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Skeptoid Episode Guide - General Science

 

Bats and Rabies (Skeptoid #962) - Bats are scary and rabies is deadly, but do you need to worry about you or your pets catching the disease from them?
November 12, 2024
 
Click Clack Bark: Dogs Who Type (Skeptoid #957) - Can dogs be taught to speak intelligently using floor buttons that represent words?
October 8, 2024
 
15 Sleep Myths (Skeptoid #954) - 15 popular myths about sleeping, debunked.
September 17, 2024
 
How Your Driving Is Being Tracked (Skeptoid #947) - Is your phone really tracking your driving habits and selling the data? Maybe more so than you know.
July 30, 2024
 
Strange but True Stories from Space (Skeptoid #946) - The weirdest, creepiest, funniest, and just plain strange stories from the era of crewed space flight.
July 23, 2024
 
The Aliens Are Not Coming (Skeptoid #943) - Fear not; the aliens are not coming to Earth.
July 2, 2024
 
What the Movies Always Get Wrong (Skeptoid #942) - A roundup of all those things that movies always get wrong and make you mad.
June 25, 2024
 
Coffee Myths (Skeptoid #936) - A roundup of 15 common myths about coffee. Which ones had you always believed?
May 14, 2024
 
Is Recycling for Real? (Skeptoid #932) - A close look at where recycling of some common materials is actually at these days.
April 16, 2024
 
EMDR: Looking Past the Pain (Skeptoid #928) - This controversial treatment for PTSD involves moving the eyes side to side.
March 19, 2024
 
I Can't Believe They Did That: Human Guinea Pigs #3 (Skeptoid #927) - Part 3 in our roundup of scientists who took the ultimate plunge and experimented on themselves.
March 12, 2024
 
Testing Alcubierre's Warp Drive (Skeptoid #922) - Proponents of alien visitation often claim the Alcubierre drive makes faster than light travel possible. Here's why it can't exist.
February 6, 2024
 
Stopping Hiccups with Science (Skeptoid #914) - Does science have a way to reliably cure the hiccups?
December 12, 2023
 
The Mystery of the Severed Feet (Skeptoid #901) - Severed feet have been washing up on the shores of the Salish Sea since 2007. What could be the cause?
September 12, 2023
 
The Secret of the Norden Bombsight (Skeptoid #897) - Pop culture tells us the famous Norden bombsight from World War II was actually terribly inaccurate. Was it?
August 15, 2023
 
The Hottest Temperature on Earth (Skeptoid #895) - Is the world record highest air temperature a solid measurement, or might it be invalid?
August 1, 2023
 
Finding the Lost Tribesmen: Aure and Aura (Skeptoid #893) - Were these two men from an Amazon tribe that had been massacred, or could their story be explained more simply?
July 18, 2023
 
Lies, Damned Lies, and Polls (Skeptoid #883) - Watch out next time you take a poll... is someone trying to learn about you, or manipulate you?
May 9, 2023
 
Reining In the Expanding Earth (Skeptoid #878) - Although the Expanding Earth may seem like a silly conjecture, it was actually one of the leading geophysical models quite recently.
April 4, 2023
 
Earthquake Prediction (Skeptoid #873) - After every earthquake, there's always someone who claims to have predicted it. Is earthquake prediction possible?
February 28, 2023
 
Climate Change Checkup: 2023 Edition (Skeptoid #872) - The state of the climate so far... how we're doing, and what do we need to work on the most.
February 21, 2023
 
The Dirty Secret of Dirty Electricity (Skeptoid #870) - Is there such a thing as a type of electricity running through your home's wiring that delivers horrific health impacts to anyone living there?
February 7, 2023
 
The Most Harmful Anti-Experts: 2023 Edition (Skeptoid #868) - Once again we round up the people working hardest to spread misinformation.
January 24, 2023
 
What THEY Don't Want You to Know About UFOs (Skeptoid #866) - Some great ways to think about all the current UFO craze.
January 10, 2023
 
Human Mosquito Magnets (Skeptoid #862) - Is it true that mosquitoes like some people better than others?
December 13, 2022
 
Illuminating the Hornet Spooklight (Skeptoid #860) - Legend has it this ghost light has been spooking people in Missouri for hundreds of years.
November 29, 2022
 
On the Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol (Skeptoid #857) - Some say that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol actually has certain health benefits.
November 8, 2022
 
