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right that's far enough I think I think

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we're safe for the moment welcome to the

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skeptic zone the podcast from Australia

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hello and welcome to the skeptic zone

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episode number 224 for the third of

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februari 2013 Richardson is here with

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you from Sydney Australia and that

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little bit just before the introduction

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music it's just a little um little tease

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little sneak peek into project solar

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flare more about that in the coming

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weeks project solar flare but on this

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week's show wow what a treat for you red

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dwarf fans out there Maynard went along

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to culture shock events here in Sydney

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pop culture expose convention and events

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you can visit them at ww culture shock

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events com anyway Maynard met robert

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Llewellyn and craig charles from the red

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dwarf program one of my favorite program

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since 1988 in fact luckily none anyway

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he chats to robert Llewellyn with a

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little bit of interruption by craig

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charles about scepticism new car designs

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and of course being on red dwarf that's

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coming up at the top of the show

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following that it's a little extract

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from the latest edition of the skeptic

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magazine the journal from Australian

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skeptics by our editor Tim mendham about

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doing it yourself media getting the

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message out with the reference to the

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skeptic zone and following that it's

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more of maynard more of maynard spooky

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action from the recent convention in

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melbourne the australian skeptics

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convention Maynard chats to dr. Meredith

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doig from the rationalist Society of

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Australia in fact dr. doig is the

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president of the rationalist Society of

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Australia she gave a wonderful torkoal

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she was part of the panel at the

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melbourne convention and i think you'll

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find this interview with may not very

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interesting indeed and of course for

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more information visit w WH honest

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commie you and I must mention that

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Sean Faircloth will be touring australia

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and new zealand appearing at the Sydney

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Opera House on the twenty-fourth of

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March you can find out more at the

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rationalist Society of Australia website

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and in other news my good friend Brian

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Dunning from the skip toy podcast tells

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me that the Chinese version of skipped

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ID is going exceptionally well thousands

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of downloads great news brian skepticism

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in chinese if you have chinese friends

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or chinese family get them to visit w WC

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API com CN now before we start the show

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another big shout out to my friends down

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in Canberra who are going to be

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organizing and running the upcoming

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Australian skeptics convention well up

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coming in in November and they tell me

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their next meeting is on the twelfth of

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every 6 p.m. at King O'Malley's pub what

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a great pub let is also they have some

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free lectures coming up on the sixteenth

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of March our very own Tim mendham from

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Australian skeptics will be in Canberra

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speaking about communicating skepticism

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but before that on the 17th of every

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there will be a talk about toleration

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and blasphemy for more information about

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these free public lectures visit w WK

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Embry skeptics org a you well that's

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enough of me I'm keen to listen to this

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interview with robert Llewellyn from red

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dwarf and do on a red dwarf I think I'm

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going to run downstairs open the the

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pantry and make myself a beef vindaloo

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to honor Dave Lister yeah why not well I

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do that we can all enjoy the skeptic

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here's my not spooky action at a

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well I'm in a spacious palatial

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apartment here known as the siebel and

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there's so much gold and bling around

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there could only be one man in this room

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and that would be Robbie robert

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Llewellyn how are you I'm very good

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thank you this is just like my home you

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know I'm used to this level of gold trim

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oh you're an acting at Leviathan you're

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a spokesman for the power of the Toyota

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safety capsule I mean really you've done

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it all that's that's an unusual sort of

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concoction of things but ya know that's

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true yes I'm here because of the safety

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of Theo to capsule as you as you rightly

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say and you still let drive the price or

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you just use strictly public transport

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these days no I do still I do still

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drive and I now have a plug-in version

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which is a hundred miles per gallon plus

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vehicles very impressive what's a range

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of that cuz i love how people are

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worried we have range anxiety here in

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australia with electric cars were

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worried we're going to go out the middle

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of simpson desert and there's going to

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be their batteries yes i know what this

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is a slightly this is a variant of that

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so it's a plug-in hybrid so you could

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drive from here to darwin and back

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without running axes as long as you get

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some petrol now you're also a skeptic

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and a proud atheist as well well well it

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says that on Wikipedia I don't know why

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cuz I shameful atheist well I think

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there's probably more accurate so I

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haven't ever said I'm and I'm pretty I

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don't well I don't remember saying it

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but maybe I am I don't know I mean I'm

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no yes certainly I've done I didn't know

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I was a skeptic till I met loads of

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skeptics who said you're a skeptic so I

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went all right I'm not going to argue

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it's kind of it's because I'm interested

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in science my kind of stuff and I truck

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with the skeptics and yeah when do you

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think you actually crossed the line and

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become a skeptic I don't know how you

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know how do you know I suppose I mean I

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do a lot of talks too skeptical

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societies in the UK which are basically

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they're they're so close to Red Dwarf

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you know if you went to talk to load a

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red dwarf fans you wouldn't notice the

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difference so they're really nice people

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they're often with the science

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background or scientists or work

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involved in engineering or something in

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those fields so they're kind of that

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sort of my audience in a way but I love

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a good UFO story and I say i do enjoy

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the work of Erich von Daniken right Eric

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yeah I mean he could come up with a good

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theory yeah

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and he does conferences to he said sir

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he's got the whiskey and the cigar you

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know does he only lucky I don't do that

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huh I mean I don't know anything no he's

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I'm impressed actually is there any sort

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of whoo as they call it the trilliant

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lemo I just say that I don't understand

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this into beauty that was my that was my

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friend Craig I have no idea what you two

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are talking about I'm starting to glaze

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over can you jog on yeah well there's a

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bit of a crossover between the geeks and

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people that are into science obviously

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yeah I mean that was the thing i mean i

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just went to with a friend to a linux

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conference in canberra are there must

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have been hurt yeah there was hook is

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and blow everywhere yeah there was pole

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dancing everybody looked but it was so

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bizarre because I just thought I said to

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him I don't know anything about that

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that's really bizarre i walked on the

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stage in front of a thousand linux

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programmers who went crazy cuz of course

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they also love red dwarf and they love

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scrappy china so it's kind of then you

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realize you're kind without consciously

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making a decision you've inhabited a

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world that exists and that you know i

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couldnt tribe computer program to save

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her life but you know there's definitely

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sort of crossover areas that you're

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getting problems sometimes people think

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that because you play a computer on

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television that you know everything

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about OS 10 you can write machine code

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and suddenly they asked you and you're

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like ah I mean I did say that I knew

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that the OS 10 was based on a unix core

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and house then and as I and as I said

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that was going to hope I'm right hope it

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doesn't run on Windows 95 but luckily I

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was right enough to get away with it

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yeah a lot of you done much presenting

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on science shows that saw stuff in the

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UK because you you would even natural

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fit for that yeah no that's sort of what

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mainly what I've been doing the last

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sort of 10 years so did the gap between

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red dwarfs I've been doing that so I did

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a series called scrappy challenge which

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was very much in the kind of realm of

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engineering and science and in people

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try and kill each other by proxy I by

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proxy by making bizarre machines out of

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rubbish they find under scrapyard and

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then I'd othr load of shows call how do

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they do it which is sort of what it says

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on the tin it's about how things are

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made how things are built how things

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work you know that sort of stuff there's

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another great science show that's on the

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UK discovery channel there it's

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basically it's sort of like don't try

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this at home or something and it's

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basically guys firing themselves out of

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slingshots and writing mode

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around what is that about well that's I

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mean there is a there's a wonderful

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scientist stroke lunatic that I work

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with called Jem Stansfield who's in who

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does a show called the the big bang

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theory not not no it's not the big bang

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theory it's called bang goes the theory

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that's one of the problems they had cuz

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everybody called it the big bang theory

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which is a very funny sitcom so bang

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goes to through so he would do things

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like you know you see him see him

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swinging on a child swing and he said

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when you were a kid did you ever wonder

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what would happen if you went right over

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the top he then builds a jetpack these

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straps to himself on a swing and he goes

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on a swing that goes round and Reverend

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at alarming speed and survived to tell

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the tale and it was like we alluded to

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the fact that you had a car accident

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earlier while you would its it on

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Wikipedia while you were delivering a

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podcast you were working at the time

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called what Apple yes I mean yes that's

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it I mean Wikipedia is not the most

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reliable source of information it also

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said you were a woman did it yeah and

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I'm frankly very disappointed that might

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explain my what I've always wondered

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about my wife always thought she might

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have batted for the other team and she

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clearly thinks she does so yes so now I

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was actually driving to do a podcast I

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wasn't actually doing on when the

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accident took place and someone drove

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into the side of my car and tore the car

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to bits but I survived which I was very

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lucky and was was amazingly not in jobs

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unconscious for a long time but I wasn't

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seriously injured so I was very lucky

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and that was in a no you know a Toyota

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Prius Lee much the much loathed by

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certain mr. Clarkson in particular

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absolutely knows it and well in fact yet

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they hate any electric vehicle on top

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gear and look I like the show cuz i got

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that larrikin ism and but they do tend

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to hide behind I'll we're not we're not

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a factual show in entertainment show

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when it suits them yes yes I think that

268
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:00,970
you that's actually a very good point I

269
00:11:04,350 --> 00:11:02,650
think that's exactly the point I've been

270
00:11:05,250 --> 00:11:04,360
struggling to make as i enjoy i think

271
00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:05,260
it's really good fun it's an

272
00:11:08,100 --> 00:11:06,730
entertainment show they're very funny i

273
00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:08,110
think they know that what they do is

274
00:11:11,340 --> 00:11:09,730
great and then then they'll come out

275
00:11:12,690 --> 00:11:11,350
with their sort of party line and

276
00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:12,700
everybody believes it you know and then

