Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena

Brian Dunning podcasts

Banned and driven with stripes from the world of mainstream pop pseudoscience, Skeptoid takes on the toughest challenges to the realm of reason and rationality. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred, politically incorrect though that may be.

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Episodes

Skeptoid #311: The Rothschild Conspiracy
5/22/2012
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Duration: 14:40

Some believe that world governments and economies are secretly controlled by the Rothschild banking family, which was quite powerful in the 1800s. Is their power truly still as strong today?
Skeptoid #310: Left Handed Myths and Facts
5/15/2012
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Duration: 13:42

There are many popular anecdotes about how and why some people are left-handed. The true facts are even more interesting: differences in aptitudes, health, and even longevity.
College of Curiosity - May 26, 2012
5/11/2012
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Duration: 0:57

Don\'t miss this incredible 1-day event.
Skeptoid #309: The Science and Politics of Global Warming
5/8/2012
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Duration: 12:20

Global warming is the poster boy for failed science communication. What went wrong? It was presented to the public as a political issue, and not as a science.
Skeptoid #308: Picnic at Hanging Rock
5/1/2012
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Duration: 11:25

The classic book and movie is believed by some to be fact, others to be fiction, and still others a combination. What's the truth behind the tale?
Skeptoid #307: The Siberian Hell Sounds
4/24/2012
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Duration: 13:05

In 1989, Russian scientists are said to have drilled a borehole in Siberia that broke into hell and released the screams of the damned. But did it ever actually happen?
Skeptoid #306: Listener Feedback XX
4/17/2012
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Duration: 12:11

Once again, Skeptoid dips into the feedback mailbag to respond to comments from listeners.
Skeptoid #305: I Can't Believe They Did That: Human Guinea Pigs
4/10/2012
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Duration: 12:32

Sometimes, ethical considerations or a lack of knowledge have prevented certain experiments from being tested on other people, and scientists have had to put their own bodies on the line.
Skeptoid #304: Catching Jack the Ripper
4/3/2012
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Duration: 12:28

Many theories surround the identity of Jack the Ripper, history's most infamous serial killer. Is there truly any evidence that supports any of these theories?
Skeptoid #303: Are Vinyl Recordings Better than Digital?
3/27/2012
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Duration: 12:14

Many audio aficionados split into two camps, those supporting modern digital audio, and those supporting vinyl records. Is either truly or superior format, and can humans really even tell?
Skeptoid #302: De Loys' Ape
3/20/2012
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Duration: 12:02

In the early 20th century, oil company geologist Francois de Loys took a famous photograph of what he says was a new species of ape. Does the photograph have a different history than he claimed?
Skeptoid #301: The Beale Ciphers
3/13/2012
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Duration: 12:42

Treasure hunters comb Virginia search for a legendary hoard of gold and silver, known only from a few encoded documents, the most important of which remain undeciphered.
Skeptoid #300: The Secret of the Gypsy Queen
3/6/2012
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Duration: 14:09

In which a little girl saves her kingdom when she is the only one who does not fall for the pop pseudoscience of the day.
Announcing Skeptoid Episode 300
3/2/2012
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Duration: 4:39

A big milestone...
Skeptoid #299: Star Jelly
2/28/2012
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Duration: 12:07

For centuries, jellylike blobs have been reported to fall from the sky during meteor showers. Are they really from outer space, or is there a more Earthly explanation?
Skeptoid #298: Student Questions: Free Energy and Faster-than-Light Neutrinos
2/21/2012
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Duration: 12:29

Skeptoid answers student questions about the efficacy of drinking coffee, whether you should go swimming 30 minutes after eating, amber teething rings for babies, neutrinos that travel faster than light, the E-Cat cold fusion device, and whether the consumption of certain foods causes inflammation.
Skeptoid #297: A Magical Journey through the Land of Reasoning Errors
2/14/2012
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Duration: 11:49

Four common types of analytical errors in reasoning are made every day, by people trying to deceive us, by people unintentionally deceiving us, and by ourselves.
Skeptoid #296: The Versailles Time Slip
2/7/2012
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Duration: 13:46

Two women, college teachers from Oxford visited Versailles in 1901. While there, they suddenly time-traveled back to 1789 and saw Marie Antoinette. Is their story true?
Skeptoid #295: Finding Amelia Earhart
1/31/2012
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Duration: 13:05

Popular modern reports claim Amelia Earhart made it to an island and survived for a time, and though these stories are often widely reported, they are not at all consistent with the known facts.
Skeptoid #294: Frequent Listener Feedback
1/24/2012
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Duration: 12:13

There are a number of common flaws in logical thinking that pop up fairly regularly. Today Skeptoid answers some emails that illustrate a few of the most popular.
Skeptoid #293: Wunderwaffen: Nazi Wonder Weapons
1/17/2012
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Duration: 13:48

We love to attach mysticism and occultism to the Nazis. Their military might and cruelty almost demand some such explanation. But how much of this gilding is actually true?
Skeptoid #292: The Grey Man of Ben MacDhui
1/10/2012
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Duration: 12:26

A thin, dark phantom three times the height of a man is said to stalk this peak in the Cairngorms. What do we actually know about it, and what part of it might be real?
Skeptoid #291: The Toxic Lady
1/3/2012
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Duration: 12:37

In 1994, a woman was brought into an emergency room in Riverside, California. When staff drew blood, fumes knocked out most of the staff and hospitalized some. What happened?
Skeptoid #290: Approaching a Subject Skeptically
12/27/2011
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Duration: 10:44

Examining a new topic to learn whether it's fact or fiction is not a trivial matter. In this episode I detail my own process, and some of the pitfalls.
Skeptoid #289: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
12/20/2011
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Duration: 12:05

The Mary Celeste was famous discovering drifting at sea with nobody on board. Many have offered explanations for what happened, but nobody knows for sure. Here's what we do know.
Skeptoid #288: Pit Bull Attack!
12/13/2011
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Duration: 12:13

Pit bulls have a reputation for being the most dangerous dog breed, so much so that they are actually banned in many places. Is this reputation deserved?
Skeptoid #287: Korean Fan Death
12/6/2011
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Duration: 12:38

Many Koreans believe that sleeping with an electric fan running can actually kill you, but many western scientists scoff at the notion. Is there a more subtle truth in between?
Skeptoid #286: Listener Feedback: Dorothy and Her Straw Man
11/29/2011
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Duration: 11:00

The straw man is one of the most common of the logical fallacies. Today Skeptoid responds to a number of feedback emails that were particular dependent on this ruse.
Skeptoid #285: Slips and Goofs
11/22/2011
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Duration: 11:42

As always, Skeptoid gladly corrects any errors found in past episodes. Here is another batch of such corrections along with helpful additional information.
Skeptoid #284: The Fate of Fletcher Christian
11/15/2011
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Duration: 11:42

Fletcher Christian led the mutiny on the Bounty and escaped to Pitcairn Island to found the small nation's colony. But some say he actually made it back to freedom in England.
Skeptoid #283: Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites
11/8/2011
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Duration: 14:50

Skeptoid's Top 10 list of the worst offenders on the web in the promotion of scientific and factual misinformation. Sadly, this could easily have been a Top 100...
Skeptoid #282: The Jersey Devil
11/1/2011
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Duration: 11:56

The Jersey Devil, also called the Leeds Devil, is said to have been haunting New Jersey since 1735. We take a look at its original roots to see if we can learn what it really is.
Skeptoid #281: The Science of Voting
10/25/2011
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Duration: 11:03

Democracy is a fine thing, except for one problem: No fair voting system exists to ensure the most favored candidate wins an election. What to do?
Skeptoid #280: Finding Shakespeare
10/18/2011
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Duration: 12:25

Claims that someone other than Shakespeare wrote the Bard's works have persisted since about 150 years after his death - and today, they're stronger than ever.
Skeptoid #279: Noah's Ark: Sea Trials
10/11/2011
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Duration: 12:11

Whether you believe the Noah story to be a literal true account or not, the naval engineering questions associated with its construction are fascinating.
Skeptoid #278: Brainwashing and Deprogramming
10/4/2011
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Duration: 11:43

Brainwashing was attempted by the Chinese during the Korean war, and became the default explanation for cult membership. Did it really happen the way history describes it?
Skeptoid #277: Student Questions: A Few Good Myths
9/27/2011
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Duration: 11:24

Skeptoid answers student questions on the subjects of the paleolithic diet, the psychotherapy EMDR, stainless steel to remove odors from chefs' hands, polyphasic sleeping, burn-in of audio equipment, and the great PC slowdown conspiracy.
Skeptoid #276: The Monster of Glamis
9/20/2011
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Duration: 13:15

Glamis Castle in Scotland is one of the world's most famous castles, with a famous beast to go along with it. We'll look and see how much of the story is verifiable, and learn what actually happened.
Skeptoid #275: All About Fracking
9/13/2011
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Duration: 13:36

Fracking, the process of hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells, is one of the most controversial topics of the day. How much of the furor against it is justified by the science?
Skeptoid #274: Listener Feedback Revolutions
9/6/2011
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Duration: 12:48

Skeptoid answers questions and criticisms from listeners on the Scole Experiment, Morgellons Disease, New Age Energy, and Edgar Cayce.
Skeptoid #273: Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen
8/30/2011
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Duration: 12:34

Some lobbying groups ardently claim that common radio transmitters, such as those in cell phones, smart utility meters, and wi-fi hubs are carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to humans.
Skeptoid #272: Are We Alone?
8/23/2011
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Duration: 11:52

Most agree that there are other technological civilizations out there in the galaxy, but have we been visited by them? There's no evidence that we have, but what are the chances?
Skeptoid #271: The Zionist Conspiracy
8/16/2011
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Duration: 12:47

For as long as there have been Jews, there have been conspiracy theories predicting that they're planning to take over the world's governments. How much truth is there to these suspicions?
Skeptoid #270: The Hessdalen Lights
8/9/2011
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Duration: 12:51

Scientists and UFOlogists in Norway are looking at some highly exotic, sci-fi sounding explanations for these remote ghost lights. But it turns out that the true explanation might be a lot more mundane than they hope.
Skeptoid #269: The Abominable Snowman
8/2/2011
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Duration: 12:11

The infamous Yeti is said to stalk the high snow fields of the Himalayas, and has even been photographed and left artifacts. Is there sufficient proof that we must accept its existence?
Skeptoid #268: Student Questions: Energy Shots and Sunscreen
7/26/2011
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Duration: 11:39

