The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott

In this episode I’m going to fact check some polarizing memes on current issues in the news. I’m going to help you to identify fake memes and to question the possibility of AI-generated videos. Did you just read something that confirms your worst fears about the opposition and gets your blood pumping? Are you angry? Stop for a moment and think before you hit like and share. I want to remind you to pause and verify any triggering story you get before you share it. Does it confirm a belief you have about how bad the other guys are? Are you getting emotional? Take a deep breath. You are smart. There are ways to avoid embarrassing yourself and falling prey to manipulators who want to sow chaos and distrust and foment violence.  In Canada there seems to be a well-funded social media effort to demonize progressive values and the current liberal government. They’ve hooked onto oil-rich Western conservative disillusionment and seem to be trying to make good on Trump’s threats to annex Canada. I’ll investigate a few of these memes, and I’ll also wade into the morass of politics in the US. Come see the videos on YouTube!

In this episode I’m interviewing a scientist who is trying to revolutionize computing by replacing power hungry silicon gates with highly efficient biological neurons. For a present-day silicon-based computer to approach the processing power of a human brain would take MegaWatts of power—we are seeing some of these inefficiencies looking at AI systems that require massive amounts of energy to run. A human brain can do the same thing on less than 20 Watts. My guest today is a scientist who is working on the interface between brain and machine. Dr. Ewelina Kurtys is an entrepreneur with a PhD in neuroscience. After academia, she transitioned into business development and technology commercialization, advising tech companies on sales, partnerships, and market strategy. She founded Ekai Ltd to support innovation and scale in science-driven companies. Her work spans advisory roles, go-to-market planning, and translating complex R&D into real-world impact. She also speaks publicly on innovation, neuroscience, and the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. Check out the video versions on my YouTube channel. Chat with me on Facebook.

Have you ever heard someone spouting off on social media that the climate is always changing?  Apparently this carries great weight amongst people who don’t want to admit that humans are involved in the accurately predicted warming trend that we are currently experiencing. I just recently encountered someone on social media claiming that the climate is self-correcting and we don’t need to worry about how much CO2 we emit, it will take care of itself….like the North Atlantic cod fishery, or the dodo bird. In this episode I’m going to review the state of our knowledge of past climates on our planet. This episode draws heavily on the nice summary recently published by Elise Cutts in Science News. Come find me on YouTube and Facebook!

In this episode I am taking us on a journey to seek truth amidst a sea of fake news with a person who has published a book on the topic. Hopefully we can get a lifeline to find out how to separate the wheat from the crap. Infodemiologist, Dr. Pauline W. Hoffmann is an associate professor in the Jandoli School of Communication and a New York State senior public health fellow with the Cattaraugus County Health Department working on strategic and communication planning and implementation. She has a BSc in Biology and an MA and PhD in communication. She is an entrepreneur with two LLCs to her name – Wild Mountain Organics and Data Doyenne. She has a LinkedIn newsletter titled WTF? (What the Facts?) which delves into all things infodemic. She most recently published her first book - Fake News, Witch Hunts & Conspiracy Theories: An Infodemiologist’s Guide to the Truth. Her research and teaching focus on infodemics, conflict management, conflict resolution, and corporate and health communication and strategy. Prior to going into academia, Dr. Hoffmann worked in creative services for Catholic Health. She also served as the deans of the Jandoli School of Communication and graduate studies. She was a Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow having written a policy blog on disinformation related to lead poisoning as it impacts public health. Personally, Dr. Hoffmann lives on a farm in the Southern Tier of New York with two dogs, six chickens, a duck and one hive of bees. She is a master scuba diver and regularly dives with sharks. Find me on Youtube and Instagram!

