Life, the Universe & Everything Else: Recent Episodes
Gem Newman, Ashlyn Noble
Originally published 17 September 2018.
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss the history and future of patent medicine, from snake oil and Piso’s Cure for Consumption through Bovinine and bitters all the way to the Burzynski Clinic.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism.
Note: Additional music in this episode by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Patent Medicine: Patent medicine (Wikipedia) | Snake oil (Wikipedia)
Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound: Advertising Motherhood with the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Company (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study) | Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound (The Embryo Project Encyclopedia) | Lydia Pinkham (Wikipedia)
Piso’s Consumption Cure: The Great American Fraud, by Samuel Hopkins Adams (Wikisource) | Piso’s Trio: One Step Ahead of the Law (Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors)
Micajah’s Medicated Wafers: Micajah’s Medicated Wafers (Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health) | The Fundamental Antagonism: Veritism and Commerce in Medical Practice (Bennett Holman)
Bovinine: Bovinine (National Museum of American History) | Bovinine Beef Food Tonic (National Museum of American History) | The Bovinine Co. blotter (National Museum of American History) | 15 Curious Quack Remedies From the Age of Patent Medicine (Mental Floss) | Bovinine, by the Bovinine Company (Google Books) | Bovinine Bottle | New Haven Morning Journal and Courier (1895-06-19) | Hand Book of Haematherapy with Clinical Reports, 1902, by the Bovinine Company | The Medical Times and Register (Google Books) | The Popular Science News and Boston Journal of Chemistry (Google Books) | Hemotherapy (Wikipedia) | Misbranding of Bovinina. U.S. v. Bovinine Co. (National Library of Medicine)
Soda Pop & Bitters: Angostura bitters (Wikipedia) | ‘Pop’ Culture: Patent Medicines Become Soda Drinks (CSI) | A Brief History of Bitters (Smithsonian)
Right to Try and the Burzynski Clinic: Right-to-try law (Wikipedia) | “Right to try” laws and Dallas Buyers’ Club: Great movie, terrible for patients and terrible policy (Science-Based Medicine) | The cruel sham that is right-to-try raises its ugly head at the federal level again (Science-Based Medicine) | Burzynski Clinic (Wikipedia)
Ian James and the Combo Breakers: The Broken Among Us by Ian James and the Combo Breakers (SoundCloud) | The Broken Among Us by Ian James and the Combo Breakers (BandCamp)
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http://media.blubrry.com/luee/winnipegskeptics.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/136-patent-medicine.mp3Originally published 17 September 2018.
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Lauren, Laura, and Gem to discuss right-wing authoritarianism and how to fight it.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Fascism 101: Ur-Fascism (Umberto Eco, The Anarchist Library) | Fascism (Wikipedia) | Neo-fascism (Wikipedia) | Fascist symbolism (Wikipedia) | List of symbols designated by the Anti-Defamation League as hate symbols (Wikipedia) | Trump and the Nazi symbol of the Odal Rune (International Auschwitz Committee) | Paradox of tolerance (Wikipedia) | The Warning Signs of Fascism: They’re Subtle Sometimes (Ambysoft) | Fascism – Authoritarianism, Nationalism, Militarism (Britannica) | How to Spot a (Potential) Fasc!st (YouTube)
How to Join the Resistance: U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog (Radio-Canada.ca) | Without the Awful Roar of Its Many Waters (Margaret Killjoy) | The only thing that can stop Trump is a general strike (Nora Loreto) | Into the Demiground (Margaret Killjoy) | Margaret Killjoy – A Short and Incomplete Guide For New Activists (Anarchist Federation) | Fascism is rising out of the corpse of liberal democracy (Nora Loreto) | We failed to stop the rise of fascism. What comes next? (Robert Evans, The Anarchist Library) | The Sky is Falling; We’ve Got This (Margaret Killjoy) | The Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide (Verfassungsblog on Matters Constitutional) | Black Trowel Collective Microgrants | How to Build an Antifascist Movement (The Walrus) | Yale professor who studies fascism fleeing US to work in Canada (The Guardian) | Canada’s little-known anti-socialist internment camps (Briarpatch Magazine)
The Intersection of Fascism and Healthcare: Hate fascism? Then don’t be a health supremacist (Maarten Steenhagen) | The Rise of Medical Fascism (The Nation) | Medical Care, Nazism, and the Holocaust (Experiencing History: Holocaust Sources in Context) | This ‘College Protester’ Isn’t Real. It’s an AI-Powered Undercover Bot for Cops (404 Media)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura to talk in some detail about Elon Musk’s misadventures, including his history with PayPal, the Hyperloop and the Boring Company, and some of the less savoury aspects of his family life.
Not covered in detail here (as it’s been covered exhaustively elsewhere): Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, OpenAI, Twitter, and Elon Musk’s history of making extremely wrong, extremely dangerous predictions. (See the Bonus links below.).
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
An “Ideas Guy”: Elon Musk calls British diver in Thai cave rescue ‘pedo’ in baseless attack (The Guardian) | The Biggest Challenges That Stand in the Way of Hyperloop (Interesting Engineering) | What We Know About Elon Musk and the Emerald Mine Rumor (Snopes.com)
Zip2, X.com, Confinity, and PayPal: Was Elon Musk Fired from PayPal? (Snopes.com) | How PayPal bros ousted Elon Musk from CEO job, saved SpaceX (New York Post) | The Elon Musk & PayPal Story: Why He Was Removed (Shortform Books) | 21 Years Ago Elon Musk Was Fired from Paypal — Here’s How He Bounced Back (Entrepreneurship Handbook) | Why Was Elon Musk Fired From Paypal (CEO Influencers) | PayPal (Wikipedia) | The History of PayPal (TheStreet.com) | Timeline of PayPal (Wikipedia) | Zip2 (Wikipedia) | X.com (bank) (Wikipedia) | Confinity (Wikipedia) | Why is Elon Musk obsessed with the letter X? (The Independent) | Can Canadians Finally Use Venmo in 2025? Here’s the Truth (Mac Issues) | Is Venmo Available in Canada? (The Financial Geek) | Why You Can’t Venmo In Canada (The Peak) | How PayPal took over Canada (Montréal Guardian)
The Boring Company: Elon Musk’s underground transit system in Las Vegas is a magnet to trespassers and confused drivers who have to be escorted out (Fortune) | Elon Musk’s Boring Company is building tunnels to nowhere (Vox) | The Boring Company: What It Is, Products, and the Elon Musk Factor (Investopedia) | Prufrock (The Boring Company) | I Took Elon Musk’s Las Vegas Loop And It’s Just As Dumb As I Was Expecting (Jalopnik) | The financial pickle facing Elon Musk’s Las Vegas Loop system (TechCrunch) | Almost 7 Years Ago, Elon Musk Announced He’d Turn Tunnel Dirt Into ‘Bricks For Low-Cost Housing.’ Another One Of His Ideas That Fizzled Out? (Yahoo! Finance) | The Boring Company goes brick-and-mortar with The Brick Store (TechCrunch) | The Evolution of Tunnel Boring Machines (Construction Physics) | The Vegas Tesla Loop Is A Glorified Crosswalk (Jalopnik) | Vegas Loop workers burned, report says; Boring Co. faces $100K in fines (The Strip) | Elon Musk’s Boring Company plan for a 69-station ‘Vegas Loop’ is anything but nice (The Verge) | The hyperloop is dead for real this time (The Verge) | Musk’s Boring Company makes list of ‘Dirty Dozen’ workplace safety offenders (Nevada Current)
Elon’s Family Life: Elon Musk’s ex-wife refutes his claim that firstborn child died in his arms (The Independent) | Talulah Riley opens up about still loving Elon Musk and asking him to buy Twitter (The Independent) | Vivian Jenna Wilson on Being Elon Musk’s Estranged Daughter, Protecting Trans Youth and Taking on the Right Online (Teen Vogue) | 6 times Vivian Wilson murdered her father Elon Musk with words (Pride) | Elon Musk quietly dating musician Grimes (Page Six) | Elon Musk’s Wives, Women, and Kids: A Deep Dive Into His Long and Messy Relationship History (Glamour) | Elon Musk’s First Wife Justine Musk Talks Their Messy Divorce (Marie Claire) | Elon Musk’s 13 Children: All About the Controversial Billionaire’s Many Kids (Parade) | SpaceX Paid $250,000 to a Flight Attendant Who Accused Elon Musk of Sexual Misconduct (Business Insider)
Bonus: Elon’s History of Making Dangerous Predictions That Will Get People Killed: List of predictions for autonomous Tesla vehicles by Elon Musk (Wikipedia) | Elon Musk’s False Covid Predictions: A Timeline (Forbes)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren talk scams and charlatans. On this episode: George Mickum’s fake Birkin Bags, the “Pig Butchering” romance scam that manages to make crypto even more fraudulent, useless “AI-powered” weapon scanners, and M. Lamar Keene’s run-ins with the “Psychic Mafia”.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
George Mickum’s Birkin Bags: The Hermès Birkin bag: Everything you need to know about the world’s most coveted tote (CNN) | Guest of a Guest writer accused of selling fake Birkins (Page Six) | Birkin Bag Scammer Also Hawked Fake Jewels (Avenue Magazine) | Manhattanite scammer allegedly sold counterfeit Birkin bags (Jezebel) | The Birkin Bag Grifter Had Some Shady Hamptons Deals, Too (Avenue Magazine) | Age is nothing for this fashion consultant (WTOP News)
Pig Butchering: Warning on crypto and romance frauds (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre) | Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority Warns Investors About "Pig Butchering Scams" in Advertising Campaign (Government of Saskatchewan) | How Human Traffickers Force Victims Into Cyberscamming (ProPublica) | How Pig Butchering Scams Work (ProPublica)
AI Weapon Scanners: New safety officers at Manitoba’s largest hospital will be properly equipped, health minister says (CBC News) | Weapons scanners to be installed at some HSC entrances in coming weeks (Winnipeg Free Press) | HSC weapons detectors panned by nurse after knives go undetected (Winnipeg Free Press) | The AI gun detectors NYC is testing on the subway trigger false positives (The Verge)
M. Lamar Keene: M. Lamar Keene (Wikipedia) | Camp Chesterfield (Wikipedia) | Camp Chesterfield Exposure – Lamar Keene (YouTube) | True-believer syndrome (Wikipedia) | Scam the bereaved, defraud the dead: the shocking crimes of America’s greatest psychic conman (The Guardian Podcasts) | Fake Psychic (BBC Audio)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Ris discuss fasting from a personal, cultural, religious, and physiologic perspective.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Note: Apologies for the subpar audio quality on this episode: we had to record without some of our usual equipment.
