The Rationable Podcast (Abhijit Chanda)
Explore every episode of The Rationable Podcast
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 09 Mar 2020 | Is it better to eat smaller meals more often to lose weight? | 00:10:06 | |
Today, we dive into one of the longest standing claims about losing weight. No matter which new fad diet pops up, you’ll always have someone say, “Just start having several small meals a day. Trust me, it works!” And it does sound plausible. The “logic” people usually put behind it is that it’s easier for your body to digest small portions, plus it boosts your metabolism every time you eat. In this episode, we discuss what metabolism is and how to boost it. I also explain terms like caloric restriction, deficit and surplus; TDEE; BMI and BMR, and the roles that have to play in our bodies and fat loss. Further reading and references: Online BMR Calculator: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bmr_calculator.htm http://www.livestrong.com/article/394573-does-fasting-speed-up-metabolism/ http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56254&page=1 http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/6_meals_a_day#1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26024494 http://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/eating-frequency-and-weight-loss Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable ConversationsFacebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 25 Sep 2018 | After Section 377: The road ahead for India's LGBTQ+ Community | 00:13:12 | |
Last year, I wrote a blog about the future of the LGBTQ+ community in India after the overthrowing of Section 377. This is what Indians need to do to make ours a more inclusive society. It’s at times like these that we feel India is headed in the right direction. After all, this is a massive step forward in a country whose belief systems are still very conservative, to say the least. And it is most definitely worth celebrating that we have recognised a truth that many nations still haven’t. But we do have a long way to go. | |||
| 19 Nov 2018 | Is the Ketogenic Diet the best way to lose weight? | 00:18:23 | |
I used to think that the Ketogenic Diet was the ideal way humans should eat. Then, I discovered I was completely wrong. And here’s how I figured it out. If you would like to read the article this episode is based on, along with the sources I've cited, visit https://rationable.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/is-the-ketogenic-diet-the-best-way-to-lose-weight/ Further Reading & References * https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/the-fat-fueled-brain-unnatural-or-advantageous/ * https://theoutline.com/post/6133/the-keto-diet-is-a-recipe-for-disaster * https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/21/16965122/keto-diet-reset Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.
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| 17 Dec 2018 | Cancer and Vitamin B17: Is the cure for cancer in almonds? | 00:17:13 | |
Recently, you may have received a message or a video on WhatsApp claiming that cancer is a hoax and is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B17, otherwise called Amygdalin. Just load up on some B17, and you’re cured! Seems a bit too good to be true, if you think about it. But is it true? Today, we dig deeper into cancer, almonds and apricot seeds to see what they are, how they work and if it will heal you or harm you. Dig Deeper: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/laetrile-vitamin-b17#section1 https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cancer-vitamin-b17-deficiency/ https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/55517/is-cancer-caused-by-vitamin-b17-deficiency https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-news-supplements/vitamin-b17-not-vitamin https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/laetrile.html https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/faith-and-supplements-b17
Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 09 Jan 2019 | Will green coffee beans help with weight loss? | 00:09:30 | |
Green coffee beans and the various versions they come in had become the hot new weight loss supplement that’s in everyone’s cups and on everyone’s lips after celebrity television doctor, Dr Oz, called green coffee a “miracle pill” and then got shamed in front of the US Congress for saying so. But green coffee beans just don’t seem to go away! But does it work? Dig Deeper: Congress Vs Dr Oz: https://youtu.be/kgApDJwc4Ow Science Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/lessons-from-the-dubious-rise-and-inevitable-fall-of-green-coffee-beans/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2943088/ The Doctors: https://youtu.be/5OlrwOEFQew John Oliver on Last Week Tonight: https://youtu.be/WA0wKeokWUU The Vinson Trial: https://www.dovepress.com/randomized-double-blind-placebo-controlled-linear-dose-crossover-study-peer-reviewed-article-DMSO https://www.livestrong.com/article/489309-is-white-kidney-bean-extract-good-for-weight-loss/ https://examine.com/supplements/white-kidney-bean-extract/
Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 13 Mar 2019 | The Rationable Podcast has arrived! | 00:09:09 | |
In this first episode of The Rationable Podcast, I tell you about my journey into science and critical thinking and how it changed my life. I hope the things we talk about in future episodes helps you fight frauds, fake news and scams. The podcasts I've mentioned can be found here: The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu Skeptoid: https://skeptoid.com/ Science Vs: https://www.gimletmedia.com/science-vs Star Talk: https://www.startalkradio.net/ If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions, please write to contact.rationable@gmail.com For the articles this podcast is based on, visit www.rationable.wordpress.com | |||
| 20 Mar 2019 | Does homeopathy work? | 00:31:37 | |
Homoeopathy, especially in India, is a treatment method in which a lot of people believe. In fact, India is one of the biggest markets for homoeopathic medicine, if not the largest. Plus, it’s getting support from the government through the AYUSH initiative. My parents gave me homoeopathic treatments as a child, and they swear by it. In fact, most people do. There are college degrees for it, doctors prescribe it, and infants and animals are said to benefit from it too! But does homoeopathy really work? As I found out, it kind of does, but not in the way you think. The original article with all the references and sources: https://rationable.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/does-homeopathy-work/ Skeptoid Quackwatch Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, MD Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.
