Down the Wormhole

Church and State Part 1 (We Go Together Like Pancakes and Ketchup)

In part 1 of our miniseries on the complicated relationship between religion and politics, we look at the history of "the separation of church and state" in the US, and try to get to the heart of what the founders intended. It should be fun and not controversial at all!
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
Produced by Zack JacksonMusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
Show Notes: 
Pope Felix III aka the lovechild of Lady Elaine Fairchilde and the Elf on a Shelf
 
Thomas Jefferson and the origins of the phrase "the separation of Church and State"https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/primary-source-documents/danburybaptists/
 
Everson v. The Board of Educationhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/330/1
 
Big City or Big God?https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/which-came-first-society-or-a-fear-of-god
 
Chrome plugin that changes "treating people with respect" to "treating people with respect" https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pc2respect/mgkjmkalaomdhdldmfbgpjdpmpdnhiio
 
'In God We Trust': display in Kentucky schools marks effort to mix church and statehttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/12/in-god-we-trust-display-in-kentucky-schools-marks-effort-to-mix-church-and-state
 

Conflict Language Part 5 (Taco Bell Lies and Dystopian Nightmares)

As trust in institutions deteriorates further with every new generation, we are left without a sturdy foundation to stand on. Is the Internet to blame? Are the institutions themselves to blame? Are we to blame? Is anyone to blame? How do we navigate this world and avoid the dystopian hellscapes that litter our movies and TV shows?
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
Produced by Zack JacksonMusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
Show notes:
Pew Research Survey on Public Trusthttps://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/06/young-americans-are-less-trusting-of-other-people-and-key-institutions-than-their-elders/
Evangelicals and Climate Change: why don’t they get it? A pastor tackles the question.By Zack Jacksonhttps://orbitermag.com/evangelical-and-climate-change/
 

Conflict Language Part 4 (Trust Issues)

Episode 7
Conflict Language Part 4 (Trust Issues)
 
Trust in religious institutions is plummeting while trust in science is plummeting among deeply religious people. What is happening? Who can we trust? Should we fact check everything? Are even the most thoughtful among us actually being led by our tribal biases? How exactly do you fry ice cream and whatever happened to Chi Chi’s? 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
 
Produced by Zack Jackson
Music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
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CREEPY, ABANDONED CHI CHIS
http://creepyabandonedchichis.blogspot.com/
 
Cohen, Geoffrey L. “Party Over Policy: The Dominating Impact of Group Influence on Political Beliefs.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 85, no. 5 (2003): 808–22. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4ecc/34af1b002340a02ed830d296819f64e1172f.pdf
 
Cohen, Geoffrey L. “Party Over Policy: The Dominating Impact of Group Influence on Political Beliefs.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 85, no. 5 (2003): 808–22. https://motherjones.com/files/asr_april2012_gauchat_study_final.pdf
 
Evangelicals and Climate Change: why don’t they get it? A pastor tackles the question. 
By Zack Jackson
https://orbitermag.com/evangelical-and-climate-change/
 
The Messenger Matters: When communicating science to a skeptical audience, it’s important who does the talking.
By Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelmanhttps://orbitermag.com/the-messenger-matters/
 
Nurses Again Outpace Other Professions for Honesty, Ethics
https://news.gallup.com/poll/245597/nurses-again-outpace-professions-honesty-ethics.aspx
 
Attack Ads, Circa 1800
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_zTN4BXvYI

Conflict Language Part 3 (Gator Santa is the Only True Santa)

In the age of fake news, Photoshop, and social media echo chambers, what is truth and who has the authority to decide? What are the limits of pluralism, and what do we do when society gets it wrong?
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
Produced by Zack JacksonMusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
 
Show Notes:
Bud! 
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westoverhttps://amzn.to/2LoVGJr
The Legend of Papa Noel: A Cajun Christmas Story by Terri Hoover Dunhamhttps://amzn.to/2NWojzq
Cajun Night Before Christmas by J.B. Kling, Jr.https://amzn.to/34DSh1e
Full House of Mustaches - Nick Offerman Deepfakehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUphMqs1vFw

Conflict Language Part 2 (Whose Authority Is It Anyway?)

Part 2 of our conflict series asks the important questions like, "Who has the authority over truth?" "Is science truth or just consensus?" "Where can I binge watch the classic 90's cartoon, Street Sharks?"
These and many more questions lie just down the wormhole...
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
Produced by Zack JacksonMusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
PS - Zack's audio did not record properly, so we had to use the backup recording which is why it sounds so bad compared to the others. 
Show Notes:
Street Sharks and the problem with history:https://www.geek.com/tech/how-i-used-lies-about-a-cartoon-to-prove-history-is-meaningless-on-the-internet-1656188/
The definitive guide to the Denver Airport conspiracy:https://www.denverpost.com/2016/10/31/definitive-guide-to-denver-international-airport-conspiracy-theories/
Hawaii Telescope Project, Long Disputed, Will Begin Construction:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/science/hawaii-telescope-tmt-mauna-kea.html
The Oven of Akhnai:https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.59b.1?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English&lang=bi
Thomas Paine's Bordentown NJ house which is now a dentist:
Note from Zack: After editing the past few episodes, I realized that I've mentioned Thomas Paine at least five or six thousand times. This is because I just finished a massive biography on him, and have had no one to process it with. I do apologize and will henceforth make every effort to diversify my 18th/19th century pop culture references in future episodes. I will leave you with this gem from the October 1783 edition of The Onion...https://www.theonion.com/historical-archives-i-cannot-help-that-women-are-oft-a-1819584502

Conflict Language Part 1 (We Didn't Start the Fire)

When did the science/religion conflict begin? Is it inevitable? Is there a better way? Of course there is or this would be a much shorter episode!
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis

Foundations Part 3 (What's in Your Museum?)

In part 3 of our Foundations Miniseries, we get personal. Rachael, Ian, Zack, and Kendra discuss their own religious/spiritual identities and histories by answering the question, "What's in your museum?" and then following that wonderful wormhole though mysticism, ritual, community, sensory deprivation tanks, and storytelling. 
So what's in your museum? Record a voice note on your phone or leave us a comment and we'll feature your answers on the show!
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
Produced by Zack JacksonMusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis 
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Show notes:
If you're in Southeastern PA or New Jersey, you definitely should try out the East Coast Float Spa. Tell them that Zack Jackson sent you. https://www.eastcoastfloatspa.com/
There are thousands of spas like this popping up around the country. If you go, let us know how it was!
If you're ever in the Boston area on a Sunday, make sure to stop by United Parish and say hi to Kendra. https://www.unitedparishbrookline.org/

Foundations Part 2 (Science)

What is science? Who gets to do it? Who gets shut out? Why should we trust it? What counts as evidence? Who decides? Why do we care so much about it? Is science just another tool of oppression or is it a tool to discover truth?
Episode 2 of our Foundations miniseries is all about science in broad strokes. Our hosts share what it is about science that drives them and, despite its abuses, how scientific literacy has the potential to bring us all together. 
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast
More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/
 
produced by Zack Jacksonmusic by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis
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Notes:
Uncovering gender bias in scientific conferences https://biaswatchneuro.com/
50 years of the “Draw a Scientist Test” https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/what-we-learn-from-50-years-of-asking-children-to-draw-scientists/556025/
Science as Social Knowledge: Values and Objectivity in Scientific Inquiry by Helen Longino https://amzn.to/31B3FZh
Ian’s pictures of the eclipse https://ianbinns.com/2019/08/13/sinai-and-synapses-solar-eclipse-and-a-new-podcast/