The DemystifySci Podcast

Austin Frerick, an economist and Yale fellow, dives deep into the corrupt underbelly of America's food industry. He unearths how Big Ag monopolies manipulate the system, creating toxic and costly food environments for both consumers and farmers. Frerick discusses the devastating consequences of monopolization on public health and agricultural practices. He highlights the needs for systemic reform and grassroots movements to reclaim the food supply, placing emphasis on the importance of local economies and sustainable practices.

Dr. Gašper Beguš is a UC Berkeley professor of linguistics who studies the interface between human, machine, and animal language. We head into the conversation with a question - is there something fundamentally different about the way that humans learn and the way that machines like LLMs learn? Vector embeddings of the relatedness of language and the map that we carry in our heads of abstract concepts don’t seem that different at the end of the day. This leads us into a discussion of the ways in which humans acquire language, how language evolves, evidence for abstract thought in animals, where the bright line of consciousness can be drawn, and if taking a different approach to training computers to think can generate a machine that can match us in drive and curiosity.  Don't miss the historic cosmology summit in Portugal this summer!!! DEMYSTICON 2025 ANNUAL MEETING June 12-16: https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025 PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/all AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98 SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci (00:00) Go! (00:07:55) Language, Thought, and AI Models (00:13:25) Animal Communication and Intelligence (00:25:02) Recursion and Human Language (00:37:51) AI, Consciousness, and Human Cognition (00:49:02) The Role of Human Curiosity in the Future of AI (00:58:13) Bridging Human-Like Learning in AI Models (01:08:07) Exploring Human-Like Structures in AI Models (01:17:19) Evolution and Brain Capacity (01:26:31) Language Structure and Differences (01:37:11) Evolution of Language and Its Universality (01:46:17) Social Identity and Linguistic Diversity (01:59:08) Thought and Language: The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (02:09:18) Language Evolution and Human History (02:16:02) Cognitive Development and Language (02:24:39) Ancient Human Cooperation (02:35:04) Cultural and Cognitive Evolution (02:42:27) AI’s Role in Scientific Discovery #Linguistics, #AI, #AnimalCommunication, #ArtificialIntelligence, #Language, #Cognition, #AnimalIntelligence, #Recursion, #ThoughtAndLanguage, #AnimalBehavior, #AnimalLearning, #AIModels, #CognitiveScience, #AnimalCognition, #EvolutionOfLanguage, #LanguageStructure, #LanguageEvolution, #philosophypodcast, #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

Explore the shocking findings on endocrine-disrupting chemicals lurking in everyday foods and fast food items. Dive into discussions about the dangers of plastic contamination and its impact on hormone regulation. Discover the impending historic cosmology summit and its exploration of modern safety concerns. The conversation humorously addresses the need for better naming of harmful substances while critiquing the current regulatory landscape. Catch insightful anecdotes about forest fire management and the role of environmental factors on our health!

Dr. Richard Haier is an emeritus professor of Pediatric Neurology at UC Irvine, who spent his career studying the neuroscience of intelligence. Over the course of his career, Haier has come to believe in the existence of a “g-factor,” a measurable quantity of broad spectrum intelligence that is universally predictive of success in all cultures. He also believes that intelligence is a fixed characteristic, and that it’s possible to predict someone’s intelligence by watching how their brain works when trying to solve a puzzle. We sit down with him to figure out how far one can take this theory of intelligence before running headlong into a heartless social darwinism, why intelligence research feels so creepy, if IQ tests are actually measuring what we think they’re measuring, if intelligence is really the thing that we should be optimizing for, and if it’s possible for technology to make us dumber. Don't miss the historic cosmology summit in Portugal this summer!!! DEMYSTICON 2025 ANNUAL MEETING June 12-16: https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025 PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/all AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98 SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci 00:00 Go! 00:09:28 Flynn Effect and G Factor 00:15:40 Testing, Practice, and Intelligence 00:26:58 The Relationship Between Intelligence, Motivation, and Test Scores 00:31:09 Heritability and Societal Implications of Intelligence 00:35:51 The Social Value of Intelligence Versus Athletic Ability 00:41:54 IQ Levels and Educational Attainment 00:48:03 The Dilution of College Degrees 00:53:07 Educational System Critique 00:57:24 Intelligence and Occupational Success 01:01:40 Bureaucracy and Talent in Academia 01:06:13 Intelligence and Personal Success 01:19:20 Enhancing Intelligence through Drugs 01:25:28 Brain Efficiency and Intelligence 01:31:12 Tetris Study and Brain Efficiency 01:44:20 Predicting Intelligence through Brain Imaging 01:49:58 Brain Structure and Cognitive Prediction 01:52:00 Challenges in Enhancing Intelligence 02:04:22 Environmental and Genetic Interplay 02:14:02 Understanding Autism and Intelligence 02:19:56 Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Intelligence 02:28:21 Technology's Impact on Skill Development 02:32:55 Flynn Effect and Educational Implications 02:39:24 Technology and Its Impact on Children 02:45:08 Societal Roles and Intelligence Levels 02:48:09 Meaning and Societal Functionality #IQTests, #Neuroscience, #intelligence, #iqtest, #ArtificialIntelligence, #HumanIntelligence, #CognitiveScience, #BrainFunction, #iq , #Neuroimaging, #AIvsHumans, #TechImpact, #philosophypodcast, #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

William Lazonick, emeritus Professor of Economics and founder of the Academic Industry Research Network, dives deep into the perils of shareholder value ideology. He reveals how deregulation in the 1980s sparked corporate greed and inequality. Lazonick discusses the rise of hedge funds and the consequences of harmful practices like stock buybacks, highlighting their role in 'encrapification' and economic decline. He advocates for reforms prioritizing worker welfare over Wall Street profits, offering insights into innovative and sustainable economic strategies.

