| Dear Kickstarter Funders,
Over the last few years, we have reached out to each of you personally to deliver the work we have created. It wasn’t quite what we had originally planned, but those of you who communicated with us, were extremely gracious and understanding of the difficulties that we came across and why we had to change the outcomes. We hope you enjoyed all 12 episodes nonetheless, and hopefully it advances the dialogue about science and some of the key questions that are worth asking.
Our takeaway from the work: Both the dogmatists and their counterpart the sceptics, or maybe better known as “Conspiracy theorists”, are not very good at having helpful conversations that can lead us forward. We interviewed people on both sides of the debate who, spent most of their time making low-adhomenom attacks. We didn’t include those people in the final episodes.
We think that the people we included in the final 12 episodes, were all very thoughtful and passionate about their fields. Not overly optimistic or pessimistic that the world is all a scam, but looking for ways to help improve the people around them’s lives, in practical ways. All doing important work to push forward to find the right questions in science. That’s where it has to start.
One of you, funders we were talking with recently had this insightful way of looking at the issue.
“Years after I made that “pledge” I have come to realise that people can’t be saved by information or even by proof. People are not creatures guided by rational reasoning; that’s just self-flattery, people are creatures of emotions. To save them you would have to save people from being people, and that is just not going to happen”.
If we really want to progress in science, we are going to have to foster a culture of inquisitiveness, the courage to try and not constantly being focused on what is around us and the general consensus. We can probably err a little bit more on the side of scepticism, when we haven’t been making much progress in science since the 1970’s (other than some very specific areas).
Here is a summary of the 12 Episodes we delivered, for those of you who haven’t watched them. ( If you can’t find them in your email, they are here)
- Dr. Robin Wakeling
Talking to Dr. Robin Wakeling was a real eye-opener. As a microbiologist with a knack for sniffing out mold in buildings, he’s got a sharp mind for questioning the status quo. We had a blast digging into why he thinks science has hit a wall, especially with the whole COVID-19 saga. Right off the bat, Robin called the pandemic response a “complete hoax scam” from late 2019, pointing to the misuse of PCR tests, which he knew well from his PhD days supervising a student using them for microbe detection. “It was being used inappropriately right from the word go,” he said, shaking his head at how quickly people bought into terms like “asymptomatic transmission” without a shred of debate. Robin’s main issue is with germ theory itself. He doesn’t deny viral particles exist, but he’s skeptical they cause disease as we’re told. “There’s huge circumstantial evidence that germ theory is at best one small part of how disease is transmitted,” he told us, arguing science cherry-picks data to fit the narrative while ignoring simpler causes like environmental toxins. His microscope work on COVID and flu vaccines turned up weird crystal structures, possibly linked to undisclosed ingredients like graphene oxide, which he says could be “immensely toxic.” But the real scandal, he stressed, is the lack of open discussion. “There simply hasn’t been enough debate on so many aspects of COVID-19,” he said, frustrated by how science has become so compartmentalized—researchers focus on narrow tasks like vaccine delivery without questioning broader safety, like a “Manhattan Project” where no one sees the full picture. What got me was Robin’s take on how funding and peer review choke progress. Scientists chasing grants don’t dare question things like graphene oxide’s safety because “you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” He’s also livid about kids getting jabbed with untested tech: “We’re injecting children with a phase three trial… with zero medium to long-term safety data. It’s completely insane.” Our chat left me convinced that science is stuck, too scared or bought to challenge big pharma or government narratives. Robin’s out there fighting for truth, but as he put it, “it’s a hard sell” when people just want their lives back.
https://rumble.com/v2fkfmi-virus-maniai-interviews-episode-2-dr-robin-wakeling.html
We enjoyed talking to Jim West about his ideas about the stagnation of medical science. His passion for uncovering truths, sparked by childhood experiences with unnecessary medical procedures like having his tonsil removed and having mercury fillings, it made for a facinating conversation. We enjoyed exploring why he believes diseases like polio are misattributed to viruses when he believes that toxins like DDT are the real culprits. “The timelines of polio and DDT… match perfectly,” he told us, pointing to a 30-year correlation he’s charted, peaking in the 1950s. Jim’s frustration with the medical establishment’s refusal to consider toxicology comes through. He made the case that doctors, “brainwashed” by costly degrees, are trapped in a system that avoids simple explanations. “By the time you get a PhD or an MD, you’ve paid a lot of money, and you can’t back out,” he said, critiquing a field that prioritizes complex viral theories over obvious environmental causes. He cited polio’s link to DDT and arsenic, noting a 1916 outbreak tied to contaminated milk: “The women came back with paralytic children.” We were intrigued by his take on ultrasound, which he calls “extremely dangerous to the fetus,” linking it to autism’s rise since 1991, when exposure limits increased. “The popularity of ultrasound correlates with the incidence of autism,” he said, citing Chinese studies ignored by Western medicine. Jim’s central point I think revolves around : science has stalled by politics and profit, with virologists dodging toxicology. “The rule of investigation… is that you must start with the most simple possibility,” he insisted, urging a return to common sense. Some intersting ideas worth exploring.
