Science, Myth, and Madness: The 241st Evolutionary Lens with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
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Sep 4, 2024
Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying dive into the bizarre world of food recommendations, critiquing the Food Compass that ranks sugary cereals above eggs. The duo explores the blurred lines between history and myth, questioning how narratives shape our understanding. They tackle the controversies of seed oils and delve into the health implications of processed versus traditional foods. The episode features a mix of humor and serious insights, touching on censorship, myths, and the legacies of historical figures—all while maintaining an engaging dialogue.
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Food Compass Flawed
The Tufts Food Compass, a nutritional guide, rates processed foods like Froot Loops higher than whole foods like eggs and meat.
This contradicts common sense and promotes unhealthy eating habits.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Healthy Eating Advice
Be wary of nutritional guidelines promoted by institutions with financial interests in the food industry.
Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods over processed foods.
insights INSIGHT
Seed Oil Concerns
The promotion of seed oils as healthy despite their potential health risks reveals industry influence on dietary guidelines.
Question the motives behind nutritional advice, especially when it contradicts common sense and scientific evidence.
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This book, written by evolutionary biologists Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein, addresses the disconnect between human evolutionary history and the challenges of modern life. It explains how the rapid rate of change in the modern world has outpaced the ability of our brains and bodies to adapt, leading to issues such as widespread sleep deprivation, dangerous diets, damaging parenting styles, and backward education practices. The authors draw on decades of research and experiences from biodiverse ecosystems to provide a science-based perspective that aims to empower readers to live better, wiser lives.
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the journey of Harry Potter, an orphan boy who discovers he is a wizard. The series spans seven novels, each corresponding to one year of Harry's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, navigates the magical world, confronts various challenges, and ultimately faces off against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who murdered Harry's parents and seeks to dominate the wizarding world. The series explores themes of friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil.
In this 241st in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we talk about the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.
In this week’s episode, we discuss food, science, and myth. Research out of Tufts University three years ago created the Food Compass—a new guide to what is healthy that rivals the Food Pyramid for sheer lunacy. Advising us that Froot Loops and Pringles are healthier choices than meat and eggs, the authors of that research are now promoting ESG + Nutrition, in which their Food Compass informs governments and private enterprise on how to get the population of the world to follow along. Then: What is history, what is myth, and when is it appropriate to stop talking and be quiet already? Real figures from history—Jesus, King David, Churchill—are also mythic; to what degree do the myths verge from the reality, and what are the conditions under which we are obliged to care? Also mentioned: the Censorship Industrial Complex, Pathological Noble Liars, and Dumbledore’s Army. Finally: a few words on the death of Paul Harrell, who advocated for the responsible use of firearms.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Mozaffarian et al 2021. Food Compass is a nutrient profiling system using expanded characteristics for assessing healthfulness of foods. Nature Food. 2(10):809–818: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00381-y
It’s An Upside-Down World, and You’re Living In It: Big Food, Hollywood, and the Democrats:https://naturalselections.substack.com/p/its-an-upside-down-world-and-youre
O’Hearn et al 2022. The time is ripe for ESG+ nutrition: evidence-based nutrition metrics for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. European journal of clinical nutrition, 76(8):1047-1052: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-022-01075-9.pdf
Rescue the Republic – September 29 on the National Mall: https://jointheresistance.org
Paul Harrell’s final video: https://youtu.be/M-gZuFcEu0E
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