Skeptoid answers questions sent in by students on caffeinated energy shots, Internet myths about sunscreen, "information" in thermodynamics, suppressed miracle cancer cures, and drinking hot water from the tap.
Skeptoid #267: Zeno's Paradoxes
7/19/2011
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Duration: 12:11

The paradoxes developed by the Greek philosopher Zeno seem to prove that movement is impossible, and therefore we must not live in the physical universe we think we do. Could he have been right?
Skeptoid #266: Feedback through a Fine Toothed Comb
7/12/2011
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Duration: 11:24

Today it's time for some more listener feedback, and we're going to put even the craziest of listener emails under the microscope to evaluate their logic... such as it is.
Skeptoid #265: "Curing" Gays
7/5/2011
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Duration: 13:33

A growing trend in the media is the promotion of therapy programs intended to "cure" gays and make them straight. Are these therapies real, and can they actually do what they claim?
Skeptoid #264: Conspiracy Theorists Aren't Crazy
6/28/2011
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Duration: 11:52

Conspiracy theorists, who believe wild and implausible stories, seem to have a screw loose somewhere. But are their brains really working improperly?
Skeptoid #263: Anastasia
6/21/2011
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Duration: 12:25

When Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed in Russia in 1918, some say that his daughter Anastasia somehow escaped and went on to live in the United States.
Skeptoid #262: The Haitian Zombies
6/14/2011
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Duration: 13:08

Tradition tells of zombies that wander Haiti as slave laborers. Are they really corpses reanimated by black magic, or is there a more plausible explanation?
Skeptoid #261: Near Death Experiences
6/7/2011
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Duration: 12:19

Many who narrowly escape death on the operating table report euphoric afterlife experiences. But it turns out that these same effects are also associated with simple hypoxia. Does it explain all of them?
Skeptoid #260: Military Dolphins: James Bonds of the Sea
5/31/2011
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Duration: 12:14

Dolphins and sea lions are acknowledged to perform simple military duties like locate mines and retrieve lost objects, but are they also used for much more sinister purposes?
Skeptoid #259: Mao's Barefoot Doctors: The Secret History of Chinese Medicine
5/24/2011
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Duration: 12:51

Conventional wisdom tells us that alternative medicine is preferred in China, but it's simply not true. Neither is it completely true that Mao pushed it onto the Chinese because it was inexpensive.
Skeptoid #258: Spontaneous Human Combustion
5/17/2011
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Duration: 12:01

For hundreds of years, some unsolved cases of death by fire have been called spontaneous because there was no source of ignition found. Is the absence of evidence actually evidence of absence?
Skeptoid #257: The Secret of Plum Island
5/10/2011
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Duration: 12:26

The Plum Island Animal Research Center is known for defending our food supply against foot and mouth disease, but some say their true purpose is much darker.
Skeptoid #256: Student Questions: Supermoons and an Apple a Day
5/3/2011
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Duration: 11:34

Skeptoid answers student questions. Today's topics include a variety of health related questions such as an apple a day and various causes of cancer, plus a look at the media's darling Supermoon.
Skeptoid #255: Superhuman Strength during a Crisis
4/26/2011
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Duration: 12:08

Hysterical strength is what we call temporary superpowers summoned by those undergoing the adrenalin rush of the fight or flight response. Can it really boost your strength as much as the stories say?
Skeptoid #254: Finding the POW/MIAs
4/19/2011
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Duration: 12:50

Some believe that American soldiers missing in action since the Vietnam War are still being held captive as prisoners of war. The military denies it. Where are they?
Skeptoid #253: The Port Arthur Massacre
4/12/2011
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Duration: 12:09

In 1996, a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania. Was he acting alone, or was it a conspiracy by the government to get firearms banned?
Skeptoid #252: The Voynich Manuscript
4/5/2011
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Duration: 13:48

The Voynich manuscript was written in the early 1400s, and to this day, nobody has been able to translate or read a single word of it.
Skeptoid #251: Listener Feedback: Nobody Ever Posts Twice
3/29/2011
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Duration: 15:21

Skeptoid dives into the mailbag to answer some emails from listeners. Recorded live at the 250th Episode party at the University of California, Irvine.
Skeptoid #250: The History of Knowledge
3/22/2011
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Duration: 11:33

A trip through the centuries to see how human knowledge is reflected through music.
Skeptoid #249: Student Questions: Airport X-Rays, Shampoo, and the Moon
3/15/2011
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Duration: 12:13

Today Skeptoid answers questions from students about airport X-ray machines; claims made by shampoo companies; the safety of non-stick cookware; cloth diapers vs. disposables; and what effects the Moon has on us.
Skeptoid #248: The Exorcism of Anneliese
3/8/2011
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Duration: 13:08

Anneliese Michel is only one of many thousands of people who have been killed by exorcism rites. Does this prehistoric ritual have any place in modern psychiatric care?
Skeptoid #247: The Miracle of Calanda
3/1/2011
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Duration: 11:34

A young man's amputated leg was said to have been miraculously restored in 1640, with plenty of hard evidence to back it up. But is this really the best interpretation of that evidence?
Skeptoid #246: Corrections, Errata, Blunders, and Boo-Boos
2/22/2011
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Duration: 11:53

Skeptoid revisits another batch of episodes with errors, and rights the wrongs.
Skeptoid #245: Finding the Lost Colony of Roanoke
2/15/2011
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Duration: 12:17

When Sir Walter Raleigh sent a colony to settle in America on Roanoke Island, every person disappeared. What happened to them?
Skeptoid #244: Nuclear War and Nuclear Winter
2/8/2011
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Duration: 11:49

Some say that the atmospheric smoke from fires following a nuclear war will create devastating global cooling; others say this is grossly exaggerated.
Skeptoid #243: Student Questions: Orbo, EVPs, and Shakespeare
2/1/2011
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Duration: 12:04

Skeptoid answers student questions on perpetual motion machines, electronic voice phenomena, semen retention, the authenticity of Shakespeare's works, and the value of antioxidants.
Skeptoid #242: Scientology
1/25/2011
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Duration: 13:08

Scientology is notorious for opposing psychiatry, for a bizarre apace opera dogma, and for suing its detractors. Is there more to the story than that?
Skeptoid #241: The Alien Buried in Texas
1/18/2011
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Duration: 12:05

In 1897, the newspapers reported that an alien spacecraft crashed in Aurora, Texas, and that the pilot's body was buried in the local cemetery. Can we simply dig it up and find out the truth?
Skeptoid #240: Mystery Spots
1/11/2011
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Duration: 12:02

Mystery spots all around the world, both natural and manmade, purport to be places where gravity works wrong. Is this truly the explanation, or might there be something else at foot?
Skeptoid #239: Gluten Free Diets
1/4/2011
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Duration: 11:46

Some people are sensitive to gluten and must adopt gluten free diets, but what about the rest of us? Do we also need to be concerned about gluten?
Skeptoid #238: More Hollywood Myths
12/28/2010
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Duration: 11:39

Skeptoid takes a look at another batch of rumors from classic Hollywood, including a deep examination of the story that John Wayne's cancer death was caused by filming downwind of the Nevada Test Site.
Skeptoid #237: Hollywood Myths
12/21/2010
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Duration: 11:30

Fancy legends come from nowhere if not from Hollywood. Classic Hollywood has produced more than its share of myths, and Skeptoid looks into them to see whether they're true, or just more show biz.
Skeptoid #236: Whales and Sonar
12/14/2010
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Duration: 12:59

Navy sonar has been proven to cause whale strandings, and even the Navy agrees this is a real risk. But some activist claim much broader danger. What are the real facts?
Skeptoid #235: IQ Testing
12/7/2010
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Duration: 13:22

IQ testing grew out of the eugenics movement, a way to measure which people were of the most (and least) value to society. Does this idea still have any relevance today?
Skeptoid #234: The South Atlantic Anomaly
11/30/2010
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Duration: 11:36

Unlike the Bermuda Triangle, the South Atlantic Anomaly is a real region with measurable physical properties that truly do pose a danger. Is it knocking aircraft out of the sky?
Skeptoid #233: Student Questions: Bird Gender and Bad Karma
11/23/2010
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Duration: 10:12

Skeptoid answers questions from students on food preservatives embalming your body, playing music for unborn fetuses, violent video games, sexing a bird with a pendulum, and karma.
Skeptoid #232: Listener Feedback Rides Again
11/16/2010
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Duration: 11:22

Skeptoid answers some more listener feedback emails, ranging from the sane and helpful to the insane and delusional.
Skeptoid #231: The Mystery of STENDEC
11/9/2010
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Duration: 11:56

In 1947, a British South American Airways flight crashed in the Andes, killing all aboard, but not before sending an unexplained radio message: STENDEC. What did it mean?
Skeptoid #230: DDT: Secret Life of a Pesticide
11/2/2010
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Duration: 13:42

DDT has been banned for its environmental effects like eggshell thinning, but this must be weighed against its life saving potential for malaria victims.
Skeptoid #229: Speed Reading
10/26/2010
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Duration: 11:28

A critical look at speed reading, and its claims of boosting your words per minute from a few hundred to a few thousand. Is this really something that your brain is wired to do?
Skeptoid #228: My Favorite Things
10/19/2010
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Duration: 11:06

In this episode I talk about some of the moments that have excited me the most when producing Skeptoid, and show why I love making it so much. I hope you like it too.
History of the Egg
10/15/2010
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Duration: 1:58

Enjoy this song created by listener Nate Kelley, made from samples of Skeptoid episodes.
Skeptoid #227: Boost Your Immune System (or Not)
10/12/2010
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Duration: 11:58

Products everywhere are sold with the claim that they'll boost your immune system. Does that have any medical meaning? Is it something you'd really want to do? We point the skeptical eye at the claim.
Skeptoid #226: The Brown Mountain Lights
10/5/2010
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Duration: 14:47

For a hundred years, a ghost light in North Carolina has had people wondering what it might be. What are the historical explanations, and do any of them turn out to be the correct one?
Skeptoid #225: Beware the Bilderberg Group!
9/28/2010
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Duration: 11:56

Conspiracy theorist claim the Bilderberg Group consists of the world's power brokers planning Global Domination. Is this in fact true, or is the group's stated purpose the real one?
Skeptoid #224: Alien Downpour: The Red Rain of India
9/21/2010
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Duration: 12:23

When it rained red in India in 2001, some fringe researchers claimed it must have been alien spore from an interstellar comet. Science, however, produced a much more mundane explanation. Which was correct?
Skeptoid #223: The Frog in the Stone
9/14/2010
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Duration: 12:49

