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PODCAST

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott

Physicist Dr. Al Scott addresses politically and socially divisive issues with insightful evidence-based analysis of the facts. Learn to apply the tools of science to discover the most rational path to an optimistic vision of the future. https://www.therationalview.ca

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

46:50

Al and Al on AI

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2021/01/16

In this episode I continue my series on Artificial Intelligence: The Promise and the Risk, interviewing Dr. Alexander Wong, P. Eng. Dr. Wong is currently the Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Medical Imaging, Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada, co-director of the Vision and Image Processing Research Group, and an associate professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He has published over 600 refereed journal and

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28:16

Artificial Intelligence: The Promise and the Risk

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2021/01/09

Happy New Year to my listeners, and welcome to 2021 where we can all have 2020 hindsight. In this episode I introduce a new series on the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence. I provide an introduction to my current (limited) understanding of AI. Together we will learn more about this amazing technology. We will interview experts and find out where they think AI will take society. The benefits of AI seem clear. Driverless cars, personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, expert systems able

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26:58

Gun Control (Episode 4)

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/12/19

In this episode I summarize what I've learned from my online research and interviews. Over the course of my research my opinion has evolved somewhat. I have found that access to handguns correlates with gun deaths, but correlation does not equal causation. It is equally plausible that living in a violent society causes people to buy guns for self defence. In my opinion it is a bit of a death spiral where fear causes people to buy guns, which cause more death and exacerbate the fear. To break out of

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39:39

Handguns with Jamie Melnick

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/12/12

In this episode I continue exploring the issue of gun control with criminal defence and human rights lawyer Jamie Melnick from London Ontario. In May of 2020, when the Liberals came out with their recent assault rifle ban, the CBC ran a series of articles on gun control. Jamie Melnick's article was entitled, “Those who want total ban on handguns lack understanding of firearm sports“. If you would like to have your views on gun control discussed 'on the air', please send me a brief 30-60 second

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41:35

Gun Control with Jay Nathwani

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/12/05

In this episode I continue my series on gun control, interviewing Toronto lawyer Jay Nathwani, author of CBC article "Latest gun control effort isn't merely a failure it corrodes trust among Canadians" (May 2020). In his article, Jay says that the recent Canadian assault-rifle ban, following the mass shooting in Nova Scotia earlier this year, introduces an inconsistent patchwork of regulations on over 1,000 specific gun types rather than outlawing dangerous capabilities. Because of the loopholes and

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16:29

Gun Control

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/11/28

This episode is an introduction to the highly polarized issue of gun control. I hope to show how one takes an evidence-based approach to investigating an emotionally charged issue. In this episode I provide a background and preliminary hypotheses for what I will find as I investigate both sides of the issue. I plan to follow up with an in-depth analysis of the positions and upcoming episodes will include discussions with gun control advocates and opponents. Lets Science! Follow me on

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53:21

From Darkness to Zion Lights

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/11/21

I interview former Extinction Rebellion UK spokesperson Zion Lights and we discuss light pollution, anti-nuclear sentiments in the environmental movement, and how to fix them. Zion is Director of Environmental Progress Europe and author of The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting and Only a Moment. She is an environmental journalist and former Editor of The Hourglass, Extinction Rebellion's newspaper. Zion has a master’s degree in Science Communication from The University of the West of England (UWE)

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41:02

Men advancing equality

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/11/14

Men perpetrate the majority of violent attacks in modern society. Why? Men are expected to be self sufficient. Men are expected to be providers and protectors. Men are expected to make the first move, but only if it is wanted. Men are not allowed to cry or talk about their emotions. As boys they are taught to “Man up” and “Be a man”. Men are under a lot of pressure in modern society as traditional gender roles are changing. They need role good role models and they need help to deal with their

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42:20

Nuclear vs. Renewables

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/11/07

Millions of people are dying every year due to pollution from burning of fossil fuels. Entire ecosystems are at risk due to climate change caused by CO2 buildup. We need to displace half of society's fossil fuel burning by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. The scientific community, represented by the IPCC report, provides several paths to reach these goals, and all of them require a significant increase in nuclear power. And yet environmental NGOs are lobbying governments to shut down nuclear

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43:03

Can we afford [not] to have Universal Basic Income?

