x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Reality Check

The Reality Check

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

science natural sciences

All Episodes

14:06

TRC #528: The Science Of Reindeer

The Reality Check ·

2018/12/22

Happy holidays, Checkers. The RC crew is off but Adam couldn’t stay away from the mic. He belongs in the air! We bring you a holiday segment all about reindeer. Is the Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer TV special problematic? Just how shiny would that nose have to be to guide a sleigh? Are Santa’s reindeer female?

en

13:17

TRC #527: Baby It’s Cold Outside

The Reality Check ·

2018/12/08

The RC crew is off for the festive season but controversy around the 1940’s song ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ is swirling. We revisit a segment from Darren breaking down the song’s lyrical content with Dr. Stuart Robbins as a guest panelist. We also bring you parodies Pat and Cristina did on previous Xmas shows including a second song making the news due to an inappropriate lyric. Enjoy!

en

28:59

TRC #526: Effective Donating + Dr. Stuart Robbins...

The Reality Check ·

2018/12/02

What’s up, Checkers? This week’s show was recorded on “Giving Tuesday” so Darren brings us an update on effective giving and how to make informed decisions about the charities you support. Dr. Stuart Robbins ‘phones-in’ with a follow-up on flat earther arguments and the late heavy bombardment. Adam rounds out the show with a follow-up to his recent segment on U.S. citizenship, after a listener asks, what happens if you’re born in the air or at sea?

en

34:44

TRC #525: Turkey Cooking Temps + Skepticism & The...

The Reality Check ·

2018/11/24

This week, Cristina revisits a topic covered on last week’s show by guest Dr. Stuart Farrimond after a couple of food inspectors, who also happen to be Checkers, write in about food safety guidelines. András Pinter, host of the European Skeptics Podcast, joins the panel for an interesting discussion about the tourism industry and how a tour guide can strike the right balance between skepticism and entertainment. Finally, Producer Pat challenges our European knowledge with everyone’s favourite mostly

en

43:04

TRC #524: Science Behind The Perfect Roast Turkey Ft....

The Reality Check ·

2018/11/17

Another fun and fact-filled episode comin’ at you! Our favourite resident food scientist and author Dr. Stuart Farrimond is back with a new book about the science of Spice. He schools us on how to make the perfect roast turkey just in time for your festive holiday dinners. Next, Adam looks into all the brouhaha over a cigar-shaped interstellar object that zoomed through our solar system and that some suggest may be an alien spacecraft.

en

29:13

TRC #523: Anti-Vax Article Update + Beauty Product...

The Reality Check ·

2018/11/11

Hey Checkers! First, a heartfelt thank you on this Remembrance Day to those who serve or have served to protect our freedoms. Adam kicks off this week’s show with an update on the anti-vax article that was published then quickly removed by the Toronto Sun newspaper. Cristina’s girlfriends inspire an update on beauty product claims where she explains industry laws and teaches us which claims to be leery of. Next, Darren continues his “Brief History…” series with a look at early life on Earth

en

40:04

TRC #522: Recent Anti-Vax Article + Errors In...

The Reality Check ·

2018/11/03

Welcome to your weekly dose of TRC! Adam kicks things off by addressing a syndicated column filled with anti-vaccine misinformation and pseudoscience that was recently published in the Toronto Sun newspaper. “Physics Commando” Barry Panas schools us about errors in school textbooks after hearing a recent episode where Darren cites the Earth’s mass. Finally, Pat drops a bombshell on the panel with a segment everyone should hear regarding passwords and how to find out if you’ve been compromised

en

36:07

TRC #521: Brief History Of Early Earth + Hoax...

The Reality Check ·

2018/10/27

This week, Darren goes back billions of years to give us a fascinating look at early Earth. Adam takes a deep dive into how recent academic journals in the field of “grievance studies” were successfully published despite being a hoax. After NBA star Lebron James raised some eyebrows when stating his 11 and 14 year olds drink wine, Cristina looks into whether there is any tangible evidence to support a well-held notion that exposing kids to alcohol helps mitigate alcohol-related harms and dependence

en

33:27

TRC #520: Did We Get Banksied? & UN Climate Change...

The Reality Check ·

2018/10/20

Your weekly dose of fun and facts is here! We definitely had a lot of laughs taping the show this week. First, Producer Pat points his skeptical lens at the recent Banksy incident rocking the Art World to find out if Sotheby’s really got pranked, or did we all just get Banksied? Darren brings the panel’s mood way down with an overview of the bleak reality reported in the recent UN Climate Change Report. The panel shakes it off long enough for Adam to give us an objective analysis of whether the

en

32:38

TRC #519: Is Justin Trudeau Fidel Castro’s Son? + O...

