It’s been quite a week for critical thinking and science advocacy in Canada! First off, if you didn’t catch the CBC Marketplace Cure or Con episode, check out Kim’s review and go watch it now.

Radio Freethinker

Thanks to the ineffectiveness of homeopathy, Ethan Clow is alive and well after his televised homeopathic overdose, bringing you episode 98 of Radio Freethinker. Download it here. The main topic of the show of course was the CBC Marketplace episode: Cure or Con. There’s discussion of the ad hominems tossed at CFI Vancouver as part of the hand waving response from the homeopaths. Ethan announced that the Marketplace host, Erica Johnson, will be a guest on RF next week. Other topics discussed included how plans for a hospice are being challenged by Chinese condominium owners who have complained that this proximity to death brings back luck and/or lowered property values.  Also, the Dire Strait’s song Money For Nothing has been banned from Canadian radio, 25 years after its release.

Radio Freethinker broadcasts live on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm Pacific time. You can subscribe to the show’s RSS feed here, and follow them on Facebook, too.

Skeptically Speaking

As someone who loves the creative arts but has no natural or developed artistic skills, I really enjoyed last week’s episode that featured several guests discussing the intersection between science and the creative arts:  Lauren Redniss, author and illustrator of Radioactive, a visual narrative about the work, life and love of Marie and Pierre Curie; art historian Jenna Marie Griffith explained the historical influence of science on the visual arts; and Glendon Mellow, of the blog The Flying Trilobite, discussed the tension between creativity and scientific accuracy.

This Friday, Dr. Gary Stadtmauer returns for a pre-recorded discussion on the science behind the causes, symptoms and treatment of allergies. And Skeptic North contributor Michael Kruse joins to talk about 10:23, a campaign to raise awareness about the scientific perspective on homeopathy. Homeopathic overdoses are planned for communities across Canada. Why not join in?

This Friday’s show will be pre-recorded and will not be running live. The show is available as a podcast, and you can access the show’s RSS feed or subscribe via iTunes.

The Reality Check

From Ottawa, Ontario, The Reality Check is back. This week, Elan gets a biorhythms iPhone app. Adam looks at the escapades of a few celebrities, to see if their supposed sexual conquests add up. And Jon answers the question: “Do sharks get cancer?” Subscribe to The Reality Check on iTunes or via RSS.