We spoke to Rachel “Dr. Rachie” Dunlop, Australian scientist and Skeptic Zone podcaster. We discussed her work as a scientist, researcher and blogger, as well as her efforts to promote reason and critical thinking to her fellow Australians.

Thanks to those who noticed a sound issue in the segment about Skeptic North. It has been repaired, and the new copy is available below.

We sat down with Dr. Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, to talk about the state of evolution education. How is the science being presented in schools? What new tactics are anti-science advocates using to challenge the teaching of evolution? And how can skeptics and friends of science best communicate the information?

Plus, we discussed the new children’s book “Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be” by Junior Skeptic author and illustrator Daniel Loxton.

Is the face of modern skepticism really as monochrome as it appears? How do we make our message appeal to a broader, more diverse audience? And how do racial demographics influence belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal?

Our panel includes LaVerne Knight-West, Stephanie Zvan, and Girl 6.

Guest host Mike Harrison spoke to Dr. John Gamon, professor and researcher at the University of Alberta, researcher for the TROPI-DRY Collaborative Research Network, and cofounder of SpecNet, about climate science and research.

We spoke to author and physicist Aaron Santos about his new book, “How Many Licks.”

Have you ever wondered how many calories are in the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? How many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? How long it would take to dig your way to China using a spoon?

Aaron knows. Approximately.

Note: You may have come here looking for the all-nerd-music episode that everyone seems to love. Turns out, it may be illegal to post. If you would like to discuss the legal quagmire that is copyright issues as they relate to filesharing when you’re podcasting a show that originally aired on the radio, do email me at desiree@skepticallyspeaking.com.

In honor of your possible New Year’s over-indulgence, we discussed alcohol with Dr. Rob Tarzwell and Dr. Ken Mukamal.

How does intoxication work? When is alcohol actually good for you, and how much is too much? And of course… how to get rid of a hangover.

Barry Schwartz, psychologist and author, contends that although you may think you want more options, and that having those myriad alternatives will make you happier and more satisfied…

…you’re wrong. It’s actually making you miserable.

Lisa Hammett talks to us about pathogens, viruses, probiotics, antibiotics… if it’s too small to be seen without a microscope, it’s up for discussion.

Dr. Marc MacKenzie, medical physicist, discusses radiation: why a little can be good, why a lot can be bad, and why radiation is more important than you think.