History is full of tall tales of living frogs and toads being found encased in solid rock, and hopping out once the rock is broken. How did they get there, and how could they have survived all those centuries?
Skeptoid #222: Toil and Trouble: The Curse of Macbeth
9/7/2010
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Duration: 11:31

According to theater lore, witches placed a curse on Shakespeare's Macbeth that should make the play too dangerous to perform. We take a look at its actual history to see if we can find evidence of such a curse.
Skeptoid #221: The Myers-Briggs Personality Test
8/31/2010
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Duration: 13:10

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the world's most widely used psychological metric. But does it really have any psychological value, or is it little more than a horoscope?
Skeptoid #220: Yonaguni Monument: The Japanese Atlantis
8/24/2010
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Duration: 11:53

Yonaguni Monument is a great fractured sandstone feature off the coast of Japan, said by some to have been built by human hands. Skeptoid takes a look at the evidence for, and the evidence against.
Skeptoid #219: Stalin's Human-Ape Hybrids
8/17/2010
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Duration: 13:14

There's a popular urban legend that Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ordered the creation of half-ape, half-human hybrids as a slave army of soldiers and laborers. Did this ever actually happen?
Skeptoid #218: The Astronauts and the Aliens
8/10/2010
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Duration: 12:53

Stories abound that astronauts have reported UFOs in space, stories that have been covered up by the government. Are they true? What really happened?
Skeptoid #217: Some New Logical Fallacies
8/3/2010
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Duration: 12:08

Skeptoid looks at some newer logical fallacies, which are ways to argue a point with rhetoric when you don't have good evidence.
Skeptoid #216: The Things We Eat...
7/27/2010
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Duration: 12:08

All sorts of people have all sorts of philosophies on what you should eat and what you shouldn't. What are those philosophies based on: Sound food science, or ideology?
Skeptoid #215: Listener Feedback Resurrection
7/20/2010
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Duration: 12:19

Skeptoid responds to some very (ahem) thoughtful emails from some very (ahem) interesting listeners.
Skeptoid #214: Student Questions: Gold as an Investment and FEMA Coffins
7/13/2010
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Duration: 11:38

Skeptoid answers student questions on investing in gold, neurofeedback, the safety of Swedish snus, FEMA coffins, and gaining your nutrition by staring at the sun.
Skeptoid #213: Mozart and Salieri
7/6/2010
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Duration: 13:29

Ever since the 1984 movie Amadeus came out, most people generally believe that Mozart was killed by his jealous rival, the Italian composer Antonio Salieri. How much truth is there to this rumor?
Skeptoid #212: Things About Which I Have In Error Been
6/29/2010
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Duration: 12:13

Once again I revisit some previous episodes that contained errors, and hopefully get them right this time.
Skeptoid #211: Attack on Pearl Harbor
6/22/2010
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Duration: 13:29

One of the most popular conspiracy theories from World War II is that the American government had advance knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack, and allowed it to happen anyway, as an excuse to justify declaring war on Japan.
Skeptoid #210: The North American Union
6/15/2010
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Duration: 12:52

It's often called the Mother of All Conspiracy Theories: the idea that the United States, Canada, and Mexico are all planning to give up their sovereignty and merge into a single huge police state.
Skeptoid #209: The Lost Ship of the Desert
6/8/2010
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Duration: 11:09

Stories about of Viking longships and Spanish galleons turning up in the middle of the American deserts where no ship has any business being. Are they true?
Skeptoid #208: The Westall '66 UFO
6/1/2010
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Duration: 14:35

200 students watched a strange craft fly near their school in Australia in 1966. Must it have been an alien spacecraft, or are there more reasonable alternate explanations?
Skeptoid #207: Dinosaurs Among Us
5/25/2010
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Duration: 11:49

Some cryptozoologists and Young Earth Creationists believe that examples of ancient art prove that dinosaurs and humans coexisted. Do these artworks really serve as proof, or even as good evidence?
Skeptoid #206: Morgellons Disease
5/18/2010
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Duration: 11:57

In this newly described condition, some patients report strange plastic fibers growing from their skin. The symptoms are identical to those of acute stress. Can treating the patient for stress address the Morgellons?
Skeptoid #205: Beyond Listener Feedback
5/11/2010
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Duration: 12:13

Another trip to the Listener Feedback files, including my favorite yet.
Skeptoid #204: Mengele's Boys from Brazil
5/4/2010
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Duration: 12:15

After World War II, the Nazi Angel of Death Josef Mengele escaped to South America. And a town in Brazil has an unusually high rate of twins. Are the two connected? Did Mengele continue his human experiments after the war?
Skeptoid #203: Therapeutic Touch
4/27/2010
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Duration: 12:57

Therapeutic touch is a healing method used by many nurses to treat pain. It involves waving your hands over the patient's body to manipulate their magnetic field. Does this field exist, and is there any evidence that doing this would be beneficial to the patient?
Skeptoid #202: The Mystery of Pumapunku
4/20/2010
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Duration: 12:32

Pumapunku in Bolivia contains some of the ancient world's most complex works of stonemasonry. So complex, some say, that only aliens could have made them. Is this truly the best state of our knowledge about these structures?
Skeptoid #201: The Virgin of Guadalupe
4/13/2010
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Duration: 14:50

The Virgin of Guadalupe is said to be a miraculous image on ancient Mexican fabric. Is it correct to accept this, to dismiss it as silly, or is there a more significant history that's more intriguing than either of those?
Skeptoid #200: Buy It!
4/6/2010
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Duration: 3:13

You should never blindly trust what we've learned from science. A true skeptic will only trust claims coming from those who are trying to sell us something.
Announcing Skeptoid #200
4/2/2010
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Duration: 13:05

Skeptoid hits a milestone: 200 episodes. Learn how it works behind the scenes, and find out how you can help.
Skeptoid #199: Cargo Cults
3/30/2010
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Duration: 12:17

Certain cultures in the South Pacific believe that if they can recreate the conditions of WWII, ships and planes will arrive bearing cargos like those that brought them modern luxuries 70 years ago. But is their belief system really that simple, or is there more to it?
Skeptoid #198: The Georgia Guidestones
3/23/2010
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Duration: 12:33

Dubbed "America's Stonehenge", the Georgia Guidestones were erected in 1980, bearing an inscription that seems to advocate global genocide and the dawn of a New World Order.
Skeptoid #197: Listener Feedback Strikes Back
3/16/2010
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Duration: 11:57

Skeptoid takes another perilous dive into the listener feedback files.
Skeptoid #196: Zeitgeist: The Movie, Myths, and Motivations
3/9/2010
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Duration: 12:08

The Internet movie Zeitgeist is among a new breed of machines spreading conspiracy theories. Zeitgeist is a little different in that its true motivation is to advocate a utopian ideology. This raises the question: Why, then, promote the untrue conspiracy theories?
Skeptoid #195: Student Questions: Mosquito Repellent and Einstein's Gestation
3/2/2010
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Duration: 11:55

Skeptoid answers student questions on electronic mosquito repellents, the Petition Project of scientists who deny global warming, getting sick from being near someone with a cold, athleticism of different races, and whether Einstein was smart because he spent an extra month in the womb.
Skeptoid #194: The Denver Airport Conspiracy
2/23/2010
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Duration: 14:25

Conspiracy theorists claim that Denver International Airport is a headquarters from which the Illuminati will launch the New World Order via a global genocide. Are there other explanations for the clues they see?
Skeptoid #193: The Faces of Belmez
2/16/2010
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Duration: 11:15

Beginning in 1971, a series of ghastly faces began appearing on the concrete floor of a house in a Spanish village. Should people make life decisions based on their belief that these faces were divinely inspired?
Skeptoid #192: Ball Lightning
2/9/2010
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Duration: 11:58

Ball lightning is often the first explanation many of us reach for when we hear any report involving a glowing orb of light. But science has yet to confirm that such a thing even exists at all, and the widely varying eyewitness reports don't help either.
Skeptoid #191: Did Jewish Slaves Build the Pyramids?
2/2/2010
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Duration: 12:30

Popular mythology tells us that the pyramids were built by Jewish slaves, but is there any evidence supporting this? Apparently not. Jews were elsewhere at the time, and skilled Egyptian workers were found to have been at the pyramids.
Skeptoid #190: The Bell Island Boom
1/26/2010
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Duration: 12:02

In 1978, a massive boom shook this small island in Newfoundland, destroying buildings, killing animals, and ruining electrical wiring. Some say it was a test of a US superweapon. What does the evidence support?
Skeptoid #189: Martial Arts Magic
1/19/2010
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Duration: 11:57

Some call it Bullshido: Martial arts tricks that you see on YouTube. Instructors knocking out their students with a single touch, or even no touch at all. These con men have been tricking people into their schools for decades.
Skeptoid #188: Student Questions: String Theory, the Asian Flush, and the Peltzman Effect
1/12/2010
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Duration: 12:21

Skeptoid answers some student questions. This week: string theory, the Asian Flush, the Peltzman Effect, health benefits of daylight lamps, and temperature's effect on arthritis pain.
Skeptoid #187: Emergency Handbook: What to Do When a Friend Loves Woo
1/5/2010
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Duration: 11:58

We all have friends and loved ones with pseudoscientific, supernatural, or just plain wrong beliefs. Sometimes these beliefs can become a danger to them. Here are some steps you can follow to help them see the light.
Skeptoid #186: More Things I'm Wrong About
12/29/2009
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Duration: 12:01

Skeptoid takes a look back at some old episodes that had errors in them needing correction. Some are big, some are small, all need a slap upside the head.
Skeptoid #185: Is Barefoot Better?
12/22/2009
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Duration: 12:27

Some proponents advocate that going barefoot is not only better for the health of your feet, it can also help you perform better in sports or in virtually every other life situation.
Skeptoid #184: The Antikythera Mechanism
12/15/2009
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Duration: 12:06

The Antikythera Mechanism is a sophisticated bronze instrument found in a shipwreck, dated 1000 years earlier than known peoples were able to build such things. Does it prove the existence of aliens, time travelers, or Atlanteans?
Skeptoid #183: The Naga Fireballs
12/8/2009
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Duration: 12:38

Each October, a Thai festival celebrates the end of the Buddhist Lent with a giant river serpent who spits flaming balls into the sky. You can actually see them. Is there a natural explanation, or is the river serpent real?
Skeptoid #182: Listener Feedback X
12/1/2009
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Duration: 11:22

