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IdioFacto

IdioFacto
Author: IdioFacto
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Description
IdioFacto is the podcast that sorts the factual from the fabricated: Join Matt, Levi and Sam each episode as they discuss a scientific concept, discovery or phenomenon and then take a dive into the complicated and misleading world of pseudoscience.
50 Episodes
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Enjoy the audio from our first ever livestreamed podcast! This is a new format for us and we're testing it out to see how it goes. We will be live every Sunday at 8pm AEDT, come and say hi!
Join our Discord Community: https://discord.gg/KaYPXHJhbK
Check us out on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/idiofacto
VODs and Livestreams available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiE...
Podcast available from https://idiofacto.podbean.com/ or search "IdioFacto" wherever you get your podcasts.
Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/idiofacto
Come and join us in our Livestreams, Sundays from 8pm AEDT!
Join our Discord Community: https://discord.gg/KaYPXHJhbK
Check us out on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/idiofacto
VODs and Livestreams available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiE...
Podcast available from https://idiofacto.podbean.com/ or search "IdioFacto" wherever you get your podcasts.
Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/idiofacto
Since we discuss them so often on the show, it's really only logical that Matt should formally (and informally) talk about what constitutes a logical fallacy and why they're important. Levi teaches us the ins and outs of figs and the depressing life of some wasps, while Sam breaks the news that bone broth may not be all it's cracked up to.
Logical Fallacies
"Book of Bad Arguments" by Ali Almossawi (Also a book)
https://bookofbadarguments.com/
"Logically Fallacious" by Bo Bennett (Also a book)
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/
Other Notes
"Drinking Bone Broth - Is it Beneficial or Just a Fad?" by Conor Kerley
https://nutritionstudies.org/drinking-bone-broth-is-it-beneficial-or-just-a-fad/
The irony of posting this episode on various forms of social media is not lost on us as Sam takes us through the dangers (or benefits) of using what has become a ubiquitous part of modern life. Levi also gives us a lesson in critical thinking and the perils of not questioning one's hypotheses and Matt has a big ol' rant about the Covid situation in New South Wales.
Social Media
Daily social media usage worldwide | Statista
The 2021 Social Media Users Demographics Guide | Khoros
Average Time Spent Daily on Social Media (Latest 2020 Data) - BroadbandSearch
Webster, D., Dunne, L. and Hunter, R., 2020. Association Between Social Networks and Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Youth & Society, 53(2), pp.175-210.
Brunborg, G. and Burdzovic Andreas, J., 2019. Increase in time spent on social media is associated with modest increase in depression, conduct problems, and episodic heavy drinking. Journal of Adolescence, 74, pp.201-209.
Barry, C., Sidoti, C., Briggs, S., Reiter, S. and Lindsey, R., 2017. Adolescent social media use and mental health from adolescent and parent perspectives. Journal of Adolescence, 61, pp.1-11.
Richards, D., Caldwell, P. and Go, H., 2015. Impact of social media on the health of children and young people. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 51(12), pp.1152-1157.
Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. and Pignatiello, A., 2020. Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6), pp.E136-E141.
Other notes
"The Most Common Cognitive Bias" by Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKA4w2O61Xo
In a slightly delayed, but no less exciting instalment of IdioFacto, Levi takes a deep dive into SCUBA (Super Cool Underwater Bois of Australia) to let us know just how many interesting ways there are to die underwater, while Sam talks through why Ivermectin for COVID-19 is a fancy kind of snake oil. Matt will tell us more about how Santa Claus is politically incorrect and everyone will have a swimmingly good time.
Ivermectin
"Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine" by Scott Gavura
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ivermectin-is-the-new-hydroxychloroquine/
"Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 2" by David Gorski
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ivermectin-is-the-new-hydroxychloroquine-take-2/
"Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 3" by David Gorski
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ivermectin-is-the-new-hydroxychloroquine-take-3-conspiracy-theories-vs-science/
Other notes
"Santa’s ‘Ho Ho Ho’ Changed to ‘Ha Ha Ha’" at Snopes
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/heave-ho-ho-ho/
After we failed to release an episode last week, it may have been your reflex to assume we were on an indefinite hiatus again. But we managed to massage our schedules enough to make the most of our recording time and here it is!