Sniffing for Human Sex Pheromones (Skeptoid #855) - Do humans use pheromones to turn each other on? The science so far says... uhh, we have no idea.
October 25, 2022
 
The Day Science Was Overthrown (Skeptoid #854) - A look at six times when there was a major paradigm shift in science.
October 18, 2022
 
Electric Cars and the Power Grid (Skeptoid #852) - Opponents of electric cars claim that the power grid can't keep up with the growing demand for electricity.
October 4, 2022
 
Seeking the Soviet Battle Mole (Skeptoid #845) - The story goes that the Soviet Union had nuclear-powered underground vehicles for waging a whole new kind of war.
August 16, 2022
 
What They're Saying About Electric Cars Now (Skeptoid #844) - The arguments made by electric car haters no longer hold up. Time to upgrade
August 9, 2022
 
Decoding the Carolina Bays (Skeptoid #839) - Some say these oval depressions all along the US east coast are craters from an ancient meteor bombardment.
July 5, 2022
 
Falling Fish Followup (Skeptoid #837) - Some feedback and followups to a raft of previous Skeptoid episodes.
June 21, 2022
 
The Secrets of the Integratron (Skeptoid #833) - This white dome in the California desert may house the secrets of the universe, or nothing more than delusions.
May 24, 2022
 
What Greek Fire Really Was (Skeptoid #832) - This ancient weapon of terror struck fear throughout the ancient world, and stokes a number of mysteries today.
May 17, 2022
 
What ASMR Will Do for You (Skeptoid #829) - What is the state of the science behind this online video genre that combines relaxation with chills and shivers?
April 26, 2022
 
Why You Don't Want a Flat-Faced Pet (Skeptoid #828) - The science shows that dogs and cats bred to be flat-faced suffer from respiratory distress, but some argue otherwise.
April 19, 2022
 
Hunting the Elusive Rogue Wave (Skeptoid #823) - Modern authors say that scientists didn't used to accept the idea of rogue waves. Is that true?
March 15, 2022
 
On Washboarded Roads (Skeptoid #822) - The real cause of washboarding on dirt roads is very different from the traditionally believed reason.
March 8, 2022
 
Forensic (Pseudo) Science (Skeptoid #821) - All those fancy-sounding forensic sciences you've come to trust might not be worth very much of your trust after all.
March 1, 2022
 
Why You Need to Care About Concrete (Skeptoid #813) - Concrete will remain one of our most important materials for decades — but there's a big problem with it.
January 4, 2022
 
20 Years of Data from Portugal: Drug Decriminalization (Skeptoid #812) - 20 years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs in an effort to reduce addiction, incarceration, and negative health impacts. How has it worked?
December 28, 2021
 
Frida Sofia, the Victim Who Wasn't (Skeptoid #810) - After the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, rescuers dug through the rubble for a little girl named Frida Sofia — who never existed.
December 14, 2021
 
What Really Happened at Tunguska (Skeptoid #803) - The true cause of one of history's most violent cataclysms remains a mystery... to a degree.
October 26, 2021
 
Pop Quiz: 15 for 15 (Skeptoid #802) - It's 15 trivia questions from 15 Skeptoid episodes, to celebrate our 15th anniversary!
October 19, 2021
 
Why You Need to Care About Methane (Skeptoid #797) - We focus a lot on carbon dioxide when talking about climate change. Should we be talking more about methane?
September 14, 2021
 
Is the Existence of Billionaires Inherently Harmful? (Skeptoid #790) - Pop culture tells us that the existence of billionaires is harmful to the economy. Is that so?
July 27, 2021
 
Desalination vs. A National Water Grid (Skeptoid #785) - A comparison of two popular ways to help cope with the new water reality of global warming.
June 22, 2021
 
Head Transplants (Skeptoid #784) - The facts and fiction of what's possible and what's already been tried in switching human heads.
June 15, 2021
 
Space Junk: The Real Risk and What to Do About It (Skeptoid #781) - The problem of a runaway catastrophe in Low Earth Orbit looms ever larger and closer.
May 25, 2021
 
Bitcoin Fact and Fiction (Skeptoid #774) - What's true and what's not about the world's most popular cryptocurrency.
April 6, 2021
 
Top 10 Pro-Science Fictional Characters (Skeptoid #773) - A roundup of all the best pro-science characters from your favorite books, movies, and TV shows.
March 30, 2021
 
