The Skeptic Zone #599 - 5.April.2020

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:03:51 Be Rationable - An interview with Abhijit Chanda from India Are you curious? Are you always questioning things that you see around you? Are you looking for answers, but most of them just aren't convincing enough? The Be Rationable podcast wants to know what works and what doesn't, and who's right and who's not. There's a problem though. A lot of what we find in this quest is either based on bad evidence, bad ideas, propaganda or just misinformation. https://www.berationable.com/ 0:22:42 COVID-19 and Quack Claims At this time of a world-wide crisis, we see the best and the worst of humanity. While some people put their lives on the line in the fight agaist COVID-19, others keep spreading conspiracy theories and very bad health advice. We look at some examples of stupidity and wilful ignorance. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8184583/Anti-vaxxer-Meryl-Dorey-leader-calls-followers-storm-hospitals-coronavirus-lockdown.html 0:33:45 Logical Fallacies. With Michelle Bijkersma This week Michelle looks at "Begging the Question". Also known as "Circular Reasoning", This is when the answer to the question is implied in the wording of the question itself. The premise of the question and the foregone conclusion support each other in a circular way without referring to any external actual evidence. A Logical Fallacy is an error we can make in reasoning, but it usually crops up when we are discussing or arguing our point of view. 0:40:33 Maynard's Spooky Action This week Maynard interviews one of the original Skeptic Zone reporters, Dr Rachael Dunlopfrom "Dr Rachie Reports". We hear her take on the current COVID-19 situation from a medical science point of view. 0:53:33 I Think we need to THINK - With Susan Gerbic COVID-19 life in California Susan gives us her perspective of what 'the new normal' means for her, her town and for Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW).   Also Maynard's 2020 Calendar http://maynard.com.au/2020-maynard-calendar SitP Online https://www.twitch.tv/sitp Skepticon 2020 https://www.gcskeptics.com/skepticon-2020