Skeptoid addresses some listener feedback pertaining to the Rendlesham Forest UFO, network marketing, microwaved food, and evil worldwide conspiracies of Illuminati.
Skeptoid #181: The Baigong Pipes
11/24/2009
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Duration: 11:16

On a lakeshore in China, modern metal pipes can be found buried throughout the ancient sediment, as much as 150,000 years ago. Does this prove an alien construction project, or might there be a natural explanation?
Skeptoid #180: Vaccine Ingredients
11/17/2009
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Duration: 12:50

A closer look at the actual ingredients in vaccines. Do they really contain the horrifying poisons claimed by antivaccine activists? The facts may surprise you.
Skeptoid #179: The Scole Experiment
11/10/2009
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Duration: 12:11

In the most extensive research done yet on seances, the Scole Experiment sought to establish that such phenomena are real and actually supernatural. Just one problem: They forgot to employ any controls at all.
Skeptoid #178: Student Questions: The Montauk Monster and Bee Sting Therapy
11/3/2009
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Duration: 11:49

Skeptoid takes on questions submitted by students on the Montauk Monster, the efficacy of skin moisturizer, bee sting therapy (ouch!), aluminum antiperspirants as a cause of breast cancer, inexpensive gasoline, and the claim that homosexuals have shorter lifespans.
Skeptoid #177: The Bloop
10/27/2009
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Duration: 14:48

The Bloop was a mysterious sound captured by NOAA hydrophones in 1997. Cryptozoologists claim it as evidence of a gigantic unknown sea creature. What do NOAA scientists have to say?
Skeptoid #176: Network Marketing
10/20/2009
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Duration: 12:08

Call them Network Marketing, Multilevel Marketing, or MLM, these pyramid plans are proven not to work. 99.95% of participants lose money. Are you REALLY among that .01% who will recover their costs?
Skeptoid #175: Shadow People
10/13/2009
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Duration: 12:25

Shadow people are dark, ghostlike forms often seen out of the corner of your eye. Witnesses often accept no explanations other than supernatural ones, but are there any rational (but still likely) causes for these phenomena?
Skeptoid #174: More Medical Myths
10/6/2009
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Duration: 11:31

Movies and Mom wisdom tell all kinds of tales about how the body works, how you need to take care of it, and what can happen to it. This week we look at some more of these tales and uncover the facts.
Skeptoid #173: All About Astrology
9/29/2009
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Duration: 15:23

When examining astrology, we have to not only look at its foundations to see it it's based on any sound science, we also have to look at the results to see if there might be some actual effect due to an unknown force.
Skeptoid #172: Daylight Saving Time Myths
9/22/2009
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Duration: 11:10

Most people think daylight saving time is for farmers or to save electricity. Today we look into those popular notions with some skepticism, and find out what the real reasons are.
Skeptoid #171: The Battle of Los Angeles
9/15/2009
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Duration: 11:25

During the opening days of World War II, the American defense forces guarding Los Angeles from Japanese attack opened fire one night. Who or what they were shooting at has remained a topic of debate for decades.
Skeptoid #170: It's Raining Frogs and Fish
9/8/2009
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Duration: 11:20

Many times, people have reported storms of frogs and fish raining from the clouds. The usual explanation is that they've been lifted into the sky by a waterspout. But does this explanation hold any water?
Skeptoid #169: Bride of Listener Feedback
9/1/2009
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Duration: 11:35

More replies to some of Skeptoid's more colorful listener feedback.
Announcing New Video Series: inFact
8/28/2009
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Duration: 2:26

inFact is a proposed new web video series from Brian Dunning. I'm looking for sponsorship or a distribution deal.
Skeptoid #168: Decrypting the Mormon Book of Abraham
8/25/2009
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Duration: 12:23

Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith allegedly translated the adventures of Abraham in Egypt, written by his own hand upon papyrus. But modern translations of these same papyri tell a very different story.
Skeptoid #167: Should Science Debate Pseudoscience?
8/18/2009
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Duration: 11:34

When a scientist debates a pseudoscientist, he is presenting science as if it is an equally valid alternative opinion. Rather than educating about science, this spreads a harmful message that science is merely a competing viewpoint.
Skeptoid #166: Organic vs. Conventional Agriculture
8/11/2009
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Duration: 15:48

Proponents of organic agriculture support their product with a number of arguments that charge modern farming with being poisonous to those who eat it and to the environment. Which of these arguments hold any water?
Skeptoid #165: Real or Fictional: Food and Fashion
8/4/2009
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Duration: 14:45

Brand names are as important as ever, and marketers go to great lengths when they choose a person to name their product after. Are these popular food and fashion products named after real people, or fictitious people?
Skeptoid #164: What's Up with the Rosicrucians?
7/28/2009
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Duration: 12:08

The Rosicrucians pack more ancient historical references into their image than half a library could contain, but they were only founded in 1915. Their teachings are based on the early 20th century New Thought movement.
Skeptoid #163: How to Make Skepticism Commercial
7/21/2009
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Duration: 11:17

Critical thinking does not offer impossibly easy answers to real problems, and so its message is distinctly unpopular in the marketplace. How can we encourage people to embrace information that will actually help them to lead better lives?
Skeptoid #162: Locally Grown Produce
7/14/2009
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Duration: 12:41

We all hope and expect that locally grown produce might be fresher than produce trucked in from a bigger farm, but do we also assign less plausible benefits to it? Does it really have a lower carbon footprint, for example?
Skeptoid #161: Listener Feedback Episode VIII: No New Hope
7/7/2009
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Duration: 12:46

Another peek into the Skeptoid inbox to see what's annoying our listeners, and see what Skeptoid has to say back at them.
Skeptoid #160: Sarah Palin Is Not Stupid
6/30/2009
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Duration: 10:26

Making an ad hominem attack upon those with whom we disagree is not only missing the point, it's usually factually wrong and displays a lack of critical thinking.
Skeptoid #159: The Mothman Cometh
6/23/2009
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Duration: 11:15

Many people believe that whenever the Mothman appears, disaster soon follows and people die. Skeptoid takes a closer look at the events that led to this belief.
Skeptoid #158: Student Questions: Swine Flu and Depleted Uranium
6/16/2009
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Duration: 13:07

Skeptoid answers student questions about the swine flu, the health risks of depleted uranium, claims about expensive audio cables, Family Constellations, and Functional Medicine.
Skeptoid #157: High Fructose Corn Syrup: Toxic or Tame?
6/9/2009
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Duration: 12:32

Opponents say that high fructose corn syrup is responsible for obesity, diabetes, and other conditions, and that simple sugar is a safe substitute. But what does the chemistry say? Is it possible for the two compounds to have different effects on the body?
Skeptoid #156: Falling into Mel's Hole
6/2/2009
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Duration: 11:03

In eastern Washington state is said to be a strange bottomless pit, announced by its then owner, Mel Waters. Mel's Hole has all kinds of incredible supernatural properties. But... does it actually exist?
Skeptoid #155: NLP: Neuro-linguistic Programming
5/26/2009
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Duration: 12:03

Although the creators of Neuro-linguistic Programming bill it as a scientific breakthrough in psychotherapy, it's marketed and used by the New Age self-help industry. What is it, and is there any good science backing it up?
Skeptoid #154: Was Chuck Yeager the First to Break the Sound Barrier?
5/19/2009
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Duration: 17:24

Credible claims that others broke the sound barrier before Chuck Yeager come from several sources, including the German Me-163 and Me-262 fighters during WWII, and from George Welch flying an XP-86 fighter only days before Yeager's historic flight.
Skeptoid #153: Revenge of the Listener Feedback
5/12/2009
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Duration: 12:01

More listener feedback. Some of it rabid, some of it crazy, some of it good, and all of it educational.
Skeptoid #152: Attack of the Globsters!
5/5/2009
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Duration: 12:39

Great globs of fleshy tissue have been washing up on beaches for as long as there have been beaches. Many seem nearly impossible to identify, so cryptozoologists believe they are a new species: Octopus giganteus.
Skeptoid #151: The Placebo Effect
4/28/2009
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Duration: 13:04

Everyone knows the role of placebos in clinical testing. But did you know that placebos can also be an effective medical treatment themselves?
Skeptoid #150: Screwed!
4/21/2009
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Duration: 9:40

Those Illuminati are at it again - planning their New World Order and global domination. Skeptoid special investigators captured this recording of a secret meeting of the Illuminati, the shadow government that secretly rules the planet.
Skeptoid #149: Coral Castle
4/14/2009
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Duration: 11:41

Coral Castle was built from 1,100 tons of coral blocks by one man, Ed Leedskalnin, over 28 years. How did he do it? Some say he used unknown advanced technology like magnetic vortices.
Skeptoid #148: Student Questions: Zero Point Energy and Missing Time
4/7/2009
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Duration: 13:02

Skeptoid answers student questions about the safety of menthol cigarettes, antibacterial cleansers, missing time reported by UFO believers, zero point energy, and the ability to sense when you're being watched.
Skeptoid #147: Binaural Beats: Digital Drugs
3/31/2009
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Duration: 12:02

Some people listen to binaural beats (computer generated rhythmic audio files) in the belief that they can induce desired brain states, like a drug, or like an instant superpower pill. In this episode we look at the claims and at the actual science.
Skeptoid #146: How Old Is the Mount St. Helens Lava Dome?
3/24/2009
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Duration: 13:00

An infamous case where a Young Earth geologist misused a common dating technique in order to discredit the age of the Earth has become one of the cornerstones of the Biblical Young Earth movement.
Skeptoid #145: FEMA Prison Camps
3/17/2009
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Duration: 11:50

Some say that the government maintains a network of up to 800 prison camps, staffed and ready to accept US citizens, to support the New World Order.
Skeptoid #144: The Case of the Strange Skulls
3/10/2009
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Duration: 15:13

There are a number of "weird skulls" from around the world, but how many of them are actually real? Before concluding that there are anomalous skulls out there, first check the validity of your source.
Skeptoid #143: The Lucifer Project
3/3/2009
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Duration: 12:33

It started with a fanciful story idea by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, and has grown into a detailed conspiracy theory. Some people believe the real reason for NASA's deep space probes is to turn Saturn or Jupiter into a second sun.
Skeptoid #142: Student Questions: Sugary Behavior, Secondhand Smoke, and Wal-Mart
2/24/2009
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Duration: 13:35

