Critical Thinking

(Poll) – Which are the very best Skeptical Podcasts?

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Its time for the skeptical Podcast vote. Below you will find a list of specifically skeptical podcasts, or simply other podcasts that have a skeptical theme to them as suggested by a wide array of folks (BTW … thanks).

When making your choice:

  • You don’t just get one vote, instead, you can pick as many as you wish
  • Please don’t tick random boxes, instead pick the podcasts you have really enjoyed and would recommend to others

The goal here is a bit of crowd-sourcing to enable folks to suss out what is truly popular.

Personally, I find podcasts to be of immense value, especially on a daily basis when I’m in transit to/from work, and like everybody, I have my favorites (sorry, no names now, I’ve no wish to influence the vote). If you have not yet made the leap, then why not consider trying out a few, it truly is a cool way to keep your finger on the skeptical pulse. Hopefully the results from the poll below will help you to pick out the truly cool stuff.

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More Information = More Rationality

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There is an interesting news story today about the deal that Google has reached with the British Library. The BBC reports …

Thousands of pages from one of the world’s biggest collections of historic books, pamphlets and periodicals are to be made available on the Internet.

You can read the full story here.

This is a good thing and also is very much in keeping with the very reason for the existence of the library itself. The very concept of a library is to provide access to knowledge for everyone. However, beyond that, it is also (I suggest) one more step towards a more rational culture for us all.

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Fake Psychic Reading – How Accurate is it for you?

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In Professor Richard Wiseman’s latest book, Paranormality, he suggests that it is very easy for so-called psychics to give highly accurate readings. Later, in the back of the same book, he gives an example that can be utilized to convince complete strangers that you can read their aura (or some other similar medium babble) and demonstrate that your apparent psychic powers are real, because you know all about them.

OK then, lets put that to the test here and now.

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Is Sara Palin Nuts – what do you think?

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“Sara Palin is Nuts” – Many of us have know it for quite some time, so it is no surprise, but … now here comes the truly funny bit …  she has been off on Tours of various sites, and for her latest boondoggle to some far-flung place she would probably not be able to identify on a map, she told Christina Lamb in the Sunday Times:

I am going to Sudan in July and hope to stop in England on the way. I am just hoping Mrs Thatcher is well enough to see me as I so admire her.

I guess I can understand her desire for such a meeting, as the keeper of the Ronald Regan flame, self appointed of course, it fits in quite well with her political agenda. However, when presented with the idea, Thatcher’s aids are quoted as saying:

Lady Thatcher will not be seeing Sarah Palin. That would be belittling for Margaret. Sarah Palin is nuts.

You can read the original report about this here, and then you can enjoy the frothing and foaming it generated within the right-wing kook camp here.

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Coffee

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I’ve been up since 4am .. (don’t ask, no really don’t ask), and so like many in similar circumstances, I’ve had a cup of coffee which was then followed by breakfast that more or less consisted of another cup of coffee.  Then later another and again another. Right now I’m about to have extra-strong brew. So, while I might indeed be tired, I’m also buzzing, and will no doubt crash later.

What is news, for me anyway, is that apparently, if I look out the window, I just might catch a glimpse of a few pink unicorns or a pig flying past. Why? well according to the news out from a study in Australia, coffee is apparently a hallucinogen and so when taking a coffee break, I am also setting myself up to take a break from reality … or at least so screams some headlines today. For example, the UK’s Daily Mail claims, “Drinking Coffee can make you hear voices“. Since its the Daily Mail, then it just must be true, right? … er perhaps not, so lets take a closer look, brush away the hype and see what this is actually all about.

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Being sober without a god

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There is a belief that the only means to truly help those faced with an addiction is through the intervention of a deity. An example of this would be Catholic priests such as Fr. Pete Watters (here). He has been sober for 50 years and claims that only through belief in a higher power has it been possible to overcome his addiction and remain sober.

One little flaw … the belief that only a deity can help is not true.

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