Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Patrick R. Riccards, CEO of Life After Hate, joins the podcast to discuss how his organization uses evidence-based practices to help former extremists deradicalized and reintegrate into society. We cover whether prevention of violent extremism programs are well equipped for the potential Trump presidency …

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Robert Green, a Ph.D. student from Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, joins me to discuss the origins of the incel community and the black pill radicalization process that can lead to men in the movement engaging in acts of domestic terrorism towards women. We cover what interventions can be i…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, the director of the Bard Center for Study of Hate and author of "Conflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debates," Ken Stern, joins me to discuss the events of October 7th and how the Antisemitism Awareness Act is being used to censor speech. A scholar who developed the working definition …

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Mike Rothschild returns to discuss his new book, Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds & 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories. We go over the history and legacy of the Rothchild's name in Judaism and how they became target number one for antisemitic narratives. We also speak about the current state of antisemi…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, lecturer and researcher on conspiratorial beliefs Ilya Yablokov joins me to discuss Russia Today's usage of conspiratorial ideologies and how that has helped the Kremlin villainize the U.S. He shares his thoughts on how U.S. and Russian conspiracy theory culture is similar and different. As well as addres…

Send us a Text Message. In today's episode, Royce Hutson, Ph.D., joins me to discuss the role of social workers in addressing political extremism and the effectiveness of violent extremism prevention programs. We also discuss the state of political extremism with the upcoming 2024 elections. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagr…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Pierre joins me to discuss the psychosocial elements that contributed to the susceptibility of the QAnon movement, and the varying degrees of convictions held by Q followers. We explore what the future might hold for QAnon as a potential Trump presidency slowly creeps back…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware counterterrorism experts from the Council on Foreign Relations stop by to discuss their new book "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far Right Terrorism in America." which tracks the history of white supremacy from the Reconstruction era all the way to the modern-day America. They offer…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Matson and Tawni Browning join to discuss their 2023 book "The Hate Next Door: Undercover within the New Face of White Supremacy," which documents their experience going undercover as white political extremists infiltrating hate groups such as the National Alliance and Unit 88. They offer some reasons why…

Platinum-Blazing 2.0 - The Pause This week RTK discusses the progress of the podcast and the need to take a break – to pause the podcast for a few weeks so a new and improved and better organized podcast and continue in the future. MERRY CHRISTMAS RTK send his Christmas greetings, including this song by the Goo Goo Dolls as a message for these craz…

David Kibiloski, Stumble Inn & AT Kids Inspired by a 2018 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, David (“Texas”) and his wife Danielle (“Stumbles”) located a great property for a hostel in Front Royal, Virginia. Renovating the ground floor, Texas and Stumbles created a wonderful home-away-from-home for tired hikers, which has everything a hiker may wa…

After completing a section hike of the AT in 2009, the allure of the Trail stayed with Rebecca James (trail name “Cantelope”). When the time was right for a geographic move, she kept her eyes on proximity to the AT and settled into Burke’s Garden, Virginia - a slice of heaven much of the world passes by. When the right property became available, th…

Bob Campbell This week we speak with Mainer Bob Campbell - an experienced local hiker having marched through the 100-Mile Wilderness ten times, summited Katahdin 70 times, and now dreaming of a time for a thru-hike of the entire AT. Bob gives listeners an overview of the Gulf Hagas hike in northern Maine just off the AT in the HMW. Hopefully this i…

Warren Doyle This is a continuation of RTK’s interview with Warren Doyle - a true legend, sometimes more infamous, but if you listen fairly, we think you’ll find much to be inspired by. (RTK’s own thru-hike was inspired by Warren.) Warren went on to complete more circuits of the Appalachian Trail than any other person - 18 times he has gone end-to-…

Warren Doyle This week RTK interviews a legend - some might say a famous character, some might say infamous - Warren Doyle. RTK’s own thru-hike was inspired by Warren and you’ll hear a little about that. Warren had just set a new “FKT” for completing a supported thru-hike, when RTK attended a presentation of that accomplishment. Warren sent on to c…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, DeMario Phipps-Smith, a Senior Manager of Community Learning at the News Literacy Project, joins me to discuss news media literacy. As AI technology evolves at a fast pace, scholars on misinformation wonder how this will change our understanding of false narratives. What role do educators have in this soc…

