Retraction Podcast

The Retraction Podcast audience predicted many things that came true in 2023, so will their opinions regarding Donald Trump going to prison if found guilty be a foreshadow of things to come? Donald Trump on Classified Documents (01:35), Classified Documents in Mar-a-Lago Bathroom (02:30), Donald Trump Steals Classified Documents (06:15), Donald Trump is Indicted for Big Lie (09:32), Donald Trump Advocates for Police Brutality (09:59), Marjorie Taylor Greene Tries to Impeach Joe Biden (11:23), American Politics is Spiraling (15:04), Donald Trump is Ineligible for the Presidency (22:20), Prediction: Donald Trump Goes to Prison (40:00)

The history of Christmas paganism traces back to ancient winter solstice festivals like Saturnalia from the Roman Empire and have given us traditions like Christmas music, the 12 days of Christmas, and the Yule log. From Rome adopting Christianity to pagan Odin transforming into Santa Claus, or Church Christmas carols becoming Christmas songs, the history of Christmas is deeply rooted in the pagan religions that came before the Christian religion.

The best way to cut through politics is to know your history. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) might have been ahead of his time, but he pushed through significant social safety nets that we take for granted today – some of which are being rolled back. What would America be like without social security? What could America be like with universal basic income (UBI)? FDR, The American History Of Social Safety Nets (01:20), The Forward Party Breaks Ranks (08:09), Three Reasons why or why not UBI (15:57), UBI Reduces Poverty (16:24), UBI Entrenches Poverty (19:44), UBI Increases Job Growth, Lowers School Dropout Rates (23:19), UBI Is Too Expensive (36:13), UBI Guarantees Income For Traditionally Unpaid Work (40:11), UBI Removes The Incentive To Work (46:51)

Why is America so afraid of roundabouts? Across the US, towns and cities are covered with 4 way stops, signaled intersections, endless traffic, and tragic car accidents. There is a better way. Join us to discuss the truth about roundabouts. #roundabout #traffic #caraccidents #infrastructure Federal Highway says roundabouts are safe (02:40), Stats on left-turn traffic accidents (03:58), Why Does the US hate roundabouts? (06:53), Availability Heuristic (08:00), Findings from real world experience (09:00), Where do pedestrians fit in? (11:00), Awareness is the key to conversion (13:27), What's the aversion to roundabouts? (18:00)

Many of us have heard the history of Thanksgiving in America in the classroom, but schools don't teach the true history of Thanksgiving from the perspective of Native American tribes like the Wampanoags or the Narragansetts. Until the history of Indigenous people of America is taught in schools, Native Americans today will always be misrepresented and underserved by the government and society. It's imperative that we academically recognize the historical relationships between colonists and Indigenous people and how that has shaped our modern society. Happy Thanksgiving and we also stand with our fellow Americans on this National Day of Mourning. #america #usa #indigenous #pilgrims The History of Thanksgiving (00:33), King Philip's War (05:24), Mythical Thanksgiving Feast (18:12), The Thanksgiving Lie (24:37), Pilgrims as Nationalists (27:22), Origin of Thanksgiving in School (30:55), Teach Native American History (34:55), Raised By USA Propaganda (38:38)

Marjorie Taylor Green (MTG) is a far-right Christian nationalist from Georgia that has supported QAnon conspiracy theories ranging from KKK white supremacy drivel to harassing Parkland school shooting survivor, David Hogg. MTG has no place in the US House of Representatives and the House GOP and members of the Republican Party should work to expel the MAGA congresswoman from Congress. #gop #qanon #georgia #congress Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG)? (00:51), MTG Profits Off Low Income Housing (08:05), Congressional Gun Control Hearings (15:34), MTG Attacks AOC (20:44), Congressional District 14, Georgia (22:41), KKK White Supremacy in Georgia (25:32), Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (34:44), MTG's Congressional Voting Record (41:04), Any Upside to MTG? (47:14)

Maxine is back on the pod discussing running in the last person standing ultramarathon, Bubba's Backyard Ultra! Many of us are familiar with track running and road running, but how many of us know the terms trail running or ultra running? Join us to hear Maxine's experience in the White Mountains, New Hampshire for her first ultra running race. We'll discuss her motivation, training, trail culture, gear, the ultramarathon, and so much more! #ultrarunning #trailrunning #newhampshire #backyardultra New Hampshire Leaf Peepers (00:14), White Mountains, New Hampshire (02:59), Last Man Standing Ultramarathon (11:49), Bubba's Backyard Ultra Running (27:27), Trail Running Preparation and Recovery (41:26), Trail Running Culture (01:03:00), Define Rural America (01:17:00)