The Year's Best of Skeptoid (Skeptoid #767) - My personal favorite Skeptoid episodes from each and every year of its production.
February 16, 2021
 
Learning Styles, Re-examined (Skeptoid #764) - Most teachers believe that students have different learning styles and curricula can be tailored to it. Not so much.
January 26, 2021
 
Havana Syndrome, Microwaves, and Hearing RF (Skeptoid #761) - The lone exception to the science fact that radio cannot hurt you.
January 5, 2021
 
Percy Schmeiser vs Monsanto (Skeptoid #759) - The most famous case in the history of Monsanto vs. small farmers might not be what you think.
December 22, 2020
 
About That Life on Mars... (Skeptoid #754) - Good scientists can get the wrong idea, but they don't need to make it worse by announcing bad science.
November 17, 2020
 
Observing the Bystander Effect (Skeptoid #749) - Some research has found that crowds are apathetic and don't render assistance; some has found the opposite.
October 13, 2020
 
Who Sank the Maine? (Skeptoid #748) - Many theories surround the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine that triggered the Spanish-American War.
October 6, 2020
 
Phineas Gage, on Second Thought (Skeptoid #744) - A reexamination of the famous case of the man whose personality changed from a grievous brain injury.
September 8, 2020
 
The Wisdom and Stupidity of Crowds (Skeptoid #741) - How the wisdom of crowds can sometimes allow groups of non-experts to reach an expert conclusion.
August 18, 2020
 
Learning Languages from Brain Injuries (Skeptoid #716) - Popular stories on the Internet tell of people coming out of comas and suddenly speaking a new language.
February 25, 2020
 
The Trashy Secret of Plastic Bag Bans (Skeptoid #711) - Science decides the question of whether plastic bag bans help or hurt the environment.
January 21, 2020
 
All About Sex Addiction (Skeptoid #708) - The topic of sex addiction and what to do about it turns out to be more complicated than you may think.
December 31, 2019
 
Your Weirdest Thing, Vol. 3 (Skeptoid #703) - I give my thoughts trying to solve some of your weirdest experiences.
November 26, 2019
 
Seneca Guns and Skyquakes (Skeptoid #701) - These mysterious cannon-like booms are heard all around the world, with no apparent source.
November 12, 2019
 
Radon in Your Basement (Skeptoid #698) - Is this gas a risk you should worry about, or is it just another homeowner scam?
October 22, 2019
 
Reactionless Space Drives (Skeptoid #697) - Conspiracy theorists and alternate science believers continue to claim triumph over the laws of nature.
October 15, 2019
 
Fighting Global Warming with Economics (Skeptoid #695) - There's always been an easy solution to global warming on the table, and it won't hurt the economy.
October 1, 2019
 
Video Games and Violence (Skeptoid #690) - Data does not support the popular belief that video games promote violent behavior.
August 27, 2019
 
No, Electric Cars Don't Pollute More (Skeptoid #687) - Popularly shared articles claim electric cars produce more greenhouses gases than internal combustion cars.
August 6, 2019
 
Prehistoric Supersonic Monster Tides (Skeptoid #683) - A geophysical look at the idea that Earth's early history had enormous destructive tides.
July 9, 2019
 
5G: Upgrade or Uncertainty? (Skeptoid #677) - An examination of the claims that 5G cell phone data service is potentially harmful to life.
May 28, 2019
 
China, Imported Recyclables, and Ocean Plastic (Skeptoid #671) - Addressing the facts and the fictions around China's ending its overseas purchases of recyclable plastic.
April 16, 2019
 
A Science Based Ghost Hunting Toolkit (Skeptoid #668) - How a TV ghost hunting show might look if they did what they claim, and used science.
March 26, 2019
 
All About Mindfulness (Skeptoid #647) - An examination of this super-trendy meditation technique to see whether it lives up to the hype.
October 30, 2018
 
Animal Earthquake Prediction (Skeptoid #646) - Many people believe animals have the ability to predict earthquakes. The facts tell a different story.
October 23, 2018
 
The Horsey History of Clever Hans (Skeptoid #633) - This early-1900s horse appeared to be able to do math and other feats, and we learned a lot from him.
July 24, 2018
 
