DarkHorse Podcast

On this, our 344th Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss new cats, fat bears, and overwhelmed frogs. The tilcayo, a newly named species of cat from Bolivia, is part of a group of New World “tiger cats” that live on the outskirts of the Amazon basin. We discuss Carnivoran relationships, cats more specifically, and what is known about the history and ecology of the tilcayo in particular. Then: it’s fat bear week at Katmai National Park in Alaska, where grizzlies are fattening themselves on salmon for the Winter ahead; we discuss hibernation, reproductive diapause, and general chonkiness in bears. Finally: female Cope’s gray treefrogs have a harder time choosing good mates when there’s a lot of noise, and when there are too many suitors—kind of like how women often make bad choices when confronted with chaos and wingmen.

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Our sponsors:

Cowboy Colostrum: Get 25% Off Cowboy Colostrum with code Darkhorse at https://cowboycolostrum.com/darkhorse.

CrowdHealth: Pay for healthcare with crowdfunding instead of insurance. It’s way better. Use code DarkHorse at http://JoinCrowdHealth.com to get 1st 3 months for $99/month.

Branch Basics: Excellent, effective, simple, truly non-toxic cleaning supplies. Get 15% off with code DarkHorse at https://branchbasics.com/DarkHorse #branchbasicspod

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Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com

Heather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.com

Our book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)

Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org

Music: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
Free License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.net

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Mentioned in this episode:

Lescroart & Nogales-Ascarrunz et al 2026. Phylogenomics and museomics reveal five distinct species of tiger cats in South America. Current Biology 36: 1-15: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)01110-3

National Geographic’s tilcayo pics: https://news.nationalgeographic.org/photos-new-wild-cat-species/

Meet the bears: https://explore.org/meet-the-bears#h_75305921118711789688140871

Hemingway et al 2026. Choice overload constrains mate choice independent of energetic masking. iScience 29: 1-13: https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2589-0042%2826%2902464-8 

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Timestamps:
00:00:00 It Smells Like Autumn
00:01:42 Cats, Fat Bears, and Overwhelmed Frogs
00:05:23 Sponsor: Cowboy Colostrum
00:09:23 Sponsor: CrowdHealth
00:12:01 Sponsor: Branch Basics
00:16:00 The Tilcayo: A Brand-New Cat
00:20:30 An Orphaned Kitten in the Andes
00:23:45 Inside Phylogenetics
00:28:19 Carnivores vs. Carnivorans
00:29:56 Hyenas: Cat Adjacent, Not a Cat
00:37:36 The Answer Is Software
00:44:48 Meet the Tilcayo
00:46:51 Five Cryptic Species of Tiger Cat
00:50:01 Why So Many Little Cats?
00:59:15 Sympatric, Allopatric, or Parapatric?
01:01:47 Apologies to the Dog People
01:03:57 80% Neurotic, 10% Psychotic
01:07:37 A Raccoon, a Lemur, and a Wild Kitten
01:13:33 Fat Bear Week
01:18:12 The Bears' Cupboard Strategy
01:23:45 Yes, Bears Have Diapause
01:26:26 Strategy, Luck, or Dominance?
01:33:26 Overwhelmed Frogs
01:39:19 Why Are Frog Choruses So Loud?
01:45:29 What Counts as a Good Choice?
01:47:07 Clubs, Wingmen, and Bad Decisions
01:51:05 Hot Guys With Less to Say
01:52:02 Be Good to the Ones You Love
Support the show

On this, our 343rd Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss logic and scientific thinking, as it is done on politically hot topics (e.g. 9/11, Charlie Kirk), and on calmer topics like whether retrievers like to fetch (or just think that we like them to fetch), and whether domestic cats see people as big, clumsy cats. Putting all the hypotheses on the table, working hard to falsify even—especially—your favorite ones—and ending up with one left standing, is the scientific way, and how we arrive at answers that are most likely to be true.

