The Reality Check

The Reality Check
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Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.

  1. 15 juni

    AI Privacy Threats + Goodhart's Law and Fast Food Order Status Screens

    Are you concerned about AI threats to your privacy? If you aren't, Darren's got a few reasons why you should be! Images of fingerprints and keys, wifi signals and more could leave you vulnerable to bad actors using AI. Adam wonders why the order status screens at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants often have inaccurate information. The problem leading to this is due to a problem known as Goodhart's Law.

    29 min

  2. 2 juni

    What Did Dinosaurs Sound Like? + Book Review: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman

    Did tyrannosaurus rex roar? Adam looks at what sound they, and other dinosaurs, may have made and just why animals roar at all. Darren gives us a book review of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, by Edward Fishman, which looks at the history of economic sanctions, what they are, how they're used and what their impact is.

    26 min

  3. 15 maj

    Our Windy Solar System + Classroom Windows on the Left Side

    Is it windy on other planets and celestial bodies in our solar system? Darren looks at just what wind is and how much of it occurs on the surface of our various neighbours. Adam looks into whether or not windows are always on the student's left side in a classroom, and why that might be.

    20 min

  4. 30 apr.

    Movie Franchise "Use It Or Lose It" Clauses + Anthropic's Mythos

    Sometimes movie studios release low quality franchise films and one excuse for this might be that if they don't release a movie every X or Y years, they will lose the rights.  Adam looks into these reversion rights, colloquially referred to as "Use It or Lose It" clauses, which force studios to make a film or lose the right to make the one they're banking on.  Darren then gives us an overview of Anthropic's Mythos, an AI tool so powerful that anyone with access to it could use it to uncover security vulnerabilities, which has led to them holding off on releasing the product.

    34 min

  5. 4 apr.

    How Old Are Sharks? + Jim Carrey: Clone, Doppleganger or Mask?

    Sharks are so old. How old are they? They're so old that you'll be shocked to hear of all of the things that haven't been on earth as long as sharks. Darren gives us a unique history of the earth by exploring the ages of very old things and contrasting them to the very long time that sharks have been around. Adam looks at a recent appearance of Jim Carrey that has fans wondering if he's been replaced with a clone, a double or a makeup artist in an elaborate mask.

    22 min

  6. 21 mars

    Digital Devices in Schools + Books Reviews: Enshittification & Breakneck

    What impact do digital devices like laptops, tablets and smart phones, both inside and outside of the classroom, have on childrens' ability to learn? Adam questions the assumption that these devices are always positive, and examines the research on the topic. Darren gives us two book reviews. First up is Enshittification by Cory Doctorow, which examines what seems to make good companies kind of terrible, and then it's Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang, which looks at what factors make the US and China different.

    35 min

  7. 5 mars

    Does Moltbook AI Matter? + Family Feud Surveys

    There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a network of Artificial Intelligence agents who are interacting with each other in great numbers in a virtual space. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work. There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a platform where Artificial Intelligence agents are interacting with each other in great numbers. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work.

    26 min

  8. 19 feb.

    Things Your Parents Said Were Illegal + Canada's Apology Laws

    This week's show is all about the law. Growing up our parents told us all kinds of things were illegal, such as driving with the dome light on in the car, riding in the back of a pickup truck, skipping school or playing Ding Dong Ditch. Adam explores whether any of these things are actually illegal, and asks if our parents were lying to us or just mistaken themselves. Then Darren investigates the effect of Canadian politeness and the law. Does saying you're sorry mean that you're actually admitting to being guilty of something?

    28 min
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Om

Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.

Information

  • Skapad av
    The Reality Check
  • Aktiva år
    2008 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    350
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Reality Check
  • Programmets webbplats
    The Reality Check

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