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mrmmarsh.bsky.social
Michael Marshall
@mrmmarsh.bsky.social
3.2K followers 1.2K following 530 posts
Project Director of Good Thinking Society
Editor of The Skeptic @skeptic.org.uk
President @merseyskeptics.bsky.social
Podcasts: The Know Rogan Experience, Skeptics with a K, Be Reasonable, a few of others.
Quasi journalist, sometime lecturer. He/Him.
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mrmmarsh.bsky.social
Michael Marshall @mrmmarsh.bsky.social · Nov 16
Quick reminder for all the new folk, you can follow the events and podcasts and local community i co-run at @merseyskeptics.bsky.social, the UK’s finest skeptical conference over @qedcon.org, and regular original skeptical journalism where reason meets compassion at @skeptic.org.uk.
Reposted by Michael Marshall
danwhitehead.net
To give you an idea of how deranged the UK has become about gender stuff, here's Enid Blyton - the absolute avatar of classic English conservatism and a huge fan of racist "gollywogs" - casually describing a gender non-conforming kid in the 1940s and having their friends be totally cool with it.
"I say! Are you Georgina?" The child in the opposite bed sat up and looked across at Anne. She had very short curly hair, almost as short as a boy's. Her face was burnt a dark-brown with the sun, and “Famous Five 01 - Five On A Treasure Island” By Enid Blyton 7 her very blue eyes looked as bright as forget-me-nots in her face. But her mouth was rather sulky, and she had a frown like her father's. "No," she said. "I'm not Georgina." "Oh!" said Anne, in surprise. "Then who are you?" "I'm George," said the girl. "I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I won't be. I don't like doing the things that girls do. I like doing the things that boys do. I can climb better than any boy, and swim faster too. I can sail a boat as well as any fisher-boy on this coast. You're to call me George. Then I'll speak to you. But I shan't if you don't." "Oh!" said Anne, thinking that her new cousin was most extraordinary. "All right! I don't care what I call you. George is a nice name, I think. I don't much like Georgina. Anyway, you look like a boy."
February 14, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
andreaskyriacou.bsky.social
Does anyone have to listen to Joe Rogan? I thought @mrmmarsh.bsky.social and Cecil Cicirello had launched @knowrogan.bsky.social so the rest of us don‘t have to.
February 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
The Skeptic Podcast – Episode 051

Featuring articles from Dave Hahn (December 2021), Michael Marshall (July 2024), Sarah Hearne (October 2021), and Tom Ruffles (January 1990).
February 13, 2026 at 11:42 AM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
The “Greatest Ghost Sighting ever”: the Grey Lady of the Theatre Royal, Bath | Andy Owens

Considered by some the greatest ghost sighting ever recorded, the Grey Lady of the Theatre Royal, Bath is alleged to have been witnessed by 850 people at once.
February 13, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
lastcoupleofstraws.bsky.social
Please listen to this. @mrmmarsh.bsky.social is a master of distilling his deep dives. Not only for skeptics.
February 12, 2026 at 5:35 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
This week, I look at the Epstein files - what's in them, what's not in them, which viral stories are true, and what they say about Epstein's associations with prominent men... including those around the skeptical movement.
February 12, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
skepticswithak.org
You can also support Merseyside Skeptics at www.patreon.com/merseyskeptics
Get more from The Merseyside Skeptics Society on Patreon
creating Podcasts and Events
www.patreon.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
skepticswithak.org
You can support the show and the hosts by signing up for the Skeptics with a K Patreon at patreon.com/skepticswithak.
Get more from Skeptics with a K on Patreon
The UK's longest running skeptical podcast
patreon.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
jonathanjarry.bsky.social
Quite a few of us were warning people about Vinay Prasad before it was cool. He might have looked like a respectable physician driven by an EBM mindset, but he was a COVID anti-vaxxer fuelled by a contrarian streak.

The "respectable" ones may be the most dangerous in terms of public health.
helenbranswell.bsky.social Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 3d
BREAKING: @lizzylawrence.bsky.social reports that CBER director Vinay Prasad overruled career #FDA staff and unilaterally decided to refusal to accept #Moderna 's #flu vaccine submission. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...
February 11, 2026 at 3:48 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
The digital doppelgänger: how algorithms decide who we become | Dion Stephan Baldsing

Invisible social media curation by algorithms can reach beyond tailoring content and even start to shape users' beliefs and identity.
February 11, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
kimmrogers.bsky.social
I dedicate this to every single human who has posted something about Joe Rogan suggesting that he is coming around……No he is not. Anyone who takes Joe Rogan seriously is an idiot……
mrmmarsh.bsky.social Michael Marshall @mrmmarsh.bsky.social · 4d
This is the episode I trailed on Tuesday. In it, you'll hear Joe frame the killing of Alex Pretti in terms of the 'rampant' fraud in Minnesota, speculate as to the gun misfiring, and do his upmost to make it clear that everyone was to blame for the killing, other than the men who pulled the trigger.
knowrogan.bsky.social The Know Rogan Experience Podcast @knowrogan.bsky.social · 4d
The Know Rogan Experience Podcast #0054 - Andrew Wilson

We break down Joe's January 2026 interview with Christian debate-bro podcaster Andrew Wilson, as they defend ICE's killing of Alex Pretti.

