The Reality Check

This week, Darren’s perspicacity shines through when he drops some knowledge on the panel about the longest words in the English language. Next, Cristina learns that the Canadian Mint is issuing a coin commemorating ‘Canada’s Roswell’...wait, Canada has a ‘Roswell’? Lastly, Adam reexamines the recent OK sign controversies to establish whether it’s O-KKK after a listener writes in with a new theory.

This week, Darren kicks off the show by exploring whether votes cast in a Canadian federal election are counted equally. Pat brings another entertaining round of ‘Spot The Fake’ where the panel has to pick the fake out of of four equally ridiculous, yet true facts. Lastly, Adam sets a serious tone when exploring whether active shooter drills in U.S. schools are remotely effective or just tragically misguided. 

This week, Cristina fact checks whether claims about plant-based burgers being healthier than real meat hold up. Darren probes the conspiracy theories around Bruce Lee’s death after reading ‘Bruce Lee: A Life’. Finally, Adam looks into recent reports that the OK hand gesture is being used as a white nationalist hate symbol.

Last time we spoke with Dr. Stuart Farrimond it was two days before he was scheduled to undergo brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumour. This week we catch up with Stu. We discuss his ongoing treatment, he gives us some tidbits from his upcoming book and we even get in a couple of food science questions. Stuart is a medical doctor turned science communicator, author and food science expert.

Darren looks into an article, and terrible graph, that suggests the rate at which scientists in Italy cite themselves and their colleagues is on the rise. Cristina checks out research into whether uttering profanities can make you stronger. Adam wonders about the evolutionary cause of various skin pigments in different human populations.

Pat looks into a listener’s question about whether the Amazon rainforest is the Earth’s lungs responsible for 20% of the oxygen we breathe. Next, Adam raises concerns about headlines claiming there is no such thing as a “gay gene” according to a new study. Lastly, with the election season upon us, Darren gives us a handy primer on Canada’s election process.

Cristina looks into the naming convention for IKEA products. Is KOLBJÖRN just Swedish for where’s the allen key? Darren does a deep dive on absolute zero.  Adam looks into recent headlines about fires in the Amazon rainforest. The facts may surprise you. 

TRC’s ‘Fifth Beatle’ Dr. Stuart Robbins, aka AstroStu, joins us this week for a fun and fact-packed show! Adam kicks things off highlighting recent listener’s feedback. Stuart fact-checks Cristina and brings us a more in-depth look at retrograde in Astronomy. Finally, Pat gets cheeky with a game of ‘Name That’ about the moon landing.

Cristina kicks off the show by taking a closer look at the NY Times Best Seller list and what being a “bestselling author” really means. Adam puts Occam’s razor to good use while exploring whether it’s plausible that Jeffrey Epstein may have committed suicide in jail. Finally, Darren digs into anthropologist Joseph Henrich’s book, “The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter.”

After we posted a funny meme on TRC’s Facebook page, a couple of Checkers question whether hippos can really swim so Pat goes on a mission to find out. Simple yes or no answer, right? Not on this show! Darren breaks down Neil deGrasse Tyson’s tweet and apology around recent U.S. shootings that made some people more than a little upset. Finally, Adam gives us a cool art history lesson after visiting an exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci and realizing the Mona Lisa may not be who she seems.