

Shane Smith Has Questions
VICE News & Studio71
Shane Smith Has Questions is a dynamic, apolitical podcast hosted by Shane Smith dedicated to getting to the bottom of prominent instances of misinformation and disinformation while revealing the fascinating fundamental truths (if there are any?) of the most interesting and convoluted social and political issues of our time.For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We want to make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy
Episodes
Mentioned books

10 snips
Aug 21, 2025 • 48min
How Psychiatry Lost Its Way ft. Phil Stutz | Shane Smith Has Questions
Phil Stutz, a renowned psychiatrist and bestselling author known for 'The Tools,' discusses the shortcomings of conventional psychiatry. He emphasizes action over endless analysis for genuine healing. Stutz shares insights on dealing with anxiety and depression, highlighting gratitude as a powerful tool against despair. The conversation touches on 'Part X,' the psychological barrier hindering growth, and the importance of human connection in wellness. They also explore how confronting mortality can ignite creativity and give life deeper meaning.

Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 17min
Why Playing It Safe Kills Brands ft. Mike Cessario | Shane Smith Has Questions
Mike Cessario, Founder and CEO of Liquid Death, shares his insights on branding and the art of provocation. He reveals how his company harnessed Internet hate into a billion-dollar brand and emphasizes that execution is paramount in marketing. Cessario compares brand-building to political strategy, discussing the power of authenticity in messaging and the dangers of playing it safe. He also explores the impact of controversy on consumer engagement and the evolving landscape of advertising, where creativity must thrive amid censorship and digital innovation.

