Skeptics with a K

Episode #443

December 4, 2025

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  • The hosts of Skeptics with a K are wrapping up 2025, planning a break over Christmas and New Year, and Alice is set to present her list of favorite wellness 'woo' products found in holiday gift guides. 
  • Alice detailed a very busy 2025 filled with professional engagements related to research on myths, disinformation, open research practices, and skeptical community events like QED. 
  • The wellness segment highlighted several trendy, high-priced supplement products—like mushroom coffee and greens powders—and criticized the marketing tactics used to lend them false credibility, such as uncompensated clinician reviews facilitated by third-party AI tools. 

Segments

Podcast Year-End Planning
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(00:00:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Skeptics with a K will take a break over Christmas and New Year, concluding their 2025 recording schedule soon.
  • Summary: The hosts confirmed that they have only a couple of shows left in 2025 before taking a break for Christmas and New Year. This decision was finalized during an on-air production meeting. The current episode marks the beginning of the final run of shows for the year.
Alice’s 2025 Professional Roundup
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(00:02:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Alice’s year included concluding research on myths and disinformation, presenting on influencing without authority in Utrecht, and engaging with UNESCO on open research metrics.
  • Summary: Alice summarized major professional activities, including concluding a Royal Society of Edinburgh funded research project in March, which involved public engagement events. She also attended a conference in Paris regarding monitoring change in open research practices, noting how metrics can incentivize poor practices. Furthermore, she and Marsh represented QED at a London event focused on engaging the public on science and evidence in September.
Wellness Gift Guide Analysis
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(00:09:01)
  • Key Takeaway: The wellness gift guide segment critiques the marketing of supplements like mushroom coffee and greens powders, noting the prevalence of dubious claims and questionable endorsements.
  • Summary: Alice introduced her top five favorite pieces of Christmas gift wellness ‘woo,’ starting with Everyday Dose Shroom Coffee, which is marketed with functional mushrooms and nootropics. She heavily criticized the ‘clinician reviewed’ endorsements for supplements, revealing a system where clinicians are incentivized via a platform called Front Row MD to promote products using AI-summarized research. The segment also targeted Free Soul Mango Greens powder for using the term ‘viral’ inappropriately and making unsubstantiated claims about containing 21 ‘superfoods.’
Critique of High-End ‘Healthy’ Treats
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(00:21:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Cosmic Dealer chocolates are criticized for being extremely expensive (£23 for seven small pieces) while relying on vague health claims like ‘high-vibes’ and minimal sugar content.
  • Summary: The Cosmic Dealer chocolates, recommended by Marie Claire, are noted for being rich in magnesium and polyphenols but are very costly for their small size. The company’s branding uses language like ‘floating somewhere in the cosmos,’ which Alice equates to Gwyneth Paltrow’s style of wellness marketing. The product’s claim of having 80% less sugar than comparable bars is dismissed as meaningless when compared to actual vegetables.
Gua Sha and Colostrum Review
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(00:25:02)
  • Key Takeaway: The Style Pro Heated LED Electric Gua Sha device combines traditional scraping with LED light therapy, while Armra Colostrum is marketed as bioavailable nutrients from grass-fed cows.
  • Summary: The Style Pro device merges Gua Sha techniques, previously discussed in Episode 240, with LED mask technology to supposedly boost circulation and lymphatic drainage. The final item reviewed was Armra Colostrum, a powder derived from cow milk, which is expensive and must not be mixed with hot liquids to preserve its bioactive compounds. Alice noted that while colostrum has early research backing for specific conditions, it is not recommended for everyday use by the average person.
Alice’s Upcoming Lithuania Trip
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(00:29:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Alice is traveling to Kaunas, Lithuania, to celebrate her 20th anniversary, requiring her to obsessively check the weather and purchase appropriate cold-weather coats.
  • Summary: Alice is traveling to Kaunas, Lithuania, for her 20th anniversary trip, choosing a cold destination over a hot one or staying in miserable winter weather like Manchester. She has been preoccupied with checking the weather forecasts, which fluctuate between unseasonably mild and near-freezing temperatures. This preparation led to her buying multiple coats, prompting a brief tangent about boiler pressure issues at home.
Patron Events and Meetups
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(00:38:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Skeptics with a K is hosting a live online Patron Hangout on December 11th at 7 PM, followed by a free in-person Merseyside Skeptics Christmas Party on December 13th at (7:30) PM in Liverpool.
  • Summary: The first unique event for patrons is a live conference call hangout scheduled for December 11th at 7 PM, accessible to all current supporters. Following this, the Merseyside Skeptics Christmas Party is scheduled for December 13th at (7:30) PM at Tempest on Tithe Barn Street and is free to attend for the local skeptical community.