The Reality Check ·

2018/10/14

This week, Adam looks into rumours that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is really the son of former Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro. Cristina blazes through some myths and misconceptions around The Cannabis Act which legalizes the recreational use of cannabis in Canada as of October 17. Finally, Darren wraps up the show with a closer look at Sean Carroll’s book, The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself.

en

29:01

TRC #518: Abortion Law In Canada + I Before E, Except...

The Reality Check ·

2018/10/08

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Checkers! We bring you another fun and fact-filled show to digest alongside that slice of pumpkin pie. First, Darren looks at the history of abortion laws in Canada after a listener points out that our collective perception on a previous show was false. Cristina ponders how useless the long-standing spelling rule, “I Before E, Except After C” actually is. Finally, Adam investigates whether Twitter is shadowbanning some users, as they have recently been publicly accused

en

41:48

TRC #517: Science of Cooking With Dr. Stuart...

The Reality Check ·

2018/09/29

This week, the RC crew are stoked to have Dr. Stuart Farrimond on the show. A former medical doctor turned science and medical writer, educator, and author, Stuart uses one of our favourite comfort foods, ‘Mac and Cheese’, as a vehicle to debunk cooking myths. Pat trolls us with another game of ‘Name That: Spot The Fake’ edition resulting in some entertaining banter. Finally, Darren looks into flu shot timing, and asks whether you can get a flu shot too early?

en

32:36

TRC #516: Fundamental Value Differences + Apple Ends...

The Reality Check ·

2018/09/22

Happy Fall, Checkers! Darren is finally back where he belongs with The RC crew and kicks off the show asking whether fundamental value differences are as fundamental as they seem. Cristina tries to get to the bottom of rumours that suggest Apple will be ending MP3 music downloads on its iTunes platform in 2019. Finally, Adam looks into recent claims that Sony Music released “fake” Michael Jackson songs.

en

28:39

TRC #515: GOOP Lawsuit + Hot Dog Vs Bun Ratio...

The Reality Check ·

2018/09/15

With Darren still away in Europe, the crew get sucked into a vortex of shenanigans when former beloved TRC co-host Elan Dubrofsky and guest Dina Xirlin stop by. Cristina kicks off the festivities with an update on a recent lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP and its unfounded product claims. Adam investigates whether hot dog companies are colluding with bun companies to sell more of both products. Dina schools us on the Ontario Sex Ed Curriculum amidst the current controversy stirred by Ontario’s

en

31:08

TRC #514: Flat Earth with Dr. Stuart Robbins

The Reality Check ·

2018/09/09

Darren is still in Europe and Adam is still trying to cobble together internet access in his new rural home. Fear not, 5th Beatle and our favourite astronomer fills in. This week’s show is dedicated to a single question from Checker, Mitchell, who asks: “are flat earthers for real?” Dr. Stuart Robbins tells us about the ‘evidence’ offered for a flat earth and the science that refutes it.

en

27:26

TRC #513: Mashup: Boil Hot Or Cold Water? + Maple...

The Reality Check ·

2018/09/02

With Darren away in Europe and Adam moving, Cristina takes the helm for a water themed mashup. First, Darren asks: is it better to boil hot water or cold water? Next, Adam taps into health claims lauding the benefits of Maple Water. Finally, Pat flushes out the truth behind why bottled water has an expiration date.

en

31:47

TRC #512: Does Cough Medicine Work? + Mosquito...

The Reality Check ·

2018/08/25

This week, Cristina takes a hard look at the evidence behind cough medicine and whether it lives up to our ‘hacking’ expectations. Darren looks at what causes mosquito populations to flourish or shrink. Finally, Adam brings us another Amelia Earhart segment because this one just won’t ‘fly away’. (Too soon?) Welcome to another episode of TRC!

en

27:15

TRC #511: Checker Mail Bag + Name That: Water Edition

The Reality Check ·

2018/08/18

On this week’s show, we dip into TRC’s mail bag and highlight some of your fun feedback and questions. Producer Pat rounds out the show with a slippery edition of everyone’s favourite guessing game, ‘Name That.’ This week’s theme is water.

en

27:54

TRC #510: Alex Jones & Free Speech + Winnie The Pooh...

The Reality Check ·

2018/08/12

This week, Darren asks if there’s really a conspiracy to keep a conspiracy theorist from his right to free speech in light of the recent Alex Jones ban. Next up, Adam investigates whether China blacklisted the new “Christopher Robin” film in retaliation over internet memes comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh. Cristina rounds out the show by raining on your Kombucha parade.

en

31:07

TRC #509: Mashup: Food Labelling + Trisodium...

The Reality Check ·

2018/08/05

This week Producer Pat plays DJ bringing you a mashup show all about food labels. First Cristina bites into a segment about misleading product claims and food labeling. Next, Pat explores a viral video about trisodium phosphate in kid’s cereal. Lastly, Darren checks into what the organic label really means.

en

443 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter