Wet Blanket Skeptics Podcast

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Can two skeptics solve the world’s issues? Scientific skepticism is the practice of seeking whether extraordinary claims are supported by extraordinary evidence. It may be helpful not to think of skepticism as the opposite of optimism, but as the opposite of unquestioning certainty. In this weekly p…

Harrison & Jake


    • Aug 27, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 6m AVG DURATION
    • 34 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Wet Blanket Skeptics Podcast

    2018-08-27: The Illusion of Explanatory Depth, Optimism Bias, and Futurism

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2018 58:02


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about the illusion of explanatory depth, optimism bias, Alex Jones, Tinder, bitcoin, socialism, capitalism, economics, the war against the media, futurism, and teleportation.   References: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~rlawson/PDF_Files/L-M&C-2006.pdf https://twistedsifter.com/2016/04/artist-asks-people-to-draw-bicycle-from-memory-and-renders-results/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-infowars/apple-youtube-and-others-drop-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-idUSKBN1KR0MZ https://gizmodo.com/woman-tricks-dozens-of-men-on-tinder-into-showing-up-fo-1828467914 https://www.npr.org/2017/03/02/517915510/americas-complacent-class-how-self-segregation-is-leading-to-stagnation

    2016-12-04: The Sunk Cost Fallacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2016 87:06


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about recording in-person, the sunk cost fallacy, Richard Spencer, the election results, the Pope, zipper merging, sacred cows, and lessons learned. References: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/251836-we-re-so-self-important-everybody-s-going-to-save-something-now-save http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/07/the-beauty-of-zipper-merging-or-why-you-should-drive-ruder/ Harrison’s recommended podcasts: http://pennsundayschool.com/ Skepticism: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/ and http://ohnopodcast.com/ Rationality: http://rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/ Economics: http://www.econtalk.org/ Politics: http://the-e-r-podcast.foreignpolicy.com/

    2016-11-20: Ramble On

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2016 49:11


    In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake and Joe talk about the election results, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, diabetes, the Bermuda Triangle, space travel, and audio issues. References: http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/11/07/tuesday-shouldnt-change-the-narrative/ http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccdfzq2M1Ec https://www.facebook.com/officialdanagould/posts/947789788661093 http://skepdic.com/bermuda.html http://reason.com/blog/2016/11/12/trans-teen-suicide-spike-post-election https://www.washingtonpost.com/2016-election-results/us-presidential-race/

    2016-11-13: Sugar

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2016 68:34


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about voting, TCM, meteorology, sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, addiction, food documentaries, DNA, and the Bermuda triangle. References: http://phys.org/news/2016-10-scientists-great-barrier-reef.html#nRlv https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/14/great-barrier-reef-severe-stress-not-dead-yet http://www.yalescientific.org/2010/09/mythbusters-does-sugar-really-make-children-hyper/ https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/high-fructose-corn-syrup/ https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-sweetener-wars-hfcs-strikes-back/ http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/high-fructose-corn-syrup-addictive-myth/ https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/ https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4088 http://azdailysun.com/news/national/human-dna-tied-mostly-to-single-exodus-from-africa-long/article_4dd9c676-bf0c-52c0-8a79-8249722ef66d.htm

    2016-11-06: Skepticism 201

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2016 79:12


    In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake, and Joe talk about the show’s final episodes, Katie May, chiropractic, unfriending on social media, scientism, Skepchick, Rebecca Watson, elevatorgate, rape accusations, Exxon, the Great Barrier Reef, and devil’s milk. References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9TpRfDdyU0 http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/10/20/mystery-solved-chiropractic-manipulation-of-the-neck-did-cause-katie-mays-death-from-stroke/ https://gimletmedia.com/episode/9-forensic-science http://www.innocenceproject.org/ http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/le-a.asp http://www.theskepticsguide.org/ http://skepchick.org/ http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1004-tavris-what-is-rape-20151004-story.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGMi0UtvTIc http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-18/exxon-decides-to-fight-new-york-s-climate-change-probe http://www.outsideonline.com/2112086/obituary-great-barrier-reef-25-million-bc-2016 http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/devils-milk-could-be-the-killer-ingredient-in-war-on-superbugs-20161014-gs29l5.html

