discussing the phenomenon of atheist celebrities. We rehash a bit of the Dawkins Twitter stuff simply because it’s germane to the discussion, but we also go on to … Continue reading AS67: Cognitive Dissonance on Atheist Celebrities, Part 1 →

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AS66: Abortion with Tracey Moody Sep 11, 2014

Tracey and I have a lengthy discussion on abortion. Despite both being pro choice, there is still quite a lot of gray area that is very interesting to discuss. Then of course, there’s always Richard Dawkins to spice things up. Is it ethical to abort a fetus that has a high chance of Down’s Syndrome? … Continue reading AS66: Abortion with Tracey Moody →

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AS65: The Portable Atheist, Part 2, and More Sep 08, 2014

Part 2 of The Portable Atheist features Omar Khayyam. Poet, astronomer, mathematician, husband, lover, rotary member, blood donor, etc. Omar had it all. He was a multifaceted Iranian who lived around 1050ish to 1150ish. Then I discuss 3 comments at length. One of them has a corresponding link. Here is that link. This is not … Continue reading AS65: The Portable Atheist, Part 2, and More →

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AS64: Stealing Private Nude Photos is a Sex Crime Sep 04, 2014

Can’t really put it any more plainly than that. But FIRST, I have a long and uninteresting story about being Comcast free at last! I’ve gone through some decently big life changes and you get to hear about them for 20 minutes! (fast forward to 20:00ish if you want to skip straight to discussion on … Continue reading AS64: Stealing Private Nude Photos is a Sex Crime →

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AS63: Euthanasia with Jake Farr-Wharton Sep 01, 2014

Jake joins me to discuss a topic very near and dear to him. Jake lost his grandfather some years back in a slow and undignified process. His grandfather had been a vocal supporter of the right to die with dignity so his being denied that right was particularly difficult for Jake.

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AS62: History of Christianity, Part 1 Aug 28, 2014

We have a very special guest on today’s show! Lydia joins me to start on a long journey through the history of Christianity. We’ll be working through the book A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years which I heard Christopher Hitchens recommend in a debate video. Lydia brings the research and I’m sure I bring … Continue reading AS62: History of Christianity, Part 1 →

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AS61: Tommentary Time Aug 25, 2014

Lots to talk about this episode! Catching up on listener comments and reexamining some of the major stories of recent times. It has been quite the depressing month of news. Cool new segment coming up on Thursday, and an exclusive interview with Tracey Moody coming up on Bonus Content! Better sign up at http://patreon.com/atheist !

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AS60: Atheists Can’t Be Republicans, with CJ Werleman, Part 2 Aug 21, 2014

Part 2 of my discussion with author CJ Werleman. His new book is Atheists Can’t Be Republicans, If Facts and Evidence Matter. http://www.amazon.com/Atheists-Cant-Be-Republicans-Evidence/dp/1908675276 Atheistically Speaking ventures into rare political territory! This discussion is sure to spur opinions, make sure to leave them on the facebook page or on the website!

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AS59: PZ Myers Tommentary; CJ Werleman Part 1 Aug 18, 2014

PZ Myers has really lost me. I had no previous reason to dislike him until he wrote the following two posts: http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/08/12/robin-williams-brings-joy-to-the-hearts-of-journalists-and-politicians-once-again/ http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/08/13/even-atheists-have-sacred-cows/ Plus, we welcome back the great CJ Werleman! He has a recent book about why atheists cannot be Republicans. http://www.amazon.com/Atheists-Cant-Be-Republicans-Evidence/dp/1908675276 Find out why!

