Serious Inquiries Only
Serious Inquiries Only is a podcast hosted by Thomas that explores science, philosophy, skepticism, and politics. It features thoughtful conversations with guests, blending critical thinking with humor. Rather than a typical interview show, it aims for engaging, friendly dialogue on serious topics. The tone is entertaining and accessible without being boring.
Episodes
SIO531: Your Brain Is Actually Two Separate Organs, According to a New Stanford Study
We welcome back Dr. Eric Jaffe to help us understand a really cool, groundbreaking scientific discovery! Our brains are not one organ! Turns out your forebrain and your hindbrain might be two completely separate lineages that never actually came from each other, more like two kids in a trench coat than one continuous evolution. Why does that matter for ALS research? And how far back in evolution d
SIO530: Did AI Actually "Solve" That Famous Math Problem?
You've seen the headline: AI "solved" one of math's Millennium Prize problems. Thomas and Jenessa (here as a friend, not an expert) are joined by David Souther, a software engineer and LLM researcher, who's SO annoyed about it. Why did he answer Jenessa's text in all caps? And what's the deal with a rushed phone call between OpenAI and a math professor? Are you an expert in something and want to b
SIO529: AI in Schools Makes Students Feel Smarter. The Tests Say Otherwise.
How does AI use affect learning? You'd be surprised how much we already know. Dr. Jenessa Seymour takes us through the research on screen use, metacognition, cognitive offloading, and some recent papers Sources: Clinton, V. (2019). Reading from paper compared to screens: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Reading, 42, 288-325. Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L.S., Miller, K.
SIO528: The Marshmallow Test Is Mostly BS, and It's Not the Only Classic Psych Test Like That
Kids are weird, like really weird, but in a fun way? Dr. Jenessa Seymour is back to tell us about some classic child development paradigms that really need to be reevaluated. Depending on when you learned about these experiments, you were either taught that they were the gospel truth, with established ages where kids can and cannot pass these tests, and major consequences for late development, or
SIO527: The Science of Why We Ask Why, with Dr. Tania Lombrozo
Dr. Tania Lombrozo, professor of psychology at Princeton University (affiliated with its philosophy and cognitive science departments), joins Thomas to discuss her forthcoming book Why We Ask Why: The Science of Explanation and the Human Drive to Understand. Why are humans so driven to explain things, but only some things? Why does understanding go beyond just being able to predict? And what happe
SIO526: Why Is College So Expensive?
David O'Brien, higher education policy scholar with the California Community Colleges System, is back to answer the question Thomas posed last time: why is college so expensive? They get into tuition vs. total cost of attendance, the dirty little secret of private university pricing, administrative bloat, the amenities arms race, and why the people loudest about college costs are likely well-off,
Some More News Is COMPLETELY WRONG About Spider-Man Brand New Day
I cannot stop thinking about Cody from Some More News's video in which he could not stop thinking about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Cody is INCREDIBLY sure that you're an idiot incapable of watching movies or consuming art if you don't agree with his conception of what the ending of Brand New Day meant. The problem is... Cody gets about a billion things wrong and his arguments are terrible. This w
SIO525: Dude Who Said Autism Is "Extreme Male Brain" Walks It Back
... and other autism/ADHD research! So pleased to have Dr. Jenessa Seymour back - this time with a variety of studies in the Autism and ADHD realms. Jurek, L., Duchier, A., Gauld, C., Henault, L., Giroudon, C., Fourneret, P., … Nourredine, M. (2025). Sensory processing in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder compared with control populations: A systematic review and meta-ana
SIO524: Why We Haven't Cured Cancer Yet, Part 2 (with Dr. Eric Jaffe)
Part 2! Dr. Eric Jaffe returns to actually treat the cancer this time: why radiation is basically catching your kid smoking and making him finish the carton, how CRISPR turns your own T cells into an assassin squad, and why oncolytic viruses are just Jurassic World Dominion for tumors. Haven't heard Part 1 yet? Start there or you'll be lost. Mentioned: CAR-T therapy RAS inhibitor drugs Oncol
SIO523: What Cancer Actually Is, Part 1 (with Dr. Eric Jaffe)
Part 1! Dr. Eric Jaffe, the biology teacher who keeps naming proteins after cartoon characters, returns for a two-part cancer deep dive. Today: what cancer actually is at the cellular level, why elephants barely get it, why whales get it even less, and why the "they're hiding the cure" conspiracy falls apart the second you learn who actually funds the research. Mentioned: Peto's paradox HeLa c
SIO522: College Is Impossibly Expensive. But It's Not Because of Bogus Degrees.
