Episode Two Hundred – On Tesla, Scientology, Psychics – And Skepticism
Welcome to episode two hundred. The show finally made it!
This is a thank you to everyone who has supported the Token Skeptic podcast over many years. There’s a number of people who have consistently supported the show, some who have done so financially – and whether you are still with or have moved on or your circumstances have changed, I am still very grateful for your thoughts and for your time.
The following is for you, as it is you who have made the biggest difference to the world. Thanks to your existence, I’ve gone back to school and studied radio broadcasting and taken a lot of very early mornings in order to conduct the following – because you can’t stop the signal… or skepticism. So here’s three interviews that highlight the kinds of things that help make the show reach episode 200.
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Tower to the People is a documentary about the little known scientist Nikola Tesla – a man who has boomed in popularity due to the fact that so few people know about him and his achievements.
Documentary maker Joseph Sikorski has been working for over a decade on the story of Tesla, including interviews with the Oatmeal’s Matthew Inman, Tesla’s grandnephew William Terbo, as well as some of the most respected names in the Tesla community.
The campaign has already exceeded over 75% of its goal in its first week and is now a hot trending project on Indiegogo. Tower To the People is currently seeking sponsors at www.teslasdream.com, where you can find out more about the story and the documentary.
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A documentary about scientology has just opened in Australian cinemas nationwide!
Written and directed by Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney and based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology and the Religion of Belief profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology-whose most prominent adherents include A-list Hollywood celebrities. It’s one of the most talked about films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, this powerful documentary highlights the Church’s origins, from its roots in the mind of founder L. Ron Hubbard to its rise in popularity in Hollywood and beyond.
For this interview, I spoke to journalist Tony Ortega about the importance of the documentary – and also about his new book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, his investigation of the author Paula Cooper, and her 1971 book, The Scandal of Scientology.
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The Psychic – The Skeptic – And The ACCC.
About half the population of Australia thinks there “might be something” about psychic powers. But what happens when it goes beyond entertainment – and becomes something that can harm?
I’m investigating the perspective of professional psychic Sally Morgan, paranormal investigator Hayley Stevens and the Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Delia Rickard and asking – what exactly is a psychic anyway?
You can find out more at the ACCC site, https://www.accc.gov.au.
Hayley Stevens site is at http://hayleyisaghost.co.uk.
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A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out https://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess – and consider becoming a Patreon for these shows.
This episode is brought to you with thanks to Patreon supporters – they include: Steven, Stephen, Josh, Linley, Gold, Brian, Paul, Dr T, Iggy, Lukas and Andrew. Thanks to everyone who contributes and please consider joining to help continue these shows at patreon.com/kyliesturgess.
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