Podcasts about edinburgh skeptics

This week Brian is back(!) as András has gone missing(?) We chat again about the wonderful online events out there: you should definitely check out the Edinburgh Skeptics on the Fringe productions. We then talk about the Wow! signal that was recorded this week in 1977 and also find that Francis seems to have done something good for once. In this week's news: - Two outbreaks in Mamming, Bavaria - Danish abattoir closed over COVID-19 cluster - Disinformation not only consumed by young or uneducated - Countries with mandatory BCG vaccination might actually be better off in the fight against COVID-- 19 - 10 Coronavirus scams to be weary of - WHO calls for caution about Russian vaccine roll-out - No need to celebrate: 0.01 degrees less global warming by 2030 due to the pandemic - NHS hiring a spiritual healer - No positive outcomes at all from having free-schools in Sweden - UK government may intervene to curb dangerous 'cancer cure' propaganda The prize for being Really Wrong goes to NICE in the UK (the National Institute for Health Care Excellence) for recommending acupuncture, despite any evidence or science. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; This Week; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes Events Calendar: http://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

This week we celebrate Britt Hermes' lawsuit victory and that Annika got married (yay!) and urge everyone top make plans for ESC in Belgium – there's still time to get your tickets! We hear about celebrated scientist and skeptic David Colquhoun and we get into how the term ‘Religious Liberty' is so misunderstood and misused by the church. András gives us a special interview with Heather and Mark Pentler of the Edinburgh Skeptics who reveal all about the upcoming Skeptics in the Fringe in August. In the news it is formally confirmed that France is stopping public funding for homeopathy and there are signs that Germany may go the same way. HPV vaccinations get included also for boys in the UK, same sex marriages and abortions get allowed in Northern Ireland (upon time). The WHO releases a report that shows that we have not improved global vaccination rates in the last 8 years, but we learn in other news at least that measles vaccinations will now become mandatory in Germany. Finally, ‘psychic healer' Jeanette Wilson gets a Really Wrong award for her current tour of the UK and for her stupid nonsense in general. Segments: Intro; Greetings; This Week in Skepticism; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Interview; News; Really Wrong; Quote; Outro; Out-takes Events Calendar: http://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

Join us for a special episode of the podcast recorded at QEDCon 2018. QEDCon is the UK's best (only?) skeptical conference and each year a large contingent of Edinburgh Skeptics migrate south for the weekend to Manchester for it. There are talks, panels, podcast recordings, and the chance to mingle with like-minded people and swap ideas for the future. As we have done for the past few years we took the opportunity to talk to some interesting people who we bumped into over the weekend to find out what's going on right now in science and skepticism, as well as find out about QEDCon itself. In this episode: - Comedian and archaelogist Paul D. McGarrity - QEDCon 2018 compere and science communicator Helen Arney - American skeptic and podcaster Eli Bosnick - QEDCon and Greater Manchester Skeptics' co-organiser Rick Owen https://www.qedcon.org Twitter: @QEDCon

We talk with the fabulous and twice Ockham's Award winning Edinburgh Skeptics Society! Heather Pentler and Sean Slater tell us all about the upcoming Skeptics on the Fringe when there will be 23 skeptical events, every day, starting 4 August. If you have chance you should go!

Join the current members of the Edinburgh Skeptics committee for the official unveiling of our Skeptics on the Fringe 2018 programme. This year’s diverse roster includes talks on blasphemy, historical medical woo, fracking and many other interesting and varied topics. Plus we have details of our super special Fringe competition! All of our events are at The Banshee Labyrinth Chamber Room (Venue 156) on Niddry St. (just off the Royal Mile near North Bridge) from 4th-26th August and all events start promptly at 7:30pm. Our events are free to enter but donations are gratefully received to enable us to keep Edinburgh Skeptics going through the year. Skeptics on the Fringe is part of The PBH Free Fringe. Roll on August!

Paul and Gerry hope you all enjoy the Live audio of our Edinburgh Skeptics presentation, if you do and you are in Scotland keep a look out as we will be doing another one with the Glasgow Skeptics in the upcoming months.  Remember you can always contact us at Info@notanotherfakenewscast.com  or on Twitter and facebook by searching @PGMcase our website as ever has all our sources and new t-shirts coming soon, you can have a look here -  www.NotAnotherFakeNewsCast.com  we also have an amazing offer Holzkern https://www.holzkern.com/en will give you 15% off using NAFNC15 - i cannot even stress how much i love my Holzkern watch made from Sodalite and Wood.