Links: From starvation to time-restricted eating: a review of fasting physiology (International Journal of Obesity) | Physiology, Fasting (StatPearls NCBI Bookshelf) | Adherence and Retention in Early or Late Time-Restricted Eating: A Narrative Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (Nutrition Reviews) | Intermittent fasting and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (The Lancet) | Obesity in Adults: Dietary Therapy (UpToDate) | The Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Appetite: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PMC) | Intermittent Fasting: Women vs. Men (ISSA) | The Definitive Guide to Intermittent Fasting For Men Over 40 (The Fit Father Project) | Why Nutrition Is Different for Men and Women (Cleveland Clinic) | How to Market Weight Loss Programs to Men (OppGen) | Marketing Masculinity: The Meat of the Matter (Sentient Media) | Men, Meat, and Marketing (Food and Wine) | Meat is masculine: how food advertising perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes (The Conversation) | Real Men & Real Food: The Cultural Politics of Male Weight Loss (Nursing Clio) | Eating Disorders in Males is Becoming More Prevalent and Deadly (Eating Disorder Hope) | Eating Disorders in Men and Boys (National Eating Disorders Association) | Statistics on Anorexia in Men & Boys (The Bulimia Project) | What are the prevalence rates, risk factors, comorbidities and psychological correlates of Orthorexia Nervosa in men? A systematic review of the existing literature (Chayah Guishard, ResearchGate) | Orthorexia and Men: End of the Meat and Potato Diet? (Eating Disorder Hope) | Orthorexia nervosa (Wikipedia) | Intermittent Fasting Linked to Disordered Eating, Compulsive Exercise (Healthine)
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Originally published 14 January 2019.
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Laura, and Ashlyn dive into three unscientific practices: flower remedies, feng shui, and iridology.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism.
Flower Remedies: The Original Bach Flower Remedies Information and Sale (Directly from Nature) | Rescue Remedy is an effective all-natural stress, anxiety reliever, study suggests (Medical News Today) | Bach flower remedies: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials (Swiss Medical Weekly) | Bach Flower Remedies (Science-Based Medicine)
Feng Shui: Types of Feng Shui (The Feng Shui Society) | Feng shui (RationalWiki) | Feng shui (Wikipedia) | Yin and yang (Wikipedia) | Qi (Wikipedia) | Bagua (Wikipedia) | Chi, or Universal Energy in Feng Shui (The Spruce) | Understanding the Feng Shui Bagua (The Spruce) | Open Up Blocking Walls with Feng Shui (The Spruce) | Episode 124: Ancient Discoveries (LUEE)
Iridology: Iridology (Wikipedia) | Iridology Not Useful and Potentially Harmful (JAMA Ophthalmology) | An Evaluation of Iridology (JAMA) | Looking for gall bladder disease in the patient’s iris (BMJ) | An investigation of the relationship between anatomical features in the iris and systemic disease, with reference to iridology (Complementary Therapies in Medicine) | Does Iris Change Over Time? (PLoS One)
Other Pseudosciences: Flat Earth: A Measured Response (Hbomberguy) | Episode 96: The Moon Landing Conspiracy (LUEE) | Episode 100: Silly Pseudoscience Special! (LUEE) | Episode 106: Parapsychology (LUEE) | Episode 108: Cryptozoology & Mythical Creatures (LUEE)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura detail the many scientific shortcomings of Trump’s pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Vaccines: Doctors worried RFK Jr. will tout vaccine-skeptic views after he is picked for HHS secretary (ABC News) | How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Could Destroy One of Civilization’s Best Achievements (The New York Times) | RFK Jr: Fact-checking his views on health policy (BBC News) | What RFK Jr could do on US vaccines, fluoride and drugs (BBC News)
Fluoride: Early dental fluoride preparations (Fluoride History) | Fluoride and Oral Health (Government of Canada) | Expert panel meeting on the health effects of fluoride in drinking water: Summary report (Government of Canada) | Water fluoridation (Wikipedia) | Fluorapatite (Wikipedia) | Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries (PMC) | Water Fluoridation and Cancer Risk (American Cancer Society) | Fluoride in Calgary’s water (Government of Calgary) | The contentious timeline of fluoridation in Calgary’s drinking water (Calgary Journal) | Measuring the short-term impact of fluoridation cessation on dental caries in Grade 2 children using tooth surface indices (Journal of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology) | Lack of fluoride in Calgary drinking water leads to rise in kids’ tooth decay, study indicates (CBC News) | 3 charts that help explain fluoride in drinking water (CNN) | Skeletal fluorosis (Wikipedia) | Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment and Cognition (US Department of Health and Human Services) | Colgate, Glaxo settle toothpaste ‘nurdle’ lawsuit (Reuters)
Antidepressants: Associations between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and violent crime in adolescents, young, and older adults (PMC) | Is There a Link Between Mental Health and Mass Shootings? (Columbia University Department of Psychiatry) | The Misperception of Antidepressants and Mass Shootings (Psychology Today Canada) | What’s behind the dubious claim that psychiatric drugs fuel mass shootings? (PolitiFact)
HIV/AIDS: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s worst conspiracy theories: The 2024 candidate’s leadership in “ideas.” (Slate) | 5 of RFK Jr.’s most controversial views (The Hill) | RFK Jr. Has Made False and Dangerous Claims About AIDS. That Could Become a Global Problem. (Mother Jones) | Debunking some of RFK Jr.’s contradictory statements (PBS News) | How AIDS Activists Fought for Patients’ Rights (HISTORY) | Fauci recalls the terrifying early days of the AIDS epidemic (National Geographic) | Global HIV Programme (WHO)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn relates her story of catching COVID-19 in Romania and asks the panel to evaluate the appropriateness of her treatment. Ashlyn was prescribed:
- Vitamin C 1000 mg PO daily
- Vitamin D 2000 IU PO daily
- Zinc 60 mg PO daily
- Paracetamol 500 mg PO TID
- Metamizole 500 mg PO TID
- Dexketoprofen 25 mg PO BID
- Quercetin 250–500 mg PO daily
- Melatonin 3–5 mg PO qHS
- Black radish syrup PRN
- Propolis throat spray PRN
- Famotidine 40 mg PO daily
- Moxifloxacin 400 mg PO daily
- Fluconazole 150 mg PO x1
- Maxitrol nasal spray PRN
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Metamizole: Metamizole (Wikipedia) | Metamizole: An underrated agent causing severe idiosyncratic drug‐induced liver injury (PMC) | EU drugs watchdog probes painkiller linked to deaths (Health, The Guardian) | ‘They thought I had cancer’: painkiller banned in UK linked to Britons’ deaths in Spain (Drugs, The Guardian) | Just a moment…
Propolis and Phytotherapy: Propolis (Wikipedia) | Dacia Plant Propolis Spray (NatuRemedies) | Propolis: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews (WebMD) | Phytotherapy: Definition, Research & Principles (Cleveland Clinic) | Quercetin (Wikipedia)
Colloidal Silver: Colloidal silver (WikiDoc)
Vitamin D and Zinc Supplementation: Twice-Daily Oral Zinc in the Treatment of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial (PubMed) | Effect of High-Dose Zinc and Ascorbic Acid Supplementation vs Usual Care on Symptom Length and Reduction Among Ambulatory Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: The COVID A to Z Randomized Clinical Trial (JAMA Network) | Vitamin D and Zinc Supplementation to Improve Treatment Outcomes among COVID-19 Patients in India: Results from a Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial (PMC) | Vitamin D for COVID-19: where are we now? (Nature Reviews Immunology)
Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen (UpToDate)
NSAIDs: Ibuprofen (UpToDate) | Naproxen (UpToDate) | Ketorolac (UpToDate) | Dexketoprofen (UpToDate)
Melatonin: Melatonin (UpToDate)
Histamine H2 Antagonists: Famotidine (UpToDate) | Ranitidine (UpToDate)
Maxitrol: Maxitrol (UpToDate)
Moxifloxacin: Moxifloxacin (UpToDate)
Fluconazole: Fluconazole (UpToDate)
Paxlovid: Paxlovid (UpToDate)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren to conclude their discussion of the situation in historic Palestine. Laura describes barriers to access food and water imposed by the government of Israel on both Gaza and the West Bank. Gem contrasts popular working definitions of antisemitism and examines claims that criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian liberation are antisemitic.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Note: This episode was recorded on 19 September 2024 and does not discuss the escalating regional war between Israel, Lebanon, and Iran.
