It is Thursday the 5th of January,

2023 and you're listening to Skeptics with a Kaye,

the podcast for science reason and critical thinking.

Skeptics with a K is a production of the Mercy Side, Skeptic Society, a non-profit

organization for the promotion of scientific skepticism on Mercy Side around the UK and

internationally. I'm your host, Michael. With me today is Marsh hello and Alice and it's a new year it is a new year

it's 2023 yet another new year we keep coming full of hope and optimism yeah it can't be any worse than 2022 slash 2021 slash 2020. Yeah I think I've said that since

probably like 2013. 2016 was a particularly bad one and has continued to get worse since then but I think I've always

having bad ones since like 2013 because I was doing my PhD by then so yeah when was the last

good one, 1990.

1989 was a cracker of a year.

So how was Christmas? How was your new year?

Did you have fun? Did you have a nice time?

It's been all right. It's been quiet.

My Christmas was a bit shit. Well, oh well been quiet. My Christmas was a bit shit. The Christmas day itself was okay. Indeed. Except my dad picked up cold. Right. So he was wearing a mask all day because my mom's obviously on chemotherapy so we wanted to reduce the risk of her getting sick and then my brother's girlfriend Alice that's not confusing at all.

She was getting over a cold she'd had a cold for a long time but she was wearing a mask to try and be cautious.

So they came over for Christmas Day, my brother, his girlfriend and their daughter,

which was lovely. We had a lovely day together and we're trying to all

avoid each other so none of us respectfully get sick. Then about half past eight on Christmas

evening, I started to feel just a bit weird. It's like I feel a bit weird in myself.

It doesn't I just don't feel quite right. It doesn't sound good. Three hours later I started

vomiting. Oh no. I was really very sick for like a good three four hours.

...