The Rationable Podcast

This time, I'm interviewing Sanal Edamaruku, one of the big guys in the Indian rationalist movement. He is the founder and president of Rationalists International and President of the Indian Rationalist Association. He has done so much over the years to fight for scientific temper and rationality in India. In fact, Sanal had to leave India when a group of Christians in India started threatening him when he debunked their claim that their statue of Jesus was weeping. It turned out that the weeping Jesus was not a miracle. In fact, the truth of what was seeping out of the statue is a lot more…troubling. In this video, we talk about his origin story, the importance of scientific temper, and the whole account of what led to his leaving the country, the latest updates on Rationalist International and his advice to the new sceptics and rationalists of India who are fighting superstition every day.Important links: Weeping Jesus story on TV9 Part 1: https://youtu.be/kUqhq9MuRG8 Weeping Jesus story on TV9 Part 2: https://youtu.be/TfJ6_ftih0s Guru Busters: https://youtu.be/EoiNhwq-BD8 BBC Documentary on Homeopathy: https://youtu.be/fTZMMMP8jC0 BBC Documentary on Homeopathy 2: https://youtu.be/unPoTTdATDM More about Sanal Edamaruku: https://www.sanaledamaruku.com/about Website of Rationalist International: https://www.Rationalists.net Website of Sanal Edamaruku (English): https://www.SanalEdamaruku.com ◼️ Rationalist application for mobile phones - Links to download: 📱 For Android mobiles (on Play Store): https://bit.ly/Rationalist_app_on_PlayStore 📱 For iPhones (on the App Store): https://bit.ly/Rationalist_app_on_AppStore #atheism #rationalist #indianathiestQuestions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Krish Ashok has dedicated a lot of his spare time to understanding the science behind the foods we eat, in general as humans, and specifically as Indians. In this interview, he shares mind-blowing facts and busts many myths and pseudoscientific ideas that we all have encountered about the food we eat. This has been one of the most fascinating conversations I've had to date. If you are a foodie, this episode is a must Krish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_masalalab Krish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/krishashok Masala Lab by Krish Ashok: https://amzn.to/41lRWO3 Krish's MusicSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/krishashok Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2tNJmxQOh8PxU1OUdqwS9E?si=tET8zeEoR1uURxUJ56-_FwQuestions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegram channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Now, I started my journey into atheism back around 2010. When I first started identifying as an atheist, the first podcast I started listening to was The Thinking Atheist created by Seth Andrews. His soothing voice, friendly demeanor and down-to-earth, humanistic values made me connect with him instantly. He would speak openly about his perspectives, his arguments and the challenges he faced every week with his friends, family and more. If you haven't heard of him before, Seth is an impressive thinker and this video is a great opportunity to learn more about his journey towards atheism. Seth's Books: Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xn06YD | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3I0GIFF Sacred Cows: A Lighthearted Look at Belief and Tradition Around the World: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3IqYvY6 | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3lEq5YO Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot: Kindle: https://amzn.to/40VAYG1 | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Iq8FrV Confessions of a Former Fox News Christian: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xkog6d | Paperback: https://amzn.to/3EaqUPI Ghost Stories: Original Tales & Ghostly Urban Legends: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3xHwuWhQuestions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Rob Palmer, Columnist and Skeptical Activist, joins us again on behalf of Recovering from Religion, or RFR for short. RFR helps those doubting their religious beliefs to come to terms with it and take action to maintain their social, mental and physical well-being. They have hotlines and online chats where their volunteers speak to callers who are doubting their faith and answer the many questions such a person would have. If you are having doubts about your religion, or are seeking a psychotherapist who is secular, you MUST watch this video, and refer to the links below: Links and References: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/ RFR Support Group Meeting Calendar: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/sg-calendar Secular Therapy Project: https://www.seculartherapy.org/ Secular Therapist Agreement: https://www.seculartherapy.org/therapist RFRx Online Talks: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/rfrx RFR Podcast: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/podcastFollow Rob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TWKSkeptic?mibextid=LQQJ4dQuestions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group or the Telegream channel, Rationable. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Have you ever had your palm read? Have you had a psychic reading? How accurate was it? And are you wondering if astrological or psychic readings really work? Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward are here to answer those questions. They are stalwart skeptic activists in the US, and have been doing a lot of amazing work over the years to see how psychics and astrologers work and also exposed them for taking advantage of the vulnerable and grieving. In this Rationable Interview, I talk to them about the different techniques psychics use to fool their audience and convince them (falsely) that they have supernatural powers. If you are curious about how psychics and astrologers work, this video is a must-watch! I referred to my interview with Rob Palmer and the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project. Watch that here: https://youtu.be/OigR2LZJNwc Find out more about Mark Edward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Edward Susan Gerbic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Gerbic Affiliate Link for Mark's Book, Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium: https://amzn.to/3GIDEieIntro and outro music: Heat by Distill: https://youtu.be/XIm7ASjSTn8 For the full transcript, along with links to citations and further reading, visit www.berationable.com. References And Resources That Guided Me (These are affiliate links that will help support this channel. Thank you!) The best books on science, rationality and scepticism: Cosmos by Carl Sagan: https://amzn.to/3aARbX9 The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan: https://amzn.to/2sJcmoA The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World: Increasingly Full of Fake by Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella and Evan Bernstein: https://amzn.to/38oIaye Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst: https://amzn.to/2GeVEjW Bad Science by Ben Goldacre: https://amzn.to/2RAT90Y The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins: https://amzn.to/2RGY00o The Cure for Everything: Untangling Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness, and Happiness by Timothy Caulfield: https://amzn.to/2TBjHUE Do You Believe in Magic?: Vitamins, Supplements, and All Things Natural: A Look Behind the Curtain by Dr Paul Offit, MD: https://amzn.to/3aAaEak Bigger, Leaner, Stronger or Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews: https://amzn.to/2RIAaRR My Gear: Camera: Sony ILCE a7c: https://amzn.to/3YUnpW9 Mic: Sennheiser MKH-416 Shotgun Mic: https://amzn.to/3jBSrlt Manfroto BeFree 2-in-1: https://amzn.to/3f008Ng Manfroto BeFree Live Fluid Video Head: https://amzn.to/3zFkQKf GODOX SL Series SL60W: https://amzn.to/3vkf9Bl Godox SB-GUE120 Octa Softbox with Bowens Speed Ring and Grid: https://amzn.to/3Q5bgK7 Godox 270CS, C-Stand with Arm, Grip Head & Removable Turtle Base: https://amzn.to/3Q0D2HS Neewer X12 Teleprompter: https://amzn.to/3WLheC3 Lilliput A7S EY-ZB0167 7-inch IPS Screen 4K Field Monitor: https://amzn.to/3I6Muao Questions or suggestions, or do you want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Get updates and join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/rationable.conversations/) or the Telegram channel, Rationable (https://t.me/rationable). Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable.

