Tag Archive for history

Episode 187 – 17th May 2013

MICHAEL GOVE SPECIAL! But don’t let that put you off. We’ve three pieces about the education secretary including an interview with the teacher Gove attacked for using Mr Men to teach history, a look at Gove’s approach to classic literature, and a piece on how he used PR surveys to justify policy. We also have some exclusive clips from an event celebrating the reform of the libel laws featuring the likes of Dara O’Briain, Nick Cohen, Brian Cox and many more.



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion

Mr Men History (2:36) by James O’Malley (ft Russel Tarr)
Gove and Prejudice (11:44) by Sean Ellis
Gove and One Poll (18:53) by Marsh
Libel Reform Celebration (28:01) by Liz Lutgendoff (ft Dave Gorman, Simon Singh, Chris French, Hardeep Singh, Brian Cox, Nick Cohen, Dara O’Briain and Evan Harris)
Cosmic Genome (36:48) by James O’Malley (ft Robin Ince and Trent Burton)
Humanist Weddings (45:51) by Blakeley Nixon (ft Pavan Dhaliwal)
Homosexuality and DSM (49:17) by Chris Chapman
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 181 – 5th April 2013

We explore the phenomenon of land grabbing, investigate a fascist footballer, find out if it’s game over for Atari and discover an intriguing piece of technology that will enable the blind to see using a clever phone app. And much more!



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion

Land Grabbing (1:49) by Chris Fitch (ft Fred Pearce and Paolo D’Odorico)
Are Secularists Successful? (13:57) by Liz Lutgendorff (ft Rob Freathy)
Atari (24:31) by Alex Fitch
Fascist Football (35:30) by Sean Slater
Amazing App (42:19) by Chris Hofstader (ft Peter Meijer)
DevPsych (50:52) by Liz Lutgendorff (ft Jean Shinskey and Patrick Leman)
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 178 – 15th March 2013

We go bee-hind the scenes of an opera about bees! Why alien life might not be as common as we hope, the future of feminism, religion & criminality, weird Popes and outrage at the death of Google Reader.



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion

Bee Opera by Liz Lutgendorff (ft Lucy Yeomans, Mark Brown and Kelvin Thomson)
Life Isn’t Everywhere by Kash Farooq (ft Prof Charles Cockell)
Feminism Debate by James O’Malley (ft Helen Lewis)
Religion and Criminality by Salim Fadhley (ft Volkan Topalli)
Most Unlikely Popes by Chris Chapman
Free Doesn’t Mean Permanent by Georgia Gale Grant
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two
The amazing image above is by Stuart Taylor

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 172 – 1st February 2013

Liz Lutgendorff presents this week’s show as James is under the weather. We look at research into dinosaur cannibalism, the big fight in academia over open access, why the RI perhaps isn’t worth preserving after all, and how creationists are taking over American classrooms. Also do we finally have elections for the House of Lords? And how the Brazilian nightclub fire could have been less deadly with some extra health and safety rules.



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion

Cannibalism in Giant Tyrannosaurs (2:00) by Kash Farooq (ft Dave Hone)
Open Access and Academé Luddites (12:12) by Rich Godbehere
What’s the point in the RI? (20:44) By Dr*T
Elections to the Lords at last! (29:00) by Cory Hazlehurst
Health & Safety (36:34) by Claire Benson
Texas Freedom Network (43:36) by Salim Fadhley (ft Dan Quinn)
Tragedy Actor Conspiracies (52:20) by Tom Hodden
AHS and Thinkweek Plug (57:10) by Liz Lutgendorff and James O’Malley (ft Jess Vautier and David Shorthouse)
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 167 – 21st December 2012 – END OF THE WORLD SPECIAL!

A Christmas special episode devoted entirely to the many things that could destroy the earth and humanity. We talk about the Mayan prophecies, the believers, the history, as well as real threats to our survival from space, from technology and from nuclear weapons. Plus we also manage to squeeze in the more localised world ending scenarios of unhealthy eating and the sequel to seminal videogame Elite.



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion
Go on, it’s like buying us two drinks a month!

If everyone who listened to the show donated – just think what we could do!

What The Mayans Said (2:53) by Sven Rudloff
The Prophecy and the Believers (9:26) by Salim Fadhley (ft Kevin Whitesides and Andrew Wilson)
Early Modern Millennials (23:24) by Rich Godbehere
Space Apocalypse (29:21) by Kash Farooq (ft Phil Plait!)
Points of Failure (40:37) by Drew Rae
Nuclear War (49:07) by Blakeley Nixon
Jamie Oliver Vs Ready Meals (55:10) by Simon Howard
Elite: Dangerous (61:39) by Kate Russell (ft David Braben)
Profiting From The End (73:01) by Tom Hodden
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two
The amazing music is by Dr*T and Milton Mermikidies

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 156 – 5th October 2012

Historical precedents for Apple Maps, why Northern Ireland is so… challenging… lots of swearing and why a pineapple is the new frontier for the battle between freedom of speech and religion.



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion
Go on, it’s like buying us two drinks a month!

