Sat, 31 December 2011
Generally about gaming. Mostly very silly. Interrupted by a fire-alarm before I get to ask any more questions, because that’s just how I roll. Please note: at certain points the audience were tortured by being fed Australian food and I physically attack Derek for not turning his phone off. This episode is brought to you with tremendous admiration and genuine, sincere thanks to Derek Colanduno of Skepticality.com and Mark Ditzler at Abrupt Media. Recorded at Dragon*Con 2011. Dr Steve Novella apparently has a site and some kind of semblance of a podcast, but I guess you know that. Barbara Drescher is the bomb. Derek really should learn not to have an operating phone anywhere near me. Thank you all for being a part of the journey - and more thanks than ever to the Dragon*Con SkepTrack, which has to be the best ever experience in terms of a convention that I've ever had. Token Skeptic site is at www.tokenskeptic.org. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_99_-_On_Token_Skeptic_Live.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 5:54 PM Comments[0]
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Sat, 31 December 2011
Welcome to one of the last episodes for 2011! "While some skeptics have been having conniptions about the film, others have wondered what the big deal is. After all, it’s just a movie. Of course, so was Oliver Stone’s JFK, but like Anonymous, it was also propaganda for a genuine conspiracy theory. Anonymous features several prominent Shakespeare denialists, like Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance, who will no doubt use the film’s release to promote their conspiracy theories, and since they sound more intelligent and less crazy than other conspiracists, like 9/11 truther Charlie Sheen, people will perhaps pay attention to them. After all, they’re Just Asking Questions..." - Skeptical Humanities, Shakespeare Denialism: The Roland Emmerich Study Guide Bob Blaskiewicz received his Ph.D in English from Saint Louis University. He is a Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow in the Writing and Communication Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he teaches writing and communication classes that take extraordinary claims as their subject. He is currently the Chair of the Steering Committee for the Atlanta chapter of the Independent Investigations Group (IIG-Atlanta), a research group and public resource for information about the paranormal and extraordinary. Eve Siebert has a Ph.D. in English literature from Saint Louis University. Her primary concentration is in Old and Middle English literature, with secondary concentrations in Old Norse and Shakespeare. You can find more of their work at the awesome site Skeptical Humanities! The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs at http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_98_-_On_Shakespearian_Conspiracies_and_the_film_Anonymous.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 5:54 AM Comments[0]
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Thu, 29 December 2011
An exclusive interview with four members of the Stop the Australian Vaccination Network (Stop the AVN on Facebook) on the day of the protest at the Woodford Folk Festival - Jason Brown, Dave The Happy Singer, Daniel Raffaele and Robin Hilliard. Operation Nutcracker Media Release. While unhappy that Ms Dorey will still be speaking at Woodford, the Stop the AVN Facebook group, a loose-knit consortium of concerned citizens, scientists, doctors and nurses, decided to use a little humour in order to have ‘the last word’. The group has hired an aircraft to fly over the Woodford Folk Festival site during the two hours surrounding Ms Dorey’s appearance. Between 1.45 and 3.45pm on Thursday, 29 December, the plane will tow a banner with the message: VACCINATION SAVES LIVES. Volunteers will be on the ground to hand out flyers after Ms Dorey’s appearance in the Blue Lotus tent at 2.15pm. The flyer addresses some of the myths about vaccination and counters them with facts. Mentioned during the show: Article in MamaMia on Woodford Folk Festival Protest The HCC ruling against the AVN - Wings Over Woodford Thanks to Skeptimite for the on-the-scene at Woodford photos. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_Special_Episode_Stop_The_AVN.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 2:37 PM Comments[0]
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Tue, 27 December 2011
