1176: Earthing | Skeptical Sunday

Summary

The Jordan Harbinger Show: Episode 1176 – Earthing Skeptical Sunday Summary

Release Date: June 29, 2025

In Episode 1176 of The Jordan Harbinger Show, host Jordan Harbinger delves into the controversial wellness trend of earthing, also known as grounding, alongside co-host and researcher Jessica Wynn. The episode, titled "Earthing | Skeptical Sunday," critically examines the claims surrounding earthing, distinguishes it from broader grounding practices, and exposes the pseudoscientific foundations underpinning its popularity.

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Understanding Earthing vs. Grounding

The conversation begins with clarifying the difference between earthing and grounding. Jordan humorously probes Ryan Reynolds (a guest co-host, not the actor) about his grounding status, leading to an explanation:

• Grounding: Encompasses a range of practices aimed at cultivating presence and mindfulness, such as breathwork and meditation.

• Earthing: A subset of grounding that specifically involves direct physical contact with the earth—such as barefoot walks, lake swims, or tree hugs—to purportedly realign the body’s electrical charge.

Ryan Reynolds explains at [03:55] that "Earthing takes the grounding concept and adds a big dose of pseudoscience and wellness," emphasizing that while grounding focuses on mental presence, earthing markets itself as a cure-all wellness solution.

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The Scientific Scrutiny of Earthing

Jordan and Ryan express skepticism about the scientific validity of earthing claims. Ryan outlines the primary assertion of earthing proponents:

"Earthing proposes that the earth has a negative charge, and when you touch it, electrons enter your body and neutralize free radicals. Balance the body's charge." ([04:38])

However, they challenge these claims by highlighting the lack of robust scientific evidence. Jordan remarks at [05:07], "Whenever anything cures everything, I'm always super even more skeptical than I usually am."

Key Points:

• Anecdotal Evidence vs. Peer-Reviewed Science: While testimonials claim benefits like improved sleep and increased energy, there is a dearth of large-scale, peer-reviewed studies supporting these claims.

• Misuse of Scientific Terminology: Earthing advocates often misuse terms like "electrons" and "ions" to lend credibility to their theories, as observed by Ryan at [19:14].

• Expert Opinions: Karen Livesey, an associate professor of theoretical physics, is quoted saying, “From a physics point of view, there's no process I can think of where a surplus or lack of electrons on the surface of our body could influence our health.” ([20:27])

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Earthing Products and Market Exploitation

The episode scrutinizes the commercialization of earthing, pointing out the plethora of products marketed under the guise of health benefits:

• Expensive Gear: Items like earthing jackets priced at $800 and grounding mats that customers connect to household outlets, which in reality, serve no functional purpose for health.

• Circular Citations: Many studies cited by earthing proponents cite each other, creating a misleading semblance of scientific backing. Ryan notes at [22:14], “They use vague language, the sample sizes are small. They’d get kicked out of a high school science fair.”

• Conflict of Interest: The featured documentary’s main proponent, Clint Ober, also profits from selling earthing products, indicating a potential conflict of interest ([49:05]).

Notable Quote:

"It's just Frankly, it's just a scum..." – Ryan Reynolds critiquing the circular reasoning in earthing studies.

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Psychological Benefits vs. Physical Claims

While debunking the physical health claims of earthing, Jordan and Ryan acknowledge that spending time outdoors has genuine psychological benefits. They suggest that any positive feelings derived from earthing are likely due to the placebo effect or the inherent benefits of nature exposure, rather than the act of grounding itself.

Insights:

• Mindfulness and Nature: Activities like walking barefoot can promote mindfulness and reduce stress, contributing to improved mental well-being.

• Placebo Effect: The belief in earthing’s efficacy can lead to perceived improvements in health without actual physiological changes.

Ryan Reynolds emphasizes at [37:21], “It does have some mental health benefits, but you don't need products, and it can't, as some claim, cure diseases or take the place of modern medicine.”

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Risks and Dangers of Extreme Practices

The hosts highlight potential dangers associated with extreme earthing practices:

• Physical Injuries: Walking barefoot increases the risk of cuts, infections, and other injuries, especially in urban environments or rough terrains.

• Health Hazards: Exposure to harmful bacteria, parasites, and allergens in the soil can lead to infections and other health issues.

Jordan Harbinger humorously recounts a personal mishap: “I rolled down a hill and made sure I don't get anything stuck in that pesky third hole.” ([31:39])

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Critical Evaluation of Earthing’s Popularity

The episode explores why earthing gained traction, especially post-pandemic:

• Pandemic Influence: Increased disconnection from nature during lockdowns may have driven people to seek reconnection through practices like earthing.

• Misinformation Spread: Social media and documentaries propagate earthing's benefits without scientific backing, making it a lucrative trend for marketers.

Ryan Reynolds criticizes the marketing tactics: “They wrap it up in eastern wisdom, spiritual vibes, testimonials, slick e-commerce kind of experience.” ([37:22])

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Conclusion: Skepticism and Practical Advice

Jordan and Ryan conclude that while engaging with nature is beneficial for mental health, the specific claims of earthing as a physical health remedy lack scientific support. They caution listeners to critically evaluate wellness trends and prioritize evidence-based practices.

Takeaway Messages:

• Embrace Nature Mindfully: Enjoying time outdoors can enhance well-being without the need for specialized earthing products.

• Demand Scientific Evidence: Be wary of wellness claims that lack robust scientific validation and are primarily driven by profit motives.

• Avoid Unnecessary Expenses: Investing in unproven products like grounding mats or earthing jackets does not confer additional health benefits beyond traditional natural activities.

Final Quote:

“Get outdoors, visit nature, but just don't let yourself get grifted.” – Ryan Reynolds ([56:38])

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This episode serves as a comprehensive critique of the earthing phenomenon, encouraging listeners to adopt natural wellness practices grounded in evidence while remaining vigilant against pseudoscientific trends.

