1 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:09,500 welcome to the skeptic zone the podcast 2 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:23,530 hello and welcome to the skeptic zone 3 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:27,290 episode number 75 on the twenty-sixth of 4 00:00:32,650 --> 00:00:30,110 march 2010 Richard Saunders here with 5 00:00:34,630 --> 00:00:32,660 you once again on this week's show we 6 00:00:36,910 --> 00:00:34,640 have an interview with Julian morrow 7 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:36,920 from the chasers war on everything 8 00:00:42,729 --> 00:00:40,250 program shown here on the ABC and 9 00:00:45,130 --> 00:00:42,739 Australia it's conducted by Kylie 10 00:00:47,170 --> 00:00:45,140 Sturgis very funny man he's going to 11 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:47,180 discuss being at the Atheist convention 12 00:00:52,180 --> 00:00:50,450 earlier this month and some of the more 13 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:52,190 outrageous stunts they got up to during 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:54,530 the filming of the chasers war and 15 00:00:59,740 --> 00:00:57,410 everything that's followed by dr. Reggie 16 00:01:01,390 --> 00:00:59,750 reports she's going to be talking to 17 00:01:05,260 --> 00:01:01,400 mark Carter in the Northern Territory 18 00:01:08,410 --> 00:01:05,270 here in Australia about things like fish 19 00:01:10,030 --> 00:01:08,420 falling from the sky after that we have 20 00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:10,040 a grain of salt with a run so give 21 00:01:16,389 --> 00:01:12,560 looking at hair loss or should I say 22 00:01:18,310 --> 00:01:16,399 hair regrowth following that a very 23 00:01:21,969 --> 00:01:18,320 special thing tank with a special guest 24 00:01:24,730 --> 00:01:21,979 none other than PZ Myers now before we 25 00:01:27,820 --> 00:01:24,740 get on to the show a special thank you 26 00:01:30,969 --> 00:01:27,830 from me to all the skeptics own team 27 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:30,979 members who work so hard every week to 28 00:01:36,580 --> 00:01:33,050 bring interviews and other great things 29 00:01:38,710 --> 00:01:36,590 to you so sit back grab that knife soda 30 00:01:56,180 --> 00:01:38,720 water and enjoy this week's episode of 31 00:02:02,430 --> 00:01:59,460 I'm Carly Sturgis and I'm talking to 32 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:02,440 Julian morrow Julian morrow is a member 33 00:02:07,230 --> 00:02:05,170 of the chaser an Australian satirical 34 00:02:10,380 --> 00:02:07,240 comedian group most famous for their 35 00:02:12,210 --> 00:02:10,390 television programs on the ABC The 36 00:02:14,340 --> 00:02:12,220 Chaser originated as a satirical 37 00:02:16,410 --> 00:02:14,350 newspaper which was known to push the 38 00:02:18,870 --> 00:02:16,420 limits as to what it published and for 39 00:02:20,970 --> 00:02:18,880 enacting its mission statement striving 40 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:20,980 for mediocrity in a world of excellence 41 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:23,170 after attending the global atheist 42 00:02:27,210 --> 00:02:24,970 convention in Melbourne I had the 43 00:02:29,130 --> 00:02:27,220 opportunity to speak to Julian about his 44 00:02:31,710 --> 00:02:29,140 career as a comedian his views on 45 00:02:33,570 --> 00:02:31,720 atheism and of course skepticism 46 00:02:35,610 --> 00:02:33,580 Julianne Moore i first started his 47 00:02:38,010 --> 00:02:35,620 career as a lawyer and you might be 48 00:02:41,490 --> 00:02:38,020 familiar with the entry of an apex 49 00:02:43,350 --> 00:02:41,500 security zone in 2007 masquerading is 50 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:43,360 the motorcade of the Canadian delegation 51 00:02:48,270 --> 00:02:46,330 to a pet furious about a security breach 52 00:02:50,310 --> 00:02:48,280 at the APEC conference in Sydney a 53 00:02:52,140 --> 00:02:50,320 motorcade of vehicles got through the 54 00:02:54,270 --> 00:02:52,150 cordons and delivered a man dressed as 55 00:02:57,030 --> 00:02:54,280 Osama bin Laden to the front door of 56 00:02:59,280 --> 00:02:57,040 George Bush's hotel it turns out those 57 00:03:01,740 --> 00:02:59,290 responsible were from a TV satire 58 00:03:04,050 --> 00:03:01,750 program the chase report Channel Seven's 59 00:03:06,150 --> 00:03:04,060 Chris freeze and reports thank you very 60 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:06,160 much for joining me Julian it's a great 61 00:03:10,949 --> 00:03:08,650 pleasure now we met at the global 62 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:10,959 atheist convention Saturday night dinner 63 00:03:14,910 --> 00:03:12,970 which was held in Melbourne earlier this 64 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:14,920 month that's right I found out the name 65 00:03:19,740 --> 00:03:17,650 of the first person you kissed oh no 66 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:19,750 that's going to be everywhere now isn't 67 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:23,970 it well it was because of a very 68 00:03:29,610 --> 00:03:27,910 skeptical illusionist to who managed to 69 00:03:31,590 --> 00:03:29,620 get you on stage without realizing 70 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:31,600 you're the conference convener yes yes 71 00:03:35,430 --> 00:03:34,090 the fabulous Simon Taylor he's um quite 72 00:03:37,710 --> 00:03:35,440 a bit of a figure over there in the 73 00:03:39,750 --> 00:03:37,720 Victorian skeptic scene with his magical 74 00:03:42,150 --> 00:03:39,760 illusions and so forth you know he was 75 00:03:47,130 --> 00:03:42,160 really good hmm so how difficult is it 76 00:03:51,150 --> 00:03:47,140 to make fun of religion oh look it's not 77 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:51,160 that hard it's almost as hard as making 78 00:03:55,979 --> 00:03:54,250 fun of atheism yes and you managed to do 79 00:03:58,290 --> 00:03:55,989 that quite well by posting up a large 80 00:04:00,539 --> 00:03:58,300 poster which made a lot of fun of the 81 00:04:02,099 --> 00:04:00,549 Atheist bus banners that have been going 82 00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:02,109 around yeah that's what that was 83 00:04:06,700 --> 00:04:04,190 actually it was fun too 84 00:04:09,010 --> 00:04:06,710 lay that at the convention because it 85 00:04:11,620 --> 00:04:09,020 was actually a piece of footage that 86 00:04:13,980 --> 00:04:11,630 we've made for the chases war on 87 00:04:17,020 --> 00:04:13,990 everything series 3 but didn't broadcast 88 00:04:20,289 --> 00:04:17,030 and it followed from the you know the 89 00:04:23,590 --> 00:04:20,299 Atheist bus ad thing that started in in 90 00:04:26,380 --> 00:04:23,600 London and we happen to be in London 91 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:26,390 around the time because we were shooting 92 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:28,610 for the war and everything and we 93 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:33,310 basically made our own little sign for 94 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:36,050 you know in treating the London 95 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:39,050 commuters to bow down to the the Dark 96 00:04:44,650 --> 00:04:41,870 Lord Satan just to try and even out the 97 00:04:46,390 --> 00:04:44,660 the debate between atheism and and and 98 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:46,400 religious people we thought that Satan 99 00:04:49,810 --> 00:04:47,930 need to get a bit of a look in it was 100 00:04:53,170 --> 00:04:49,820 actually really fun stunt to do although 101 00:04:54,850 --> 00:04:53,180 it didn't quite work for the just as a 102 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:54,860 package for our general audience and 103 00:04:57,700 --> 00:04:55,850 what was kind of sitting there on the 104 00:04:59,050 --> 00:04:57,710 shelf and we figured if it didn't get a 105 00:05:00,070 --> 00:04:59,060 laugh or the ideas convention it was 106 00:05:01,510 --> 00:05:00,080 never going to get one and we were 107 00:05:02,620 --> 00:05:01,520 pretty glad that it did it went down 108 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:02,630 pretty well I said it went down 109 00:05:06,610 --> 00:05:04,760 wonderfully well yeah now to set the 110 00:05:08,290 --> 00:05:06,620 scene a little for people who might be 111 00:05:10,270 --> 00:05:08,300 listening to our show who aren't 112 00:05:11,950 --> 00:05:10,280 familiar with your work there's an 113 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:11,960 article that was originally printed in 114 00:05:15,190 --> 00:05:13,610 The Sydney Morning Herald and it's 115 00:05:17,590 --> 00:05:15,200 featured on a Richard Dawkins website 116 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:17,600 that's right yeah the one about the 117 00:05:22,659 --> 00:05:19,610 crack annoyance squad for what was then 118 00:05:24,370 --> 00:05:22,669 the 2008 world youth day and you 119 00:05:27,490 --> 00:05:24,380 describe yourself as a lapsed Catholic 120 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:27,500 elapsed lawyer elapsed chaser comedian 121 00:05:34,420 --> 00:05:31,130 and a practicing criminal so do you also 122 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:34,430 describe yourself as a skeptic I look 123 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:36,890 I'd say so I mean I'm not a mean yeah 124 00:05:41,409 --> 00:05:39,290 look I'm a great believer in there in 125 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:41,419 rationalism I'm not a very scientific 126 00:05:48,190 --> 00:05:45,890 person and basically you know elementary 127 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:48,200 concepts that most intelligent people 128 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:49,610 should understand in the science world 129 00:05:55,090 --> 00:05:53,090 completely bemuse me but but I do 130 00:05:57,310 --> 00:05:55,100 believe that there are always rational 131 00:05:59,020 --> 00:05:57,320 explanations for for things and I 132 00:06:03,970 --> 00:05:59,030 suppose the other thing I would say is 133 00:06:09,130 --> 00:06:03,980 that I I do think that excessive 134 00:06:13,180 --> 00:06:09,140 rationality is as much a flaw as 135 00:06:14,380 --> 00:06:13,190 excessive spiritualism or occultism so 136 00:06:15,700 --> 00:06:14,390 you know the other I think that there's 137 00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:15,710 a balance to be struck in all these 138 00:06:18,250 --> 00:06:16,910 things 139 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:18,260 asserts we're having a laugh at oneself 140 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:20,510 comes into it as well well it comes 141 00:06:25,690 --> 00:06:23,510 naturally to us a funny thing being a 142 00:06:28,270 --> 00:06:25,700 comedian in one sense all the sort of 143 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:28,280 kind of lowbrow cheap shot comedians 144 00:06:34,530 --> 00:06:31,570 that we are is it's essentially a 145 00:06:39,220 --> 00:06:34,540 negative pursuit you know it's about 146 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:39,230 knocking down well hopefully those 147 00:06:42,220 --> 00:06:40,970 people in positions of authority but 148 00:06:44,140 --> 00:06:42,230 sometimes just innocent victims as well 149 00:06:48,630 --> 00:06:44,150 we can't pretend otherwise at the chaser 150 00:06:52,630 --> 00:06:48,640 and as I suppose to some extent that's 151 00:06:56,020 --> 00:06:52,640 similar to skepticism in terms of trying 152 00:06:59,020 --> 00:06:56,030 to you know the pierce the well you know 153 00:07:00,280 --> 00:06:59,030 falsehoods and pretensions claims that 154 00:07:03,490 --> 00:07:00,290 are more extravagant than they can 155 00:07:04,690 --> 00:07:03,500 possibly realistically be but as far as 156 00:07:07,930 --> 00:07:04,700 that's not the end of the game either 157 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:07,940 there's there is a place for for the 158 00:07:11,020 --> 00:07:09,770 more positive side of things it's just 159 00:07:12,550 --> 00:07:11,030 that you add the chaser we're 160 00:07:15,340 --> 00:07:12,560 chronically incapable of it so we'd over 161 00:07:19,140 --> 00:07:15,350 Tim what led you to begin firstly as a 162 00:07:23,830 --> 00:07:19,150 lawyer and then become an entertainer um 163 00:07:26,830 --> 00:07:23,840 well look III did law for lack of 164 00:07:29,230 --> 00:07:26,840 imagination really ah what you like but 165 00:07:32,950 --> 00:07:29,240 yeah but I but actually I mean there's a 166 00:07:34,300 --> 00:07:32,960 kind of common thing of lawyers going 167 00:07:36,220 --> 00:07:34,310 into comedy and talking about how much 168 00:07:37,690 --> 00:07:36,230 they hated their law career I'm far more 169 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:37,700 boring that actually really liked my 170 00:07:44,020 --> 00:07:40,010 career as a lawyer I became a lawyer 171 00:07:46,750 --> 00:07:44,030 because I was taught in an employment 172 00:07:49,930 --> 00:07:46,760 and industrial law by a fantastic man 173 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:49,940 called professor Ranma Callum is 174 00:07:55,750 --> 00:07:53,450 actually I believe the first blind law 175 00:07:59,460 --> 00:07:55,760 professor in Australia at least and he's 176 00:08:02,740 --> 00:07:59,470 an amazing guy very inspirational and 177 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:02,750 certainly inspired me to to work as an 178 00:08:08,230 --> 00:08:05,810 employment lawyer for a while but I 179 00:08:11,380 --> 00:08:08,240 suppose the link with comedy is that as 180 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:11,390 a lawyer essentially your job is to play 181 00:08:15,130 --> 00:08:13,250 with the meaning of words you know 182 00:08:17,830 --> 00:08:15,140 essentially clients pay you to twist the 183 00:08:19,690 --> 00:08:17,840 meaning of words in their favor in a way 184 00:08:23,230 --> 00:08:19,700 which sometimes is very useful in other 185 00:08:27,219 --> 00:08:23,240 times is outrageously unjust and 186 00:08:28,450 --> 00:08:27,229 disgraceful but it's about playing with 187 00:08:30,399 --> 00:08:28,460 the meaning of words and comedy 188 00:08:32,230 --> 00:08:30,409 essentially is 189 00:08:33,699 --> 00:08:32,240 about setting up expectations in the 190 00:08:36,790 --> 00:08:33,709 meaning of words and then and then 191 00:08:38,529 --> 00:08:36,800 submerging them more often than not so 192 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:38,539 how did you become an entertainer than 193 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:40,490 joining the chases and becoming the 194 00:08:48,970 --> 00:08:45,050 powerhouse that you are media well that 195 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:48,980 there was a period in the late 1990s 196 00:08:52,449 --> 00:08:51,110 where some of my mates from University 197 00:08:54,699 --> 00:08:52,459 who'd done Arts degrees they weren't 198 00:08:57,460 --> 00:08:54,709 they hadn't done the law degrees were in 199 00:09:00,850 --> 00:08:57,470 serious danger of having to get a real 200 00:09:03,610 --> 00:09:00,860 job oh no no that was that was untenable 201 00:09:04,900 --> 00:09:03,620 as far as we were concerned yes I think 202 00:09:07,629 --> 00:09:04,910 as far as a lot of the legitimate work 203 00:09:09,069 --> 00:09:07,639 force that was well there were no real 204 00:09:10,329 --> 00:09:09,079 prospects but we thought the just in 205 00:09:12,490 --> 00:09:10,339 case that happened we should start up 206 00:09:15,879 --> 00:09:12,500 this satirical newspaper so we also 207 00:09:17,619 --> 00:09:15,889 started really as writers writing the 208 00:09:22,300 --> 00:09:17,629 chase of newspaper which was a parody of 209 00:09:24,759 --> 00:09:22,310 a tabloid newspaper and we did that for 210 00:09:26,019 --> 00:09:24,769 a while we had a we had I think probably 211 00:09:27,429 --> 00:09:26,029 one of the funniest things we've ever 212 00:09:29,019 --> 00:09:27,439 written was our business plan that was 213 00:09:32,050 --> 00:09:29,029 an absolute it was a complete joke and 214 00:09:33,939 --> 00:09:32,060 we we were going to do I think eight 215 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:33,949 editions of the print newspaper and if 216 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:36,170 it if it didn't succeed after eight 217 00:09:41,499 --> 00:09:38,689 editions on financial grounds we were 218 00:09:43,329 --> 00:09:41,509 going to end the paper and you know go 219 00:09:45,670 --> 00:09:43,339 back to it to whatever our other 220 