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| 03 Apr 2019 | Opinion: India's Space Force – ASAT and what the fuss is all about | 00:07:35 | |
If you’ve been living under a rock, it’s probably because you’re taking shelter from the falling space debris! But seriously, the Indian ASAT project or “Mission Shakti” as it’s been called by the government, has made a big splash across the headlines all over the world and has definitely ruffled some feathers over at NASA. But are they justified in being concerned? Should we have launched ASAT in the first place? Further Reading
Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 16 Apr 2019 | The first image of a black hole: What's the big deal? | 00:18:30 | |
Recently, a network of radio telescopes spread across the Earth called Event Horizon Telescope pieced together petabytes of data to unveil the first-ever image of a black hole. This is one of the most monumental feats of human ingenuity, engineering and curiosity to date. But why is it such a big deal? How can we see a black hole in the first place? And why is that orange, blurry image so groundbreaking? Let me break it down for you. Links: Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 01 May 2019 | Is turmeric good for your health? | 00:14:13 | |
We Indians love our spices, and none more than turmeric. This essential yellow ingredient, in most Indian recipes, was discovered by Ayurveda, adopted by the West and now has come home once again in the form of alternative medicine, or even mainstream medicine, as doctors have started prescribing it. This is all because of a fascinating chemical that Turmeric contains – Curcumin. This molecule is making waves across the world and is being touted as a panacea of sorts that can heal almost anything you can think of – arthritis, diabetes, aches, pains, sore throats, baldness, obesity, heart disease and even cancer. But does curcumin work? If it does, will eating turmeric have the same effect? What are the side effects of turmeric? Is it medicine yet or still in the realm of alternative or complementary medicine? We are getting to the bottom of this today. Citations and Further Reading Articles: Papers: Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 11 Jun 2019 | What is Evidence? Part 1: Randomised controlled trials | 00:27:42 | |
Just because you might not be a scientist, doesn't mean you can't look for and understand the evidence behind a claim. Now you can get started by investigating randomised controlled trials. Further Reading: Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst How to read a paper: The basics of evidence-based medicine by Trisha Greenhalgh Steven Novella's discussions on p-hacking:https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/get-rid-of-statistical-significance/https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/p-hacking-and-other-statistical-sins/ Rationable's article on Homeopathy: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/03/20/does-homeopathy-work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomized_controlled_trial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lind https://emj.bmj.com/content/20/2/164 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ The blog version of this episode: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/6/11/what-is-evidence-part-1-randomised-controlled-trials Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.
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| 29 Jun 2019 | Does Science know everything? (Updated) | 00:09:25 | |
I’m sure you’ve heard or said that “Science doesn’t know everything”. This is usually in defence of an idea that probably isn’t scientific, like homeopathy or god. And that’s okay. Because I agree with you. Science doesn’t know everything, and probably never will. And here’s why. ** Further Reading & References** Homeopathy: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/03/20/does-homeopathy-work Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 20 Jul 2019 | Antivax: Poking holes in their claims | 00:13:40 | |
It all started with Andrew Wakefield publishing a sham study on how vaccines give children autism. Now, the movement has taken on a life of its own with celebrity endorsers, social media influencers, alternative medicine “gurus” all propagating this idea. Today, we dig into what antivaxxers believe, why it's wrong and how we can help stop the movement. References and Further Reading: Vaccines, Autism, And The Promotion Of Irrelevant Research: A Science-Pseudoscience Analysis UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/record-number-infants-vaccinated-2017 WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders; https://www.who.int/publications/10-year-review/vaccines/en/ ; https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/index1.html Ice Cream & Homicide: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/07/warm-weather-homicide-rates-when-ice-cream-sales-rise-homicides-rise-coincidence.html Vaccines & Autism: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24814559 Influenza Epidemics: https://7news.com.au/news/health/flu-deaths-hit-300-as-season-passes-peak-c-209939; https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/flu-season-in-india-how-prepared-are-you/story-scuyWrIdWgkUZ0Rs2av0aO.html Diseases that Vaccines prevent: https://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/en/ Kulkarni SV, Narain JP, Gupta S, Dhariwal AC, Singh SK, Macintyre C R. Influenza A (H1N1) in India: Changing epidemiology and its implications. Natl Med J India [Epub ahead of print] [cited 2019 Jul 20]. Available from: http://www.nmji.in/preprintarticle.asp?id=253355 Science Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/how-to-respond-to-anti-vaxxers/ and https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/antivaccine-hero-andrew-wakefield-scientific-fraud/ Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.