Transcript

[Jordan Harbinger]

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[Jessica Wynn]

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[Jordan Harbinger]

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co host, writer and researcher Jessica Wynn on the Jordan Harbinger Show. We decode the stories, secrets and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you. Our mission is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker, and during the week we have long form conversations with a variety of amazing folks from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers and performers. On Sundays though, we do Skeptical Sunday, where a rotating guest, co host and I break down a topic you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic, such as circumcision, sovereign citizens, e commerce scams, recycling, homeopathy, astrology, chemtrails, toothpaste and more. If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of our favorite episodes on persuasion, negotiation, psychology, disinformation, crime and cults and more that'll help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show, just visit jordanharbinger.com start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started. Has anyone ever told you to go touch grass? Was it a sarcastic jab or an actual suggestion to reconnect with the earth? These days, a lot of us are pretty cut off from nature. We live in cities. We work under fluorescent lights. We exercise on treadmills indoors instead of, you know, on actual trails. Most of us, anyway. Some people believe this disconnect might be messing with us and that literally touching grass is just what the doctor should be ordering. There's a theory called earthing or grounding that says physically connecting to the earth can realign our bodies with its natural rhythms and even improve our health. Sounds a bit crunchy, but is it? Can barefoot walks in the park actually heal us somehow? Or is this just another glossy wellness trend? Joining me today is Jessica Wynn to help dig into this muddy topic. All right, let's get grounded. Jessica, are you, like, grounded right now, man?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, I mean, yeah, I think we're both pretty grounded, but maybe not in the barefoot in the woods kind of way. That's trending.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, yeah, I've seen the posts. Walking barefoot to cure everything from an to arthritis. Let's start with the basics are earthing and grounding. Is that the same thing, or is there a nuance here?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's close, but not quite the same thing. So grounding is the broader term. It includes stuff like breathwork, mindfulness, improv, warmups. People in the grounding scene call it.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Vitamin G. Yeah, that's fun. That sounds like a discontinued 90s energy drink that actually, you know, one of those things like, ooh, we had to take that off the shelf because, you know, the colon thing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Bright green ecto cooler.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Gross. But now earthing is more specific. So it means actual skin to earth contact, barefoot walks, lake swims, hugging trees, that kind of thing. So all earthing is grounding, but not all grounding is earthing.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, got it. Earthing's the dirt on your feet thing. Grounding is more indoors with shoes on and Enya playing on the.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, okay, Correct.

[Jordan Harbinger]

All right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Earthing takes the grounding concept and adds a big dose of pseudoscience and wellness. So grounding's about presence, and unlike earthing, it doesn't have to be physical. Earthing takes that concept and just puts a lot of wellness branding as, like, a cure all for what ails us.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I see.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So earthing proposes that the earth has a negative charge, and when you touch it, electrons enter Your body and neutralize free radicals. Balance the body's charge. That's the belief, anyway.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Right. Balancing your charge. So we're smartphones or Teslas now? Basically, from the sound of it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Kinda. I mean, the idea is that being disconnected from Earth's electrons causes everything from insomnia to chronic pain. And touching dirt equals healing. Allegedly.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Whenever anything cures everything, I'm always super even more skeptical than I usually am. Sure. Okay. And yet when I walk barefoot, all I get is weird looks and splinters.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right? Right. Me too. I mean, a lot of this is anecdotal. Like, I sleep better, I have more energy. But when you dig into the science, it's a way more goop thing than peer reviewed.

[Jordan Harbinger]

What do you mean, goop? Like Gwyneth Paltrow goop?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, yeah. Her lifestyle brand that capitalizes on wellness trends and convinces affluent women to stick jade eggs in their vaginas with no evidence it does anything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I've been wondering where to get some vagina eggs. I'm on the market, actually.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well, look at you. There's plenty online. I mean, their site is. It's wild. It also states that the company is called Goop because the word means nothing, but can mean anything, which describes their science, too. Right.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Not the flex y' all think it is. It means nothing, but it could mean anything by this. Right, Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So along with your egg, you can buy a Vesper 2 vibrator necklace for those urges on the go.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So it's a vibrator around your neck. Is it dishwasher safe too? It better be.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Yeah, it better be. For 100 bucks and yikes. And guess what? You can buy earthing gear on the Goop site too. For just $800, you can own their earthing jacket.

[Jordan Harbinger]

What does that even look like? I'm imagining kind of like the sod in my front yard sewn into a nice cardigan or vest.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That might be more interesting. It's pretty unimpressive. It looks just like something Larry David wears.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Such a. Such a grounded guy. So who' started this whole barefoot movement? I know it wasn't Gwyneth Paltrow.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, no, definitely not. It was a guy named Clint Ober, and he used to work in the cable TV industry grounding systems back in the 1980s and 90s. One day he had a light bulb moment and thought, what if humans, like electronics, need grounding too?

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. So not a scientist came up with a theory and was like, this is probably true. And here we are. All right. Color me surprised.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, not even close to a scientist. He seems like a really nice guy, though. I listened to a lot of interviews with him.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He just has no medical or scientific background and made a leap from coaxial cables to curing cancer with grass. And he's managed to build an entire movement around it.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So cable guy rebrands as wellness guru. That is. He was ahead of his time, I think.

[Ryan Reynolds]

America.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Incredible.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, it gets better. He made a documentary, he wrote a book, he's launched tons of products.

[Jordan Harbinger]

We're talking about them right now.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You and I are. Yeah, we're talking about them.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So is there any science behind the claims? Like, oh, it only does this, but it doesn't do the rest of the things, or is it just kind of like, eh?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's kind of like, eh.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, there's barely any science. So yes, Earth has an electrical field. And yes, our bodies run on electrical signals, like our brain waves, our heartbeats, all of that. But the leap from electrons are real. To touch grass, it'll heal your pancreas. That's a big one. And touting that standing barefoot on a lawn balances your internal voltage. It's where things short circuit.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. I mean, of course. Look, getting fresh air, taking a walk, it feels good. But it seems complicated and confusing for it to be a cure of something. If it cured chronic illness. Well, summer camp first of all would have eradicated childhood disease. And here we. So, yeah, come on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. I mean, it's a very niche subject in the scientific world that it just pretty much dresses up this simple idea in complicated language to make it sound legit. So it takes this basic truth, nature can be good for you, and puts a lab coat on it. So Earthing's a lot of things, but no matter what you read, it is not going to save your life. And that's what big believers think it can do.

[Jordan Harbinger]

But why? What do they base this on? Why do people trust this guy in the theory at all?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, I guess it's the same reason anyone buys into any wellness trend. It sounds good and people want to feel better. So after listening to all these interviews with Ober, watching his Earthing documentary, skimming his Earthing website, I'll be honest, I can't make heads or tails out of the claims. The gist that I get was Ober lived in this magical place called Sedona, Arizona, and one day it just hit him, we need the Earth.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yes. Not the most scientific explanation. It's funny. Someone reads this and is like, oh, he lives in Sedona. And one day it hit him. Okay, I might need more. I might need more in order to swipe my credit card.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think it was probably a really supportive community too for this. Yeah, but the whole thing, it's just based on cherry picked facts and wishful thinking. So yes, connecting with nature is important. Yes, these electrons exist, but they don't jump into our body and heal inflammation. That is just not how physics works. You know, since 1917, scientists have known Earth does have a negative charge. Then about 60 years ago, it was proven the polar winds push charged particles like real high into the atmosphere. And these facts are all threaded into the earthing philosophy. And then in 2024, NASA accidentally gave the movement some more ammo.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Oh yeah, it's like the UFO thing. So, so n in on this. Now tell me what's going on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, I mean, not on purpose. A NASA funded rocket team confirmed something called the Ambipolar electric field. This is a planet wide electric field that keeps the balance to the earth's charge.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, fine, but cable guy Ober was not on the rocket team over at NASA. I'm going to guess shocking, but no. And the barefoot crowd heard electric field and balancing Earth's charge and was like boom. Science. Like breaking bad.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Pretty much.

