Dr. S Joshua Swamidass on Genesis and Evolution The Rational View 2026-09-21 | Dr. S Joshua Swamidass on Genesis and Evolution
Dr. Robert Hayes finds that radiophobic stress deaths skew low dose studies The Rational View 2025-08-14 | In this episode I'm interviewing a nuclear energy educator with a series of informative videos on LinkedIn. He works to address radiophobia and provides an evidence-based assessment of nuclear fission and the many polarized debates surrounding its safety. Dr. Robert Hayes is an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. He holds a joint faculty appointment with Savannah River National Laboratory and serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Dr. Hayes is a licensed Professional Engineer in Nuclear Engineering, a Certified Health Physicist (CHP) through the American Board of Health Physics, and a Fellow of both the Health Physics Society (HPS) and the American Physical Society (APS). He has extensive experience in federal radiological emergency response, serving over a decade at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the geological disposal of transuranic waste.Currently, Dr. Hayes is an advisor to the DOE-NNSA Advisory Committee on Nuclear Security and serves on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) committee responsible for nuclear engineering licensure. In addition to his academic and research contributions, he is actively engaged in public communication on radiological risk, particularly in the realm of nuclear waste management.
Are we as rich as we think if money isnt real? The Rational View 2025-07-25 | In this episode I look at the economic system we find ourselves in, and try to peel away some of the fictions that we've bought into. If money isn't linked to a gold standard, is it worth what we think it is? Is the GDP an accurate representation of productivity? Are we being played by the financial system?Look me up on Instagram. Give me your feedback on Facebook.
Dr. David Thesmar models social justice as an economic system The Rational View 2025-07-24 | In this episode, have you ever felt that there is too much injustice in the world and you just can’t respond to it all? Have you ever found yourself making a compromise with your ethics just to make it through the day? I think we all have. My guest today has written a book looking at these tradeoffs. Hopefully it will help us all to be able to make moral choices and address the guilt we feel at not being able to help everyone.David Thesmar is the Franco Modigliani Professor of Financial Economics and professor of finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2007, he was named “France’s Best Young Economist” by Le Monde. With Augustin Landier, he writes a regular column for the French daily newspaper Les Echos. He just co-authored a book, ‘The Price of our Values: the economic limits of a moral life’.Come find me on Facebook and YouTube
Don Weatherbee of Regenx is mining catalytic convertors for precious metals The Rational View 2025-07-24 | In this episode I’m digging into a growing industrial segment that mines waste for precious metals. Often discarded systems contain higher precious metals fractions than the original ore they are mined from. Discarded computers and electronics, and in this case, catalytic converters can be recycled and thereby mitigate new mining operations and their environmental impact.Don Weatherbee, CEO of Regenx Tech, is a visionary in the clean tech sector, driving innovation in sustainable precious metal recovery. Under his leadership, Regenx Tech has transitioned from pilot projects to full-scale operations, including the opening of the flagship facility in Greeneville, Tennessee. Don’s collaborative approach and strategic partnerships, such as with Davis Recycling, have propelled Regenx as a leader in environmentally friendly extraction of platinum and palladium.A passionate advocate for the circular economy, Don champions recycling innovation and sustainable practices in the mining industry. His work exemplifies a commitment to reducing environmental impact, advancing industry ESG standards, and shaping a greener future.Smash the LIKE button. Look for The Rational View on Facebook.
