

Reason with Science
Jitender Kumar
Welcome to "Reason with Science", the podcast that explores the intersection of reason and science in our everyday lives. Billions of years of evolution led to a species which is asking questions about its own existence. This quest of humans is not possible without science. As we navigate an increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever to approach issues with a clear and evidence-based understanding. In this podcast, we'll dive into the latest research, explore fascinating topics, and interview experts in their respective fields to help us make sense of the world around us.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 19, 2022 • 1h 2min
Food for your health with Dr. Robert Lustig
This is a conversation with Dr. Robert Lustig. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition. He’s the Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at UCSF. His latest book is Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine. In this conversation we talk about role of processed food in the chronic diseases, Focus of modern medicine, what is the best diet?, science of sugar and importance of nutrition.
Find our more about Dr. Lustig's work: https://robertlustig.com/
Check out his books: https://robertlustig.com/books/
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:14 What does healthy mean?
00:08:06 Prevention is better than cure!
00:09:16 Focus of present medicine
00:13:04 Metabolic syndrome
00:16:56 A calorie is calorie!
00:23:51 Protect the liver and feed the gut!
00:25:31 Importance of fiber in diet!
00:28:38 Role of exercise for health
00:30:42 Changing the society for good health
00:33:00 Role of genetics and metabolic syndrome
00:37:31 What is a good diet?
00:41:32 Intermittent fasting
00:43:25 Sugar in processed food
00:45:35 Real foods
00:48:23 Public education about nutrition
00:57:46 Eating desserts
01:01:18 Thank you!

Oct 24, 2021 • 1h 13min
Bats | Pandemics | Women in Science | Alice Hughes | Reason with Science | Evolution | Biodiversity
This is second part of the conversation with Prof. Alice Hughes. She is working at XTBG in China. Her work focuses on understanding patterns of biodiversity and drivers of biodiversity change, with an aim to form more rigorous & appropriate conservation. In this conversation we discuss about what are bats, evolution of bats, importance of the bats for the biodiversity, bats and viruses, eating bats, bats and pandemic, biodiversity, importance of biodiversity, various ways for biodiversity conservation, diversity in science and women in science.
Guest info:
Website: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HNTYjVHFATRbARoPvs-VYFplsy6WSZpJ8CLexygh2IA/edit
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceCHughes?s=20
Episode links:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/home/bats-pandemic-and-women-in-science-with-alice-hughes
Youtube: https://youtu.be/lmtiT04a1so
Spotify:
Apple podcast:
Google podcast:
Follow Reason with Science:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh
Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894
Google podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:51 What are bats?
04:57 How many species of bats?
05:42 Evolution of bats?
08:12 Habitats of bats?
11:35 Immunity of bats
17:00 Are bats beautiful?
21:14 Eating bats
24:49 Why we should know, what to eat
26:30 Lifestyle for you and others
27:18 Why do we need biodiversity?
31:10 Biodiverse world
31:31 Challenges for the conservation of biodiversity
34:22 Biodiversity and role of consumers
36:13 Being conscious of what are you eating
39:13 What you can do from distance for biodiversity conservation?
44:03 Supporting local populations to support biodiversity
51:17 Diversity in science 52:28 Gender roles in science
54:53 Science of genders
57:02 How to overcome gender biases?
1:00:30 Can 50-50% formula work in research institutes?
1:05:10 Education and science communication to flourish science
1:07:27 Nobel prizes for women!
1:09:38 Experience of a woman in science
1:11:24 Find out more about Alice's work
1:12:07 Thanks!

Oct 15, 2021 • 1h 24min
Roots of modern science | Michael Strevens | Reason with science | Philosophy | Karl Popper | Thomas Kuhn
Michael Strevens is a professor of Philosophy at New York University. He is specialized on the philosophy of science. His major interests include explanation, complex systems, probability, confirmation, the social structure of science, and causation; the psychology of concepts; and the philosophical applications of cognitive science. He is the author of The Knowledge Machine: How Irrationality Created Modern Science, Thinking Off Your Feet: How Empirical Psychology Vindicates Armchair Philosophy and Depth.
In this conversation, we talk about: philosophy of science, work of the great philosophers of science Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, what is science, how science works, the knowledge machine, iron rule, irrationality of science, arrival of modern science, iron rule of science for artificial intelligence.
Guest info :
Website : http://www.strevens.org/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Strevens/e/B001JSCAMI/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Episode links:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/home/philosophy-meets-science-with-michael-strevens
Youtube: https://youtu.be/1FfqgPceI2Y
Spotify:
Apple podcast:
Google podcast:
Follow Reason with Science:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh
Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894
Google podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
Here's the outline of the session:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 A philosopher of science
1:47 Work of Karl popper and Thomas Kuhn
4:43 What did Popper and Kuhn miss?
8:39 What is science?
17:40 The knowledge machine
21:37 Irrational science
31:28 Nature of empirical evidence
37:50 Power struggles in science
42:16 Iron rule of science
49:10 Einstein was right!
51:35 Proof reading in science
54:49 Why it took so much time for science to arrive?
1:01:08 Power of science
1:04:44 Science and pseudoscience
1:07:31 Education and science
1:11:09 Who is a scientist?
1:16:20 Read the knowledge machine
1:19:02 Science with robots
1:22:16 More about Michael's work
Listen to Michael's talk at the royal institute: https://youtu.be/aaf6qDk3-ic
#philosophy #reasonwithscience #evolution

