What can conspiracy theories teach us about how arguments work? Plus, Benton demonstrates that the U.S. did in fact land on the moon, Abi invents a conspiracy theory, and Benton aces a quiz on Trump’s campaign rhetoric. Books discussed include Awful Archives by Jenny Rice and Demagogue for President by Jennifer Mercieca.

Short answer: Not entirely. But there is still a role for rhetoric. We talk about the book Vaccine Rhetorics by Heidi Lawrence, and how her theory of material exigence might apply to the COVID vaccine situation. We also discuss the potential of gamifying and "pre-bunking" to counteract medical misinformation. Stay to the end for bonus Schwarzenegger and Picard impressions by Benton.

We pick up our last vax comm chat by addressing historical reasons for vaccine skepticism, the split between personal experience and scientific data as evidence, and Andrew Wakefield's infamous journal article. We discuss highlights of the book The Panic Virus by Seth Mnookin. 

In general, what works and doesn't work when it comes to vaccine communication? How does the COVID vaccine controversy compare to past vaccine controversies?

Through a tour of Andy Weir's books (The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary), Abi & Benton discuss how science fiction can enhance our understanding of tech comm.

Abi & Benton discuss their favorite strategies for getting more reading done, whether for work or for fun. Don't miss Benton's epic Gandalf impression at 8 minutes.