Fascinating!: Deconstructing Conventional Wisdom to See the World with New Clarity
Step into a universe of sharp wit and deep insights with Fascinating!, where your host Rik from Planet Vulcan explores the dominant narratives shaping our world. Through the lens of evolutionary thinking, Fascinating! deconstructs conventional wisdom on economics, social justice, morality, and more. Each episode cuts through the noise of collective illusions—what Rik calls ecnarongi (ignorance backwards)—and exposes the pervasive hangover of pre-Darwinian thought patterns, often seen in the form of intelligent design or deus ex machina thinking. This outdated framework extends far beyond theistic religion, influencing everything from economic systems to societal structures.
Fascinating! offers an intellectually stimulating and often humorous exploration of ideas. If you're ready to see the world through fresh eyes, tune in for conversations that provoke, inform, and enlighten.
Episodes
66 episodes
Slime Mold Revisited
In this episode, Rik from Planet Vulcan reports on the ongoing research into the behavior of Physarum, aka slime mold. The behavior of slime mold is an awe-inspiring and humbling example of the evolved wisdom of nature. This simple ...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 6
•
10:58
Book Review - Equality: What it Means and Why it Matters
In this episode, Rik from Planet Vulcan reviews the collaborative effort of Thomas Piketty and Michael Sandel to pitch their scheme of confiscatory taxation in their new book, in the name of the nebulous concept of equality, for the undefined a...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 5
•
18:04
Does the Fed set interest rates?
The short answer to this question is "no". Listen to this episode for details.The Federal Reserve Bank (the "Fed") stands as an example of the collateral messiness, and the distortions, that inevitably accompany intelligent design ...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 4
•
18:19
Good Things / Bad Things
In this episode, senior contributing editor Prego de Nada proposes that Earthlings would be happier, and life on Earth would be better, if they were to jettison the practice of characterizing their choices as between "good things" and "bad thin...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 3
•
17:42
Alice Finds a Way
In this episode, contributing editor Slainte na Zdorovya considers the tale of Alice meeting Tweedledee and Tweedledum in the Dark Woods. This tale is from the second Alice book, "Through the Looking Glass". Slainte's aim in this es...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 2
•
6:35
Why Vote?
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong, in the words of the Buffalo Springfield song. In today's world it is difficult for an Earthling of a scientific bent to choose who or what to support in the political arena, when ecnarongi (i.e, ig...
•
Season 5
•
Episode 1
•
15:05
Season 4 Recap
In this final episode of Season 4, Rik from Planet Vulcan reviews his mission on Planet Earth, which is to advocate for a world view based on the scientific investigation of natural processes; and reviews the essays published during Season 4.
•
Season 4
•
Episode 18
•
29:15
Free Trade, Tariffs and Quotas
In this episode, Rik from Planet Vulcan demonstrates that the notion that international trade amounts to warfare that someone wins and someone loses is another of those pervasive undead ideas on Planet Earth that keep rising from the grave, wan...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 17
•
9:56
The White Man's Burden
In this episode, Rik from Planet Vulcan draws a straight line from the mindset and the actions of white European colonialists in the 19th Century to the mindset and the actions of would-be intelligent designers in our own time, particularly wit...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 16
•
25:03
What is a "Fair Share" of taxes?
Does Warren Buffett truly pay less income tax than his secretary? In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan questions the narrative that high earners do not pay their fair share of the income tax by proposing a different per...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 15
•
7:37
Anarchy
In this episode of Fascinating! Rik from Planet Vulcan discusses the substance and the history of modern anarchist thinking, from its beginnings in the nineteenth century where opposition to the state was combined with opposition to capitalism,...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 14
•
18:39
Taxing Corporate Income: Who Really Pays the Price?
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan dissects the belief that taxing corporate income is a fair and just way to hold corporations accountable. With wit and sharp analysis, Rik unpacks the misconception that corporati...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 13
•
12:48
John Maynard Keynes: Economic Savior or Medieval Thinker?
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan takes us on a deep dive into the life and enduring influence of John Maynard Keynes, one of the most significant figures in modern economics. From his privileged upbringing in upper-middle...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 12
•
28:04
The Democracy of Self-Interest: Buchanan’s Case Against Perfect Governance
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan delves into the brilliant mind of Nobel laureate James M. Buchanan, whose Public Choice theory flips the romanticized view of selfless government on its head. Buchanan argued that politici...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 11
•
17:15
The Marxist Conversion: From Saul to Socialism
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan examines one of Earth’s most intriguing phenomena—religious conversion—through a lens you didn’t see coming: Marxism. Inspired by tales like Saul’s blinding light on the road to Damascus, ...
•
Episode 10
•
14:33
Secularism: The Ultimate Peace Treaty for Earth’s Religious Turf Wars
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan explores the concept of secularism as Earth’s most intelligent meme—a rare idea that just might help this planet’s diverse inhabitants peacefully coexist. Secularism, often misunderstood a...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 9
•
11:28
Thinking at the Margin: The Revolution that Killed the Labor Theory of Value
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan takes us on a journey through the marginal revolution—a seismic shift in economic thought led by the likes of Carl Menger and his brilliant contemporaries. By introducing the concept of ma...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 8
•
13:48
Blockchain: Decentralized Power or Chaos in Disguise?
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan delves into the genius of blockchain technology—the decentralized, self-organizing system that powers cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. As Rik explains, blockchain’s ability to function witho...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 7
•
11:44
The Biodome Failure: Lessons in Nature’s Complexity and Human Hubris
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan turns his attention to the ill-fated Biosphere II project, also known as the Biodome—a grand attempt to create a closed ecological system that could sustain life independently. With dry wi...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 6
•
9:57
Karl Marx: The Labor Theory of Value and the Geist of Violent Revolution
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan dissects the life and legacy of Karl Marx, one of Earth’s most influential yet controversial figures. Marx’s ideas, which sparked revolutions and shaped the 20th century, were rooted in hi...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 5
•
23:26
Slavery Lite: The Hidden Costs of Universal Basic Income
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan, along with guest editor Otto Didact, flips the Necker Cube on the debate around Universal Basic Income (UBI). While many noble minds perched on high proclaim UBI as the solution to end sc...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 4
•
9:22
Another Fine Mess: The Unintended Consequences of Social Engineering
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan, along with senior editor Prego de Nada, unpacks yet another disastrous social engineering project: the student loan crisis. With dry humor and keen analysis, Rik walks us through the hist...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 3
•
10:16
Making (Non)Sense: Misinformation and Government Intervention
In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan takes a critical look at a recent discussion between Sam Harris and legal scholar Cass Sunstein on the role of government in combating misinformation. With his signature dry wit, Rik explo...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 2
•
11:35