Skeptics With A K

In this one-off episode of Skeptics with a K, the regular team step aside for International Women's Day. Lana, Emma, and Kat get together to talk about co-sleeping and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, women's ultramarathon performance, and a recent paper which looks at young women and anal sex.If listeners want to skip Lana's story on SIDS, it finishes at 0:44:30.If you want to donate to Emma's efforts to raise money for Refugee Women Connect, visit refugeewomenconnect.org.uk/fundraisers/runningreallyfarforrefugeewomen.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Marsh looks at the Telegram furore around 15-Minute Cities and Alice investigates the practitioners of Kambo therapy, a folk medicine derived from tree-frog secretions. Meanwhile, Mike takes a last-minute trip to the Royal Shakespeare Company.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

With Marsh unwell, Alice and Mike are joined by Emma to talk about the efficacy of interventions for prisoners with personality disorders, and the people who cheat at speed running computer games.If you want to donate to Emma's efforts to raise money for Refugee Women Connect, visit refugeewomenconnect.org.uk/fundraisers/runningreallyfarforrefugeewomen.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Alice looks at the 'menstrual masking', the latest beauty trend from TikTok, while Mike looks closer at the Hawthorne Effect and whether the original Hawthorne experiments actually demonstrate the effect. Meanwhile, Marsh leads the rock 'n' roll life when he buys a new radiator.

Alice investigates the Tesla BioHealing medbed, which promises to recharge every cell in the body, and Marsh looks at the realtime slide of Andrew Bridgen MP into anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, Mike plays the Good Samaritan on Christmas Day.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Welcome to 2023! This week, Mike talks about the promotion of misinformation on Twitter by its new owner Elon Musk, and Marsh looks into a website scam based around false copyright claims and backlinks. Meanwhile, Alice has a bad Christmas.You can support the show by donating via our Patreon, or by leaving us a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or your podcatcher of choice.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

For the final episode of the year, Mike, Marsh and Alice take a break from the usual format to talk about QED, how the event works, and our top tips on how we think skeptical events can be run.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Alice looks at the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, while Mike looks at the evidence for mix-and-match vaccination. Plus, Mike has some very strange dreams.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Coming to you live from QED 2022, Marsh talks about the best-selling book ‘Greatest Forgiveness: Bring Joy and Peace to Your Life with the Power of Unconditional Forgiveness’ by Qigong Master Zhi Gang Sha, Mike looks at the Heatfiniti portable heater (which can heat a 500 square foot room for just a dime), and Alice runs down her top five pseudosciences exploiting anyone going through the menopause.

In the final episode of Skeptics with a K before the return of QED, Mike talks about claims that one episode of Doctor Who was stolen from a ten year old, while Marsh investigates Biofield patches, the new quantum technology that uses beneficial frequencies and titanium to tell your body what to do.If you want to donate to Emma’s efforts to raise money for the National Autistic Society by running around a prison, you can do so at justgiving.com/emmarunsaroundprisonIf you want to donate to support the Merseyside Skeptics Society efforts to raise money for the Stroke Association, you can do that at justgiving.com/mssq

Alice is back from holiday, to talk about how to read a scientific paper, and Mike talks about how the prison system disproportionately impacts autistic people. Meanwhile, the whole team goes to see Brian Cox and Robin Ince live in Liverpool - with unexpected results!Tickets for QED are still available, priced just £120 (£80 for students and under 18s).Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

With Alice away on holiday, Mike and Marsh are joined by Mark Horne to talk about the ancient aliens conference in Blackpool, and anti-aging claims of wave genetics. Meanwhile, Mike has been to Scotland.Tickets for QED 2022 are still available, grab yours now at qedcon.org.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Marsh talks about what a new Monarch and a new Prime Minister means for skepticism, and Mike discusses scientific models and when we should break with them. Meanwhile, Alice has been to the European Skeptics Congress.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Alice takes a look into the facts behind the painkiller fentanyl and the reported dangers of accidental exposure, while Mike talks about autistic-coded characters in fiction and how their treatment impacts autistic people. Plus Emma takes Mike to see Hamilton live in London.Tickets for QED are still available, priced £120 or £80 for students and under-18s.If you want to see Alice live at the European Skeptics Congress, you can register here, Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Mike, Marsh and Alice are joined by returning guest Emma to talk about the reasons behind the UK Barristers’ strike. Meanwhile, Marsh looks into a recent job posting for an NHS reiki practitioner, and Mike spills his drink on someone’s arse at the theatre.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.You can donate to the Marfan Trust, the beneficiary of our charity walk, at justgiving.com/merseyskeptics2022.Tickets for QED are on sale now, priced £120 or £80 for students and under-18s.

Marsh is back! He re-joins Mike and Alice to talk about new evidence which says the Loch Ness monster is plausible, and the speaker Mas Sajady, who claims to have changed everything we knew about human transformation.Tickets for QED are on sale now, pick up yours today.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

While Marsh is stranded in the USA, Mike and Alice are joined by special guest Lana to talk about Mindfulness Meditation, Breast Implant Illness, and the latest TikTok trend ‘vabbing’. Meanwhile, Alice takes up permanent residence in the sunshine and Mike hands back his Doctor Who fan card.Find Lana on Twitch at twitch.tv/alytanks.

Mike looks into the academic history of one of the world’s most prominent placebo researchers, while Alice talks about Poppy Delbridge and her presentation on Emotional Freedom Technique at the Get Well conference.Tickets for QED are available now from qedcon.org.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Marsh and Alice take a long weekend in London to visit the Get Well conference, from the people behind What Doctor’s Don’t Tell You. Meanwhile, Mike looks into claims that Google has created a sentient artificial intelligence.Tickets for QED 2022 are now available, priced £120 or £80 for students or under 18s. You can pick up your ticket today at qedcon.org.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Mike, Marsh and Alice are joined by Emma and special guest Aaron Rabinowitz to talk about the anti-vaccine, Sovereign Citizen, Q-friendly conference Better Way. Meanwhile, everyone gets COVID.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.For more from Aaron, you can find him on twitter at @ETVpod, and as host of Embrace the Void and Philosophers in Space. He also writes regularly for The Skeptic.