

Embrace The Void
Embrace The Void
Welcome friends, to a podcast for a darker timeline. Maybe the darkest of all timelines. Definitely not one of the good timelines. Maybe it’s always been a dark timeline, maybe the Hadron collider screwed us over. Science may never know. What we do know is that we live in the void. The void, a place where a chittering mass of void crabs can infest a person suit and win the presidency. The void, a place where we're just clever enough to know that climate change is happening, but not quite clever enough to do anything about it. The void seems terrible and cruel, but it loves you, in its own ironic way.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 12, 2022 • 1h 5min
EV - 240 Meta-analysis skepticism with Jonathan Jarry
My guest this week is Jonathan Jarry (@crackedscience), a science communicator with McGill University’s Office of Science and Society, and cohost of the independent podcast The Body of Evidence. We discuss his article about common problems with meta-analyses and how to approach trying to understand controversial science claims. We also discuss anti-COVID Jade amulets and in the VIP room we talk the ethics of unfollowing me on twitter.Jonathan's website: https://t.co/e2xUQ4ClQwMeta-analyses paper: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/pseudoscience/even-best-scientific-studies-can-lie-case-craniosacral-therapyJade amulet paper: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-pseudoscience/paper-argues-amulet-may-protect-covid-should-it-have-been-publishedConvocation: Nick HarkawayMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent appearances: I was on Ben Burgis's youtube channel debating free will and moral luck: https://twitter.com/ETVPod/status/1516786030854262788?s=20&t=q3yiNlMdkxoDCu1yHCig-wHere's the What's left of Phil link for the other chat on this subject:https://twitter.com/leftofphil/status/1511305894587682821?s=20&t=eH18eR9d-Axezy_x5A23dgUpcoming appearances: Stay tuned, got a few invites this past weekend so hopefully will have some info here soon!Next week: Persisting White supremacy in movement secularism with Mandisa Thomas

May 5, 2022 • 1h 12min
EV - 239 Open discourse in movement secularism with Seth Andrews
My guest this week is Seth Andrews (@SethAndrewsTTA), host of the thinking atheist podcast and author of several books including most recently Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot. We discuss freedom of expression and concerns about woke cancel culture in secular communities.Seth's podcast: https://www.sethandrews.com/Impossible Conversations episode: https://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast-1/episode/79244081/impossible-conversations-the-best-and-worst-of-woke-cultureConvocation: Seth AndrewsMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent appearances: I was on Ben Burgis's youtube channel debating free will and moral luck: https://twitter.com/ETVPod/status/1516786030854262788?s=20&t=q3yiNlMdkxoDCu1yHCig-wHere's the What's left of Phil link for the other chat on this subject:https://twitter.com/leftofphil/status/1511305894587682821?s=20&t=eH18eR9d-Axezy_x5A23dgUpcoming appearances: Stay tuned, got a few invites this past weekend so hopefully will have some info here soon!Next week: How to read studies with Jonathan Jarry

Apr 28, 2022 • 1h 9min
EV - 238 Movement secularism and far-right cultural collapse narratives with Martin Rooke
My guest this week is Martin Rooke (@DrMRooke), a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School who’s currently studying the evolution of the far-right “cultural collapse” narrative. We compare notes on the role of movement secularism in the recent rise in those narratives.Martin's Substack: https://eftr.substack.com/The Center for Technology and Social Change: https://shorensteincenter.org/programs/technology-social-change/Convocation: Kristin Kobes DuMezMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent appearances: I was on Ben Burgis's youtube channel debating free will and moral luck: https://twitter.com/ETVPod/status/1516786030854262788?s=20&t=q3yiNlMdkxoDCu1yHCig-wHere's the What's left of Phil link for the other chat on this subject:https://twitter.com/leftofphil/status/1511305894587682821?s=20&t=eH18eR9d-Axezy_x5A23dgUpcoming appearances: Stay tuned, got a few invites this past weekend so hopefully will have some info here soon!Next week: Open discourse in movement secularism with Seth Andrews

Apr 21, 2022 • 1h 6min
EV - 237 Defining "religion" with Chris Kavanagh
My returning guest this week is Chris Kavanagh (@C_Kavanagh), a cultural anthropologist and co-host of the Decoding the Gurus pod. We discuss competing accounts of how to define "religion" and their implications for church and state conflicts.Decoding the Gurus: https://decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm/Chris's article about defining religion: https://aeon.co/essays/can-religion-be-based-on-ritual-practice-without-beliefConvocation: Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the HedgehogMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent appearances: I was on Ben Burgis's youtube channel debating free will and moral luck: https://twitter.com/ETVPod/status/1516786030854262788?s=20&t=q3yiNlMdkxoDCu1yHCig-wHere's the What's left of Phil link for the other chat on this subject: https://twitter.com/leftofphil/status/1511305894587682821?s=20&t=eH18eR9d-Axezy_x5A23dgUpcoming appearances: Stay tuned, got a few invites this past weekend so hopefully will have some info here soon!Next week: Tracking right wing cultural collapse narratives with Martin Rooke

