The Jordan Harbinger Show

Homeschooling: Not just for doomsday preppers anymore! Nick Pell joins Skeptical Sunday to unpack how kitchen tables became the new classroom battleground. On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: Homeschooling exploded from 2.5 million kids in 2019 to a whopping 6 million by 2021-2022, with most families sticking to it even after the pandemic dust settled. Forget the stereotype of homeschooling being a luxury for the wealthy — it's actually surprisingly affordable. While private schools can demand $25,000+ per year, homeschooling typically ranges from $500-$2,500 annually. Homeschooled students who pursue higher education tend to outperform their traditionally schooled peers in college, though they might stumble a bit in math (because calculus is still calculus, whether you learn it at home or in a classroom). Contrary to the classic "awkward homeschooler" trope, research shows mixed results on social development. Like a scientific experiment with conflicting data, some studies show better social skills, others

Your ex's schizoaffective episodes keep getting court-approved showtime with your special-needs child, despite restraining orders. It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: You're raising a special-needs child in Norway while locked in an endless dance with a legal system that keeps inviting your ex — who has a documented history of violent psychotic episodes — to waltz back into your lives despite restraining orders. How do you protect your child when the system seems determined to tango with danger? You're watching L.A.'s recent wildfire coverage from your Northern California community

From Russia to China: Autocracy, Inc. author Anne Applebaum reveals how modern autocrats create a new world order by working together against democracy. What We Discuss with Anne Applebaum: Modern autocracies form opportunistic networks rather than ideological blocs, collaborating through financial interests, technology sharing, and mutual support against democratic ideals — despite having different political systems. Russia's invasion of Ukraine represents a deliberate challenge to international law and norms, with Putin demonstrating he can violate conventions without consequences. China's surveillance technology has evolved to potentially predict political dissent by combining online monitoring, real-world tracking, and AI analysis — and this technology is being exported to other authoritarian regimes. The decline of democracy is typically gradual, often taking decades as institutions are slowly undermined, while many citizens may not realize their democracy is eroding until it becomes impossible to e

From food deserts to ultra-processed flavor deception, Jessica Wynn maps out America's nutritional divide and corporate food games on Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Jessica Wynn! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Imagine your body as an ancient supercomputer, humming along with software that's been fine-tuned over millions of years. Then suddenly, ultra-processed foods show up like a sketchy software update, introducing code your system never evolved to handle. The result? Your internal operating system goes haywire, consuming 500 extra calories daily even when the nutritional "specs" look identical on paper. Remember that Italian restaurant scene in Goodfellas? Well, the real food mafia (yes, the actual "Agromafia") is less about fancy dinners and more about fancy frau

What happens when your parents' peaceful retirement plan collides with a neighbor's deteriorating grip on reality? Find out here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your elderly parents bought their dream retirement home to be closer to their grandchild, but their next-door neighbor's increasingly erratic behavior has turned their golden years into a nightmare of harassment and intimidation. How do you protect your parents without making things worse? You're in a prestigious high school choir group and your teacher is crossing boundaries — encouraging dating drama, trash-talking stud

Psychiatrist Dr. Alok Kanojia discusses the hidden psychology of modern tech addiction and shares evidence-based strategies for breaking free! What We Discuss with Dr. Alok Kanojia: Digital addiction, particularly to pornography, has reached unprecedented levels (49-75% self-reported addiction rates), largely due to technology's ability to hijack multiple brain circuits simultaneously. Trauma creates hypervigilance through the brain's survival mechanisms, which weigh negative experiences more heavily than positive ones. This explains why one bad experience can override many good ones. Mental illness is increasing partly due to better diagnosis, but also because modern technology and social media distort our sense of self and relationship with reality, particularly through filtered images and curated content. Traditional therapy approaches may not work for everyone, especially men, as the field has inherent biases toward verbal processing. Alternative approaches like exercise, body-focused work, or other

Your hiking group's newest member has killer calves and concerning ideologies. Should you hit the trail or fight for higher ground? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: You joined a hiking group after your divorce to focus on personal growth and make new friends. Everything was going great until a charismatic, physically impressive guy showed up spouting fascist ideologies and making disturbing comments about weaponizing drones. The worst part? Everyone else seems captivated by him. What's your next move when you're the only one seeing red flags? Living 14 hours from family in

