Interview with Jonathan Howard on Covid Contrarians
Decoding the Gurus23 Kesä 2023

Interview with Jonathan Howard on Covid Contrarians

The pandemic was a confusing time with public health messages from officials and institutions that were sometimes confused, conflicting, or misrepresented and anti-vaccine misinformation being spread widely. Into this mix, a new phenomenon emerged, that of the covid contrarian. Contrarian doctors usually possessed some relevant qualifications and positioned themselves as independent critical thinkers willing to challenge the dogmas of the mainstream and take a more nuanced perspective on the claims made by anti-vaccine advocates.

These contrarian figures are the voices that you would usually hear on 'heterodox' podcasts. Figures like the medical doctor Vinay Prasad, the Stanford professor of Medicine Jay Bhattacharya, or the retired nurse, John Campbell.

But did they really offer an alternative critical perspective? Our guest today, Jonathan Howard, a practising doctor and professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, argues no. And he should know, he has spent the pandemic not only treating patients but tirelessly documenting (and refuting) the claims made by the contrarian set.

This episode is unfortunately topical due to the recent online fracas surrounding Joe Rogan's credulous promotion of RFK Jnr and the subsequent 'calls for debate' and targeted harassment of Dr Peter Hotez -a public health specialist and advocate for affordable vaccines.

In any case, we learnt a lot and enjoyed the discussion with Jonathan and hope you will too. Also covered in this episode: How many pull-ups Matt can do, why Chris is drinking a chalky green potion, and the psychology of placebos.

Links


Jaksot(242)

Supplementary Material 45: Mick Drops, The Weinstein Conspiracy Hour, and Lessons from History

Supplementary Material 45: Mick Drops, The Weinstein Conspiracy Hour, and Lessons from History

We return to some old friends, and almost immediately, we regret the decision. Also, get ready for some heady insights from history, a new conspiracy hypothesis, and Game Theory based insights.The ful...

19 Helmi 33min

Decoding Academia 35: When Prophecy Fails Debunked? (Patreon Series)

Decoding Academia 35: When Prophecy Fails Debunked? (Patreon Series)

Ever heard of cognitive dissonance? That thing a psychology lecturer might have explained to you once upon a time, likely using the same UFO cult example everyone else uses. Well, a new paper by Thoma...

16 Helmi 37min

Teal Swan: All Hail Source

Teal Swan: All Hail Source

Cult Season rumbles on as Chris and Matt expand their minds in an attempt to absorb the cosmic insights of spiritual influencer and alleged cult leader Teal Swan (born Mary Teal Bosworth, 1984). Our i...

12 Helmi 2h 59min

Decoding Academia 34: Empathetic AIs? (Patreon Series)

Decoding Academia 34: Empathetic AIs? (Patreon Series)

In this Decoding Academia episode, we take a look at a 2025 paper by Daria Ovsyannikova, Victoria Olden, and Mickey Inzlicht, asking a question that might make some people uncomfortable/angry, specifi...

12 Helmi 22min

The Rise of the Science Populists with Sam Gregson and Tim Henke

The Rise of the Science Populists with Sam Gregson and Tim Henke

In this interview episode, we are joined by physicists Sam Gregson (Bad Boy of Science YouTube channel) and Tim Henke to examine the rise of science populism: a style of science communication that bor...

9 Helmi 1h 35min

Supplementary Material 44: Peasant Archmages, Moral Panics, and LOTR Parenting Tips

Supplementary Material 44: Peasant Archmages, Moral Panics, and LOTR Parenting Tips

We descend once more into the Gurusphere, encountering secret peasant archmages, decline narratives, Epstein emails, and endless moral panics.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 ho...

7 Helmi 32min

Open Science, Psychology, and the Art of Not Quite Claiming Causality with Julia Rohrer

Open Science, Psychology, and the Art of Not Quite Claiming Causality with Julia Rohrer

In a rare departure from our usual diet of online weirdos, this episode features an academic who is very much not a guru. We’re joined by Julia Rohrer, a psychologist at Leipzig University whose work ...

30 Tammi 1h 32min

Supplementary Material 43: Red-Blooded Americans, Real Life Alan Partridge, and Rationalist Eulogies

Supplementary Material 43: Red-Blooded Americans, Real Life Alan Partridge, and Rationalist Eulogies

We crawl around the dark crevices of the internet so you don't have to. And what wonders we have to show you...The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 34 minutes).Join us at: htt...

24 Tammi 21min

Suosittua kategoriassa Tiede

rss-mita-tulisi-tietaa
tiedekulma-podcast
mielipaivakirja
rss-poliisin-mieli
rss-duodecim-lehti
utelias-mieli
docemilia
rss-tiedetta-vai-tarinaa
university-of-eastern-finland
vinkista-vihia
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-vaasan-yliopiston-podcastit
rss-duokkari-ekstra
rss-astetta-parempi-elama-podcast
rss-metsantuntijat-podcast
rss-ilmasto-kriisissa
rss-pandapodi
rss-luontopodi-samuel-glassar-tutkii-luonnon-ihmeita
rss-lihavuudesta-podcast
rss-sosiopodi