In this episode I am returning to a topic that has become a favourite for pundits and trolls, and that is carbon dioxide. The near doubling of the atmospheric concentration of this colourless odourless gas has been identified by scientists as contributing to an accelerating heating of the biosphere that has significantly affected the climate. As a by-product of one of our most lucrative industries, the burning of fossil fuels, CO2 has gained a lot of friends. And because of that it is the subjec...
Dec 23, 2023•45 min•Ep. 180
In this episode I am starting on a new interest—I want to talk about the emerging field of human enhancement. Technology is allowing us to modify our bodies in ways that people only dreamed of in the past. We’ve discussed genetic enhancements in previous episodes, but in this thread I want to dig into the state of the art of and ethics of alterations, additions, and modifications. Giulia Dominijanni is a Ph.D. student at the Neuro-X-Institute and School of Engineering of the École Polytechnique ...
Dec 17, 2023•43 min•Ep. 179
This episode is a re-release of a much earlier episode (#11). While I'm busy moving houses I wanted to follow on the theme of my last episode on preserving an inspiring and beautiful natural resource for future generations: the vista of the universe. Please enjoy my discussion with friend, amateur astronomer and dark sky enthusiast Rob Dick. Amateur astronomer and long-time RASC member Rob Dick is CEO of the Canadian Scotobiology Group, and CTO of EcoLights and a lecturer at the University of Ot...
Dec 09, 2023•42 min•Ep. 178
In this episode I’m returning to the insidious advance of light pollution and what we can all do to bring back the night sky. I’m now in Guelph Ontario and the municipality is considering introducing a light pollution by-law. If you also would like to see the stars at night from a population centre, this episode will help you to understand the issues and the best approaches to combatting the tragedy of the commons that is unabated artificial light at night. My guest today is Mr. Jim Goetz, a ret...
Nov 22, 2023•38 min•Ep. 177
On this episode I chat with a long time friend and host of the Run Your Life podcast, Mr. Andy Vasily. Andy has been exploring learning methods and works professionally on coaching athletes to achieve peak performance. I have been exploring the science of consciousness and the technology of Artificial Intelligence. In this episode we explore the nexus where these interests all meet. What does artificial intelligence teach us about how human brains learn? What lessons can we take from sports psyc...
Nov 11, 2023•52 min•Ep. 176
In this episode I’m going to go on a bit of a Rational Rant. It’s a pet peeve of mine, and probably of yours too, but today I’m jousting at the windmill of excessive banking fees and lack of customer service. So be prepared to let off some steam for a cathartic ride through the wonderful world of our banking system as I get back a little of what they take from us all. #TheRationalView #podcast #banking #gouging #justice #customerservice #service
Nov 04, 2023•20 min•Ep. 175
In this episode I have a returning guest to discuss the fall. No not the weather. The fall of civilization. Our previous interview released September 12, 2020, was titled ‘This is how liberty dies’, where we discussed the frightening parallels between the evolving political situation in the US and events in multiple failed democracies. Despite these fears, my guest was quite upbeat about the prognosis for US to avoid an authoritarian uprising, noting that Trump was not as smart nor as popular as...
Oct 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 174
In this episode I will be taking a look at the ugly side of unrestricted capitalism, and how lobbying has skewed the public debate and shifted the Overton window to the right. Some would argue that unrestricted capitalism has been a great boon lifting society into an age of plenty. Others would argue that it has done this by maintaining an economic class hierarchy that enables the rich to enslave the poor. Are workers entering into employment agreements between equals for a mutually beneficial e...
Oct 21, 2023•47 min•Ep. 173
In this episode I'm revisiting the topic of being an effective advocate of evidence-based and Rational Policy. To do this properly one must understand the science of how to influence people. I've found in the past that countering anti-science opinion with ridicule, although very cathartic, is not helpful. I've learned that just spouting reams of evidence is not helpful for those who have already made up their minds. Although this might be sufficient for neutral parties it's not going to change m...
Oct 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 172
In this episode I’m revisiting the topic of cold fusion with an MIT-affiliated researcher who is looking into the case for cold fusion. As you may recall, my review found that there are many anomalous results in the field that point to the potential for new physical phenomena. Pons and Fleischman’s premature announcement of cold fusion led to a fury of failed replication attempts and a lot of damaged egos. The way it was handled in the news and in scientific circles left a lingering stigma preve...