More student questions answered: Does sugar make kids hyperactive; is secondhand smoke actually dangerous; why do people hate Wal-Mart so much; is omega-3 fatty acid supplementation worthwhile; and is radiometric dating actually useful?
Skeptoid #141: Listener Feedback 6: I Want to Believe
2/17/2009
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Duration: 11:40

Another round of responses to emails and web site comments from listeners.
Skeptoid #140: The Bosnian Pyramids
2/10/2009
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Duration: 13:25

Some say that a 700-foot hill in a small village in Bosnia is actually the world's largest and oldest pyramid, connected by a network of subterranean tunnels, and demonstrating a level of workmanship that predated and was superior to the Egyptians. We point our skeptical eye at the Bosnia Pyramids.
Skeptoid #139: Kangen Water: Change Your Water, Change Your Life
2/3/2009
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Duration: 12:29

Kangen and other similar companies sell machines that purport to "ionize" or alkalize your water, claiming a huge range of fantastic health benefits. The only problem? None of it has any remote scientific plausibility.
Skeptoid #138: Is He Real, or Is He Fictional?
1/27/2009
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Duration: 13:26

You probably know most of these, but you won't know all of them. Some popular characters from history were real, and some were fictional -- but who really knows which were which?
Skeptoid #137: The Angel of Mons
1/20/2009
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Duration: 10:29

Popular fiction tells us that a small group of British soldiers in World War I defeated a vastly superior German force with the help of angels sent from heaven. Does this story have its roots in military history, or in pulp fiction stories?
Skeptoid #136: Student Questions: Light Therapy, the Bermuda Triangle, and Isaac Newton
1/13/2009
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Duration: 11:56

Skeptoid answers questions on light therapy, the Bermuda Triangle, jumping to throw the Earth off its axis, vaccinations and autism, and environmental estrogens.
Skeptoid #135: The Rendlesham Forest UFO
1/6/2009
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Duration: 16:08

In 1980, a UFO with flashing colored lights is said to have floated around the forest outside a USAF base in England for three nights in a row in plain view of military security who recorded the event. We point our skeptical eye at the evidence.
Skeptoid #134: Who Is Closed Minded, the Skeptic or the Believer?
12/30/2008
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Duration: 11:37

Skeptics and believers both accuse each other of being closed minded, of being "true believers", and of trying to justify preconceived notions. Are they both right, or is neither right?
Skeptoid #133: Chasing the Min Min Light
12/23/2008
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Duration: 10:45

Some say the Min Min Light in Australia's channel country is a ghost light, others that it's some strange form of electroluminescence. Happily for us, but perhaps sadly for the legend, the truth has been conclusively determined.
Skeptoid #132: The Sargasso Sea and the Pacific Garbage Patch
12/16/2008
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Duration: 9:52

The Atlantic's Sargasso Sea is said to trap ships inside its tangled masses of seaweed, and the Pacific Trash Vortex is said to be a floating island the size of Texas. Are these two hazards real, or tall tales cooked up by mariners?
Skeptoid #131: The Bohemian Club Conspiracy
12/9/2008
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Duration: 12:56

Stories abound about San Francisco's well connected Bohemian Club members: Everything from plots of global domination to stories of bizarre human sacrifice rituals to pagan god in the redwood grove. What are the facts?
The Most Important Thing about Skeptoid
12/6/2008
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Duration: 2:31

Skeptoid has a much more important impact than preaching to the choir of people who are already skeptical. Find out how you can help Skeptoid introduce critical thinking to students who have never been given the tools.
Skeptoid #130: Space Properties for Sale
12/2/2008
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Duration: 8:59

Name a star or an asteroid? Buy real estate on the Moon or Mars? Companies are selling it. We turn our skeptical eye on this practice to see if such sales have any scientific legitimacy.
Skeptoid #129: The Oak Island Money Pit
11/25/2008
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Duration: 10:31

Discovered in 1795, some say this strange pit on an island in Nova Scotia conceals a pirate treasure worth millions of pounds. The truth may be a little less sensational.
Skeptoid #128: Student Questions: the Mozart Effect, Quantum Theory, and AIDS
11/18/2008
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Duration: 11:01

Skeptoid answers more student questions about the Mozart Effect, Quantum Theory, the cause of AIDS, gastric reflux disease, and the efficiencies of recycling.
Skeptoid #127: The Truth about Aspartame
11/11/2008
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Duration: 12:29

The artificial sweetener aspartame has been a mainstay of diet soft drinks and other foods for decades, and all testing has shown it to be safe. But for some reason, activists credit it with millions of deaths worldwide and blame it for nearly every disease.
Skeptoid #126: The Incorruptibles
11/4/2008
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Duration: 11:32

The Catholics are not the only church that claims incorruptible martyrs and saints -- bodies that do not decay after death. Buddhist monks have practiced this for centuries. But not all are as miraculous as claimed.
Skeptoid #125: Ten Most Wanted: Celebrities Who Promote Harmful Pseudoscience
10/28/2008
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Duration: 13:30

When you have a giant audience, you have a giant responsibility; and the celebrities on this list fail to deliver. A critical look at the antics of Oprah Winfrey, Jenny McCarthy, Prince Charles, Bill Maher, Larry King, Pamela Anderson, Ben Stein, Joe Rogan, Chuck Norris, and Montel Williams.
Skeptoid #124: Betty and Barney Hill: The Original UFO Abduction
10/21/2008
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Duration: 13:18

In 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed to have been taken aboard an alien spacecraft and had experiments performed on them. It's always been considered the seminal abduction story, and rarely questioned. Today we question it, in spades.
Skeptoid #123: Listener Feedback Reloaded
10/14/2008
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Duration: 9:49

Reading and responding to some more listener feedback emails, on topics such as genetically modified foods, running your car on water, yet more MonaVie nonsense, and my giant kickbacks from Big Agriculture.
Skeptoid #122: HAARP Myths
10/7/2008
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Duration: 12:59

Critics of HAARP (the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) in Alaska charge that it is a superweapon responsible for earthquakes and weather disasters. The scientists behind it paint quite a different picture of its research goals. Which is true?
Skeptoid #121: Scalar Weapons: Tesla's Doomsday Machine?
9/30/2008
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Duration: 10:45

Proponents of hypothesized "scalar weapons" claim that they are a real class of atmospheric superweapons actually in use by major governments and clandestine crime organizations to cause natural disasters and other attacks worldwide.
Skeptoid #120: The World According to Conservapedia
9/23/2008
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Duration: 11:44

It's bad enough for an online encyclopedia to present the Young Earth anti-science view of our natural world and physical sciences, but it's worse when Conservapedia disguises itself as merely an "unbiased" knowledge resource.
Skeptoid #119: Student Questions: Body Searches and Theta Healing
9/16/2008
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Duration: 10:05

Skeptoid answers some more student questions, this time on body searches in airports, theta healing, dreams coming true, marijuana use, and the physiological causes of homosexuality.
Skeptoid #118: Demystifying the Bell Witch
9/9/2008
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Duration: 11:28

The Bell Witch is said to have tormented the Bell family of Tennessee in the early 1800's, and even to have murdered the father and beaten US President Andrew Jackson in a challenge. In this episode we follow the process of responsibly investigating these claims to see what (most likely) really happened.
Skeptoid #117: How Dangerous Is Cell Phone Radiation?
9/2/2008
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Duration: 11:07

Turn on CNN or watch YouTube and you'll hear plenty of tales about cell phone radiation being dangerous to human tissue, causing cancer or other health problems. Shouldn't it tell you something that there has never been a documented case of a single victim?
Skeptoid #116: How to Be a Skeptic and Still Have Friends
8/26/2008
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Duration: 8:51

When you're known as a skeptic, it often makes you unpopular among the pseudoscience believing majority. You're known as that hateful, doubting jerk. Here is one way to manage this process and turn "being the skeptic" from a liability into an advantage.
Skeptoid #115: Search for the Missing Cosmonauts
8/19/2008
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Duration: 13:38

In 1961, young Italian amateur radio enthusiasts Achille and Giovanni Judica-Cordiglia recorded transmissions they say are from Soviet cosmonauts dying in space, on missions covered up by the Soviets. Is their story plausible?
Skeptoid #114: Student Questions: Fish Oil, Charities, and Rumors
8/12/2008
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Duration: 9:37

Skeptoid answers some questions sent in by students about fish oil, charity fraud, rumors, non-falsifiable science, and osteopathy.
Skeptoid #113: The Most Effective Homeopathy Podcast Ever
8/8/2008
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Duration: 10:06

Does homeopathy contain any useful content, or is it just a lot of nothing?
Skeptoid #112: Genetically Modified Organisms: Jeopardy or Jackpot?
8/5/2008
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Duration: 14:27

Some environmental lobbyists go to great lengths to deny food, to which they have personal objections, to starving people in poor countries. They base these actions on a long list of spiritual, pseudoscientific, and irrelevant red herring objections to food science.
Skeptoid #111: Should Tibet Be Free?
7/29/2008
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Duration: 11:39

Celebrities and many others passionately advocate for a free Tibet. Do they really understand what that means? Are they aware that not even the Dalai Lama himself wants a free Tibet?
Skeptoid #110: Illuminating the Fatima "Miracle of the Sun"
7/22/2008
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Duration: 11:05

The famous "Miracle of the Sun" is said to be one of the Catholic Church's greatest miracles. But, under just the tiniest bit of scrutiny, it seems there is no good reason to suspect that anything remotely unusual might have happened.
Skeptoid #109: Will the Large Hadron Collider Destroy the Earth?
7/15/2008
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Duration: 11:22

CERN has finally completed construction of the Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle collider. But some alarmists who don't understand the science have been given a platform by the mass media to spread fear and misinformation that the LHC is somehow a dangerous threat to the planet.
Skeptoid #108: Mystery at Dyatlov Pass
7/8/2008
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Duration: 10:30

Nine cross country skiers died in the Ural Mountains in 1959 in the most bizarre of circumstances. Secret Russian military tests have been blamed, as have UFOs. What really happened?
Skeptoid #107: Spy Radio: Numbers Stations
7/1/2008
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Duration: 10:28

Since the cold war, there have been many mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts called numbers stations, transmitted encrypted messages for some unknown purpose. What are they really, and what do they sound like?
Skeptoid #106: King Tut's Curse!
6/24/2008
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Duration: 10:43

We've all heard the story of King Tut's curse, and we've all heard the popular scientific sounding explanation. Today we look at the real science behind what actually happened.
Skeptoid #105: When People Talk Backwards
6/17/2008
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Duration: 11:10