Lucid Dreaming (Skeptoid #632) - Some people can control their dreams and do anything they want in them -- or can they?
July 17, 2018
 
The Apes Who Learned Sign Language (Skeptoid #630) - Although many regard Koko as an ape who used sign language, science tells us that ability probably doesn't exist.
July 3, 2018
 
Your Weird Turn (Skeptoid #625) - We try to figure out some of the creepiest stories ever sent in by Skeptoid listeners.
May 29, 2018
 
Zuma, The Phantom Satellite (Skeptoid #624) - The malfunction said to have doomed this spacecraft may have just been a cover story.
May 22, 2018
 
Alcohol Myths (Skeptoid #619) - We point the skeptical eye at five popular beliefs about alcoholic beverages.
April 17, 2018
 
10 Great Science Hoaxes (Skeptoid #617) - A look at those few times when hoaxers came closest to fooling those who knew better.
April 3, 2018
 
Abiotic Oil (Skeptoid #616) - Some believe that oil comes from geological processes rather than from ancient biomass.
March 27, 2018
 
All About Grounding (Skeptoid #611) - Some New Agers believe that you can heal virtually any ailment simply by taking off your shoes.
February 20, 2018
 
Do Lobsters Feel Pain? (Skeptoid #607) - What the science says on whether we need to change the way we eat crustaceans.
January 23, 2018
 
Net Neutrality Reexamined (Skeptoid #604) - A skeptic's guide for organizing the issues raised by Net Neutrality.
January 2, 2018
 
Sonic Weapons in Cuba (Skeptoid #603) - There is a much better explanation than sonic weapons for reported attacks against US diplomats in Cuba.
December 26, 2017
 
I Still Can't Believe They Did That: More Human Guinea Pigs (Skeptoid #593) - A further look at ten more scientists who experimented on themselves for the benefit of mankind.
October 17, 2017
 
Ouija Boards (Skeptoid #591) - Real effects far more interesting than spiritualism claims are behind these famous talking boards.
October 3, 2017
 
Celebrity Pseudoscience: 2017 Edition (Skeptoid #588) - A look at which celebrities are currently working hardest to erode the public intellect.
September 12, 2017
 
Volkswagen Dieselgate Reexamined (Skeptoid #586) - In the wake of VW Dieselgate, the government took the wrong steps to solve the wrong problem.
August 29, 2017
 
Eclipse Myths and Science (Skeptoid #584) - A look at the science-based myths and misconceptions about eclipses, plus some things you might not know.
August 15, 2017
 
Are You Following a Crank? (Skeptoid #581) - Let's have a look at the traits that define a crank, to make sure your new hero isn't one.
July 25, 2017
 
How to Surprise a Skeptical Podcaster, Part 2 (Skeptoid #575) - Here are the podcast episodes with conclusions that surprised me the most (part 2).
June 13, 2017
 
How to Surprise a Skeptical Podcaster, Part 1 (Skeptoid #574) - Here are the podcast episodes with conclusions that surprised me the most (part 1).
June 6, 2017
 
True or False Pregnancy (Skeptoid #572) - False pregnancies are not only real, they're probably more complex than you imagined.
May 23, 2017
 
More Space Missions You Should Know (Skeptoid #570) - We take a look at some more of the most exciting space missions, past, present, and future.
May 9, 2017
 
Beethoven's Hair (Skeptoid #561) - Popular stories claim Beethoven died of lead poisoning, but the science so far doesn't hold up.
March 7, 2017
 
Remembering the Mandela Effect (Skeptoid #560) - Some claim that certain common false memories are evidence for alternate realities.
February 28, 2017
 
Thorium Reactors: Fact and Fiction (Skeptoid #555) - These next-generation reactors have attracted a nearly cultish following. Here are the real facts.
January 24, 2017
 
How Your Credit Card Got Stolen (Skeptoid #554) - Here are the most likely ways that your credit card got stolen, and how you can prevent it in the future.
January 17, 2017
 
How Your Password Got Stolen (Skeptoid #553) - The facts, fiction, and real risk to you of all these high-profile data breaches online.
January 10, 2017
 
Space Missions You Should Know (Skeptoid #551) - A roundup of the most exciting and important space missions you really need to know about.
December 27, 2016
 
The Simple Proof of Man-Made Global Warming (Skeptoid #549) - The two most basic Smoking Guns proving that carbon from fossil fuels is warming the Earth.
December 13, 2016
 