Part 2! Thomas is joined again by David O'Brien, a higher education policy scholar with the California Community Colleges system, to finish dismantling The Daily's take on Trump's student loan crackdown. Reagan, Pell Grants, and decades of quiet state defunding all get their due, plus a theory on why tuition keeps climbing that has nothing to do with cosmetology degrees. Mentioned: The Daily col
SIO521: The Daily Is Sane-Washing Trump's War on Higher Ed
Thomas is joined by David O'Brien, a higher education policy scholar who works for the California Community Colleges system, to pick apart Trump's new rules threatening to cut off student loans and Pell grants from "low-earning" degree programs, and to fact-check The Daily's recent take on the same story. The real history runs through Reagan, Prop 13, and decades of quiet austerity nobody on that
SIO520: My Talk at SkeptiCal - Selective Skepticism Is Not Skepticism
Thanks so much to the folks at SkeptiCal for inviting me! Though the talk does deal with the Butler shooting, I thought some way different stuff for this including a ridiculously overwrought hypothetical, my favorite kind! And, I found a Young Turks video where they are apparently Joe Rogan now!
SIO519: People Are Misinterpreting Obsession in Very Revealing Ways
The "nice guy" is the villain. We watched Obsession and cannot stop thinking about it. It has so much to say about gender, consent, "nice guys" and more. And it scarred Lydia for life. WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please support the show on Patreon! You get ad-free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content! https://www.p
SIO518: Biological Definitions Do Not Do What Richard Dawkins Says They Do
Thomas is joined by Dr. Eric Jaffe, biologist, dinosaur enthusiast, and high school biology teacher, for a conversation that starts with a deceptively simple question: what are biological definitions actually doing? It turns out that biology is far more like history than math, and that difference has enormous consequences for anyone trying to weaponize phrases like "the biological definition of se
SIO517: How Is It That 9 Days in Space Means Weeks of Rehabilitation?
Thomas is joined by Dr. Jenessa Seymour to dig into the brain science behind a surprisingly strange phenomenon: why do astronauts who spent just nine days in space need weeks of physical therapy to walk normally again? The answer turns out to involve ancient calcium carbonate ear stones, the same material crabs use for shells, a multi-layered sensory system your brain is constantly running without
SIO516: How a Botched 1840 Census "Proved" Freedom Made Black Americans Disabled, with Sari Altschuler
The history of disability rights is often treated as a modern story, but what if that framing misses centuries of earlier, more complicated history? This week, Thomas is joined by Professor Sari Altschuler, Associate Professor of English at Northeastern University, to explore her new book Before Disability: A History of American Citizenship. In the book, Professor Altschuler traces how disability
SIO515: A Vast, Global Network! ... of 3 Guys
Continuing the discussion of the CNN Rape Academy article. It gets even worse. And also, how our information environment is ruined and getting ruineder.
SIO514: No Part of the "62 Million Men Enrolled In Online Rape Academy" Claim Was Correct
You might have seen the CNN article from a while back entitled Exposing a global 'rape academy'. While most of the article is technically true, the broad takeaway that virtually everyone had (including me) was wildly, irresponsibly false. Even if you came across debunks of this, there's a good chance that I'm debunking this even more than you've seen. I don't think people have fully grasped how m
SIO513: Debunking Butler Conspiracy Theories in Descending Order by Scope
We continue the pruning of idiotic Butler Shooting conspiracy theories. Once we establish the facts using actual sources, what room is there left for a conspiracy or staging theory?
SIO512: NO It Was Not Staged. Stop Being Joe Rogan.
