Travis’ Quora Page

[Grischbal]

Schwochert, Travis J.

 

[haidut]

Link wasn't working for me even after I logged in. Wayback has it archived. Picture and location of the OP suggests it's not Travis but I'm still reading through.

Smoking is good for you! - Lifestyle

Really thorough critical responses, characteristic of scientific thinkers:

what a joke.

Shut up about smoking please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All of my great grandparents, and all but one of my grandparents have died from lung cancer from smoking.

SMOKING KILLS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!​

Thanks for the archive link. Did you see the disclaimer at the start of the thread?
"...Moderation01 - Most of this topic has been debunked. There exist some examples of individuals who survive longer because of genetics and good habits, but the combinations are rare. It's like shopping for time points. "

A few years ago, I asked the mods for the evidence/studies showing the smokers with long lifespan had some sort of special genes that were responsible for the longevity despite the smoking. Took 7 emails and eventually I got the response "Smoking kills. This is established scientific fact, so the only plausible explanation for the counterexamples in this thread is genetic. If you don't like it then you should join (former) user 'nightlight' at his other trolling venues."

I think they banned him, simply because of this thread. To my knowledge he did not attack or threaten anybody. In fact, he said he received death threats by other forum users...but of course he is the one that got banned.

 

[cjm]

Thanks for the archive link. Did you see the disclaimer at the start of the thread?
"...Moderation01 - Most of this topic has been debunked. There exist some examples of individuals who survive longer because of genetics and good habits, but the combinations are rare. It's like shopping for time points. "

A few years ago, I asked the mods for the evidence/studies showing the smokers with long lifespan had some sort of special genes that were responsible for the longevity despite the smoking. Took 7 emails and eventually I got the response "Smoking kills. This is established scientific fact, so the only plausible explanation for the counterexamples in this thread is genetic. If you don't like it then you should join (former) user 'nightlight' at his other trolling venues."

I think they banned him, simply because of this thread. To my knowledge he did not attack or threaten anybody. In fact, he said he received death threats by other forum users...but of course he is the one that got banned.

Yeah, was about to quote that piece, sets the tone for the whole thread. Bully, authoritarian tactic. The people on this kind of forums must be so stressed out, I almost feel bad for them, they're reduced to tribal warfare, completely un-enlightened, the antithesis of what they might claim to be/represent, but I suspect Longecity is easy fodder for professional trolls, if not outright a limited hangout/controlled opposition sentry.

I don't know exactly what makes this forum different, a couple things come to mind, having a strong "leader" in Ray is one, not that he's conducting the band with a baton, but provides maps and insights and a solid (and expansive!) framework for conducting our own experiments.

Speaking of the blunt response you got, the OP at one point early on says, "ok, now that we've covered the canned talking points..." and proceeds to present more evidence.

I left the thread and bought a pound of organic tobacco, lol!

 

[cjm]

If you don't like it then you should join (former) user 'nightlight' at his other trolling venues."

Any idea where he went? Is he here?? (Hey, nightlight!)

 

[ecstatichamster]

That's crazy. It was a normal message or had something odd? I'm wondering how 'sudden' it was.

no it wasn't a normal message. I don't want to post it here though.

 

[Luann]

RIP Travis you have helped us all

 

[Blossom]

no it wasn't a normal message. I don't want to post it here though.

 

[David PS]

It strange that being outside the US would block your access to this obituary. Perhaps a taste of things to come.

 

[tankasnowgod]

no it wasn't a normal message. I don't want to post it here though.

I don't think you should post it here, either.

Man, that sucks though. I always enjoyed Travis's posts. I thought he was much older than he was, easily in his 50's or 60's. His knowledge and writing style was so deep and refined, yet with a wicked sense of humor at times. You won't find many people in their early 30s with knowledge like that, even fewer than liked to work on cars, too.

It was around July/August that all of the lockdown nonsense was starting to get me pretty depressed, too. Thankfully, I had an old bottle of ritanserin, lots of cyproheptadine, and decided to go no starch for a spell. Some of those things might very well have saved my life. I was actually shocked at my mental and energetic turnaround by the end of August. Sounds like Travis succumbed to the pressure.

RIP, Travis. Sure hope they have great coffee and dates wherever you are. And a pound of kale.