This is Halloween season and what better way to celebrate this scary, spooky holiday than to dig up the medieval origin stories behind ghosts, ravens, spiders, vampire bats, wicked witches, and black cats of Halloween. Join us and Happy Halloween! #halloween #ghosts #witch #vampire Jenna Ellis Pleads Guilty (00:05), Gym Jordan (07:33), Tom Emmer Lasted a Tenth of a Scaramucci (09:26), Elon Musk's New X Feature Debate (15:44), This Is Halloween (25:28), A Happy Halloween Theme (26:16), Wicked Witches (33:46), Scary Spiders (44:47), Spider Time (52:53), Making Mermaid Money (58:05)

Who is Jim Jordan? As the US House of Representatives remains leaderless, the House GOP debate whether to make Jim Jordan the next Speaker of the House. Republicans need to weigh their morality against opportunity in the next speaker vote. The rest of us need to understand the scandal Jim Jordan brings with him to government, and what type of congressman he's been. Jim Jordan House Speaker Vote Fails (00:24), US Politics Are Tribal (02:53), Introducing Congressman Jim Jordan (05:12), Congressional Term Limits Might Prevent Another Jim Jordan (12:45), Jim Jordan, What Is He Good For? (16:10), What Is The 12th Amendment? (25:10), States Rights Subvert Democracy (34:05), Fantasy Government (42:44)

Extracting resources from planet Earth takes a toll on geodiversity, biodiversity, and Indigenous people, but lithium mining is also necessary for electrifying transportation (lithium battery) to cut carbon emissions and combat climate change. Is there a better way, or are we destined to stay a car nation and convert to personal electric vehicles (EVs)? Elon Musk Violates EU Digital Services Act (00:06), Mining Planet Earth Damages Geodiversity (07:53), Lithium Mining (15:36), Indigenous people (20:34), Be honest we are car obsessed (31:22), Now this, US is number one planet wrecker (43:55)

Climate change is a serious challenge that is impacting every living thing on planet Earth. That being said, we have carbon emission goals, and we are making progress towards them. But first, we dive into Kevin McCarthy and the House Republican speaker coup and a little socialism. Society's definition of value (00:04), Ratchet politics (01:24), On socialism (04:18), Socialism is baked into society (05:33), Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (10:44), Is America on the brink? (19:38), Run the military like we run the schools (29:00), Bluesky announcement and Germany retraction (31:41), Inflation Reduction Act and climate change (33:12), Suriname's UN carbon credits (38:24), Germany renewables (44:57), Hamburg the Vencie of the north (55:31), New animal habitats (59:32), Spotted lantern flies (01:04:54)

We've dug ourselves into a deep hole and we can't stop digging. Climate change is here, and humans are still burning fossil fuels and increasing carbon emissions year after year. Arizona's power grid will fail. Maui will have more wildfires. Ocean pollution will render oceans lifeless. Students, teachers, and schools will underperform. Florida homeowners will lose everything. Emperor penguins will go extinct. This is our near future. The power grid (02:02), Renewables need support (05:41), School needs AC (08:20), Ocean pollution (11:08), Ocean polluting (13:22), Rising sea levels (17:01), Maui Wildfires Tap Water PSA (17:46), Corn of the future (21:15), is the corn sweet (24:24), Ron DeSantis Insurance (27:44), Goodbye, Emperor Penguins (31:36), Climate Change tasting (36:47)

Georgia might have provided a blueprint to cut carbon emissions and slow down climate change. You don't need to play golf or even have a golf course in your town to own a golf cart. In fact, redeveloping your town's infrastructure to cater to golf carts could not only improve local transportation and ease your finances, but it might just cut carbon emissions enough to impact climate change. Golf carts over golf courses (04:03), Peachtree, Georgia (09:25), Competing suburban planning (12:01), How far can golf carts take us? (13:45), Gave up on suburban walkability (15:26), Mapping city streets (17:43), Tyrone, Georgia (24:10), Rebuild the world for people not industry (28:40), Giving up on the public (30:55), The cost of infrastructure (32:42), CHIPS, but with golf carts (40:18), Agency for the children, think of the kids (42:53), Muscle car to golf cart (44:26)

Fossil Fuels have toxic impacts on our environment and health. Whether it's a normally operating fracking site poisoning surrounding communities, or a chemical fire at an oil refinery that poisons surrounding communities, people that live around fossil fuel sites are being exposed to carcinogens every single day. Not only are they paying the price, but their families will feel the impact for generations. Republican candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy push a climate hoax narrative, but there is no denying that climate change is real, climate change is here, and climate change is impacting the lives of billions every single day in a multitude of ways. Vivek Ramaswamy Pushes Climate Hoax (04:27), Economic Cost of Climate Change (11:36), Can The Wealthy Escape Climate Change? (21:54), To Quote Ripley From Aliens (27:03), Fossil Fuel Energy Is Up (33:40), Carbon Emissions Are Up (36:08), Relying On Corporations for Climate Solutions (41:12), Oil Refinery Fire (42:40), Health Impacts of Toxic Exposure (45:23), Fracking is Toxic (48:52), Ecuador Stops Oil Drilling (50:34), Fox News Blames Hawaii (51:40), Joe Biden Didn't Ban Fracking (55:48), Climate Change and the US Constitution (58:07), Squandering Climate Solutions (01:05:41)

