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.
Support the podcast at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView
Give me your feedback on Facebook @TheRationalView
Twittter @AlScottRational
Artificial Intelligence: A Powerful Tool
The ethics of AI with Shalaleh Rismani
Thomas Frey on the future of AI
Artificial Intelligence and an Interview with a Bot!
Al and Al on AI
Artificial Intelligence: The Promise and the Risk
Gun Control (Episode 4)
Handguns with Jamie Melnick
Gun Control with Jay Nathwani
Gun Control
From Darkness to Zion Lights
Men advancing equality
Nuclear vs. Renewables
Can we afford [not] to have Universal Basic Income?
The Divide of Fear
The Big Bang: Just another origin story?
Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (2 of 2)?
Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (1 of 2)?
What's an Eco-Modernist?
Homeopathy and the Placebo Effect
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Freakonomics Radio
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
Criminal
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World