Serious Inquiries Only
758 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 978 ratingsJoin Thomas for some critical thinking on questions of science, philosophy, skepticism and politics. These serious topics are discussed with some serious guests, but in an entertaining and engaging way! This is not your typical interview podcast; it’s a friendly dialogue, conducted thoughtfully and with plenty of humor. It's Serious Inquiries Only; but like, not boring or anything.
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Episodes
SIO152: Philosopher Elizabeth Picciuto on Trump's Moral Code
August 09, 2018 04:00 - 50 minutes - 52.1 MBDr. Elizabeth Picciuto wrote an article on Trump's ethics and how his ethical code centers around basically one value: loyalty to him. We discuss the article, different ethical systems, and the limits and drawbacks of loyalty as a virtue. After that, we talk about a tweet of hers which went massively viral. In it, she lamented that the state of our politics has a lot to do with the decline in the Humanities. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support th...
SIO151: Dire Political Predictions; Listener Voicemail
August 02, 2018 04:00 - 54 minutes - 55.9 MBI've been researching recent US political and election history, and I had some realizations that made me incredibly depressed about the future. I'm making predictions about 2018, 2020, and 2022 that you can hold me to. I really hope I'll be wrong. After that I've got some fantastic listener email and voicemail! Topics include being sad about #metoo, being hopeful about #metoo, how to reconcile good science with bad peer reviewed papers, and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, reme...
SIO150: Ok ESP Isn't Real... with Dr. Lindsey Osterman
August 01, 2018 01:48 - 57 minutes - 58.6 MBLast week's episode featured what I thought was a rational and philosophically consistent approach that educated, but non-expert, skeptics took toward a peer-reviewed article in a top journal making claims of evidence for ESP related phenomena. In today's episode though, we get a chance to hear from an expert in the field of Experimental Psychology who took an in-depth look at some of the studies mentioned in the original review paper. Here's the link again if you'd like to go back and read ...
SIO149: Is ESP Real? No, Really... It Might Be...
July 26, 2018 04:00 - 53 minutes - 60 MBA new meta-study was recently published in the American Psychologist, the major journal of the American Psychological Association, which shows statistically significant results regarding ESP-like stuff. While this seems completely fantastical and against everything materialists like me tend to believe in, it has passed peer review in a major journal. So what are skeptics like us to make of this? To help us sort out these questions, I've got philosopher Aaron Rabi from ETV and Philosophers in...
SIO148: Zerin Firoze - Ex-Muslim, Abuse Survivor, Asylum Seeker
July 19, 2018 04:00 - 54 minutes - 55.5 MBOn the show this week is another incredible person with a compelling story to tell. Zerin Firoze is an ex-Muslim atheist, currently residing in the US, but on a student Visa which may not last for much longer. She has applied for asylum but given the horrendous nature of our asylum process, she hasn't yet gotten a meeting or anything. Being an atheist in her home country has literally meant abuse and death for others. Listen as Zerin tells her story and puts a real voice behind all kinds of r...
SIO147: Callie Wright on ScarJo and Nanette
July 12, 2018 04:00 - 57 minutes - 58.3 MBI'm so pleased to bring you an interview with Callie Wright, co-host (along with Ari Stillman!) of the Gaytheist Manifesto! Callie speaks about social justice issues with clarity and humanity and is incredible at bringing understanding and learning to those who might not otherwise find it. In that spirit, she's here to take on the recent controversy over Scarlett Johansson playing a transgender role in an upcoming movie. (If you'd like to get a quick introduction to how badly people can misun...
SIO146: Voicemail! Socialism, Pithy Catchphrases, Mandatory Voting, and Lots of #metoo
July 05, 2018 04:49 - 55 minutes - 56.8 MBFirst up in this episode are some factual corrections I need to make regarding episode 145, as well as an apology to Aimee for neglecting to honor a request she made. After that, it's a rousing edition of SIO voicemail! We talk socialism, putting the liberal agenda into pithy catchphrases, mandatory voting, and a whole lot about metoo! Lots of discussion on BDSM and the fact that the Canadian Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that you can't consent to sexual activity while unconscious, even if you ...
