''Science for the People'' (formerly ''Skeptically Speaking'') is an Edmonton-based, weekly
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
and radio show
that aims to explore issues pertaining to science,
skepticism
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...
and rational thinking through interviews. The show has featured interviews with prominent skeptics, researchers, and scientists including
Adam Savage
Adam Whitney Savage (born July 15, 1967) is an American special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality and producer, best known as the former co-host (with Jamie Hyneman) of the Discovery Channel televisi ...
,
Derek Colanduno
Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler".
Common variants of the name are ...
,
Phil Plait
Philip Cary Plait (born September 30, 1964), also known as The Bad Astronomer, is an American astronomer, skeptic, and popular science blogger. Plait has worked as part of the Hubble Space Telescope team, images and spectra of astronomical objec ...
, and
Carl Zimmer
Carl Zimmer (born 1966) is a popular science writer, blogger, columnist, and journalist who specializes in the topics of evolution, parasites, and heredity. The author of many books, he contributes science essays to publications such as ''The Ne ...
.
Production
''Science for the People'' is hosted by
Desiree Schell,
and produced by Rachelle Saunders. The show's theme song is by Edmonton band Fractal Pattern, and is called "Binary Consequence".
The podcast's first episode, on the subject of the secular movement in Alberta, was broadcast on the 20th of March 2009. Since then, a show has been offered every week.
The live show broadcasts every Sunday at 6PM and invites its listeners to contribute their questions either via email, phone call, or by posting in the live chat-room during the shows.
While its home station is the campus-based
CJSR-FM
CJSR-FM (''CJSR FM 88'') is a Canadian campus-based community radio station, broadcasting at 88.5 FM in Edmonton, Alberta. The CJSR studios are located in the Students' Union Building of the University of Alberta, while its transmitter is locat ...
, the show is now broadcast by a number of stations in Canada and in the United States.
Recurrent features
In addition to the main interviews in the show, a short segment is often offered during which members of the skeptical communities are invited to publicize their various projects, allowing for the promotion of grassroots events.
Another such short segment is called "everything you know is sort of wrong" and invites science blogger Greg Laden to clarify scientific misconceptions that might be held by the public.
References
External links
*
{{Skeptical podcasts
Mass media in Edmonton
Scientific skepticism mass media
Audio podcasts
2009 podcast debuts