Dr. Joe Romm says the hydrogen economy is a pipedream The Rational View 2025-07-11 | In this episode I’m discussing energy, specifically hydrogen and nuclear with a leading environmentalist author. His recent book the Hype about Hydrogen (revised) highlights the seemingly intractable problems with a Hydrogen economy. He’s also publishing a whitepaper highlighting the high costs of SMRs and touting renewables as the cheapest solution. He suggests nuclear is uniquely dangerous in his assessment. I agree that any new SMRs will be costly, but the evidence suggests that nuclear is the safest energy form in lives lost per kilowatt hour. I'm looking forward to a lively discussion.A physicist who studied physical oceanography, Dr. Joe Romm is a senior research fellow at the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, and writes the blog climateprogress.org. In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine named Romm to its list of "100 People Who Are Changing America", and Time magazine named him one of its "Heroes of the Environment (2009)", calling him "The Web's most influential climate-change blogger. Before that, he served at the Department of Energy in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a $1 billion program responsible for much of the US’ clean energy and greenhouse gas research and development.Look for me on Facebook and Instagram
A look at the parties and leaders in Canadas federal election The Rational View 2025-07-10 | Welcome to my Canadian election review podcast. As of the time of this episode Canada is just a couple weeks away and the Rational View is here to provide you with a rundown on the major parties. In Canada we have two major parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives who are the only parties who have ever won elections, plus a third party, the New Democrats (NDP) who usually manage to capture a smattering of seats. The last two terms were won by the Liberals under Justin Trudeau. The most recent term has been a minority government propped up by the NDP for concessions to social programs.The Conservatives are like Canada’s Republicans: Pro Oligarch and Pro Oil. The Liberals are like Canada’s Democrats: Pro Corporatocracy (Status Quo) and Pro Environment. The NDP are Pro Worker and Pro Environment.Trudeau, who’s popularity has been low after 10 years in government, has recently stepped down to be replaced by Mark Carney, former governor of the bank of Canada and the Bank of England. Carney has re-invigorated Liberal polling numbers, and is currently leading Pierre Pollievre’s Conservatives at 43% vs 39%. This was a major surprise to Conservatives who were a shoe-in until Carney announced his candidacy and flipped the script on them.All three major parties have been putting out ads. The Conservative ads have been trying to smear the new Liberal leader, Mark Carney, as a rich outsider who is going to bring in a carbon tax. There have been AI-generated fake pictures on social media showing Carney with Epstein and Maxwell. The Liberal ads have been comparing the Conservative Leader to Donald Trump due to sharing similar rhetoric on making Canada great again. I’m going to go through what the candidates have said about actual policies in case you are interested in that. It’s time for a Rational View.Look me up on Facebook!
Why am I me and not you? An exploration of physicalism The Rational View 2025-07-04 | Life is chaotic right now, people are worried, all you hear on social media is conflict and crazy.Time to step back, relax, and go on a journey with me into philosophy of the mind. Let’s meditate a bit and disconnect from the reset of modern civilization.Why am I seeing the world only from within Al Scott’s head? Why am I me and not you? Why do you wake up in the morning as you and not as someone else? Is it because you are a soul that lives in your body? Look me up on Facebook!
Why did adventurer Miles Spencer retrace the journey of Lawrence of Arabia? The Rational View 2025-07-03 | Miles Spencer is a father and a mentor of tech founders. He says the similarities in those jobs are remarkable. He founded, financed, built and exited three digital media companies. Prior to that, he was a Venture Principal at Capital Express, and hosted MoneyHunt on PBS. In his spare time he is a painter and an adventurer who has hiked through the Saudi desert and lived to write a book about. A Line in the Sand ended up an Amazon Bestseller in the Middle East.Come join me on Facebook--let me know what you think!Find me on Instagram and Youtube