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Our sponsors:

Ridge: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% off @Ridge with code DARKHORSE at https://www.Ridge.com/darkhorse #Ridgepod

Dose for your Liver: Tasty drink with milk thistle, ginger, dandelion & turmeric to support liver health. Get 35% off your first subscription at http://dosedaily.co/DarkHorse.

Puori: Clean and safe supplements, lab tested and guaranteed. Go to http://Puori.com/DarkHorse for 32% off grass-fed whey protein with a subscription. DarkHorse code works on all products!

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Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com

Heather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.com

Our book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)

Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org

Music: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
Free License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.net

Thumbnail Courtesy Getty Images News: Jeremy Weine / Stringer

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Mentioned in this episode:

Bret’s talk in NYC, 9-10-26, at Turning the Tide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9tol-sQZAM&t=4s

Shermer tweet: https://x.com/michaelshermer/status/2099207300695429427

Dog fetch: https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2079691639153664273

Neighborhood punk cat: https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2093574318181474321
 
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Timestamps: 
 
00:00:00 Why 343 Beats 243
00:01:12 Unbelievably Stupid, Apparently
00:04:36 Sponsor: Ridge
00:08:29 Sponsor: Dose
00:10:53 Sponsor: Puori
00:12:43 When Logic Gets Suspended
00:17:05 Reading Shermer's Tweet Aloud
00:22:25 Just Asking Questions is Normal
00:28:17 Hypotheses on the Table
00:33:41 Is This the Right Moment?
00:41:38 Do Dogs Really Like to Fetch?
00:46:56 Testing Fetch with a Machine
00:52:49 Are Cats Just Big Clumsy Cats?
01:01:18 Cats Talk to You, Not to Cats
01:05:10 Fairfax's Nightly Gifts
01:19:37 Chimeric Testes
01:29:40 That Was 343
Support the show

Bret Weinstein speaks with Joel Salatin, whom he calls “one of the wisest people” he’s ever met, on the subject of soil, stewardship, and the kind of knowledge you can only get by doing.

Find Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm on X at https://x.com/JoelSalatin and https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com

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Sponsors:

Sundays For Dogs: Dog food so tasty and healthy, even husbands swear by it. Go to http://www.sundaysfordogs.com/DARKHORSE to receive 50% off your first order.

Vanman: Go to https://vanman.shop/darkhorse26 and use code DARKHORSE26 for 15%  off your first order.

Redmond Salt: Jurassic-era salt from Utah, and amazing electrolytes (Re-Lyte) from the same sea bed. Go to http://redmond.life/darkhorse and use code DARKHORSE to get 15% off your first order.

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Join DarkHorse on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com

Check out the DHP store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://www.darkhorsestore.org

Music: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
Free License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.net

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Mentioned in this episode:

Polyface Farm https://polyfacefarm.com

Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front https://amzn.to/4gS6rD7  (commission earned)

Beavers? Bret Weinstein Speaks with Jakob Shockey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBmKwQ9SPt0

Brownstone Institute https://brownstone.org 

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan https://amzn.to/46oGfd5 (commission earned)

Greening the Desert Project (Geoff Lawton) https://www.greeningthedesertproject.org

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 One of the Wisest People 
00:01:15 Trump Spent His Political Equity
00:03:37 Sponsor: Sundays for Dogs
00:05:26 Sponsor: VanMan
00:07:19 Who Benefits? Bayer, JBS, & Trump
00:11:37 There Are No Global Problems
00:15:24 The Farm You Can Feel
00:19:30 Sponsor: Redmond Relyte
00:24:03 Biological or Mechanical?
00:28:13 Where Hubris Should Be Humility
00:31:32 Dominion Is a Destructive Idea
00:37:55 Petroleum Was Our Chance to Repair
00:39:35 North America Grew More Food in 1500
00:43:35 All True Stories Must Reconcile
00:48:35 Ice Age or Crispy Critters?
00:55:08 Bret’s Stadium of What He’s Burned
00:57:31 Learn a Skill
01:01:54 Not Wrong to Feel Betrayed
01:03:46 Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal
01:10:23 Who Should Inspect Your Carrot?
01:18:28 All Regulations Are Scale Prejudicial
01:21:04 Food Emancipation

Support the show

On this, our 342nd Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss men, women, and feminism; and the love of our pets. Gloria Steinem died at 92 this week. She exposed working conditions at Playboy clubs in the 1960s by going undercover as a bunny; founded Ms. Magazine in the 1970s; took Ms. ad free in the 1990s, and became a feminist icon. We discuss her legacy, both good and bad. Then: cats, dogs, and the differences between them.

