With eyewitness testimony in the US Congress and purported alien bodies being wheeled into the Mexican Congress, it looks like we're in another UFO craze right now. It was great to have science writer and sceptical investigator Mick West on the podcast to make sense of this evidence and evaluate what the odds are that aliens truly walk among us. Check it out in video or audio-only format … [Read more...]
Science
Greg Souders
To say that Greg Souders is a huge believer in drilling and gamification is actually an understatement. Greg believes that BJJ training methods have not kept up with the science of learning, and runs Standard Jiu-Jitsu in Rockville, Maryland without teaching any techniques. And black belt medalist students at the Pan Ams and the World Championships suggest that he's onto something! I really … [Read more...]
The Battle Against Disinformation and Information Nihilism, with Brooke Binowski
Brooke Binowski is a journalist specialising in debunking disinformation and misinformation. She has worked for Snopes and is now the managing editor at TruthOrFiction.com. In this episode we talk about Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, how disinformation campaigns are structured, white supremacists, why the wellness space is so prone to believing conspiracy theories, and how we can know what's … [Read more...]
Alex Jones, Alt Right Hippies with Guns, and More with Derek Beres
Derek Beres is an author and co-host at the Conspirituality Podcast. He joined me today to talk about the recent Alex Jones verdict, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, conspirituality and his predictions for the future. Alex Jones, Alt Right Hippies with Guns, and More with Derek Beres (Video Version) Here is the video of my conversation with Derek... Alex Jones, Alt Right Hippies with … [Read more...]
The Art of Fighting Bullshit in the Martial Arts and Everywhere Else, with Phrost from Bullshido
I first came across Phrost and Bullshido on an online forum that did some absolutely brutal takedowns of martial arts frauds. Now, years later, he's still fighting bullshit on as many fronts as he can manage. From Steven Seagal getting choked out on set... to the state of the US education system... to health influencers making fraudulent claims... to manipulation techniques used online... and … [Read more...]
Inclusive Jiu-Jitsu with Erin Wedekind
Erin teaches jiu-jitsu in Appleton Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode we have a great discussion of trans athetes in jiu-jitsu and a little bit of polite debate about trans athletes competing in elite sport. I found this a very informative conversation and gained some valuable perspective on the science of transition. More about Erin at metricsbjj.com Inclusive Jiu-Jitsu (Video … [Read more...]
Long Covid & How to Minimise Transmission
Note - this was published on July 13th, 2022 and updated on July 22, 2022. I will try to update this page with new information as I come across it. Image of SARS-Cov-2 virus from Wikimedia. I can think of several jiu-jitsu training partners and several firefighters I've worked with who have been crippled by Long Covid. And I'm not unique; by now most people know someone who has been affected … [Read more...]
How to Add Judo Takedowns to Your BJJ Game, with Chris Round
Chris Round is a Judo black belt under Jimmy Pedro. In this episode we talk about How to add Judo throws to your BJJ arsenal, Old school vs new school Judo training methods, Kosen Judo which focuses very heavily on groundwork, The critical importance of gripfighting and how to develop it, Leg grabs, belt grabs, crazy Eastern European throws, And more! To consume this … [Read more...]
The Red Flags That Indicate You’re Dealing with Pseudoscience, with Jonathan Jarry
Being able to tell the difference between real science and pseudoscience has never been more important, especially given the staggering amounts of misinformation and disinformation being circulated on a daily basis. In this episode I talk with Jonathan Jarry, a scientist who works for McGill University's Office for Science and Society, which uses the tagline 'Separating Sense from … [Read more...]