Note: Bit of mic trouble in this one - sorry! Quite some time after the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe our chair Mark Pentler sat down in his own living room with his fellow committee member Heather Pentler to chat about autism and the many myths surrounding it. They also talk about Issac Newton and the ghosts, plus there's a preview of our 2018 Meadows Festival stall. Heather has been an active skeptic for the last 7 years and is currently on the committee of Edinburgh Skeptics. She has previously spoken about her experiences exposing dodgy alternative medical practices. Heather's day job is a support worker working with autistic adults for a charity.

Ever wondered what is the difference between Aspergers and autism but been too embarrassed to ask. There are many myths and misunderstandings about people with autism. EdSkeptics' very own Heather Pentler is here to fill your knowledge holes. Heather's talk seeks to dispel some of the myths and expose some of the awful practices and "cures" that are on offer. Heather has been an active skeptic for the last 7 years and is currently on the committee of Edinburgh Skeptics. She has previously spoken about her experiences exposing dodgy alternative medical practices. Heather's day job is a support worker working with autistic adults for a charity.

Before her talk for us on the wonders and the dangers of plastic Dr. Madeleine Berg sat down with Claudia Schaffner to discuss her career and current job, her work with Edinburgh Skeptics on their cinema nights and her adorable-sounding guinea pigs. Coming from a geosciences background, Dr Berg completed a PhD in geology before deciding to use her experience in science research and communication in a more applied setting. She now works at Fidra, an environmental charity based in East Lothian, on projects focused on ways to reduce sources of marine plastic pollution. She continues to fuel herpassion for science communication through volunteering with the British Science Association Edinburgh branch. http://edinburghbsa.weebly.com/ Twitter - @BSAedinburgh

Let it not be said that we don't pull out all the stop at Edinburgh Skeptics. All the way from Kansas we welcome Dr. Grant Ritchey. Before his excellent talk for us on dental pseudoscience we sat down with the Skeptical DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) to hear about his "favourite" dental quackery, his journey into skepticism and his made-up-on-the-spot superpower. Author, Science Based Medicine blog (www.sciencebasedmedicine.org) Co-host (with Dr. Clay Jones) of The Prism Podcast (www.prismpodcast.com) Twitter - @skepticaldds

Despite Mark Pentler clumsily saying this is the last episode of our Fringe 2016 podcasts while forgetting that he often releases them out of order, it definitely isn't... Recorded just before our Fringe edition of Devil's Advocate - EdSkeptics one-time regular-ish skeptical comedy panel show - EdSkeptics founder Keir Liddle joins current chair Mark Pentler to talk about the society, kids playing video games that are too young for them and whether video games will ever be taken seriously as a medium. Keir Liddle is a PhD at the University of Stirling, and former president of Edinburgh Skeptics committee. He was one of the founders of the longest free skeptical festival in the world (Skeptics On The Fringe) and has a longstanding interest in psychology and video games. His favourite game of all time is the Legend of Zelda: A link to the past. You can find out more by following him on twitter @keirliddle

This week we feature a Fringe 2016 talk and an interview courtesy of one of our old friends Keir Liddle. Psychology plays an important part in video games from attract mode to risk and reward mechanics. Games are often designed around psychological principles designers sometimes take for granted. Games also are associated with a number of social issues: violence and misogyny. This talk will look at the psychology of video games and their wider impact. Keir Liddle is a PhD at the University of Stirling, and former president of Edinburgh Skeptics committee. He was one of the founders of the longest free skeptical festival in the world (Skeptics On The Fringe) and has a longstanding interest in psychology and video games. His favourite game of all time is the Legend of Zelda: A link to the past. You can find out more by following him on twitter @keirliddle

On this episode, you'll find news, events and interesting topics, including 1023 in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria and Germany, Edzard Ernst's new book, The Golden Board 2016 Awards in Germany, unlicensed blood drug for sale, Hungarian cancer, "bishop" convicted for selling MMS in Ireland, Finnish Trump-game, CICAP's telepathy test makes it to the news, the Good Thinking Society's first maths project starts and the governing Polish party is Really Wrong. Also featuring a report from QED 2016 as well as an interview with Edinburgh Skeptics. Segments Intro; Greetings & Feedback; On this day; What's on in Europe?; What's hot in Europe?; QED report; Really Wrong; Interview with Edinburgh Skeptics; Quote

QED 2016 has been and gone by the time you read this, but Edinburgh Skeptics were there in force to soak up the atmosphere in a very rainy Manchester. During the weekend ace reporter Mark Pentler was able to catch up with some of the speakers at the conference and find out a bit more about their QED experience, their lives, and how they're helping to promote the skeptical cause. You'll hear from YouTube superstar Captain Disillusion (01:06), Oxford-based science communicator Sally Le Page (15:30), QI Elf Stevyn Colgan (24:32) and ex-naturopath Britt Hermes (37:26). Join us for more interviews from QED next week in part 2!

