I recently ran a pair of episodes investigating claims of the health effects of deuterium, a stable heavy isotope of hydrogen. The first interview was with a Naturopath, and the second was with a real medical doctor publishing peer reviewed papers on the topic. And my focus in this effort is on drilling through the BS to get to what the evidence says. This takes sustained skepticism, and it doesn’t always make friends. Many people are turned off by the methods of science. It reminds me of why I never liked the TV series X-files. The scientist was always being appropriately skeptical of phenomena that have, at best, only breathless anecdotal support. But she was constantly being shamed by the male character for not ‘believing’ that the truth is out there. But believing extraordinary claims without sufficient evidence makes you gullible. You have the choice of being a friendly fool in believing that astrology or alternative medicine, homeopathy, or other superstitions should be given equal standing with experimentally tested scientific knowledge.
So in this episode I want to give you some tools to identify bafflegab, gobbledygook, and pseudo-science, while reviewing some of the reactions I received.
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Dr. Ben Heard on environmental advocacy in a polarized world
Dr. Janet Tulloch asks if The Big Bang is just another origin story (re-release)
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Scott Santens dispels the myths blocking Universal Basic Income
Dr. Karl Widerquist says we need Universal Basic Income now
Dr. Laszlo Boros reviews evidence for health impacts of deuterium
Petra Davelaar says heavy water is not healthy water
Zion Lights dissects degrowth
Humanist Joel Garreau believes humanity is poised for radical evolution
Critical Thinking Skills with Melanie Trecek-King
Dr. Chris Keefer reviews a year of nuclear successes
The Rational View 2023 year in review
Dr. Barbel Honisch tells how scientists know what CO2 levels were millions of years ago
Guilia Dominijanni talks bionic enhancements for the masses
The importance of dark skies with Rob Dick
Dark skies with Jim Goetz
How to train your brain with Andy Vasily
A rational rant about banking fees
Dr. Steven Levitsky on the crisis in American democracy
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