https://rumble.com/v2fkat6-virusmania-interviews-episode-1-jimwest.html
Chatting with John Reeve, a veteran toxicologist, was a treat. We dove into why toxicology often lags behind flashier fields like virology, and it’s all about science getting stuck. John’s spent decades studying how chemicals harm us, stressing that “everything is toxic and nontoxic—it all depends on the dose.” He explained how toxicology builds theories from data, constantly tweaking them as new findings roll in, like setting safe daily intakes for chemicals. But progress is slow—studies take years and millions, and with thousands of new chemicals annually, it’s a slog. “A two-year feeding study in rats… takes five years and generates 10,000 pages of data,” he said, highlighting the cost and complexity. What bugged him most was the lack of funding and focus. Toxicology’s a “rare breed” in New Zealand, with just a couple of university profs teaching it. He’s frustrated that environmental toxins, like arsenic in soil or tutin in honey, which hospitalized 22 people in 2008, don’t get enough scrutiny. John’s skeptical of quick links between toxins like DDT and diseases like polio, saying symptoms don’t quite match, but he’s open to data proving otherwise. For him, science stalls when money and politics prioritize quick wins over deep, expensive research, leaving us blind to the poisons around us.
https://rumble.com/v2fklp4-virus-mania-interviews-episode-3-john-reeve.html
For a bit of balance, we brought in virologist Benjamin Krishna from Cambridge University for a deep dive into why virus science feels stuck to some. Benjamin’s confidence in virology’s foundations is pretty solid, comparing doubting viruses to questioning gravity. We had fun unpacking how viruses are isolated—spinning samples in a centrifuge to separate them, then checking purity with electron microscopes. “We can purify a virus, spin it down, and see it clearly,” he said, dismissing claims they’re not properly isolated. He’s sure viruses replicate only in cells, not as a stress response, since their unique DNA or RNA matches what’s produced. Benjamin had some interesting points about PCR’s sensitivity, admitting it can pick up contamination if cycled too much, but insisted it’s still a solid tool for detecting viruses. He also pointed to controlled studies, like Cambridge’s “flu camp,” where flu spreads predictably, and hospital air duct mishaps transmitting tuberculosis, showing viruses spread in real settings. But he’s frustrated by skeptics moving goalposts, demanding unethical tests like infecting people with purified virus from urine. “There’s a mountain of evidence on one side, and minor quibbles on the other,” he sighed. For him, virology’s stalled not by science, but by endless debates over settled facts, draining focus from bigger questions like why some, like HIV “super controllers,” dodge symptoms entirely.
https://rumble.com/v2fkp2i-virus-mania-interview-episode-4-benjamin-krishna.html
Our episode with Sr. Michael Houghton, the Nobel-winning molecular biologist, was fantastic. We dove into his discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989, a game-changer that took seven years of chasing false leads. “We tried 30 or 40 methods,” he said, until a proteomic approach nailed it, spotting a viral protein via antibody reactions. This led to blood tests that slashed transfusion risks and drugs that cure HCV in months. Now at the University of Alberta, he’s pushing a vaccine, hopeful for clinical trials soon despite HCV’s tricky variability. Houghton’s a firm believer in the scientific method—hypothesize, test, refine—calling it humanity’s hallmark. But he’s frustrated by slow progress, like the 20 years it took for HCV drugs. He’s convinced HCV causes liver disease, backed by tight correlations and a colleague’s chimp experiment proving pure HCV genetic material triggers hepatitis. “It’s hard to argue it’s not the cause,” he said. For him, science stalls when funding and focus lag, leaving us vulnerable to viruses that, like HCV’s 800-year history shows, have plagued humans forever.
https://rumble.com/v2fl040-virus-mania-interviews-episode-5-sir-michael-houghton.html
Chatting with Ivor Cummins, the “Fat Emperor,” is always a wild ride. A biochemical engineer turned health crusader, Ivor’s skeptical of mainstream medicine since fixing his own blood tests in 2012 by ditching carbs for a high-fat diet. “Insulin resistance is the biggest disease process, and they barely know it,” he said, blaming corporate collusion for pushing cholesterol myths. When COVID hit, he couldn’t stay quiet, analyzing early data like Diamond Princess to call it a severe flu hyped by senseless lockdowns. His interviews and Covid Chronicles movie slam the “corporate political scam.”
