Science Counterpunch

Welcome to Science Counterpunch, a short, punchy brand for a YouTube‑first podcast that combines hard evidence, frontline scientist testimony, and rapid rebuttal clips to expose anti‑science influencers and actors while centering science and experts who’ve been targeted. www.protagonist-science.com

Science Counterpunch is a science podcast hosted by Philipp Markolin, Sam Gregson, with 25 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Philipp Markolin, Sam Gregson hosts Science Counterpunch, a science show with 25 episodes published.

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  Episode #10

  Cool worlds against cosmic misrepresentations /w David Kipping

  Apr 24, 20261h 21mS1

  <p>Is a cosmic rock truly an alien spaceship that the government does not want you to know about? Misrepresentations of scientific inquiry or hypotheses often aren’t an accident, but a structural by‑product of how curiosity, media incentives, and speculation collide. Space science, especially the search for alien life, sits at the perfect fault line: high uncertainty, high awe, and enormous public attention. The result is a constant churn of overreach, misinterpretation, and claims that outrun the evidence.</p><p>This week on Science Counterpunch, we’re joined by astrophysicist David Kipping—director of the Cool Worlds Lab at Colum...

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  Episode #9

  Decoding anti-science gurus /w Matt Browne and Chris Kavanagh

  Apr 10, 20261h 30mS1

  <p>Anti-science isn’t a bug in the modern information ecosystem—it’s the feature. Today’s secular gurus don’t need robes or rituals; they wield academic credentials, technical jargon, and a galaxy-brained confidence that turns YouTube, Twitter, and podcasts into pulpits. Their gospel? That institutions are corrupt, science is suspect, and only they have the answers.</p><p>This week on Science Counterpunch, we’re joined by Chris Kavanagh and Matt Brown, hosts of Decoding the Gurus, for a forensic look at the rise of anti-science influencers and the cult dynamics that keep their audiences loyal. We dissect how “decorat...

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  Episode #8

  Tracking the fascist project in the US /w Christina Pagel

  Apr 3, 20261h 15mS1

  <p>Modern authoritarianism doesn’t arrive with tanks. It announces itself with spreadsheets, budget cuts, accreditation fights, and the quiet capture of institutions most people barely notice—until they’re gone.</p><p>This week on Science Counterpunch, we’re joined by Professor Christina Pagel, Professor of Operational Research at UCL and creator of the Trump Action Tracker, a data‑driven record of nearly 3,000 actions documenting the attacks on democratic and scientific institutions in the U.S. </p><p>Drawing on her public communication work with Independent SAGE, Christina now raises the alarm about US politics with hard-to-refute data; explains why univer...

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  Episode #7

  Debunking vaccine misinfo with funk /w Dan Wilson

  Mar 27, 20261h 10mS1

  <p>What happens when fringe anti-vaxxers move from fleecing online communities to the highest halls of power?</p><p>This week on Science Counterpunch, we’re joined by Dr. Dan Wilson, molecular biologist and creator of the Debunk the Funk YouTube Channel, to dissect how anti‑vaccine narratives became mainstream—and why so many institutions seem unprepared to stop them.</p><p>Dan walks us through his journey from being conspiracy‑curious as a teenager to becoming a meticulous science communicator, explaining why teaching the scientific method matters more than just throwing facts at people. We unpack the rise of COVID co...

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  Episode #6

  Fighting for the future of public health /w Gregg Gonsalves

  Mar 20, 20261h 5mS1

  <p>In this episode of Science Counterpunch, we welcome epidemiologist, MacArthur Fellow, and lifelong AIDS activist Gregg Gonsalves to talk about what happens when politics is at odds with public health.</p><p>Gregg was on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic with ACT UP in the 1990s, helping force institutions like the NIH and FDA to accelerate research and expand access to lifesaving treatments. Later, he brought that same activist-scientist playbook to South Africa, confronting deadly AIDS denialism at the level of government policy.</p><p>What happens today in the US not only echoes but in many...

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