Best Tom Chivers Podcasts (2024)

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#352 - Our Bayesian Priors: A Dialogue with Tom Chivers 1:16:45

8d ago1:16:45

1:16:45

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Chivers about Bayesian probability and the impact Bayesian priors have on ourselves. They define Bayesian priors, Thomas Bayes, subjective aspects of Bayes theorem, and the problematic elements of statistical figures such as Galton, Pearson, and Fisher. They talk about the replication crisis, …

1
Paid-only Episode 9: Viagra

3d ago

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There’s one thing we know Viagra does very well. But what other uses does it have? Can it, as has now been claimed in three separate studies, prevent Alzheimer’s disease? In this priapic paid-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart ask if there might be something to the theory that, through some vascular mechanism, Viagra might slow the ef…

1
100: Creating Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQIA+ in STEM 1:15:17

3d ago1:15:17

1:15:17

In this episode Autumn is joined by Erika Lynn Dawson Head, the Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusive Community Development for the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, discusses her role in STEM, mentorship, and community building. The conversation dives into allyship, LGBTQ+ support, and the challenges of creating safe an…

1
#353 - A History of the Muslim World: A Dialogue with Michael Cook 3:22:26

4d ago3:22:26

3:22:26

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a conversation with Michael Cook about the history of the Muslim world. They discuss Islamic civilization from origins to modernity, early antecedents before Islam, genesis of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad and his creation of a monotheistic religion and state. They discuss succession after the death of Muhammad…

1
Episode 41: Criminal justice and forensic science

10d ago

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The criminal justice system and science are both broadly looking for the same thing - the truth. But in many cases the two don’t mix well. Whether it’s court cases that attempt to decide the truth of a scientific dispute, or the use of fingerprints, DNA, or statistics by the prosecution in a murder case, a lot can go wrong - and there’s a lot at st…

1
Minisode: Absolutely Nothing 19:32

10d ago19:32

19:32

In this episode of Breaking Math, Autumn and Gabe explore the concept of nothingness and its significance in various fields. They discuss the philosophical, scientific, mathematical, and literary aspects of nothingness, highlighting its role in understanding reality and existence. They mention books like 'Incomplete Nature' by Terence Deacon and 'Z…

1
#351 - RNA as Catalyst: A Dialogue with Thomas Cech 50:37

11d ago50:37

50:37

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Thomas Cech about RNA as a major catalyst in organic systems. They discuss why RNA does not get discussed as much as DNA, basics of DNA, RNA as a catalyst, and the splicing capabilities of RNA. They also talk about transcription, translation, and splicing, RNA as internal catalyst and external cat…

1
#350 - Voices From The New Syrian Diaspora: A Dialogue with Wendy Pearlman 1:09:04

15d ago1:09:04

1:09:04

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Wendy Pearlman about the voices from the new Syrian Diaspora. They discuss the various reasons for telling Syrian stories, protests around the world, the ongoing Syrian conflict, concept of home and internal displacement. They also talked about leaving Syria and rebuilding elsewhere, maintaining c…

1
99 (Part II) Math in Drag: Interview with OnlineKyne 27:54

17d ago27:54

27:54

Summary This episode is an interview with OnlineKyne, the author of the book Math in Drag. The conversation focuses on how to be an effective online educator and covers various topics in mathematics, including Cantor's infinite sets, probability, and statistics. The interview also delves into the process of writing the book and highlights the conne…

1
Episode 40: Addiction

19d ago

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To be addicted to something, you’ve got to… er, actually, what does it mean to be “addicted” to something? We all agree you can be addicted to heroin, but can you also be addicted to videogames, or sex, or listening to podcasts? And actually, it turns out we don’t all agree you can be addicted to heroin - or, at least, people have very different mo…

1
#349 - A Damascus Massacre: A Dialogue with Eugene Rogan 1:32:31

18d ago1:32:31

1:32:31

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Eugene Rogan about the 1860 Damascus massacre. They discuss why the 1860 Damascus massacre is still relevant, relationship between Egypt and the Ottomans, Mishaqa as US Vice-Consulate in Damascus, Ottoman Tanzimat Reforms, Druzes and Maronites with rising tensions in Lebanon and Damascus. They als…

1
#348 - Parliamentary America: A Dialogue with Maxwell Stearns 1:53:38

23d ago1:53:38

1:53:38

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Maxwell Stearns about potential changes to the Constitution. They discuss the general narrative about the US Constitution, overview of his proposed reforms, third parties as spoilers, generational shifting of parties, and history of political parties in the 19th century. They also talked about pos…

1
98. Math in Drag: An Episode with Math Educator Kyne Santos 27:57

24d ago27:57

27:57

Summary In this conversation, Gabriel Hesch interviews Kyne Santos, an online creator who combines art, music, and performance in math education. They discuss the intersection of math and music, the controversy surrounding math and drag, and the creative side of math. They also explore topics such as topology, mathematical shapes, and influential b…

1
Episode 39: Peanut allergy

24d ago

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Should you avoid giving your child peanuts to ensure they don’t develop an allergy? If you’d asked medical authorities this question in the late 90s and early 2000s, you’d get an answer that’s completely opposite to what you’d get now. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart discuss the science behind the medical recommendations on pean…

