Episode 26 of Fool Me Twice sees Bradford Oakes and Steve Van Aperen explore deception across the animal kingdom, mixing behavioural observations, personal stories and comedy. They begin by revisiting whether doctors are justified in softening serious medical news, concluding that compassionate “sugarcoating” can sometimes reduce distress and that outsiders should be cautious about judging professionals who deliver devastating information.

The conversation then shifts to animals. Bradford describes research into canine communication, noting that a wagging tail does not simply mean happiness and that dogs and wolves communicate through ears, posture, scent and other nonverbal signals. Wolf cubs’ folded ears are discussed as a possible safeguard against accidentally signalling aggression. The hosts also question whether people wrongly anthropomorphise pets by interpreting canine expressions as human emotions.

They broaden deception to include camouflage, concealment, mimicry and bluffing. Octopuses disguise themselves as rocks, spotted cats blend into their surroundings, chameleons disappear against backgrounds, and frill-necked lizards enlarge their appearance to intimidate threats. Such behaviour is presented less as immoral lying than as an evolutionary strategy for survival, hunting or reproduction. Steve links this to a real case in which a woman escaped abductors by pretending to have an epileptic seizure, showing how deception can protect life.

Further examples include butterflies with eye-like markings, stick insects, orchid mantises that resemble flowers, and cuckoos that place eggs in other birds’ nests, avoiding the work of incubation and feeding. Freshwater angelfish use compressed bodies and vertical stripes to hide in vegetation before ambushing prey, while peacocks use display as a mating signal.

Lyrebirds receive special attention for imitating birds, machinery, human speech and even swearing. Bradford recounts colourful Healesville Sanctuary stories about mimicry and raptors supposedly detecting and stealing toupees. The hosts also joke about cats appearing sociopathic, dogs secretly using forbidden couches, flounders’ unusual eyes, giraffes’ evolutionary adaptation and fish memory.

Throughout, Bradford’s comic exaggeration complements Steve’s investigative perspective. Their central conclusion is that animal deception is usually nonverbal, adaptive and morally neutral. It helps creatures avoid predators, catch food, attract mates and survive, while reminding listeners that humans may misunderstand animal behaviour by forcing it into human categories. The episode ultimately treats deception as a continuum, ranging from harmless pet mischief to sophisticated biological adaptations that shape communication, danger, opportunity and trust itself.

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In episode 25, Steve Van Aperen and Bradford Oakes explore lies, deception and the relationship between doctors and patients, joined by Dr Nicole Yap, an oncoplastic surgeon specialising in breast cancer surgery and reconstruction.

The episode begins with the hosts swapping travel and airport stories, from Brad’s Tasmania gig near Devonport to Steve’s shock at Sydney Airport coffee prices. Their banter moves into observations about comedy audiences in Melbourne and Sydney, with Brad suggesting Sydney crowds can be more inclined to heckle while Melbourne audiences are more theatre-oriented.

Dr Yap explains her specialised field. After training in plastic surgery and general surgery, she developed expertise in cancer treatment and reconstruction, particularly breast cancer surgery. She describes the possibility of helping patients through a cancer diagnosis while preserving, or even improving, how they feel about their appearance after surgery.

Nicole shares an early career story of being unexpectedly left to perform a series of appendectomies after her consultant was delayed by a television appearance. Initially nervous and relying heavily on her notes and an experienced theatre nurse, she successfully completed several procedures, gaining confidence and becoming increasingly focused on the quality of the scars she left behind.

The central conversation examines why patients conceal information, even when honesty is essential to their care. Dr Yap discusses patients who deny smoking despite clear evidence, and explains how nicotine can seriously compromise blood supply and surgical outcomes, particularly in reconstructive breast procedures. She also highlights the importance of asking patients specifically about weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, which can create risks during anaesthesia if undisclosed.

Brad shares his experience of being delayed for a procedure after revealing he had recently had COVID-19, despite mentioning it in assessments. The discussion turns to medical staff recognising deception, including “doctor shoppers” seeking drugs and prisoners pretending to have symptoms to leave custody.

The episode also considers when doctors may soften the truth. Both Steve and Nicole describe delivering difficult news to grieving families with care and compassion, framing death or serious illness gently to reduce distress. They distinguish these “pro-social lies” from deception used for personal gain.

Throughout, the conversation balances humour with insight into human behaviour, confidence and trust. Dr Yap’s stories reveal how doctors navigate skill and treating people at vulnerable moments.

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Episode 24 sees Brad Oakes and Steve Van Aperen examine political lying, deception and public trust, asking how governments can mislead without always stating an obvious falsehood. They distinguish between direct lies, evasive answers, omissions and “obfuscation”—making an issue deliberately unclear or confusing. The pair also consider whether some lies can be protective or justified, such as withholding sensitive police information or sparing grieving families unnecessary distress, while arguing that political deception is far more consequential when it shapes public attitudes and policy.

The episode centres on the Children Overboard Scandal during the 2001 federal election. Senior government figures claimed that asylum seekers aboard a vessel had deliberately thrown children into the ocean in an attempt to force a Navy rescue. Steve explains that he later interviewed and polygraph-tested senior public servant Mike Scrafton, who had been asked to view naval videotapes for evidence of the alleged act. Scrafton said he saw no such evidence, and Steve says he passed the polygraph examination. Brad and Steve argue that images of children on a boat and children in the water were used to manufacture a powerful inference, despite there being no footage showing anyone throwing a child overboard. They describe the episode as an example of a politically useful story overtaking the underlying facts, reinforcing a tough-on-immigration message during an election campaign.

They broaden the discussion by comparing the scandal with international and domestic examples: the intelligence claims used to justify the Iraq War and Australia’s Robodebt scheme. In each case, they focus less on party politics than on the way official certainty can survive unanswered questions, flawed assumptions and contrary evidence. Their concern is not merely that an initial claim may be wrong, but that institutions and ministers can keep repeating it after serious doubts emerge. The hosts discuss the human cost of this process, particularly where misleading claims influence attitudes toward asylum seekers, lead to war, or leave welfare recipients facing incorrect debt notices, financial pressure and psychological harm.

Van Aperen concludes that lie detection has limits when key information remains secret or officials simply refuse to answer directly. Still, both hosts encourage listeners to pay attention to contradictions, unexplained changes of position and answers that avoid the question asked, rather than accepting confidence as proof of truth.

Book Steve Van Aperen as your next keynote speaker: Click here

Get coached in stand-up comedy with Brad Oakes: Click here

Learn more about Fool Me Twice by visiting www.foolmetwice.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.