Author Archives: Adam

It is often said that cats are responsible for the death of countless birds. Adam looks at where these numbers come from and wonders whether they are all that accurate. Darren gives a review of four books which he recently … Continue reading →

It’s the 700th episode of The Reality Check podcast! On this special show we look back at the last 16 years to see how much things have changed since way back in 2008. Darren looks at the history of podcasts … Continue reading →

When it comes to evolution many focus on what Jean-Baptiste Lamarck got wrong with his model of inheritance. Darren looks at what he got right and considers his discoveries in light of the scientific understanding of the world of his … Continue reading →

Why don’t they just convert all of the unused office space to housing? Adam looks at the challenges involved in converting office buildings to residential space. Then Darren gives us a review of Ray Kurzweil’s recent book The Singularity Is … Continue reading →

Could an AI rewrite its own code? Has it perhaps already done so? Darren looks at the story which suggests that an AI Scientist, developed by Sakana AI, was able to change its own source code. What exactly happened and … Continue reading →

After having watched all six Sharknado films Adam decides to do some research into the science of these not at all ridiculous films, uncovering the truth about the plausibility and historical precedent for a tornado filled with living sharks. Darren … Continue reading →

Could meditation ever be harmful? Darren examines the evidence to determine if meditation, which can have many benefits, might sometimes have a negative impact on people’s lives. Adam looks at the idea of cavemen and wonders if, as their name … Continue reading →

What’s the difference between a bar of soap and the stuff we use to clean dishes, laundry and cars, and can you just use any of those in the shower? Adam tries to find out whether the stuff that’s fit … Continue reading →

We look at some fundamental ways of cultivating critical thinking on the latest show. Darren looks at some common cognitive biases and logical fallacies and how to use these in order to have a better more accurate understanding of the … Continue reading →

Can we say that AI is going in the wrong direction, as it does our art and writing while we suffer doing laundry and dishes? It’s just Adam on the show this week as he overanalyzes a viral tweet by … Continue reading →