Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG with Stephen Asma

Join Jim Gavin, the creative mind behind Lodge 49, as he uncovers the fascinating realms of alchemy and black magic. Discover the enigmatic figure Comenius and the secrets of the Voynich Manuscript. Delve into the allure of figures like Gilles de Rais and Aleister Crowley, exploring how magic dances with societal change. Gavin reveals the rising interest of Wiccan Paganism among youth and ponders the identity of the mysterious Fulcanelli. History, mystery, and a tantalizing touch of magic await!

Jim Gavin, creator of 'Lodge 49' and an accomplished novelist, joins Paul and Stephen in a captivating journey through secret societies and alchemy. They dissect the connections between the Masons and the Templars, revealing dark whispers of witchcraft. Jim dives into alchemy’s dual nature—philosophical and chemical—with tales of the elusive Philosopher’s Stone. The eccentric Paracelsus steals the spotlight with his bizarre medical practices. Plus, you won't believe the strange recipe for creating life—a homunculus from petrified sperm and a horse’s womb!

Join a riveting live Q&A as they dive into fascinating topics like the evolution of future myths and the mysteries of cave creatures. Get ready for a wild ride as they tackle the complexities of the Minotaur and its misinterpretations. Laughter ensues while discussing UFOs, dragons, and the psychological impacts of modern anxieties. The role of nostalgia in shaping contemporary mythology and the unexpected bond between intoxication and creativity add depth to the conversation. And is that David Lynch in the crowd?!

👿👿👿Recorded live from Portland’s Revolution Hall, Paul and Stephen are back with part two of their deep dive into myth and mayhem! This time, they unravel the wild legend of the Minotaur. Starting on the ancient Island of Crete, they trace the rise of King Minos, Queen Pasiphae’s bizarre infatuation with a divine bull, and the birth of the fearsome Minotaur, Asterius. You’ll get the full story of how Daedalus crafted the labyrinth to imprison the beast. Later, our hosts chase after other mythical beasts like the Aspidochelone, chat a bit about dragons, and even take a detour into the chilling world of H.H. Holmes and his notorious murder castle.We’ve got dark myths, strange creatures, and endless intrigue—you won’t want to miss it!Chin-word of the week: ASPIDOCHELONEPaul Giamatti is a Golden Globe award winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. 👿👿👿=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🦄🪄🦏Welcome to another thrilling episode of Chinwag recorded live at Portland's Revolution Hall! Today, Paul and Stephen dive into the enchanting world of magical creatures and cryptids. We're talking platypuses, narwhals, and, of course, unicorns! Paul reveals the unicorn’s ancient roots, the laziness of the chimera…and that unicorn horn was the first Viagra (really!?) And….is the narwhal’s horn really just a tooth growing out of its head? Join us for this CHINWAG LIVE into the unknown!Chin-word of the week: BLEMMYESPaul Giamatti is a Golden Globe award winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. 🦄🪄🦏=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