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders   0:07:11 Fiona O'Leary and her VAXXing Issue We chat to Fiona about her work promoting autism issues in Ireland and the recent letter she received telling her to more or less hold her tongue! Why? Find out in this interview. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSIfRTGC3XQ34mHUNICVLw http://ascienceenthusiast.com/vaxxed-makers-threaten-lawsuit-for-valid-criticism/ http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/us-film-studio-threatens-to-sue-autism-rights-advocate/2500229/ http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/us-film-studio-threatens-to-sue-autism-rights-advocate-412355.html https://www.change.org/p/ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-stop-vaxxed-and-their-reckless-campaign http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/vaxxed-distributor-threatened-fiona-oleary/   0:24:32 Edinburgh Skeptics and the Fringe A trip to Scotland and a chat with Mark Pentler and Sean Slater from the Edinburgh Skeptics. What is coming up at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival for skeptics to enjoy? Many things! http://www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/doug-anthony-all-stars-daas-live-on-stage   0:41:52 Maynard's Spooky Action.. Maynard finds himself on tour across Australia with the Totally 80's show. This week he invites some skeptics back stage! http://www.metropolistouring.com/   Also... Skeptics Sydney Dinner http://www.skeptics.com.au/2016/06/13/sydney-dinner-6-august-how-to-make-skeptics-even-more-attractive/ Skeptics with a K http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/podcasts/ Win for No Jab No Pay Law http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/no-jab-no-play-campaign-has-a-big-win-as-thousands-of-former-antivaxxers-immunise-their-children/news-story/3876c77770cceba83c54f47a42607fb1    

With massive apologies for not having anything for you this week, Mark rambled on for about four minutes about the podcast and Edinburgh Skeptics in general, along with gratuitous begging and a story about bin bags. We'll be back next week. Promise.

Photoshop is a popular piece of graphics software used to alter photos and create digital art. It allows realistic images to be created in more detail than ever before, but to what end? Can we trust the pictures we’re shown by politicians, the media, advertisers, or even our friends? How are images manipulated, and what happens when things go wrong? Where is the line between ‘art’ and ‘digital fakery’, and how can we tell? A professional photoshopper gives her view! Miss Twist has been part of Edinburgh Skeptics since 2010 as emcee, roving mic, poster girl, and giving talks on subjects ranging from clothing to astrology and Christmas kitsch. She has been a catwalk model, auditioned for ‘Star Wars’, and has spent far to much time using Photoshop. This last thing makes her extremely skeptical of any pictures she sees… https://misstwists.wordpress.com/

In the year that Back to the Future went back to the future, we just had to have a talk on time travel. Time travel is something that none of us has any* experience of, yet it’s a very strong and understandable plot device in many books and films. Chair of Edinburgh Skeptics (and Sci Fi geek) Ewan Leeming will look at how, why and where it is used, and the growth away from the traditional science fiction setting towards more mainstream stories. *non-trivial Ewan is something of a renaissance man: having qualified (and worked briefly) as a Maths Teacher, he’s also been a Gamekeeper, Outdoor Instructor, Science Presenter, Tutor, Farm Worker, Croupier, Shelf Stacker, Science Communicator, Newsletter Editor, Motorsport Event Organiser and probably some other things he’s forgotten about. Currently he’s a Senior Printer at the best Printers in Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Copyshop. He’s also the chair of Edinburgh Skeptics, attempting to keep everyone else sane while we put on more events per year than any other skeptical group in the country. You'll find Ewan on Twitter at @champnav

Unlike those internet viral hoaxes, today actually IS Back to the Future 2 day. To celebrate, we have an interview to go with our very own Ewan Leeming's talk on time travel in popular fiction (which you can also download today). We talk about Ewan's favourite time travel stories, how he got into skepticism, and his pets as a child... Ewan is something of a renaissance man: having qualified (and worked briefly) as a Maths Teacher, he’s also been a Gamekeeper, Outdoor Instructor, Science Presenter, Tutor, Farm Worker, Croupier, Shelf Stacker, Science Communicator, Newsletter Editor, Motorsport Event Organiser and probably some other things he’s forgotten about. Currently he’s a Senior Printer at the best Printers in Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Copyshop. He’s also the chair of Edinburgh Skeptics, attempting to keep everyone else sane while we put on more events per year than any other skeptical group in the country. You'll find Ewan on Twitter at @champnav  