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| 31 Jul 2019 | What is Evidence? Part 2: Anecdotal Evidence | 00:13:58 | |
Anecdotes are all around us, and we encounter them every day. It’s the way we humans share information. But there's a problem when it’s presented as evidence for a scientific claim. Then it’s called anecdotal evidence or argument from personal experience, which is also a logical fallacy called...you guessed it...the Anecdote Fallacy. This is the weakest form of evidence anyone can present for any claim they make. So, should we believe them? Further Reading & References Alternative Medicine: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog?category=Alternative%20Medicine Anecdotal Evidence: *What is Anecdotal Evidence: https://youtu.be/ntEwAnrj0IU Evolution of Cognitive Biases: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781119125563.evpsych241 Confirmation Bias; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201504/what-is-confirmation-bias The Dunning Kruger Effect: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/dunning-kruger-effect/ https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/anecdotal Argument from personal experience Debunked: https://youtu.be/i48zNH_olps Why People Believe Weird Things: Science, Pseudoscience, and Critical Thinking by Michael Shermer: https://amzn.to/2SUPwCZ Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at contact.rationable@gmail.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 12 Aug 2019 | 7 Worst Sources for Vaccine Information | 00:11:14 | |
There is clear evidence showing that vaccines save lives and mostly safe. But I’ve found a few groups that promote the idea that they are harmful. If you see information coming from these sources saying vaccines are bad, report the post or share it with me. But first, let me introduce you to the seven worst sources for vaccine information (and most other health advice too). References and Further Reading NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1140944/ Antivax: Poking holes in their claims: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/7/20/antivax-poking-holes-in-their-arguments Providing vaccines for free: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28156436 Big Pharma & Vaccines: https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/the-myth-of-big-pharma-vaccine-profits-updated/ Vaccines & Autism: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2017/05/vaccines_autism_and_the_promotion_of_irrelevant_research_a_science-pseudosc/ How many doctors exist: https://www.reference.com/world-view/many-doctors-world-ef3c66521bd289a8 Jenny McCarthy's son: https://hollywoodlife.com/2010/02/26/jenny-mccarthy-says-her-son-evan-never-had-autism/ Vaccines Journal: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/vaccine Social Medicine: https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/home/topics/prevention/social-medicine-the-effect-of-social-media-on-the-anti-vaccine-movement/ Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/ UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/topics/vaccines Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 27 Aug 2019 | Detox: An introduction to a scam | 00:16:09 | |
Alternative medicine quacks like Dr Oz and Junger, celebrities, and your lunch table buddies, have claimed that our bodies gather up toxins from our food, drinks and air we breathe. No one ever specifies what these so-called toxins really are, so there’s no way these claims can be tested explicitly for a particular chemical. So are these toxins real? We dive into the toxic pond to figure out what's going on. Further Reading and References Bloodletting: https://www.bcmj.org/premise/history-bloodletting Functional Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/functional-medicine-the-ultimate-misnomer-in-the-world-of-integrative-medicine/ Vaccines: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/7/20/antivax-poking-holes-in-their-arguments Ayurveda: http://www.holistic-online.com/ayurveda/ayv-treatment-panchakarma.htm Chinese Medicine: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/bleeding.htm Unani: http://www.greekmedicine.net/therapies/Hygienic_Purification_Therapies.html Poisons & Toxins: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/364-poisons-and-toxins Botulism: https://www.medicinenet.com/botulism/article.htm Venoms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/venoms Plant toxins: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/plant-toxin Poison Mushrooms: https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-most-poisonous-mushrooms Metals: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/heavy-metal-poisoning/ Particulate Pollutants: https://www.toppr.com/guides/chemistry/environmental-chemistry/particulate-pollutants/ Creatinine: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/what-creatinine Liver: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-liver#1 Intestines: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-dubious-practice-of-detox Kidneys: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work Detox your liver: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/detoxing-your-liver-fact-versus-fiction Lose weight: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2017/02/06/lose-belly-fat Juices: https://www.soundbitesrd.com/6-food-myths-dietitians-love-hate/ Fibre: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20181231-is-juicing-actually-good-for-you Science Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-one-thing-you-need-to-know-before-you-detox/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/detox-scams-are-worthless-and-potentially-dangerous/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/top-ten-signs-your-detox-may-be-a-scam/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/detox-what-they-dont-want-you-to-know/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-detox-scam-how-to-spot-it-and-how-to-avoid-it/ Other articles on detoxing https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/detox-products-market https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-dubious-practice-of-detox https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-myth-health-diet-science-ignorance https://www.self.com/story/myths-detoxing-totally-false Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com . | |||
| 05 Nov 2019 | An ex-smoker changed his mind about India’s vape ban | 00:11:57 | |
Let me explain why I’m so anti-vape. I’ve been a smoker for 20 years of my life, and quit just 4 years ago. I have a grudge against harmful addictions and the companies that sell them to kids. It’s infuriating because what happened to me is now happening again to a whole new generation of youth through this shiny new thing called an e-cigarette – the perfect way to snag the young and tech obsessed. Turns out my first reaction wasn’t completely justified, even if my anger probably is. The answers aren’t quite that simple. But we will discuss them in this episode. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.
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| 24 Nov 2019 | Fwd Fact-Check: Foods to combat air pollution | 00:17:16 | |
