It’s that day again – I’ve previously blogged (and podcasted!) about this particular day, but one of the great things about podcasting is that it continues to develop and change over time. Here’s some recommendations that I have about podcasting, some I’ve hosted on my own site and some elsewhere. However you celebrate the day, please consider a review for the shows I do – not only Token Skeptic, but 365 Days Of Philosophy and Talk the Talk! Serial and the Podcast Explosion – Live Forum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6M69v6u7o Why Podcasts Work? http://bigthink.com/videos/alex-goldm ..read more

Welcome to the former Token Skeptic podcast site (at least, former as in ‘not updated since 2019… remember back to those pre-COVID-19 days?’). Here’s where I keep a repository of many of my previous episodes of the Token Skeptic podcast, and a few other audio pieces. If you’re reading this, most likely you’ve come across the article I did for The Conversation website, called On Friday the 13th, leave the superstitions at home, or a recent Overnights radio interview I did for the ABC about my work. Much of what I wrote was on spec for The Conversation, as we have very little firm informat ..read more

Why would anyone join a cult? Maybe they’re unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they’re disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens? Either way, this is the topic of a fascinating new book by author Jo Thornley, who also has a popular podcast called Zealot (featuring some amazing guests). Zealot: A Book About Cults by Jo Thornley is published by Hachette and is available ..read more

The idea that animals have the potential to talk is an alluring one; from the mathematical stunts of Clever Hans, to investigations of parrots, dolphins and chimps – just look at viral BBC footage of a gopher yelling “Alan”. It’s interesting, exciting and even cute – but is it really true that animals have language? After the recent passing of Koko the Gorilla, I spoke to Daniel Midgley about the hopes we have about being the next Dr Dolittle, and just how realistic those hopes are. Daniel is a lecturer in applied linguistics at Edith Cowan University, and at the University of W ..read more

Hundreds of bizarre health claims such as “tonifies kidney essence” and “opens body orifices” could appear on complementary medicine labels under new laws being pushed by the Australian federal government. Consumer advocacy group Choice is urging the Australian public to tell Senators to knock back these laws so that Australians looking for vitamins and supplements can separate fact from fiction. Their campaign points out that “Proposed laws could see dangerous and potentially misleading claims on therapeutic goods, especially complementary and alternative medicines like herbal and homeopathic ..read more

Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder is a science book with a difference, written by Alom Shaha, illustrated by Emily Robertson and published by Scribble Kids Books. Alom was born in Bangladesh but grew up in London; as a parent, teacher, science writer, and filmmaker, he has spent most of his professional life trying to share his passion for science and education with the public. Alom has produced, directed, and appeared in a number of television programmes for broadcasters such as the BBC, and has received fellowships from the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and ..read more

Belle Gibson convinced the world she had healed herself from terminal brain cancer with a healthy diet. She built a global business based upon her claims. There was just one problem: she’d never had cancer. In 2015, journalists uncovered the truth: this hero of the wellness world, with over 200,000 followers, international book deals, and a best-selling smartphone app, was a fraud Written by the same multi-award-winning journalists who uncovered the details of Gibson’s lies, The Woman Who Fooled the World tracks the 23-year-old’s rise to fame and fall from gr ..read more

How To Be Reasonable (By Someone Who Tried Everything Else) is a primer on critical thinking and an introduction to scientific skepticism that will empower you to see the world a little bit more clearly. The world is a strange, scary and beautiful place. and author and artist Rebecca Fox suggests that being reasonable helps you to wonder at the strange, avoid the scary and celebrate the beauty. I interviewed Rebecca about How To Be Reasonable – you can find the book on Amazon and check out her website at http://rebeccaonpaper.com/how-to-be-reasonable/ *********** A quick note about suppor ..read more

Free WIFI – two words that many people love to hear. But how many people read the terms and conditions before they connect to it? Accessing wireless points that you don’t know where it originates from can be risky and harmful to your confidential information. Edith Cowan University researchers did some testing by setting up some rather interesting WIFI networks around Perth… and Dr Krishnun Sansurooah joined me to tell us how it went. *********** About a month ago, the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre closed down. More than a thousand displaced refugees are now left in a vulne ..read more

The recent news that Australia is getting its own Space Agency is one sure to affect the entire nation – but should we be so eager so fast? The Federal Government has announced its plans to  cash in on a $420 billion aeronautical industry and create thousands of new jobs, which coincided with the 69th International Astronautical Congress which is being held in Adelaide this week. Science Communicator Dr. Paul Willis of Media Engagement Service spoke to me about the developments on The Mag for RTRFM. ******** A quick note about supporting the po ..read more