Yes, climate change is partly to blame for the Lahaina fire that ravaged Maui, Hawaii. Drought conditions and intense hurricane winds created fire conditions. But there's another element that fueled this Hawaiian wildfire - colonialism. Colonial plantations introduced invasive species of grasses, and once the landowners abandoned their property, the invasive plants spread, and a natural disaster was waiting to happen. As Hawaii rebuilds and the Maui community heals, Lahaina will need to make a choice to favor locals and its rich culture or outside investors and tourism. Retraction: Texas Water Breaks (01:03), Corporate Extremism (07:16), Colonialism Spreads Invasive Species (09:22), Maui Cost of Living (13:45), Hawaiian Plantations (18:47), Pre-Climate Change Infrastructure (28:09), Proactive vs Reactive Climate Solutions (31:31), Political Parties Fail (34:08), X or Twitter (38:57), 3,000 Pets Missing (42:34), We Will See More Wildfires (46:09)

Climate change is no longer coming, it's here. Extreme weather events and natural disasters have only just begun to increase in intensity and frequency. Things are going to get a lot worse if we don't act now. This is just the beginning. Climate change is here (04:21), Heat deaths (12:14), Heatwave (15:35), Extreme weather like fire tornadoes (17:34), Concrete jungle (20:59), Flammable nights (22:55), Wine growing and climate change (25:43), Drought impacts food like corn (28:29), Climate change solutions (31:07), Harsh reality of climate change (36:46), Drastic cuts in carbon emissions (43:11), A glimmer of hope in climate change (45:00)

Planet Earth is losing biomes like the Amazon rainforest. The world ocean is losing its coral reef ecosystem. Biodiversity on the planet is at an all-time low. Humans are exploiting wildlife and each other. Greenland is disappearing. We might lose emperor penguins in our lifetime. Sea level rise could swallow up coastlines and islands. Global warming is real and climate change is here. We can stop this from getting worse if we demand government action now. UPS Goes On Strike (01:02), US Child Labor Abuse (06:29), Worker Protections During a Heatwave (09:03), Texas Sides With Industry Over Workers (13:53), National Beef Sizzles (15:33), McDonald's Fails Workers During Heatwave (20:35), Climate Change Is Coming For You (25:57), Ocean's Coral Reef Bleaching (30:58), Pollute the Ocean for Clean Air (33:45), Was the Amazon Rainforest Real? (40:54), Zombie Worms (44:37), Remember Emperor Penguins? (50:13), Climate Change Budget (52:29), Rewilding Takes Effort (54:27), Life Without Tomatoes (55:55)

Planet Earth has never had so little biodiversity. Human induced climate change and the mismanagement of every ecosystem on Earth has driven more plants and animals to extinction than any other series of events. From industrial farming to provide humans with a steady food supply to deforestation to fossil fuels, human activity on planet Earth has failed every other plant and animal we coexist with – but I guess that's just human nature. We are polluting planet Earth (03:26), Captain Planet, he's our hero (08:45), Water rights in Arizona (10:04), Our food supply is destroying biodiversity (15:04), Farmers Insurance (19:44), Climate change, farming, bad wine (21:34), Pollution impacts wine growing and food (24:48), Food supply solutions, biodiversity (27:31), Democrats and the FATCAT Act (29:22), Climate change activism (37:28), Democrats and climate change (40:38), Joe Biden bans incandescent light bulbs (43:57), Changing our food supply (45:43), Climate change and our food (47:52), Homeowner's insurance (52:36), Support your local ecosystem (01:02:26)

As the world prepares for the new reality climate change is bringing, countries are reacting differently to the nuances of global warming. In the United States, Joe Biden has supported a supercomputer in Colorado that is modeling geoengineering and weather manipulation with a focus on solar engineering. Joe Biden has also met with King Charles in the UK to discuss green energy solutions. Denmark is taking on sustainable energy projects by creating energy islands that utilize offshore windfarms. And Oslo, Norway is focusing on clean energy technology and seeks to bring the city close to zero emission. Oh, and also in the US, Florida is gaming Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) by burning thousands of tons of trash and polluting neighborhoods and our planet, and exacerbating the climate crisis. Inhospitable to Humans (05:03), Mass Relocation (13:44), Joe Biden and King Charles (21:05), Geoengineering and Weather Manipulation (23:07), Florida's Renewable Energy Certificates (28:01), The Problem with RECs (36:57), Florida Sabotages Itself (39:33), Denmark's Sustainable Energy Projects (42:34), Norway's Clean Energy Technology (50:58), A Future Ecological Paradise (55:56), Ecological Paradise Lost (01:06:21)