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Our sponsors:

Caraway: Non-toxic, highly functional & beautiful cookware and bakeware. Save up to $230 on their 12 piece cookware set, and visit http://Carawayhome.com/DarkHorse for an additional 10% off your next purchase. Add their minis duo, and save up to $350.

CrowdHealth: Pay for healthcare with crowdfunding instead of insurance. It’s way better. Use code DarkHorse at http://JoinCrowdHealth.com to get 1st 3 months for $99/month.

Helix: Excellent, sleep-enhancing, American-made mattresses. Go to http://www.HelixSleep.com/DarkHorse for 27% off sitewide.

*****

Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com

Heather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.com

Our book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)

Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org

Music: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
Free License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.net

*****

Mentioned in this episode:

NYT obit of Steinem: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/us/politics/gloria-steinem-dead.html

A Bunny’s Tale: https://archive.org/details/a-bunnys-tale/page/n15/mode/2up 

Heying 2022: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-021-02278-0
Support the show

On this, our 341st Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss two lives well-lived, both of which ended on August 31, 2026: our beloved labrador Maddie, and Wendell Berry. Maddie was adventurous and loyal; she helped raise our children; and she gave unconditional love. Wendell Berry was a writer, an environmentalist, and a philosopher and defender of the land, and of traditional ways of being and doing. He died at 92 at his home in Kentucky, having lived a deep life farming, thinking, and writing.

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Our sponsors:

Timeline: Accelerate the clearing of damaged mitochondria to improve strength and endurance: Go to www.timeline.com/darkhorse and use code darkhorse for 20% off your order.

Cowboy Colostrum: Get 25% Off Cowboy Colostrum with code Darkhorse at https://cowboycolostrum.com/darkhorse.

CrowdHealth: Pay for healthcare with crowdfunding instead of insurance. It’s way better. Use code DarkHorse at http://JoinCrowdHealth.com to get 1st 3 months for $99/month.

*****

Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com

Heather’s newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.com

Our book, A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)

Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org

Music: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
This track can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
Free License to use this track in your video can be downloaded at www.wintergatan.net

*****

Mentioned in this episode:

Wendell Berry in 2012 in Humanities: https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2012/mayjune/conversation/wendell-berry-landsma

Berry obit in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/us/wendell-berry-dead.htm

The Peace of Wild Things: https://amzn.to/4zQkzE6  (commission earned)

The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture: https://amzn.to/4zTQV0S (commission earned)

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 A Rough One Today
00:02:07 Sponsor: Timeline
00:06:01 Sponsor: Cowboy Colostrum
00:09:09 Sponsor: CrowdHealth
00:11:22 We Lost Maddie on Monday
00:14:01 Why Does She Love Me Unconditionally?
00:15:38 Dogs May Save the World
00:18:03 The Longest-Standing Domesticate
00:20:53 Cats See Mothers, Dogs See a Team
00:23:43 Please Wait for Dad to Get Home
00:30:50 Why We Buried Her Ourselves
00:37:26 Sun Lakes and a Dog With a Job
00:43:09 Photographs of Maddie
00:45:57 Grief Is the Downside of Love
00:48:07 What We Surrender to the Market
00:55:58 Wendell Berry, 1934-2026
01:01:02 The Unsettling of America
01:02:25 Monoculture of Crops and of Ideas
01:07:23 The Cult of the Future
01:13:53 Manifesto: The Mad Farmer
01:16:46 A Meeting, and Goodbye

Support the show