Once again, this special episode is brought to you with many thanks to the 2011 Dragon*Con Skeptrack –Derek Colanduno of Skepticality.com and Mark Ditzler at Abrupt Media. From challenging anti-vax groups and homeopathy, to consumer awareness raising. What can skeptics do and how to get it right, by doing some research. Tremendous gratitude, once again, to the moderator of this panel (and host of Skeptically Speaking) Desiree Schell. This episode features DJ Grothe of the JREF,Debbie Goddard, Maria Walters, Brian Brushwood and Kylie Sturgess. Episode ninety-seven is dedicated to all of the supporters of the Token Skeptic podcast - thanks for donating to the show! A review of the panel can be found at ICBS Everywhere, with many thanks to Barbara Drescher. The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_97_-_Skeptical_Activism_201_-_The_Skeptics_Strike_Back.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 3:23 PM Comments[0]
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Mon, 26 December 2011
Recently Matt Lowry wrote a blog-post on Using Mythology as a Critical Thinking Tool: The Lesson of Santa for Kids - just as Tim Minchin wrote a piece for the New Statesman about his own efforts to balance a pro-naturalistic worldview and living a life unencumbered by superstition, while raising kids and encouraging a love of fiction. Matt Lowry is best known as the Skeptical Teacher - a high school physics teacher, plus a part-time physics and astronomy college professor, contributor to the James Randi Educational Foundation Education Advisory Group and awesome presenter for kids’ shows at Dragon*Con. For this interview we talk about all of these things (and whether Santa might actually be a Time Lord with a sleigh made out of quantum-something-or-other). During the discussion, we also talk about Barbara Drescher's blog-post at the JREF Swift: An Argument for Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and (gasp!) Even Jesus. Here's another great link to the Physics of Santa! The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs at http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_96_-_On_Critical_Thinking_And_Santa_Again.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 3:00 AM Comments[0]
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Sun, 25 December 2011
As the number of people who choose to become involved with skeptical outreach and pro-science initiatives increases, so do the ways they choose to contribute - and these can greatly vary. Traditional print media, blogging, editing Wikipedia, producing national radio shows and popular podcasts all play a part - and for this episode of the Token Skeptic, these people all just happen to be women. If it’s true that role models and mentorship is a vital part of encouraging women to participate, then let’s look at some examples that exist out there on the internet. Julia Lavarnway is the managing editor of the Skeptical Inquirer and the “News and Views” columnist for Free Inquiry‘s quarterly newsletter, Secular Humanist Bulletin. She started We Are SkeptiXX out of her frustration and dismay over the lack of support for and recognition of women in many organizations in the formal skeptics movement. Susan Gerbic is a professional portrait photographer living in Salinas, California, an attendee of a number of skeptical conferences world wide, who presented at TAM9 in 2011. She's an editor of Wikipedia, updating articles with a skeptical theme, and adds pictures from her vast collection of photos. Her website, which guides and mentors fellow skeptics into contributing to Wikipedia, can be found at Guerilla Skepticism on Wikipedia. Desiree Schell is the host of the live Canadian call-in radio talk show and podcast Skeptically Speaking. Desiree explores the connections between science and skepticism, and strategies for promoting critical thinking beyond the ranks of current skeptics. In her work as a labour organizer, Desiree creates curricula and teaches courses on effective activism. Skeptically Speaking records interviews live every Sunday night at 6 pm MST and is rebroadcast by several radio stations in Canada and the United States. The show is also available as an MP3 download on the website and iTunes. She has presented at a number of conferences, including Dragon*Con and Amazing Meetings. The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs at http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_95_-_On_Skeptical_Women_Online.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 8:43 PM Comments[0]
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Wed, 21 December 2011
In celebration of the release of the Young Australian Skeptics' Blog Anthology. You can get your own copy here! This is a talk that I gave on Thursday 12th May, 2011 at the University of Melbourne's Secular Society, and it is with many thanks to Richard Hughes and the Melbourne Secular Society that I can play this for you! Research has shown that around one in four people world-wide believe in Astrology. The average daily newspaper features horoscopes and nearly everyone knows their star-sign (and maybe even their Chinese star-sign!) Skepticism is not as prevalent as we might think, despite living in the age of the internet: why is Astrology so popular and why are women more likely to believe? The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_93_-_On_Fleeced_Lecture_By_Kylie_Sturgess.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 5:00 AM Comments[0]
