In this 124th in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we discuss the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.

This week, we discuss the biology, geology, and conservation of the Bahamas, particularly the Exumas islands. How do parrotfish turn coral into sand, what’s up with tropicbirds, and what does it mean that all Caribbean beaches have trash on them? Apologies for the sound quality during the videos.

We also discuss the lifting of federal mask mandates on transportation; the White House arguing that “affirmative care” for children who say they are transgender is “best practice”; the new czar of disinformation, brought to you by the Department of Homeland Security; and whether our President is fit for office. Finally, we spend a few minutes talking about ancient children playing in the footprints of giant sloths, and whether Indiana Jones was correct in suggesting that little scorpions are scarier than big ones.

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Our book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, and signed copies are available here: https://darvillsbookstore.indielite.org

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Heather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.com

Find more from us on Bret’s website (https://bretweinstein.net) or Heather’s website (http://heatherheying.com).

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Like this content? Subscribe to the channel, like this video, follow us on twitter (@BretWeinstein, @HeatherEHeying), and consider helping us out by contributing to either of our Patreons or Bret’s Paypal.

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Theme Music: Thank you to Martin Molin of Wintergatan for providing us the rights to use their excellent music.

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Mentioned in this episode:

In Want of a Geologist (on Heather’s Substack): https://naturalselections.substack.com/p/in-want-of-a-geologist?r=83qgf&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Yarlett et al 2021. Quantifying production rates and size fractions of parrotfish‐derived sediment: A key functional role on Maldivian coral reefs. Ecology and evolution, 11(22): 16250-16265: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ece3.8306

Washington Post, April 19, 2022: Justice Dept. to appeal mask mandate ruling if CDC says it’s needed: https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/04/19/mask-mandate-airplanes-transportation/

Press Secretary Jen Psaki on “affirmative care” for children who say they are trans: https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1