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/10/31

The global economy is in a shambles due to CoVid-19 and millions of workers are suffering with no safety net. The last time the economy tanked like this in 2008 it was due to unregulated greed run amok in the mortgage financing industry. That time, Investment Bankers got a juicy handout to the tune of several trillion dollars approved within hours of the crash. Unemployed Canadian workers have received $2,000 per month since March. In the US today, however, desperate folks who have lost their jobs

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29:02

The Divide of Fear

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/10/24

In this episode I talk about some of the feedback I've received from my earlier interview with Dr. Stephen Levitsky, "This is How Liberty Dies". I discuss what Dr. Levitsky spoke about as one of the major drivers behind the polarization of political discourse, and how fear of changing demographics in western society has been used as a wedge in political discourse. Follow me on https://therationalview.podbean.com/# Comment at https://facebook.com/groups/therationalview Insta

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41:14

The Big Bang: Just another origin story?

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/10/17

In this episode I interview religious studies scholar Dr. Janet Tulloch to discuss the Big Bang, and other origin stories. Let's go explore where science and religion collide. I hope you find it an interesting journey! Janet Tulloch is an adjunct research professor in the College of Humanities at Carleton University in Ottawa. She is a cultural historian with a PhD in Religious Studies. She is also a member of the Ottawa centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. She recently received two

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34:01

Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (2 of 2)?

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/10/10

This is part 2 of my interview with 'The Rad Guy' D.J. LeClear, investigating the science behind radiation, and the public perception of risk in nuclear power. Part one discussed the types of radiation, its sources, and its potential health impacts and benefits. In this episode we explore the public perceptions surrounding nuclear power. D.J. has been in nuclear power and radiation health physics since his enlistment in the US Naval Nuclear Program where he did radiochemistry and radiation

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27:52

Nuclear power: Is it rational to worry (1 of 2)?

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/10/03

In this episode (part 1 of 2), I interview the Rad Guy, D.J. LeClear and together we explore whether it is rational to be worried about nuclear power. Part one discusses the types of radiation, its sources, and its potential health impacts and benefits. In episode two we will explore the public perceptions surrounding nuclear power. D.J. has been in nuclear power and radiation health physics since his enlistment in the US Naval Nuclear Program where he did radiochemistry and radiation protection

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39:54

What's an Eco-Modernist?

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/09/26

In this episode I interview Mr. Gabriel Ignetti, author of the Eco-Modernist podcast. Gabe explains the ideas behind Eco-Modernism and decoupling the development of civilization from the environment using technology. Eco-Modernism is a politically neutral movement that is pro-science, pro-nuclear, pro-vaccine, and generally pro-development. It embraces a Star-Trek vision of the future where science and technology can create a Utopian future for humanity. Nuclear power can address climate change

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27:19

Homeopathy and the Placebo Effect

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/09/19

Homeopathy is one of the most successful medical businesses on the planet with a market size in the billions of dollars. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that it works better than a placebo: the scientific basis of Homeopathy is missing. What’s the deal? Placebos can help mitigate pain and anxiety without the dangerous side effects of pharmaceuticals. Are they a safe alternative to traditional medicine? How do they work? Please follow me at https://therationalview.podbean.com/# Comment

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47:52

This is How Liberty Dies

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/09/12

In this episode I interview Professor Steven Levitsky, co-author with Daniel Ziblatt of 2018 best-seller "How Democracies Die". Dr. Levitsky is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government and Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. As more and more people are worrying about the ongoing erosion of long-standing political norms we explore the question, 'should we take US democracy for granted?'. Are there

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44:25

UFOs and Aliens

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/09/05

A belief in aliens often seems to accompany conspiratorial thinking and tinfoil hats. In this episode I discuss the possibility that aliens exist and are in fact visiting us surreptitiously and secretly for unknown purposes. You may be surprised to find that many scientists believe that intelligent alien life actually exists outside of our solar system. This is not so far-fetched when one considers that vastness of our galaxy and the visible universe. The idea that blurry lights in the sky is

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50:51

Cool Stuff: Observational Cosmology (Live)

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/08/29

This Cool Stuff episode discusses the science behind the Big Bang Theory and our evolving understanding of our place in the universe. I'm on vacation this week, and I thought this might be a treat. This episode was recorded live at the May 2015 meeting of the Ottawa Chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and was reproduced with permission. This overview talk was recognized with the Ottawa RASC award for best presentation of the year, 2015. Please enjoy! If you want to see the

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27:29

Conspiracies: Why we like them

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott ·

2020/08/22

In this episode I discuss conspiracy theories and why otherwise rational people may be susceptible to their charms. In this case I'm referring to theories that suggest a well organized elite group of powerful people are implementing secret and far reaching plans that include collaboration between government agencies, scientists, and the media. Conspiratorial thinking requires one to demonize large groups of people so as to discount any uncomfortable facts or contrary evidence that might disrupt the

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255 results

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