Aug 7, 2025 • 1h 41min
The Dark Side of Deterrence & Nuclear Science ft. Taylor Wilson | Shane Smith Has Questions
Shane and nuclear-physics prodigy Taylor Wilson on the past, present, and future of atomic science, how Cold-War close calls, and today’s aging launch warning systems, make accidental nuclear war scarier than a deliberate attack, why Russia’s hypersonic torpedoes and cheap Ukrainian drones both reveal the same uneasy truth: deterrence math is being rewritten in real time.
They dive into Wilson’s quest for radiation-proof bacteria, his optimism about compact fusion reactors and geothermal grids that could outcompete fossil fuels, and the data-driven breakthroughs quantum computing may unlock in medicine and materials.
They dismantle moon-landing conspiracies with hard evidence, reveal natural fission reactors buried in Gabon two billion years ago, track the search for dark matter and alien microbes on Europa and
Mars, and argue that the 21st-century energy race could end in abundance—if humanity can keep its trigger finger off aging warheads long enough for science to deliver.
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Jul 31, 2025 • 59min
The Quantum Chip That Might Change Everything ft. Julian Kelly | Shane Smith Has Questions
Shane Smith sits down with Julian Kelly, Senior Director of Hardware at Google Quantum AI and architect of the groundbreaking Willow chip, to map out the next frontier of computing. Kelly explains how Google’s 100 plus qubit processors now complete benchmark tasks in minutes that would outlive the universe on today’s fastest supercomputers, why error corrected “logical” qubits are the last hurdle to practical machines, and which real world problems will fall first once quantum power comes online. Along the way they tackle encryption panic, AI synergy, the global quantum race, and the mind bending philosophy behind many worlds.
Conversation Highlights:
Willow & “beyond classical” benchmarks: 10²⁵year speedup over conventional supercomputers
Roadmap milestones → quantum supremacy → scalable error correction →“Milestone 3” logical qubit
Drug discovery, battery chemistry, fertilizer synthesis, fusion research & other early killer apps
Post-quantum cryptography and the myth vs. reality of “QDay” data breach fears
Cooling to 10 milliKelvin, chip design shifts from DWave annealers to gate based processors
How AI can train on quantum generated data—and how quantum can turbocharge AI research
Global landscape: Google’s lead, government labs, and the rise of private startups
Philosophical detours: superposition, entanglement, many worlds interpretations
Five-year horizon for the first commercially useful quantum workload
Kelly’s personal journey—from UCSB lab tinkerer to Google’s quantum hardware chief
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Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 48min
Inside the WILD World of Independent Journalism ft. Andrew Callaghan | Shane Smith Has Questions
Shane Smith sits down with Channel 5 and All Gas No Brakes founder Andrew Callaghan. They discuss Andrew’s hitchhiking origins, his first full-length interview with Hunter Biden and they unpack the rise and fall of All Gas No Brakes, the birth of Channel 5’s “global newsroom,” and why a single bad real-estate deal turned a Louisiana lawyer into the Q-pilled protagonist of Callaghan’s documentary This Place Rules.
Smith and Callaghan swap war stories about embedding with warlords, avoiding stomach parasites, and learning to read a room when everyone is armed. They riff on Hunter Thompson, Louis Theroux, depersonalization, and the perils of becoming “industry approved.” The conversation veers from South African politics and resource curses to the revelation that Democratic Party powerbrokers pressured President Biden to bow out of 2024—straight from Hunter Biden, according to Callaghan.
Part origin story, part media-critique, part travelogue, the episode is a masterclass in modern gonzo journalism and a candid look at what relentless public scrutiny does to artists and politicians alike.
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Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 14min
Inside LA’s Wildfire Crisis & Political Fallout ft. Karen Bass | Shane Has Questions | Vice News
When wildfires, homelessness, and immigration collide, Los Angeles becomes a focal point for America’s biggest debates. In this candid, hourlong sitdown, Shane Smith presses L.A. Mayor Karen Bass on everything from her controversial trip to Ghana during the Palisades inferno to the missing billions earmarked for homelessness relief. Bass pulls back the curtain on firedepartment missteps, why she fired the city’s fire chief, and how a thousand unused veteran housing vouchers were finally unlocked.
Along the way, volunteer firefighter and Community Brigade cofounder
Keegan Gibbs joins Shane to recount the night Malibu burned and explains why even the bestequipped departments can be powerless against hurricaneforce winds. Bass lays out her plan to rebuild faster—thanks in part to an unexpected assist from the Trump administration’s Army Corps of Engineers—and reveals a new public/private partnership with developer Rick Caruso and NBA vet JJ Redick to restore a devastated rec center.
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Jul 10, 2025 • 53min
Inside LA’s Fire Disaster & Political Chaos ft. Rick Caruso | Shane Has Questions
Rick Caruso, a prominent real estate developer and philanthropist, discusses the devastating impact of LA's wildfires and the political failures that contributed to the crisis. He reveals how empty ideology and lack of preparedness turned a preventable disaster into chaos. Caruso critiques the insurance collapse and the ongoing homelessness crisis, advocating for a balance of private innovation and public responsibility. With a focus on accountability, he shares his vision for resilient cities and the importance of competent leadership in disaster recovery.

Jun 26, 2025 • 1h 27min
The Spiritual Journey Behind Creativity & Art ft. Rick Rubin | Shane Has Questions | Vice News
Rick Rubin, a legendary record producer known for his minimalist approach, delves into the spiritual roots of creativity. He discusses how art serves as a universal language, connecting us to deeper truths. Rubin shares insights on healing through nature and the significance of intuition, diet, and light on well-being. He highlights AI's limitations in replicating human artistry and emphasizes the importance of embracing complexity in our truths. This conversation weaves together personal experience and profound reflections on the power of artistic expression.

Jun 12, 2025 • 1h 25min
Jordan Peterson on Academia, the New Right, & Saving the West | Shane Has Questions
Join clinical psychologist and author Jordan Peterson as he dives deep into the pitfalls of modern academia and the rise of groupthink. He shares his personal journey through a life-threatening health crisis and the importance of family support. The conversation touches on geopolitics, with a frank discussion on China's influence and the West’s identity crisis. Peterson contrasts sacrifice against hedonism, offering insights on meaningful living, and examines the shifting landscape of U.S. politics, challenging conventional conservatism.

May 29, 2025 • 45min
ICE, Asylum, and Why the Border Crisis Isn’t What You Think
John Sandweg, former acting director of ICE under President Obama, explains why both Republican and Democratic leaders have struggled to manage the border, why immigration reform keeps hitting roadblocks, and what real, workable solutions could actually look like. This conversation goes beyond politics — it reveals the human stories and the complex systems behind immigration.
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