277
00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:13,930
you need to go well actually that's just

278
00:11:18,570 --> 00:11:16,930
not true yeah so but then everybody know

279
00:11:19,710 --> 00:11:18,580
so yes it's factual an entertainment but

280
00:11:22,350 --> 00:11:19,720
people still believe what they say so

281
00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:22,360
that's a you know bit of a problem and

282
00:11:26,220 --> 00:11:24,310
and you've got the part of crotch and

283
00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:26,230
partly by doing a show as a robot at the

284
00:11:30,490 --> 00:11:28,490
edinburgh festival now

285
00:11:32,470 --> 00:11:30,500
how did that happen and that's luck in

286
00:11:33,820 --> 00:11:32,480
the actors world I mean it was in it was

287
00:11:35,860 --> 00:11:33,830
a ludicrous bit of luck I mean it was

288
00:11:37,750 --> 00:11:35,870
because I wasn't the original plan was I

289
00:11:39,190 --> 00:11:37,760
wouldn't be in the play I wrote it for

290
00:11:40,540 --> 00:11:39,200
two other two other actors then one of

291
00:11:42,730 --> 00:11:40,550
the actors pulled out the last minute so

292
00:11:43,900 --> 00:11:42,740
it was either cancel the play or do it

293
00:11:46,389 --> 00:11:43,910
yourself so that's what that's what

294
00:11:47,769 --> 00:11:46,399
ended up doing so the chances you know

295
00:11:49,510 --> 00:11:47,779
if you go back at long enough the

296
00:11:52,269 --> 00:11:49,520
chances of me actually being on stage

297
00:11:55,150 --> 00:11:52,279
when the producer then of red dwarf saw

298
00:11:56,949 --> 00:11:55,160
the show would were very small so it was

299
00:11:58,600 --> 00:11:56,959
quite a fluke that I ended up doing red

300
00:12:00,579 --> 00:11:58,610
dwarf you know it was a but you know boy

301
00:12:01,870 --> 00:12:00,589
has it been an amazing ride it's been an

302
00:12:04,449 --> 00:12:01,880
extraordinary needs to be involved in

303
00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:04,459
that you would also cop the most makeup

304
00:12:06,910 --> 00:12:05,570
of any of them you're the one that's got

305
00:12:09,220 --> 00:12:06,920
to arrive earlier to have the makeup

306
00:12:11,350 --> 00:12:09,230
done yeah certainly earlier in the early

307
00:12:12,670 --> 00:12:11,360
days that was absolutely not no word of

308
00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:12,680
a lion that I was in there for many

309
00:12:17,070 --> 00:12:14,690
hours on my own but but now more

310
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:17,080
recently I'm not on my own quite so much

311
00:12:21,070 --> 00:12:19,610
my fellow actors have a little bit more

312
00:12:23,650 --> 00:12:21,080
help in the makeup department than they

313
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:23,660
used to Oh actually I was told earlier

314
00:12:26,829 --> 00:12:25,010
that there's very funny photos of you

315
00:12:28,750 --> 00:12:26,839
reading a script reading glasses on

316
00:12:30,220 --> 00:12:28,760
these days yes that is true and the

317
00:12:33,010 --> 00:12:30,230
early days of red dwarf I didn't need to

318
00:12:35,260 --> 00:12:33,020
oma specs now have a special parex very

319
00:12:37,389 --> 00:12:35,270
old neck and specs that the arms stretch

320
00:12:39,069 --> 00:12:37,399
around around my rubber heads that is

321
00:12:40,990 --> 00:12:39,079
very embarrassing but it I have to

322
00:12:42,550 --> 00:12:41,000
accept that that's the case now it was

323
00:12:44,530 --> 00:12:42,560
claimed by this guy earlier here that

324
00:12:46,090 --> 00:12:44,540
you're also were put into the show so

325
00:12:48,699 --> 00:12:46,100
you could do the technobabble as like

326
00:12:50,260 --> 00:12:48,709
the basil exposition of a red dwarf to

327
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:50,270
move it forward like that that means you

328
00:12:53,199 --> 00:12:52,010
get the tough dialogue and you've got to

329
00:12:55,210 --> 00:12:53,209
get it right first time in front of a

330
00:12:56,380 --> 00:12:55,220
live audience well it does I mean it's

331
00:12:57,819 --> 00:12:56,390
not it's not quite back because

332
00:12:59,740 --> 00:12:57,829
everybody has tough dialogue and I mean

333
00:13:02,370 --> 00:12:59,750
Chris Barry has enormously complex

334
00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:02,380
twisted wordy speeches that he has to do

335
00:13:06,490 --> 00:13:04,970
and so we all have a we've all got our

336
00:13:08,199 --> 00:13:06,500
work cut out getting through Red Dwarf

337
00:13:10,510 --> 00:13:08,209
but there certainly have been times when

338
00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:10,520
I've had very complex sort of technical

339
00:13:14,050 --> 00:13:12,110
explanations make that you kind of need

340
00:13:15,579 --> 00:13:14,060
to get right because they're factually

341
00:13:17,590 --> 00:13:15,589
accurate you know it's not it's not kind

342
00:13:20,380 --> 00:13:17,600
of science gobbledygook is actually it

343
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:20,390
is explaining you know actual you know

344
00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:22,010
particularly in sort of cosmological

345
00:13:26,470 --> 00:13:25,010
term sort of scientific theories so you

346
00:13:28,180 --> 00:13:26,480
have to get that right you can't sort of

347
00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:28,190
botch over it and go the Wibbly woo was

348
00:13:32,230 --> 00:13:29,810
gone flubber to do you know you can

349
00:13:34,300 --> 00:13:32,240
actually say what's going on and have

350
00:13:35,650 --> 00:13:34,310
you actually seen a really actually

351
00:13:37,090 --> 00:13:35,660
sometimes when you go to these

352
00:13:38,769 --> 00:13:37,100
conventions that might be someone has

353
00:13:39,910 --> 00:13:38,779
actually got a better Crichton costume

354
00:13:41,230 --> 00:13:39,920
that you actually have

355
00:13:43,150 --> 00:13:41,240
because yours are just going to be

356
00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:43,160
filmed they gotta were way around it I

357
00:13:47,110 --> 00:13:44,450
mean I have it there have been some

358
00:13:48,790 --> 00:13:47,120
extraordinary the it's not the most

359
00:13:50,710 --> 00:13:48,800
cutting it's very complicated thing to

360
00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:50,720
make remember when in fact Craig and I

361
00:13:53,980 --> 00:13:52,490
were in Chicago though I met a woman in

362
00:13:57,569 --> 00:13:53,990
the corridor who had a really

363
00:13:59,769 --> 00:13:57,579
beautifully made Crichton costume and

364
00:14:01,120 --> 00:13:59,779
kinda head that she done really well as

365
00:14:02,889 --> 00:14:01,130
a little bit like origami had been made

366
00:14:05,889 --> 00:14:02,899
out of card so from the back it looked

367
00:14:08,470 --> 00:14:05,899
very convincing but she was quite short

368
00:14:09,910 --> 00:14:08,480
and you know I'm being polite it quite

369
00:14:11,530 --> 00:14:09,920
returned and so it was a very

370
00:14:14,620 --> 00:14:11,540
unusual-looking Crichton it was a crime

371
00:14:16,509 --> 00:14:14,630
there had been sort of squash dinner in

372
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:16,519
a press and then bit more the Yoda kind

373
00:14:21,639 --> 00:14:19,010
of yes it's a cross between Yoda and

374
00:14:23,319 --> 00:14:21,649
Crichton that's about it and what now

375
00:14:25,870 --> 00:14:23,329
what actually happened with the American

376
00:14:27,490 --> 00:14:25,880
Red Dwarf Alaska well the Americans seem

377
00:14:29,710 --> 00:14:27,500
to think that they can take any English

378
00:14:32,019 --> 00:14:29,720
show put any hacks in it and it will be

379
00:14:33,819 --> 00:14:32,029
identically successful but why do they

380
00:14:36,129 --> 00:14:33,829
think that it is failed repeatedly yeah

381
00:14:38,079 --> 00:14:36,139
I don't I mean it's the the the sort of

382
00:14:39,850 --> 00:14:38,089
background to that show I was really not

383
00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:39,860
involved in when I kind of landed in Los

384
00:14:44,139 --> 00:14:42,170
Angeles was sent to the studio got

385
00:14:45,670 --> 00:14:44,149
covered in rubber and plastic and do it

386
00:14:47,079 --> 00:14:45,680
you know and they get you to an American

387
00:14:48,250 --> 00:14:47,089
accent for the road which is really

388
00:14:49,420 --> 00:14:48,260
embarrassing as I was with proper

389
00:14:51,269 --> 00:14:49,430
Americans that apparently have had

390
00:14:53,530 --> 00:14:51,279
practice like they can do it much better

391
00:14:56,079 --> 00:14:53,540
so that was quite weird the whole

392
00:14:58,449 --> 00:14:56,089
experience was bizarre and weird and I

393
00:15:01,240 --> 00:14:58,459
was without question hoping that it

394
00:15:02,980 --> 00:15:01,250
wouldn't go ahead and luckily it didn't

395
00:15:04,930 --> 00:15:02,990
so I mean it was it it was one of those

396
00:15:06,220 --> 00:15:04,940
things where you sort of if I finally

397
00:15:07,750 --> 00:15:06,230
agreed to do it just because it was such

398
00:15:10,630 --> 00:15:07,760
an extraordinary experience to you know

399
00:15:12,519 --> 00:15:10,640
be in that environment and sort of see

400
00:15:14,079 --> 00:15:12,529
what I saw you know because with the

401
00:15:15,189 --> 00:15:14,089
English one like that you guys are a

402
00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:15,199
bunch of screw-ups where would the