SIO145: Left Critique of #metoo with Aimee Terese
June 28, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBIt's part 2 with Aimee Terese! Aimee offers what she views as legitimate leftist critique of the #metoo moment. She also shares her own story. We have what I hope is a healthy, but rigorous debate about areas where the movement has gone too far, and affirmative consent vs. the previous paradigm. I'm very curious to get feedback on this one! Next episode will be voicemail, so that makes it an extra good time to chime in with a phone call! Hillary Facebook Explanation; Vice Article on BDSM and...
SIO144: Aimee Terese on Socialism
June 21, 2018 04:00 - 52 minutes - 53.6 MBMy guest this week is Aimee Terese, co-host of the Dead Pundits podcast. She is a self-described socialist, which allows us to shift the SI-Overton Window a bit to the left, for once. We talk about what socialism means to her, how liberals and socialists can and should work together, and more! Aimee has a background in philosophy and is currently studying law with an emphasis on critical legal theory. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show ...
SIO143: YouTuber T1J @the1janitor
June 14, 2018 04:00 - 49 minutes - 51.3 MBBy popular request, I'm joined by Kevin, who goes by The One Janitor or T1J on YouTube, recently put out a brilliant critique of Sam Harris. I found it to be keenly critical while still being fair. We talk about that, YouTube in general, and delve into his political views as well. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, em...
SIO142: Andrews Seidel and Torrez on Masterpiece Cakeshop
June 07, 2018 05:52 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBIt's a coven of Andrews! We had so much to talk about regarding the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision handed down by the Supreme Court recently, that we had to do some overflow from Opening Arguments! These two expert Andrews are here to break it down for us, including how many different ways Dave Rubin is wrong about this. (It's a lot). Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook...
SIO141: Hillary for President 2020; Jen Keane Update on #Repealthe8th
May 31, 2018 07:39 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBAm I kidding? I don't know, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You'll have to listen and find out! With news that Bernie is running in 2020, I've got some reaction to the reaction, beginning with a sort of analogy or allegory for 2016 you might find interesting. After that, it's a long overdue voicemail segment! I plan on doing these at the end of each month, so call in! Then, Jen Keane joins us for an update on #Repealthe8th in Ireland! And it's a rare bit of good news! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (91...
SIO140: Surviving Gay Conversion Therapy, with Tim Rymel
May 24, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBTime Rymel grew up under the incredibly dogmatic and restrictive religion of Pentecostalism. At a young age, Tim realized he just wasn't attracted to women like he was "supposed" to be. But, his intense belief system didn't allow for that sort of thing, so Tim felt compelled to pursue gay conversion therapy. After he was "cured," he married a woman and became a leader in "ex-gay" ministry. Eventually, though, things began to unravel... Check out Tim's website, and also his Facebook group. Lea...
SIO139: Eli Bosnick on Meditation
May 17, 2018 04:00 - 59 minutes - 60.8 MBThe funniest guy I know is here to talk about... meditation? Turns out Eli has a wealth of knowledge on the practice, and has become something of an evangelist for it. Eli had a pretty heartbreaking revelation after a difficult time, and it led him to really want to get better. Meditation has really made a difference for him and he (and science) thinks it can make a difference for you, too! That sounds like a sales pitch but this is entirely free and Eli in no way makes any money off of it. A...
SIO138: BJ Mendelson on Internet Privacy
May 10, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MB***For 30 dollars off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com/seriouspod30 and enter seriouspod30.*** BJ Mendelson has a number of fascinating stories to tell us today! He went viral in 1998, long before it was called that. He amassed 1 million Twitter followers in kind of a weird way... He's privy to some of the darker stories behind Silicon Valley startups... And, he's got a lot to teach us about internet privacy! It's a really fun and informative interview you won't want to mis...
SIO137: Christianity No Longer Makes Sense, with Evan Davids
May 04, 2018 05:22 - 50 minutes - 51.8 MBOn the show this week is Evan Davids, author of the book Christianity No Longer Makes Sense and owner of a hilarious dog who can't catch food! (yeah, that dog!) Despite having written an anti-Christianity book, Evan doesn't consider himself an atheist! We talk about that and why he believes Christianity no longer makes any sense in today's world! Also, if you're a patron, make sure to catch the bonus episode I released on Nazi Pugs and Free Speech! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, re...
