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PODCAST

Science From the Fringe

Science From the Fringe

Conversations with fearless scientists, policy experts, and journalists who are defying dogma and defending discovery. sciencefromthefringe.substack.com

science

All Episodes

43:00

The Best Kept Secret in Climate Science (In Defense...

Science From the Fringe ·

2026/03/17

Climate change is one of the most politically charged issues in science, often framed as a choice between denial and apocalypse. In the first episode of In Defense of Climate Change, Bryce Nickels speaks with climate policy scholar Roger Pielke Jr. about why that framing distorts the realities of climate science.At the center of the conversation is the role of scenarios in climate research—what Roger calls “the best kept secret in climate science.” Climate models do not predict the future; they

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26:35

The Experiment That Could Have Killed Billions (In...

Science From the Fringe ·

2026/03/14

In the eighth episode of In Defense of Virology, distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson joins host Bryce Nickels to discuss Simon’s recent essay, “You Couldn’t Make Body Bags Fast Enough.” The essay examines a largely overlooked gain-of-function influenza experiment involving the avian virus H7N1 (Sutton et al., Airborne transmission of highly pathogenic H7N1 influenza virus in ferrets, published in Journal of Virology, June 15, 2014).In that study, researchers engineered an H7N1 influenza virus

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58:25

Anish Koka - Why Vinay Prasad Didn’t Last at the FDA

Science From the Fringe ·

2026/03/12

In this episode of Science from the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels speaks with cardiologist and medical commentator Dr. Anish Koka about his recent article examining the forces that led to physician-scientist Vinay Prasad’s departure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They discuss how Prasad’s efforts to strengthen evidentiary standards for drug approvals quickly ran up against powerful political, financial, and institutional interests. The conversation explores how his brief tenure

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43:31

Engineering Consensus on COVID Origins (In Defense of...

Science From the Fringe ·

2026/02/12

In the seventh episode of In Defense of Virology, distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson discusses the science (or lack thereof) behind two of the most influential publications on the origin of SARS-CoV-2: “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” (“Proximal Origin,” published in Nature Medicine on March 17, 2020) and “Statement in Support of the Scientists, Public Health Professionals, and Medical Professionals of China Combating COVID-19” (“Calisher et al.,” published in The Lancet on March 7,

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24:43

“Really Scared” ... But Not Enough to Act (In Defense...

Science From the Fringe ·

2026/01/19

In the sixth episode of In Defense of Virology, Rutgers professor and Science From the Fringe host Bryce Nickels speaks with distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson about a potentially catastrophic biosafety issue: the human H2N2 influenza virus is not classified as a federal select agent, yet live samples remain stored in laboratory freezers around the world. The discussion is prompted by Simon’s recent essay, “The virus not on the Select Agent list.”The discussion centers on a concerning

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20:22

AI-Designed Viruses: A Virologist’s Warning (In...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/12/31

In Episode 5 of In Defense of Virology, Bryce Nickels and Simon Wain-Hobson have a sobering conversation about the emerging risks of applying artificial intelligence to virus design.The discussion centers on a recent Stanford preprint in which researchers trained AI models on bacteriophage genomes and used those models to generate entirely new viral sequences. From hundreds of AI-generated designs, the team synthesized 16 fully functional viruses. One replicated faster than its natural reference

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63:26

Dana Parish - The Lyme Roundtable: Historic Reckoning...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/12/30

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels speaks with Dana Parish—an award-winning songwriter, patient-rights advocate, advisory board member of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, co-author of Chronic, and host of The Dana Parish Podcast—about her personal experience with Lyme disease, the broader scientific, medical, and political controversies surrounding tick-borne illness, and the historical significance of the Lyme Disease Roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and

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53:26

Jenner Furst - Thank You, Dr. Fauci

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/12/21

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels speaks with documentary filmmaker Jenner Furst, the Director of Thank You, Dr. Fauci, which examines the career and controversies surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci.The conversation explores Jenner’s motivation for making the film, which began when independent financiers approached him to investigate Fauci’s record during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jenner describes his deep dive into Fauci’s involvement in gain-of-function research, the

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45:04

'In Defense of Virology' featuring Simon Wain-Hobson...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/12/09

In the fourth episode of In Defense of Virology, Rutgers Professor and Science From the Fringe host Bryce Nickels and distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson argue that labs should destroy frozen stocks of dangerous, nonessential pathogens produced through gain-of-function research or historical resurrection—simple to do, high-impact for reducing global risk.Simon highlights precedent—from post-eradication smallpox and rinderpest—and cites a recent Newcastle disease virus re-emergence in China

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61:21

Dr. Meryl Nass - A Historic Chance to Rein in Bioweapons

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/12/02

In this episode of Science from the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels speaks with Dr. Meryl Nass—medical adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., biological warfare expert, publisher of Meryl’s CHAOS letter, and founder of DoorToFreedom.org—about the urgent need to strengthen the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).The conversation examines the escalating risks posed by bioweapons research, and why the current political moment—with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump openly calling for an

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83:24

David Zweig on How We Failed America’s Children

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/11/14

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels, speaks with David Zweig—a New York City–based journalist, author, and contributor to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Free Press—about his new book, An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and the Story of Bad Decisions.Their conversation traces David’s motivation for writing the book, beginning with his early recognition of the devastating effects of remote learning on children during the COVID-19 pandemic. David

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78:33

Aaron Siri - Vaccine Safety: Science or Dogma?

