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Show 623: Skeptic, Bob Novella

Jessica Schab interviews skeptic podcaster, Bob Novella!

Bob Novella, is a co-founder and Vice-President of the New England Skeptical Society. He co-hosts along side his brothers Steven and Jay Novella the very popular Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast – the show is dedicated to promoting critical thinking and science literacy through insightful content and resources including an award-winning weekly podcast.

Bob is the writer of the blogs for SGU’s Rogues Gallery, a Youtube channel called Alpha Quadrant 6 and he is a speaker at NECSS -New York City’s Biggest Celebration of Science & Skepticism. He has also written numerous articles that are widely published in skeptical literature.

Bob’s scientific interests lie in the extremes, from the gargantuan to the infinitesimal: astronomy and cosmology to particle physics and quantum mechanics. He is especially fascinated by the human capacity for self-deception and anticipated future technologies such as nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and human augmentation.

Listen to the show here!

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Show 622: Physicist Sean Carroll

Could there be another “you” out there, living another life almost like yours? Could there, in short, be other universes? It sounds like science fiction, but this week’s guest argues it’s not only possible but likely, the most straightforward conclusion to draw from Quantum Mechanics. Join us as we speak to Caltech Theoretical Physicist Sean Carroll, author of the new book “Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime”

Audio can be found here!

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Show 620: Inventor of Ismell, Joel Bellenson

Jessica Schab interviews the inventor of ISmell – entrepreneur, Joel Bellenson. Bellenson has been at the frontier of technology innovations. Among his many pursuits, he has studied genetics, molecular biology and was the first to annotate the human genome and he designed software that helps discover new candidate drugs against sleeping sickness and malaria.

Audio can be found here!

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Show 619: Douglas Rushkoff on his new book, Team Human.

Team Human delivers a call to arms. If we are to resist and survive these destructive forces, we must recognize that being human is a team sport. In Rushkoff’s own words: “Being social may be the whole point.” Harnessing wide-ranging research on human evolution, biology, and psychology, Rushkoff shows that when we work together we realize greater happiness, productivity, and peace. If we can find the others who understand this fundamental truth and reassert our humanity―together―we can make the world a better place to be human.

Audio can be found here!

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Show 617: Film Producer and Podcast Creator/Host, Élisabeth Feytit

Jessica Schab interviews film producer and podcast creator/host, Élisabeth Feytit, on her work. Topics include Skepticism, New Age beliefs, Religion, and Meta-cognition.
Élisabeth Feytit, born in Paris, France, is a film Director, Author and Editor. She is the Executive Producer of l’Esprit & la Matière.

She now focuses on the production of documentary films that propose a rational and curious exploration of the way the mind works: conditioning, cognitive biases, illusions, self-manipulation, beliefs, free will, etc.

She’s also the creator of a podcast about metacognition (thinking about our thinking): Méta de Choc.

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Show 615: Bruce Levine and Michael Yates

What a tangled web we’ve weaved. We are in the times of neo-fascism and ramped neoliberal capitalism, and the violence, hate, anxiety and depression they induce. Some of us ‘left of center’ keep hoping that Sanders-esque progressives will move the Democratic Party leftward again – thus pulling the Republican Party out of neo-fascism – but some of us hold out no such hope. Those of us on what is often derogatorily referred to as the ‘far left’ still think things can be turned around, but there is much work ahead…IF it is not already too late.

In the traditions of anarchism and Marxism, two authors have been exploring how these philosophies can still be effective today. Dr. Bruce Levine and Michael Yates.

Listen to audio here!

Check out Monthly Review here!

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Show 614: Hector Garcia on PSTD, Religion, and Male Dominance

Jessica Schab talks with Hector Garcia on PSTD, Religion, and Male Dominance

Hector is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of combat-related post traumatic stress disorder. He has published extensively on the treatment of PTSD in combat veterans, masculine psychology in the aftermath of war, the evolutionary roots of political partisanship, and the interplay between religious practice and psychopathology.

Audio can be found here!