The Rationable Podcast

It all started with Andrew Wakefield publishing a sham study on how vaccines give children autism. Now, the movement has taken on a life of its own with celebrity endorsers, social media influencers, alternative medicine “gurus” all propagating this idea. Today, we dig into what antivaxxers believe, why it's wrong and how we can help stop the movement. References and Further Reading: Vaccines, Aut...

I’m sure you’ve heard or said that “Science doesn’t know everything”. This is usually in defence of an idea that probably isn’t scientific, like homeopathy or god. And that’s okay. Because I agree with you. Science doesn’t know everything, and probably never will. And here’s why. ** Further Reading & References** Homeopathy: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/03/20/does-homeopat...

Just because you might not be a scientist, doesn't mean you can't look for and understand the evidence behind a claim. Now you can get started by investigating randomised controlled trials. Further Reading: If you want to buy the books, I’d appreciate it if you could use the links I’ve added below. I’ll get a small commission which supports Rationable and everything that it does. Bad Pharma by Ben...

We Indians love our spices, and none more than turmeric. This essential yellow ingredient, in most Indian recipes, was discovered by Ayurveda, adopted by the West and now has come home once again in the form of alternative medicine, or even mainstream medicine, as doctors have started prescribing it. This is all because of a fascinating chemical that Turmeric contains – Curcumin. This molecule is...

Recently, a network of radio telescopes spread across the Earth called Event Horizon Telescope pieced together petabytes of data to unveil the first-ever image of a black hole. This is one of the most monumental feats of human ingenuity, engineering and curiosity to date. But why is it such a big deal? How can we see a black hole in the first place? And why is that orange, blurry image so groundbr...

If you’ve been living under a rock, it’s probably because you’re taking shelter from the falling space debris! But seriously, the Indian ASAT project or “Mission Shakti” as it’s been called by the government, has made a big splash across the headlines all over the world and has definitely ruffled some feathers over at NASA. But are they justified in being concerned? Should we have launched ASAT in...

Homoeopathy, especially in India, is a treatment method in which a lot of people believe. In fact, India is one of the biggest markets for homoeopathic medicine, if not the largest. Plus, it’s getting support from the government through the AYUSH initiative. My parents gave me homoeopathic treatments as a child, and they swear by it. In fact, most people do. There are college degrees for it, docto...

In this first episode of The Rationable Podcast, I tell you about my journey into science and critical thinking and how it changed my life. I hope the things we talk about in future episodes helps you fight frauds, fake news and scams. The podcasts I've mentioned can be found here: The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu Skeptoid: https://skeptoid.com/ Sci...

Green coffee beans and the various versions they come in had become the hot new weight loss supplement that’s in everyone’s cups and on everyone’s lips after celebrity television doctor, Dr Oz, called green coffee a “miracle pill” and then got shamed in front of the US Congress for saying so. But green coffee beans just don’t seem to go away! But does it work? Dig Deeper: Congress Vs Dr Oz: https:...

Recently, you may have received a message or a video on WhatsApp claiming that cancer is a hoax and is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B17, otherwise called Amygdalin. Just load up on some B17, and you’re cured! Seems a bit too good to be true, if you think about it. But is it true? Today, we dig deeper into cancer, almonds and apricot seeds to see what they are, how they work and if it will hea...

I used to think that the Ketogenic Diet was the ideal way humans should eat. Then, I discovered I was completely wrong. And here’s how I figured it out. If you would like to read the article this episode is based on, along with the sources I've cited, visit https://rationable.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/is-the-ketogenic-diet-the-best-way-to-lose-weight/ Further Reading & References * https://blog...

Last year, I wrote a blog about the future of the LGBTQ+ community in India after the overthrowing of Section 377. This is what Indians need to do to make ours a more inclusive society. It’s at times like these that we feel India is headed in the right direction. After all, this is a massive step forward in a country whose belief systems are still very conservative, to say the least. And it is mos...