There's No Such Thing as Race... Or Is There? (Skeptoid #546) - Genetically, race does not exist; but there are still inconvenient places for it in science.
November 22, 2016
 
White Hat Journal Hoaxes (Skeptoid #543) - Sometimes the best way to scrutinize an open access journal is to hoax them.
November 1, 2016
 
Photographic Memory (Skeptoid #542) - Pop culture tells us that some people have photographic memories, but the truth is quite different.
October 25, 2016
 
Feng Shui Today (Skeptoid #540) - Feng shui is much more than just a debunked way to magically arrange furniture.
October 11, 2016
 
Earthquake Lights: Do They Exist? (Skeptoid #534) - One of those things everyone seems to believe in, but for which there's almost no evidence.
August 30, 2016
 
Sky Trumpets (Skeptoid #526) - From all over the world come reports of strange trumpet-like blasts from the sky.
July 5, 2016
 
How Do Homing Pigeons Navigate? (Skeptoid #523) - The latest and greatest research reveals that we still have no clue how birds accomplish this amazing feat.
June 14, 2016
 
The New Flat Earthers (Skeptoid #521) - The reinvented Flat Earth fad is less about geophysics and more about conspiracy mongering.
May 31, 2016
 
Why Musical Aliens Probably Use the Same Scale We Do (Skeptoid #513) - Reliance on universal mathematical principles may mean alien music is similar to our own.
April 5, 2016
 
Bad Science on PBS (Skeptoid #503) - The reasons why PBS is so quick to promote pseudoscience informercials during pledge drives.
January 26, 2016
 
Schrodinger's Cat and the Bomb Detector (Skeptoid #501) - Whatever you think you know about Schrodinger's famous cat is probably wrong.
January 12, 2016
 
A Skeptical Look at the Rorschach Test (Skeptoid #497) - The famous Rorschach inkblot test is not a window into the subconscious, and doesn't tell us anything useful.
December 15, 2015
 
How Real Is the Stockholm Syndrome? (Skeptoid #493) - While the Stockholm syndrome sounds like a mere media buzzword, it does actually sometimes happen.
November 17, 2015
 
Deconstructing the Tasaday Tribe (Skeptoid #490) - Some say this tribe of "gentle savages", discovered in 1971, was just a hoax. The truth isn't quite so simple.
October 27, 2015
 
The Science of X-Ray Specs and Sea Monkeys (Skeptoid #489) - These products advertised in the back of comic books promised improbable feats of science.
October 20, 2015
 
About That 1970s Global Cooling... (Skeptoid #487) - No, climatologists in the 1970s did not believe we're headed into another ice age.
October 6, 2015
 
More Unsung Women of Science (Skeptoid #484) - Some women you haven't heard of who made significant contributions to science.
September 15, 2015
 
Unsung Women of Science (Skeptoid #483) - These important scientists are virtually unknown. Let's see if we can fix that.
September 8, 2015
 
Chemicals (Skeptoid #479) - Chemicals are deadly, delicious, essential and basically, everything.
August 11, 2015
 
5 Answers for Creationists (Skeptoid #466) - Creationists have presented 5 questions they don't think 'evolutionists' can answer. Here are some answers.
May 12, 2015
 
Transgender: Fact or Fiction? (Skeptoid #463) - The Internet believes a lot of things about transgender people, but much of it isn't true.
April 21, 2015
 
Science Fails (Skeptoid #458) - Science has let you down time after time, and that's one reason why it gets better and better.
March 17, 2015
 
GMO Facts and Fiction (Skeptoid #454) - See if you know how many of these GMO "facts" are right.
February 17, 2015
 
Ideomotor Response (Skeptoid #451) - The Ideomotor Response underlies a number of occult phenomena and alt-med practices.
January 27, 2015
 
The Fallibility of Memory (Skeptoid #446) - We are a story our brain tells itself. And our brains are habitual liars.
December 23, 2014
 
Tube Amplifiers (Skeptoid #437) - The audiophile preference for tube amps over solid state is based more on emotion than on science.
October 21, 2014
 
The Water Woo of Masaru Emoto (Skeptoid #433) - Masaru Emoto invented a New Age mythology in which water crystals reflect human consciousness.
September 23, 2014
 
Acupuncture (Skeptoid #431) - Acupuncture, the safe and effective ancient Chinese medical treatment, turns out to be none of those things.
September 9, 2014
 