We’ve all seen them. Endless Terms and Conditions followed by a click-box. Pages of Terms and Conditions whenever you sign a contract with a large company for services, loans, or just employment.  Often the T’s and C’s are illegal or unenforceable, yet you feel you need to sign them. Are you now at the mercy of the large entity because you’ve signed up to onerous terms?  Things are getting out of hand. We need a Rational View to get to the bottom of this problem. Daniel Wilf-Townsend is an Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown Law. His research focuses on the regulation of markets and technology, and in particular on the processes that legal institutions use to move the law from being words on paper to having actual consequences in everyday life. He teaches and writes on artificial intelligence, consumer protection, and civil litigation, and his work has appeared in the Harvard Law Review, Virginia Law Review, Yale Law Journal Forum, Stanford Law Review Online, and other legal and general interest publications. A graduate of Yale Law School, before entering academia Professor Wilf-Townsend was a litigator at Gupta Wessler PLLC, a boutique law firm focused on public interest litigation in appellate courts and the Supreme Court.  Follow me on YouTube Make your voice heard with The Rational View on Facebook!

In this episode I’m doing a fact check on the claim that CO2 is plant food. This really is a well known fact. Plants use CO2 in photosynthesis to grow. It is indisputably true. And yet on the Skeptical Science website it is listed as a Climate Myth. How can this be? Some folks think it depends on context. It’s like saying ‘all lives matter’ at a black lives matter protest.  Sure, this is obvious and true. But it is being used to undermine the message that minorities face systemic discrimination. I’m not really happy about seeing the CO2 claim on skeptical science because it is a very good scientific reference. I feel that labelling this statement a myth could hurt the credibility of scientists amongst unconvinced people who are seeking answers. I think that particular website should be renamed 'how to rebut denialist tropes'. Messaging is important, and we need to be careful in a polarized issues such as this.

In this episode I'm interviewing a nuclear energy educator with a series of informative videos on LinkedIn. He works to address radiophobia and provides an evidence-based assessment of nuclear fission and the many polarized debates surrounding its safety.  Dr. Robert Hayes is an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. He holds a joint faculty appointment with Savannah River National Laboratory and serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry.  Dr. Hayes is a licensed Professional Engineer in Nuclear Engineering, a Certified Health Physicist (CHP) through the American Board of Health Physics, and a Fellow of both the Health Physics Society (HPS) and the American Physical Society (APS). He has extensive experience in federal radiological emergency response, serving over a decade at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the geological disposal of transuranic waste. Currently, Dr. Hayes is an advisor to the DOE-NNSA Advisory Committee on Nuclear Security and serves on the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) committee responsible for nuclear engineering licensure. In addition to his academic and research contributions, he is actively engaged in public communication on radiological risk, particularly in the realm of nuclear waste management.

In this episode I look at the economic system we find ourselves in, and try to peel away some of the fictions that we've bought into.  If money isn't linked to a gold standard, is it worth what we think it is? Is the GDP an accurate representation of productivity? Are we being played by the financial system? Look me up on Instagram and YouTube. Give me your feedback on Facebook.

In this episode, have you ever felt that there is too much injustice in the world and you just can’t respond to it all? Have you ever found yourself making a compromise with your ethics just to make it through the day? I think we all have. My guest today has written a book looking at these tradeoffs. Hopefully it will help us all to be able to make moral choices and address the guilt we feel at not being able to help everyone. David Thesmar is the Franco Modigliani Professor of Financial Economics and professor of finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2007, he was named “France’s Best Young Economist” by Le Monde. With Augustin Landier, he writes a regular column for the French daily newspaper Les Echos. He just co-authored a book, ‘The Price of our Values: the economic limits of a moral life’. Come find me on Facebook and YouTube

In this episode I’m digging into a growing industrial segment that mines waste for precious metals. Often discarded systems contain higher precious metals fractions than the original ore they are mined from. Discarded computers and electronics, and in this case, catalytic converters can be recycled and thereby mitigate new mining operations and their environmental impact. Don Weatherbee, CEO of Regenx Tech, is a visionary in the clean tech sector, driving innovation in sustainable precious metal recovery. Under his leadership, Regenx Tech has transitioned from pilot projects to full-scale operations, including the opening of the flagship facility in Greeneville, Tennessee. Don’s collaborative approach and strategic partnerships, such as with Davis Recycling, have propelled Regenx as a leader in environmentally friendly extraction of platinum and palladium. A passionate advocate for the circular economy, Don champions recycling innovation and sustainable practices in the mining industry. His work exemplifies a commitment to reducing environmental impact, advancing industry ESG standards, and shaping a greener future. Smash the LIKE button. Look for The Rational View on Youtube and Facebook.