

The Reality Check
The Reality Check
Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 26, 2017 • 27min
TRC #464: Glyphosate In Food? + Average Female & Male Interests Differ? + Is Laughter The Best Medicine?
Pat digs into a listener request about a report that found 'ALARMING' amounts of the herbicide glyphosate in food. Next, Darren takes a closer look at the data on whether female and male interests differ, on average. Lastly, Cristina checks the science behind the saying that laughter is the best medicine.

Aug 19, 2017 • 22min
TRC #463: Google Memo + Eclipse Myths + Do Twins Run In the Family Or Skip A Generation?
Darren is back and he has some thoughts about the ongoing reporting and discussions related to the Google memo. In preparation for the solar eclipse on August 21, Cristina checks into some commonly held beliefs about eclipses. Lastly, Adam looks into the ideas that twins run in the family and skip a generation.

Aug 12, 2017 • 35min
TRC #462: Sophomore Slump + Name That: Darren Edition + Do Millennials Cheat Less?
Our old friend and OG TRC co-host Elan "Origami" Dubrofsky fills in this week for vacationing Darren with a 'skepticool' look at whether the phenomenon known as the "Sophomore Slump" has any truth to it. Pat has some fun trolling the panel with a game of Name That: Darren Edition. Finally, Adam picks apart the data behind recent headlines claiming millennials commit less and 'housewives' commit more adultery.

Aug 5, 2017 • 37min
TRC #461: Online Harassment Research + Arcade Fire vs Fake News + How Far Away Is Lightning?
Happy August, Checkers! This week Adam digs into a recent Pew Research Center study about online harassment to find out if women are more likely to be harassed online than men. Cristina gives us a lesson in Internet Trolling 101 featuring Canadian band Arcade Fire. Finally, Darren determines whether counting between lightning and thunder can really tell you the distance of a storm.

Jul 29, 2017 • 40min
TRC #460: Sam Harris vs Scott Adams On Trump + Highway Signs + Consequences Of Animal Activism
This week Darren gives us an impassioned critical overview of a recent interview on Waking Up with Sam Harris featuring Dilbert creator Scott Adams who makes a case for Trump. Cristina looks into how businesses get their logos on those big blue highway signs and at what cost. Finally, Adam looks at a recent and tragic news story about a Mink farm and reminds us sometimes there are consequences even with the best of intentions.

Jul 21, 2017 • 37min
TRC #459: Mashup: High Fidelity Music Players + Puff The Magic Dragon Vs Pot + Perfect Pitch
Pat and Cristina bring you a music themed mashup! First Pat sets the tone with a segment on high fidelity audio players and whether Neil Young's Pono device is as 'righteous' as its name claims. Darren clears the smoke on whether Puff The Magic Dragon is about marijuana. Cristina rings in with a segment about Perfect Pitch.

Jul 14, 2017 • 33min
TRC #458: Wine Tasting Bias? + Activated Charcoal Food Trend + Did Amelia Earhart Survive Crash?
Darren kicks off this week's show looking into whether seeing the colour of your wine influences your perception of its taste. Cristina digs into the purported health benefits of the latest activated charcoal food trend. Finally, Adam investigates the claim made in a recent History Channel documentary that new photo evidence of Amelia Earhart shows she survived a crash-landing.

Jul 8, 2017 • 38min
TRC #457: Perception Of Force + Name That: Food Edition + Does It Always Rain On Canada Day?
This week the crew is joined once again by 'Physics Commando' Barry Panas who challenges us to think about the labels we use to describe what we feel when it comes to force and motion. Pat gives us a food themed game of 'Name That'. Adam checks the numbers on whether it always rains on Canada Day.

Jul 1, 2017 • 30min
TRC #456: Anonymous vs NASA + The Matilda Effect + Wonder Woman Pay Gap?
Happy Canada Day Checkers! This week, Adam looks into a claim by Anonymous making headlines that NASA is about to announce the discovery of aliens. Inspired by the movie Hidden Figures, Cristina digs into the Matilda Effect and highlights some groundbreaking women scientists who were famously and shamelessly snubbed for their achievements. Finally, after Darren comes down from seeing the new Wonder Woman blockbuster, he explores whether Gal Gadot's paycheque is as unfair as some make it sound.

Jun 23, 2017 • 32min
TRC #455: Mashup: Talking To Dogs + Dogs and Peanut Butter + Do Dogs Hate Hugs?
Producer Pat is joined in the studio by his dog Holden while the rest of the crew has the week off. So, of course, all the topic are about dogs in this mashup episode. Darren digs into headlines that suggest science has confirmed dogs understand us. Cristina paws at rumours that peanut butter may be deadly to dogs. Adam bites into some research suggesting dogs hate hugs. Woof!


