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. 141,000 weekly downloads. Read what people are saying.

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Latest Skeptoid Episodes...

#483, Sep 8, 2015 - Unsung Women of Science - These important scientists are virtually unknown, even though their accomplishments are among the greatest in science. Let's see if we can fix that.

#482, Sep 1, 2015 - Sir Franklin's Cannibals - The fate of Franklin's Lost Expedition provides a unique lesson in the value of different types of evidence.

#481, Aug 25, 2015 - Captain Kidd's Treasure - Many stories tell of Captain Kidd's buried treasure. But is there any reason to believe it exists, or is it more hyping of a character from history for the purpose of sensationalism?

#480, Aug 18, 2015 - The Nazi of Nanking - Amid the horrors of world war, one Nazi party official stood up and rescued hundreds of thousands of innocents from the Axis war machine.

#479, Aug 11, 2015 - Chemicals - Chemicals both are and aren't deadly, whether synthetic or naturally occurring - the dose makes the poison, and even your thoughts are a chemical process.

#478, Aug 4, 2015 - Listener Feedback: Natural History - The wonders of our natural world offer plenty of opportunities for learning and plenty of mysteries to ponder. Today we're going to answer some questions sent in by listeners pertaining to Skeptoid episodes having to do with our natural world.

#477, Jul 28, 2015 - Wag the Dogman - In 1987, a song was released that sparked the creation of a legend: the Michigan Dogman, Michigan's own mysterious monster. Here's the real story behind the canine cryptid.

#476, Jul 21, 2015 - The Chess-Playing Mechanical Turk - This amazing chess-playing automaton toured the world for more than 80 years beginning in the 1700s, beating all the top chess players.

#475, Jul 14, 2015 - Listener Feedback: History vs. Pseudohistory - Whenever Skeptoid does an episode dealing with the separation of history and pseudohistory, there is always some lively feedback. Brian responds to listener feedback about past history episodes.

#474, Jul 7, 2015 - Solfeggio Frequencies - Solfeggio Frequencies can, according to believers, heal us and even do miracles. They claim that these mystical ancient frequencies were lost when modern music was re-tuned around World War II. How much of this is true? What can we learn from the Solfeggio Frequencies?

#473, Jun 30, 2015 - The Loveland Frog - A series of sightings of a frog-like humanoid in the suburb of Loveland, Ohio prompts an enduring folkloric legend.

#472, Jun 23, 2015 - Lysenko and Lesser Science Grifters - Agriculture whiz-kid Trofim Lysenko took over Soviet biology by mixing Stalin-pleasing pseudoscience and communist doctrine, with disastrous results

#471, Jun 16, 2015 - Male Circumcision - Infant male circumcision is rising in popularity in the United States. Other than for religions reasons, what motivates parents to circumcise their children? And is the procedure as helpful or harmful as some suggest?

#470, Jun 9, 2015 - Marijuana - Fifty years ago, marijuana was considered a public menace and the world moved to outlaw it. Now, it's not only coming back into popular favor but also seeing use as a medicinal herb. What is marijuana really? Is it a dangerous drug? A miracle medicine? Or something else?

#469, Jun 2, 2015 - Jade Helm 15 - Discussion of the conspiracy theories surrounding the 2015 military training exercise known as Jade Helm 15.

#468, May 26, 2015 - Listener Feedback: Fads - Fads come and go; and whenever one is popular, its most fervent adherents frequently embrace it and defend it with an almost religious fervor. Skeptoid responds to listener emails about episodes on certain fads.

#467, May 19, 2015 - Baby Myths - If you want unsolicited advice, just have a baby. If you want good baby advice, look to the experts and not someone trying to shame you for doing it wrong. A look at some common myths about babies and children.

#466, May 12, 2015 - 5 Answers for Creationists - Creationists have presented 5 questions they don't think 'evolutionists' can answer. Here are some answers.

#465, May 5, 2015 - Agenda 21 - Agenda 21 was crafted as a framework for sustainable development. But critics call it a conspiracy to confiscate property and curtail freedom.

#464, Apr 28, 2015 - The Lake Michigan Triangle - Could there be a region in the Great Lakes where ships and planes mysteriously disappear? Skeptoid explores the connections between this region and the Bermuda Triangle, and takes a look at the evidence that there is something strange going on in America's Heartland.

#463, Apr 21, 2015 - Transgender: Fact or Fiction? - Transgender is a hot topic in the media, and it has led to a lot of people saying a lot of things about those whose gender identity does not align with their birth-assigned gender. Not surprisingly, a lot of the things people believe about being transgender are wrong. Let's find out which of these transgender beliefs are fact, and which are fiction.

#462, Apr 14, 2015 - Satanic Ritual Abuse - The 1980s and 1990s saw multiple legal cases involving claims that Satanic cults were abusing and murdering children in communities across the United States.

#461, Apr 7, 2015 - Cryptids That Turned Out To Be Real - Sometimes speculative animals turn out to be real, what does this mean for the relationship between cryptozoology and science?

#460, Mar 31, 2015 - Plastic Bags - Plastic bag bans are spreading. These bags are both credited with keeping your groceries cheaper and wreaking environmental havoc. What does the science actually say? Probably not enough yet.

#459, Mar 24, 2015 - Listener Feedback: The Environment - Few topics generate as much passionate feedback as those dealing with environmental issues. In this episode, Brian responds to some of that feedback, including the answers to questions about Fukushima, wind turbines, and fracking.

© 2015 Skeptoid.com

 

Unsung Women of Science

Skeptoid #483, Sep 8 2015
Read | Listen (13:13)
 

Sir Franklin's Cannibals

Skeptoid #482, Sep 1 2015
Read | Listen (12:13)
 

Captain Kidd's Treasure

Skeptoid #481, Aug 25 2015
Read | Listen (12:07)
 

The Nazi of Nanking

Skeptoid #480, Aug 18 2015
Read | Listen (13:49)
 

Chemicals

Skeptoid #479, Aug 11 2015
Read | Listen (14:28)
 

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