Reflexology
"Reflexology: Panacea or placebo" from The Conversation:
https://theconversation.com/reflexology-panacea-or-placebo-10527
"Modern Reflexology: Still as bogus as pre-modern reflexology" from Science-Based Medicine:
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/modern-reflexology-still-as-bogus-as-pre-modern-reflexology/
"Revisiting reflexology: Concept, evidence, current practice and practitioner training" from Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624523/
"Reflexology: an update of a systematic review of randomised clinical trials" from Maturitas:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21111551/
"Reflexology in the management of low back pain: a pilot randomised controlled trial" from Complementary Therapies in Medicine:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18346622/
eJTCM Peer Review Standards:
https://www.elsevier.com/__data/promis_misc/ejtcm-peer-review.pdf
Other links
Wholesome Doctor post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRJJYmKnyt7/?utm_medium=share_sheet
"Do Ear Candles Work To Remove Earwax? | Ear Candling Proof!" from Doctor Cliff, AuD:
https://youtu.be/CQJt1LWH32k
Listeners: we're back. Like, actually for real this time. No, like... Really. For true. Sam made us promise.
Enjoy this little taster of what's to come this season. Laughs, nonsense and occasionally some science-based ridiculousness.
What are Jellyfish anyway?? How do they eat and move around? How do they reproduce? Are they animals? Plants? Fungi? Or somewhere in the middle? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in our latest release.
Sam's (Incredibly Comprehensive) show notes for Arthritis
Arthritis and weather
Jena, A., Olenski, A., Molitor, D. and Miller, N., 2017. Association between rainfall and diagnoses of
joint or back pain: retrospective claims analysis. BMJ, [online] p.j5326. Available at:
.
Robert H. Shmerling, M., 2020. Does Weather Affect Arthritis Pain? - Harvard Health Blog. [online]
Harvard Health Blog. Available at: [Accessed 16 August 2020].
Savage, E., McCormick, D., McDonald, S., Moore, O., Stevenson, M. and Cairns, A., 2014. Does
rheumatoid arthritis disease activity correlate with weather conditions?. Rheumatology International,
[online] 35(5), pp.887-890. Available at: .
Steffens, D., Maher, C., Li, Q., Ferreira, M., Pereira, L., Koes, B. and Latimer, J., 2014. Effect of
Weather on Back Pain: Results From a Case-Crossover Study. Arthritis Care & Research, [online]
66(12), pp.1867-1872. Available at: .
Timmermans, E., Schaap, L., Herbolsheimer, F., Dennison, E., Maggi, S., Pedersen, N., Castell, M.,
Denkinger, M., Edwards, M., Limongi, F., Sánchez-Martínez, M., Siviero, P., Queipo, R., Peter, R., van
der Pas, S. and Deeg, D., 2015. The Influence of Weather Conditions on Joint Pain in Older People
with Osteoarthritis: Results from the European Project on OSteoArthritis. The Journal of
Rheumatology, [online] 42(10), pp.1885-1892. Available at:
.
Verges, J., Montell, E., Tomas, E., Cumelles, G., Castaneda, G., Marti, N. and Moller, I., 2004. Weather
conditions can influence rheumatic diseases. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, [online]
2005(Issue 4). Available at: [Accessed
16 August 2020].
Living With Arthritis. 2020. Weather And Arthritis Pain - Living With Arthritis. [online] Available at:
[Accessed 16 August 2020].