Oct 3, 2021 • 1h 4min
What evolution is? | Natural selection | Alice Hughes | Reason with Science | Charles Darwin
This is the conversation with Prof. Alice Hughes. She is working at XTBG in China. Her work focuses on understanding patterns of biodiversity and drivers of biodiversity change, with an aim to form more rigorous & appropriate conservation. In this conversation we discuss about what is evolution, how it works, why it is important to study, Evolution vs intelligent design, Artificial breeding, proof of evolution and complex traits like altruism.
Guest info:
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alice-Hughes-3
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceCHughes
CV: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HNTYjVHFATRbARoPvs-VYFplsy6WSZpJ8CLexygh2IA/edit
Episode links:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/home/what-is-evolution-with-alice-hughes
Youtube: https://youtu.be/N7_TKmEX_Y0
Spotify:
Apple podcast:
Google podcast:
Follow Reason with Science:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh
Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894
Google podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:57 Alice's work
00:03:36 Life beyond humans
00:05:12 What Evolution by natural selection is?
00:12:12 Timescale of evolution
00:17:15 What is genetics and a gene?
00:22:25 Effects of changes in genes
00:24:01 Importance of variation in natural selection
00:25:03 Strangeness of Panda's
00:26:18 Importance of breeding for evolution
00:27:39 A walk toward our common ancestor with chimpanzees and bonobos
00:31:40 Success of humans in passing on their gene pools
00:35:28 Evolution of religion
00:38:53 Evolution vs Intelligent design
00:42:47 Proof of evolution
00:45:45 Sexual or asexual reproduction
00:49:37 Altruism
00:52:45 Homosexuality
00:56:24 Adoption
00:58:59 Why it is difficult to understand evolution?
01:02:23 Material to read
01:03:17 Thanks!

8 snips
Sep 19, 2021 • 1h 26min
The artistic ape with Desmond Morris
Renowned 93-year-old zoologist, Desmond Morris, discusses his early life, zoology, surrealism, writing 'The Naked Ape', human tribalism, gender roles, and secrets to long life. Topics include art vs. science, urban tribes, overpopulation impact, gender roles, artistic brain, longevity, behavior complexity, and effects of being solitary.

Sep 2, 2021 • 1h 8min
How human values evolve? with Frans De Waal
This episode is with Frans De Waal. He is a professor in Emory University's psychology department and the Director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He is the author of several popular books like 'Chimpanzee politics', The age of empathy' and 'The bonobo and the atheist'. His latest book is 'Different: gender through the eyes of a primatologist'.
More about Frans's work:
https://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/people/dewaal.shtml
List of his books:
https://www.amazon.com/Frans-De-Waal/e/B000APOHE0/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk
Episode links:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/home/how-human-values-evolve-with-frans-de-waal
Youtube: https://youtu.be/liNH1h8lZN4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2i8GktbaqgXDJQMPPiWYil?si=57d5f213d9c54bb2
Apple podcast: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/reason-with-science/407cd478-4271-4319-8318-fc378d4e7ccb/episode/how-human-values-evolve-with-frans-de-waal/fc5141bc-2820-4f39-9f8b-443e571546c5
Google podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/YTI5OGE5NjMtZGNmMy00ZTRmLTllMzMtYmY1NjdkZmZmOWYw?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiY97-TiM76AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA
Follow Reason with Science:
Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh
Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894
Google podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Welcome and introduction
00:00:35 Journey of Frans De Waal
00:01:58 Why to study animals?
00:04:51 Are humans rational?
00:07:31 Evolution of blind faith?
00:09:04 What is the foundation of morality?
00:12:15 What is reciprocity?
00:14:41 Importance of reciprocity in societies
00:16:00 Do hierarchies exist? What is their need in the society?
00:19:48 Where is the power in a hierarchy?
00:21:28 Bonobos and the matriarchy!
00:24:34 Unconscious bias
00:28:07 Luit: an alpha male targeted by a coup in the colony
00:31:07 Do animals grieve?
00:33:13 Consciousness and Sentience
00:36:49 Do we need zoo's?
00:38:46 Chimp Haven: A project for chimpanzee's released for research labs
00:40:38 Future of farm animals
00:42:43 Saving animals from poaching
00:44:01 International orangutan day
00:44:57 Questions from Dr. Kavyashree Manjunath
00:48:36 Question from Dr. Devendra Mohan Mathur
00:50:58 Questions from Dr. Neha Shukla
00:55:59 Question from Dr. Manu Sharma
00:57:19 Question from Anna Papageorgiou
01:00:00 Question from Reema Masey
01:01:55 Question from Dr. Sara bologna
01:04:04 Question from Dr. Sreetama Bhadra
01:06:12 Upcoming book and farewell
#morality #religion #reasonwithscience


