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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

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Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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"Science is not objective. It is subjective. And I think having conversations about it is very important."

Dr Jenny Lange is a neuroscientist specialising in uncovering the mechanisms of rare neurological disorders. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London. Outside the lab, Dr Lange is a public speaker and writer on medical history, the intersection of science and literature, and scientific ethics.

Things we discuss

• The history of quackery and why charlatans follow the same playbook
• Research abuses that have legitimately fueled mistrust in science
• How to practice healthy, proportional skepticism and spot the difference between real and pseudoscience

References:

• William J. A. Bailey and Radithor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._A._Bailey
• The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: https://www.history.com/articles/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks
• Andrew Wakefield and the discredited MMR-autism study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield
• Paolo Macchiarini trachea implant scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Macchiarini
• Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub: https://www.meetup.com/greenwich-skeptics-in-the-pub/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Home Office officials do not understand what apostasy is — and this affects how non-religious asylum seekers are recognised, questioned, and believed."

Dr Lucy Potter returns to Humanism Now to share the findings of her landmark new report on non-religious asylum claims in the UK, produced in collaboration with Humanists UK. Drawing on three years of in-depth qualitative research, the report is the first study to analyse Home Office decision-making policies for those seeking asylum on the basis of leaving religion or non-religious identity.

Things we discuss

✔︎ Why the Home Office misunderstands apostasy
✔︎ Cultural bias in credibility assessments
✔︎ How interpretation errors can undermine asylum claims
✔︎ Policy recommendations for fairer decision-making

Read the report

Available from Humanists UK (https://humanists.uk) from 24 March 2026.

Attend the report launch

📍 Online
📆 Tuesday 24 March, 1.00–2.30pm GMT
➡️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/report-launch-non-religious-apostasy-asylum-claims-in-the-uk-tickets-1982976511125/

Event Speakers:

• Dr Lucy Potter, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of York
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/14031059/
• Lizzie Collinge MP, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/17588288/
• Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, Humanists UK
  https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com/2246305/episodes/17849032/
• Jamie Bell, Solicitor, Public Law and Immigration, Duncan Lewis

Connect with Dr Lucy Potter

• University of York profile:

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.