Data protections should include privacy and dignity. You're streaming music and movies, shopping on Google, posting on social media, dating on apps, driving your car, using smart devices, and entering medical, financial and tax information into websites. All that big data is aggregated, packaged, sold, and resold, used to train artificial intelligence, or is taken by hackers. Fortunes are being made, but are you getting a fair bargain? Do people even have a seat at the bargaining table? Do we have to wait for some future technology or concept to take that seat, or is data dignity and Web3 our answer to a passive income that gives everyone a safety net? Capitalism: Corporations vs Government (01:26), You shed data like pixie dust (09:39), Marketing tech scrapes PII (11:52), Hackers hacking data (21:28), Elon Musk's xAI (28:10), Web3 and data dignity (29:46), Turn off your data dignity (34:16)

It's Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and Twitter owner Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta fediverse of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and its new Threads app. But, there's so much more at stake than determining who is the wealthiest billionaire with the social network. Facebook ads don't power themselves – they need your data – and you generate a lot of data. But what if you could get paid for your data via passive income? It's not a far-out concept according to Jaron Lanier. In fact, “data dignity” might just be the blueprint to economically coexisting with artificial intelligence that will go way beyond the capabilities of ChatGPT. You generate and relinquish more data than you might realize. It's not just through social media engagement on Tiktok. Your Tesla Model 3 and your Apple iPhone 11 are all collecting vast amounts of data. How is big data dangerous? It's used to influence your decision making, and it's used to make decisions by those in power that impact your life. More than that, it's being used in perpetuity to make people rich, but it belongs to you. Being able to see a tweet from Jack Dorsey or chat with your friends for free is not an even trade. Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg (00:05), Is Threads a Clone of Twitter? (04:27), Threads Outpaces TikTok (08:52), You Are Far from a Billionaire (16:05), Jaron Lanier Data Dignity (18:32), How Do You Measure Value? (37:13), Will Meta's Fediverse Ransom Your Data? (44:20)

What is cancer? Well, it's not one disease but about 200 different diseases like leukemia, lung cancer, skin cancer and many more. The truth about cancer starts with what causes cancer. 80% of cancer is caused by environmental factors like indoor air pollution, water pollution, outdoor air pollution, consumption of carcinogenic chemicals in your food, water, tobacco smoke, alcohol, and occupational hazards like exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. It can feel like everywhere you go there's a carcinogen, but that doesn't mean you'll get cancer. Concentration, duration, and your genes all play a role in how much your DNA has been damaged. What causes cancer? (08:21) Preventing cancer (17:33), Occupational hazards (27:13), The truth about cancer (38:45), Big cancer vs big tobacco (40:57), Protect your DNA from one carcinogen (43:03)

The Black community faces several challenges from birth to death. Racism is built into many of our institutions: police, school, medicine, transportation, careers, housing (redlining). The physical and mental health issues compounding daily amount to a lifelong assault on Black Americans, and their health deteriorates faster and more often than the rest of the population. With so many barriers to the pursuit of happiness and prosperity, banning diversity programs from every state college adds insult to injury, and can only be seen as a cruel political ploy with devastating results. Titanic Sub (00:06), Racism in Medicine (10:18), Serena Williams Almost Died (20:11), Racism Contributes to Poor Health (21:28), Racist Police and Mental Health (24:22), Police Escalation (29:44), Florida, Texas Ban School Diversity (37:40), How Do We Achieve Social Equity? (49:27), Summer Solstice Around The World (53:34)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified in front of congress on the need to regulate artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. IBM was there, too, but most people don't know why. Senator Lindsey Graham was interested in military applications to weaponize AI. Senator Amy Klobuchar seems focused on how AI could hurt her election chances. And Senators Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn didn't have a clue. Overall, the best the government could muster was a comparison to social media in an embarrassing display having no idea what they're talking about. The US Senate doesn't understand AI (03:32), Artificial intelligence isn't social media (11:45), Josh Hawley blows a dog whistle (15:56), OpenAI CEO Sam Altman interviews for a job (18:50), IBM reminds congress who runs things (25:51), Sam Altman has concerns (30:28), Gary Marcus professor of sanity (35:27), Senator Marsha Blackburn remembers Napster (36:40), Amy Klobuchar fears for her reelection (39:38), Lindsay Graham vs IBM (42:53), Graham wants to weaponize AI in military drones (49:50)

Meet presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. He's been focusing hard on Florida politics and is delivering on travel and tourism, public safety including guns and open carry, trucking and transportation, public education, community morale, investing employee pension and public funds with donors, civil rights and voter rights, election integrity and voter fraud, and illegal immigrants. Watch this episode to see if Ron DeSantis is right for your local community, too. Pension Investing and Blackrock (01:15), Civil Rights, Economy, and Disney (11:26), Trucking, Transportation, and immigrants (16:57), Ron DeSantis and Education (21:32), Florida Voter Fraud (23:57), Guns and Open Carry Gone Wrong (28:05), Florida Tourism and Travel Warnings (30:46)