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/11/02

In this episode of Science from the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels, Professor of Genetics at Rutgers University, speaks with Aaron Siri—civil rights attorney, managing partner at Siri & Glimstad LLP, and author of Vaccines Amen: The Religion of Vaccines. Together, they discuss the corrupting influence of commercial interests on scientific integrity and public policy, and how, in the case of vaccines, appeals to authority are sold to the public as unassailable fact.The conversation begins with the

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45:25

'In Defense of Virology' featuring Simon Wain-Hobson...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/31

In the third episode of In Defense of Virology, Rutgers Professor and Science From the Fringe host Bryce Nickels and distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson discuss two striking examples of reckless virology research—one well known and the other largely forgotten—and issue a call to change the culture of modern science.The first example revisits the controversial resurrection of the 1918 Spanish flu, a virus that killed tens of millions worldwide. Simon explains how NIH-funded researchers

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41:58

'In Defense of Virology' featuring Simon Wain-Hobson...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/23

In the second episode of In Defense of Virology, Genetics Professor and Science From the Fringe host Bryce Nickels engages virologist Simon Wain-Hobson in a nuanced discussion on how recent advances in biotechnology have amplified both the promise and the perils of modern virology research.Building on Episode 1, Simon delves deeper into the dangers of gain-of-function (GOF) research, this time focusing on how today’s biotechnology makes it possible to build entire viruses from digital genetic

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50:17

Sigrid Bratlie - Unraveling 'The Wuhan Mystery': The...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/19

In this episode of Science from the Fringe, host Bryce Nickels speaks with Sigrid Bratlie, Norwegian molecular biologist and science communicator, about her comprehensive new book The Wuhan Mystery: The Hunt for the Origins of COVID.The conversation delves into the evidence supporting a lab-related origin of COVID-19, the politicization of science, and the personal backlash Bratlie has faced from prominent scientists. She describes how public debate and media coverage of COVID origins in Europe

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41:59

'In Defense of Virology' featuring Simon Wain-Hobson...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/17

In the inaugural episode of In Defense of Virology, Rutgers Professor and Science From the Fringe host, Bryce Nickels joins forces with distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson for a new series that aims to defend virology from bad actors within.Introducing this new segment, Wain-Hobson explains that the real threat to virology isn’t public skepticism, but the recklessness of insiders who promote dangerous gain-of-function (GOF) research and attempt to silence debate. Drawing from his popular

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78:56

Professor Richard Ebright - The Antibiotic Resistance...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/15

On this episode of the Science From the Fringe podcast, Bryce Nickels speaks with his Rutgers colleague and long-time collaborator Richard Ebright (Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University) about the emerging threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Ebright discusses how his research on bacterial RNA polymerase led him to uncover new compounds with therapeutic potential. He shares why the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers is referred to as the “birthplace of

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100:03

X Spaces with Bryce Nickels: Kevin McKernan (Biotech...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/14

After a thought-provoking Science From the Fringe interview —“Conversations with Bryce Nickels: Kevin McKernan (Biotech Entrepreneur)”, recorded on September 29, 2025 — Bryce Nickels invited Kevin McKernan back for a live X Space on October 9 to continue the conversation.Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber.The conversation offered listeners a candid look into McKernan’s journey — from early breakthroughs

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62:38

Conversations with Bryce Nickels: Matt Ridley...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/13

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, Bryce Nickels speaks with acclaimed science writer and best-selling author, Matt Ridley. Topics include who is “winning” the debate over COVID-19’s origins, the state of modern science, the ethics of de-extinction efforts, and the fascinating premise of Ridley’s latest book, Birds, Sex and Beauty.Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber.The conversation begins with

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71:27

Conversations with Bryce Nickels: Lewis Kamb...

Science From the Fringe ·

2025/10/12

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, Bryce Nickels talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, Lewis Kamb, of public health research group, U.S. Right to Know. Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber.Kamb discusses his investigative reporting—from exposing Boeing’s 737 MAX failures at The Seattle Times to serving as NBC News’ first national FOIA reporter. He explains how the Freedom of Information

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44 results

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