The Strange Rise of Fanaticism: The 339th Evolutionary Lens with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
Podcast: DarkHorse PodcastPublished On: Wed Aug 19 2026
Description: On this, our 339th Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss the rise of fanaticism in the context of Jason Arday—the former Cambridge professor who was under fire for plagiarism and fabulism, and was recently found dead. Arday benefitted from the progressive stack, and played up both his blackness and autism; he was also an actual marathoner and a human being. There can be no nuance on either side—either he is beloved and his name is chanted at a gathering at Trafalgar Square, or he is denounced by the anti-woke (including race realists). Other examples of cases where fanaticism is met by fanaticism on the other side, when there should be some people who hold an intermediate position, include: Covid vaxxers vs anti-vaxxers; traditionalists vs libertarians; and climate science deniers vs enthusiasts.*****Our sponsors:Sundries Farm: Extraordinary hand grown and harvested garlic from a family farm on the volcanic soils of Idaho. Go to http://www.sundriesfarm.com & enter code DarkHorse for 10% off.Dose for your Liver: Tasty drink with milk thistle, ginger, dandelion & turmeric to support liver health. Save 35% of your first month at http://dosedaily.co/DarkHorseXlear: Xylitol nasal spray that acts as prophylaxis against respiratory illnesses by reducing the stickiness of bacteria and viruses. Find Xlear online, or at your local pharmacy, grocery store, or natural products store.*****Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.comHeather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.comOur book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.orgMusic: "Marble Machine" by WintergatanThis track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.netFree License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.netThumbnail: Alishia Abodunde / Getty Images News*****Mentioned in this episode:Sarah Ditum, the Times of London, 8-17: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/was-it-wrong-to-write-so-much-about-jason-arday-nzjrn9gbfTrafalgar Square: https://x.com/nickdixon/status/2089472484085211226?s=46The Times on Arday, 7-31: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/jason-arday-university-cambridge-plagiarism-kwfk6sm6cNathan Cofnas: https://ncofnas.com/p/dei-fraud-and-cover-up-at-cambridge“Rebuttal”: https://bylinetimes.com/2026/08/18/the-peter-thiel-linked-race-science-network-that-penetrated-cambridge-university-and-targeted-jason-arday/Support the show
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