SIO136: Don't Surf on Tsunami, and Other Disaster Advice from Mika McKinnon
April 26, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBMika McKinnon is a geophysicist, science communicator, sci-fi science consultant, and all around badass! We talk about her awesome job as part Bond Villain, part MacGyver. AFter that, Mika gives us some very good disaster advice and teaches us all about tsunamis and volcanoes! Then we go on to discuss her work as a sci-fi consultant where we finally give the movie The Core the scientific thrashing it deserves. Mika also tells us about one of her scientific heroes, Vera Rubin, and how she neve...
SIO135: Alix Jules on Silverman, Starbucks and S'more
April 19, 2018 04:00 - 55 minutes - 56.4 MBAlright that was shameless alliteration, I admit it. But the truth is that outrage brigade member Alix Jules is here to speak on a wide array of issues and I think you'll find him as informative and entertaining as always! Other issues we touched on were raising atheist children, protesting, police reform and the Stoneman Douglas students using their privilege for good. If you're a supporter of the show, make sure to catch this week's bonus episode for supporters only! either seriouspod.com/s...
SIO134: Nuclear Power is Critical to Saving the Environment, with Evan McDonell
April 12, 2018 02:28 - 56 minutes - 58 MB***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter seriouspod30*** Part of the value I believe the skeptic community could provide to our society is in leading on issues of science. This is an issue where it is my belief that the public is badly and dangerously misinformed. Here to answer some questions on just what nuclear power is and why it's crucial to our energy future is Evan McDonell. He's an SIO listener who also happens to be pursuing a degree in nuclear eng...
SIO133: Jen Keane on #IStillBelieveHer and #Repealthe8th
April 05, 2018 04:00 - 51 minutes - 53.4 MBRecently in Ireland, a verdict was finally reached in a high-profile rape and sexual assault case involving famous rugby players. When it was announced, there was cheering by many men and despair among many women. Here to lay it all out for us is Irish feminist Jen Keane. In the wake of all this, she wrote a great Twitter thread about her experience on a jury in a rape case. Later on in the episode, she also breaks down 'Repeal the 8th,' which is about abortion rights in Ireland. Make sure to...
SIO132: Ezra Klein Out-Sam-Harrises Sam Harris
March 29, 2018 05:39 - 50 minutes - 51.9 MBToday's episode is full of drama. So naturally, I have to talk about why there is drama and what I am trying to do in all this. One key question is: which issues do atheists tend to say "eh, agree to disagree" vs. "this disqualifies someone?" There are some patterns there to examine. Then, don't miss the later half where I discuss the Harris-Klein issue. I think there's an extremely fascinating insight to come out of that. And it's something that I don't think many people are picking up on. K...
SIO131: Horseshoe Theory and Centrism with Peter Coffin
March 26, 2018 04:00 - 57 minutes - 58.1 MBPeter Coffin has a popular YouTube channel where he makes Very Important Documentaries(tm) that are both entertaining and thought provoking. He was last on to discuss the Marketplace of Ideas as a flawed model. We touch on that briefly and then move on to discuss the American political landscape, focussing on the conundrum of Centrism in the age of Trump. Check out Peter's book! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/supp...
SIO130: Is Antifa Winning?
March 22, 2018 03:50 - 45 minutes - 47.4 MBRecently there have been a few articles to this effect, because of something Richard Spencer said in a video. What should we make of it? On this show, this topic dates back to the Nazi punching debates of yesteryear, but was reinvigorated what a local antifa group interrupted an event at King's College of London featuring Carl of Akkad and someone named Yaron Brook. Here's a video that shows most of the scuffle. At the time I condemned it as not the way to solve things. I stand by that. But ...
SIO129: Atheists (and Lawyers..) In Foxholes
March 19, 2018 04:00 - 39 minutes - 42.4 MBToday I'm joined by Victoria Gettman and Geoffrey Blackwell! Vicki has a military background and currently serves as Texas State Director at American Atheists, as well as Executive Director for South Texas Atheists for Reason. Geoffrey is a staff attorney for American Atheists. Being an atheist in the military, Vicki has seen her share of Christian privilege and likely unconstitutional behavior. One such incident launched her into activism! Working with American Atheists, Geoff receives repor...