The Blockade of Gaza: Canadians are facing higher levels of food insecurity (Statistics Canada) | State study finds nearly 1 million Israelis suffered from food insecurity in 2021 (The Times of Israel) | Hunger (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) | Procedure for monitoring and assessing inventories in the Gaza Strip (State of Israel Ministry of Defence via Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement) | Putting Palestinians “On a Diet”: Israel’s Siege & Blockade of Gaza (IMEU) | Israel Gaza blockade study calculated Palestinians’ calories (Reuters) | Food Insecurity in Palestine: A Future for Farmers (Wilson Center) | Gaza bonanza (Haaretz via Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement) | Gaza siege: Years of starvation (Mada) | West Bank and Gaza Market Overview (US International Trade Administration) | Palestine runs dry: ‘Our water they steal and sell to us’ (Al Jazeera) | Food Consumption in the Gaza Strip – Red Lines (Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement) | Israel-Palestine: Water Sharing Conflict (Climate-Diplomacy.org) | Parched: Israel’s policy of water deprivation in the West Bank (B’Tselem) | UNICEF seawater desalination plant helps head off Gaza water crisis (UNICEF) | The Siege of Gaza’s Water (CSIS) | Gaza turns to desalination amid increasingly scarce water access (EFE Noticias)
Antisemitism and the State of Israel: Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential (The Lancet) | Working Definition of Antisemitism (IHRA) | The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) | Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine (ICC) | Israel must take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, UN court says in ruling on temporary measures (CBC News) | Anatomy of a Genocide – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 (United Nations) | Semitic people (Wikipedia) | Semitic languages (Wikipedia) | Canadian Sanctions Related to Syria (Government of Canada) | Canadian Sanctions Related to Sudan (Government of Canada) | Canadian Sanctions Related to Russia (Government of Canada) | National Council of Canadian Muslims | Report: Unveiling the Chilly Climate – The Suppression of Speech on Palestine in Canada (Independent Jewish Voices Canada)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura in the first part of a two part discussion of the history and current situation in historic Palestine. Gem provides an overview of the October 7th attacks and the Israeli military response, Ashlyn summarizes the history of settlement in the region, and Lauren addresses the question of apartheid in the West Bank.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
The October 7th Attacks and the War in Gaza: A breakdown of how the Hamas attack unfolded (Al Jazeera) | Death count from Re’im music festival massacre reportedly updated to 364 (The Times of Israel) | Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war (Committee to Protect Journalists) | At least half of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed, new analysis shows (BBC) | 360,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in Gaza Strip: ESCWA (Anadolu Agency) | Israel-Gaza war: What we know about the captives taken by Hamas (Al Jazeera) | Thousands of Gaza workers ‘missing’ after arrested and blindfolded by Israel (The Independent) | Israel: Palestinian Healthcare Workers Tortured (Human Rights Watch) | Canadian doctors are being tapped for evidence in war crimes case against Israel (The Breach) | Canadian healthcare workers’ experiences in the Gaza strip after November 2023 (International Centre of Justice for Palestinians)
The History of Palestine: How Settlements and Displacements Are Part of the Gaza Conflict (NPR) | A History of Zionism (NPR) | Deir Yassin massacre (Wikipedia) | Revisionist Zionism (Wikipedia) | 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine (Wikipedia) | History of Palestine (Wikipedia) | History of the State of Palestine (Wikipedia) | Timeline of the Palestine region (Wikipedia) | Nakba (Wikipedia) | 1967 Palestinian exodus (Wikipedia) | History of ancient Israel and Judah (Wikipedia) | Israeli Declaration of Independence (Wikipedia) | Shane and Ben on Confronting Antisemitism on the Left Pt. II (Live Like the World is Dying)
Apartheid in the West Bank: Apartheid (Legal Information Institute) | Apartheid (MSF Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law) | Does Israel’s Treatment of Palestinians Rise to the Level of Apartheid? (Human Rights Watch) | The question of Palestine (UN Trade & Development) | Gaza crossings: movement of people and goods (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) | List of International Law Violations by the State of Israel (ItIsApartheid.org) | Battle of Gaza (2007) (Wikipedia) | History of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict (Wikipedia) | Israeli Declaration of Independence (Wikipedia) | West Bank barrier (Wikipedia) | Israeli apartheid (Wikipedia)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, the crew discusses common misconceptions: Gem corrects cardiac confusion, Ashlyn advocates for accommodations, and Lauren lambasts linguistic prescriptivism.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Heart Conditions: Cardiac Arrest (Johns Hopkins Medicine) | Heart Failure (Johns Hopkins Medicine) | Heart Attack (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Prescriptive Grammar: Definition and Examples of Prescriptive Grammar (Thought Co.) | Adjective Order Rules in English (Grammarly Blog) | English usage controversies (Wikipedia) | Common English usage misconceptions (Wikipedia)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss some summer-themed nonsense and Gem entertains the panel with an obscure patent that may just fix policing.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
NatPat: NATPAT Health and Wellness Patches
Reflexology Sandals: Reflexology Research Doesn’t Put Its Best Foot Forward (McGill University) | Reflexology: panacea or placebo? (The Conversation) | Revisiting reflexology: Concept, evidence, current practice, and practitioner training (PMC) | Is There Science to Support Reflexology? (Massage Magazine) | Foot Reflexology Chart: How to Properly Massage Your Feet (Well and Good) | Foot and Ankle Anatomy (Foot Pain Explored) | Willow Springs man staged farm accident, paid someone to cut off his feet (Springfield News-Leader)
US Patent #1749090: US1749090A: Apparatus for obtaining criminal confessions and photographically recording them (Google Patents) | These are the Dates I Choose to Remember (Discourse Blog) | Would You Confess Your Criminal Misdeeds to This Skeleton? (Atlas Obscura) | Episode 98: Crime & Punishment (LUEE) | Episode 99: Forensic Science (LUEE) | Episode 159: Policing in Canada (LUEE)
Aloe Vera: Acemannan, an Extracted Polysaccharide from Aloe vera: A
Literature Review (NPC) | No evidence of aloe vera found in the aloe vera at Wal-Mart, CVS, Target (Chicago Tribune) | The efficacy of Aloe vera cream in the treatment of first, second and third degree burns in mice (ScienceDirect) | Efficacy of aloe vera cream in prevention and treatment of sunburn and suntan (PubMed) | Aloe Vera for Sunburns: Does It Help? (Cleveland Clinic) | The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review (PubMed) | The truth about applying after-sun on sunburnt skin, according to the experts (The Independent) | Aloe Vera Is a Lie (The Ringer) | Aloe Vera: A Short Review (PMC)
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Originally published 22 February 2021.
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren discuss soup’s history as a religious conversion tool, the science of bone broth, and the discredited claim that bat soup was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a soup.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Souperism: Souperism (Wikipedia) | Origins of the Irish Famine term “take the soup” (Irish Central) | Edward Nangle and the Achill Island Mission (History Ireland) | Irish Potato Famine (History Channel)
Bone Broth: Dietary Collagen: Should Consumers Believe the Hype? (Today’s Dietitian Magazine) | Collagen: The Fibrous Proteins of the Matrix (NCBI Bookshelf) | What’s the scoop on bone soup? (Harvard Health) | Bone Broth vs. Stock: What’s the Difference? (Epicurious) | Bone Broth Analysis: Reader Research (alive) | Ask the Expert: What’s the Deal With Bone Broth? (Today’s Dietitian Magazine)
COVID-19 Wasn’t Caused by Bat Soup: Where did COVID come from? WHO investigation begins but faces challenges (Nature) | Covid-19: Infectious coronaviruses ‘circulating in bats for decades’ (BBC News) | How the myths surrounding bat soup came to represent our collective fear and confusion over COVID-19 (National Post) | Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Transmission (CDC)
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Originally published 13 January 2020.
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem in a discussion of the history and science of sandwiches, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a sandwich.
On this episode: Ashlyn maintains that open-faced sandwiches do not exist, Gem argues that soup in a bread bowl is in fact a sandwich, Ashlyn and Laura dispute whether pie qualifies as a casserole or a dumpling, and Lauren opines that once a sandwich is put in the Snackmaster sandwich maker, it ceases to be a sandwich entirely.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism.
John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich: Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail: A History, 1571–1866, by David S.T. Blackmore (Google Books) | A Tour to London, Or, New Observations on England and Its Inhabitants, by Pierre Jean Grosley (Google Books) | Earl of Sandwich (Wikipedia) | John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (Wikipedia) | The Story of the Sandwich (History) | History of the Sandwich (PBS Food) | Trencher (Wikipedia) | Meze (Wikipedia) | Poker Night in Napa (Food & Wine)
Biphasic Sleep: Biphasic and polyphasic sleep (Wikipedia)
Processed Meat and Cancer: International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC (MSDS HyperGlossary) | This is the only known thing that is not a carcinogen (Business Insider) | List of IARC Group 1 Agents (Wikipedia) | Bacon, salami and sausages: how does processed meat cause cancer and how much matters? (Cancer Research UK) | Processed meat and cancer – what you need to know (Cancer Research UK) | Red meat, processed meat and cancer (Cancer Council NSW) | Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat (WHO)
The History and Science of Bread: Wheat (Wikipedia) | Bread (Wikipedia) | History of bread (Wikipedia) | Bread in culture (Wikipedia) | Bread (History Magazine) | Science of Bread: Bread Science 101 (Exploratorium) | Science of bread making (Baking Industry Research Trust) | Bread Baking Clinic: Under-Kneading & Over-Kneading (The Kitchn)
Cultural History of Sandwiches: Important Sandwiches That Changed America Forever (Thrillist) | The History of Five Uniquely American Sandwiches (Smithsonian Magazine) | To Evade Pre-Prohibition Drinking Laws, New Yorkers Created the World’s Worst Sandwich (Gastro Obscura) | Raines Law (St. Louis Public Library) | Who Invented the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich? (National Peanut Board) | The Curious History of Vietnam’s Bánh Mì Sandwich
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On this special bonus episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn Noble and Lauren Bailey share Gem’s valedictory address to the University of Manitoba Medicine Class of 2024 and discuss the fallout thereof.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the impact of large language models and other forms of generative AI on culture and scientific endeavours.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Note: Content warning for discussion of disordered eating and self-harm from 36:30 to 38:30.
AI Chatbots: Chatbot that offered bad advice for eating disorders taken down (NPR) | In 2016, Microsoft’s Racist Chatbot Revealed the Dangers of Online Conversation (IEEE Spectrum) | Twitter taught Microsoft’s AI chatbot to be a racist asshole in less than a day (The Verge) | Microsoft Investigates Disturbing Chatbot Responses from Copilot (Forbes) | 5 Gen AI chatbot fails and how to avoid them (Khoros) | What Air Canada Lost in ‘Remarkable’ Lying AI Chatbot Case (Forbes) | Facebook’s AI Told Parents Group It Has a Gifted, Disabled Child (404 Media)
AI and the Job Market: Top AI in Hiring statistics in 2024 (Workable) | AI Recruiters Have Joined the Job Search. Who Are They Helping? (Scientific American) | Considerations and Risks of AI in Employment Decisions (McCarthy Tétrault) | Job security in the age of artificial intelligence and potential pandemics (Statistics Canada) | The History of Artificial Intelligence: Complete AI Timeline (Tech Target) | The Ultimate AI Job Search Guide (Career Foundry) | Top 10 A.I. Job Search Tools (HashDork) | Unveiling The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence in the Job Market (Forbes) | Your Job Search Sucks Right Now Due to AI Hiring, Ghost Job Listings (Business Insider)
AI in Photography: Samsung caught faking zoom photos of the Moon (The Verge) | Xerox scanners/photocopiers randomly alter numbers in scanned documents (D. Kriesel)
AI and Peer Review: Scientific Journals Are Publishing Papers with AI-Generated Text (404 Media) | Quantum Entanglement: Examining its Nature and Implications (Journal of Material Sciences & Manufacturing Research) | Scientific Journal Publishes AI-Generated Rat with Gigantic Penis In Worrying Incident (VICE) | Study Featuring AI-Generated Giant Rat Penis Retracted, Journal Apologizes (VICE) | Unethical academics, AI, and peer review (Nicholas Lo Vecchio) | ChatGPT Looms Over the Peer-Review Crisis (404 Media) | Monitoring AI-Modified Content at Scale: A Case Study on the Impact of ChatGPT on AI Conference Peer Reviews (Liang et al., arXiv.org)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about people who were disbelieved but were eventually vindicated. Topics include pilot David Steeves’ missing airplane, singer Sinéad O’Connor public denunciation of the Catholic Church, neurologist Stanley Prusiner’s discovery of prions, and neuropathologist Bennet Omalu’s findings of CTEs in NFL players.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
David Steeves’ Missing Airplane: David A. Steeves (Steeves House Museum) | David Steeves (Wikipedia) | Hero or hoax? Public doubted pilot’s story of survival (Los Angeles Times)
Sinéad O’Connor and the Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal: Sinéad O’Connor: Biography, Singer, Activist (Biography.com) | Sinead O’Connor Cause of Death Revealed: Natural Causes (Rolling Stone) | Sinéad O’Connor (Wikipedia) | Sinéad O’Connor on Saturday Night Live (Wikipedia) | Catholic Church sexual abuse cases (Wikipedia) | Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Wikipedia)
Stanley Prusiner and Prions: Heretical Theory on Brain Diseases Gains New Ground (The New York Times) | Novel Proteinaceous Infectious Particles Cause Scrapie (Science) | Prions (PNAS) | Stanley B. Prusiner (Wikipedia) | Prion (Wikipedia) | Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (Wikipedia) | Kuru (disease) (Wikipedia) | Fatal insomnia (Wikipedia)
Bennet Omalu and CTEs: Doctor behind ‘Concussion’ tackled racism and NFL (Los Angeles Times) | Concussion medic didn’t identify head trauma syndrome as Will Smith film claims, say doctors (The Guardian) | League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis (PBS Frontline) | The NFL Tried to Intimidate Scientists Studying the Link between Pro Football and Traumatic Brain Injury (Union of Concerned Scientists) | Bennet Omalu, Concussions, and the NFL: How One Doctor Changed Football Forever (GQ) | CTE doctor Bennet Omalu has profited selling distorted science (Washington Post) | How the Sports World Learned to Ignore CTE (Global Sport Matters)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren discuss the history of the show, comment on some of their favourite segments from episodes past, and finally get around to introducing themselves properly.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Gem’s Website: Gem Newman’s Writing | “Persistence of Vision” by Gem Newman | “Passepartout” by Gem Newman
Ashlyn’s Website: Noble & Whimsical
Our Favourite Episodes of LUEE: Episode 136: Patent Medicine (LUEE) | Episode 176: Dontcha put it in your mouth! | Bonus Episode: One Hundred Proofs | Episode 178: The Worst Tooth Fairy | Episode 152: SandwichCast!