The Walt Disney Animation Studio movie Strange World represents generational relationships and also has a gay character. Movies are taking strides to better represent American society and include gay characters with romance that's central to the story similar to war in an action movie. Florida Governor Ron “Don't Say Gay” DeSantis has given parents opposed to LGBT rights a path to censor movies, school, art, books and anything else that might make them uneasy. But, if you take a step back, in the case of a Florida school teacher showing Strange World to students, is the parent's fight with American education or with the Hollywood MPAA ratings for film? The Washington Post seems to think that a free option to do your taxes is progress, but does anyone ever look to other countries when considering how to file taxes? Is American exceptionalism getting in our way from realizing that government should be owning this task? The Disney movie Strange World (05:09), Florida School Teacher (15:03), Ron “Don't Say Gay” DeSantis (22:22), How To Censor School & Movies (26:07), The Love & War Ratio (33:28), How To File Taxes (36:42), American Exceptionalism (38:34), Washington Post Journalism (40:06), this is what the gov should be doing, just doing its job (50:03)

Plastic pollution in our food enters the body and might be entering our brains within two hours. Microplastics can cause inflammation in the body, but once they that pass the blood-brain barrier a number of mental health issues can develop like neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. Will Americans choose gun violence or gun control? The population is saturated by guns, and as we experience school shooting and mass shooting, will we ever choose research over NRA propaganda? Texas Gun Laws (02:54), killed a parking guy over 40 bucks, mental health (10:28), Mental Health & Gun Violence (15:19), Can We Have Guns & Gun Control? (18:23), More Gun Violence (20:15), Examples Of Gun Control (22:39), Hacking Our Brain With Plastic (27:57), Plastic Pollution in Lake Erie (33:55), Donald Trump Eats Plastic (36:56), The Roman Empire's Microplastic (40:04)

Did a Walgreens' employee in Nashville, Tennessee call the police in response to shoplifting? No, they followed two women to their car and resorted to shooting them – one was seven months pregnant. This is the type of police activity we should be seeing - responding to crimes being committed. If individuals are allowed to dole out justice on the streets, what's the point of US state and federal court system? Between this and the recent school shooting, will we ever see reasonable gun control? Racism in America and gun violence in America seem to go together, and there's an FBI investigation into Oklahoma officials threatening lynching and murder. Will there be accountability? Minnesota wolves might finally see an end to the wolf hunt season if the state's Senate can pass the House bill. Contact your senators! Child labor in America continues to be an issue, and North Carolina has a decision to make: ensure children go to school to learn and get an education, or be workers in agriculture farming to farm tobacco fields and suffer from nicotine poisoning. Minnesota supports wolves (00:44), North Carolina Republicans and tobacco child labor (07:32), Do lawmakers support child labor in America? (17:41), Agriculture farming child labor laws (22:57), How do we help migrant children and families? (25:50), The future of a migrant farm worker (28:53), Made with child labor (31:47), The police activity we want (38:01), Ending gun violence in America (46:39), Should guns carry victim stat labels? (48:22), Convince one person that gun control is needed (50:56)

Don't mess with Mickey Mouse. Florida man Ron DeSantis is learning that a fight with Walt Disney World might not be politics as usual. Is Elon Musk trying to diminish the brand equity of Twitter, so you won't miss it when he replaces Twitter with X, the everything app? The majority of American can now carry guns without a permit. The police aren't onboard, because it puts all types of police activity in a more dangerous setting. Who do you disagree with more, Texas or Florida? The death penalty no longer needs unanimous decisions and the ten commandments in school classrooms are just some of the ways these two states are competing for your disdain. Did you know that recent research into plant science is telling us that animals can sense the health of a plant? That's right, plants scream when they're sick or hurt and insects like bees can hear them. In fact, the same scientists discovered that plants could hear bees coming as well and will produce sweater nectar within 3 minutes of bees reaching them. Revisit Elon Musk & Twitter (00:46), X, the everything app (02:54), Are Elon Musk & Mark Zuckerberg smart? (09:25), Carry guns without a permit (11:55), The police department in Miami Dade oppose more guns (14:09), What will more guns do to police activity? (19:05), If everyone has a gun is everyone a threat? (20:17), Will we always except this level of gun violence? (22:39), Most people and police oppose more guns (26:40), Boston Marathon Bombing (30:54), Ted Cruz went to an elite school (36:28), Texas vs Florida: Death Penalty, The Ten Commandments (41:27), Walt Disney World vs Florida Man (45:48), Animals can hear the health of plants (51:01), Animals can hear plants, but a human can't (55:19), Who will be the first human to hear plants scream? (59:11)