Ivor sidesteps whether viruses exist, admitting he’s avoided it for political reasons. “If I even ask, I’m an anti-vaxxer tinfoil hat,” haha, wary of PR traps. He’s a terrain guy, insisting metabolic health—like vitamin D levels—matters more than viruses. “Terrain owns the game,” he said, citing studies showing 14x lower COVID risk with good immunity. He’s livid about propaganda turning people into “pigs,” with W.H.O. pushing non-seasonal nonsense and masks to force compliance. For Ivor, science is stuck—corrupt corporates and media drown out truth, and he fights for his five kids’ future in a world gone mad.
https://rumble.com/v2fr2wo-virus-mania-interviews-episode-6-ivor-cumins.html
Our talk with Dr. Mary Ruwart, a biochemist and former Upjohn scientist, was eye-opening. With 19 years in pharmaceuticals, she’s seen how FDA regulations, especially the 1962 amendments, ballooned drug development from 4 to 14 years, costing $2.5-$3 billion per drug. “It’s shaved 5-10 years off our lives,” she calculated, blaming delays that kill and stifle innovation. She’s furious about regulatory capture—50-80% of FDA salaries come from drug company fees, leading to scandals like Vioxx’s approval despite heart attack risks. Ruwart champions the scientific method—observe, hypothesize, test, debate—but says it’s crippled by politics and censorship, especially with COVID. She’s appalled by suppressed repurposed drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, which help early, while ventilators harm. “Censorship killed debate,” she said, noting unethical vaccine incentives and shoddy journal retractions. A libertarian, she pushes third-party certifiers over government, citing AIDS buyers’ clubs outpacing FDA approvals. For her, science is stuck—corrupt regulation and dogma block natural remedies and progress, leaving us to fend for our health.
https://rumble.com/v2ftspi-virus-mania-interviews-episode-7-mary-ruwart.html
Our Episode with Richard Smith was probably one of our favourite, former BMJ editor and insider, was a revelation into the world of Scientific publishing. Influenced by Ivan Illich’s Limits to Medicine, Richard has big issues with modern medicine’s overreach, arguing it medicalizes life’s natural processes like death, which he’s tackling as chair of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death. “Medicine’s promises are often empty,” he said, pointing to overtreatment that boosts suffering and costs. He’s scathing about scientific publishing—peer review’s a “lottery” that misses fraud, favors big names, and rejects breakthroughs. “If peer review were a drug, it’d never be approved,” he quipped, citing studies showing 20% of Cochrane-reviewed papers might be fake.
Richard sees science as provisional truths, per Popper, with paradigm shifts à la Kuhn. But he’s shocked by the reproducibility crisis—80% of lab studies don’t replicate—and publication bias burying negative results. Journals, he says, are complicit, chasing pharma-funded trials and million-dollar reprints, prioritizing brand over truth. “The Lancet, BMJ, they’re brands, not science,” he noted. For him, science is stuck—dogged by fraud, bias, and a trust-based system ripe for abuse, with open data and post-publication scrutiny as the only way forward.
https://rumble.com/v2fztp6-dr.-richard-smith.html
This episode on the Royal Society’s history with a RS librarian was different, haha. Founded in 1660 under Charles II, it’s the UK’s National Academy of Sciences, born from informal 17th-century meetings at Gresham College. Its motto, Nullius in Verba—“take nobody’s word for it”—set by early fellow John Evelyn, champions skepticism and the scientific method: observe, experiment, repeat. “It was radical then, with religion and magic dominant,” the librarian noted. From Christopher Wren’s astronomy to Robert Hooke’s experiments, they pushed for truth through data, not dogma.
Today, with hundreds of global fellows, the Society funds research, publishes journals like Philosophical Transactions (the world’s first scientific journal, started in 1665), and advises on issues like climate change. Peer review, formalized by the 1830s, remains key but isn’t perfect—bias favors flashy results over solid but “boring” science. There’s debate about just publishing raw data online to skip journals entirely. The librarian sees science as more specialized now, less polymathic than Wren’s era, but insists its core—repeatable experiments—hasn’t changed. For them, science gets stuck when it drifts from public engagement or clings to outdated publishing norms, though digital tools offer hope for openness.
