Philosopher and University of Chicago Professor Agnes Callard sits down with Eric on this episode of the portal. Agnes is a champion of the philosophical tradition of attempting to detach the capacity for inquiry and reason from the fog of feelings and societal taboos that often keep us from delving deeper into the questions that animate our lives. Agnes began this unusual back and forth by writing an article about status negotiation in first meetings shortly after the pair first met. Eric and Agnes then use the opportunity of this episode to continue this line of thought by exploring the limits of courage and meta-cognition within the examined life of a modern Philosopher. This results in a real-time exploration by two people who mutually respect each other as to whether they can actually negotiate a detached discussion in real time on the very issues of status, feeling, and taboo that may divide them and/or arise between them. As Agnes has written thoughtfully about the many layers of anger, the conversation culminates by exploring dyadic feelings of hurt and indignation with which we all struggle and suffer in our relationships. Ultimately the two finish this experimental conversation with good cheer, together with a wish to continue the discussion at a later date under continuing mutual fondness and admiration.Our SponsorsPost your job today at Indeed.com/PORTALFor 20% off your first order, visit mackweldon.com AND ENTER PROMO CODE: portalReceive 15% off your Four Sigmatic purchase go to foursigmatic.com/PORTAL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric sits down with leading fitness geek, guru, thinker and human guinea-pig Ben Greenfield to learn how one of the world's most highly regarded trainers and fitness experts cuts through the nightmare that is our medical literature. The academic and medical literature in health and medicine is a disaster. Studies are performed and reported in non-standard and idiosyncratic ways which are then further distorted by a press often looking more for headlines and scoops than facts and rigor. In this episode we get to ask one of the most sought after fitness optimizers how ordinary people can better understand their own minds, brains and bodies in light of the cacophony of 'expert' opinion. Ben, here in his role of master pedagogue, gives detailed implementable answers as well as simple to follow priorities that sum up his years of study and training for the mere mortals who wish to better everything in their lives by tackling health at the fundamental level.  Our SponsorsPitney Bowes: Special offer for a FREE 30-day trial PLUS a FREE 10-pound scale using PB.com/PORTAL Blinkist: Try it FREE for 7 days AND save 25% off your new subscription using Blinkist.com/PORTALAthletic Greens: 20 FREE travel packs valued at $79 with your first purchase using Athleticgreens.com/PORTALSkillShare: Two whole months of unlimited access to thousands of classes for free Skillshare.com/PORTALSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historically, fighting obscenity and indecency charges has always been a central part of the free speech movement. Jim Morrison, Mae West, Lenny Bruce and George Carlin have all been arrested for exciting the public in ways that authorities have found threatening. Recently, however, the erotic and comedic arts have undergone more cryptic attacks via Operation Chokepoint, "cancellation", "no platforming", and inadequate press coverage given to cases of legal intimidation (e.g. the federal case under Miller v California standards brought against director John Stagliano). In this episode, Eric sits down with the business woman who created the enduring character of the unlikely top pornstar Riley Reid. Continuing the theme of the DISC (Distributed Idea Suppression Complex) we discuss issues like Operation Chokepoint and obscenity law as well more subtle issues like the difficulty of finding vendors willing to cross the Rubicon to work with legal erotic businesses. Ashley, in the role of the Riley Reid character, has defied all pornographic convention by embracing body positivity, forgoing plastic surgery and opting for natural body hair at times. Additionally she has made a social statement by doing a popular artistic scene which makes a political and business case for greater transsexual acceptance. Her main tool appears to be a palpable human decency and sweetness coupled to an uncanny ability to assess, manage and survive extreme business risk within a poorly understood industry that has confounded all expectations. While this episode is generally not explicit, it is not for everyone given the content and so listener discretion is advised. Our SponsorsAthletic Greens: Get 20 FREE Athletic Greens Travel Packs, valued at $79, with your first purchase athleticgreens.com/portalBlinkist: try it FREE for 7 days AND save 25% off your new subscriptionBlinkist.com/portalQuip: Join over THREE MILLION healthy mouths and get your first refill FREE todayQuip.com/portalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Roger Penrose, an important descendant of Albert Einstein's school of geometric physics, discusses his view on Twistor Theory and its prospects for unification. The podcast explores topics such as history of understanding the universe, the elusive genius Dirac and his contributions to quantum mechanics, knots and spin in relation to the periodic table, visual and auditory illusions, the relationship between topological knottedness and waves, the concept of light cone and its relationship to the Twister Theorem, intellectual carnage caused by string theory, loop quantum gravity, and supersymmetry, and the significance of sticking with physics.