It wasn't staged. None of them were staged. Yes Trump was shot in the ear. I thought you all were doing a bit, but apparently you weren't. This isn't good and you should stop doing it, please. In discussing this current shooting, I found that way too many of you think that it was a hoax and even more think that Trump wasn't shot in the ear. So, let's go through the Butler shooting and see why YES
SIO511: What a Recent Chappell Roan Incident Teaches Us About Sexism
Well, what do you know - it's a day that ends in y so the internet has a woman to hate. You might have seen some of the chatter about child-hating Chappell Roan lately, and it's just so depressing every single time one of these hate campaigns rears its ugly head. Lydia joins the show as resident Chappell Roan fan to discuss what actually happened, and why society so quickly jumps on these opportun
SIO510: Digging Into the Science of the Placebo Effect
Popular media will tell you that placebos, inert inactive substances taken as if they're medication, can work miracles. …Placebos don't "work". But what does that even mean? And if that's true, why would we include a placebo group in a study? Is there anything remotely like a "true"'placebo effect, where belief in a medication could influence the body? Jenessa walks us through scientific study d
SIO509: What Project Hail Mary Gets Right (And Very Wrong...) About Biology
Everyone's favorite biologist and dinosaur enthusiast Dr. Eric Jaffe is back! Project Hail Mary is a very fun, and quite good, sciency movie that is cleaning up at the box office right now. You should see it! Eric is going to take us through the biology of the movie (and book) and what it gets right, and what it gets quite wrong.
SIO508: The Data Shows That Authoritarianism Is Very Often Successfully Reversed. Yes, Really.
"Yes we can" vote and protest our way out of authoritarianism. It's a classic case of academic literature never making it to mainstream consumption. Hang around social media long enough and you'll hear that we're basically screwed. A complete fascist take over is either extremely likely, inevitable, or it's already here. And there's not much we can do about it. Unless some other country invades us
SIO507: Shirley You're Joking, Minnesota Fraud Man!
It's part 2 of the Minnesota fraud stuff. We get a little more Nick Shirley, dumbest person ever to testify in congress. And then I debunk the main claims against Gov. Walz and AG Ellison. Did Walz un-stop the payments to Feed Our Future? Did Ellison meet with, and then get campaign donations from the fraudsters?
SIO506: Minnesota Fraud and the Death of Information
So now that we've covered a real hearing with brave whistleblowers that got NO attention, it's time to look at what happens over on the other side of the aisle.
SIO505: The ICE Whistleblower Hearing Was Astonishing. It Needs More Attention.
Last month, there was a devastating hearing featuring a victim of ICE, an ICE whistleblower, and a previous DHS attorney. It revealed what, in any other time, would have been a massive scandal likely resulting in multiple firings. But we live in the bad times, which means this hearing took place in a maintenance shed barely on Congressional property during lunchtime put on by a ragtag team of the
SIO504: The Other Kind of Nut Allergy. Well, Both Kinds, I Guess?
Part 2! Even more fun Quibbies. Allergies Bansal, A.S., Chee, R., Nagendran, V., Warner, A., & Hayman, G. (2007). Dangerous liaison: Sexually transmitted allergic reaction to Brazil nuts. Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 17, 189-191. Testosterone University of Zurich (2009, December 9). Testosterone does not induce aggression, study shows. ScienceDaily. E
SIO503: Viral Post Claims Texas Has More Democrats Than Republicans. Is That True?
It's Quibi Time (tm) with Jenessa! (Don't worry, I'll explain...) It's 2 debunks for the price of 1, or actually 5 debunks for the price of 2, because this is a two-parter! Here are the first two: AI girlfriend Caramela, S. (2025, January 31). Most Men Would Marry Their AI Girlfriend if it were Legal. Vice. Fiorillo, C. & Bartlett, S. (2025, January 28). AI girlfriends could be a thing of th
This Is The Dark Place. Why Aren't We Acting Like It?
I had a lot I needed to say about the ICE murders of Rene Good and Alex Pretti. And about the fascists who lie to our faces and know we can't do anything about it. And the concentration camps we already have. I did video because there was so much visual element to this, so watching would be best.
