Today's episode starts off with a bit of monologuing. I heard what I think are some bad arguments around the recent election results, so I wanted to put some thoughts out there. After that, I have a brief interview with Steve Hill ! Steve will be the emcee of California Freethought Day this year. He is a comedian, atheist, satanist, activist, and more! We talk about his background, his run for the CA state senate, why he's boycotting the NFL, and about a tragedy that struck his family this year....
Aug 16, 2018•43 min
Dr. 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 the s...
Aug 09, 2018•50 min
I'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, remembe...
Aug 02, 2018•55 min
Last 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 it. ...
Aug 01, 2018•58 min
A 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 Spa...
Jul 26, 2018•54 min
On 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 reas...
Jul 19, 2018•54 min
I'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 misunde...
Jul 12, 2018•57 min
First 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 wan...
Jul 05, 2018•56 min
It'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 Co...
Jun 28, 2018•1 hr 5 min
My 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 at ...
Jun 21, 2018•52 min
By 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, emai...
Jun 14, 2018•50 min
It'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: ...
Jun 07, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Am 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! (916) ...
May 31, 2018•1 hr 6 min
Time 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 . Leav...
May 24, 2018•1 hr 1 min
The 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. Also...
May 17, 2018•1 hr
***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 miss! ...
May 10, 2018•1 hr 4 min
On 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, rem...
May 04, 2018•50 min
Mika 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 never g...
Apr 26, 2018•1 hr 6 min
Alright 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/supp...
Apr 19, 2018•55 min
***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 engine...
Apr 12, 2018•57 min
Recently 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 re...
Apr 05, 2018•52 min
Today'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. Klei...
Mar 29, 2018•50 min
Peter 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/support...
Mar 26, 2018•57 min
Recently 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 I al...
Mar 22, 2018•45 min
Today 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 report...
Mar 19, 2018•40 min
The 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 Facebook...
Mar 15, 2018•55 min
**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/suppor...
Mar 12, 2018•57 min
Well 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 point! S...
Mar 08, 2018•50 min
A 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: htt...
Mar 05, 2018•57 min
This 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" by ...
Mar 01, 2018•1 hr 19 min
