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The Reality Check

The Reality Check

Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.

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  • 20 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 34 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • #739
    September 26 · 40 min

    TRC #739: Is Space Fake? + Book Reviews: The Unthinkable and Moral Economics

    Is space fake? Are the stars real? How about other planets? Despite what they tried to teach you in school, doesn't it just feel like the Earth is actually the center of the universe? Adam looks at people who don't believe in space, and explores why that may be. Darren gives us book reviews on two books. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes–and Why by Amanda Ripley is a thorough analysis of how people reach to immediate disasters. Moral Economics by Alvin Roth explores the economics of activities which many people consider to be repugnant.

  • #738
    September 9 · 39 min

    TRC #738: Hugging Face Attack and AI Risk + Are Your Moon Photos Fake?

    The recent hack of Hugging Face servers by Open AI agents has raised some serious concerns about the current state of AI as well as implications on AI safety. Darren examines just what occurred and what this means more broadly. Adam investigates how real photos of the moon taken with smartphones, more specifically Android phones, such as those by Samsung and Xiaomi, really are. Many photos appear to show details of the Moon's surface that should be impossible, so how is this even done?

  • #737
    August 17 · 1 hr 9 min

    TRC #737: The Odyssey Movie Review

    Darren and Adam bring you a different type of show today as they have a discussion about the Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey. They discuss the film's merits and faults, technical achievements, their favourite parts of the film, other Christopher Nolan films and IMAX cameras.

  • #736
    July 30 · 38 min

    TRC #736: Book Review: Death in a Shallow Pond by David Edmonds + The Decoy Effect

    Darren explores issues of moral philosophy in his review of Death in a Shallow Pond: A Philosopher, a Drowning Child, and Strangers in Need by David Edmonds. In this analysis he looks at this classic thought experiment, its implications, criticisms and rebuttals to them. Adam examines the Decoy Effect, a psychological marketing strategy designed to encourage you to buy the most expensive thing, even if you wouldn't otherwise be inclined to do so.

  • #735
    July 10 · 38 min

    TRC #735: Why Is Superman Dressed Like That? + Europe Heat Deaths vs. US Gun Deaths

    Superman's costume is iconic, but why does he dress like that? We just assume that superheroes should be wearing tight fitting outfits, tights and a cape, but it wasn't always like this. Adam looks at what Superman, a hero created in the 1930s, is really meant to look like, as well as what inspired future superhero outfits. With soaring temperatures in Europe and across the world, Darren looks at air conditioning in Europe. He dives into the often repeated claim that you're more likely to die from heat in Europe than from gun violence in the United States. What does this statement really mean and is it even true?

  • #734
    June 15 · 29 min

    TRC #734: AI Privacy Threats + Goodhart's Law and Fast Food Order Status Screens

    Are you concerned about AI threats to your privacy? If you aren't, Darren's got a few reasons why you should be! Images of fingerprints and keys, wifi signals and more could leave you vulnerable to bad actors using AI. Adam wonders why the order status screens at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants often have inaccurate information. The problem leading to this is due to a problem known as Goodhart's Law.

  • #733
    June 2 · 25 min

    TRC #733: What Did Dinosaurs Sound Like? + Book Review: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman

    Did tyrannosaurus rex roar? Adam looks at what sound they, and other dinosaurs, may have made and just why animals roar at all. Darren gives us a book review of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, by Edward Fishman, which looks at the history of economic sanctions, what they are, how they're used and what their impact is.

  • #732
    May 15 · 20 min

    TRC #732: Our Windy Solar System + Classroom Windows on the Left Side

    Is it windy on other planets and celestial bodies in our solar system? Darren looks at just what wind is and how much of it occurs on the surface of our various neighbours. Adam looks into whether or not windows are always on the student's left side in a classroom, and why that might be.

  • #731
    April 30 · 34 min

    TRC #731: Movie Franchise "Use It Or Lose It" Clauses + Anthropic's Mythos

    Sometimes movie studios release low quality franchise films and one excuse for this might be that if they don't release a movie every X or Y years, they will lose the rights. Adam looks into these reversion rights, colloquially referred to as "Use It or Lose It" clauses, which force studios to make a film or lose the right to make the one they're banking on. Darren then gives us an overview of Anthropic's Mythos, an AI tool so powerful that anyone with access to it could use it to uncover security vulnerabilities, which has led to them holding off on releasing the product.

  • #730
    April 4 · 22 min

    TRC #730: How Old Are Sharks? + Jim Carrey: Clone, Doppleganger or Mask?