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss paranormal events and other mysteries that have recently been explained by science, including the Dyatlov Pass Incident, the Blood Rain of Kerala, the Bermuda Triangle, and how the Romans managed to make such excellent concrete.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
News: Alberta Medical Association pediatrics head condemns province’s proposed trans policy (Global News)
The Dyatlov Pass Incident: Has an Old Soviet Mystery at Last Been Solved? (The New Yorker) | Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident (Everand) | Dyatlov Pass incident (Wikipedia) | Kármán vortex street (Wikipedia) | Infrasound (Wikipedia) | Grade (Wikipedia)
Roman Concrete: The History of Concrete (InterNACHI) | Lime Clasts and Heat: The Romans’ Secret Sauce (Specify Concrete) | The Differences Between Modern Concrete and Roman Concrete (Forth Valley Concrete) | Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable? (MIT News) | Was Roman Concrete Better? (Practical Engineering) | Why Roman concrete is stronger than it ever was, while modern concrete decays (ZME Science) | Was Roman Concrete Especially Durable or Is Modern Concrete Exceptionally Crappy? (Treehugger) | 13 Reasons We Know Why Roman Concrete is Stronger than Its Modern Equivalent (Interesting Engineering) | Understanding Roman Concrete (Engineering Rome)
The Bermuda Triangle: What Is the Bermuda Triangle? A Scientist Has Solved the Mystery (Popular Mechanics) | What Is Known (and Not Known) About the Bermuda Triangle (Britannica) | Bermuda Triangle (Wikipedia) | Scientist ‘solves’ mystery of the Bermuda Triangle – by claiming there was no mystery in the first place (The Independent)
The Blood Rain of Kerala: Blood Rain, Blood Snow: Curse or Science? (International Microorganism Day) | Six Old English Chronicles (Wikisource) | Cometary panspermia explains the red rain of Kerala (arXiv) | Red rain in Kerala (Wikipedia) | Blood rain (Wikipedia)
The Kentucky Meat Shower: The Great Kentucky Meat Shower mystery unwound by projectile vulture vomit (Scientific American Blog Network) | Kentucky meat shower (Wikipedia) | Nostoc (Wikipedia)
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On this special bonus episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem Newman discusses the scientific evidence in favour of allowing trans youth to socially transition and the concrete steps that parents and teachers can take to support trans kids.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of transphobia, depression, and self-harm.
References:
- Veale JF, Watson RJ, Peter T, Saewyc EM. Mental Health Disparities Among Canadian Transgender Youth. J Adolesc Health. 2017 Jan;60(1):44-49. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.014. PMID: 28007056; PMCID: PMC5630273.
- Thoma BC, Salk RH, Choukas-Bradley S, Goldstein TR, Levine MD, Marshal MP. Suicidality Disparities Between Transgender and Cisgender Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2019 Nov;144(5):e20191183. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-1183. Epub 2019 Oct 14. PMID: 31611339; PMCID: PMC7011156.
- Olson KR, Durwood L, DeMeules M, McLaughlin KA. Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities. Pediatrics. 2016 Mar;137(3):e20153223. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-3223. Epub 2016 Feb 26. Erratum in: Pediatrics. 2018 Aug;142(2): PMID: 26921285; PMCID: PMC4771131.
- Durwood L, McLaughlin KA, Olson KR. Mental Health and Self-Worth in Socially Transitioned Transgender Youth. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017 Feb;56(2):116-123.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.10.016. Epub 2016 Nov 27. Erratum in: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018 Nov;57(11):899. PMID: 28117057; PMCID: PMC5302003.
- Connolly MD, Zervos MJ, Barone CJ 2nd, Johnson CC, Joseph CL. The Mental Health of Transgender Youth: Advances in Understanding. J Adolesc Health. 2016 Nov;59(5):489-495. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.06.012. Epub 2016 Aug 17. PMID: 27544457.
- Lee JY, Rosenthal SM. Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth: Current Concepts. Annu Rev Med. 2023 Jan 27;74:107-116. doi: 10.1146/annurev-med-043021-032007. Epub 2022 Oct 19. PMID: 36260812.
- Murchison G, Adkins D, Conard LA, Ehrensaft D, Elliot T, Hawkins LA, Lopez X, Newby H, Ng H, Vetters R, Wolf-Gould C. Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children [Internet]. Washington, DC: Human Rights Campaign; 2016 September [cited 2023 November 24]. Available from: http://hrc.im/supportingtranschildren
- Katz-Wise SL, Gordon AR, Sharp KJ, Johnson NP, Hart LM. Expert consensus guidelines for parents and caregivers: Navigating early childhood gender identity and expression [Internet]. Boston, MA: Harvard Medical School; 2021 [cited 2023 November 24]. Available from: http://www.genderandparenting.com
- Kosciw, J.G., Greytak, E.A., Bartkiewicz, M.J., Boesen, M.J. and Palmer, N.A. (2012) The 2011 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation’s Schools. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), New York.
- Chan RCH, Suen YT. Effects of identity disclosure on school victimization and long-term educational outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex students in China. J Sch Psychol. 2023 Jun;98:96-112. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2023.02.005. Epub 2023 Mar 30. PMID: 37253585.
- APA Div 16 (School Psychology), APA Div 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity). School-Based Risk and Protective Factors for Gender Diverse and Sexual Minority Children and Youth: Improving School Climate [Internet]. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2015 [cited 2023 November 24]. Available from: https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/lgbt/resilience
- APA Div 16 (School Psychology), APA Div 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity). Supporting Transgender and Gender Diverse Students in Schools: Key Recommendations for School Administrators [Internet]. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2015 [cited 2023 November 24]. Available from: https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/lgbt/resilience
- Orr A, Baum J, Brown J, Gill E, Kahn E, Salem A. Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K–12 Schools [Internet]. Washington, DC: The Human Rights Campaign Foundation; 2015 [cited 2023 November 24]. Available from: https://www.hrc.org/resources/schools-in-transition-a-guide-for-supporting-transgender-students-in-k-12-s
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss sex and gender from a scientific and historical perspective, with a focus on the health and wellbeing of trans folks.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of transphobia, depression, and self-harm.
The Gender Binary: Adventures in Time and Gender | Understanding Nonbinary People: How to Be Respectful and Supportive (National Center for Transgender Equality) | A Map of Gender-Diverse Cultures (PBS Independent Lens) | 12 Things People Get Wrong About Being Nonbinary (Teen Vogue) | The terminology of identities between, outside and beyond the gender binary – A systematic review (PMC) | Non-Binary Gender Identities in Different Cultures (Anthropology Review) | Gender Variance Around the World Over Time (Teen Vogue) | The Third Gender and Hijras (Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School) | Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic (Scientific American) | Let’s talk about (biological) sex (Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology) | Intersex (Wikipedia) | Güevedoce (Wikipedia) | Balkan sworn virgins (Wikipedia)
Social Transition: Mental Health Disparities Among Canadian Transgender Youth (PubMed) | Suicidality Disparities Between Transgender and Cisgender Adolescents (PubMed) | Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities (PubMed) | Mental Health and Self-Worth in Socially Transitioned Transgender Youth (PubMed) | The Mental Health of Transgender Youth: Advances in Understanding (PubMed) | Access to Health Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adults in Urban and Rural Areas in the United States (Sage Journals)
Social Contagion and Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria: How a theory about transgender contagion went viral (MIT Technology Review) | Sex Assigned at Birth Ratio Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents in the United States (American Academy of Pediatrics) | What does the scholarly research say about the effect of gender transition on transgender well-being? (What We Know) | Explaining Assigned Sex Ratio Shifts in Trans Children (Julia Serano) | Origins of “Social Contagion” and “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria” (Julia Serano) | All the Evidence Against Transgender Social Contagion (Julia Serano)
History and Current Political Climate: Transgender history (Wikipedia) | Timeline of transgender history (Wikipedia) | Compton’s Cafeteria riot (Wikipedia) | Cercle Hermaphroditos (Wikipedia) | Karl M. Baer (Wikipedia) | Episode 178: The Worst Tooth Fairy (LUEE) | What Is Trans History? (Perspectives on History) | Trans People Have Existed for Thousands Of Years and Other Things You Should Know About Trans People (BuzzFeed) | 2023 Anti-Trans Bills: Trans Legislation Tracker | Over 120 Bills Restricting LGBTQ Rights Introduced Nationwide in 2023 So Far (American Civil Liberties Union) | The Impact of 2023 Legislation on Transgender Youth (Williams Institute) | Gender-affirming care comes with barriers and delays (CTV News) | Trans health care in Canada needs major improvements, advocates say (CTV News) | Gender-affirming health coverage by Canadian province, territory (Global News) | As misinformation campaign against transgender rights intensifies, Ottawa must act (CBC News)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and special guest Dave Bonwick discuss Eric Hovind’s “Night at the Creation Museum”, a short film promoting Young Earth Creationism: the view that the universe and everything in it was created by the Christian God a little over 6000 years ago.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Correction: Lauren knows “compy” is short for compsognathus and there has never been an unholy cross breed between that dinosaur and the pachycephalosaurus. They just got excited.
