PODCAST · education
Thinking Critically
by Intelligent Speculation
Thinking Critically is a podcast brought to you by Intelligent Speculation and hosted by Jonathan Maloney, which provides individuals with the tools necessary to become a Critical Thinker. Informal logic (i.e., argument types, validity, soundness, logical fallacies, etc.), cognitive biases, mental models, and the scientific method along with other science related topics are all explained in detail and at a level that is accessible to anyone with a high school education. Intelligent Speculation was founded on the belief that a society equipped with the proper set of critical thinking skills will possess more rational individuals who make better decisions, which ensures a better future for all of us.
Episodes
-
#48: Film and Thinking Creatively
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Ty Burr about film and thinking creatively. They discuss: •The origin of his interest in movies and why he wanted to become a critic. •His favorite movies and directors. •The factors that go into a movie review. •The importance of subjectivity in art and...
-
#47: The Leak
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Robert Crease about science, politics, and the importance of building trust between scientists and the public. They discuss: •The origins of his interest in philosophy and science. •His book “The Leak: Politics, Activists, and Loss of Trust at Brookhaven...
-
#46: The Science of Longevity
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Steven Austad about the science of longevity. They discuss: •How he became interested in science and ended up in longevity research. •Why we age. •His recent book "Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us About Living Longer Healthier Lives." •Scaling...
-
#45: Tornado of Life
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Jay Baruch about critical thinking in the ER. They discuss: •How he became interested in science and medicine. •The importance of using stories to communicate information. •How writing can help you to refine your understanding and spark creativity. •Why...
-
#44: Who's Counting?
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with John Allen Paulos about mathematical thinking. They discuss: •How he studied a number of subjects and then eventually settled on mathematics as a major. •Mathematics as a way of thinking. •The Monty Hall problem. •The concept of scaling and how it leads…
more -
#43: Curious Minds
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Perry Zurn and Dani Bassett about the science and philosophy of curiosity. They discuss: •Growing up as twins and their respective interests in science and philosophy. •Why they decided to coauthor the book "Curious Minds." •The concept of complexity and...
-
#42: The Importance of Public Health
In this episode, Patrick is speaking with Donna Bean about the importance of public health. They discuss: •How she came to find herself working in public health. •Higher education and the uniquely American problem of crippling student debt. •Her experience with the US Peace Corps. •Her…
more -
#41: How to Stay Smart in a Smart World
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Gerd Gigerenzer about how to stay smart in a smart world. They discuss: •Origins of his interest in science and why he chose psychology. •Why he chose to write his most recent book, “How to Stay Smart in a Smart World.” •How he prefers the strategy of...
-
#40: Partial Truths
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with James Zimring about partial truths and how fractions can distort our thinking. They discuss: •Origins of his interest in science, why he chose medicine, and his current research interests. •How he first became interested in philosophy of science and how...
-
#39: How Critical Thinking Can Save the World
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with David Robert Grimes about how critical thinking can save the world. They discuss: •Origins of his interest in science, views on scientific endeavor, and why he chose physics as his primary focus of study. •How he became a science communicator. •How...
-
#38: The Power of Subtraction
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Leidy Klotz about the power of subtraction. They discuss: •How he became interested in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary research. •Genesis of how he conceived the idea of subtraction neglect/addition bias. •Biological origins of subtraction...
-
#37: How to Talk to a Science Denier
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Lee McIntyre about how to talk to a science denier. They discuss: •How he became interested in science and philosophy. •How 60 years of unchecked science denial has lead to post truth. •The problem of induction in science. •Identity protective cognition...
-
#36: The Delta Variant, Vaccine Misinformation, and Herd Immunity
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Patrick Maloney about the delta variant, vaccine misinformation, and reaching herd immunity. They discuss: •The delta variant and its implications on global public health; particularly in the U.S. •While breakthrough infections are occurring due to the...
-
#35: The Importance of Science in Industry
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Jaclyn Ferraro about the importance of science in industry. They discuss: •How she first became interested in science and how she changed paths from pre-med to geology in her third year in college. •Her master's research on mesothermal veins. •Why she...
-
#34: Science, Generalism, and How it All Started With A Bang
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Ethan Siegel about how it all started with a bang. They discuss: •Ethan's passion for communicating some of the deepest questions about our universe. •How these deep questions he had about the universe encouraged him to return to graduate school later in...
-
#33: Truth Decay
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Jennifer Kavanagh about truth decay. They discuss: •Why she chose political science and decided to pursue a PhD. •What the RAND Corporation is and their mission. •The concept of “truth decay” and how she became interested in it. •How truth decay has...
-
#32: SARS-CoV-2 Variants, Vaccination, and Overcoming the Pandemic
In this episode, Patrick is speaking with Bettina Schneider about overcoming the pandemic. They discuss: •The current state of the pandemic. •The safety and effectiveness of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. •The new SARS-CoV-2 variants, their increased infectivity, and what that means when…
more -
#31: Combating False Information
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Stephan Lewandowsky about combating false information. They discuss: •How he first became interested in science and why he chose cognitive science. •Why some people believe things that they know are false and the concept of identity protective cognition....