BONUS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGog0Jo26iQ
This week we shine a light on solar power as well as discuss smart device "listening", scientific article retractions, and we get introduced to Willem Johan Kolff
Explanatory Youtube video on solar panels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ8XW9AgUrw
Diagram showing solar array make-up - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel#/media/File:From_a_solar_cell_to_a_PV_system.svg
Scientific article retraction - https://retractionwatch.com/2020/07/23/author-retracts-nature-commentary-over-concerns-about-sections-sponsorship/
Dirty Loops - Rock You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYc5zrXC52k
The Thing Explainer - https://xkcd.com/thing-explainer/
The Glass Animals - Dreamland - ............just look it up on spotify?
Here it is, our season 2 wrap up with our biggest news yet!
As promised, here are the links in the show notes
https://bit.ly/3kgXu75
https://bit.ly/3i6jFe0
https://bit.ly/33nmFyv
https://bit.ly/3fm4pIg
This week Matt walks us through the frequently discussed Placebo effect and Levi debunks detox diets.
PLACEBO EFFECT
“Placebo effect studies are susceptible to response bias and to other types of biases”-JCE
https://www.jclinepi.com/article/S0895-4356(11)00049-7/fulltext
“Is the Placebo powerless?”-New England JoMed
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106
“A Comprehensive Review of the Placebo Effect”-Annual Review of Psychology
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.113006.095941
“Placebo interventions for all clinical conditions”-Cochrane Library
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003974.pub3/full?highlightAbstract=placeb%7Cplacebo%7Ceffect
“Howard Fields, MD, PhD, The Placebo Effect Part 1: Defining the Placebo Response” video
https://youtu.be/oWPtIR-0Q_A
“Bad Science”-Dr Ben Goldacre
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3272165-bad-science
“Bad Pharma”-Dr Ben Goldacre
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15795155-bad-pharma
DETOX DIETS
Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jhn.12286
How Does the liver work?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279393/
The Truth about toxins
https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/truth-about-toxins
7-day detox; a Naturopath approved plan
https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/diet/diets/the-7day-detox-plan/news-story/cfb1850be6010553eba661bb9cbcb938
Do Detox Diets Work?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/detox-diets-101
This episode is all about sound! Levi runs us through pitch, frequencies, and tones and Matt talks about the benefits (or lack thereof) of Audio Therapy
We promised we would out some links to our favourite songs in the show notes so here they are:
Tool - Pneuma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ClCaPmAA7s
Evanesence - Good Enough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw2Ic_2XdVQ
Karnivool - Deadman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbLEYQo98t0
MUSIC
Various helpful cheat sheets and wiki pages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_signature#Major_scale_structure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation#Table_of_note_frequencies
AUDIO THERAPY
Science-Based Medicine article
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/audio-therapy-for-postoperative-pediatric-pain-randomized-controlled-nonsense/
Pediatric Surgery International article
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00383-014-3649-9
Linguistic Wave Genetics article
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1004.5664&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Regenerating a Dog’s Tooth with Wave Genetics
https://medcraveonline.com/JSRT/attempt-to-regenerate-the-dog39s-tooth-using-the-method-of-a-new-direction-in-biology-linguistic-wave-genetics.html
“Correction of the Immune System” Matrix
https://wavegenetics.org/en/korrektsiya-immunnoy-sistemyi/
Institute of Linguistic Wave Genetics
https://wavegenetics.org/
The great 440Hz conspiracy article
https://globalnews.ca/news/4194106/440-hz-conspiracy-music/
Wave Genome RA Shield for Covid-19
http://wavegenome.com/ra_shield.html?fbclid=IwAR2qZ5mvALho1BYahTjW7jP-obrmz6dpW2spPczLrkL6PkYzHF97GNXwD4U
Open Letter from Peter Gariaev
http://www.fractal.org/Life-Science-Technology/Peter-Gariaev.htm
What on earth are we talking about this week? That's right, its an earth related episode. Levi discusses plate tectonics while Matt (un)educates us on the archaic beliefs of flat earthers.