1
#347 - Failures of the Constitution: A Dialogue with Aziz Rana 1:46:03

26d ago1:46:03

1:46:03

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Aziz Rana about the failures of the US Constitution. They discuss the timeframe of 1887-1987, why people resist criticisms of the US Constitution, and creedal constitutionalism. They discuss the positive aspects of the Constitution, empire settlerism and the US state in post-reconstruction era. Th…

1
#346 - Rethinking the End of Empire: A Dialogue with Lynn Tesser 1:35:45

1M ago1:35:45

1:35:45

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lynn Tesser about the various ways of thinking about empire. They discuss moving from empire to nation states, define nationalism vs. nation states, and sovereignty and modular nationalism. They talk about rebellions in the Americas as being more mixed, the Greek revolution as performed by elites,…

1
Episode 38: Lead and crime

1M ago

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Many Western countries, most notably the US, had a major decline in their crime rate in the 1990s. About 20 years earlier, the US had banned the use of lead in gasoline. Perhaps you wouldn’t think those two facts are related - but many researchers think this wasn’t a coincidence. After getting distracted and doing a whole episode on lead and IQ a c…

1
97: (Part 2) Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith 34:11

1M ago34:11

34:11

In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf interviews Zach Weinersmith, a cartoonist and writer, about the feasibility and implications of space settlement. They discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding space colonization, including the idea that it will make us rich, mitigate war, and make us wiser. They explore the potential of the moon an…

1
#345 - How Culture Creates Emotions: A Dialogue with Batja Mesquita 1:36:25

1M ago1:36:25

1:36:25

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Batja Mesquita about the impact of culture on emotions. The discuss the distinctions between emotions, feelings, and affect, universalist vs. social constructionist theories, and the expression of emotions. They discuss the MINE vs. OURS framework, emotions in other cultures, shame and how it pres…

1
Roberto Olivardia - Beyond the Diagnosis: Experiencing and Managing ADHD | STM Podcast #215 1:01:46

1M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

On episode 215, we welcome Roberto Olivardia to discuss Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, its comorbidity with other mental health struggles and learning disorders, ways Roberto learned to manage his own ADHD, how it affects relationships and how to address it in them, why teachers in the past were unable to cope with it in their students, …

1
#344 - Economic Guarantees: A Dialogue with Natalie Foster 1:07:56

1M ago1:07:56

1:07:56

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Natalie Foster about the guarantee framework for economic stability for all Americans. They discuss what is the guarantee and why government involvement is essential, FDR and basic rights, the rise of neoliberal and neoconservative policies, and the features of the guarantee over the past 15 years…

1
96: Can We Survive on Mars? Hot Tips with Zach Weinersmith 32:43

1M ago32:43

32:43

In this conversation, Autumn Phaneuf and Zach Weinersmith discusses his new book, A City on Mars, which takes a humorous look at the challenges of building a Martian society. He explores the misconceptions and myths surrounding space settlement and the feasibility of colonizing Mars. He argues that space is unlikely to make anyone rich and that the…

1
Paid-only Episode 8: The science of Johann Hari

1M ago

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Johann Hari is a journalist with an interesting past who has now written four very popular books on scientific topics (addiction, depression, attention, and obesity). Are those books any good? In this paid-subscriber-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart—who have both written reviews of Hari’s books—discuss Hari’s career, his sudden emer…

1
#343 - Metaracism: A Dialogue with Tricia Rose 1:11:08

1M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tricia Rose about systemic racism in the United States. They discuss why and how racism persists, how it looks different from decades past, and how it evolves in institutions. They define metaracism, discuss individuals vs. institutions, understanding systems theory, colorblindness, and many more …

1
Tom Chivers - From Science to Daily Life: The Impact of Bayesian Thinking | STM Podcast #214 1:08:21

1M ago1:08:21

1:08:21

On episode 214, we welcome Tom Chivers to discuss Bayesian statistics, how their counterintuitive nature tends to turn people off, the philosophical disagreements between the Bayesians and the frequentists, why “priors” aren’t purely subjective and why all theories should be considered as priors, the difficulty of quantifying emotional states in ps…

1
#342 - The Presidency of James Polk: A Dialogue with Robert Merry 55:39

2M ago55:39

55:39

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Merry about the Presidency of James Polk. They give and overview of James Polk, influence of Andrew Jackson, Polk’s personality and trajectory, and the four major issues he tackled as President. They discuss Polk’s expansionism, the Mexican-American War, Polk’s one-term deal, legacy, and ma…

1
What's the Use? Interview with Professor Ian Stewart 44:01

1M ago44:01

44:01

Welcome to another engaging episode of the Breaking Math Podcast! Today's episode, titled "What is the Use?," features a fascinating conversation with the renowned mathematician and author, Professor Ian Stewart. As Professor Stewart discusses his latest book "What's the Use? How Mathematics Shapes Everyday Life," we dive deep into the real-world a…