PAUL FULLER & CARATUNK HOUSE In 1990 Paul “One Braid” Fuller completed his first thru-hike - this one of the Appalachian Trail. After two thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and another hike of the AT, Paul started Caratunk House, a hiker hostel in Caratunk, Maine - just a few steps north of the Kennebec River and just a few steps off the AT. Aft…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Matthew Facciani a sociologist at the University of Notre Dame in the Computer Science and Engineering department joins me to discuss how negative vaccine attitudes don't necessarily tell us about public health behaviors. We touch upon whether government regulations of social media to mitigate misinformat…

Almost every thru-hiker has great expectations for Mt. Katahdin located in Baxter State Park in Maine. Many have the impression that Baxter is all about rules and regulations - even potentially limiting the number of thru-hikers permitted to summit. In this podcast, RTK tries to show how the thru-hike experience gave him a greater sense of apprecia…

SOLA Hostel - Appalachian Christian Retreat Douglas Douma (trailname, Banzai) is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Wake Forest University, and Sangre de Cristo Seminary. He is an ordained minister in the Bible Presbyterian Church and pastor of Unionville Presbyterian Church in Unionville, New York. Doug is also author of “The Presbyterian P…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Todd C. Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, joins me to talk about how AI-generated imagery will change how mis and disinformation is created and disseminated. We discussed how effective regulating this technology will be in mitigating propaganda and political extremism and whet…

Josh, Cassie, and Harvey Sutton live in Lynchburg, VA. Known on Instagram as LiveSutton, they promote “Live life fully!" Josh, Cassie, and Harvey have done just that. After realizing that a healthy retirement wasn't guaranteed, they decided to restructure their life to one filled with extraordinary stories by taking mini-retirements throughout thei…

Welcome to Episode # 1 of the Platinum Blazing Podcast. A new podcast in the Hiking Radio Network hosted by Bruce “RTK” Matson. This episode is an introduction to “Platinum Blazing” - it's about “The Who, What, Where & How of Platinum Blazing.” In this episode we hear an interesting story about how the origins of Platinum Blazing go back to norther…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, I am joined by conspiracy theory researcher and QAnon expert, Mike Rothschild. We explore the origins of QAnon, whether mental health practitioners have a role in addressing far-right conspiracy theories and assess the conspiratorial framework of the Q movement based on his 2021 book "The Storm Is Upon Us…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology from the University of London. We explore the origins of the Wellness Movement in the U.S. and the people who helped develop its foundations. Then explore whether inaccessibility to healthcare puts more people at risk of medical misi…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, I am joined by board-certified forensic psychiatrist Dr. Brian Holoyda, whose work involves paraphilic disorders and cult-like behaviors. In our conversation we discuss the concepts of Delusion Like Beliefs (DLBs) and whether QAnon fits the criteria of being a cult movement. We also cover the diagnostic a…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, renowned behavioral scientist Dr. Rakoen Maertens from Cambridge University joins me to discuss the development of the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST) and the importance of creating metric tools that have high validity in measuring false narratives. We cover what the mainstream media needs to do…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Cian O'Mahony, a Ph.D. candidate at the University College Cork, joins me to talk about the most effective interventions in reducing conspiratorial inclinations and how video games can help us develop the cognitive tools to prevent becoming victims of false narratives. We end our discussion by talking abo…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Daniel Berman, a postdoctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Historian of Education & Curriculum, joins me to discuss his research on 9/11 conspiracy theories and how they have influenced classroom discussions. We tell our memories of September 11 and briefly talk about conspiracy theo…

Send us a Text Message. As the negative impact of COVID-19 dies down, many influencers in the conspiracy theory community are searching for the next existential threat to boost their popularity and financial gains. Recently, the trans community has become the new outgroup to attack with conspiracy theories. The trend was further exacerbated when on…

Send us a Text Message. Today's episode covers the breaking news about Tucker Carlson's departure from FOX News. What events triggered Tucker's termination from FOX, and where does the most popular political pundit head next? Will Tucker Carlson join Newsmaxx, become the next Rush Limbaugh or become exclusive to the Daily Wire? Facebook The Social …

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Bruce Thyer, a Distinguished Research Professor from Florida State University, joins the podcast to discuss the negative implications of pseudoscientific theories within MSW programs and practices. In this episode Bruce Thyer explains pseudoscience and the history behind such concepts. We discussed the ob…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Stephan McCabe, a postdoctoral associate from George Washington University, joins me to discuss his research on misinformation campaigns regarding U.S. elections and their implication to voting behaviors. We also dive into what factors contribute to succumbing to disinformation and whether left-wing conspira…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Nelson talks about his experience attending a TurningPointUSA event at Rutgers University. In this event, Nelson attempts to understand the conspiratorial mindset of Candace Owens (a right wing commentator and conspiracy theorist) by asking her opinion about the 1.6 billion dollar defamation lawsuit again…