Some people think that when you say something and play it backwards, you'll hear what your brain truly intended to say. Somehow the brain is clever (and honest) enough to choose words that, when played backwards, say what you actually meant.
Skeptoid #104: Yet More Winning Listener Feedback
6/10/2008
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Duration: 12:43

There was just too much Detoxification feedback to pass up, I had to pass along a second batch. Plus, a few other assorted episodes that are also worthy of note.
Skeptoid #103: Should You Take Your Vitamins?
6/3/2008
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Duration: 10:12

Folk wisdom has long told us that daily megadoses of vitamin C can cure the common cold, and even prevent us from catching one. Megadosing on other vitamins can prolong life, treat or prevent other diseases, and even improve general well being and happiness. Are these stories true? Let's take a look at the science behind them.
Skeptoid #102: What You Didn't Know about the Stanford Prison Experiment
5/27/2008
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Duration: 10:16

Dr. Philip Zimbardo's infamous Stanford Prison Experiment is popularly believed to have proven that bad environments produce bad behavior in good people. However, a closer and more critical look at the experiment itself and its methodology shows that it may not have been a valid experiment at all, and merely an illustration of one man's beliefs.
Skeptoid #101: Things I'm Wrong About
5/20/2008
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Duration: 11:20

Although you probably naturally assume that I'm always right about everything, in fact I do sometimes get stuff wrong, with my limited resources and all. Here's a look back at a few examples.
Skeptoid #100: Is Peak Oil the End of Civilization?
5/13/2008
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Duration: 10:17

Doomsayer web sites claim that peak oil, the point at which diminishing supply forces oil production to drop and no longer be able to meet demand, will result in a worldwide panic of unprecedented proportions. But peaks like this have always happened throughout history, and we've learned that the nature of market economies is to react and adapt.
Skeptoid #99: Reassembling TWA Flight 800
5/6/2008
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Duration: 11:22

Sometimes the NTSB simply can't find the definitive cause of an accident. There isn't always as much hard physical evidence as we're likely to be. Unfortunately, conspiracy theorists believe that whenever this happens, the most reasonable explanation is a massive government coverup of unspeakable proportions.
Skeptoid #98: The Crystal Skull: Mystical, or Modern?
4/29/2008
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Duration: 8:53

Believers say the Crystal Skull, and others like it (like the one in the Indiana Jones movie), is of ancient origin and possesses magical powers. The facts tell quite a different story.
Skeptoid #97: The Face on Mars Revealed
4/22/2008
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Duration: 9:30

Today we look at the face on Mars in the Cydonia Mensae region. Conspiracy theorist Richard Hoagland believes it's proof of a Martian civilization. But photography, the perceptual phenomenon called pareidolia, and the Law of Large Numbers combine to say that it's simply a natural hill.
Skeptoid #96: What's Wrong with The Secret
4/15/2008
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Duration: 10:26

The 2006 book and movie "The Secret" teaches tired old self-help motivational concepts wrapped inside a century-old version of New Age metaphysics. This idea has been widely criticized and attacked from all angles, and rightfully so.
Skeptoid #95: Bend Over and Own Your Own Business
4/8/2008
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Duration: 10:49

Everyone wants to sell you something. And when that product is the promise of financial freedom owning your own business, you can be pretty certain 9 times out of 10 that someone is pocketing your money for no good reason. Real business opportunities are made, not purchased from ads on the Internet.
Skeptoid #94: Fire in the Sky: A Real UFO Abduction?
4/1/2008
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Duration: 11:00

The Travis Walton UFO abduction case, popularized in his book and in the movie Fire in the Sky, is said to be the most compelling abduction case because of the number of eyewitnesses. Did you know these eyewitnesses were all buddies of his who failed as many polygraphs as they passed?
Skeptoid #93: Apocalypse 2012
3/25/2008
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Duration: 11:15

A number of ancient legends have been interpreted by modern astrologers and doomsayers to mean that the world is coming to an end in 2012. Fear not; not only is there no historical basis to these claims, but there are far more stories of Armageddon with completely different dates to worry about.
Skeptoid #92: Rethinking Nuclear Power
3/18/2008
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Duration: 12:03

Nuclear reactors on today's drawing board produce little or no waste, are cheaper and safer, and can't be used to create weapons grade plutonium. So remind me, please: Why has the environmental lobby forced us instead on to the polluting alternative of coal and oil fired power plants?
Skeptoid #91: More Outrageous Listener Feedback
3/11/2008
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Duration: 10:38

Yet another mano-a-mano round between me and my least enthusiastic listeners. Come and join the fun!
Skeptoid #90: Can You Hear the Hum?
3/4/2008
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Duration: 11:35

Some people hear a mysterious rumble called the Hum in various places, and it's infamous in certain locales. The Taos Hum, the Bristol Hum, the Auckland Hum, the Kokomo Hum. Is there a single explanation for all of them?
Skeptoid #89: Despicable Vulture Scumbags
2/26/2008
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Duration: 10:31

The wet cell battery, a useless piece of pseudoscience hardware conceived by early 20th century celebrity psychic Edgar Cayce, is offered for sale to people with serious terminal and debilitating illnesses, with no hope of actual treatment.
Skeptoid #88: Super Sized Fast Food Phobia
2/19/2008
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Duration: 10:32

"Super Size Me" was a highly dramatized documentary movie that stated fast food has extremely dangerous side effects. But, when we examine the issue skeptically, we see that the science tells us something very different.
Skeptoid #87: Water: Alternative Fuel of the Future?
2/12/2008
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Duration: 10:02

Hundreds of claims exist to burn water to make energy, whether as a supplemental power source for your car or as some new kind of way to power the generation of electricity using free fuel and producing no emissions. Yet these systems all share a fatal flaw: They consume more energy than they produce.
Skeptoid #86: MonaVie and Other "Superfruit" Juices
2/5/2008
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Duration: 12:14

MonaVie and other "superfruit" juices market themselves as great sources of antioxidants and the best way to prevent aging. When these claims are examined scientifically, neither is true; and especially not when compared to the country doctor's favorite axiom of an apple a day.
Skeptoid #85: World Trade Center 7: The Lies Come Crashing Down
1/29/2008
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Duration: 10:17

Conspiracy theorists allege that the collapse of 7 World Trade Center was a controlled demolition, executed by the US government. But their theory is inconsistent with all of the events in the seven hours preceding the collapse. Is it still possible?
Skeptoid #84: Magic Jewelry
1/22/2008
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Duration: 11:10

Ever seen someone wearing a Q-Ray bracelet? They are said to have all sorts of wonderful health effects, of a type not yet understood by western science. One thing is understood: The courts, the FTC, and the Mayo Clinic aren't buying a word of it.
Skeptoid #83: The Detoxification Myth
1/15/2008
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Duration: 11:41

The world is full of hucksters trying to sell us products to "detoxify" our bodies, but nobody ever really hints at what these supposed "toxins" might be. Whether it's adhesive vinegar foot pads, electric foot baths, or pills that rubberize our stools into giant snakes, there's always some brand of snake oil offering to do what our livers and kidneys already do for free.
Skeptoid Book Is Now Available!
1/12/2008
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Duration: 1:22

Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena by Brian Dunning, with a foreword by James Randi, is now available as a book from Amazon.com. Autographed copies are also available through Skeptoid.com.
Skeptoid #82: What Do Creationists Really Believe?
1/8/2008
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Duration: 11:19

The battle between science and creationism may be the one getting the most headlines in the news, but the real battle is among the various types of creationists. Their radically differing belief systems are irreconciliable and at varying odds with science.
Skeptoid #81: Ghost Hunting Tools of the Trade
1/1/2008
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Duration: 11:50

In this episode we examine why the flagrant misuse and mischaracterization of electronic equipment by ghost hunters is so stupid. We look at IR gear, EMF meters, cameras, ion and particle detectors, dowsing rods and audio gear.
Skeptoid #80: Are Microwave Ovens Safe?
12/25/2007
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Duration: 11:01

Anti-microwave activists claim that food or water than has been microwaved is toxic to plants and animals, despite the lack of any victims, any useful research indicating this, or any plausible explanation of how or why such a thing might be possible.
Skeptoid #79: Aliens in Roswell
12/18/2007
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Duration: 12:48

If you've paid much attention to the Roswell Incident over the years, you may have concluded that it's so tangled that the truth will never be known. Fear not; the truth is quite simple, and Skeptoid unravels it for you here.
Skeptoid #78: Medical Myths in Movies and Culture
12/11/2007
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Duration: 9:19

If you've grown up watching movies or having a mother dispensing folk remedies, you probably know and/or believe a whole array of false anecdotes about the way the human body works. In this episode we'll look at a number of the most popular with a skeptical eye.
Skeptoid #77: Orang Pendek: Forest Hobbit of Sumatra
12/4/2007
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Duration: 10:53

Orang Pendek, which could be described as a miniature Bigfoot by some, is said to inhabit the jungles of Sumatra. Let's weigh the actual evidence for this creature against the tidal wave of local legend and lore from Sumatra's uncounted remote tribes.
Skeptoid #76: Who Kills More, Religion or Atheism?
11/27/2007
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Duration: 9:00

The age-old debate between which side is responsible for more deaths in history, religion or atheism, is not an argument that either side can ever win. Nor is it a useful tool to analyze the value of religion. Which side is right? Skeptoid's take might surprise you.
Skeptoid #75: How to See Your Aura
11/20/2007
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Duration: 10:33

Infrared photographs, Kirlian imagery, and the AuraCam 6000 all purport to be able to show a person's mystical aura. Unfortunately, these techniques all have much simpler and more mundane explanations.
Skeptoid #74: A Magical Journey through the Land of Logical Fallacies - Part 2
11/13/2007
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Duration: 11:54

When debating, don't allow yourself to be taken in by logical fallacies and argumentative devices that lack merit. Learn these and become handy with them, and you'll be able to easily poke through any bogus arguments thrown your way.
Skeptoid #73: A Magical Journey through the Land of Logical Fallacies - Part 1
11/6/2007
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Duration: 13:14

Why aren't supernatural and pseudoscientific phenomena supported by scientific evidence? They can't be, by definition - and so they are often supported by these logical fallacies instead.
Skeptoid #72: Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Real or Imagined?
10/30/2007
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Duration: 16:19

The symptoms of electrosensitivity are identical to the symptoms of stress, and although sufferers attribute their condition to the presence of electromagnetic fields, research has shown quite conclusively that the stress is caused only by their perception of electromagnetic fields.
Skeptoid #71: How to Drink Gnarly Breast Milk
10/23/2007
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Duration: 9:08