[Jordan Harbinger]

They're just like, yeah, science. What is it? Science, bitch. Fine, I'll buy your $800 jacket.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, exactly. It's just post hoc justification at its finest. Yeah, I mean, the Ambipolar field, it's real and it's pretty cool. It confirms there's atmospheric electricity that's always present. And that as long as there's no thunderstorms, the air above the surface of the Earth will be positively charged while the Earth's is negative. But all of this has absolutely nothing to do with whether kicking off your flip flops is going to cure rheumatoid arthritis.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Right, but people kick off their shoes and socks and dig their toes into the dirt and they're like, ah, I'm getting, I'm getting my miracle cure. I just feel the electrons flowing out or in or whatever.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, you can't deny it. It does feel good psychologically. But it is not medicine for diseases. But people find it easier to blame our modern woes on our footwear. You know, rubber soles are the villain in the earthing world. Earthing advocates say rubber souls insulate us from Earth's healing charge.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Hmm. So they think this electrical field can balance the entire planet, but it can't get through Nikes. Okay, got It.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. That's the idea. I mean, the theory is that when your skin comes into contact with the ground, electrons carry up into your body and have a therapeutic effect. Okay, so Earthing's just promot this unsubstantiated claim that we need this contact because our body's building up excess electrical charge from living in the modern world and wearing rubber soles.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, well, I'm obviously not convinced, but when did we start wearing rubber soles anyway? Is it, I guess. How old are shoes with rubber soles? I don't even know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's actually not that old. So Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization of rubber in 1839, and that's the process of heating natural rubber with sulfur. And it just makes it tough and durable. So that led to the rubber soles. In the late 1800s, the first rubber soled shoes were called sand shoes. They came out of the Liverpool Rubber Company, which was started by John Boyd Dunlop.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Ah, so Goodyear and Dunlop are. These are the tire guys?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, those guys.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So those guys were all about contact to the ground. So to them, what, our shoes are just feet? Tires. Is that what we're working with?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay, yeah, totally. I mean, it's a great way to. To think of it. We. It was sort of the testing for tires, I guess.

[Jordan Harbinger]

All right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And like tires, they're great at keeping you grounded in a mechanical sense, but not the way the wellness folks mean it. And then by 1892, the US Rubber Company created, like, the modern, comfortable fabric made sports shoes with a rubber sole. More like, we know today they called them sneakers because the quietness of the rubber soles allowed you to sneak up on other people.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, that's a weird thing. Like, hey, we made these shoes, and they're so quiet, you can use them to murder people. Cool. Okay, so people think protecting our feet in this way is a bad thing and that I should just stop wearing shoes. Is that where this takes us? Because I'm not gonna do that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's where people stand in the movement. But, you know, humans invented shoes for a reason. They protect our feet. So if your earthing practice involves walking around barefoot, it's obvious you're risking injury, allergies, infections. But the no shoe philosophy, it goes way back before rubber soles. You know, think traditional Chinese medicine. They were really big on walking barefoot to stimulate some flow of energy throughout the body. Being barefoot is also a feature of many indigenous cultures around the world. And several religions require devotees to remove their shoes to pray or enter a place of worship.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Sure, but they're not doing it to absorb electrons or whatever. Right? This is a cleanliness thing, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Exactly. So it's more about respect and ritual. However, they were imagining energy flow. But the modern earthing crowd claims being separated from the earth beneath our feet is causing chronic illness and inflammation, autoimmune diseases, mental health issues, basically everything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So what's going on when we walk across the carpet and get shocked? Is that grounding me somehow? Because that used to happen a ton in Michigan.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, that's just static electricity. Your body builds up a charge, positive or negative, and when you touch something grounded like a doorknob, zap. Your body's discharging.

[Jordan Harbinger]

First things first. The doorknob is also not touching the ground. So there goes their whole theory. Right. It's encased in wood, which is not a. It's just as insulating as rubber. But whatever. My point is I discharge all the time.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, gross. Bad, bad Jordan. Anyway, we get that little shock because our hair and skin are poor conductors.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So all this talk, it actually reminds me this has nothing to do with the episode, but I went to a bikram yoga class which is like super hot, sweaty yoga. I didn't go with Gabriel. A lot of people think I will. This is pre, pre hot yoga with Gabriel. I went there and it was carpeted the room because it was a commercial lease and they probably just wouldn't let the tenant take, you know, sublet or. So imagine how the floor smells. No nonstop sweat, just soaking in there for multiple hours every day, all day, super hot and barefoot everyone. So yeah, the whole room smelled like if you just boiled distilled foot juice down for a few hours. The whole room reeked of that. And you'd open it in this piping hot 99 whatever, 105 degree air, feet air which is waft out into your face.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, this is like a Ren and Stimpy scene.

[Jordan Harbinger]

It's so gross. Anyway, that has nothing to do with this episode. Getting a shock from a doorknob has not happened to me in a long time, since I moved to California from Michigan. And is that something to do with the humidity in the air? Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, it makes sense because. Exactly. The more dry the air is, the less conductive it becomes and static builds up. So I mean, we've known about static electricity since at least ancient Greece.

[Jordan Harbinger]

In ancient Greece though, they didn't have balloons to rub on kids heads or wall to wall carpeting back then. Do people. I haven't, you know, I haven't rubbed a Balloon on a kid's head in a while. Good minute. I gotta.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It'll still work.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, it'll.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It still works. Even in California, the physics is still there.

[Jordan Harbinger]

That's right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But I mean, yeah, in ancient Greece they didn't have that, but they did have rabbit fur and sticks of amber. And they knew they could rub them together and create this magic static electricity to impress three year olds.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Ah, nice.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So static electricity, it's all around us. It always has been. We know for sure. The Earth's surface has a negative charge and the upper atmosphere has a positive charge. There's a weak current flowing between them. Thunderstorms can amp that up. You know, you can kind of feel it during a storm for sure. But jumping to the conclusion that this will cure cancer or cure anything, it's just irresponsible.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Still though, people say they feel better when they walk barefoot outside or whatever. And that's what the earthing community gets into. So it's just all like anecdotal placebo stuff probably.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, it's relaxing, right? Going outside and walking barefoot or not, it's good for you psychologically, for sure. You're outside, you're moving, you're in the sun, you're not in front of a screen. I mean, that's just basic wellness. It's not proof of electron therapy.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So spending time in nature, it's linked to mental health benefits. Benefits. But again, the idea that chronic illnesses are caused by an electrical imbalance between us and Earth, it makes no sense. So, yeah, we share electrons with everything we touch, but there's just no scientific evidence that it'll cure inflammation through your toes.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, but earthing is pointing at real electrical stuff in nature, correct?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, totally. Nature's full of real electrical phenomena which the earthing community points to. Positive and negative charges have been vital in nature long before humans invented a way to make it power our modern lives. Bees, for instance, they build up a positive charge when they fly. This is how they stick to the flowers. It's why they get covered in pollen. That's all static electricity. You know, in the show notes, let's link to. There's this really cool article I read about robot bees. And they get charged with static electricity to mimic what's going on in nature.

