Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina - featured in a review and discussion on
The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe
THE world of podcasting can probably be
measured in the same way as a dog's age. Podcasts come and go so fast
that there's probably seven podcast years to one of our own. Which
makes the ten years that Skepticality has been around all the more
remarkable.
The podcast – an offshoot of Skeptic
Magazine – cocks an eyebrow at the world and champions critical
thought, and their latest podcast reflects on the ten years of their
existence and the state of the skeptical community.
At times, this strays into a bit of a
planning meeting, particularly during their segment from the QED
Conference, but it's where they discuss some of the absurdities of
the world that the show shines. For example, the Montel Williams Show
has apologised for promoting psychic Sylvia Browne. In 2003, a girl
named Amanda Berry was kidnapped and kept in the Cleveland home of
her abductor for years. The TV show invited Browne on and Berry's
mother asked her what had happened to the missing Amanda. The psychic
said that the missing girl was dead. Bizarrely enough, at that time,
Berry was watching the very same TV show – she was a fan of the
show and knew her mother was going to be on it and hoped this might
be the moment that the truth was revealed about her abduction. But
no, and this is the kind of bunkum this podcast thrives on pointing
out.
There's mischief and fun too, and the
show ranges from a list of assorted apocalypses that failed to end
the world despite earnest prediction through to the first new monkey
species discovered in 28 years, a macaque with a peculiar penis. (You can see pictures of that monkey - though not its notable feature - here)
The show has lasted ten years for a
reason, and is well worth a visit.
Website: www.skepticality.com
The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe
Staying with skeptics, we come to the
New England Skeptic Society's podcast, sprinkling a remembrance of
forgotten heroes of science – here, they salute Mary Sherman
Morgan, a rocket scientist who invented the liquid fuel Hydyne in
1957 – along with a movie review of recent release Ex Machina and
news from the skeptic community.
Here, you'll find discussions about
light-based computing, you'll find talk about freedom of speech, and
all manner of smart discussion and thoughtful analysis. You don't
come away thinking that you needed to know more about the subjects up
for debate because each aspect is weighed and discussed, leaving you
feeling as if your horizons have been broadened.
Website: www.theskepticsguide.org
Skeptoid
Lastly, if the above shows clock in at
too long and you only have time for a bite-size show, try Skeptoid.
It's short and to the point, a very sharp point at times, clocking in
at around 15 minutes a show. As for the tone? Think of the host as a
debunker who is wearily explaining why a theory is so very, very
wrong for the umpteenth time and you have it. A recent show covered
baby myths – such as the difference between breast milk and formula
and the guilt such a choice can bring on or what the colour of your
child's runny nose might mean. Quick, useful info and cheerfully,
smartly presented.
Website: www.skeptoid.com
Article as featured originally in the Weekend section of The Tribune on May 29: http://www.tribune242.com/photos/galleries/2015/may/29/05292015-weekend/
Got a podcast you'd like to recommend? Leave a comment below or tweet me @chippychatty
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