AUDIO - www.knowrogan.com/0054-andrew-...
VIDEO - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLBr...
February 10, 2026 at 2:49 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
And it was cheered on by some of the very people it would harm, because of the groundwork laid by Marc Andreessen on the Joe Rogan Experience, as we covered here: www.knowrogan.com/marc-andrees...

I described it at the time as a fox trying to convince you your fences are oppressing your chickens.
February 10, 2026 at 7:31 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
From the archives: Physics in the New Age – chaos, order, and the paranormal | Tim Axon

From the archives in 1992, Tim Axon discusses the trend of New Age believers misappropriating aspects of modern physics
February 10, 2026 at 11:42 AM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
This is the episode I trailed on Tuesday. In it, you'll hear Joe frame the killing of Alex Pretti in terms of the 'rampant' fraud in Minnesota, speculate as to the gun misfiring, and do his upmost to make it clear that everyone was to blame for the killing, other than the men who pulled the trigger.
February 10, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
propublica.org
6/ “When I arrived every night I cried and now I don’t sleep well, I felt that being here was my fault and I only wanted to be on vacation like a normal family.”

9-year-old Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya, detained on her way to Disney World, spent 113+ days at Dilley.
Page 1 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in pencil in Spanish. Colorful doodles of a rainbow and hearts are found throughout the page. Translation: “I am Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya and I have been 113 days in detention I miss my friends and I feel they are going to forget me. I am bored here. I already miss my country and my house, I came on vacation for 10 Days and they took me into an ice office an officer interrogated me 2 hours without my mom, I was traveling with flight attendant because my mom lives in new york, they only wanted to arrest my mom, because my mom didn’t have documents to live in U.S.A., I always traveled with my tourist visa but ice used me to catch my mom and now I am in a jail and I am sad and I have fainted 2 times here inside. When I arrived every night I cried and now I don’t sleep well, I felt that being here was my fault and I only wanted to be on vacation like a normal family.” Page 2 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in pencil in Spanish. Translation: “They don’t give me my diet I am vegetarian, I don’t eat well, there is no good education and I miss my best friend julieta and my grandmother and my school I already want to get to my house. Me in dilei [Dilley] am not happy please get me out of here to colombia.” Below the text is a drawing of the girl and her mother in the government-issued gray sweatsuits of the detention center.
February 9, 2026 at 12:38 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
These are reports from concentration camps. There is no two ways about it.
propublica.org ProPublica @propublica.org · 5d
5/ “I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals…going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…”

From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days
Page 1 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in Spanish in a cursive script. Translation: “Hello I am Ender and I am 12 years old, I have been at this center  for 2 months. I arrived here for an immigration appointment and I don’t think they should grab immigrants who are innocent, like instead of grabbing criminals because I mean they prefer to lock up children than look for people who really shouldn’t be in the U.S. They told me I could only be here 21 days but I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals, going outside and that the majority of guards never pay attention to people, eating dinner  always the same as the day before, seeing people cry every day for the same reasons, trying to sleep in that horrible uncomfortable bed, going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…” Page 2 of a child’s handwritten letter, written in Spanish in a cursive script. Translation: “…going to wait for the bad answers from the judges, hearing the bad news from people who no longer have hope, having to share a room with minimum 3 families, and all that so they send us back to our countries.” Below the text is a drawing in pen of three women, titled “My family” and labeled with “Mama,” “Sister,” and “me” in Spanish.
February 9, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
propublica.org
4/ “Mi Familia,” by 5-year-old Luisanney Toloza from Venezuela, who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border
A child’s illustration, made in what appears to be crayon, of more than a dozen figures standing together. It’s titled “Mi Familia” and credited to “Luisanney Toloza, 5 años.”
February 9, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
propublica.org
3/ “I have never been separated from my siblings and its honestly sad because they are little and they need their mom and sister.”