[Jordan Harbinger]

That's cool.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, it's cool. But that kind of charge, it's not going to heal anything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, nobody's selling B charged sandals.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Don't give them ideas. And here's where I get stuck. So most of the studies On Earthing, they're either just not peer reviewed or they have super small sample sizes. And they'll use terms like energy from the Earth, which isn't exactly measurable in a lab.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Right. It's not the real kind of energy, like energy from the Earth. So you mean electrons? Well, you know, so it's like. This is like physics. Yeah, yeah. This is like physics cosplay or something. It's like, oh, well, the vibe of. And it's like. Not science.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Definitely. Yeah. They throw around real science terms like ions, electrons, grounding, but they're twisting them so they sound like proof. And these studies that Ober did and the ones his website cites, they make no sense. So according to Karen Livesey, who's an associate professor of theoretical physics at the University of Newcastle, she says grounding has long been used as a physics term where it refers to the process of removing a buildup of too much positive or negative charge.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, so that's like what you would do with an item. So the idea is, in Earthing is that a lack of grounding is making humans sick. Okay, but that's maybe. What does she think about that?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right? You're right. So. But Dr. Livesey, she's calling bullshit on this. So she's saying our cells, our neurons, our immune responses, they all communicate through electrical charge. But it takes more than static and rubber soles to mess that up, right? We're highly evolved. The thing that gets cited incorrectly is that there are certain diseases and poisons that are cured by the right charge. Like. Okay, it gets confusing because in things like epilepsy, that is caused by an excess burst of electrical activity in the br brain, you know, spider and snake venom can interfere with the movement of our electrical charges, which can damage or even kill neurons, which. That's what causes paralysis when you get bit. But she's emphasizing that quote. From a physics point of view, there's no process I can think of where a surplus or lack of electrons on the surface of our body could influence our health. There are 10 octillion. That's a one with 28 zeros after it. 10 octillion electrons in our body being short by a few electrons is not going to change how our bodies use electricity to work.

[Jordan Harbinger]

So walking barefoot, not exactly a medical breakthrough. This is good news, I suppose, for us who were wondering how we were gonna navigate an airport bathroom with no shoes on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, gross.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. You ever see the people who are on the plane and go to the bathroom in their socks and you're like, oh, you are Psycho.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh my God. Rfk.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, it just. Your socks are absorbing everything that's on that bed that's not water. That's all I'm saying. Are there studies on Earthing that offer any kind of proof though? I mean, surely they cite stuff. What are they trying. They're trying to prove it, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, right. It's all kind of phony. So On Ober's site, earthing.com, they claim there's 26 scientific studies. But I dug into those earthing and grounding studies and the majority are authored by all the same handful of people and the few that are peer reviewed. When you click on a reference, it takes you to another study with the same exact set of authors. So it's incredibly deceiving. They cite each other in this feedback loop. They use the vague language, the sample sizes are small. They'd get kicked out of a high school science fair. Okay, so reading a bit of those studies, I think anyone with some research literacy would realize it's just objectively bad science. But they're on the same database as all the other peer reviewed stuff. So for everyday people just looking for cures and relief and trying in good faith to do their own research, it's pretty misleading.

[Unknown]

Do your own research. Don't believe the mainstream media. Do your own research. That's what I did during the course times. I bought a laboratory, beakers and test tubes and a white smock. I got a vintage petri dish off the ebay and I got all my clinical trials lined up and my double blind case studies. And then I got like 300 or so COVID patients off of Craigslist ad promising free cheese sandwiches and then I just drowned them as witches because what the fuck do I know about research? A scientist. Do your own research in the mo. No, I just sewed her up in a burlap sack of stones and I chucked her in the lake. What the do I know? Just straight up Salem witch trial. Get the drink lady. If she doesn't drown. Covid's a hoax.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, it's misleading. It raises a bigger question. Who's vetting what ends up in these journals? And there are just tens of thousands of medical journals, so many are questionable. Shouldn't there be more vetting? I think I did a show on this a long time ago about how most of the stuff has never been replicated or tried to replicate. So you just have no idea if the science is real. And half the stuff that gets more than half the stuff that gets published.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, it's Overwhelming.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, it's overwhelming. It seems like on the Earthing site, they went through a lot of effort to make this look scientific when it definitely isn't, with the whole circular citation thing. And, like, they're just kind of hoping people go, look, there's science on there. I mean, I'm not gonna read it, but you can. And then you actually did, and it's like, this is not real science.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right? Exactly. People are trusting when your graphic designer's good, you know.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Totally.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But a lot gets through the cracks. I mean, my basic rules for anyone out there diving into their own scientific and medical research is if you see an exclamation mark in a paper, which a lot of these have, you know you've got a problem. If it draws conclusions in the intro or calls something a miracle run, delete. Like, just don't read it further. The data should speak for itself. It's a typical wellness thing where there's claims people can relate to versus the evidence from studies that no one wants to read. Or the voice of someone like Yale neurologist Dr. Steven Novella, who critically examined the concept of earthing and grounding and found zero legitimacy in its claims.

[Jordan Harbinger]

