The Joe Rogan Experience #961 - Graham Hancock, Randall Carlson & Michael Shermer
May 16, 2017
Three experts discuss the theory of a comet causing the extinction of North American land animals, analyze stone carvings at Gobekli Tepe, and debate anomalies in geological contexts. They explore ancient civilizations, lost knowledge transfer, Sphinx erosion, and the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis, challenging mainstream archaeology paradigms.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Skill Exists But Logistics Explain Construction Puzzle
- Shermer and Hancock agree on human cognitive capability: Upper Paleolithic cave art shows abstract reasoning, so intelligence isn't the barrier to megalith construction.
- The real questions are logistics, motive, population and subsistence supporting large projects in glacial climates.
Sphinx Erosion And Astronomy Suggest Earlier Giza Origins
- Robert Schoch's geological analysis argues Sphinx weathering shows precipitation-induced erosion consistent with much older dates (~12,500 years), challenging conventional New Kingdom dating.
- Hancock links Schoch's erosion model with astronomical alignments (Sphinx-Leo) to suggest earlier origins of Giza layout.
Bayesian Chronology Supports Synchronous Younger Dryas Boundary
- Kennett et al.'s Bayesian analysis of 354 dates across 23 sequences produced a synchronous Younger Dryas Boundary age ~12,835–12,735 cal BP, supporting a near‑global synchronous event.
- Carlson cites this as evidence tying impact proxies and Greenland platinum peaks to a causal event.