https://rumble.com/v2fzuve-virus-mania-interviews-episode-9-the-royal-society.html
Our conversation with Vera Sharav, a Holocaust survivor and fierce medical ethics advocate, was intense to put it lightly. She talks about the stark parallels between historical atrocities and modern public health policies, viewing them through the lens of her childhood trauma. Sharav claims the 1918 “Spanish flu” wasn’t influenza but bacterial pneumonia triggered by a Rockefeller Institute meningitis vaccine tested on U.S. soldiers, killing millions. “Masks and lockdowns were useless then, just like with COVID,” she said, citing early studies. She also condemns the oral polio vaccine campaigns in developing nations, alleging they caused paralysis, and the CIA’s 2011 use of a polio vaccine drive in Pakistan to spy on Osama bin Laden. Sharav sees a sinister pattern: eugenics-driven elites, rooted in 19th-century ideology and Nazi practices, exploit public health to control and depopulate. She points to the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, which blurred lines between academia, government, and industry, embedding conflicts of interest—$350 million in secret pharma royalties to 1,700 NIH scientists, per Robert Kennedy Jr. COVID policies, she argues, weaponize fear and propaganda, violating the Nuremberg Code’s informed consent principle with experimental mRNA vaccines. “They’re planning a technocratic one-world government,” she warned, citing digital passes and chips as tools for enslavement. For Sharav, science is corrupted by “scientism,” not truth, serving oligarchs who view most humans as subhuman. She urges resistance, drawing from her exposure of the 1990s AIDS drug trials on foster children, which she calls genocidal. “Join others who are awake,” she pleaded, warning of concentration camps and a Nazi-like continuum unless people reclaim their autonomy. Science, she says, is stuck—hijacked by power-hungry elites who discard morality for control.
https://rumble.com/v2fzwy4-virus-mania-interviews-episode-10-vera-sharav.html
We had such a fun time talking with Robin MacDiarmid, she is a New Zealand virologist with a knack for making viruses sound super fascinating. She kicked things off by sharing her dad’s gripes about viral issues on their subtropical orchard got her hooked on virology. “My father was often frustrated with viral problems on this plant called Timberline,” she said, and that stuck with her until uni, where she dove into studying potato virus Y, talking about how it affected her family’s orchard and launched her PhD. Robin is all about forming a hypothesis, trying to bust it, and staying open to new ideas. What blew us away was her take on viruses not being the bad guys we think. “We’ve only had technology to look for and find those viruses that are bad,” she noted, pointing out we miss the ones that might help. She shared a wild story about a Yellowstone plant thriving in 55°C heat, thanks to a virus in a fungus. “It’s this fantastic menagerie,” she said, grinning about how viruses can give plants superpowers. We were fascinated by how plant viruses differ from human ones, sneaking through plant cells’ unique gaps without always needing a shell. And the way viruses manipulate insects or hitch rides in water? Mind-blowing. Robin’s convinced “viruses rule the world,” helping life adapt fast, and we’re totally on board with her excitement to keep digging into their role in ecosystems.
https://rumble.com/v2g00ae-virus-mania-interviews-episode-11-dr.-robin-macdiarmid.html
We loved the episode with the one and only Ralph Moss, a science writer who’s been diving into cancer research controversies for nearly 50 years. “I’ve been writing about… the cancer establishment,” he said, reflecting on his journey from classics scholar to whistleblower at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. He got fired in 1977 for exposing how positive results for a cancer remedy, Laetrile, were buried. “I was instructed to basically report negative results,” he revealed, shaking his head. That sparked his mission to uncover why non-toxic, unpatented treatments like vitamin C get sidelined. He’s traveled globally, visiting complementary clinics in Germany and beyond, noting, “There is much that the public doesn’t know about the cancer field.” Ralph’s convinced Big Pharma’s billion-dollar stakes skew priorities, favoring profitable drugs over promising alternatives. His passion for exposing these dynamics, especially around cancer metabolism and stem cells, was super interesting.
https://rumble.com/v2g4tyw-virus-mania-interviews-episode-12-dr.-ralph-moss.html
Now for some housekeeping.
Finances
We decided to use the remainder of the finances ( allocated for post production) to partially refund the funders who had put the most on the line to help create this project, so it was limited to a few categories. We have paid out most of you but, there are still a few of you in the categories, Executive producer, Producer exclusive, Producer giftpack who qualify and we have reached out to you, but you have not responded to our request for you to send us your paypal details ( Your card is no longer valid on kickstarter), so we can make the final partial refunds, we are giving it another week before this option is closed.
Thanks to all of you for your support over the years and your understanding of the difficulties of a project of this nature, we were not very good with our communications, so we will take lessons from it going forward. But we hope that this work has pushed forward the dialog on the state of “Science”.
Kindest regards
VM team |