-
#30: Beyond Your Political Bubble
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Tania Israel about moving beyond your political bubble. They discuss: •Her science journey. •Tribalism in today's society and what to do about it. •The concept of naïve realism. •How your fight or flight response is activated when your beliefs are...
-
#29: Science, Skepticism, and Conspiracy Theories
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with David Gorski about science, skepticism, and conspiracy theories. They discuss: •His science journey and how he became a skeptic. •How debunking Holocaust denialists eventually lead him to found his blog Respectful Insolence. •The anti-vaccination…
more -
#28: Facts, Not Fear
In this episode, Jonathan is speaking with Arjun Moorthy about facts, not fear. They discuss: •Why he decided to found The Factual and its mission. •How context is important when presenting facts and the concept of framing. •The importance of looking at credible news sources that are from across...
-
#27: Global Warming, Critical Thinking, and Misinformation Inoculation
In this episode, I am speaking with John Cook about global warming, critical thinking, and misinformation inoculation. We discuss: •His science journey and how he started out in physics, moved away from science after graduation, but then was drawn back to it later in life. •How in the long break...
-
#26: Physics, Critical Thinking, and Personal Finance
In this episode, I am speaking with Jacob Lund Fisker about physics, critical thinking, and personal finance. We discuss: •His journey into science and why he chose physics. •How a website on anti-consumerism that he stumbled across in graduate school is what first interested him in economics and...
-
#25: The Social Dilemma
In this episode, the rest of the Intelligent Speculation team and I are discussing the Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma.” We discuss: •How social media was founded on connecting people, but primarily due to its ad revenue business model it now causes intense polarization, an increase in...
-
#24: The New Science of Psychedelics
In this episode, I am speaking with Manesh Girn about psychedelic science. We discuss: •His science journey and interest in philosophy. •How he became interested in psychedelic science and the roundabout way that he had to position his career in neuroscience in order to be able to study it. •His...
-
#23: Experiences From the Field - The Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
In this episode, Patrick is talking with Bettina Schneider about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss: •Her recent viral TikTok video where she briefly discusses how she first knew that COVID-19 was very serious. •How Bettina was working in China at the time when COVID-19 first started to…
more -
#22: How to Respectfully Disagree
In this episode, I am disagreeing, respectfully of course, with Jim Matthews. We discuss: •His background and how it has come to shape his current worldview. •His opinion that Rod Balgojevich, the 40th Governor of Illinois, went to prison because he was interfering with the Democratic Party's...
-
#21: Outrage Culture
In this episode, the rest of the Intelligent Speculation team and I are discussing outrage culture. We discuss: •What exactly outrage culture is. •How humans are easily overcome by their emotions and that the media, politicians, etc. know this and use it as means to capture our attention. •How...
-
#20: The Current State of the Pandemic
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Patrick Maloney about the current state of the pandemic. We discuss: •The number of cases in the U.S. From March up until now. •How more and more evidence is pointing to airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2. •The strong correlation between how effective a…
more -
#19: The Dark Side of Social Media
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Ian McCarthy about the dark side of social media. We discuss: •Why engineering and his atypical journey towards a PhD. •How academic freedom coupled with curiosity lead him to want to look further into the darker side of social media. •That while you don't...
-
#18: Ethics, Argumentation, and Political Polarization
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong about ethics, argumentation, and political polarization. We discuss: •How he became interested in philosophy and why ethics in particular. •How science can't answer important questions on morality, values, etc., but it certainly can…
more -
#17: Dr. Shawn Carbonell - From Neurosurgeon to Entrepreneur
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Shawn Carbonell about his journey from neurosurgeon to entrepreneur. We discuss: •How he became interested in science. •How he decided on the MD/PhD degree instead of just an MD degree. •How his goal in life of curing glioblastoma lead him to drop out of...
-
#16: The Art of Communicating Science and Critical Thinking
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Anna Zakrisson about the art of communicating science and critical thinking. We discuss: •How she became interested in science and why she is primarily interested in biology. •How she came to found her own consulting business in green infrastructure and the...
-
#15: The Science of How We Grow Our Food
In this episode, I'm speaking with Michelle Miller about the science of how we grow our food. We discuss: •How she went from fashion to globetrotting, and finally ended up as a farmer in Iowa. As a fan of world travel myself, some of her favorite travel destinations as well as mine. •How she was…
more -
#14: Science, Depression, and Founding Something Great
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Susanna Harris about science, depression, and founding something great. We discuss: •Her journey towards science and why she ended up choosing a PhD in microbiology. •The research that she conducted throughout her tenure as a PhD student and how it has the...