Another day, another Whatsapp forward. I recently got one from several people since the pollution in Delhi has been making headlines across the world. It describes the foods and nutrients you should eat to fight the effects of the pollution shrouding Delhi and North India. It’s immediately appealing because we are all so scared of what all the smog is doing to our lungs and our overall health. People on the streets are wearing masks. I have air purifiers installed all over the house. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could make ourselves immune to pollution with a few simple additions to our diet? To be honest, I’m not optimistic. But I’ll reserve my judgement till all the evidence is presented. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 23 Dec 2019 | Vaccines: What if everyone stopped getting vaccinated? | 00:14:18 | |
To me, this is one of the scariest questions we could possibly ask. We know the answer too, and we don’t have to go back 20 or 30 years to find it. It’s happening right now. I’m sure you’ve heard of the horrifying measles outbreak in Samoa that still rages on. That’s what happens when antivax wishes come true. So how did this happen? And how can we stop it from happening again? Donate to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/samoa-measles-outbreak Further Reading & References - An introduction to the anti-vaccine movement - Seven worst sources of vaccine information - http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/12/samoa-measles-deaths-rise-70-drc-outbreak-ramps - Thread from @drfixus on Twitter: Find the whole thread here: https://twitter.com/drfixus/status/1203478558804529153?s=20 Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 21 Jan 2020 | How I became a skeptic in 5 steps | 00:27:41 | |
In this episode, I set the way back machine to stun and remember the times I had serious smh moments. My beliefs about the ketogenic diet, evolution, aliens and fitness were all thrown into the fire, and rising from those ashes rose a more skeptical me. Here’s the story. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 15 Feb 2020 | Why an anti-vax mom changed her mind | 00:15:25 | |
Meet Doh Driver. She grew up believing in a whole slew of pseudoscience, including the idea that vaccines were harmful. Through her journey, she began to think more critically of her beliefs until she finally shed them. Now, she talks to anti-vaxxers online to change their minds. This is her story. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. I had the pleasure of meeting Doh on Facebook after I posted my last article about how I became a sceptic. When she shared her story, I was immediately intrigued and amazed at the journey she had gone through. I asked her to flesh it out and send it over so I could have the pleasure of sharing it with you. So here it is. It takes a lot of courage and insight to break out of belief systems we have had since we were children. Especially in the case of vaccines, nutrition and medicine, these beliefs can be a matter of life and death – for ourselves and our loved ones. If there’s one thing you take away from her story (other than the importance of falsifying your beliefs) it’s this: when you engage with someone on social media who believes that vaccines are harmful, GMOs are poison or that alternative medicine works, remember they may be on a similar journey. Speak to them with compassion, reason and rationality and you could crack their echo chamber just enough for them to see the light. | |||
| 06 Mar 2020 | Drinking Water and Garlic don't provide coronavirus protection | 00:15:55 | |
A forward has been appearing on WhatsApp and Facebook claiming you can self-check for COVID-19 infection and drinking water and keeping garlic in your mouth can offer coronavirus protection. Of course, all this information is completely false. No evidence has been found to confirm any of these claims. Let’s fact-check each claim one by one and see why these claims are wrong. In the end, I’ll also tell you why I think these forwards are so compelling. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 27 Mar 2020 | 5 more Coronavirus Misinformation Messages Debunked | 00:20:47 | |
Another episode of fact-checking coronavirus forwards on social media. Today, we find out why COVID-19 cannot be prevented by homoeopathy, raw onions, vitamin C, vitamin Bs and blowdryers through science and critical thinking. Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Podcast outro Thank you so much for listening to The Rationable Podcast with me, Abhijit. For the show notes, transcript, references and further reading, visit www.berationable.com. Let’s continue the conversation on the Rationable Conversations group on Facebook and @berationable on Twitter. You can also write to me at abhijit@berationable.com. If you enjoyed this episode consider subscribing to the podcast and sharing it with your friends and family. Until next time, be rationable. | |||
| 25 Apr 2020 | Interview: Dr Shantanu Abhyankar – From homeopathy to modern medicine | 00:44:03 | |
Welcome to the first interview of The Rationable Podcast! I’m calling it Rationable Interviews, for what it’s worth. This episode features an interview with Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, a gynaecologist by profession and a sceptic activist based in Wai, Maharashtra. I met the good doctor and his wonderful family during the CSICON 2018 in Las Vegas where he presented a white paper on the accomplishments of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) or Maharashtra Blind Faith Eradication Committee and their hard work to implement legislation against superstitious practices and harmful rituals. We speak about his journey from homoeopathy to mainstream medicine, which gives us a very interesting insight into the relationship between alternative medicine and mainstream medicine in India. We explore the relationship between Ayurveda and homoeopathy, their parallels and convergences along with the potential of Ayurveda if it is properly researched. Links: Dr Shantanu Abhyankar on TEDx PICT: https://youtu.be/zXKcRklWkcA Dr Abhyankar’s blog: https://shantanuabhyankar.blogspot.com/ Dr Abhyankar on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Shantanu-Abhyankar-223318794895179 Dr Abhyankar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShantanuWai The Magic of Reality (Marathi) by Richard Dawkins translated by Dr Shantanu Abhyankar: https://amzn.to/3aGNUE9 Why is Sex Fun (Marathi) by Jared Diamond translated by Dr Shantanu Abhyankar: https://amzn.to/2S7X3zo Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) or Maharashtra Blind Faith Eradication Committee: http://antisuperstition.org/ The Guru Busters: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2D6C82AA61986624 Does Homeopathy work?: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/03/20/does-homeopathy-work?rq=homeopathy Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 24 May 2020 | Can you boost your immune system? | 00:31:04 | |
Can you boost your immune system? In a way, yes, but not in the way the promoters of alternative medicine want you to think. But there are ways to keep your immune system healthy and functioning optimally. Let’s dig a little deeper into how the immune system works, how to keep it healthy and whether or not it can protect you from infections like COVID-19. Home workouts Paid: ATHLEAN-X | Six Pack Abs and Building Athletic Muscle Free: Fitness Blender Digging Deeper How to boost your immune system - Harvard Health SGU: https://youtu.be/0Ah2p1q2qLU Seeker Human: https://youtu.be/ZTz4qA1gX3k Medsimplified: https://youtu.be/k9QAyP3bYmc https://www.ted.com/talks/emma_bryce_how_does_the_immune_system_work?language=en#t-37095 The Gut: Where Bacteria and Immune System Meet The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity Covid-19: Can 'boosting' your immune system protect you? Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 27 Jun 2020 | Corona kit or con: Examining Patanjali's coronavirus treatment | 00:27:46 | |
Patanjali has courted controversy by releasing their “Corona Kit” consisting of Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Giloy, Shwasari Juice and Anu Tel. They claim to have done a clinical trial and found it 100% effective. But there's still no sign of the study and its results. Rationable examines their claims more closely. Links RCTs: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/6/11/what-is-evidence-part-1-randomised-controlled-trials English Jagran: https://english.jagran.com/lifestyle/coronavirus-treatment-this-ayurvedic-medicine-can-cure-covid19-patients-in-514-days-claims-patanjali-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-10012921 Boosting Immunity: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/can-you-boost-your-immune-system RBD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630917/ ACE2: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/angiotensin-converting-enzyme-2/pdf The Body of Evidence - The Gauntlet: https://youtu.be/6ug9ZTewcrE Withanone and CAPE for SARS-CoV-2: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07391102.2020.1772108 Press on IIT and AIST Study on Ashwagandha: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/ashwagandha-can-be-effective-covid-19-preventive-drug-finds-research-by-iit-delhi-and-japans-aist/75820118 Withaferin A on Herpes Simplex virus: https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2105-12-S13-S22 Ayurveda on Sinusitis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22557218/ Divya Shwasari Ras: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332220302547 Anant Bhan Twitter Thread: https://twitter.com/AnantBhan/status/1275407524368248832?s=20 Patanjali’s clinical trial registration: http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1=43900&EncHid=&userName=patanjali Dr Sumaiya Shaikh: http://sumaiyashaikh.com/about/ Dr Sumaiya Shaikh’s tweet to Patanjali: https://twitter.com/Neurophysik/status/1275558711428354050?s=20 Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 03 Jul 2020 | Interview: Dr Abhyankar & Dr Khare – Mental health, Patanjali, and evidence based medicine | 00:00:37 | |
To celebrate Doctor's Day India 2020, I speak to Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, MD, MBBS, Gynaecology, and Dr Anand Khare, MD Psychiatry. We discuss Coronil, Patanjali's so-called coronavirus cure, Sushant Singh Rajput's passing and its effects on mental health awareness along with Ayurveda, alternative medicine, boosting immunity and how to survive the pandemic and lots more. References & Links Dr Shantanu Abhyankar: https://kivihealth.com/satara/wai-cit... Rationable interviews Dr Abhyankar: https://www.berationable.com/rationab... Dr Abhyankar's TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_shantanu... Dr Abhyankar at CSICON 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hf9z... Dr Anand Khare: https://www.practo.com/mumbai/doctor/... Can you boost your immune system?: https://www.berationable.com/rationab... Corona Kit or Con: Examining Patanjali's Coronavirus Treatment: https://www.berationable.com/rationab... Does Homeopathy Work?: https://www.berationable.com/rationab... Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 19 Jul 2020 | Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 1: The Fascinating science of pain | 00:14:09 | |
Dr Sumaiya Shaikh and I had a fantastic interview where we talked about a variety of topics. The interview has been split into three parts so that you can take it in one bite at a time. In the first part, we open the conversation with her work in the study of the neurophysiology of pain. There’s a lot more to pain than you may think, and we get a fascinating glimpse of that today. Find out more about Dr Shaikh and her work: Dhruv Rathee interview: Science Behind Depression: https://youtu.be/tZ5qIpJHeNU Twitter: https://twitter.com/neurophysik?lang=en Website: http://sumaiyashaikh.com/ Altnews Science: https://www.altnews.in/topics/science/ Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 27 Jul 2020 | Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 2: This is your brain on violence | 00:39:53 | |
Here’s the second edition of my interview with the fantabulous Dr Sumaiya Shaikh. In this episode, we discuss the dark yet fascinating world of violent behaviour and the science behind it. It all starts when I ask about Philip Zimbardo’s controversial Stanford Prison Experiment that demonstrated how dehumanising people can enable the most heinous abusive behaviour. I had initially dipped into this topic in my first article for Rationable, which you can read here. From there, Dr Shaikh talks about Hitler, the Nazis and Neo Nazis, extremist movements like ISIL and the communal violence closer to home in India, some of which have affected her life directly. This is going to be a long episode, but immensely intriguing, poignant and informative. It will change how you think of extremists and violent people. In other words, it’s totally worth it. So, go for a long walk, fetch your favourite beverage and strap in for a deep dive into the darkest depths of human behaviour. Listen to Part 1: The fascinating science of pain Find Out More About Dr Shaikh And Her Work Twitter: https://twitter.com/neurophysik?lang=en Website: http://sumaiyashaikh.com/ Altnews Science: https://www.altnews.in/topics/science/ Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 11 Aug 2020 | Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 3: The Need for Altnews Science in India | 00:38:00 | |
In the final part of my interview with Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, we discuss her work as a science communicator. She founded Altnews Science to challenge pseudoscience in India. She has noticed how much alternative medicines like Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Naturopathy, Siddh and Unani have grown in our country and the dangers they pose to us and the ones we love. So she founded Altnews Science to debunk misinformation and share the real science behind the news. For example, she has written several excellent articles regarding COVID-19 and even the Patanjali Scam that tried to take advantage of people during the pandemic. All that and a lot more await you in this episode. Enjoy! References and links: Altnews Science: https://www.altnews.in/topics/science/ Arsenicum Album to fight COVID-19: https://www.altnews.in/homeopathic-drugs-such-as-arsenicum-album-30-promoted-by-ayush-do-not-boost-immunity-against-covid/ Patanjali’s Corona Kit: https://www.altnews.in/no-patanjalis-coronil-has-not-been-approved-by-ayush-ministry/ Rationable’s Take on Patanjali’s Corona Kit: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2020/6/coronakit-or-con-examining-patanjalis-coronavirus-treatment Donate to Altnews: https://www.altnews.in/donate/ More about Dr Sumaiya Shaikh Twitter: https://twitter.com/neurophysik?lang=en Website: http://sumaiyashaikh.com/ Altnews Science: https://www.altnews.in/topics/science/ Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com.