Billionaire Elon Musk has had a strange string of behaviors recently: - Changed the sign on his building to say Titter instead of Twitter - Changed his name on Twitter to something more obscene - Replaced Twitter's logo with that dogecoin dog - Banned Substack posts - Labeled NPR as state-run media on Twitter, And, if free speech is the aim, why not give everyone access to free verification (blue checkmark)? We also ask OpenAI's ChatGPT for help understanding the government's approach to issuing a speeding ticket and how that relates to victim blaming. A Speeding Ticket (01:32), OpenAI's ChatGPT (29:38), Billionaire Elon Musk vs NPR (51:31)

Fox News is the leading propaganda outlet for the GOP, so it shoulders much of the blame for Republican absurdity that will undoubtedly continue to unfold. The more the Republicans cater to fringe elements in exchange for a loyal voting bloc, and the more those extreme views are amplified by Fox News across the nation to an undereducated public, the worse things will get. Florida man and Republican Senator Jason Brodeur hopes to make it law that any blogger writing about the governor must register with the state. Fox News, Newsmax and even Republicans like Newt Gingrich think this is bad politics and have called it insane, unconstitutional, un-Republican, and un-Florida. Modern Renaissance man Barney Bishop encourages entitled parents, arguably fairly odd parents afraid of 500 year old art, of Tallahassee, Florida to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his campaign to cripple the state's education system. The latest is that a Florida school fired a principal after she showed 12 year old students Michelangelo's Statue of David as part of a mandated Renaissance art lesson. This is part of the GOP's latest attempt to contrast with the so-called elites – side note, DeSantis went to Harvard University and Yale University. From Brooklyn, New York to Salt Lake City, Utah, books are being banned in your local library. Primarily, books focusing on LGBT and people of color are being targeted for censorship, and it's being done by organized groups with a GOP agenda. Fox News Disagrees with Florida GOP (01:04), Entitled Parents Censor School (06:42), Banning Books in Your School Library (25:52)

It's the guns. Another day has passed and another deadly school shooting in America has destroyed families and communities – this time in Nashville, Tennessee. The NRA and GOP have violated the spirit of the law via revisionist history of the second amendment (2A). Instead of engaging in meaningful debate to address gun violence, Republicans have failed to acknowledge the need for common sense gun control. They have opted to enable school shooting after school shooting and mass shooting after mass shooting that is compounding on top of gun violence across the country by pumping up gun sales. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were meant to be living documents. This intellectual process requires genuine debate and rigorous research, but instead we get thoughts and prayers from leadership and “shall not be infringed” from rank and file. The NRA's reinterpretation of 2A and the GOP's adoption of it will continue leaving this country vulnerable to mass shootings until we break from the NRA's indoctrination and the GOP finds another mechanism to garner votes. The NRA sponsored GOP would rather children open carry guns than read books. Common Sense Gun Control (03:02), The Second Amendment (05:26), Revisionist History (08:18), Guns & Domestic Violence (12:32), Spirit of the Law (16:14), Gun Violence (23:12), The Dickey Amendment (33:42)

The beta version of Diablo 4 gameplay, a video game by Activision Blizzard Entertainment, doesn't have micro transactions, or in-game purchases like loot boxes, and the magic of getting lost in video games has returned. Will Diablo 4 stay that way? Will everyone in England hear nature sounds? Well, the British government wants each citizen to be within a 15-minute walk to nature, whether it be a public park, wetlands, woodlands, rivers, or any other type of green space. Farming can get in the way of those nature walks, though. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is setting new water treatment plant regulations for tap water to help improve child safety, among other things. Forever chemicals have made their way into our drinking water and are causing health issues within our communities. Diablo 4 Gameplay (01:21), British Nature Walk (15:42), Forever Chemicals In Our Water (32:07)

The BBC chooses to censor Sir David Attenborough and his new nature documentary by not airing one of the episodes that addresses wildlife conservation. Elon Musk has begun buying up property outside of Austin, Texas to create a worker town. Minnesota wolves finally might catch a break, but you need to write congress and the governor to make sure this endangered species is protected and wolf hunting is banned. In California, a boy meets world when Adam Schiff decides to run for the senate. The governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has weakened child labor laws that can leave migrant children vulnerable to exploitation – and it's already bad. It's that time of the year again, and Antoine goes on another daylight savings time rant. Daylight Savings Time (01:06), Sarah Huckabee Sanders Supports Arkansas Child Labor (10:37), Minnesota Wolves (26:17), A California Boy Meets World (31:31), BBC Documentary (43:53), Elon Musk in Austin, Texas (53:36)