Is Trump responding to unfair Canadian tariffs? The Rational View 2025-06-30 | Donald Trump has fawned over authoritarians and dictators and strives to emulate them. What do dictators do? They expoit weaker countries and expand their territory. Hitler had the Aunschlus where he annexed Austria, Putin has Ukraine, and Trump wants Canada and Greenland. The international community allowed Putin to take Crimea with little repercussions. Could Trump be interested in doing the same thing to Canada? What is the evidence? Do I have Trump Derangement Syndrome? Is he just joking? Is this a negotiation tactic? There has been a lot of fear mongering going around on social media. Canadians are hearing about leaked maps from the US showing invasion plans of Canada. US audiences are hearing horror stories about Canada’s drugs and tariffs hurting Americans. What are the facts? This is a job for The Rational View!Come find me on Instagram. Send me your opinions on Facebook
Professor David Bernstein discusses attacks on civil liberties The Rational View 2025-05-09 | In this episode I’m following up on a tip from a listener who suggested that I should speak with David Bernstein. David was on Michael Shermer’s podcast discussing civil liberty, free speech, and constitutional law issues. In the current situation of highly polarized public debate it is critical that we listen to both sides of the argument and don’t fall victim to bias. This is a job for The Rational View!David E. Bernstein holds a University Professor Chair at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School. He is the author or co-author of seven books including, most recently, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America.Find my on Facebook, LInkedIn, and Instagram
Juliana Tafur discusses bridging polarizing gaps and connecting Americans The Rational View 2025-05-02 | In this episode I’m interviewing a thoughtful kindred spirit to the Rational View. Someone who has made it her mission to bridge polarizing gaps in society and work for the greater good. Please excuse my deep bass FM radio voice as I’m getting over a nasty virus.Juliana Tafur is the director of the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences program at UC Berkeley. She is now leading a Campaign for Connection to bridge political and cultural divides using resources rooted in science. She’s spent more than a decade creating spaces–through film and mediated dialogue–to bridge differences of race/culture, politics, socioeconomic status, and more. An Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University, Juliana’s work combines research on the science of human connection with lived experience, making her insights both practical and deeply personal.Come find me on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube
An update on Project 2025 implementation and what it means for democracy The Rational View 2025-05-01 | This episode is providing a rational review of events to the south in the new republican administration. There is a lot of concern on the left over the activities of Musk and Trump. There is a huge pile of propaganda that both sides are producing. What are the facts? Should we be worried?Appearing in the Oval Office and addressing the nation whilst Trump looks on bored and confused, Musk hoists his young son on his shoulders. Lately he has not been out in public without a human shield after the recent assassination of elite health-insurance CEO Brian Thompson. What is Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE up to? Is it legal for a department to have access to the private data of citizens held by other departments? Why are Americans allowing this? Why would Musk donate $290 million dollars of his own money to re-elect Trump? What deal was made? Why do they love Putin and Xi? Why are they abandoning Ukraine and Taiwan? Follow the money.
Dr. Anton Van Der Merwe on dangerous left wing anti-science dogmas The Rational View 2025-04-21 | In this episode I’m going to play devil’s advocate and look at the flaws on the left of the political spectrum. I am always trying to challenge my biases and poke holes in my positions by listening to opposing opinions. I have been butting heads with a UK professor over social media on several issues recently as he has been posting what I would consider biased right wing positions and I have been challenging him. We are both in agreement on many issues, however, that may come as a surprise to those people on the left. This is a job for The Rational View.Dr. Anton Van Der Merwe is a Professor of Molecular Immunology at the University of Oxford. He has been on the left his entire life from membership of the ANC, while in South Africa, to membership of the Labour Party since living in the U.K. He is also a passionate environmentalist. He has recently expressed dismay at how the left and environmental groups have abandoned science and replaced it with dogma.Look for me on Youtube and Instagram or join the discussion on Facebook.