00:09:47,530 --> 00:09:45,680 pursuits were and after eight editions 221 00:09:49,689 --> 00:09:47,540 it was an absolute disaster financially 222 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:49,699 but we were kind of enjoying ourselves 223 00:09:52,540 --> 00:09:51,290 that we resolved it to close the 224 00:09:53,860 --> 00:09:52,550 newspaper down but because we're so 225 00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:53,870 administratively lacks it took us about 226 00:09:59,170 --> 00:09:57,110 five years to do and in the meantime we 227 00:10:00,699 --> 00:09:59,180 just kept pumping out this this 228 00:10:03,759 --> 00:10:00,709 newspaper it was an act of phenomenal 229 00:10:05,710 --> 00:10:03,769 arrogant it's because nobody read it but 230 00:10:08,499 --> 00:10:05,720 we did send it to the sorts of people 231 00:10:11,429 --> 00:10:08,509 who we you know would have liked to to 232 00:10:14,740 --> 00:10:11,439 meet really it was basically a kind of 233 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:14,750 kind of intellectual comedy flirt 234 00:10:20,230 --> 00:10:18,170 routine but but Andrew Denton started 235 00:10:21,879 --> 00:10:20,240 subscribing and then came along to one 236 00:10:24,639 --> 00:10:21,889 of our parties and then he gave us out 237 00:10:26,740 --> 00:10:24,649 our first break in television so we were 238 00:10:33,699 --> 00:10:26,750 very lucky so what do you consider good 239 00:10:35,049 --> 00:10:33,709 comedy then look it well I mean we know 240 00:10:36,759 --> 00:10:35,059 more than most of these things are 241 00:10:39,549 --> 00:10:36,769 matters of taste I have a you know a 242 00:10:41,949 --> 00:10:39,559 dark a sense of humor than a lot of of 243 00:10:44,170 --> 00:10:41,959 our audience does I mean I i I'm a very 244 00:10:45,460 --> 00:10:44,180 worthy person I tend to like 245 00:10:47,829 --> 00:10:45,470 of things that play with the structure 246 00:10:49,150 --> 00:10:47,839 of language and stuff like that so a lot 247 00:10:51,220 --> 00:10:49,160 of british comedies great along those 248 00:10:54,910 --> 00:10:51,230 lines are particularly like the mighty 249 00:10:59,079 --> 00:10:54,920 boosh oh yeah and and some of niall 250 00:11:01,750 --> 00:10:59,089 Fielding's live routines which are ya 251 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:01,760 this sort of stuff that Noam Chomsky 252 00:11:05,530 --> 00:11:02,930 should should wrap his head around 253 00:11:08,560 --> 00:11:05,540 sometime because it's it's completely 254 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:08,570 nonsensical in its content but at the 255 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:11,450 same time has a certain logic to it that 256 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:13,370 you intuitively understand so I think 257 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:14,330 he's pretty good I think she won the 258 00:11:20,260 --> 00:11:16,490 Caliph's that probably the best comedian 259 00:11:22,329 --> 00:11:20,270 in Australia at the moment and one of 260 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:22,339 things I like about him is that he kind 261 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:25,370 of deconstructs the the will plant plays 262 00:11:30,310 --> 00:11:27,050 with the structure of language more than 263 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:30,320 most average Australian comedians I'm a 264 00:11:37,660 --> 00:11:33,110 complete devotee of the daily show and 265 00:11:39,639 --> 00:11:37,670 the colbert report and I like well I 266 00:11:40,570 --> 00:11:39,649 like Bill Maher show real-time probably 267 00:11:42,329 --> 00:11:40,580 more for the comedy than for the 268 00:11:44,290 --> 00:11:42,339 intellectual content to be honest but 269 00:11:45,250 --> 00:11:44,300 but yeah there's plenty there's plenty 270 00:11:46,990 --> 00:11:45,260 of good comedy to keep you going 271 00:11:49,269 --> 00:11:47,000 actually do you think that there's a 272 00:11:51,699 --> 00:11:49,279 rising number of comedian entertainers 273 00:11:53,769 --> 00:11:51,709 who use Pro atheists and pro skeptic 274 00:11:56,470 --> 00:11:53,779 material in their acts or how we just 275 00:12:01,440 --> 00:11:56,480 noticing them or look I think there's 276 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:01,450 always been you know that kind of strain 277 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:04,100 in comedy because it because comedies 278 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:07,970 sit essentially pretty cynical and so I 279 00:12:13,810 --> 00:12:10,850 suppose there's a there's a natural kind 280 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:13,820 of commonality between those two things 281 00:12:19,810 --> 00:12:15,410 we're probably noticing a little bit 282 00:12:21,220 --> 00:12:19,820 more but by the many in the end I think 283 00:12:22,449 --> 00:12:21,230 there's good comedy and bad comedy i 284 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:22,459 think that the beliefs that you have 285 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:25,690 behind it don't really matter that much 286 00:12:30,910 --> 00:12:27,650 you've got to make your audience laughs 287 00:12:33,269 --> 00:12:30,920 and and and that's true if it's a 288 00:12:36,340 --> 00:12:33,279 religion sort religious audience or a 289 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:36,350 theist one a favorite chaser sketch of 290 00:12:39,579 --> 00:12:37,850 mine is when the members of the team 291 00:12:41,829 --> 00:12:39,589 dress up as the Ghostbusters and 292 00:12:44,949 --> 00:12:41,839 confront John Edward with a 293 00:12:46,870 --> 00:12:44,959 meter ok ok how did that come about how 294 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:46,880 did you get all that was that that was 295 00:12:52,180 --> 00:12:48,770 funny actually because we knew that John 296 00:12:54,430 --> 00:12:52,190 Edward was in town and we knew that he 297 00:12:56,680 --> 00:12:54,440 was doing an interview on The Today Show 298 00:13:00,850 --> 00:12:56,690 so we'd actually sent 299 00:13:03,430 --> 00:13:00,860 our researchers up to to kind of stake 300 00:13:05,650 --> 00:13:03,440 out the channel 9 studios or willoughby 301 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:05,660 and then to follow John Edwards car when 302 00:13:10,290 --> 00:13:07,850 he came off air they did that but 303 00:13:12,970 --> 00:13:10,300 unfortunately we weren't able to get the 304 00:13:15,070 --> 00:13:12,980 all the props and stuff together our art 305 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:15,080 department did an amazing job that day 306 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:16,310 because we briefed them at about eight 307 00:13:21,610 --> 00:13:17,810 o'clock that we wanted to dress up as 308 00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:21,620 Ghostbusters and they made now what do 309 00:13:26,260 --> 00:13:23,510 they call those Power Packs that the 310 00:13:29,650 --> 00:13:26,270 Ghostbusters had oh yes a sort of laser 311 00:13:31,930 --> 00:13:29,660 yeah yeah yeah well how versions were 312 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:31,940 like a kind of play school mock up of 313 00:13:36,670 --> 00:13:34,910 made out of items of office station read 314 00:13:39,850 --> 00:13:36,680 about 10 minutes notice but I did a 315 00:13:43,590 --> 00:13:39,860 great job and unfortunately however we 316 00:13:46,690 --> 00:13:43,600 missed Edward before he got back to his 317 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:46,700 his hotel in the city so we kind of 318 00:13:51,580 --> 00:13:49,370 staked out the hotel for a while and 319 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:51,590 eventually we were kind of in visiting 320 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:52,970 or gonna have to follow this guy to the 321 00:13:56,650 --> 00:13:54,650 entertainment center or whatever and try 322 00:13:58,960 --> 00:13:56,660 and get past his security eventually 323 00:14:01,390 --> 00:13:58,970 wandered out the front door and was 324 00:14:04,420 --> 00:14:01,400 walking along circular key as it turned 325 00:14:08,230 --> 00:14:04,430 out in his very mainstream American ways 326 00:14:10,570 --> 00:14:08,240 to go down to mcdonalds to to try the 327 00:14:11,830 --> 00:14:10,580 local mcdonalds cuisine you know 328 00:14:14,110 --> 00:14:11,840 obviously it wasn't Australia so I 329 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:14,120 wanted to have him Agha's to see what 330 00:14:19,780 --> 00:14:17,930 our culture was like and and so we all 331 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:19,790 ran after him and while hiding around 332 00:14:24,460 --> 00:14:21,290 the corner waiting for him to come out 333 00:14:26,410 --> 00:14:24,470 of his of McDonald's it was really funny 334 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:26,420 actually because we were hiding in this 335 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:28,490 place and mysteriously he just started 336 00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:31,490 walking straight towards us we would 337 00:14:35,050 --> 00:14:33,110 completely freaked out all our 338 00:14:36,850 --> 00:14:35,060 skepticism evaporated we're like he 339 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:36,860 knows we're here this is amazing how 340 00:14:40,210 --> 00:14:38,450 could why is he walking here this guy's 341 00:14:45,010 --> 00:14:40,220 incredible we were about to buy tickets 342 00:14:46,210 --> 00:14:45,020 to his to his show and then of course he 343 00:14:48,970 --> 00:14:46,220 walked straight past is having no idea 344 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:48,980 they were there and then we we hijacked 345 00:14:53,140 --> 00:14:50,570 and we kind of felt a bit sorry for him 346 00:14:56,110 --> 00:14:53,150 actually because we heard later on from 347 00:14:57,310 --> 00:14:56,120 his publicist that you know doing all 348 00:14:58,900 --> 00:14:57,320 that bollocks that he does about 349 00:15:02,079 --> 00:14:58,910 pretending dogs dead people he actually 350 00:15:04,390 --> 00:15:02,089 attracts quite a lot of nutters and so 351 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:04,400 when we ran up to him and started 352 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:06,890 behaving in a bizarre manner I think he 353 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:09,890 was slightly afraid that we might make 354 00:15:13,420 --> 00:15:10,130 him 355 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:13,430 crossover so to speak and so when he 356 00:15:17,740 --> 00:15:15,650 found out that we were just mean 357 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:17,750 rationalist comedians I think he was a 358 00:15:28,150 --> 00:15:26,570 bit relieved it's another long list of 359 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:28,160 problems on us like jewels so let's get 360 00:15:32,380 --> 00:15:29,510 straight into it with problem number one 361 00:15:34,030 --> 00:15:32,390 Johnny yes now he's the American psychic 362 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:34,040 guy that communicates with dead people 363 00:15:37,210 --> 00:15:35,690 who've crossed over and he's crossed 364 00:15:38,590 --> 00:15:37,220 over to Australia at the moment as he 365 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:38,600 has find out what stanza mannequin 366 00:15:42,490 --> 00:15:40,490 brockie thought of the LG song yeah look 367 00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:42,500 with a celebrity psychic like John 368 00:15:45,970 --> 00:15:44,270 Edward in town there's obviously a lot 369 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:45,980 of excitement surrounding amongst 370 00:15:50,050 --> 00:15:48,290 gullible people of course but also Craig 371 00:15:51,670 --> 00:15:50,060 I've noticed the amount of paranormal 372 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:51,680 activity in this country has skyrocketed 373 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:53,570 yes there's something strange in the 374 00:15:56,740 --> 00:15:55,010 neighborhood all right which really 375 00:16:02,920 --> 00:15:56,750 raises the question who are you gonna 376 00:16:04,450 --> 00:16:02,930 call John where the Ghostbusters we're 377 00:16:06,430 --> 00:16:04,460 gonna report of unusually high levels of 378 00:16:08,020 --> 00:16:06,440 ghost activity in this area are you the 379 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:08,030 gatekeeper nobody gave you from the 380 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:10,850 movie get oh my god you check your 381 00:16:14,260 --> 00:16:12,530 made out of noodles darting 382 00:16:16,030 --> 00:16:14,270 through the road there's definitely some 383 00:16:17,860 --> 00:16:16,040 unusually high levels of paranormal 384 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:17,870 in this area don't worry John 385 00:16:36,350 --> 00:16:34,100 is there any bit that you ever really 386 00:16:40,820 --> 00:16:36,360 wanted to do but just have not been able 387 00:16:43,750 --> 00:16:40,830 to get due to logistical reasons um look 388 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:43,760 we've been pretty lucky it's amazing how 389 00:16:50,150 --> 00:16:47,850 many long shots have come off over the 390 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:50,160 years that the the biggest one of course 391 00:16:55,340 --> 00:16:53,490 being the APEC summit which was what we 392 00:16:56,750 --> 00:16:55,350 thought it was a million-to-one at best 393 00:16:58,880 --> 00:16:56,760 and that turned out to be a damn sight 394 00:17:02,630 --> 00:16:58,890 easier than we expected there have been 395 00:17:05,990 --> 00:17:02,640 plenty of days where you know you sit 396 00:17:08,750 --> 00:17:06,000 outside someone's house in the rain in 397 00:17:11,390 --> 00:17:08,760 some stupid costume from about six a.m. 398 00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:11,400 and then at about 11am you kind of 399 00:17:15,950 --> 00:17:13,230 realize that they probably aren't in the 400 00:17:18,950 --> 00:17:15,960 house I did that once with what was it 401 00:17:22,850 --> 00:17:18,960 the guys name is I think Jacob vice Minh 402 00:17:25,820 --> 00:17:22,860 who's the the guy who runs the advanced 403 00:17:29,660 --> 00:17:25,830 medical institute you know the the 404 00:17:32,270 --> 00:17:29,670 people that offer longer lasting sex and 405 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:32,280 you know those kind of he has an oral 406 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:34,970 solution for erectile dysfunction which 407 00:17:40,100 --> 00:17:37,410 I'm a little bit skeptical about to be 408 00:17:41,450 --> 00:17:40,110 honest so yeah so I said outside his 409 00:17:43,070 --> 00:17:41,460 place well I think he was away on 410 00:17:45,860 --> 00:17:43,080 holiday somewhere for for the best part 411 00:17:48,410 --> 00:17:45,870 of half a day that's an occupational 412 00:17:50,330 --> 00:17:48,420 hazard yeah and people ever written in 413 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:50,340 and suggested right you've done John 414 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:53,730 Edward next Sylvia Browne or this person 415 00:17:56,660 --> 00:17:55,170 and yeah look we get lots of suggestions 416 00:17:59,420 --> 00:17:56,670 we were a little bit burnt by them in 417 00:18:00,680 --> 00:17:59,430 fact early on somebody suggested a 418 00:18:03,170 --> 00:18:00,690 sketch to us which we thought was a good 419 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:03,180 idea we wrote it up and then found out 420 00:18:08,690 --> 00:18:06,150 that whether knowingly or not the person 421 00:18:10,130 --> 00:18:08,700 who'd suggested a sketch to us which 422 00:18:13,250 --> 00:18:10,140 they'd actually seen all the simpsons 423 00:18:15,490 --> 00:18:13,260 earlier on so we were accused of 424 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:15,500 plagiarism when in fact there are a 425 00:18:21,650 --> 00:18:18,450 crime was a slightly lesser form of lack 426 00:18:25,430 --> 00:18:21,660 of originality so we do try and come up 427 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:25,440 with most of the stuff ourselves not 428 00:18:29,530 --> 00:18:26,850 necessarily because it's better just cuz 429 00:18:31,490 --> 00:18:29,540 we're you know rabid egomaniacs 430 00:18:32,570 --> 00:18:31,500 incapable of collaborating with anyone 431 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:32,580 other than the people that we happen to 432 00:18:36,830 --> 00:18:35,850 start working with a decade ago so but 