Ian Keyser is an audio engineer at Reason.
South Park Is Saving Free Speech!
Plus: Trump’s "woke AI" order, Gawker’s cultural legacy, and a listener question on deregulation and the BBB.
Ian Keyser
Audio Engineer
Latest from Ian Keyser
Streaming Music Isn't a Free Market. It's a Regulated Monopoly.
Rock legend David Lowery draws on his decades in the music industry to explain how government-imposed licensing fees and price controls helped streaming platforms flourish while eroding artist rights and income.
What Should Libertarians Make of the Epstein Files?
Plus: Tulsi Gabbard accuses Obama of treason, Congress slashes NPR funding, and a listener asks if we actually like each other.
How a Government Mind Control Experiment Backfired
Historian John Lisle uncovers how Cold War paranoia, LSD, and unchecked power led the CIA to fund torture, deception, and mind control experiments on unwitting Americans.
There's No Evidence That Climate Change Has Increased the Rat Population
A widely reported study relies on weak data, inaccurate statistics, and misleading references to support its claims.
The Surprising Origins of Modern Freedom
Sophia Rosenfeld joins Nick Gillespie to discuss how personal choice became central to modern ideas of freedom and why that shift carries political, cultural, and psychological consequences.
The Insanity of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill
Plus: Trump's E.U. trade deadline, masked ICE agents, and Elon Musk's third party
Did NYC Vote for Socialism or Against the Establishment?
Plus: Senate GOP releases version of “Big Beautiful Bill” and Republicans shift on gay marriage
How Texas Beat California on Housing
YIMBY policies in Texas have led to lower rents and increasing supply. The same cannot be said for California.
How LSD Helped Launch a Radical Libertarian Counterculture
Drug Smuggler. Fugitive. Icon. Meet the Acid Queen.
Did Bombing Iran Make America Safer?
Emma Ashford and Faisal Saeed Al Mutar join Nick Gillespie to discuss the conflict in Iran.
Anti-War President Starts New War. Again.
The Iran bombings, public land selloffs, and the collapse of big city governance
Scott Barry Kaufman: Incels, Narcissists, and the Victim Mindset
Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman joins Nick Gillespie to discuss toxic identity politics, the rise of grievance-based thinking, and why true self-actualization requires moving beyond victimhood.
Israel Strikes Iran. Is Escalation Inevitable?
U.S. involvement in the new Middle East conflict, political violence at home, and the No Kings protests
Helen Lewis: The Dark Side of Genius
In The Genius Myth, the journalist delivers a sharp, funny takedown of our obsession with "brilliant" men, showing that behind every so-called genius is a crowd and a big PR machine.
Artificial Intelligence Is Making Everything Weird
Plus: A listener asks if the "big beautiful bill" will decrease the deficit.
Lawrence Wright: America's Misadventures in Wars, Cults, and Panics
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author discusses the enduring roots of Middle Eastern conflict, the rise and fall of cultural panics, and why Texas may be the blueprint—and battleground—for America's future.
C. Bradley Thompson and Jeremiah Johnson: Rise of the 'MAGA Manosphere'
Did mainstream conservatives and libertarians lose a generation of young men to the reactionary right?
Brian Brushwood: Why We Fall for Scams
Magician and podcaster Brian Brushwood talks about deception and skepticism while exploring historical hoaxes, the psychology of magic, the libertarian dystopia of Epcot, and the story behind World’s Greatest Con.
The GOP Budget Is Big, Bloated, B.S.
Plus: A listener asks if the economic inequality data is bad.
Robert Rosenkranz: How To Use Stoicism To Build a Meaningful Life
The billionaire philanthropist explores how stoic philosophy shaped his views on capitalism, politics, and philanthropy, arguing for rational optimism, individual responsibility, and civil public discourse as foundations for life.
What Did We Learn From DOGE?
Plus: A listener asks which domestic policy changes could realistically boost U.S. manufacturing without raising costs for consumers.
Billionaire Cliff Asness: Can Technology Outrun 'Stupider and Stupider' Government?
Co-founder of AQR Capital Management, Cliff Asness, discusses the decline of market efficiency, the dangers of populist economics, and his libertarian outlook on capitalism.
Steven Pinker: Can Harvard Be Saved?
The Harvard psychologist discusses recent gains for free speech at Harvard, growing political and ideological threats to academic freedom, and the importance of shared knowledge in sustaining truth and progress.
John Arnold: Government Can't Be Trusted To Fix Any Problems
John Arnold argues that private markets solve problems better than government or philanthropy, and that real reform comes from decentralization, incentives, and evidence—not top-down control.
Trump's Independent Voter Problem
Plus: A listener asks about possible book club books that are "subtly libertarian."
Does Legalizing Sex Work Increase Human Trafficking?
A go-to study for advocates of restricting sex work used a flawed economic model and abysmal data.
Jeffrey Singer: Get Government Out of Health Care
Longtime surgeon and Cato Institute fellow Jeffrey Singer argues that government overreach in health care undermines patient autonomy.
Why Due Process Matters
Plus: A listener asks who was the better president: Trump or Obama?
Jason Furman: Why Everyone Is Wrong About the Economy
Former Obama administration economic adviser Jason Furman explains why both major parties have abandoned economic reality in favor of political fantasy.
Why Trump's China Tariffs Won't Work
Plus: A listener asks whether or not Thomas Jefferson was right.
Mark Clifford: A Political Prisoner Fights for Free Speech in China
The former editor in chief of the South China Morning Post discusses his book on Jimmy Lai, who is currently on trial in Hong Kong for having the audacity to stand up to the government.
Can Anyone Stop Trump's Tariffs?
Plus: A listener asks if it's time for journalists to stop steel-manning Trump's policies.
Leigh Stein and Julius Taranto: Did Wokeness and Trump Kill Literary Satire?
The novelists join the podcast for a sharp, satirical dive into fiction, free speech, and the absurdity of modern culture.
The Hidden Politics of Whiskey Prices
Donald Trump is determined to make everything from Canadian whiskey to Mexican avocados more expensive. Can anyone stop him?
James Fadiman and Jordan Gruber: Psychedelics Legalization Will Continue No Matter Who Is President
Authors James Fadiman and Jordan Gruber discuss their new book Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance.
Trump's War With the Courts
Plus: A listener asks why some American libertarians seem to unquestioningly accept everything Vladimir Putin says.
Brian Doherty: The Fascinating Women and Weirdos Who Founded Libertarianism
Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty explores the evolution of libertarian thought in his new book.
Why We Don't Need the Department of Education
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether a Kamala Harris presidency would have been preferable.
How Pokémon Helps Explain DOGE
Musk's fans and critics will keep debating whether DOGE is revolutionizing government or wrecking important institutions.
Rachel Barkow: Did Trump and Biden Turn Pardons Into a Corrupt Joke?
Presidential pardons have become a tool of favoritism and politics.
New York's Weed Nightmare
How pot bureaucrats used legal weed to push their social justice agenda
It's Trump's Economy Now
Plus: A listener asks the editors to discuss the pros and cons of homeownership.
Is Science Rigged for the Rich?
A recent study claiming inequality of opportunity in the sciences commits statistical and conceptual errors that make its findings meaningless.
Alton Brown: A Culinary Legend Offers Food for Thought
The Good Eats host talks about the virtues of Cap'n Crunch, why fusion cooking isn't cultural appropriation, and how Martha Stewart's perfectionism ruined dinner parties.