How will artificial intelligence (AI) impact human evolution, nature, and civilization? We asked OpenAI's ChatGPT! Over the course of 7 conversations with ChatGPT we covered AI's ability to vote for a human, whether Mars colonization will lead to dystopia under the rule of Elon Musk, can AGI enslave humans and how we can take the power back, what are some existential threats facing humans today, how AI will impact work, and ideal government models for a new civilization. Join us for an epic discussion with ChatGPT! There's also a special surprise at the end! Optical vs Quantum vs Graphene Chips (04:52), Artificial Intelligence Voting For Humans (09:10), Mars Colony Dystopia (26:51), AGI Enslaving Humans (35:23), Existential Threats To Humanity (50:28), AI And Work (01:04:57), Government Models For A New Civilization (01:12:12), Goku vs Superman (01:26:06) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In our final Black History Month episode, we explore the history and significance of the Battle of Adwa, a crucial moment in African history that saw Emperor Negus Menelik II of Ethiopia triumph over Italian colonialism and thwart the further spread of European imperialism. White Man's Grave 05:58 How Europe Stole Africa 07:52 Weapons of War 14:46 Millions of People Lost 18:47 Loss of Human Capital like Onesimus 25:53 Africa's a Member of the Global Community 38:53 Emperor Menelik's PR Campaign 45:20 The Battle of Adwa 48:21 Annexing in WWII wasn't Colonization 01:02:34 No Silver Lining to Evil Deeds 01:05:24 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It's Black History Month - when you think of wrestling does Africa come to mind? A San Antonio, Texas zoo finds success with its Valentine's Day fundraising, but does it enable online bullying? Considering the recent spy balloon from China breaching the US defense system and numerous other objects shot down by the US military that were well within our borders, is the defense budget bloated and should Americans reallocate some resources to underfunded aspects of society? African Wrestling 02:09 Happy Valentine's Day 29:55 Spy Balloon from China 36:35 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It's Black History Month, and we review a map of Africa and compare it to the rest of the world. Questions arise as to why Africa is divided up the way that it is, and how it impacts the wealth of African nations and the continent as a whole. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Google Enters the AI Arms Race 2:30, Artificial Intelligence Watchdog 3:55, Regulating AI 7:03, Google's MusicLM 10:20, GPT-3 and Mental Health 12:26, Koko's Source Material 18:13, AI Matches Humans 26:44, Scientists Create Terminator 2 T-1000 31:35, Agent Smith of The Matrix 33:35. The Matrix, Agent Smith: “…as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization”. Artificial intelligence (AI) is about to achieve a key milestone in language translations, but could it lead to artificial general intelligence (AGI)? While this concerning singularity is still seven years away, there are also things happening today that demand our attention. There's a new-age arms race for AI and it seems to be the beginning of the corporate wars. Google is producing AI music with MusicLM and has 20 new projects on the way, OpenAI is blowing up with ChatGPT, Midjourney is creating AI art, and Koko is using GPT-3 (the technology behind OpenAI's ChatGPT) to run mental health experiments on unknowing users. On top of this, scientists have basically created the Terminator 2 T-1000 liquid robot body. We're sure it's fine. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sony Playstation and DBrand 0:49, SpaceX, NASA and Space Science 9:10, The Doomsday clock 90 to Midnight 32:17. Sony Playstation and DBrand: DBrand manufactures decorative cases for gamers, and got their start with Sony Playstation. After a lawsuit, they moved onto other gaming consoles. Along the way, they made a mistake, and demonstrated exemplary accountability in the process. One happy customer tells his story. SpaceX, NASA and Space Science: Elon Musk will be launching his SpaceX Starship next month, the largest rocket ever built and twice the power of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). From there, SpaceX intends to colonize Mars and leave NASA behind, but why should this be the case? Today, NASA is dependent on companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to operate missions like Artemis 3 that will take humans back to the Moon after over 50 years. Image what we could do if we started funding NASA's budget. NASA spinoffs have given us so many things from Invisalign to LASIK eye surgery to wireless headphones and GPS. But, it does so much more: tracking asteroids, studying climate change, and various science experiments in physics, astronomy, and biology that encourage humans to dream big. And to that point, NASA inspires and is inspired, most notably demonstrated by its intertwined relationship with pop culture media like Star Trek. Star Trek has been cited by generations of astronauts, space engineers and scientists as the reason they got into space science. The Doomsday clock 90 to Midnight: The world is on the brink of nuclear war. Climate change is warming our planet causing ecosystems to collapse and forcing life to adapt or die. The world's experts on doom have decided to advance the Doomsday Clock further towards midnight, but what does that really mean? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Andrew Yang takes on backwards politics with the Forward Party in an attempt to steer the American political system away from democrats vs republicans vs independents. But, can Andrew Yang's third party candidates operate in today's local, state and federal government, or does the entire US political system need to change (05:08)? Does AI art follow a code of ethics? We revisit a previous story, because there's a big question around copyrights and source material. Should artificial intelligence be held to a different standard than humans, since the capacity of AI to mine and combine materials vastly outmatches human ability (39:01)? The evolution of life on Earth and the solar system are among the most profound areas of study humans engage in today. Many answers come from observing space, but when a meteorite hits Earth, it can carry amino acids (organic compounds) that planetary scientists use to further our understanding of how life and our solar system evolved. The latest news of meteorites falling on Earth comes out of the UK, and we can't believe they come from an asteroid containing water-bearing minerals (01:01:33). We get an update from a listener on New York's citizen bounty hunters and surprising clarity on the city's bounty law (01:08:16). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