433 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:36,840 but I suppose we do take some 434 00:18:42,110 --> 00:18:39,690 suggestions often with savn road tests 435 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:42,120 that we used to do people would would 436 00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:43,470 see the 437 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:46,260 ads on TV that they thought were well 438 00:18:49,970 --> 00:18:47,850 primed for a road test and that was 439 00:18:52,549 --> 00:18:49,980 quite useful because obviously we didn't 440 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:52,559 watch that may ads because we were 441 00:18:56,149 --> 00:18:54,450 working so high so yeah so we did take 442 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:56,159 suggestion what plans have you got for 443 00:18:59,600 --> 00:18:57,450 the rest of the year now that you've 444 00:19:01,340 --> 00:18:59,610 done the global atheist conference would 445 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:01,350 you be interested in the amazing meeting 446 00:19:06,980 --> 00:19:05,010 Australia well when's that on that will 447 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:06,990 be on in November and that should have 448 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:08,850 James Randi and a variety of other 449 00:19:13,340 --> 00:19:11,010 skeptical because attending oh well look 450 00:19:15,770 --> 00:19:13,350 at that that sounds awesome one 451 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:15,780 potential complication around that time 452 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:18,210 which is in the hands of the gods or at 453 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:21,210 least the Prime Minister is the 454 00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:22,890 possibility of a federal election around 455 00:19:29,180 --> 00:19:26,400 that time we we haven't kind of got 456 00:19:31,850 --> 00:19:29,190 anything teed up yet but we're quite 457 00:19:34,399 --> 00:19:31,860 interested in getting back to what I 458 00:19:36,049 --> 00:19:34,409 suppose was where the chaser on 459 00:19:39,260 --> 00:19:36,059 television started which was covering 460 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:39,270 federal election campaigns and the 461 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:40,890 prospect of a campaign between Kevin 462 00:19:45,710 --> 00:19:44,010 Rudd and Tony Abbott seems well it 463 00:19:46,940 --> 00:19:45,720 practically satirizes itself but we 464 00:19:49,789 --> 00:19:46,950 figure we might give it a bit of a nudge 465 00:19:52,279 --> 00:19:49,799 along at some point so um but yeah 466 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:52,289 amazing in November sounds sounds good 467 00:19:56,149 --> 00:19:54,510 if not we're looking forward after what 468 00:19:58,250 --> 00:19:56,159 Richard Dawkins said to maybe some sort 469 00:20:01,159 --> 00:19:58,260 of intergalactic atheist convention 470 00:20:03,110 --> 00:20:01,169 sometime soon which will be more than 471 00:20:05,270 --> 00:20:03,120 more than happily willing to make 472 00:20:08,029 --> 00:20:05,280 ourselves available for great okay well 473 00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:08,039 look I'll have a look and we enjoyed it 474 00:20:12,409 --> 00:20:09,990 are you gonna do another a theist 475 00:20:14,390 --> 00:20:12,419 convention I sincerely hope so um i 476 00:20:16,460 --> 00:20:14,400 don't know if i'll get to be the emcee 477 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:16,470 again because i imagine if it gets even 478 00:20:21,710 --> 00:20:18,570 bigger and better and huger and wider 479 00:20:23,510 --> 00:20:21,720 and border for 2012 they might choose 480 00:20:25,970 --> 00:20:23,520 somebody else but i'd love to be able to 481 00:20:27,860 --> 00:20:25,980 do more research that I'm doing um by 482 00:20:30,380 --> 00:20:27,870 the time it comes around off maybe I'll 483 00:20:32,659 --> 00:20:30,390 be doing my PhD on paranormal beliefs 484 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:32,669 Sonia yeah well look I mean yeah I mean 485 00:20:35,659 --> 00:20:34,110 nothing you guys did a great job and if 486 00:20:37,130 --> 00:20:35,669 you if you've been involved in starting 487 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:37,140 it you should hang onto that podium as 488 00:20:41,870 --> 00:20:39,570 long as you can erect one of the things 489 00:20:44,029 --> 00:20:41,880 I did think yeah like if it's if it's 490 00:20:46,370 --> 00:20:44,039 done another time I think even if it's 491 00:20:48,110 --> 00:20:46,380 from a marketing perspective that you 492 00:20:50,930 --> 00:20:48,120 could enhance the program a little bit 493 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:50,940 by kind of engaging the other side of 494 00:20:54,830 --> 00:20:53,130 the brain a bit more I don't know if 495 00:20:56,190 --> 00:20:54,840 that brain yeah left and right side 496 00:20:57,870 --> 00:20:56,200 stuff I have a vague 497 00:20:59,549 --> 00:20:57,880 collection that's that's not as clear as 498 00:21:02,100 --> 00:20:59,559 people say but but you know what I mean 499 00:21:04,710 --> 00:21:02,110 kind of I'm sure we agree that I mean it 500 00:21:07,169 --> 00:21:04,720 is just true that not believing in God 501 00:21:11,220 --> 00:21:07,179 doesn't prevent you from any of the kind 502 00:21:13,409 --> 00:21:11,230 of wonder in the in both the human world 503 00:21:15,750 --> 00:21:13,419 or appreciation of the arts or any of 504 00:21:21,539 --> 00:21:15,760 that sort of stuff I reckon hearing from 505 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:21,549 kind of Beast full artistic atheists 506 00:21:27,870 --> 00:21:24,970 would be you know a nice way of kind of 507 00:21:29,850 --> 00:21:27,880 enriching the picture of atheism you 508 00:21:31,889 --> 00:21:29,860 know some future con convention as well 509 00:21:33,930 --> 00:21:31,899 this is something that we try to do all 510 00:21:36,029 --> 00:21:33,940 the time with our podcast but I be very 511 00:21:38,759 --> 00:21:36,039 kind of I mean I don't know whether say 512 00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:38,769 someone like tim winton or yeah um you 513 00:21:41,730 --> 00:21:40,510 know I know Liz Murray's religious but 514 00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:41,740 that but I bet you there would be very 515 00:21:51,570 --> 00:21:47,230 kind of you know really arty types who 516 00:21:54,299 --> 00:21:51,580 are also completely atheistic and to 517 00:21:56,460 --> 00:21:54,309 mention 13 yeah yeah exactly yeah yeah I 518 00:21:59,460 --> 00:21:56,470 beat the christus sulcus is a day kids 519 00:22:00,779 --> 00:21:59,470 hmm and you know some of that getting 520 00:22:03,539 --> 00:22:00,789 some of those bonds along would probably 521 00:22:04,860 --> 00:22:03,549 be a good thing as well but then I look 522 00:22:06,690 --> 00:22:04,870 at congratulations on it must have been 523 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:06,700 a massive thing to have to pull off so 524 00:22:11,789 --> 00:22:09,370 yeah it was great yeah really good crew 525 00:22:14,430 --> 00:22:11,799 the backstage crew was so incredibly on 526 00:22:16,139 --> 00:22:14,440 on the ball the whole time and yeah it's 527 00:22:18,629 --> 00:22:16,149 just wanna thank you very much Julia 528 00:22:23,580 --> 00:22:18,639 it's a pleasure Carla you can check out 529 00:22:36,060 --> 00:22:23,590 the official chaser website at WWDC com 530 00:22:40,539 --> 00:22:38,200 examining the truth in exposing the 531 00:22:42,549 --> 00:22:40,549 frauds that psychics co uk is the 532 00:22:44,649 --> 00:22:42,559 website that critically examines mediums 533 00:22:46,479 --> 00:22:44,659 clairvoyants and psychics follow the 534 00:22:48,580 --> 00:22:46,489 controversies news and discussions in 535 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:48,590 the lively forum community and now you 536 00:22:51,759 --> 00:22:50,090 can download your weekly fix of 537 00:22:54,129 --> 00:22:51,769 righteous indignation the official 538 00:22:55,389 --> 00:22:54,139 podcast of bad psychics khodet UK that 539 00:22:58,509 --> 00:22:55,399 talks hard and critically about 540 00:23:00,279 --> 00:22:58,519 paranormal bad psychics doctor at UK the 541 00:23:12,430 --> 00:23:00,289 UK's largest and most respected 542 00:23:15,219 --> 00:23:12,440 skeptical site looking at psychics now 543 00:23:19,710 --> 00:23:15,229 it's time for dr. Reiter reports with 544 00:23:25,750 --> 00:23:22,180 hello listeners and welcome to dr. 545 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:25,760 retching reports this week I talked to 546 00:23:31,390 --> 00:23:28,130 mark Carter who runs an eco-tourism 547 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:31,400 company in the Northern Territory mark 548 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:33,410 got in touch with us last week after we 549 00:23:37,660 --> 00:23:35,090 discussed the larger man who fish 550 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:37,670 falling from the sky story in the think 551 00:23:43,420 --> 00:23:41,090 tank here I talked to mark about this 552 00:23:45,700 --> 00:23:43,430 story and also some of the other unique 553 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:45,710 wildlife that survives in the extreme 554 00:23:50,650 --> 00:23:47,890 conditions of the Northern Territory 555 00:23:52,810 --> 00:23:50,660 mark also tells us about the local 556 00:23:55,470 --> 00:23:52,820 newspaper that has a reputation for 557 00:23:58,330 --> 00:23:55,480 reporting some pretty credulous stories 558 00:24:01,030 --> 00:23:58,340 so hello mark and welcome to the skeptic 559 00:24:04,330 --> 00:24:01,040 zone thanks for joining us today I there 560 00:24:06,490 --> 00:24:04,340 right now mark you sent an email to us 561 00:24:10,150 --> 00:24:06,500 last week because you live in an area 562 00:24:12,340 --> 00:24:10,160 near the larger Marnie fish raining from 563 00:24:14,590 --> 00:24:12,350 the sky and you know something about 564 00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:14,600 this story because you run an 565 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:18,230 eco-tourism company in Alice Springs now 566 00:24:21,550 --> 00:24:19,490 can you tell us a little bit about 567 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:21,560 larger man who it's a very isolated 568 00:24:26,830 --> 00:24:24,410 remote community isn't it yeah that's 569 00:24:28,630 --> 00:24:26,840 right it's hundreds of kilometers really 570 00:24:30,580 --> 00:24:28,640 from anywhere else you have to spend 571 00:24:33,370 --> 00:24:30,590 several hours in a four-wheel drive 572 00:24:36,460 --> 00:24:33,380 vehicle and dirt roads and even to get 573 00:24:40,270 --> 00:24:36,470 close to the place it really is a very 574 00:24:41,740 --> 00:24:40,280 very remote place to go it's quite an 575 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:41,750 impoverished community it's an 576 00:24:46,870 --> 00:24:44,690 Aboriginal community and yeah it's quite 577 00:24:49,270 --> 00:24:46,880 it's quite hard place to live it's a 578 00:24:50,650 --> 00:24:49,280 very beautiful place and the landscape 579 00:24:53,650 --> 00:24:50,660 around there is really really 580 00:24:55,060 --> 00:24:53,660 sensational very beautiful but yeah 581 00:24:56,380 --> 00:24:55,070 people out there they don't have a lot 582 00:24:59,440 --> 00:24:56,390 of money and there's a lot of 583 00:25:01,150 --> 00:24:59,450 traditional people out there too so they 584 00:25:03,220 --> 00:25:01,160 don't have a lot of access to technology 585 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:03,230 in the same way that maybe people in 586 00:25:07,150 --> 00:25:05,090 cities might expect so that's why 587 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:07,160 there's that distracts the occasional 588 00:25:10,930 --> 00:25:09,050 photograph of the alleged fish raining 589 00:25:13,090 --> 00:25:10,940 from the sky there's no good quality 590 00:25:15,340 --> 00:25:13,100 video or anything like that so to get 591 00:25:18,220 --> 00:25:15,350 there from say Darwin you'd have to 592 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:18,230 drive for about 13 hours and about 900 593 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:21,110 kilometres and from Adelaide it's around 594 00:25:24,670 --> 00:25:23,090 two and a half thousand kilometers which 595 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:24,680 would take longer than a day so we're 596 00:25:29,410 --> 00:25:27,170 really talking about the real australian 597 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:29,420 outback here aren't we yeah that's right 598 00:25:33,170 --> 00:25:31,290 it's real so hello 599 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:33,180 road trip getting out there I have 600 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:35,010 friends who work out there and sometimes 601 00:25:39,890 --> 00:25:37,650 takes them several days they do they 602 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:39,900 make a big big song and dance about it 603 00:25:43,970 --> 00:25:42,690 but I think they love it yeah so you you 604 00:25:46,220 --> 00:25:43,980 know if they've been about the wildlife 605 00:25:48,290 --> 00:25:46,230 in there in the area around Alice 606 00:25:50,810 --> 00:25:48,300 Springs and larger man who in particular 607 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:50,820 you know something about the sort of the 608 00:25:55,970 --> 00:25:53,250 fish species and also the frogs can you 609 00:25:59,870 --> 00:25:55,980 tell us about how they can live in such 610 00:26:02,540 --> 00:25:59,880 extreme conditions yeah the Como here is 611 00:26:04,790 --> 00:26:02,550 pretty extreme and in winter it can get 612 00:26:07,220 --> 00:26:04,800 down to minus five or below and in 613 00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:07,230 summer the temperatures can soar up into 614 00:26:11,450 --> 00:26:09,510 the mid 40s and the the ground 615 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:11,460 temperature can actually get up to 60 616 00:26:16,460 --> 00:26:14,490 degrees so it's a very hostile place for 617 00:26:18,290 --> 00:26:16,470 creatures to live any creatures never 618 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:18,300 mind that creatures that need water like 619 00:26:21,770 --> 00:26:20,310 fish and frogs so they've had to come up 620 00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:21,780 with some pretty severe and their 621 00:26:26,030 --> 00:26:24,510 adaptations to life right here the way 622 00:26:28,370 --> 00:26:26,040 that the frogs have adapted is by 623 00:26:30,290 --> 00:26:28,380 burying themselves through the dry times 624 00:26:31,430 --> 00:26:30,300 and estimating that kind of means that 625 00:26:33,830 --> 00:26:31,440 they're going to suspended animation 626 00:26:36,230 --> 00:26:33,840 underground and they wait for the range 627 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:36,240 to come again as soon as it rains they 628 00:26:39,740 --> 00:26:38,130 dig their way up to the surface and they 629 00:26:42,260 --> 00:26:39,750 go into a frenzy of feeding and breeding 630 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:42,270 and we're actually in the middle of one 631 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:43,770 of those events right now here in our 632 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:45,090 Springs we had a lot of rain recently 633 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:47,970 and it's very spectacular and these 634 00:26:52,430 --> 00:26:49,910 frogs really go hell for leather at it 635 00:26:53,750 --> 00:26:52,440 but for the rest of the year since it 636 00:26:55,070 --> 00:26:53,760 starts to dry up they're going to bury 637 00:26:57,380 --> 00:26:55,080 themselves and we're not going to see 638 00:26:58,820 --> 00:26:57,390 them again until it rains next and the 639 00:27:00,410 --> 00:26:58,830 fish have a different strategy though 640 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:00,420 they can't survive despite what you 641 00:27:04,220 --> 00:27:02,250 might read in a few places or hear 642 00:27:07,180 --> 00:27:04,230 bandied around they cannot survive on 643 00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:07,190 the ground and they retreat back to 644 00:27:11,870 --> 00:27:09,900 permanent water holes in water courses 645 00:27:14,540 --> 00:27:11,880 and that's where they will survive the 646 00:27:17,210 --> 00:27:14,550 drought hopefully there's only a few 647 00:27:19,610 --> 00:27:17,220 species generally in each water hole