In this special episode of the Yeah… Nah! podcast, we talk with longtime skeptic Siouxsie Wiles about taking her employer, Auckland University, to employment court over their lack of support for her science communication work. We get to hear some of the inside scoop about the court case, and try to figure out why the university chose to go down the legal path rather than making a few simple changes to their policies. About this episode Links to resources we talk about: Period People Aotearoa: ht...
Nov 16, 2025•52 min•Season 2025Ep. 101
We’ve covered some serious topics in this week’s podcast, and some that are thankfully a little more light-hearted. Mark talks about a media request the NZ Skeptics have received to answer questions about UFOs, hoping to make it abundantly clear that despite a number of UFO articles on our website, we don’t actually believe that little green men are visiting us. Bronwyn has delved into our project to collate events of skeptical interest, and looks at what skeptical events happened this fortnight...
Nov 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 2025Ep. 100
We have more topics than usual on this week’s Yeah… Nah! podcast episode, with Bronwyn talking about Zholia Alemi and RFK Jr’s circumcision claims, Mark talking about the new book The War on Science and Avi Loeb’s doom and gloom predictions that aliens are coming to kill us, and finally Katrina talking about Gerson Therapy and another sad case of someone foregoing proper medical treatment, with dire consequences. Plus we have an update of sorts on the (non)Rapture of 2025. About this episode Art...
Oct 19, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2025Ep. 99
Katrina’s back and in top form for this episode of the Yeah… Nah! Podcast, updating us on the latest research into keto diets, and recent experiments in mice. Mark has an up-date on the failed Rapture prediction, with a new date being suggested of the 7th of October, and a hand-waving excuse as to why it didn’t happen on the 24th. And there was no way Bronwyn wasn’t going to cover the recent claims by Trump and RFK Jr in the US that paracetamol use in pregnancy is the cause of autism. About this...
Oct 05, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 2025Ep. 98
Quick, you only have a few days left before the Antichrist turns up for the end of the world - make sure your room’s tidy, and say goodbye to any Christians in your life before they’re whisked away. In this week’s episode, Mark talks about an Official Information Act request warning the government that the Rapture is happening on Wednesday the 24th of September, 2025, and breaks down what all the mentions of conspiracy theories are in the request. Bronwyn has found a worrying trend on social med...
Sep 21, 2025•54 min•Season 2025Ep. 97
This week in the Yeah… Nah! podcast, there’s a smorgasbord of skeptical topics for you to gorge yourself on. Bronwyn has updates to her previous articles on Cryonics, the Warrens, the Campbells and ISTA, while Katrina has concerns about how poor numeracy can have detrimental health outcomes. And Mark has been patiently waiting for a new game, Silksong, to be released, and has found an interesting parallel to how conspiracy theorists behave amongst the many people hyped up about the game’s long-a...
Sep 07, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 2025Ep. 96
In this episode of the Yeah… Nah! podcast there’s just one topic on all of our minds - The Telepathy Tapes. Bronwyn, Mark and Katrina talk to Janyce Boynton from the US about the world of Facilitated Communication (FC). Janyce is not only hugely knowledgeable about the world of FC, but was also once a practitioner herself. The conversation ranges from the 1990s through to today, covering not only FC but also RPM, S2C, telepathy, false abuse accusations, the complicity of higher education, copyri...
Aug 24, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 2025Ep. 95
Despite the fact that all our podcast hosts wrote about the same topic for our newsletter this week, we’ve still ended up with a variety of discussions for the podcast. Bronwyn and Mark not only talk about The Telepathy Tapes, but also about their visit to see a talk given by Brother Guy Consolmagno, the head Vatican Astronomer. Katrina thoroughly debunks the idea that quantum entanglement could explain telepathy between individuals who have been in close proximity to each other, and Mark lament...
Aug 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 2025Ep. 94
Katrina’s back from her holiday, so we’re back to full strength for this episode of the Yeah… Nah! podcast. Mark and Bronwyn visited a faith healing night, and they recount their experiences and their thoughts on whether God was present on the night. Katrina’s been trying to figure out whether a mixture of nootropics and neuroplasticity can rewire your brain. Mark’s been looking into a “cult” that’s so new the paint’s not even dry yet. And Bronwyn wonders whether the latest event related to Ed a...
Jul 27, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 2025Ep. 93
Katrina’s been away on holiday, so we’ve replaced her in this episode with Aaron, an ex Jehovah’s Witness who’s spent some time on the NZ Skeptics committee. Mark and Aaron talk about Aaron’s attempt to prove Mark wrong about Diet Coke, and the lessons learned from this test about blind testing. Bronwyn completes her series on cryonics with a grab-bag of interesting facts she’s learned. And Mark seems to have got more than he bargained for when he looked into a silly idea about how you’re suppos...
