Science From the Fringe

After a thought-provoking Science From the Fringe interview —“ Conversations with Bryce Nickels: Kevin McKernan (Biotech Entrepreneur) ”, recorded on September 29, 2025 — Bryce Nickels invited Kevin McKernan back for a live X Space on October 9 to continue the conversation. Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a sub...

In this episode of Science From the Fringe , Bryce Nickels speaks with acclaimed science writer and best-selling author, Matt Ridley . Topics include who is “winning” the debate over COVID-19’s origins, the state of modern science, the ethics of de-extinction efforts, and the fascinating premise of Ridley’s latest book, Birds, Sex and Beauty . Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publicat...

In this episode of Science From the Fringe , Bryce Nickels talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, Lewis Kamb , of public health research group, U.S. Right to Know . Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Kamb discusses his investigative reporting—from exposing Boeing’s 737 MAX failures at The Seattl...

In this episode of Science From the Fringe , Bryce Nickels interviews Roger Pielke Jr., Professor Emeritus from the University of Colorado Boulder and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute . Pielke is a political scientist specializing in science and technology policy, with a focus on climate, energy, and the politicization of science. The conversation explores Pielke’s academic journ...

In this episode of Science From the Fringe , Bryce Nickels speaks with biotech pioneer Kevin McKernan, tracing his career from the Human Genome Project and DNA sequencing innovations (via companies like Agencourt, acquired by Beckman and ABI) to “fringe” pursuits like sequencing cannabis and psilocybin genomes for their therapeutic potential. Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publicati...

In his first interview since returning from a 10-month hiatus, Bryce Nickels of Science From the Fringe, speaks with Michael Nevradakis , senior reporter at the Defender , Children’s Health Defense’s online news platform. Science from the Fringe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. From his home in Greece, Nevrada...

Bryce Nickels speaks with Sigrid Bratlie, a molecular biologist and strategic advisor on biotechnology for the Norwegian think tank, Langsikt, who has become a prominent voice in Norway in the debate surrounding the origins of COVID-19. Sigrid describes her involvement in the COVID origins discussion, and the conflicts that arose with established virologists. The conversation covers scientific int...

Bryce Nickels interviews Lee Jussim, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, about cancel culture in academia, the pressure to conform to political views, and the negative effects of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They discuss Lee's research measuring political extremism in academia as well as his recent analysis of the impact of DEI rhetoric on percepti...

Bryce Nickels and Kevin Bass critically evaluate the accuracy of statements made in Zeynep Tufekci's New York Times Op-Ed, " Trump’s Pick to Lead the NIH Gets Some Things Right ." Summary: On November 27, 2024, Stanford Professor Jay Bhattacharya was nominated as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That same day, Zeynep Tufekci published an Op-Ed in the New York Times , listin...

Professor Jay Bhattacharya and filmmaker Vanessa Dylyn discuss her new film Covid Collateral , an investigative documentary about the societal harms caused by the severe lockdowns imposed by western governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film explores the devastating impact of the censorship of science in a free society. features music by Tess Parks Get full access to Science From the Fring...

Stanford Professor Jay Bhattacharya and Rutgers Professor Bryce Nickels respond to scientists that attack members of the public who voice concerns about research conducted in high-containment biolabs in their communities. They highlight this issue through the responses of scientists to community organizers Klare X. Allen and Lorraine Fowlkes from the Roxbury Safety Net . In 2000, Klare founded the...

Professors Jay Bhattacharya (Stanford) and Bryce Nickels (Rutgers) are joined by New York Times bestselling author, surgeon, and healthcare expert Dr. Marty Makary (Johns Hopkins) to discuss a new film by award winning director Jenner Furst , titled Thank You, Dr. Fauci , which critically examines Anthony Fauci's role in the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discuss Marty's latest book, Blind Spots , w...

Did lockdowns work to save lives? Professor Jay Bhattacharya and economist Jonas Herby discuss the evidence. In 2022, Herby, Steve Hanke, and Lars Jonung published a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the topic. Their shocking conclusion was that the real-world evidence did not support the idea that the early lockdowns of March 2020 had saved many lives. While the early computer...