Send us a Text Message. In recent weeks FOX News has been exposed for spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories about the 2020 Election. After text messages and emails revealed that FOX hosts like Sean Hannity, Lauren Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson disavowed these ideas yet still promoted them to their audience members, Tucker Carlson has gone…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Ph.D. candidate and librarian Bradley Wiles talks about how conspiracy theories have forced the librarian profession to rethink its code of ethics regarding political propaganda and disinformation. We also touch upon whether media information literacy effectively pulls people out of the rabbit hole. Faceb…

Send us a Text Message. One of the most prominent conspiracy theories in ancient and contemporary society is that of antisemitism (hatred of Jews). In recent times influential political pundits such as Nick Fuentes and pop artist, Kanye West have promoted conspiracy theories targeting the Jewish community. Such rhetoric brings much concern among hi…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Dr. Benjamin Dow, an academic researcher in the field of conspiratorial ideologies and professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU), joins me to discuss conspiracy theories within politics and whether major left-wing conspiracy theories exist in the 2022 political arena. More importantly, we examine w…

Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, Aoife Gallagher from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and author of Web of Lies: The Lures and Dangers of Conspiracy Theories joins me to discuss her expertise on misinformation and conspiratorial ideologies. In our discussion, we cover her background as a digital researcher, look at what consti…

Send us a Text Message. Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was obligated to pay the family members of the Sandy Hook massacre 965 million dollars after the jury ruled that Jones had abused his influence and enabled radical conspiracists to harrassed and send death threats to people like Robbie Parker, Lenny Pozner, and others. Since that rul…

Send us a Text Message. Fascism is often used by the political left to refer to the political right and vice versa. But what is fascism? What are its characteristics? In this episode, we look at what makes a political ideology fascist and understand the challenges in defining such a term. We address this issue as Italy elects its first female Prime…

Send us a Text Message. In the arena of political discourse, many can regard political commentator Bill Maher as an influential figure in mainstream television. Known for combining politics and comedy, Bill Maher has never shied away from controversy. However, in recent years, many on the political left have noticed a swift change in his rhetoric. …

Send us a Text Message. Are we alone? It is one of humanity's greatest mysteries and one that carries our imagination into the cosmos. But what if I told you that in 1994, in a remote African community, a group of children found the answer to this question? Would you believe me? In today’s episode,, we look into one of the most famous incidences of…

Send us a Text Message. On September 11, 2001, four American airlines were hijacked and converted into weapons of war. One of these planes was Flight 93, which departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey, heading to San Francisco Internation Airport when at 9:28 am Ziad Jarrah, and three other Al-Qaeda terrorists stormed into the cockp…

Send us a Text Message. On December 14th, 2012, twenty children and six adults were murdered by 20-year-old Adam Lanza at Sandy Hook Elementary. In the aftermath of the tragedy, law enforcement and politicians tried to help explain what occurred and why, but as with all breaking news stories, details were reported without confirmation. As a result,…

Send us a Text Message. Since Pride Month in 2022, the political right has mobilized an offensive attack on the LGBTQIA+ community in the name of the culture war. For many mental health experts, such opposition, specifically to transgender individuals, causes physical and psychological stressors. However, one clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peters…

Send us a Text Message. In today's episode, Nelson and Tim discuss the effects of 5G radiation on the human body by talking about the conspiracy theories about EMFs and radiation. Also, a review on whether the Omnia Balance products are tested effectively will be covered. Tim Sandars then offers a 12% discount on any purchase when using promo code:…

Send us a Text Message. In today's episode, Tim Sandars joins as a guest to speak on his research and understanding of non-thermal EMF radiation, precisely that of 5G. We explore the genesis of his story regarding EMF research and review some of the studies that support the claims that 5G radiation is harmful to the human body. In this two-part ser…

Send us a Text Message. On June 5th, 1981, hospitals in Los Angeles, California, began to notice an alarming trend of patients developing pneumocystis pneumonia. At the time, medical experts were puzzled by what was causing these severe symptoms. By 1982 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) finally identified the cause of the deadly disease that ha…

Send us a Text Message. In 2011, Renaud Camus published a book titled "Le Grand Remplacement," or as it's translated in English, The Great Replacement. In his book, he contends that the mass migration of people from the Middle East and Africa will destabilize white-dominated countries but, worst of all, lead to the extinction of the white race that…