Pranav Radhakrishnan joins us on Rationable Interviews to discuss why people believe in pseudosciences like alternative medicine and gurus like Sadhguru. We also discuss his experience as a science communicator and a sceptic and his experience building his channel, @ScienceIsDope. His content is very well-researched, written and produced, and you should definitely subscribe to his channels. Affiliate links for books: How to read a Paper by Trisha Greenhalgh: https://amzn.to/3WmPeV5 Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst: https://amzn.to/3W2d9t7 The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe: https://amzn.to/3YqVkpk PodcastsSkeptic's Guide to the Universe Podcast: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts Skeptoid: https://skeptoid.com/ Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @BeRationable. For the audio version, search for The Rationable Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com.

Richard Saunders, Rob Palmer and a group of sceptic activists from all over the world analyzed over 4,000 predictions from 207 psychics over 2 decades to see how accurate they were. This was called the GAPPP.Here's my full interview with Rob Palmer from Skeptic Inquirer Magazine as we discuss the GAPPP project. The Great Australian Psychic Predictions project analysed all psychic predictions broadcast in Australia over a decade to see if they were accurate. Rob shares the project results to reveal the TRUE accuracy of psychic predictions. Find out more at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/02/the-great-australian-psychic-prediction-project-pondering-the-published-predictions-of-prominent-psychics/ Find Richard Saunders' podcast at: https://www.skepticzone.tv/ or search for The Skeptic Zone on your favourite podcast platform. List of awards for evidence of paranormal activity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal Uri Geller fails on Johnny Carson: https://youtu.be/zD7OgAdCObs https://youtu.be/jLl9D9BBIlk Bob Nygaard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Nygaard Uri Geller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_Geller Johnny Carson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Vimoh has a podcast call in show and two youtube channels where he comments on religion, superstitions and politics twice a week. In this interview, we discuss a large range of topics including castes, karma, the right books to educate ones self on Hinduism and the right to ridicule religion. Affiliate links for the books mentioned. Please buy through these and support the channel. Thank you! Riddles in Hinduism by Dr BR Ambedkar: https://amzn.to/3hW7Fku Bhagwat Gita: https://amzn.to/3XoGHSR How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Baghossian and James Lindsay: https://amzn.to/3tTpoMd Who wrote the Bhagwad Gita by Meghnad Desai: https://amzn.to/3Xu6CZB Quran: https://amzn.to/3OsimHT The Bible: https://amzn.to/3EAdhISQuestions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

References & Further Reading Resources and Further Reading: https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17489539.2012.674680 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8441353/ https://archive.org/details/PrisonersofSilence https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/a-magician-cannot-dispute-fc-or-can-he https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXAxkqsCbvk https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/why-does-joint-attention-look-atypical-in-autismand-does-it-matter https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/what-is-joint-attention-and-how-does-it-relate-to-fc https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/is-eye-contact-really-overrated https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/from-eye-tracking-to-eegsanything-but-a-simple-message-passing-test https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/aba-vs-fc-what-aba-knows-about-autism-instructional-needs-and-the-harmful-effects-of-inadvertent-cues https://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Language-Literacy-Students-Spectrum/dp/1799894436/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6OXJXUR4XYNB&keywords=cutting+edge+language+and+literacy+tools&qid=1664480183&qu=eyJxc2MiOiItMC4wMSIsInFzYSI6IjAuMDAiLCJxc3AiOiIwLjAwIn0%3D&s=books&sprefix=cutting+edge+language%2Cstripbooks%2C80&sr=1-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0 https://www.amazon.com/Students-Autism-language-literacy-academic/dp/1915261376/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=tnlI3&content-id=amzn1.sym.8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_p=8cf3b8ef-6a74-45dc-9f0d-6409eb523603&pf_rd_r=6070R8PSF9PW2GVV3Z72&pd_rd_wg=OGZeX&pd_rd_r=7691ace2-a9d0-49b5-843c-66227efa3ab5&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi Questions, or suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and Facebook @beRationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips is a firebrand twitter sceptic who regularly shares science-based information and research regarding alternative medicine – Ayurveda in particular. He's a Hepatologist and has been studying the side effects of Ayurvedic preparations on the liver. His research and clinical cases have discovered how many Ayurvedic preparations may be harming you more than healing you!He joins us to answer some critical questions about how Ayurveda can be harmful. There are so many real side effects these real herbs can have, but they are being touted as completely side-effect free. People’s lives have been put in danger, and some have been lost due to this form of quackery. Even I found many of his findings shocking to say the least! If you have questions for Dr Abby Philips, find him on Twitter @drabbyphilips. Intro and outro music: Heat by DistillFor the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

Dr Haryax Pathak, MBBS, practising in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, has been busting myths about COVID-19, its treatments and the vaccines on Twitter. He 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.Here are a the updates: 1) Immunocompromised people should also get the vaccine2) The central government has increased the period after which one should get Covishield’s second dose to 6-8 weeks3) People over 18 will be allowed to get vaccinated from the 1st of May onwardsIntro and outro music: Heat by DistillFor the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable. 