PLATE TECTONICS
Mid-Atlantic ridge
https://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/504/
Brainpop video on plate tectonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA2-Vc4PIOY
Kurzgesagt video including info on plate tectonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXi_9A__Vc&t=112s
GDA 2020
https://spotlight.unavco.org/how-gps-works/gps-and-tectonics/gps-and-tectonics.html
FLAT EARTH
Live Science article
https://www.livescience.com/24310-flat-earth-belief.html
Uni of Melbourne article
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-do-some-people-believe-the-earth-is-flat
Scientific American article
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/yes-flat-earthers-really-do-exist/
Professor Dave Explains video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDy95_eNPzM
Professor Dave Explains video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bHqBy92iGM
Today I Found Out video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4l9Y5OHqpk
Do you have TIME to brush your teeth regularly? Are you worried about the fluoride in your toothpaste? How about the fluoride in your drinking water? Wait.....what is time? Is time even real, does anyone know? Maybe time's just a construct of human perception; an illusion created by.....anyway, listen to the episode to find out all the answers these these questions and more.
TIME
Physics.org article
http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=77
‘Time Dilation’ newspaper article
https://www.space.com/33411-astronaut-scott-kelly-relativity-twin-brother-ages.html
Ohio State GPS Explanation
http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit5/gps.html
Space.com article on Special Relativity
https://www.space.com/36273-theory-special-relativity.html
Time Dilation Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuD34tEpRFw
‘Does Time Exist?’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3tbVHlsKhs
WATER FLUORIDATION
Story of water fluoridation
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation
Healthcare Triage fluoride video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hml1CL0Idk&t=53s
Australian systematic review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18584000
Cochrane Fluoride Toothpaste
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002278/full?highlightAbstract=water%7Cfluorid%7Cfluoridation
Cochrane Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries
https:// https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010856.pub2/full?highlightAbstract=fluoride%7Cfluorid
Book Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride
https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CMQd6nkX86EC&oi=fnd&pg=PT21&dq=fluoride+health+effects&ots=kwW4zXZ3hB&sig=2edh7tDHg-FbUno0oh9eHrhjCcg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=fluoride%20health%20effects&f=false
The entire world has been plunged into absolute madness. This week, with the help of friend of the show: Dr. Sam Laucirica, we discuss the topic that requires no introduction: COVID-19
SHOWNOTES
Pew Research Report https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/08/nearly-three-in-ten-americans-believe-covid-19-was-made-in-a-lab/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9a8a1fc2a0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_09_06_59&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-9a8a1fc2a0-400906701
Proximal Origin of SARS-Cov-2 Article
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9
Guardian Article regarding Face Masks
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/should-everyone-be-wearing-face-masks
Article from Australia’s Science Channel regarding Flattening The Curve
https://australiascience.tv/we-can-shrink-covid-19-curve-not-just-flatten/
Science-Based Medicine COVID-19 News
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-covid-19-news/
Kurzgesagt Coronavirus video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtN-goy9VOY
Amoeba sisters Viruses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FqlTslU22s
As a nice follow-up to last week's GMO episode, Levi explains the process of Clustered Regularly Inter-spaced Short Palindromic Repeats (or CRISPR for short). Matt then runs us through numerology, where he assigns Levi a "name number" that dictates his personality... Or does it?
Show notes for CRISPR
CRISPR Timeline - https://www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas-focus/project-spotlight/crispr-timeline
Live Science article on CRISPR - https://www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html
Gif showing CRISPR CAS9 in action - https://www.livescience.com/60938-a-breathtaking-new-gif-shows-crispr-chewing-up-dna.html
TED Ed video on CRISPR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tw_JVz_IEc
WIRED Video on CRISPR explained in 5 levels of complexity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sweN8d4_MUg
Diagram of CRISPR in action - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR#/media/File:Crispr.png
Song about CRISPR CAS9 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k99bMtg4zRk
Show notes for Numerology
Bobby McFerrin video
https://youtu.be/Hodp2esSV9E
“Secrets of Numerology”
http://www.2012-spiritual-growth-prophecies.com/numerology-meanings.html
Pythagorean Numerology Name Number Calculator
https://www.dcode.fr/pythagorean-numerology
Jastrow Scientific Monthly Article
https://www.dcode.fr/pythagorean-numerology
Numberphile
https://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile
Schimmel, Annemarie (1993). The Mystery of Numbers. ISBN 0195089197.