403
00:15:18,220 --> 00:15:16,310
American where they trying to actually

404
00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:18,230
write funny jokes they look like they

405
00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:19,490
were trying to almost ignore the

406
00:15:22,180 --> 00:15:21,050
characters to a certain extent yeah I

407
00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:22,190
mean it was completely different and

408
00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:23,810
certainly the first script we were given

409
00:15:29,860 --> 00:15:26,630
was truly atrocious and interestingly

410
00:15:31,930 --> 00:15:29,870
when Rob and Doug who were writing the

411
00:15:34,509 --> 00:15:31,940
english ones at the time they rewrote

412
00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:34,519
the script and they slipped it to all of

413
00:15:38,530 --> 00:15:36,529
a sort of secretly we all got a copy of

414
00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:38,540
their their version of it and then the

415
00:15:42,129 --> 00:15:40,550
cast were allowed to vote you know which

416
00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:42,139
script you want to do the one that we

417
00:15:45,490 --> 00:15:43,490
spent three and a half million dollars

418
00:15:46,660 --> 00:15:45,500
on with 20 writers or the one that Rob

419
00:15:48,309 --> 00:15:46,670
and Doug wrote last night while they

420
00:15:49,509 --> 00:15:48,319
were you know chain smoking in their

421
00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:49,519
room and that's the one that we all

422
00:15:52,329 --> 00:15:51,170
voted for Robin Doug's which I think

423
00:15:52,870 --> 00:15:52,339
caught so I think there's quite a lot of

424
00:15:55,030 --> 00:15:52,880
tension

425
00:15:58,540 --> 00:15:55,040
behind the scenes that we as actors we

426
00:16:00,190 --> 00:15:58,550
weren't exposed to uniting and you think

427
00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:00,200
you'd like to do is the ideal project

428
00:16:02,950 --> 00:16:01,310
next is something you've got you

429
00:16:04,570 --> 00:16:02,960
everyone's got a project in their bottom

430
00:16:06,820 --> 00:16:04,580
drawer that hasn't come out yet I'm not

431
00:16:08,290 --> 00:16:06,830
what yours I mean I'm sort of very feel

432
00:16:09,670 --> 00:16:08,300
very lucky that most of the things that

433
00:16:11,950 --> 00:16:09,680
I've been trying to do over the last few

434
00:16:13,570 --> 00:16:11,960
years have sort of started to come to

435
00:16:16,330 --> 00:16:13,580
fruition so I'm trying to do I really

436
00:16:18,910 --> 00:16:16,340
want to do a series about tech that the

437
00:16:20,890 --> 00:16:18,920
technology that we could use in the

438
00:16:22,150 --> 00:16:20,900
future you know that's it's because

439
00:16:24,730 --> 00:16:22,160
there's a lot of television programs

440
00:16:26,590 --> 00:16:24,740
about how we used to make things and how

441
00:16:28,030 --> 00:16:26,600
things used to work and particularly in

442
00:16:30,190 --> 00:16:28,040
the UK where we have an enormous sort of

443
00:16:32,020 --> 00:16:30,200
industrial heritage and I'm very

444
00:16:34,270 --> 00:16:32,030
interested in looks people playing with

445
00:16:36,010 --> 00:16:34,280
steam Yang's and motorbikes and stuff

446
00:16:38,530 --> 00:16:36,020
which is quite good and Chris and Chris

447
00:16:40,930 --> 00:16:38,540
Barry did the great UK inventions he got

448
00:16:43,270 --> 00:16:40,940
to almost stack a London bus he going to

449
00:16:44,740 --> 00:16:43,280
put a London bus sideways it's amazing

450
00:16:46,450 --> 00:16:44,750
but again that's all stuff in the past

451
00:16:47,710 --> 00:16:46,460
now what sort of new inventions are the

452
00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:47,720
English getting into that you'd like to

453
00:16:50,590 --> 00:16:49,310
highlight well I mean it's one of the

454
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:50,600
things I'm involved which is electric

455
00:16:55,210 --> 00:16:52,610
vehicles with renewable technology in

456
00:16:57,580 --> 00:16:55,220
there some amazing materials up in spent

457
00:16:58,930 --> 00:16:57,590
some time there's a wonderful University

458
00:17:00,790 --> 00:16:58,940
and under called Imperial College where

459
00:17:02,860 --> 00:17:00,800
there's a material science department

460
00:17:05,350 --> 00:17:02,870
where they've got stuff in there that

461
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:05,360
doesn't exist has he never existed in a

462
00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:06,650
minute let's just look at yet like I

463
00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:08,150
happen to be wearing the periodic table

464
00:17:12,010 --> 00:17:10,040
on my team are you saying that they've

465
00:17:13,990 --> 00:17:12,020
not even dead look like I love this end

466
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:14,000
of the periodic table where it ironstone

467
00:17:17,260 --> 00:17:15,650
iam and there's ones that only exists

468
00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:17,270
for a fraction of a second it's that

469
00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:18,530
sort of stuff so but I mean there's

470
00:17:22,420 --> 00:17:20,329
things like graphene which is it was a

471
00:17:24,910 --> 00:17:22,430
material sheet material made and it's

472
00:17:26,380 --> 00:17:24,920
one atom thick and I just when you and

473
00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:26,390
so I've looked at a sheet of graphene

474
00:17:31,420 --> 00:17:27,890
except I didn't know I have because you

475
00:17:32,890 --> 00:17:31,430
can't see it it's so thin and so it sort

476
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:32,900
of looks like it doesn't even look like

477
00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:34,730
sellotape it just looks like weird stuff

478
00:17:37,210 --> 00:17:35,930
you know it's there because they're

479
00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:37,220
telling you as though you can't sit you

480
00:17:39,790 --> 00:17:38,810
need about ten thousand layers of it

481
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:39,800
before you can see it with the naked eye

482
00:17:43,270 --> 00:17:41,810
and it only has one dimension doesn't it

483
00:17:45,100 --> 00:17:43,280
because it doesn't have more than one

484
00:17:46,930 --> 00:17:45,110
surface or something others it is a

485
00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:46,940
sheet material so effectively what

486
00:17:50,350 --> 00:17:48,050
they're talking about is I mean

487
00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:50,360
particularly for battery technology that

488
00:17:54,730 --> 00:17:52,490
there is a the possibility of a

489
00:17:56,830 --> 00:17:54,740
literally a quantum jump in battery

490
00:17:59,320 --> 00:17:56,840
capacity which would really affect the

491
00:18:01,210 --> 00:17:59,330
way electric vehicles work because you

492
00:18:02,890 --> 00:18:01,220
could have a bat a single battery that

493
00:18:04,530 --> 00:18:02,900
will give you you know thousand mile

494
00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:04,540
range as opposed to a 100

495
00:18:08,430 --> 00:18:06,640
is that that's not going to happen in

496
00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:08,440
the next two or three years or even the

497
00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:09,730
next five but in possibly in the next

498
00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:11,650
ten you'll start to see those things

499
00:18:15,060 --> 00:18:13,510
come out and it's that where that

500
00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:15,070
technology is leading and then the

501
00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:17,290
results of that because if for instance

502
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:19,150
you could buy an electric vehicle that

503
00:18:24,030 --> 00:18:21,730
does a thousand miles on one charge then

504
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:24,040
although sort of the resistance is that

505
00:18:27,930 --> 00:18:25,810
people have about well i don't know if

506
00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:27,940
i'll get range anxiety you know I I mean

507
00:18:31,980 --> 00:18:29,470
I've driven an electric car now twenty

508
00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:31,990
thirty five thousand miles in two

509
00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:33,310
electric cars in the last couple of

510
00:18:37,110 --> 00:18:35,650
years and I don't get range anxiety but

511
00:18:39,090 --> 00:18:37,120
that's because once you drive them you

512
00:18:40,650 --> 00:18:39,100
understand how they work you understand

513
00:18:42,690 --> 00:18:40,660
you know am I going to pull onto a

514
00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:42,700
freeway when the mile might wear my

515
00:18:46,950 --> 00:18:45,370
range says three miles no not going to

516
00:18:48,150 --> 00:18:46,960
do it and then you don't get range

517
00:18:49,290 --> 00:18:48,160
anxiety so you know i make sure i

518
00:18:50,970 --> 00:18:49,300
charged it and there are now

519
00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:50,980
technologies which can charge a battery

520
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:52,720
in a matter of minutes as opposed to

521
00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:54,610
ours that you're on motorway service

522
00:18:57,750 --> 00:18:56,050
stations in the UK and i plug it in

523
00:18:59,460 --> 00:18:57,760
going over coffee ever we come back in

524
00:19:01,020 --> 00:18:59,470
the cars fall again i drive on you know

525
00:19:03,570 --> 00:19:01,030
so that is already and that's happened

526
00:19:05,250 --> 00:19:03,580
in the last year little less you know

527
00:19:07,170 --> 00:19:05,260
it's very rapidly emerging that

528
00:19:09,540 --> 00:19:07,180
technology but for me it's a style thing

529
00:19:11,610 --> 00:19:09,550
because i drive a VW Beetle like a new

530
00:19:12,570 --> 00:19:11,620
VW Beetle i like the look of that and i

531
00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:12,580
think the tehsil is a great-looking