This episode is sponsored in part by Jessica's Vagina Egg Emporium. We'll be right back. This episode is sponsored in part by Quilt Mind. Have you ever noticed that LinkedIn is kind of the last corner of the Internet where smart people actually go to read things? And it's not total garbage. I mean, it's no longer just a resume graveyard. There's real content, real ideas, real connections happening. A guy named Dove from quiltmind reached out to me there recently. He made me realize something. I've got over 24,000 followers on LinkedIn. I hadn't posted anything meaningful in ages. I never cultivated that following. It just kind of happened because of the show. These folks actively chose to connect with me, and I'm basically ignoring them. Total missed opportunity. And I'm not alone. So many business professionals have built strong followings, but rarely post. Usually it's a time thing. Out of sight, out of mind. Yes, I do check my DMs there, here and there, as many of you know. Meanwhile, others are out there growing audiences and making moves on a platform that now has over a billion users. That's where Quilt Mind comes in. They help busy execs and thought leaders show up consistently on LinkedIn with just about two hours a month of your time. And here's how it works. They hop on a strategy call with you. I've done this. Of course they help pull out insights and stories that your audience will actually care about, turn your thoughts into polished professional posts. And they handle everything, writing, posting, analytics and still sounds like you. You're just not stuck doing the heavy lifting. I gave Quilt Mind a shot. I've been really impressed with what they've done. If you want to follow along, check out what I've been sharing on LinkedIn. And if you're thinking of leveling up your own presence, shoot me a Message or email jordanaudiencewiltmind.com to kick things off. They'll get you taken care of. This episode is also sponsored by flykit. If you travel internationally a lot, well congratulations. Maybe you don't have little kids, but anyway, jet lag is your enemy, right? It used to steal days, even weeks from my life. Enter flykit, the jet lag game changer. I first discovered it on a trip to Bhutan. Ah, before kids when I could actually do stuff. The trip leader swore by it and at first glance it seemed like glorified vitamins and I was kind of pissed. I actually asked for a refund. And then I tried the app and it's not hocus pocus. It's algorithm based scheduling tailored to your trip details. It tells you when to eat, when to sleep, when to take the supplements, and it's like having a personal travel health assistant in your pocket. I've tested it on multiple time zone busting trips to and from Asia and beyond and it works every single time. Flykit is rooted in Navy Seal research and was initially designed for fighter pilots and athletes to combat inflammation that flying causes. FlyKit uses AI because of course to time everything from light exposure to meals, all tailored to your specific travel itinerary. So if you're tired of losing precious days of your life to jet lag, you've gotta check out flykit. A few of you have tried it. You said it was amazing. I'm telling you this is not just like placebo. Oh, I'm not tired. This is completely different than Jetlag. It's like dealing with jet lag when you're a teenager. You almost just don't even care. Everything is in one small organized packet. The app walks you through every step of the way. Go to flykit with 2t's com that's flykit f l y k dash I dash t dash t dot com to get a flykit for 15% off with code jordan flykit again with 2t's promo code jordan flykit with 2t's com promo code jordan. Try it out on your next trip. Let me know how it lands for you. I want to know what you think. If you're wondering how I managed to book all these great authors, thinkers, creators every single week, it is because of my network. The circle of people I know, like, and trust. I'm teaching you how to build the same thing for yourself for free, [e-mail]. it's not cringy. It is very practical. It's a very binge able course. I designed it that way. It takes a few minutes a day. It'll make you a better connector, better at work, better at home, better with your friends. And by the way, many of the guests on our show subscribe and contribute to the course. Come on and join us. You'll be in smart company, where you belong. You can find the course again for free at sixminutenetworking. Com. Now back to Skeptical Sunday. I mean, to be fair, if people are reading these BS studies, believing them because they look official, I actually think that's understandable. Most people aren't going to read a study, and if they do, they're going to go, well, there's certainly a lot here they're not going to go, oh, this one cited the other one and it's the same guy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, of course.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I mean, I don't even know if I would bother to dig that deep. That's why I have you on Zoom.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, right. I mean, you're not going. It's exhausting to go through these studies and see the links. And if it, you know, seems plausible in a tiny little meme, you're going to believe that. But people also have to have some accountability. If you're not getting medical treatment because you've seen research that says just go for a walk barefoot. I mean, that's dangerous.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Plus, you know, our minds are powerful, too, and we've all felt our shoulders drop out in nature, so it seems plausible, but we're just, we're just fooling ourselves, right?

[Jordan Harbinger]

It's a placebo at best. So static electricity is not building up in me like I'm a Tesla coil while I sit here at this desk.

[Ryan Reynolds]

No, definitely not. Static is temporary. It's just like rubbing that balloon on the kid's head. You know, the charge builds. You touch something, it releases. This happens all the time without us even realizing it. And there's zero health benefits. It's just sparks and frizzy hair.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I see. So the whole earthing thing is pseudoscience, and yet earthing techniques Are practiced, sworn by. I know health people that bring. They carry this crap with them when they go. I don't know, it's just silly to me, but surprise, surprise, people are putting eggs in their vag, so whatever.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right, Right. I mean, yeah, it seems intuitive, the whole idea of it. You know, in our natural state, humans were more in contact with the ground. People want that to matter in ways it doesn't. And so it's easy to believe we've somehow lost something.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Appeal to nature fallacy. Appeal to the ancients fallacy. Basically, if something's natural, it's better and it's healthy. If it's unnatural, that's bad. And if the ancestors or the ancients did something, it's gotta be better than what we do now. Something, something wisdom of the ages that's been lost. So, yeah, I tried to get in touch with nature recently, and I set up the slip and slide for my kids. And I can assure you that is not grounded. Cause I. It's one of those inflatable ones, and I was like, I'm going to take a flying leap. Yeah. The weight limit's 100 pounds.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, no.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Or 105 pounds. I am more than 105 pounds. So I didn't land on a cushy inflatable slip and slide. I landed on the ground, the turf hard, and I got a purple butt cheek. I don't know why I shared that at all. That, again, has nothing to do with the episode.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But some Earthers might tell you that counts, that when you were earthing, great. I mean, even the Earthing community isn't on the same page. Some say you absolutely have to touch earth directly. Dirt, grass, ocean, falling off a slip and slide, whatever. Others believe you can get the same benefits by using special electrical conduction products.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. So this is what my friend has. I've mentioned him a second ago. He brings an earthing mat to hotels. So he stands on a mat in a hotel that's like, you know, 30 floors up in Manhattan, and he's like, I'm grounding. Make it make sense. You're not on the ground. Your whole room is on the ground.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, he's probably just taking some deep breaths, though, and feeling better maybe.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Further, we say stuff like, you seem grounded down to earth, like it means something. I did a podcast while sitting on a grounding mat to heighten my experience, and I fidgeted the whole time because the cord was under my ass.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, but the people who gave you that mat, they want it to Make a difference. You know, they think it's affecting us emotionally. And there's like a poetic connotation of balance, connectedness, slowing down. And that's what people are craving and experiencing. So the earth part, it's all metaphor. You know, grounding is not a scientific diagnosis.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, so you mentioned free radicals earlier. Remind me that's electrons flying in or flying out. I forget which.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, simply free radicals have an electron flying out, and it's looking to steal electrons from other molecules. So this is a good spot in the episode, I think, to give a shout out to the humble proton.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I see the opposite to an electron. Charge wise, I assume. Wow, the proton. So sad. They never get enough love.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They don't. They don't. And the protons, you know, it's a charged particle that balances the electron, and it's. It's actually a hydrogen ion. So there's actually a proton disease. Another thing that gets blurry by the earthing community. Okay, so too many of these hydrogen ions or protons in the stomach, that occurs when we have too much acid, and that's what gives us ulcers. And the fix for that is something people might be familiar with. It's a proton pump inhibitor. But it's the drugs that are soaking up the protons, not a barefoot walk in the woods.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Ah, the humble proton causing indigestion to untold millions. So, yeah, so people think it's earthing, and it's like, could be the antacid you took. Just saying.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right? Yeah. I mean, and diet, exercise, those sorts of things. They're reducing our oxidative stress, which is free radicals. So foods, real stress management mops up free radicals almost certainly more effectively than lying on some weird earthing mat.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Got it. Okay. Speaking of which, what about other earthing products? Do they do anything to aid in our health? I mean, earthing jacket, probably not. Earthing mat, probably not. Jade egg in the vagina, question mark. I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's just. No, like, full stop. But there's so many of these products for sale. There's the grounding mats, there's copper threaded sheets, yoga mats with wires. None of them are proven to work. There's just no evidence that sort of plugging your bed into an outlet cures anything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

