It is often said that cats are responsible for the death of countless birds. Adam looks at where these numbers come from and wonders whether they are all that accurate. Darren gives a review of four books which he recently read. He’ll share an AI and human summary of “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel” by Ari Shavit, Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017″ by Ian Black, “Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War” by Raj M. Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff, and “On Freedom” by Timothy Snyder.

It’s the 700th episode of The Reality Check podcast! On this special show we look back at the last 16 years to see how much things have changed since way back in 2008. Darren looks at the history of podcasts and how far we’ve come and then Adam looks at which false beliefs have become more or less over time since the show started.

When it comes to evolution many focus on what Jean-Baptiste Lamarck got wrong with his model of inheritance.  Darren looks at what he got right and considers his discoveries in light of the scientific understanding of the world of his time.  Adam, based on first hand anecdotal evidence of many cats and dogs, wonders what pets see when they looking at various types of TVs and computer monitors.

Why don't they just convert all of the unused office space to housing?  Adam looks at the challenges involved in converting office buildings to residential space.  Then Darren gives us a review of Ray Kurzweil's recent book The Singularity Is Nearer.

We have some very special guests on this week's episode as TRC alumni Pat and Cristina join us with some great segments.  Cristina looks at the truth behind a viral meme that says that famous actress Hedy Lamarr invented Wi-Fi, and gives us some background on this fascinating woman's life.  Then Pat delights us with everyone's favourite mostly guessing game Name That: Spot The Fake.

Could an AI rewrite its own code? Has it perhaps already done so? Darren looks at the story which suggests that an AI Scientist, developed by Sakana AI, was able to change its own source code. What exactly happened and are you worried enough about it? Then Adam investigates the truth behind a viral claim that we say “hello” on the telephone because of Graham Bell’s fiancée and assistant, Margaret Hello.

After having watched all six Sharknado films Adam decides to do some research into the science of these not at all ridiculous films, uncovering the truth about the plausibility and historical precedent for a tornado filled with living sharks. Darren gives us a book review of Renée DiResta’s Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, which explores how powerful influencers are able to affect what people believe.

Could meditation ever be harmful? Darren examines the evidence to determine if meditation, which can have many benefits, might sometimes have a negative impact on people’s lives. Adam looks at the idea of cavemen and wonders if, as their name suggests, that they really spent all that much time in caves.

What’s the difference between a bar of soap and the stuff we use to clean dishes, laundry and cars, and can you just use any of those in the shower? Adam tries to find out whether the stuff that’s fit for baby ducks if good enough for you skin. Darren gives us a review of Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky, which asks interesting questions about free will, whether we have it and what the implications are.

We look at some fundamental ways of cultivating critical thinking on the latest show.  Darren looks at some common cognitive biases and logical fallacies and how to use these in order to have a better more accurate understanding of the truth of the things we face every day.  Then Adam looks at the science behind the  belief that you should let your leftovers cool down at room temperature before putting them in the fridge.

Can we say that AI is going in the wrong direction, as it does our art and writing while we suffer doing laundry and dishes? It’s just Adam on the show this week as he overanalyzes a viral tweet by looking at how much the time and way we do chores has changed for the better over the centuries, while looking at what AI could do to improve the situation.