532
00:19:16,020 --> 00:19:14,650
character but it's incredibly expensive

533
00:19:18,270 --> 00:19:16,030
when do you think they'll dell they'll

534
00:19:20,370 --> 00:19:18,280
match the the style and the slot look

535
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:20,380
like what you need is an mx-5 electric

536
00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:21,970
something like that I mean without

537
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:23,410
question it's going to happen i mean the

538
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:25,690
the car that's just come out in the

539
00:19:30,270 --> 00:19:27,250
states is the Tesla Model S which is

540
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:30,280
again an up market with large sedan but

541
00:19:35,130 --> 00:19:34,090
it is a it's a very stylish car everyone

542
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:35,140
that's seen it go god this is a

543
00:19:40,590 --> 00:19:37,450
beautiful car it looks like a sort of

544
00:19:42,870 --> 00:19:40,600
half a Jaguar half Aston Martin it's got

545
00:19:45,540 --> 00:19:42,880
beautiful styling it has a 300-mile

546
00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:45,550
range on one charge it is it is sort of

547
00:19:50,130 --> 00:19:47,890
comparable in cost to buy it as to a BMW

548
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:50,140
5-series but there's now a lot of videos

549
00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:53,410
on youtube offered BMW 5-series and up

550
00:19:58,110 --> 00:19:56,050
tesla model s racing and believe me the

551
00:20:00,000 --> 00:19:58,120
w is left standing it is a very

552
00:20:02,790 --> 00:20:00,010
high-performance vehicle but it's a big

553
00:20:04,860 --> 00:20:02,800
luxury sedan big five seater comfortable

554
00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:04,870
car it's not a little urban runabout you

555
00:20:08,250 --> 00:20:06,850
know so looking at time is very short

556
00:20:09,510 --> 00:20:08,260
here which which doesn't mean we're both

557
00:20:12,180 --> 00:20:09,520
going to die where you've got to go

558
00:20:13,830 --> 00:20:12,190
onstage and but what is the one question

559
00:20:15,450 --> 00:20:13,840
the fans have asked you that has stumped

560
00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:15,460
you over the years and continually stuff

561
00:20:18,380 --> 00:20:17,530
well it i think it's generally what's

562
00:20:19,940 --> 00:20:18,390
your which is your

563
00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:19,950
favorite episode or what's the favorite

564
00:20:23,330 --> 00:20:21,510
moment with Crichton and I mean it there

565
00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:23,340
we've now done so many episodes one I

566
00:20:27,170 --> 00:20:25,530
can't remember and two if I think oh I

567
00:20:28,610 --> 00:20:27,180
know it was when duda de derp happened

568
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:28,620
then someone go or what about when

569
00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:30,210
chitin did this and I go oh yeah that

570
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:31,650
was even better you know like it's

571
00:20:36,110 --> 00:20:34,410
really bit it's having I have a list but

572
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:36,120
I can never really pick a favorite a

573
00:20:39,650 --> 00:20:37,650
favorite moment I mean it's all it's

574
00:20:42,740 --> 00:20:39,660
been you know an enormous privilege and

575
00:20:44,900 --> 00:20:42,750
fun to do mixed with hideous amount of

576
00:20:46,850 --> 00:20:44,910
band pleasantness really because being

577
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:46,860
covered in rubber you know so it's it's

578
00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:48,300
always been a mixed blessing red dwarf

579
00:20:52,130 --> 00:20:50,250
okay look and this is absolutely so what

580
00:20:54,170 --> 00:20:52,140
is what is a pseudoscience that actually

581
00:20:55,430 --> 00:20:54,180
makes you angry I mean yeah I mean you

582
00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:55,440
can put up at a lot of it as the one you

583
00:21:00,290 --> 00:20:57,510
go on that's just got to stop I think

584
00:21:02,150 --> 00:21:00,300
it's probably a combination is a bit of

585
00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:02,160
astrology when people are tell me what

586
00:21:07,430 --> 00:21:05,370
sign I am and I've always when people

587
00:21:08,780 --> 00:21:07,440
say you know is less common now but

588
00:21:10,370 --> 00:21:08,790
there was certainly a time in the 70s

589
00:21:11,930 --> 00:21:10,380
but that was very popular and I used to

590
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:11,940
have the rather flip response when

591
00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:13,650
people said what sign are you I'm feces

592
00:21:18,380 --> 00:21:15,930
with penis rising which didn't go down

593
00:21:21,770 --> 00:21:18,390
very well often in any soap any company

594
00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:21,780
but so those kind of things are slightly

595
00:21:26,180 --> 00:21:23,370
annoying I don't know what else I mean I

596
00:21:30,110 --> 00:21:26,190
suppose the the whole argument about

597
00:21:32,330 --> 00:21:30,120
climate change and the the easy flip

598
00:21:33,860 --> 00:21:32,340
response to that global warming yes

599
00:21:34,850 --> 00:21:33,870
please bring it on which is the common

600
00:21:37,220 --> 00:21:34,860
one in England because it's always so

601
00:21:38,990 --> 00:21:37,230
cold and wet which is it such a huge

602
00:21:42,020 --> 00:21:39,000
misunderstanding of an enormously

603
00:21:44,330 --> 00:21:42,030
complex topic that has had 20 years of

604
00:21:45,980 --> 00:21:44,340
peer-reviewed science that's been turned

605
00:21:49,070 --> 00:21:45,990
on its head by some very well-funded

606
00:21:50,450 --> 00:21:49,080
really quite corrupt a few scientists

607
00:21:52,370 --> 00:21:50,460
that are funded by all companies and

608
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:52,380
cold excitation companies who want us to

609
00:21:56,180 --> 00:21:54,090
carry on buying their products which is

610
00:21:57,770 --> 00:21:56,190
fine but it's where it's not obvious you

611
00:21:59,720 --> 00:21:57,780
know if I see a scientist going global

612
00:22:01,550 --> 00:21:59,730
warming Zarkon and I'm paid to say this

613
00:22:02,990 --> 00:22:01,560
by an oil company hats off to you mate

614
00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:03,000
I've got a lot of respect but when you

615
00:22:07,010 --> 00:22:05,130
don't say that which is the reason then

616
00:22:08,750 --> 00:22:07,020
you know those are the one can be a

617
00:22:10,670 --> 00:22:08,760
little bit more dubious will enjoy the

618
00:22:11,900 --> 00:22:10,680
rest of your time here australia and go

619
00:22:13,820 --> 00:22:11,910
ahead go back there and down there and

620
00:22:28,529 --> 00:22:13,830
wow them again well Apple do my very

621
00:22:34,539 --> 00:22:31,389
the skeptic magazine the journal from

622
00:22:36,729 --> 00:22:34,549
Australian skeptics subscribe online to

623
00:22:41,349 --> 00:22:36,739
the world's second oldest skeptical

624
00:22:44,649 --> 00:22:41,359
magazine visit w WC apx cambiare you and

625
00:22:48,249 --> 00:22:44,659
click the publication's league you can

626
00:22:51,580 --> 00:22:48,259
also find their over 30 years on back

627
00:23:05,300 --> 00:22:51,590
issues free to download the skeptic

628
00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:08,130
from the pages of the skeptic the

629
00:23:15,510 --> 00:23:10,810
journal from Australian skeptics volume

630
00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:15,520
32 number 4 December 2012 do it yourself

631
00:23:20,490 --> 00:23:18,730
by Tim mendham getting the skeptical

632
00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:20,500
message across through the mainstream

633
00:23:26,100 --> 00:23:23,830
media can be an uphill battle so why not

634
00:23:30,420 --> 00:23:26,110
create your own the medium and the

635
00:23:32,940 --> 00:23:30,430
message Tim mendham goes online the

636
00:23:34,700 --> 00:23:32,950
concept of the amateur media mogul is

637
00:23:37,590 --> 00:23:34,710
appealing to those who feel

638
00:23:40,650 --> 00:23:37,600
disenfranchised by the big newspapers TV

639
00:23:42,630 --> 00:23:40,660
and radio networks bypassing those near

640
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:42,640
monopolies and producing your own

641
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:45,010
editorial content seems to be a

642
00:23:49,650 --> 00:23:47,410
worthwhile alternative as long as you

643
00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:49,660
can identify an audience manage the

644
00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:52,240
technology develop the content that will

645
00:23:56,670 --> 00:23:54,850
hold your audience's interest and find

646
00:23:59,850 --> 00:23:56,680
the often considerable effort of

647
00:24:02,430 --> 00:23:59,860
producing regular programs it's just

648
00:24:05,100 --> 00:24:02,440
that easy in the last century audio

649
00:24:07,890 --> 00:24:05,110
content companies used to supply radio

650
00:24:11,580 --> 00:24:07,900
stations with packaged programs music

651
00:24:14,700 --> 00:24:11,590
talk etc that the stations could play as

652
00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:14,710
they see fit in a way those could be

653
00:24:21,150 --> 00:24:17,730
seen as the precursors of podcasts

654
00:24:23,850 --> 00:24:21,160
unlike these packages however podcasts

655
00:24:26,010 --> 00:24:23,860
are available to anyone with an internet

656
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:26,020
connection and represent a more direct

657
00:24:30,510 --> 00:24:28,210
way of passing information to a

658
00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:30,520
specialized audience of interested

659
00:24:34,740 --> 00:24:33,190
parties podcasts are normally audio

660
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:34,750
files that can be downloaded to

661
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:37,150
computers and more often portable

662
00:24:44,610 --> 00:24:41,170
devices plus ipod plus broadcasting

663
00:24:48,390 --> 00:24:44,620
equals podcast the video alternative not

664
00:24:50,190 --> 00:24:48,400
surprisingly is called a vodcast the

665
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:50,200
technology has been around since the