    2016-10-09: Scientism

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2016 71:51


    In this week's podcast, Harrison, Jake, and Joe talk about racism, heroin, vaccine-preventable diseases, chiropractic, scientism, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Kurt Vonnegut, climate change, and time crystals. References: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-heroin-use http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/heroin/organs.html http://time.com/27308/4-diseases-making-a-comeback-thanks-to-anti-vaxxers/ http://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu/586 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0393082067 http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2013/08/steven-pinker-embraces-scientism-bad.html https://gradycarter.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120831-115749.jpg http://www.popsci.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-just-proposed-government-that-doesnt-work http://s3.amazonaws.com/libapps/accounts/9119/images/notripevpyr.jpg http://www.openculture.com/2016/07/in-1988-kurt-vonnegut-gives-seven-pieces-advice-to-people-living-in-2088.html http://www.climatecentral.org/news/400-ppm-carbon-dioxide-spiral-20748 http://azdailysun.com/news/national/greenland-ice-loss-trillion-pounds-bigger-than-thought/article_325429f7-fc69-589f-a7ab-f28c6aca2e56.html http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/impossible-time-crystals-may-actually-be-real-say-physicists http://nypost.com/2016/08/27/its-digital-heroin-how-screens-turn-kids-into-psychotic-junkies/

    2016-10-02: Joe and the Litmus Test

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2016 61:50


    In this week's podcast, Jake is absent, so Harrison performs a skeptical litmus test on Joe, where they talk about vaccines, psychics, ghosts, conspiracy theories, and more. *Spoiler alert for Zoolander 2* References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfdZTZQvuCo http://www.skepticink.com/tombc/

    2016-09-25: Placebo

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2016 80:30


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about the illusion of explanatory depth, randomized controlled trials, placebos, placebo effects, alternative medicine, marijuana, and a Chinese satellite. References: http://herewearepodcast.com//episode/64/philip-fernbach http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/09/02/492394717/fda-bans-19-chemicals-used-in-antibacterial-soaps https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_in_the_Land_of_Chalk_Drawings https://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/08/21/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0A_7JVce2g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-hYHqnyhvI http://huffpost.com/us/entry/203990 https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-it-worked-for-me-gambit/ http://bestbuds.com/fbi-hackers-smoke-weed/ http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/chinas-tiangong-1-space-station-will-fall-to-earth--somewhere--in-2017-20160921-grlodq.html

    2016-09-18: #election2016 Again

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2016 86:14


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about bidets, Rob Zombie, third-party candidates, Clinton cash, the Trump Foundation, Gary Johnson, Aleppo, Jill Stein, Ajamu Baraka, voting strategies, truth, and conspiracy theorists. References: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bidet-toilet-seat-washlet/ http://chemistry.about.com/od/waterchemistry/f/Can-You-Drink-Distilled-Water.htm http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/gold.html http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/07/fact-checking-donations-clinton-foundation/ http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/12/1569223/-The-Trump-Foundation-is-a-real-scandal-and-it-should-be-a-campaign-ending-scandal http://www.politifact.com/personalities/gary-johnson/ https://www.reddit.com/r/skeptic/comments/4yf1kk/cnn_recently_hosted_a_green_party_town_hall_i/ http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist/2016/09/former_bush_adviser_kori_schake_explains_her_pledge_to_vote_for_hillary.html http://thehill.com/policy/defense/295409-johnson-tops-among-veterans http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/09/the-sandy-hook-hoax.html

    2016-09-11: Mental Illness

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2016 71:40


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about jet fuel, steel beams, lifestraws, pulchronomics, the autism spectrum, methane clathrate, the difference model, denial of mental illness, depression, Politifact, and protesting oil pipelines. References: http://www.givewell.org/international/health/water/process http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-ts-laham-/sitting-pretty-good-looking-people-make-more-money-but-its-not-all-roses_b_8203894.html http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/08/how-much-methane-came-out-of-that-hole-in-siberia/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/health/flossing-teeth-cavities.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-depressed-adults-in-the-u-s-remain-untreated/# http://mentalpod.com/ https://www.netflix.com/title/80046193 http://www.heraldnet.com/news/state-to-receive-14-million-for-mental-health-facilities/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/6/the-latest-mental-health-treatment-instead-of-jail/ http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ http://www.politifact.com/personalities/hillary-clinton/ http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-pipeline-fight-and-americas-dark-past

    2016-09-04: The Flu Vaccine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2016 64:18


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about Women’s Equality Day, flu shots, mountain dew, gas bubbles, interstellar probes, and Joe Mercola. References: Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty http://sciencenewsjournal.com/flu-vaccinated-mothers-protect-newborn-children-according-new-study/ http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/misconceptions.htm http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/10-flu-myths http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/do-flu-shots-cause-the-flu-12-influenza-vaccine-myths-busted/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3699516/Watch-shocking-moment-Earth-WOBBLES-Remarkable-footage-shows-weird-phenomenon-caused-leaking-methane.html http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/news/10.1063/PT.5.2035 http://acsh.org/news/2016/08/17/joe-mercola-hits-a-new-low-saying-zika-is-caused-by-vitamin-a-deficiency/ http://www.givewell.org/

    2016-08-28: Feminism

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2016 89:08


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about karma, feminism, the patriarchy, rape culture, men’s rights, and abortions.

