Skeptoid

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

Skeptoid #760: The 1994 Ruwa Zimbabwe Alien Encounter

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This popular tale claims 62 African schoolchildren were contacted by an extraterrestrial. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #759: Percy Schmeiser vs Monsanto

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The most famous case in the history of Monsanto vs. small farmers might not be what you think. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #758: Finding the USS Cyclops

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This most famous ship disappearance from the Bermuda Triangle probably had nothing to do with it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...

You're Listening to Skeptoid...

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You ever wonder about the truth behind popular urban legends? Or how about the craziest conspiracy theories you hear about online, chemtrails, the Fla...

Skeptoid #757: The Montauk Project

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe the government opened up time portals underneath Long Island, New York. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #756: The Death Ship SS Ourang Medan

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This ship was said to be discovered with all its crew dead under unexplainable circumstances. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choice...

Skeptoid #755: Examining Gulf War Illness

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some researchers believe there is no such thing as Gulf War Illness, and the rest have more questions than answers. Learn about your ad choices: dove...

Skeptoid #754: About That Life on Mars...

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Good scientists can get the wrong idea, but they don't need to make it worse by announcing bad science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #753: The Japan Air Lines Alaska UFO

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This famous UFO case is said to be proven by military radar data. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #752: Listener Feedback Live: Outpost 2020

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid answers some... interesting feedback LIVE at the Outpost 2020 con. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #751: Pop Quiz: Myths of the Middle Ages

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How well do you know the Middle Ages? Can you tell what's fact and what's fiction? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #750: How to Extract Adrenochrome from Children

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracy theorists believe that Hollywood elitists torture children and extract drugs from their bodies. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx....

Skeptoid #749: Observing the Bystander Effect

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some research has found that crowds are apathetic and don't render assistance; some has found the opposite. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #748: Who Sank the Maine?

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many theories surround the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine that triggered the Spanish-American War. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #747: Hitler's Operation Long Jump

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Popular stories claim that the Nazis tried to assassinate Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in Tehran in 1943. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.p...

Skeptoid #746: Error Correction: Tokyo Drift

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid corrects another round of errors sent in by listeners just like you. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #745: Australia Doesn't Exist, and Other Geographic Conspiracy Theories

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The belief that Australia doesn't exist may not be as unique as you think. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #744: Phineas Gage, on Second Thought

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A reexamination of the famous case of the man whose personality changed from a grievous brain injury. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #743: Hinkley: The Erin Brockovich Case

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The facts differ widely from what's generally believed to have been a mass poisoning. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #742: The Phantom Fortress

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This B-17 supposedly completed a mission and returned to base, all without an aircrew. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #741: The Wisdom and Stupidity of Crowds

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How the wisdom of crowds can sometimes allow groups of non-experts to reach an expert conclusion. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...

Skeptoid #740: Student Questions: Yellow Glasses and Nuclear Waste for Tomorrow

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid answers another round of questions sent in by students all around the world. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #739: More on 5G and COVID Masks

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some supplemental information on recent episodes, plus some listener feedback. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #738: The QAnon Conspiracy

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This growing conspiracy theory posits that a global cabal of pedophiles secretly controls the US government. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #737: The Berkshire County UFO

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why a UFO case you've probably never heard of got attention from a major TV network. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #736: New World Tobacco in Old World Mummies

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe that traces of tobacco in Egyptian mummies prove the Egyptians were first to the New World. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #735: Bill Gates Conspiracy Theories

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why is the world's greatest public health philanthropist charged with crimes against humanity? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #734: The Stoned Ape Theory

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe that psychedelic drugs played an irreplaceable role in the evolution of Homo sapiens. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Skeptoid #733: Listener Feedback: Endgame

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Updates to the episode on MSG sensitivity and the Miracle of Calanda. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #732: Hunting the Beast of Gevaudan

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This mysterious creature actually killed over 100 people in France in the 1760s. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #731: More Out of Place Artifacts

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A survey of seven of the most popular out-of-place artifacts said to overturn human history. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #730: The Skeletons of the Great Eastern

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A popular tale claims that the skeletons of two riveters were found between the hulls of this mighty ship. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx....