People who sell powdered colostrum, the thick yellow milk produced by mothers around the time of childbirth, believe that it has tremendous health benefits such as immunities and muscle building.
Skeptoid #70: Raging (Bioidentical) Hormones
10/16/2007
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Duration: 7:35

Celebrity endorsers are all over bioidentical hormone therapy, claiming that these plant-based hormones are safer and more effective than the synthetic molecules to which they are chemically bioidentical. Yes, it is is logical absurdity, and no, it isn't true.
Skeptoid #69: Ann Coulter, Scientist
10/9/2007
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Duration: 7:36

When Ann Coulter starts to talk about the origin of species, all she has in her bag of verbal ammunition is a collection of hoary devices such as ad hominem, special pleadings, observational selection, non-sequiturs, slippery slopes, and straw men.
Skeptoid #68: More Wet and Wild Listener Feedback
10/2/2007
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Duration: 14:17

More listener feedback covering the episodes on the Phoenix Lights, 9/11 conspiracy theories, vaccinations causing autism, chiropractic, and lots of other fun episodes.
Skeptoid #67: Do Your Body Features Measure Up?
9/25/2007
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Duration: 11:39

Despite two centuries of medical science teaching us much about the way human body actually works, some people still prefer to stick with the level of knowledge from ancient times, and still practice phrenology, physiognomy, palmistry, and iridology.
Skeptoid #66: The Greatest Secret of Nostradamus
9/18/2007
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Duration: 14:38

Whole volumes of false history have been woven around Renaissance seer Nostradamus. Nearly everyone knows about his supposed prophecies and predictions, but fewer are aware of the detailed biographies - and it turns out they are all equally false.
Skeptoid #65: How to Debate a Young Earth Creationist
9/11/2007
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Duration: 15:35

Young Earthers only have a limited number of cogent arguments that they use to refute evolution, and they're easily rebutted if you're familiar with them. This episode gives you a good foundation of what to expect to hear, and how to reply to it.
Skeptoid #64: The Attack of Spring Heeled Jack
9/4/2007
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Duration: 9:06

Spring Heeled Jack was a mysterious attacker notorious throughout 19th century England. But is it possible that he was simply the same character as the Monkey Man that frightened New Delhi in 2001? That characater being a figment of mass imagination?
Skeptoid #63: Subliminal Seduction
8/28/2007
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Duration: 9:11

It's commonly accepted that the advertising industry systematically manipulates the public with subliminal advertising. The perception is based on a famous experiment ... that was a complete hoax.
Skeptoid #62: Crop Circle Jerks
8/21/2007
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Duration: 12:49

Ever since Doug Bower and Dave Chorley showed the world how easy it is for people to make even the most complex crop circle patterns, people have been making them by the thousand. And yet, a small but vocal group still maintains that all crop circles - even those made by hoaxers - have paranormal explanations that are physically measurable.
Skeptoid #61: Irradiation: Is Your Food Toxic?
8/14/2007
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Duration: 8:32

Europe sterilizes much of its food with irradiation, as a cheap and safe way to sterilize it. In the United States, people fear irradiation, in many cases believing sterilized food to be radioactive. Who has the safer philosophy?
Skeptoid #60: Will Drinking from Plastic Bottles Kill You?
8/9/2007
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Duration: 8:01

The whole pop culture phenomenon that states plastic water bottles leech toxic chemicals into your water appears to have been started by a single grad student's poorly performed thesis. Pop media picked up the alarming headline, and we have history.
Skeptoid #59: Who Are the Raelians, and Why Are They Naked?
8/4/2007
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Duration: 10:43

Raelians are a new atheist sect who believe that a benevolent race of aliens created humanity. They also practice free love and nudism, along with supporting just about every type of scientific advancement and genetics research.
Skeptoid #58: All About Fluoridation
7/30/2007
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Duration: 9:20

How true are the popular claims that fluoridation of water causes cancer and other illnesses? How true is the medical research that indicates its total safety and overwhelming dental benefits? Skeptoid looks at one community in California that recently fought this battle.
Skeptoid #57: Email Myths
7/25/2007
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Duration: 12:28

Email has made it very easy to spread information - but is that information always reliable? Most of the chain emails you receive are probably bogus.
Skeptoid #56: Bizarre Places I'd Like to Go
7/20/2007
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Duration: 11:56

Whether you're interested in ghost stories, scientific curiosities, or just plan weird wild stuff, California should be high on your list of destinations.
Skeptoid #55: Mercury, Autism, and Chelation: A Recipe for Risk
7/15/2007
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Duration: 10:36

Celebrity activists tell us that vaccinating your child can cause autism. What is this tragic misinformation based on? What are the real causes? What are the real benefits of vaccination? And, should chelation therapy be used on every child who has been vaccinated?
Skeptoid #54: The Twin Towers: Fire Melting Steel
7/10/2007
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Duration: 9:35

The Oakland freeway collapse in April 2007 appears consistent with the official version of what brought down the Twin Towers on 9/11. But conspiracy theorists charge that the government staged the freeway collapse in order to bolster their official version of 9/11. Which is true?
Skeptoid #53: Borley Rectory: the World's Most Haunted House?
7/5/2007
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Duration: 12:05

Borley Rectory is widely regarded as the most haunted house in England, and probably in the world. Or, was it all the creation of Harry Price, a professional magician, hoaxster, and author?
Skeptoid #52: Science Magazines Violating Their Own Missions
6/30/2007
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Duration: 7:19

Popular magazines like Scientific American and Popular Science claim to be advancing science, but at the same time, they publish material from third party advertisers that shoots that mission down. Should they, or shouldn't they?
Skeptoid #51: Ethanol: Miracle Fuel, or Not?
6/25/2007
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Duration: 7:58

Ethanol is a perfect example of politics distracting progress. Because of misplaced interest in ethanol, time, energy, and money is being spent in a useless direction instead of on true next generation power and fuel systems.
Skeptoid #50: How to Identify a "Good" Scientific Journal
6/15/2007
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Duration: 10:05

When debating, your opponent will often throw research at you that was "published in a peer reviewed scientific journal". This episode gives you the tools to tell a reputable journal from a non-reputable one.
Skeptoid #49: Unconscious Research of Global Consciousness
6/10/2007
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Duration: 11:56

Dean Radin says that collective consciousness has a direct measurable effect on the output of his random number generators. Others say that his methodology is fatally flawed, and that he only find specific results that he wants using whatever questionable method is needed to achieve each desired result.
Skeptoid #48: The Bible Code: Enigmas for Dummies
6/5/2007
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Duration: 10:20

During the tumultuous Middle East peace process of the mid 1990's, Michael Drosnin predicted that Yitzhak Rabin would be assassinated, and missed it by a year. Many other psychics predicted it much more closely. Why was Drosnin the one who went on Oprah?
How Skeptoid Can Help You Win $1 Million
5/31/2007
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Duration: 5:48

Before you can apply to win the James Randi Educational Foundation's One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, you must first qualify by having a media presence. Skeptoid is pleased to announce that it is now a qualifying media outlet.
Skeptoid #47: Free Range Chicken and Farm Raised Fish
5/26/2007
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Duration: 9:51

Free range chickens are not raised on what anyone would think of as a free range, and fish from farms may have different pros and cons than we've been led to believe.
Skeptoid #46: Support Your Local Reptoid
5/21/2007
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Duration: 9:52

One popular conspiracy theory is that reptilian beings actually control our government and our companies. This story got its start in 1934, ironically from a news story that said nothing about reptilian beings.
Skeptoid #45: The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking
5/16/2007
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Duration: 7:33

Teaching skepticism and critical thinking to young people puts them on the path to learning and progress, while allowing them to invest their faith in the supernatural puts them on the path to developmental stagnation.
Skeptoid #44: The Truth About Remote Viewing
5/11/2007
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Duration: 11:05

Are so-called remote viewers, like those hired by the US government in the 1970's for Project Starget, really just performing simple tricks that any competent magician can easily replicate?
Skeptoid #43: A Mormon History of the Americas
5/6/2007
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Duration: 9:32

The Book of Mormon makes numerous specific historical claims about the history of the American continents. Scientific consensus disputes this version of history. Which is correct?
Skeptoid #42: Whacking, Cracking, and Chiropracting
5/1/2007
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Duration: 10:20

Developed by a non-scientist at a time in history when almost nothing useful or true was known about medicine, chiropractic is still unique among alternative medicine systems because some of its practitioners actually do accept much of what we've since learned about anatomy.
Skeptoid #41: The Alien Invasion of Phoenix, Arizona
4/26/2007
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Duration: 11:25

Why do these stories persist after a whole decade, when the event has been thoroughly explained. Many people put more faith in unsubstantiated verbal reports than they do in hard evidence.
Skeptoid #40: Neanderthals in Present Day Asia
4/21/2007
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Duration: 8:30

Some researchers of the Almas and Yeti in modern Asia conclude that they are relic populations of surviving Neanderthals and Gigantopithecus. Are these explanations possible, and do they match the evidence?
Skeptoid #39: Heating Up to Global Warming
4/16/2007
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Duration: 11:21

Everyone agrees the Earth is warming. Everyone agrees we should do what we can to address the problem. We can spend all the money in the world, but nobody knows how much this will help, if at all.
Skeptoid #38: The Marfa Lights: A Real American Mystery
4/11/2007
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Duration: 8:25

Some say they are ball lightning, others that they're the lantern swung by a ghostly headless brakeman. The truth, it turns out, is even stranger than the fiction.
Skeptoid #37: How to Spot Pseudoscience
4/6/2007
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Duration: 11:45

Inspired by Carl Sagan's original Baloney Detection Kit, this 15-point checklist will help you tell science from pseudoscience.
Skeptoid #36: Mercury Fillings
4/1/2007
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Duration: 10:34

Merucry amalgam fillings have always been acknowledge to release mercury into the body, but at an insignificant level, about the same rate as a wristwatch or wedding ring. Some fringe dentists claim that it's much higher, even lethal.
Skeptoid #35: Revisionist Darwinism: The Theory That Couldn't Sit Still
3/27/2007
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Duration: 8:27

One claim against evolution made by some creationists is that it constantly needs to be updated to fit the facts, and is therefore too full of holes to be useful. Scientists, on the other hand, say that the ability to incorporate new knowledge is a central strength of the scientific method.
Skeptoid #34: Homeopathy: Pure Water or Pure Nonsense?
3/22/2007
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Duration: 12:28