and 648 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:19,620 some of them some of these water holes 649 00:27:23,810 --> 00:27:21,210 are actually are really hot spots for 650 00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:23,820 evolution and some of the fish species 651 00:27:27,470 --> 00:27:26,130 can be very confined to one or two river 652 00:27:28,940 --> 00:27:27,480 systems you might find them anywhere 653 00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:28,950 else in the world they're quite amazing 654 00:27:32,690 --> 00:27:30,510 little things yeah and one of those 655 00:27:35,780 --> 00:27:32,700 species is the Fink goby is that right 656 00:27:38,270 --> 00:27:35,790 that's specific to one type of one river 657 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:38,280 system is that correct mark yeah that's 658 00:27:42,590 --> 00:27:40,650 right it's only fine from the Fink right 659 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:42,600 now the Fink is actually flowing in 660 00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:44,130 sections there's been so much water 661 00:27:45,950 --> 00:27:44,640 around 662 00:27:48,170 --> 00:27:45,960 landscape so the faint go bees are 663 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:48,180 having a rare old time there there there 664 00:27:52,070 --> 00:27:50,130 to be fine pretty much up and down the 665 00:27:54,140 --> 00:27:52,080 length of the Finke River but those 666 00:27:56,120 --> 00:27:54,150 water holes are starting to dry out the 667 00:27:58,580 --> 00:27:56,130 water is running out and stopping 668 00:28:00,200 --> 00:27:58,590 flowing now so those little pockets of 669 00:28:03,830 --> 00:28:00,210 fish they're going to get increasingly 670 00:28:06,230 --> 00:28:03,840 isolated and one by one they're going to 671 00:28:08,390 --> 00:28:06,240 dry out those fish are capable dealing 672 00:28:09,950 --> 00:28:08,400 with extreme salinity the the Finke 673 00:28:12,050 --> 00:28:09,960 River that they live in is quite salty 674 00:28:14,750 --> 00:28:12,060 anyway it's too salty really for you and 675 00:28:16,430 --> 00:28:14,760 I to drink but they can deal with very 676 00:28:18,380 --> 00:28:16,440 high levels salt and they can also deal 677 00:28:20,990 --> 00:28:18,390 with very high or very low temperatures 678 00:28:22,670 --> 00:28:21,000 they're incredible first very unassuming 679 00:28:26,690 --> 00:28:22,680 you you you wouldn't look at one and 680 00:28:28,670 --> 00:28:26,700 think wow I make sure a fish nutr but 681 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:28,680 they are incredible with creatures 682 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:31,170 they're really inspiring so can you give 683 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:33,570 our listeners are not that familiar with 684 00:28:38,990 --> 00:28:35,250 the extremes of the Australian outback 685 00:28:41,780 --> 00:28:39,000 when you get these heavy rains I mean 686 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:41,790 most of the time the desert is what gets 687 00:28:45,830 --> 00:28:44,010 a very small amount of rain compared to 688 00:28:48,170 --> 00:28:45,840 the amount of evaporation that occurs is 689 00:28:50,030 --> 00:28:48,180 that right yeah that's right we can have 690 00:28:52,430 --> 00:28:50,040 as little or well we can have as little 691 00:28:55,370 --> 00:28:52,440 as 20 centimeters of rainfall year or 692 00:28:57,500 --> 00:28:55,380 even less I think in 2009 we only had 15 693 00:28:59,720 --> 00:28:57,510 centimeters of rainfall in total and 694 00:29:01,970 --> 00:28:59,730 that gully came in dribs and drabs so 695 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:01,980 the ground was looking very bare the 696 00:29:06,830 --> 00:29:03,510 world of the points were having a hard 697 00:29:08,780 --> 00:29:06,840 time and but then in other years you can 698 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:08,790 have incredible amounts of rain and 699 00:29:13,370 --> 00:29:11,130 we've actually had I think it's like 36 700 00:29:15,470 --> 00:29:13,380 centimeters of rain just in the last two 701 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:15,480 months here in our Springs and some 702 00:29:20,270 --> 00:29:17,850 areas have had even more than that but 703 00:29:23,570 --> 00:29:20,280 that can come in in massive dying pores 704 00:29:26,330 --> 00:29:23,580 and what happens is that the normally 705 00:29:28,550 --> 00:29:26,340 dry riverbeds very quickly fill up with 706 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:28,560 water the soils here comes really store 707 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:31,110 much water and it just sheet floods off 708 00:29:35,390 --> 00:29:33,930 and very quickly the rivers start 709 00:29:38,780 --> 00:29:35,400 running again it's quite spectacular 710 00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:38,790 sight mmm so this isn't the first time 711 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:42,510 that fish raining from the sky has been 712 00:29:47,510 --> 00:29:45,330 reported in the Northern Territory you 713 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:47,520 have a newspaper that's a little bit 714 00:29:51,590 --> 00:29:50,010 credulous in reporting things like this 715 00:29:54,890 --> 00:29:51,600 can you tell us a little bit about the 716 00:29:57,110 --> 00:29:54,900 Northern Territory newspaper yes the NT 717 00:29:58,390 --> 00:29:57,120 news or as some of the locals call it 718 00:30:01,940 --> 00:29:58,400 the empty 719 00:30:04,430 --> 00:30:01,950 as a real reputation for no story is too 720 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:04,440 daft for them really and they also have 721 00:30:08,299 --> 00:30:06,330 a reputation for having a crocodile in 722 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:08,309 front of every edition or a woman in a 723 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:11,250 swimsuit uh-huh but ya know that they 724 00:30:16,010 --> 00:30:13,770 seem to be ramping up the number of kind 725 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:16,020 of supernatural stories or just silly 726 00:30:21,470 --> 00:30:19,290 stories for example the last edition has 727 00:30:23,210 --> 00:30:21,480 a story on the front about a local land 728 00:30:27,140 --> 00:30:23,220 manager who claims to be seeing lots of 729 00:30:28,970 --> 00:30:27,150 UFOs and yeah it's hard to tell whether 730 00:30:30,950 --> 00:30:28,980 the joking or not in the recovery Java 731 00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:30,960 but uh but front page is that really the 732 00:30:35,659 --> 00:30:32,910 most important thing going on the NT at 733 00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:35,669 the moment I really don't think so but 734 00:30:39,890 --> 00:30:37,260 yeah they covered this story of the 735 00:30:41,419 --> 00:30:39,900 raining fish and they made a big song 736 00:30:43,190 --> 00:30:41,429 and dance about it was very quickly 737 00:30:44,659 --> 00:30:43,200 syndicates to ride the world it's the 738 00:30:47,210 --> 00:30:44,669 stories popped up in all manner of 739 00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:47,220 places but there's been very little kind 740 00:30:53,150 --> 00:30:50,400 of informal kind of analysis really of 741 00:30:55,669 --> 00:30:53,160 the claims that have been made and yeah 742 00:30:57,289 --> 00:30:55,679 so that's how I came into this sort of 743 00:31:00,350 --> 00:30:57,299 skeptical community I suppose everyone 744 00:31:02,150 --> 00:31:00,360 read the story and thought what and so 745 00:31:04,190 --> 00:31:02,160 what's your opinion being that you are 746 00:31:06,020 --> 00:31:04,200 fairly familiar with the region and 747 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:06,030 you've heard of these stories before 748 00:31:09,470 --> 00:31:07,890 what what do you think actually happened 749 00:31:11,630 --> 00:31:09,480 mark yeah I think there's two 750 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:11,640 possibilities here one is that actually 751 00:31:19,730 --> 00:31:15,290 is possible that I rains that the rains 752 00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:19,740 caused some fish from a waterhole to be 753 00:31:24,140 --> 00:31:21,510 able to travel further than they 754 00:31:26,270 --> 00:31:24,150 normally would and the Sheep flooding 755 00:31:28,070 --> 00:31:26,280 that I talked about can wash fish into 756 00:31:30,380 --> 00:31:28,080 strange places and the fish themselves 757 00:31:32,030 --> 00:31:30,390 will actually really try and get 758 00:31:33,230 --> 00:31:32,040 themselves into strange places because 759 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:33,240 of course that's their best hope of 760 00:31:37,610 --> 00:31:35,010 surviving into the future as if they can 761 00:31:39,740 --> 00:31:37,620 get to other water holes and lay more 762 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:39,750 eggs then that's a really good strategy 763 00:31:44,810 --> 00:31:41,370 for them and so they aren't quite 764 00:31:48,830 --> 00:31:44,820 adventurous these little fish but having 765 00:31:50,510 --> 00:31:48,840 said that um they are not capable of 766 00:31:52,190 --> 00:31:50,520 these incredible feats of endurance that 767 00:31:54,830 --> 00:31:52,200 people were claimed that they are so 768 00:31:56,510 --> 00:31:54,840 that's one possibility for them getting 769 00:31:57,830 --> 00:31:56,520 there is being carried by floodwaters 770 00:32:00,020 --> 00:31:57,840 the other possibility and this is a 771 00:32:02,450 --> 00:32:00,030 probably a lot less likelihood to this 772 00:32:04,580 --> 00:32:02,460 but it isn't impossible is that they 773 00:32:06,890 --> 00:32:04,590 were picked up by a water spoke and 774 00:32:08,870 --> 00:32:06,900 carried a small distance before being 775 00:32:11,210 --> 00:32:08,880 dropped where they were fine 776 00:32:12,980 --> 00:32:11,220 and it doesn't we get small tornadoes 777 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:12,990 dust devils there sometimes cold in 778 00:32:17,270 --> 00:32:14,910 other parts of the world and that which 779 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:17,280 will pick up dirt and debris and carry 780 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:19,050 it for a few hundred meters they're very 781 00:32:22,580 --> 00:32:20,730 very common if you spend time I wish 782 00:32:24,940 --> 00:32:22,590 you'll definitely see these and they 783 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:24,950 tend to occur around about clay pans or 784 00:32:29,300 --> 00:32:27,330 dry creek beds example the sort of 785 00:32:30,890 --> 00:32:29,310 places that when it rains these places 786 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:30,900 have water now is the sort of place that 787 00:32:35,810 --> 00:32:33,930 fish can turn up and I know the original 788 00:32:37,130 --> 00:32:35,820 fellow that I know here each told me 789 00:32:38,660 --> 00:32:37,140 that he's seen it with his own eyes and 790 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:38,670 there is something that you'll see if 791 00:32:43,130 --> 00:32:40,290 you spend a lot of time out Bush is 792 00:32:45,230 --> 00:32:43,140 these water spots picking up things from 793 00:32:47,990 --> 00:32:45,240 from water bodies and dumping them 794 00:32:49,610 --> 00:32:48,000 elsewhere and a very good friend of mine 795 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:49,620 is actually seen it happen up in the top 796 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:50,910 leg where admitted there's a lot more 797 00:32:54,620 --> 00:32:52,890 water but she did see a waterspout pick 798 00:32:57,020 --> 00:32:54,630 up some water with some fish in it and 799 00:32:59,420 --> 00:32:57,030 drop it about a hundred meters away on 800 00:33:02,720 --> 00:32:59,430 land so it is possible that it happens 801 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:02,730 how likely it is I really wouldn't like 802 00:33:06,140 --> 00:33:04,530 to say and as no one actually saw it 803 00:33:07,970 --> 00:33:06,150 happen at larger money they just find 804 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:07,980 the fish in a strange place and jump to 805 00:33:13,070 --> 00:33:11,010 the conclusion of the war spy my money's 806 00:33:16,430 --> 00:33:13,080 on it just being adventurous fish that's 807 00:33:18,050 --> 00:33:16,440 right so it's possible that this there's 808 00:33:21,220 --> 00:33:18,060 worley well is that you refer to may 809 00:33:24,050 --> 00:33:21,230 have picked up fish that had become 810 00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:24,060 waterborne after these rains but in your 811 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:25,710 opinion do you think it's possible that 812 00:33:28,790 --> 00:33:27,090 a whirly well he could have traveled 813 00:33:30,850 --> 00:33:28,800 from the coast which is what nine 814 00:33:34,370 --> 00:33:30,860 hundred kilometers away is the closest 815 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:34,380 ocean waters yeah that was mentioned in 816 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:35,910 some of the news articles about those 817 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:39,570 bonkers that possible and the other 818 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:41,370 thing that makes me just laugh at that 819 00:33:45,380 --> 00:33:43,530 is the the photographs of the fish that 820 00:33:47,030 --> 00:33:45,390 they have it's hard to say because the 821 00:33:48,980 --> 00:33:47,040 fish are upside down there dead in the 822 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:48,990 photos but they they pretty much look 823 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:50,850 like water hole fish they look like the 824 00:33:55,310 --> 00:33:52,650 kind of fish you'd be seeing in a water 825 00:33:56,810 --> 00:33:55,320 hole near larger money so there's no 826 00:33:59,720 --> 00:33:56,820 question of it being brought from the 827 00:34:03,230 --> 00:33:59,730 seaside or anything like that okay so 828 00:34:05,900 --> 00:34:03,240 mark you you run ecotourism trips to you 829 00:34:07,970 --> 00:34:05,910 in the outback so I are you going to be 830 00:34:11,300 --> 00:34:07,980 taking out some skeptics for maybe tam 831 00:34:12,710 --> 00:34:11,310 Australia in November 2010 absolutely I 832 00:34:14,149 --> 00:34:12,720 think anybody you want to see the real 833 00:34:15,770 --> 00:34:14,159 Australia you've got to come out to our 834 00:34:18,260 --> 00:34:15,780 Springs you've got to see the outback 835 00:34:20,060 --> 00:34:18,270 and yeah our company will gladly take 836 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:20,070 you out it's November so it's a bit hot 837 00:34:24,070 --> 00:34:22,370 for our tracking that we normally do 838 00:34:26,290 --> 00:34:24,080 but we do do a good range of 839 00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:26,300 bird-watching trips and if you've got a 840 00:34:30,010 --> 00:34:28,250 special interest than anything odd like 841 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:30,020 reptiles we've got some of the finest 842 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:31,850 reptiles on earth I hear it's really 843 00:34:36,610 --> 00:34:34,490 spectacular giant lizards and that kind 844 00:34:39,010 --> 00:34:36,620 of thing then yeah I think you have a 845 00:34:40,300 --> 00:34:39,020 lot of fun so come on skeptics come out 846 00:34:42,340 --> 00:34:40,310 to the over now what's the name of your 847 00:34:46,690 --> 00:34:42,350 company mark we're called Trek claro 848 00:34:48,250 --> 00:34:46,700 Pinta and if you search for Lara Pinta 849 00:34:50,470 --> 00:34:48,260 trail that's the name of the trail that 850 00:34:54,250 --> 00:34:50,480 we work we work on most of the year then 851 00:34:57,310 --> 00:34:54,260 you'll find us on a large search engine 852 00:34:59,380 --> 00:34:57,320 near you well if you can promise US Fish 853 00:35:01,090 --> 00:34:59,390 raining from the sky and UFOs and I'm 854 00:35:03,210 --> 00:35:01,100 sure lots of skeptics will be keen to 855 00:35:05,350 --> 00:35:03,220 come out and meet you in November so 856 00:35:07,510 --> 00:35:05,360 thanks for taking the time to talk to us 857 00:35:09,190 --> 00:35:07,520 today mark no worries i'll give the 858 00:35:22,710 --> 00:35:09,200 empty user ring and see what we can 859 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:24,820 want to know how to live skeptically and 860 00:35:29,770 --> 00:35:27,530 still have friends will soda why join me 861 00:35:31,390 --> 00:35:29,780 for actually speaking a new podcast that 862 00:35:33,730 --> 00:35:31,400 explores the human side of skepticism 863 00:35:35,590 --> 00:35:33,740 will set the science side and discuss 864 00:35:38,020 --> 00:35:35,600 familiar skeptical topics from an inner 865 00:35:39,460 --> 00:35:38,030 personal perspective along the way will 866 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:39,470 highlight specific social and 867 00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:41,090 communication skills need it to promote 868 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:43,520 critical thinking scientific facts are 869 00:35:46,660 --> 00:35:45,410 only part of the equation let's take an 870 00:35:49,030 --> 00:35:46,670 extra step and learn how to share that 871 00:35:51,130 --> 00:35:49,040 knowledge effectively actually speaking 872 00:35:53,410 --> 00:35:51,140 a podcast that explores the human side 873 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:53,420 of skepticism critical thinking and the 874 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:54,890 skills we need to make it through the 875 00:36:06,760 --> 00:35:57,170 day visit actually speaking calm to 876 00:36:15,190 --> 00:36:06,770 learn more let's all take this with a 877 00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:15,200 grain of salt he's around ticket hello 878 00:36:19,870 --> 00:36:17,060 this is aaron sega taking life with a 879 00:36:22,230 --> 00:36:19,880 grain of salt the topic of my talk today 880 00:36:24,700 --> 00:36:22,240 would usually be tackled by dr. ecchi 881 00:36:26,290 --> 00:36:24,710 unfortunately dr. HC shows no interest 882 00:36:28,180 --> 00:36:26,300 in this specific type of scientific 883 00:36:30,430 --> 00:36:28,190 claim perhaps the fact that she's a 884 00:36:32,350 --> 00:36:30,440 woman has something to do with this i'm 885 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:32,360 referring to claims about treating male 886 00:36:36,460 --> 00:36:34,970 pattern balding in particular i will 887 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:36,470 investigate the claims of one company 888 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:38,510 piling such treatments which has been 889 00:36:43,270 --> 00:36:40,250 running TV ads in australia over the 890 00:36:44,890 --> 00:36:43,280 past year before i discuss treatments it 891 00:36:47,110 --> 00:36:44,900 is worth giving some facts regarding 892 00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:47,120 hair loss in general and hereditary hair 893 00:36:53,290 --> 00:36:50,390 loss in particular the human skin male 894 00:36:55,030 --> 00:36:53,300 and female is covered with hair the only 895 00:36:57,610 --> 00:36:55,040 parts of the body that do not have here 896 00:37:00,190 --> 00:36:57,620 are the feet and palms the lips in parts 897 00:37:01,780 --> 00:37:00,200 of the genitalia Harry's produced in 898 00:37:04,060 --> 00:37:01,790 follicles that produce hair for as long 899 00:37:06,220 --> 00:37:04,070 as they're alive which very often is as 900 00:37:08,050 --> 00:37:06,230 long as the person lives but they do so 901 00:37:10,690 --> 00:37:08,060 in bursts stopping her production from 902 00:37:12,730 --> 00:37:10,700 time to time when a follicle stops 903 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:12,740 producing hair for a while the hair from 904 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:15,290 that follicle falls out this is called 905 00:37:19,870 --> 00:37:17,810 the cottage enphase for most of the rest 906 00:37:21,940 --> 00:37:19,880 of the time the hair follicle is in the 907 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:21,950 anagen phase during which the hair 908 00:37:26,230 --> 00:37:24,410 actively grows the length of the anagen 909 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:26,240 phase determines the maximum length of 910 00:37:30,450 --> 00:37:28,610 the hair possible from a follicle the 911 00:37:33,150 --> 00:37:30,460 anagen phase for a typical scout 912 00:37:34,890 --> 00:37:33,160 is measured in years whereas for shorter 913 00:37:37,260 --> 00:37:34,900 hair such as eyelashes and the hair on 914 00:37:39,570 --> 00:37:37,270 arms and legs it is measured in days and 915 00:37:41,460 --> 00:37:39,580 weeks there are multiple types of 916 00:37:43,670 --> 00:37:41,470 follicles producing hair of varying 917 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:43,680 thicknesses colors and other properties 918 00:37:48,599 --> 00:37:46,210 for most humans the majority of their 919 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:48,609 hair is short and thin and often light 920 00:37:53,010 --> 00:37:51,010 colored or semi-translucent making it 921 00:37:55,589 --> 00:37:53,020 appear as if we are naked of here hence 922 00:37:57,990 --> 00:37:55,599 the term naked ape but in fact humans 923 00:38:00,480 --> 00:37:58,000 have no less hair than other Apes hair 924 00:38:02,190 --> 00:38:00,490 production however is not fixed it is 925 00:38:04,589 --> 00:38:02,200 heavily affected by hormonal changes 926 00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:04,599 chemical changes in our bodies and other 927 00:38:09,060 --> 00:38:07,240 environmental factors one example of 928 00:38:11,190 --> 00:38:09,070 this we all know is that the same 929 00:38:13,290 --> 00:38:11,200 follicle that produced short fine hair 930 00:38:16,620 --> 00:38:13,300 on the face of a boy starts producing 931 00:38:18,270 --> 00:38:16,630 long coarse hair once puberty hits body 932 00:38:20,250 --> 00:38:18,280 hair also varies widely between ethnic 933 00:38:21,870 --> 00:38:20,260 groups and the attitude to body hair 934 00:38:23,970 --> 00:38:21,880 varies between cultures and even 935 00:38:25,349 --> 00:38:23,980 subcultures the only hair about which 936 00:38:27,660 --> 00:38:25,359 there seems to be widespread agreement 937 00:38:30,450 --> 00:38:27,670 that it is desirable is the hair on our 938 00:38:32,700 --> 00:38:30,460 heads both males and females in most 939 00:38:34,980 --> 00:38:32,710 cultures use the hair on their heads for 940 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:34,990 decoration engaging in elaborate and 941 00:38:39,690 --> 00:38:37,570 sometimes costly processes of sculpting 942 00:38:42,180 --> 00:38:39,700 it to see trends fashions and perceive 943 00:38:43,710 --> 00:38:42,190 Beauty the snag is that some here 944 00:38:45,770 --> 00:38:43,720 especially that on the head often 945 00:38:48,210 --> 00:38:45,780 doesn't last as long as we wanted to 946 00:38:50,460 --> 00:38:48,220 that in other parts of the body often 947 00:38:52,109 --> 00:38:50,470 lasts longer than we wanted to is not 948 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:52,119 considered to be any kind of consolation 949 00:38:56,849 --> 00:38:54,970 by most people permanent hair loss is 950 00:38:58,770 --> 00:38:56,859 usually the result of follicle death 951 00:39:01,410 --> 00:38:58,780 which could be caused by a variety of 952 00:39:03,870 --> 00:39:01,420 reasons many hair follicles dies the 953 00:39:06,150 --> 00:39:03,880 body ages and elderly people both male 954 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:06,160 and female tend to have less hair both 955 00:39:10,530 --> 00:39:08,650 on their heads and all their bodies in 956 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:10,540 order to combat hair loss the reasons 957 00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:11,890 for the hair loss need to be detected 958 00:39:16,620 --> 00:39:14,710 and understood simply strengthening the 959 00:39:18,570 --> 00:39:16,630 follicles if that even means anything is 960 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:18,580 unlikely to be effective as such 961 00:39:21,839 --> 00:39:20,410 generalist approach is unlikely to 962 00:39:24,630 --> 00:39:21,849 protect the follicles against the 963 00:39:26,460 --> 00:39:24,640 specific cause of failure or death the 964 00:39:28,349 --> 00:39:26,470 most common type of boldness that is not 965 00:39:30,570 --> 00:39:28,359 comorbid with some other syndrome is 966 00:39:32,250 --> 00:39:30,580 hereditary hair loss which is also 967 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:32,260 commonly known as male pattern balding 968 00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:34,930 and female pattern balding to the best 969 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:36,250 of current scientific knowledge 970 00:39:40,099 --> 00:39:38,290 hereditary hair loss occurs due to the 971 00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:40,109 accumulation in the top of the scalp of 972 00:39:46,590 --> 00:39:44,110 dihydrotestosterone also known as DHT 973 00:39:48,690 --> 00:39:46,600 DHT causes follicles to shrink until 974 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:48,700 they stop producing hair it is a 975 00:39:52,410 --> 00:39:50,650 metabolite of testosterone which 976 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:52,420 explains why hereditary hair loss is 977 00:39:57,150 --> 00:39:54,850 more pronounced in men if it drug to 978 00:39:59,280 --> 00:39:57,160 treat this type of hair loss is found it 979 00:40:00,750 --> 00:39:59,290 would be very big business indeed as it 980 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:00,760 would generally be expected to be taken 981 00:40:05,250 --> 00:40:02,410 for as long as the patient cares to keep 982 00:40:07,020 --> 00:40:05,260 their hair a permanent cure is unlikely 983 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:07,030 if our understanding of the causes of 984 00:40:11,550 --> 00:40:09,730 hereditary hair loss is correct despite 985 00:40:13,020 --> 00:40:11,560 the huge incentive to date only two 986 00:40:16,170 --> 00:40:13,030 drugs have been approved for treatment 987 00:40:18,270 --> 00:40:16,180 of our editorial loss minoxidil marketed 988 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:18,280 under the brand name regain is approved 989 00:40:22,710 --> 00:40:20,490 for both men and women finasteride 990 00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:22,720 marketed under the brand name propecia 991 00:40:28,620 --> 00:40:26,310 or propecia is approved for men only 992 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:28,630 minoxidil is applied topically to the 993 00:40:32,310 --> 00:40:30,490 scalp and it is believed that it works 994 00:40:34,590 --> 00:40:32,320 by improving blood flow to the follicles 995 00:40:37,140 --> 00:40:34,600 and therefore delaying follicle death in 996 00:40:38,970 --> 00:40:37,150 promoting hair growth finasteride is 997 00:40:42,540 --> 00:40:38,980 taken orally and combats the 998 00:40:44,550 --> 00:40:42,550 accumulation of DHT in this cup so far 999 00:40:47,490 --> 00:40:44,560 we've discussed the science now let's 1000 00:40:49,530 --> 00:40:47,500 talk business ads promoting treatments 1001 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:49,540 for hereditary hair loss are very common 1002 00:40:54,060 --> 00:40:51,850 also common are the claims that they are 1003 00:40:56,850 --> 00:40:54,070 clinically proven or scientifically 1004 00:40:58,830 --> 00:40:56,860 tested or other such words often used to 1005 00:41:01,800 --> 00:40:58,840 suggest that some treatment modality has 1006 00:41:03,630 --> 00:41:01,810 passed proper clinical trials very often 1007 00:41:06,210 --> 00:41:03,640 they promote a combination of chemicals 1008 00:41:08,550 --> 00:41:06,220 in some sort of laser or other light 1009 00:41:10,470 --> 00:41:08,560 treatment I decided to dig a little 1010 00:41:14,310 --> 00:41:10,480 deeper regarding the claims of one such 1011 00:41:16,110 --> 00:41:14,320 company named Li mo le IM o which sells 1012 00:41:18,090 --> 00:41:16,120 an alleged treatment comprising some 1013 00:41:20,550 --> 00:41:18,100 chemicals and a laser instrument to be 1014 00:41:22,830 --> 00:41:20,560 used on the scalp Lima has been 1015 00:41:25,530 --> 00:41:22,840 advertising quite aggressively on TV at 1016 00:41:27,990 --> 00:41:25,540 what must be very high costs that they 1017 00:41:29,730 --> 00:41:28,000 can afford this is no surprise while 1018 00:41:31,410 --> 00:41:29,740 minoxidil and finasteride cost about 1019 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:31,420 sixty dollars per month and are 1020 00:41:35,610 --> 00:41:33,010 partially covered by some health funds 1021 00:41:39,750 --> 00:41:35,620 the limo laser and enough chemicals for 1022 00:41:42,090 --> 00:41:39,760 six weeks cost 1310 dollars a 12 month 1023 00:41:45,900 --> 00:41:42,100 supply package the cheapest option for 1024 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:45,910 continual use costs 1014 dollars so the 1025 00:41:50,250 --> 00:41:48,010 minimum spend on li mo over the first 12 1026 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:50,260 months is more than three times the spin 1027 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:53,890 on minoxidil or finasteride red flags 1028 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:56,050 around lemur waving as if a violent 1029 00:41:58,980 --> 00:41:57,010 storm was approaching 1030 00:42:00,750 --> 00:41:58,990 as I knew there were only two approved 1031 00:42:03,090 --> 00:42:00,760 treatments for hair loss and they did 1032 00:42:05,250 --> 00:42:03,100 not include lasers but I wanted to know 1033 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:05,260 more before I made up my mind so I 1034 00:42:08,700 --> 00:42:06,970 called their toll free number and spoke 1035 00:42:11,340 --> 00:42:08,710 to a very friendly sales representative 1036 00:42:13,290 --> 00:42:11,350 she explained how limo is to be used and 1037 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:13,300 that my request promised to send me 1038 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:15,130 information about how it worked in the 1039 00:42:19,230 --> 00:42:17,170 scientific evidence that he did I 1040 00:42:21,780 --> 00:42:19,240 received an email message containing a 1041 00:42:23,070 --> 00:42:21,790 lot of information it started with an 1042 00:42:24,990 --> 00:42:23,080 accurate description of the cause of 1043 00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:25,000 hereditary Hallows which I found very 1044 00:42:30,030 --> 00:42:27,850 encouraging the next paragraph said the 1045 00:42:31,980 --> 00:42:30,040 following the limo system is extremely 1046 00:42:34,590 --> 00:42:31,990 effective because he targets the cause 1047 00:42:37,050 --> 00:42:34,600 of hair loss which is DHT and reverses 1048 00:42:38,910 --> 00:42:37,060 the effect of DHT the system is a 1049 00:42:41,370 --> 00:42:38,920 combination of laser treatment and web 1050 00:42:44,070 --> 00:42:41,380 products which consists of bio cleansing 1051 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:44,080 shampoo thickening conditioner scalp 1052 00:42:50,460 --> 00:42:48,370 scrub scalp therapy and scope serum the 1053 00:42:51,990 --> 00:42:50,470 laser will help you regrow your hair and 1054 00:42:53,730 --> 00:42:52,000 the wet products will stop your hair 1055 00:42:55,890 --> 00:42:53,740 loss and save the hair that's left on 1056 00:42:58,890 --> 00:42:55,900 your head right now there are no drugs 1057 00:43:01,830 --> 00:42:58,900 to be taken no side effects and is one 1058 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:01,840 hundred percent safe two things that 1059 00:43:06,210 --> 00:43:03,970 immediately raised my suspicions with 1060 00:43:08,010 --> 00:43:06,220 the use of the term wet products to 1061 00:43:10,230 --> 00:43:08,020 denote what i would call drugs or 1062 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:10,240 chemicals in the claim of no side 1063 00:43:15,180 --> 00:43:12,610 effects in one hundred percent safety in 1064 00:43:16,830 --> 00:43:15,190 fact I was so suspicious that I 1065 00:43:18,810 --> 00:43:16,840 immediately searched the email and 1066 00:43:21,330 --> 00:43:18,820 attached documents for the word natural 1067 00:43:23,510 --> 00:43:21,340 which is another red flag word but it 1068 00:43:26,190 --> 00:43:23,520 was not there so I continued to read a 1069 00:43:28,530 --> 00:43:26,200 document listing the ingredients in each 1070 00:43:30,390 --> 00:43:28,540 of the wet products suggested that most 1071 00:43:32,610 --> 00:43:30,400 of them were plant extracts and common 1072 00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:32,620 hair and body care chemicals having 1073 00:43:35,580 --> 00:43:33,910 spent a significant amount of time 1074 00:43:37,890 --> 00:43:35,590 trying to figure out what the 1075 00:43:39,660 --> 00:43:37,900 ingredients meant I found none that are 1076 00:43:41,940 --> 00:43:39,670 claimed anywhere else to have any effect 1077 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:41,950 on hair loss and most were completely 1078 00:43:46,620 --> 00:43:44,530 inert it was interesting to know that 1079 00:43:48,750 --> 00:43:46,630 all the web products included mistletoe 1080 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:48,760 so even if your hair doesn't grow at 1081 00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:50,850 least you might get kissed on Christmas 1082 00:43:55,500 --> 00:43:53,830 curiously the ingredients list concluded 1083 00:43:57,960 --> 00:43:55,510 with an explanation of what cedar plank 1084 00:43:59,880 --> 00:43:57,970 Richter was according to the document 1085 00:44:01,290 --> 00:43:59,890 the explanation came from that well 1086 00:44:04,500 --> 00:44:01,300 known source of medical information 1087 00:44:06,300 --> 00:44:04,510 Google the last and most interesting 1088 00:44:09,180 --> 00:44:06,310 document was the one titled limo 1089 00:44:10,420 --> 00:44:09,190 clinical trial this is what the trial 1090 00:44:12,940 --> 00:44:10,430 abstract said 1091 00:44:14,650 --> 00:44:12,950 the purpose of this study was for 1092 00:44:16,690 --> 00:44:14,660 confirming the efficacy of low laser 1093 00:44:19,270 --> 00:44:16,700 light therapy using a limo for the 1094 00:44:21,819 --> 00:44:19,280 stimulation of hair growth 15 patients 1095 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:21,829 10 males and five females with under 1096 00:44:26,950 --> 00:44:24,530 genetic alopecia underwent treatment for 1097 00:44:28,569 --> 00:44:26,960 a four-month period hair counts were 1098 00:44:30,819 --> 00:44:28,579 affected very been officially in both 1099 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:30,829 sexes but the female shows more 1100 00:44:35,500 --> 00:44:33,770 improvement than the mail to anyone with 1101 00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:35,510 even a moderate understanding of science 1102 00:44:40,569 --> 00:44:38,660 this will be it a studied dedicated to 1103 00:44:42,849 --> 00:44:40,579 confirm rather than test the veracity of 1104 00:44:44,740 --> 00:44:42,859 a hypothesis is so inherently flawed 1105 00:44:47,559 --> 00:44:44,750 that its value as evidence would be 1106 00:44:49,270 --> 00:44:47,569 extremely low scientific testing is all 1107 00:44:52,299 --> 00:44:49,280 about finding out whether something 1108 00:44:55,750 --> 00:44:52,309 works not confirming that it does yet I 1109 00:44:57,819 --> 00:44:55,760 read on the next sections claimed that 1110 00:44:59,799 --> 00:44:57,829 low-level laser therapy has been shown 1111 00:45:01,829 --> 00:44:59,809 to have several effects including 1112 00:45:05,349 --> 00:45:01,839 anti-inflammation in immunosuppression 1113 00:45:06,970 --> 00:45:05,359 yes according to the document low-level 1114 00:45:09,790 --> 00:45:06,980 laser therapy will suppress the immune 1115 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:09,800 system obviously none of the claims are 1116 00:45:13,359 --> 00:45:11,450 referenced then the study is not signed 1117 00:45:15,039 --> 00:45:13,369 so there is no way to know whether this 1118 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:15,049 is an honest mistake by a knowledgeable 1119 00:45:20,079 --> 00:45:18,170 person or as I suspect a sign of utter 1120 00:45:23,170 --> 00:45:20,089 ignorance and careless disregard for the 1121 00:45:25,930 --> 00:45:23,180 truth the materials in methods section 1122 00:45:27,549 --> 00:45:25,940 is 18 lines longer six of which are used 1123 00:45:30,130 --> 00:45:27,559 to exalt the safety and reported 1124 00:45:31,990 --> 00:45:30,140 efficacy of the limo laser most of the 1125 00:45:34,420 --> 00:45:32,000 rest of this section describes how the 1126 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:34,430 limo was used and only the very last 1127 00:45:39,940 --> 00:45:37,010 sentence two lines long explains how 1128 00:45:41,650 --> 00:45:39,950 hair growth was measured naturally there 1129 00:45:43,390 --> 00:45:41,660 is so little information that it is 1130 00:45:45,130 --> 00:45:43,400 virtually impossible to tell whether the 1131 00:45:46,690 --> 00:45:45,140 measurements are meaningful it is not 1132 00:45:47,980 --> 00:45:46,700 even clear whether the before and after 1133 00:45:50,799 --> 00:45:47,990 measurements were taken from the same 1134 00:45:52,569 --> 00:45:50,809 place there is certainly no mention of 1135 00:45:55,690 --> 00:45:52,579 testing being blind let alone 1136 00:45:57,640 --> 00:45:55,700 double-blind perhaps the most curious 1137 00:45:59,740 --> 00:45:57,650 aspect of the materials in methods 1138 00:46:01,900 --> 00:45:59,750 section is that it says nothing at all 1139 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:01,910 about the lima wet products in other 1140 00:46:06,700 --> 00:46:03,770 words the one extremely small 1141 00:46:09,849 --> 00:46:06,710 unreferenced poorly documented control 1142 00:46:11,859 --> 00:46:09,859 free unblinded in unsigned study which 1143 00:46:14,260 --> 00:46:11,869 is the entire evidence base for limors 1144 00:46:15,789 --> 00:46:14,270 efficacy says nothing at all about the 1145 00:46:19,569 --> 00:46:15,799 part of the product that provides 1146 00:46:21,250 --> 00:46:19,579 ongoing revenue the document ends with 1147 00:46:22,620 --> 00:46:21,260 the results and this is the description 1148 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:22,630 of the results 1149 00:46:27,900 --> 00:46:24,970 the scientific data for the hair counts 1150 00:46:30,089 --> 00:46:27,910 is demonstrated in table 1 in summary 1151 00:46:31,769 --> 00:46:30,099 table 1 shows that the hair counts 1152 00:46:36,210 --> 00:46:31,779 increased in the temporal area an 1153 00:46:39,269 --> 00:46:36,220 average of 67.2 percent in men 72.3 1154 00:46:41,190 --> 00:46:39,279 percent in women and 68.2 percent for 1155 00:46:44,549 --> 00:46:41,200 all patients there was greater 1156 00:46:47,700 --> 00:46:44,559 improvement in females both sexes did 1157 00:46:49,410 --> 00:46:47,710 benefit significantly in addition there 1158 00:46:52,410 --> 00:46:49,420 can be improvement of scalp blindness 1159 00:46:53,910 --> 00:46:52,420 and flakiness in all patients they may 1160 00:46:56,009 --> 00:46:53,920 also be an increase in hair shaft 1161 00:46:59,309 --> 00:46:56,019 diameter along with an increased number 1162 00:47:00,900 --> 00:46:59,319 of total hair follicles overall almost 1163 00:47:02,910 --> 00:47:00,910 all patients felt that their hair and 1164 00:47:05,940 --> 00:47:02,920 scalp felt healthier and fuller after 1165 00:47:08,009 --> 00:47:05,950 using the limo the document ends with 1166 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:08,019 before and after photos most of which 1167 00:47:14,460 --> 00:47:10,210 clearly show longer hearing the after 1168 00:47:16,589 --> 00:47:14,470 shot not more here just longer here from 1169 00:47:18,450 --> 00:47:16,599 a scientific perspective I'd have to say 1170 00:47:20,039 --> 00:47:18,460 that the study limon sent me falls well 1171 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:20,049 short of providing evidence of efficacy 1172 00:47:24,900 --> 00:47:22,690 for its products based on available 1173 00:47:26,519 --> 00:47:24,910 information purchasing and using Lima 1174 00:47:28,650 --> 00:47:26,529 could very well turn out to be an 1175 00:47:30,720 --> 00:47:28,660 expensive exercise in wishful thinking 1176 00:47:33,210 --> 00:47:30,730 and it would advise anyone contemplating 1177 00:47:36,049 --> 00:47:33,220 taking out the credit card to take the 1178 00:47:39,900 --> 00:47:36,059 claims limo makes with a grain of salt 1179 00:47:41,819 --> 00:47:39,910 PostScript lemos scalp scrub is referred 1180 00:47:45,390 --> 00:47:41,829 to several times in all documents as 1181 00:47:58,170 --> 00:47:45,400 scalp and body scrub does any lemo 1182 00:48:02,530 --> 00:48:00,790 today in a big shout out to Desiree 1183 00:48:05,110 --> 00:48:02,540 shell and the rest of the skeptically 1184 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:05,120 speaking team we love you very much all 1185 00:48:10,030 --> 00:48:07,010 of us here from the skeptics own podcast 1186 00:48:13,060 --> 00:48:10,040 and the token skeptic podcast so keep it 1187 00:48:14,620 --> 00:48:13,070 going on you don't want to know what out 1188 00:48:16,630 --> 00:48:14,630 of the morning it is that I'm recording 1189 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:16,640 this but I'm certainly something really 1190 00:48:22,300 --> 00:48:20,090 respectable over there in Canada yeah 1191 00:48:27,550 --> 00:48:22,310 I'll just leave it much love from all of 1192 00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:27,560 us oh happy Anniversary happy 1193 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:30,590 Anniversary happy Anniversary happy 1194 00:48:45,100 --> 00:48:36,410 Anniversary join us now for drinking 1195 00:48:47,380 --> 00:48:45,110 skeptically in the think tank um hello 1196 00:48:49,660 --> 00:48:47,390 around hello Rachel how are you today 1197 00:48:51,730 --> 00:48:49,670 very good now we're with a very special 1198 00:48:56,440 --> 00:48:51,740 guest today at Canberra skeptics in the 1199 00:49:00,640 --> 00:48:56,450 pub hello to mr. PZ Myers hello sir hey 1200 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:00,650 Zed professor okay peez it no well it's 1201 00:49:05,410 --> 00:49:03,770 we say pays it but we also say pz 1202 00:49:08,530 --> 00:49:05,420 because that is how you pronounce it yes 1203 00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:08,540 I tell my mother yeah okay we've also 1204 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:10,250 got some other skeptics here with us and 1205 00:49:16,570 --> 00:49:13,610 we have bread pirate Mick good five week 1206 00:49:19,420 --> 00:49:16,580 on Twitter we have at laws on Twitter 1207 00:49:22,900 --> 00:49:19,430 and leave all this evil dees on Twitter 1208 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:22,910 yeah and at Corrin stone at car and stow 1209 00:49:27,940 --> 00:49:24,770 on Twitter Hawaii anybody have real 1210 00:49:31,410 --> 00:49:27,950 names here no just no one has romantic 1211 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:31,420 said hey I was i at pz myers 1212 00:49:37,260 --> 00:49:35,410 that work that works too so you just 1213 00:49:41,460 --> 00:49:37,270 gave us a very interesting talk pc about 1214 00:49:43,079 --> 00:49:41,470 well god lots of things actually there 1215 00:49:46,319 --> 00:49:43,089 was a lot of discussion as well after 1216 00:49:48,500 --> 00:49:46,329 your talk and a lot of it was about sort 1217 00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:48,510 of what someone referred to as a secular 1218 00:49:53,450 --> 00:49:50,770 what was the word they used to describe 1219 00:49:55,740 --> 00:49:53,460 Mike a secular Mecca or something uh 1220 00:49:58,620 --> 00:49:55,750 well we heard the word secular movement 1221 00:50:01,829 --> 00:49:58,630 want a lot of secular utopia actually 1222 00:50:03,329 --> 00:50:01,839 utopia yeah yeah yeah and I don't 1223 00:50:06,720 --> 00:50:03,339 believe in utopias there's no such thing 1224 00:50:09,839 --> 00:50:06,730 no okay but there are ideals we can 1225 00:50:12,569 --> 00:50:09,849 strive for and the kind of ideal I see 1226 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:12,579 is in a secular world is one where we 1227 00:50:18,780 --> 00:50:15,010 argue over the evidence and try to 1228 00:50:21,150 --> 00:50:18,790 follow where it leads it won't always 1229 00:50:23,039 --> 00:50:21,160 work but it will work better than the 1230 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:23,049 alternative which is to argue over no 1231 00:50:27,510 --> 00:50:25,690 evidence at all who knows where that 1232 00:50:29,370 --> 00:50:27,520 will go can I just say something before 1233 00:50:30,990 --> 00:50:29,380 you go on and you what you're saying is 1234 00:50:32,339 --> 00:50:31,000 incredibly interesting but you just 1235 00:50:34,410 --> 00:50:32,349 mentioned something about arguing the 1236 00:50:36,720 --> 00:50:34,420 evidence over or arguing for the 1237 00:50:41,910 --> 00:50:36,730 evidence you helped me when the shorty 1238 00:50:44,309 --> 00:50:41,920 awards recently and thank you very much 1239 00:50:46,349 --> 00:50:44,319 for all the whole you're cheating but um 1240 00:50:48,089 --> 00:50:46,359 yes just when you said evidence such as 1241 00:50:50,430 --> 00:50:48,099 made me think of joseph mercola and my 1242 00:50:53,789 --> 00:50:50,440 cat is actually evidence free yeah but 1243 00:50:56,430 --> 00:50:53,799 it's free zone exactly actually can I 1244 00:50:58,650 --> 00:50:56,440 tell you a little anecdote pressuring I 1245 00:51:01,500 --> 00:50:58,660 also asked him mention to help me out 1246 00:51:03,329 --> 00:51:01,510 with the shorties and the thing that I 1247 00:51:05,099 --> 00:51:03,339 noticed when you blogged about it and 1248 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:05,109 when you tweeted it I would open up my 1249 00:51:08,069 --> 00:51:06,490 email every morning and I would have 1250 00:51:10,140 --> 00:51:08,079 pages and pages and pages of 1251 00:51:12,240 --> 00:51:10,150 notifications but so and so is now 1252 00:51:14,099 --> 00:51:12,250 following you on Twitter and that's when 1253 00:51:16,380 --> 00:51:14,109 of course I took over from McCullough 1254 00:51:19,049 --> 00:51:16,390 and when I asked him mentioned to help 1255 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:19,059 me out and he has 56 thousand fans I 1256 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:21,730 think on Twitter and I got a total of 1257 00:51:26,970 --> 00:51:25,450 nine votes out of that you won't love 1258 00:51:28,660 --> 00:51:26,980 you learn in this critical the invention 1259 00:51:30,700 --> 00:51:28,670 is a weapon 1260 00:51:33,220 --> 00:51:30,710 how do you train your fans so well 1261 00:51:36,870 --> 00:51:33,230 that's what I'm well they're not fans 1262 00:51:41,650 --> 00:51:36,880 are minions mention his fans I have 1263 00:51:44,470 --> 00:51:41,660 slaves minions yeah that apparently do 1264 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:44,480 whatever you Austin tape it tomorrow 1265 00:51:49,270 --> 00:51:47,690 very obviously no but I think one 1266 00:51:51,190 --> 00:51:49,280 difference might be is that that people 1267 00:51:54,549 --> 00:51:51,200 follow Tim Minchin for the humor and 1268 00:51:58,329 --> 00:51:54,559 music and I have people who are 1269 00:52:00,069 --> 00:51:58,339 extremely fanatically rabidly dedicated 1270 00:52:01,990 --> 00:52:00,079 to the scientific method never insane 1271 00:52:04,089 --> 00:52:02,000 isn't it isn't it a bit of a 1272 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:04,099 contradiction intense though maybe three 1273 00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:06,290 dedicated to know because that's 1274 00:52:09,220 --> 00:52:07,250 something else we talked about in the 1275 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:09,230 discussions here wasn't it is that yeah 1276 00:52:12,339 --> 00:52:10,490 we're spending at the back of tomorrow 1277 00:52:15,309 --> 00:52:12,349 yeah we had several people talking about 1278 00:52:18,039 --> 00:52:15,319 how atheists have this reputation as 1279 00:52:20,680 --> 00:52:18,049 being cold and distant and calculating 1280 00:52:23,170 --> 00:52:20,690 and they don't connect a neiman way and 1281 00:52:26,680 --> 00:52:23,180 so forth but of course we do I mean 1282 00:52:29,380 --> 00:52:26,690 words are not yeah we're human and i 1283 00:52:35,230 --> 00:52:29,390 think it's i think it's great that 1284 00:52:37,359 --> 00:52:35,240 people love the scientific method you 1285 00:52:39,099 --> 00:52:37,369 know imagining oh my gosh oh don't get 1286 00:52:41,700 --> 00:52:39,109 me wrong of course oh yeah i definitely 1287 00:52:45,609 --> 00:52:41,710 agree just that i would hope that 1288 00:52:47,770 --> 00:52:45,619 something that is rational if it just 1289 00:52:48,970 --> 00:52:47,780 somehow it does seems to be to be if it 1290 00:52:51,130 --> 00:52:48,980 seems to me there's a bit of 1291 00:52:53,140 --> 00:52:51,140 contradiction between daddy rapidly 1292 00:52:54,670 --> 00:52:53,150 devoted to something no no no that 1293 00:52:56,140 --> 00:52:54,680 that's the problem is if so many people 1294 00:52:58,299 --> 00:52:56,150 think that rational means something 1295 00:52:59,829 --> 00:52:58,309 entirely different from emotional and I 1296 00:53:04,210 --> 00:52:59,839 think rational emotional go together 1297 00:53:06,220 --> 00:53:04,220 beautifully yes like like butter and 1298 00:53:08,710 --> 00:53:06,230 vegemite or something whatever whatever 1299 00:53:10,450 --> 00:53:08,720 you got was i wasn't born here okay i 1300 00:53:12,220 --> 00:53:10,460 don't hate that stuff it's an alien 1301 00:53:14,109 --> 00:53:12,230 concept to be