How did former ATF agent Jay Dobyns spend years undercover with the Hells Angels and live to tell the tale? Listen to this two-parter to find out! [Pt. 2/2 — find Pt. 1/2 here!] What We Discuss with Jay Dobyns: The Hells Angels maintain an extensive rulebook that governs members' behavior, with strict hierarchies and protocols. Breaking these rules can result in severe consequences, demonstrating how the organization operates more like a structured criminal enterprise than just a motorcycle club. Many Hells Angels members live in stark contrast to the glamorized Hollywood image of biker gangs. While some members are affluent, others live in extreme poverty, and children in these environments often face severely challenging circumstances. Undercover agents cannot use drugs or engage in certain criminal activities — even if it would make their cover more convincing — as this would compromise their credibility as witnesses and violate laws they're meant to uphold. The emotional toll of undercover work had a

How did former ATF agent Jay Dobyns spend years undercover with the Hells Angels and live to tell the tale? Listen to this two-parter to find out! [Pt. 1/2] What We Discuss with Jay Dobyns: Jay Dobyns was shot and nearly killed just four days into his ATF career, but rather than quitting, he used this experience to build credibility and learn valuable lessons about how quickly situations can turn violent in law enforcement. The ATF's undercover program was considered elite among law enforcement agencies, with ATF agents being particularly skilled at getting "down in the weeds" of criminal investigations due to their backgrounds in local law enforcement rather than specialized fields. Jay explains that successful undercover work is like being a salesman where "the product is me" — it requires building genuine trust and relationships while knowing you'll eventually have to betray that trust, making it psychologically challenging work. To establish credibility in criminal circles, Jay and his team would cre

Finding love in midlife with a baby on the way seems like a miracle, but your father's dark past threatens to eclipse it all. It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: You've found true love in midlife and have been blessed with a baby on the way, but there's a dark family secret lurking in the shadows — your father's abuse of your sisters decades ago. Now you're torn between protecting their story and being honest with your partner. Can you find safe passage through this minefield of trust and trauma? You're the new kid at a utility company where everyone's old enough to remember the Ca

Is diet soda bad? Do muscles vanish when you stop lifting? Dr. Michael Israetel, bodybuilding professor and fitness expert, answers these questions and more! What We Discuss with Michael Israetel: Common beliefs about artificial sweeteners and diet sodas being inherently harmful are largely unfounded. According to Dr. Israetel, there's no scientific evidence supporting that diet sodas are bad for health when examining both empirical literature and mechanistic studies. Muscle dysmorphia in men is a real issue, though not as prevalent as body image issues in women. It can lead to unhealthy obsessions with appearance and potentially dangerous behaviors, especially when combined with social media pressure and unrealistic comparisons. "Muscle memory" is a real physiological phenomenon based on satellite cell nuclei that remain in muscle tissue even after losing muscle mass. These nuclei never leave once created, making it easier to regain lost muscle even years later. You can't outrun a poor diet with exercis

Are sound healers hitting the right note, or just making noise? Maddox joins us to investigate frequencies, facts, and fallacies on this Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Maddox, the blogger behind The Best Page in the Universe and bestselling author of The Alphabet Of Manliness, I Am Better Than Your Kids, and F*ck Whales: Also Families, Poetry, Folksy Wisdom and You! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: Sound healing's purported benefits lack strong scientific evidence. While some studies show modest stress reduction benefits from sound meditation, claims about treating serious medical conditions are unfounded. Sound and vibration can actually cause physical harm. Research has documented damage to nerves, circulation, and other systems from certain frequencies and prolonged exposure.

Your fascist colleague thinks clubs turn people gay but loves male ballet dancers. Sometimes the closet has geopolitical dimensions. It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: You're a PhD student who befriended a peculiar new colleague with a penchant for authoritarianism, homophobia, and ballet. He's confiding increasingly concerning political views, showing up in clouds of cologne, and taking you on what might be accidental dates. Can you guide him toward compassionate self-acceptance, or is this a lost cause? Your neighbors are living like chaos incarnate — their yard's a tribute to e