Every year Edinburgh Skeptics put on a lineup of talks called ‘Skeptics On The Fringe’ (SotF) as part of the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. SotF 2015 features 30 speakers over 22 nights. We've recorded the audio from most of the talks, and interviewed most of the speakers, and we're releasing these over the following year. To launch our Skeptics On The Fringe podcast series properly (not counting episode zero last week...) David Frank spoke to Ash Pryce, the founder of Edinburgh Skeptics, and co-founder of Skeptics On The Fringe (SotF). They talked about the early "wild west" days of SotF, some of the stranger things one sees on the high street at the Fringe, and Ash’s blog where he has shared what it’s like as a performer to battle weight-gain and depression. Ash’s Links: Blog | Website | @PsychicConman  

Bats: Creepy as heck? Or cute and cuddly? Edinburgh Skeptics regular Tracey Jolliffe gave a talk as part of our Edinburgh Science Festival line up to help us find out. While we were unable to record Tracey's talk on the night, she sat down (some time after the Science Festival, due to all sorts of reasons) with David Frank to face 10 Questions about her work and about herself.

As part of the 2015 Edinburgh International Science Festival, Edinburgh Skeptics and the University of Edinburgh Humanist Society held a General Election Hustings on Tuesday the 14th of April.  The panel consisted of the following candidates and representatives: Left Unity - Bruce Whitehead (Edinburgh North & Leith) Scottish Conservative Party - Mark Brown (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) Scottish Green Party - Peter McColl (Edinburgh East) Scottish Labour Party - Cllr. Gordon Munro Scottish Liberal Democrats - Gary McLelland (Glasgow East) Scottish National Party - Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) UKIP Scotland - Alan Melville (Edinburgh North & Leith) This is part 2, with general audience questions from the floor.

As part of the 2015 Edinburgh International Science Festival, Edinburgh Skeptics and the University of Edinburgh Humanist Society held a General Election Hustings on Tuesday the 14th of April.  The panel consisted of the following candidates and representatives: Left Unity - Bruce Whitehead (Edinburgh North & Leith) Scottish Conservative Party - Mark Brown (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) Scottish Green Party - Peter McColl (Edinburgh East) Scottish Labour Party - Cllr. Gordon Munro Scottish Liberal Democrats - Gary McLelland (Glasgow East) Scottish National Party - Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) UKIP Scotland - Alan Melville (Edinburgh North & Leith) This is part 1, with 6 pre-published questions known to both the audience and the speakers. Part 2, with general questions from the floor, is in the episode after this.

After titillating us, entertaining us, and sometimes grossing us out a little bit, Edinburgh Skeptics member David Frank joins us for the very first 10 Questions podcast. Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, David has lived in Japan and Vietnam, and most recently moved to Scotland. He has organised dozens of events for Perth Skeptics, Tokyo Skeptics, The Humanist Society of Western Australia and various other Meetup groups. He currently runs Edinburgh Skeptics’ monthly discussion group Skeptics Underground held at 2pm on the second Sunday of every month. You can read more about him at www.davidfrank.com.au.

We could all use some tips on how to market ourselves, whether looking for love online or trying to make the best impression in any situation. There will also be a marketer’s insight into why there are few porn sites for women, and an analysis of the porn viewing habits of men. We’ll lampoon the formulas romance novels use for their plots and covers. Finally we’ll look at a case study of how one porn site markets itself in safe-for-work plain view. There’ll be singing, poetry, and what we’re sure will be a very interesting Q&A afterwards. Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, David has lived in Japan and Vietnam, and most recently moved to Scotland. He has organised dozens of events for Perth Skeptics, Tokyo Skeptics, The Humanist Society of Western Australia and various other Meetup groups. He currently runs Edinburgh Skeptics’ monthly discussion group Skeptics Underground held at 2pm on the second Sunday of every month. You can read more about him at www.davidfrank.com.au.

0:00:00IntroductionRichard Saunders0:05:50Testing ShuziSports wristband claims ‘nonsensical techno-babble’ says consumer rights group - Read by Michael Marshall, vice-president of the Merseyside Skeptics Society.:09:25Maynard's Spooky Action.. at TAM 2012An interview with Eran Segev from Australian Skeptics.0:30:25From Scotland with love. Richard Saunders and Maynard chat to Ben and Steve Makin from Edinburgh Skeptics about their talk, "Where's the Harm" - traditional, complementary and New Age treatments and practices.