Skeptoid

Skeptoid #366: The Sedona Energy Vortex

11 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Vortexes of spiritual energy are claimed to exist in Sedona, but science suggests we remain skeptical. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/...

Skeptoid #365: The Black Knight Satellite

04 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

An object claimed to be 13,000-year-old alien satellite orbiting the Earth is just a piece of an old space shuttle. Learn about your ad choices: dove...

Skeptoid #364: Listener Feedback: Conspiracies

28 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid answers questions sent in by listeners pertaining to conspiracy theories. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #363: All About Graphology

21 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In fact, handwriting analysis tells us nothing useful about the personality and aptitudes of the writer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #362: Polybius: Video Game of Death

14 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The infamous arcade game Polybius, said to drive players to suicide or madness, was never more than an urban legend. Learn about your ad choices: dov...

Skeptoid #361: The 16 Personalities of Sybil

07 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The book and movie "Sybil" told the story of a woman purported to have Multiple Personality Syndrome. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #360: Lincoln Kennedy Myths

30 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

An old story claims a long list of astonishing similarities between the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail....

Skeptoid #359: Cupping for the Cure

23 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe that bruise-causing suction on the skin provides a variety of health benefits. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #358: Listener Feedback: Aliens and UFOs

16 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid digs into the feedback mailbag and answers questions about aliens and UFOs. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #357: The Aquatic Ape Theory

09 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

There is a popular fringe theory about human evolution that claims we went through an aquatic phase. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad...

Skeptoid #356: John Titor, Time Traveler

02 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

An Internet legend claims that a man named John Titor is a visitor from the year 2036. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #355: The Airplane That Wasn't There

26 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

A B-25 bomber ditched in a Pennsylvania river in broad daylight 1956 and, seemingly impossibly, was never found. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Skeptoid #354: The Pentagon and the Missile

19 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Some say that it wasn't an airliner that struck the Pentagon on 9/11, but a missile. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #353: Pope Joan

12 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This apocryphal Middle Ages pope said to be a woman in disguise probably never existed. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #352: Facts and Fiction of the Schumann Resonance

05 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The Schumann Resonance, 7.83Hz, is one natural radio band in our atmosphere, but holds no mystical powers. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx....

Skeptoid #351: Men in Black

26 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the mysterious government agents said to intimidate those who witness flying saucers. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #350: Trinity: Interview with Dr. Oz, Alex Jones, and Deepak Chopra

19 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid interviews three of the most popular and controversial figures in modern pseudoscience. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #349: Top 10 Best Pro-Science Celebrities

12 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

A list of ten Hollywood celebrities who have leveraged their fame into the promotion of science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #348: Ganzfeld Experiments

05 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The true history of the experiment that is said to present the strongest evidence yet for telepathic abilities. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #347: The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine

29 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

This most famous of all fabled "lost mines" has a history that fails to stand up to skeptical scrutiny. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #346: Listener Feedback: Me and My Terrible Arguments

22 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid responds to another round of listener feedback. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #345: The Cult of Nikola Tesla

15 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The name of Nikola Tesla is associated with crazy conspiracy claims that have nothing to do with his real work. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #344: Olgoi-Khorkhoi: The Mongolian Death Worm

08 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Mongolian tradition holds that a strange and deadly worm lives beneath the sands of the Gobi desert. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad...

Skeptoid #343: The Hollow Earth Theory

01 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout history there have been a number of different beliefs that the Earth might be hollow. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #342: Was the Wow! Signal Alien?

25 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A signal received by a radio telescope in 1977 may be the best evidence yet for extraterrestrial intelligence. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail....

Skeptoid #341: Free Energy Machines

18 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Someone somewhere is always claiming to have cracked the secret of free energy forever, no fuel needed. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #340: Listener Feedback: A Cacophony of Conspiracies

11 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How you can convince your friends that their conspiracy theories are nonsensical. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #339: Setting the Bloop Straight

04 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The solution to the Bloop mystery sound is finally revealed, and Skeptoid corrects some errors from other episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dove...

Skeptoid #338: The Flat Earth Theory

27 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The Flat Earth Theory has its origins not in alt-science but in Christian Fundamentalism. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #337: The Bermuda Triangle and the Devil's Sea

20 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Contrary to popular belief, no unusual number of disappearances has ever happened inside these two ocean regions. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Skeptoid #336: How to Tell a Good Website from a Crap Website

13 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How to tell whether a science article on the web is reliable or not. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #335: Cleansing Diets: Why or Why Not?

06 Nov 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Cleansing diets are trendier than ever. They are also a complete waste of your money. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #334: The Betz Mystery Sphere

30 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

This mysterious silver ball seemed to have all kinds of strange properties. We finally found out what it was. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.p...

