Wet Blanket Skeptics Podcast Harrison & Jake
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- Science
Can two skeptics solve the world’s issues? Scientific skepticism is the practice of seeking whether extraordinary claims are supported by extraordinary evidence. It may be helpful not to think of skepticism as the opposite of optimism, but as the opposite of unquestioning certainty.
In this weekly podcast, Harrison and Jake use a combination of science, skepticism, free thought and rationality to challenge all popular and unpopular beliefs. As a general warning, if you hold views near and dear to your heart, they may be challenged in this podcast. We often attempt to challenge our own beliefs in order to let nothing go unquestioned. As a result, we will frequently get off-topic and there will be swearing, name-calling and jokes in very poor taste. Welcome to the Wet Blanket Skeptics podcast, where there are no sacred cows allowed.
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2018-08-27: The Illusion of Explanatory Depth, Optimism Bias, and Futurism
In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about the illusion of explanatory depth, optimism bias, Alex Jones, Tinder, bitcoin, socialism, capitalism, economics, the war against the media, futurism, and teleportation.
References:
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~rlawson/PDF_Files/L-M&C-2006.pdf
https://twistedsifter.com/2016/04/artist-asks-people-to-draw-bicycle-from-memory-and-renders-results/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-infowars/apple-youtube-and-others-drop-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-idUSKBN1KR0MZ
https://gizmodo.com/woman-tricks-dozens-of-men-on-tinder-into-showing-up-fo-1828467914
https://www.npr.org/2017/03/02/517915510/americas-complacent-class-how-self-segregation-is-leading-to-stagnation -
2016-12-04: The Sunk Cost Fallacy
In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about recording in-person, the sunk cost fallacy, Richard Spencer, the election results, the Pope, zipper merging, sacred cows, and lessons learned.
References:
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/251836-we-re-so-self-important-everybody-s-going-to-save-something-now-save
http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/07/the-beauty-of-zipper-merging-or-why-you-should-drive-ruder/
Harrison’s recommended podcasts:
http://pennsundayschool.com/
Skepticism: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/ and http://ohnopodcast.com/
Rationality: http://rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/
Economics: http://www.econtalk.org/
Politics: http://the-e-r-podcast.foreignpolicy.com/ -
2016-11-20: Ramble On
In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake and Joe talk about the election results, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, diabetes, the Bermuda Triangle, space travel, and audio issues.
References:
http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/11/07/tuesday-shouldnt-change-the-narrative/
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccdfzq2M1Ec
https://www.facebook.com/officialdanagould/posts/947789788661093
http://skepdic.com/bermuda.html
http://reason.com/blog/2016/11/12/trans-teen-suicide-spike-post-election
https://www.washingtonpost.com/2016-election-results/us-presidential-race/ -
2016-11-13: Sugar
In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about voting, TCM, meteorology, sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, addiction, food documentaries, DNA, and the Bermuda triangle.
References:
http://phys.org/news/2016-10-scientists-great-barrier-reef.html#nRlv
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/14/great-barrier-reef-severe-stress-not-dead-yet
http://www.yalescientific.org/2010/09/mythbusters-does-sugar-really-make-children-hyper/
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/high-fructose-corn-syrup/
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-sweetener-wars-hfcs-strikes-back/
http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/high-fructose-corn-syrup-addictive-myth/
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/
https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4088
http://azdailysun.com/news/national/human-dna-tied-mostly-to-single-exodus-from-africa-long/article_4dd9c676-bf0c-52c0-8a79-8249722ef66d.htm -
2016-11-06: Skepticism 201
In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake, and Joe talk about the show’s final episodes, Katie May, chiropractic, unfriending on social media, scientism, Skepchick, Rebecca Watson, elevatorgate, rape accusations, Exxon, the Great Barrier Reef, and devil’s milk.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9TpRfDdyU0
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/10/20/mystery-solved-chiropractic-manipulation-of-the-neck-did-cause-katie-mays-death-from-stroke/
https://gimletmedia.com/episode/9-forensic-science
http://www.innocenceproject.org/
http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/le-a.asp
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/
http://skepchick.org/
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1004-tavris-what-is-rape-20151004-story.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGMi0UtvTIc
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-18/exxon-decides-to-fight-new-york-s-climate-change-probe
http://www.outsideonline.com/2112086/obituary-great-barrier-reef-25-million-bc-2016
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/devils-milk-could-be-the-killer-ingredient-in-war-on-superbugs-20161014-gs29l5.html -
2016-10-09: Scientism
In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake, and Joe talk about racism, heroin, vaccine-preventable diseases, chiropractic, scientism, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Kurt Vonnegut, climate change, and time crystals.
References:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-heroin-use
http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/heroin/organs.html
http://time.com/27308/4-diseases-making-a-comeback-thanks-to-anti-vaxxers/
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu/586
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0393082067
http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2013/08/steven-pinker-embraces-scientism-bad.html
https://gradycarter.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120831-115749.jpg
http://www.popsci.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-just-proposed-government-that-doesnt-work
http://s3.amazonaws.com/libapps/accounts/9119/images/notripevpyr.jpg
http://www.openculture.com/2016/07/in-1988-kurt-vonnegut-gives-seven-pieces-advice-to-people-living-in-2088.html
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/400-ppm-carbon-dioxide-spiral-20748
http://azdailysun.com/news/national/greenland-ice-loss-trillion-pounds-bigger-than-thought/article_325429f7-fc69-589f-a7ab-f28c6aca2e56.html
http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/impossible-time-crystals-may-actually-be-real-say-physicists
http://nypost.com/2016/08/27/its-digital-heroin-how-screens-turn-kids-into-psychotic-junkies/