Very Bad Wizards

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

The Lotus Eaters Episode 9: An Ode to Argos [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss The Odyssey books 17 & 18, in which Telemachus and Odysseus, back at home, continue their deception and put everyone to the test. Everyone except

Sep 24
49 min

Episode 341: Psychology Ranked (With Paul Bloom)

David and Tamler welcome Paul Bloom back to the show for a definitive ranking of classic psychology experiments. Will the shocking results of the Milgram studies earn him

Sep 22
1 h 37 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 8: Home and Homelessness [unlocked]

In this episode, Tamler and David discuss The Odyssey Books 15 & 16, in which father and son (and father figure and son) are reunited, and in which the Odysseus and Telem

Sep 17
1 h 02 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 7: Lying Odysseus [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss Books 13 & 14 of The Odyssey. Odysseus finally makes it to Ithaca and meets up with Athena, gets a disguise, and has a chat with his most loyal s

Sep 10
55 min

Episode 340: The Sublime Folly of Hope

Why do baseball players have so many superstitious rituals compared to athletes in other sports? How does this relate to the magic rituals of the Trobriand Islanders of M

Sep 8
1 h 15 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 6: Psyches [unlocked]

David and Tamler discuss The Odyssey's iconic books 11 & 12, in which our hero visits the ghosts of the dead, hears the call of the sirens, and survives a no-win situatio

Sep 3
58 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 5: Circe, Cyclops, and Psychedelics (Oh My!) [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss the action-packed books 9 & 10 of The Odyssey, in which Odysseus makes some questionable choices, the crew encounters cannibal giants, and Circe

Aug 27
54 min

Episode 339: Is Analytic Philosophy Truthmaxxing?

Since well before the big bang, people have been bitching about Tamler's chosen field. We talk about Bernard Williams' (qualified) defense of analytic philosophy in his e

Aug 25
1 h 21 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 4: I Am Odysseus [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss books 7 & 8 of The Odyssey--while at Alcinous' palace in Phaeacia, Odysseus listens to poetry, plays some games, cries some more, and finally sta

Aug 20
45 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 3: The Halfway House to Humanity [unlocked]

Tamler and David discuss books 5 & 6 of The Odyssey, where we follow Odysseus as he finally leaves Calypso's Island and returns to the realm of the human. We also finally

Aug 13
41 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 2: Intangible as Wind [unlocked]

Welcome to The Lotus Eaters! This is part 2 of our 12 part series on Homer's Odyssey that will be released every Thursday. The series was supported by our Patreon communi

Aug 6
54 min

The Lotus Eaters Episode 1: The Journey Begins [unlocked]

Welcome to The Lotus Eaters! This is part 1 of our 12 part series on Homer's Odyssey that will be released every Thursday. The series was supported by our Patreon communi

Aug 6
1 h 00 min

Episode 338: The Lotus Eaters (Nolan's "The Odyssey")

Dropping this a week early - after completing a 12-part series on Homer's Odyssey for our beloved Patreon supporters, we now dive into Christopher Nolan's version of this

Aug 4
1 h 01 min

Episode 337: First Contact? (Tarkovsky's "Solaris")

First it was a book, then it was a groundbreaking movie… that's right it's Solaris. After having discussed the Stanislaw Lem novel in the previous episode, David and Taml

Jul 28
1 h 45 min

Episode 336: That Oceanic Feeling (Stanisław Lem's "Solaris")

David and Tamler tackle the first half of the VBW Madness topic tournament winner, Stanislaw Lem's science fiction masterpiece, Solaris, about a mysterious ocean planet t

Jul 14
1 h 35 min

Episode 335: The Wright Stuff

The great Robert Wright returns to the podcast to talk about his new book The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning. We debate the magnitude o

Jun 30
1 h 30 min

Episode 334: Let's Get Metaphysical

What are the legitimate ways to inquire about the nature of the universe? We have science, metaphysics, phenomenological inquiry, but what about mystical and meditative p

Jun 16
1 h 20 min

Episode 333: P-hacking the Mind

David and Tamler do another tier ranking--this time on philosophical thought experiments, so as not to further alienate our chemistry-adjacent listeners. We hit most of t

May 26
54 min

Episode 332: Talking to Myself ("The Other" by Jorge Luis Borges)

David and Tamler talk about Jorge Luis Borges' disorienting short story "The Other." A 70-year-old Borges sits on a bench by the Charles River and who should he encounter

May 12
1 h 54 min

Episode 331: Who's Your Law Daddy? (Plato's "Crito")

In another Back 2 Basics episode, David and Tamler talk about Plato's "Crito," a dialogue that takes place two days before Socrates' death by hemlock. His friend Crito wa

Apr 28
1 h 31 min

Chart trend

Position in the Philosophy chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#15#29JulAugSepOct

#10

all-time peak

days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Very Bad Wizards ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 1, 2026).

#27 ▼ 3 Philosophy US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I started listening to Very Bad Wizards in 2026, but went back to their first episode from 2012 and began listening from there. I’d never taken this approach to a new pod, but thinking I’d get a much better picture of the topics discussed if I start from the beginning. Maybe I was hoping these guys would systematically build upon the topics from one episode to the next. What I found instead is just two friends laughing, arguing, and discussing philosophy and social psychology in a way that almost never tries to explain what they’re talking about, but is endearing, engaging, and immensely enjoyable.

yater_77 · Jul 2026

I just finished the entire catalog of Very Bad Wizards, and it is by far my favorite podcast on the market. Their chemistry, humor, wisdom, and insight have left a great impact on the way I view the world.

5P1R170FFR3E90M · Jan 2026

The meta-conversation in this pod about the role of science, logic, and truth is really unique. The guys are irreverent (some might say degenerate) even as they wrestle with the big questions in serious ways. The format is a lot of fun, and I’ve grown so much as a thinker alongside Tamler and David.

Zumolllaaaaaaaa · Dec 2025

i really absolutely love that this podcast, more than any other form of media i’ve ever consumed, pushes me to engage with topics that i wouldn’t otherwise have. it’s the only podcast i consistently come back to and i’d absolutely recommend engaging fully with an episode (reading/watching whatever they’re discussing before listening). regardless of the topic, it’ll challenge your perspectives and give you something to think about.

NuttyPapa · Oct 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.