Episode #380

The episode opens with hosts Mike Hall, Michael Marshall, and Dr. Alice Howarth discussing recent personal events. Mike recounts helping his partner Emma complete a 47-mile ultramarathon called The Lap around Lake Windermere, detailing the logistical challenges, the scorching heat, and the oddity of wearing a suit throughout the day. Alice and Marsh share their experience of seeing the Northern Lights from their backyard and playing poker for the first time. Alice then shifts to a skeptical examination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, explaining its production via centrifugation and its unproven use in fertility treatments like ovarian rejuvenation. She cites a 2024 systematic review that found insufficient evidence for PRP's effectiveness, highlighting the ethical issues of offering false hope to vulnerable patients. Mike transitions to a media critique, analyzing a viral story about Jeremy Clarkson being crowned the UK's sexiest man. He traces the story to a PR survey conducted by Illicit Encounters, a married dating site, and notes its coverage across multiple UK newspapers and social media. Mike deconstructs the survey's methodology, suggesting it likely used a polling service like OnePoll and targeted responses to generate controversy. He argues the list of men—including Clarkson, Tom Holland, and Prince William—is designed to provoke outrage and maximize media attention, illustrating how such PR stunts cheapen journalism. The hosts reflect on how skepticism has evolved from paranormal topics to media literacy, and Mike mentions a long-term investigation he's working on. The episode concludes with plugs for the QED conference and the show's Patreon support, emphasizing its ad-free model.

As heard by us

A sharp reminder that promising biology is not the same as proven medicine.

This episode treats a familiar problem with a steady hand: treatments can look convincing on paper, work in animals, and still break down in humans.

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Why you'd press play

You want a blunt reality check on treatments that look great before they reach people.

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