Blokeology
Health & Wellness Podcasts
The aim with Blokeology is to explore the evidence in all sorts of areas that will improve our health, fitness, and life in general. I’m shooting at a warm healthy skepticism that helps to pierce through hokum and flannel but does it in a way that is respectful and inclusive. My name is Dr Euan Lawson and I've been a doctor for over 20 years. I tackle plenty of health-related topics but I'm keen to dig into a wide variety of sciences and disciplines that underpin anything that affects our lives.
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
Health & Wellness Podcasts
Description:
The aim with Blokeology is to explore the evidence in all sorts of areas that will improve our health, fitness, and life in general. I’m shooting at a warm healthy skepticism that helps to pierce through hokum and flannel but does it in a way that is respectful and inclusive. My name is Dr Euan Lawson and I've been a doctor for over 20 years. I tackle plenty of health-related topics but I'm keen to dig into a wide variety of sciences and disciplines that underpin anything that affects our lives.
Twitter:
@blokeologist
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.blokeology.io/
Email:
euan@blokeology.io
Episodes
Update for September 2019
9/27/2019
Episode Notes It's just a very quick hello to let you know that I'm taking the rest of the year off! Will be back in 2020 and look forward to getting back into more healthy skepticism then.
Podcast Promotion I've moved away from most social media but I realise it is still an important part of many people's lives. If you want to share an episode or more on Twitter, Facebook etc then I'd be thrilled.
Even better, why not mention it to a colleague, friend, or family when you next speak to...
Duration:00:01:22
Episode 060: Dr Alice Howarth on cancer and skepticism
9/13/2019
Episode Notes Dr Alice Howarth is a clinical and molecular pharmacologist who is heavily involved with Merseyside Skeptics Society and is co-host of their excellent Skeptics with a K podcast. She takes us through some of the science around cancer treatments and how the disease actually affects us. It's an emotive time when people are affected by cancer and it can increase one's vulnerability to suggestions of miraculous cures or other treatments that may not have a good evidence base. She...
Duration:00:53:53
Episode 059: Three books | Dr John Richmond on being human
8/30/2019
Episode Notes Next up for Blokeology Three Books is Dr John Richmond. He takes us through three books that can best be themed as 'being human'. What it is to be human, where we came from, where we are going, and, perhaps most importantly, how the hell we get on with each other a bit better. These books cover evolution, anthropology, the future and AI, and social psychology amongst other topics. They are:
Sapiens: A Brief History of HumankindHomo Deus: A Brief History of TomorrowThe...
Duration:00:17:23
Episode 058: Three books | A skeptic's toolkit
8/16/2019
Episode Notes I've put together a Blokeology Three Books - A skeptic's toolkit feature for this episode. These are the books I would recommend if you want to develop your understanding of how to tackle evidence. It can be a forbidding subject but these three books will take you from rank beginner to hardcore skepticism in little time. They are:
Bad ScienceHow to Read A PaperBandolier's Little Book of Making Sense of the Medical Evidence
Podcast Promotion I've moved away from most social...
Duration:00:18:32
Episode 057: Psychology of conspiracy theories with Dr Dan Jolley
8/2/2019
Episode Notes Dr Dan Jolley comes on the show to talk about conspiracy theories and the psychology that underlies many of these beliefs. They can include just about any political and social event. Conspiracy theories around the death of Princess Diana and 9/11 seem incredible but there are sound psychological reasons why people believe them. And, of course, conspiracies about vaccines can have very real health consequences. Rather than dismissing conspiracy theorists we talk about the...
Duration:00:42:28
Episode 056: A very modern anatomist - Professor Adam Taylor
7/19/2019
Episode Notes Professor Adam Taylor is a very modern anatomist who is on hand to correct our misconceptions around this important discipline. It's wrong to think anatomy is an old science and there is no more to learn. There are seven billion people on the planet and no two people are the same. We talk cadavers, dissection and how we teach anatomy these days. We also get into the public understanding of anatomy and research Adam has done suggests knowledge levels are surprisingly low. So,...
Duration:00:48:42
Episode 055: Dr Charlotte Hardman on the psychology of food and appetite
7/5/2019
Episode Notes
We don't just eat because we are hungry. It's a bit more complicated than that. Dr Charlotte Hardman is a researcher who knows all about the psychological determinants of appetite and eating behaviour. We talk about how we should approach food. She highlights how strictly controlling what you eat can then result in the disinhibition effect that traps us in cycles of restriction, bingeing, and negative emotions about ourselves. Crash dieting has a psychological impact as well...
Duration:00:46:14
Episode 054: Professor David Cranston on prostate cancer and PSA testing
6/21/2019
Episode Notes Professor David Cranston FRCS is a consultant urological surgeon and comes on the podcast this week to talk about prostate cancer and PSA testing. Should you get PSA screening? The evidence doesn't support national screening programmes but individuals can still choose to be tested. Some urologists do, some don't. It's an opportunity to delve into some of the evidence and complexities in an important health topic for blokes with an experienced and distinguished surgeon and...
Duration:00:36:25
Episode 053: Talking colour blind awareness with Kathryn Albany-Ward
6/7/2019
Episode Notes Colour blindness is not a fringe concern. The numbers are big: 1 in 12 boys; 1 in 200 women, and 1 in every classroom. Overall, it means about 300 million people across the planet and it's mostly men. Kathryn Albany-Ward has been raising awareness of the challenges of colour blindness since 2010. Colour blindness can affect your school and exam performance; the occupations and careers you can take up are limited; there is a risk to health; and even apparently simple...
