Is Science in a Legitimacy Crisis? | Peter Boghossian (#346)

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Brian Keating

Science, Physics, Natural Sciences

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2023

⏱️ 80 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, I sat down with someone who I respect greatly – Peter Boghossian. Peter is a former Portland State University professor, renowned philosopher, and best-selling author. His primary research areas are critical thinking and moral reasoning. He actually resigned from his position at Portland State University because he felt that ideology had taken over the institution and that he did not have enough freedom as a scholar to continue his work. So, there’s no one better to talk to about the current legitimacy crisis in science and the moral obligations of scientists when it comes to communicating science to the public. We also dive deep into religion, the origin of the universe, and quantum computing. Tune in! Key Takeaways: Do we have to agree on everything? (00:00) Can there be an infinite regress? (03:20) Why do we need a unified field theory? (13:12) On Eric Weinstein’s theory (23:43) Joe Rogan vs. Peter Hotez: Should scientists debate publicly? (37:53) Legitimacy crisis and death of expertise (56:38) Quantum computing and the multiverse (1:06:41) Laws against Holocaust deniers (1:12:43) Outro (1:18:48) — Additional resources: ➡️ Check out Peter Boghossian: 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzoizcjErP9bNWnuU2CbWxg 💻 Website: https://peterboghossian.com/ 🥗 Thanks, HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/50impossible and use code 50impossible for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months. 📝 With a MasterClass annual membership, you can take one-on-one classes from the world’s best for $10 a month with your annual membership, get unlimited access to every class — and even better, right now, as an Into The Impossible listener, you can get 15% off when you go to MASTERCLASS.com/impossible. 🧑‍💻 Visit LinkedIn.com/IMPOSSIBLE to post your job for free! ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/mailing_list ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/blog.php 🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast — Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to follow so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Would you believe Scientific American if they told you that we had some way to deflect a meteor? I would go to yes, but when it came to anything that was morally fashionable, specifically race, gender, trans issues, etc.
0:13.6	Not only what I say no, but I would say it's almost invariably
0:17.5	the truth is the opposite of that thing.
0:19.4	I just don't know how we can function as a society
0:22.1	with all of these institutions captured and large
0:24.8	swaths of the country not trusting them. There's this weird thing in today's age
0:31.0	where people think they have to agree with literally everything
0:34.0	everybody's like all of someone's beliefs before they can have a relationship or
0:39.9	be friends with them or something it It's a very bizarre phenomenon. So you and I have
0:47.0	different religious beliefs, different metaphysical beliefs which fall from that.
0:50.0	I'd like to take a look at that and that that doesn't affect I mean like it's just
0:54.9	crazy to me to think that because people have different metaphysical beliefs
0:59.8	that that would somehow intrude upon a friendship of virtue.
1:03.7	I mean, that's like, I don't even know why, like,
1:07.3	even thinking that itself is a kind of ideology.
1:10.6	I think it's narcissism.
1:11.9	I mean, if you think that you're incapable of being disagreed with and maintaining
1:16.6	comedy and comity then you're it's a sign of a low-rate intellect a midwit
1:22.3	intellect I think what distinguishes you and I it's a sign of a low-rate intellect, a midwit intellect.
1:23.0	I think what distinguishes you and I, you know,
1:25.6	and the way that our colleagues and friends
1:27.4	and people we respect and you've had on, you know,
	...

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