Brian Dunning from Skeptoid on Joe Rogan's Podcast

[MondoAtheist]

http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/brian-dunning

Brian Dunning is an American writer and producer who focuses on skepticism. He has hosted a weekly podcast, Skeptoid, since 2006 and is an author of 5 books on the subject of scientific skepticism.

I like Joe Rogan's podcast because I think he says a lot of funny stuff and he's a goofy guy. He's a bit off the wall, and probably wrong more than right like most of us are. But I still find him interesting and a lot of his guests are cool. Brian Dunning being one of them. Sorry about the bad description, but you should definitely check it out if you don't mind swearing and are into podcasts. They talk a lot about conspiracy theories and pseudoscience.

 

[Jerrymander]

Interesting since Dunning put Rogan on his "Top 10 Anti-Science Celebrities".

 

[Puppycow]

Interesting since Dunning put Rogan on his "Top 10 Anti-Science Celebrities".

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4125

#8 - Joe Rogan

Comedian Joe Rogan does what he can to promote virtually any conspiracy theory that he stumbles onto, apparently accepting them all uncritically with a wholesale embrace. He believes the Apollo astronauts did not land on the moon. He believes the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He believes the Oliver Stone version of the Kennedy assassination. He believes aliens crashed at Roswell in 1947 and the government is covering it up. He thinks Men in Black from Project Blue Book stole his friend's camera, even though Project Blue Book ended over 38 years ago. The worst part is that he promotes these ideas to the public at every interview opportunity, but gives himself the intellectual "Get out of jail free" card of not needing any evidence by hiding behind the childish debate technique of saying "Hey, I'm just the guy asking questions." Joe, if you're going to put so much effort into promoting conspiracy theories and eroding what little rationality the public has left, at least have the courage to come forward with a cogent argument and well-sourced evidence, instead of the lameness of "I'm just the guy asking questions." Take the responsibility.

If the above is true, I have to agree with Dunning.

I briefly subscribed to Rogan's podcast at one point. I think I listened to about one, and it seemed to be a conspiracy about why marijuana is illegal in the US. I think one of the famous early big newspaper men was behind it. Possibly Hearst. Because he owned paper mills, and what he really wanted was for industrial hemp to be illegal, and focusing on marijuana use and exaggerated stories about its dangers was how to do that in a round-about manner.



Isn't is kind of contradictory to believe that (1) the moon landing was faked and (2) aliens visited Earth? (1) implies that space travel is very difficult, while (2) implies that actually it is easy. I mean, if aliens landed in Roswell in 1947 and the government had access to their flying saucer, wouldn't that help them design their own spaceships? Why not replicate the alien technology to build our moon mission 22 years later?

 

[kookbreaker]

I briefly subscribed to Rogan's podcast at one point. I think I listened to about one, and it seemed to be a conspiracy about why marijuana is illegal in the US. I think one of the famous early big newspaper men was behind it. Possibly Hearst. Because he owned paper mills, and what he really wanted was for industrial hemp to be illegal, and focusing on marijuana use and exaggerated stories about its dangers was how to do that in a round-about manner.

And that one falls apart when you learn that Hearst didn't own paper-mills, or tree farms, or any of the paper things Herer claimed he owned besides his publishing empire.

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

The first thing addressed in the podcast was Rogan being on Dunning's list. Even as an ardent skeptic, I must say that after listening to the whole show, Dunning didn't come off so well. Don't get me wrong, he was correct in most of what he said...he just came off very combative and wasn't very likable.