The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott

From Darkness to Zion Lights

I interview former Extinction Rebellion UK spokesperson Zion Lights and we discuss light pollution, anti-nuclear sentiments in the environmental movement, and how to fix them.
Zion is Director of Environmental Progress Europe and author of The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting and Only a Moment. She is an environmental journalist and former Editor of The Hourglass, Extinction Rebellion's newspaper. Zion has a master’s degree in Science Communication from The University of the West of England (UWE). (zionlights.co.uk)
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#therationalview #newpodcast #evidencebased #extinctionrebellion #nuclearpower #nuclearreactors #darksky #environment #climatechange #sustainability #ecofriendly #globalwarming #greenenergy #science

Men advancing equality

Men perpetrate the majority of violent attacks in modern society.  Why? Men are expected to be self sufficient. Men are expected to be providers and protectors. Men are expected to make the first move, but only if it is wanted. Men are not allowed to cry or talk about their emotions. As boys they are taught to “Man up” and “Be a man”. Men are under a lot of pressure in modern society as traditional gender roles are changing. They need role good role models and they need help to deal with their problems. 
So how do we address these mens’ issues and make the world a better place? In this episode I interview Kevin Bruce Scott, leader of the Effortless Alpha Masculine Expansion. 
When Kevin Bruce Scott speaks, his messages connect people to their hearts as well as the minds. He has lived many different lives – as an artist, businessman, salesman, even a farmer! - and that helps him relate to all kinds of people. Kevin strives to give his dedicated clients a feeling of potential possibility in their life, something one tends to forget they have hidden all along. He is a leader of leaders, a leader of men, and works hard to be an example for men of all walks of life. The motto for the Effortless Alpha brotherhood he created is “To inspire, and create space for, men to access their own potential through the bond of brotherhood where no man feels alone.” His life-transforming work with men in groups and one-on-one has sparked the Masculine Expansion, creating a space for men to lead themselves and their communities with power, honour, discipline, and respect.
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#therationalview #newpodcast #mensissues #equality #effortlessalpha #wagegap #familygap #gender #metoo #domesticviolence

Nuclear vs. Renewables

Millions of people are dying every year due to pollution from burning of fossil fuels. Entire ecosystems are at risk due to climate change caused by CO2 buildup. We need to displace half of society's fossil fuel burning by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. The scientific community, represented by the IPCC report, provides several paths to reach these goals, and all of them require a significant increase in nuclear power. And yet environmental NGOs are lobbying governments to shut down nuclear reactors prematurely. They claim that solar and wind are better solutions, and they have scientific papers that seem to back them up.  A close look at the literature shows a large dichotomy in the estimates of energy return on investment (EROI) for both technologies.
Knowing that the energy density of nuclear power is much higher than solar and wind, it would seem that the EROI should reflect a significant advantage. In this episode I dig into the scientific papers underlying the EROI estimates of solar panels and nuclear reactors and try to find out why the estimates are so divergent. The truth might surprise you.
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#therationalview #newpodcast #evidencebased #science #nuclearpower #nuclearreactor #cleanenergy #green #renewables #solar #renewableenergy #greenenergy #energy

Can we afford [not] to have Universal Basic Income?

The global economy is in a shambles due to CoVid-19 and millions of workers are suffering with no safety net.  The last time the economy tanked like this in 2008 it was due to unregulated greed run amok in the mortgage financing industry. That time, Investment Bankers got a juicy handout to the tune of several trillion dollars approved within hours of the crash. Unemployed Canadian workers have received $2,000 per month since March. In the US today, however, desperate folks who have lost their jobs and health care have received a one-time cheque of $1,200. 
This leaves many people calling for a re-assessment of Universal Basic Income. Can our modern economy afford to provide a minimum standard of living to the poor? Will it disincentivize labour? What are the pros and cons?
On this episode I interview Mr. Floyd Marinescu to ask tough questions about Universal Basic Income. Mr. Marinescu is CEO and co-founder of C4Media which provides software development news and learning events serving 1.2M online on InfoQ.com, and 8000 attendees annually via QCon conferences in SF, NY, London, Beijing, Shanghai, and Sao Paulo.  Floyd is an angel investor in over a dozen startups, and has built teams and businesses in the US, Canada, China, Brazil, Europe.  Floyd is also a CEO activist for universal basic income. He is the founder of CEOs for Basic Income and UBI Works.  Go to https://UBIWorks.ca for more info.
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#therationalview #newpodcast #universalbasicincome #basicincome #ubi #automation #covid #socialism #capitalism #economy #income #evidencebased

The Divide of Fear

In this episode I talk about some of the feedback I've received from my earlier interview with Dr. Stephen Levitsky, "This is How Liberty Dies". I discuss what Dr. Levitsky spoke about as one of the major drivers behind the polarization of political discourse, and how fear of changing demographics in western society has been used as a wedge in political discourse.
 
