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

Token Skeptic #140 - On Great Skepticism – With Pat Linse And Donald Prothero

This is an investigative episode about some of the key figures in skepticism that you may not know much about… and should know more about!

Pat Linse is an award winning illustrator who specialized in film industry art before becoming one of the founders of the Skeptics Society, Skeptic magazine, and the creator of Junior Skepticmagazine. As Skeptic magazine’s Art Director, she has created many illustrations for both Skeptic and Junior Skeptic. She is co-editor of the The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience.

Donald R. Prothero is a Professor of Geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He earned M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in geological sciences from Columbia University in 1982, and a B.A. in geology and biology (highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of California, Riverside. He is currently the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 28 books and over 250 scientific papers, including five leading geology textbooks and four trade books as well as edited symposium volumes and other technical works. He is on the editorial board of Skepticmagazine, and in the past has served as an associate or technical editor for GeologyPaleobiologyand Journal of Paleontology.

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.comSong 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.


Token Skeptic #29 - On The Invisible Gorilla – An Interview With Daniel Simons And Christopher Chabris

For many listening to this podcast - the phrase 'Did you see the gorilla?' might remind you of a group of people throwing a basketball to each other. For those who have no idea - before you go any further, check out the award-winning video that will feature in the show notes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY

Finished watching it? What you have just seen is part of a 2004 Ig Nobel award-winning study - which makes the following interview really quite special.

Christopher Chabris and Prof Daniel Simons have released a book about their ten years of research - on why people succumb to everyday illusions and what we can do to inoculate ourselves against their effects. Called The Invisible Gorilla, it details the experiment and how it might explain such things as why companies spend billions on product they knows will fail and why award-winning movies are full of editing mistakes. They combine the work of other researchers with their own findings on attention, perception, memory, and reasoning to reveal how faulty intuitions often get us into trouble.

The Invisible Gorilla And Other Ways our Intuition Deceives Us is available from bookstores world-wide and I do suggest you check out my favourite bookstore online, Embiggen Books, for a copy. You can head to the official site to learn more, at http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com.

By the way - my science blog Podblack is up for an Australian science blogging award! Head to http://thebigblogtheory.com.au and support bloggers for Science Week!

This show is available on Zune, mp3 via Libsyn or iTunes. Speaking of  iTunes, you can find and rate all of the shows there, or you can visit www.tokenskeptic.org –  I’d love to hear your feedback at tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

Theme songs are ‘P&P’ by Derek K Miller of www.penmachine.com and ‘365’ by Milton Mermikides, at www.miltonmermikides.com.


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