Edinburgh Skeptics Presents...

This week on the podcast we're bringing you details of our lineup of talks run under the banner of the 2017 Edinburgh International Science Festival. Join Mark Pentler and science festival curator for this year Heather Pentler as they take you night-by-night through the lineup. This year the theme is The Science of Crime. Expect lots of dead bodies and some truly remarkable techniques on display as we learn how science is being used to both secure and overturn convictions.

Our science festival lineup runs Monday to Thursdays from the 3rd-13th April at the Banshee Labyrinth on Niddry Street. All events start at 7:30 and run until 9pm. Ish. Depends how good you are in the Q and As :-)

Check out the full line up on our website: http://www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk or on Facebook & MeetUp.

Before he gave us his experience of modern medical trials Prof. Peter Sandercock sat down with Mark Pentler to talk about the challenges of keeping up with current research, who is at fault for people's misunderstanding of trial results, and what can be done about it. We also delve into Peter's journey into skepticism.

Professor Peter Sandercock (Emeritus Professor of Neurology, University of Edinburgh) set up and ran the first International Stroke Trial (IST-1), the first 'mega-trial' in acute ischaemic stroke. More recently, he is the Co-Chief Investigator of IST-3, the largest-ever trial of 'clot-busting' thrombolytic therapy for acute ischaemic stroke with over 3,000 patients recruited. In this talk he will expose the challenges and explore the successes of clinical trials in the modern era and how they can bring us not only new treatments and new answers, but also new questions.

http://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-brain-sciences/people/principal-investigators/prof-peter-sandercock

As part of our effort to reach out to more people in Edinburgh and the surrounding area, we recently partnered with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh for the first of what we hope will be a much-repeated event in the future. Two fantastic skeptical talks for an audience of people who had never really heard of us, and we're able to bring you one of those talks on the podcast this week. The College were incredibly gracious hosts and special mention must go to Iain Milne & Daisy Cunynghame for their efforts in making it possible.

Professor Peter Sandercock (Emeritus Professor of Neurology, University of Edinburgh) set up and ran the first International Stroke Trial (IST-1), the first 'mega-trial' in acute ischaemic stroke. More recently, he is the Co-Chief Investigator of IST-3, the largest-ever trial of 'clot-busting' thrombolytic therapy for acute ischaemic stroke with over 3,000 patients recruited. In this talk he will expose the challenges and explore the successes of clinical trials in the modern era and how they can bring us not only new treatments and new answers, but also new questions.

http://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-brain-sciences/people/principal-investigators/prof-peter-sandercock

Yes, this one's early too! Claudia Schaffner sits down with this week's speaker - Dr Amanda Drake - to discuss the issues raised in her talk about the potential for environmental factors to affect our lives. We learn more about Dr Drake's work and her motivations for entering this field of research.

Dr Drake studied medicine at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then undertook initial training in Paediatrics in Bristol, before moving to Edinburgh to undertake a PhD funded by the British Heart Foundation. She then completed training in Paediatrics in Edinburgh, specialising in Paediatric Endocrinology and becoming a consultant in 2007. She heads a research group in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, studying interactions between in the environment and the epigenome, with a focus on the early life environment, obesity and diabetes.

Find out more at http://www.cvs.ed.ac.uk/users/amanda-drake or by following her on twitter @TeamDrakeUoE

A whole day earlier than normal (ahahah, what the hell? - Ed.), it's the Edinburgh Skeptics Podcast! This week we're going back to the 2016 Fringe to hear from Dr Amanda Drake, from right here in Edinburgh. In this talk Dr Drake will discuss the evidence for environmental factors having an effect on our body and the potential mechanisms which might link experiences in early life with later health outcomes, including changes in chemical marks on genes – so called 'epigenetic modifications'. Finally, she will discuss how such effects may be transmitted across generations, so that the experiences of our grandparents may also impact on our health today.

Dr Drake studied medicine at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then undertook initial training in Paediatrics in Bristol, before moving to Edinburgh to undertake a PhD funded by the British Heart Foundation. She then completed training in Paediatrics in Edinburgh, specialising in Paediatric Endocrinology and becoming a consultant in 2007. She heads a research group in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, studying interactions between in the environment and the epigenome, with a focus on the early life environment, obesity and diabetes.

Find out more at http://www.cvs.ed.ac.uk/users/amanda-drake or by following her on twitter @TeamDrakeUoE

For our trip back to the Fringe this week we're hearing about the problems of communicating science (especially climate science) with James Mollard. Afterwards he spoke to our own Ewan Leeming in what became an uncooperatively noisy pub.

You can find more from James at https://diaryofaclimatescientist.wordpress.com/ or by following him on twitter @mollyman90

Why is there a significant difference between what the public believe about climate change, and what climate scientists are writing about? James Mollard discusses where mistakes have been made in both science and climate science communication to the public. It will include a discussion on why uncertainties can be the bane of science communication, explore the damage that has been done to climate science through the years, and will explain how scientists are altering their methods of communication in an attempt to try to educate the public about their research.

James took his undergraduate degree at Edinburgh University, studying Geophysics and Meteorology, specialising in Climate/Environmental Science modules. Since then, he has moved to Reading University on a joint NERC/CASE award, in which he is analysing and improving the effect of carbonaceous aerosols in climate models. This work currently also has him working with the Met Office in Exeter.

You can find out more at https://diaryofaclimatescientist.wordpress.com/ or by following him on twitter @mollyman90

Despite Mark Pentler clumsily saying this is the last episode of our Fringe 2016 podcasts while forgetting that he often releases them out of order, it definitely isn't...

Recorded just before our Fringe edition of Devil's Advocate - EdSkeptics one-time regular-ish skeptical comedy panel show - EdSkeptics founder Keir Liddle joins current chair Mark Pentler to talk about the society, kids playing video games that are too young for them and whether video games will ever be taken seriously as a medium.

Keir Liddle is a PhD at the University of Stirling, and former president of Edinburgh Skeptics committee. He was one of the founders of the longest free skeptical festival in the world (Skeptics On The Fringe) and has a longstanding interest in psychology and video games. His favourite game of all time is the Legend of Zelda: A link to the past.

You can find out more by following him on twitter @keirliddle

This week we feature a Fringe 2016 talk and an interview courtesy of one of our old friends Keir Liddle.

Psychology plays an important part in video games from attract mode to risk and reward mechanics. Games are often designed around psychological principles designers sometimes take for granted. Games also are associated with a number of social issues: violence and misogyny. This talk will look at the psychology of video games and their wider impact.

Keir Liddle is a PhD at the University of Stirling, and former president of Edinburgh Skeptics committee. He was one of the founders of the longest free skeptical festival in the world (Skeptics On The Fringe) and has a longstanding interest in psychology and video games. His favourite game of all time is the Legend of Zelda: A link to the past.

You can find out more by following him on twitter @keirliddle

In this interview recorded during the 2016 Fringe our host Kitty Johnstone talks to Leonard Sym on the subject of radiocarbon denialism and its role in debunking theories like the Earth being 6000 years old. You know, the mad one.

Leonard teaches management, both commercially and in higher education. Current work includes management education at middle and senior management level within the oil industry, as well as the design and delivery of management training for a range of organisations throughout the world. He briefly studied Archaeology at Glasgow University as part of his first degree and has kept up an interest in the subject ever since. Over the last few years he has become increasingly aware of how our knowledge of the past has been increasingly attacked for religious reasons. This has inspired him to revisit the topic and defend the educated viewpoint.