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AS58: The Portable Atheist, Part 1 Aug 14, 2014

I’m doing something new here on Atheistically Speaking! I’m summarizing and reading selections from the first reading of The Portable Atheist. I really enjoyed doing this and I think it could be a great chance for us all to learn some new stuff together and be exposed to more brilliant writing. Please let me know … Continue reading AS58: The Portable Atheist, Part 1 →

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AS57: Richard Dawkins Twitter Explosion Aug 11, 2014

Richard Dawkins Twitter Explosion What in the world is Richard Dawkins Twitter up to? As you likely will have read/heard by now, Dawkins tweeted several tweets that had people in uproar. Essentially, he said that asserting x is bad but y is worse is not an endorsement of x. Why was this such a problem? … Continue reading AS57: Richard Dawkins Twitter Explosion →

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AS56: Scathing Atheist on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Part 2 Aug 07, 2014

Scathing Atheist on Israel-Palestine Scathing Atheist Noah joins me to help wade through the incredibly polarized world of Israel-Palestine commentary. It’s likely you already have a staunch opinion on this conflict, if you’re anything like mine and Noah’s Facebook/Twitter friends. The focus of this show is to do my best to take an unbiased approach … Continue reading AS56: Scathing Atheist on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Part 2 →

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AS55: Scathing Atheist on the Israel-Palestine Conflict Aug 04, 2014

Scathing Atheist on Israel-Palestine Scathing Atheist Noah joins me to help wade through the incredibly polarized world of Israel-Palestine commentary. It’s likely you already have a staunch opinion on this conflict, if you’re anything like mine and Noah’s Facebook/Twitter friends. The focus of this show is to do my best to take an unbiased approach … Continue reading AS55: Scathing Atheist on the Israel-Palestine Conflict →

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AS54: Free Will with Ryan Born, Part 2 Jul 31, 2014

Free Will with Ryan Born This week we’ve got Ryan Born, who you may remember as the winner of the Sam Harris essay contest. Ryan is a philosopher who runs the blog http://pointofcontroversy.com. Last time we spoke, Ryan had a ton to teach us about Moral Philosophy. This time though, we’re here to discuss a very … Continue reading AS54: Free Will with Ryan Born, Part 2 →

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AS53: Free Will with Ryan Born Jul 28, 2014

Free Will with Ryan Born This week we’ve got Ryan Born, who you may remember as the winner of the Sam Harris essay contest. Ryan is a philosopher who runs the blog http://pointofcontroversy.com. Last time we spoke, Ryan had a ton to teach us about Moral Philosophy. This time though, we’re here to discuss a … Continue reading AS53: Free Will with Ryan Born →

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AS52: Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? Part 2 Jul 24, 2014

Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? This week I have two guests on the show with the experience to answer this important question. First there’s Mike of the Digression Sessions Podcast, http://digressionsessions.com/. Mike was a very precocious alcoholic who was able to hit rock bottom at the impressive age of 21. Just in time to actually legally … Continue reading AS52: Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? Part 2 →

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AS51: Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? Jul 21, 2014

Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? This week I have two guests on the show with the experience to answer this important question. First there’s Mike of the Digression Sessions Podcast, http://digressionsessions.com/. Mike was a very precocious alcoholic who was able to hit rock bottom at the impressive age of 21. Just in time to actually legally … Continue reading AS51: Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult? →

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AS50: Free Will, Part 2 of 2.5 Jul 17, 2014

I continue the discussion of free will, covering a ton more territory. The debate between Harris and Dennett got a little bit hostile and I wish Dennett had written another response to Harris. In this episode I’ve got tons of thought experiments that I think outline the difficulties of the problem. I think I have … Continue reading AS50: Free Will, Part 2 of 2.5 →

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AS49: Free Will, Part 1 of …. Jul 14, 2014

This week I’m going to attempt to tackle the topic of free will! This is a favorite of mine. Do we have free will? Who was right in the debate between Harris and Dennett? Does determinism by definition negate free will or is there some way that they are, one might say, compatible? This is … Continue reading AS49: Free Will, Part 1 of …. →

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AS48: Nonresistant Unbeliever Justin Schieber, Part 2 Jul 10, 2014

This week we have Justin Schieber who I’m sure all of my listeners know from Reasonable Doubts, http://doubtcast.org! His website though is http://Justinsweh.com where you’ll find some great debate videos and other content. For Thursday’s show we ventured deeper into counter apologetics and religious philosophy. I loved this discussion! Don’t miss it!

