#29: Science, Skepticism, and Conspiracy Theories

Thinking Critically

In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with David Gorski about science, skepticism, and conspiracy theories. They discuss: •His science journey and how he became a skeptic. •How debunking Holocaust denialists eventually lead him to found his blog Respectful Insolence. •The anti-vaccination movement, the movie Vaxxed, and how correlation doesn't imply causation. •What confounding factors are in scientific studies and why it's so important that they must be accounted for. •The difference between a genuine conspiracy and a conspiracy theory. •How all science denial is based in conspiracy theory. •How the anti-vaccination community is recycling old anti-science tropes and aiming them now at the COVID-19 vaccines. •And other topics. Dr. David Gorski is an American surgical oncologist, professor of surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and a surgical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, specializing in breast cancer surgery. He is an outspoken skeptic, and a critic of alternative medicine and the anti-vaccination movement. He is the author of the blog Respectful Insolence and the managing editor of the website Science-Based Medicine. You can find the websites mentioned in the episode here: Respectful Insolence: https://respectfulinsolence.com/ Science-Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ You can find David on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gorskon You can find this episode on our YouTube channel as well: https://bit.ly/2M6gWXV This show is supported and produced by Final Stretch Media. Final Stretch believes in creating something that disrupts attention spans and challenges the marketing status quo. They do this by creating high quality visual content that captivates your audience. You can find them on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fsmedia2020 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalstretch_media/ This show is also supported by QuikLee; the creators of Brain Racers. The world's first ever live racing competition for the brain. Download their app and play live on the weekends on an iOS device against the world. We have raced and it's a blast! App Download: https://apple.co/33n8aJs Our last sponsor creates survival technology as well as camping and other outdoor gear. Outer Wild's ultimate goal is to provide clean technologies for everyday devices as they are driven to create a more sustainable world. Use the code IS on your next purchase and receive an additional 10% off! Website: https://www.outer-wild.com/