The Reality Check

Sharks are so old. How old are they? They're so old that you'll be shocked to hear of all of the things that haven't been on earth as long as sharks. Darren gives us a unique history of the earth by exploring the ages of very old things and contrasting them to the very long time that sharks have been around. Adam looks at a recent appearance of Jim Carrey that has fans wondering if he's been replaced with a clone, a double or a makeup artist in an elaborate mask.

What impact do digital devices like laptops, tablets and smart phones, both inside and outside of the classroom, have on childrens' ability to learn? Adam questions the assumption that these devices are always positive, and examines the research on the topic. Darren gives us two book reviews. First up is Enshittification by Cory Doctorow, which examines what seems to make good companies kind of terrible, and then it's Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang, which looks at what factors make the US and China different.

There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a network of Artificial Intelligence agents who are interacting with each other in great numbers in a virtual space. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work. There has been a lot of news lately about Moltbook AI, a platform where Artificial Intelligence agents are interacting with each other in great numbers. Darren separates fact from fiction as he explores many fascets of this emerging technology and what it could mean for the future. Then Adam looks into just how the surveys they use to get answers for the game show Family Feud really work.

This week's show is all about the law. Growing up our parents told us all kinds of things were illegal, such as driving with the dome light on in the car, riding in the back of a pickup truck, skipping school or playing Ding Dong Ditch. Adam explores whether any of these things are actually illegal, and asks if our parents were lying to us or just mistaken themselves. Then Darren investigates the effect of Canadian politeness and the law. Does saying you're sorry mean that you're actually admitting to being guilty of something?

After decades of doing the podcast we have finally gotten around to recording an episode entirely dedicated to orange cats. Darren examines just what's going on with orange cats acting weird on the Internet and in real life. Is Orange Cat Energy a thing or are humans just stereotyping orange taby cats? Adam explores the world's most popular orange cat, Garfield, as he tries to find out just what kind of cat he actually is.

For our first show of 2026 Adam looks at the efficacy of Infant Simulator Programs, which involves giving a fake baby to high school kids to discourage teen pregnancy. Darren gives us a review of three books, "The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip" by Stephen Witt, "The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State" by Michael Steinberger and "Peak Human: What We Can Learn From History's Greatest Civilizations" by Johan Norberg.

As Christmas approaches we bring you the history of two popular decorations you might see this holiday season. Darren looks at the history of the mistletoe as a decoration, symbol of fertility and God killer. Adam looks at the first use of lights on a Christmas tree and it may be older than you think!

With AI safety still underrated yet imperative, in this bonus episode of the show we share the Introduction to "Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World" by Darren McKee.

Today, December 2nd, is Giving Tuesday. Darren gives an overview of the concept of Effective Giving, with some tips on how your charitable donations could will lead to the most good in line with your own priorities. Adam tackles a few claims about the Mona Lisa, inspired by not all that evidence based viral clips. What were the original colours of this painting, and did it only become popular after being stolen years ago?

Two years ago we interviewed Yoshua Bengio, the prominent AI researcher, about his long career in AI where he helped build the foundations for the tools millions use around the world every day. We discussed the future of AI systems, including the importance of AI safety. Since then, Yoshua Bengio has continued to achieve great success in his career in both work on AI and raising awareness about their risks. This bonus episode is a repeat of Darren McKee and Adam Gardner's interview with him from 2023.

We've got two special guests on the latest show! TRC alumni Pat and Cristina join us with a couple of great segments. First Critina tackles a number of myth about diabetes, including her own recent serious experience with DKA or diabetic ketoacidosis. Then Pat delights us with another round of everyone's favourite mostly guessing game Name That: Spot the Fake edition. This game has a special twist that really challenged the contestants.

Is the "Disney Point" the bizarre result of certain images of Walt Disney around Disney Parks with cigarettes edited out to give the illusion of a unique pointing style? Adam weighs the evidence. Then Darren gives us a couple of book reviews. First up is Shadow Cell by Andrew and Jihi Bustamante, a real life exploration of the world of espionage by former CIA operatives. Next is Algospeak by Adam Aleksic, which examines how social media algorithms inflence language online and in the real world.

With Halloween coming up we bring you some spooky segments on zombies and vampires! Darren looks at the thought experiment about philosophical zombies also known as p-zombies. Does this idea make that much sense? Then Adam looks at cases of tuberculosis taking place in New England which, to people without a proper understanding of the germ theory of disease, were thought to be vampirism.

Why does air conditioning seem to be more common in North America than in Europe or other places around the world? Adam looks at the many factors that can encourage or hinder adoption of AC in various places. Darren gives us book reviews on a variety of topics with "What Is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics" by Adam Becker and "Good and Real: Demystifying Paradoxes from Physics to Ethics" by Gary Drescher.

How is intelligence portrayed in works of fiction? In books, films and TV, we often see depictions of very smart of sometimes less intelligent people, but it's never totally realistic. Darren leads a conversation about various fictional portrayals of intelligence from Ender Wiggin and Sherlock Holmes to Joey Tribbiani and Homer Simpson. When do they get it right and why, and what do they often get wrong?

Wood you believe that it's all about trees on the latest episode of The Reality Check podcast? Here are two classic segments about trees. First up is an interview with tree expert Owen Clarkin who gets to the root of many tree facts. That segment may have planted the seeds for a future segment so we leave you with Pat who looks into claims that the Amazon rainforest is the Earth's lungs.

It's a different kind of show this week as Darren and Adam discuss the recently released Superman film. The movie, directed by James Gunn, stars David Corenswet as Superman. The discussion includes a look at box office results and factors contributing to them, criticism of art and the various things we like and dislike about the film. Though it isn't a particularly sciencey topic, we can't help but apply our own brand of critical thinking to some aspects of the film. The film is currently in theatres worldwide and available to purchase digitally. It's recommended that you watch it before listening to this episode as there are plenty of spoilers, if you care about that kind of thing.

This podcast is not sponsored by anyone selling testosterone and its hosts aren't on T, but there are a many who are! Adam looks into testosterone replacement therapy, TRT, and its connection to some podcasts which are popular with men. Darren then gives us some reviews of five books: Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company by Patrick McGee, An Immense World by Ed Yong, Canada Alone: Navigating the Post-American World by Kim Richard Nossal, Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter and Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself and Realise Your Full Potential by Scott Barry Kaufman.

Is AI making us dumber? Darren looks into a recent study, which spawned some less than great press coverage, trying to assess where or not using LLMs is making us less intelligent. We didn't really come to very good conclusions because we've been using too much AI. Adam gives an overview of mentalism, inspired by some recent podcast appearances by Oz Pearlman which have gone viral and brought some mainstream attention to this practice.