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AS47: Nonresistant Unbeliever Justin Schieber Jul 07, 2014

This week we have Justin Schieber who I’m sure all of my listeners know from Reasonable Doubts, http://doubtcast.org! His website though is http://Justinsweh.com where you’ll find some great debate videos and other content. Justin is a perfect guest for Atheistically Speaking because he brings a calm, well-read and meticulous approach to religious philosophy. Tune in as … Continue reading AS47: Nonresistant Unbeliever Justin Schieber →

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AS46: Moral Philosophy Jul 03, 2014

Is consequentialism the obvious choice for moral theory? Well not according to most philosophers. But then again, no one theory is the obvious choice for philosophers. They are split 3 ways. What are we to make of this? Hear Thomas’s thoughts on moral philosophy and consequentialism in particular in light of last week’s episodes featuring … Continue reading AS46: Moral Philosophy →

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AS45: Religion and Sports Jun 30, 2014

We’ve gone a ton of shows in a row with demanding, intellectual topics. While this is definitely my favorite thing to do, occasionally it’s good to mix it up a little! So today is a more lighthearted topic: soccer. Is Ann Coulter right when she says it’s a liberal conspiracy to ruin America? No. It’s … Continue reading AS45: Religion and Sports →

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AS44: The Moral Landscape, with Ryan Born, Part 2 Jun 26, 2014

We continue our talk with the winner of Sam Harris’s essay contest, Ryan Born! We have a very enlightening discussion of philosophy, specifically moral philosophy. Is Sam Harris right when he says that science can determine moral values? Is wellbeing really the bottom line objective in terms of morality? These are some of the many questions … Continue reading AS44: The Moral Landscape, with Ryan Born, Part 2 →

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AS43: The Moral Landscape, with Ryan Born Jun 23, 2014

This week we have the winner of Sam Harris’s essay contest, Ryan Born! We have a very enlightening discussion of philosophy, specifically moral philosophy. Is Sam Harris right when he says that science can determine moral values? Is wellbeing really the bottom line objective in terms of morality? These are some of the many questions … Continue reading AS43: The Moral Landscape, with Ryan Born →

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AS42: Creating Atheists with Tracey Moody Jun 19, 2014

On today’s show we have The Moody Atheist for a first ever Atheistically Speaking book review segment! It’s not just a simple review though, we go in depth into A Manual for Creating Atheists, by Peter Boghossian. Is it a bit insulting to believers? Is it a little too evangelical in nature or is it … Continue reading AS42: Creating Atheists with Tracey Moody →

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AS41: Friendly Atheist, Hemant Mehta! Jun 16, 2014

We’re joined by Hemant Mehta! We talk about a range of topics, first focusing on what it means to be friendly as an atheist and how that plays out for Hemant. Then, we talk about the recent Ken Ham related incident where Hemant’s book, The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide, was involved in a bit of controversy. … Continue reading AS41: Friendly Atheist, Hemant Mehta! →

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AS40: Ex-Witness Harley Jun 12, 2014

We continue the conversation with ex-Jehovah’s Witness Harley, @secularlad. Such a gripping story. I can’t even imagine having to go through the loss of friends and family to the extent that Harley has simply because he no longer buys into absolute nonsense. Make sure to check out http://atheisticallyspeaking.com/trial for a free month of premium content!

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AS39: Blake Follow Up, Ex-Witness Harley Jun 09, 2014

First we have a follow up with Blake from last week, fresh off his appearance on Dogma Debate. Then, we begin a very gripping and engaging interview with Harley, an ex-Jehovah’s Witness who has somewhat recently come out atheist. This is no easy task and there have been many challenges and heartbreaks for him along … Continue reading AS39: Blake Follow Up, Ex-Witness Harley →

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AS38: Debate with Blake Giunta, Part 2 Jun 05, 2014

I continue my debate with Blake Giunta. Can an immaterial mind even exist? Seems ridiculous to me, but let’s see what Blake has to say about that! Then, I do a bit of a post-mortem on the debate, as well as discuss several listener comments. Thanks for all the feedback and participation! Blake’s impressive website: http://treesearch.org/ … Continue reading AS38: Debate with Blake Giunta, Part 2 →

