DECULT

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 appears that all of them have likely rational explanations. And finally Mark has been watching sermons given by Jonathan Ayling, the CEO of the Free Speech Union, and wonders whether his love of free speech hides an ulterior motive. About this episode Articles we talk about: Chubby the AI cat: Another image scan, Elsagate 2024, or a bit of both? Hip-singing and vocal fry; why do I hate them so much? Cryptids of New Zealand: Part 1 Cryptids of New Zealand: Part 2 Jonathan Ayling - a wolf in sheep’s clothing Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-11-25 2024-12-09

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 about: Post Conference Thoughts Wham, Bam, Autism Scam: Pew pew Autism lasers God's Not Dead 3: A Light in Darkness Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-11-25

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 Post Conference Thoughts Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-11-11 2024-11-25

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 for ineffective equine treatments. Warning: This episode has brief mentions of abuse during the cult segment. About this episode Articles we talk about: Decompressing from DeCult Anti-Ageing Straws Superhero science IRL Equine Touch Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-10-29

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, Bam, Autism Scams: Reversing Autism through diet and therapy Weaponising Words Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-10-14

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 drink alike? Or a storm in a drink bottle? Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-09-30

In this VERY special episode, Mark and Bronwyn talk with Anke, a journalist with a long-standing interest in cult groups who is organising a weekend conference in Christchurch in October that focuses on all things culty. We talk about cult survivors, cult experts, the difficulties of organising a large event, and Anke’s hopes for the future.

We’ve not scared Katrina or Brad away yet, so the Yeah… Nah! team are marching on, to pastures new. Both Mark and Bronwyn have been poking around astrology software, trying to figure out what, and who, makes it tick. Brad has tried to make sense of the impossible - homeopathy - and its use in treating horses. And Katrina looks into creative ways to get high both legally and for free. About this episode Articles we talk about: A steaming pile of Horse Homeopathy The <FAULT> in our stars: Digitising astrology A PEEK inside some Astrology Software Way remains murky for MDMA assisted therapy Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-09-16

It’s our first episode with new co-hosts Katrina Borthwick and Brad MacClure, so the Yeah… Nah! squad 2.0 get to work tackling some topical issues. Bronwyn, Katrina and Mark have all suffered through watching the entire season of spiritual healing reality TV show Lost Resort, and have a lot to say about it. Katrina has looked into a dubious chiropractic company who caused a New Zealand scientific paper to be retracted. Brad complains about a fellow old-white-man who’s been complaining about the Olympics. And Mark points out the clinical ineffectiveness of the Throckmorton Sign in radiology. About this episode Articles we talk about: Skeptical AV Club: Lost Resort (American Reality Series, 2020) NZ Researcher Silenced Richard Dawkins is officially a curmudgeon The Throckmorton Sign Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-09-02

It’s the end of an era for the Yeah… Nah! podcast as we bid Craig farewell. After we recover from the shock of his departure, we get down to business. Brian Paavo joins us from his helicopter to tell us about his recent visit to Scientology in Honolulu, Bronwyn snakes her way through Spiritualist history, from the enactment of the Spiritualist Church of New Zealand Act 1924 through to Red Seal Toothpaste, and Mark dunks on a couple of new personal AI devices. About this episode Our Guest Brian Paavo Articles we talk about: Scientological Visit Mobile AI, over-promising and under-delivering The Spiritualist Church of New Zealand Act 1924 Newsletter issues these articles appear in: 2024-08-19