I’ve investigated the claims of Evocus and other alkaline water and found they aren’t true. Evocus Black Alkaline water is just a dodgy product that will only be a very expensive, rather ineffective antacid and nothing more. I will get to each of these claims and a few other generic claims I’ve found about alkaline water in this episode, so you can understand why I say this. Intro and outro music: Heat by DistillFor the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group. Contact me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com. Support and get involved with Rationable on Patreon at patreon.com/rationable.

Rationable speaks to Anant Bhan and Dr Sumaiya Shaikh about the recent proposal by the Indian Government to allow Ayurvedic practitioners to perform certain types of surgery. We dig into the pros and cons and find a lot of nuance in the topic that feels like it's black and white.

Your body's pH balance is a fascinating mechanism but it's often misunderstood or miscommunicated to sell ideas like the alkaline diet. In this episode, we get a basic insight into how your body handles its acid-alkaline levels through the kidneys and the lungs and what happens when it goes wrong. I also get into why it’s so hard to change the pH of your blood or any other part of your body, especially through food. References & other links: Acid-base homeostasis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4670772/ and https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-4-acid-base-balance/#:~:text=The%20kidneys%20help%20control%20acid,systems%20work%20predominantly%20inside%20cells Disorders of Acid-base Balance: https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-5-disorders-of-acid-base-balance and https://www.healthline.com/health/acid-base-balance#metabolic-acidosis pH Imbalance: https://www.healthline.com/health/ph-imbalance Digestion in the stomach: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwqycdm/revision/5#:~:text=Bile%20is%20secreted%20into%20the,the%20lipase%20enzymes%20can%20work The Detox Scam: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2019/8/27/detox-an-introduction-to-a-scam?rq=detox Ketogenic Diet: https://www.berationable.com/rationable-blog/2018/11/19/is-the-ketogenic-diet-the-best-way-to-lose-weight?rq=keto Intro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com. Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com.

It’s a special honour to have a Rationable Interview with Leonard Tramiel. He a good friend of Rationable, of course. You might have seen him in the Rationable Conversations group on Facebook if you’re a part of it. Join in if you’re not.He’s also an accomplished sceptic in his own right. He’s a member of the board of the Center for Inquiry (CFI). This is an organisation of sceptics that publishes the Skeptical Inquirer magazine and holds the annual CSICON sceptics’ conference in Las Vegas, which is where I first met Leonard.Leonard is also on the Council of Advisors for the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (SETI)! Yes, that SETI. He has worked with the California Department of Education to help them improve the quality of their textbooks. That’s not surprising at all when you know he’s been a volunteer 8th-grade astronomy teacher as well.Last but not least, Leonard started his career working under his father in Atari, developing their very first gaming platforms. Yes, that Atari!So we had a nice long chat about his early life, his passion for physics and astronomy, his family life and being the son of Jack Tramiel, who revived Commodore International and enabled the creation of one of the very first PC microchips that contributed to the dawn of personal computing. We also talked about his time at Atari, his encounter with Jill Tarter of SETI (who inspired the character of Dr Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan’s novel Contact), his pet peeves with science literacy and much much more.I would love to do another interview with him so if you have any questions, be sure to drop them in the comments or mail them to abhijit@berationable.com.Reference LinksThe story of Commodore and the 8-bit generation | Leonard Tramiel | TEDxMidAtlanticLeonard Tramiel and the 6502 chip - 8Bites - #TheCommodoreStory [4K]Why Jack Tramiel left Commodore by Leonard Tramiel (2015)Leonard’s interview with Jill Tarter: https://centerforinquiry.org/conferences/csicon/2016/interview-tarter.htmlIntro and outro music: Don't Stop performed by Nothing More, from their album, The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The sound clips have been used with their permission.For the full transcript along with links to citations and further reading, please visit www.berationable.com.Questions, suggestions or just want to get in touch? Find me on Instagram and Twitter @berationable and on Facebook @Rationable. Join the conversation on the Rationable Conversations Facebook group and email me at abhijit@berationable.com. For more content like this, visit www.berationable.com.