International Skeptics United

Skeptoid answers another round of listener feedback emails, this time focusing on conspiracy theories. We look at how you can convince your conspiratorial friends that their theories are nonsensical.

Have you ever really paid much attention to what is depicted on clothing, toys, and such made for children? This episode Derek sits down with Kristine Duehl, a PhD of Biology who focuses on plants and the biomes in which plants and their common fauna live. When Kristine had her first child, she wanted to ensure that her own kid had learning materials which were accurate to the real world, so she created 'The Budding Biologist' book series.

Episode 222 is not your typical TRC episode in that it was recorded live in front of the attendees of Eschaton 2012 in Ottawa. It is typical however in that it brings the skepticism big time. Darren "likely not the real Darren" McKee leads off the show by discussing whether or not we are all living in a simulation. This is followed by Elan "Pollos" Dubrofsky hosting a Breaking Bad themed game of Science Fact or Science Fiction. Special guest panelist Jon "used to host this show" Abrams then takes a look at subliminal advertising, and Adam "far from average but not sure in which direction" Gardner closes out the show with an exploration into the Law of Averages. 

Skeptoid has tripled its audience reach: Announcing the immediate availability of Skeptoid in Mandarin Chinese, the world's most spoken language, on the Chinese iTunes store and at http://skeptoid.com.cn

Epigenetics controls the activity of genes inside cells and holds the key to new treatments for old diseases. We explore the impacts of epigenetics on embryonic development, cancer, and stem cell biology, and find out how epigenetic changes during pregnancy can even affect your grandchildren! Plus, why parenthood extends your lifespan, and the genetic recipe for the red blood cell.

Guest Rogue: Phil Plait; This Day in Skepticism: Atoms for Peace; News Items: End of the World, Bug UFO Follow Up, Inattentional Amnesia, Curiosity Kurfuffle, Grand Canyon Age, Moon Formation; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

Introduction Maynard with biscuits and Richard Saunders - 0:04:42 2012 Australian Skeptics Award nigh With Richard Saunders, Terry Kelly and James Randi - 0:17:00 Why wallowing in woo woo is bad for your health. Report on the Australian Skeptics Convention by Tory Shepherd as read by Richard Saunders - 0:23:00 Skeptoid in Chinese. A chat with Brian Dunning and new Skeptoidin the Chinese language host, Li Zhe (Lizzie Li Taylor) - 0:34:16 Maynard's Spooky Action.. James Randi visits McKinnon Secondary College in Melbourne during a heat wave

Michael Nevin is one of the country’s most experienced and respected applied economists. After working as an economist for the Government of St Lucia in the late 1970′s, he worked as an investment analyst with the Commonwealth Development Corporation in London in the early 1980′s. He returned to the UK in 1986 to serve as Financial [...]

In this episode of MonsterTalk, your hosts interview Dr. Todd Disotell on the recent press release regarding Melba Ketchum’s Sasquatch DNA research. Disotell returns for the second time since his visit on the very first episode of MonsterTalk with news about Spike TV’s new Bigfoot show, Bigfoot DNA, science by press-release, and lots of other goodies. READ episode notes

The solution to the Bloop mystery sound is finally revealed, and Skeptoid corrects some errors from other episodes.

The gang is joined by a very special guest; Jim Davies, Professor of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. First Adam Gardner discusses the dangers of cell phones and driving.   Jim then fills us in on some surprising information regarding cycling helmets and risk.   Finally Elan Dubrofsky tells us about copyright, privacy and Facebook.  

Intro: Saunders and Sojka - 00:09:10 Maynard's Spooky Action. Off to the Australian Skeptics Convention and Pub night. - 00:30:40 Dr Rachie Reports. Vaccination - 00:38:00 The Think Tank with James Randi

How should we protect marine ecosystems? We examine the science behind Marine Protected Areas and find out how a new plan could protect the oceans around England. In the news, the sub-zero bacterial ecosystem surviving in an Antarctic lake and fibres inspired by slimy fish. Plus, will mixing spider and human DNA give us superpowers?

Interview with Banachek; This Day in Skepticism: Taman Shud Mystery; News Items: Not-So-Terror Bird, Bloop Solved, Hijacking DNA, Bigfoot DNA, Makemake; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Theory; Science or Fiction

Jesse Bering is a regular contributor to Scientific American and Slate, and his writing has also been featured in many other sources, including New York Magazine, The Guardian and The New Republic. Jesse is the former director of the Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen’s University, Belfast and began his career as a psychology professor [...]