What do you mean sort of plugging it in?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well, I mean, most of these products plug into the third hole of outlets, and the third hole does nothing.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I'm not sure about that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All right, Jordan, get your mind out of the gutter.

[Jordan Harbinger]

God.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, we can Call it the third prong then.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Oh, giggety, giggety, giggity goo. Fine.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay, okay, fine, fine. But just go look in an outlet, the one on the bottom. It does absolutely nothing if nothing is plugged into the other two prongs.

[Jordan Harbinger]

It's.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's just a safety component for when something is plugged in to catch stray electrons and ground them. But these grounding and earthing products, they aren't live. It's. They're just a scam.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, it sounds like. It sounds like.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, There was a 2023 article I read that. It argued indoor earthing equipment and products don't and can't control for all the different factors that influence biological grounding. So, simply put, these researchers said that even if all the claims about indoor earthing products were true, the product's effectiveness would still vary wildly for reasons that are just beyond your control. This includes things like soil moisture levels and the quality of electrical mains, ground connections, stuff like that.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, I was wondering. It's like, so you're just trusting that this third hole just goes straight into the ground and the ground is receptive to whatever crap is coming off your body. I mean, come on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Power of the mind.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Anyway, the placebo effect, it's not nothing, by the way. So if somebody feels better doing this, okay, sure, sure.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But money not well spent though, right? You know, the placebo effect is real, but it's not magic electrons. It just bums me out to see people grifted, especially about their health. And. And let's not confuse this correlation with causation. You know, grounding wires protect electrical system overloads like lightning, but that's way more electricity than your body is ever, ever, ever dealing with. Plus, you know, think about it. If you're buying a special mat to sleep on, you're probably also doing other things to feel better. Like you're just showing you care about your health.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, but the marketing is very slick. They wrap it up in eastern wisdom, spiritual vibes, testimonials, slick E commerce kind of experience.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right?

[Jordan Harbinger]

Look, I respect indigenous and eastern culture traditions, whatever the harmony with nature. I get it. But turning that philosophy into this grift that doesn't do anything, that's always been a problem for me, which is why we're here. People would buy well marketed dirt if it was for sale. Actually, they're probably already. Surely that exists.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I have news for you. Yes, earthing.com oversight. They don't sell dirt. But there is earthing dirt, like specifically marketed for earthing. That Is for sale on Etsy and Amazon.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay, Look, I've seen 300 earth tone yoga blankets, but actual dirt, that is actually brilliant. You just buy a bag of dirt for five bucks and then you sell it for 55.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I know. What are we doing wrong here? The products are endless. You know, like, go to earthing.com, check out his site. It, the funny thing is it doesn't tout all the, the free practices you can do. It doesn't lay out the science. It just sells products like earthing rods and shoes and blankets and mattress pads. There's these adhesive patches and earthing strips that, you know, say put these on your skin and you'll see that the, you know, it pulls out these electrons because the patch changes color. But you can take the patch and put it on the wall. It'll change color. It's just.

[Jordan Harbinger]

It oxidizes or something. Yeah, exactly.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So I mean, if you could walk in the grass for free, why is he pushing a copper threaded blanket and magnets plunged into the third prong of your outlet?

[Jordan Harbinger]

I mean, people must love the ritual or they live in high rise buildings. I don't know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I know, but it would be way more helpful to encourage people to go outside, to actually sit in the grass, to unplug, take a deep breath for free. I mean, that does have benefits, but we just can't pretend it's physics.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Take that prong out of your third hole and relax.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Take that prong out of you. Don't fall for the sales pitch of wellness companies, you know, making more and more money from you just for the crap. Yeah, we need to be super skeptical about the money grabs. The global earthing equipment market was valued at over $5 billion in 2003, and it's projected to reach over 9 billion by 2032.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Wow, those. I was going to say those words are charged. That is so much money though. What a waste.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Holy smokes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a lucrative industry and it's dedicated to bringing the benefits of the great outdoors inside. But I mean, just go outside, don't spend the money.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. So literally the whole thing is a scam, top to bottom?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think so. I mean, my skepticism always grounds me into thinking that if this worked and cured everything, wouldn't it be used, improved? Wouldn't we be talking about it all the time? I mean, these products, you know, we discussed products on our hangover episode and people responded about things that work for them. But I really thought about it and, and yeah, if you're being mindful enough to Be taking deliberate steps for your health, whether it's taking a pill before drinking or plugging your bed into a outlet that doesn't work. I mean, you're probably being mindful about other healthful things which is also contributing to your lack of pain or symptoms or helping you mentally feel better, like just staying hydrated, taking breaks for self care, diet and exercise. That all affects us.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. So these dubious devices have zero real evidence that they do anything at all. I went to hiking in the Grand Canyon and somebody brought an earthing Matt.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, what?

