Roger Pielke Jr. - Science, Politics, and the Price of Honesty

In this episode of Science From the Fringe, Bryce Nickels interviews Roger Pielke Jr., Professor Emeritus from the University of Colorado Boulder and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Pielke is a political scientist specializing in science and technology policy, with a focus on climate, energy, and the politicization of science.The conversation explores Pielke’s academic journey, the creation of his Substack The Honest Broker, and the challenges he faced with academic marginalization at the University of Colorado. They also draw parallels between weather modification/geoengineering and gain-of-function virology research, emphasizing the need for transparency, risk awareness, and international regulation. Additional themes include congressional testimonies, the politics of scientific publishing, cancel culture in academia, and the importance of honest brokering at the intersection of science and policy.Timestamps00:00:31 - 00:01:13: Introducing Roger Pielke Jr.00:01:14 - 00:05:45: Roger explains the name “The Honest Broker”00:05:45 - 00:13:16: Academic career and his role in the climate debate.00:13:16 - 00:17:16: Roger discusses the sports governance center he started.00:17:16 - 00:21:47: Decision to leave academia.00:21:47 - 00:26:06: How he was marginalized at University of Colorado00:26:06 - 00:30:33: Do universities elevate mediocrity?00:30:33 - 00:33:22: Cultural clash in policy research at Colorado.00:33:22 - 00:39:05: Recent congressional hearing on weather modification and geoengineering00:39:05 - 00:43:31: Chemtrails conspiracy and government transparency issues.00:43:31 - 00:52:57: Parallels between geoengineering and gain-of-function virology.00:52:57 - 01:09:58: Journals, peer review, hearings, and closing remarks.intro and outro music by Tess Parks Get full access to Science From the Fringe at sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe