Skeptoid

Skeptoid #857: On the Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some say that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol actually has certain health benefits. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #856: A Cavalcade of Corrections

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid corrects another round of errors from past episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #855: Sniffing for Human Sex Pheromones

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do humans use pheromones to turn each other on? The science so far says... uhh, we have no idea. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #854: The Day Science Was Overthrown

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A look at six times when there was a major paradigm shift in science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #853: Brazil's Roswell: The Varginha UFO

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This story of alien visitation in Brazil from 1996 claims to be the most convincing proof we have. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Skeptoid #852: Electric Cars and the Power Grid

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Opponents of electric cars claim that the power grid can't keep up with the growing demand for electricity. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #851: How Your Smartphone Is Listening to You

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is your smartphone eavesdropping on your conversation? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #850: Ode to the Nightcrawler

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Beware of this creepy cryptid, or you might just fall in love with it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #849: Who Really Killed the Electric Car?

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pop culture tells us that a conspiracy is what killed GM's EV1 in 2002. But is an exotic explanation really needed? Learn about your ad choices: dove...

Skeptoid #848: On the Trail of Papillon

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much truth was there to the prison escape story of Henri Charrière? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #847: The Episodes That Changed My Mind, Part 2

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some more of the episodes where I went in with one idea, and came out with another. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #846: The Episodes That Changed My Mind, Part 1

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the episodes where I went in expecting one thing, but found something different. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #845: Seeking the Soviet Battle Mole

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The story goes that the Soviet Union had nuclear-powered underground vehicles for waging a whole new kind of war. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Skeptoid #844: What They're Saying About Electric Cars Now

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The arguments made by electric car haters no longer hold up. Time to upgrade. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #843: Pop Quiz: Religious Symbolism

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How well do you know your Skeptoid? Today's pop quiz focuses on questions drawn from episodes about world religions. Learn about your ad choices: dov...

Skeptoid #842: The Day the UFO Deactivated the Nukes

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's said that in 1967, a UFO once deactivated an entire flight of US nuclear missiles in their silos. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #841: Feeling Out the Hairy Hands of Dartmoor

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The story goes that in England in 1921, driving a particular stretch of road meant an encounter with a terrifying foe. Learn about your ad choices: d...

The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You to See

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Join me in producing this important feature documentary film on the modern UFO phenomenon. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #840: What Sank the Lusitania?

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many believe that the true cause of the Lusitania's sinking was not the torpedo, but a mysterious second explosion that followed. Learn about your ad...

Skeptoid #839: Decoding the Carolina Bays

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some say these oval depressions all along the US east coast are craters from an ancient meteor bombardment. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid Is Hiring a Developer

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid is hiring a web developer. For complete details, see skeptoid.org/jobs Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #838: The Chilean Navy UFO

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Amateur Internet researchers figured out in 5 days what the Chilean government UFO group couldn't in two years. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #837: Falling Fish Followup

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some feedback and followups to a raft of previous Skeptoid episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #836: Can You Tell if I'm Lying?

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can watching body language really tell you when someone is lying? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #835: False Flag Attack? The USS Liberty

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Officially, Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty was accidental friendly fire; but many claim it was a deliberate conspiracy. Learn about your ad ...

Skeptoid #834: The Haunting of the Stanley Hotel

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Colorado's Stanley Hotel is famous not only for its association with The Shining, but also for ghosts of its own. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Skeptoid #833: The Secrets of the Integratron

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This white dome in the California desert may house the secrets of the universe, or nothing more than delusions. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Science Friction now available on streaming

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid Media's first full-length feature documentary movie, Science Friction, is now available to stream on Prime Video. Learn about your ad choice...

Skeptoid #832: What Greek Fire Really Was

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This ancient weapon of terror struck fear throughout the ancient world, and stokes a number of mysteries today. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #831: Facilitated Communication Isn't

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This discredited technique deceives loved ones into believing non-communicative people are able to communicate just fine by hiring one of these facili...

Skeptoid #830: The Mystical Death of Jack Parsons

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The complicated life of JPL's co-founder meant that his death was almost certain to be cloaked in conspiracy theories. Learn about your ad choices: d...

Skeptoid #829: What ASMR Will Do for You

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is the state of the science behind this online video genre that combines relaxation with chills and shivers? Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Skeptoid #828: Why You Don't Want a Flat-Faced Pet

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The science shows that dogs and cats bred to be flat-faced suffer from respiratory distress, but some argue otherwise. Learn about your ad choices: d...

Skeptoid #827: What Really Happened on Easter Island

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The popular known history of Easter Island — that deforestation brought about its demise — is not generally accepted. Learn about your ad choic...

Skeptoid #826: Why the Fresno Nightcrawler Is So Popular

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This relatively new and not-so-famous cryptid manages to have an outsized pop-culture footprint. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #825: How Psychic Readings Work

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whether cold reading, warm reading, or hot, there are simple explanations for even the most impressive psychic performances. Learn about your ad choi...

Skeptoid #824: Demystifying the Winchester Mystery House

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The unfortunate false narrative of the Winchester Mystery House obscures a wonderful story of one of California's great women pioneers. Learn about y...

Skeptoid #823: Hunting the Elusive Rogue Wave

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Modern authors say that scientists didn't used to accept the idea of rogue waves. Is that true? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #822: On Washboarded Roads

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The real cause of washboarding on dirt roads is very different from the traditionally believed reason. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #821: Forensic (Pseudo) Science

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All those fancy-sounding forensic sciences you've come to trust might not be worth very much of your trust after all. Learn about your ad choices: do...

Skeptoid #820: Maury Island: The Government's Alien Artifacts

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The origin story of some of the government's alleged alien wreckage is a little bit shaky. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #819: Corrections with Hat in Hands

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some corrections to errors made in recent shows. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #818: On Railroad Tracks and Roman Chariots

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The urban legend that train track gauge descends from Roman war chariots falls apart at every link in the chain. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Skeptoid #817: Your Ghostliest Tales, Explained

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In which we hear, analyze, and attempt to explain the ghostly personal stories you've sent in. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #816: The Dark Side of Polyvagal Theory

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A controversial mental health framework is also being peddled by unqualified coaches. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #815: On the Trail of the Chupacabra

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An exploration into the chupacabra, and how that word came to be applied to so many unrelated things. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #814: Nazis and the Occult

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Popular tales of the occult underpinnings of the Nazis are largely modern fiction. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #813: Why You Need to Care About Concrete

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Concrete will remain one of our most important materials for decades — but there's a big problem with it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #812: 20 Years of Data from Portugal: Drug Decriminalization

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

20 years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs in an effort to reduce addiction, incarceration, and negative health impacts. How has it worked? Lear...

Skeptoid #811: Radon Therapy

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trying to treat pain or cancer by exposing yourself to a radioactive carcinogen provides only risk without the benefit. Learn about your ad choices: ...

Skeptoid #810: Frida Sofia, the Victim Who Wasn't

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, rescuers dug through the rubble for a little girl named Frida Sofia — who never existed. Learn about you...

Skeptoid #809: The Avro Arrow Conspiracies

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracy theories surround the cancellation of this advanced Canadian aircraft from the 1950s. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #808: Followups and Extras

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some new facts and extra information on six previous episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #807: Huna: New Age on an Island

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Huna blends generic New Age spiritualism with a concocted version of Hawaiian tradition. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #806: Environmental Microplastics

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This manmade debris permeates our bodies and our planet, but what's the harm? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #805: The Cottingley Fairies: Analysis of a Famous Hoax

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The true and weird history of the two girls who fooled the world with their fairy photographs in 1917. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #804: Unmasking the Old Stinker: The Hull Werewolf

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This modern sighting of a strange beast is claimed to have been a resurgence of a legendary medieval monster. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.p...

Skeptoid #803: What Really Happened at Tunguska

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The true cause of one of history's most violent cataclysms remains a mystery... to a degree. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #802: Pop Quiz: 15 for 15

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's 15 trivia questions from 15 Skeptoid episodes, to celebrate our 15th anniversary! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #801: Probiotics Fact and Fiction

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some people promote probiotics as a miracle cure for just about anything. What can they really do? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Skeptoid #800: To the Stars

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A strange radio broadcast from a very unique group of VIPs being whisked away on a UFO. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #799: On the Authorship of the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The most famous organ work in history has a surprising mystery -- we're not really sure who composed it! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #798: Tracking the Wild Big Cats of Britain

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A close look at the tales of large black predatory cats stalking Britain for centuries. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #797: Why You Need to Care About Methane

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We focus a lot on carbon dioxide when talking about climate change. Should we be talking more about methane? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #796: 9/11 Truthers, 20 Years Later

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

20 years after the worst terrorist attack on American soil, the conspiracy theories are still thriving -- just as we should expect. Learn about your ...

