Rationally Speaking Podcast
New York City Skeptics
Rationally Speaking is the bi-weekly podcast of New York City Skeptics. Join host Julia Galef and guests as they explore the borderlands between reason and nonsense, likely from unlikely, and science from pseudoscience. Any topic is fair game as long as we can bring reason to bear upon it, with both a skeptical eye and a good dose of humor!
We agree with the Marquis de Condorcet, who said that in an open society we ought to devote ourselves to "the tracking down of prejudices in the hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all long-established institutions had gathered and protected them."Rationally Speaking was co-created with Massimo Pigliucci, is produced by Benny Pollak, and is recorded in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village.
We agree with the Marquis de Condorcet, who said that in an open society we ought to devote ourselves to "the tracking down of prejudices in the hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all long-established institutions had gathered and protected them."Rationally Speaking was co-created with Massimo Pigliucci, is produced by Benny Pollak, and is recorded in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village.
Episodes
Mentioned books
62 snips
Dec 23, 2021 • 52min
Is cash the best way to help the poor? (Michael Faye)
Could a no-strings-attached cash transfer be more useful than a cow, job training, or other targeted aid? The conversation explores how recipients are chosen, how long the effects last, and whether cash changes work, prices, or community dynamics. It also touches on insurance, universal basic income, and the challenge of judging how someone else should spend their money.
16 snips
Dec 10, 2021 • 1h 9min
Humanity on the precipice (Toby Ord)
Could humanity’s future stretch across millions of years, or could a catastrophe cut it short? Oxford philosopher Toby Ord explores threats ranging from climate change and pandemics to nuclear war and advanced AI. The conversation also digs into how to estimate risks when history offers no clear track record, and why protecting humanity’s long-term future is such a difficult challenge.
15 snips
Nov 30, 2021 • 1h 8min
Dangerous biological research - is it worth it? (Kevin Esvelt)
Could research designed to spot the next pandemic make it easier to create one? Scientist Kevin Esvelt discusses lab accidents, biological security, and the risks of mapping dangerous viruses. He also explores CRISPR gene drives, from potentially reducing malaria to the ethical stakes of changing wild animal populations.
4 snips
Nov 5, 2021 • 1h 19min
Why we're polarized (Ezra Klein)
Ezra Klein explains how Republican and Democrats in the US became so different from each other, ideologically and demographically, and why that trend + our institutions = political gridlock. Questions covered include: Is polarization necessarily bad? Has the left polarized more than the right? And what should we make of polls that seem to show Republicans and Democrats used to agree on immigration policy?
14 snips
Oct 15, 2021 • 1h 4min
The genetic lottery (Kathryn Paige Harden)
Why does research on genes and educational success provoke such fierce debate? Kathryn Paige Harden discusses the legacy of eugenics, public mistrust of genetics, and how scientists try to untangle DNA from family and social influences. The conversation also explores whether genetic research could help identify better ways to support children, and where its limits lie.
9 snips
Sep 14, 2021 • 1h 18min
How to reason about COVID, and other hard things (Kelsey Piper)
Journalist Kelsey Piper (Future Perfect / Vox) discusses lessons learned from covering COVID: What has she been wrong about, and why? How much can we trust the CDC's advice? What does the evidence look like for different drugs like Fluvoxamine and Ivermectin? And should regular people really try to evaluate the evidence themselves instead of deferring to experts?
Aug 19, 2021 • 52min
"Price gouging" in emergencies
Every time there's an emergency, the prices of certain goods skyrocket -- like masks and hand sanitizer during COVID -- and the public gets angry about price gouging. In this episode, two economists (Raymond Niles and Amihai Glazer) make the case for why "price gouging" is actually a good thing, and Julia raises potential counterarguments.
Jun 10, 2021 • 1h 3min
How to be a data detective (Tim Harford)
When you see a statistic reported in the news, like "10% of University of California Berkeley students were homeless this year," how do you evaluate it? You shouldn't blindly accept every statistic you read. But neither should you reject everything that sounds surprising. Tim Harford, economist and author of The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics, talks about the heuristics he recommends using, and the mistakes people tend to make.
Apr 9, 2021 • 1h 2min
Are Uber and Lyft drivers being exploited?
How much do Uber and Lyft drivers really earn, after expenses? Are they getting a raw deal by being classified as 'independent contractors' instead of employees? I explore the debate over these questions with three guests: Louis Hyman (Cornell), Veena Dubal (UC Hastings College of the Law), and Harry Campbell (The Rideshare Guy).
Mar 19, 2021 • 1h 3min
Unfair laws / Why judges should be originalists (William Baude)
Is there any justification for seemingly unjust laws like "qualified immunity," which allows cops to get away with bad behavior? William Baude, a leading scholar of constitutional law, explores how these laws came to be and why they're so hard to change. Also, Baude makes the case for originalism, the view that judges should base their rulings on the original meaning of the Constitution. And Baude explains how rationalist principles have influenced his teaching and legal scholarship.
