4 ms·

As a disclaimer, I have not listened to his show extensively. But while he may be genuinely curious the sum of his questions and his guest choices express a th

As a disclaimer, I have not listened to his show extensively. But while he may be genuinely curious the sum of his questions and his guest choices express a thesis and for avid listeners seems to become a program of study that leads somewhere. It seems like it's always freshman year of college at the JRE and you're learning all this fascinating stuff that shows you the world is larger and more mysterious than you imagined, but he never quite gets to sophomore year when those mundane details are filled in and you see why all the quirky, obscure things remain quirky and obscure. I guess on some level it's not his job but since he has had this success I do wish he would take it on, to give the listeners more protein with their sugar.

snovv_crash 4y ago
In most topics in life we are all at Freshman level and it would be good to remember that. Experience and expertise in one place often leads to overconfidence elsewhere, we see this repeatedly whether it is Elon buying Twitter or Jordan Peterson weighing in on topics outside of clinical psychology. And it affects us too, not just celebrities.
- jrumbut 4y ago
  Just to be clear, I was using the college years as a metaphor rather than a specific knowledge level. I'm fine with dilettantes (I am a proud one) and recognize that there are some real polymaths in the world, but it creates a tricky situation for the show. A lot of people who lose a specialized debate try making their case directly to the public and the ones who survive become quite good at it and know what they need to do to get on the right podcasts. The ones who won, who might have the better ideas, are bisy working in the field and if they communicate to the public at all it is without the polish of someone who makes their living that way. That is, of course, a well known problem in science communication.

snovv_crash 4y ago

In most topics in life we are all at Freshman level and it would be good to remember that. Experience and expertise in one place often leads to overconfidence elsewhere, we see this repeatedly whether it is Elon buying Twitter or Jordan Peterson weighing in on topics outside of clinical psychology. And it affects us too, not just celebrities.

jrumbut 4y ago
Just to be clear, I was using the college years as a metaphor rather than a specific knowledge level. I'm fine with dilettantes (I am a proud one) and recognize that there are some real polymaths in the world, but it creates a tricky situation for the show. A lot of people who lose a specialized debate try making their case directly to the public and the ones who survive become quite good at it and know what they need to do to get on the right podcasts. The ones who won, who might have the better ideas, are bisy working in the field and if they communicate to the public at all it is without the polish of someone who makes their living that way. That is, of course, a well known problem in science communication.