SIO128: Every Vote Matters!!! and Listener Voicemail
March 15, 2018 05:02 - 55 minutes - 56.5 MBThe Democrats picked up a +20R seat in the House! Or did they? Some people are alleging that Lamb is too centrist or even conservative. I analyze that a bit, and then talk about a couple other news items before talking some of your voicemail messages! Lots of calls on gun control (that topic definitely sparked some response), and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebo...
SIO127: Rise of the Nones! with Kristi Winters
March 12, 2018 04:00 - 57 minutes - 58.2 MB**For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter seriouspod30 Dr. Kristi Winters is back on the show to talk about a rising demographic group in America - the Nones. That is, those without any serious allegiance to any organized religion. But just who are they? Are they atheists? What are their politics? Kristi is here to answer these questions and more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/sup...
SIO126: Lawrence Krauss Responds To Allegations
March 08, 2018 06:41 - 49 minutes - 51.4 MBWell Lawrence Krauss released his statement on the accusations. It's 9 pages long and about what you'd expect. I've got a lot of thoughts that I wasn't able to get to last week so we're doing another show on #metoo. I really think the thought leaders of the skeptic community are missing out on an opportunity for mainstream relevance. They are exactly the kinds of people we should be hearing from on questions like these. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the poin...
SIO125: Are We Headed for Another Depression? with Dr. Robert S. McElvaine
March 05, 2018 05:00 - 57 minutes - 58.4 MBA few months back in the midst of the Republican tax reform bill, Dr. Robert S. McElvaine wrote an article for the Washington Post about the parallels between our current situation and the Great Depression. Being a historian of the depression, he might know a thing or two about it. I interviewed him on this and surrounding issues! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: ...
SIO124: Lawrence Krauss Accused of Sexual Misconduct; Interview with Monette Richards
March 01, 2018 07:57 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBThis is a doozy of an episode. Lawrence Krauss was recently accused of a range of sexual harassment and misconduct. I believe his accusers. It's documented quite thoroughly by BuzzFeed. Since people are trying to casually dismiss the accusations as "Ugh, BuzzFeed" and "Anonymous sources," I took the time to make a quick and dirty breakdown of the individual charges and how many named and unnamed sources there are, and the corroborating evidence. It's not just "anonymous sources" or "rumors" ...
SIO123: David Silverman of American Atheists
February 26, 2018 04:55 - 57 minutes - 58.7 MBDavid Silverman joins us to talk about an awesome convention coming up in AAcon2018! I really valued David's response to the nonsense that happened in Milwaukee last September, and he's putting his money where his mouth is in how American Atheists has organized their 2018 conference. It's atheism, but with a heart and with compassion. We talk about that and much more! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow ...
SIO122: Yes, I Want To Take Away Your Guns
February 22, 2018 05:52 - 48 minutes - 49.9 MBNo the title isn't just clickbait. I've decided I do want to take your guns away. I'm tired of Democrats saying they don't actually want that, and then being labeled as such by the right anyway. So why not embrace it? Sources: NRA Payouts; Bret Stephens Repeal the 2nd Amendment; Vox Comprehensive Article on US Gun Violence; Most Gun Deaths Are Suicides; New Quinnipiac Poll; Trump Budget Cuts Mental Health; Injuries and Deaths Due To Firearms in the Home Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750...
SIO121: Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios
February 19, 2018 05:00 - 59 minutes - 60 MBShould we ever talk to the alt-right? When we do so, why does it feel so unproductive? Why can't we on the left ever seem to "win" debates with the alt-right? Why are Gamer-Gaters so angry? These are just a few of the questions Ian Danskin of the YouTube channel Innuendo Studios has sought to answer. He does so brilliantly and incisively. I've found his work to be incredibly illuminating. He was kind enough to come on the show and talk about his background, how he got into this line of work, ...