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| 15 Sep 2020 | Debunking Ancient Tech, Aliens and Astrology | Interview: Richard Saunders | 00:46:54 | |
Richard Saunders, a life member of Australian Skeptics and a CSI fellow, is a world-famous sceptic from Australia who has been doing activism, speaking, podcasting and promoting sceptics from around the world for decades. Other than that, he is just a fun, chilled out guy who loves origami and cats. In this interview, we chat about UFOs and ancient aliens, psychics, astrology, Power Balance bands and lots more. Richard has been kind enough to air interviews with me and promotions for The Rationable Podcast on The Skeptic Zone. He does this for a lot of sceptics all over the world and without asking for anything in return. Now that’s being just a wonderful human being, don’t you think? I met Richard through Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com, who I had met at CSICON 2018 in Las Vegas, NV, USA. That event has seriously changed my life. If you haven’t gone, you should definitely try to. But first, you should come to Skepticon 2020, which promises to be a brilliant virtual convention for sceptics around the world. Links & references Attend the Skepticon sceptic’s conference: https://www.skepticon.org.au Richard Saunders on Dragoncon’s Skeptic Track: https://youtu.be/-ZHWCD9i9L8 Rationable’s talk at Dragoncon’s Skeptic Track: https://youtu.be/eFLM0UzVrFY The Skeptic Zone Podcast: https://www.skepticzone.tv/ The Skeptic Zone Podcast Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/skepticzonepodcast Challenging the Astrologer, Milton Black: https://youtu.be/q-fjymxOrGE Debunking Power Balance Bands: https://youtu.be/yd0Gb9EgkHA Richard’s Origami Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuzfqFJyj3esv0N6DlEzLzCzNwWb1Ocgb Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 14 Oct 2020 | Interview: Leonard Tramiel | Why skepticism matters | 01:20:29 | |
It’s a special honour to have a Rationable Interview with Leonard Tramiel. He a good friend of Rationable, of course. You might have seen him in the Rationable Conversations group on Facebook if you’re a part of it. Join in if you’re not. He’s also an accomplished sceptic in his own right. He’s a member of the board of the Center for Inquiry (CFI). This is an organisation of sceptics that publishes the Skeptical Inquirer magazine and holds the annual CSICON sceptics’ conference in Las Vegas, which is where I first met Leonard. Leonard is also on the Council of Advisors for the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (SETI)! Yes, that SETI. He has worked with the California Department of Education to help them improve the quality of their textbooks. That’s not surprising at all when you know he’s been a volunteer 8th-grade astronomy teacher as well. Last but not least, Leonard started his career working under his father in Atari, developing their very first gaming platforms. Yes, that Atari! So we had a nice long chat about his early life, his passion for physics and astronomy, his family life and being the son of Jack Tramiel, who revived Commodore International and enabled the creation of one of the very first PC microchips that contributed to the dawn of personal computing. We also talked about his time at Atari, his encounter with Jill Tarter of SETI (who inspired the character of Dr Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan’s novel Contact), his pet peeves with science literacy and much much more. I would love to do another interview with him so if you have any questions, be sure to drop them in the comments or mail them to abhijit@berationable.com. Reference Links The story of Commodore and the 8-bit generation | Leonard Tramiel | TEDxMidAtlantic Leonard Tramiel and the 6502 chip - 8Bites - #TheCommodoreStory [4K] Why Jack Tramiel left Commodore by Leonard Tramiel (2015)
Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 18 Nov 2020 | Your body's pH balance: What you need to know! | 00:13:02 | |
Your body's pH balance is a fascinating mechanism but it's often misunderstood or miscommunicated to sell ideas like the alkaline diet. In this episode, we get a basic insight into how your body handles its acid-alkaline levels through the kidneys and the lungs and what happens when it goes wrong. I also get into why it’s so hard to change the pH of your blood or any other part of your body, especially through food. References & other links: Acid-base homeostasis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4670772/ and https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-4-acid-base-balance/#:~:text=The%20kidneys%20help%20control%20acid,systems%20work%20predominantly%20inside%20cells Disorders of Acid-base Balance: https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-5-disorders-of-acid-base-balance and https://www.healthline.com/health/acid-base-balance#metabolic-acidosis pH Imbalance: https://www.healthline.com/health/ph-imbalance Digestion in the stomach: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwqycdm/revision/5#:~:text=Bile%20is%20secreted%20into%20the,the%20lipase%20enzymes%20can%20work The Detox Scam: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/8/27/detox-an-introduction-to-a-scam?rq=detox Ketogenic Diet: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2018/11/19/is-the-ketogenic-diet-the-best-way-to-lose-weight?rq=keto Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission. For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 23 Jan 2021 | Interview: Should Ayurvedic doctors be allowed to perform surgery? | 01:17:49 | |
Rationable speaks to Anant Bhan and Dr Sumaiya Shaikh about the recent proposal by the Indian Government to allow Ayurvedic practitioners to perform certain types of surgery. We dig into the pros and cons and find a lot of nuance in the topic that feels like it's black and white. | |||
| 29 Jan 2021 | COVID Vaccine Questions Answered by Dr Paul Offit | 00:56:39 | |
There are a lot of questions we have about the COVID-19 vaccines that have been released by Moderna, Pfizer and others. Dr Paul Offit is here to answer them! He is a paediatrician with expertise in virology and vaccines. Dr Offit has written several books on the topic of vaccines, alternative medicine and medical science. Get in touch with Dr Offit: https://twitter.com/DrPaulOffit Or visit his website: https://www.paul-offit.com And check out his work and educational content at https://www.chop.edu Intro and outro music: Heat by Distill For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Did you like this episode? Share it, subscribe to the podcast and rate it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so that more people can find it.
For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 05 Feb 2021 | What are the benefits of Black Alkaline Water? | 00:18:18 | |
I’ve investigated the claims of Evocus and other alkaline water and found they aren’t true. Evocus Black Alkaline water is just a dodgy product that will only be a very expensive, rather ineffective antacid and nothing more. I will get to each of these claims and a few other generic claims I’ve found about alkaline water in this episode, so you can understand why I say this. Intro and outro music: Heat by Distill For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com.