Skeptoid #795: What Made the Shroud of Turin Immortal

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A close look at what true science and true history can tell us about this most sacred Catholic relic. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #794: Why You Needn't Worry About the Missing 411

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A popular conspiracy theory claims that lots of people disappear under unexplainable circumstances in America's national parks. Learn about your ad c...

Skeptoid #793: Your Turn Yet Again

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid gives our take on some spooky experiences sent in by listeners. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #792: Your Turn Again

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which I take a shot at trying to explain some of the weirdest stories sent in by listeners. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #791: Dowsing: Water Witchcraft

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you need to find ground water, ask a hydrologist, not an occult magician. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #790: Is the Existence of Billionaires Inherently Harmful?

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pop culture tells us that the existence of billionaires is harmful to the economy. Is that so? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #789: All About Clearcutting

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is clearcutting of forests for logging a public nuisance or a public benefit? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #788: The UFO Rogues Gallery Takes Over America - Part 2

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An unlikely group of paranormalists has persuaded the American public that the government takes UFOs seriously. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #787: The UFO Rogues Gallery Takes Over America - Part 1

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An unlikely group of paranormalists has persuaded the American public that the government takes UFOs seriously. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #786: Horses in Pre-Columbian America

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Horses went extinct in North America at the end of the last ice age, but oddly some are now saying they didn't. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #785: Desalination vs. A National Water Grid

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A comparison of two popular ways to help cope with the new water reality of global warming. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #784: Head Transplants

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The facts and fiction of what's possible and what's already been tried in switching human heads. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #783: The Legend of Barsa-Kelmes

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The story behind the story of the many paranormal events associated with this former island in the Aral Sea. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #782: A Collection of Corrections

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which another round of corrections is made to previous episodes. Keeping it real! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #781: Space Junk: The Real Risk and What to Do About It

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The problem of a runaway catastrophe in Low Earth Orbit looms ever larger and closer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #780: CBD for Everything

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cannabidiol is sold as an additive to just about every kind of product you can imagine. Why? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #779: How the Pyramids Were (and Were Not) Built - Part 2

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some of what we know about the Great Pyramid that exclude it having been built by aliens or Atlanteans. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #778: How the Pyramids Were (and Were Not) Built - Part 1

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some of what we know about the Great Pyramid that exclude it having been built by aliens or Atlanteans. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #777: The 2019 USS Kidd Incident

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Popular reports claim that a group of US Navy destroyers were buzzed by advanced drones in 2019. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #776: The Engineered Moon Conspiracy

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Science refutes the claim made by some that the Moon is a hollow spaceship engineered by aliens. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #775: Listener Feedback: Monstrous Reversals

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some updates and additional information to a few past episodes... better all the time. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #774: Bitcoin Fact and Fiction

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's true and what's not about the world's most popular cryptocurrency. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #773: Top 10 Pro-Science Fictional Characters

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A roundup of all the best pro-science characters from your favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #772: The Monster of Port Chatham

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This remote town in Alaska was said to have been abandoned because of violent Bigfoot attacks. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #771: Denizens of Lake Baikal

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A host of strange monsters are said to lurk beneath the surface of the world's deepest lake. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #770: The Human Design System

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A mishmash of eastern mysticism masquerades as psychometry. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #769: The Vampire of Croglin Grange

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Which came first: the publication of this famous vampire story, or its associated family tradition? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-...

Skeptoid #768: Inside the Mountain Meadows Massacre

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Myths, conspiracies, and coverups cloak this 1857 massacre of American emigrants. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #767: The Year's Best of Skeptoid

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My personal favorite Skeptoid episodes from each and every year of its production. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #766: Illuminating Our Lady of Zeitoun

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This Marian apparition from Egypt has some science fiction explanations and a sound one. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #765: Tartaria and the Mud Flood

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some claim that all of world history is a coverup for the mighty ancient nation of Tartaria. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #764: Learning Styles, Re-examined

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most teachers believe that students have different learning styles and curricula can be tailored to it. Not so much. Learn about your ad choices: dov...

Skeptoid #763: Elvis Sightings and You

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

People keep thinking Elvis is still alive -- and here's why that matters to you. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #762: On the Trail of the Yowie

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's version of Bigfoot may -- or may not -- have its origin in Aboriginal mythology. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #761: Havana Syndrome, Microwaves, and Hearing RF

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The lone exception to the science fact that radio cannot hurt you. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices