Token Skeptic: Recent Episodes
None
Welcome to the former Token Skeptic podcast site (at least, former as in ‘not updated since 2019… remember back to those pre-COVID-19 days?’). Here’s where I keep a repository of many of my previous episodes of the Token Skeptic podcast, and a few other audio pieces. If you’re reading this, ...
The post On Friday 13th! A Token Skeptic FAQ first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Why would anyone join a cult? Maybe they’re unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they’re disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Five – On Zealot: A Book About Cults first appeared on Token Skeptic.
The idea that animals have the potential to talk is an alluring one; from the mathematical stunts of Clever Hans, to investigations of parrots, dolphins and chimps – just look at viral BBC footage of a gopher yelling “Alan”. It’s interesting, exciting and even cute – but is it really true ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Four – On Animals, Language, Koko and Wish Fulfilment – Interview with Daniel Midgley first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Hundreds of bizarre health claims such as “tonifies kidney essence” and “opens body orifices” could appear on complementary medicine labels under new laws being pushed by the Australian federal government. Consumer advocacy group Choice is urging the Australian public to tell Senators to knock back these laws so that Australians ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Three – On Complementary Medicine Laws In Australia and Choice Campaign first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder is a science book with a difference, written by Alom Shaha, illustrated by Emily Robertson and published by Scribble Kids Books. Alom was born in Bangladesh but grew up in London; as a parent, teacher, science writer, and filmmaker, he has spent most of his professional life trying to share ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Two – On Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Belle Gibson convinced the world she had healed herself from terminal brain cancer with a healthy diet. She built a global business based upon her claims. There was just one problem: she’d never had cancer. In 2015, journalists uncovered the truth: this hero of the wellness world, with over 200,000 ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty One – On The Woman Who Fooled The World first appeared on Token Skeptic.
How To Be Reasonable (By Someone Who Tried Everything Else) is a primer on critical thinking and an introduction to scientific skepticism that will empower you to see the world a little bit more clearly. The world is a strange, scary and beautiful place. and author and artist Rebecca Fox ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty – On How To Be Reasonable first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Free WIFI – two words that many people love to hear. But how many people read the terms and conditions before they connect to it? Accessing wireless points that you don’t know where it originates from can be risky and harmful to your confidential information. Edith Cowan University researchers did ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Twenty Nine – Internet Tests, Manus Island And Podcast Trends first appeared on Token Skeptic.
The recent news that Australia is getting its own Space Agency is one sure to affect the entire nation – but should we be so eager so fast? The Federal Government has announced its plans to cash in on a $420 billion aeronautical industry and create thousands of new jobs, which coincided with ...
The post Episode Two Hundred And Twenty Eight – Australia Enters The Space Race (?) – Interview With Paul Willis first appeared on Token Skeptic.
It’s that day again – I’ve previously blogged (and podcasted!) about this particular day, but one of the great things about podcasting is that it continues to develop and change over time. Here’s some recommendations that I have about podcasting, some I’ve hosted on my own site and some elsewhere. ...
The post Happy International Podcast Day! first appeared on Token Skeptic.
Cold-pressed juices, quitting sugar, Paleo, hot yoga, mindfulness … if you embrace these things you will be happy, you will be well – just ask Instagram. Wellness has become a global mega-industry. But does any of this stuff actually work? Feeling exhausted, anxious and out of shape, journalist Brigid Delaney decides to find out – using herself as the guinea pig. Starting with a brutal 101-day fast, Brigid tests things that are meant to make us clean, lean and serene. Travelling the world, she tries colonics, meditation, silent retreats, group psychotherapy and oodles of yoga, working out what is helpful and what is just expensive hype. And she’s documented it all in her new book, Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness.
Brigid Delaney is a senior writer for Guardian Australia. She has previously worked as a lawyer and journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald, the Telegraph (London), ninemsn and CNN. She is the author of two books: This Restless Life and Wild Things.
A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support, especially producer Peter Barr.
Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.
Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Andrew, Jaqueline, Daniel, Kathy, Gerry, Dr T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).
Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.