Skeptoid #729: The LUCIFER Telescope Conspiracy

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A popular conspiracy theory claims the Vatican uses a telescope named LUCIFER to find an alien savior. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #728: When the Earth's Magnetic Field Flips

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some claim that when the Earth's geomagnetic field reverses, it could spell the end of humankind. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...

Skeptoid #727: Hunting the Mokele-Mbembe

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe this relict dinosaur still survives in parts of the Congo. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #726: Full of Hot Error

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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

Skeptoid #725: Pop Quiz: Astonishing Tales of the Sea

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How well do you know your Skeptoid? Today's pop quiz focuses on tales of the sea. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #724: Decoding Gobekli Tepe

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This archaeological site in Turkey is said to change everything... but what does that really mean? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Skeptoid #723: Draining the Holy Grail

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The true history of the Holy Grail, the most precious of all artifacts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #722: Pandemic Conspiracies and Politics

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How the conspiracy theories around today's pandemic compare to those of the past. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #721: Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 3

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A look at some of the ancient artworks and artifacts that the show Ancient Aliens gets totally wrong. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #720: Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 2

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A look at some of the ancient sites and cities that the show Ancient Aliens gets totally wrong. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #719: Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 1

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A look at some of the ancient sites and cities that the show Ancient Aliens gets totally wrong. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #718: Diagnosing Chronic Lyme Disease

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Often dismissed as purely pseudoscientific and nonexistent, chronic Lyme disease is not necessarily nothing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #717: Rethinking Plastic Straw Bans

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bans on plastic drinking straws are a solution in search of a problem. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #716: Learning Languages from Brain Injuries

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Popular stories on the Internet tell of people coming out of comas and suddenly speaking a new language. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #715: The Knowles Family UFO Incident

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This family's car is said to have been lifted off the road by a UFO and dropped. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #714: Killing the Hammersmith Ghost

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some possible explanations for this infamously deadly 19th century haunting near London. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #713: On the Trail of Red Mercury

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The most elusive substance in pop culture also purports to be one of the most destructive. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #712: Apple Cider Vinegar Woo

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A test of the many sensational health claims made for apple cider vinegar. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #711: The Trashy Secret of Plastic Bag Bans

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Science decides the question of whether plastic bag bans help or hurt the environment. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #710: Your Weirdest Thing, Vol. 4

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I give my thoughts trying to solve some of your weirdest experiences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #709: Wind Turbines and Birds

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Wind turbines actually save many more bird lives than they destroy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #708: All About Sex Addiction

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The topic of sex addiction and what to do about it turns out to be more complicated than you may think. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #707: Vermeer and the Camera Obscura

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Popular claims that the painter Vermeer used a camera obscura contradict the evidence. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #706: MSG: How a Friendly Flavor Became Your Enemy

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The history of this vilified flavoring is a wild ride through 20th century cultural influences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #705: Listener Feedback: The Plot Thickens

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners offer some updates and new information to previous episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #704: The Green Children of Woolpit

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the 12th century, a pair of mysterious children with green skin surprised English villagers. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #703: Your Weirdest Thing, Vol. 3

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I give my thoughts trying to solve some of your weirdest experiences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #702: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

These risky medical devices are increasingly being sold to treat conditions they don't treat. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choice...

Skeptoid #701: Seneca Guns and Skyquakes

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

These mysterious cannon-like booms are heard all around the world, with no apparent source. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #700: A Whale of a Tale

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In which we celebrate 700 episodes of great storytelling... sea shanty style. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #699: The Mystery of the Ellen Austin

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The true history behind one of the Bermuda Triangle's strangest legends. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #698: Radon in Your Basement

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is this gas a risk you should worry about, or is it just another homeowner scam? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #697: Reactionless Space Drives

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracy theorists and alternate science believers continue to claim triumph over the laws of nature. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #696: History's Smallest Underground War

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The public's zeal for sensationalism over facts can sometimes have deadly consequences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #695: Fighting Global Warming with Economics

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's always been an easy solution to global warming on the table, and it won't hurt the economy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-...