☄️🔭👽Paul and Stephen are joined by illustrious theoretical physicist, Harvard Professor and space detective, Avi Loeb. And if you think you know his POV already, you may be surprised! Get ready for a cosmic journey as Professor Loeb shares his insights on the mysteries of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life. Why, pray tell, isn’t Professor Loeb thrilled about eclipses? And are aliens actually more advanced than us? Here’s a thought: if they find us first, they're probably the smarter ones! And later, what’s the deal with the mysterious space object Oumuamua? What could explain an object with no evaporation, gas, or dust around it, seemingly pushed by a mysterious force from another solar system? All this and a download of Loeb’s books Extraterrestrial and Interstellar. Why does the idea of intelligent life beyond Earth challenge conventional thinking and spark such intense debate in the scientific community? Tune in for a galactic Chinwag that will leave you starstruck!Chin-word of the week: SPECTROMETERPaul Giamatti is a Golden Globe award winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Avi Loeb is a renowned astrophysicist and author of the groundbreaking books Extraterrestrial and Interstellar, exploring the scientific search for alien life. He is a Professor of Science at Harvard University, founding director of The Black Hole Initiative and has published over 700 research articles.☄️🔭👽=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🔪🔪🔪This week, one of Paul and Stephen’s favorite Chinwags: Killer Psyche podcast host, Candice DeLong. Candice spent two decades in the FBI as a criminal profiler tracking serial killers and working such notorious cases as the Unabomber and the Chicago Tylenol Murders. Paul and Stephen explore the terrifying and tactical world of tracking murderers with Candice and learn that even psychopaths suffer career burnout. Bonus: learn about predictive behaviors of serial killers (bed-wetting?!), Ted Bundy’s prison romance, and a key negotiating tip that could save your life!Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer.Candice DeLong is a former FBI criminal profiler. Listen to her podcast Killer Psyche anywhere you get your podcasts. And check out Candice’s latest podcast, Natural Selection: Scott v. Wild Bill.It is the true story of a wealthy American retiree framed for multiple murders in the tropical expat hideaway of Bocas Del Toro, Panama. His accuser? A fugitive con man turned serial killer named William “Wild Bill” Holbert. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.🔪🔪🔪=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🛸🛸🛸Paul and Stephen are joined by intrepid investigative journalist Leslie Kean — the very journalist who broke the groundbreaking 2017 UFO story to The New York Times and introduced the world to the Pentagon’s UFO videos. Leslie unveils the intriguing story of Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Pentagon program responsible for the investigation of UFOs—now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).Elizondo released groundbreaking videotapes of pilots' first-hand encounters with UFOs, including the white “Tic Tac” shaped unidentified flying object the public often sees alongside news stories of UFOs. Leslie recounts how Elizondo actually found documentation from the 1940s and 50s that describe the same Tic-Tac shaped objects, and discusses the existence of underwater submerged objects, adding a whole new depth to the UFO narrative. And did you know that official, legislated language has expanded to include sightings of this broader phenomena? Then, Jacques Vallee’s and Carl Jung’s perspective on extraterrestrials, and does anyone think these are literally aliens or another unexplained psychological phenomenon? Famed UFO expert Budd Hopkins and Harvard Psychiatrist John Mack get their due, and where does Leslie stand on alien abduction phenomena?Later, the trio dive into accounts from individuals who claim to have had extraterrestrial experiences. Is whistleblower David Grusch more reliable than Bob Lazar? And what motivated the Department of Defense to create the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)?Tune in to this thrilling Chinwag with Leslie Kean and dive into the ocean of UAPs and soar high into the cosmos of possibilities!Chin-word of the Week: ANOMALOUSPaul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist who co-authored a series of groundbreaking stories on UFOs for The New York Times from 2017 to 2022. She is the author of two books: UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record and Surviving Death: A Journalist Investigates Evidence For An Afterlife which was turned into a Netflix docuseries.🛸🛸🛸=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🐺🐺🐺Under the shadow of the full moon at the Boston Armory, Paul and Stephen tackle beastly audience questions in this live recording of Chinwag.Ever wondered why cats are such mysterious predators, or if Bela Lugosi really donned werewolf fur? The conversation shifts to popular culture’s take on werewolves, the impact of Twilight on werewolf culture, and Paul's musings on whether his role in The Holdovers is a reverse werewolf. And which of Paul’s roles stands as his all-time favorite? Later, Paul and Stephen dive into national park disappearances and bizarre phenomena like feet washing up on the shore. Check for the full moon and stash your silver bullets because this is an episode you’ll want to sink your teeth into.Paul Giamatti is a Golden Globe award winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. 🐺🐺🐺=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🐺🌖🐺Recorded live at the historic Boston Armory, join hosts Paul and Stephen for a thrilling conversation on werewolves, from ancient myths to modern interpretations. Go back in time to break down the great werewolves of the past: Jan Thys of Livonia, Peter Stump, and of course…the Beast of Gévaudan, a mysterious creature in 18th-century France.Later, Paul and Stephen dive into were-hyenas, were-crocodiles, and a man who thinks he transformed into a buffalo! And of course, it wouldn’t be a Chinwag without getting a little philosophical! Are werewolves just an allegory for puberty? For addiction?Find out in this special live edition of the Chinwag!Chin-Word of the Week: LYCANTHROPY Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer, and the self-proclaimed Emperor of Neptune. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. He also is the acting Minister of Triton for the Chinwag.🐺🌖🐺=========Make sure to follow us @chinwagpod 👉🏼 IG: https://www.instagram.com/chinwagpod/ Tik: https://www.tiktok.com/@chinwagpod Website: http://chinwagpod.fm YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chinwagpod Send your stories, Qs, or thoughts to 📧 questions [at] chinwagpod [dot] fm========= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices