The Winnipeg Skeptics

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss a variety of would-be rulers, touching on German monarchists, American neoreactionaries, and micronations in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. The Reichsbürgers: … Continue re...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem discuss some of the year’s most absurd, disappointing news, with a healthy heaping of CanCon: Canada losing Measles Elimination status, the government’s inability to give accurate tax advice, the Liberal Prime Minister’s right-wing agenda, and Elon Musk’s ongoing meltdown. Life, &#82...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the extremely shaky science behind the new guidance issued by the White House concerning acetaminophen use during pregnancy. The bottom line? Don’t take medical advice from conspiracy theorists, whether they’re real estate developers or environmental lawyers: talk to your … Continu...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Gem, and Laura discuss things that they find difficult to understand. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Links: Coevolution of neocortical size, group size and language in humans (Behavioral and Brain Sciences) … Continue reading Episode 215:...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Laura, and Ashlyn discuss medical scammers, grifters, and con-men, current, recent, and historical. Discussed on this episode: Malachi Love-Robinson, a modern-day Doogie Howser; James Graham, an 18th century Scottish sexologist; and Casey Means, a health grifter who also happens to be Trump’s pick … Continue read...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss some common misconceptions, focusing on cast iron cookware, Victorian corsetry, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and the Canadian political system. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Corsets: Victorian …...

Originally published 17 September 2018. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss the history and future of patent medicine, from snake oil and Piso’s Cure for Consumption through Bovinine and bitters all the way to the Burzynski Clinic. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a … Continue reading LUEE Rerun 136: Patent&#160...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn is joined by Lauren, Laura, and Gem to discuss right-wing authoritarianism and how to fight it. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Fascism 101: Ur-Fascism (Umberto Eco, The Anarchist Library) | Fascism (Wikipedia) … Continue reading Episode 212: T...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura to talk in some detail about Elon Musk’s misadventures, including his history with PayPal, the Hyperloop and the Boring Company, and some of the less savoury aspects of his family life. Not covered in detail here (as … Continue reading Episode 211: Elon Was Always Like This &#85...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren talk scams and charlatans. On this episode: George Mickum’s fake Birkin Bags, the “Pig Butchering” romance scam that manages to make crypto even more fraudulent, useless “AI-powered” weapon scanners, and M. Lamar Keene’s run-ins with the “Psychic Mafia”. Life,...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Ris discuss fasting from a personal, cultural, religious, and physiologic perspective. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Note: Apologies for the subpar audio quality on this episode: we had … Continue reading Episode 209: Inte...

Originally published 14 January 2019. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Laura, and Ashlyn dive into three unscientific practices: flower remedies, feng shui, and iridology. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that delves into issues of science, critical thinking, and secular humanism. Flower Remedies: The Original … Continue reading L...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura detail the many scientific shortcomings of Trump’s pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Vaccines: … Continue reading Episode 208: The Worst...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn relates her story of catching COVID-19 in Romania and asks the panel to evaluate the appropriateness of her treatment. Ashlyn was prescribed: Vitamin C 1000 mg PO daily Vitamin D 2000 IU PO daily Zinc 60 mg PO daily Paracetamol 500 mg PO TID … Continue reading Episode 207: This Isn’t Medical Advice (It’s Medical&...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren to conclude their discussion of the situation in historic Palestine. Laura describes barriers to access food and water imposed by the government of Israel on both Gaza and the West Bank. Gem contrasts popular working definitions of … Continue reading Episode 206: Palestine, Part 2 &#8...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura in the first part of a two part discussion of the history and current situation in historic Palestine. Gem provides an overview of the October 7th attacks and the Israeli military response, Ashlyn summarizes the history of … Continue reading Episode 205: Palestine, Part 1 →

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, the crew discusses common misconceptions: Gem corrects cardiac confusion, Ashlyn advocates for accommodations, and Lauren lambasts linguistic prescriptivism. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Heart Conditions: Cardiac Arrest (Johns Hopkins Medicine) | Heart F...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss some summer-themed nonsense and Gem entertains the panel with an obscure patent that may just fix policing. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. NatPat: NATPAT Health and Wellness Patches … Continue reading Episode 203: Hot Bul...

Originally published 22 February 2021. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren discuss soup’s history as a religious conversion tool, the science of bone broth, and the discredited claim that bat soup was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, … Continue reading LUEE Rerun 1...

Originally published 13 January 2020. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem in a discussion of the history and science of sandwiches, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a sandwich. On this episode: Ashlyn maintains that open-faced sandwiches do not exist, … Continue reading LUEE Rerun 152:&#1...

On this special bonus episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn Noble and Lauren Bailey share Gem’s valedictory address to the University of Manitoba Medicine Class of 2024 and discuss the fallout thereof. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Contact Us: Email … Continue reading Bonus: A Very Spec...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the impact of large language models and other forms of generative AI on culture and scientific endeavours. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Note: Content warning for discussion … Continue reading Episode 202: Generativ...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about people who were disbelieved but were eventually vindicated. Topics include pilot David Steeves’ missing airplane, singer Sinéad O’Connor public denunciation of the Catholic Church, neurologist Stanley Prusiner’s discovery of prions, and neuropathologist Bennet Omalu’s find...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren discuss the history of the show, comment on some of their favourite segments from episodes past, and finally get around to introducing themselves properly. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and … Continue reading Episode 200: Shades of&#160...

On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss paranormal events and other mysteries that have recently been explained by science, including the Dyatlov Pass Incident, the Blood Rain of Kerala, the Bermuda Triangle, and how the Romans managed to make such excellent concrete. Life, the Universe & … Continue reading Episode 199: Definite...