California deployed new gun control measures based on a Texas abortion law that turns every citizen into a bounty hunter. This was Governor Newsom's reaction to the US Supreme Court refusing to take action. With so many bounty hunters springing up across the country it feels like our society will quickly spiral (02:26). A new wellness routine to achieve health and happiness might be surprising to you. BDSM has been proven to offer stress relief, so make an appointment with your local dominatrix (16:53). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Who is Elon Musk, what artificial intelligence capabilities has he assembled through companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, Starlink, Twitter, The Boring Company, OpenAI, Hyperloop, Musk Foundation and XPRIZE, and what's Elon's vision for life on Mars? To discover these answers, we explore the concept of an imperial monopoly to grasp the scope of AI power that Elon Musk is amassing. Join us to see if Optimus will make Musk immortal and what that means for democracy and humanity (1:56). Your veterinarian might soon be using artificial intelligence software to treat your animals. It will first be rolled out for dogs, which is great news for your puppy dog, but exotic pet owners sometimes have trouble finding an animal vet that's familiar with their exotic pets. Soon, your local animal doctor will be able to crunch big data to predict the health of your animal (49:01). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Happy New Year to all our listeners! Celebrate with the best podcasts to listen to on YouTube, Google, Apple, Amazon and Spotify by looking back at the 14 best podcast polls we ran on Twitter in 2022! Best Podcast Polls: How long should a podcast be? (5:02) How do you listen to podcasts? (6:47) End daylight savings time (9:08) Worst democrat scandal (11:56) Twitter alternative (16:30) Paying for social media (26:35) Cheaper to buy the Presidency or Twitter (30:37) Who wants to live forever (37:35) Gene editing (39:48) DOJ to prosecute Trump (43:32) Tapping into animal genome editing (46:18) Thru hiking across property (49:40) Elon Musk doxing himself (55:20) Will DOJ prosecute Trump (58:06) HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Welcome to Christmas in the Netherlands. If you're looking for things to do in Amsterdam, you might find your way to a Christmas market to witness the Zwarte Piet tradition. Like a German Krampus parade, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) has a servant named Black Pete that has a controversial blackface depiction. He's supposed to be a devil, but we'll let you be the judge (3:04). Meanwhile in Finland, the Finnish Prime Minister sets a standard for paternity leave that we hope becomes universal (44:25). Bringing it back to the states, it's Wisconsin vs Illinois to decide who has the most Christmas cheer (58:25). Merry Christmas you filthy animal! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She's traversed the Pacific Crest Trail thru hike, hiking the Appalachian Trail is checked off her list, and now hiking the Continental Divide Trail marks her latest accomplishment. Maxine Presto honors us with her third appearance on the podcast to discuss her completion of the Triple Crown of hiking. After mastering each AT, CDT and PCT thru hike, Maxine shares her experiences and has some hiking tips for beginners, so tune in if: - You want to hear stories from her CDT thru hike - You're considering a short hike - Have questions about day hike essentials - Are curious about hiking gear - And to learn a critical question to ask yourself before your first ever thru hike Let's celebrate Retraction Podcast's 100th episode with everyone's favorite thru hiker – Short Stix! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

France fights domestic violence by collecting heirloom guns and how that compares to gun violence in America (8:57); SFPD vote on use of killer robots and we discuss the expansion of police deadly force (19:02); yet another piece of dystopia being built near Neom, Saudi Arabia's Trojena (31:33); and after learning how zebra stripes repel flies – what animal trait would you adopt with gene editing (44:08)? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week, Jaime and Antoine discuss Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup amidst human rights violations (2:30); the World Congress Against the Death Penalty meets (32:30); and our human tree grows the list of primates – homo luzonensis, a newly unearthed extinct human species, makes us think how humans would treat other human species that exhibit human intelligence (42:21). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Happy Thanksgiving! This week we continue giving thanks to Native Americans and discuss Congress' consideration to honor our treaty with Cherokee Nation by seating Kim Teehee as the delegate (0:55), we give thanks to Onesimus for sharing African indigenous knowledge of inoculation to battle smallpox (26:02), and Jeff Bezos starts Altos Lab to give us immortality (39:43). Reversing Course Through Discourse on Retraction Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week we chat the Elon Musk Twitter debacle (3:39), an update on the NASA mission to stop an asteroid hitting Earth (24:45), some cool bits and bytes (26:01), someone greenlit the wolf slaughter (41:28), and Neil deGrasse Tyson psychoanalyzes we the people (47:35). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week on episode 95 we debate if a daylight savings time change is still needed, and who owns the genetic code for ocean life (18:27)? Reversing course through discourse, it's time for Retraction! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app