666
00:24:55,770 --> 00:24:52,930
start of the century when early mp3

667
00:24:57,690 --> 00:24:55,780
player manufacturer I to go began

668
00:25:01,170 --> 00:24:57,700
supplying content for its portable mp3

669
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:01,180
players the company introduced a digital

670
00:25:07,890 --> 00:25:03,970
audio news and entertainment service

671
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:07,900
called my audio to go calm that enabled

672
00:25:13,650 --> 00:25:10,690
users to download episodic news sports

673
00:25:17,340 --> 00:25:13,660
entertainment weather and music in audio

674
00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:17,350
format for listening on a PC the ego

675
00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:18,530
portable audio

676
00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:22,610
player or the mp3 players programs were

677
00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:24,710
originally downloaded directly from the

678
00:25:29,770 --> 00:25:26,810
supplier although third party

679
00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:29,780
distributors such as iTunes and now the

680
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:32,450
main source of the files the term

681
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:34,970
podcast was first used by a guardian

682
00:25:41,710 --> 00:25:38,930
journalist in 2004 and since then the

683
00:25:44,710 --> 00:25:41,720
medium has more than blossomed estimates

684
00:25:46,990 --> 00:25:44,720
of how many there are very especially

685
00:25:49,710 --> 00:25:47,000
with foreign language versions but

686
00:25:52,510 --> 00:25:49,720
numbers between a hundred thousand and

687
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:52,520
150,000 have been given the vast

688
00:25:57,580 --> 00:25:55,250
majority are in English individual

689
00:26:00,100 --> 00:25:57,590
skeptics and skeptical groups have taken

690
00:26:04,690 --> 00:26:00,110
advantage of this technology and Tim

691
00:26:07,450 --> 00:26:04,700
Farley ww what's the harm net estimates

692
00:26:10,030 --> 00:26:07,460
that there are 95 such podcasts

693
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:10,040
currently around the world with 11

694
00:26:15,580 --> 00:26:13,250
sourced from australia between them all

695
00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:15,590
about two hours of content is published

696
00:26:21,820 --> 00:26:19,310
every day ranging from a few minutes to

697
00:26:24,430 --> 00:26:21,830
an hour and a half per episode most are

698
00:26:27,730 --> 00:26:24,440
available for free although some suggest

699
00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:27,740
a miniscule regular donation would come

700
00:26:33,700 --> 00:26:30,860
in handy the first scepticism podcast is

701
00:26:35,830 --> 00:26:33,710
said to be Derek and swoopy a US based

702
00:26:37,990 --> 00:26:35,840
program which started in april two

703
00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:38,000
thousand five it changed its name to

704
00:26:43,180 --> 00:26:40,400
skeptic Aldi which is now the official

705
00:26:45,990 --> 00:26:43,190
podcast of Michael schirmer's skeptical

706
00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:46,000
society but how successful are they

707
00:26:51,250 --> 00:26:49,130
farley lists a further 31 that have

708
00:26:53,770 --> 00:26:51,260
passed on to the great podcast in the

709
00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:53,780
sky some of those it must be admitted

710
00:27:00,520 --> 00:26:57,770
have not much passed on as morphed into

711
00:27:03,730 --> 00:27:00,530
something else such as the skeptic tank

712
00:27:05,830 --> 00:27:03,740
into the skeptic zone Richard Saunders

713
00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:05,840
Australian skeptics Inc president and

714
00:27:12,970 --> 00:27:08,510
producer of those two podcasts says that

715
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:12,980
the skeptic zone www skeptics on TV has

716
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:16,730
been online since sep tember 2008 it

717
00:27:22,690 --> 00:27:19,810
averages about an hour of content weekly

718
00:27:25,990 --> 00:27:22,700
before that he did a vodcast called the

719
00:27:28,450 --> 00:27:26,000
tank that was 30 minutes about every two

720
00:27:30,910 --> 00:27:28,460
weeks which is really hard to film and

721
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:30,920
produce and before that there was the

722
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:31,970
skeptic tank

723
00:27:37,300 --> 00:27:35,450
which dated back to 2001 when members of

724
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:37,310
these skeptics appeared on a segment on

725
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:40,490
net FM an internet radio station he

726
00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:42,770
admits that it's not always easy finding

727
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:44,810
an hour of content every week that's

728
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:47,450
going to appeal to an audience and make

729
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:50,810
them want to return week after week I do

730
00:27:56,170 --> 00:27:52,970
what I can in conducting interviews or

731
00:27:58,330 --> 00:27:56,180
doing field reports myself but I rely

732
00:28:00,790 --> 00:27:58,340
heavily on my reporters to come to the

733
00:28:03,340 --> 00:28:00,800
aid of the show over the past few years

734
00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:03,350
maynards reports and interviews Maynard

735
00:28:09,190 --> 00:28:06,290
spooky action have added immensely to

736
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:09,200
the show the skeptic zone also includes

737
00:28:14,100 --> 00:28:11,330
informal chats between various members

738
00:28:17,020 --> 00:28:14,110
of the skeptics the think tank and

739
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:17,030
specialized editorial columns such as

740
00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:19,490
dr. Richie reports from rachel dunlop

741
00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:22,090
grain of salt from Iran segev and

742
00:28:28,470 --> 00:28:25,760
reality bites from Joe Benna Moo so why

743
00:28:31,780 --> 00:28:28,480
did solders launch the revised program

744
00:28:34,450 --> 00:28:31,790
the skeptic zone always has been about

745
00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:34,460
segments Saunders said that it's still

746
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:37,130
the case to this day I tried to have

747
00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:39,410
reports like dr. Rachel reports that

748
00:28:43,990 --> 00:28:41,570
people would get to know and look

749
00:28:46,510 --> 00:28:44,000
forward to hearing again that is also

750
00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:46,520
why each major segment has its own theme

751
00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:49,370
music people reporters and segments come

752
00:28:54,490 --> 00:28:51,290
and go but the show has not changed

753
00:28:57,910 --> 00:28:54,500
since we launched it and why did he

754
00:29:00,250 --> 00:28:57,920
launch it the time seemed right in 2008

755
00:29:02,650 --> 00:29:00,260
and podcasts were popping up everywhere

756
00:29:04,270 --> 00:29:02,660
covering all sorts of issues I also

757
00:29:06,790 --> 00:29:04,280
found that most people would rather

758
00:29:09,010 --> 00:29:06,800
listen to an audio show then try to

759
00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:09,020
watch it it's much easier for people to

760
00:29:14,530 --> 00:29:10,960
put on headphones and go jogging

761
00:29:16,540 --> 00:29:14,540
commuting or driving he admits that it's

762
00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:16,550
a tough market and to get a reasonable

763
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:19,100
audience is really hard many shows just

764
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:21,530
disappear after a few months when the

765
00:29:26,350 --> 00:29:23,930
people have behind them realize what a

766
00:29:29,470 --> 00:29:26,360
commitment it is to always get that show

767
00:29:31,990 --> 00:29:29,480
out also being an Australian show means

768
00:29:34,630 --> 00:29:32,000
my audience will never be as big as the

769
00:29:37,210 --> 00:29:34,640
us-based shows such as the skeptics

770
00:29:39,220 --> 00:29:37,220
guide to the universe SGU however more

771
00:29:42,550 --> 00:29:39,230
people download the skeptic zone in the

772
00:29:44,290 --> 00:29:42,560
USA then Australia the audience for

773
00:29:45,490 --> 00:29:44,300
skeptical sites can range from a few

774
00:29:48,430 --> 00:29:45,500
dedicated listen

775
00:29:52,450 --> 00:29:48,440
us to those in their thousands the

776
00:29:54,490 --> 00:29:52,460
80-minute SGU which launched in 2005 has

777
00:29:56,710 --> 00:29:54,500
approximately a hundred thousand

778
00:30:00,100 --> 00:29:56,720
downloads per week but the mainstream

779
00:30:02,740 --> 00:30:00,110
media are still shall we say skeptical

780
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:02,750
of the skeptical audience after all

781
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:05,450
these years zonda said they still look

782
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:08,150
at us as another fringe group or a

783
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:10,250
strange gaggle of old white men who

784
00:30:14,950 --> 00:30:12,710
don't believe in anything and I think we

785
00:30:17,170 --> 00:30:14,960
can change that but it's a very long

786
00:30:20,410 --> 00:30:17,180
road I like to surprise the media by

787
00:30:22,990 --> 00:30:20,420
saying things like as far as I know the

788
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:23,000
universe is teeming with life once can

789
00:30:28,510 --> 00:30:25,610
often really confuse them as I don't

790
00:30:31,330 --> 00:30:28,520
then fit the pigeonhole one program that

791
00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:31,340
did include a skeptical component on a

792
00:30:38,350 --> 00:30:35,110
regular basis was the one the one our

793
00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:38,360
talent program run on the seven network

794
00:30:44,140 --> 00:30:41,090
that basically pitted several psychics

795
00:30:46,150 --> 00:30:44,150
against one another participating in

796
00:30:48,730 --> 00:30:46,160
trials which challenged their purported

797
00:30:51,850 --> 00:30:48,740
abilities in activities such as

798
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:51,860
clairvoyance telepathy and mediumship to

799
00:30:57,250 --> 00:30:54,850
determine who is Australia's top psychic

800
00:30:59,530 --> 00:30:57,260
Saunders was one of the two judges on

801
00:31:01,960 --> 00:30:59,540
the program the other words psychic

802
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:01,970
Stacey DeMarco the show ran for two

