The DemystifySci Podcast

The future does not happen on it’s own - it is born of the narrative that humans create for themselves. Historically, this has been the domain of science fiction authors and filmmakers like Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Gene Rodenberry. However, in recent years, fantasies about potential human futures have become much more democratic. For this week’s episode we talk to Isaac Arthur, a futurist who has spent the last eight years thinking, studying, writing and making media about the future. On his YouTube channel, Science and Futurism with Isaac Arthur, he presentes detailed analyses of the past in order to get a better understanding of what the future holds. He brings a unique optimism to the discussion of what will come on Earth and beyond, what works and what doesn’t in democracy, and the best ways for humans to tinker with their institutions. Our conversation explores these ideas but also examines the effects of increased population density, heightened information connectivity, and interplanetary travel on human civilization. Subscribe & like so we can keep bringing the best conversations!!! Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science Isaac Arthur:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone/come-back-tomorrow-feat-kristian-hochreiter

Is blockchain going to be the technology that changes everything? Will it help us trust again? Will it revolutionize the relationship of people to their government? David Robison, cryptocurrency trader and blockchain enthusiast, suggests that it can be used to secure elections, supply chains, and the means of production. He believes in the potential of blockchain to such a degree that he recently renounced his US citizenship and moved to Fort Galt, a libertarian community in Southern Chile where crypto is king. We start our conversation with the basics - what is blockchain, bitcoin, and cryptocurrency? What can these technologies do for a society? We talk about the hurdles to blockchain implementation, and explore the persistent utility of fiat currency, the accelerating necessity for global stewardship, and the perception of democracy abroad. Pew Research on World perception of Democracy mentioned by Quinn: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank... Subscribe & like so we can bring you more conversations!!! Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list: http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL Let's talk! @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay: https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone

The hallmark of a strong stable civilization is the extirpation of extreme poverty. Many countries have realized this and implemented small-scale universal basic income (UBI) plans as a safety net for individuals or families suffering unexpected setbacks. Dr. Jim Pugh, a UBI activist and co-founder of the Universal Income Project, believes that supporting the most impoverished populations is how we can build a more humane, ethical society. Critics of UBI suggest that granting everyone - and we mean everyone - a guaranteed stipend would be harmful to the economy and for the 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mentality that is prevalent in individualistic societies. This hasn't been the case in UBI pilot programs. While there is some minor decrease in amount of time spent working a job, much of that time is spent on skill acquisition and education that provides for future economic advantages.  Our conversation also investigates the remodeling of political structures, the differences between the U.S. and parliamentary republics, and the role of unpaid work such as child-rearing.  Subscribe & like so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Universal Income Project: https://www.universalincome.org  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list: http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Shilo Delay: Heroism

From Dr. Jean Masterson's perspective, establishing humans as an off-world species makes a lot of sense. During these tumultuous times, it seems like a clear path toward international and interpersonal collaboration; it seems like it could serve the species on multiple social, physical and spiritual levels. But as someone who designs life support systems for interplanetary and extraterrestrial travel at Paragon Space Corporation, she's quick to point out that actually surviving in the inky expanse of outer space is an enormous challenge. We talk about long-term radiation exposure, closed-loop resource systems and the difficulty of sustaining ecosystems in isolation. In addition to the technical details of survival in space, we delve into the role of science-fiction as inspiration for engineering, biological adaptation of humans to alien lands, and the quick and dirty promise of using poop as a radiation shield.  Subscribe & like so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone

Dr. Kidd is a philosopher at the University of Nottingham, concerned with epistemological vices: fractures in the way that humans come to understand their world. One intriguing philosophical problem that Dr. Kidd has considered recently is the idea of misanthropy: the suspicion that humans have, on balance, done a lot of bad during their tenure on Earth. But misanthropy is not the same as selective hatreds of racism, sexism, or other supremacist ideologies. To the extent that a misanthropist harbors hatred, it is directed at humans as a whole.  However, hateful, enemy-of-humanity type misanthropists are actually by far in the minority. Most misanthropists have real hope for improving their species.  Our conversation investigates the applications and pitfalls of a misanthropic mindset, and also explores tangental ideas like animal morality, what separates humans as a species, and the evolutionary psychology of species-level suspicions.  Subscribe & like so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  Dr. Kidd:  https://ianjameskidd.weebly.com  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone

Self-proclaimed conspiratorial thinker Shamus Mac claims that the modern state is a direct descendent of rule by divine mandate. To that end, he argues that the modern nation-state is a form of compulsory religion, where inhabitants are controlled by the monopoly of force held by the state. For Shamus, the word "religion" means a set of binding beliefs and vows - which he sees as the foundation for human relationships with their governments the world over.   Our conversation strays from the idea of the state as a compulsory religion to cover the assessment of information, the meaning of science, and perhaps most importantly - the merits and dangers of statehood, regardless of its parallels with compulsory religion. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, humans!  SciAm article discussed in the episode:  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-drawn-to-conspiracy-theories-share-a-cluster-of-psychological-features/  Find Shamus' Rational School at https://rationalschool.com and his podcast, Church of State, at https://churchofstate.com/  Subscribe & like so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone

What does it look like if we reuse every atom of metal that we take out of the ground? Erika Ilves is a thinker and industrial strategist who believes that a one-time deep-sea mining effort coupled to a blockchain-based materials-rental paradigm are the key to a harmonious ecological future for humans on Earth. Our conversation details her current projects but also digs into diverse scientific and environmental ideas like problems with our contemporary cosmic narrative, optimism as a moral imperative, and alternatives rivalrous heroism in drama.  Subscribe so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the Demystifying Science mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone

Shyla Raghav is a conservationist and Vice President at Conservation International.  She is focused on restoring a balance between humans and their environment by seeking political and economic incentive structures that reinforce ecologically healthy decision-making. The conversation seeks solutions in this realm, including how to find common ground in rhetorical climate paradigms, the problems with environmental arguments singularly focusing on reductionist metrics, and the importance of reciprocity.   Please subscribe so we can bring you more conversations!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  Conservation International:  https://www.conservation.org  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the Demystifying Science Mailing List:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci Podcast: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ intro by Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone  Underdog by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6538-underdog License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Micky & Quinn meet up with Dr. Leif Kennair, an evolutionary psychologist at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology. In his teaching and clinical duties, Dr. Kennair is interested in understanding how the biological past affects society, sex, and politics in the present. The conversation ranges from consequences of empathy, the ways that sex informs decision-making, to what an egalitarian society looks like in practice.   Please subscribe to our channel so we can bring you more like this!!!  Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog  Join the Demystifying Science Mailing List:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci Podcast: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone  Soundbed#5 by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6360-soundbed-5 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today, our alien scientists meet up with Dr. Quassim Cassam, a philosopher at the University of Warwick who specializes in perception and acquisition of knowledge. He is particularly interested in the ways in which we come to doubt what we know and has recently written a book on the subject of mistrust called "Conspiracy Theories." The conversation investigates new ways to assess the validity of information and how to navigate the border between skepticism and outright distrust.   Please subscribe & review our channel so we can bring you more like this!!!   Support Dr. Cassam & DS when you buy his books: Conspiracy Theories:  https://amzn.to/34C0JAD Vices of the Mind:  https://amzn.to/3l3skQK  More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com  Our Free Weekly Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL  Let's talk!  @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci Podcast: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay:  https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone  Mermaids by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6403-mermaids License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/