Will Saturday, 6 February, 2010
If you’re easily offended by extreme stupidity then this week’s roundup is not for you. You’re not? How about homophobia? Thought so. Find out what you might be paying for the Pope to preach, as well as the latest on Andrew Wakefield, Jodie Kidd’s insight into alternative therapies and more.
The news this week that The Lancet has retracted Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 paper claiming to have found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine is satisfying in the sense that the mills of science may grind exceeding slow but they grind exceeding small. Science – the process of peer review, of establishing the truth by attempting to replicate results independently – works.
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Tags: Andrew Wakefied, autism, Lancet, MMR, vaccination, vaccine
Neil Thursday, 4 February, 2010
On this week’s show, Neil Denny and Padraig Reidy talk to Christopher Hird.
Christopher Hird is a leading figure in UK independent documentary making. He is chair of the Channel Four Britdoc Foundation; a trustee of the Grierson Trust, the Wincott Foundation and Index on Censorship. In January 2008 Christopher Hird started Dartmouth Films, and has produced such films as Cameron’s Money Men, Inside the Saudi Kingdom, Black Gold, and most recently, The End of The Line.
A former journalist working on The Economist, the New Statesman (of which he was deputy editor) and the Sunday Times, where he was editor of the investigative section, Insight. A casualty of the Murdoch regime, he moved into television starting as a reporter on Channel Four’s current affairs programme before co-founding Fulcrum TV, of which he was joint managing director for more than 20 years before it closed in 2007.
Join us at the usual time, 19.00 on Friday 5th February on Resonance 104.4FM in London or via the Resonance live web feed worldwide.
As president and janitor of Balls Out Entertainment (and creator of the world’s first satirical board game of religious warfare, Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination), I’m pleased to announce a special, limited-time promotion to help in Haiti’s disaster relief. Millions have been raised, but the country is in shambles and much more help is needed.
From now through February 15, 2010, all of the profits from sales of Playing Gods games and merchandise will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, via the Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort (S.H.A.R.E.). That’s right, 100% — none of this “30% goes to expenses” crap. Every cent of profit from game sales (minus Paypal and postage fees) will be donated to one of the world’s most respected relief organizations.
Payments will be calculated and donated to S.H.A.R.E. by February 20, and a copy of the check posted on the Playing Gods Web site. Just in case you need some encouragement, I will happily autograph each board game as well, and throw in a free Expansion Pack ($5 value).
Does the creator of this blasphemous indie board game need your money? Of course I do. But the people in Haiti need it more. I’m happy breaking even on the deal.
I don’t see heartless pikers at Milton Bradley, Hasbro, or Parker Bros. donating jack squat!
What do you say? If you donate money, I’ll donate my games and time. You get an autographed Playing Gods game and Haitians get desperately-needed money via a skeptic / humanist charity. Everybody wins.
You can order at http://www.playinggods.com. You don’t need any special code: all profits from anything you buy between now and Feb. 20 will be donated. If you’d like to inquire about bulk orders, you can contact me at balls@playinggods.com.
If you’re not interested in this awesome offer, please pass it along to someone who might be.
Thanks!
Ben Radford
Tags: haiti
Mark Sunday, 31 January, 2010
Simon Singh (author of ‘Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial’) and Andy Lewis discuss the homeopathy and the overdose event organised by the 10:23 campaign, on 30th January 2010 in Red Lion Square, Holborn, London.
Thanks to Dr Stephen Law of CFI UK for the footage
CFI also have an event on Saturday 6th March titled “Monsters vs Aliens”, featuring three experts on UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch.
