Imagine a kickstarter for science, helping to get cool and critical projects into action? That's what Crowdfunding for Science, the SciFund Challenge is all about - supporting science and involving the public with innovative new projects.

With only nineteen days of donations left to go, Evolution in Action has a goal to investigate how diseases evolve, using bioluminescent bacteria in mouse poo to track its progress. It may sound quirky, but the science behind the story has world-wide ramifications when it comes to investigating antibiotic resistance and stopping new diseases emerging.

Evolution in Action is just one of the many projects that Dr Siouxsie Wiles is involved with - sharing her twin passions of bioluminescence (think glow worms and fireflies!) and infectious diseases to engage the public and promote scientific progress.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles studied medical microbiology at the University of Edinburgh, UK and did a Ph.D. in microbiology at CEH Oxford (formally the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology) and Napier University, Edinburgh. She then spent her postdoctoral years at Imperial College London, developing bioluminescent derivatives of various infectious organisms.

Dr Wiles' work on Citrobacter rodentium culminated in winning the inaugural 3Rs prize from the UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) in 2006. She works at Auckland University, where she heads the Bioluminescent Superbugs Group in the School of Medical Sciences and can be found writing about miscellaneous science and skeptical stories at Infectious Thoughts on Sciblogs, the biggest blog network of scientists in New Zealand and ranting about pseudoscience on the Completely Unnecessary Skeptical Podcast.

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. The additional song used in this episode was "Spyder: The Lady Geek Spy Theme" by Milton Mermikides.

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.org.

Most of us believe that we are an independent, coherent self–an individual inside our head who thinks, watches, wonders, dreams, and makes plans for the future. This sense of our self may seem incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that it is not what it seems – it is all an illusion. In The Self Illusion, Professor Bruce M Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other.

Professor Bruce M Hood is the Director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre in the Experimental Psychology Department at the University of Bristol. He has been a research fellow at Cambridge University and University College London, a visiting scientist at MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. He is the author of a number of books, including SuperSense, a popular science book on the origins of supernatural beliefs that has been published in twelve countries (as previously featured on the Token Skeptic #11 and a transcript at the CSICOP Curiouser and Curiouser site).

Professor Hood continues to conduct research in diverse fields of human psychology specialising in the cognitive development of children. You can see his fantastic series of 2011 Christmas lectures at The Royal Institution site and follow his blog - he'll be appearing at the Las Vegas Amazing Meeting later this year!

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.org.

Hoaxilla - a green monster from the credulous deeps? Is it a German Skepticality, with a German-speaking Derek and Swoopy? Or a podcast about to celebrate its second birthday at the World Skeptics Congress?

Alexa and Alexander of Hoaxilla deal with modern and urban legends, media, culture and science from the skeptical perspective, without taking themselves too seriously. Past episodes include investigations into Titanic, Bigfoot, The Philadelphia Experiment, Mothman, chemtrails, vampires, subliminal messages and much more. Hoaxilla appears every Sunday at their official site at http://www.hoaxilla.com. They'll be at the World Skeptics Conference in Berlin, this month!

In addition (if you use Google Translate on their site) you'll find the coolest advertisement for a party yet:

During the Sixth World Skeptics Conference in Berlin in the period from 17 to 20 May 2012 is celebrating its 2nd HOAXILLA Birthday ! So let's at 19th May from 20:00 clock to meet with you in Berlin and celebrate!

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. Songs used with kind permission in this episode: “Walking In Snow With Russians” by Ice Core Scientist.

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.org.

From Nature News, 12th April:

Chinese herbal medicines contain ingredients derived from endangered animals, toxic plants and livestock, a genetic audit has discovered. Few of these ingredients were listed on the packaging.

“There’s absolutely no honesty in the labelling of these products. What they declare is completely at odds with what’s in there,” says Dr Mike Bunce, a geneticist at Murdoch University near Perth, Australia, who led the study.

For this episode, I talk to Dr Bunce of the Ancient DNA Research Laboratory about the study, what is involved with genetic auditing and what it might mean for the health and welfare of not only humans, but endangered animals. His work revolve around using ancient DNA to study evolutionary processes and using ancient DNA profiles to investigate past biodiversity. The research his lab are focused around using ancient DNA as a tool to profile past biodiversity and extinction events. 

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.org.

This episode begins with being skeptical about lipstick... and takes you around the world, interviewing the scientists and consumer rights activists who know the advertising claims made by cosmetics and the resulting myths about makeup!

In the USA - Perry Romanowski is a member of the Beauty Brains Podcast and the Chemists Corner Website, where he reviews cosmetic products and solves consumer problems. He most recently worked in the hair care innovation group at Alberto Culver, and has written and edited numerous articles and books, taught continuing education classes for industry scientists, and developed successful websites. His latest book is Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry - 3rd Edition published by Allured.

In UK - The Skeptical Beauty Blog is written by an anonymous beauty product addict in the UK, a scientist who loves data and has experience of working for the biggest cosmetics products producer in the world and knows all the insider secrets. That's why we can't show you her face on a podcast (or even tell you her name)!

In Australia - Christopher Zinn joined CHOICE in 2007 as media spokesman, after an international career in journalism. In 2010 he became director of campaigns and communications. His achievements at CHOICE include the Shonkys, which showcase the worst and the CHOICE awards, which showcase the best.