-
#13: Critical Thinking: What is it and How to Use It
In this episode, I'm speaking with Jonathan Haber about what exactly critical thinking is and the benefits it offers. We discuss: •His critical thinking journey and how politics acted as the initial impetus for his discovery. •A definition for what critical thinking is. •The benefits of learning...
-
#12: Science, Medicine, and the MD/PhD Degree
In this episode, I'm speaking with Lindsey, Juliana, and Marisol about science, medicine, and their journey to attain the MD/PhD degree. We discuss: •Their individual journeys towards science and why they chose the aspects of medicine that they did. •What the MD/PhD degree is and their…
more -
#11: Comedy, Critical Thinking, and Debunking Disinformation
In this episode, I'm speaking with Daniel Betts about comedy, critical thinking, and being a scientifically trained individual in a world that has become increasingly anti-science. We discuss: •How Dan and I became friends and the genesis of his interest in science as well as comedy. •The...
-
#10: From Nutrition to Neuroscience. Thoughts from a Neuroscientist
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr. Stephanie Caligiuri about her research interests and journey as a science communicator. We discuss: •How Stephanie first became interested in science and why she chose the various aspects of science that she did. •How all of the misinformation surrounding...
-
#9: Science, Philosophy, and the Need for More Critical Thinking
In this episode, I'm speaking with fellow Intelligent Speculation team member Garrett Wise about science, philosophy and the need for more critical thinking in today's world. We discuss: •How Garrett first became interested in science and why physics. •How he became interested in philosophy and...
-
#8: The COVID-19 Pandemic and What to Expect Moving Forward
In this episode, I have Patrick Maloney back on to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; however, this time, he's now officially a Doctor of Epidemiology. As a freshly minted infectious disease expert, we talk in depth about COVID-19. The discussion starts off with congratulations and then moves...
-
#7: Science and Critical Thinking Applied to Business
In this episode, I'm speaking with Steven Matthews, a local entrepreneur who is the owner and founder of Mackhard barber shops. We first discuss his background and how it is that he found himself as an entrepreneur in the Men's grooming industry. We then move onto discussing the habits he…
more -
#6: Vaccines and the Importance of Thinking Critically
In this episode, I'm talking with Patrick Maloney who is just about to graduate with his PhD in Epidemiology. This was recorded a few months ago, which is why we didn't discuss the current COVID-19 pandemic, but I'm hoping to have him on again sometime soon to do just that. That being said, we...
-
#5: The Logical Fallacy & When to Reject an Argument
Welcome back to Thinking Critically! In today's episode, I talk about what a logical fallacy is and when it's appropriate to reject an argument. The article relevant to this episode can be found here: http://bit.ly/2XX9C0K You can find this episode on our YouTube channel as well:...
-
#4: What is a Good Argument?
Welcome back to Thinking Critically! In today's episode, I talk about what a good argument is. First, I address the two primary types of arguments, deductive versus inductive. Next, I address the various structural terminology that accompanies each and, finally, I a finish up with the definition…
more -
#3: The Structure of an Argument
Welcome back to Thinking Critically! In today's episode, I talk about what an argument is in philosophy and how exactly it's structured. The article relevant to this episode can be found here: https://bit.ly/2RbVSy5 You can find this episode on our YouTube channel as well:...
-
#2: What is Critical Thinking?
Welcome back to Thinking Critically! In today's episode, I talk about what exactly critical thinking is and my own personal philosophy of what it means to be a Critical Thinker. This philosophy is encapsulated in my Laws of Critical Thinking which are introduced and explained. The article…
more -
#1: Welcome to Thinking Critically
Welcome to Thinking Critically! I am your host Jonathan Maloney and in this episode I introduce myself (i.e., my background, how I got interested in science, why I started Intelligent Speculation, etc.) and what you can expect moving forward. You can find this episode on our YouTube channel as...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Thinking Critically is a podcast brought to you by Intelligent Speculation and hosted by Jonathan Maloney, which provides individuals with the tools necessary to become a Critical Thinker. Informal logic (i.e., argument types, validity, soundness, logical fallacies, etc.), cognitive biases, mental models, and the scientific method along with other science related topics are all explained in detail and at a level that is accessible to anyone with a high school education. Intelligent Speculation was founded on the belief that a society equipped with the proper set of critical thinking skills will possess more rational individuals who make better decisions, which ensures a better future for all of us.
HOSTED BY
Intelligent Speculation
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Thinking Critically have?
Thinking Critically currently has 48 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Thinking Critically about?
Thinking Critically is a podcast brought to you by Intelligent Speculation and hosted by Jonathan Maloney, which provides individuals with the tools necessary to become a Critical Thinker. Informal logic (i.e., argument types, validity, soundness, logical fallacies, etc.), cognitive biases, mental...
How often does Thinking Critically release new episodes?
Thinking Critically has 48 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Thinking Critically?
You can listen to Thinking Critically on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Thinking Critically?
Thinking Critically is created and hosted by Intelligent Speculation.
URL copied to clipboard!