different but now it's 1302 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:14,119 it's these are concepts that work 1303 00:53:19,240 --> 00:53:16,490 together very very well and i think that 1304 00:53:21,819 --> 00:53:19,250 what we want as human beings is for a 1305 00:53:25,740 --> 00:53:21,829 rational movement that doesn't deny the 1306 00:53:27,780 --> 00:53:25,750 fact that you know we bunk we care 1307 00:53:29,900 --> 00:53:27,790 we're passionate we have emotions and 1308 00:53:34,020 --> 00:53:29,910 feelings and and there's things we 1309 00:53:36,240 --> 00:53:34,030 dearly loved and I would just like to be 1310 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:36,250 feel free to say well science is all 1311 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:38,650 those things I'm really love well I say 1312 00:53:42,930 --> 00:53:40,330 it all the time I think a flip side of 1313 00:53:45,060 --> 00:53:42,940 that too is that perhaps people wouldn't 1314 00:53:46,710 --> 00:53:45,070 be so passionate about getting behind 1315 00:53:49,890 --> 00:53:46,720 science if it was just obviously 1316 00:53:52,980 --> 00:53:49,900 accepted that it worked but I because it 1317 00:53:54,750 --> 00:53:52,990 gets attacked but they think they've got 1318 00:53:57,990 --> 00:53:54,760 evidence should they've got their 1319 00:53:59,880 --> 00:53:58,000 evidence is just very bad because the 1320 00:54:01,440 --> 00:53:59,890 scientific method gets attacked I think 1321 00:54:03,060 --> 00:54:01,450 those of us who think it does work I 1322 00:54:04,500 --> 00:54:03,070 think we do get passionate about and 1323 00:54:07,410 --> 00:54:04,510 getting behind it and defending it 1324 00:54:10,050 --> 00:54:07,420 because it's it does work with a Cena 1325 00:54:12,210 --> 00:54:10,060 yeah I created there there's always this 1326 00:54:13,440 --> 00:54:12,220 backlash effect and if you tag something 1327 00:54:14,730 --> 00:54:13,450 people will defend it more passionately 1328 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:14,740 but I think there's more to it than that 1329 00:54:19,950 --> 00:54:17,530 because people are into science 1330 00:54:22,770 --> 00:54:19,960 appreciate the fact that that we see so 1331 00:54:25,230 --> 00:54:22,780 much more with science that that it's a 1332 00:54:27,240 --> 00:54:25,240 very human thing to wreck recognize that 1333 00:54:29,160 --> 00:54:27,250 we are little beings on a small planet 1334 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:29,170 and it little speck in the galaxy and 1335 00:54:33,390 --> 00:54:30,850 annals kind of thing and there are 1336 00:54:35,430 --> 00:54:33,400 things that are greater than us there 1337 00:54:37,050 --> 00:54:35,440 was some sorry oh and I'm just going to 1338 00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:37,060 say that that science is the way that 1339 00:54:41,250 --> 00:54:38,890 shows us those things are greater than 1340 00:54:43,140 --> 00:54:41,260 us and religion doesn't religion makes a 1341 00:54:45,690 --> 00:54:43,150 fairy tales about what's greater than us 1342 00:54:48,420 --> 00:54:45,700 and and it's so fake and phony in it 1343 00:54:49,860 --> 00:54:48,430 it's annoying what why you get excited 1344 00:54:53,220 --> 00:54:49,870 about God when you can get excited about 1345 00:54:54,840 --> 00:54:53,230 Oh planet Saturn or hox genes or 1346 00:54:59,810 --> 00:54:54,850 something that's really marvelous and 1347 00:55:02,310 --> 00:54:59,820 powerful there was 365 days of astronomy 1348 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:02,320 episode that I heard on on the way down 1349 00:55:08,850 --> 00:55:06,370 here that they did survey of the people 1350 00:55:12,330 --> 00:55:08,860 who contributed to Galaxy Zoo which is a 1351 00:55:15,060 --> 00:55:12,340 we're basically of public science it's a 1352 00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:15,070 they asked people to categorize galaxies 1353 00:55:18,690 --> 00:55:17,050 so these the people would download 1354 00:55:21,330 --> 00:55:18,700 images of galaxies and we have to 1355 00:55:22,950 --> 00:55:21,340 categorize them as rotating clockwise or 1356 00:55:24,210 --> 00:55:22,960 counterclockwise and they categorize the 1357 00:55:27,090 --> 00:55:24,220 colors and all kinds of things like that 1358 00:55:28,890 --> 00:55:27,100 and hundreds of thousands of people 1359 00:55:31,440 --> 00:55:28,900 signed up and 10,000 people actually 1360 00:55:34,830 --> 00:55:31,450 responded to a survey that they did 1361 00:55:38,589 --> 00:55:34,840 about why they decided to sign up and a 1362 00:55:40,509 --> 00:55:38,599 lot of the responses were around the 1363 00:55:43,479 --> 00:55:40,519 pneus of the universe and our place in 1364 00:55:45,940 --> 00:55:43,489 it and about and about you know the 1365 00:55:47,859 --> 00:55:45,950 overwhelming feeling that they have 1366 00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:47,869 about the universe but quite a 1367 00:55:53,529 --> 00:55:50,930 significant proportion did it because 1368 00:55:56,529 --> 00:55:53,539 they wanted they like the idea of being 1369 00:55:58,120 --> 00:55:56,539 part of a scientific exploration and 1370 00:55:59,920 --> 00:55:58,130 some of them actually like the idea of 1371 00:56:01,809 --> 00:55:59,930 perhaps they'll be the first to see 1372 00:56:03,910 --> 00:56:01,819 something the first to find something 1373 00:56:05,739 --> 00:56:03,920 because there are hundreds of thousands 1374 00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:05,749 of galaxies in that or millions of 1375 00:56:10,269 --> 00:56:07,970 galaxies in that certain that project 1376 00:56:12,489 --> 00:56:10,279 and some of them will be the first to 1377 00:56:15,339 --> 00:56:12,499 see that galaxy right so that people 1378 00:56:18,219 --> 00:56:15,349 really like that sense of exploration in 1379 00:56:20,109 --> 00:56:18,229 to those who are not active scientists 1380 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:20,119 who you know working in there in the 1381 00:56:24,339 --> 00:56:22,130 field every day that could be very 1382 00:56:26,019 --> 00:56:24,349 strong enough oh yeah and I know there's 1383 00:56:27,640 --> 00:56:26,029 projects out there they do so much alike 1384 00:56:29,289 --> 00:56:27,650 folding at home if you heard that the 1385 00:56:31,029 --> 00:56:29,299 protein game project is distributed 1386 00:56:32,739 --> 00:56:31,039 computing and and and things like that 1387 00:56:34,870 --> 00:56:32,749 are popular because people want to be a 1388 00:56:36,130 --> 00:56:34,880 part of it and by the way 29 people 1389 00:56:37,690 --> 00:56:36,140 actually responded that they did it 1390 00:56:43,539 --> 00:56:37,700 because they were bored at work so this 1391 00:56:44,950 --> 00:56:43,549 ah they are honest realism okay but I 1392 00:56:46,749 --> 00:56:44,960 guess that's a little bit like city as 1393 00:56:48,099 --> 00:56:46,759 well isn't it that people use their 1394 00:56:50,170 --> 00:56:48,109 computers when they're not using them to 1395 00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:50,180 search for that stuff and when you can 1396 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:51,650 imagine if you were the first person to 1397 00:56:58,059 --> 00:56:53,930 get something back from space that you 1398 00:57:01,420 --> 00:56:58,069 could dad yeah if we could understand it 1399 00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:01,430 I don't know hi yeah I think there's a 1400 00:57:06,430 --> 00:57:03,170 lot of people out there who love science 1401 00:57:07,870 --> 00:57:06,440 and grew up loving it moved into 1402 00:57:10,690 --> 00:57:07,880 something else it's something else but 1403 00:57:12,579 --> 00:57:10,700 still want to be they want to be part of 1404 00:57:15,310 --> 00:57:12,589 its like I ought to tell my kids we roll 1405 00:57:18,430 --> 00:57:15,320 in a study for diabetes research we're 1406 00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:18,440 certain I sediment you know even if 1407 00:57:23,590 --> 00:57:20,330 nothing comes out of it for you we will 1408 00:57:24,910 --> 00:57:23,600 be contributing to the Great Society be 1409 00:57:28,150 --> 00:57:24,920 contributing the scientific knowledge 1410 00:57:29,800 --> 00:57:28,160 and that's awesome yes I get letters all 1411 00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:29,810 the time from people who say well you 1412 00:57:33,580 --> 00:57:31,490 know I'm I'm 40 years old and I'm an 1413 00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:33,590 insurance agent and I learned that I 1414 00:57:38,410 --> 00:57:37,130 love science what can I do and I usually 1415 00:57:43,060 --> 00:57:38,420 tell them yeah Chuck your career and go 1416 00:57:44,350 --> 00:57:43,070 back to school seriously I mean you've 1417 00:57:46,150 --> 00:57:44,360 got one life to live do what you love 1418 00:57:48,310 --> 00:57:46,160 doing and if you think you love science 1419 00:57:51,340 --> 00:57:48,320 do it but yeah these other little things 1420 00:57:52,720 --> 00:57:51,350 and and there's also now there's other 1421 00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:52,730 things that you can do that are much 1422 00:57:58,270 --> 00:57:55,010 more personal like you know volunteering 1423 00:58:00,490 --> 00:57:58,280 at your local zoo or museum helping out 1424 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:00,500 at the local school just getting out 1425 00:58:06,010 --> 00:58:03,530 there and introducing young people to 1426 00:58:08,560 --> 00:58:06,020 things that you know you don't even have 1427 00:58:10,060 --> 00:58:08,570 to be a science scientists be smarter 1428 00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:10,070 about some things in science than a 1429 00:58:14,290 --> 00:58:11,810 little kid you also get out there and 1430 00:58:16,440 --> 00:58:14,300 teach it's always a good thing to do do 1431 00:58:19,810 --> 00:58:16,450 you find hazy that you spend more time 1432 00:58:21,370 --> 00:58:19,820 debunking nonsense than trying to get 1433 00:58:23,050 --> 00:58:21,380 out that sort of what you talk about 1434 00:58:25,330 --> 00:58:23,060 educating people about a beauty of 1435 00:58:28,360 --> 00:58:25,340 science and the intricacies oh it 1436 00:58:30,310 --> 00:58:28,370 depends on on where I am this year I'm 1437 00:58:32,290 --> 00:58:30,320 on sabbatical which I found has an 1438 00:58:33,640 --> 00:58:32,300 unfortunate effect and that I'm not 1439 00:58:35,140 --> 00:58:33,650 reading as much of the current 1440 00:58:37,180 --> 00:58:35,150 scientific literature because I've got 1441 00:58:39,730 --> 00:58:37,190 all these other things I'm doing during 1442 00:58:42,010 --> 00:58:39,740 the school year though no that's the big 1443 00:58:43,270 --> 00:58:42,020 thing is I'm constantly reading the 1444 00:58:44,920 --> 00:58:43,280 journals to keep up on the material my 1445 00:58:47,980 --> 00:58:44,930 field because I'm having to teach it and 1446 00:58:50,380 --> 00:58:47,990 and so what I find then is that I 1447 00:58:53,290 --> 00:58:50,390 express myself in the blog by explaining 1448 00:58:54,910 --> 00:58:53,300 here's here's what i read this week plop 1449 00:58:56,830 --> 00:58:54,920 here it is this is stuff that's going to 1450 00:58:58,810 --> 00:58:56,840 go into my lectures so it all works 1451 00:59:01,780 --> 00:58:58,820 together so yeah I spend a fair amount 1452 00:59:04,570 --> 00:59:01,790 of time on the positive aspects in the 1453 00:59:05,890 --> 00:59:04,580 right context right I don't ever want to 1454 00:59:08,290 --> 00:59:05,900 lose my job because if I'm not teaching 1455 00:59:11,440 --> 00:59:08,300 I think that just goes spiraling into 1456 00:59:12,520 --> 00:59:11,450 nothingness but yeah and this year it's 1457 00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:12,530 been a little slack but it's going to 1458 00:59:16,660 --> 00:59:13,930 change again next year when i get back 1459 00:59:18,880 --> 00:59:16,670 teaching off an almond course i'm very 1460 00:59:21,230 --> 00:59:18,890 excited about and 1461 00:59:25,040 --> 00:59:21,240 expect a whole bunch of post about you 1462 00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:25,050 eco devo next fall k be there I want to 1463 00:59:29,180 --> 00:59:27,450 ask not just like do you think if we can 1464 00:59:31,160 --> 00:59:29,190 do a better job event educating people 1465 00:59:33,050 --> 00:59:31,170 about science generally will have to 1466 00:59:38,270 --> 00:59:33,060 spend less time debunking specific 1467 00:59:40,130 --> 00:59:38,280 issues I think that what I've talked to 1468 00:59:41,960 --> 00:59:40,140 educators what I've often told him is 1469 00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:41,970 I'm not that concerned about teaching 1470 00:59:45,980 --> 00:59:44,490 evolution in high schools I'm much more 1471 00:59:47,900 --> 00:59:45,990 concerned about teaching critical 1472 00:59:49,490 --> 00:59:47,910 thinking skills in the grade schools in 1473 00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:49,500 the elementary schools you know that 1474 00:59:53,780 --> 00:59:51,930 little eight year olds ought to be 1475 00:59:56,920 --> 00:59:53,790 taught how to do an experiment with 1476 00:59:58,970 --> 00:59:56,930 controls and analyze it appropriately 1477 01:00:01,640 --> 00:59:58,980 that I think would be a multiple 1478 01:00:03,850 --> 01:00:01,650 powerful tool to eradicate a lot of the 1479 01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:03,860 nonsense that's going on out there I 1480 01:00:08,410 --> 01:00:07,050 wanted to ask you but something that you 1481 01:00:13,100 --> 01:00:08,420 might be familiar with and that's 1482 01:00:17,180 --> 01:00:13,110 atheism well yeah that's nothing i've 1483 01:00:18,920 --> 01:00:17,190 heard that there's nothing to it are you 1484 01:00:22,280 --> 01:00:18,930 being australia for what a couple of 1485 01:00:25,790 --> 01:00:22,290 weeks now almost ten days yes right so 1486 01:00:28,790 --> 01:00:25,800 so you've had a bit of a chance to see 1487 01:00:31,870 --> 01:00:28,800 what things are like here and my my own 1488 01:00:34,820 --> 01:00:31,880 feeling is that australians much more 1489 01:00:37,820 --> 01:00:34,830 well australians care less about 1490 01:00:41,120 --> 01:00:37,830 religion then Americans that's how Steve 1491 01:00:45,560 --> 01:00:41,130 field and got a like a great be fielding 1492 01:00:47,270 --> 01:00:45,570 got 50 6735 primary votes which is a 1493 01:00:49,340 --> 01:00:47,280 very very small number there's something 1494 01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:49,350 in the electrical system in electoral 1495 01:00:54,050 --> 01:00:50,970 system in Australia that allowed him to 1496 01:00:55,580 --> 01:00:54,060 actually get into the Senate so it's a 1497 01:00:58,670 --> 01:00:55,590 felt fault of the system not of the 1498 01:01:01,280 --> 01:00:58,680 people in circles 56,000 except for the 1499 01:01:06,830 --> 01:01:01,290 56,000 but it allows about 56,000 not as 1500 01:01:08,420 --> 01:01:06,840 I although to you I want you to ask you 1501 01:01:11,660 --> 01:01:08,430 about what your senses of the 1502 01:01:14,510 --> 01:01:11,670 differences in the way religion religion 1503 01:01:16,730 --> 01:01:14,520 and atheism are in the public sphere in 1504 01:01:18,050 --> 01:01:16,740 those two countries well it's it's a 1505 01:01:20,210 --> 01:01:18,060 little tough for me to judge because I'm 1506 01:01:21,410 --> 01:01:20,220 going to bubble here right then I come 1507 01:01:22,510 --> 01:01:21,420 here and all these atheists come 1508 01:01:24,910 --> 01:01:22,520 flocking around me 1509 01:01:27,220 --> 01:01:24,920 they hide the ugly seamy side of 1510 01:01:31,300 --> 01:01:27,230 Australia from me so I only see the 1511 01:01:34,030 --> 01:01:31,310 beauty all right but um no but you know 1512 01:01:36,340 --> 01:01:34,040 I wheat the papers too and you know that 1513 01:01:37,630 --> 01:01:36,350 if you read the papers United States and 1514 01:01:39,490 --> 01:01:37,640 read the papers in Australia at the same 1515 01:01:41,620 --> 01:01:39,500 time what you find is pretty much 1516 01:01:44,350 --> 01:01:41,630 everybody's more concerned about sports 1517 01:01:46,180 --> 01:01:44,360 and celebrities then they are these 1518 01:01:47,470 --> 01:01:46,190 kinds of issues so you just throw that 1519 01:01:51,310 --> 01:01:47,480 all out there's a lot of commonality 1520 01:01:54,340 --> 01:01:51,320 there that in the United States it's 1521 01:01:56,260 --> 01:01:54,350 considered more of an asset to wear your 1522 01:01:57,640 --> 01:01:56,270 religion on your sleeve and it is here I 1523 01:01:59,410 --> 01:01:57,650 get the distinct impression that if 1524 01:02:00,970 --> 01:01:59,420 somebody went out waving across and 1525 01:02:04,660 --> 