Agnotology (WILLFUL IGNORANCE) Updated Encore with Dr. Robert Proctor

Yes, there is an -ology for that. And yes, we’re airing this episode -– with a ton of 2025 updates -– because it’s never felt more relevant. Dr. Robert Proctor is a Stanford professor of the History of Science and co-edited the book “Agnotology: The Making & Unmaking of Ignorance,” having coined the word 30 years ago. We chat about everything from tobacco marketing, to the sugar lobby, to racial injustice, horse vision, the psychology of the Flat Earther movement, which countries have the highest rates of climate denial, empathy, how to navigate difficult conversations and why it's critical to dismantle the systems of willful ignorance, starting locally.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Podbay, Podcast Addict, or wherever you get podcasts.

Dr. Robert Proctor’s book: "Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance"

His 2021 book: Science and the Production of Ignorance: When the Quest for Knowledge Is Thwarted.

Donations in Dr. Proctor’s name went to: SavingBlackLives.org and the Public Health Advocacy Institute

An additional donation went to The National Black Law Students Association

Books Dr. Proctor mentioned:

“Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science” by Martin Gardner (original debunker of flimflam)

“Science and the Production of Ignorance,” edited by Janet Kourany & Martin Carrier

“The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” by David Wallace-Wells

“The Shock of the Anthropocene: Earth, History and Us” by Christophe Bonneuil and Jean-Baptiste Fressoz

“Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition” by Dr. Robert Proctor

“Merchants of Doubt” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway. Buy the book here

Links to things we discussed:

Movie trailer for Merchants of Doubt

Chicken study about cage size

Doctors endorsing smoking, a history

Climate change opinion by country

The color dun

Federal list of forbidden words may jeopardize research at UCSD

“Turning right”? An experimental study on the political value shift in large language models

US-funded ‘social network’ attacking pesticide critics shuts down after Guardian investigation

Recent Executive Orders

The Courage and the Courts

Tips from federal scientists:

—To speak out against Executive Orders and funding cuts, go to 5calls.org or senate.gov and house.gov where you can look up senators and representatives by state and get contact information.

—Donate to NGOs suing against the unlawful Executive Orders and emails or join your bargaining unit (union.) Suggestions:

https://www.aclu.org/

https://www.nrdc.org/

—Keep speaking your truth on your social media accounts and connecting with trusted media sources.

—Suggestions to educate yourself on ALL that is happening to the Federal Workforce

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

https://thepublicservicealliance.com

Other episodes you may enjoy::

Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY)

Attention Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD)

Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE)

Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT)