Month: January 2026

P&C drink and review a Heinken Zero, then discuss some holiday themes.

Contrary to popular opinion, Columbus didn’t show that the world was round. Every educated person knew the world was a globe. Columbus mistakenly believed the world was smaller than it is, and that it would be an easy trip from Europe to Asia.

His mistake led to the discovery of the Americas, but it took a long time before Europeans decided to colonize the new land.

The Pilgrims were late to the game. There were already Spanish and French settlements in the Americas. But the Pilgrims were among the earliest English settlements, and were very influential in the development of the United States.

The boys discuss, and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

The boys drink and review two imperial stouts, then discuss the possible relationship between Tylenol and autism.

RFK Jr. has announced a relationship between pregnant women taking Tylenol and autism in their children.

There is some evidence for that claim, but there are a lot of confounding issues as well.

Is autism really on the rise? It seems so, but some people say it’s just that we’re detecting it better these days — although that doesn’t seem to account for the severe cases, which are also supposed to be on the rise.

If it is on the rise, why? Is it something we’re eating, something we’re injecting into our bodies, or maybe the way we’re cooking?

What do we do with all the anecdotal evidence from parents that their child’s autism came on suddenly?

It seems as if the health establishment is not taking this as seriously as they ought to be.

The boys drink and review Lost Rhino’s Marzen, then discuss conversion therapy.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on a ban on “conversion therapy,” which is alleged to cure people of unwanted sexual attractions.

Is this a ban on free speech? Is SCOTUS going to tell therapists what they can and can’t say to their clients?

Some people don’t believe that their homosexual attractions align with their Christian faith, and they’d like to lessen or eliminate those attractions.

Nobody goes to therapy to be affirmed. The whole therapy industry exists because people have thoughts or feelings they want to change. Why should we exempt this particular kind of change?

The boys tear apart the silly arguments of the left. Tune in, and let us know what you think.

P&C review La Chouffe, a strong Belgian Blonde ale, then discuss changing ideas about the self — what it is, and how we think about it.

In the ancient world, your “self” was more tied to your community and group.

Augustine updated the sense of self as a reflective, moral agent. You don’t just think, you think about what you’re thinking.

In the Protestant Reformation, the self took center stage. It was all about your own spiritual experience.

Decartes takes a huge step with the mind-body split. There’s a “you” that’s separate from the body. Our soul is a ghost in the machine of the body.

John Locke introduced the concept of the blank slate. You (or society) can affect who you become. That idea has lost a lot of its lustre as we’ve realized how much of our self is genetic.

Is the self continuous over time? Is it an internal story: “I’m this kind of person”? Do some people have a stronger sense or perception of self than others do? Or is the self an illusion? Some contemplatives say they can transcend the self.

The modern sense of self puts a huge burden on the individual. Everyone has to define what’s good and decide for themselves what gives their life meaning and purpose. Is part of the reason we have so much depression and suicide?