James brings back astrophysicist Brian Keating for a practical takedown of moon-landing conspiracy claims—and a wider lesson in how to reason when everyone has a microphone. From the Van Allen belts to “the flag waving,” Keating separates physics from folklore, explains what evidence actually looks like (hello, laser retroreflectors), and gives a playbook for engaging friends who’ve gone down the rabbit hole—without losing your mind.MAKE SURE TO WATCH: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGwjE7seBs8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brian Keating's Video Debunking the Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory</a>What You’ll Learn:<ul><li>A simple framework for arguing well: define the claim, demand specific evidence, check physics and history, and compare against competing explanations.</li><li>Why the Van Allen belts don’t “fry” astronauts and how Apollo minimized exposure (trajectory + speed + shielding).</li><li>How we still verify Apollo today (lunar laser ranging off Apollo-placed mirrors).</li><li>How to spot trope-based arguments (appeals to vibes, selective papers, “we haven’t gone back, therefore it never happened”).</li></ul>Timestamped Chapters:<ul><li>[00:00] Opening: “What’s up with Candace Owens?” Setting the table: Bart Sibrel, viral platforms, and why this matters.</li><li>[02:30] Rogan, Jesse Michels, and the megaphone effect. Platforms amplify doubt; why it sticks.</li><li>[04:20] Thiel salons & the culture wars around ‘science.’ Belief, institutions, and physics “stagnation.”</li><li>[06:15] The debate that never happened. Why Sibrel refused; what counts as a real debate.</li><li>[15:45] Physics 101: Van Allen belts. Charged particles, trajectories, dose vs. time.</li><li>[23:10] “We haven’t gone back” ≠ “we never went.” South Pole analogy; politics, cost, and program shifts.</li><li>[30:00] Flag shadows, cameras, and remote control. Why the photo/camera myths fail basic engineering.</li><li>[35:05] Apollo 1, the ‘lemon,’ and what actually happened. Tragedy, design fixes, and conspiratorial leaps.</li><li>[44:10] Keating’s NASA work. Aviation safety, non-destructive evaluation, and why ‘NASA is useless’ is unserious.</li><li>[57:10] Hard evidence you can measure: Apollo retroreflectors, seismographs, and international confirmations.</li></ul>Core references:<ul><li>Van Allen radiation belts — NASA overview. <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/stories/van-allen-belts/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NASA Science</a></li><li>Lunar laser retroreflectors (Apollo 11/14/15) — NASA & background. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/laser-beams-reflected-between-earth-and-moon-boost-science/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NASA</a></li><li>Soviet Luna 15 crashed during Apollo 11 (context on USSR verification/competition). <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/history/50-years-ago-national-goal-nears-fulfillment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NASA</a></li></ul>People, platforms, and episodes mentioned:<ul><li>Buzz Aldrin vs. Bart Sibrel (2002 incident) — background. <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-9/buzz-aldrin-punches-moon-landing-conspiracy-theorist-bart-sibrel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HISTORY</a></li><li>Bart Sibrel — Danny Jones episode featuring Charles Duke (context). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMn6sI4X66s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li><li>Jesse Michels on The Joe Rogan Experience (recent appearance). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Ldl70x5Fg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li></ul>Historical context:<ul><li>Apollo 1 fire & the “lemon” (hung on a simulator, not the flight capsule). <a href="https://www.space.com/17338-apollo-1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Space</a></li></ul>Cultural notes referenced in-episode:<ul><li>Celebrity moon-hoax chatter (recent coverage of the Kardashians’ comments). <a href="https://people.com/khloe-kardashian-says-kim-thinking-moon-landing-is-fake-is-her-fault-exclusive-11851878" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">People.com</a></li></ul>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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