Trump, Vaccines, and Inequality | Steven Pinker

In this episode, we're honored to welcome Dr. Steven Pinker, a renowned cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. Dr. Pinker, a professor at Harvard University, is celebrated for his extensive research and thought-provoking writings on language, the mind, and human nature. With a career marked by contributions to cognitive science and public understanding of psychology, Steven shares his profound insights into the complexities of human cognition, language, and society.
Throughout our dialogue, Steven delves into the intricacies of rationality, discussing how biases and pseudoscience shape our understanding of the world. He tackles the controversial and often misunderstood topics of free speech, the use of taboo language, and the psychological underpinnings of societal norms. A significant portion of our conversation is dedicated to the critical examination of the anti-vaccination movement, exploring the balance between skepticism and trust in scientific authority.
Steven's discussion extends to the realm of game theory and its implications for nuclear warfare, offering a unique perspective on conflict resolution and the potential for global peace. Furthermore, he provides an insightful analysis of political figures like Donald Trump, reflecting on the broader implications of leadership and governance in America today. The conversation also touches on altruism, poverty, and the moral imperatives that guide our actions towards a more equitable society.
Drawing from his latest work and a prolific writing career, Steven Pinker presents a captivating exploration of human behavior, the power of language, and the quest for understanding in an ever-complex world. His reflections encourage listeners to reconsider their views on life's most pressing questions, fostering a deeper engagement with the philosophical underpinnings of our shared human experience.
Timestamps:
00:00 Trailer
00:52 Introduction
02:42 Biases & Political Pseudoscience
05:55 Anti-Vaccination Movement
14:46 Free Speech & N-Word Controversy
33:27 Nuclear Warfare
44:59 Donald Trump
47:47 American Society
50:25 Altruism & Global Poverty
57:26 Concluding Thoughts
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[@polypx]

Excellent, thank you. Pinker is so refreshing.

[@theloafpod]

Thanks for your comment!

[@EllipticGeometry]

Societal norms in favor of reason can’t come soon enough, that it’s embarrassing to be caught subverting it. I feel there is some fertile ground if enough people get tired of the polarization and are willing to consider their own blind spots. Slim but worth chasing. P.S. There were tons of booms in the audio. Very startling.

[@theloafpod]

You have some smart people who agree with you (Steven Pinker)!

[@EllipticGeometry]

@@theloafpod I disagree with his example, though, at least taking it as if it’s meant to be a good example. Some visible skin shouldn’t be the massive problem we’re making it out to be. There are so many worse things that we refuse to treat the same way. But I digress.

[@devilinthebelfry7292]

I believe Pinker is one of the great minds of our time that we don't listen to enough.

[@captainblimp4133]

Why is this guy equating traditional vaccines with the rDNA COVID vaccine 🤣🤣 Some real soft ball questions.

[@theloafpod]

How would you have made the case against the Covid vaccine if you were talking to Dr Pinker?

[@user-pi4qo3zc2e]

​@@theloafpod It's a long list, but here are some simple points: 1) Traditional vaccines are weakened or naturally weaker forms of the virus that used to give you either live-long or very long-lasting immunity. Covid vaccines are lipid nanoparticles that contain only the mRNA for producing spike protein, which is a fundamentally different approach. 2) It was created far faster than any other vaccine in history, in 7 months vs minimum of several years. No long-term tests were done to proof the safety and efficacy. It is physically impossible to prove long-term safety in less than a year. 3) No test proofed that it stops the spread but it was still marketed as if it stops the spread. The plan was to mass-vaccine 60% of the population and then covid would be prevented from spreading. Then the percentage kept rising up to 90% and everyone gave up because the vaccine simply did not prevent the spread, it only alleviated the symptoms. It was empirically confirmed in real time that the politicians, corporations and scientists pushing the vaccine did not know how efficient it was. 4) Despite the demonstrable lack of protection against infection and prevention of spreading, the vaccine was pushed for younger age groups as well who had near zero chance of dying to the virus. All in the name of stopping the spread that the vaccine never stopped. 5) The original safety test was only carrier out on the vaccine batches that were produced at small scale. For mass production they changed the way they produce the vaccine to make it more economically viable, which resulted in unacceptable levels of contaminants and faulty batches which was not revealed before most of the population had been vaccinated.​ 6) By now we know some of the side effects. Heart inflammation is the most famous one and the mechanism how the vaccine causes it is quite clear. Novel bloodclots are less famous and more unknown in both how they form and how to cure them, but could become a huge issue down the road. How many cancers the vaccine might cause is still utterly unknown. 7) The most worrisome part is the continuous excess deaths that cannot be blamed upon covid; omicron variant is very mild but for some reason we have 10-25% more people dying yearly than before the pandemic. Omicron only accounts for few percent of the deaths. If the current pace keeps up for few more years the covid vaccine may end up killing more people than it safed from covid. Only time will tell. Lastly, the most mind-numbing and infuriating part of these debates is pretending as if we're still in early 2021 and don't know these issues. Pinker talks about "putting other people at risk" by not taking the vaccine, but we know 100% for fact that taking the vaccine does not prevent you from putting other people at risk. I was vaccined against covid, I still caught it and spread it to the rest of my family, all of whom were vaccinated. Luckily it was the omicron and we were okay after few days. I do not claim that the vaccine doesn't protect against serious illness, but it seems to protect very well against having serious discussions.

[@captainblimp4133]

@@theloafpod Many good questions you could have asked. One could've been why was it that at first they claimed the vaccine stopped transmission of COVID when it doesn't? Another could have been ,why do people still get the virus even after having taken the virus, when in traditional vaccines we never get Polio, smallpox or hepatitis after being innoculated?

[@CarlWong5]

Did his tie come with batteries?

[@dertigerbauch]

Thomas Gottschalk? 😮

[@64standardtrickyness]

Good grief, shouldn’t everything be within the pale of legitimate academic discourse, as long as it is presented with some degree of rigor? That’s the difference between a university and a madrassa.

[@aamirfarooq1260]

Jesse Pinkman followed the science that's how he cooked top grade product.

[@theloafpod]

We should have thought of this