Welcome to The Rationable Podcast!
Here, you will find all the podcast episodes along with their transcripts and links to sources, resources and further reading. If you have any comments, be sure to fill in the comments box or head to the Contact page.
An Indian Atheist on Hinduism: Vimoh on Karma, Castes, and how to be a better atheist in India
This is my interview with an atheist podcaster and Youtuber Vimoh or Vijayendra Mohanty. He discusses his story of becoming an atheist and his perspective on the Hindu religion. We also discuss some handy tips on discussing Hinduism with believers and the books you should read as an atheist to be more informed about Hinduism.
Scamming Autistic People: Exposing Facilitated Communication
Janyce Boynton used to be a facilitator who helped non-verbal autistic people communicate in a method called facilitated communication. She soon discovered that facilitated communication was a horrible scam taking advantage of these vulnerable people and their families. Now, it also goes by names like Rapid Prompting Method, Assisted Typing, Spelling to Communicate, and many more. So she set to work exposing the whole deal. This is her story.
How Ayurveda Can Harm - Dr Abby Philips
Dr Cyriac Abby Philips reveals some shocking truths about Ayurveda and how it can hurt you.
Which Covid Vaccine Should You Get? | Interview with Dr Haryax Pathak, MBBS
Dr Haryax Pathak, MBBS, was kind enough to join Rationable to dispel myths about the vaccines and help us understand which one to choose, what the dosage interval should be, and lots more.
What are the benefits of Black Alkaline Water?
I've scienced the hell out of the claims made by Evocus H2O black alkaline water and found it to be a complete scam.
COVID Vaccine Questions Answered by Dr Paul Offit
Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines? Dr Paul Offit is here to answer them all!
Interview: Should Ayurvedic doctors be allowed to perform surgery?
The government is allowing Ayurvedic practitioners to perform certain types of surgery. Is that wise?
Your body's pH balance: What you need to know!
How does the body’s acid-alkaline balance actually work and how is it maintained? It’s pretty fascinating and is happening inside us all the time in very complex ways but without us even knowing. Before I give too much away, let’s start at the beginning.
Interview: Leonard Tramiel | Why skepticism matters
Leonard Tramiel and I discuss the passion for science, the importance of science literacy and getting the facts exactly right, and his journey through the sceptical movement.
Debunking Ancient Tech, Aliens and Astrology | Interview: Richard Saunders
Richard Saunders, a life member of Australian Skeptics and a CSI fellow, is a world-famous sceptic from Australia. In this interview, we chat about UFOs and ancient aliens, psychics, astrology, Power Balance bands and lots more.
Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 3: The Need for Altnews Science in India
In the final part of my interview with Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, we discuss her work as a science communicator. She founded Altnews Science to challenge pseudoscience in India.
Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 2: This is your brain on violence
Here’s the second edition of my interview with the fantabulous Dr Sumaiya Shaikh. In this episode, we discuss the dark yet fascinating world of violent behaviour and the science behind it.
Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 1: The Fascinating science of pain
Dr Sumaiya Shaikh and I had a fantastic interview where we talked about a variety of topics including pseudoscience, alternative medicine, religion, extremism and the neurological tendency of us human beings to be violent. The interview went on for quite a while so it has been split into three parts so that you can take it in one bite at a time.
In the first part, we open the conversation with her work in the study of the neurophysiology of pain. There’s a lot more to pain than you may think, and we get a fascinating glimpse of that today.
Interview: Dr Abhyankar & Dr Khare – Mental health, Patanjali, and evidence based medicine
To celebrate Doctor's Day India 2020, I speak to Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, MD, MBBS, Gynaecology, and Dr Anand Khare, MD Psychiatry.
Corona kit or con: Examining Patanjali's coronavirus treatment
Is Patanjali’s Coronakit a real cure for COVID-19 or is it a scam? TL;DR, probably the latter. Here’s why.
Can you boost your immune system?
In a way, you can boost your immunity, but not in the way the promoters of alternative medicine want you to think. However, there are ways to keep your immune system healthy and functioning optimally.
Interview: Dr Shantanu Abhyankar – From homeopathy to modern medicine
Our first edition of Rationable Interviews features Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, a gynaecologist and a sceptic activist. We speak about his journey from homoeopathy to mainstream medicine, the relationship between Ayurveda and homoeopathy, and his work as an activist.
5 more Coronavirus Misinformation Messages Debunked
These messages claim that vitamin C, homeopathy and blowing hot air up your nose with a hairdryer can prevent getting infected by the coronavirus. Oh, and apparently raw onions can cure COVID-19 100%! How I wish these were true.
Is it better to eat smaller meals more often to lose weight?
Many people have told me that the benefits of eating small frequent meals include boosting your metabolism to help you lose body fat quickly. Unfortunately, this technique of weight loss doesn’t necessarily work unless your total caloric intake is less than you’re burning on a daily basis.
Drinking Water and Garlic don't provide coronavirus protection
A forward has been appearing on WhatsApp and Facebook claiming drinking water and keeping garlic in your mouth can offer coronavirus protection.
Of course, all this information is completely false. No evidence has been found to confirm any of these claims. Let’s fact-check each claim one by one and see why these claims are wrong.