Robert is joined by James Stout to discuss the Tobacco Industry.

(2 part series)

FOOTNOTES:
https://daily.jstor.org/a-brief-history-of-tobacco-in-america/
https://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/james-buchananduke-father-of-the-modern-cigarette-by-william-kremer/comment-page-1/
https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/eaa/tobacco.html
https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/eaa/duke-doc.html
https://sites.middlebury.edu/smokingkills/forms-of-tobacco-advertisement/https://csts.ua.edu/files/2016/09/A-History-of-Tobacco-Trading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5402187/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3490543/?report=classic#bib3https://www.jstor.org/stable/40469740
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470496/?report=classic
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Cigarette/JX6mDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
http://www.cigarettecentury.com/

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives. Listeners will learn about the young adult novels that helped Hitler form his monstrous ideology, the founder of Blackwater’s insane quest to build his own Air Force, the bizarre lives of the sons and daughters of dictators and Saddam Hussein’s side career as a trashy romance novelist.

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives. Listeners will learn about the young adult novels that helped Hitler form his monstrous ideology, the founder of Blackwater’s insane quest to build his own Air Force, the bizarre lives of the sons and daughters of dictators and Saddam Hussein’s side career as a trashy romance novelist.

Everything you don't know about History's greatest monsters

Behind the Bastards

Part One: How Cigarettes Invented Everything

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5be9af6e-b3ab-47b8-bca1-af4e00178e78/transcript

Robert explores Dr. Church's weird history with eugenics adjacent projects, like the world's creepiest dating app, and how Colossal Biosciences was created and immediately used by the Trump administration as an excuse to attack the Endangered Species Act.

Robert explores Dr. Church's weird history with eugenics adjacent projects, like the world's creepiest dating app, and how Colossal Biosciences was created and immediately used by the Trump administration as an excuse to attack the Endangered Species Act.

Part Two: Dire Wolves, Dr. George Church & The De-Extinction Grift

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1ba52da5-7905-40e3-93fe-b2f201487cd7/transcript

Robert walks Langston Kerman through the story of Dr. George Church, a very real scientist who co founded the company making bullshit claims of "de extincting" dire wolves.

(2 Part Series)


Sources:
George Church, Colossal W*nker – For Better Science
Can Gene Therapy Slow Ageing in Dogs? - Gowing Life
Never-ageing Anti-aging to cure COVID-19 – For Better Science
The original sins of Leonard Guarente – For Better Science
Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA - The New York Times
Biologist George Church apologizes for contacts with Jeffreyticl Epstein
Genetics Company Wants To Bring Iconic Tasmanian Tiger Back From Extinction - Newsweek
Gene editing company hopes to bring dodo ‘back to life’ | Extinct wildlife | The Guardian
Jeffrey Epstein-Funded Geneticist Is Building a Dating App That Only a Eugenicist Could Love
George Church Explains How DNA Will Be Construction Material of the Future - DER SPIEGEL
Geneticist George Church gets funding for lab-grown woolly mammoths
Wooly Mammoth De-extinction Scientist Reveals Plan To Create 'Arctic Elephant' - Newsweek
Bringing back dinosaurs or making new ones? – DW – 06/10/2015
‘If you’re not failing, you’re probably not trying as hard as you could be’ — Harvard Gazette
CRISPR gene editing on human embryos may be dangerous
Here are some actual facts about George Church’s DNA dating company | MIT Technology Review
Scientist on the Loose: George Church Strays Into Eugenics—Again | Center for Genetics and Society
So...What do we think of Colossal Biosciences? : r/pleistocene
The "de-extinction" of the woolly mammoth, a "Colossal" hoax? - Genomic chronicles | Medicine/Science
Hiltzik: New frontiers in pseudoscientific baloney - Los Angeles Times
Colossal Liar Wolves – For Better Science
Meet The Disruptors: How Ben Lamm & Hypergiant Are Shaking Up the Space and AI Industries | by Jason Hartman | Authority Magazine | Medium
Millionaire Ben Lamm Warns Against Entrepreneurship - Great Entrepreneurs
The Serial Entrepreneur Turned Billionaire: Ben Lamm’s Tech and Science Revolution | Where Business News Meets Thought Leadership
How 39-year-old Ben Lamm has started five companies
Meet Ben Lamm: The World's First De-extinction Billionaire - Forbes India
Oral history interview with George M. Church - Science History Institute Digital Collections
Dr. George Church, Founding Father of Genomics | News | W.I.
The Church Of George Church
The World Has a Data Storage Problem. Is DNA the Answer? - proto.life
DNA: The Future of Data Storage?. DNA, with its amazing storage… | by Nithil Krishnaraj | TechTalkers | Medium

