Welcome to the former Token Skeptic podcast site (at least, former as in ‘not updated since 2019… remember back to those pre-COVID-19 days?’). Here’s where I keep a repository of many of my previous episodes of the Token Skeptic podcast, and a few other audio pieces.

If you’re reading this, most likely you’ve come across the article I did for The Conversation website, called On Friday the 13th, leave the superstitions at home, or a recent Overnights radio interview I did for the ABC about my work. Much of what I wrote was on spec for The Conversation, as we have very little firm information on ‘how and why Friday 13th superstitions started’.

But in saying that, I do think (confirmation bias!) there’s a pattern as to why people in general don’t feel particularly comfortable about this day… and it’s probably mostly due to Hollywood having a lot of fun with franchise horror series that also make a lot of money from the concept. Seriously, check out Wikipedia on how it’s become immensely successful, it’s fascinating.

So, here’s a quick FAQ:

• Am I interested in promoting your products on my podcast? No.
• Am I interested in you using my site to promote your products? No.

That’s pretty much the sum total of the questions I get!

However, if you’re interested in other things that have nothing to do with sending me unwanted spam:

• What are you doing now? I’m doing a PhD in creative narrative educational podcasting, and you can see more about that on kyliesturgess.com.
• What links can you suggest to find out more on superstitions? I often direct people to Google Scholar as being a great place to start finding research papers, and also the Skeptical Inquirer.
• Do you really have an M.Ed on this subject? Yes! The statistical measurement of belief in paranormal, pseudoscientific and conspiracy theories by a population of Australians, it was completed at UWA in 2011. You can read about some of that research here.
• Do you have a science background? I studied educational psychology as a part of my Dip.Ed, and my first M.Ed degree in special learning needs. I did some post-grad studies in Psychology for a number of years (it was very helpful for my second M.Ed thesis). Then I had to stop in order to focus on my Philosophy teaching (at high school and undergrad/first year university level) and also finish my studies in radio (which turned into a PhD in podcasting!). I’m currently doing a Grad Cert in Science Communication at ANU, and an Undergrad Cert in Creative Arts and Health at UTas (I aim to finish both of those mid-2022). So, I’m mostly one of those ‘many interests kind of person’ who’d love to have more time to get back to writing more and podcasting more… but I have to get my studies and teaching finished first.

• Do you often get called on about Friday 13^th superstitions? There’s a likelihood of a Friday 13th about 1.7 times a year, so I do at least one of these radio interviews/podcast interviews/TV interviews every year. I’m fine with doing them, as I am talking about other related paranormal / pseudoscience/ conspiracy theory beliefs.
  However, I’ve become really overwhelmed recently with work and writing, so I have a short ‘sorry, I’m really busy’ auto-response on my email. I hope that’s not too much of a nuisance for anyone… also, people mostly just send spam inquiries to this site anyway, so eh.
• What else do you do? Head to kyliesturgess.com for more info, and there’s always my social media like Twitter and you can subscribe to the Token Skeptic on Facebook. Thanks!

The post On Friday 13th! A Token Skeptic FAQ first appeared on Token Skeptic.

Maybe they’re unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they’re disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world.

Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens?

Either way, this is the topic of a fascinating new book by author Jo Thornley, who also has a popular podcast called Zealot (featuring some amazing guests).

Zealot: A Book About Cults by Jo Thornley is published by Hachette and is available online as well as bookstores. We started this Token Skeptic interview by chatting about how Zealot came to be.

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This show and website wouldn’t exist if not for the help of patreons at Patreon. Thanks to them for sticking around, supporting the podcast and helping it continue!

If you’d like to join them, head to Patreon.com/kyliesturgess and check out the rewards available – including the rewards of behind the scenes bonus content and the knowledge that you’re helping keep Token Skeptic going.

Theme songs for Token Skeptic podcast are “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – you can create your own at jukedeck.com.

As always, send in your positive reviews to your chosen download platform – you can get this show on Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic and even at tokenskeptic.org. Send in feedback to tokenskeptic at gmail – and remember Patreon.com/kyliesturgess if you’d like to hear more!

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Five – On Zealot: A Book About Cults first appeared on Token Skeptic.

After the recent passing of Koko the Gorilla, I spoke to Daniel Midgley about the hopes we have about being the next Dr Dolittle, and just how realistic those hopes are. Daniel is a lecturer in applied linguistics at Edith Cowan University, and at the University of Western Australia, as well as a presenter on the popular language podcast Talk the Talk.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. 

Theme songs “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Brooke, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Four – On Animals, Language, Koko and Wish Fulfilment – Interview with Daniel Midgley first appeared on Token Skeptic.

Consumer advocacy group Choice is urging the Australian public to tell Senators to knock back these laws so that Australians looking for vitamins and supplements can separate fact from fiction.

Their campaign points out that “Proposed laws could see dangerous and potentially misleading claims on therapeutic goods, especially complementary and alternative medicines like herbal and homeopathic treatments. It means that products can claim to decrease the time it takes to fall asleep or help maintain healthy heart function without having scientific evidence to back their claims.”

I spoke to Katinka Day, the Campaigns Policy Team Leader at Choice Australia.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. 

