Episodes

  • The Skeptic Zone #914 - 12.April.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #914 - 12.April.2026
    Apr 11 2026
    UFO Comments - Wishing for a Wish - NASA 00:00:00

    Introduction
    Richard Saunders

    00:16:14
    Westall UFO TV Documentary
    In the past week, Skeptic Zone producer Richard Saunders appeared on the ABC TV (Australia) program 'Australian Story' to talk about the 1966 Westall UFO event from a reasonable but skeptical point of view. This has not pleased some UFO believers in TV land and they have been commenting on the YouTube video of the TV program. Richard, with the help of Maynard, reads out some of the more interesting comments.

    Australian Story Westall UFO
    https://youtu.be/IhKyQkhOfoM

    00:22:34
    For Crying Out Loud! It's Kat McLeod
    If wishes were fishes, Kat would have a koi pond in her head. This week she will take a look at the tradition of wishing, a topic we have not covered on the Skeptic Zone before, while we have looked at a lot of things that require wishful thinking like manifesting and far-fetched woo products, we haven't ever examined the tradition of wishing, until now. We wish you would listen!

    https://www.healthdigest.com/304485/why-you-should-stop-blowing-out-the-candles-on-your-birthday-cake

    00:31:20
    Australian Skeptics Newsletter
    What news has caught the eye of news editor Dee this week? Read by Adrienne Hill.

    Australian Skeptics
    http://www.skeptics.com.au
    We Can Reason, Canada
    https://wecanreason.com

    00:41:32
    The TROVE Archives
    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers to look for references to NASA and UFOs.

    1973.10.20 - The Canberra Times
    1966.12.12 - The Canberra Times
    1983.01.16 - The Canberra Times
    1989.07.12 - The Canberra Times
    1977.12.29 - Papua New Guinea Post-Courier
    1977.12.28 - The Evening Independent - FL

    www.trove.nla.gov.au
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #913 - 5.April.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #913 - 5.April.2026
    Apr 4 2026
    Facts about the Common Cold - Skeptics in the Pub - Iridology 00:00:00

    Introduction
    Richard Saunders

    00:07:00
    You Can Count on Adrienne. With Adrienne Hill
    Adrienne met with infectious disease immunologist and author David Miles at the St Dunstan East Church Garden in London, England, where they discussed David's new book called,
    'Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold'.

    Website: http://www.variolator.com

    Think This Through: Coleman Watts video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mv9Q0WvOd0

    00:22:36
    Sydney Skeptics in the Pub
    Join Richard Saunders, Tim Mendham, Lara Benham, Annie McCubbin, Kate Thomas and Gary from Thailand as they enjoy a fun evening of skeptical conversation and good food.

    00:34:52
    The TROVE Archives
    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers to look for references to Iridology.

    1984.03.19 - Times Daily
    1998.09.15 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    www.trove.nla.gov.au
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #912 - 29.March.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #912 - 29.March.2026
    Mar 28 2026
    Mind Body Wallet - Australian Skeptics News - UFOs

    00:00:00
    Introduction
    Richard Saunders

    Includes a brief clip of Maynard interviewing singing star Gene Pitney with a strange story concerning astrology.

    00:07:26
    A Journey into the Land of Woo
    Join Lara Benham, Tim Mendham, Kate Thomas and Richard Saunders as they once again venture through the doors of Sydney's Mind Body Spirit festival. What outrageous products and magical thinking did they discover this time?

    00:17:58
    UFOs and False Memories
    To acknowledge the 60th anniversary of the so-called Westall UFO event, the Skeptic Zone takes a look at the problems with false memories and the passage of time. Can we really expect people to clearly remember something that happened decades ago? Also the problem of memory cross contamination can cloud recollections of the original event.

    00:19:30
    Australian Skeptics Newsletter
    What news has caught the eye of news editor Dee this week? Read by Adrienne Hill.

    Sign up for Newsletter
    https://www.skeptics.com.au

    00:35:54
    The TROVE Archives
    A wander through the decades files for bumpf from Mind Body Spirit.

    www.trove.nla.gov.au

    Also....

    Kate Thomas with Dr Karl - Shirtloads of Science
    https://youtu.be/Vra3iKjlHXE
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #911 - 22.March.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #911 - 22.March.2026
    Mar 21 2026

    00:00:00
    Introduction
    Richard Saunders

    00:09:36
    Woo Watch! With Kate Thomas
    Once again we visit Kate's studios to chat to her about woo and the medical matters. This week we review the story of a woman who didn't want to visit her doctor to receive and review her medical reports. What are the pros and cons of this approach? Was she right in thinking GPs are only after more money with more visits? Also, we discuss Kate's podcast, "On The Mones".

    Kate Thomas on TikTok and Instagram
    https://linktr.ee/PrescribeorPass

    00:23:06
    You Can Count on Adrienne. With Adrienne Hill
    What are those so-called psychics up to now? Adrienne interviews Susan Gerbic from Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia to ask about her latest investigations and stings of people who claim psychic powers. Also, Susan is always interested in getting more people to become Wikipedia editors via her online the course. Find out how to apply in today's show.

    Operation Banana Cream Pie
    https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/operation-banana-cream-pie

    00:36:22
    The TROVE Archives
    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers to look for references to the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film from 1967.