Robert walks Langston Kerman through the story of Dr. George Church, a very real scientist who co founded the company making bullshit claims of "de extincting" dire wolves.
(2 Part Series)
 Sources:
<ol>
<li><a href="https://forbetterscience.com/2023/06/26/george-church-colossal-wnker/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forbetterscience.com/2023/06/26/george-church-colossal-wnker/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3H6e-EUhINEjroovooeRCu">George Church, Colossal W*nker &ndash; For Better Science</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gowinglife.com/can-gene-therapy-slow-ageing-in-dogs/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gowinglife.com/can-gene-therapy-slow-ageing-in-dogs/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw19wbxq3gFaN0uBjJcPFyYb">Can Gene Therapy Slow Ageing in Dogs? - Gowing Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://forbetterscience.com/2020/05/14/never-ageing-anti-aging-to-cure-covid-19/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forbetterscience.com/2020/05/14/never-ageing-anti-aging-to-cure-covid-19/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0rfAJuoyXQJYswf54snjv2">Never-ageing Anti-aging to cure COVID-19 &ndash; For Better Science</a></li>
<li><a href="https://forbetterscience.com/2023/04/17/the-original-sins-of-leonard-guarente/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forbetterscience.com/2023/04/17/the-original-sins-of-leonard-guarente/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0O7y8gopUg3ElXd-KdYxoF">The original sins of Leonard Guarente &ndash; For Better Science</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/business/jeffrey-epstein-eugenics.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FtQy5c3CzfFnP65LuohwE">Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA - The New York Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/05/citing-nerd-tunnel-vision-biologist-george-church-apologizes-for-contacts-with-jeffrey-epstein/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/05/citing-nerd-tunnel-vision-biologist-george-church-apologizes-for-contacts-with-jeffrey-epstein/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mikXNVbBWyDv825Z5Pxop">Biologist George Church apologizes for contacts with Jeffreyticl Epstein</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/tasmanian-tiger-thylacine-extinction-colossal-biosciences-woolly-mammoth-1733900" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newsweek.com/tasmanian-tiger-thylacine-extinction-colossal-biosciences-woolly-mammoth-1733900&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IubFw1VxhxPFai81lxqTp">Genetics Company Wants To Bring Iconic Tasmanian Tiger Back From Extinction - Newsweek</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/31/gene-editing-company-hopes-to-bring-dodo-back-to-life?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/31/gene-editing-company-hopes-to-bring-dodo-back-to-life?CMP%3DShare_AndroidApp_Other&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1lee3K9lI2xeNKZZZgaj-p">Gene editing company hopes to bring dodo &lsquo;back to life&rsquo; | Extinct wildlife | The Guardian</a></li>
<li><a href="https://gizmodo.com/jeffrey-epstein-funded-geneticist-is-building-a-dating-1840315470" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gizmodo.com/jeffrey-epstein-funded-geneticist-is-building-a-dating-1840315470&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3TPewFO3U7I8ilRhPE54eP">Jeffrey Epstein-Funded Geneticist Is Building a Dating App That Only a Eugenicist Could Love</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/george-church-explains-how-dna-will-be-construction-material-of-the-future-a-877634.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/george-church-explains-how-dna-will-be-construction-material-of-the-future-a-877634.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw09p6CO7QRT5U5tp2vreb6O">George Church Explains How DNA Will Be Construction Material of the Future - DER SPIEGEL</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/geneticist-george-church-gets-funding-for-lab-grown-woolly-mammoths.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/geneticist-george-church-gets-funding-for-lab-grown-woolly-mammoths.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Z3KZKpG63qu8SY5gEObNg">Geneticist George Church gets funding for lab-grown woolly mammoths</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/wooly-mammoth-de-extinction-scientist-plan-create-arctic-elephant-1674509?