803
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:04,970
seasons so far and has been criticized

804
00:31:10,770 --> 00:31:07,370
by both skeptics and psychics for

805
00:31:13,780 --> 00:31:10,780
editing content for effect nonetheless

806
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:13,790
Saunders said the one was a chance for

807
00:31:18,490 --> 00:31:15,890
me to put a face on The Skeptical

808
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:18,500
movement for a new generation I knew I

809
00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:20,090
would never change the mind of the true

810
00:31:24,700 --> 00:31:22,370
believers but I really wanted to have

811
00:31:27,850 --> 00:31:24,710
people see that we are just human and

812
00:31:30,190 --> 00:31:27,860
can have fun but also make insightful

813
00:31:31,660 --> 00:31:30,200
comments I'm pleased when even now

814
00:31:34,420 --> 00:31:31,670
people come up to me in the street and

815
00:31:36,430 --> 00:31:34,430
say hello but what is really odd is to

816
00:31:38,530 --> 00:31:36,440
have psychics and mind body spirit

817
00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:38,540
festivals come up to me and call me by

818
00:31:44,290 --> 00:31:41,770
name as if they are old friends almost

819
00:31:46,330 --> 00:31:44,300
universally they will tell me that they

820
00:31:50,290 --> 00:31:46,340
think I'm a good skeptic not a cynic and

821
00:31:52,870 --> 00:31:50,300
that they are skeptics too I know don't

822
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:52,880
they all the skeptics own has now

823
00:31:57,529 --> 00:31:55,490
produced more than 200 programs so what

824
00:32:00,859 --> 00:31:57,539
does Saunders think makes a good

825
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:00,869
hopefully successful podcast as far as

826
00:32:06,019 --> 00:32:03,090
the skeptic zone goes I try to maintain

827
00:32:08,479 --> 00:32:06,029
a high standard of production not always

828
00:32:10,909 --> 00:32:08,489
easy and I cannot always get it right I

829
00:32:12,769 --> 00:32:10,919
have heard many podcasts over the years

830
00:32:15,529 --> 00:32:12,779
that are really just people talking

831
00:32:17,810 --> 00:32:15,539
about anything and laughing at their own

832
00:32:19,759 --> 00:32:17,820
jokes that's fine if that's what they

833
00:32:22,340 --> 00:32:19,769
want to do and they have people who want

834
00:32:25,009 --> 00:32:22,350
to hear it but I try to produce a more

835
00:32:28,599 --> 00:32:25,019
polished show i guess if i were to sum

836
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:28,609
it up in one word that word would be

837
00:32:35,089 --> 00:32:32,460
persistence about the author Tim mendham

838
00:32:49,340 --> 00:32:35,099
is executive officer and editor with

839
00:32:54,630 --> 00:32:52,410
this is des Rochelle hosted skeptically

840
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:54,640
speaking check out our website at

841
00:33:00,900 --> 00:32:57,010
skeptically speaking calm and listen to

842
00:33:04,650 --> 00:33:00,910
us live on CJ SR 88.5 FM in Edmonton

843
00:33:13,970 --> 00:33:04,660
Alberta Canada I now return you to the

844
00:33:18,010 --> 00:33:13,980
skeptic zone his my not spooky action at

845
00:33:22,340 --> 00:33:20,840
look I just bend up watching a great

846
00:33:24,710 --> 00:33:22,350
panel take part here and I was

847
00:33:26,420 --> 00:33:24,720
particularly struck by the speaker here

848
00:33:28,580 --> 00:33:26,430
what's your name and what do you

849
00:33:31,130 --> 00:33:28,590
represent but what Barrow you pushing

850
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:31,140
okay so my name is Meredith doig and i'm

851
00:33:38,090 --> 00:33:32,970
president of the Australian rationalist

852
00:33:40,070 --> 00:33:38,100
society so people ask me rationalist who

853
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:40,080
are the rationalist and my elevator

854
00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:43,290
speeches we're in favor of science and

855
00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:45,809
evidence as opposed to superstition and

856
00:33:51,799 --> 00:33:49,770
bigotry now mind you that people often

857
00:33:54,530 --> 00:33:51,809
think that the rational simply anti

858
00:33:59,210 --> 00:33:54,540
religion and my answer to that is no

859
00:34:01,880 --> 00:33:59,220
we're not anti religion per se were anti

860
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:01,890
the superstitious part of religion were

861
00:34:11,869 --> 00:34:07,770
anti religious bigots but we and we're

862
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:11,879
anti the government giving undue

863
00:34:19,010 --> 00:34:15,330
privileges to religious organizations

864
00:34:21,860 --> 00:34:19,020
and religious institutions so basically

865
00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:21,870
we are part of the free thought movement

866
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:23,850
which includes the skeptics and

867
00:34:30,740 --> 00:34:26,490
humanists and the secularists and the

868
00:34:32,750 --> 00:34:30,750
atheists the rationalist society started

869
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:32,760
in Australia over a hundred years ago in

870
00:34:36,770 --> 00:34:35,250
1906 who kicked it off and wide that

871
00:34:38,389 --> 00:34:36,780
were they a bit annoyed with the

872
00:34:40,850 --> 00:34:38,399
Anglicans where they or something well

873
00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:40,860
yeah Anglican zend the Catholics at that

874
00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:43,050
time but the rationals actually started

875
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:45,570
in the UK back at the turn of the

876
00:34:57,270 --> 00:34:53,000
eighteen hundreds and they started

877
00:35:01,910 --> 00:34:57,280
printing small publications for general

878
00:35:04,290 --> 00:35:01,920
distribution to the public really to

879
00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:04,300
spread the ideas of the Enlightenment

880
00:35:11,030 --> 00:35:07,450
and to defend the legacy of the

881
00:35:13,820 --> 00:35:11,040
Enlightenment from the incursion by the

882
00:35:17,220 --> 00:35:13,830
established Anglican Church in England

883
00:35:19,260 --> 00:35:17,230
so people in it was actually at

884
00:35:22,830 --> 00:35:19,270
Melbourne University in norman college

885
00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:22,840
got together in 1906 in one of their

886
00:35:26,820 --> 00:35:24,670
rooms and they were reading these

887
00:35:30,270 --> 00:35:26,830
pamphlets from the rationalist press

888
00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:30,280
association in england and they decided

889
00:35:34,350 --> 00:35:32,170
that it would be a good idea for them to

890
00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:34,360
come together as interested people and

891
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:37,510
form a similar rationalist society in

892
00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:40,330
australia so that's when it kicked off

893
00:35:44,070 --> 00:35:42,910
to Meredith how do you feel because of

894
00:35:45,990 --> 00:35:44,080
you were there on the panel and you're

895
00:35:48,090 --> 00:35:46,000
saying the dumbing down of science kind

896
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:48,100
of annoys you and you must despair when

897
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:50,370
you watch commercial TV during primetime

898
00:35:56,820 --> 00:35:54,010
and tickle the news too I don't have a

899
00:35:58,650 --> 00:35:56,830
TV wow you want those people well i

900
00:36:00,390 --> 00:35:58,660
gotta say well it's getting back that

901
00:36:01,890 --> 00:36:00,400
way again most younger people now don't

902
00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:01,900
get the TV there the cable they just use

903
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:03,610
internet well that's right i mean i can

904
00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:06,970
use eye view or SBS i can i can catch up

905
00:36:10,650 --> 00:36:08,730
on there now i listen to the radio

906
00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:10,660
basically because i'm doing other things

907
00:36:14,970 --> 00:36:13,450
while i'm listening to the news so what

908
00:36:16,590 --> 00:36:14,980
does make you despair the most in our

909
00:36:19,870 --> 00:36:16,600
popular culture and you do encounter it

910
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:19,880
you know like an imbecile something

911
00:36:24,759 --> 00:36:22,970
the thing that despairs me and you

912
00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:24,769
mentioned the word bus and that brings

913
00:36:30,249 --> 00:36:27,230
to mind the incident that was publicized

914
00:36:33,910 --> 00:36:30,259
just recently where a visitor to

915
00:36:37,990 --> 00:36:33,920
Australia was abused for singing in her

916
00:36:40,779 --> 00:36:38,000
own language in Australia and so what

917
00:36:42,819 --> 00:36:40,789
and that also reminds me that I've just

918
00:36:47,589 --> 00:36:42,829
come back from a walking holiday in

919
00:36:49,299 --> 00:36:47,599
Japan where the Japanese culture I mean

920
00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:49,309
it's only two weeks and I can't say that

921
00:36:55,569 --> 00:36:53,210
I can jet generalized too much about

922
00:37:03,059 --> 00:36:55,579
Japanese culture but I come back to

923
00:37:06,940 --> 00:37:03,069
Australia and the degree of fairly

924
00:37:09,940 --> 00:37:06,950
xenophobic behavior at least that gets

925
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:09,950
into the media so the media are now sort

926
00:37:15,339 --> 00:37:12,890
of seeing that this is something to

927
00:37:18,670 --> 00:37:15,349
perhaps sell more newspapers in any way

928
00:37:25,420 --> 00:37:18,680
there is an aspect of Australian culture

929
00:37:27,490 --> 00:37:25,430
which I find really distressing the

930
00:37:31,420 --> 00:37:27,500
Prime Minister of Malaysia many years

931
00:37:35,370 --> 00:37:31,430
ago said that Australia was in danger of

932
00:37:37,779 --> 00:37:35,380
becoming the poor white trash of Asia I

933
00:37:41,559 --> 00:37:37,789
think that there are some parts of

934
00:37:43,779 --> 00:37:41,569
Australia that do risk becoming like

935
00:37:46,089 --> 00:37:43,789
that and do you think that's purely down

936
00:37:49,059 --> 00:37:46,099
to educational because of the cultural

937
00:37:53,220 --> 00:37:49,069
lead the media takes sometimes it's both

938
00:37:58,450 --> 00:37:55,329
Australia is a long way away from

939
00:38:00,730 --> 00:37:58,460
everywhere else Doig second famous

940
00:38:02,349 --> 00:38:00,740
dictum is that all young Australians

941
00:38:04,990 --> 00:38:02,359
should be given a one where upon

942
00:38:07,569 --> 00:38:05,000
reaching the age of 18 should be given a

943
00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:07,579
one-way ticket to a non-english speaking

