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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

30:33

TRC #679: A Chat With Author Darren McKee:...

The Reality Check ·

2023/12/23

The crew gets to interview TRC’s very own Darren McKee, author of the critically acclaimed book, ‘Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World’. We chat about the challenges of writing a first book, some of the key takeaways, and have a few laughs along the way.

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06:25

TRC #678: Darren's AI Book is Out!

The Reality Check ·

2023/11/26

Wondering what the heck is going on with AI? Why are some people so concerned? Darren's new beginner-friendly book Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World addresses exactly those questions. In an engaging and easy-to-read style, it explores the promise and peril of advanced AI, why it might be a threat, and what we can do about it. No technical or science background required! Available on: Amazon US Amazon Canada and many other Amazon marketplaces

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59:01

TRC #677: Interview with Yoshua Bengio

The Reality Check ·

2023/11/21

World-renowned AI expert Yoshua Bengio talks with Darren McKee and Adam Gardner about his long career, why advanced AI could be harmful, and whether open-source of powerful AI models is a risk.

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24:57

TRC #676: Phenylephrine Ineffective? + Bees Are Doing...

The Reality Check ·

2023/10/23

Cristina delves into the latest FDA advisory announcement shedding light on the ineffectiveness of phenylephrine, a widely used ingredient in several nasal decongestants. Adam revisits the myriad of news stories and worries surrounding bees and the issue of colony collapse disorder.

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30:30

TRC #675: Mashup: The Centrifuge Brain Project +...

The Reality Check ·

2023/10/03

It’s another mashup where we give you three segments from previous shows. First we revisit Pat’s deep dive on a viral video of an amusement park ride. Next Adam takes on an Avril Lavigne conspiracy that she died and was replaced by a double. Finally, Cristina does what Cristina does… taking on Gwyneth Paltrow.

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30:25

TRC #674: How Does AI Image Generation Work? + Why Is...

The Reality Check ·

2023/08/29

Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Dall-e. Darren digs into an explanation of how artificial intelligence generates images and whether or not it is just copying. Cristina looks at the fascinating history of why a computer glitch is called a bug.

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30:52

TRC #673: UFO Whistleblower? + Will We Make Great...

The Reality Check ·

2023/08/09

Adam digs into recent headlines about UFOs and whistleblower David Grusch. Does this give any promising evidence that aliens may be among us? Next Darren ponders how our future AI overlords might treat us. Assuming they don’t eliminate us, will we make great pets? It’s a new TRC!

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36:16

TRC #672: Are Fingerprints Really Unique? + What’s A...

The Reality Check ·

2023/07/15

Cristina kicks off the show with a deep dive into the history of forensic fingerprinting and challenges a commonly accepted notion that no two fingerprints are alike. Adam brings us a buttload of a segment when he probes into the origin and meaning of the term. Darren rounds out the show with an always fascinating look into the world of AI, specifically why given extinction concerns, AI researchers don’t quit.

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35:36

TRC #671: Uncertainty And AI Risk + Spot The Fake

The Reality Check ·

2023/06/25

Darren shares some thoughts and leads an interesting discussion about what might be reasonable approaches to the difficult and complicated topic of artificial intelligence. Pat brings us another smashing game of “Name That: Spot The Fake.” Can you do better than the TRC crew?

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37:02

TRC #670: Mashup: Fire and Smoke

The Reality Check ·

2023/06/10

The TRC crew brings you a mashup about fire and smoke. Adam looks into headlines about the Amazon rainforest. The facts may surprise you. Pat addresses a listener’s question about whether the rainforest is the Earth’s lungs responsible for 20% of the oxygen we breathe. Darren investigates whether wood fires pose a danger to your health.

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27:20

TRC #669: Coronal Mass Ejection + The Technology Trap

The Reality Check ·

2023/05/29

In March of this year, auroras were seen in many places on earth. Though the auroras are usually seen far up north on the globe they can occur further south. But what are the risks associated with this kind of event? “The Technology Trap” by Carl Benedikt Frey looks at how the history of technology can help us better understand economic and political polarization in the age of automation. Darren gives us a review.

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30:27

TRC #668: Dark Chocolate Has Heavy Metals? + What...

The Reality Check ·

2023/05/15

A recent study done by Consumer Reports shows that dark chocolate bars contain lead and cadmium. Should you be concerned? Cristina digs into it. Next, after watching the movie “65”, Adam looks at the debate about how dinosaurs went extinct and when.

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36:33

TRC #667: Special Intro + A Chat With Karl Mamer

The Reality Check ·

2023/04/24

Pat puppeteers a delicious intro. Finally, what took us so long? We had a chat with Canadian podcast pioneer and author Karl Mamer. Karl has a new book out called “The Skeptics Book of Lists”. He’s a fascinating character with many stories to tell. We hope you enjoy!

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30:05

TRC #666: The Number Of The Beast Origins + Name...

The Reality Check ·

2023/04/11

Welcome to episode 6-6-6! Darren does a deep dive on the digits steeped in the Book of Revelation and why some historically associate it with the ‘number of the beast’. Pat challenges the crew to a fresh and always fun installment of Name That: Spot The Fake. Can you do better than the TRC crew?

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30:45

TRC #665: Is It Safe To Stand In Front of Microwave...

The Reality Check ·

2023/03/26

Cristina investigates a pervasive belief that standing in front of a microwave oven poses health risks. Darren and Adam have another fascinating discussion with Dr. Roman Yampolskiy. This time it’s about his recent work regarding the Simulation Hypothesis, which proposes that all of our existence is a simulated reality. Dr. Yampolskiy is a computer scientist at the University of Louisville where he is the Director of the Cyber Security Laboratory in the Department of Computer Engineering and

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24:05

TRC #664: Thundersnow + Customer Always Right? + A...

The Reality Check ·

2023/03/05

Cristina digs into the rare weather occurrence called thundersnow after witnessing lightning and thunder during a recent snowstorm. Adam checks the origins of ‘the customer is always right in matters of taste’, and asks, are they? Darren rounds out the show with a look at Matthew Ball’s best-selling book “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything”.

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57:58

TRC #663: Interview with Dr. Roman Yampolskiy About...

The Reality Check ·

2023/02/18

Dr. Roman Yampolskiy is a computer scientist at the University of Louisville where he is the director of the Cyber Security Laboratory in the department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science. He is an author of over 100 publications including numerous books.

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35:20

TRC #662: Annual Prediction Show - 2023 Edition

The Reality Check ·

2023/02/04

In what has become a yearly ritual to highlight the futility of ‘predictions’, Adam, Producer Pat, and Cristina guess at what might happen in 2023 and revisit the panel’s 2022 predictions to see how they did.

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26:11

TRC #661: Isaac Asimov's Laws Of Robotics + The Apple...

The Reality Check ·

2023/01/15

Happy New Year, Checkers! Darren lays out the Three Laws of Robotics, as devised by science fiction author Isaac Asimov, and why they are seemingly reasonable yet flawed. Adam bites into a segment about the Apple logo and ponders whether it’s based on the biblical apple that signifies the Fall of Man.

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25:18

TRC #660: Did Coca-Cola Conceive Modern Santa? +...

The Reality Check ·

2022/12/24

‘Twas the night before Christmas so Cristina asks the proverbial question…did Coca-Cola really invent the now ubiquitous image of Santa Claus? Adam rounds out the show checking claims that the world’s population hit 8 billion people on November 15, 2022. Have a safe and happy holiday, Checkers and thank you for listening!

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437 results

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