Skeptoid #694: Playing Error Guitar

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid corrects another round of errors in previous episodes caught by you amazing listeners. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #693: The Age of the Sphinx

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Popular TV shows try to persuade us that Egypt's Great Sphinx is far older than archaeology tells us. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #692: Thirteen: The Private History of a Curse

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The number 13 may have more relevance in your life than you suspect. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #691: FLICC: 5 Techniques of Science Denial

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

One popular rubric for identifying the common techniques used by science deniers. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #690: Video Games and Violence

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Data does not support the popular belief that video games promote violent behavior. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #689: The Bili Ape of the Congo

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The facts behind the legend of a mysterious giant ape, said by some to be a chimp-gorilla hybrid. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...

Skeptoid #688: Your Phavorite Phollowups

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Updates and newer information to some of the conclusions in your favorite Skeptoid episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #687: No, Electric Cars Don't Pollute More

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Popularly shared articles claim electric cars produce more greenhouses gases than internal combustion cars. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #686: Your Weirdest Thing, Vol. 2

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I give my thoughts trying to solve some of your weirdest experiences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #685: Your Weirdest Thing, Vol. 1

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I take a shot at critical analysis of your weirdest experiences. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #684: Starlite, the Magical Mystery Material

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The real reasons for the disappearance of this amateur material said to be able to withstand even a nuclear blast. Learn about your ad choices: dovet...

Skeptoid #683: Prehistoric Supersonic Monster Tides

09 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A geophysical look at the idea that Earth's early history had enormous destructive tides. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #682: Mexico's Zone of Silence

02 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Legend has it that radios and compasses will not work in this remote Mexican desert. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #681: Alien Visitation and Kecksburg

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We can often get a good sense of a UFO story's accuracy even without researching all the details. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-ch...

Skeptoid #680: The True Fate of the Amber Room

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

State-sponsored disinformation continues to drive treasure hunters who seek the legendary Amber Room. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #679: The Greenbrier Ghost

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A skeptical look at the time a ghost's testimony resulted in a murder conviction. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #678: What the Feedback

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

More updates and additional information for some recent Skeptoid episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #677: 5G: Upgrade or Uncertainty?

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An examination of the claims that 5G cell phone data service is potentially harmful to life. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #676: Glyphosate and Behavioral Economics

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How misinformation spread over one of the safest herbicides becoming known as one of the most harmful. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #675: Valiant Thor: Your Friendly Pentagon Alien

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe this benevolent alien from Venus lived and advised at the Pentagon for three years. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #674: Student Questions: Drinking Urine and Studying to Music

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid answers another round of questions sent in by students all around the world. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #673: Yamashita's Gold

30 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The facts behind the urban legend that billions in Japanese gold lie buried in the Philippines. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #672: Refeeding Syndrome and Sudden Death

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Can starving people actually die immediately upon being given their first bite of food? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #671: China, Imported Recyclables, and Ocean Plastic

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Addressing the facts and the fictions around China's ending its overseas purchases of recyclable plastic. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.o...

Skeptoid #670: Wrong Does Not Cease to be Wrong

09 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The 15th episode devoted to corrections in previous shows. If it ain't right, we fix it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #669: Pop Quiz: History and Pseudohistory

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Test your knowledge on these subjects, all covered by Skeptoid, on false history claims. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #668: A Science Based Ghost Hunting Toolkit

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How a TV ghost hunting show might look if they did what they claim, and used science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #667: All About Atlantis

19 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, alternative history fans have been denying Plato's intent and trying to frame Atlantis as a real island. Learn about your ad choices: ...

Skeptoid #666: The Historicity of Jesus Christ

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A review of the evidence for and against the life of Jesus of Nazareth as a real living man. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #665: Ocean Plastics: Facts and Falsehoods

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The nature of the problem of ocean plastics, and the best solution, may both come as surprises. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #664: The Keto Diet

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's the latest fad diet, and people are trying it for just about any benefit you can think of. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #663: Pop Quiz: Urban Legends

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Test your knowledge of popular urban legends, and the science underlying them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices