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The Reality Check

The Reality Check

By: The Reality Check
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Canada's weekly podcast that explores a wide range of controversies and curiosities using science and critical thinking.Copyright The Reality Check Nature & Ecology Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • TRC #735: Why Is Superman Dressed Like That? + Europe Heat Deaths vs. US Gun Deaths
    Jul 10 2026

    Superman's costume is iconic, but why does he dress like that? We just assume that superheroes should be wearing tight fitting outfits, tights and a cape, but it wasn't always like this. Adam looks at what Superman, a hero created in the 1930s, is really meant to look like, as well as what inspired future superhero outfits. With soaring temperatures in Europe and across the world, Darren looks at air conditioning in Europe. He dives into the often repeated claim that you're more likely to die from heat in Europe than from gun violence in the United States. What does this statement really mean and is it even true?

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    38 mins
  • TRC #734: AI Privacy Threats + Goodhart's Law and Fast Food Order Status Screens
    Jun 15 2026

    Are you concerned about AI threats to your privacy? If you aren't, Darren's got a few reasons why you should be! Images of fingerprints and keys, wifi signals and more could leave you vulnerable to bad actors using AI. Adam wonders why the order status screens at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants often have inaccurate information. The problem leading to this is due to a problem known as Goodhart's Law.

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    29 mins
  • TRC #733: What Did Dinosaurs Sound Like? + Book Review: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman
    Jun 2 2026

    Did tyrannosaurus rex roar? Adam looks at what sound they, and other dinosaurs, may have made and just why animals roar at all. Darren gives us a book review of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, by Edward Fishman, which looks at the history of economic sanctions, what they are, how they're used and what their impact is.

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    26 mins
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