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Tue, 20 December 2011
Welcome to episode ninety-three - On Science and Blogging! James Byrne is completing his PhD in Microbial Pathogenesis following a Bachelor of Science with Honours at the University of Adelaide. During his time at the University James was Associate Lecturer in undergraduate biology, and previously volunteered for RiAus events, before taking up a post as the Programs Co-ordinator. He writes popular science articles for various newspapers as well as COSMOS magazine, and Scientific American online. He is the first non-American to write on the Scientific American site - his blog at the Scientific American is called Disease Prone. The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_93_-_On_Science_And_Blogging_With_James_Byrne.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 8:01 AM Comments[0]
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Wed, 7 December 2011
The Truth About Conspiracy Theories - moderated by Robert Blaskiewicz and featuring panelists Benjamin Radford, Tom Lolis, Kylie Sturgess. This episode is brought to you with tremendous thanks to Derek Colanduno of Skepticality.com and Mark Ditzler at Abrupt Media. Recorded at Dragon*Con 2011. "The stories spawned by conspiracy theorists are as numerous and varied as they are improbably. This panel will explore many of these stories and the people telling them." Robert Blaskiewicz is a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he teaches courses in writing and twentieth-century American literature. He specializes in WWII veterans’ writings, extraordinary/paranormal claims and conspiracy theory. He co-edits the blog Skeptical Humanities and he has authored a number of articles for the Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. Tom Lolis received his PhD at the University of Miami. His teaching and research focus on Renaissance literature, graphic novels, and the history and rhetoric of dissenting communities.
Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of the science magazine Skeptical Inquirer, and a columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine Skeptical Briefsnewsletter, Discovery News, LiveScience.com and MediaMythmakers.com. He also co-hosts, Skeptic magazine's audio podcast MonsterTalk, which critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and werewolves. ***** The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com.Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_92_-_On_The_Truth_About_Conspiracy_Theories_DragonCon_2011_Panel.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 3:54 PM Comments[1]
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Thu, 1 December 2011
The UK Observer on Sunday 20th November 2011, published a moving article about a four-year old girl, Billie Banbridge, and an effort to raise money to seek treatment for her inoperable brain tumor. Despite the noble goal and heartwarming effort, featuring the contributions of a number of celebrities like the band Radiohead and Cheryl Cole, the treatment being sought was at Stanislaw Burszynski clinic in Texas. A number of bloggers, who have been keeping track of the claims of this clinic over several years, voiced their concern that patients like Billie and their families were risking time and money, as well as putting their health in danger. The first blogger to report a threat from an employee of clinic itself was Andy Lewis of Quackometer, who has been lending support to fellow bloggers and maintaining a vigilant approach to communicating the facts under significant pressure to be silenced. References made during the show: True to Andy Lewis’ words, on Tuesday, 29th November, The Guardian newspaper reported on Rhys Morgan’s posting of the entire correspondence from Marc Stephens on his blog. The Burszynski clinic has revealed that Stephens was only a web marketing contractor and that ‘no one approved [Stephens] sending pictures of Morgan’s house to him’. At time of podcasting this episode, more and more bloggers are continuing to question claims by the Burszynski clinic. The Token Skeptic Blog – now on FreeThought Blogs, one of the most popular online Atheist blogging networks. http://freethoughtblogs.com/tokenskeptic. This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Visit www.tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com. Theme songs are “P&P” by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Please considering supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic. Direct download: Token_Skeptic_91_-_On_Stanislaw_Burszynski_Streisand_Effects_And_Standing_Up_For_Skeptical_Bloggers.mp3 Category:general -- posted at: 1:01 AM Comments[0]
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