Lynne Kelly (2004). The Skeptic's Guide To The Paranormal. ISBN 1-74114-059-5.
This week, Matt explains a topic that we've been meaning to get to for a while, and one that get referenced weekly: The Scientific Method.
Levi then discusses Genetically Modified Organisms; how they work, and then, of course, the hysteria surrounding GMO foods.
Show notes for the Scientific Method
“Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes” - Lakatos
http://www.csun.edu/~vcsoc00i/classes/s680f11/Lakatos.pdf
Khan Academy Scientific Method Article
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/a/the-science-of-biology
Khan Academy Scientific Method Video
https://youtu.be/N6IAzlugWw0
Show notes for GMOs
RationalWiki article on Seeds of Death documentary
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Seeds_of_Death
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23692271-sapiens
Seeds of Death Youtube documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6OxbpLwEjQ
Kurzgesagt GMO video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TmcXYp8xu4
Neil deGrasse Tyson on GMOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDhUsxom0U
Firstly, we would like to apologise for Levi's recording quality in the first half of the episode. It's a good reminder that we are amateurs recording this in our bedrooms at home!
With that out of the way, we have put together a very interesting episode this week. Levi ticks off time-keeping devices throughout history, and Matt lets us know what all the buzz is about the new 5G cellular network.
Show notes for Time Keeping Devices
A history of time keeping devices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcwOBkghwWA
Informative video on time keeping devices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At5atF4mKiU
The clock that changed the world - Documentary on John Harrisons Mechanical Clock to claim the longitude prize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-g27KS0yiY
Show notes for 5G
Scientific American article: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/we-have-no-reason-to-believe-5g-is-safe/
asut Press Release:
https://e3.marco.ch/publish/sunrise/821_3887/20190327_MM_asut_Faktencheck_5G-EN.pdf
cNet Article:
https://www.cnet.com/news/5g-phones-and-your-health-what-you-need-to-know/
ABC Article:
https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/what-experts-say-on-the-radiation-safety-of-5g-network/11143020
International Journal of Oncology article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504984/
Steven Novella article:
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/5g-is-coming/
Lorne Trottier article:
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/are-cell-phones-a-possible-carcinogen-an-update-on-the-iarc-report/
NTP (FDA) Study:
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/topics/cellphones/index.html?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=prod&utm_campaign=ntpgolinks&utm_term=cellphone
And its press release:
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/cell_phone_radiofrequency_radiation_studies_508.pdf
Another FDA study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Evaluation+of+the+genotoxicity+of+cell+phone+radiofrequency+radiation+in+male+and+female+rats+and+mice+following+subchronic+exposure
What are the chances that we would make it to episode 20? We certainly didn't see this in our Tarot Cards.
That's right listeners, in this week's episode Matt takes us through Chance and Probability, while Levi covers Tarot Cards.
SHOW NOTES FOR PROBABILITY
“Jesus Saves” Story
https://www.today.com/health/man-wearing-jesus-saves-race-bib-collapses-t165597
Risk of Death - Florida Museum
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/odds/compare-risk/death/
“Why Our Brains Do Not Intuitively Grasp Probabilities”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-our-brains-do-not-intuitively-grasp-probabilities/
“How Randomness Rules Our World”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-randomness-rules-our-world/
SHOW NOTES FOR TAROT
Itai Ivtzan Paper on Tarot cards
http://www.awarenessisfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TarotCardsPaper1.pdf
Divination with Tarot Cards: An Empirical Study:
https://www.susanblackmore.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/JSPR-1983.pdf