Andrew Collins is a historian and journalist who has devoted over four decades of his life to the study of ancient civilizations, much of it among the enigmatic T-shaped pillars that dot the stone hills of the Turkish highlands. He believes that Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe are more than ceremonial sites of hunter-gatherers—he takes these monuments to be the remnants of a foundational proto-culture that authored the earliest versions of the myths and narratives found in the Bible, Torah, and Qur’an. He walks us through why he believes that the imagery carved into the stones of Karahan Tepe represents humanity’s first abstract engagement with the spiritual realm, how the legends developed were likely the product of the peoples the Sumerians called the Annunaki, and the pivotal role the serpent symbol plays in linking the land of the living to the cosmic spheres. DEMYSTICON 2025 ANNUAL MEETING IN PORTUGAL!!! "Beyond the Big Bang" June 12-16: https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025 PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98 SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci Pick up Andrew's latest book on Karahan Tepe! Support both of us with this link: https://amzn.to/4hkfGcC (00:00) Go! (00:04:10) Karahan Tepe & the Universal Serpent (00:11:23) Celestial Connections (00:16:20) Vulture Stone Interpretation (00:24:18) Symbolism of the Intercontinental Manbag/handbag (00:32:40) Consequences of the Younger Dryas (00:37:00) Environment of the Taş Tepeler Region (00:49:17) Ancient Trade Routes and Cultural Exchange (00:55:12) Unique T-shaped Pillars Mysteries (01:03:19) Early Post-Ice Age Civilizations (01:13:07) Early Urban Developments in Central Turkey (01:20:49) The Anuna and Early Civilizational Knowledge (01:35:11) The Serpent, Shamanism, and Cosmic Communications (01:41:04) Ritual Sites and Priestly Classes (01:52:19) Decommissioning of Ritual Sites (02:03:04) Water Sources and Settlements (02:17:07) Migration and Conflict (02:23:28) Divergent Views in Archaeology (02:34:08) Collaboration vs. Opposition (02:41:33) Future Directions in Research #Archaeology, #GöbekliTepe, #KarahanTepe, #AncientHistory, #Symbolism, #CelestialConnections, #YoungerDryas, #AncientCivilizations, #PrehistoricSites, #ArchaeologicalDiscoveries, #Mythology, #Shamanism, #AncientTrade, #AncientArchitecture, #VultureStone, #RitualSites, #CulturalExchange, #CosmicConnections, #Anuna #philosophypodcast, #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

Martin Lopez Corredoira is a physicist, philosopher, author, and playwright who has written extensively on the issues with standard cosmological theories, the role of science in society, and a number of short biographies of key figures in the history of science. He is both a theoretical and observational cosmologist, and we sit down with him for a conversation about what it would take for a theory like the Big Bang to finally come undone. In the course of our talk, we narrow down the list of substantive criticisms of the standard model, lay out the reasons to be optimistic, and find that there’s actually a decent community of dissenting scholars that are doing everything they can to lay the groundwork for the revolution that’s coming down the pipes in the wake of the James Webb Space Telescope. DEMYSTICON 2025 ANNUAL MEETING IN PORTUGAL!!! June 12-16: https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025 PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98 SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci (00:00) Go! (00:04:31) Big Bang Theory and Its Cultural Resonance (00:07:28) Key Discoveries in Support of the Standard Model (00:13:48) Challenges in Falsifying Cosmological Theories (00:20:55) Core Assumptions in Cosmological Theories (00:29:11) Institutional Pragmatism (00:36:12) Funding and Scientific Orthodoxy (00:47:27) Community for Alternative Thinkers (01:00:07) Advancements in Astronomy Technologies (01:09:55) Determining the Age of the Universe (01:14:46) Standard Candles and Measurement Challenges (01:25:58) Observational limitations (01:46:07) Innovations and Constraints (01:52:17) Rethinking Information Access (02:08:30) The Future of Science and Intellectual Pursuits #cosmology, #alternativetheories, #bigbangtheory, #astronomy, #philosophyofscience, #jameswebb, #cosmicquestions, #theoreticalphysics, #alternativecosmology, #astrophysics, #cosmicmicrowavebackground, #darkmatter, #scienceandphilosophy, #philosophypodcast, #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

Dive into a captivating conversation about the Telepathy Tapes, exploring claims of telepathic connections between non-verbal autistic children and their families. The hosts dissect the fine line between motivated belief and skepticism, examining the challenges of scientific experimentation and the role of personal biases. Intriguing anecdotes showcase the emotional longing for connection, while a critical analysis uncovers potential deception underlying some telepathy claims. The allure of extraordinary phenomena in science is also examined, questioning motivations behind popular theories.

Geoff Anders, Director of Leverage Research, dives into the intersection of science, society, and culture. He discusses the decline of scientific institutions and the need for innovation. Anders explores how cultural contexts shape valuable insights and sparks a debate on how to ignite a golden age of science amidst societal challenges. He also contrasts natural philosophy with modern science, examines the implications of technologies like crypto in scientific advancement, and highlights the philosophical dilemmas surrounding consciousness and existence.

William F. Mitchell, a renowned economist at the University of Newcastle and a key figure in Modern Monetary Theory, unpacks the decline of class consciousness over the past fifty years. He discusses how identity politics emerged in place of traditional leftist ideologies, fueled by shadowy think tanks. The conversation delves into the shift from Keynesianism to monetarism and critiques modern monetary policies. Additionally, Mitchell explores the impact of corporate power on political structures and the urgent need to refocus on socioeconomic disparities.