01:02:00,980 saying vote for me because Christ loves 1526 01:02:07,600 --> 01:02:04,670 me he'll be laughed out of you know they 1527 01:02:09,970 --> 01:02:07,610 would get 56,000 yeah that's the same 1528 01:02:11,740 --> 01:02:09,980 wing nuts applause yeah yeah yeah yeah 1529 01:02:13,120 --> 01:02:11,750 but in the united states that you know 1530 01:02:16,810 --> 01:02:13,130 that would that would qualify you to run 1531 01:02:18,400 --> 01:02:16,820 for president united states so there 1532 01:02:20,440 --> 01:02:18,410 there is a difference in attitude that 1533 01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:20,450 we actually had an atheist climb in a 1534 01:02:24,700 --> 01:02:22,490 particular in a bar you know declared 1535 01:02:27,630 --> 01:02:24,710 atheist Prime Minister many years ago oh 1536 01:02:29,860 --> 01:02:27,640 ho but uh we can imagine that thing is 1537 01:02:32,140 --> 01:02:29,870 the funny thing about Bob Hawke was 1538 01:02:33,280 --> 01:02:32,150 people didn't really consider that an 1539 01:02:35,380 --> 01:02:33,290 issue at all I don't think we'll be 1540 01:02:38,560 --> 01:02:35,390 considered an issue nowadays either no 1541 01:02:40,750 --> 01:02:38,570 but I think I mean even though we are we 1542 01:02:44,800 --> 01:02:40,760 now have one of the more religious prime 1543 01:02:46,360 --> 01:02:44,810 ministers in a long long time and that's 1544 01:02:49,390 --> 01:02:46,370 not considered an issue either because 1545 01:02:51,400 --> 01:02:49,400 racing to oh yeah i think when we when 1546 01:02:53,830 --> 01:02:51,410 we win when the eight years conquer the 1547 01:02:55,540 --> 01:02:53,840 world what will happen is it will not be 1548 01:02:57,730 --> 01:02:55,550 considered an asset it's somebody's an 1549 01:03:00,810 --> 01:02:57,740 atheist running for office yeah it will 1550 01:03:02,890 --> 01:03:00,820 be an irrelevance ewc so what who cares 1551 01:03:05,230 --> 01:03:02,900 eunos already could run from calf with 1552 01:03:07,330 --> 01:03:05,240 his captor for president and we just say 1553 01:03:09,460 --> 01:03:07,340 who cares if this becomes something 1554 01:03:10,540 --> 01:03:09,470 that's a private issue that's removed 1555 01:03:12,490 --> 01:03:10,550 from the public sphere and we're not 1556 01:03:14,740 --> 01:03:12,500 going to worry and that's when we learn 1557 01:03:16,380 --> 01:03:14,750 that hasn't happened yet now you said 1558 01:03:19,710 --> 01:03:16,390 when 1559 01:03:23,250 --> 01:03:19,720 will you say hey you said wedding so the 1560 01:03:25,049 --> 01:03:23,260 only thing that's gonna happen barring 1561 01:03:27,599 --> 01:03:25,059 catastrophe do i hear the words going to 1562 01:03:29,789 --> 01:03:27,609 end in 2012 which is a smiley-faced yeah 1563 01:03:31,740 --> 01:03:29,799 yeah 30 days before my birthday I'm not 1564 01:03:34,319 --> 01:03:31,750 allowed so sorry you can happen on the 1565 01:03:35,549 --> 01:03:34,329 30th you know what you have to do is you 1566 01:03:37,980 --> 01:03:35,559 have to say that year you have to 1567 01:03:39,299 --> 01:03:37,990 celebrate your shape early it's a good 1568 01:03:42,750 --> 01:03:39,309 idea and then when the world doesn't end 1569 01:03:44,039 --> 01:03:42,760 you celebrate again you cannot lose but 1570 01:03:46,710 --> 01:03:44,049 yeah it's so aside from something like 1571 01:03:47,940 --> 01:03:46,720 that happening I think the trends are 1572 01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:47,950 going the right direction even in that 1573 01:03:52,680 --> 01:03:49,450 even in the crazy lil United States 1574 01:03:56,549 --> 01:03:52,690 there are so many outspoken atheist and 1575 01:03:59,069 --> 01:03:56,559 so much more acceptable that you know I 1576 01:04:02,670 --> 01:03:59,079 think if I have a reasonable lifespan 1577 01:04:03,820 --> 01:04:02,680 and all that kind of good stuff I'll see 1578 01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:03,830 it happen 1579 01:04:08,620 --> 01:04:05,810 what did you think of have you had a 1580 01:04:10,840 --> 01:04:08,630 chance to look at much the coverage from 1581 01:04:12,940 --> 01:04:10,850 atheists convention pz there was a lot 1582 01:04:15,160 --> 01:04:12,950 of bad coverage i wasn't me i actually 1583 01:04:17,830 --> 01:04:15,170 pushed a few things better yeah what did 1584 01:04:20,050 --> 01:04:17,840 you think about that I was surprised at 1585 01:04:22,000 --> 01:04:20,060 the one good article that reviewed it 1586 01:04:24,610 --> 01:04:22,010 and partially and said nice things about 1587 01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:24,620 it was in the Australian which I 1588 01:04:27,370 --> 01:04:25,970 understand is Rupert Murdoch's people 1589 01:04:29,380 --> 01:04:27,380 yeah that's right so it's generally can 1590 01:04:31,390 --> 01:04:29,390 see the right-wing paper yes and he 1591 01:04:33,340 --> 01:04:31,400 actually said you know they didn't come 1592 01:04:34,540 --> 01:04:33,350 out and endorse it isn't Lee just came 1593 01:04:35,860 --> 01:04:34,550 on so do you know there's a pretty good 1594 01:04:40,360 --> 01:04:35,870 meeting and people got more involved 1595 01:04:45,670 --> 01:04:40,370 good time no the ABC agents others are 1596 01:04:48,340 --> 01:04:45,680 red dude if it doesn't show up I'm still 1597 01:04:50,980 --> 01:04:48,350 thumbs down yeah and yeah they were just 1598 01:04:54,550 --> 01:04:50,990 awful yeah oh but you didn't get did you 1599 01:04:56,040 --> 01:04:54,560 read and revolts oh no i haven't i don't 1600 01:05:00,040 --> 01:04:56,050 know if i want to now you don't want to 1601 01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:00,050 do not want to yeah it's a good example 1602 01:05:06,790 --> 01:05:03,530 is actually take and really sort of 1603 01:05:08,310 --> 01:05:06,800 extreme view and then don't listen to 1604 01:05:10,240 --> 01:05:08,320 the evidence and don't change their 1605 01:05:12,580 --> 01:05:10,250 position when they're deemed to be wrong 1606 01:05:15,130 --> 01:05:12,590 Andrew Bolt is an example of a 1607 01:05:17,920 --> 01:05:15,140 right-wing extremist that anything that 1608 01:05:19,690 --> 01:05:17,930 is a right-wing extreme will he will 1609 01:05:22,060 --> 01:05:19,700 adopt regardless of anything year so 1610 01:05:24,220 --> 01:05:22,070 heating's religion is climate change 1611 01:05:26,290 --> 01:05:24,230 skepticism it's it's not a clearly 1612 01:05:27,820 --> 01:05:26,300 creationist surprisingly but I would 1613 01:05:31,450 --> 01:05:27,830 have expected him to pick that up too 1614 01:05:33,940 --> 01:05:31,460 but the overall theme is like you know 1615 01:05:36,640 --> 01:05:33,950 if it's right wing extremist view yes he 1616 01:05:39,790 --> 01:05:36,650 picked up on the Nazi tokens thing which 1617 01:05:41,350 --> 01:05:39,800 you probably heard then I just knew what 1618 01:05:44,590 --> 01:05:41,360 I heard Richard say that they're going 1619 01:05:49,690 --> 01:05:44,600 to happen yeah boy I'm so glad he said 1620 01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:49,700 it yeah not both of those people who 1621 01:05:53,059 --> 01:05:50,930 will not be my reading list in your 1622 01:05:57,120 --> 01:05:53,069 future don't worry 1623 01:06:02,460 --> 01:05:57,130 I've added Katherine's Ebony's my little 1624 01:06:04,859 --> 01:06:02,470 list of people I should read more no I 1625 01:06:08,039 --> 01:06:04,869 thought what was interesting about the 1626 01:06:09,630 --> 01:06:08,049 ABC coverage to was they often get 1627 01:06:11,609 --> 01:06:09,640 accused of being too left-wing and so I 1628 01:06:14,309 --> 01:06:11,619 can't they in an attempt to find balance 1629 01:06:16,799 --> 01:06:14,319 they actually do too much false balance 1630 01:06:19,170 --> 01:06:16,809 yes or I know that radio national sent 1631 01:06:24,029 --> 01:06:19,180 in about six or seven Christian people's 1632 01:06:26,190 --> 01:06:24,039 to Paisley plea criticize and write bad 1633 01:06:28,079 --> 01:06:26,200 things about the conference but I don't 1634 01:06:30,210 --> 01:06:28,089 think they sent him six atheist sturdy 1635 01:06:31,950 --> 01:06:30,220 the same thing you know show you they 1636 01:06:33,630 --> 01:06:31,960 try to compensate for being accused of 1637 01:06:36,150 --> 01:06:33,640 left-wing by going right to the other 1638 01:06:38,549 --> 01:06:36,160 side but I'm not adjustable and I say 1639 01:06:41,150 --> 01:06:38,559 though that there were quite critical 1640 01:06:44,400 --> 01:06:41,160 articles about the what's called the 1641 01:06:46,769 --> 01:06:44,410 Parliament of world religions or yeah a 1642 01:06:49,349 --> 01:06:46,779 few a few a couple of months ago I think 1643 01:06:52,249 --> 01:06:49,359 was the in Melbourne government-funded 1644 01:06:54,569 --> 01:06:52,259 race unlike the eighties convention 1645 01:06:55,890 --> 01:06:54,579 there was a parliament of world 1646 01:06:57,259 --> 01:06:55,900 religions or something like that and 1647 01:07:00,509 --> 01:06:57,269 they had representatives of various 1648 01:07:02,759 --> 01:07:00,519 religions and that was I felt that was 1649 01:07:05,339 --> 01:07:02,769 covered fairly critically as well so 1650 01:07:07,200 --> 01:07:05,349 perhaps into the overall attitude of 1651 01:07:09,390 --> 01:07:07,210 criticizing a conference around 1652 01:07:11,759 --> 01:07:09,400 something to do with religion well yeah 1653 01:07:12,720 --> 01:07:11,769 and also because you know you made the 1654 01:07:15,420 --> 01:07:12,730 distinction of left-wing and right-wing 1655 01:07:16,829 --> 01:07:15,430 those don't matter for atheism that 1656 01:07:20,370 --> 01:07:16,839 there are right-wing ideas and then 1657 01:07:22,680 --> 01:07:20,380 Tobias and and often what I found is I I 1658 01:07:24,749 --> 01:07:22,690 can't stand either of them when it comes 1659 01:07:27,269 --> 01:07:24,759 to religion they are all sucking up to 1660 01:07:28,950 --> 01:07:27,279 religion and if they're not second to 1661 01:07:31,859 --> 01:07:28,960 religion their stuff in there sucking up 1662 01:07:33,599 --> 01:07:31,869 to New Age nonsense in the u.s. Prince 1663 01:07:35,009 --> 01:07:33,609 it's a big website that there's really 1664 01:07:36,839 --> 01:07:35,019 popular among the left wing is they're 1665 01:07:40,710 --> 01:07:36,849 having a post and you know this I 1666 01:07:43,380 --> 01:07:40,720 nothing device I mean it's a hotbed of 1667 01:07:46,319 --> 01:07:43,390 whack culinary esperas eat there yes 1668 01:07:47,470 --> 01:07:46,329 it's awful and there's all this new age 1669 01:07:50,210 --> 01:07:47,480 stuff don't work 1670 01:07:52,340 --> 01:07:50,220 Jenny max well they don't even pay lip 1671 01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:52,350 service to journalistic standards so 1672 01:07:57,230 --> 01:07:54,330 yeah I wouldn't gonna do whatever you 1673 01:08:00,500 --> 01:07:57,240 want so so it's a weird thing because 1674 01:08:03,230 --> 01:08:00,510 science and atheism do not have a friend 1675 01:08:07,040 --> 01:08:03,240 on the left or the right we're kind of 1676 01:08:08,570 --> 01:08:07,050 going it alone no ideally we would 1677 01:08:11,690 --> 01:08:08,580 building be building a political 1678 01:08:13,160 --> 01:08:11,700 coalition that you know a a rationalist 1679 01:08:15,370 --> 01:08:13,170 party or something but I just don't see 1680 01:08:17,809 --> 01:08:15,380 that happening in the near future but 1681 01:08:19,610 --> 01:08:17,819 somewhere down the road it would be 1682 01:08:23,480 --> 01:08:19,620 great to have something like that well 1683 01:08:25,190 --> 01:08:23,490 we had an atheist secular party standing 1684 01:08:29,690 --> 01:08:25,200 for the state elections in New South 1685 01:08:31,550 --> 01:08:29,700 Wales second was okay i would i would 1686 01:08:33,650 --> 01:08:31,560 actually oppose the idea of something 1687 01:08:37,220 --> 01:08:33,660 like an atheist party because i want it 1688 01:08:40,099 --> 01:08:37,230 to be religion blind it just you know 1689 01:08:42,019 --> 01:08:40,109 you can be a Lutheran and run for office 1690 01:08:43,610 --> 01:08:42,029 in the framework of this party as long 1691 01:08:45,200 --> 01:08:43,620 as you willing to say yeah we should 1692 01:08:47,030 --> 01:08:45,210 make our decisions and politics and 1693 01:08:49,039 --> 01:08:47,040 science on the basis of the available 1694 01:08:51,289 --> 01:08:49,049 evidence and we should arrive at it 1695 01:08:54,530 --> 01:08:51,299 logically reasonably and try as hard as 1696 01:08:56,539 --> 01:08:54,540 we can't overcome our biases I don't 1697 01:09:01,880 --> 01:08:56,549 care if the Pope did that I would say 1698 01:09:04,940 --> 01:09:01,890 good for him somehow I don't know to 1699 01:09:06,140 --> 01:09:04,950 mystic yeah I don't mention can you tell 1700 01:09:09,170 --> 01:09:06,150 us a little bit about your book before 1701 01:09:12,499 --> 01:09:09,180 we go payday in please well sure I'm 1702 01:09:16,760 --> 01:09:12,509 writing a book I'm late I'm going to be 1703 01:09:19,550 --> 01:09:16,770 later I'm feeling really awful but I had 1704 01:09:23,530 --> 01:09:19,560 to come to Australia and it's a it's a 1705 01:09:26,990 --> 01:09:23,540 it's another atheist book among the many 1706 01:09:28,910 --> 01:09:27,000 we're kind of what kind of positioning 1707 01:09:33,410 --> 01:09:28,920 it as I'm the Richard Dawkins with a 1708 01:09:34,910 --> 01:09:33,420 sense of humor ok which I unfortunately 1709 01:09:36,260 --> 01:09:34,920 makes it really hard to write because if 1710 01:09:39,829 --> 01:09:36,270 you sit down say well today I'm gonna be 1711 01:09:41,749 --> 01:09:39,839 funny maybe it just doesn't fly but I'm 1712 01:09:44,570 --> 01:09:41,759 struggling a little bit but we'll get it 1713 01:09:46,790 --> 01:09:44,580 out there and yeah that I think the plan 1714 01:09:49,520 --> 01:09:46,800 is to get out sometime this summer 1715 01:09:53,680 --> 01:09:49,530 they specifically told me they didn't 1716 01:09:57,860 --> 01:09:56,390 what does it have a title radio working 1717 01:10:00,110 --> 01:09:57,870 title since all those kind of working 1718 01:10:02,120 --> 01:10:00,120 title i absolutely hate do I have to say 1719 01:10:06,020 --> 01:10:02,130 it no you don't you don't have to do 1720 01:10:07,820 --> 01:10:06,030 anything I'm free open it I'll the 1721 01:10:13,340 --> 01:10:07,830 working title right now is the Hat happy 1722 01:10:15,860 --> 01:10:13,350 atheist okay I think website is yes we 1723 01:10:20,650 --> 01:10:15,870 are you know I'd rather be the 1724 01:10:23,390 --> 01:10:20,660 disgruntled ages the cranky atheist 1725 01:10:25,820 --> 01:10:23,400 something but no we'll work it out I'm 1726 01:10:27,770 --> 01:10:25,830 I'll come up with something done when my 1727 01:10:29,360 --> 01:10:27,780 publisher reads the first drafts that 1728 01:10:31,820 --> 01:10:29,370 are i'll be sending to him this week 1729 01:10:35,470 --> 01:10:31,830 your pricing wait a minute that's not 1730 01:10:37,880 --> 01:10:35,480 just happy that's that's awfully vicious 1731 01:10:40,100 --> 01:10:37,890 so you said you might be doing a book to 1732 01:10:42,530 --> 01:10:40,110 it sometime these are we might well I 1733 01:10:44,450 --> 01:10:42,540 can assign yeah I'm dreaming okay this 1734 01:10:47,030 --> 01:10:44,460 is my fantasy is that the book sells 1735 01:10:48,470 --> 01:10:47,040 well yeah and so the publisher says you 1736 01:10:52,040 --> 01:10:48,480 get to go on a book tour of the entire 1737 01:10:54,260 --> 01:10:52,050 universe and they and they pay to send 1738 01:10:55,970 --> 01:10:54,270 me around the world and your worries 1739 01:10:57,680 --> 01:10:55,980 that's when they decide to send you to 1740 01:11:00,320 --> 01:10:57,690 Alpha Centauri because you know violent 1741 01:11:03,380 --> 01:11:00,330 rape is a bit of a long way oh yeah but 1742 01:11:05,240 --> 01:11:03,390 if we reach a speed of light see I'll go 1743 01:11:06,650 --> 01:11:05,250 there and i'll come back and all you 1744 01:11:10,850 --> 01:11:06,660 guys will be in the grave must will be 1745 01:11:13,430 --> 01:11:10,860 dancing well thanks for talking to us 1746 01:11:37,049 --> 01:11:13,440 today pays a my pleasure 1747 01:11:41,500 --> 01:11:39,189 thank you for listening to this week's 1748 01:11:44,469 --> 01:11:41,510 episode of the skeptic zone I certainly 1749 01:11:45,969 --> 01:11:44,479 hope you enjoyed it and as ever I really 1750 01:11:49,000 --> 01:11:45,979 hope that the show does keep you company 1751 01:11:52,120 --> 01:11:49,010 on those lonely long walks or whatever 1752 01:11:54,549 --> 01:11:52,130 you're doing until our next show this is 1753 01:11:59,529 --> 01:11:54,559 Richard Saunders signing off from Sydney 1754 01:12:03,819 --> 01:11:59,539 Australia you've been listening to the 1755 01:12:07,060 --> 01:12:03,829 skeptic zone visit our website at wwc a 1756 01:12:10,500 --> 01:12:07,070 petting zoo TV for comments contacts and