 

[gaze]

Read the obit and you will see the answer.
Travis Schwochert | Roseberry's Funeral Home

It's obvious.

I have other reason to believe this is what happened. Travis sent me a note on the day he died.

I don't think I need to spell it out. And I can't know for sure. The evidence suggests...

I think what killed Travis was the terrible horrific lockdowns in the USA and the world that affected his mental health. He was a wonderful person who didn't deserve to be affected that way.

I myself feel angry and depressed these days. It's hard not to.

I understand the email he sent you would have clarified it a great deal more for you personally, but his obituary is not as "obvious" to the cause you are referring to.

 

[cjm]

Read the obit and you will see the answer.
Travis Schwochert | Roseberry's Funeral Home

It's obvious.

I have other reason to believe this is what happened. Travis sent me a note on the day he died.

I don't think I need to spell it out. And I can't know for sure. The evidence suggests...

I think what killed Travis was the terrible horrific lockdowns in the USA and the world that affected his mental health. He was a wonderful person who didn't deserve to be affected that way.

I myself feel angry and depressed these days. It's hard not to.

Me, too. I'm trying to channel that junk into something productive. It's hard to feel where to start.

I wonder what it was like to be Travis. Clear eyes, full heart, and not afraid to speak out. A mortal threat to the emotionally disturbed.

Seeing clearly is a burden these days. Everywhere you go, people suffer from what Reich called "the emotional plague":

The emotional plague individual differs from the healthy individual in that he makes his life demands not only on himself, but and above all on his environment. Where the healthy individual advises and helps, where he, with his experiences, simply lives ahead of others and leaves it to them whether they want to follow his example or not, the plague individual imposes his way of living on others by force. Plague individuals do not tolerate views which threaten their armorings or which disclose their irrational motives. The healthy individual experiences only pleasure when his motives are discussed; the plague individual becomes furious. The healthy individual, where other views of life disturb his life and work, fights in a rational manner for the preservation of his way of living. The plague individual fights against other ways of living even where they do not touch him at all. The motive of his fight is the provocation which other ways of living represent by their mere existence.​

With the vaccine stuff, Travis makes the simple argument that aluminum and proteins cause harm when injected, should not be in the final product, and can be substituted without detriment to efficacy with much more benign substances, e.g., calcium. How in the hell could a reasonable person object to that?

Reich coined "emotional plague" in 1933 and was still pissed off enough about it to write an entire book in 1945 addressing the plague-ridden called "Listen, Little Man!" -- so the animus Travis encountered in his fights with pro-vax folks is nothing new. The plague has had time to make it around the world ten thousand times, while he was lacing up his boots.

Travis has passed us the torch. It'll need a few hands on it -- this thing is heavy!

 

[haidut]

Yeah, was about to quote that piece, sets the tone for the whole thread. Bully, authoritarian tactic. The people on this kind of forums must be so stressed out, I almost feel bad for them, they're reduced to tribal warfare, completely un-enlightened, the antithesis of what they might claim to be/represent, but I suspect Longecity is easy fodder for professional trolls, if not outright a limited hangout/controlled opposition sentry.

I don't know exactly what makes this forum different, a couple things come to mind, having a strong "leader" in Ray is one, not that he's conducting the band with a baton, but provides maps and insights and a solid (and expansive!) framework for conducting our own experiments.

Speaking of the blunt response you got, the OP at one point early on says, "ok, now that we've covered the canned talking points..." and proceeds to present more evidence.

I left the thread and bought a pound of organic tobacco, lol!

He has an account on Reddit and a few other forums but I have not been able to contact him. I tried through Reddit but his account there has been dormant for years. He does seem to be active on physics forums though. Maybe you can try contacting him too and have more luck than me getting a response. If you Google for "user nighlight physics" (no quotes when you search) you will find places where he posts.
LONGECITY ₮hankYou Viewing nightlight's Profile
Stuffing Your Own : Forum : Tubes : Old Forum
New Taxes Push Cigarette Prices Over $8 A Pack In New York
Smoking lowers Parkinson's disease risk - Brain Health - LONGECITY
Smoking Is Good For You – part 2
The Greatest Athletes in the World Share one thing in common: Smoking | The G Manifesto

Btw, despite his very rational behavior and solid arguments against the trolls at Longecity, I don't agree with all of his views. IMO, smoking can be carcinogenic but the net effects are probably a positive due to the pro-androgen, anti-estrogenic effects of smoking tobacco. He actually said this in one of his responses on that Longecity thread - i.e. picking up smoking as an adult is probably NOT a good idea but if you have been a smoker for more than 5 years the stress of stopping is much worse than staying a smoker. Then there is this article you might find interesting.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/...ebilitating-bowel-disease-taking-smoking.html

Also, he seems to be a proponent of the "rate of living theory" and kept saying on various threads that we need to raise GSH and NADH, which I certainly don't agree with.