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AS37: Debate with Blake Giunta Jun 02, 2014

This week I have an apologist on for my second debate! Blake Giunta was a recent guest on Dogma Debate where he attempted to talk philosophy while 3 people completely rejected the very legitimacy of philosophy. I’ve promised him that won’t happen here though! Blake’s impressive website. Blake’s twitter: @BlakeGiunta

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AS36: Scientism, with Massimo Pigliucci, Part 2 May 29, 2014

In this episode we finish off the interview with the great Massimo Pigliucci. There’s much more back and forth in this part, which was a lot of fun for me. We discuss Sam Harris and how exactly we make moral decisions. After that, I have a lot to say on the entire interview. I think … Continue reading AS36: Scientism, with Massimo Pigliucci, Part 2 →

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AS35: Scientism, with Massimo Pigliucci May 26, 2014

At long last, the interview with Massimo Pigliucci! First, we discuss a recent article by Massimo regarding Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s dismissal and contempt for philosophy. This article can be found on his new “webzine” here: http://scientiasalon.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/neil-degrasse-tyson-and-the-value-of-philosophy/ Also, his twitter handle is @mpigliucci After that, we begin the discussion on scientism and the New Atheists. That … Continue reading AS35: Scientism, with Massimo Pigliucci →

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AS34: Why I’m Not An Atheist, with Thomas Wells, Part 2 May 22, 2014

We continue the discussion with Thomas Wells. Wells has some concerns about the New Atheism movement. Are they too much like the religious? Are there better ways they should be going about getting their message out? Find out what this well-reasoned and well-spoken philosopher has to say! His article can be found here: http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2014/05/07/3999576.htm And … Continue reading AS34: Why I’m Not An Atheist, with Thomas Wells, Part 2 →

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AS33: Why I’m Not An Atheist, with Thomas Wells May 19, 2014

In this episode, I have Thomas Wells on to talk about his article Why I’m Not An Atheist. Wells has some concerns about the New Atheism movement. Are they too much like the religious? Are there better ways they should be going about getting their message out? Find out what this well-reasoned and well-spoken philosopher … Continue reading AS33: Why I’m Not An Atheist, with Thomas Wells →

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AS32: Death Penalty with Jake Farr-Wharton, Part 2 May 15, 2014

In this episode I have part 2 of Jake Farr-Wharton on to discuss the death penalty. You can find him on Twitter @JakeFarrWharton and of course his podcast, The Imaginary Friends Show is on iTunes and elsewhere. After that I discuss a great comment left on the website by @SallyStrange regarding feminism and Greta Christina. … Continue reading AS32: Death Penalty with Jake Farr-Wharton, Part 2 →

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AS31: Death Penalty with Jake Farr-Wharton, Part 1 May 12, 2014

In this episode, I do my longest Tommentary yet on the terrible situation in Nigeria. Can we finally blame religion for this one or is it still just geopolitics? Here are some links discussed: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/may/09/behind-rise-nigeria-boko-haram-climate-disaster-peak-oil-depletion http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/Climate_Change_Nigeria.pdf Then, I have the great friend of the show, Jake Farr-Wharton, on to discuss the death penalty. You can … Continue reading AS31: Death Penalty with Jake Farr-Wharton, Part 1 →

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AS30: Debate with Elijiah T, Supreme Court Fail May 08, 2014

We begin with part 2 of my debate with Elijiah T! You can find his blog here: http://hashtagapologetics.wordpress.com/ And on Twitter @elijiaht After that I give an analysis of the debate and what I was trying to accomplish. If anyone knows of other believers who are willing to have a discussion with an atheist, point … Continue reading AS30: Debate with Elijiah T, Supreme Court Fail →

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AS29: Reaction to Reaction to Greta Christina, and Debate with Elijiah T May 05, 2014