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| 29 Apr 2021 | Which Covid Vaccine Should You Get? | Interview with Dr Haryax Pathak, MBBS | 00:50:00 | |
Dr Haryax Pathak, MBBS, practising in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, has been busting myths about COVID-19, its treatments and the vaccines on Twitter. He was kind enough to join Rationable to dispel myths about the vaccines and help us understand which one to choose, what the dosage interval should be, and lots more. Here are a the updates: 1) Immunocompromised people should also get the vaccine 2) The central government has increased the period after which one should get Covishield’s second dose to 6-8 weeks 3) People over 18 will be allowed to get vaccinated from the 1st of May onwards Intro and outro music: Heat by Distill For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 20 Jun 2021 | How Ayurveda Can Harm - Dr Abby Philips | 00:55:07 | |
Dr Cyriac Abby Philips is a firebrand twitter sceptic who regularly shares science-based information and research regarding alternative medicine – Ayurveda in particular. He's a Hepatologist and has been studying the side effects of Ayurvedic preparations on the liver. His research and clinical cases have discovered how many Ayurvedic preparations may be harming you more than healing you! He joins us to answer some critical questions about how Ayurveda can be harmful. There are so many real side effects these real herbs can have, but they are being touted as completely side-effect free. People’s lives have been put in danger, and some have been lost due to this form of quackery. Even I found many of his findings shocking to say the least! If you have questions for Dr Abby Philips, find him on Twitter @drabbyphilips. Intro and outro music: Heat by Distill For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | Scamming Autistic People: Exposing Facilitated Communication | 00:47:21 | |
References & Further Reading
Questions, or suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and Facebook @beRationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 23 Nov 2022 | An Indian Atheist on Hinduism: Vimoh on Karma, Castes, and how to be a better atheist in India | 00:47:23 | |
Vimoh has a podcast call in show and two youtube channels where he comments on religion, superstitions and politics twice a week. In this interview, we discuss a large range of topics including castes, karma, the right books to educate ones self on Hinduism and the right to ridicule religion. Affiliate links for the books mentioned. Please buy through these and support the channel. Thank you! Riddles in Hinduism by Dr BR Ambedkar: https://amzn.to/3hW7Fku Bhagwat Gita: https://amzn.to/3XoGHSR How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Baghossian and James Lindsay: https://amzn.to/3tTpoMd Who wrote the Bhagwad Gita by Meghnad Desai: https://amzn.to/3Xu6CZB Quran: https://amzn.to/3OsimHT The Bible: https://amzn.to/3EAdhIS Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 11 Dec 2022 | Are Psychic Predictions Accurate? After analysing 4,000+ predictions, here are the results | 01:00:51 | |
Richard Saunders, Rob Palmer and a group of sceptic activists from all over the world analyzed over 4,000 predictions from 207 psychics over 2 decades to see how accurate they were. This was called the GAPPP. Here's my full interview with Rob Palmer from Skeptic Inquirer Magazine as we discuss the GAPPP project. The Great Australian Psychic Predictions project analysed all psychic predictions broadcast in Australia over a decade to see if they were accurate. Rob shares the project results to reveal the TRUE accuracy of psychic predictions. Find out more at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/02/the-great-australian-psychic-prediction-project-pondering-the-published-predictions-of-prominent-psychics/ Find Richard Saunders' podcast at: https://www.skepticzone.tv/ or search for The Skeptic Zone on your favourite podcast platform. List of awards for evidence of paranormal activity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal Uri Geller fails on Johnny Carson: https://youtu.be/zD7OgAdCObs https://youtu.be/jLl9D9BBIlk Bob Nygaard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Nygaard Uri Geller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_Geller Johnny Carson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 04 Jan 2023 | Why do People Believe in Pseudoscience? Interview with Science is Dope | 00:52:55 | |
Pranav Radhakrishnan joins us on Rationable Interviews to discuss why people believe in pseudosciences like alternative medicine and gurus like Sadhguru. We also discuss his experience as a science communicator and a sceptic and his experience building his channel, @ScienceIsDope. His content is very well-researched, written and produced, and you should definitely subscribe to his channels. Affiliate links for books: How to read a Paper by Trisha Greenhalgh: https://amzn.to/3WmPeV5 Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst: https://amzn.to/3W2d9t7 The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe: https://amzn.to/3YqVkpk Podcasts Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Podcast: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts Skeptoid: https://skeptoid.com/ Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @BeRationable. For the audio version, search for The Rationable Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. | |||
| 09 Jan 2023 | Is Astrology Real or Fake? Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward expose the tricks used by Astrologers and Psychics | 01:07:28 | |
Have you ever had your palm read? Have you had a psychic reading? How accurate was it? And are you wondering if astrological or psychic readings really work? Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward are here to answer those questions. They are stalwart skeptic activists in the US, and have been doing a lot of amazing work over the years to see how psychics and astrologers work and also exposed them for taking advantage of the vulnerable and grieving. In this Rationable Interview, I talk to them about the different techniques psychics use to fool their audience and convince them (falsely) that they have supernatural powers. If you are curious about how psychics and astrologers work, this video is a must-watch! I referred to my interview with Rob Palmer and the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project. Watch that here: https://youtu.be/OigR2LZJNwc Find out more about Mark Edward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Edward Susan Gerbic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Gerbic Affiliate Link for Mark's Book, Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium: https://amzn.to/3GIDEie Intro and outro music: Heat by Distill: https://youtu.be/XIm7ASjSTn8 For the full transcript, along with links to citations and further reading, visit www.berationable.com. References And Resources That Guided Me (These are affiliate links that will help support this channel. Thank you!) The best books on science, rationality and scepticism: Cosmos by Carl Sagan: https://amzn.to/3aARbX9 The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan: https://amzn.to/2sJcmoA