SIO501: What Pluribus Gets Right about Neuroscience
Subject of much sci-fi media and philosophy discussions, the "hive mind" is also a key element of Vince Gilligan's (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) new show, Pluribus. Dr. Jenessa Seymour joins the pod to walk us through examples that we have studied of hive mind behavior (in the insect world), and why we can reasonably assert that you could not maintain your individuality if our brains directly c
SIO500: A New Study Suggests Brain Imaging Might Have Significant Flaws
Brain pics, or they didn't happen? There's a recent study that demonstrates that some brain region activity might interact differently with oxygen than previously assumed. This could upend significant neuroscience research spanning decades. Thankfully SIO has Dr. Jenessa Seymour to come in and break it all down for us! We start with a primer on the science of neuroimaging tools and the images they
SIO499: Trump Is Weaponizing Government Against Political Enemies. Nick Fish, President of American Atheists, on How to Be Prepared
In late September, shortly after declaring antifa a "domestic terrorist", Trump issued a memorandum directing the IRS to investigate tax-exempt organizations that could be "directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism" and nonprofit organizations reasonably felt concerned of being targeted. A couple of weeks later, Lydia and Thomas ran into Nick Fish, President of the
SIO498: The Science of Hallucinations, Ear-worms, and Phantom Limbs
Dr. Jenessa Seymour is on to teach us more about the brain! What do hallucinations, ear-worms, and phantom limbs have in common? And is "hallucinating" really a good term for what AI does when it makes something up?
SIO497: The Mamdani Machine Exposed! Part 2
Part 2 of Asra Nomani's insanely terrible Fox News article. Make sure you listened to part 1! This is big, folks. Think Watergate combined with Deflate-gate combined with Christina Applegate combined with the Bowling Green Massacre. THAT's how big of a scandal this is. You thought Zohran Mamdani was just an innocent 34 year old assemblyman who rose to stardom by being an incredibly good candidate
SIO496: Asra Nomani Has EXPOSED the Mamdani Machine!
Part 1. This is big, folks. Think Watergate combined with Deflate-gate combined with Christina Applegate combined with the Bowling Green Massacre. THAT's how big of a scandal this is. You thought Zohran Mamdani was just an innocent 34 year old assemblyman who rose to stardom by being an incredibly good candidate and relentless campaigning an economic message in a positive way. But you were an idio
SIO495: Can AI Chatbots Make You Delusional? A Psychologist Explains
Stormy Decisis AKA Dr. Alan Smerbeck is back! With multiple stories in the news of AI Chatbots potentially driving people to delusion or psychosis, Stormy wanted to explain to us what's going on and what the actual differences are between psychosis, delusions, schizophrenia, and more. Visit Stormy's amazing project, sharebannedbooks.com!
SIO494: Autism and ADHD, Part 2
***This is a two-parter. Listen to part 1! Previously, the leading theory was that kids with autism and/or ADHD had mental health struggles due to emotional regulation issues or other direct elements of their neurodivergence. But what if it's actually that they have to deal with more stressors than the other kids? Dr. Jenessa Seymour, fellow haver of ADHD, is here to break it down for us!
SIO493: Kids with ADHD/Autism Struggle with Mental Health. New Study Says Maybe It's the Stress of Being Different
Previously, the leading theory was that kids with autism and/or ADHD had mental health struggles due to emotional regulation issues or other direct elements of their neurodivergence. But what if it's actually that they have to deal with more stressors than the other kids? Dr. Jenessa Seymour, fellow haver of ADHD, is here to break it down for us! This is a 2-parter! Get part 2 on patreon.com/serio
SIO492: How Radicalized Was Kirk's Killer, Really?
Part 2 of my thoughts and observations based on all the info I could gather on Tyler Robinson. I think there's an aspect to him that isn't being emphasized enough that might help explain why he did what he did.
SIO491: What Do We Actually Know About Tyler Robinson? Why Did He Kill Charlie Kirk?
The public has gone through several phases of evolution on what the shooter's motive was. At first, it was assumed he was a leftwing terrorist. Then it seemed clear he was on the right. Or maybe nihilist. Then, the charging documents were released. These contained some selected texts with Robinson's transgender roommate who he seems to have been in a romantic relationship with. They are... weird.
SIO490: The "Leaky Pipeline" of Academia
Dr. Bryan Gillis is back after far too long! But instead of space, he's here to talk about the problems in academia that lead to women and minority groups being underrepresented at astonishing and depressing levels.
