This week on Science Counterpunch, we step into the ring with one of the most uncompromising voices in online science communication: Dave Farina, better known as the creator of Professor Dave Explains.
Dave joins Sam Gregson and Philipp Markolin for a no-holds-barred conversation about the modern pseudoscience economy: how misinformation spreads, why it pays so well, and how grifters, influencers, and political actors exploit distrust in science for profit and power. From antivax propaganda and flat-earth cults to billionaire-backed “anti-establishment” narratives, we break down how the science denial ecosystem works—and why it’s more dangerous than ever.
We dig into Dave’s famously combative style of debunking, the ethics and effectiveness of punching back hard, and whether politeness has quietly helped misinformation go mainstream. Along the way, we talk burnout, audience capture, cult dynamics, algorithmic incentives, and why factual discourse so often loses to flashy lies online.
Most importantly, this episode asks a hard question for scientists and communicators alike: if science denial is now institutionalized, what does fighting back actually require—and who needs to get into the trenches?
No false balance. No kid gloves. Just evidence, context, and a right hook straight to pseudoscience.
Science Counterpunch is a punchy YouTube-first podcast that exists to defend the Enlightenment in an age of information warfare. We expose merchants of doubt, amplify experts under attack, and arm you with the tools to spot anti-science rhetoric before it spreads.
Evidence matters. Reason isn’t optional. Let’s counterpunch.
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