Want to survive a disaster? The Unthinkable author Amanda Ripley explains why knowing your neighbors matters more than hoarding supplies. What We Discuss with Amanda Ripley: Contrary to popular belief, people rarely panic in disasters. Instead, the biggest challenge is often lethargy and denial — people tend to freeze or remain passive rather than exhibit chaotic behavior. This denial phase can be deadly as it delays taking necessary action. In most disasters, the people who save lives are regular civilians, not first responders (who often can't arrive quickly enough). However, this dynamic is being threatened by declining trust — not just in institutions, but between neighbors and community members. Our risk assessment is driven more by emotion ("dread") than rational calculation. This explains why people often fear the wrong things — like choosing to drive instead of fly, even though driving is statistically much more dangerous. In disasters, humans experience significant sensory and cognitive impairm

From criminal cases to designer babies, DNA is reshaping humanity's future. Michael Regilio unravels this double helix of discovery on Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: DNA is simultaneously microscopic and massive in scale — while coiled up tightly in each cell's nucleus, if you unraveled all the DNA in a single human body and laid it end-to-end, it would stretch to the sun not once, but 600 times! This mind-bending fact perfectly illustrates how we're all walking around with an astronomical amount of genetic information packed into our cells. The ethical implications of DNA databases are more complex than a double helix — even if you never take a genetic test yourself, your relatives' DNA

Religious pressure to forgive meets decades-old family assault. When the perpetrator has wealth but won't aid healing, what's next? It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your cousin and her daughter were both sexually assaulted by members of the same family, decades apart. Now the perpetrator is wealthy, dismissive, and unwilling to help with therapy costs while flaunting his success. There's a complex web of family dynamics and religious pressure to "forgive and forget" — but should justice have an expiration date? [Thanks to attorney Corbin Payne for helping us answer this one!] Yo

What can a country do to shake its pesky dictator problem? How Tyrants Fall author Marcel Dirsus is here to explain why it's difficult but not impossible! What We Discuss with Dr. Marcel Dirsus: Dictators are trapped on what Dr. Marcel Dirsus calls "the dictator's treadmill" — they can't safely step down because they've committed too many crimes to retire peacefully, but must keep running to survive. Statistics show 69% of dictators end up imprisoned, exiled, or killed. Dictators weaken their own militaries through "coup-proofing" — creating multiple competing security forces and promoting based on loyalty rather than competence. While this helps prevent coups, it makes their forces less effective against external threats. Natural resources like oil and diamonds help dictators maintain power because they can generate wealth without requiring an educated population or competent administrators. This allows them to focus on loyalty over capability in their government. Most dictators who fall (about 80%) are

Want to make bank without the bank breaking you? Anglo-Saxon poetry enthusiast Nick Pell weighs trades against degrees on this week's Skeptical Sunday! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: While college graduates earn more on average ($77,000/year) compared to trade school graduates ($67,000/year) and high school graduates ($47,000/year), this comes with significant student loan debt — averaging $37,000 for a bachelor's degree. There's a severe shortage of skilled trade workers in America, with examples like a deficit of 500,000 plumbers and an anticipated shortage of 1.9 million manufacturing jobs, suggesting strong job security and demand in these fields. Advanced degrees show diminishing returns — a master's degree costs an average of $65,000 and only provides about a 16% salary increase, while a doctorate costs $127,000 for grad school alone with relatively modest income gains. The college versus trade school decision isn't purely financial — it should factor in personal aptitudes, desired li

That slick businessman who bought your local church? His "art gallery" promises are looking more like a front for something sinister. It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday: You live next to a historic church that was recently sold to a charismatic businessman with grand plans for an art gallery. But whispers of human trafficking and suspicious activities are swirling through your small town like autumn leaves. What's really happening behind those hallowed walls? You're locked out of your house, and the locksmith who finally shows up hits you with a bill that could buy a small yacht. But the real

From advertising exec to America's storyteller-in-chief: prolific author James Patterson shares his blueprint for turning creative chaos into literary gold. What We Discuss with James Patterson: Highly prolific author James Patterson maintains success through daily consistency — writing 350-365 days per year, getting up at 5:30 a.m., and viewing his work as "playing" rather than working. This dedication has led to over 400 million books sold. James' creative process involves extensive outlining (60-80 pages) but staying flexible within that structure. He keeps multiple projects (around 30) going simultaneously and moves between them if he gets stuck on one. James' breakthrough moment came when he realized he was "on the wrong side of the highway" — stuck in advertising traffic heading to a job he didn't want, while watching others freely driving in the opposite direction. This led him to leave his successful advertising career to write full-time. James' writing philosophy focuses on respecting the read