 

[cjm]

He has an account on Reddit and a few other forums but I have not been able to contact him. I tried through Reddit but his account there has been dormant for years. He does seem to be active on physics forums though. Maybe you can try contacting him too and have more luck than me getting a response. If you Google for "user nighlight physics" (no quotes when you search) you will find places where he posts.
LONGECITY ₮hankYou Viewing nightlight's Profile
Stuffing Your Own : Forum : Tubes : Old Forum
New Taxes Push Cigarette Prices Over $8 A Pack In New York
Smoking lowers Parkinson's disease risk - Brain Health - LONGECITY
Smoking Is Good For You – part 2
The Greatest Athletes in the World Share one thing in common: Smoking | The G Manifesto

Btw, despite his very rational behavior and solid arguments against the trolls at Longecity, I don't agree with all of his views. IMO, smoking can be carcinogenic but the net effects are probably a positive due to the pro-androgen, anti-estrogenic effects of smoking tobacco. He actually said this in one of his responses on that Longecity thread - i.e. picking up smoking as an adult is probably NOT a good idea but if you have been a smoker for more than 5 years the stress of stopping is much worse than staying a smoker. Then there is this article you might find interesting.
'Doctors don't always know best:' Student claims he cured debilitating bowel disease by taking up smoking | Daily Mail Online

Also, he seems to be a proponent of the "rate of living theory" and kept saying on various threads that we need to raise GSH and NADH, which I certainly don't agree with.

Nice, thanks. We need to get him in here. I'll give it a shot.

To add on quickly, and speaking of curing bowel disease, our own @johnwester130 put together a neat little list of nicotine studies, linking that here, The Perfect Supplement - Caffeine, Nicotine And Methylene Blue:

• Decreased risk of ulcerative colitis. (Resource)
• Decreased risk of aphthous ulcer. (Resource)
• Decreased risk of Parkinson's Disease. (Resource)
• Decreased risk of atopic disorders, including asthma. (Resource)
• Nicotine can treat tubercolosis. (Resource)
• Carbon Monoxide acts similarly to Nitric Oxide, dilating blood vessels and preventing the formation of blood clots. (Resource)
• Smoking lowers estrogen and decreases the risk for breast cancer. (Resource)
• Nicotine improves cognitive performance in patients with Down Syndrom. (Resource)
• Reduced risk of osteoarthritis. (Resource)
• Smoking inhibits MAO-B. (Resource)
• Smoking increases Glutathione and catalase, both antioxidants. (Resource)
• Smoking increases testosterone and DHEA. (Resource)
• Smoking reduces IGF-1, extending lifespan. (Resource)
• Smoking reduces risk of colorectal cancer. (Resource)
• Decreased risk of thyroid cancer. (Resource)

I thought he was much older than he was, easily in his 50's or 60's. His knowledge and writing style was so deep and refined, yet with a wicked sense of humor at times. You won't find many people in their early 30s with knowledge like that, even fewer than liked to work on cars, too.

I had the exact same thought.

 

[Ableton]

is no one seeing through the cope? this dude was smoking, so he had to cope by "scientifically" justifying it to himself.
I'm not doubting nicotine has some benefits. Heck, you will probably even have some benefits from smoking the nicotine/tobacco rather than a gum.

But saying smoking is "good for you" just goes without any common sense. Ever seen a lung of a non smoker? Ever seen a lung of a smoker? Am I supposed to believe some theoretical gaba benefits are going to outweigh having a black lung?

Perceive, think, act is what I'll do instead. Just putting that picture here so people can decide for themselves if the benefits outweigh the negatives. Because pictures sometimes say more than studies.

 

[Ableton]

nvm

 

[Mito]

no it wasn't a normal message. I don't want to post it here though.

Any idea why he stopped posting on this forum a couple years ago?