    1949.12.10 - The Newcastle Sun
    1982.12.26 - The Canberra Times
    1999.01.11 - The Mount Airy News - NC

    www.trove.nla.gov.au

    Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film from 1967
    https://youtu.be/oPlRr_OfxZI
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #910 - 15.March.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #910 - 15.March.2026
    Mar 14 2026
    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders 00:04:28 The Loons from Canada

    Kate and Allie embark on their third ghost hunt with Rodney Schmaltz' MacEwan University students, this time at a new location. They spent the evening exploring the beautiful yet spooky Freemasons' lodge, where the students attempted to recreate the kinds of ghostly "evidence" typically featured on paranormal investigation shows. They went on pareidolia and orb-spotting hunts, using spirit boxes, EVPs, and thermometers to anomaly-hunt, intermixed with spirit communication tools, including Ouija boards, a psychomantium, and divination. 0:22:16 Anecdotes are not Evidence

    "I know it happened because it happened to me!" This is the statement Skeptics hear all the time. But is somebody's sincerely held belief enough to justify the belief itself? We look at the nature of anecdotes and testimonials.

    Antivaxxers, Acupuncture, And Alternative Cancer Cures | Dr. Steven Novella

    https://youtu.be/Nv1ZaJ9mL1k?si=J9G2v_2gvXldl3Y- 0:31:24 Australian Skeptics Newsletter

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

    http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:44:00 The TROVE Archives

    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers on a search for references to Perpetual Motion.

    1945.03.17 - The Canberra Times
    1911.06.17 - Worker - Qld
    1910.12.11 - The Sunday Times - Sydney
    1888.07.14 - The North Australian - NT


    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #909 - 8.March.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #909 - 8.March.2026
    Mar 7 2026
    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders 00:05:48 Bend Spoon Award Nomination

    Vivacious Living Centre of Perth, WA bills itself as "a Multi-modality Health & Wellness Centre", offering such services as Crystal Healing, Reiki, Acupressure, Reflexology and Talking to the Dead!

    All of these services are worthy of a Bent Spoon nomination, however it is the claims to diagnose and treat bodily conditions via a device known as the Metatron NLS (Non-linear System), a device from Russia, that is the focus of this nomination.

    https://www.skeptics.com.au/about/activities/bent-spoon/nominations 00:16:16 Woo Watch! With Kate Thomas

    A bit of a Stretch

    We travel to Kate's studio to find out her opinions on the topic of stretching! Do you stretch before or after exercising? What does Kate have to say on the topic?

    Kate Thomas on TikTok and Instagram
    https://linktr.ee/PrescribeorPass 00:26:14 Sydney Skeptics in the Pub Trivia

    Once again, skeptics turned up to test their general knowledge and skeptical trivia. Hosts Richard Saunders and Lara Benham supplied the brain teasers while the President of Australian Skeptics Jessica Singer paid tribute to Ian Bryce who has retired from the committee after 45 years of service.

    https://www.meetup.com/austskeptics 0:37:46 The TROVE Archives

    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers on a search for references to Chakras.

    1984.03.06 - Tharunka
    1977.03.28 - Woroni
    1991.07.06 - Tharunka
    1989.04.16 - The Observer Reporter


    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au

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    1 hr
  • The Skeptic Zone #908 - 1.March.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #908 - 1.March.2026
    Feb 28 2026
    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders 00:05:54 Looking into a Broken Mirror

    Is bad luck in fact bad? A year ago Lara Benham decided to put 'luck' or bad luck to a test when she purposely broke a mirror for skeptical investigator Kenny Biddle. What was the result? Did Lara have a year worth of bad luck? 00:13:16 The Loons from Canada

    Kate and Allie team up for a spectacularly spooky and romantic Skepticamp at MacEwan University in Edmonton, perfectly timed for Friday the 13th and the eve of Valentine's Day. Kate captures the spirit of the event through conversations with attendees and one of the evening speakers. Allie highlights four of the seven afternoon presentations, giving listeners a front-row seat to the next generation of critical thinkers.

    Kate and Allie are joined by students Pawn, Tarika, Brook, Jasjot, Caleb and Tamika. 0:31:10 Australian Skeptics Newsletter

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

    http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:45:26 The TROVE Archives

    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers on a search for references to Theta Healing.

    1973.07.20 - The Victoria Advocate - Texas


    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Sydney Skeptics in the Pub - Trivia Night - 5th March

    https://www.meetup.com/austskeptics

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • The Skeptic Zone #907 - 22.February.2026

    The Skeptic Zone #907 - 22.February.2026
    Feb 21 2026
    0:00:00 Introduction
    Richard Saunders 00:07:40 You Can Count on Adrienne. With Adrienne Hill

    Adrienne speaks with Nick Tiller, a research associate at the Lundquist Institute at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, who focuses on pseudoscience in the health and wellness industry and is the author of the book "The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science". We discuss many topics, including the past Olympics, chiropractic care, and IV drip therapy.

    https://www.nbtiller.com 0:24:40 Scalar For Health?

    Lara Benham takes a look at a video (not a spoof or a send-up) that claims to explain how flashing images on TV screens can somehow create healing something or other... or ... something.....

    Energy Enhancement System - Technological Behind the Scenes Look
    "Ken takes you behind the scenes to explain the science behind how the Energy Enhancement System creates Bioactive Scalar Wave Fields which helps to charge up the life force energy of the body."

    https://youtu.be/h195w0TAaI4 0:41:02 The TROVE Archives

    A wander through the decades of digitised newspapers on a search for references to Psychic Expos.

    2000.02.04 - Riverine Herald, Echuca
    1997.06.06 - The Australian Jewish News
    1998.11.06 - The Australian Jewish News
    2000.02.09 - Riverine Herald, Echuca

    http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also Sydney Skeptics in the pub trivia night. 5th March
    https://www.meetup.com/austskeptics

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    1 hr