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#therationalview #newpodcast #evidencebased #politics #polarization #fear #polarisation #diversity #democracy #fascism #authoritarian #hatespeech #racism

The Big Bang: Just another origin story?

In this episode I interview religious studies scholar Dr. Janet Tulloch to discuss the Big Bang, and other origin stories. Let's go explore where science and religion collide. I hope you find it an interesting journey!
Janet Tulloch is an adjunct research professor in the College of Humanities at Carleton University in Ottawa. She is a cultural historian with a PhD in Religious Studies. She is also a member of the Ottawa centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. She recently received two awards from RASC-Ottawa one for her writing about ancient religions and their connection to the night sky and one for her interpretation of the night sky through visual art.
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#therationalview #newpodcast #evidencebased #science #bigbangtheory #origins #religion 

Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (2 of 2)?

This is part 2 of my interview with 'The Rad Guy' D.J. LeClear, investigating the science behind radiation, and the public perception of risk in nuclear power.
Part one discussed the types of radiation, its sources, and its potential health impacts and benefits. In this episode we explore the public perceptions surrounding nuclear power.
D.J. has been in nuclear power and radiation health physics since his enlistment in the US Naval Nuclear Program where he did radiochemistry and radiation protection aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Currently, he works in health emergency preparedness as a technical expert for radiation hazards. He has a bachelor of science in Nuclear Engineering Technology and he is enrolled in the Health Physics Master's program at Illinois Institute of Technology. In his spare time, he runs the Facebook page "The Pragmatic Environmentalist" and his new YouTube channel, "The Rad Guy".
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#therationalview #newpodcast #science #evidencebased #radiation #nuclear #nuclearpower #nuclearenergy #nuclearreactor #chernobyl #fukushima 

Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (1 of 2)?

In this episode (part 1 of 2), I interview the Rad Guy, D.J. LeClear and together we explore whether it is rational to be worried about nuclear power.
Part one discusses the types of radiation, its sources, and its potential health impacts and benefits. In episode two we will explore the public perceptions surrounding nuclear power.
D.J. has been in nuclear power and radiation health physics since his enlistment in the US Naval Nuclear Program where he did radiochemistry and radiation protection aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Currently, he works in health emergency preparedness as a technical expert for radiation hazards. He has a bachelor of science in Nuclear Engineering Technology and he is enrolled in the Health Physics Master's program at Illinois Institute of Technology. In his spare time, he runs the Facebook page "The Pragmatic Environmentalist" and his new YouTube channel, "The Rad Guy".
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#therationalview #newpodcast #science #evidencebased #radiation #nuclear #nuclearpower #nuclearenergy #nuclearreactor #chernobyl #fukushima 

What's an Eco-Modernist?

In this episode I interview Mr. Gabriel Ignetti, author of the Eco-Modernist podcast. Gabe explains the ideas behind Eco-Modernism and decoupling the development of civilization from the environment using technology. Eco-Modernism is a politically neutral movement that is pro-science, pro-nuclear, pro-vaccine, and generally pro-development. It embraces a Star-Trek vision of the future where science and technology can create a Utopian future for humanity. Nuclear power can address climate change. Believe it!
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#therationalview #newpodcast #evidencebased #ecomodernism #science #nuclearpower #environment #climatechange 

Homeopathy and the Placebo Effect

Homeopathy is one of the most successful medical businesses on the planet with a market size in the billions of dollars. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that it works better than a placebo: the scientific basis of Homeopathy is missing. What’s the deal?  
Placebos can help mitigate pain and anxiety without the dangerous side effects of pharmaceuticals. Are they a safe alternative to traditional medicine? How do they work?
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#newpodcast #therationalview #homeopathy #evidencebased #science #placebo #alternativemedicine #holistic #medicine #homeopathic #acupuncture