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Brooke, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Three – On Complementary Medicine Laws In Australia and Choice Campaign first appeared on Token Skeptic.

His new book Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder gives clear, step-by-step instructions for over fifteen experiments. Whether you’re a science star or just starting out, it will help you inspire young people to learn.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. 

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Brooke, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty Two – On Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder  first appeared on Token Skeptic.

In 2015, journalists uncovered the truth: this hero of the wellness world, with over 200,000 followers, international book deals, and a best-selling smartphone app, was a fraud

Written by the same multi-award-winning journalists who uncovered the details of Gibson’s lies, The Woman Who Fooled the World tracks the 23-year-old’s rise to fame and fall from grace. Told through interviews with the people who know her best, it unravels the mystery and motivation behind this deception and follows the public reaction to a scandal that made headlines around the world.

I spoke to one of the co-authors of the book, Nick Toscano.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. 

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Brooke, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty One – On The Woman Who Fooled The World first appeared on Token Skeptic.

The world is a strange, scary and beautiful place. and author and artist Rebecca Fox suggests that being reasonable helps you to wonder at the strange, avoid the scary and celebrate the beauty.

I interviewed Rebecca about How To Be Reasonable – you can find the book on Amazon and check out her website at http://rebeccaonpaper.com/how-to-be-reasonable/

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support.

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Brooke, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Thirty – On How To Be Reasonable first appeared on Token Skeptic.

Accessing wireless points that you don’t know where it originates from can be risky and harmful to your confidential information.

Edith Cowan University researchers did some testing by setting up some rather interesting WIFI networks around Perth… and Dr Krishnun Sansurooah joined me to tell us how it went.

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About a month ago, the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre closed down. More than a thousand displaced refugees are now left in a vulnerable state after being moved to an alternative location.

As the tensions surround the island’s Regional Processing Centre grow, many of Australia’s senior doctors, psychiatrists and surgeons have written an open letter to the Federal Government, offering to treat the remaining asylum seekers and refugees for free. To tell us more about what’s happening is the Communications Director of the Refugee Council of Australia’s Tim O’Connor.

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James Cridland is a radio futurologist – investigating trends in radio, which is a broad landscape these days!

Recently he’s Tweeted about radio intimacy, links to resilience of radio despite the trends, and getting lost in Brisbane on the way to the studio.

I subscribe to his PodNews emails and it’s always interesting to see what’s happening – I talked to him about what caught his ear recently.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support.

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Steven, Andrew, Troy, Jacqueline, Daniel, Gerry, Dr*T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com.

The post Episode Two Hundred And Twenty Nine – Internet Tests, Manus Island And Podcast Trends first appeared on Token Skeptic.

The Federal Government has announced its plans to  cash in on a $420 billion aeronautical industry and create thousands of new jobs, which coincided with the 69th International Astronautical Congress which is being held in Adelaide this week.

Science Communicator Dr. Paul Willis of Media Engagement Service spoke to me about the developments on The Mag for RTRFM.

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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows. Thanks to RTRFM for their support.

Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from http://pogomix.net and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of www.miltonmermikides.com. Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com.

Tremendous thanks to my Patreon supporters – they are: Stephen, Andrew, Jaqueline, Daniel, Kathy, Gerry, Dr T, Josh, Linley, Gold and Iggy. Make sure you check out the bonus content on Patreon and as always, you can join them by heading to patreon.com/kyliesturgess (and check out the Talk the Talk podcast too!).

Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting Tokenskeptic.org – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com. 

The post Episode Two Hundred And Twenty Eight – Australia Enters The Space Race (?) – Interview With Paul Willis first appeared on Token Skeptic.

Here’s some recommendations that I have about podcasting, some I’ve hosted on my own site and some elsewhere. However you celebrate the day, please consider a review for the shows I do – not only Token Skeptic, but 365 Days Of Philosophy and Talk the Talk!

• Serial and the Podcast Explosion – Live Forum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6M69v6u7o

• Why Podcasts Work? http://bigthink.com/videos/alex-goldman-on-why-podcasts-work

• Seven Secrets of podcasting – https://medium.com/podcasting-101/seven-secrets-of-podcasting-success-8a95fa58eead#.6y6sq4d7m

My tips for interviewing:

• Why are you interviewing the person? Have a plan before contacting
• Listen / pre-interview interviewee before you commit to having them on your show (prevents bad surprises!)
• Plan your questions in advance – beginning, middle, end
• Estimated 6 questions for 10 min interview if reasonably chatty (always have more!)
• “The power of silence” – allow them to fill the gap. It’s not always necessary to pre-empt or interrupt
• If don’t know something – ASK – listen during interview to ask the questions you didn’t prepare for!
• Who / What / When / Where / Why / How – always the classics!
• Exercise your skills with improvisational games with co-hosts – practice listening, encouraging – think of a strategy if you have co-hosts to allow balance and how everyone can contribute to the show

Anecdote (most likely just a myth!): John Lennon used to always have his D string slightly out of tune, so he could point out to his Aunt Mimi which guitar sound was his. When you’re part of a band – or a podcast team – make sure that your individual contributions count… how can you be fair to everyone participating? How can they be fair to you?

The post Happy International Podcast Day! first appeared on Token Skeptic.