Skeptoid #333: Student Questions: Dancing Plague and the Cinnamon Challenge

23 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

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

Skeptoid #332: The Phantom Time Hypothesis

16 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A number of theories claim that several centuries never actually happened, and were faked by the Church. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #331: The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter

09 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A rural family spent half a night battling what they thought were space aliens. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #330: Hypnotism: Hijacking Your Brain?

02 Oct 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The facts and the fiction of one of the most intriguing psychological phenomena. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #329: Is She Real, or Is She Fictional?

25 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

See if you can tell which of these famous women from history are real, and which are fictional. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #328: Secrets of the Stradivarius

18 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The secret of history's greatest stringed instrument, the Stradivarius violin, is that there is no secret. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx....

Skeptoid #327: Raiding the Ark of the Covenant

11 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The true history of the most famous holy relic from Biblical times. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #326: The Mystery of the Vitrified Forts

04 Sep 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Some 60 ancient stone forts in Scotland have vitrified walls, with the stone melted into glass. Here's what we know. Learn about your ad choices: dov...

Skeptoid #325: The Golden Ratio

28 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, claims both scientific and pseudoscientific have been made for the golden ratio. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

Skeptoid #324: Listener Feedback: That Darned Science

21 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid responds to some listener emails that question the validity of the scientific method. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #323: 8 Spooky Places, and Why They're Like That

14 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

These strange places around the world rank among the most macabre, but have interesting explanations. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/a...

Skeptoid #322: Negative Calorie Food Myths

07 Aug 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Negative calorie foods, said to require more energy to digest than they provide, are a popular food fad. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

Skeptoid #321: Skinwalkers

31 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Navajo Skinwalkers were said to be able to shapeshift into animals, but don't worry, it's just a tall tale. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #320: The Suicide Dogs of Overtoun Bridge

24 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

There's a bridge in Scotland where dogs are said to deliberately commit suicide. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #319: Student Questions: Food Woo and Iron Man at the Airport

17 Jul 2012

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 #318: The Loch Ness Monster

10 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The world's most famous cryptid is said to swim in Scotland's most famous loch. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #317: Attack of the Nanobots!

03 Jul 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the belief that nanotechnology may result in an army of self-replicating machines that consume society. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

New Skeptoid Books

28 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid announces two new paperbacks: "Astronauts, Aliens, and Ape-Men" plus "The Secret of the Gypsy Queen". Learn about your ad choices: dovetail....

Skeptoid #316: Al-Ghazali and Arab-Islamic Science

26 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Some say that Persian theologian al-Ghazali was solely responsible for the end of the Golden Age of science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #315: The Tehran 1976 UFO

19 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Declassified military documents show that Iranian fighter planes engaged a UFO in 1976. Here's what's actually known. Learn about your ad choices: do...

Skeptoid #314: Botches and Bungles

12 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid goes back and corrects some errors from previous episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #313: Area 51 Facts and Fiction

05 Jun 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Now that Area 51 has been declassified, we finally have proof that what they did had nothing to do with aliens. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

Skeptoid #312: Student Questions: Marauding Mammoths and Queen Elizabeth the Man

29 May 2012

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 #311: Deconstructing the Rothschild Conspiracy

22 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe that world governments and economies are secretly controlled by the Rothschild banking family. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx...

Skeptoid #310: Left Handed Myths and Facts

15 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Many popular anecdotes tell how and why some people are left-handed, but the true facts are even more interesting. Learn about your ad choices: dovet...

Skeptoid #309: The Science and Politics of Global Warming

08 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How global warming became the poster boy for failed science communication. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #308: Picnic at Hanging Rock

01 May 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Although the book and movie convinced many that this story actually happened, it is purely a fictional invention. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Skeptoid #307: The Siberian Hell Sounds

24 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Russian scientists are said to have drilled a borehole that broke into hell and released the screams of the damned. Learn about your ad choices: dove...

Skeptoid #306: Listener Feedback XX

17 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid dips into the feedback mailbag to respond to comments from listeners. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #305: I Can't Believe They Did That: Human Guinea Pigs

10 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A look at some of history's most famous scientists who experimented upon themselves. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #304: Catching Jack the Ripper

03 Apr 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A look at what is and isn't known about history's most infamous serial killer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #303: Are Vinyl Recordings Better than Digital?

27 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Many audio aficionados split into two camps, those supporting modern digital audio, and those supporting vinyl records. Learn about your ad choices: ...

Skeptoid #302: De Loys' Ape

20 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A geologist claimed to have discovered a new species of great ape in Venezuela in the early 20th century. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.o...