References for my investigations into lead levels in lipstick: http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm137224.htm#expanalyses and
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/15/whats-in-your-lipstick-fda-finds-lead-in-400-shades.

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. Songs used with kind permission in this episode: "Pale Blue Dot" and "Walking In Snow With Russians" by Ice Core Scientist.

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.org.

Chris Stedman is the Interfaith and Community Service Fellow for the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University and the Managing Director of State of Formation, a new initiative at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. Chris received an MA in Religion from Meadville Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago, for which he was awarded the Billings Prize for Most Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. A graduate of Augsburg College with a summa cum laude B.A. in Religion, Chris is the founder and author of the blog NonProphet Status.

His recently released book is called Faitheist: How An Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious and he speaks on it regularly both by invitation and as a member of the Secular Student Alliance Speakers Bureau. He will be touring Australia in April, including appearing at the Road Less Traveled fringe event of the Global Atheist Convention, with PZ Myers, Leslie Cannold and Meridith Doig.

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. Songs used in this episode: "Laundry" by makardos.

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.org.

A bonus for this episode! The start of the show is from Doubtful News, a ten-minute broadcast of some of the hit weird and wonderful stories that are in the media this month. Many thanks to Sharon Hill and check out the official site at http://doubtfulnews.com. Best of all, you'll be able to see Sharon and many others in person at the forthcoming Amazing Meeting 2012 from July 12-15th!

Today's episode features content from last month's Australian Science Communicators' National Conference held from 27-29th February in Sydney - a lecture by Michael McRae and an interview with Craig Cormick.

Michael McRae is the author of Tribal Science: Brains, Beliefs and Bad Ideas, which has been released in Australia by the University of Queensland Press; the forthcoming U.S. edition is from Prometheus Books. He has worked in science, education, as an artist and is currently employed as a writer-editor at Australia's CSIRO. He is also the writer behind the critical thinking videos for TechNyou, which can be found in six parts on YouTube and are part of a series on The Logic of Critical Thinking. His presentation at the conference that features in this episode is called "A Vital Divide: The Future Of Alternative Medicine in a Scientific Society".

Dr Craig Cormick is a former science journalist and editor, and is widely published on research into the causes of public concerns into new technologies. He has travelled to all seven continents as a science communicator, including presenting at APEC and OECD workshops. Dr Cormick has published several books and authored the reports What You Really Need To Know About What The Public Really Thinks About GM Foods (2005) and Cloning Goes To The Movies (2006). He also recently conducted an interview on Risk Science Unplugged: Why do smart people believe dumb things with Dr Di Bowman about the social values that govern much public perception of risk, and how they affect the decisions people make.

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.org.

Tanya Smith joined the board of (the former) Atheist Alliance International in 2010 and was part of the transition team that established the new Atheist Alliance International and Atheist Alliance of America during 2011.

Tanya was elected President of Atheist Alliance International in June 2011. She was one of the principal co-ordinators of the 2010 Global Atheist Convention The Rise of Atheism in Melbourne and has been a member of the Atheist Foundation of Australia’s Public Relations team since 2009. She'll be presenting at the Global Atheist Convention in 2012 - a limited number of tickets are still available for the event, running from the 13-15th April in Melbourne.

By profession Tanya is an investment banker specialising in mergers and acquisitions, and she has worked at a number of global investment banks in Australia and Europe.

The official site of the Atheist Alliance International can be found at: http://www.atheistalliance.org.
The Global Atheist Convention site is found at: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au.

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.

On the advent of International Women's Day, a double-interview show with two very interesting professionals who work on the big (film, documentary) and small (television, online) screens - for science and technology!

Gia Milinovich is an American film blogger and producer; her career in television has involved working on mostly science and technology shows. She produces websites, writes and lives in London. She has presented TV programmes such as Channel 4's Demolition Day (2003–06), as well as Sky Sports, Nickelodeon and BBC Radio 5 Live shows dating back to 1995  She produced the 'behind the scenes' website for the film Sunshine, the film 28 Weeks Later and was part of the technical support team for the BBC programme Electric Dreams in 2009.

Sonya Pemberton is an Australian documentary writer, director and executive producer. She has written and directed in television, specialising in science documentary for the international market. She has been three times honoured with the prestigious Eureka Prize for Science Journalism and was responsible for the Science, Natural History, Indigenous, Religion & Ethics, and Education departments, commissioning over 300 hours of factual programs. The documentary Immortal won Best Science and Nature at Jackson Hole, 2011. In 2011, Sonya joined forces with Cordell Jigsaw Productions to form a joint venture company, Genepool Productions.

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.

Announcement! Skeptical Blog Anthology Book Launch!

Saturday 3rd March 5.00pm A fabulous night with Kylie Sturgess and the Young Australian Skeptics!

See you at Embiggen Books 197-203 Lt Lonsdale St, Melbourne - behind the State Library.

*****

This is a short episode of a presentation that the artist and author Shaun Tan gave in Perth, not long after he won an Academy Award for best animated short film with The Lost Thing.

Shaun Tan is a Western Australian author and illustrator of award-winning children's books such as The Red Tree, The Rabbits and The Arrival. In 2006, his graphic novel The Arrival won the "Book of the Year" prize as part of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and he won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2011.

In this lecture, he talks about audience, the impact of winning the Oscar and takes questions from the audience.

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.