From 14-year-old Ariana V.V, whose U.S.-citizen siblings are 2 and 5 years old. Detained for 45+ days
Page 1 of handwritten letter. Transcript: "Hello, my name is Ariana V.V. im 14 years old and im from Honduras, ive been detained for 45 days and I have never felt so much fear to go to a place as I feel here everytime I remind myself that once I go back to Honduras a lot of dangerous things could happen to my mom and my younger siblings haven’t been able to see their mom in more than a month. They are very young and you need both of your parents when you are growing up. Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression. When people have their courts the longest they will last is 15 minutes, our rights are not being provided, arrest are happening when people don’t even have any type of order, arrests are happening illegally. Its sad to hear that peoples case are being denied and are getting send back to their country places where they are escaping from and are looking for protection and want to feel safe. Not a lot of people know what is happening in the Centers where immigrants are placed at. I haven’t been getting any school time. Every single person in here had their jobs they had their lifes, they aren’t any danger for this Country." Page 2 of a child’s handwritten letter. Transcript: "Ive been in this country for almost 7 years and in those 7 years my mom and I found a home and made a bigger family. I have never been separated from my siblings and its honestly sad because they are little and they need their mom and sister, yeah they are with their dad but its still different for them and my mom and I. Since the day my mom and I get detained in Manhattan NY, my life was instanly paused, from my knowledge you can’t be under custody for more than 15 or 20 days, well here in Dilley Immigration Processing Center people have been in this place for 7 months, 5 months, 4-2 months, its not fair that the ICE officers are not following the laws. All kids are being damage mentally, they witness how the’ve been treated. They don’t have schools, doctor, all they have are nurses, if you need medical attention the longest you have to wait is 3 hours, but to get any medicine, pill, anything it takes a while, there are various viruses people are always sick. Serious situations happen and the officers can’t take them serious enough there are no consecuenses, they don’t care."
February 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
propublica.org
2/ “I miss my school and my friends I feel bad since when I came here to this Place, because I have been here too long.”

From 9-year-old Susej F, detained for 50+ days
The first page of a child’s handwritten letter, written in different colors of pencil. Transcript: “Hello, my name is Susej F and I’am 9 years old. I’am from Venezuela. I have been 50 days in Dilley Immigration Processing Center. And I want to go to my Country. But I miss my school and my friends I feel bad since when I came here to this Place, because I have been here too long. I have been 2 years and 6 months in united states, and I was happy with my friends in The school but now I need to leave. I miss my family in my country so now I want To go to Venezuela. But my mom do not want to leave because she wants a better future for me.” The second page of a child’s handwritten letter, written in pencil on notebook paper. Transcript: “Seen how people like me, immigrants are been treated changes my perspective about the U.S. My mom and I came to The U.S looking for a good and safe place to live, and my mom was looking for a Good job.”
February 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
This ep makes a few things clear, and is really worth your time:
- Joe Rogan will do anything other than blame ICE for the killing of civillians
- The media stories about Joe criticising ICE were wrong
-He's gone out of his way to interview a right wing troll to prove that
- Joe is v Christian now
knowrogan.bsky.social The Know Rogan Experience Podcast @knowrogan.bsky.social · 6d
The media claimed Joe Rogan spoke out against ICE's tactics. We listen to Rogan, and he did nothing of the sort.

Then ICE shot another citizen. How did Joe respond? Patrons can hear Rogan excuse the shooting of Alex Pretti. It'll be on the free feed on Tuesday.

www.patreon.com/posts/0054-a...
#0054 - Andrew Wilson [VIDEO] | The Know Rogan Experience Podcast
Get more from The Know Rogan Experience Podcast on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
tpgroberts.bsky.social
Not to go all Anti-Free Speech, but the guy who started this argument publicly was back on Question Time last week, and a prominent supporter of it has a decent chance of winning a by election. Those two facts are connected.
February 7, 2026 at 12:48 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
Weird things that have happened to me this week:
1) appearing the Epstein files as Krauss brainstormed with Epstein how to discredit me
2) logging into the Cursed Site to find a noted transphobe casually transvestigating me, in a “I have imagined some things about him and they were disgusting” way.
February 7, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
jonathanjarry.bsky.social
In case you missed it, the idea--widely repeated in the medical literature--that Henry Beecher was the first to substitute saline for morphine while treating soldiers in WWII keeps hitting a wall.

We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
The Placebo Myth Picked the Wrong War
There’s a medical myth with which a friend of mine and I have become obsessed: this idea that scientific research into the “placebo effect” began in earnest during World War II. As I’ve written before...
www.mcgill.ca
February 6, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Michael Marshall
gracepanetta.bsky.social
NEW: I spent hours combing through the references to #MeToo in the latest tranche of Epstein files. I found Epstein closely tracked the fallout of #MeToo, joked about being in a "pariahs club," and advised men accused of misconduct behind the scenes 19thnews.org/2026/02/jeff...
Epstein tracked #MeToo fallout and advised accused men behind the scenes
New files released by the Justice Department show Jeffrey Epstein joking about being in a "pariahs club" and discussing the fate of powerful men who had been accused of wrongdoing.
19thnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 10:03 PM
mrmmarsh.bsky.social
This is an excellent documentary on the dangers of Ayurveda and AYUSH. It’s in Hindi but with English subtitles too. Really important topic, really hope it gets a lot of attention, especially in India.

youtu.be/YYajiruQoMI?...
Ayurveda Under Scrutiny | NL Documentary | Feat Voice by @ravishkumar.official
YouTube video by newslaundry
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 5:54 PM