EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 59 MIN
Hopium, Hormuz, and the Price of Pretend
from Shrink The Nation · host Dr. Rob and Dr. David
In Season 2, Episode 19, Dr. David and Dr. Rob return after a week off, bruised by life and bourbon, to talk about the psychology of pretending physics does not apply.The war with Iran may be getting described as something other than a war, but oil still has to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Gas still costs more. Markets still keep responding to promises, vibes, and whatever gets bleated out next. Rob calls it hopium: the belief that if enough people say the crisis is almost over, maybe the supply chain will stop being real.David and Rob get into market denial, magical thinking, regime-change fantasy, the cost of ego, and why “we’re close to a deal” starts sounding a lot like a guy installing a sex swing for his wife’s boyfriend.Also: Jefferson’s Ocean, shattered bourbon bottles, the International Energy Agency acronym disaster, Trump’s self-settlement fund, and RFK Jr.’s tanning-bed energy.
What this episode covers
In Season 2, Episode 19, Dr. David and Dr. Rob return after a week off, bruised by life and bourbon, to talk about the psychology of pretending physics does not apply.The war with Iran may be getting described as something other than a war, but oil still has to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Gas still costs more. Markets still keep responding to promises, vibes, and whatever gets bleated out next. Rob calls it hopium: the belief that if enough people say the crisis is almost over, maybe the supply chain will stop being real.David and Rob get into market denial, magical thinking, regime-change fantasy, the cost of ego, and why “we’re close to a deal” starts sounding a lot like a guy installing a sex swing for his wife’s boyfriend.Also: Jefferson’s Ocean, shattered bourbon bottles, the International Energy Agency acronym disaster, Trump’s self-settlement fund, and RFK Jr.’s tanning-bed energy.
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Hopium, Hormuz, and the Price of Pretend
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