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, yeah. That's incredible marketing to think that you would need that earthing mat at the Grand Canyon.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Well, are there outlets at the Grand Canyon? I mean, that's.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I will let you guess. There's not even cell phone service in the Grand Canyon. You can die out there, but at least you won't be, I don't know, positively charged or something, or negatively charged.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That bums me out because it's taking away from that person's experience. I mean, there's just no research establishing the basic claim that an electrical homeostasis has any effect on how body's function. If it worked, it'd be in hospitals, not hiding on some influencer's Instagram. You know, you can look back. Doctors used to prescribe time at the seaside, but they stopped because it doesn't heal anything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, that's a great point. I remember all those, like, go to this cave to cure your tuberculosis. Go to the seaside because it cures things. And this is a really good point. If you're mindful enough to buy the mat, you're probably doing yoga, you're drinking water, you're making managing stress, you're taking your vitamins, you're working out. That's probably what's helping regardless of what is in your third hole or whatever, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Totally. I mean, I think there's a simpler reason people feel better after quote unquote, earthing. They're outside, they're moving, they're breathing fresh air, they're getting sunlight. You know, we're always on our devices, we're always rushing. So just slowing down and putting your feet in the grass, it might make you feel good being present. It's powerful. But you don't need a pseudo scientific bedtime story to enjoy a hike right now.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Now available exclusively from Goop and Gwyneth Paltrow. Taking a walk around the block for a limited time only. 99.99. Yeah, look, it's. It's interesting how science and spirituality sometimes bump into Each other though, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, if this was a cure, although, wouldn't it mean every landscaper is more healthy than an office worker? A grave digger is healthier than a hospital employee. Farmers would be healthier than teachers. I mean, I surf a lot. I'm barefoot on the beach several times a week because of where I live. It clears my head. You can't bring a phone on a surfboard. But I still live with like an incurable autoimmune disease that gets worse as I age. You know, I have to take a pill every day. I still get sick more often than I'd like. Other things plague me. Being barefoot all the time, it doesn't cure anything.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Speaking of discharge, how about a word from our sponsors? We'll be right back. This episode is sponsored in part by Hiya Health. All right, parents, you ever look at your kids vitamins air quotes vitamins and realize they're just candy? Yeah, before we tried Haya, our kids were chomping on these gummy vitamins that had more sugar than a cookie. I don't even know how you manage that. Two teaspoons of sugar and a vitamin. What are you doing? That's what I love about Haya Health. It's pediatrician approved chewable vitamin made without the gummy junk. No sugar, no dyes, no sticky mess in your kids teeth. You ever try to brush that out? It's impossible. Just a solid blend of 12 organic fruits and veggies plus 15 essential vitamins and minerals that actually support things like immune function, energy, focus, growth. And it tastes good. It's not like health food pretending to be good. Even my picky eater was into it. Our kids were super into the whole experience. They decorated the bottle with the stickers that come with your first order and now it's become part of our daily routine. There's no whining, no convincing parents. You know what I'm saying? Another cool thing, after your first order, they send eco friendly refills each month. So if you're looking for a vitamin that's actually good for your kids, not just sugary crap in disguise, check out Haya.

[Jessica Wynn]

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[Jordan Harbinger]

I've got homes.com as a sponsor for this episode. Homes.com knows when it comes to home shopping, it's never just about the house or the condo. It's about the homes. And what makes a home is more than just the house or property. It's the location. It's the neighborhood. If you got kids, it's also schools, nearby, parks, transportation options. That's why homes.com goes above and beyond to bring home shoppers the in depth information they need to find the right home. It's so hard not to say home every single time. And when I say in depth information, I'm talking deep. Each listing features comprehensive information about the neighborhood, complete with a video guide. They also have details about local schools with test scores, state rankings, student teacher ratio. They even have an agent directory with the sales history of each agent. So when it comes to finding a home, not just a house, this is everything you need to know, all in1place.homes.com We've done your homework. This episode is sponsored in part by the Defender. We all have those big goals that seem just out of reach, right? But the truth is, that's what keeps us moving forward. For the people who embrace challenges and explore their way, there's the Defender. The Defender is built to handle whatever comes its way with legendary capability on road or off. It's engineered with a tough, rigid body, tested to the extreme and built with durable, lightweight architecture for strength and confidence. But it's not just about ruggedness. It's an icon reimagined with a design that feels modern yet honors its adventurous roots. Plus, there's a Defender for every kind of Explorer, from the Defender 90 to the 110, and even the 130, which seats up to eight people. So whether it's just you or the whole family, there's a model for your journey. If you're ready to embrace the impossible, the Defender is your perfect partner, beyond capable and ready to go wherever you're headed next. Build your defender@land roverusa.com thank you for listening and supporting the show. It is your support of our advertisers that keeps us going. All of the deals, discount codes and ways to support the podcast are searchable and Clickable [e-mail] deals and if you can't find the code, email us. It is that important that you support those who support the show. Now for the rest of Skeptical Sunday. I hike a lot, but I never take my shoes off because, you know, stuff bites and there's sharp stuff. Yeah, it still helps me unwind. Plus, I want to get away from emails and phone calls, and that pretty much does it. Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. You're slowing down. You're going for a walk. You're letting yourself relax. You don't want a rusty nail in your foot. Right.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Again.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Like, all these effects, they can happen inside on a treadmill. Did you say again? Sorry.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, yeah, it's okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Those effects could happen on a treadmill, too. In inside, it's. It's not earthing magic, it's mindfulness.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yes. And yet earthing is exploding in popularity. I see earthing and grounding hashtags all over the place. That Netflix documentary, I think did pretty well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, it's huge on social media. The earthing documentary, it was on YouTube. Oh, YouTube has over 5 million views. It launched this whole trend when it came out in 2019, and it was really good timing. It became really popular during the pandemic.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Is the documentary worth watching? I already know the answer to this question, I think, but, you know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I watched it for you. It's. It's biased, of course. It's marketing disguised as enlightenment. You know, they say it has cutting edge research and world class experts, but it's just. Just quacky. Chiropractors, longevity influencers, people selling stuff. There's one retired cardiologist in it, his name's Sinatra, which is fun, and. But everyone else seems to be on the take. Like, there's one quote unquote expert who says he tells knee surgery patients to walk barefoot in the grass. That's fine, but it's basic rehab. It's not medicine. So meanwhile, they never once explain what grounding or earthing actually is in the whole movie. There's no definition, there's no science. It's just testimonials and links to websites.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Oh, my gosh. It's like, hey, go for a walk in the grass barefoot. Oh, okay, it must be the grass and that I'm barefoot. No, man, we're just trying to get you to walk because I did surgery on your knee and I'm trying to hide the ball instead of telling you to walk because you won't do that, but you will go walk barefoot on the grass. If it's all anecdotal, that's always problematic. I will obviously skip watching the documentary. It sounds like you could swap out earthing with, I don't know, CBD or cold plunges or drinking celery juice. And it's just the same script.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I think So, I mean, also in the movie, they don't mention that Clint Ober owns the product line that's featured in the film.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Right. Okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's a wild conflict of interest. Right. He's credited as the executive producer, and he basically is the movie. He's the main star. So it's like if L. Ron Hubbard wrote and star starred in a documentary about how Dianetics and Scientology cured his back pain.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I'm almost positive that exists. Yeah. Fun. Another pseudoscience marketing cult. Is there a line like in the documentary? I assume there's a line like, this is the truth your doctor won't tell you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think they might say that. Exactly.