Duration:00:54:07
Episode 052: Pixie Turner - the wellness rebel fighting for science-based nutrition
5/24/2019
Episode Notes Pixie Turner is a passionate advocate for a science-based approach to food and she doesn't forget the importance of it fitting with the rest of our lives: being active, sleep, and our mental health. She has gone from self-declared "wellness w****r" to registered nutritionist with a Masters degree to back it up.
We talk about clean eating and the anxiety associated with that pressure. She discusses how a hyper-focus on physical health can often be at the expense of mental...
Duration:00:46:17
Episode 051: Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones on problem gambling and health
5/3/2019
Episode Notes The occasional flutter is something the majority of the population does but severe problem gambling affects nearly 1% with terrible health consequences including increased risk of death and suicide. And, as well as those 400,000 affected in the UK two million are thought to be at risk of worsening problems. Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones knows as much about the challenges of problem gambling as anyone. She's a London-based academic and consultant psychiatrist in addictions. We...
Duration:00:46:02
Episode 050: Dr Adam Staten on burnout and lifestyle
4/26/2019
Episode Notes How do you manage daily stresses and could you be suffering from burnout? Dr Adam Staten has edited a couple of books on burnout and we dig into how it affects us in daily life and how we can promote resilience to keep it at bay. We talk about the importance of decision latitude in burnout, physical activity, and mindfulness and digital technologies. We also consider how hobbies can protect us and how essential sleep remains. Listen in and find out how to avoid burnout and...
Duration:00:43:00
Episode 049: Jeff McCarthy on running with Lyme disease and chronic illness
4/19/2019
Episode Notes How do you continue to exercise and be physically active in life when you have a chronic disease? Award-winning blogger Jeff McCarthy has had Lyme disease and the effects continue to cause him problems. We discuss how he still manages to run and race regularly while managing a chronic disease and serious challenges with fatigue. If you are have any kind of chronic illness then his advice will be welcome and it's good commonsense stuff for anybody, with or without problems....
Duration:00:51:14
Episode 048: Gender socialisation, development and masculinity with Dr Judy Chu
4/12/2019
Episode Notes Dr Judy Chu is a researcher who teaches a course on Boys' Psychosocial Development at Stanford University in California. She has done some fascinating research into adolescents and younger boys examining gender socialisation, their development and relationships. She has fantastic insight into this field and we delve into masculinity issues that are relevant to all men. We talk about toxic masculinity and how that whole phrase is problematic, the pressures boys and men face to...
Duration:00:50:14
Episode 047: John Adams and Dad Blog UK
4/5/2019
Episode Notes I'm joined by John Adams who runs the Dad Blog UK blog to talk about fatherhood, parenting, and lifestyle. John is a stay-at-home father and the main carer for this kids while his wife goes out as the main wage earner. We talk about health and fitness as well as some of the attitudes and the has issues that have affected him in that role as a man. We also talk about the work he has done with the charity Hey Girls to help raise awareness about period poverty. A good topic for...
Duration:00:42:34
Episode 046: Skepticism with Professor Chris French
3/29/2019
Episode Notes In this episode I chat to Professor Chris French who is an active skeptic and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. Chris is Special Advisor and former Editor-in-Chief of The Skeptic Magazine, the UK's foremost and longest-running skeptical magazine.
It's a chance for us to talk about skepticism and the use of science, reason, and evidence to examine all sorts of phenomena. We cover the paranormal, near death experiences,...
Duration:00:55:06
Episode 045: Mudfest: Post Race Debrief
3/22/2019
Episode Notes After a brief hiatus it's time for another informal and chatty episode this week with Dr John Richmond. We were all psyched up for the Lakeland Trails 18K Cartmel Challenge Race but the weather chipped in to rain on the plans. We still had a great day, despite the efforts of Storm Gareth (a name which seems more sinister for its complete normality) and we reflect on how it went as we slogged through 10K of mud and water, some thoughts on over-training and under-resting, and...
Duration:00:24:54
Blokeology Update
3/8/2019
Episode Notes This is just a few minutes with a very quick update on the latest Blokeology news. Hope all good with yourselves and normal service will be resumed next week (all being well).
Podcast Promotion I've moved away from most social media but I realise it is still an important part of many people's lives. If you want to share an episode or more on Twitter, Facebook etc then I'd be thrilled.
Even better, why not mention it to a colleague, friend, or family when you next speak to...
Duration:00:05:54
Episode 044: Preparing for Races and Events
3/1/2019
Episode Notes It's an informal and chatty episode this week as John Richmond and I talk through how we go about preparing for events and races. Back in the very first few episodes of Blokeology John and I talked through some of the basics of running. We're both running a local 18k trail race in a few weeks and we discuss how we've trained for it, how we'll prepare for the day, and some thoughts on our strategy for the race as well. None of this is rocket science but it's good to run over...
Duration:00:41:06
Episode 043: Vybarr Cregan-Reid on Primate Change and Modern Life
2/22/2019
Episode Notes Vybarr Cregan-Reid has written a fascinating book on how our bodies are affected by the modern world and our current environment. He's written extensively about running, movement, and the body. In many ways, as Blur, said "modern life is rubbish". It's all covered in his most recent book Primate Change. We talk about modern diseases that didn't exist thousands of years ago and how we need to appreciate how our lifestyles have changed us. Vybarr also wrote a wonderful account...
Duration:00:51:23