Jul 13, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 2025Ep. 92
We figured there was a lot more life in the idea of people trying to live forever, so all three of our podcast hosts this week - Bronwyn, Katrina and Mark - have picked a topic related to human lifespans. Katrina lets us know how long we can expect people to live, and how both the average life expectancy and upper age limit of living people have changed over time. Mark has been looking into the people who try to use science to extend their lifespan for as long as possible, with some hoping to li...
Jun 29, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 2025Ep. 91
Having been a week late with the last episode, we’re following up with an on-time episode, meaning you can listen to Yeah… Nah! two weeks in a row. This week Katrina wonders whether Trump’s Golden Dome idea of a missile defence shield around the US has any merit, and Bronwyn talks about the history of cryonics (not cryogenics). We also chat about our plan to cover the Telepathy Tapes, and suggest that some of our more intrepid listeners might want to try to listen to that podcast before we start...
Jun 15, 2025•58 min•Season 2025Ep. 90
As Bronwyn’s been on holiday overseas and come back suffering from food poisoning, we’ve recorded this episode a little late - but we’re sure it’s worth the wait! Mark gives his thoughts on John Campbell’s recent documentary series Under His Command, about the controversial Destiny Church and its leader, “Apostle” Brian Tamaki. Katrina looks into the scientific evidence for and against the idea of Mansplaining as a phenomenon, Bronwyn gives us an update on recent bad behaviour by members of the ...
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 2025Ep. 89
We’re all over the show with our new episode of Yeah… Nah!, starting with Mark talking about his recent visit to another Creationist talk - and this one was as inspiring as it was factual. Katrina’s been concerning herself with the question of whether octopuses are going to take over the world, and Bronwyn’s managed to dig up some archive material about a small church in Lower Hutt that appears to have had more than its fair share of controversy and bad behaviour during its lifetime. About this ...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Season 2025Ep. 88
In this episode of the Yeah… Nah! podcast, the team ponder an email sent in by Barry Lennox, who knows a little more about EMF than the people selling EMF Rocks. Katrina finishes off her series on Sovereign Citizens, looking at how the courts have dealt with the madness, and Bronwyn and Mark both have some weird and wonderful stories about the Catholic church, just in time for the Conclave. About this episode Articles we talk about: Catholic Conspiracies Holy Weed and Holy Forgeries SoulCore - C...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 2025Ep. 87
Scams, scams, scams in this episode of the Yeah… Nah! Podcast, with Mark talking about his activism dealing with an NZ Post text-based scam, Bronwyn looking into vastly-overpriced bags of rocks that are supposed to protect you from harmful Electromagnetic radiation, and Katrina documenting how some Sovereign Citizens in New Zealand have been trying to scam Justices of the Peace into signing copies of their sham legal documents. About this episode Articles we talk about: NZ Post Scams: A little b...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 2025Ep. 86
In this episode of the only official podcast of the NZ Skeptics ever to have existed, Bronwyn is concerned that skeptical slapdowns aren’t enough to keep a good bullshit peddler down, Mark is dismayed at people contacting the NZ Skeptics who want us to try to trick search engines into increasing our ranking, and Katrina starts a very long journey in the first of a multi-part look into the history of sovereign citizens, and what they’re up to in New Zealand. About this episode Articles we talk ab...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2025Ep. 85
In this episode of the Yeah... Nah! podcast, hosts Bronwyn Rideout, Mark Honeychurch and Katrina Borthwick explore the ethical implications of using AI tools when making content for the NZ Skeptics. They discuss recent weather-related scams surrounding Cyclone Alfred, the latest strange trend on TikTok involving telekinesis, and the dubious intellectual claims of Christopher Langan - with a detailed critique of how scammers often leverage high IQ claims. About this episode Articles we talk about...
Mar 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2025Ep. 84
In this episode of the Yeah… Nah! podcast, extra special guest James Kerr joins the crew for a conversation about how a fundamental misunderstanding of how government works can lead people to believe in grand conspiracies. Bronwyn gives an update on ISTA, who are currently in a little hot water. And Katrina has found a handy online game called Bad News that teaches people about online disinformation. About this episode Articles we talk about: Mulder would be QAnon: The deep roots of a modern con...
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 2025Ep. 83
In the latest episode of the Yeah… Nah! Podcast, your hosts lament the latest nonsense stunt pulled by Destiny Church. Mark reports back from the recent Wellington anti-fluoride meeting, featuring American fluoride activist Michael Connett. Everyone has watched the new Netflix show about cancer quacks, Apple Cider Vinegar, so we get a breakdown of the show from Katrina, and an investigation into the real history of one of the main characters from Bronwyn. About this episode Articles we talk abou...
