Recording from Tokyo, I have on guests to discuss social issues, politics, and what's happening in the world. It's not what people believe, but why they believe it that I find most interesting.
Ryan welcomes guests Andrew Echeverria and Jennifer Shumaker, two friends he first met while studying abroad in Japan. One of the most frequent topics Ryan gets questions about is his time overseas, which is why he's brought on Jennifer and Andrew to discuss their lives overseas as well. This episode provides lots of information from different perspectivies about what it's like to live in Japan, how these three have gotten work in the country, different paths they all took in order to live there, and everything in between. Episode 50 is Japan Bound!
14 Nov 2025
#49: Fanatical Thinking
Award winning Birtish journalist Charles Thomson returns to Reason Bound to talk about the bane of their existence: unhinged fans. The term "celebrity worship" gets thrown around a lot, but it's very real and it causes very real cognitive issues. While there isn't an abundance of research on people who transition from fans to radical fanatics, Ryan and Charles discuss a study titled: "Cognitive Skills Revisited: Applying Cattell's Two-Factor Theory Of Intelligence In a Cross-Sectional Study". The results of the study demonstrate celebrity worship has a direct association with poor performance on cognitive tests that cannot be accounted for by demographic and socioeconomic factors. Charles and Ryan discuss fandom as a way to establish identity, the impact of fan behavior on the legacy of artists, and what types of toxic behavior fanatics engage in to ascend to positions of authority within particular fandoms. Of course, no episode with Charles would be complete without revisiting Michael Jackson and some of the extremes of his fanbase, including perhaps his most extreme fans of all: his detractors.
16 Oct 2025
#48: Canceling Culture
Astucious Aussie, Ben Holford, returns to Reason Bound to talk with Ryan about various controversies and how public attitudes have shaped the surrounding narratives. They discuss the concept of over-shaming having a backlash effect and if the level of "cancelling" makes others to be more or less likely inclined to apologize when they recognize they've offended someone in some way. Offense itself can be difficult to navigate as they discuss where lines of respect are reasonably drawn. What is the utility of digging up transgressions of years gone by if the person who transgressed doesn't even hold their antiquated attitudes present day? People and controversies discussed include Prince Harry, Lizzo, and CM Punk. This interview is an in depth discussion on all things related to bounds of reason, lines drawn for acceptable behavior, and ultimately achieving social cohesion.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
57
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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