The second part of Bryce Nickels ' two-part conversation with Neil Harrison offering a critical examination of the evidence for the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic began at the Huanan Seafood Market in early December 2019. Click here to listen to the first part of their conversation. In the second half of the discussion, Bryce and Neil discuss why, in late 2021, virologists rushed to convinc...

Part 1 of Bryce Nickels ' two-part conversation with Neil Harrison offers a critical examination of the evidence for the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic began at the Huanan Seafood Market in early December 2019. Neil discusses how he became interested in the origins debate and highlights the controversies surrounding it. He also shares his journey to coauthoring a May 2022 paper with economi...

Jay Bhattacharya speaks with Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) about the failures of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for robust debate, transparency, and reform within the CDC. They explore the impact of COVID policies on mental health, the authoritarian tendencies observed in public health responses, and the consequences of vaccine mandates, particul...

Jay Bhattacharya and Bryce Nickels speak with Joomi Kim, a biologist who discusses her motivations for creating a video explaining her decision to vote for Donald Trump amidst a politically charged academic environment. The conversation explores the complex interplay between politics, science, and public perception and the challenges of navigating political divides. The discussion also covered cen...

Jay Bhattacharya speaks with Dr. Laura Kahn about her new book, One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 , which explores the relationship between human, animal, and environmental health, particularly in the context of infectious diseases like COVID-19. They discuss the historical roots of the One Health concept, the impact of zoonotic diseases, and the implications of human activities on disease s...

On October 26, 2024, Science From The Fringe held an X-Space, featuring Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (Professor, Stanford University), Bryce Nickels (Professor, Rutgers University; co-founder of Biosafety Now ), and special guest Wilk Wilkinson, who moderated a panel on "Evidence-Based Decision Making During a Pandemic" at the October 4, 2024, conference organized by Jay at Stanford University titled "Pan...

Synopsis : An October 15 column in the LA Times criticizing a Stanford conference gave Jay Bhattacharya and Bryce Nickels the chance to spotlight Wilk Wilkinson and his efforts to unite opposing voices, including his recent facilitation of a historic meeting between Jay and former NIH Director Francis Collins. Get full access to Science From the Fringe at sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscrib...

On November 17, 2021, Jay Bhattacharya testified before the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis in a hearing titled “ Combating Coronavirus Cons and the Monetization of Misinformation " During the hearing, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) repeatedly attacked Jay with false accusations, implying Jay was responsible for over 300,000 deaths in India, questioning Jay’s qualifi...

On September 29, 2024, Science From The Fringe hosted its first X-Space, featuring Bryce Nickels (Professor of Genetics at Rutgers University and co-founder of Biosafety Now ) and Valentin Brutel (Immunologist and Chief Scientific Officer of Toleris) in conversation with German journalists Aya Velázquez and Bastian Barukar . They explored the "RKI file scandal," discussing the Robert Koch Institut...

Part 2 of a discussion between Jay Bhattacharya and independent journalist Aya Velázquez recorded on September 17, 2024. In this segment, Jay discusses the differences in virus transmission between COVID-19 and monkeypox, the impact of lockdowns and public health responses, and the implications of the lab leak theory. He reflects on the role of academic institutions in promoting freedom of speech...

Part 1 of a discussion between Jay Bhattacharya and independent journalist Aya Velázquez recorded on September 17, 2024. In this segment, they discussed the role of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in shaping Germany's COVID-19 policies, revealing the political interference in scientific advice, the key figures involved, and the implications of their decisions on public health. Aya discussed the un...

In March 2022, Jay sat down with John Ioannidis, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, to discuss several key topics from the pandemic era. They explore early seroprevalence studies, Infection Fatality Rates (IFR), and the concept of precision shielding. The discussion also covers the collateral damage caused by lockdowns and how to restore trust in public health systems. Highlights includ...