SIO489: TikTok Banned #Skinnytok and It Was Right to Do So
Dr. Jenessa Seymour joins to discuss why TikTok's move here is aligned with what we know about eating disorders from the literature, and what happens when the internet doesn't draw a line like this. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content!
SIO488: She Filmed Her Harassment and It Went Viral on TikTok
Lydia and I invite one of our good friends, Holly, to share her recent viral story of harassment at a public park in Glendale, California. We discuss what happened that day, the spread and impact of the video, as well as the broader issue at hand and how it has shifted with a new Trump administration coming into office. After the main show, Holly sticks around for a special discussion for patrons
SIO487: How Close Is Iran Actually To Nuclear Weapons?
We had like, a mini war over Iran's nuclear situation and it is barely even a memory in today's news cycle. But what happened there? Did Iran have nuclear weapons? What does it take for them to make some? Was Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal good? And what happened after it was no longer in place? What might happen now? Joining is Evan McDonell, a former nuclear engineer with the US Naval nuclear program
SIO486: Good News! According to The Economist, College Is Totally Affordable!
... what? Yep that's right. They say there is no college affordability crisis. And I guess then, presumably no student debt crisis as well? You can read for yourself here, and/or you can sit back and let Dr. Jenessa Seymore break down why this article is so... incorrect.
SIO485: It's Not Rocket Science
Part 2: The Data Dr. Jenessa Seymour continues her breakdown of the supposed voting discrepancies that a New York organization has "discovered". Her expertise in statistics gets the spotlight in this episode! Be sure to check out the graphs! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, a
SIO484: Lawsuit Alleges Voting Irregularities in 2024. Is There Any There There?
Part 1: The Legal Stuff Dr. Jenessa Seymour is here to break down something that even our moms are spreading on social media: a group in New York claims to have uncovered discrepancies in the vote count for the 2024 election, and they're suing over it! Dr. Seymour hits ALL of the expert boxes for this one - statistics, voting rights, the law, and New York. Want part 2 early? Head to Patreon.com/se
SIO483: Jordan Peterson Debated a Bunch of Atheists. So... How Did That Go? Part 2
We're going to take a look at Jordan Peterson's debate techniques and his arguments for God and have some fun along the way!
SIO482: Jordan Peterson Debated a Bunch of Atheists. So... How Did That Go?
We're going to take a look at Jordan Peterson's debate techniques and his arguments for God and have some fun along the way!
SIO481: Ok What Was the Deal With the Direwolves
Was that whole thing legitimate? Was it BS? Or something in between? Dr. Eric Jaffe is the perfect expert to give us the objective facts on this and help us understand everything going on!
SIO480: Abortion Legislation Gets Embryonic Terminology and Facts All Wrong
Inspired by an Opening Arguments episode during the heartbeat bills, Dr. Nathan Thompson and soon-to-be-Dr. Rachel Feltman embarked on research where they collated "facts" from abortion legislation across the country and examined its medical/anatomical accuracy and misleadingness. Their work was published (read it here!) in the February 2025 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health!
SIO479: Does Speaking Your Partner's "Love Language" Foster a Happier Relationship?
Gary Chapman's model of five love languages has been well-embraced by people as they navigate dating, marriage, and other relationship moments. Dr. Sharon Flicker joins the show to discuss what exactly they are, how Chapman came up with them, and her research in evaluating whether your partner's ability to "speak" your love language actually results in a happier relationship. Are you an expert in
SIO478: This AI Is Not My Girlfriend, It's My... Social Agent...
It's part 2 with Alejandro and Julia from theluddite.org! We get the worst AI "research" of all, we talk big picture, and then Alejandro and Julia give us some tools for spotting bad AI research and coverage on our own! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content! This c
SIO477: Debunking Bad AI Research, and Bad Coverage of AI Research
Alejandro and Julia of theluddite.org join us to debunk some terrible AI research, and the bad reporting compounding the problems on top of that. Also, what is AI? Can it ever think for itself? Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please support the show on patreon! You get ad free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content! This content is CAN credentiale
SIO476: Greg Palast Claims the Election Was Stolen. Let's Check His Work. PART 2
This is a part 2! Make sure to catch the previous episode in the feed. If you're on the left and at all active on the internet, you have probably seen this shared. It's called "Trump Lost. Vote Suppression Won." Here's the first bit: "Trump lost. That is, if all legal voters were allowed to vote, if all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvan
SIO475: Greg Palast Claims the Election Was Stolen. Let's Check His Work.