Economist Dean Baker says the wage-productivity gap is real The Rational View 2025-04-16 | In this episode I am exploring the divergence between productivity and wages in western economies since 1970. This was covered in one of my first podcasts and is a striking failure of society that has derailed post-war successes and led to the current situation of inequity and unrest. It puts us in the strange position that robotics and AI are going to make the vast majority of the world poorer and further behind.Dean Baker is the co-founder and a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He has written numerous books and articles. His most recent book is Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer.Join The Rational View on FacebookFollow me on YouTube
Facing Climate Change: The Urgent Truth Revealed The Rational View 2025-04-11 | 🌎 Climate change is no longer a distant concern—it’s already here.But raising the alarm publicly? 🚨 Unfortunately, that now comes with professional costs.#climatechange #climatecrisis #scientificintegrity #researchfunding
Abolishing Fossil Fuels: Path to a Sustainable Future The Rational View 2025-04-10 | To stay below 2°C of warming, fossil fuel use must be halved by 2040—and eliminated by 2050. 🌎 So is natural gas really a “bridge,” or just another delay tactic?Global science bodies are clear: there’s no room for exceptions.Can we meet climate goals without cutting all fossil fuels? 🤔 #climatecrisis #fossilfuels #cleanenergy #sustainability
Unlocking Language Acquisition: Why Explicit Instruction Matters The Rational View 2025-04-09 | Most kids can’t learn to read without explicit instruction—yet many schools still assume they will.Neuroscience shows language acquisition isn’t automatic for over 80% of children.So why is education policy still ignoring the data?🤔 Are we failing students by not teaching reading properly?#educationreform #literacy #evidencebased #neuroscience #educationmatters
Just how dangerous are the new mRNA vaccines? The Rational View 2025-04-09 | In this episode I’m reviewing the scientific evidence on the safety of new mRNA vaccines. There has been a flurry of misunderstandings and misinformation posted online with the result being spreading vaccine hesitancy and a growing public health emergency. The WHO highlighted vaccine hesitancy as a major global health risk. Just this morning I heard announcements of Measles outbreaks. Vaccines have saved millions of lives. They’ve eliminated smallpox and we are on the brink of eliminating polio. Measles no longer needs to hospitalize thousands of children unless we let it. That being said, there is risk associated with vaccines. Can we have a frank talk about the actual risks?Look me up on Instagram and Facebook!Patron dot podbean dot com slash THERATIONALVIEW
Reclaiming Wealth and Opportunity: A New Political Vision The Rational View 2025-04-08 | Western democracies have created historic levels of wealth and opportunity—so why are we so demoralized?Have we forgotten how much progress we've made?Can innovation and equality really work together, or are they at odds?And how do we respond when rival nations undermine morale while copying our ideas?#innovation #equality #democracy #politics #canada #publicpolicy
Socialism for the Rich, Capitalism for Everyone Else The Rational View 2025-04-07 | For over 15 years, the Fed has quietly built tools to insulate big banks from collapse. 🏦 Does this remove risk from the system—or just from the wealthiest players?When failure is no longer an option, is it still capitalism?Is this “socialism for the rich” in action? 🤔 #bailouts #capitalism #socialism #economicinequality #financialcrisis
Understanding Our Crisis-Ridden Economic System The Rational View 2025-04-06 | Is it possible to model an economic system built on contradiction?When breakdowns are constant, maybe it’s not malfunctioning—it’s working as designed.Can a system that fuels inequality and crisis ever be rationalized? Or are we just modeling the chaos?👇 What if collapse is baked into the blueprint?#economiccrisis #capitalism #politicaleconomy #inequality #socialism #wealthinequality
The Dark Side of Infinite Scrolling - Staying Focused The Rational View 2025-04-05 | Ever wonder why it’s so hard to stop scrolling? 😵💫There’s no end—just infinite content and unpredictable rewards. 🤳 Is this just entertainment, or does it mirror how slot machines work? 🎰 Apps use intermittent reinforcement—just like in casinos—to keep you coming back.👇 Are we feeding the machine, or is it feeding on us?#phoneaddiction #doomscrolling #behavioralscience #attentioneconomy
Are Tech Companies Controlling Your Brain? The Rational View 2025-04-04 | Are we in control—or have tech platforms learned how to bypass our willpower?They use gamification and behavioral science to keep us hooked. Is this addiction, or just habit? And how much of it is truly our choice?👇 Are we underestimating their influence?#phoneaddiction #techaddiction #digitaldetox #attentioneconomy #screentime #brainscience
Quantum Theory Meets Human Memory The Rational View 2025-04-03 | Could our memories—and even consciousness—depend on quantum processes? 🧑🔬 Some models suggest our probability judgments align more with quantum theory than classical logic.Does that mean the brain is a quantum computer? Not necessarily—but it’s hard to explain the data using neurons alone.👇 Are we just scratching the surface of how the brain works?#quantumphysics #humanbrain #memory #cognition #neuroscience #quantumtheory
How Many Memories Can a Brain Hold? The Rational View 2025-04-02 | Is memory capacity really just about neuron count? 🤔 🧠 Not exactly—experiments show limits far below what most assume.How much can you actually remember?#memory #cognition #neuroscience #humanbrain #psychology #criticalthinking
