Overview of The Washington State of Science: The 309th Evolutionary Lens with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
This live-stream episode (Evolutionary Lens #309) — a mid‑January Saturday edition — features Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying discussing the current “state of science” in Washington State and the broader cultural/political dynamics that shape public trust in expertise. Major topics: federal changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s response; the distinction between science and scientism; local political theater (including a Seattle state senator’s evasive comments about sex differences in sports); a culture-war theater item (Dylan Mulvaney cast as Anne Boleyn in the Broadway musical Six); reflections on Scott Adams’ recent death and its connection to the COVID vaccine debate; plus sponsor reads and community notes.
Key topics covered
- Federal reassessment of the U.S. childhood and adolescent immunization schedule (HHS / CDC review) and recommendations to align the U.S. more with peer nations by defining a smaller “core” childhood schedule.
- Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s public pushback — forming a West Coast Health Alliance and proposing to keep vaccine recommendations under Washington State Department of Health guided by “science.”
- Distinction between science (evidence-driven inquiry) and scientism (political or ritualized invocation of “science” as authority).
- Ferguson’s COVID-era record (as state Attorney General) enforcing vaccine mandates for employees — raised as evidence that his “pro‑science” posture is politically motivated rather than genuinely analytic.
- The political and cultural dynamics of partisan echo chambers, how they affect willingness to revise beliefs, and how that shaped vaccine politics during and after COVID.
- Example of political evasiveness: Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (Seattle) avoiding a direct answer about biological differences between males and females in sports.
- Broadway/pop-culture note: Dylan Mulvaney (transgender social media personality) cast as Anne Boleyn in the musical Six — discussed as a cultural flashpoint about suspension of disbelief, virtue signaling, and commercial motivations in entertainment.
- Reflection on Scott Adams (Dilbert creator): his late-life shift on the COVID vaccine question, Bret and Heather’s complex reflections on Adams’ choices, and the broader lesson about analytic rigor vs. heuristics.
Main takeaways and analysis
- The federal HHS/CDC reassessment proposes a more conservative, peer-aligned “core” vaccine schedule — recommending a smaller set of universally recommended childhood vaccines and moving others to targeted or shared clinical decision-making categories. The hosts view this as a cautious, evidence-oriented move.
- Governor Ferguson’s reaction is characterized as political posturing (scientism) rather than genuine scientific analysis, given his history of enforcing COVID vaccine mandates as Attorney General.
- The hosts emphasize the difference between legitimate scientific inquiry (open to changing conclusions with data) and ideological invocation of “science” to shut down debate or reflexively defend a prior policy.
- Political partisanship has distorted public evaluation of medical and scientific claims: many people on both sides adopt positions as identity markers rather than through independent analysis; however, the hosts argue that the “blue team” (liberal/establishment institutions) more often creates echo chambers that suppress dissenting analyses.
- Public officials who avoid clear answers on empirical questions (e.g., biological sex differences in sport) are flagged as cowardly and unfit for governance.
- Cultural moves (e.g., casting choices that challenge historical or biological realism) are seen as deliberate provocation and/or market strategies; the hosts predict mixed reception and are interested in professional reviewers’ ability to honestly assess such productions.
Notable quotes and excerpts
- “The acting CDC director should immediately consider updating the childhood immunization schedule…” — excerpt quoted from the HHS/CDC assessment read on the show.
- Bret on Ferguson: “He doesn’t know what the word [science] means… he stands for authoritarianism. He stands for bullying. He stands for trust in experts, for deferring your own thought and analytics and agency and autonomy over to other people.”
- On political echo chambers: “The blue team is better able to create an impenetrable echo chamber where people inside the echo chamber will actually do the bidding of the echo chamber.”
- On Scott Adams’ late statement: “The anti‑vaxxers clearly are the winners at this point… You are the winners.” (Clip discussed where Adams conceded outcome advantage to those who avoided vaccines.)
Actionable items / recommendations (for listeners)
- If you care about public health policy: read the HHS/CDC assessment (the hosts quoted sections) and review the proposed changes yourself rather than relying on partisan summaries.
- Hold public officials accountable to clarifying empirical claims (ask for evidence and specific policy implications rather than slogans like “we’ll follow science”).
- Distinguish between genuine scientific reasoning (data, falsifiability, acknowledged uncertainty) and scientistic posturing (invocation of “science” as rhetorical armor).
- Engage local civic processes: Bret and Heather promoted a Locals watch party and Q&A (tomorrow 11 a.m. Pacific) — participating in community conversations is one way to test and refine your understanding.
- When consuming culture and reviews, watch for whether reviewers are allowed (or feel allowed) to honestly critique casting/creative decisions that hinge on biological or historical realism.
Cultural and political context emphasized by hosts
- The hosts situate the vaccine schedule debate in a longer arc — pandemic-era failures, institutional capture, pharmaceutical incentives, and erosion of trust.
- They describe Washington State as politically bifurcated (coastal/western urban liberal vs. eastern more conservative), with Seattle’s population dominating statewide politics.
- They warn that reflexive partisan contrarianism (doing the exact opposite of a perceived opposing camp’s action) is not scientific and risks worse outcomes.
- They view some cultural casting decisions (e.g., Dylan Mulvaney as Anne Boleyn) as emblematic of broader tensions between market/virtue-signaling incentives and audiences’ expectations.
Sponsors, promotions, and community notes
- Sauna Space — red/near-infrared therapy products (Glow and Firelight Sauna). Promo: 10% off at sauna.space/darkhorse (claims and descriptions presented by hosts).
- Masa Chips — chips made with organic nixtamalized corn and grass-fed beef tallow; promo: 25% off first order at masachips.com/darkhorse with code Dark Horse.
- Xlear (Clear) — xylitol nasal spray for respiratory health; hosts recommend as a daily prophylactic; available online and in stores.
- Community: monthly Sunday Q&A for Locals supporters; hosts invited listeners to submit questions (question period open and closes after the live stream).
Final notes
- Episode tone: critical of political posturing and institutional failures; encourages independent analysis and civic engagement.
- Upcoming: hosts return Wednesday with the next Evolutionary Lens and will run a Locals Q&A tomorrow (11 a.m. Pacific).