Links: Night at the Creation Museum (YouTube) | Winnipeg Skeptics Visit the Creation Museum (Winnipeg Skeptics Blog) | Eric Hovind (RationalWiki) | Kent Hovind (RationalWiki) | Creation Museum (RationalWiki) | Curse of Ham (Wikipedia) | Common Descent: Vitamin C (RationalWiki) | Glut-1 explains the evolutionary advantage of the loss of endogenous vitamin C-synthesis (Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, it’s another cryptid spectacular! Gem relates the story of the Mothman of West Virginia, Ashlyn tells the tale of a naturalist lost at sea, Lauren explains why driving while exhausted isn’t such a good idea, and Laura introduces everyone to the most pitiful cryptid of all.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Mothman: Point Pleasant Register, 1966-11-16 (Web Archive) | Mothman Clippings (West Virginia Archives & History) | TNT Area, Point Pleasant, West Virginia (Atlas Obscura) | Welcome To The ‘TNT Area,’ Home of the Mothman (NPR) | Man photographs creature that resembles legendary “Mothman” of Point Pleasant (WCHS8 Eyewitness News)
Steller’s Sea Ape: The Secret History Behind Steller’s Sea Ape (The Portalist) | Steller’s Sea Ape: Identifying an Eighteenth-Century Cryptid (Skeptical Inquirer) | Georg Wilhelm Steller (Wikipedia) | Steller’s sea ape (Wikipedia) | Northern fur seal (Wikipedia) | Steller’s sea cow (Wikipedia)
Squonk!: What Is a Squonk, Anyway? (Tedium) | Fearsome critters, by Henry H. Tryon (HathiTrust Digital Library) | Squonkapalooza | Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, by William Thomas Cox (Internet Archive) | What is a squonk? Pa.’s ‘quaint’ beast cries over how ugly it is (PennLive) | Chemical Squonks (Chemical Innovation) | Genesis – Squonk (YouTube)
Black Dogs: How old is that story, bro?: Trucking tales, legends, ghosts (Overdrive) | Black dog (Wikipedia) | The Legend of the Black Dog (Shorebread) | Black Dogs and Englishmen: Black Shuck in English Folklore (Icy Sedgwick) | Black Dog (The Folklore Podcast) | Black Shuck (Wikipedia) | The Hound of the Baskervilles (Wikipedia) | 20 Urban Legends That Truckers Wish Would Go Away (Highway Driver Leasing) | Legend of the Black Dog (Tetrapod Zoology) | Hypnagogic Hallucinations: Why You Might Have Them (WebMD)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura are joined by Marissa McCool to discuss some of the ways science and society have changed in the last two decades.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Taste Buds: The Taste Map of the Tongue You Learned in School Is All Wrong (Smithsonian Magazine) | What Are Taste Buds? (Cleveland Clinic) | The Deliciously Surprising Science of Taste (WIRED) | Umami (Wikipedia)
Planets, Oceans, and Continents: Pluto (Wikipedia) | Southern Ocean (Wikipedia) | Zealandia (Wikipedia)
Screening Guidelines: Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care | United States Preventive Services Taskforce | History of ACS Recommendations for the Early Detection of Cancer in People Without Symptoms (American Cancer Society) | Breast cancer statistics (Canadian Cancer Society)
Brontosaurus: The Brontosaurus Is Back (Scientific American) | Back to Brontosaurus? The Dinosaur Might Deserve Its Own Genus After All (Smithsonian Magazine) | Return of the Brontosaurus: Q&A with the Peabody’s Jacques Gauthier (YaleNews) | Brontosaurus (Wikipedia) | The Big Dinosaur Debate: Is It an Apatosaurus or Brontosaurus? (HowStuffWorks) | Why is “Brontosaurus” now called Apatosaurus? | Beloved Brontosaurus makes a comeback (Nature) | Brontosaurus: reinstating a prehistoric icon (Natural History Museum) | DINO History (Sinclair Oil Corporation)
Queer Drama in Northern Minnesota: Queer Drama in Northern Minnesota (Spreaker)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem continue their discussion of modern evangelical crusaders, with a focus on Billy Graham and Youth with a Mission.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Youth with a Mission: YWAM King’s Kids Winnipeg – Youth With A Mission (Youth With A Mission) | "YWAM is dangerous.I spent 12 years.under the influence" | Spiritual Abuse a Common Complaint for YWAM Students (MinistryWatch) | Reddit (Dive into anything) | On Being In A Cult — ABIGAIL BALDWIN | Response to Article (YWAM Perth Australia) | YWAM: A Dynamic “Movement” of Hundreds of Ministries, but Not an Organization (The Roys Report) | Was I In a Cult? My Experience in Youth With a Mission (Stephen Bradford Long) | #YWAMToo: My Sexual Abuse Story. I imagine you lying awake at night… (by Rebecca Lujan Loveless, Medium) | LINK
Youth with a Mission (YWAM): YWAM King’s Kids Winnipeg (Youth with a Mission) | “YWAM is dangerous. I spent 12 years under the influence” (Cult Education Institute) | Spiritual Abuse a Common Complaint for YWAM Students (MinistryWatch) | YWAM Is a Cult (Reddit) | On Being in a Cult (Abigail Baldwin) | Response to Article (YWAM Perth Australia) | YWAM: A Dynamic “Movement” of Hundreds of Ministries, but Not an Organization (The Roys Report) | Was I In a Cult? My Experience in Youth With a Mission (Stephen Bradford Long) | #YWAMToo: My Sexual Abuse Story (Rebecca Lujan Loveless)
Billy Graham: Billy Graham was a truly nasty man (Jonathan Poletti) | Jesus was ‘effeminate’ (Jonathan Poletti) | Billy Graham rule (Wikipedia) | The Alpha-Male Style in American Evangelicalism (Christianity Today) | Franklin Graham rebukes claim Jesus has transgender body, vagina (Christian Post) | How Billy Graham weaponized white evangelical Christian power in America (MSNBC) | Rev. Franklin Graham a birther? (POLITICO)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and returning guest Kyle Joseph to discuss Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, some of the very worst televangelists. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Pat Robertson: Pat … Continue reading Episode 193: PRIDE (Pat Robertson is Dead, Everybody!) →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren continue their discussion of products marketed to podcast listeners. On part two, Lauren does some composting with Lomi and Ashlyn discusses Noom’s approach to weight-loss.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Ashlyn’s Website: Noble & Whimsical: Glass Memorials
Lomi Composter: Lomi | Lomi Compost: Reviewing the Lomi Composter (Epic Gardening) | Lomi Composter – Review of cost, how it works & is it worth it? (Cansumer) | “Soil” vs. “Dirt” (Colby Digs Soil)
Noom: Noom review: How does this weight-loss program work? (USA Today) | Noom Diet Review (2023): Costs, Pros and Cons (Forbes Health) | What Is Noom? RDs Review How The Noom Diet Works Plus Cost (Women’s Health) | Can You Diet AND Do Intuitive Eating? (Christy Harrison, Intuitive Eating Dietitian) | Noom Is Just a Diet App. Our Expectations Are What’s Different. (Teen Vogue) | Noom – Nothing New, Everything Harmful (Dances with Fat) | Noom: Toxic Diet Culture in Disguise (Irene E. Schultz)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss some of the products marketed to our listeners through ads on (other) podcasts. In part one, Gem subjects the panel to MUD\WTR and Laura tosses back some AG1 by Athletic Greens.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
MUD\WTR: I found it. The most annoying alternative food product on earth. (SFGate) | MUD\WTR Review: Healthier Than Coffee? (Illuminate Labs) | Does Mud Wtr Have Caffeine? If So How Much? (Drug Genius) | Functional medicine: The ultimate misnomer in the world of integrative medicine (Science-Based Medicine) | Reflection Paper on the Adaptogenic Concept (European Medicines Agency) | MUD\WTR Reviews (Trustpilot) | DIY Mud Water Recipe for Cheap (YouTube) | Episode 77: Coffee & Tea (LUEE)
AG1: What are adaptogens and should you be taking them? (UCLA Health) | Herbs & Supplements (Winchester Hospital) | Ingredients and Benefits (Athletic Greens) | Athletic Greens Review (Forbes Health) | What are adaptogens? (Vox) | Digestive Enzyme Supplements: Benefits, Risks and More (Forbes Health) | Water, Hydration and Health (PMC) | Ashwagandha (Merck Manuals Professional Edition) | Reishi (Merck Manuals Professional Edition) | Bromelain (Mount Sinai Hospital) | Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) an edible mushroom; a comprehensive and critical review of its nutritional, cosmeceutical, mycochemical, pharmacological, clinical, and toxicological properties (PubMed)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Dave watch C Me Dance, 2009’s hit Christian film about a ballerina with cancer who gets magic powers. Then Gem answers some questions about AI.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
C Me Dance: C Me Dance (IMDb) | C Me Dance (Wikipedia) | C Me Dance Review (Eric D. Snider)
Large Language Models and “AI” Panic: The AI hype bubble is the new crypto hype bubble (Cory Doctorow) | ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web (The New Yorker) | Episode 116: Risk (LUEE)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem are skeptical about historical claims large and small. Was there really a secret Roman emperor named Sponsianus? Did the Dutch really go wild for tulips in the seventeenth century? Are you in a black hole right now?
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Emperor Sponsianus: fact or forgery?: Gold coin proves ‘fake’ Roman emperor was real (BBC News) | Authenticating coins of the ‘Roman emperor’ Sponsian (PLOS ONE) | Is Sponsian real? Further Considerations (American Numismatic Society) | An Expert Opinion on Sponsianus (CoinsWeekly) | Domitian II (Wikipedia)
Did Holland really go wild for tulips?: There Never Was a Real Tulip Fever (Smithsonian Magazine) | What was Tulip Mania? Tulip Mania Overview & Crash (Study.com) | Tulipmania: About the Dutch Tulip Bulb Market Bubble (Investopedia) | Calvinism (The Canadian Encyclopedia) | Tulip mania (Wikipedia)
Are you in a black hole right now?: There’s a conspiracy theory that the world ended in 2012 and it makes sense (Upworthy) | Did The World End In 2012? A Mandela Effect Theory (YouTube) | What Is the Mandela Effect? Examples and Explanations (Verywell Mind) | 10 Questions You Might Have About Black Holes (NASA) | Fact check: No black holes created by CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (USA Today) | Will CERN generate a black hole? (CERN) | The Higgs boson (CERN)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about more scams and scam artists, featuring a famous surgeon, a wine counterfeiter, a Canadian investment fund, and of course that Republican politician everyone’s talking about.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Paulo Macchiarini: Dr Con Man: the rise and fall of a celebrity scientist who fooled almost everyone (The Guardian) | Reading about embattled trachea surgeon Paolo Macchiarini? Here’s what you need to know (Retraction Watch) | The Celebrity Surgeon Who Used Love, Money, and the Pope to Scam an NBC News Producer (Vanity Fair) | Sweden: surgeon convicted of bodily harm over synthetic trachea transplant (The Guardian) | Paolo Macchiarini (Wikipedia)
The Crocus Fund: Crocus Investment Fund final wind-down plan approved by Manitoba court (CBC News) | An empty bank account could finally spell the end of the Crocus Investment Fund wind-down (CBC News) | Final settlement reached in Crocus Fund lawsuit (CBC News) | An end in sight for Crocus investors (Investment Executive) | Manitoba fund scandal grows (The Globe and Mail) | Crocus hit with $200 million lawsuit (Advisor’s Edge) | Anatomy of an alleged fraud (Winnipeg Free Press) | Manitoba whistleblower transferred to ‘non-job’ and read novels until retirement (Yahoo! News) | Crocus Investment Fund (Wikipedia) | Astra Credit Union remains tight-lipped on cheque scam (Winnipeg Free Press) | Bills (The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba)
George Santos: Here’s Every Single Lie Told by George Santos (New York Magazine) | Embattled Republican George Santos Won’t Serve on House Committees (BNN Bloomberg) | Canadian politics is not immune to George Santos-like behaviour (National Post)
Rudy Kurniawan: After Kurniawan’s Conviction, What Now for Fine Wine? (Wine-Searcher) | The man who sold millions in counterfeit wine to rich collectors (The Hustle) | Wine con man, ‘Sour Grapes’ subject Rudy Kurniawan deported (Los Angeles Times) | Beyond High-Profile Scandals, Wine Fraud Is Rampant (SevenFifty Daily) | The Jefferson Bottles (The New Yorker) | The Wine Fraud Story – The Beat Goes On! (The Underground Wine Letter)
Cookies!: Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Sally’s Baking Addiction) | Soft & Thick Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the most important news of the twelve months. Who died? What were tech companies up to? And most importantly: Who brought snacks?