AS28 received a ton of feedback. So many people felt comfortable to confess their possible unpopular opinions, which I look at as a great accomplishment for the show. In a very long Tommentary, I talk about all the messages I received about the show, and make several points about feminism and atheism, again. Also, don’t … Continue reading AS29: Reaction to Reaction to Greta Christina, and Debate with Elijiah T →

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AS28: Misogyny in Atheism with Greta Christina May 01, 2014

In this episode, I asked Greta Christina about the rift in atheism between feminists and for lack of a better term, anti-feminists. Greta provided a very sobering insight into the difficulty she and other women in atheism have faced. You can find Greta’s blog here: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/ And her book here: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2014/03/07/coming-out-atheist-ordering-info/ Then, I talk about … Continue reading AS28: Misogyny in Atheism with Greta Christina →

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AS27: Coming Out Atheist, with Greta Christina Apr 28, 2014

This week’s Tommentary is about what it even means to say we dislike or hate someone’s beliefs but not them as a person. Is that possible? Is it honest? Then, joining us this week to talk about her new book is Greta Christina! You can find her blog here: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/ And her book here: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2014/03/07/coming-out-atheist-ordering-info/ … Continue reading AS27: Coming Out Atheist, with Greta Christina →

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AS26: CJ Werleman and Noah Lugeons, Part 2 Apr 24, 2014

CJ, Noah and Thomas continue the discussion of CJ’s contentious article about atheists and Islamic terrorism. Then, Thomas talks about a segment which was meant to debut in this episode but didn’t. Because of that, he then introduces a replacement segment called “WTF Salon.com” or something like that. Article discussed: http://www.salon.com/2014/04/19/science_doesnt_disprove_god_where_richard_dawkins_and_new_atheists_go_wrong/ Also, for an exclusive, … Continue reading AS26: CJ Werleman and Noah Lugeons, Part 2 →

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AS25: Are Atheists Ignorant About Islamic Terrorism? with CJ Werleman and Noah Lugeons Apr 21, 2014

Thank you, amazing Patreon Patrons!!!! Then, another week of Tommentary, which was well received in it’s debut. After that, Thomas has CJ Werleman and Noah Lugeons on to discuss CJ’s contentious article “How Hatred of Islam Creates Strange Bedfellows of Christians and Atheists.” Listeners who like Atheistically Speaking on Facebook will know that Thomas has some … Continue reading AS25: Are Atheists Ignorant About Islamic Terrorism? with CJ Werleman and Noah Lugeons →

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AS24: The Girl Who Asked the Question, with Tracey Moody Apr 17, 2014

I’ve rolled out Patreon. Please visit www.patreon.com/atheist and contribute! You’ll get immediate access to bonus content not available to non-patreons! This is part 2 with Tracey Moody. In this episode we discover that Tracey was THE one who asked the question “What, if anything, would change your mind?” at the Ham v Nye debate!! This … Continue reading AS24: The Girl Who Asked the Question, with Tracey Moody →

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AS23: Herding (Female) Atheists, with Tracey Moody Apr 14, 2014

Thomas introduces a new segment called Weekly Tommentary. After that, special guest Tracey Moody comes on to tell a compelling story about her experiences trying to start a female atheist group in Tennessee.

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AS22: Unholy Matrimony, with Tom and Cecil (Part 2) Apr 10, 2014

Tom Cecil and Thomas talk about Cecil’s marriage with a believer, as well as the normal plethora of tangents and sidetracks.

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AS21: When Cognitive Met Dissonance, with Tom and Cecil (Part 1) Apr 07, 2014

Special guests Tom and Cecil from Cognitive Dissonance! The three discuss how Cog Dis pod began, and how each of them relates with religious people in their personal lives.

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AS20: The Holy Church of Hobby Lobby, with Noah Lugeons (Part 2) Apr 03, 2014

Thomas and Noah continue the discussion on Hobby Lobby, and then take things to a more esoteric place with a discussion about an experiment described on Freakonomics.