Hold Your Government Accountable: Join the Movement! The Rational View 2025-03-23 | ⚖️ The less we understand, the more they get away with.My guest, Dr. Lindsey Cormack, makes a powerful point: If we don’t hold our government accountable, they can do whatever they want. But the more we understand how to use our power, the more government reflects what people actually want.Feeling frustrated with the system? Maybe the key isn’t giving up—it’s learning how to push back.Watch the full episode and let’s talk about it. 👀 🎧 #government #governmentoverreach #powertothepeople #civicengagement #accountability #politics
Empowering Future Citizens: Understanding Our Political System The Rational View 2025-03-20 | 🏛️ Are we raising citizens or just spectators?My guest argues that the real issue in politics isn’t about parties—it’s about people not understanding the system. We teach kids team loyalty, but are we teaching them the rules of the game?Politics affects all of us, whether we like it or not. So how do we prepare the next generation to actually take part?Watch the full episode and let’s talk about it. 🎧 #podcastclips #civicengagement #education #politics #criticalthinking
The Danger of Echo Chambers The Rational View 2025-03-17 | 🔥 “Are we contradicting our own morals?”My guest makes a bold claim: If we only surround ourselves with people who agree with us, are we really practicing what we preach about caring for others?Does cutting people off for their beliefs go against the very values we claim to stand for?Let’s talk about it. Watch the full episode and decide for yourself.#rationality #polarization #politicaldivide #narcissism
Turn Enemies into Allies - The Power of Forgiveness The Rational View 2025-03-16 | 🤔 Should you work with your enemies?My guest, Sharon McMahon, makes an interesting point: If you cut someone off completely, how will they ever change? How would you even know if they did?Some people say you should never work with an enemy. Others believe change is always possible.Where do you stand? Watch the full episode and decide for yourself.#podcastclips #rationality #polarization #perspectiveshift #politicaldivide #narcissism
Dr. Nilanjana Dasgupta on how biases are like wallpaper The Rational View 2025-03-16 | In this episode I am continuing to cast a lens into the presence of inequity in society. The Rational View is about using evidence-based practices to promote justice for all. Over the years we, as a society, have made great progress in addressing inequality, but unscientific biases still abound. Many folks would say that we’ve already equalized opportunities. Many would say great gulfs remain to be bridged. What does the data say?Nilanjana Dasgupta is Provost Professor of Psychology and founding Director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and neuroscience from Smith College and a Master’s degree and PhD in social psychology from Yale University. She is a leader in research on implicit bias and diversity science, applying it to complex social problems. Her award winning research has been featured widely in print and broadcast media. She is the author of Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just CommunitiesFind me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Beyond Adam - Rethinking Human and Animal Distinctions The Rational View 2025-03-13 | “The way we categorize life is outdated.”That’s what my guest argues. According to them, the idea of a clear divide between humans and everything else? Gone. Darwin, biology, and bioengineering have all changed the game.Agree? Disagree? Watch the full episode and decide for yourself.#Podcast #ScienceDebate #MindBlown #Evolution #bioengineering
Unlocking the Unconscious Secrets of Decision Making The Rational View 2025-03-12 | 🤔 ever felt like your brain's n autopilot? Discover how much of your decision-making happens subconsciously. 🎧 tune into the full episode to uncover the science behind your daily choices. #subconsciousmind #consciousness #cognition #brainpower
Siri Chilazi uses evidence to address diversity, inequity, and inclusion The Rational View 2025-03-06 | In this episode I’m interviewing a researcher who studies equality in the workplace. Her work stands out as being heavily influenced by quantitative studies on the effectiveness of various interventions aimed at leveling the gender gap in the workplace. I hope we can gain some insights into what is good and what does not work to promote fairness in the workplace.Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School whose life’s work is to advance gender equality in the workplace. As a keynote speaker and strategic advisor, Siri collaborates with a wide range of organizations around the world. Her work regularly appears in leading media outlets. Siri has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard College. Her most recent book, with co-author Iris Bohnet, is called “Make Work Fair”.Support the podcast at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewJoin the Facebook discussion at TheRationalView
Does grounding reduce inflammation and speed healing? The Rational View 2025-03-05 | Happy New Year. Welcome to 2025! You made it! I’m glad to be able to share this with you.Today I want to talk about a health fad called Earthing, or Grounding. You’ve probably heard of it. Is it supported by science or is it snake oil? This calls for The Rational View.If you like my program please send money to patron dot podbean dot com slash THERATIONALVIEWIf you don't like my program come to my RationalView Facebook group and give me your best counter argument
The Slow Development of Memory and Brain Chemistry in Humans The Rational View 2025-02-27 | Dr. Michael Walker talks about how the development of memory over our lifespan is associated with the development of white matter nerve fiber tracts in the brain over the first 25 years of our life. This process takes a long time in humans compared to our closest primate relatives like chimpanzees and gorillas, who seem to develop these connections much earlier and quicker.