Albinism Facts and Fiction (Skeptoid #425) - Even in developed countries, myths persist about people who have albinism.
July 29, 2014
 
The Santa Barbara Simoom of 1859 (Skeptoid #424) - Stories of a lethally hot storm wind in Santa Barbara in 1859 persist to this day.
July 22, 2014
 
12 Step Programs (Skeptoid #423) - Religious-based twelve step programs are no better at stopping addiction than other programs.
July 15, 2014
 
Lie Detection (Skeptoid #422) - Polygraphs are no better than a roll of the dice at determining whether you're lying.
July 8, 2014
 
Left Brained, Right Brained, or Hare Brained? (Skeptoid #418) - Pop psychology tells us we're all either left brain or right brain dominant, a concept with no scientific support.
June 10, 2014
 
Your Body's Alleged Energy Fields (Skeptoid #411) - There is no such thing as your body's energy field.
April 22, 2014
 
15 Phreaky Phobias (Skeptoid #408) - Phobias are irrational, yet the brain surprisingly has a good reason for creating them.
April 1, 2014
 
It's Just Science (Skeptoid #400) - Some pseudoscience promoters attack the messenger rather than the evidence.
February 4, 2014
 
Fukushima vs Chernobyl vs Three Mile Island (Skeptoid #397) - Years after the disaster, some claim that Fukushima radiation is still going to cause widespread death.
January 14, 2014
 
The Biggest, the Oldest, and the Baddest (Skeptoid #396) - A tour of the Earth's biggest, oldest, and most lethal living creatures.
January 7, 2014
 
Into the Maelstrom (or Not) (Skeptoid #382) - A look into the plausibility and historicity of the ferocious maelstrom of legend.
October 1, 2013
 
An Enthusiast's Primer on Study Types (Skeptoid #381) - A quick look at many of the most common scientific study types.
September 24, 2013
 
The Science of Muzak (Skeptoid #370) - Background music really can influence our buying decisions in a shopping environment.
July 9, 2013
 
Legislating Pseudoscience (Skeptoid #368) - Lawmakers are often pressured by ideologues to pass laws based on bad science.
June 25, 2013
 
The Sedona Energy Vortex (Skeptoid #366) - Vortexes of spiritual energy are claimed to exist in Sedona, but science suggests we remain skeptical.
June 11, 2013
 
All About Graphology (Skeptoid #363) - In fact, handwriting analysis tells us nothing useful about the personality and aptitudes of the writer.
May 21, 2013
 
The Aquatic Ape Theory (Skeptoid #357) - There is a popular fringe theory about human evolution that claims we went through an aquatic phase.
April 9, 2013
 
Facts and Fiction of the Schumann Resonance (Skeptoid #352) - The Schumann Resonance, 7.83Hz, is one natural radio band in our atmosphere, but holds no mystical powers.
March 5, 2013
 
Top 10 Best Pro-Science Celebrities (Skeptoid #349) - A list of ten Hollywood celebrities who have leveraged their fame into the promotion of science.
February 12, 2013
 
The Cult of Nikola Tesla (Skeptoid #345) - The name of Nikola Tesla is associated with crazy conspiracy claims that have nothing to do with his real work.
January 15, 2013
 
Was the Wow! Signal Alien? (Skeptoid #342) - A signal received by a radio telescope in 1977 may be the best evidence yet for extraterrestrial intelligence.
December 25, 2012
 
Free Energy Machines (Skeptoid #341) - Someone somewhere is always claiming to have cracked the secret of free energy forever, no fuel needed.
December 18, 2012
 
How to Tell a Good Website from a Crap Website (Skeptoid #336) - How to tell whether a science article on the web is reliable or not.
November 13, 2012
 
Hypnotism: Hijacking Your Brain? (Skeptoid #330) - The facts and the fiction of one of the most intriguing psychological phenomena.
October 2, 2012
 
Is She Real, or Is She Fictional? (Skeptoid #329) - See if you can tell which of these famous women from history are real, and which are fictional.
September 25, 2012
 
Secrets of the Stradivarius (Skeptoid #328) - The secret of history's greatest stringed instrument, the Stradivarius violin, is that there is no secret.
September 18, 2012
 
