#124 The Beauty and Tragedy of Earth (Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying DarkHorse Livestream)

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. ***** Support the sponsors of the show: Ned: is a CBD company that uses USDA certified organic full spectrum hemp oil, and creates specialty blends to help with stress and sleep. Visit www.helloned.com/darkhorse to get 15% off. Eight Sleep: Personalized thermoregulation while you sleep, and when you wake. Eight Sleep’s amazing Pod Pro Cover (for your mattress) is $150 off at www.eightsleep.com/darkhorse Moink: Grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured pork and chicken, and wild caught Alaskan salmon. Visit www.moinkbox.com/darkhorse to get a year’s worth of filet mignon free when you sign up. ***** 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 Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://store.darkhorsepodcast.org 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). Become a member of the DarkHorse LiveStreams, and get access to an additional Q&A livestream every month. Join at Heather's Patreon. 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. Looking for clips from #DarkHorseLivestreams? Check out our other channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAWCKUrmvK5F_ynBY_CMlIA Theme Music: Thank you to Martin Molin of Wintergatan for providing us the rights to use their excellent music. ***** 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/1Support the show