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Update: Shortly after this episode was recorded, vote tallying was completed and QA workers at ZeniMax announced that their union drive was a success. Microsoft has officially recognized the union. ZeniMax Workers United, organized under the Communication Workers of America, which is now the largest union in the American video game industry.
2022 in Tech: A timeline of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter (NBC News) | Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk (Wikipedia) | Twitter under Elon Musk (Wikipedia) | Sony Paid Billions for Bungie and ‘Destiny,’ But What Are They Buying? (Vice) | The Consequences of Microsoft Buying Activision Blizzard Are Dizzying (Vice) | WarnerMedia (Wikipedia) | Netflix loses almost a million subscribers (BBC News) | Tech’s Biggest Companies Are Sending Worrying Signals About the Economy (The New York Times) | Top tech stories of 2022: Musk buys Twitter, Facebook’s struggles, TikTok’s rise (Rappler) | This Startup Is Selling Tech to Make Call Center Workers Sound Like White Americans (Vice) | VC firms are getting stingier. Tribe Capital’s struggles show why (Fortune) | Amazon Labor Union | Amazon Labor Union (Wikipedia) | Tech’s Biggest Companies Are Sending Worrying Signals About the Economy (The New York Times) | Activision Blizzard Is Acting Like a Company That’s Scared of a Union (Vice) | Activision Blizzard CEO Says Company Will Recognize Raven Software Union And Begin Negotiations (Game Informer) | Edmonton video game workers vote to unionize, an industry first for Canada (CBC News) | Video Game Workers at Microsoft and Activision Take Steps to Unionize (The New York Times) | Fallout and Doom QA Testers Just Formed the Biggest Union in the US Games Industry (Vice) | Tech Won’t Save Us
2022 in Snacks: Top 10 TikTok food trends 2022: Pink sauce, butter boards and more (CNBC) | What Is the TikTok Pink Sauce Controversy? (The Spruce Eats) | The Most Popular Snack Recipes of 2022 (Bon Appétit) | 7 Viral TikTok Food Trends That Defined 2022 (Eat This) | Cosmo Snack Awards 2022: Best Portable Snacks of the Year (Cosmo)
2022 in Death: World Population Data Sheet 2022 Highlights Excess Deaths Due to COVID-19 (SDG Knowledge Hub) | List of the oldest living people (Wikipedia) | 2022 (Wikipedia) | How many people die and how many are born each year? (Our World in Data) | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations (Our World in Data)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, it’s cancel or be cancelled! Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, Gem, and special guest Kyle Joseph discuss a few people who really deserve a good cancelling.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society.
Wednesday Night Wallop Podcast: Wednesday Night Wallop
Mother Theresa, Missionary of Misery: Criticism of Mother Teresa (Wikipedia) | Aroup Chatterjee (Wikipedia) | Mother Teresa (Wikipedia) | Canonization (Wikipedia) | The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice (Wikipedia)
Bill Gates, Dubious Philanthropist: Bill Gates (Forbes) | Every Time Bill Gates Engaged in Inappropriate Conduct (Business Insider) | Bill Gates’ Nerdy Do-Gooder Image Destroyed by Divorce Revelations (Business Insider) | Who Flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ Plane? Full List of People Named (Newsweek) | Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? (The Washington Post) | Bill and Melinda Gates have spent billions to shape education policy. Now, they say, they’re ‘skeptical’ of ‘billionaires’ trying to do just that. (The Washington Post) | The media loves the Gates Foundation. These experts are more skeptical. (Vox) | Bill Gates, Vaccine Monster (The New Republic) | They Pledged to Donate Rights to Their COVID Vaccine, Then Sold Them to Pharma (Kaiser Health News)
Man Doctor Diet Book Authors: Vintage Diet Books are My Favorite Thing to Collect and I’m a Fat Activist (SELF) | The problem with diet books written by doctors (Vox) | About Dr. William Davis | About Dr. Gundry | About Carnivore MD | About Paul Saladino MD (Psychology Today Canada)
J.K. Rowling, TERF: J.K. Rowling (GLAAD) | Is J.K. Rowling Transphobic? (Them) | Robert Galbraith Heath (Wikipedia) | A Complete Breakdown of the J.K. Rowling Transgender-Comments Controversy (Glamour) | J.K. Rowling’s transphobic tweets failed Harry Potter fans (Vox) | The metamorphosis of J.K. Rowling (Politico) | J.K. Rowling’s new book is about a character accused of transphobia (NPR)
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem subjects Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Dave to a documentary of questionable quality. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Links: Sasquatch Unearthed: The Ridge – The Sinister Truth Revealed (YouTube) Contact Us: Email | … Continue reading Episode 185: They forgot to reveal the sinister truth! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Marissa test each other’s knowledge of creation myths, fall foods, historical clocks, anthropology, and medicine. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Creation Myths: Enuma Elish: The Oldest Written Creation … Continue reading Episode 184: Revenge of the Quiz Show! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss scientific advances that give them hope for the future, and Gem issues a correction. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. The HIV Vaccine: NIH launches clinical trial of three … Continue reading Episode 183: Hope (to replace every tree with a chest freezer) →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura give a primer on some astronomical pseudosciences, including astrology, the expanding Earth theory, the hollow Earth hypothesis, and the effects of the full moon on human health. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection … Continue reading Episode 182: He’s not a scientist, okay? →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Lauren, Gem, and Laura to discuss the amazing hidden science behind common objects and phenomena, including coloured glass, toilets, foam, and placebos. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Coloured Glass: … Continue reading Episode 181: The Extraordinary Science of Everyday Things →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Marissa McCool leads Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem on an exploration of ideas as “icebergs”, with layers of hidden secrets just below the surface. Topics of discussion include US cities, the sinking of the Titanic, artificial sweeteners, and the curse of the pharaohs. Life, the … Continue reading Episode 180: “Icebergs” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura share things that they wish they had never learned. Warning: this episode contains parasites! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. The Curse of Knowledge: Curse of knowledge (Wikipedia) | … Continue reading Episode 179: Cursed Knowledge →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem introduces the panel to Dr. Henry Cotton, a pioneer in the field of “psychiatric surgical bacteriology”, Lauren provides a biographical sketch of Magnus Hirschfeld and his Institute of Sex Research, Laura discusses the supposed health consequences of eating “fried foods”, and Ashlyn does a … Continue reading Episode 178: The Worst Tooth Fairy →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn and Gem are joined by Kennadie Chaudhary and Teale Phelps Bondaroff to discuss the AccessBC’s campaign for free contraception and some of the arguments made by critics of the campaign. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of … Continue reading Episode 177: Contraception Should Be Free →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss medical scams, including Miracle Mineral Solution, urine therapy (i.e., drinking your own pee), Trina Health’s dubious treatment for diabetes, and Dr. Zamboni’s Liberation Therapy for multiple sclerosis. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the … Continue reading Episode 176: 🎵 Dontcha put it in your mouth! 🎶 →
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is taking the month of January off, but here’s a little Something Nice to tide you over! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Contact Us: Email | Twitter | Facebook Listen: Direct Link | Apple Podcasts | Google … Continue reading January Update →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura talk scams and con artists: Gem reads from a novel that somehow topped the New York Times bestseller list without anyone ever buying it, Laura covers a gang of thieves trying to make an end-run around Canada’s maple syrup monopsony, … Continue reading Episode 175: Grifters, Scamps, and Thieves →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn introduces everyone to the most famous monster from West Virginia not named “Joe Manchin”, Lauren talks about colonialist brontosaurus-hunters, Gem reminds everyone of that time a used car salesman murdered Bigfoot, and Laura gives a low key defence of cryptozoology. Life, the Universe & … Continue reading Episode 174: The Assassination of Bigfoot by the Coward Rick Dyer →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren to talk about social contagion and unpack the sociological, psychological, and sometimes pseudoscientific history of “hysteria”. Topics include the Tanganyika laughter epidemic, the Dancing Plague of 1518, and the Seattle windshield pitting epidemic. Life, the Universe & … Continue reading Episode 173: Social Contagion and Psychogenic Illness →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Gem, Lauren, and Laura engage in a battle of wits over today’s most important scientific topics: eels, climate change, and… Jim Henson movies? Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Eels: Surprised Eel Historian, … Continue reading Episode 172: Quiz Show XP →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura is joined by Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren to discuss Morgellons syndrome, adrenal fatigue, Wilson’s temperature syndrome, and candida overgrowth, four medical diagnoses with dubious supporting evidence. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Morgellons … Continue reading Episode 171: Dubious Diagnoses →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren revisit Seaspiracy and discuss transnational organized crime in the international fisheries industry with returning guest Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, Director of Research for Oceans Asia. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and … Continue reading Episode 170: Fish Crime! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren speak with Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, the Research Coordinator for the BC Humanist Association, about his research into unconstitutional governmental prayer in Canada. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Links: … Continue reading Episode 169: Legislative Prayer →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem watch the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy, and find that they have more to say about it than they expected! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Additional Music: This episode includes … Continue reading Episode 168: “Seaspiracy” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura swap tales from medical history, including the story of Ben Carson’s separation of the Binder twins, the legacy of Henrietta Lacks, and the “tainted blood scandal” that led to the formation of Canadian Blood Services. Life, the Universe & Everything … Continue reading Episode 167: Medical History →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads Ashlyn, Gem, and Lauren in a discussion of the wellness industry, including a brief detour into QAnon conspiracies, and together the panel tries to figure out what wellness even is, anyway. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the … Continue reading Episode 166: The Wellness Industry →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren discuss soup’s history as a religious conversion tool, the science of bone broth, and the discredited claim that bat soup was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a soup. Life, … Continue reading Episode 165: SoupCast! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads the panel in a discussion of food aid, both foreign and domestic, and the ways in which the global pandemic has influenced the delivery of services. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. … Continue reading Episode 164: Food Aid →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Lauren, and Gem discuss people who push their bodies to the limit, including saturation divers, ultramarathoners, mountaineers, and stratospheric skydivers. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Additional Music: “Friends” by Dragon Sound, … Continue reading Episode 163: Limitless →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads the panel on a discussion of several nutrition myths that just won’t die. Topics include expiry dates, nightshades, and pink salt. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Expiry Dates: Expiration Dates Don’t … Continue reading Episode 162: Nutrition Myths →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren lead Gem on a whirlwind tour of various prophecies and prophets, including the caged prophet of St. Lambert’s Church, the Prophecy of the Popes, and blind soothsayer who supposedly predicted that Trump would get COVID-19. Life, the Universe & Everything Else … Continue reading Episode 161: Prophecy →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss the plausibility of hauntings, then do a deep dive on the true (and not-so-true) stories behind the Amityville Horror and the Coventry University Ghost. Then Ashlyn brings the show home with her thoughts on why COVID quarantine seems to … Continue reading Episode 160: Hauntings →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura to discuss the history of policing in Canada. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Historical events in RCMP-Indigenous relations (Royal Canadian … Continue reading Episode 159: Policing in Canada →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Gem, Laura, and Lauren discuss the history of several public health initiatives: handwashing, toothbrushing, and nutrient fortification of food. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Updated: During his segment, Gem mistakenly said “postpartum … Continue reading Episode 158: Public Health History →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Laura, Lauren, and special guest Ian James to discuss several famous UFO sightings that turned out (in large part) to be hoaxes. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Past … Continue reading Episode 157: UFPhonies →