The Mystery of the Vitrified Forts (Skeptoid #326) - Some 60 ancient stone forts in Scotland have vitrified walls, with the stone melted into glass. Here's what we know.
September 4, 2012
 
The Golden Ratio (Skeptoid #325) - For centuries, claims both scientific and pseudoscientific have been made for the golden ratio.
August 28, 2012
 
Negative Calorie Food Myths (Skeptoid #322) - Negative calorie foods, said to require more energy to digest than they provide, are a popular food fad.
August 7, 2012
 
Attack of the Nanobots! (Skeptoid #317) - A look at the belief that nanotechnology may result in an army of self-replicating machines that consume society.
July 3, 2012
 
Left Handed Myths and Facts (Skeptoid #310) - Many popular anecdotes tell how and why some people are left-handed, but the true facts are even more interesting.
May 15, 2012
 
I Can't Believe They Did That: Human Guinea Pigs (Skeptoid #305) - A look at some of history's most famous scientists who experimented upon themselves.
April 10, 2012
 
Are Vinyl Recordings Better than Digital? (Skeptoid #303) - Many audio aficionados split into two camps, those supporting modern digital audio, and those supporting vinyl records.
March 27, 2012
 
Star Jelly (Skeptoid #299) - Jellylike blobs have been reported to fall from the sky during meteor showers. Aliens? No, science.
February 28, 2012
 
The Toxic Lady (Skeptoid #291) - The story goes that in 1994, fumes from a woman's body knocked out most of an emergency room staff.
January 3, 2012
 
Pit Bull Attack! (Skeptoid #288) - Pit bulls have a reputation for being the most dangerous dog breed. Turns out the facts just don't support that.
December 13, 2011
 
Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites (Skeptoid #283) - My list of the worst offenders on the web in the promotion of scientific and factual misinformation.
November 8, 2011
 
The Science of Voting (Skeptoid #281) - Most election methods are fundamentally broken, but can be fixed with any of a number of tweaks.
October 25, 2011
 
Noah's Ark: Sea Trials (Skeptoid #279) - Why it's impossible for a wooden vessel the size of Noah's Ark to be seaworthy.
October 11, 2011
 
Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen (Skeptoid #273) - Demonizing radio transmitters as carcinogenic is popular, but is not supported by any reasonable science.
August 30, 2011
 
Are We Alone? (Skeptoid #272) - We are not alone in the galaxy. Here's why that doesn't mean we've been visited by anyone.
August 23, 2011
 
Zeno's Paradoxes (Skeptoid #267) - Greek philosopher Zeno apparently proved that movement was impossible with a few simple paradoxes.
July 19, 2011
 
Nuclear War and Nuclear Winter (Skeptoid #244) - Atmospheric smoke from a nuclear war would not result in devastating global cooling.
February 8, 2011
 
Mystery Spots (Skeptoid #240) - Various "gravitational anomalies" around the world have fascinating real science behind them.
January 11, 2011
 
Whales and Sonar (Skeptoid #236) - Navy sonar is claimed to be lethal to whales, but the latest research tells a very different story.
December 14, 2010
 
IQ Testing (Skeptoid #235) - IQ tests are fundamentally flawed, hopelessly inconsistent, and almost completely useless.
December 7, 2010
 
The South Atlantic Anomaly (Skeptoid #234) - This mysterious region in the south Atlantic was not responsible for the crash of Air France flight 447.
November 30, 2010
 
DDT: Secret Life of a Pesticide (Skeptoid #230) - DDT can be both a killer of birds and a savior against malaria. Rarely is a question as black and white as we'd like.
November 2, 2010
 
The Brown Mountain Lights (Skeptoid #226) - A ghost light in North Carolina has people scratching their heads, but researchers solved it a century ago.
October 5, 2010
 
Alien Downpour: The Red Rain of India (Skeptoid #224) - News agencies have long promoted a 2001 red rainfall as alien, but a better explanation was already there.
September 21, 2010
 
The Frog in the Stone (Skeptoid #223) - Stories of living frogs being found encased in solid rock have a more interesting (and reality-based) explanation.
September 14, 2010
 
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test (Skeptoid #221) - A critical look at the world's most popular psychological metric, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
August 31, 2010
 
The Things We Eat... (Skeptoid #216) - A look at what's really in food reveals the foolishness of the idea of "good food" and "bad food".
July 27, 2010
 