The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World: Increasingly Full of Fake by Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella and Evan Bernstein: https://amzn.to/38oIaye Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst: https://amzn.to/2GeVEjW Bad Science by Ben Goldacre: https://amzn.to/2RAT90Y The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins: https://amzn.to/2RGY00o The Cure for Everything: Untangling Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness, and Happiness by Timothy Caulfield: https://amzn.to/2TBjHUE Do You Believe in Magic?: Vitamins, Supplements, and All Things Natural: A Look Behind the Curtain by Dr Paul Offit, MD: https://amzn.to/3aAaEak Bigger, Leaner, Stronger or Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews: https://amzn.to/2RIAaRR My Gear: Camera: Sony ILCE a7c: https://amzn.to/3YUnpW9 Mic: Sennheiser MKH-416 Shotgun Mic: https://amzn.to/3jBSrlt Manfroto BeFree 2-in-1: https://amzn.to/3f008Ng Manfroto BeFree Live Fluid Video Head: https://amzn.to/3zFkQKf GODOX SL Series SL60W: https://amzn.to/3vkf9Bl Godox SB-GUE120 Octa Softbox with Bowens Speed Ring and Grid: https://amzn.to/3Q5bgK7 Godox 270CS, C-Stand with Arm, Grip Head & Removable Turtle Base: https://amzn.to/3Q0D2HS Neewer X12 Teleprompter: https://amzn.to/3WLheC3 Lilliput A7S EY-ZB0167 7-inch IPS Screen 4K Field Monitor: https://amzn.to/3I6Muao Questions or suggestions, or do you want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Get updates and join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/rationable.conversations/) or the Telegram channel, Rationable (https://t.me/rationable). Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 18 Feb 2023 | Doubting your religion? This organisation can help you! | Rationable Interview with Rob Palmer | 01:01:10 | |
Rob Palmer, Columnist and Skeptical Activist, joins us again on behalf of Recovering from Religion, or RFR for short. RFR helps those doubting their religious beliefs to come to terms with it and take action to maintain their social, mental and physical well-being. They have hotlines and online chats where their volunteers speak to callers who are doubting their faith and answer the many questions such a person would have. If you are having doubts about your religion, or are seeking a psychotherapist who is secular, you MUST watch this video, and refer to the links below: Links and References: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/ RFR Support Group Meeting Calendar: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/sg-calendar Secular Therapy Project: https://www.seculartherapy.org/ Secular Therapist Agreement: https://www.seculartherapy.org/therapist RFRx Online Talks: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/rfrx RFR Podcast: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/podcast Follow Rob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TWKSkeptic?mibextid=LQQJ4d Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 02 Apr 2023 | How Seth Andrews Went From Believing in God to Hosting The Thinking Atheist | 00:54:23 | |
Now, I started my journey into atheism back around 2010. When I first started identifying as an atheist, the first podcast I started listening to was The Thinking Atheist created by Seth Andrews. His soothing voice, friendly demeanor and down-to-earth, humanistic values made me connect with him instantly. He would speak openly about his perspectives, his arguments and the challenges he faced every week with his friends, family and more. If you haven't heard of him before, Seth is an impressive thinker and this video is a great opportunity to learn more about his journey towards atheism. Seth's Books: Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xn06YD | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3I0GIFF Sacred Cows: A Lighthearted Look at Belief and Tradition Around the World: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3IqYvY6 | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3lEq5YO Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot: Kindle: https://amzn.to/40VAYG1 | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Iq8FrV Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xkog6d | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3EaqUPI Ghost Stories: Original Tales & Ghostly Urban Legends: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xHwuWh Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 16 Aug 2023 | The Poison On Your Plate! Unbelievable Food Facts with Krish Ashok! | 00:56:08 | |
Krish Ashok has dedicated a lot of his spare time to understanding the science behind the foods we eat, in general as humans, and specifically as Indians. In this interview, he shares mind-blowing facts and busts many myths and pseudoscientific ideas that we all have encountered about the food we eat. This has been one of the most fascinating conversations I've had to date. If you are a foodie, this episode is a must Krish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_masalalab Krish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/krishashok Masala Lab by Krish Ashok: https://amzn.to/41lRWO3 Krish's Music Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/krishashok Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2tNJmxQOh8PxU1OUdqwS9E?si=tET8zeEoR1uURxUJ56-_Fw Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegram channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||
| 31 Dec 2023 | Sanal Edemaruku: Paying the price for skeptical activism | 01:22:58 | |
This time, I'm interviewing Sanal Edamaruku, one of the big guys in the Indian rationalist movement. He is the founder and president of Rationalists International and President of the Indian Rationalist Association. He has done so much over the years to fight for scientific temper and rationality in India. In fact, Sanal had to leave India when a group of Christians in India started threatening him when he debunked their claim that their statue of Jesus was weeping. It turned out that the weeping Jesus was not a miracle. In fact, the truth of what was seeping out of the statue is a lot more…troubling. In this video, we talk about his origin story, the importance of scientific temper, and the whole account of what led to his leaving the country, the latest updates on Rationalist International and his advice to the new sceptics and rationalists of India who are fighting superstition every day. Important links: Weeping Jesus story on TV9 Part 1: https://youtu.be/kUqhq9MuRG8 Weeping Jesus story on TV9 Part 2: https://youtu.be/TfJ6_ftih0s Guru Busters: https://youtu.be/EoiNhwq-BD8 BBC Documentary on Homeopathy: https://youtu.be/fTZMMMP8jC0 BBC Documentary on Homeopathy 2: https://youtu.be/unPoTTdATDM More about Sanal Edamaruku: https://www.sanaledamaruku.com/about Website of Rationalist International: https://www.Rationalists.net Website of Sanal Edamaruku (English): https://www.SanalEdamaruku.com ◼️ Rationalist application for mobile phones - Links to download: 📱 For Android mobiles (on Play Store): https://bit.ly/Rationalist_app_on_PlayStore 📱 For iPhones (on the App Store): https://bit.ly/Rationalist_app_on_AppStore #atheism #rationalist #indianathiest Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. | |||