COVID Cover-Up, Nuclear Fear & Innovation | With Matt Ridley

Matt Ridley joins Alex Buxeda to talk about sex, why COVID most likely came from a lab and why the idea was suppressed, why the West turned against nuclear power, and why renewables deliver a poor energy return. They also talked about how cheap energy sparked the Industrial Revolution, why patents hurt innovation, and his upcoming book, The Rational Pessimist.

0:00 Teaser: the lab leak evidence and censorship

1:44 Intro

2:08 What is sex and why did it evolve?

4:58 Sexual selection: was the big brain for seduction?

6:01 Costly display and the handicap theory

7:35 Why is nuclear so unpopular in the West?

9:22 Biofuels, organic lettuce and energy return

10:39 Medieval wheat vs. modern farming

13:09 The hidden cost of backup for renewables

14:06 Germany's multi layered energy 'transition' failure

14:59 Follow the money: why renewables win politically