 

[cjm]

is no one seeing through the cope? this dude was smoking, so he had to cope by "scientifically" justifying it to himself.
I'm not doubting nicotine has some benefits. Heck, you will probably even have some benefits from smoking the nicotine/tobacco rather than a gum.

But saying smoking is "good for you" just goes without any common sense. Ever seen a lung of a non smoker? Ever seen a lung of a smoker? Am I supposed to believe some theoretical gaba benefits are going to outweigh having a black lung?

Perceive, think, act is what I'll do instead. Just putting that picture here so people can decide for themselves if the benefits outweigh the negatives. Because pictures sometimes say more than studies.

I feel you, dude. It's seriously counterintuitive.

Travis made a post about this:

The 'Japanese Paradox'​

The 'Japanese Paradox' is a term usually used to describe the low risk of lung cancer in Japan despite higher smoking rates. The same term is sometimes even used by followers of Ancel Keys to express confoundment over the inverse relationship between cardiovascular disease and serum cholesterol, between 1965–1990, in the same country. And the exact same term again is used by others sects to highlight the fact that the Japanese have had traditionally a much lower incidence of prostate cancer; although this isn't accompanied by a greater assumed risk the term 'paradox' is still used.

Readers of Ray Peat and Linus Pauling of course see no 'paradox'—a term which is basically an admission of ignorance, lack of comprehensive data, or the failure of a paradigm. Discerning readers probably realize by now that cardiovascular disease has very little to do with cholesterol and everything to do with ascorbate and lipoprotein(a), and that the differential cancer rates in the Japanese can probably best be explained by thee things: the ω−6/ω−3 ratio, the high polyamine content of soy and soy sauce, and green tea (don't laugh; just keep reading).​

 

[Kvothe]

is no one seeing through the cope? this dude was smoking, so he had to cope by "scientifically" justifying it to himself.
I'm not doubting nicotine has some benefits. Heck, you will probably even have some benefits from smoking the nicotine/tobacco rather than a gum.

But saying smoking is "good for you" just goes without any common sense. Ever seen a lung of a non smoker? Ever seen a lung of a smoker? Am I supposed to believe some theoretical gaba benefits are going to outweigh having a black lung?

Perceive, think, act is what I'll do instead. Just putting that picture here so people can decide for themselves if the benefits outweigh the negatives. Because pictures sometimes say more than studies.

It seems hard to grasp how any intelligent person could think smoking might be healthy. Just out of curiosity I once asked Ray if, perhaps, he thinks smoking might have some health benefits. His answer was: no. He said nicotine has some good affects but inhaling smoke of any kind is extremely toxic and carcinogenic.

 

[Ableton]

I feel you, dude. It's seriously counterintuitive.

Travis made a post about this:

The 'Japanese Paradox'​

The 'Japanese Paradox' is a term usually used to describe the low risk of lung cancer in Japan despite higher smoking rates. The same term is sometimes even used by followers of Ancel Keys to express confoundment over the inverse relationship between cardiovascular disease and serum cholesterol, between 1965–1990, in the same country. And the exact same term again is used by others sects to highlight the fact that the Japanese have had traditionally a much lower incidence of prostate cancer; although this isn't accompanied by a greater assumed risk the term 'paradox' is still used.

Readers of Ray Peat and Linus Pauling of course see no 'paradox'—a term which is basically an admission of ignorance, lack of comprehensive data, or the failure of a paradigm. Discerning readers probably realize by now that cardiovascular disease has very little to do with cholesterol and everything to do with ascorbate and lipoprotein(a), and that the differential cancer rates in the Japanese can probably best be explained by thee things: the ω−6/ω−3 ratio, the high polyamine content of soy and soy sauce, and green tea (don't laugh; just keep reading).​

if you are smart enough, you can make a case for anything and some people on the internet will believe it if they have immersed themselves in the culture strongly enough
unfortunately, I do not live in Japan, am not Japanese, and the data where I live strongly suggests that people who smoke are more likely to get lung cancer.
Also, you know, ******* black lungs. Big no no for me. I will probably try nicotine gums soon though

 

[InChristAlone]

There's obviously some kind of paradox with *some* smokers but mountains of evidence it's carcinogenic. It might be the source too. Rolling your own might be the best way if you really want to take up the habit.