Marsh examines the chart-topping new podcast The Telepathy Tapes, which claims that autistic children are psychic. Plus, Mike goes to buy a kitchen in VR.

You can sign up for the dedicated new Skeptics with a K Patreon at https://patreon.com/skepticswithak or if you want to support Merseyside Skeptics as well as the podcast, donate at https://patreon.com/merseyskeptics

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Alice looks at the landscape of beauty trends on TikTok, and the team discuss the upcoming changes to the show for 2025.

You can sign up for the new Skeptics with a K Patreon at https://patreon.com/skepticswithak or if you want to support Merseyside Skeptics as well as the podcast, donate at https://patreon.com/merseyskeptics

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Alice looks at the latest TikTok trend of 'sungazing', and Mike digs into a new study which says honest placebos help alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, Mike tries to avoid small talk when he goes in for surgery.

Note: The description of Mike's surgery includes a few references to the surgery itself that squeamish listeners may want to steel themselves for.

Tickets for QED 2024 are still available, priced £189 for a full weekend of science, reason, and critical thinking.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

In this extended episode of Skeptics with a K, Alice talks about the planned redundancies from the University of Liverpool’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, and Mike discusses green software development, and how Bitcoin works. For more information on the redundancies at FHLS, visit www.hls47.co.uk.

Note: The opening segment to this episode features a conversation about sexual harassment and the murder of Sarah Everard which some listeners may find distressing. If you need to skip past this segment, it finishes at 0:21:27.

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COVID vaccines, cranberry juice, good bacteria, and D-Mannose. Plus whipping cream, jumping the queue, shoulder pain, and meringue nests. Nah, yer reet, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Adult autism, It’s a Sin, HIV myths and special interests. Plus wasting time, Valentine’s Day, and mixing vaccines revisited. Bartering bananas, it’s Skeptics with a K. Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

If you’re based in the UK and interested in getting an HIV test the NHS website can help find a test centres near you.

Podcast advertising, WhatsApp, and digital privacy. Plus raving about the cereal, the European Region, Record Breakers, and recommending mattresses. Fighting jet lag with bees, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Lateral flow, zip anatomy, the Society of Homeopaths, and the Professional Standards Authority. Plus exponential croissants, red gold, and Ready Brek. Count to five, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Welcome to 2021! Mixing vaccines, tiny little skirts, activated charcoal, and re-writing DNA. Plus making custard, living through history, mottled grey cheese, and French onion soup. Happy New Year from Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

In this Christmas Eve episode of Skeptics with a K, Alice, Marsh and Mike take a break from the regular format to answer listener questions. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Merseyside Skeptics.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Advertising arbitrage, hypnotic video games, Christmas movies, and content marketing. Plus duvet monsters, the Men in Black, and CGI babies. Solving it at the script stage, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Send your questions for our Christmas episode to podcast@merseysideskeptics.org.uk.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

COVID vaccination, bad science, and what happened at the Ockhams. Plus RNA, spike proteins, and John Cura. Annoying the French, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Note: There is a short audio glitch during the Ockham Awards segment, which appears to be from the original recording.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Orthopaedic surgery, Instagram woo, jugular veins, and Liverpool gyms. Plus anti-maskers, sports-casters, and the Poddington Peas. Taking the parachute, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Alice looks at the Scandinavian tobacco product Snus, and it's bizarre prevalence amongst English footballers, while Marsh examines the relationships between UK anti-abortion activists and wealthy American christian conservative groups.

The last few early bird tickets for QED 2024 are available now. Grab yours before the prices change!

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Pastel QAnon, content farms, Facebook, and the CAP code. Plus watermelons, rampant horses, and vaccine misinformation. Dipping roses in honey, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Integrative cancer care, newspaper revenues, and the smart feed. Plus glutamine, the right kind turmeric, and doctors’ customers. Consuming curcuminoids, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Lockdown laws, Pizzagate, and contact tracing. Plus selling wardrobes, iPhone 6, and shoulder-barging pensioners. With Liverpool accents, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Nice to have Emma on without needing a content warning, huh? Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Pregnancy testing, inflatable sex dolls, and electronic waste. Plus Korean Barbecue, Bild Lilli, and Andy Capp. Just one pink line for Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Hair loss pills, Sovereign Nations, and business acumen. Plus broken cars, conceptual penises, and roaring in the mirror. Using the wrong microphone, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Find the all-new website the The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Missing breakfast, Eric Pickles, Mother-die, and giant hogweed. Plus telling lies, conferred legitimacy, and disguised advertorial. Cheating at dice, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Note this episode contains discussion of fatphobic language and attitudes.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Making babies, genius orphans, and milliamp-hours. Plus red days, swamp coolers, and tracking ovulation. Taking your temperature, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

In this episode of Skeptics with a K, Marsh and Alice talk about the recent BBC documentary on ‘alternative’ cancer treatments. This episode deals with a difficult subject matter throughout and some listeners may find the conversation distressing.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Web privacy, affiliate marketing, micro-targeting, and copy-and-paste. Plus spam comments, missing audiences and cookie banners. A round of applause for Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Homeopathic standards, blood groups, cod latin, and CEASE therapy. Plus web browser bugs, spike proteins, and ice cream. Like the boat scene in Willy Wonka, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Marsh discusses the recent riots in cities around the UK, and Mike looks at a recent paper which claims to explain how the placebo effect influences pain. Meanwhile, Alice steps on a (metaphorical) hornet's nest.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Tickets for QED are still available; get yours while the early bird price lasts.