Understanding Human Brain Evolution The Rational View 2025-02-20 | Dr. Michael Walker discusses the idea that the absence of evidence is not the same as the evidence of absence, and how this is not a scientifically rational inference that can be compared to a bottom-up approach from basic physics when thinking about how the human brain evolved.
Tracing the Origins of Human Capabilities The Rational View 2025-02-20 | Here, Dr. Hector Manrique discuss the challenge of proving when certain abilities, such as tool-making, first emerged in human history. Many researchers are trying to demonstrate this in the lab, but it can be tricky to find clear evidence of these early skills.
Applying A.I. and Neuroscience Concepts to Understand Brain Evolution The Rational View 2025-02-19 | Dr. Hector Manrique speaks on how concepts from artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and physics are being applied to the study of the evolution of the brain, with input from eminent neuroscientist, Carl Freeston.
The Case for a Four-Day Work Week The Rational View 2025-02-14 | The benefits of a 4-day work week include reduced stress and increased productivity for employees. It can also provide more time for personal tasks and short break before the next work week. We're long overdue for this.
Planetary scientist Dr. John Moores takes readers to the farthest reaches of the solar system The Rational View 2025-02-14 | In this episode I’m interviewing a scientist turned science fiction author who has written a book that takes the reader on a journey around the solar system to the many remote places we’ve visited with our space probes. I’m eager to learn what he thinks about space exploration.Dr John Moores is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science at York University. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, a recipient of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute’s McCurdy Award and served as the Science Advisor to the President of the Canadian Space Agency from 2022-2024. John holds a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in Planetary Science. An author on over 100 articles in planetary science, John has also been a member of five NASA and ESA-led space mission teams.Support the podcast at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewCome chat on Facebook @TheRationalView
Former Hungarian MP, Dr. Gabor Scheiring compares Trump to authoritarian leader Viktor Orban The Rational View 2025-02-13 | In this episode I’m interviewing someone with firsthand knowledge of the replacement of democracy with an authoritarian populist regime. What does this mean? Take, for example, the case of Hungary under the leadership of Viktor Orbán, the populist prime minister of Hungary since 2010. In 2022, European parliament declared that Hungary could no longer be considered a democracy. MEPs are concerned about several political areas concerning democracy and fundamental rights in Hungary. Some of the main areas are the functioning of its constitutional and electoral system, the independence of the judiciary, corruption and conflicts of interest and freedom of expression, including media pluralism. Academic freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to equal treatment, including LGBTIQ rights, the rights of minorities, as well as those of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, are also problematic.What do these first steps towards authoritarianism look like and what can we do to avoid following the same path? Why do people want to go away from democracy? Are they racist bigots?Gábor Scheiring is a former member of the Hungarian parliament having served from 2010-2014 and an assistant professor of comparative politics at Georgetown University Qatar. He previously served as a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Center for European Studies. His research explores the political economy and lived experiences of contemporary economic transformations through quantitative, qualitative, and comparative methods. He focuses on how economic shocks create precarity, leading to mental and physical suffering, and how these processes impact democratic stability. His book, The Retreat of Liberal Democracy, which won the BASEES 2021 Book Award, examines how working-class dislocation and elite co-optation foster illiberalism in Hungary.Do you like the podcast? Share the love at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewDo you hate the podcast? Join TheRationalView Facebook group and let's talk it out.