    2016-08-14: Takin’ It Easy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2016 3:20


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake are takin’ it easy.

    2016-08-07: Local Food

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2016 64:32


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about rainforests, the squatty potty, bidets, local food, rising sea levels, and guns on campus.

    2016-07-31: Episode 20: Special Rambling Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2016 70:51


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about rambling, Mark Fuhrman, conspiracy cascades, stuff we hate, toilets, hippies, karma, the pledge of allegiance, freeganism, hate speech, GMO labeling, and Jill Stein.

    2016-07-24: Politics and Islamophobia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2016 73:45


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about iTunes ratings, rambling, skepticism, Politics, Islamophobia, CSIcon, and violence.

    2016-07-17: Polyamory

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2016 72:20


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about skepticism, rationalism, vegetarianism, polyamory, monogamy, Pokémon Go, Black Lives Matter, and All Lives Matter.

    2016-07-10: Libertarianism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2016 74:50


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about libertarianism, classic liberalism, anarcho-capitalism, taxation, theft, and Gary Johnson.

    2016-07-03: Police Brutality and Vegetarianism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2016 65:33


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about terrorism, police brutality, vegetarianism, veganism, hate speech, and emotional violence.

    2016-06-26: Appeal to Nature Fallacy and Social Conservatism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2016 68:05


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about the appeal to nature fallacy, social conservatism, profiling, and the recent Arizona meteor sighting.

    2016-06-19: Game Theory 101

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2016 73:56


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about sexuality, game theory, the prisoner’s dilemma, Orlando, tragedies, Brock Turner, rape, and xHamster.

    2016-06-12: Déjà Vu and Science Deniers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2016 69:40


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about planned obsolescence, self-driving cars, déjà vu, dreams, science deniers, global warming, Facebook, and Glenn Beck.

    2016-06-05: Moral Purity and Planned Obsolescence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2016 64:55


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about gender roles, moral purity, Hamilton, and planned obsolescence.

    2016-05-29: Cryonics and Self-Driving Cars

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2016 64:52


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about cryonics, self-driving cars, utilitarianism, and John Horgan’s critique of skepticism.

    2016-05-22: 10th Episode Spectacular-stravaganza: A Rational Review

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2016 70:39


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake review the topics from our first nine episodes, looking for sacred cows by asking each other about beliefs, evidence, and what it would take to change our minds on each topic.

    2016-05-15: Water Rights and Social Signaling

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2016 66:22


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about being back at it again, effective altruism, Watchmen spoilers, utilitarianism, water rights, and social signaling.

    2016-05-08: Atheism vs. Agnosticism and Ghosts

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2016 63:27


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about gender roles, atheism, agnosticism, theism, knowledge vs. belief, and ghosts.

    2016-05-01: Effective Altruism and Prostitution

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2016 64:18


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about effective altruism, charity, prostitution, and pornography.

    2016-04-24: Identity Politics and Marijuana Legalization

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2016 62:55


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about identity politics, QUILTBAG, essentialism, marijuana legalization, regulation, drugs, and astrology.

    2016-04-17: Evolution, Top-Down Systems and Labeling GMOs

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2016 53:38


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about evolution, top-down systems, Matt Ridley, libertarianism, conspiracy theories, boobs, society, politicians, the patriarchy, GMOs, organic food, mandatory labeling, the Food Babe, censorship, and the right to know.

    2016-04-10: #election2016: Hillary Clinton and the Afterlife

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2016 65:38


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about Hillary Clinton, lying, Machiavellian beliefs, monetary influence in politics, rape fantasy porn, lobbying groups, Bernie Sanders, the Iraq war, the afterlife, spirituality, drugs, God of the gaps, skepticism, rationalism, swirlies, Donald Trump, and racism.

    2016-04-03: Skepticism 102 and #election2016: Bernie Sanders Supporters

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2016 62:54


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about confirmation bias, the typical skeptical stances on a variety of topics, Bernie Sanders, #fieldofbernies, groupthink, cognitive dissonance, free speech, and the Fountain Hills, Arizona protest.

    2016-03-27: #election2016: Donald Trump and Protesters

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2016 48:45


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about Donald Trump, con men, immigrants, Mexicans, racism, Donald Trump protesters, Bernie Sanders, hate, love, free speech, and the regressive left.

    2016-03-20: Skepticism 101 and Nuclear Power

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2016 66:35


    In this week's podcast, Harrison and Jake talk about skepticism, rationalists, science, freethought, atheism, magicians, Penn & Teller, nuclear power, conspiracy theorists, ghosts, Splenda, sucralose, and leukemia.

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