In this 253rd in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we talk about the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.
In this week’s episode, we follow the science to fewer cow farts. Bovear, an FDA approved product that is fed to cattle to reduce their production of methane, is the result of yet more reductionist, metric-heavy research that conflates complex systems with complicated ones. Bill Gates approves, though, so what could go wrong? We discuss ruminant biology, the actual Carbon impact of grazing cattle, and some other great new products from the makers of Bovear, including “the world’s first-ever flavor created by artificial intelligence.” Then: why is the BBC’s disinformation wing concerned about what Bret said on Diary of a CEO? What happened to journalism? Finally: it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow. Liberals are supposed to be high in openness—consider being open to the differing views of your friends and family, and have a wonderful time together.
Our sponsors:
American Hartford Gold: Get up to $5,000 of free silver on your first qualifying order. Call 866-828-1117 or text “DARKHORSE” to 998899.
ARMRA: Colostrum is our first food, and can help restore your health and resilience as an adult. Go to http://www.tryarmra.com/DARKHORSE to get 15% off your first order.
Pique’s Nandaka: delicious mushroom, tea, and chocolate drink that provides all day energy. Up to 20% off + free frother+beaker at http://www.Piquelife.com/darkhorse.
Mentioned in this episode:
Arla Foods introduces Bovear: https://x.com/ArlaFoodsUK/status/1861403156137030083
Bovear product info: https://www.dsm.com/anh/news/downloads/infographics-checklists-and-guides/bovaer-brochure-how-cows-can-help-us-fight-climate-change.html
Mississippi State on Ruminant Biology: http://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/P2503_web.pdf
McAllister, T.A. and Newbold, C.J., 2008. Redirecting rumen fermentation to reduce methanogenesis. Australian journal of experimental agriculture, 48(2): 7-13: https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA07218
Pershouse 2016. The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities. Mycelium Books: https://www.didipershouse.com/the-ecology-of-care.html
DSM’s science and research: https://our-company.dsm-firmenich.com/en/our-company/science-research.html
MIT Technology Review on methane reduction in cows: https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/01/1104391/2024-climate-tech-companies-rumin8-bovine-supplements/
Diary of a CEO episode w Bret: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=BN5eVlIijaUOkyVH&v=_cFu-b5lTMU&feature=youtu.be
BBC and far-right videos: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2n8pzk7gzo.amp
Oregon Health Authority and the election: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORHA/bulletins/3c0a48e
Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying explore the pressures to prematurely close off possibilities by examining woke" as a social phenomenon where dissent is pressured and consensus is enforced.
"...There's banish, we're not gonna platform you because you've lost your mind and there's coercion. We're gonna get you back on board with the consensus. And those two things are basically a choice. Either you get back on board with the consensus or you're out."
"The nested sets nature of logic, which branching diagrams can reveal in a different way than if you just nested the sets within parentheses or something, can show you that it could be Tyler Robinson and still not have him be some lone gun nut, which is exactly what you have established here." Heather Heying
"I get it. And it’s not that it is impossible to imagine robotic teachers doing an excellent job, but it is stunning to watch a sophisticated person fail to recognize what happens when you think that that’s what you’re going to produce, and you set it in motion.
Let me point out that Wikipedia has many of the advantages that Melania is describing in this video. It is completely democratizing of knowledge, such that it doesn’t matter where on earth you are. If you have an internet connection, you’ve got Wikipedia. It’s like an extension of your own mind, and it will make us all brilliant.
Now, of course, that didn’t happen, did it? Wikipedia is a hellscape of misinformation, much of it targeted based on a political agenda. We are less certain of what we know, and less capable of reasoning on our own.
Now, that doesn’t all come from Wikipedia, but my point is the promise of Wikipedia was not realized. And what we got instead is arguably worse than what we had before it was ...
In Ep. 318 of the Evolutionary Lens, Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying discuss how to understand our universe: through logic, intuition, and probability, through keeping track of what we believe, and being willing to change our minds.
Avoiding certainty is difficult, but necessary. Using examples of: who killed Charlie Kirk, and whether the venue where he was speaking suggests black magic, we discuss how to make sense of the world in a scientific way.
Add “Careful Thinking in Reckless Times” with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying to your podcast playlist:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FJapnzOqxY
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v77m1g0-the-318th-evolutionary-lens-with-bret-weinstein-and-heather-heying.html
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lrFDTeb5h0lcaz8ziWLUO?si=1DvxraHoT2GggKiHy0o9dQ
Apple: ...
Failure of Imagination
When zero sum thinking is a mindset
If you haven’t listened to Avraham Burg and Tucker’s conversation, I highly recommend it. As someone who is fascinated with the Israeli mindset, I found the conversation to have a wealth of information. Burg is a former Speaker of the Knesset and interim president of Israel. He grew up inside the system and spent decades at the center of Israeli political life. And in this interview, he genuinely transformed how I think about those in the Israeli political scene.
Here are the quotes that stood out to me the most:
1)
> “We Israelis live in a reality where a constitution can be seen as a threat.”
Unfortunately, I am starting to think more Americans feel this way too. A lot of Americans, especially when it comes to vaccines or figures like Charlie Kirk, seem to adopt what I would call “Sam Harrisonian” thinking—where we must trust the institutions because institutions need to be trusted. Therefore, it’s okay to ask questions… but only after the endless ...
