Skeptics with a K: Episode #176
Posted by Mike in Podcast, Skeptics with a K on June 30, 2016
Breakfast doughnuts, Brexit, and the intent of cancer. Plus cold denial, insulting radio, and blebbing cells. Living the Dark Ages, it’s Skeptics with a K.
Donate to the Merseyside Skeptics charity walk in support of Mind at justgiving.com/mersey-skeptics.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:16:40 — 30.8MB)
InKredulous: Episode #039
Posted by Mike in InKredulous, Podcast on June 27, 2016
Episode 39 of our satirical comedy podcast.
Your host is Andy Wilson (@InKredulosi) of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and co-organiser of QED conference.
Appearing this time are:
- Eli Bosnick of The Scathing Atheist podcast, God Awful Movies podcast and leader of the Magnets, a secretive and sinister magic group based in New York (@elibosnick)
- Michael Marshall from Skeptics with a K, Be Reasonable and The Good Thinking Society and co-organiser for QED (@MrMMarsh)
- Brian Eggo who steers the ship at Glasgow Skeptics and, like many before, has suffered from my inappropriate humour. (@BrianEggo)
As ever, thanks for listening and for all the lovely comments.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:37:16 — 44.6MB)
Skeptics with a K: Episode #175 – Part Two
Posted by Mike in Podcast, Skeptics with a K on June 16, 2016
Homeopathy in Liverpool, regression to the mean, mistletoe, and cancer. Plus Big Pharma, broken laptops, and healing crises. Keeping arnica behind the clock, it’s Skeptics with a K.
Have your say on the provision of homeopathy by NHS Wirral CCG at: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5GP78LJ
Donate to Good Thinking Society at goodthinkingsociety.org/donate.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:44 — 20.4MB)
Skeptics with a K: Episode #175 – Part One
Posted by Mike in Podcast, Skeptics with a K on June 16, 2016
Microscopes, ninja turtles, bags of flour, and charging mats. Plus orbs of energy, lego ghosts, HIV, and cosmic ordering. Invisible to the naked eye, it’s Skeptics with a K. Part Two coming soon!
Get your QED tickets at qedcon.org/tickets.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:12:43 — 29.2MB)
NHS Liverpool CCG ends funding for homeopathy
Posted by Marsh in 10:23, Homeopathy on June 14, 2016
Today, NHS Liverpool CCG officially voted to decommission their homeopathy service, ending the annual spend of NHS funds in the area on the disproven remedies. The decision came about as a result of a review which was prompted by the legal challenge brought by our friends at the Good Thinking Society in February 2015.
The review involved a formal public consultation and an online survey to understand how much support existed for homeopathy in the public, and particularly within Liverpool. We asked for supporters of the Merseyside Skeptics Society to let the CCG know your feelings, and we really are delighted to say that you came through, with 64% of Liverpool residents responding to call for an end to homeopathy funding.
Today’s result is a great victory for evidence-based medicine and for skeptical activism. It also convinces us even further of the importance of skeptical voices being involved in these public consultations. Currently, NHS Wirral CCG is undergoing a similar consultation to that of Liverpool, and they also have an online survey seeking your feedback. We hope we can rely on your support there too, and together we can help ensure that limited NHS funds in the North West are reserved for treatments that actually work.
Finally, it’s important to reiterate that this decision came about as a direct result of the work done by the Good Thinking Society. Their statement on the decision is below, and if you appreciate their work you can show your support by making a small monthly or one-off donation to help keep them going.
NHS Liverpool CCG ends funding for homeopathy
The Good Thinking Society welcomed today’s decision by NHS Liverpool CCG to decommission homeopathy services. The decision comes after months of public consultation which showed overwhelming support from Liverpool residents for an end to funding.
The report on the consultation, which came about after Good Thinking’s legal challenge to the CCG in February 2015, concluded that 64% of Liverpool residents consulted and 73% of overall respondents wanted to stop homeopathy funding immediately.
Interestingly, the report also found that many respondents did not understand the true nature of homeopathy, suggesting that the number of people calling to an end to the treatment may have been higher if it had been clearer that homeopathic remedies are not the same as ‘herbal’ or ‘natural’ remedies, and in particular that homeopathic remedies typically contain no active ingredient at all.
Skeptics with a K: Episode #174
Posted by Mike in Podcast, Skeptics with a K on June 2, 2016
Radio-frequency radiation, fibromyalgia, tech-hangovers, and misaligned chi. Plus Australians, pregnant rats, mobile phones, and the latest news from QED. Using a phone fourteen hours per day, it’s Skeptics with a K.
QED tickets are on sale now, get yours at qedcon.org/tickets
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:29:51 — 36.1MB)
Upcoming Events