If you're on the left and at all active on the internet, you have probably seen this shared. It's called "Trump Lost. Vote Suppression Won." Here's the first bit: "Trump lost. That is, if all legal voters were allowed to vote, if all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Vice-President Kamala Harris would have won the Preside
SIO474: They've Been Telling Us They'd Do This for a Long Time. Many Just Weren't Listening
Katherine Stewart joins us again (she was on episode 439) to talk about her new book, Money, Lies, and God! Katherine's books have been vital to understanding the Right. This book tackles different factions - the billionaires, Christian Nationlists, and the New Right, among others - and their strange alliances that have successfully taken over our country. Are you an expert in something and want t
SIO473: A Strange Man Is Inside Our Government
And the unending moral cowardice of Republican politicians means he gets to do what he wants. It's a Thomas needs to say things one again, sorry.
SIO472: Anti-woke Crybabies Call ASL Interpreters Unnecessary. Here's the Fascinating Science Behind Why They Are Vital
The absolute man-babies who make up the anti-woke movement are always crying about some very minor thing that makes other people's lives better and is no actual burden to them, but is different than the past. This week, that thing happens to be... ASL interpreters at press conferences and such? It's hard to imagine how sensitive you'd have to be to have a problem with this, but their victimhood co
It's 2025. Please Stop Playing Dumb. It Was A Nazi Salute.
SIO471 - I just can't anymore with this. It's so fucking pathetic that mainstream media and a whole bunch of pundits, even on the left, have to do this thing where they play dumb and pretend people like Elon have any sort of credibility. There is no plausible deniability on this and to pretend otherwise isn't good journalism or skepticism. It's... bad... those. Are you an expert in something and w
Trump's Health Nominees Are a Steaming Pile of Grift
Buckle up because we have so many Health and Human Services nominees to get into on this episode, and surprisingly nearly all of them are actually doctors of medicine! 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!
Dr. Rick on Trump's Terrible HHS, Continued; and, Trump's Surgeon General Nominee
We're back with Dr. Rick to continue our discussion of what we might be facing with the next Trump administration's HHS, but he refuses to leave the recording without giving us something to feel happy about! Then we kick off Lydia's cabinet nominee deep dive with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Trump's nominee for the Surgeon General. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! P
Trump's Health and Human Services Agency, with Dr. Rick Sullivan
Lydia has spread Opening Arguments' fashwatch to SIO, and we're calling in a doctor to keep it under control! Dr. Rick Sullivan joins us to walk through the Health and Human Services Agency, its various entities, and what kind of impact we might be looking at under the next Trump administration. ProPublica obtained Project 2025 private training videos. Click here to check them out if you dare! Ar
You Don't Actually Need to Condemn the Murder of the CEO Guy
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 donati
Epidemiologist Claims MAGA Is An Epidemic Caused By "Brain Flaws." Only Problem Is, That's Completely Unscientific and Based On Almost Nothing.
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 debunk
No, She Didn't 'Lose' 15m Democratic Votes
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
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. 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
SIO463: Synesthesia - How Does It Work?
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! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show o
SIO462: The Day the Dinos Died
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! Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show?
SIO461: So You Want To Destroy the Earth...
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... 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, e
SIO460: Actual Experts Debunk the Cass Review
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. Ya
SIO459: Understanding CRISPR with Dr. Eric Jaffe
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. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the show on patreon! Yo
SIO458: How Eye Color Reveals the Complexity of Genetics
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? Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please
SIO457: Facilitated Communication is Fake, with Kelly Burke
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. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!
SIO456: Are You a Good Drug or a Bad Drug?
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. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!
SIO455: This Is Your Brain on Drugs, With Dr. Jenessa Seymour
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. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here!
SIO454: Bret Weinstein's Incredibly Curious PhD Thesis
(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
SIO453: How Could Bret Weinstein Have Been So Wrong About COVID?
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. Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here! Please please pretty please support the sh
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