In this episode, Josh and Ian continue their series on "isms" and discuss the history, philosophy, and contemporary applications of skepticism and cynicism. They begin discussing why intellectual skepticism is so important for the podcast's mantra, then move into clarifying modern definitions that highlight the skeptical attitude. They follow the historical development of the philosophy of skepticism, its influence on the development of Enlightenment ideals and of science, how illusions about...

On this first week of NBSNews, Josh and Ian cover the ongoing pandemic that is COVID-19 and the many economic societal effects that have stemmed from the disease, Trump's presidency and how the current Federal and State administrations are handling the outbreak, conspiracy theories surrounding the virus, the Fed offering a large sum of money in loans to help support the economy, the Department of Education temporarily suspending payments on Federal student loans, Trump's base not taking Coron...

In this episode, Josh and Ian have a broad discussion about the value and current state of education. They begin with speaking about people's intuitions on education and how math is viewed in this country. Then they introduce the philosophy of John Dewey and his influence on our education system and the power of pragmatism and progressive learning. Moving into practical applications in education, they start off with early childhood education and talk about some statistics regarding the import...

In this episode, Josh and Ian speak about the nature of disease and the spread of viruses around the globe. They start with a brief PSA about the podcast, then move into discussing the nature of bacteria, how it relates to the origins of life, and how the gut microbiome and digestive system influence our thoughts and lives, the many practical applications of bacteria, how disease was thought of during the middle ages in Europe, what constitutes as life in the realm of viruses, the problem of ...

In this episode, Josh and Ian discuss the political implications and cultural uses of lying. They begin by talking about the increasing digitization of people's private information, and how the internet necessarily conceals intent by both governments and corporations. Then they move into discuss the issues of trust, deceit, and political narratives in the ongoing spread of memetic warfare, and unpack an example of a political meme at length.After the break, Josh and Ian discuss the definition...

In this episode, Josh and Ian continue their discussion on contemporary economics, human nature and consumerism, and the morality of billionaires. They begin by giving a basic breakdown of what is understood as the modern science of economics and its origins; supply-and-demand vs. cost-benefit analysis; free will and choice under psychologically influencing markets.After the break, they move into the pitfalls of modern consumerism, human comfortability, Nietzsche's last man and the prevalence...

In this episode, Josh and Ian give their own perspectives of economics by looking at their two "opposing" essays. They begin by addressing claims made in Ian's essay, Capitalism: Domination or Freedom?, and work through how domination is found across the modern economic landscape, such as in banks, student debt, and police entrapment; civic responsibility and state authority/dependency; universal basic income and how the state may foster more individual liberty; how we can move out the hypocr...

In this episode, Josh and Ian discuss the cultural and important relevance of science fiction and the implications of myth on society. They reference films like Blade Runner and its sequel Blade Runner 2049, and how the replicants in those films mirror characters in the Amazon Prime show, Humans; the potential problems with automation; the religious symbolism and strong character drama in HBO's, The Leftovers; how shows like Cowboy Bebop and Firefly influenced the Star Wars spin-off show The ...

In this episode of the podcast, Josh and Ian discuss the meaning of truth and perspective, within the confines of science, philosophy, and politics. They talk about how important truth is on a personal and psychological level; how emotions often tend to inform truth, just as much as reason; the move into postmodernity within politics, society, and philosophy; critiques of liberalism within Western society; Nietzsche's perspectivism and how our interpretation of the world is what we typically ...

In this episode of the podcast, Josh and Ian have a discussion on the history and modern application of propaganda. During the first part of the episode, they breakdown propaganda's history, and its use throughout the world during war time, especially during World War II. They also move into a discussion of its modern day application, specifically with the use of social media, Trump's use of Twitter, and the potential of American fascism.After the break, Josh and Ian discuss how social media ...