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AS19: The Holy Church of Hobby Lobby, with Noah Lugeons (Part 1) Mar 31, 2014

Thomas and Noah talk about the Hobby Lobby case in the supreme court this week while doing their best to be unbiased about an issue that’s a complete no brainer.

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AS18: Herd Mentalist, Adam Reakes! (Part 2) Mar 27, 2014

Part 2 of my interview with Adam Reakes of the Herd Mentality Podcast! We talk about more random topics, and crack a few more jokes. Adam announces his candidacy for president of North Korea.

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AS17: Herd Mentalist, Adam Reakes! (Part 1) Mar 24, 2014

Special guest Adam Reakes of the Herd Mentality podcast! Thomas and Adam discuss a multitude of atheism topics including the debate strategy of greats like Ray Comfort and Deepak Chopra.

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AS16: Do Atheists Read the Bible Too Literally? (Part 2) Mar 20, 2014

Thomas finishes up the article on reading the bible as a progressive Christian. Also, should we be happy that Fred Phelps is dying?

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AS15: Do Atheists Read the Bible Too Literally? Mar 17, 2014

Thomas discusses an article about how progressive Christians read the bible and whether it has any merit. Are atheists reading the bible too literally?

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AS14: Should Christians/Atheists Be Nice to Atheists/Christians? Mar 13, 2014

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Thomas is forced to go it alone in this episode where he discusses whether or not Christians ought to be nice when dealing with Atheists.

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AS13: Poetry and Solipsism Mar 10, 2014

The Road Not Taken doesn’t mean what you think it does… Thomas discusses an interesting intellectual journey he went through and the guys apply it to art and to atheism in general.

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AS12: Atheists in Foxholes and Related Areas Feb 27, 2014

Thomas and David discuss some comments, as well as this episode’s topic: Whether or not atheists might have a harder time giving their lives for a cause.

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AS11: Herding Atheists, with Jake Farr-Wharton Feb 24, 2014

AS Podcast welcomes its second ever guest, Jake Farr-Wharton! The three discuss Jake’s background, and to what extent atheist groups should be political.

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AS10: Disdain for the Religious? Feb 20, 2014

Thomas and David read your comments! In fact, they were so thought provoking that they sparked a conversation worthy of its own episode.

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AS9: Purpose and Meaning Feb 17, 2014

The guys discuss the biggest life questions and how to deal with them as atheists. Should we be happy? Is there any meaning to anyone’s life?

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AS8: How to Sell Atheism, with Noah Lugeons Feb 13, 2014

The guys continue their discussion with Noah Lugeons of The Scathing Atheist and turn their focus towards selling atheism in the public arena.

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AS7: Spirituality, Part 2 PLUS Noah Lugeons Interview Feb 10, 2014

Thomas and David wrap up their discussion on spirituality and Oprah’s ignorance, and then welcome the first ever AS Podcast guest Noah Lugeons!

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AS6: Spirituality and Atheism, Part 1 Feb 06, 2014

In this episode, the guys talk about using terms such as “spirituality” as an atheist. They also discuss some great comments from listeners!

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AS5: Atheist Churches Feb 03, 2014

Should atheists have churches? Find out what the guys think about this as well as bogus positive thinking experiments and nuns opting out of Obamacare.

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AS4: Is Atheism a Privilege for the Wealthy? Jan 30, 2014

Have you been frustrated when you’ve heard anyone say atheism a privilege for the wealthy? You’d better listen to find out how the guys deal with this obnoxious claim!

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AS3: A Look at Atheism Online Jan 27, 2014

In this episode, Thomas and David discuss the article “Why I’m Leaving the Online Atheism Community” my Martin Pribble. Will they find it convincing or not terribly compelling? Find out!

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AS2: Atheists and Holidays, Part 2 Jan 23, 2014

It’s a William Lane Craig special here! He gave a gift of 5 terrible reasons why atheists are wrong and we kindly disprove all of them for him!

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AS1: Atheists and Holidays, Part 1 Jan 21, 2014

In the inaugural episode, David and Thomas give personal introductions, objectives for the show, and then discuss the first topic: atheists and Santa Claus.

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