The Reality Check

The Reality Check crew joins forces with Exposing PseudoAstronomy for a special crossover show this week! First up, Darren explores the notion that we may be living in a black hole. Pat breaks down the Drake Equation. Finally, Dr. Stuart Robbins explores whether a solar flare radiation burst really cracked the Earth’s magnetic field causing radio blackouts. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Cristina starts this week’s show off checking into the widely held belief that women who who live or work closely together have periods that start to sync up. Next, Pat brings us another edition of everyone’s favourite guessing game, ‘Name That,’ about the internet in 2016. Lastly, Adam looks into the phrase ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it too.’ This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Pat kicks off this week’s show with a touchy news item making the rounds claiming hackers can steal our fingerprints from selfies. Darren digs into some new analyses on whether celebrity deaths were more rampant in 2016 after all. Finally, Adam explores the probability of two people in a room sharing the same birthday. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

This week, Darren assures us that those tiny dark objects moving across the snow are not our imagination. A recent ad popping up on socials for “miracle cream” has Cristina asking if free skincare trials are really as advertised. Finally, Adam uses the force to see if inadequate women’s healthcare destroyed Star Wars’ Old Republic. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

The TRC crew reunite to kick 2016 to the curb and usher in the New Year with a fun-filled show! Adam checks the panel’s “clairvoyance” score by revisiting last year’s “predictions”. The panel set aside logic yet again to make their predictions for 2017. Favourite and most surprising segments from 2016 are highlighted.  Finally, Darren rounds out the show by asking was 2016 really the worst year ever? This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Pat and Cristina hijack the last show of the year and feature holiday-themed parodies from years past. The crew offers up their year-end lists highlighting the favourite things they’ve read, watched and listened to in 2016. Finally, we revisit some of listener and panel top voted parodies. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Some extra content this week for all you checkers! Darren and Adam have a discussion with friend of the show Jim Davies about programming good ethics into artificial intelligence. Jim is an associate professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. 

Special guest, Lars, gets things started by examining whether barter is the origin of money. Next, Pat looks into whether there are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way. Lastly, Darren gives us a primer on snowflakes.  This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Pat starts things off by digging for the truth about truffle oil. Next, Adam looks into the science behind the movie ‘Idiocracy’ and asks: is natural selection making us dumb? Lastly, Cristina coughs up some facts around the real cost of not providing paid sick leave. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Adam kicks things off by decoding the common phrase ‘possession is 9/10ths of the law’. Next Cristina looks into whether direct-to-consumer genetic tests can really help predict a child’s athletic predisposition. Lastly, Darren checks into what the organic label really means. This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

‘Tis the season for giving so TRC brings you an extra show this week. Darren and Adam revisit a segment on effective donating during the holidays with some updates for 2016. This show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Adam kicks off the show looking at whether it is better to measure pregnancy in weeks or months. Next, Pat tests the panel’s “Canadianness” with a game of ‘Name That’ featuring questions from Canadian citizenship practice exams. Darren closes out the show with a look at the five second rule.  This week’s show is brought to you by hellofresh. You can use the promo code ‘REALITY50’ to get 50% off your first order.

Darren 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.  

Pat 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.

Cristina 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.

Cristina 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.’

BOO!  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.

Darren 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”.  

This 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.  

This 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.