Episode 2152: Terrence Howard

Episode Overview

In this 3-hour, 13-minute episode, actor Terrence Howard presents a comprehensive catalog of pseudoscientific claims that fundamentally misrepresent mathematics, physics, and chemistry. While Howard is known for his acting career in films like “Crash” and “Iron Man” and the TV series “Empire,” he uses this platform to promote what has been widely characterized by scientists and educators as “a masterclass in pseudo-scientific absurdity.”

Primary Problematic Claims

”Terryology”: The 1×1=2 Claim

The Claim: Howard asserts that the multiplication table is fundamentally wrong, claiming that 1×1 should equal 2 rather than 1. He argues this based on the premise that multiplication means “to increase,” and therefore 1×1=1 shows no increase in value. Howard presented this theory at Oxford University in 2017 and has maintained it for years.

The Problem: This represents a fundamental misunderstanding of basic mathematics. Multiplication does not mean “to increase”—it is a form of repeated addition or counting instances. The statement 1×1=1 means “one instance of one equals one.” Howard’s claim would break the entire mathematical framework that underlies modern science, engineering, and technology.

Expert Response: When mathematician Eric Weinstein appeared on a follow-up Joe Rogan episode (July 1, 2024) to address Howard’s claims, he explained that multiplication is simply a way of counting instances, not a mandate to increase values. Neil deGrasse Tyson described Howard’s work as containing “assumptions and statements that are under-informed, misinformed, or simply false.”

Why It Matters: Presenting fundamental mathematical falsehoods to millions of listeners undermines scientific literacy and validates the rejection of established knowledge without evidence.

Gravity Denial

The Claim: Howard declared his intention to “build the Milky Way Galaxy without gravity” and asserted that an electric force causes gravity, claiming he can “kill gravity.”

The Problem: This fundamentally misrepresents our understanding of gravity as a distinct fundamental force. While there are four fundamental forces in physics (gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force), Howard conflates electromagnetism with gravity in a way that contradicts all established physics.

Why It Matters: Gravity denial promotes scientific illiteracy and could lead listeners to dismiss legitimate physics education. This kind of claim echoes flat-earth rhetoric and undermines public understanding of how the universe works.

The Periodic Table Conspiracy

The Claim: Howard claims the periodic table is “all f***** up” and promotes the Walter Russell Periodic Table as a replacement for the standard periodic table of elements.

The Problem: The modern periodic table is based on atomic number and electron configuration, organizing elements by their chemical properties in a way that has been validated by over a century of experimental chemistry. The Walter Russell Periodic Table, created by an artist and mystic in the 1920s, was rejected by the scientific community because it doesn’t accurately represent chemical behavior or atomic structure.

Why It Matters: Promoting alternative periodic tables based on mysticism rather than empirical evidence undermines chemistry education and could confuse students or those seeking to understand chemical principles.

Absurd Chemistry Claims

The Claim: Howard claimed that carbon has a “bisexual tone.”

The Problem: This is scientifically meaningless. Carbon atoms do not have gender or sexual characteristics. This appears to be an attempt to apply human social concepts to atomic chemistry in a way that has no basis in science.

Why It Matters: Such claims trivialize both chemistry and LGBTQ+ identities by conflating scientific concepts with unrelated social categories.

Waves vs. Lines Pseudoscience

The Claim: Howard criticized conventional physics for “basing beliefs on straight lines instead of waves and curves,” claiming this has “distorted any true understanding” of concepts like gravity and event horizons.

The Problem: Modern physics extensively uses wave mechanics, curved spacetime (Einstein’s general relativity), and non-linear mathematics. Howard’s claim that physicists only use straight lines demonstrates a profound ignorance of actual physics, which routinely deals with curves, waves, and complex geometries.

Expert Response: A physics professor characterized this claim as “mind-breakingly stupid, terrifically arrogant and offensive,” noting that it misrepresents the entire field of modern physics.

Claiming Memories from the Womb

The Claim: Howard claimed to have memories from being inside his mother’s womb.

The Problem: Neuroscience shows that the brain structures necessary for forming and retaining explicit memories don’t develop until well after birth. Infantile amnesia—the inability to form long-term autobiographical memories—extends through early childhood, making prenatal memories neurologically impossible.

Why It Matters: This promotes magical thinking and undermines understanding of neuroscience and human development.

Joe Rogan’s Response

To his credit, Rogan showed some skepticism during the interview and later suggested that “Terrence Howard has to sit down with someone who’s an academic, someone who’s got a Ph.D. in whatever discipline they’re talking about.” This led to a follow-up episode on July 1, 2024, featuring Eric Weinstein, who “graciously and gently let the air out of Howard’s tires” by systematically explaining why the mathematical and scientific claims were incorrect.

However, platforming three hours of pseudoscience to millions of listeners before bringing in an expert to debunk it represents a harm-first, corrections-later approach that can leave lasting misinformation in the minds of viewers who never watch the follow-up.

Public Reception and Influence

The episode generated significant controversy:

• Musician Jack White publicly criticized Rogan for platforming Howard’s pseudoscience
• Multiple scientists and educators created content specifically debunking Howard’s claims
• The episode was described as offering “a dizzying array of preposterous claims that left scientists and laypersons scratching their heads”

Notably, in his second appearance, Howard walked back his most famous claim, saying that his assertion that 1×1=2 is “just a metaphor for challenging the status quo”—a significant retreat from his earlier presentation of it as literal mathematical truth.

The Broader Problem

This episode exemplifies a recurring issue with the Joe Rogan Experience: the platforming of charismatic individuals making extraordinary scientific claims without requiring extraordinary evidence. While Howard’s drone patents and engineering work may have some merit, the episode allows hours of fundamental scientific misinformation to be presented uncritically to one of the world’s largest podcast audiences.

The format of long-form conversation without real-time fact-checking or expert pushback creates an environment where pseudoscience can flourish and appear credible simply through confident presentation and the authority lent by Rogan’s massive platform.

Sources

• EdPost: “Terrence Howard: A Masterclass in Pseudo-Scientific Absurdity”
• Newsweek: “Joe Rogan Pushes Back Against Terrence Howard During Podcast”
• Medium: “Recap/Discussion: JRE #2152 Terrence Howard” by Matthew Thomas
• Barstool Sports: “Terrence Howard Went On Joe Rogan And Spoke About His New Periodic Table, Gravity Being Fake, And His Memory From His Mother’s Womb”
• Hive: “Terrence Howard Debunked on Joe Rogan Show #2”
• Complex: “Terrence Howard Remembers Birth in Bonkers Joe Rogan Interview”
• Neil deGrasse Tyson’s response to Howard’s claims (referenced in follow-up episode)
• Joe Rogan Experience Episode #2152 (May 18, 2024)
• Joe Rogan Experience follow-up episode with Eric Weinstein (July 1, 2024)