Covid Lab Leak Theory Examined | Shane Smith Has Questions

Shane Smith sits down with three of the brightest minds pushing humanity’s final frontier, space. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, author and space reporter and documentarian Ashlee Vance, and in-orbit manufacturing pioneer Delian Asparouhov pull back the curtain on the new era of private spaceflight, from cutting-edge rocket tech to factories floating above Earth. It’s a riveting look at how commercial actors, visionary entrepreneurs, and global superpowers are reshaping everything we know—and don’t yet know—about life beyond our planet. Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code SHANE at https://www.Bruntworkwear.com/SHANE #Bruntpod #ad Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANE to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup! Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane sits down with Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' former campaign manager and executive director of More Perfect Union—to ask the question on everyone’s mind: How can Democrats truly rebuild? From reclaiming a genuine grassroots base to tackling the big-money stranglehold on politics, they dig into what it’ll take to inspire working-class Americans again. Faiz and Shane provide sharp insights on media’s role in the mess, why authenticity matters more than ever, and a refreshingly real take on forging a movement that’s about more than just fundraising. Secure your online data and get up to four months for free at https://www.expressvpn.com/shane Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane dives deep into today’s economic turbulence with two of the most respected voices in the field: former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and global affairs strategist Ian Bremmer. Together, they unpack how tariffs, shifting global alliances, and stock market jitters are reshaping our economic landscape. Summers offers an inside view of why tariffs have become such a flashpoint—shedding light on who really pays the price when countries impose or retaliate with higher trade barriers. Bremmer broadens the lens to explain how America’s trade disputes and political brinkmanship ripple across Europe, Asia, and beyond, hinting at bigger power shifts on the horizon. From concerns about inflation and job security to questions over national debt and diplomatic trust, this conversation peels back the layers of political theater to reveal what’s really at stake. Go to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SHANE to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup! Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane Smith and tech entrepreneur and biohacker Bryan Johnson—the mastermind behind the burgeoning “Don’t Die” movement and hit Netflix documentary— dissect one of humanity’s oldest obsessions: longevity and the possibility of extending life indefinitely. As Johnson lays out his plan to build a radical new ideology, part religion and part nation-state, he pushes beyond standard ideas about health and longevity. Think hyperbaric oxygen therapy, societal re-engineering, and yes, even measuring the one metric nobody ever talks about—because, according to Johnson, every data point counts when you’re determined to rewrite life’s expiration date. And it’s not just longevity. They also explore reinventing political systems and orchestrating trillion-dollar investments to the ancient mythological warnings against eternal life. Equal parts fearless and futuristic, this episode examines one man’s quest to reshape not only personal health and wellness, but also the framework of society—all in the name of one deceptively simple command: Don’t Die. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane Smith sits down with key figures from Congress and the scientific community to dissect the new, two-year House investigation into COVID-19. Congressman Brad Wenstrup, who led the inquiry, lays out how missteps, censorship, and confusing mandates eroded public trust in institutions like the CDC and FDA. Dr. Robert Malone—an early pioneer of mRNA research—argues that known risks were concealed, while vaccine advocate Dr. Paul Offit acknowledges communication flaws yet defends the vaccines’ core value. From evidence of political pressure on social media platforms to the role of pharmaceutical companies and the thorny debate over the lab-leak theory, this candid discussion unpacks the data and controversies that shaped—and sometimes misshaped—America’s pandemic response. What went wrong, who’s responsible, and how do we shore up our defenses for the next outbreak? In this revealing episode, Shane demands real answers about lost credibility, the lessons learned, and whether our nation is prepared for a future crisis when the stakes could be even higher. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane and Internet pioneer Marc Andreessen unpack how a Chinese open-source AI breakthrough could mark a “Sputnik moment” for the West, why governments are bent on crushing emerging technologies, and what recent events mean for the future of startups, freedom of speech, and global innovation. From exposing how AI can be deliberately taught to lie, to dissecting the ongoing U.S.–China rivalry and the far-reaching impacts of open-source software, Andreessen offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at political maneuvering, corporate self-interest, and the moral questions that will define the next wave of technological progress. Marc shares his candid takes on crypto, central bank digital currencies, and the possibility of a new Cold War over AI. This is the most crucial conversation shaping our world right now and you have a front row seat. Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code SHANE at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod #ad Download the PrizePicks app today and get $50 after your play your first $5 lineup with code SHANE X: https://x.com/a16z Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a16z/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z/ Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane does a deep dive on the bombshell Covid report with the man who chaired the committee, Congressman Brad Wenstrup. He gets alternate opinions from Dr. Alina Chan, a molecular biologist, who specializes in gene therapy and is a cell engineering scholar and lab leak theory supporter and Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases who shares his insights in a riveting conversation. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shot before the California disaster, Shane does a deep dive on weather modification and geo-engineering, the realities, the truths, and the Internet conspiracy theories that emerge and why, with Harvard-educated meteorologist Matthew Cappucci, entrepreneur and Rainmaker CEO Augustus Doricko, and former solar energy exec and proponent o government weather manipulation ideas, Dane Wigington. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shane and ex Big Pharma rep turned advocate Brigham Buhler dissect the varying reactions of the United Health Care CEO tragedy in NYC, why people are so upset at insurance companies, social media memes and reactions, systematic issues in insurance company care denial, egregious industry practices, price gouging, RFK Jr. and his possible impact on the system, government complicity, and much more on why the system is broken and how to fix it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneur and podcaster Tom Bilyeu of Impact Theory and Shane on our algorithm-induced national divorce, the erosion of public trust giving rise to new voices, how Tom data-tracks his sleep, A.I. induced massive change, the A.I. paperclip maximizer experiment, capitalism vs. Communism, banks’ Fractional Reserve System as a means of control, inflation as a hidden tax, Big Food’s big bad, the sane center as a unifying destination, Tom’s favorite books for maximizing knowledge, and how incremental self-improvement leads to long term growth and much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices