775 episodes

The Podcast from Australia for Science and Reason.

Join Richard Saunders and his team of reporters for your weekly dose of skeptical news and interviews, reports and comments.

Past guests have included, James Randi, Stephen Fry, Tim Minchin, Eugenie Scott, Dr Phil Plait, Michael Marshall, Dr Steve Novella, Dr Pamela Gay, Jon Ronson, Dr Ben Goldacre, Simon Singh, Prof. Richard Wiseman, Dick Smith, Banachek, Prof. Chris French, George Hrab, Tim Ferguson, Dr Paul Willis and many, many more.

Featuring Australian radio legend Maynard with his Spooky Action, Jo Alabaster from the 'Evidence Please' blog, Eran Segev's Grain of Salt, Dr Rachael Dunlop with 'Dr Rachie Reports' and Heidi Robertson aka 'The Raw Skeptic'.

The Skeptic Zone Richard Saunders

    • Science
    • 4.7 • 104 Ratings

The Podcast from Australia for Science and Reason.

Join Richard Saunders and his team of reporters for your weekly dose of skeptical news and interviews, reports and comments.

Past guests have included, James Randi, Stephen Fry, Tim Minchin, Eugenie Scott, Dr Phil Plait, Michael Marshall, Dr Steve Novella, Dr Pamela Gay, Jon Ronson, Dr Ben Goldacre, Simon Singh, Prof. Richard Wiseman, Dick Smith, Banachek, Prof. Chris French, George Hrab, Tim Ferguson, Dr Paul Willis and many, many more.

Featuring Australian radio legend Maynard with his Spooky Action, Jo Alabaster from the 'Evidence Please' blog, Eran Segev's Grain of Salt, Dr Rachael Dunlop with 'Dr Rachie Reports' and Heidi Robertson aka 'The Raw Skeptic'.

    The Skeptic Zone #764 - 28.May.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #764 - 28.May.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders
    0:02:22 Dinosaurs in San Francisco

    Join Dr Eugenie Scott and Richard Saunders as they inspect a new exibition of Sauropod Dinosaurs at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

    The largest land animals that ever lived have arrived at the Academy! Get ready for a hot sauropod summer with life-size dinosaur models, hands-on interactives, and programs for junior paleontologists.

    https://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/the-worlds-largest-dinosaurs
    0:13:36 Susan Gerbic in Berkeley

    Susan tells us of her YouTube series investigating so-called "Grief Vampires", otherwise known as con artists claiming to be able to contact the dead.

    Psychics Explained - Grief Vampire Edition
    https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicsExplained
    0:25:58 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham

    Mass Hysteria By Dr. Allen Christophers

    Students of the paranormal are familiar with claims of miraculous cures of disease where the improvement in condition is brought about by suggestion on the part of the healer. The other side of the coin is the situation where diseases are generated by a process of sugges- tion.

    A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 1 No. 1

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:35:16 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Lake Monsters.



    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also  
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #240 - 26.May.2013

    A report from the Sunday Telegraph and ‘Lateline' on the appalling behaviour of the Anti-Vax crowd - This week Dr Rachie appeared on The Project (Network 10) to talk about vaccination rates in Australia - A Week in Science with Dr Paul Willis - Dr Rachie chats to Andy Lewis from the web site Quackometer - The tables are turned and Saunders ends up being interviewed, on Radio 2UE with Murray Wilton, about being a skeptic and his upcoming public talk in Canberra.

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-240-26-may-2013

    • 55 min
    The Skeptic Zone #763 - 21.May.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #763 - 21.May.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders
    0:02:12 You Can Count on Adrienne. Wiki UFOs #2

    This week Adrienne takes a look at some of the many UFOs reports from the second half of the 20th century as recorded on Wikipedia.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
    0:19:56 Australian Skeptics Newsletter

    What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week?

    Includes the Canadian Word of the Week, "Skookum".

    Read by Adrienne Hill.

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:34:48 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian and Canadian newspapers on a search for references to "Ogopogo".



    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also Susan Gerbic's talk in Berkeley https://baskeptics.org/hangouts
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #239 - 20.May.2013

    Dr Rachie Reports with Dr Rachael Dunlop This week Dr Rachie interviews Sonya Pemberton about her upcoming documentary "Jabbed – Love, Fear and Vaccines" (Genepool Productions, 2013) - Mind Body Spirit May 2013 - A Week in Science with Dr Tania Meyer - Maynard chats to Timothy Short who is a specialist anaesthetist at Auckland City Hospital - Guildford's so-called House of Miracles. What is going on in the Sydney suburb of Guildford? Is someone from 'the other side' really trying to communicate by spattering oil on the walls of a house? Well... we don't think so. Reports from the last 6 years.

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-239-20-may-2013

    • 1 hr 1 min
    The Skeptic Zone #762 - 14.May.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #762 - 14.May.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders
    0:04:46 Walking with Canadian Dinosaurs

    Join a merry band of skeptics as they wander the vast exhibits of one of the world's foremost natural history museums.

    Interviews with Vincent Stevens, Adrienne Hill, Celestia Ward and Lilith Thompson.

    The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the study of ancient life. In addition to featuring one of the world’s largest displays of dinosaurs, it offers a wide variety of creative, fun, and educational programs that bring the prehistoric past to life.

    https://tyrrellmuseum.com
    0:23:00 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham

    Alien Honeycomb Tested By Mark Plummer

    A report about the time skeptics examined what was claimed to be an alien artefact, possibly part of a UFO!

    A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 1 No. 1

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:31:58 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to The Fox Sisters



    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also  
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #238 - 12.May.2013

    Dr Rachie reports on what our state (New South Wales) politicians, on both sides, have to say about the Australian Vaccination Network - A Week in Science with Dr Paul Willis - Maynard chats to John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-238-12-may-2013

    • 59 min
    The Skeptic Zone #761 - 7.May.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #761 - 7.May.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders with Adrienne Hill and Celestia Ward

    We Can Reason! Our trio talk about being part of this conference in Calgary, Canada.
    0:03:44 Australian Skeptics Newsletter

    What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week?
    Read by Adrienne Hill.

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:10:48 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham

    Skeptical Investigations

    Tim chats to Richard Saunders about the skeptical investigations carried out by Australian Skeptics over the past 40 yesrs.

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:17:06 UFO Car Wash

    Richard Saunders joins podcaster and film maker Brian Dunning in a car wash to talk about the upcoming documentary "The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You To See".

    http://theufo.movie
    0:22:00 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.



    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also  
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #237 - 4.May.2013

    A chat with Dr Colin Wright. Maths is more than numbers! Find out how you can take part in Maths Jam - A Week in Science with Dr Paul Willis

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-237-4-may-2013

    • 42 min
    The Skeptic Zone #760 - 30.April.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #760 - 30.April.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders
    0:03:12 You Can Count on Adrienne

    An interview with Abhijit Chanda from India, host of the "Rationable" Podcast and skeptical activist. One of Abhijit's skeptical interests is the alternative medicine known as Ayurveda or Ayurvedic. This is a system of traditional medicine native to India, which uses a range of treatments, including panchakarma ('five actions'), yoga, massage, acupuncture and herbal medicine, that claims to encourage health and wellbeing. Abhijit also talks about palm reading in India.

    https://www.berationable.com
    0:20:40 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham

    SKEPTICS TEST PSYCHIC SURGEON By Mark Plummer

    When a small paragraph advertisement in "The Age" on January 3rd 1981 stated that an English medium-psychic surgeon would be commencing practice in Melbourne the Australian Skeptics swung into action.

    A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 1 No. 1

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:30:16 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Fairies.

    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also  
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #236 - 27.April.2013

    A chat with Deborah Hyde, editor of The Skeptic magazine (UK). Vampires and more vampires! Move over Buffy as Deborah tells all about the creatures of the night - A Week in Science with Dr Tania Meyer - Dr Rachie Reports with Dr Rachael Dunlop. From QED in Manchester, Dr Rachie chats to ex-cop Stevyn Colgan about problem solving - Maynard interviews Scott Bartle about his concerns with government.

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-236-27-april-2013

    • 50 min
    The Skeptic Zone #759 - 23.April.2023

    The Skeptic Zone #759 - 23.April.2023

    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders
    0:04:30 You Can Count on Adrienne. Wiki UFOs

    This week Adrienne takes a look at some of the many UFOs reports from the first half of the 20th century as recorded on Wikipedia.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
    0:17:11 Australian Skeptics Newsletter

    What skeptical news has caught the eye of Tim Mendham this week?
    Read by Adrienne Hill.

    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    0:30:48 Vale Rex Gilroy

    One of Australia's all time great characters from the world of cryptozoology has died. We look back at some of the media reports about Rex and his decades long search for mysterious animals.

    Maynard interviews Rex Gilroy for the Skeptic Zone.

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-291-16may2014
    0:42:02 A Dive into a Trove

    A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

    1922.05.08 - The Daily Telegraph - Sydney
    1923.06.05 - Singleton Argus
    1928.07.21 - The Register - SA
    1930.07.07 - The Daily Pictorial - Sydney
    1930.07.12 - Northern Star - Lismore
    1930.07.29 - Border Watch - SA

    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
    Also  
    10 Years Ago

    The Skeptic Zone #235 - 20.April.2013

    Richard Saunders in Olomouc, the Czech Republic - A chat with Jakub Ráliš from the AFO48 Festival. What is AFO? Find out this long running festival - The Enemies of Reason - at AFO48 Richard Saunders introduces the film by Dr. Richard Dawkins - A quick chat with Rebecca Watson Rebecca was also a guest of the festival. - The winner of the international science film competition at AFO48. Jury member Bechara Saab annouces the winning film, The Grammar of Happiness. Other jury members were Irina Belykh and Richard Saunders - QED in Manchester. A chat with Michael Marshall and Geoff Whelan and many other people at QED - A Week in Science with Dr Paul Willis - Maynard interviews James Owen Weatherall about his book, 'The Physics of Wall Street'.

    https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-235-20-april-2013

    • 1 hr 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
104 Ratings

104 Ratings

curmudgeon15 ,

Love it!

Informitive, entertaining and just fun!

RobP1957 ,

Bravo from an American

Although the podcast typically deals with Australian issues regarding pseudoscience and quackery, much of this is universal - even to an American like me.

This was one of the first skeptical podcasts I discovered, and the show pushed me off the fence and got me to become a skeptical activist myself. In fact, several years after I found the podcast, I was interviewed on it, and then went on to serve as a guest reporter for three episodes!

parker-1 ,

Good job

Keep up the good work.

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