Many users of homeopathy have a misconception that it's some kind of herbal remedy, or that it treats illness similar to a vaccine. They couldn't be more wrong - according to its founder.
Skeptoid #33: Best of Listener Feedback
3/17/2007
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Duration: 15:28

The best of listener feedback from the first 32 Skeptoid episodes.
Skeptoid #32: Blood for Oil
3/12/2007
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Duration: 8:23

"Blood for Oil" is the favorite de facto reason for the Gulf War among anti-US Halliburton conspiracy theorists. Is the war really improving our access to oil?
Skeptoid #31: The Devil Walked in Devon
3/7/2007
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Duration: 6:51

When a mysterious 100-mile track of footprints appeared overnight in England in 1855, was the devil really the most probable explanation?
Skeptoid #30: Raw Food - Raw Deal?
3/1/2007
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Duration: 11:50

Raw food is a healthy and delicious alternative than anyone can and should enjoy. But for some reason, some raw foodists feel that this is not enough - that they must also support and defend it by spreading silly lies about the dangers of cooked food.
Skeptoid #29: Orbs: The Ghost in the Camera
2/24/2007
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Duration: 8:08

Orbs are said to be ghosts or spiritual energy moving through photographs, but not visible to the naked eye. Some say that orbs are just an ordinary byproduct of photography that anyone can recreate.
Skeptoid #28: Natural Hygiene: Health Without Medicine (or Wisdom)
2/19/2007
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Duration: 5:40

Natural hygiene is the practice of avoiding medical care, in the belief that it's harmful to the body. Isn't this contrary to what 100 years of medical science have taught us?
Special Announcement from Skeptoid
2/19/2007
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Duration: 1:45

Subscribe to the Skeptalk Email Discussion List for live, real-time email conversation about any and every skeptical issue you want to throw out there.
Skeptoid #27: Chemtrails: Real or Not?
2/15/2007
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Duration: 9:06

One group of conspiracy theorists believes that there is no such thing as an aircraft contrail, and that whenever you see one, the explanation must lie elsewhere: Mysterious chemicals being sprayed by our government, in a worldwide covert operation.
Skeptoid #26: Biodynamic Agriculture
2/10/2007
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Duration: 9:08

The Dark Ages are alive and well in the bizarre magical world of biodynamic agriculture. Before you buy that biodynamic wine, be sure that withcraft and sorcery are really what you want to put on your dinner table.
Skeptoid #25: Scientists Are Not Created Equal
2/5/2007
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Duration: 6:51

We tend to accept things as truth simply because we hear that a "scientist" supports it. Is that really a meaningful title, by itself? Is this really a reason we should believe something?
Skeptoid #24: Reflexology: Only Dangerous If You Use It
1/28/2007
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Duration: 10:22

Before you stop to think that reflexology is no more than a great foot massage with some harmless drivel attached to it, be aware of how it can lead to injury or death for some of its believers.
Skeptoid #23: Paganism: A Naked Rebellion
1/23/2007
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Duration: 6:44

Pagan religions are intended to represent a departure from traditional religions, often practiced by those who consider themselves freer thinkers. But it is fundamentally really any different?
Skeptoid #22: Skepticism and Flight 93
1/19/2007
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Duration: 8:13

Regarding Flight 93's crash, most people either side with the government or with the conspiracy theorists. Which do you support? And more importantly, what thought process led you to that conclusion?
Skeptoid #21: Living Stones of Death Valley
1/15/2007
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Duration: 3:46

Nobody has ever seen the rocks move at Death Valley's Racetrack Playa, but it does happen. Some theories are crackpot, some are more plausible; we saw the actual cause at work.
Skeptoid #20: The Real Amityville Horror
1/11/2007
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Duration: 7:38

The Amityville Horror is considered one of the scariest of all ghost stories, in part because it is true. Or is it? There is a lot of noise on both sides of the debate.
Skeptoid #19: Organic Food Myths
1/5/2007
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Duration: 10:18

Organic food is claimed to be more healthy, better for the environment, and a better political choice. Can all three be true? How about none of them.
Skeptoid #18: The "New" Bill of Rights
1/1/2007
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Duration: 4:37

While innovative for its time, the Bill of Rights is no longer relevant. The proposed "Amended Bill of Rights" more accurately represents what the American public truly wants.
Skeptoid #17: Internet Paranoia
12/28/2006
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Duration: 8:25

Viruses and trojan horses are one of the leading threats to the security of the data on your computer - say the people who sell security software. This episodes discusses the facts of what these things really are, and what you really need to worry about.
Skeptoid #16: The Real Philadelphia Experiment
12/24/2006
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Duration: 6:50

The pop-culture story says that the US Navy made a ship disappear in a 1943 experiment that left many sailors dead, insane, or in a state of dimensional flux. The story has been thoroughly debunked. Which is true?
Skeptoid #15: SUV Phobia
12/20/2006
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Duration: 8:00

Although a few of the worst SUVs might be as bad as the media has hyped them up to be, the majority are little different than the traditional sedans whose mechanical components they share.
Skeptoid #14: Cell Phones on Airplanes
12/15/2006
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Duration: 6:35

What's with the ridiculous law that prevents us from using our cell phones on board commercial planes? The real reason has nothing to do with safety or security.
Skeptoid #13: A Primer on Scientific Testing
12/11/2006
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Duration: 7:15

Listen to this episode to learn and understand the fundamentals of scientific testing, so you can better gauge the validity of information that you read.
Skeptoid #12: Killing Faith: Deconstructionist Christians
12/7/2006
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Duration: 5:31

Proponents of various religious dogma are crippling their own religion by attempting to do scientific research to prove their religious claims, thus directly attacking their religion's central pillar: faith.
Skeptoid #11: Killing Bigfoot with Bad Science
12/3/2006
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Duration: 7:47

Both believers in Bigfoot and the skeptics are doing themselves nearly as much harm as good with bad arguments and bad science. Let's see where we can improve the issue.
Skeptoid #10: An Evolution Primer for Young Earth Creationists
11/30/2006
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Duration: 8:11

Many Young Earthers have a misunderstanding of what evolution is supposed to be. This Evolution 101 Primer is intended to clear the air and provide a corrected platform for discussion.
Skeptoid #09: Sin: What's It Good For?
11/26/2006
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Duration: 7:30

Is sin a concept that has any relevance in modern society, or is it simply a set of arbitrary restrictions that are irrelevant in a healthy value system?
Skeptoid #08: Nocturnal Assaults: Aliens in the Dark
11/21/2006
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Duration: 6:22

If alien abductions are real, then why do they only happen in certain cultures? By the same token, why do certain types of nocturnal assaults common in other cultures never happen in the United States?
Skeptoid #07: Pond Magnet Foolishness
11/14/2006
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Duration: 6:13

Common pond wisdom states that magnets can clear your water of algae, and remove lime scale buildup. Skeptoid examines the science behind these impressive claims.
Skeptoid #06: Wheatgrass Juice
11/9/2006
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Duration: 6:49

Wheatgrass juice proponents claim an unbelievable array of vague medical benefits to be derived from their product. But are any of these claims actually testable, or even plausible?
Skeptoid #05: Sustainable Sustainability
11/1/2006
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Duration: 6:08

It seems that practically every product and service is being sold as "sustainable" these days. Does it really mean anything, or is it just the latest overused buzzword?
Skeptoid #04: Ethics of Peddling the Paranormal
10/24/2006
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Duration: 6:45

The default skeptical position about selling paranormal products and services is that it's always wrong. Skeptoid does not necessarily agree.
Skeptoid #03: Rods: Flying Absurdities
10/19/2006
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Duration: 5:10

Believers say that rods are a species of flying creature that's invisible to the eye, but visible to cameras. Does a simple and well known photographic phenomenon account for them?
Skeptoid #02: Religion as a Moral Center
10/11/2006
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Duration: 4:31

Christians have long held that a religious upbringing is crucial to the formation of a good moral center. Skeptoid disagrees, and argues that it's possible for even an atheist to not be an evil, godless ax murderer.
Skeptoid #01: New Age Energy
10/3/2006
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Duration: 6:07

Spiritualists and new agers delight to speak of energy as if it's a thing unto itself that floats around, easily manipulated and drawn from. Skeptoid attempts to clear up this meaningless silliness with a little science.

podcast reviews

Date Usefulness

Podcasting as High Art?

By Hello Cthulhu5/10/2010 02:16:14

I don't think I can really say anything better than Kynetx here. Skeptoid is not only reliably consistent in terms of deliver (fresh episodes every week, Tuesday morning, without fail), but it's also consistent in terms of quality. Quality entertainment, sure, but also quality reasoning, and quality research, virtually unparalleled among podcasts out there. Many times, when I would have been tempted to dismiss an urban myth or superstition without a second thought, Mr. Dunning keeps things relentlessly fair and open-minded - just not so open-minded that he ever has to worry about his brain falling out. If there is one podcast I would recommend to friends, it might be a tough call... but certainly, for shorter podcasts to introduce people to the world of podcasting, science, reasoning, and a properly critical look at the world, with a sense of humor intact, one could never hope to do better than Skeptoid.

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My favorite podcast.

By Kynetx1/11/2010 06:17:17

I had no intention of ever becoming a skeptic. I was hunting around the Marketplace section for podcasts and this one was under the science heading.

I'm always hungry for science news and I'm an urban myth junkie as well so this is a perfect fit. This is was my gateway drug to other podcasts, including Skeptic's Guide to the Universe and a couple others, but like a first car, it's the one that I am fondest of. Listening to Brian's podcasts is easy. He words things in an easy way that should be palatable to the scientific lay-person. My wife who is maybe lightly better versed in science than the average person is a fan as well, and is really starting to think critically about the things she sees around her. The topics are interesting and from time to time eflect things in the news. Brian is not dismissive or condescending (well, maybe a little, but it's funny and clear that he's just getting a jab in here and there) and does a commendable job staying away from ersonal attacks. The length is short and palatable (this is a downside as well, I want to know more!) and he keeps a pretty regular schedule of updates.

Brian, if you read this, keep up the good work. You are doing an incredible service to your community and humanity as a whole. There is no shortage of celebrities and con-artists spreading dangerous misinformation and stealing from the sick and desperate. It's easy to get people to listen by scaring them. Getting them to conquer their fears and think critically is a far bigger challenge and this is an amazing first step. Hope I can buy you a beer some day.

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