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1643642848" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newsweek.com/wooly-mammoth-de-extinction-scientist-plan-create-arctic-elephant-1674509?utm_term%3DAutofeed%26utm_medium%3DSocial%26utm_source%3DTwitter%23Echobox%3D1643642848&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1fIDgxDxZR1WlfvJ87GgH6">Wooly Mammoth De-extinction Scientist Reveals Plan To Create 'Arctic Elephant' - Newsweek</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/could-jurassic-world-become-reality/a-18487900" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dw.com/en/could-jurassic-world-become-reality/a-18487900&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2TXCFkG7a8SKO00hOtTJxi">Bringing back dinosaurs or making new ones? &ndash; DW &ndash; 06/10/2015</a></li>
<li><a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/05/if-youre-not-failing-youre-probably-not-trying-as-hard-as-you-could-be/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/05/if-youre-not-failing-youre-probably-not-trying-as-hard-as-you-could-be/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1AJVsgGtDU4P5vz8-Xo6nu">&lsquo;If you&rsquo;re not failing, you&rsquo;re probably not trying as hard as you could be&rsquo; &mdash; Harvard Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-on-human-embryos-may-have-dangerous-consequences-says-new-study/?cf-view" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-on-human-embryos-may-have-dangerous-consequences-says-new-study/?cf-view&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw23XUDB9FwOFLH9eb5USRcW">CRISPR gene editing on human embryos may be dangerous</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/12/11/131611/actual-facts-about-george-church-dna-dating-company-digid8/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/12/11/131611/actual-facts-about-george-church-dna-dating-company-digid8/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3WtBk4f5JGcLgnGvdO8aa5">Here are some actual facts about George Church&rsquo;s DNA dating company | MIT Technology Review</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical-times/scientist-loose-george-church-strays-eugenics-again" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical-times/scientist-loose-george-church-strays-eugenics-again&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0nUJW4QSa4Y6qg165XwHtc">Scientist on the Loose: George Church Strays Into Eugenics&mdash;Again | Center for Genetics and Society</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/pleistocene/comments/1axg97t/sowhat_do_we_think_of_colossal_biosciences/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reddit.com/r/pleistocene/comments/1axg97t/sowhat_do_we_think_of_colossal_biosciences/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2o1wQKeblxWBsSmnXUB73n">So...What do we think of Colossal Biosciences? : r/pleistocene</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.medecinesciences.org/en/articles/medsci/full_html/2022/05/msc220068/msc220068.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.medecinesciences.org/en/articles/medsci/full_html/2022/05/msc220068/msc220068.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3NX3hsA-xWVwptzPEZ0aWt">The "de-extinction" of the woolly mammoth, a "Colossal" hoax? - Genomic chronicles | Medicine/Science</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-04-24/this-genetics-firm-didnt-resurrect-the-extinct-dire-wolf-but-did-achieve-a-breakthrough-in-hype" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-04-24/this-genetics-firm-didnt-resurrect-the-extinct-dire-wolf-but-did-achieve-a-breakthrough-in-hype&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3VxCL_IwS4rrGolEDJ65f7">Hiltzik: New frontiers in pseudoscientific baloney - Los Angeles Times</a></li>
<li><a href="https://forbetterscience.com/2025/05/21/colossal-liar-wolves/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forbetterscience.com/2025/05/21/colossal-liar-wolves/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0St7WElmk-5MNLdfxjgCG0">Colossal Liar Wolves &ndash; For Better Science</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/authority-magazine/meet-the-disruptors-how-ben-lamm-hypergiant-are-shaking-up-the-space-and-ai-industries-92d70b6b7b7c" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://medium.com/authority-magazine/meet-the-disruptors-how-ben-lamm-hypergiant-are-shaking-up-the-space-and-ai-industries-92d70b6b7b7c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1l2GXafkz3iBbLp8dU1O0n">Meet The Disruptors: How Ben Lamm &amp; Hypergiant Are Shaking Up the Space and AI Industries | by Jason Hartman | Authority Magazine | Medium</a></li>
