Skeptics with a K

Episode #439

November 6, 2025

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  • The perceived decline in the popularity of skepticism may be more accurately attributed to a significant loss of discoverability due to hostile changes in social media platform algorithms rather than a true drop in public appetite for critical thinking topics. 
  • The early success of the skepticism movement was partly due to contrarians who have since flipped to oppose the movement once it became mainstream, highlighting the ongoing challenge of protecting the label from those who prioritize contrarianism over constructive engagement. 
  • Skeptics wishing to make a difference should focus on community building, local activism, and leveraging personal skills (like regulatory complaints or writing) to push back against pseudoscience, rather than relying solely on large, centralized events like QED. 
  • The speaker experienced frustration with the sizing gap for children's and adult swim shorts, and later had a confusing, yet cool, experience using RFID-based self-checkout at Decathlon. 
  • The speaker recounted a humorous and slightly embarrassing trip to the Sandcastle water park in Blackpool, involving a parabola slide anti-climax and swim shorts being pulled down by water jets on a roller coaster-like ride. 
  • The QED team announced they will be organizing the European Skeptics Congress in Liverpool in October 2026, confirming the event will share the ethos of the previous QED conferences. 

Segments

Post-QED Activities and Travel
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(00:00:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Following QED, Mike traveled to Scotland, staying at Dalhousie Castle and visiting Rosslyn Chapel, where filming is prohibited due to a past tourist accident.
  • Summary: The hosts reconvened after QED, with Marsh reflecting on the community and Mike detailing a post-conference trip to Scotland. During the trip, they visited Rosslyn Chapel, famous for its appearance in The Da Vinci Code, but noted that photography is banned inside. They also participated in falconry, learning that birds of prey are traditionally trained to perch on the left hand because the right hand was historically used for riding a horse.
Reflecting on QED Live Show
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(00:02:57)
  • Key Takeaway: The live show format at QED was highly enjoyable, reinforcing the value of having the audience physically present for interaction.
  • Summary: The hosts agreed that performing a live show in front of the QED audience was very enjoyable, contrasting with the usual remote podcast format. They expressed a desire to do more live shows in the future, noting it is easier when the audience is already gathered for the main conference.
Skepticism’s Heyday and Panel Insights
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(00:04:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The peak popularity of the UK skepticism movement occurred roughly between 2007 and 2012, a period characterized by superior social media infrastructure for community organization.
  • Summary: Alice and Marsh discussed their QED panel, ‘Looking backward, moving forward,’ which analyzed the movement’s peak period around 2007-2012. They argued that the decline in local group attendance since then is partly due to the loss of organic reach provided by older Facebook and Twitter structures, which actively promoted events to members.
Contrarians and Label Poaching
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(00:07:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The skepticism movement initially attracted contrarians who opposed mainstream cultural control (like religion post-9/11), but these individuals often flip to oppose the now-popular skeptical movement itself.
  • Summary: The conversation explored how early skepticism attracted contrarians who opposed prevailing cultural narratives, but these individuals abandoned the movement once it gained traction, often becoming actively hostile. This tendency to poach respectable terminology means any new label adopted by skeptics will eventually be co-opted by opposing groups.
Founders and Pandemic Woos
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(00:08:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Dr. Scott Campbell, founder of Skeptics in the Pub in 1999, later published anti-mask literature under the pseudonym Hector Drummond, illustrating how early skeptical figures can become purveyors of pseudoscience.
  • Summary: The hosts identified Dr. Scott Campbell as the founder of Skeptics in the Pub, noting his later involvement in anti-mask rhetoric during the pandemic under a pseudonym. This example reinforces the point that individuals prominent in the movement’s history can become actively anti-science.
Actionable Steps for Community Growth
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(00:15:27)
  • Key Takeaway: To combat the negative perception of the term ‘skeptic,’ individuals should engage in local community service and activism outside of formal skeptical groups, mirroring successful outreach tactics used by religious organizations.
  • Summary: When asked how to push back against pseudoscience locally, Marsh suggested taking inspiration from religion’s community outreach by participating in non-skeptical activities like litter picking or picnics to build positive associations. He also stressed applying one’s existing talents (e.g., art, teaching) to skeptical endeavors and connecting with existing local humanist or atheist groups to share audiences and support.
Regulatory Activism and ASA Complaints
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(00:35:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Regulatory action, specifically filing complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regarding unsubstantiated health claims, is an easy and effective form of low-effort activism.