    Sharks are so old. How old are they? They're so old that you'll be shocked to hear of all of the things that haven't been on earth as long as sharks. Darren gives us a unique history of the earth by exploring the ages of very old things and contrasting them to the very long time that sharks have been around. Adam looks at a recent appearance of Jim Carrey that has fans wondering if he's been replaced with a clone, a double or a makeup artist in an elaborate mask.

  • #729
    March 21 · 34 min

    TRC #729: Digital Devices in Schools + Books Reviews: Enshittification & Breakneck

    What impact do digital devices like laptops, tablets and smart phones, both inside and outside of the classroom, have on childrens' ability to learn? Adam questions the assumption that these devices are always positive, and examines the research on the topic. Darren gives us two book reviews. First up is Enshittification by Cory Doctorow, which examines what seems to make good companies kind of terrible, and then it's Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang, which looks at what factors make the US and China different.

  • #728
    March 5 · 25 min

    TRC #728: Does Moltbook AI Matter? + Family Feud Surveys

    There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a network of Artificial Intelligence agents who are interacting with each other in great numbers in a virtual space. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work. There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a platform where Artificial Intelligence agents are interacting with each other in great numbers. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work.

  • #727
    February 19 · 28 min

    TRC #727: Things Your Parents Said Were Illegal + Canada's Apology Laws

    This week's show is all about the law. Growing up our parents told us all kinds of things were illegal, such as driving with the dome light on in the car, riding in the back of a pickup truck, skipping school or playing Ding Dong Ditch. Adam explores whether any of these things are actually illegal, and asks if our parents were lying to us or just mistaken themselves. Then Darren investigates the effect of Canadian politeness and the law. Does saying you're sorry mean that you're actually admitting to being guilty of something?

  • #726
    January 29 · 23 min

    TRC #726: Are Orange Cats Weird? + What Kind of Cat is Garfield?

    After decades of doing the podcast we have finally gotten around to recording an episode entirely dedicated to orange cats. Darren examines just what's going on with orange cats acting weird on the Internet and in real life. Is Orange Cat Energy a thing or are humans just stereotyping orange taby cats? Adam explores the world's most popular orange cat, Garfield, as he tries to find out just what kind of cat he actually is.

  • #725
    January 15 · 27 min

    TRC #725: Infant Simulator Programs + Book Reviews: The Thinking Machine, The Philosopher in the Valley & Peak Human

    For our first show of 2026 Adam looks at the efficacy of Infant Simulator Programs, which involves giving a fake baby to high school kids to discourage teen pregnancy. Darren gives us a review of three books, "The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip" by Stephen Witt, "The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State" by Michael Steinberger and "Peak Human: What We Can Learn From History's Greatest Civilizations" by Johan Norberg.

  • #724
    Dec 18, 2025 · 19 min

    TRC #724: Mistletoe + Christmas Tree Lights

    As Christmas approaches we bring you the history of two popular decorations you might see this holiday season. Darren looks at the history of the mistletoe as a decoration, symbol of fertility and God killer. Adam looks at the first use of lights on a Christmas tree and it may be older than you think!

  • #722
    Dec 2, 2025 · 25 min

    TRC #722: Effective Giving + The Mona Lisa

    Today, December 2nd, is Giving Tuesday. Darren gives an overview of the concept of Effective Giving, with some tips on how your charitable donations could will lead to the most good in line with your own priorities. Adam tackles a few claims about the Mona Lisa, inspired by not all that evidence based viral clips. What were the original colours of this painting, and did it only become popular after being stolen years ago?

  • #721
    Nov 21, 2025 · 1 hr

    TRC #721: Our 2023 Interview with Yoshua Bengio

    Two years ago we interviewed Yoshua Bengio, the prominent AI researcher, about his long career in AI where he helped build the foundations for the tools millions use around the world every day. We discussed the future of AI systems, including the importance of AI safety. Since then, Yoshua Bengio has continued to achieve great success in his career in both work on AI and raising awareness about their risks. This bonus episode is a repeat of Darren McKee and Adam Gardner's interview with him from 2023.

  • #720
    Nov 17, 2025 · 45 min

    TRC #720: Diabetes and DKA + Name That: Spot The Fake

    We've got two special guests on the latest show! TRC alumni Pat and Cristina join us with a couple of great segments. First Critina tackles a number of myth about diabetes, including her own recent serious experience with DKA or diabetic ketoacidosis. Then Pat delights us with another round of everyone's favourite mostly guessing game Name That: Spot the Fake edition. This game has a special twist that really challenged the contestants.

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