[Jordan Harbinger]

For sure. Why not? While you're out there, you know, it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ends with, you know, like, and subscribe and click here to buy crazy products. And yes. Oh, one guy said you should walk barefoot on the freeway because no rubber tires. Something. I don't know. Yeah, it was just another influencer. Said her sacred earthing pillowcase improved her aura.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Ah. Well, there's something you could never falsify because it's totally not real. I don't understand what a sacred earthing pillow is. It sounds flammable. And never walk on the freeway barefoot or not. That is super dangerous and super illegal for very good reason. That's a great way to get hit by at least one car and kill somebody.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And just. Just, oh, what are you walking on? I mean, what sucks about all of this is that people are, I think, in good faith, they're looking for answers. And especially post pandemic, there's more skepticism around medicine, you know, that's on the rise, and it makes earthing seem really attractive.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I wonder if it became more popular post pandemic because people did seem to go for more walks when everything was shuttered in 2020. And at the same time, they also distrusted science a lot more.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, for sure, we. We were disconnected with nature. You know, we're on our screens. And so during the pandemic. Yeah, you're right. I think a lot of people did get out more. But earthing is just selling this fantasy of reconnection. It's crazy. The idea of enjoying nature being monetized.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It doesn't mean we should be doing these normal. Or there's some extreme earthing practices. Like the freeway walking.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's extreme. Yeah. So is there anything more extreme or on the same level as freeways? Barefoot freeway strolls.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, it's a real thing some people are really proud of, you know, it's practices like walking barefoot in the snow, going out in really heavy rain, running long distance through rough terrain and mud, and fasting in the woods while naked. You know, some people are inside, insist on sleeping directly on the ground, which obviously can be dangerous. You know, those who take earthing to extreme physical levels, they're just searching for this deeper connection to the earth's energy. But it can be really dangerous. You know, you could get frostbite to the point of losing toes, which has happened to some people. Scalding burns. I mean, I don't get the connection to the pavement. That just seems illogical.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I remember seeing just absolute maniacs who never wear shoes walking around nyc, New York City on fricking Broadway and in the subway when I lived there. And that can't be good. I sort of get it. Look, if you live in a rural North Carolina farm area and you're walking around barefoot, okay, fine, Manhattan. Just. Why who said to me, you just littered on the street. Don't you care about the environment? And I thought about it and I said, you know what? This isn't the environment. This is New York City.

[Unknown]

This is not the environment.

[Jordan Harbinger]

This is where people live.

[Unknown]

New York City is not the environment.

[Jordan Harbinger]

New York City is a giant piece of litter.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And the people who are walking barefoot in New York City, are they actually earthing? Like, you're not touching earth.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Exactly. I get it. If you live in a really big high rise city, you can feel very far away from nature. I understand. It can feel like you're a very, very long way from that natural earth state. Unless you're in Central park or something. But yeah, there's like three floors of pipes and subway below you. You're not earthing, bro. So are there colonies or communities for extreme earthing? Like a, you know, like a nudist colony, but just for bare feet people. Barefoot people.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I don't know if there's actual communities, but nudist earthing is definitely a thing.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I guess you have no choice at that point, right? Might as well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Pregnant goes way back too. Good old Benjamin Franklin was a big believer in the. And sunbathing naked every morning. He called it his air bath. But he still suffered from gout and syphilis and who knows what else. Yeah, there's just no connection that these practices heal anything like is claimed. I mean, I think for most people it's low risk, but there are safety hazards associated with earthing, and I think most of them are probably, you know, pretty obvious.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Syphilis, huh? Wow, that's Another skeptical Sunday, I suppose.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Okay. Sunbathing naked, it sounds like a great way to get a sunburned dong. Hard pass. Or in my case, at nearly 46 years of age, semi hard pass.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, wow, Jordan.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, I'm on fire today.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Sun your perineum for a minute a day and you'll never be sad again.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Google perennium, kids on your work computer.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, right. While earthing seems harmless, you know, it's not always advisable. Sure, walking barefoot in nature, it's accessible, it's free, but there are a few landmines. Like, if you have a chronic medical condition, you know, like reduced sensation in your feet from diabetes is common. So walking barefoot on hot pavement or rocky trails, not a good idea because you, you know, you could get injured without even noticing. Plus, you have to think about allergic reactions. The soil's full of bacteria and parasites and whatever your neighbor's pets left behind.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Yeah, nothing like reconnecting with the earth and catching ringworm or something from it. Gross.

[Ryan Reynolds]

God. I mean, earthing websites even warn that earthing may make you feel worse before it makes you feel better. Yeah, whatever that is supposed to mean.

[Jordan Harbinger]

That's exactly what it means, is you're going to catch dirt, syphilis, and be like, what the heck? And they're like, ah, we covered that on one of the lines where we said it might make you feel worse. That is not a wellness claim. It seems like the real danger is the scam on desperate people looking to feel better and cure some something.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I mean, true, the more rigorous research is needed to confirm if there's any substantial health benefits. You know, yeah, you might sleep better, but it's because you've been more active at the beach or on a picnic than a usual day. So. So definitely go to parks, touch trees, get out into those natural areas sometimes. But it should be a compliment too, not a replacement for evidence based medicine. So some online resources for earthing can contain medical misinformation. So read about this topic with a really critical eye. You know, earthing likely has some mental health benefits, but you don't need products. And it can't, as some claim, cure diseases or take the place of modern medicine.

[Jordan Harbinger]

I mean, I guess I do earthing and don't even realize it, but it's. Maybe that's why vacations feel so good. So the advice here. Yeah. Go outside. Yes. Touch trees. Yes. Lie in the grass. Don't replace your medication with dirt or contact with dirt.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. Please take your meds. You know, whether it's placebo or not. If it helps someone feel more grounded mentally, physically, whatever. Maybe that's enough. So yeah, get outdoors, visit nature, but just don't let yourself get grifted.

[Jordan Harbinger]

Thanks Jessica. I'm gonna follow my kids lead and roll down a hill and make sure I don't get anything stuck in that pesky third hole. Thanks everybody for listening. Topic Suggestions Episodes of Skeptical Sunday directly to me jordanharbinger.com show notes on the website Advertisers, deals, discount codes, ways to support the show, [e-mail] deals I'm Jordan Harbinger on Twitter and Instagram. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. You can find Jessica on her sub stacks. That's more than one between the lines and where shadows linger. We'll link to that in the show notes as well. This show is created in association with Podcast One. My team is Jen Harbinger, Jace Sanderson, Tata Sidlowskis, Robert Fogarty, Ian Baird, and Gabriel Mizrahi. Our advice and opinions are our own. And I might be a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. And I don't. I'm not a pre PhD in earthing because that doesn't exist. So do your own research before it. Well, do some real research before implementing anything you hear on the show. And remember, we rise by lifting others. Share the show with those you love. If you found the episode useful, please share it with somebody else who could use a good dose of the skepticism and knowledge we doled out today. Maybe, maybe force them to listen to this while they're standing outside or plugged into that mat in the hotel and they can't go anywhere. In the meantime, I hope you apply what you hear on the show so you can live what you learn. And we'll see you next time.