Skeptics with a K

In this extended episode, Mike looks at the recent 82 minute video from the YouTuber Medlife Crisis about the amazing power of the placebo effect. Meanwhile, Alice and Marsh stumble upon an injured man and step in to help.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Alice looks into the supposed health benefits of mouth taping, and Marsh dives into the career of the controversial cardiologist, and critic of mRNA vaccines, Aseem Malhotra.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.For more information about the petition demanding action from the General Medical Council against Dr Malhotra, visit https://goodlawproject.org/petition/the-gmc-must-take-a-stand-against-doctors-who-spread-false-and-misleading-information-about-vaccines/To help support the judicial review, you can donate at https://actions.goodlawproject.org/gmc_crowdfunder

Marsh reports more on the Better Way conference, including the attendance of the MP for North West Leicestershire, Andrew Bridgen. Meanwhile, Mike returns from London to look at viral maths problems and why BODMAS isn't necessarily the answer.Tickets for QED are still available, and Skeptics with a K will be appearing live! If you want to see the show recorded live, or the live InKredulous, you can pick up your tickets now from the QED website.

This week, Alice looks at media reports around the IARC classification of aspartame as carcinogenic and Mike asks 'why did the chicken cross the road?' Meanwhile, Marsh faces off against crypto scammers and Mike takes a holiday.Tickets for QED are available now. Get yours today!If you want to sign up to speak at SkeptiCamp, you can do that at sitp.online/skepticampTo support Emma running to QED for the Prison Reform Trust, you can do that justgiving.com/page/emmarunstoqed

The regular team are joined again by Kat to talk about the recent Panorama documentary on the use of private clinics for ADHD diagnosis. Meanwhile, Mike finds out that his bathtub is incredibly tiny.Tickets for QED are available now, pick up yours at qedcon.org

Mike, Marsh and Alice are joined by Kat, to talk about the opening session of the Better Way Conference, a three-day anti-vaccine event which promises to unveil a 'better way for health, freedom & sovereignty'.If you want to donate to the Skeptics in the Pub Online QED attendance fund, or apply to the fund, you can do so at sitp.online/qed.If you want to donate to Emma's efforts to run from Liverpool to Manchester for QED, in support of prison reform, you can do that at justgiving.com/page/emmarunstoqedIf you'd like to apply to speak at SkeptiCamp 2023, you can do that at sitp.online/skepticampAnd, of course, if you want to meet Mike, Marsh, Kat - and especially Alice - at QED 2023, tickets are available now from qedcon.org.

Marsh looks at the 'Healy' bio-resonance tool that works to support the energetic field of your body, and Mike looks at how science communicators can get the placebo effect wrong.  Meanwhile, Alice has a swarm of bees appear outside her house.If you want to donate to our Charity Walk in aid of Refugee Action, you can do that at justgiving.com/page/mss-charity-walk-2023.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

This week, Alice talks about the Alexander Technique and the claims it can help with breathing problems including asthma. And Mike looks at how end-to-end encryption is impacted by the Online Safety Bill.  Meanwhile, Marsh and Alice return from a trip to Bratislava.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Marsh looks at the conspiracist reaction to the UK government Emergency Alerts test, and Alice looks into the TikTok trend of 'mewing' and the dental field of orthotropics. Meanwhile, Mike has been watching Porridge.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Marsh investigates the radicalisation of the conservative website The Conservative Woman, and Mike takes a look at ChatGPT and its inability to stop lying.  Meanwhile, Emma runs 50 miles and Alice climbs Arthur's Seat.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing to our Patreon page. We don't take advertising or sponsorship on the show, all our funding comes from our listeners. We can't do this without you.

Alice dives into what is meant by 'open research' and why that is valuable, and Mike looks at TikTok and the recent US congressional hearings about banning the app.  Meanwhile, Marsh returns from a holiday in France and Mike goes to live with giraffes.Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

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.