Token Skeptic Podcast

Why do we believe weird things? What does feminine intuition really mean? How do you become an effective activist for science and reason? Are you ready for a monthly show that poses these questions and more? Tune into the Token Skeptic for a slightly more skeptical look at stories in the news, urban legends, good science, pseudoscience, and what makes popular culture pop. Hosted and produced by philosophy teacher and radio broadcaster Kylie Sturgess.

The Podcasts

The Perth Writers Festival comes to town and it was a great chance to interview a range of talented authors taking part in the festivities.

My interviews are with:

  • Ben Rawlence - his book City of Thorns is about Northern Kenya - the home of the world’s largest refugee camp, with half a million people. Opening Night speaker at the Perth International Arts Festival.
  • Candice Fox - her first novel, Hades, won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut in 2014 from the Australian Crime Writers Association; she has since gone onto numerous books on crime and punishment.
  • Hannah Kent - is the best-selling author of Burial Rites and the newly released The Good People - stories of culture, crime and history.
  • Garth Nix -  is an award-winning sci-fi fantasy author with several series of fantasy and fiction; I asked him about his new book "Frogkisser" ahead of his appearances at the festival.
  • Amy Stewart - an author of nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including New York Times bestsellers with The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs and Wicked Plants. However, her range has extended to the tales of a trio of turn-of-the-century sisters turned detectives, with the latest being Lady Cop Makes Trouble - the second book in an ongoing series.
  • Chinelo Okparanta - this Nigerian-American author  writes stories of women and children, family life, migration, war and love; she first started with short stories, with the collection Happiness, Like Water and then her most recent novel Under the Udula Trees.
  • Inua Ellams - London-based playwright and poet Inua Ellams' work explores the themes of identity, displacement and destiny – areas of life he’s intimately familiar with.
  • Dan Box - the National Crime Reporter for The Australian and creator of crime podcast Bowraville.
  • Marwa Al-Sabouni - Syrian architect Marwa al-Sabouni is battling to heal her home city of Homs, having remained there as bombs destroyed much of what she knew and loved. Her ideas to mend the city are now laid out in a visionary memoir, The Battle For Home. She is presenting the closing night address.
  • Clementine Ford - Australian feminist columnist and author of the best selling book Fight Like A Girl.
  • Lindy West - is a Seattle-based writer, editor and performer who’s work has appeared in a number of well-known publications - and the author of Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman.
  • Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa - a Perth performance poet, she’s a workshop facilitator, actor, artist and humanitarian. Her questions about notions of Australian national identity, got her to the finals of the national Australia poetry slam.
  • Nathan Hill - short story author and author of The Nix; a tale of estrangement and displacement in both families and national politics.
  • Adrian Todd Zuniga - creator of Literary Death Match -  touted as Def Poetry Jam meets American Idol, this competition sees four authors perform a short excerpt of their most electric work before a panel of judges.
  • Omar Musa -  a Malaysian-Australian rapper and poet from Queanbeyan, Australia. He is the winner of the Australian Poetry Slam and the Indian Ocean Poetry Slam and has released three hip-hop albums, two poetry books, and received a standing ovation at TEDx.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support, especially producer Peter Barr.

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

This episode is brought to you with thanks to Patreon supporters – they include: Steven, Andrew, Dr T, Paul, Gerry, Josh, Kathy, Linley, Gold, Iggy, Lukas, Finch and Andrew.

Thanks to everyone who contributes and please consider joining to help continue these shows at patreon.com/kyliesturgess.

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com. 

Direct download: Token_Skeptic_Special_Episode_-_Perth_Writers_Festival_2017.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:40am HKT

How safe are herbal medicines?

In 2011, just over a billion dollars was spent on alternative medicines in Australia, many of which come with unproven efficacy claims. 

After reports on mainstream media in Australia about the efficacy of alternative medicine, cancer 'cures' and the like, there's a call for increased scrutiny about what's being offered to the public in the name of 'health supplements'.

Murdoch University Biochemistry Lecturer Dr Garth Maker is seeking to shed some light on the subject of herbal medicines.

If you're in Perth, you can attend his lecture this coming Monday, at Murdoch University in building 460.3.032 (ECL2).  To download the campus map click here, or to us the interactive map please click here.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support, especially producer Peter Barr.

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

This episode is brought to you with thanks to Patreon supporters – they include: Steven, Andrew, Dr T, Paul, Gerry, Josh, Kathy, Linley, Gold, Iggy, Lukas, Finch and Andrew.

Thanks to everyone who contributes and please consider joining to help continue these shows at patreon.com/kyliesturgess.

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com. 

Direct download: Token_Skeptic_224_-_On_How_Safe_are_Herbal_Medicines.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:04pm HKT

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