Worldly Thoughts Podcast

With the media's negativity bias its easy to feel like the world is crumbling. Climate change is devastating the environment, the economy is in a downturn, democracy itself is being threatened. Yet if you take a step back and look at the positive developments facing the world, you come to see a simple truth: there is great potential for a better world. In this podcast I explain what these positive developments are and how they can be utilized to improve our world in an incredible number of ways.

This podcast concerns epistemology. How do we know what is real? How do we know what is true? In it I explain the scientific method, Popper's falsification principle, the difference between objective and subjective truth, and the implications of reason as it relates to morality. It's also going to be the second chapter in my upcoming non-fiction book which is almost finished. Stay tuned for more.

Is there a way out of the two party duopoly? Can we reconcile the best parts of the left and right without falling victim to their extremes? In this podcast I make the case for what an ideal third party could look like and how it come win on the local and national stage.

(this was recorded in January of 2022)    Subtle nuances in chemistry can mean all the difference in the world. H20 is good for you, yet H202 can kill you. Similarly, subtle differences in biology determine the health and effectiveness of various treatments. For this reason, should the government really be mandating the substances we can and can't consume? Should our responses to Covid be draconian when the mortality rate is relatively low?

(this was recorded in November of 2021) It's not enough to be right. If you want to persuade others of your position you have to explain why you're right. Appealing to authority isn't an option. Appealing to popularity isn't an option. When it comes to pressing issues such as public health, global warming, and the disastrous effects of the Anthropocene "trust the experts" can't be our slogan. And if it continues to be, it is only a matter of time before public support collapses.

Anthony Bourdain was a millionaire who spent his life traveling the world, meeting interesting people, and eating delicious food. He was incredibly loved by many, and yet in his old age he decided to kill himself. In contrast to his story there are countless unnamed children in Yemen who grow up struggling with disease, famine, and violence in order to just barely survive. Their life knows untold hardship, and yet they find the will to live. What is the reason for this? Does money buy happiness? And are there ways to spend money which sufficiently maximize happiness? In this podcast I explore affective altruism, psychology, and counterfactual history. I make the case that there is a way to think about depression called "the Boat Analogy" which explains this issue pretty well.

How did Christianity go from being a persecuted minority religion to a status quo power that forcibly converted millions of pagans? How did the United States go from an anticolonial movement based on democracy to the world's largest empire? How did socialism go from a working class movement based on people's liberation to an inhumane system of slavery? There is a tendency in human nature for us to stray from our principles with time. Will we fall victim to it too? Or can we recognize the subtle shift in our behavior before its too late?  (recorded November 2021)

In a world facing the threats of climate change and weapons of mass destruction, why do we bicker over trivial differences? Why does our society seem to prioritize issues of personal discomfort while overlooking disasters which are existential in nature? This and more I ponder while examining a study done by Paul Slovic about human empathy.

When does political correctness go too far? What does it mean to have true equality? Are the ends to our political goals justified if their means are authoritarian? This and more is covered as I go into a critique of far-left ideology. Some call this intersectionality. Some call it Wokeism. Some call it critical social justice. Whatever it is, its becoming a more prevalent problem in our popular culture, and with the left winning a string of victories recently, I think it is well worth talking about.   (This podcast was initially recorded as three episodes. For this reason there are short gaps at the half hour marks. Sorry for the inconvenience.)

Why is it that we human beings seek simple answers to complex questions? Why do we search for movements to follow and leaders to obey? Is there any chance we'll break the mold of human nature which makes egalitarian social movements so hard to achieve? This and more I ponder while driving through Idaho.