Oct 07, 2023•51 min•Ep. 171
This episode is a re-release of episode 18 where I interviewed Professor Steven Levitsky, co-author with Daniel Ziblatt of 2018 best-seller "How Democracies Die". He has recently released a new book called "Saving Democracy, Tyranny of the Minority" so I thought it would be a good idea to see how his predictions from 2018 have held up based on more recent events. I've been quite busy over the past few months moving and getting set up in a new city, so I appreciate your patience with my recycled ...
Sep 30, 2023•49 min•Ep. 170
In this episode I’m digging into a recent announcement from the astronomy community. The Gaia satellite has been making high precision measurements of the position and velocity of billions of nearby stars. Researchers have used this data to test the theory of gravity, and more specifically Modified Newtonian Dynamics or MOND. This theory was developed to explain away the need for dark matter. Dark matter was originally postulated to account for the anomalous rotation curves of all galaxies. Basi...
Sep 23, 2023•34 min•Ep. 169
Thank you for inviting me into your head. In this episode I want to go deep and share some thoughts on brains and machines and free will. My thoughts on determinism and free resonate with the words of famous philosopher Bertrand Russell. My thinking on these topics is influenced by the evidence of physics, neuroscience, and AI. I hope you enjoy this exploration of some mind bending ideas. Support the podcast at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Join me on Facebook @TheRationalView TwiX @AlScott...
Sep 16, 2023•22 min•Ep. 168
Have you heard the news? The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is dumping radioactive waste into the Pacific ocean! Is this a travesty or is it a manufactured controversy? The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan is planning to dump over 1 million tonnes of radioactive wastewater in the ocean. Environmental groups around the world are outraged. Protesters line the streets in Korea. Chinese governments are boycotting Japanese products. Headlines scream about radioactive fi...
Sep 09, 2023•25 min•Ep. 167
In this episode I want to investigate claims in the news of an insect Armageddon. Specifically it has been reported that insect populations around the globe have plummeted by up to 75% in recent years. As anecdotal evidence of this old timers like myself use the car windshield as a gauge. Back in the day, any summer drive would end up with your windshield plastered with insect carcasses. These days they are often pristine. Are we witnessing the ecological collapse prophesied by climate scientist...
Sep 02, 2023•30 min•Ep. 166
In this episode I answer the question, 'Who is misinforming the public about nuclear energy and why?'. I touch on the influence of the oil industry on anti-nuclear disinformation, and I explore the origins of the anti-nuclear protest movement. Support the podcast at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Give me your opinion on Facebook @TheRationalView Twitter 'X' @AlScottRational Instagram @The_Rational_View #TheRationalView #podcast #nuclearenergy #disinformation #antinuclear #bigoil #greenpeace ...
Aug 26, 2023•41 min•Ep. 165
This episode is a re-release of my amazing interview with the definitive skeptic, Dr. Michael Shermer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I should be back in the studio for next week's episode. Dr. Michael Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. He has been a college professor since 1979. Dr. Shermer is the Foundin...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 164
In this episode I want to follow up on last week’s podcast regarding the announcement of the discovery of a room temperature ambient pressure superconductor, how scientists addressed the claim, and compare it with the cold fusion announcement and ongoing scientific controversy from the 1980’s. Help me spread The Rational View at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Join the Facebook discussion @TheRationalView 'X' @AlScottRational Instagram @The_Rational_View #TheRationalView #podcast #superconduc...
Aug 12, 2023•18 min•Ep. 163
In this episode I provide a round-up review of current events in science, and the popular controversies surrounding these issues. The recent announcement of room temperature superconductivity promises to be the biggest scientific breakthrough of the century if verified. We should know in days if it is true. The US congress heard testimony that UFOs are actually aliens visiting us from other worlds. There has been a recent surge of interest in the possibility that COVID-19 was caused by a lab lea...