1
Episode 37: Lead and IQ

2M ago

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Petrol, pipes, paint: they made a whole generation duller. That’s if you believe the research on the effects of lead on IQ. By interfering with neurological development, the lead that we used to encounter routinely has left hundreds of millions of us with a tiny bit of brain damage. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look at the to…

1
#341 - How NOT To Do Your Own Research: A Dialogue with Alex Edmans 44:00

2M ago44:00

44:00

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Edmans about misinformation and the role of human biases. They discuss how to look at data, confirmation bias, statements not facts, facts not data, and the value and limits of the scientific method. They also discuss data mining and ethics with stats, correlation not being causation, data wi…

1
#340 - How the American Heartland Turned Red: A Dialogue with Stephanie Ternullo 1:31:12

2M ago1:31:12

1:31:12

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stephanie Ternullo about the political shift from liberal to conservative in the American heartland over the 20th century. They discuss how she constructed her study, makeup of the three Midwest cities used in the study, New Deal coalition, place-based partisanship, role of unions, and many more t…

1
95: Bayes' Theorem Explains It All: An Interview with Tom Chivers 49:18

2M ago49:18

49:18

Summary Tom Chivers discusses his book 'Everything is Predictable: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World' and the applications of Bayesian statistics in various fields. He explains how Bayesian reasoning can be used to make predictions and evaluate the likelihood of hypotheses. Chivers also touches on the intersection of AI and ethics, particul…

1
Episode 36: Vitamin D

2M ago

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Preventing cancer. Curing depression. Single-handedly ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh, and something to do with your bones. Is there anything Vitamin D can’t do? Maybe the answer is “quite a lot”. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look into the claims about the wondrous powers of Vitamin D supplements - and whether any of them ha…

1
#339 - Planta Sapiens: A Dialogue with Paco Calvo 1:28:19

2M ago1:28:19

1:28:19

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paco Calvo about the intelligence of plants. They discuss plant blindness, plant intelligence, sun tracking and internal representations, predictive processing, and what is it like to be a plant. They discuss domesticated and wild plants, time, individuality of plants, ethics, and many more topics…

1
Ed Simon - Faust in the 21st Century: Have We Made a Deal with the Devil? | STM Podcast #213 1:04:45

2M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

On episode 213, we welcome Edward Simon to discuss the mythological history of the tale of Faust and Mephistopheles, god and the devil in theology, whether both figures can represent internal struggles between right and wrong, why so many identify with Faust’s decisions, whether the story implies that willful ignorance is just as evil as maliciousn…

1
Ep 28: Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Flooded Kingdoms and Lost Worlds ft. Gareth E. Rees 44:47

2M ago44:47

44:47

I’m pleased to welcome back writer Gareth E. Rees for round two on the podcast! This time, we explore his latest book Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Flooded Kingdoms and Lost Worlds. Drawing on the book's central themes, Gareth and I discuss the history of flood myths and their continued relevance in the face of the climate crisis. We also chat ab…

1
#338 - Victim: A Dialogue with Andrew Boryga 1:22:46

2M ago1:22:46

1:22:46

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Boryga about his novel on victimhood. They discuss how he approaches writing novels vs. non-fiction pieces, choosing themes for the novel, personal influence on fictional characters, evolution of characters, and using tragedy and victimhood for clout. They also discuss dealing with social j…

1
94. Interview with Steve Nadis, Co-author of 'Gravity of Math' 52:40

2M ago52:40

52:40

Summary **Tensor Poster - If you are interested in the Breaking Math Tensor Poster on the mathematics of General Relativity, email us at BreakingMathPodcast@gmail.com In this episode, Gabriel Hesch and Autumn Phaneuf interview Steve Nadis, the author of the book 'The Gravity of Math.' They discuss the mathematics of gravity, including the work of I…

1
Episode 35: The loneliness epidemic

2M ago

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We can all agree that being lonely is bad. But apparently, science shows it’s really, really bad. Indeed, being lonely is so dangerous to your health that its equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And it gets worse: we’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic, meaning that the health of millions is at risk. In this episode of The Studies Show…

1
#337 - Wahhābism: A Dialogue with Cole Bunzel 1:41:00

2M ago1:41:00

1:41:00

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Cole Bunzel about the Islamic branch of Wahhābism. They talk about the current landscape of Wahhābism, extreme and non-extreme uses of Wahhābism and some of the differences between terrorists groups that use Wahhābism. They discuss Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and how he started a movement, modeling himself …

1
Mark L. Ruffalo - The Myth of the Medical Model of Mental Illness | STM Podcast #212 1:11:36

2M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

On episode 212, we welcome Mark L. Ruffalo to discuss the misunderstanding of the so-called “medical model” of psychiatry, why there’s a gap between mainstream medicine and trauma-informed care, the ways in which biology and environment interact to produce mental illness, the difference between responsibility and blame, Judith Herman and the histor…

1
#336 - The Secular Gospel of Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Dialogue with James Marcus 1:25:53

2M ago1:25:53

1:25:53

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Marcus about the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. They discuss how the book is formed and how themes are pulled from Emerson’s life, his religious background and relationship with religion over his lifetime, unitarianism, and when do we find our identity. They talk about first and secon…

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