Submit your nominations for the 2024 Ockham Awards at The Skeptic.

Contact tracing, television scams, lockdown sceptics, and race in the UK. “Stay Sceptical, End the Lockdown, Save Lives!”

If you’re interested in more resources on racism, white privilege, and protesting, check out these links:

Books for understanding racism and white privilege (Instagram)Anti-racism resources (Google Docs)Scaffolded anti-racist resources (Google Docs)Podcasts About The Black British Experience (Bustle)Black Trans Protesters Emergency Fund (Instagram)A Safety Guide for Protestors (Instagram)

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

The Black Death, plasmic support, revitalisation fields, and naming disease. Plus losing balance, sunbathing with social distance, and growing a beard. Effective at an eight metre radius, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Note: this episode contains descriptions of race-based and other abuse.

Bill Gates, Black Seed Oil, and global depopulation. Plus thymoquinone, unusable kitchens, and Nigella Lawson. Not virologists, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Treatment compliance, vitamin deficiency, immune support, and unpublished research. Plus Alice’s birthday, green protection, and pretentious breakfasts. Still not winning awards, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke

Coronavirus pseudoscience, confirmation bias, fake news, and 5G telephony. Plus the Rocky Horror Picture Show, dancing nurses, and the school disco. Still in lockdown, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

COVID-19, astrologers, chloroquine, and chiropractic. Plus immune boosting meals, tidying up, and missing Doctor Who. Sitting at home, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Dowsing for cancer, German graffiti, and the bloody Illuminati. Plus caesium salts, type II pneumocytes, and 1970s Doctor Who. Stay calm! Remain indoors! It’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Australian Bushfires, COVID-19, and the comeback of astrology. Plus pigs legs, dingle-dangle scarecrows, and Mercury Communications. Governing the Anthropocene, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Mistletoe in the papers, auricular acupuncture, splitting your jeans, and a giant cock and balls. Plus travelling by train, talking to teenagers, and David Mitchell. Sitting on a toilet floor, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Note: This episode contains a brief reference to self-harm.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

In this special extended episode, Alice, Mike, and Marsh talk about what happened when they watched every episode of the Netflix series The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow back-to-back.

Note: This episode includes conversations about eating disorders and suicide. Which is more warning about that than Netflix gives you.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Alice looks at the background of Hongchi Xiao, the TCM practitioner recently convicted of manslaughter for his promotion of paida lajin, or 'slapping therapy'. Meanwhile, Mike looks at the adverts which promote fake mobile games. Meanwhile, the whole team took part in Liverpool Pride.

Tickets for QED are still available, and there is only one month left of early bird pricing. Pick up yours today at qedcon.org/tickets

Placebo creams, reviving drips, and magical contagion. Plus chewing gum, stray heads, and trampolines. Tossing in a Berocca, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Golden tickets, talking to the press, butt-chugging, and skeptical investigations. Plus Star Wars, cardboard crowns, and crashing into a lake. It’s a new year, and a new you, from Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

V-care, spiritual insight, reusable applicators, and Diana Spencer’s boyfriends. Plus mistaken identity, ringers in the audience, and lurching to the right. Merry Christmas from Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Yoga cults, walking in Utrecht, attitudes to homeopathy, and what happened in Brazil. Plus perineum sunning, duck offal, aggressive emails, and rinsing beakers. Keeping in touch with our sexual energy, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Family trees, Tobey Maguire, eight million pixels, and a dog show. Plus centimorgans, attempted burglary, and the reverse Darth Vader. Featuring special guest presenter, Andy Wilson.

Mixed and edited byMorgan Clarke.

Weather forecasts, analysing homeopathy, and healthy DNA. Plus fast Internet, speed running acid rain, and getting drunk in Oxford. Sitting in the dark, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Hydrogen water, homeoprophylaxis, trusted sources, and vaccine ignorance. Plus retro gaming, dodgy Daleks, and what happened in Italy. It’s a squeaky pop from Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Snowflake advertising executives, Perkin’s Tractors, Churchill the Dog, and Thatcher the Unfriendly Ghost. Plus placebo arms, old age, and learning Italian. Pricing Alice’s blood for Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Songs of Praise, overselling cannabidiol, Lourdes Water and Berwick Upon Tweed. Plus climbing shoes, watching Friends, genodermatosis, and Scottish Universities. Make a channel in your peas for Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Vitamin E acetate, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, skincare, and sex toys. Plus God’s wife, salt and vinegar crisps, THC, and little hairy grapes. Have some Boza in the Boozer with Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and Edited by Morgan Clarke.

Marsh talks about the winners and losers for skepticism from the UK general election, and Alice looks at the popular Zoe app and the evidence for real-time glucose monitoring. Meanwhile, Mike has a stressful time in Lanzarote.

Mixed and edited by Morgan Clarke.

Loot boxes, Eurosceptics, New Zealand bees, and acyclovir. Plus left kidneys, Yellow Fever, the Social Attitudes Survey, and plastic scousers. Less funny than a Shakespearean comedy, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and Edited by Morgan Clarke.

Bylined authors, missed diagnoses, syndicated news wires, and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome Plus erythema multiforme, Scottish Jails, and drinking rum with expats. Surviving the reformation, it’s Skeptics with a K.

Mixed and Edited by Morgan Clarke.

Ear seeds, DOOM clones, Prince Harry, and acupressure. Plus Fortnite, accidental piercings, and Tim Roth. All your base are belong to Skeptics with a K.