Skeptoid #301: The Beale Ciphers

13 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Treasure hunters comb Virginia searching for a legendary hoard of gold and silver. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #300: The Secret of the Gypsy Queen

06 Mar 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A little girl saves her kingdom when she is the only one who does not fall for the pop pseudoscience of the day. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Skeptoid #299: Star Jelly

28 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Jellylike blobs have been reported to fall from the sky during meteor showers. Aliens? No, science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-...

Skeptoid #298: Student Questions: Free Energy and Faster-than-Light Neutrinos

21 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

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

Skeptoid #297: A Magical Journey through the Land of Reasoning Errors

14 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Four common types of analytical errors in reasoning that we all need to beware of. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #296: The Versailles Time Slip

07 Feb 2012

Contributed by Lukas

We can be sure that two women visiting Versaille in 1901 did not time-travel back to the days of Marie Antoinette. Learn about your ad choices: dovet...

Skeptoid #295: Finding Amelia Earhart

31 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the worst examples of television promoting pseudohistory. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

Skeptoid #294: Frequent Listener Feedback

24 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid answers some listener emails that present common flaws in scientific thinking. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #293: Wunderwaffen: Nazi Wonder Weapons

17 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The true history behind the claimed Nazi "wonder weapons" like anti-gravity flying saucers. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #292: The Grey Man of Ben MacDhui

10 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

A thin, dark phantom three times the height of a man is said to stalk this peak in the Cairngorms. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-c...

Skeptoid #291: The Toxic Lady

03 Jan 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The story goes that in 1994, fumes from a woman's body knocked out most of an emergency room staff. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-...

Skeptoid #290: Approaching a Subject Skeptically

27 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

My process for examining a new topic, to learn whether it's fact or fiction. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #289: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste

20 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The facts, as we know them, about what really happened to maritime lore's most famous missing crew. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-...

Skeptoid #288: Pit Bull Attack!

13 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Pit bulls have a reputation for being the most dangerous dog breed. Turns out the facts just don't support that. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Skeptoid #287: Korean Fan Death

06 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

An urban legend in Korea states that running an electric fan at night can kill you. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #286: Listener Feedback: Dorothy and Her Straw Man

29 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Skeptoid responds to some feedback emails notable for their dependence on straw man arguments. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choic...

Skeptoid #285: Slips and Goofs

22 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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

Skeptoid #284: The Fate of Fletcher Christian

15 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

No good evidence supports the claims that the leader of the Bounty mutineers made it safely back to England. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

Skeptoid #283: Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites

08 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

My list of the worst offenders on the web in the promotion of scientific and factual misinformation. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad...

Skeptoid #282: The Jersey Devil

01 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Said to have been haunting New Jersey for nearly 300 years, this alleged creature has its actual origins in politics. Learn about your ad choices: do...

Skeptoid #281: The Science of Voting

25 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Most election methods are fundamentally broken, but can be fixed with any of a number of tweaks. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

Skeptoid #280: Finding Shakespeare

18 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The claim that someone else wrote Shakespeare's works is popular, but virtually indefensible. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choice...

Skeptoid #279: Noah's Ark: Sea Trials

11 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Why it's impossible for a wooden vessel the size of Noah's Ark to be seaworthy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #278: Brainwashing and Deprogramming

04 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Both brainwashing and its opposite, deprogramming, are equally mythological. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #277: Student Questions: A Few Good Myths

27 Sep 2011

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 #276: The Monster of Glamis

20 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

The story of a living beast in Scotland's Glamis Castle may have a nugget of truth. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #275: All About Fracking

13 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

There are lots of reasons to move away from fossil fuels, but the supposed hazards of fracking just aren't among them. Learn about your ad choices: d...

Skeptoid #274: Listener Feedback Revolutions

06 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Another batch of listener emails answered and dissected. And served. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #273: Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen

30 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Demonizing radio transmitters as carcinogenic is popular, but is not supported by any reasonable science. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.o...

Skeptoid #272: Are We Alone?

23 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

We are not alone in the galaxy. Here's why that doesn't mean we've been visited by anyone. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #271: The Zionist Conspiracy

16 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

There is no plausible reason to think a conspiracy of Jews plans to take over the world's banks and governments. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Skeptoid #270: The Hessdalen Lights

09 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Some seek a natural or alien explanation for these aerial lights in Norway. Turns out the true cause is much simpler. Learn about your ad choices: do...

Skeptoid #269: The Abominable Snowman

02 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Science shows that the Yeti of the Himalayas is almost certainly not a real creature. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid #268: Student Questions: Energy Shots and Sunscreen

26 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

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