The Reality Check

After negative reaction and backlash to Amy Coney Barrett using the term, Adam digs into whether ‘sexual preference’ is offensive. Next, Darren brings us another book review roundup including some titles that recently spawned several headlines: ‘Rage’ by Bob Woodward, ‘Disloyal’ by Michael Cohen, ‘Rules for Radicals’ by Saul Alinsky and ‘What We Say Goes’ by Noam Chomsky.

With the U.S. election on the horizon, can we really trust the election polls? Darren does a deep dive to find out. Next, Adam wonders what it means to ‘take the red pill’ after seeing a tweet by Elon Musk. Lastly, after Producer Pat wins a Raptors jersey in a scratch-and-win contest, Cristina ponders why he has to answer a skill-testing question before claiming the prize. 

Yesterday we lost a giant in the critical thinking community. James Randi died at the age of 92. This is an interview with him from August 2010. Randi began his career as a magician and later devoted his life to investigating paranormal, occult and supernatural claims. He will be missed.

This week we bring you two fascinating segments. First our resident planetary geophysics expert, Dr. Stuart Robbins, is back to help us with a listener email about how we calculate the mass of the earth. We also dig into the difference between weight and mass. Adam rounds out the show with a deep dive into whether an Irish court has ruled that Subway bread is not bread asking, ‘what is a sandwich anyways’?

This week, we bring in the experts to bring YOU two great interviews! First, Cristina looks at the controversial ‘Benadryl challenge’ on TikTok and has a discussion with Dr. David Stukus about the potential danger of this over-the-counter medication. Dr. Stukus is a Paediatric allergy & asthma specialist and the Social Media Medical Editor for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Next, our resident research scientist who studies planetary geophysics, Dr. Stuart Robbins, tells us some surprising information about the luminosity of the moon.

After the huge backlash around the recent release of coming-of-age drama ‘Cuties’ on Netflix, Pat examines what this film is about. Darren rounds out the show with a deep dive on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ staggering wealth and wonders: is he too rich?

Adam looks behind the latest headlines that suggest we may have discovered life on the planet Venus. Cristina takes us down a fun rabbit hole when she explores how David Bowie pulled off one of the biggest art hoaxes in history. Finally, Darren crushes three book reviews spanning wildly different, equally fascinating topics: ‘From Darwin to Derrida’, ‘The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution That Swept Virtual Reality’, and ‘Life After Google’.

Cristina looks into the safety of so-called ‘essential’ oils when it comes to use around children. Friend of the show, Dr. Stuart Robbins, answers a question about why those picturesque astronomy photos of galaxies far, far away are so colourful. Finally, Darren asks if former United States Presidents are actually allowed to drive.

Guess who’s back? The crew is back together again for TRC’s 600th episode! Darren asks if ‘cancel culture’ really exists. Producer Pat tests the gang’s memories with a game of ‘Name That: Previous Game’ edition. Adam looks into mystery packets of seeds that people worldwide are randomly receiving in the mail.

Cristina looks into online shopping and asks how useful are online reviews really? Adam takes an objective look at the recent alarming USPS news, and whether there is evidence that Donald Trump is sabotaging the US Postal Service to steal the election. Finally, Darren gives us some food for thought when looking behind those donations we get asked for at the checkout register. 

Darren looks into anonymous hiring and whether it helps reduce discrimination after a recent article argued that auditions for violinists should no longer be anonymized. Cristina takes a deep dive into what happens to plastic drink bottles that you toss in your recycling bin.

Adam kicks off the show by looking into whether people’s changing habits during COVID-19 is causing shortages of aluminum cans and coins. We round out the show with our good friend Dr. Stuart Robbins, who is a research scientist that studies planetary geophysics. He chats about the importance of studying impact craters. 

With the recent spotlight on the WE Charity, we revisit a segment Darren originally covered in 2015 which explores the very disturbing downside of well-intentioned Voluntourism.

Darren looks into headlines suggesting that bricks were being left for protesters to incite violence. Cristina gives us a history lesson on conspiracy theories related to plagues and pandemics. Adam addresses some feedback he received on a recent segment and takes us on a tour to find the closest galaxy.

Cristina dunks into a segment about the NBA and how it’s hoping to protect its players with wearable technology as the league resumes the season in a Disneyworld-based bubble. Does the Oura smart ring really live up to the hype it can predict COVID-19 symptoms early? Darren provides important background and context after an open letter from the Linguistic Society of America calls for the removal of Dr. Steven Pinker.

Producer Pat brings us a marathon of everyone’s favourite mostly guessing game: ‘Name That, Spot The Fake.’ Laughs abound when Darren, Adam, Cristina, and special guest Dr. Stuart Farrimond are presented with four interesting, yet outrageous-sounding facts and asked to spot the fake. Play along to see if you can do better than the Reality Check crew!

Adam goes behind the viral headlines to find out if there really are 36 alien civilizations in our galaxy and gives us a refresher on the Drake Equation in the process. Then, Darren talks to us about what modern slavery is, how many are enslaved, where slavery occurs, and what you can do about it.

Pat asks whether the White House gift shop is really selling COVID-19 commemorative coins. Cristina investigates whether flushable wipes are truly flushable as claimed. Adam dives into Bikini Bottom to see if he can answer a lingering fan question...is SpongeBob SquarePants gay? Darren rounds out the show with an overview of ‘North Korea Confidential’ and a look at life in North Korea.

As pandemic restrictions begin to ease around the world, Cristina investigates whether taking temperature checks at retail stores or workplaces gives us a false sense of security or if monitoring temperatures actually helps curb the spread of COVID-19. Darren builds on his segment from last week’s show on how to talk about talking about difficult topics, with a look at complications with concepts of evidence and context. Adam revisits Mayan doomsday prophecies after a few articles circulating the internet suggest the ‘math was wrong’ and the end of the world is really today, June 21, 2020.

Darren explores how we might communicate about different and difficult subjects including race and policing, and things to keep in mind when doing so. Pat looks into suggestions that the supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park is overdue for an eruption any day. Adam asks whether Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are actually human.