Apr 7, 2022 • 1h 13min
EV - 236 Reengaging LGBTQ nonbelievers with Callie Wright
My guest this week is Callie Wright (@calliegetsit). We discuss the recent history of movement secularism and why it's struggling with a reputation issue amongst LGBTQ communities.Callie's podcast: http://www.queersplaining.com/Convocation: Julian AyalaMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent appearances: I was on What's Left of Philosophy discussing my new paper on luck. It was the best chat I've had on the subject so far: https://twitter.com/leftofphil/status/1511305894587682821?s=20&t=eH18eR9d-Axezy_x5A23dgUpcoming appearances: I'm going to be speaking at AAcon easter weekend, come hang out! Next week: Taking the week off for American Atheist Convention, come hang out!

Mar 31, 2022 • 1h 6min
EV - 235 Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit with Tom and Cecil
My guest this week are Tom and Cecil of the Cognitive Dissonance podcast (@dissonance_pod). We discuss their new book, The Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit, and how to apply their GUT check approach to reduce our risk of absorbing misinformation.The Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit: https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Unified-Theory-Bullshit/dp/B09TDW7RSRCogDis podcast: https://dissonancepod.com/Convocation: FrankfurtMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pods:Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent Appearances: I was on the Ultraviolet podcast talking about moral luck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ31sIBgWKEUpcoming Appearances: Come hang out and discuss nonbeliever community organizing and resisting the immoral nonbeliever stereotype at the American Atheist convention in Atlanta https://convention.atheists.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3IqSBhCoARIsAMBkTb3oEaLKLMj2gj2JSlFJVfZajGeS1yFbXB2LdTWIB7yYFcTJs1RQDJoaAj1BEALw_wcBNext week: Reengaging LGBTQ nonbelievers with Callie Wright

Mar 24, 2022 • 1h 7min
EV - 234 Navigating Gender Criticism with Corrina Cohn
My guest this week is Corinna Cohn (@heterodorx), a gender critical activist, self identifying transsexual and cohost of the Heterodorx podcast. We discuss her views on gender and policies regarding bathrooms, sports, and gender affirming care.Heterdorx pod: https://www.heterodorx.com/Convocation: George TakeiMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pod Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Filmed Live Musicals Pod: https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/thepodcast.htmlSupport us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent Appearances: I was on the Ultraviolet podcast talking about moral luck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ31sIBgWKENext week: A Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit with Tom and Cecil

Mar 10, 2022 • 1h 7min
EV - 233 Nonbeliever Community Organizing with Hemant Mehta
My guest this week is Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta), co-host of the Friendly Atheist and host of the friendly atheist youtube channel. Hemant is also a contributor at OnlySky, a news and commentary website aimed at nonbelievers, as well as the author of several books including the Young Atheist’s Survival Guide and I Sold My Soul on eBay. We discuss nonbeliever communities, image problems with movement atheism, and what we should be focused on these days.Hemant's list of links: https://linktr.ee/HemantMehta Convocation: Stephen CharnockMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pod Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Support us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent Appearances: I was on The Mess We're In, where I accused them of promoting a moral panic and sharing laundered antisemitic conspiracism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VfCKtrZPQNext week: Navigating Gender Critical Communities with Corinna Cohn

Mar 3, 2022 • 1h 3min
EV - 232 Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves with Jeff Sebo
My guest this week is Jeff Sebo (@jeffrsebo), director of the NYU animal studies MA program and author of Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves. We discuss his new book, what sort of progress non-human animal ethics is making and what it means for the rolling crises of COVID and climate change.Jeff's website: https://jeffsebo.net/Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/saving-animals-saving-ourselves-9780190861018?cc=us&lang=en&Convocation: Jeff SeboMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pod Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Support us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent Appearances: I was on The Mess We're In, where I accused them of promoting a moral panic and sharing laundered antisemitic conspiracism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VfCKtrZPQNext week: Non-believer community organizing with Hemant Mehta

Feb 24, 2022 • 1h 3min
EV - 231 Questioning The Placebo Effect with Mike Hall
My guest this week is Mike Hall (@mikehall314), co-host of Skeptics with a K and one of the directors of the UK skeptic magazine. We discuss common misconceptions about the placebo effect, the possibility that it's just an artifact of flawed science, and the implications for things like alternative medicine.Skeptics with a K: http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/category/podcast/skeptics-with-a-k/Convocation: Bruce LiptonMusic by GW RodriguezSibling Pod Philosophers in Space: https://0gphilosophy.libsyn.com/Support us at Patreon.com/EmbraceTheVoidIf you enjoy the show, please Like and Review us on your pod app, especially iTunes. It really helps!Recent Appearances: I was on The Mess We're In, where I accused them of promoting a moral panic and sharing laundered antisemitic conspiracism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VfCKtrZPQNext week: Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves with Jeff Sebo