Feb 23, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 2025Ep. 82
In this episode, we first ponder Mark and Bronwyn’s upcoming trip to Auckland, and then get down to business sharing our thoughts on the movie Heretic. Katrina has some worrying news about an asteroid coming our way in a little under a decade, and Mark looks at the recent scandal with PayPal’s Honey browser extension, drawing parallels to an older scandal that happened much closer to home in skeptical circles. About this episode Articles we talk about: Movie Review: Heretic Incoming Asteroid jus...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 2025Ep. 81
It’s an episode of looking back this week, with both Bronwyn and Mark revisiting old stories. Bronwyn gives us an update on cult member and soon-to-be US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, while Mark has been keeping his eye on the resurrection of the Global Flourishing group in Auckland. Katrina has been learning all about hacking and social engineering, and kept track of all the media stories over Christmas involving people falling prey to internet scams. And Mark gives everyone...
Jan 26, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 2025Ep. 80
We’re back after a well-deserved Christmas break, and we have more aliens to talk about. After hearing about Mark’s job as Best Man at a wedding where the guests were mostly either Jehovah’s Witnesses or Salvation Army members, Katrina keeps us updated on the latest proposed addition to the Drake Equation, bringing estimates of the number of alien civilisations in our galaxy down even further. Then Bronwyn and Mark talk about both their visits to Share International, and the history of the group...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 2025Ep. 79
CONTENT WARNING: This episode involves Mark describing his colonic irrigation in excruciating detail, and includes audio samples of his ordeal. As well as this horrendous segment, Bronwyn talks about how December in NZ is connected with UFOs and aliens, and Brad has tried to answer a question about playing a piano on Mars, a thought experiment that turns out to have more depth to it than you might think. About this episode Articles we talk about: How would a piano sound on Mars? Ring around Uran...
Dec 28, 2024•1 hr•Season 2024Ep. 78
The Yeah… Nah! crew are preparing for Christmas, and for Mark this means getting ready for his upcoming colonic irrigation. Bronwyn has spent the last month annoying Mark by sending him AI videos of buff and chubby cats, and then decided to try to figure out what’s motivating the people who have been making them. Brad has noticed a relatively new trend that vocalists are using, and wonders if it’s a case of form above function. Katrina has found some pretty obscure local cryptids, although it ap...
Dec 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 2024Ep. 77
The team are back from the NZ Skeptics’ annual conference and ready to give you their honest thoughts on how the event went, along with a low-down of each of the speakers’ talks. And, as if that isn’t enough to fill an entire episode, we also hear from Bronwyn about claims that lasers can cure autism, and from Mark who has now watched three out of five Christian apologist movies in the God’s Not Dead series from Pureflix, and has failed to solve a mystery. About this episode Articles we talk abo...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2024Ep. 76
We’re at the NZ Skeptics’ annual conference for this special live recording of Yeah… Nah! We reveal our Bent Spoon, Bravo and Skeptic of the Year winners, trash talk the Go Green Expo (and LifeWave in particular) and try to convince our live audience that going on a ghost hunting tour is a really fun thing to do. About this episode Articles we talk about: Go Green Garbage X39 Patches, brought to you by LifeWave There's a patch for that: LifeWave moves into New Zealand Ghost Hunting for Skeptics ...
Nov 23, 2024•53 min•Season 2024Ep. 75
Mark and Bronwyn are back from the DeCult conference, and have some thoughts about their experiences while they were there, and some of the suggestions that had been floated about how to deal with the issue of cults. Mark comes full-circle on the idea of a weirdly shaped straw, Katrina wants to be a super-hero, but is disappointed in the lack of progress science is making to realise her dreams. And Brad gets horsey again, trying to figure out why some of his friends and colleagues pay good money...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 2024Ep. 74
Another fortnight, another episode of your favourite podcast, Yeah… Nah! This time round the block, we’re all over the place, starting with Katrina talking about the history of Halloween traditions. Mark has been farming his children for content again, and has learned about Aura Points. Bronwyn’s found yet another dodgy piece of autism research, and Brad’s been considering the importance of choosing your words carefully. About this episode Articles we talk about: All Hallows Eve Aura Points Wham...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 2024Ep. 73
Brad’s just had surgery, but that’s not stopping him from coming onto the podcast this week, where the team talk about his operation, as well as a brain drink he was given by a well-meaning client. Katrina talks about multivariate data analysis, and Mark considers whether sticking your tongue against the roof of your mouth is going to give you a chiselled jaw and perfect teeth. About this episode Articles we talk about: More variables please (with sprinkles on top) Mewing Ārepa: great minds drin...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr•Season 2024Ep. 72