944
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:09,650
country and told they're not allowed

945
00:38:16,839 --> 00:38:13,250
back for 12 months see it's not always

946
00:38:19,870 --> 00:38:16,849
their fault it's that they haven't had

947
00:38:23,279 --> 00:38:19,880
experience of any other culture so they

948
00:38:26,190 --> 00:38:23,289
grow up in this rich middle-class

949
00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:26,200
relatively benign

950
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:29,910
and stable culture and they get a strong

951
00:38:36,510 --> 00:38:34,690
entitlement mentality and and they don't

952
00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:36,520
have personal experiences do you think

953
00:38:39,510 --> 00:38:37,690
they think the rest of the world's like

954
00:38:41,250 --> 00:38:39,520
that or not or there just isn't there

955
00:38:43,589 --> 00:38:41,260
bit yeah I'm not sure that they actually

956
00:38:46,650 --> 00:38:43,599
think about it right I'm not sure that

957
00:38:49,230 --> 00:38:46,660
they think about it hang said that I was

958
00:38:55,530 --> 00:38:49,240
at on Thursday I was out at a primary

959
00:38:57,630 --> 00:38:55,540
school in in camberwell and amongst

960
00:38:59,579 --> 00:38:57,640
other things the deputy principal of

961
00:39:02,819 --> 00:38:59,589
that school got up and was talking about

962
00:39:05,910 --> 00:39:02,829
some of the activities that children had

963
00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:05,920
been engaged in and I must say that I

964
00:39:13,910 --> 00:39:09,250
was pretty impressed with the

965
00:39:16,349 --> 00:39:13,920
professionalism or that she was

966
00:39:19,490 --> 00:39:16,359
demonstrating in the way that she

967
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:19,500
understood about child development and

968
00:39:25,020 --> 00:39:21,970
I've spoken to a few other people since

969
00:39:28,230 --> 00:39:25,030
then about the quality of primary school

970
00:39:30,450 --> 00:39:28,240
education at least in Victoria and I

971
00:39:32,069 --> 00:39:30,460
think that I mean I haven't had much to

972
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:32,079
do with primary school education i must

973
00:39:40,620 --> 00:39:34,290
admit and since i was at primary school

974
00:39:43,290 --> 00:39:40,630
but i think I'm probably more confident

975
00:39:45,270 --> 00:39:43,300
of the primary school education compared

976
00:39:49,980 --> 00:39:45,280
to secondary school education or even

977
00:39:52,650 --> 00:39:49,990
perhaps tertiary education I think

978
00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:52,660
primary school educators have a pretty

979
00:39:58,920 --> 00:39:55,450
good view that is a pretty secular view

980
00:40:03,599 --> 00:39:58,930
about how to educate kids until instill

981
00:40:09,980 --> 00:40:03,609
values but you know we are being

982
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:09,990
undermined by evangelicals who seek to

983
00:40:17,700 --> 00:40:14,770
instill in kids that you know god or

984
00:40:20,460 --> 00:40:17,710
gods exist that

985
00:40:23,310 --> 00:40:20,470
well I mean hell's a pretty scary thing

986
00:40:25,500 --> 00:40:23,320
to put into anyone at any age instilling

987
00:40:28,410 --> 00:40:25,510
shame and guilt when it's absolutely

988
00:40:30,900 --> 00:40:28,420
unnecessary and very negative we all

989
00:40:33,630 --> 00:40:30,910
know Catholics or lapsed Catholics who

990
00:40:36,810 --> 00:40:33,640
will say to you that you know you can

991
00:40:39,890 --> 00:40:36,820
you can walk away from Catholicism but

992
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:39,900
you never get rid of that sneaking

993
00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:43,330
suspicion of guilt which i think is

994
00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:46,690
really negative well it depends on what

995
00:40:49,940 --> 00:40:48,130
you're guilty about I mean to the [\h__\h]

996
00:40:51,810 --> 00:40:49,950
but if you do actually do something bad

997
00:40:54,599 --> 00:40:51,820
historically it served them all because

998
00:40:57,359 --> 00:40:54,609
it's a great way to control people well

999
00:40:58,680 --> 00:40:57,369
exactly yet guilt and shame yeah it

1000
00:40:59,760 --> 00:40:58,690
looked at one of the last point you

1001
00:41:01,890 --> 00:40:59,770
mentioned there's just said we need to

1002
00:41:03,660 --> 00:41:01,900
teach critical thinking about critical

1003
00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:03,670
thinking sorry it was critical thinking

1004
00:41:08,609 --> 00:41:05,530
about film appreciation no that's what I

1005
00:41:12,210 --> 00:41:08,619
was drunk up the back well but the point

1006
00:41:14,329 --> 00:41:12,220
was that the previous speaker had drawn

1007
00:41:18,030 --> 00:41:14,339
ten drawn the audience's attention to

1008
00:41:21,329 --> 00:41:18,040
two films to say that films are not

1009
00:41:24,750 --> 00:41:21,339
necessarily dumbing down some are but

1010
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:24,760
some aren't I get a bit frustrated with

1011
00:41:29,430 --> 00:41:27,010
people using films or time as

1012
00:41:30,930 --> 00:41:29,440
illustrations is what I could see in the

1013
00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:30,940
point you're making years explain that

1014
00:41:37,620 --> 00:41:35,250
yeah so I think a lot of films are

1015
00:41:39,780 --> 00:41:37,630
dumbing down to the extent that they

1016
00:41:43,740 --> 00:41:39,790
have to put into a relatively short

1017
00:41:48,260 --> 00:41:43,750
period of time often highly complex

1018
00:41:52,410 --> 00:41:48,270
stories which have underlying

1019
00:41:54,109 --> 00:41:52,420
philosophical frameworks that are drawn

1020
00:41:56,700 --> 00:41:54,119
on which are never explicate 'add

1021
00:42:00,210 --> 00:41:56,710
they're just they're just they're highly

1022
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:00,220
symbolic and I think that we have to

1023
00:42:04,950 --> 00:42:03,490
teach kids to be able to example of one

1024
00:42:09,420 --> 00:42:04,960
of those films you might like to think

1025
00:42:11,430 --> 00:42:09,430
of oh gosh well exactly Star Wars was me

1026
00:42:13,140 --> 00:42:11,440
mention and it's it's got philosophy

1027
00:42:16,230 --> 00:42:13,150
Sciuto religion it's got everything in

1028
00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:16,240
it yes but when people watch something

1029
00:42:19,770 --> 00:42:18,250
like Star Wars how often are they

1030
00:42:21,839 --> 00:42:19,780
actually thinking about those things

1031
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:21,849
what they're thinking about is the you

1032
00:42:29,059 --> 00:42:22,930
beaut

1033
00:42:33,359 --> 00:42:29,069
cinematic effects or the simplified

1034
00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:33,369
contest between good and evil so my

1035
00:42:42,210 --> 00:42:38,050
argument would be that films can be a

1036
00:42:44,970 --> 00:42:42,220
vehicle for exploitation you know the

1037
00:42:47,069 --> 00:42:44,980
the big questions of life what is right

1038
00:42:49,829 --> 00:42:47,079
what's wrong what is moral what is

1039
00:42:53,010 --> 00:42:49,839
immoral but often they're not they're

1040
00:42:57,809 --> 00:42:53,020
just used at a very superficial level so

1041
00:43:01,170 --> 00:42:57,819
my call was to actually use films use

1042
00:43:02,910 --> 00:43:01,180
critical thinking to analyze films and

1043
00:43:04,770 --> 00:43:02,920
draw the most out of them rather than

1044
00:43:07,530 --> 00:43:04,780
just sticking at a very superficial

1045
00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:07,540
level now you've said that some people

1046
00:43:11,790 --> 00:43:08,890
in the media you've had contact with

1047
00:43:13,950 --> 00:43:11,800
prone to conspiracy theories or thinking

1048
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:13,960
a bit of Wu themselves how do you combat

1049
00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:15,010
that particularly with the limited

1050
00:43:22,349 --> 00:43:16,270
amount of air time you get with them

1051
00:43:24,299 --> 00:43:22,359
sometimes um it's not it's not so much

1052
00:43:27,569 --> 00:43:24,309
some journalists or people in the media

1053
00:43:29,069 --> 00:43:27,579
it was my brother well they should know

1054
00:43:31,829 --> 00:43:29,079
better or is it just doing it to annoy

1055
00:43:35,309 --> 00:43:31,839
you because you're his sister no no no I

1056
00:43:36,799 --> 00:43:35,319
mean and you know to be fair with I try

1057
00:43:42,450 --> 00:43:36,809
to approach these things as a

1058
00:43:44,190 --> 00:43:42,460
rationalist and so I don't unless I have

1059
00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:44,200
evidence that somebody is actually

