International Skeptics United

This Day in Skepticism: 9/11; News items: Motivated Numeracy, Arctic Ice, Robot Traders, Teenage Exorcists, Homeopathic Vaccines, Mission to Mars; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Bdellovibrio; Science or Fiction

Episode 262 of the Reality Check is quite the humdinger. Adam starts off the show by revisiting the effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and looking into whether it has caused some fruits to mutate into monster fruits. Next Darren looks into whether stress causes one's hair to go gray. Pat closes out the show by answering the age old question of whether it's true that Almond Joy's got nuts and Mounds don't.

Will fracking bring down energy prices and keep our lights on, or could it be an environmental disaster? Kate Lamble and Ginny Smith speak to a panel of experts about whether fracking could really contaminate water supplies or cause earthquakes. Plus, can methane from Shale Gas extraction contribute to global warming? In the news, whether a country's hygiene is linked to their Alzheimer's rates, why we feel so good when we cheat and how to spot a pregnant panda...

Derek releases another interview which was conducted at The Amazing Meeting 2013. This time he sits down with Dr. Donald Prothero to discuss another of his books which were released in the past few weeks, 'Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future'. Find out why Dr. Prothero has dedicated so much of his time attempting to ensure the public becomes more scientifically literate, and what he fears will happen if it doesn't happen.

Sarah Churchwell is Professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities at the University of East Anglia. She is the author of The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, writes regularly for the Guardian and the New Statesman, and often appears on television and radio talking about the arts, culture and all things American. Her latest book is Careless People: […]

A raft of corrections or errors made in previous Skeptoid episodes. Remember, if you ever find an error, please send it on in!

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:05:10 Dr Colin Wright  A chat with the juggling mathematician. Is there more than one kind of infinity? Find out over a cup of coffee. 0:24:40 A Week in Science The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) is a national scientific not-for-profit organisation with a mission to ‘bring science to people and people to science’. 0:27:13 Maynard’s Spooky Action... Maynard interviews Hubert van den Bergh, the author of "How To Sound Really Clever". 0:41:45 Saunders on the Radio From the audio valut, Richard Sanders chats to Mike Williams on Sydney radio about Spontaneous Human Combustion and Fire Walking

This Day in Skepticism: Last Thylacine; News Items: NASA Spiders, Chicken Wings and Penis Size, TCM for Flu, New Element 115; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Pox Parties, Aromatherapy; Science or Fiction

Cristina fills in for a vacationing Elan to tell us all about common pregnancy myths.   Pat interviews Dr. Paul McAndrews and corresponds with a couple of other dermatologists to get to the bottom of a listener request about whether exercising causes hair loss.   Lastly, Adam answers the question: did women really burn their bras in the 60's? For show notes or to comment on this episode, visit www.trcpodcast.com.

Hey baby, I love the way your heart beats at night in my dreams, It’s like a grenade in my jeep at the back door of my motel, So let’s make a mix tape and smash a pelican.

Another special question and answer edition of the show where the team get to grips with your queries, including, cna you dehydrate in a bath? What is tinnitus? What chemicals leak from batteries? Why does water freeze from the top down? Are solar photons making the Earth more massive? And what causes deja vu?

Medieval Art expert Asa Mittman discusses his love of monsters, the kinds of monsters that populate medieval land maps, and the persistent practice of monsterization as a cultural method for labeling “out-groups” in human interaction. READ episode notes

Jo Marchant is an award-winning journalist who specializes in writing about cutting-edge science. She has worked as a staff reporter and editor for Nature and New Scientist, where she is currently a consultant. Jo is the author of one previous book, Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World’s First Computer, and her latest book is The […]

We look at twelve legendary places around the world that you've heard of, but may not know whether they're real or not.

0:00:00 Introduction Maynard? Well... okay... then Richard Saunders 0:05:50 Tess Corkish and the Global Warming Rap  An interview with a keen young student who wants to visit Antarctica. Can you help? 0:21:50 A Week in Science The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) is a national scientific not-for-profit organisation with a mission to ‘bring science to people and people to science’. 0:25:10 Interviews from the 15th European Skeptics Congress With our special guest reporter Shane Greenup from rbutr.com - The 15th European Skeptics Congress, 23-25 August 2013, in Stockholm, Sweden. The conference is one in the series supported by the European Council of Skeptical Organisations. With... Michael Marshall Catherine de Jong PJ and Michael Heap Marit Simonsen