Synopsis
Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.
Episodes
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TRC #425: Fake News, Facebook & The Election + FTC Vs Homeopathy + Ultrasound Determining Fetal Sex
25/11/2016 Duration: 29minDarren kick off the show looking at headlines about fake news, Facebook and the U.S. election. Cristina looks at new FTC rules regarding homeopathy. Lastly, Adam brings us a segment about determining fetal sex via ultrasound.
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TRC #424: Harambe For President? + Moving To Canada + Trump Predictions
19/11/2016 Duration: 30minPat kicks off The Reality Check’s first post-US election show looking into claims that voters may have thrown off the election results by voting Harambe 2016. Adam gives any disgruntled American friends the 411 on how to move to Canada. Finally, Cristina scrutinizes the validity of alleged uncanny Trump predictions floating around social media.
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TRC #423: Daylight Saving Time + Stopped Male Birth Control Study
11/11/2016 Duration: 27minCristina reality checks some common misconceptions about Daylight Saving Time. Darren looks at recent headlines about a male birth control study which was stopped due to adverse effects.
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TRC #422: Theraband FlexBar Effective? + Star Wars Filming Near You? + Name That: Remembrance Day
04/11/2016 Duration: 29minCristina checks into a listener’s questions about the effectiveness of a product called ‘Theraband Flexbar’ for tennis elbow. Adam looks at some headlines about a new Star Wars flick being filmed near you which are making the rounds on social media. Pat tests the panel’s knowledge with a Remembrance Day themed episode of everyone’s favourite mostly guessing game, ‘name that.’
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TRC #421.5: Darren On Ron Corbett Unscripted
31/10/2016 Duration: 38minBOO! We bring you a rebroadcast of Darren's appearance on CFRA News Talk Radio on Halloween, 2013. He participated in a debate about ghosts, spirits and the paranormal for a special episode of Ron Corbett Unscripted.
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TRC #421: US Election Polls + Fake Academic Papers + Plain Cigarette Packaging
28/10/2016 Duration: 29minDarren kicks off the show by taking a look at election polls and their real-world margin of error. Next, Pat digs into predatory publishers and fake academic articles. Lastly, Adam fans the flames on the debate around the effectiveness of plain cigarette packaging after a listener asks TRC to look at “both sides of the argument”.
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TRC #420: Origin of 420 + Gem Newman of Bad Science Watch + History Of Halloween
21/10/2016 Duration: 25minThis week Cristina looks into the origin of 420 and its connection to pot. Pat brings us an interview with Gem Newman of Bad Science Watch about proposed new regulation for natural health products and how Canadian Checkers can get involved. Lastly, Darren looks into the interesting history of Halloween.
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TRC #419: Are Bees Endangered? + Peanut Butter Deadly To Dogs? + Transcendental Meditation
15/10/2016 Duration: 28minThis week, Darren delves into all the buzz around headlines citing bees are endangered. Cristina digs into why peanut butter containing xylitol may be deadly to dogs. Finally, Adam enlightens us with a look at transcendental meditation.
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TRC #418: Should You Rake Your Leaves? + Name That: World Producers Edition + The Great Pitbull Debate
10/10/2016 Duration: 30minOn this week’s show, Darren arms you with advice on whether it’s really necessary to rake your yard leaves and kick them to the curb. Adam bravely gets in the middle of the great pitbull debate. Lastly, Pat tests the panel’s knowledge of top producing countries with another enlightening game of “Name That”.
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TRC #417: Advertorial + Balance Eggs On Equinox + Is Psychology In Crisis? + Did NASA Change Your Zodiac Sign?
30/09/2016 Duration: 30minPat starts the show with a bit of sleuthing about a recent advertorial. A flu stricken Cristina looks into the idea that you can balance an egg on its end during the Equinox. Darren examines whether the field of psychology is in crisis. Adam checks into headlines claiming that NASA has changed the zodiac signs.
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TRC #416: Trisodium Phosphate in Kid’s Cereal? + Vicks VapoRub + Bottle Flip Physics
24/09/2016 Duration: 30minOn this week’s show, we take on 2 Checker requests. First, Pat explores the claims in a viral video about trisodium phosphate in kid’s cereal. Next, Cristina looks at the effectiveness of vapour rubs. Finally, Adam checks the physics of the viral water bottle flip trick making the rounds.
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TRC #415: 22 Push-up Challenge + Name That: Hoax Edition + Are Parents Naming Their Kids After Pokémon?
17/09/2016 Duration: 24minDarren explores whether the recent 22 Push-up Challenge making the rounds actually helps veterans. Pat tests the panel’s knowledge on hoaxes with another edition of Name That. Finally, Adam looks into whether parents are really naming their babies after Pokémon.
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TRC #414: Talking To Dogs + How Saintly Was Mother Teresa? + Kids’ Dream Jobs Study
10/09/2016 Duration: 28minIt’s TRC’s 8th birthday! This week, Darren digs into recent headlines that suggest science has confirmed our canine friends understand us. Cristina examines the controversy swirling around the canonization of Mother Teresa. Finally, Adam looks at how a study came up with the 10 most common childhood dream jobs.
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TRC #413: Helium Infused Beer? + Stuart Robbins On Proxima B, SETI Signal, New Horizons + Scrooge McDuck’s Money Bin
02/09/2016 Duration: 28minIs helium infused beer really a thing? Pat looks into the science behind a video making the social media rounds. Our favo(u)rite astronomer stops by to answer our questions about the recent exoplanet discovery, mysterious SETI signal, and the latest on New Horizons. Finally, Adam dives in to determine whether Scrooge McDuck could swim in his money bin. Cheers!
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TRC #412: Do People Read Past A Headline? + Should You Floss? + Is Cancer A Modern Disease?
26/08/2016 Duration: 27minCristina looks into some research asking whether people share articles that they haven’t actually read. Next Darren check into recent headlines suggesting that maybe you shouldn’t bother flossing your teeth. Lastly, Adam examines whether cancer is a modern disease.
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TRC #411: Olympic Medal Counts + Name That: Olympics + Is Air Conditioning Sexist?
20/08/2016 Duration: 27minDarren looks into who is really winning the Olympics and whether the way we count medals is fair. Pat tests the panels knowledge of the Olympics with a game of name that. Adam checks out the idea that air conditioning is sexist.
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TRC #410: Iraq Bans Bomb Detectors + Redheads and Pain + More Celebrity Medical Advice
08/08/2016 Duration: 28minPat takes a look into the history of the ADE-651 bomb detectors used in Iraq. Next, Darren explores whether people with read hair feel more pain. Lastly, those wacky celebrities are at it again! Cristina fact checks Khloe Kardashian’s advice that you should put vitamin E on your V.
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TRC #409: Melania Trump vs Science + Pokemon Go + Our Mathematical Universe
01/08/2016 Duration: 39minCristina takes us back to high school to explore the probability that Melania Trump plagiarized part of Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic convention speech. Adam travels across the land searching far and wide to debunk recent news stories about Pokémon Go. Finally, Darren takes an in depth look at the non-fiction book Our Mathematical Universe by Swedish-American cosmologist Max Tegmark.
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TRC #408 - 8 Glasses Of Water A Day + 2016 Celebrity Deaths + Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
25/07/2016 Duration: 20minDarren explores the idea that you should drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and healthy, Cristina looks at whether 2016 has been atypically bad for celebrity deaths and Adam checks into whether cell phones cause cancer.
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TRC #407: Panelists Disagreeing Mashup - Geeks and glasses + 0.9999 = 1? + Bike Helmet Safety
04/07/2016 Duration: 47min