SIO120: Philosophers In Space with Aaron Rabi
February 15, 2018 05:00 - 41 minutes - 44 MBI'm so excited to finally present what I've been vaguebooking about! Today's show features episode 1 of a new project called Philosophers In Space! Each episode uses our favorite science fiction to teach related philosophical concepts. In this episode, we use the USS Callister episode of Black Mirror to talk about The Experience Machine by Nozick. Try it on, see how you like it, and if you want to hear more check out patreon.com/0g! Eventually the show will be on iTunes but for now it's only...
SIO119: Getting Satanic with Jex Blackmore
February 12, 2018 05:00 - 46 minutes - 48.2 MBJex Blackmore is the spokeswoman for the Satanic Temple! They've been responsible for a lot of provocative and effectively targeted public performances. Their target is very often Christian theocrats who either don't realize they're inflicting their religious views on everyone else, or they don't care. Jex takes us through the basics of the Satanic Temple and her experiences! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support!...
SIO118: Intercontinental Culture Wars, with Michael Marshall
February 08, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.6 MB***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Michael Marshall is the host of Be Reasonable and co-host of Skeptics with a K. He is heavily involved in the UK Skeptic movement, and has been somewhat alarmed by the state of movement atheism in the US. We talk about some of the differences and possible reasons for them. Later in the show, he takes us through a very difficult article he co-wrote about Jonathan Bryan - a child with severe brain damage...
SIO117: Jaclyn Friedman on Yes Means Yes, Feminism, and Sexual Liberation
February 05, 2018 05:02 - 54 minutes - 55.9 MBToday I'm joined by Jaclyn Friedman! From her website: She is a writer, speaker and activist, and creator of the hit books Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape (one of Publishers’ Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and #11 on Ms. Magazine’s Top 100 Feminist Nonfiction of All Time list) and What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex & Safety. Her podcast, Unscrewed, is paving new paths to sexual liberation, and was named one of the Best...
SIO116: What Is Jordan Peterson Saying? with Aaron Rabi
February 01, 2018 04:25 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBEvery atheist's favorite Christian, Jordan B. Peterson, went on Channel 4 News and had a heated exchange with Cathy Newman. Though she made some good points, Newman's technique centered around replying with "..so you're saying.." and then straw man Peterson. So what was he actually saying? Is there a better way of trying to engage with people like Peterson or should we not bother at all? Joining me to sift through Peterson's paranoid nonsense about gender and postmodernism is philosopher Aaro...
SIO115: What Happens When We Accidentally Decriminalize Prostitution?
January 29, 2018 05:00 - 46 minutes - 48.9 MBYou might laugh, but it happened in Rhode Island! My two guests, Dr. Manisha Shah and Dr. Scott Cunningham, did an extensive study on the results. It's called "Decriminalizing Indoor Prostitution: Implications for Sexual Violence and Public Health." What happened might surprise you! Special thanks to Lydia for arranging this recording! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Faceb...
SIO114: Getting on the Same Page #metoo
January 25, 2018 06:50 - 47 minutes - 49.4 MBThe last episode, the debate between Chris and Tracey on the Aziz Ansari incident, caused a decent amount of controversy. Many women were frustrated by Chris and also felt like we didn't need to hear from another male on this issue. I talk about these valid concerns and what I was trying to do with this episode and in general. This first half is very meta and involves working through criticism, so if that's not something you're interested in, please skip to 26:40 because there are two incredi...
SIO113: Panel Discussion on Aziz Ansari
January 22, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBWhere does the Babe.net article on Aziz Ansari land on the spectrum of #metoo moments? Are the old-school feminists correct when they say women ought to say no and call a cab? Today's episode is a discussion between two people who come out on different ends of some of these questions. It's an attempt to find some common ground and understanding on a very important issue. Note: This episode contains strong language and discussion of sexual activity. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, r...
SIO112: Fat-Shaming Trump or Hypocrisy-Shaming? plus Listener Voicemails!
January 18, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 63 MB***For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter seriouspod30! Today's episode begins with some thoughts on what can be a moral blindspot when it comes to fat shaming and looks shaming Trump. Is there a way to hit all the criticism we want to while not unnecessarily insulting and offending innocent bystanders? I think so, and I outline my case. Then I go through several listener voicemails! They cover a range of recent topics from reparations to Sam Harris. Athlet...
SIO111: Andrew Breaks Down the James Damore Google Lawsuit!