1060
00:43:51,210 --> 00:43:49,210
trying to tell lies then I'll assume

1061
00:43:53,490 --> 00:43:51,220
that people are actually interested in

1062
00:43:55,460 --> 00:43:53,500
pursuing the truth but they don't want

1063
00:43:58,440 --> 00:43:55,470
to be they don't want to just accept

1064
00:44:00,180 --> 00:43:58,450
whatever what everybody else says so

1065
00:44:02,460 --> 00:44:00,190
they want to pursue the truth for

1066
00:44:04,530 --> 00:44:02,470
themselves that's interesting is it

1067
00:44:09,569 --> 00:44:04,540
which is what my brother was is trying

1068
00:44:13,049 --> 00:44:09,579
to do so but when he comes up with

1069
00:44:14,190 --> 00:44:13,059
things like chemtrails oh my god I think

1070
00:44:16,710 --> 00:44:14,200
you'll find they're actually known as a

1071
00:44:19,700 --> 00:44:16,720
persistent jet contrails yes exactly

1072
00:44:22,109 --> 00:44:19,710
exactly so what you have to do if

1073
00:44:24,539 --> 00:44:22,119
because sometimes you know I'll be taken

1074
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:24,549
by surprise somebody makes a statement

1075
00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:26,890
about something I think that doesn't

1076
00:44:30,730 --> 00:44:29,290
sound right but I don't have the

1077
00:44:33,730 --> 00:44:30,740
evidence to hand

1078
00:44:37,570 --> 00:44:33,740
so what I'll say is something like this

1079
00:44:39,310 --> 00:44:37,580
well this doesn't seem to fit in with my

1080
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:39,320
understanding of the science or the

1081
00:44:46,300 --> 00:44:41,450
physics or what other people are saying

1082
00:44:47,740 --> 00:44:46,310
but I can't say definitively because I

1083
00:44:50,140 --> 00:44:47,750
don't have the evidence and the data to

1084
00:44:52,090 --> 00:44:50,150
myself but i'll go when do it so i go

1085
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:52,100
away and do the research and then i'll

1086
00:44:58,240 --> 00:44:55,130
come back and say well except that if

1087
00:45:00,100 --> 00:44:58,250
you have a look at a b c and d it

1088
00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:00,110
counters everything that you've been

1089
00:45:03,700 --> 00:45:02,450
claiming so what do you say that and i

1090
00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:03,710
think one of the other people on the

1091
00:45:08,980 --> 00:45:05,930
panel said it really well you don't try

1092
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:08,990
to undermine people as people you

1093
00:45:13,359 --> 00:45:11,210
respect you know that's part of a

1094
00:45:16,720 --> 00:45:13,369
secular value to for my way of thinking

1095
00:45:18,150 --> 00:45:16,730
you respect other people unless you have

1096
00:45:20,140 --> 00:45:18,160
evidence that they're actually

1097
00:45:23,290 --> 00:45:20,150
disrespecting others by trying to just

1098
00:45:26,580 --> 00:45:23,300
be a snake oil salesman deliberately so

1099
00:45:29,020 --> 00:45:26,590
you respect other people but then you

1100
00:45:31,540 --> 00:45:29,030
get the evidence and you try to present

1101
00:45:36,720 --> 00:45:31,550
that evidence to them in a reasonable

1102
00:45:40,390 --> 00:45:36,730
way so that you don't emotionally set up

1103
00:45:42,849 --> 00:45:40,400
an equal and opposite emotional response

1104
00:45:45,010 --> 00:45:42,859
so they immediately get this emotional

1105
00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:45,020
rejection of what you're saying or they

1106
00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:47,890
become emotionally defensive you try to

1107
00:45:54,370 --> 00:45:51,530
keep the lines of communication open so

1108
00:45:56,410 --> 00:45:54,380
that least they have an open mind to

1109
00:45:58,570 --> 00:45:56,420
receive the sort of things that you want

1110
00:45:59,680 --> 00:45:58,580
you want to get across to them as

1111
00:46:01,270 --> 00:45:59,690
someone that's been involved with the

1112
00:46:02,740 --> 00:46:01,280
rationalist for many decades I'll leave

1113
00:46:04,420 --> 00:46:02,750
you with this question is there any

1114
00:46:06,370 --> 00:46:04,430
extraordinary claim you've ever heard

1115
00:46:08,290 --> 00:46:06,380
the you wish was kind of real is there

1116
00:46:10,599 --> 00:46:08,300
some claim medical claim is there's

1117
00:46:11,950 --> 00:46:10,609
ghost on ghost claims some UFO claim is

1118
00:46:13,660 --> 00:46:11,960
that one claim you think well that would

1119
00:46:16,420 --> 00:46:13,670
be cool it was real but unfortunately

1120
00:46:18,340 --> 00:46:16,430
it's not that has never even occurred to

1121
00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:18,350
me talking to two people who are dead

1122
00:46:24,670 --> 00:46:20,770
because I always say to people who say

1123
00:46:28,150 --> 00:46:24,680
well what happens after you did so well

1124
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:28,160
what happened before you were born do

1125
00:46:31,900 --> 00:46:29,450
you remember what happened before you

1126
00:46:34,900 --> 00:46:31,910
were born no well that's what it's going

1127
00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:34,910
to be like after you did but that's so

1128
00:46:40,390 --> 00:46:38,210
that's never really been one of those

1129
00:46:42,070 --> 00:46:40,400
things that oh gosh will be fantastic if

1130
00:46:44,290 --> 00:46:42,080
I if we could do that

1131
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:44,300
I think just you know it was a really

1132
00:46:47,590 --> 00:46:45,530
interesting question I was trying to

1133
00:46:50,590 --> 00:46:47,600
think about what what I really would

1134
00:46:54,010 --> 00:46:50,600
like to be true and I think what I would

1135
00:46:58,360 --> 00:46:54,020
like what I really would like to be true

1136
00:47:01,330 --> 00:46:58,370
is the theory of Gaia the for the earth

1137
00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:01,340
I mean the theory of guy are in a way is

1138
00:47:14,170 --> 00:47:05,690
a metaphor but what if the earth really

1139
00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:14,180
were sentient so that despite the worst

1140
00:47:21,100 --> 00:47:16,730
things that human beings could do to the

1141
00:47:25,380 --> 00:47:21,110
earth the earth can deal with it like

1142
00:47:30,250 --> 00:47:25,390
you get a cut on your arm and our body

1143
00:47:34,630 --> 00:47:30,260
repairs that cut that damage so human

1144
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:34,640
beings are really damaging the earth so

1145
00:47:40,750 --> 00:47:38,450
it would be fantastic to think that the

1146
00:47:43,810 --> 00:47:40,760
earth were a sentient being that could

1147
00:47:46,540 --> 00:47:43,820
deal with that damage irrespective of

1148
00:47:48,130 --> 00:47:46,550
what human beings do but despite what we

1149
00:47:49,510 --> 00:47:48,140
do the planet will still be here we'll

1150
00:47:51,460 --> 00:47:49,520
just be in a different state we just

1151
00:47:55,990 --> 00:47:51,470
label to live on it it might be dead

1152
00:47:57,250 --> 00:47:56,000
yeah yeah well on that cheery note it's

1153
00:48:02,500 --> 00:47:57,260
been lovely talking to you now where can

1154
00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:02,510
we catch the rationalist online wwwcom

1155
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:04,970
you thank you feat I Meredith my

1156
00:48:21,470 --> 00:48:19,460
a fellow skeptics I'm Trent's the

1157
00:48:23,810 --> 00:48:21,480
co-host of a podcast called seeds of

1158
00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:23,820
doubt and creative a new project called

1159
00:48:38,140 --> 00:48:35,440
Dropbox is dedicated to providing new

1160
00:48:40,060 --> 00:48:38,150
music for your radio show or podcast and

1161
00:48:42,490 --> 00:48:40,070
to help support your cause through the

1162
00:48:44,860 --> 00:48:42,500
sound waves the song you're listening to

1163
00:48:47,860 --> 00:48:44,870
is called keep looking up and can be

1164
00:48:57,970 --> 00:48:47,870
heard on the podcast oddments by college

1165
00:49:01,510 --> 00:48:57,980
of curiosity they need some new music

1166
00:49:20,210 --> 00:49:01,520
check me out facebook.com slash Dropbox

1167
00:49:25,170 --> 00:49:22,620
thank you for listening to the skeptic

1168
00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:25,180
zone in the coming weeks maybe a few

1169
00:49:32,580 --> 00:49:28,450
more hints and teasers about the project

1170
00:49:35,820 --> 00:49:32,590
solar flare and in some very exciting

1171
00:49:39,030 --> 00:49:35,830
news it looks like hopefully it looks

1172
00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:39,040
like i'll be visiting europe in april in

1173
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:41,410
fact i've been invited to speak at a

1174
00:49:45,930 --> 00:49:43,450
conference in the czech republic i'm

1175
00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:45,940
going to try and sneak in a visit to

1176
00:49:52,140 --> 00:49:49,330
oslo and a visit to manchester while i'm

1177
00:49:54,900 --> 00:49:52,150
at it more details about that coming up

1178
00:49:59,040 --> 00:49:54,910
soon oh the deal isn't done quite yet

1179
00:50:02,160 --> 00:49:59,050
but it's looking quite hopeful Wow more

1180
00:50:04,530 --> 00:50:02,170
frequent flyer points for me but for now

1181
00:50:10,980 --> 00:50:04,540
this is Richard Saunders signing off

1182
00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:10,990
from Sydney Australia you've been

1183
00:50:18,780 --> 00:50:14,290
listening to the skeptic zone visit our

1184
00:50:21,270 --> 00:50:18,790
website at www skeptics on TV for