Skeptoid is a weekly science podcast dedicated to furthering knowledge by blasting away the widespread pseudosciences that infect popular culture, and replacing them with way cooler reality.

Each weekly episode focuses on a single phenomenon — an urban legend, a paranormal claim, alternative therapy, or something just plain stupid — that you've heard of, and that you probably believe in. Skeptoid attempts to expose the folly of belief in non-evidence based phenomena, and more importantly, explains the factual scientific reality.

From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred, politically incorrect though that may be. 150,000 weekly downloads. Read what people are saying.

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Latest Skeptoid Episodes...

Aug 21, 2012 - Listener Feedback: That Darned Science - A lot of people have misconceptions about how the scientific method works and whether it's valid. In this episode we answer some emailed questions about this topic specifically.

Aug 14, 2012 - 8 Spooky Places, and Why They're Like That - These strange places around the world rank among the most macabre. Some have fascinating historical explanations, and others are explained by cultural traditions.

Aug 7, 2012 - Negative Calorie Food Myths - Negative calorie foods, said to require more energy to digest than they provide, are a popular food fad. But is this supported by science, or is it just another pop urban legend?

Jul 31, 2012 - Skinwalkers - Navajo witches and sorcerers are said to be able to shapeshift into dangerous animals that attack and harass the living. Some think there may be some science behind the tall tales.

Jul 24, 2012 - The Suicide Dogs of Overtoun Bridge - There's a bridge in Scotland where dogs are said to deliberately commit suicide. Is this indeed the case, or can science and observation shine a little better light on the question?

Jul 17, 2012 - Student Questions: Food Woo and Iron Man at the Airport - Skeptoid answer student questions surround various popular myths about food, brain training computer programs, miracle cancer cures in the rainforest, and whether iron in your blood can get you stopped at a metal detector.

Jul 10, 2012 - The Loch Ness Monster - There are many theories and many stories surrounding the Loch Ness Monster. We point the skeptical eye to see which are facts, and which aren't so much.

Jul 3, 2012 - Attack of the Nanobots! - Nanotechnology takes many forms - mostly industrial, but also in the possibility of an army of self-replicating machines capable of turning everything on the planet into a grey goo of nanobots.

Jun 26, 2012 - Al-Ghazali and Arab-Islamic Science - Arab-Islamic culture led the world in science and intellect during their Golden Age, but then it came to an end and there have been virtually no Arab-Islamic discoveries since then. Why not?

Jun 19, 2012 - The Tehran 1976 UFO - Declassified military documents show that Iranian fighter planes engaged a UFO in 1976. But is this all we know, or can we analyze details to get a better idea of what actually took place?

Jun 12, 2012 - Botches and Bungles - Every so often I like to correct any errors that have been found in previous episodes. Enjoy this list of corrections and errata, and send more if you find them.

Jun 5, 2012 - Area 51 Facts and Fiction - Some believe that alien spacecraft are the true business of the US military's secret test facility at Area 51. But does history confirm this, or does it give us a different tale?

May 29, 2012 - Student Questions: Marauding Mammoths and Queen Elizabeth the Man - Skeptoid answers another round of questions sent in by students all around the world. This time: Bikram yoga, cloning mammoths, kitchen bacteria, Queen Elizabeth's gender, eating and dreams, and cholesterol.

May 22, 2012 - The Rothschild Conspiracy - 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?

May 15, 2012 - Left Handed Myths and Facts - 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.

May 8, 2012 - The Science and Politics of Global Warming - 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.

May 1, 2012 - Picnic at Hanging Rock - 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?

Apr 24, 2012 - The Siberian Hell Sounds - 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?

Apr 17, 2012 - Listener Feedback XX - Once again, Skeptoid dips into the feedback mailbag to respond to comments from listeners.

Apr 10, 2012 - I Can't Believe They Did That: Human Guinea Pigs - 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.

Apr 3, 2012 - Catching Jack the Ripper - 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?

Mar 27, 2012 - Are Vinyl Recordings Better than Digital? - 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?

Mar 20, 2012 - De Loys' Ape - 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?

Mar 13, 2012 - The Beale Ciphers - 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.

Mar 6, 2012 - The Secret of the Gypsy Queen - 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.

© 2012 Skeptoid.com

 

Skeptoid is hosted
and produced by
Brian Dunning

Listener Feedback: That Darned Science

Skeptoid #324, Aug 21 2012
Read | Listen (12:51)
 

8 Spooky Places, and Why They're Like That

Skeptoid #323, Aug 14 2012
Read | Listen (13:20)
 

Negative Calorie Food Myths

Skeptoid #322, Aug 7 2012
Read | Listen (11:28)
 

Skinwalkers

Skeptoid #321, Jul 31 2012
Read | Listen (13:55)
 

The Suicide Dogs of Overtoun Bridge

Skeptoid #320, Jul 24 2012
Read | Listen (11:36)
 

#1 -	The Grey Man of Ben MacDhui Read | Listen
#2 -	The Mystery of the Mary Celeste Read | Listen
#3 -	Approaching a Subject Skeptically Read | Listen
#4 -	The Jersey Devil Read | Listen
#5 -	Slips and Goofs Read | Listen
#6 -	Pit Bull Attack! Read | Listen
#7 -	Finding Shakespeare Read | Listen
#8 -	Korean Fan Death Read | Listen

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