With their usual trivia night cancelled due to COVID quarantine, on this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren put together one of their own. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Computers: B (programming language) (Wikipedia) | C … Continue reading Episode 156: Wrath of the Quiz Show! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura discuss the charlatans and snake oil salesmen trying to profit off of the COVID-19 pandemic. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: Researchers are tracking another pandemic, … Continue reading Episode 155: COVID Quacks →
Lauren hosts and Laura edits on this topsy-turvy episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else! The gang discusses New Religious Movements: Lauren relates their experience with Discordianism, Laura is over the moon for the Moonies, Gem expresses his disgust for the Internet’s own Cult of Kek, and Ashlyn provides a primer on Pastafarianism. Then … Continue reading Episode 154: New Religious Movements →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren are joined by Dave Bonwick to discuss The Game Changers, a Netflix documentary that advocates for the healthfulness of a vegan diet. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and … Continue reading Episode 153: “The Game Changers” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem in a discussion of the history and science of sandwiches, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a sandwich. On this episode: Ashlyn maintains that open-faced sandwiches do not exist, Gem argues that soup in … Continue reading Episode 152: SandwichCast! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem escape winter briefly to talk about summery things: sunscreen, butterflies, the summer solstice, and whether drinking hot tea can really cool you down. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, … Continue reading Episode 151: July at Christmas →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the ongoing Holocene Extinction through the lens of four extinct species, and conservation through the lens of four endangered species. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular … Continue reading Episode 150: The Anthropocene Extinction →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Gem, Laura, and Lauren to discuss skeptical paranormal challenges. After Ashlyn’s overview, Lauren introduces Abraham Kovoor’s challenge, Laura talks about Joseph Dunninger, and Gem covers Sanal Edamaruku’s Great Tantra Challenge. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves … Continue reading Episode 149: Paranormal Challenges →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem talks about Anthroposophic medicine and some of the weird myths it promotes, Lauren discusses medicalization, Laura busts some myths about food, and Ashlyn quizzes the panel about sexually transmitted infections. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of … Continue reading Episode 148: Medical Myths →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem presents Laura with a dozen or so of William Carpenter’s One Hundred Proofs That the Earth Is Not a Globe. She is… unconvinced. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: … Continue reading Bonus Episode: One Hundred Proofs →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem get conspiratorial! Lauren gives everyone the rundown on QAnon, Laura presents three food-related conspiracies, and Ashlyn explains why the Denver Airport is full of weird (but probably not Satanic) art. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that … Continue reading Episode 147: More Conspiracies! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn explains standardized testing in Canadian high schools, Lauren introduces the SAT and ACT, Gem rambles about the MCAT, and Laura asks some pointed questions about citizenship testing. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, … Continue reading Episode 146: Standardized Testing →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura watch the Netflix documentary “Behind the Curve”, which follows a group of “flerfers” out to prove that the Earth is flat. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular … Continue reading Episode 145: “Behind the Curve” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem talks about Google’s search autocomplete feature, then Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem answer twenty of the most popular questions suggested by Google. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Correction: When … Continue reading Episode 144: Twenty Questions →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn leads a discussion of culture in nonhuman animals. Laura discusses tool use, Lauren talks about crows, and Gem talks about the destructive effect humans have on chimpanzee culture. And everyone has bad opinions about sandwiches. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast … Continue reading Episode 143: Animal Culture →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss rare diseases and regulatory responses to them. Specific diseases discussed include diabetes insipidus, toxic shock syndrome, and the Cotard delusion. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular … Continue reading Episode 142: Rare Diseases →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, Laura, and special guest Dave compete to see who knows most about myths, riddles, hippos, and this very podcast! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Beginnings and Endings: … Continue reading Episode 141: Return of the Quiz Show Show! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Laura, and Ashlyn dive into three unscientific practices: flower remedies, feng shui, and iridology. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Flower Remedies: The Original Bach Flower Remedies Information and … Continue reading Episode 140: Three Pseudosciences →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem talk about several elements of the holiday consumer frenzy. Lauren tackles gift guides, Gem explains why corporations love gift cards, Ashlyn talks about holiday debt, and Laura ends the show with a discussion of some truly bizarre holiday products. Life, … Continue reading Episode 139: The Unnecessary Christmas Show →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura talk about the history and reliability of Wikipedia and its many controversies, then end the episode with some of our favourite Wikipedia finds. Also on this episode: Lauren and Gem disagree about punctuation, and Laura does a lot of yelling … Continue reading Episode 138: Wikipedia →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura discuss science fiction technologies that have become science fact, and Gem depresses the hell out of everyone. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: Power Glove … Continue reading Episode 137: Where’s My Jetpack? →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss the history and future of patent medicine, from snake oil and Piso’s Cure for Consumption through Bovinine and bitters all the way to the Burzynski Clinic. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues … Continue reading Episode 136: Patent Medicine →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Gem, Laura, and Lauren put their personalities to the test, explore the history of the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator, and try to determine whether any of these personality tests are actually science-based. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues … Continue reading Episode 135: Personality Testing →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren to discuss the unfolding replication crisis in science, with a focus on several high profile psychological studies whose results have been called into question. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues … Continue reading Episode 134: Replication Crisis! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren explores the great hucksters of history with Laura and Ashlyn—and Gem’s back! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: Radionics (Wikipedia) | Albert Abrams (Wikipedia) | The Untold Story of … Continue reading Episode 133: Notorious Hucksters →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren discuss and evaluate dubious “life hacks” they found online. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: 9 Crazy Body Hacks That Give You Superhuman Powers (Popular Science) … Continue reading Episode 132: Life Hacks →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn subjects Lauren, Laura, and Dave to “Mermaids: The Body Found”, a fake documentary that aired on Animal Plant and Discovery Channel in 2012, which combines discredited pseudoscience with stuff that the producers just made up. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast … Continue reading Episode 131: “Mermaids: The Body Found” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss three unusual nutritional devices: the Nima gluten sensor, the Vitastiq electroacupuncture vitamin sensor, and the SCiO pocket molecular scanner. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: … Continue reading Episode 130: Nutritional Devices →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss some of the myths and scandals surrounding the Olympic Games. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: North Korea at the Olympics (Wikipedia) | Olympics and … Continue reading Episode 129: The Olympics →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren talk about real conspiracies and cover-ups perpetrated by corporations and the government. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: Lack of fluoride in Calgary drinking water … Continue reading Episode 128: Real Conspiracies →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn subjects Lauren, Gem, and Laura to a viewing of Kirk Cameron’s 2014 evangelical holiday film, Saving Christmas. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: Saving Christmas (Wikipedia) | Kirk Cameron … Continue reading Episode 127: Save Us from “Saving Christmas” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Laura, and Ashlyn take listener requests! The panel discusses trans fats, the gender pay gap, password security, and an exciting form of health pseudoscience called the physiospect. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical … Continue reading Episode 126: Trans Fats, the Pay Gap, Passwords, Physiospect →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, recorded live at SkeptiCamp, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem test their knowledge (and that of the audience) in a variety of scientific and pseudoscientific domains. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. … Continue reading Episode 125: Revenge of the Quiz Show Show! →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren discuss several important scientific, technological, and mathematical discoveries made in the ancient world. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Note: We experienced some technical difficulties near … Continue reading Episode 124: Ancient Discoveries →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn talks heresy with Laura, Gem, and Lauren. Heretics discussed include Hypatia of Alexandria, Roger Bacon, Baruch Spinoza, Charles Darwin, and Giordano Bruno. Also on this episode, Gem drones on about ancient writing materials and the sizes of various libraries for some reason. Life, the … Continue reading Episode 123: Heretics →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem discusses UFO sightings and claims of otherworldly visitation with Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. SkeptiCamp: If you’d like to present at SkeptiCamp, send an email … Continue reading Episode 122: UFOs →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about yet another conspiracy film, and Gem closes out the episode with an Alex Jones–themed quiz. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Links: No more … Continue reading Episode 121: “Dreams from My Real Father” →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem discuss fad diets with host Laura Creek Newman, our resident Registered Dietitian. Topics covered in detail include the Paleo Diet, the Sweet Potato Diet, the Blood Type Diet, and The China Study. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program … Continue reading Episode 120: Fad Diets →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren talk about the history and practice of chiropractic medicine, then Ashlyn hosts a game of -ology A–Z! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: … Continue reading Episode 119: Chiropractic →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren are joined by Mark Forkheim to talk about the sensory system and do some science along the way! Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem try sensory isolation, and the episode features live experiments with sensory interference and a miracle fruit taste test. Life, … Continue reading Episode 118: The Senses →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, Lauren, and Brendan discuss a few of the many myths and conspiracy theories endorsed by Donald Trump, and Brendan points out that a simple fact check isn’t enough. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific … Continue reading Episode 117: Trump →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren talk about how bad we are at assessing risk. Also on this episode: Do we get more risk averse as we get older? Is margarine going to kill you, or will a hippopotamus get you first? Will the world end … Continue reading Episode 116: Risk →
On the Life, the Universe & Everything Else Holiday Special, Brendan Curran-Johnson joins Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren to talk about charitable giving, including how an organization qualifies as a charity, how to maximize the good your contributions can do, and some of the questionable practices of the most popular charities. The episode concludes with … Continue reading Episode 115: Holiday Charity Special →