January 15, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBAndrew Torrez joins me from world-famous podcast Opening Arguments to break down the James Damore lawsuit against Google! Is it the most important lawsuit in modern history as some have called it? You'll have to listen to find out! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email [email protected] Direct Download
SIO110: No, Steven Pinker Isn't Alt-Right (but he's still wrong...)
January 11, 2018 07:15 - 56 minutes - 57.7 MB*I mention Eiynah as the one who sent me the video. I just want to emphasize she had the full context and I didn't mean to imply she was spreading the fake news version without thinking. She has a great thread on it here. Recently, an edited video circulated and caused an uproar among liberals. It features Steven Pinker seeming to praise the intelligence of the alt-right and asserting that there are certain "truths" to be found there. Is there more to the story? Always. But it doesn't mean he...
SIO109: A Carefully Curated Tom Curry
January 08, 2018 05:00 - 57 minutes - 58.2 MBIs Twitter real life? Tom from Cognitive Dissonance is here with me to talk about his philosophy on dealing with criticism and unpleasant people online. It's very zen and interesting, but is it something you and I would be able to adopt? Then we move on to the broader topic of the morphing of analog and digital lives and how the world is changing. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @serio...
SIO108: Sam Harris Sides with Ben Shapiro Over the FFRF
January 04, 2018 05:00 - 45 minutes - 48 MBWhat in the hell is the atheism world coming to when atheist horse-person Sam Harris would agree with a religious conservative on a matter of Church-State Separation over the Freedom from Religion Foundation? I talk about the details of this strange and depressing convergence, as well as some of the other broader implications of the Eric Weinstein, Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris conversation, and Weinstein's so-called Intellectual Dark Web. Sources: Harris Podcast; FFRF View on Masterpiece Cake Ca...
SIO107: Alix Jules on the Coates-West Controversy
January 01, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBBack for another great conversation is Alix Jules! This was originally going to be a follow up commentary but in speaking with Alix, it became clear that having him on would make for a much better episode! We discuss a Coates critique Twitter thread that got a lot of traction with the anti-feminist, anti-BLM factions but that I find quite off-base. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seri...
SIO106: Thinking Rationally on Cenk Uygur's Past Sexism
December 28, 2017 05:00 - 56 minutes - 57.2 MB... and another great round of your voicemails! A website called thewrap.com unearthed some old blog posts by Cenk Uygur in which he wrote some alarmingly sexist things. He has since apologized and emphasized that he doesn't believe those things anymore. Here is their article and here's the biased Gateway Pundit Article. How ought we to evaluate something like this in the wake of the #metoo moment? I have a lot to say about that, and about the cynical, bad-faith attempts on the right to bot...
SIO105: Traumatic Brain Injuries, with Dr. Topher Stephenson
December 25, 2017 05:00 - 58 minutes - 59 MBDr. Topher Stephenson joins me today to talk about traumatic brain injuries. He educates us a bit on the basics, and then we talk about how he, as a parent, evaluates the decision of letting his kids play sports. Which ones are safe? Should youth soccer require headgear? And much more. Check out his organization here. Also the CDC page on TBI is a good resource. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on ...
SIO104: Cornel West Owes Ta-Nehisi Coates an Apology
December 21, 2017 08:49 - 49 minutes - 51.6 MBOk so maybe the left is eating its own... After brushing by a couple points on the tax bill, I talk about a few instances of people on the left being unfairly demonized and harassed by other people on the left. It sucks. ContraPoints on YouTube seemed to me to be very affected by harassment over her decision to attend an event with Blaire White and Theryn Meyer. I talk briefly about that but then I move onto a bigger example that I discuss in depth, and that is Cornel West's hit-piece on Ta-N...
SIO103: Samantha Corbin of #WeSaidEnough
December 18, 2017 05:00 - 43 minutes - 45.8 MBSamantha Corbin is a Sacramento lobbyist who was fed up with the pervasive culture of sexual misconduct in the Capitol. She and some colleagues wrote an open letter and started an organization called #WeSaidEnough. It has absolutely caught fire! Her co-founder ended up on the cover of Time Magazine. In this interview, Samantha takes us through how pervasive this behavior has been and what her and others plan to do about it! Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the ...