Due to hosting changes from this episode on we’re going to be shouldering the bandwidth costs for hosting the podcasts directly – so please donate and help us keep the Pod Delusion online and free to download!

Pineapplegate (1:02) by James O’Malley
Maps in History (4:49) by Richard Firth-Godbehere
Jeremy Hunt & Homeopathy (11:44) by Sean Ellis
Northern Ireland (17:02) by Mary
Too Much Swearing? (29:32) by Alex Fitch
Improbable Research (41:48) by Sarah Castor-Perry
Atheist Prayer Experiment (46:37) by Justin Brierly

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 147 – 3rd August 2012

Should the DPP consider his position now the Twitter Joke Trial is over? How can maths be used to show that those badminton players were deliberately playing badly? And does all modern music sound the same, or are we all just getting old?



[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Please Donate & Support the Pod Delusion
Go on, it’s like buying us two drinks a month!

Due to hosting changes from this episode on we’re going to be shouldering the bandwidth costs for hosting the podcasts directly – so please donate and help us keep the Pod Delusion online and free to download!

BIG EVENT in September
To celebrate the Pod Delusion’s third birthday we’re putting on a big event at Conway Hall in London on September 15th. We’re not entirely sure what it’s going to be yet but you can find out more here.

Twitter Joke Trial and the DPP (2:54) by Matt Flaherty
Badminton or Goodminton (14:24) by Dan McNeil
Pop Goes Bland? (23:14) by Dan Stowell and Matthias Mauch
More from Winchester Science Festival (32:18) by Liz Lutgendorff and Sean Ellis
Twitter Joke Trial Updates (53:40) by James O’Malley (ft Paul Chambers, David Allen Green, Al Murray and Louise Mensch MP and John Cooper QC)

Pop Music Piece Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 109 – 4th November 2011

Where are we going to fit seven billion people? What’s the deal with ear candling? And we learn new information about the goings-on in Iran in the 70s.


[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]

Seven Billion (1:25) by Michael Grayer
Plan C (7:50) by Prateek Buch
White Poppies (15:36) by Tessa Kendall
Non-Prophet Week (20:05) by James O’Malley (ft Jenny Bartle)
AIDS at the Science Wooseum (23:51) by Kash Farooq (as read by Alex Foster)
The Oil Kings (29:41) by Liz Lutgendorff (ft Andrew Scott Cooper)
Historical Narratives (39:56) by Nick Boorer
Ear Candling (47:00) by Tom Williamson
Skeptical Purity Test (54:03) by Drew Rae
The sketch at the end is by David Lovesy & Brian Two

Follow-Up Links:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 64 – 17th December 2010 – LIVE WINTERVAL SHOW!


[Direct MP3 Link] [Add to iTunes]


Enjoy the show? Please consider donating to help us keep the show going!

Why Winterval? (1:53) by James O’Malley
Chapman Cohen (4:18) by Liz Lutgendorff
Legalise Drugs (12:23) by Clio Bellenis
Thought Field Therapy (19:58) by Kevin Friery
What’s The Point Of Wasps (30:05) by James Thomas
Quantum Santa (38:56) by Sean Ellis
Christmas Woo (46:17) by Jon Treadway
Brilliant Music (52:10) by James Taylor

DVD Extra-style Bonus Content

Liz’s Q&A:

Clio’s Q&A:

Kevin’s Q&A:

James Thomas’ Q&A:

Sean Ellis’ Q&A:

Jon’s Q&A:

Dave Hughes rounding up the year for Winchester Skeptics In The Pub:

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare

Episode 51 – 17th September 2010 – Live Birthday Special!


[Direct MP3 Link]

To celebrate the show’s first birthday, we recorded this episode LIVE at Skeptics in the Pub, London – so it’s a bit longer than usual, but still follows the same format and is hopefully just as entertainment. There was a brief Q&A session after each speaker – we cut those for time reasons, though you can find them below.

Also below is Sean Ellis’s report on the audience reaction to the live event – you can hear that below.

The Papal Visit
by Jon Treadway (ft Naomi Phillips from the British Humanist Association) – 0:03:14

Future Trends In Alternative Medicine
by Liz Lutgendorff – 0:14:35
Q&A:

The Integrated Restaurant
by Sean Ellis – 0:23:18
Q&A:

Culture-Bound Syndromes
by Martin Robbins – 0:30:19
Q&A:

Gay Blood Donation
by Alex Foster – 0:42:29
Q&A:

Why I’m Not A Skeptic
by Will Howells – 0:50:15
Q&A:

The Twat In The Hat
by Crispian Jago – 1:00:08

Carmen and John’s Music
by Carmen D’Cruz and John Gregson – 1:06:32

Milton Mermikides doing sound effects, playing music and stings throughout.
MC James O’Malley was in da house.

Thanks to Sid Rodrigues and everyone at London SITP for hosting us.

DVD Extra style content:

What did the people there think? by Sean Ellis

What did you think of the live format? Please post in the comments below as we’d love to hear your thoughts.

FacebookEmailRedditPinterestTwitterTumblrShare
Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our Feed