<li><a href="https://thegreatentrepreneurs.com/millionaire-ben-lamm-warns-against-entrepreneurship/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegreatentrepreneurs.com/millionaire-ben-lamm-warns-against-entrepreneurship/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33ON1_bckTWm8uUJGRsTTB">Millionaire Ben Lamm Warns Against Entrepreneurship - Great Entrepreneurs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://priceofbusiness.com/the-serial-entrepreneur-turned-billionaire-ben-lamms-tech-and-science-revolution/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://priceofbusiness.com/the-serial-entrepreneur-turned-billionaire-ben-lamms-tech-and-science-revolution/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1_TSfWAKvEf9Kgz0OTRkfz">The Serial Entrepreneur Turned Billionaire: Ben Lamm&rsquo;s Tech and Science Revolution | Where Business News Meets Thought Leadership</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/06/how-ben-lamm-started-five-companies.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/06/how-ben-lamm-started-five-companies.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1KTZUMjTdm_xpUEQf-Ttx6">How 39-year-old Ben Lamm has started five companies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.forbesindia.com/article/billionaires/meet-ben-lamm-the-worlds-first-deextinction-billionaire/95929/1" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/billionaires/meet-ben-lamm-the-worlds-first-deextinction-billionaire/95929/1&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw08QcLnviCUIrGl_n2reSCv">Meet Ben Lamm: The World's First De-extinction Billionaire - Forbes India</a></li>
<li><a href="https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/1e76gek" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/1e76gek&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1C5rNuVN3Ct-4YcNl3bA4X">Oral history interview with George M. Church - Science History Institute Digital Collections</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thewindwardschool.org/the-windward-institute/details/~board/beacon-archives/post/dr-george-church-founding-father-of-genomics" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thewindwardschool.org/the-windward-institute/details/~board/beacon-archives/post/dr-george-church-founding-father-of-genomics&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1HBypZYy3XtjmYdns3Qspp">Dr. George Church, Founding Father of Genomics | News | W.I.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.popsci.com/church-george-church/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.popsci.com/church-george-church/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0b0YQkxyEGVXBsCyJCrGjR">The Church Of George Church</a></li>
<li><a href="https://proto.life/2021/07/the-world-has-a-data-storage-problem-is-dna-the-answer/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://proto.life/2021/07/the-world-has-a-data-storage-problem-is-dna-the-answer/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27M0zb24ykcuXvALvN_Xk2">The World Has a Data Storage Problem. Is DNA the Answer? - proto.life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/techtalkers/dna-the-future-of-data-storage-de564ea10dac" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://medium.com/techtalkers/dna-the-future-of-data-storage-de564ea10dac&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748998896654000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2dZbbrgE86WJXqEBAVZBgo">DNA: The Future of Data Storage?. DNA, with its amazing storage&hellip; | by Nithil Krishnaraj | TechTalkers | Medium</a></li>
</ol>

Part One: Dire Wolves, Dr. George Church & The De-Extinction Grift

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/71ceae33-d48a-4557-b40a-b2f0016b9e61/transcript

Robert builds to the thrilling conclusion of the other Kevin Smith's story: the mass slaughter of his own flock.

Robert builds to the thrilling conclusion of the other Kevin Smith's story: the mass slaughter of his own flock.

Part Two: The Throat-Slitting Evangelical Minister of Jamaica

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f659469b-58f3-4878-a26b-b2eb0143d481/transcript

Part One: How Cigarettes Invented Everything

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