I'm Just Sayin': Ways of Knowing

In this short biweekly monologue, I examine how humans decide what is true—and whether modern science is the only reliable way of knowing. Science is an extraordinary tool, but it can be misunderstood, misused, or treated as more definitive than the evidence allows. This episode explores the limits of reductionist science, the assumptions built into statistics and scientific methods, and the danger of mistaking incomplete evidence for complete knowledge. From Einstein’s work to the knowledge systems of our ancestors, we consider alternative explanations, pre-scientific human survival, plant medicine, shamanic traditions, and the role that curiosity and speculation may have played in human evolution. The goal isn’t to reject science, but to recognize that we may need more than one tool to understand a complex world. In this episode - What *I’m Just Sayin’* is and why it features short biweekly monologues - How modern people determine what they know - The limitations of reductionist science - The difference between proof, truth, systems, evidence, and facts - Why we often act as though we know more than we do - The failure to recognize alternative explanations - How statistics and assumptions shape scientific conclusions - Why findings from the benchtop don’t always scale well to the real world - What Einstein actually contributed to our understanding of reality - Whether science is the only way of knowing - How human beings survived and learned before modern science - Why existence is only partial evidence of persistence - How traditional knowledge may have contributed to human evolution - Why limited evidence shouldn’t stop us from asking important questions - How science has shaped—and sometimes skewed—our view of prehistory - Shamans and plant medicine as examples of alternative knowledge systems - Why we should give ourselves permission to speculate - The importance of using every tool in the toolbox Key takeaway Science is one of humanity’s most valuable tools—but it may not be the only one. Understanding the world requires intellectual humility, openness to alternative explanations, and a willingness to ask meaningful questions even when the evidence is incomplete.