#64: The Data Are Going to be Phenomenal! (Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying DarkHorse Livestream)
Jan 24, 2021
01:29:45
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Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying discuss Biden administration's policies, survival strategies for small businesses, tech censorship, and the importance of data analysis. They also explore the definition of equity, Rolling Stone's questionable practices, and the need for creating something new. The podcast ends with a preview of upcoming Q&A sessions.
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Quick takeaways
The importance of adaptability and creativity in weathering difficult times, as demonstrated by contrasting outcomes for two women's clothing stores in Portland amid the pandemic.
The challenges faced by traditional publications like Rolling Stone as they try to emulate the success of independent platforms like Substack, which raises questions about integrity and objectivity.
The need to defend free speech and the potential collapse of civil society, highlighted by the incident of a book about Antifa being banned from Powell's Books in Portland.
Deep dives
Entrepreneurial Creativity and Adaptability
Two women's clothing stores in Portland provide contrasting outcomes amid the pandemic. One business owner, who designs and makes her own clothing, has adapted by creating high-quality masks and employing her own creativity. This has allowed her to stay afloat and retain employees. In contrast, another store, which primarily catered to dressy events, is closing due to a lack of sales. The story highlights the importance of finding unique skills and abilities to offer in a changing world and being adaptable in the face of challenges.
Rolling Stone's Shift in Business Model
Rolling Stone magazine recently introduced a pay-for-play model, where thought leaders in the fields of music, entertainment, food, beverage, and cannabis are asked to pay $2,000 to write for the publication. This move, which undermines the traditional separation between content and advertisers, is seen as an attempt to emulate the success of independent platforms like Substack, where prominent journalists have found greater freedom and control in their work. However, Rolling Stone's approach has drawn criticism, as it challenges the integrity and objectivity of the publication.
The Resilience and Challenges of Independent Bookstores
Powell's, a renowned independent bookstore in Portland, faced riots and protests recently due to its ties to conservative journalist Andy Ngo. These events exemplify the challenges independent bookstores face in a changing landscape. On a broader scale, two women's clothing stores in Portland highlight the importance of adaptability and creativity in weathering difficult times. One store, which utilized its creativity to produce high-quality masks, continued to thrive. Another store, which primarily catered to dressy events, had to close its doors due to the lack of sales amid the pandemic.
Attack on Free Speech and Civil Society
The podcast discusses a recent incident where a book about Antifa was not allowed to be sold at Powell's Books in Portland. The podcast highlights the importance of defending free speech and how this incident indicates a collapse of civil society.
Tech Censorship and Vaccine Discourse
The podcast addresses the issue of tech censorship and how it is not limited to conservatives but also targets individuals and groups challenging the ruling elite. It also discusses the need for cautiousness in vaccine discourse, emphasizing the lack of long-term safety data and highlighting the importance of objective analysis and cleaning up the capture of the data generation mechanism.
In this 64th in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we discuss the state of the world through an evolutionary lens. In this episode, we begin by discussing some of the Biden administration’s early policy decisions: shutting down DAPL, rejoining the Paris Agreement on Climate, and affirming the rights of trans people (and in so doing putting the rights of women at risk). Rolling Stone (the magazine) jumps the shark (but is it a literal or a metaphorical shark?). We discuss how to survive a year of lockdowns if you’re a small business, calling on two anecdotes from Portland. We discuss what is happening at Powell’s, Portland’s massive, independent bookstore, and ask what it says about “mostly peaceful” protests. Tech censorship is continuing apace, with the removal of Game-B architects from Facebook. And a doctor advises us to “trust the science,” saying that “the data is phenomenal!”
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Theme Music: Thank you to Martin Molin of Wintergatan for providing us the rights to use their excellent music.
Q&A Link: https://youtu.be/YTNEcQHIHV4
Mentioned in this episode:
Executive Order from January 20, 2021, on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-preventing-and-combating-discrimination-on-basis-of-gender-identity-or-sexual-orientation/
Washington Post article from January 19, 2021, “Biden selects transgender doctor Rachel Levine as assistant health secretary”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/19/rachel-levine-transgender-biden-hhs-pick/
Washington Post article from June 1, 2016, “Meet Rachel Levine, one of the very few transgender public officials in America”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/meet-rachel-levine-one-of-the-very-few-transgender-public-officials-in-america/2016/06/01/cf6e2332-2415-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_10
Rolling Stone jumps the shark (“Rolling Stone seeks 'thought leaders' willing to pay $2,000 to write for them”) https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/23/rolling-stone-magazine-culture-council-publication
“Vaccine Voices” from the January 21, 2021 newsletter from the Oregon Health Authority’s Coronavirus Update: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/bulletins/2baa334