Ball Lightning (Skeptoid #192) - Everyone believes in ball lightning, but when we stick to the science, there's probably nothing there.
February 9, 2010
 
The Bell Island Boom (Skeptoid #190) - This shattering boom in Newfoundland was more likely a natural phenomenon than a superweapon test.
January 26, 2010
 
Vaccine Ingredients (Skeptoid #180) - The claims made about the dangerous chemicals in vaccines are all either false or misrepresented.
November 17, 2009
 
The Bloop (Skeptoid #177) - This mysterious sound captured by NOAA hydrophones was not a sea monster.
October 27, 2009
 
Daylight Saving Time Myths (Skeptoid #172) - All the reasons you've ever heard for Daylight Saving Time are nonsense. Here is the real one.
September 22, 2009
 
Was Chuck Yeager the First to Break the Sound Barrier? (Skeptoid #154) - Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947, but others almost certainly did so before him.
May 19, 2009
 
How Old Is the Mount St. Helens Lava Dome? (Skeptoid #146) - Young Earthers point to an infamous dating error as evidence that the Earth is only as old as the Bible says.
March 24, 2009
 
The Case of the Strange Skulls (Skeptoid #144) - A collection of bizarre human skulls from around the world.
March 10, 2009
 
Chasing the Min Min Light (Skeptoid #133) - The Australian outback's mysterious jack o' lantern has sparked some good stories, but some even better science.
December 23, 2008
 
HAARP Myths (Skeptoid #122) - A close look at HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, and the claim that it's a superweapon.
October 7, 2008
 
Scalar Weapons: Tesla's Doomsday Machine? (Skeptoid #121) - No, Nikola Tesla did not design a superweapon capable of vaporizing whole parts of the earth.
September 30, 2008
 
How Dangerous Is Cell Phone Radiation? (Skeptoid #117) - There is neither evidence nor plausible hypothetical foundation for cell phone signals to be at all dangerous.
September 2, 2008
 
Search for the Missing Cosmonauts (Skeptoid #115) - A pair of young Italian brothers probably didn't uncover evidence of Soviet cosmonauts dying in space.
August 19, 2008
 
Will the Large Hadron Collider Destroy the Earth? (Skeptoid #109) - Some people believe that CERN's Large Hadron Collider will create black holes that will destroy the Earth.
July 15, 2008
 
What You Didn't Know about the Stanford Prison Experiment (Skeptoid #102) - The Stanford Prison Experiment, said to have proven that evil environments produce evil behavior, was completely unscientific and unreliable.
May 27, 2008
 
Can You Hear the Hum? (Skeptoid #90) - An exploration of the mysterious rumble that some people hear all over the world.
March 4, 2008
 
How to Debate a Young Earth Creationist (Skeptoid #65) - Learn the basic arguments against science made by Young Earthers, and how to rebut them.
September 11, 2007
 
Autism and Chelation: A Recipe for Risk (Skeptoid #55) - An examination of the lethal pop-culture fad of chelating autistic children.
July 15, 2007
 
Science Magazines Violating Their Own Missions (Skeptoid #52) - Science magazines continue to undermine themselves by publishing ads for pseudoscientific products.
June 30, 2007
 
Ethanol: Miracle Fuel, or Not? (Skeptoid #51) - Ethanol as a fuel may be carbon neutral, but offers few other benefits.
June 25, 2007
 
How to Identify a "Good" Scientific Journal (Skeptoid #50) - Here is how to tell whose "scientific journal" article is actually more reputable.
June 15, 2007
 
Neanderthals in Present Day Asia (Skeptoid #40) - Some claim that a legendary wildman, the Almas, is a population of relict Neanderthals.
April 21, 2007
 
Chemtrails: Real or Not? (Skeptoid #27) - Some believe that airplane contrails are really dangerous chemicals being sprayed by the government.
February 15, 2007
 
Scientists Are Not Created Equal (Skeptoid #25) - The word "scientist" can mean just about anything you want it to mean.
February 5, 2007
 
Cell Phones on Airplanes (Skeptoid #14) - Cell phones are perfectly safe on airplanes, despite continued claims of danger.
December 15, 2006
 
A Primer on Scientific Testing (Skeptoid #13) - Understand the basics of scientific testing.
December 11, 2006
 
New Age Energy (Skeptoid #2) - An examination of energy, as new agers use the term.
October 11, 2006
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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