  • Summary: Filing complaints with the ASA is simple, requiring only a screenshot and a brief statement that a health claim does not appear evidence-based; the complainant does not need to provide definitive proof. This type of activity, if done consistently by local groups, can lead to blanket bans on misleading products, as demonstrated by the ruling against certain plug-in heaters.
Engaging Media and Politics
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(00:41:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Influencing media outlets like the BBC requires polite, factual criticism, and engaging politicians is most effective when mixing personal stories with statistics and requesting specific, actionable tasks.
  • Summary: Polite, supportive emails to journalists can lead to corrections and establish future contacts for accuracy, contrasting with aggressive approaches that yield no results. When contacting MPs, mixing personal anecdotes with statistics demonstrates both the magnitude and the human impact of an issue, and requests should be specific actions the politician can actually perform, such as asking a parliamentary question.
Swimwear Sizing Issues
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(00:49:43)
  • Key Takeaway: A significant sizing gap exists between the largest child sizes and smallest adult sizes for swim shorts, causing difficulty for individuals like a 15-year-old.
  • Summary: Swim shorts lack clear demarcation between sporty and leisure use, and there is a problematic gap where child sizes are too small and adult sizes are too large for some teenagers. The speaker noted that available alternatives were often professional ‘speedo-y’ shorts, which were undesirable for leisure use. The speaker ultimately purchased three different pairs to cover the size range.
Decathlon RFID Checkout Experience
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(00:50:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Decathlon utilizes RFID-based self-checkouts that automatically register items placed near the scanner without requiring manual barcode scanning.
  • Summary: The speaker was initially confused at the self-service checkout because the swim shorts lacked visible barcodes, leading to a feeling of potentially stealing after paying. The system automatically detected the items held by proximity, confirming it was RFID-based rather than relying on remote human monitoring. This technology created a weird but cool purchasing experience for the speaker.
Blackpool Water Park Visit
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(00:52:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The Sandcastle water park in Blackpool was noted for being extremely loud, triggering an Apple Watch noise warning, but was not overly busy during the half-term visit.
  • Summary: The Sandcastle in Blackpool is described as the UK’s largest indoor water park, featuring slides like a parabola ride that ended in an anti-climactic U-bend. The speaker recounted a childhood memory of intentionally going backward down a slide into a ‘plughole’ section despite explicit warnings against it. On a different ride, water jets caused the speaker’s swim shorts to be pulled down to their knees, forcing an awkward exit maneuver.
Hadrian’s Wall Photo Recreation
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(00:57:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The speaker successfully located the exact spot, including a specific tree, along Hadrian’s Wall (Turret 52B near Carlisle) to recreate a childhood photograph for a companion.
  • Summary: The speaker assisted a companion, Anne, in recreating a childhood photo taken at Hadrian’s Wall by identifying the precise location using details from the original picture. By zooming in on an information board, the speaker identified the location as Turret 52B, east of Carlisle. This involved tracking down a prominent tree visible in the decades-old photograph to ensure an exact match for the recreation.
European Skeptics Congress 2026
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(00:59:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The QED team, in collaboration with Merseyside Skeptics, will organize the European Skeptics Congress in Liverpool from October 16th to 18th, 2026, at The Liner Hotel.
  • Summary: Following the decision to wrap up QED, the team agreed to organize the 2026 European Skeptics Congress in Liverpool. The event will be smaller in scale than QED but will maintain the same shared values and ethos. Interested parties can sign up for email updates at escliverpool.org.
Liverpool Skeptics Social Event
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(01:01:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Liverpool Skeptics hold a regular social gathering at Dr. Duncan’s on St. John’s Lane starting at 8 PM for community building and discussions.
  • Summary: The Liverpool Skeptics meet this evening for a social event to chat, have drinks, and build community. Discussions can range from skeptical topics to defining words, such as the difference between a contraption, a gizmo, and a widget. Attendees in the Liverpool area are encouraged to join the gathering.
Patreon Support and Ad-Free Access
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(01:01:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Supporting the podcast via Patreon at patron.com/skepticswithak or patron.com/merseyskeptics provides funding for research and production costs and grants access to an ad-free version of the podcast.
  • Summary: Listeners can support the show and Merseyside Skeptics Society through their respective Patreon pages, with contributions starting as low as one pound per month. This financial support aids in covering research time and production costs for Skeptics with a K. Both Patreon tiers grant access to an ad-free version of the podcast.