Young Australian Skeptics

The Pseudoscientists — Episode 68

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Jack, Rachael and Belinda get into accurately measuring rising sea levels, tapeworms and hyperparasitic wasps, and some curious cases of horizontal gene transfer. Plus, Jargonauts looks at the word “sequestration”, and your answers to last week’s question on the scientific qualifications of politicians. Next week’s question: “What do you think is the definition of ‘life’?”

Also: Game of Thrones, Ebola, Sydney, and some exciting On The Street news…

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This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is part of a montage of silly statements made by the Australian Vaccination Network’s leader Meryl Dorey.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Four Squires Discussion

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Jack presents the audio from the “Four Squires: A new generation of freethinkers” discussion at Embiggen Books on the 24^th of November. For the event, Jack and Belinda were joined by Jason Ball (former Pseudoscientists panelist and current leader of the Freethought Student Alliance) and Jonathan Meddings (Queensland convener of the Freethought Student Alliance and founder of the Townsville Humanists) to discuss the future of atheism, young people in the atheist movement, and the relationship between atheism, science, skepticism and social justice.

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Find out more about the wonderful Embiggen Books on their website — make sure you check out the store if you live in Melbourne!

Jonathan Meddings blogs at The Carapace.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 67

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Belinda and guest Chris Heath, filling in for Jack (and Rachael and Tom), chat deadly solariums, black holes hiding hydrogen from astronomers, and a new Google star visualisation program. Plus, Jargonauts takes a look at the word “affect”, and your answers to last week’s question on labelling genetically-​​modified food are poured through. Next week’s question: What level of scientific qualifications should science policy makers hold?

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Find out more about the “Four Squires” event, featuring Belinda, Jack and Jason, here.

Find out more about the National Skeptics Convention and buy tickets here.

The interview with Dr. Lisa Harvey-​​Smith about the Square Kilometre Array telescope can be found in Episode 52.

Make sure you have your say about our question of the week by sending us an email to youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com or get in touch via our contact form.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is “Dr. G” educating everyone about the dangers of genetically-​​modified food.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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Anyone involved with the atheist or freethinker communities will be familiar with “The Four Horsemen” — a now legendary two hour conversation in September 2007 between Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens, and the follow up at the 2012 Global Atheist Convention, which saw Ayaan Hirsi Ali step into Hitchens’ shoes.

In the spirit of these discussions, four young new lights are taking take the conversation onward. Please join Belinda Nicholson (Young Australian Skeptics), Jack Scanlan (Young Australian Skeptics), Jonathan Meddings (Townsville Humanists) and Jason Ball (Freethought Student Alliance) as they discuss the future of atheism and freethought, and the challenges for a new generation.

When: 5pm, 24^th of November, 2012

Where: Embiggen Books, 197 – 203 Lt Lonsdale St, Melbourne, Victoria

Cost: Absolutely free!

The panel discussion will be recorded and available for viewing/​listening on YouTube and The Pseudoscientists podcast.

The Pseudoscientists — Episode 66

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Jack and Belinda go solo (duo?) this week to look into the nasty epigenetic evolution of Tasmanian devil facial cancer, as well as new studies on the health effects of vitamin and mineral supplements. Plus, Jargonauts looks at the commonly-​​used phrase “begging the question”, and we discuss your answers to last week’s question on science and morality. Next week’s question: Should genetically-​​modified food be labelled?

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Find out more about the National Skeptics Convention and buy tickets here.

Annika Victoria’s blog on fashion and science can be found here.

Make sure you have your say about our question of the week by sending us an email to youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com or get in touch via our contact form.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is Republican Karl Rove freaking out about the US election being called for Barack Obama.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 65

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Belinda and Jack are joined by award-​​winning blogger and science writer Bec Crew to talk about her new book “Zombie Tits, Astronaut Fish and Other Weird Animals”, online plagarism, and anus-​​dwelling fish. Bec also bring us a news item about an elephant that can speak Korean, and Belinda waxes lyrical about the bacteria-​​killing properties of manuka honey.

Also we dissect the term “luminosity” for Jargonauts, delve into some feedback from last week’s listener question about compulsory science education, and reveal a new question: What does science have to say about morality and ethics?

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You can buy Bec’s brilliant book, “Zombie Tits, Astronaut Fish and Other Weird Animals”, online or at any good Australian bookstore. Also check out her blog Running Ponies on the Scientific American blog network, and follow her on Twitter!

Make sure you have your say in the new “Listener Opinions” segment (and suggest a proper name for the segment!) by sending us an email to youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com or get in touch via our contact form.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is from Animal Planet, about some interesting Bigfoot photos.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 64

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Jack, Belinda, Tom and special guest/​former panelist Alastair Tait look into Italian scientists being arrested for negligent science communication, some recent geological discoveries made by the Curiosity Mars Rover, experimental evidence for a new model of enzyme evolution, and whether or not heterosexual men and women can ever be just friends.

Plus, two brand-​​new segments! The first is Jargonautes, where we dispel ambiguity about commonly-​​heard, but uncommonly-​​understood, scientific jargon: the words this week are “eukaryote” and “prokaryote”. The second new segment is as-​​yet-​​unnamed, but it’s where we get YOUR opinions on a specific topic or question every week and read out your answers on the next show. This week, mandatory science classes: Should senior high school students be forced to take science subjects, in an effort to improve science literacy in the general public? Why/​why not?

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Make sure you have your say in the new “Listener Opinions” segment (and suggest a proper name for the segment!) by sending us an email to youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com or get in touch via our contact form.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is some anti-​​genetically-​​modified organism ranting from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 63

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Belinda, Tom and Jack jump into some electric pants that prevent bed sores, have a good night’s sleep to help prevent obesity and diabetes, and dream about graphene super-​​batteries. Or they just talk about them. Plus, a humble request to listeners of the show, more aphid facts, and Shia LaBeouf gets a strange mention.

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ACTUAL CANNIBAL SHIA LABEOUF. (Come on, you know you want to watch it.)

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is excerpts from a documentary on the 2012 apocalypse. Note everyone’s panicked expressions.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 62

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Jack, Belinda and Tom muse about the 2012 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Medicine & Physiology, decaying DNA and how it might spell the end of our Jurassic Park fantasies, and what Jack has learnt from his “God and the Natural Sciences” subject at university. Plus, Jack’s Master of Science aphid project and some shockingly bad German accents.

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You can buy tickets to see Tragedy and Time, Tom’s sketch comedy group, via the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is Answers in Genesis’s resident astrophysicist Jason Lisle talking to some very bored kids about cosmology.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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The Pseudoscientists — Episode 61

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Belinda, Rachael, Tom and Jack talk 3D printers and handguns, reframing science, skepticism and critical thinking, and harvesting stem cells from dead bodies. Plus, time travel logic in blockbuster films, supplement marketing and Tom’s Melbourne Fringe Festival show.

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You can buy tickets to see Tragedy and Time, Tom’s sketch comedy group, via the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

This week’s “Houston, We Have A Problem” clip is from a rather relaxing video on foot reflexology.

To support the show (and the fragile egos of all those involved), you can purchase the Young Australian Skeptics’s Skeptical Blog Anthology — available in paperback or ebook! The paperback is in its second edition — now with even bigger font!

If you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question, get in touch via our Contact page or send us an email at youngausskeptics(at)gmail(dot)com.

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