Aug 05, 2023•34 min•Ep. 162
This episode is a special treat and a bit of a throwback to when I achieved one of my podcast goals. In honour of The Rational View blowing past 100,000 downloads this month, this is a re-release of my interview from almost two years ago with the famous Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium. I hope you can sit back and relax and enjoy it with me. Thank you for supporting the podcast! Famed astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was named the Sexiest Astrophysicist alive in ...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 161
In this episode I have an interview with a leading scientist specializing in gut microbiota. These are the microbes that live in your intestine and help you digest your food. Our DNA does not have all the enzymes we need to break down food into the vitamins and minerals we need. We live in a symbiotic relationship with this microbial ecosystem. We provide the microbes a home and they provide us with nutrients. When the ecosystem gets out of whack we can get sick. Sometimes we take anti-biotics t...
Jul 22, 2023•53 min•Ep. 160
In this episode I am digging into the topic of ‘fake news’ and the risk of weaponized disinformation campaigns on social media. To enlighten us on this topic I have a returning guest who provided us with a great perspective last year on how he reached out across the aisle by going to a pseudo-science conference and talking directly with science deniers. Returning guest Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University. Formerly Executive D...
Jul 15, 2023•40 min•Ep. 159
In this episode I have an interview with a doctor who advocates nutritional treatments for autoimmune diseases. On her website she claims to have become Lupus-free by avoiding foods that cause inflammation. She provides testimonials of full recoveries from Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and many more. This is particularly interesting for me as I have family members with autoimmune diseases. This give me hope, but the biggest question on my mind is that if this works why isn’t this main...
Jul 08, 2023•38 min•Ep. 158
This episode is a special treat, not only for listeners, but also for me. I will be talking to a popular Canadian media icon and long time host of CBC’s Quirk’s & Quarks show, science journalist Bob McDonald. We will be talking about his new book The Future is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis with Today’s Technologies. In the book, Bob brings an upbeat we can do it message to a world in need of hope. BOB McDONALD has been the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks for over 30 years. He is a ...
Jul 01, 2023•59 min•Ep. 157
On this episode I have a returning guest, Dr. Andy Norman, who’s group CIRCE is taking on a new challenge to fight the world’s disinformation problem. As an ally of The Rational View, Andy’s group of dedicated experts is looking for ways to boost society’s mental immunity against parasitic memes and the ever growing threat of misinformation. Returning guest Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His ...
Jun 24, 2023•46 min•Ep. 156
This episode summarizes my investigations to date on nutrition and health. I will share what I have learned and what I remain skeptical about. In other podcast news I just had a major milestone for The Rational View! We broke 100,000 downloads! Thank you for continuing to listen and download, and helping us to get exposure. To support the podcast go to patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Join the Facebook discussion @TheRationalView Twitter @AlScottRational
Jun 17, 2023•20 min•Ep. 155
In this episode I am interviewing an entrepreneur who is trying to play a big part in slowing the acceleration of climate change. She is co-founder of an Xprize team trying to capture CO2 from the air. Long story short their technology claims to be able to remove massive amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into hydrogen, biochar, and other environmentally friendly solutions. Beth McDaniel, JD is co-founder and President of the award-winning paint and coatings company, Reactive S...
Jun 10, 2023•39 min•Ep. 154
In this episode I am continuing my investigations into the evidence linking nutrition and health. What does the science say? My previous guest, Dr. Valter Longo discussed the data on intermittent fasting and cellular regeneration. I’ve also spoken with Dr. Traci Mann regarding the observation that fad diets don’t work. Today I’m going to be interviewing another dietary guru who believes that his diet can extend lifespan and reverse the course of diseases. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified ...
Jun 03, 2023•55 min•Ep. 153
In this episode I’m continuing my investigations into the science of nutrition and health. Today I’m looking at the effect that diet has on longevity. We know that eating poorly can kill you in any number of ways, but is there a fountain of youth out there? Can we extend lifespan merely by choosing the right foods? My guest today will have something to say on this topic. Dr. Valter Longo has thirty years of experience in the field of longevity and healthy eating. He is the Director of the Longev...
May 27, 2023•46 min•Ep. 152
In this episode I am returning to a core topic to The Rational View, the communication of science. My guest has experience communicating science to the public during environmental crises, and has shared his experience and advice for other scientists in a newly published book. What are the mistakes that scientists make in outreach, and how can we do a better job without endangering our careers? Christopher Reddy is a leader in the study of marine pollution and the development of environmentally f...
May 20, 2023•49 min•Ep. 151