Bret Weinstein, a prominent biologist and societal commentator known for his controversial stances, dives into the intricate world of evolutionary biology. He recounts a captivating yet troubling tale from Evergreen State College, addressing the impacts of race and institutional challenges in academia. The discussion spans the reliability of laboratory mice in research, evolutionary predictions influenced by social behavior, and critiques of the academic publishing system. Weinstein urges younger scientists to share their narratives, inspiring authenticity in scientific discourse.

This "housekeeping" (cough cough) episode of The Portal is only for the hard core listeners who launched this experiment with us. This year we begin to take on the idea of the Distributed Idea Suppression Complex or "DISC". From "Terms of Service" changes, to selective enforcement of rules, peer review, "Strategic Silence", 'authoritative sources only', deboosting, shadow banning, down ranking, "unbiasing", "Good Censorship", 'diversity and inclusion' oaths, 'cancel culture', no-platforming, mob shaming, certification requirements, "trust and safety" and quality control, we are surrounded by others interested in various forms of idea suppression who would prefer to work in private. Obviously some, but not all, of those ideas are truly dangerous. But many of those ideas never reached us because they threatened institutional players rather than public safety. This is the year we begin to do the unthinkable: attempt to fully reveal and slip the DISC. Stay tuned to the Portal for 2020. Or feel free to unsubscribe right now before we change it up...hope to see you soon.Our SponsorsTwo whole months of unlimited access Skillshare.com/PORTALGet your first free refill at Getquip.com/PORTALTwenty free travel packs with your first purchase Athleticgreens.com/PORTALSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Somewhere on the road between Stalingrad and Forever21, something essential got misplaced amidst the bathos. Eric works through a bottle of Red wine on air with social, literary and artistic theorist Anna Khachiyan (co-host of the explosive and popular Red Scare podcast) to find out what is brewing on the anti-woke Left among the intellectual daughters of Camille Paglia. Anna takes us through her project of the reconstructed feminine combining irreverent intellectual dominance with a return to valuing motherhood informed by her claims on Soviet & American heritage. The intellectual foundation of the intersectional “oppression Olympics” and reparations discussion is further dissected amidst the twin specters of the Armenian & Jewish genocides which mysteriously appear not to register at all with today’s progressives. No puppies were eaten during this podcast, but an ambient trigger warning is otherwise in order for those with exquisite sensitivities. Caveat emptor and welcome to the Grand Finale of the inaugural year of “The Portal.” See you all again in 2020!Skillshare: Get two whole months of unlimited access to thousands of classes for free Skillshare.com/PORTALChili: Save up to $300 on Chili sleep systems with visit chilitechnology.com/PORTALPhlur: Get 20% off your FIRST custom Phlur sample set phlur.com/PORTALSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Tyler Cowen to discuss how/why a Harvard educated chess prodigy would choose a commuter school to launch a stealth attack on the self-satisfied economic establishment, various forms of existential risk, tech/social stagnation and more. On first glance, Tyler Cowen is an unlikely candidate for America's most influential economist. Since 2003, Cowen has grown his widely read and revered economics blog Marginal Revolution with lively thought, insight and prose resulting in a successful war of attrition against traditional thinking. In fact, his well of heterodox thinking is so deep that there is an argument to be made that Tyler may be the living person with the most diverse set of original rigorous opinions to be found in any conversation. The conversation takes many turns and is thus hard to categorize. We hope you enjoy it. Wine Access: Get $100 off your first purchase of $250 or more wineaccess.com/PORTALExpressVPN: Get an extra three months of ExpressVPN for free when you signup at expressvpn.com/PORTAL Lamps Plus: Get up to 50% off HUNDREDS of lights, furniture and décor between November 25 and December 24lampsplus.com/PORTALFour Sigmatic: Get 15% discount on all orders placed on foursigmatic.com/PORTAL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garrett Lisi, the 'Surf Bum with a Theory of Everything', discusses the current status of his ideas for a final theory based on E8 symmetry. The antagonistic relationship between Garrett and Eric shifts to mutual admiration for their iconoclastic pursuits in unifying physics. The podcast challenges the performative culture within the theoretical physics community and explores the complexities of unification theories and intellectual suppression.

London Tsai, a leader in the Mathematical and Scientific art movement, reveals his journey blending mathematics and art. They discuss the challenges of visually representing complex math in art, the intersection of math and physics, and the importance of promoting collaborations between math and artistry. The episode explores the relationship between art, math, and physics, focusing on the significance of math in understanding the physical universe.