The Hypocrisy of Capitalism: Socialism for the Rich, Scraps for the Rest The Rational View 2025-02-13 | The current economic system favors the wealthy, with the government providing bailouts and support for the rich while the lower and "middle class" struggle. Capitalism should not be about normalizing greed, and a well-regulated market system is preferable to unregulated markets.
The Role of Mitochondria in Consciousness The Rational View 2025-02-07 | Dr. Luca Turin discusses how cutting off the blood supply to the brain by inflating a cuff around the neck can lead to loss of consciousness in just seven seconds, which is a surprisingly short time given that the brain starts experiencing real problems from oxygen deprivation after two or three minutes. This suggests that the electron current going through mitochondria may be crucial for our consciousness, as it stops very rapidly when the brain is deprived of oxygen.
Rethinking the Brains Hardware: A Neuroscience Hunch The Rational View 2025-02-05 | Dr. Luca Turin discusses a potential problem in neuroscience - the idea that the brain may have another layer of hardware within neurons that could completely change how we think about brain organization. This is currently just a hunch, not a proven fact, and he emphasizes that science often works on such hunches.
Richard Ford chats about the outrage-industrial complex The Rational View 2025-02-05 | In this episode, I’m exploring the topic of the Outrage Industry. Who else is growing inured to over-the-top tirades of outrage and offense? This seems to be a relatively new phenomenon whereby click-bait memes generating outrage are monetized by social media networks into clicks. Let’s explore how this impacts society and what we can do to counter it.Richard Thompson Ford is a Professor at Stanford Law School. He has written about law, social and cultural issues and race relations for The New York Times, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Slate, and has appeared on The Colbert Report and The Rachel Maddow Show. He is the author of the New York Times notable books The Race Card and Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality. He lives in San Francisco.Come on by TheRationalView Facebook group or support the podcast at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalView, or do both!
Dr. Rob Howarth says natural gas is worse than coal for the environment The Rational View 2025-02-03 | In this episode I’m interviewing a researcher who has been studying the impacts of methane on the greenhouse effect, and trying to assess whether burning natural gas is helping or hurting the climate. His most recent paper suggests that it should not be considered an improvement over coal.Robert Howarth is an Earth systems scientist and ecosystem biologist with a Ph.D. jointly from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He joined the faculty of Cornell University in 1985 and was appointed the David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology & Environmental Biology in 1993. He also is an Adjunct Senior Scientist at the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, MA, and is Co-Editor in Chief of the journal Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research. He has published over 250 scientific papers, reports, and book chapters and has edited or authored eight books. His peer-reviewed papers have been cited more than 85,000 times in other peer-reviewed literature, making him one of the most cited environmental scientists in the world. Howarth’s research is broad ranging and includes climate effects on nutrient pollution in lakes and coastal ecosystems, nitrogen effects in coastal marine ecosystems, sources of methane from natural gas operations and agriculture, atmospheric ammonia pollution, alternative energy policies, and lifecycle assessments for hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and renewable natural gas. He is one of 22 members of New York’s Climate Action Council, the group charged with implementing the State’s ambitious climate goals laid out in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019.If you agree we need more Rationality support the podcast at Patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewIf you have a comment find me on Facebook at TheRationalView
Dominic Cardy introduces a new evidence-based Canadian political party The Rational View 2025-01-30 | In this episode I’m interviewing the leader of a new Canadian political party, the Canadian Future Party. Their website has the following statement that I liked, “The CFP believes people from every corner of the country want to be united behind a common set of ideals: democracy, the rule of law, collective action, and individual rights. A country where you can live as you like, love who you want, and in exchange, you work hard, and we collectively agree on a common set of rules to let us live our different lives, together. Where decisions are based on evidence.” This sounds like they’ve been listening to my podcast.Dominic Cardy is the leader of the Canadian Future Party. Dominic Cardy brings a wealth of experience in international affairs and Canadian politics, having served as Minister of Education and then as an independent MLA, committed to public service and policy innovation. Born in the UK and raised in Fredericton, Dominic was elected as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Fredericton West-Hanwell in 2018 and re-elected in 2020. He served as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development until 2022. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Dalhousie University.Dominic’s career spans roles with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Democratic Institute, and the Forum of Federations, working across Asia and Africa. He also led the New Brunswick NDP from 2011-2016 and served as Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition from 2017-2018. Additionally, Dominic has been a flying instructor since 1994 and is a member of the editorial board of Inroads, a Canadian policy journal.Support the podcast at Patron dot Podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewLet's chat about the issues on Facebook at TheRationalView
Jamie Merchant introduces Modern Monetary Theory and the failure of capitalism The Rational View 2025-01-28 | In this episode I'm dipping my toes into a new topic a little bit outside my range, but we can still use the tools of science and evidence to assess. The economy and Modern Monetary Theory. It is a new idea that clashes with classical economics. It can be summarized as the idea that governments whose dollar is not linked to a gold standard don't need to worry about deficits. It encompasses the idea of guaranteed employment for all. The discussion will also explore the failure of the capitalism system. My guest is an expert on this topic. Let's get grounded in the facts.Jamie Merchant is a writer living in Chicago who writes about political economy and radical political theory. His writing has appeared in many publications including The Baffler, The Brooklyn Rail, The Nation, and In These Times. His book, Endgame: Economic Nationalism and Global Decline, was published by Reaktion Books in 2024.Support the podcast at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewCome and chat on Facebook at TheRationalView
Dr. Hector Manrique says a good working memory is uniquely human The Rational View 2025-01-26 | In this episode I’m going back to look at consciousness and cognition, and specifically one aspect of our mental capacity that sets us apart from other animals. It’s our ability to recall items in a sequence, for those of you who are software buffs, basically we have a short term memory buffer that acts like a linked list. We can remember a list of numbers (about 7 or so), or letters, or items in a particular order over a short timespan if we are not too distracted. This capability is called working memory.Working memory can be roughly quantified to hold about 7 items at once in a sequence and allow conscious manipulation, consideration, and attention to about 4 of them at a time. These numbers are surprisingly consistent across all humans.The size of working memory in humans is much larger than in our nearest relatives the great apes. The ability to remember sequence information also seems to be unique.Some scientists speculate that the evolution of working memory is what separates humans intellectually from other intelligent animals. Working memory capacity is strongly correlated with fluid intelligence.Héctor Manrique: graduated in Psychology in 1999, then he started his scientific career by studying ethanol metabolism in the brain and its effect on memory in rodents and got his PhD in Psychobiology in 2005. Hmm sounds a lot like my graduate work inadvertently studying the effects of alcohol on my brain. In 2008 he joined The Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) where he investigated the cognition of the four species of great apes. After having occupied different positions in several Spanish universities he currently holds a professorship in Developmental Psychology at Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.Support The Rational View at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalViewThrow in your 2 cents on Facebook @TheRationalView
Neurologist Dr. Richard Cytowic says screens are addictive and bad for your brain The Rational View 2025-01-25 | In this episode I am interviewing a neuroscientist and a writer who has done a lot of work on synesthesia, or the melding of sense perceptions. His most recent book delves into how we can take back control of our attention from addictive social media. This should be of interest to most of us, and especially to parents of young children and teenagers who don’t know what to do to help their kids put down the devices and engage with life.Dr. Richard E. Cytowic, a pioneering researcher in synesthesia, is Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. He is the author of Synesthesia, The Man Who Tasted Shapes, The Neurological Side of Neuropsychology, and, with David M. Eagleman, the Montaigne Medal–winner Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia. His new book is entitled, ‘YOUR STONE AGE BRAIN IN THE SCREEN AGE: Coping with Digital Distraction and Sensory Overload’.Support the podcast at patron dot podbean dot com slash TheRationalViewCome visit me on Facebook at TheRationalView