On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura review Ray Comfort’s new “documentary” with special guests Ash Burkowski and David Bonwick, and the panel bids farewell to evangelical cartoonist Jack Chick with a game of Jack or Fiction. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting … Continue reading Episode 114: Ray Comfort’s “Atheist Delusion” →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, we’re trying something completely different! Are rich people harvesting organs from clones? Did Hitler fake his own death (six times)? Are CIA remote viewers peering inside your mind? Join Ashlyn and Lauren as they watch “Unsealed: Conspiracy Files” to find out! Life, the Universe & … Continue reading Episode 113: “Unsealed: Conspiracy Files” →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, we discuss ancient astronauts and the space-alien pseudohistories of Erich von Däniken, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Raëlians. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Correction: The Garden of Eden … Continue reading Episode 112: Did Aliens Build the Pyramids? →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem discuss insect repellents, natural and artificial, historical and modern, and ask the question: “Do any of these natural bug sprays actually work?” The answer might surprise you! (Yes. The answer is “yes”.) Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a … Continue reading Episode 111: Insect Repellents →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss science’s rocky history with issues of race and talk about some racist pseudosciences that continue to masquerade as science today. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by … Continue reading Episode 110: Science & Race →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren each prepare a quiz to test their fellow panelists’ knowledge in a variety of scientific and pseudoscientific domains. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. … Continue reading Episode 109: The Quiz Show Show! →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem hunts cryptids with Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren. Also on this episode: dubious advice, bad jokes, worse segues, and one very annoying pronunciation of the word “cryptozoology”! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced … Continue reading Episode 108: Cryptozoology & Mythical Creatures →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura discuss strategies aimed at ending homelessness with returning guest Brendan Curran-Johnson. This episode also features an interview with Greta Christina and Alex Gabriel discussing The Orbit, a new blog network focusing on atheism and social justice. Life, the Universe & … Continue reading Episode 107: Solving Homelessness →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the Ganzfeld Experiments, the Global Consciousness Project, Rupert Sheldrake, Daryl Bem, and a psychic dog, and then we finally find out exactly how psychic the panel is with a game of Psychic Fact or Psychic Fiction! Life, the Universe … Continue reading Episode 106: Parapsychology →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren discusses mental health with Ashlyn, Gem, and Laura, with a focus on treatments and associated stigmas, current and historical. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: History of … Continue reading Episode 105: Mental Health & Stigma →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem talks about intelligence in nonhuman animals with Ashlyn, Laura, and special guest Leslie Saunders. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: Animal cognition (Wikipedia) | Cambridge Declaration on … Continue reading Episode 104: Animal Intelligence →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Ian, Laura, Lauren, and Gem to talk about holiday celebrations around the world. This is also Ian’s last show! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. … Continue reading Episode 103: Worldwide Winter →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem runs through several arguments for the existence of God with Ashlyn, Ian, and Laura, and the panel ponders whether it’s worth talking about religious arguments at all. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is … Continue reading Episode 102: Apologetics & Counter-apologetics →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn subjects Gem, Laura, Ian, and Dave to a viewing of “Trace Amounts”, a prominent anti-vaccine “documentary”. It is… not good. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Note: After … Continue reading Episode 101: “Trace Amounts” →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem discusses silly pseudosciences and conspiracy theories with Ashlyn, Laura, Ian, and Lauren, then caps off the episode by interviewing panelists past and present about their favourite episodes, the future technologies they’re most excited about, and whether they’d rather live next door to Ray Comfort … Continue reading Episode 100: Silly Pseudoscience Special! →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn discusses the scientific (and sometimes pseudoscientific) underpinnings of several forensic investigation techniques with Laura, Gem, Ian, and Lauren. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: The CSI effect … Continue reading Episode 99: Forensic Science →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, Brendan, and Lauren discuss the criminal justice system, focusing on profiling, deception detection, changes in crime rates over time, and the prison abolition movement. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced … Continue reading Episode 98: Crime & Punishment →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Laura, Ian, Lauren, and Gem to discuss some of the advantages and shortcomings of using labels to describe ourselves. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. … Continue reading Episode 97: Labels →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Ian, and Laura discuss the conspiracy claim that the Apollo moon landings were faked by NASA. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: Moon landing conspiracy theories … Continue reading Episode 96: The Moon Landing Conspiracy →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Lauren, Laura, and Gem to discuss some common misconceptions (and maybe some that aren’t so common). Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics. Links: Misconceptions (xkcd) … Continue reading Episode 95: Common Misconceptions →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Donna, Ashlyn, and Ian to talk about free will, determinism, and what it means to make a choice. Also on this episode, Donna sits down with August Berkshire of Minnesota Atheists to discuss the moral implications of a world without free … Continue reading Episode 94: Free Will →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn sits down with Lauren, Gem, and Laura to talk about some red flags to look out for when evaluating claims on social media and how nuance is impossible on the Internet. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and … Continue reading Episode 93: Skeptics and Social Media →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura, Gem, Ashlyn, and Ian discuss New Year’s Resolutions, how difficult it can be to change habits and behaviours, and some evidence-based ways to maximize your chances of succeeding in your goals. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and … Continue reading Episode 92: New Year’s Resolutions and Behaviour Change →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Laura, Gem, and Lauren to discuss oppression, privilege, and intersectionality, both in society at large and as it relates to the skeptical community, and then the panel caps off the episode with a game of Name That Holiday Tradition! Life, the … Continue reading Episode 91: Straight White Christmas →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Ian, and Laura discuss some terrible films (and one that’s pretty good), including “Resonance: Beings of Frequency”, a YouTube film that rivals “Thrive” in the contest for most misleading documentary. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and … Continue reading Episode 90: “Resonance: Beings of Frequency” →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, we’re recording live from SkeptiCamp Winnipeg! Gem, Ashlyn, and Lauren talk about logical fallacies and deductive reasoning, and Gem hosts a game of Name That Logical Fallacy! Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced … Continue reading Episode 89: Logical Fallacies, Live from SkeptiCamp! →
This marks the Winnipeg Skeptics’ fifth annual SkeptiCamp conference! SkeptiCamp Winnipeg is all about sharing ideas. Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend and participate, and best of all, it’s free! Presentations and discussions focus on science and critical thinking, and the audience is encouraged to challenge presenters to defend their ideas. Date: 27 September … Continue reading SkeptiCamp is on Saturday! →
In this extended round-table episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Ian, and Laura to discuss thought experiments that range from the classical to the incomprehensible to the downright bizarre. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by … Continue reading Episode 88: Experimenting on Your Thoughts →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Greg Christensen provides a bit of historical context for some of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism that is produced by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & … Continue reading Episode 87: A Middle East Primer →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ian James sits down for a conversation with Rafael Reyes, guitarist for local Winnipeg band The Mariachi Ghost. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of … Continue reading Episode 86: Interview with a Mariachi Ghost →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem Newman and Richelle McCullough discuss Bill C-17 (“Vanessa’s Law”) and are joined by Ian Bushfield of Sense About Science’s AllTrials project to discuss the problem of publication bias. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented … Continue reading Episode 85: AllTrials and Vanessa’s Law →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Donna Harris, Richelle McCullough, and Laura Creek Newman discuss the scientific failings of popular spiritualist and guru Deepak Chopra and “America’s Doctor” Mehmet Oz. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and … Continue reading Episode 84: Deepak Chopra & Dr. Oz →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Greg Christensen visits the Calgary Secular Church and interviews CSC minister Korey Peters. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba. Links: Calgary Secular Church … Continue reading Episode 83: Live from the Calgary Secular Church →
In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn Noble, Gem Newman, and Ian James discuss several of the things that, as skeptics, they’ve changed their minds out.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba.
Links: Reasonable Doubts Episode 43: Stewards of This Earth | PETA Embraces Autism Pseudoscience | Gem’s Favourite Recipes | Insite Supervised Injection Site | Harm Reduction in Public Health | Ramtha/J.Z. Knight at the Skeptic’s Dictionary | Your Friday Dose of Woo: H2Ooooooommmm | Masaru Emoto’s Wonderful World of Water | A Grain of Truth: Recreating Dr. Emoto’s Rice Experiment | Can Thinking Change Reality? | Geocentrism – Seriously? | Donate to Habitat for Humanity’s Muddy Waters Ride (Gem) | Donate to Habitat for Humanity’s Muddy Waters Ride (Laura) | HAAM’s Atheist Bible Study
Contact Us: Facebook | Twitter | Email
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In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem Newman, Ashlyn Noble, and Kristina Anderson review some popular science books, and are joined by Greta Christina, who tells them all about her newest book, Coming Out Atheist.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba.
Books Reviewed: Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, by Greta Christina | Soundings: The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who Mapped the Ocean Floor, by Hali Felt | Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients, by Ben Goldacre | Bad Pharma: What Happened Next (Free Follow-up Chapter) | The Hungry Scientist Handbook, by Patrick Buckley and Lili Binks
Other Recommendations: The Ebony Exodus Project, by Candace R.M. Gorham | Why Are You Atheists So Angry?, by Greta Christina | Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks, by Ben Goldacre | The Rocks Don’t Lie, by David R. Montgomery | The Map That Changed the World, by Simon Winchester | The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson | The Runelords, by David Farland | The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan | Last Chance to See, by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine | The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham | The Lathe Of Heaven, by Ursula K. Le Guin | I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson | Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow
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In this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Donna Harris and Greg Christensen discuss near-death experiences (NDEs) and some of the possible psychological, physiological, and transcendental explanations for them.
Note: Shortly after this episode was recorded, we learned that Steven Novella and Sean Carroll would be participating in an Intelligence Squared debate on the resolution “Death Is Not Final”. Arguing for the resolution was Eben Alexander, author of Proof of Heaven, who was mentioned in this episode. We link to a video of the debate in the show notes.
Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a program promoting secular humanism and scientific skepticism presented by the Winnipeg Skeptics and the Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba.
Links: Death Is Not Final (Intelligence Squared Debate) | Near-death Experiences (Wikipedia) | Heaven Is for Real | Eben Alexander | Francis Collins | Pim van Lommel | Sam Parnia | The God Helmet | International Association for Near-death Studies | Impact Factor (Wikipedia)
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