The guest
Duncan Trussell: Comedian, podcaster (Duncan Trussell Family Hour) and creator of the Netflix animated series The Midnight Gospel, known for psychedelic, spiritual, free-associative humor.
What this episode covers
Recorded around Christmas 2024 with both men in elf costumes, this rambling JRE conversation moves through telepathy research, the placebo effect, and theories of consciousness into wide-ranging conspiracy and cultural commentary. Duncan frames modern society as a 'factory' and 'default reality' kept in line by media, advertising, and astroturfing, while Joe pushes back and adds his own takes on drones over New Jersey, the alleged coup that replaced Biden with Kamala Harris, and the health-insurance system. They speculate at length about quantum computing, AI/AGI, simulating realities, Mars colonization, and humanity merging with technology. The episode closes with an extended comedic bit about people historically storing farts in jars to ward off plague.
Recommended on this episode
MediaRecommended
An American Werewolf in London
John Landis
“the best”
“remember the movie American Werewolf in London when he's like on his back the best oh my Joe great movie”— Joe Rogan
MediaRecommended
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat
“here's a movie you got to watch”
“here's a movie you got to watch really the substance what is that dude I don't want to ruin it for people because it just came out”— Joe Rogan
MediaRecommended
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Philip Kaufman
“that one's amazing amazing”
“the one I like is from the 70s oh the Donald Sutherland one yes that one's amazing amazing yeah”— Joe Rogan
MediaRecommended
Cocaine Cowboys
Billy Corben
“both one and two both are equally good”
“you've seen Cocaine Cowboys right yes oh my God it's so and both one and two both are equally good dude”— Joe Rogan
BookRecommended
Countdown
Shanna Swan
“it's a great book”
“her book is called I think it's countdown countdown that's right I used to remember it um it's a great book”— Joe Rogan
The guest's own work
MediaBy the guest
The Midnight Gospel
Duncan Trussell
“when I when I was doing the midnight gospel I was around all these artists I got better at drawing like you share a mind”— guest Duncan Trussell
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
MediaReferenced
The Telepathy Tapes
Ky Dickens
“Have you listened to the telepathy tapes no you haven't I haven't listened to it it's a new podcast that's out”— Joe Rogan
MediaReferenced
Seth Speaks
Jane Roberts
“isn't that Seth speaks isn't that uh it's a whole genre but is that Seth speaks person is that that's the whole deal behind that right”— Joe Rogan
MediaReferenced
John Wick
“the only thing they had in the hotel was regular movies on TV so I was watching John Wick on TV and it's every five minutes you're bombarded with nonsense”— Joe Rogan
MediaReferenced
Diablo 4
Blizzard Entertainment
“you read Elon Musk is the top Diablo player in North America right which I think in the world dude the world”— guest Duncan Trussell
MediaReferenced
God of War
Santa Monica Studio
“a lot of them are like snorting rails of ketamine and playing God of War it was amazing”— guest Duncan Trussell
ProductReferenced
Atari 2600
Atari
“I think anyone who is exposed to the Atari 2600 does this naturally which is like we played the Atari 2600”— guest Duncan Trussell
MediaReferenced
Avatar
James Cameron
“the na'vi from the movie Avatar Avatar I'm not I don't want to be a na'vi the blue people not interested”— Joe Rogan
MediaReferenced
The Martian
Ridley Scott
“make him fertilize his potatoes with his own like so Damon yeah like Matt Damon did in the that Mars movie”— Joe Rogan
Big reveals from this episode
- Joe describes The Telepathy Tapes podcast claiming nonverbal autistic kids guessed numbers and colors with their parents at 95% accuracy.
- Duncan explains the Penrose quantum-microtubule theory of consciousness and anesthesia shutting it down.
- They marvel that Elon Musk is reportedly the number-one Diablo player in the world while running multiple companies.
- Both argue the U.S. president has been effectively incapacitated for years, calling it a 'buried headline.'
- They characterize the replacement of Biden with Kamala Harris as a coup against a sitting president.
- Joe and Duncan debate presidential pardon power, kids-for-cash, and pardoning Snowden, Assange, and Joe Exotic.
- Joe cites Shanna Swan's book Countdown on microplastics/phthalates lowering testosterone and shrinking 'taints' in male babies.
- They discover that during the Great Plague of London people stored their own farts in jars believing it warded off disease.
Worth remembering
- Duncan says his mother hypnotized away a wart that then dried up and fell off his hand.
- Joe says a recent colonoscopy cost him $100 but his insurer was billed $9,000.
- They discuss a doctor sentenced to 45 years for falsely telling patients they had cancer and giving them chemotherapy.
- They reference fertility-clinic doctors who secretly used their own sperm, exposed by 23andMe.
- Duncan notes SpaceX rockets being caught by robotic chopstick arms on landing.
- Both bond over the Atari 2600 being mind-blowing as a way to control the TV at home.
- They recount Isaac Newton having mercury found in his hair and building scale replicas of the Temple of Solomon.
- They mention Nikola Tesla falling in love with a pigeon and considering self-castration to focus on research.
- Shanna Swan's research links phthalates to shorter anogenital distance in male mammals and falling birth rates.
- A real essay on storing farts compares glass versus metal containers for preservation.
More from Joe Rogan
All 6342 recommended