Skeptoid

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Since 2006, the weekly Skeptoid podcast has been taking on all the most popular myths and revealing the true science, true history, and true lessons we can learn from each. Free subscribers get the most recent 50 episodes, premium subscribers (skeptoid.com) can access the full archive, all ad-free.

Brian Dunning


    • Jun 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 3h 7m AVG DURATION
    • 1,038 EPISODES

    4.6 from 2,574 ratings Listeners of Skeptoid that love the show mention: pseudoscience, skeptoid, dunning, logical fallacies, best skeptic podcast, superstition, pseudoscientific, organic food, science and skepticism, skeptic's guide to the universe, skeptically, great work brian, sacred cows, skeptical thinking, skeptics guide to the universe, brian says, pseudo science, citing, creationists, pseudo scientific.


    Ivy Insights

    The Skeptoid podcast is a delightful and informative show that delivers light-hearted humor alongside well-researched information. It provides great content to listen to in the morning, making it a perfect start to the day. The topics covered are given a deep dive, resulting in fascinating insights.

    One of the best aspects of The Skeptoid podcast is its ability to pick interesting and relevant subjects for investigation. Each topic is thoroughly researched, providing listeners with valuable knowledge and insights. The show also excels in its use of humor, which adds an enjoyable element to the educational content.

    One downside of The Skeptoid podcast is that the streaming service picks the ads, so there is no control over what ads are played during episodes. However, this issue is mostly restricted to episodes where Brian does the talking himself, as these ads tend to promote his other projects.

    In conclusion, The Skeptoid podcast is an excellent source of well-researched information presented in an entertaining and humorous way. It is a must-listen for anyone interested in critical thinking and skepticism. While there may be occasional issues with ads, the overall quality and value of the content make up for it.



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    Latest episodes from Skeptoid

    Skeptoid #991: Real Sea Monsters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 19:30


    A roundup of all the biggest and scariest real sea monsters — from today and from prehistoric times. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #990: Rethinking Science Education

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 16:25


    How one special moment redefined how a science teacher does her job. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #989: Are $1,000,000 Paranormal Challenges Effective?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 15:46


    Their exciting nature, combined with the fact nobody's ever won one, make paranormal challenge prizes important educational tools. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #988: Chocolate Myths

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 14:16


    Here are many popular myths about chocolate. How many can you tell are true or not? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #987: More than a Magician's Assistant

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 15:01


    She may have gotten her start as Houdini's sidekick, but Rose Mackenberg became a giant of unmasking fraudulent mediums. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    A Brief Shake-Up at Skeptoid

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 1:48


    You're going to get to enjoy some new guest hosts for a month or two on Skeptoid. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #986: Do Functional Mushrooms Function?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 15:53


    Super mushrooms are claimed by some to provide vague health benefits beyond their known nutritional values. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #985: Supervolcanoes and Super Earthquakes

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 16:28


    A roundup of the world's riskiest volcanoes and fault zones — and they're not necessarily the most hazardous. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    earthquakes skeptoid supervolcanoes
    Skeptoid #984: Should You Feed Your Dog That?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 15:58


    Some people try to feed their dogs the same alternative diet they eat themselves... not necessarily so good for the dog. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #983: Immigration Myths

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 20:06


    Many of our preconceived notions about immigrants likely bear very little resemblance to the facts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #982: Defending Against the Planet Killers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 19:35


    All of the ways you've heard that deep space wants to kill us — and how plausible or likely each scenario is. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #981: Vaccines: Success Story of the Century

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 19:15


    Vaccines are history's great medical success story, having saved more lives than anything else. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #980: How to Find Atlantis

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 18:59


    Ten of the places where Atlantis true believers think the mythical city might actually be. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #979: Crusades Imagery and White Nationalism

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 14:33


    Many of the Christian symbols created in the aftermath of the First Crusade have been adopted by White Nationalists. Why? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #978: Leaded Gasoline and Mental Health

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 15:11


    A look at recent studies finding leaded gasoline caused 151 million mental health illnesses in the United States. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #977: A Dingo Ate My Baby

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2025 15:51


    This catchphrase has become popular with comedians. Is that in line with its true origin? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #976: The Spanish Gold of Neahkahnie Mountain

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 15:51


    Some believe a fabulous Spanish treasure is buried on the slopes of Oregon's Neahkahnie Mountain. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #975: How We Verify Our Sources

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 16:11


    A few of your favorite experts weigh in on how you can make sure your information comes from the very best sources. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #974: Salt Typhoon: The Chinese Phone Hack

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 14:35


    What really happened — and what didn't — in the 2024 telecom cyberattack. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid Adventures: Bermuda Triangle 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 1:31


    Join us for our 2nd Annual Skeptoid Adventure, this time to the Bermuda Triangle! Early bird pricing ends this Friday, don't miss the boat! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #973: Cows and Global Warming

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 14:19


    Just as important as the question of how much the livestock industry contributes to global warming is whether your giving up meat will have any real impact. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    Skeptoid #972: Agent Orange on Trial

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 17:38


    The newer the data, and the longer we've had to study the epidemiology, the less harm we find that Agent Orange caused.

    Skeptoid #971: Cloud Seeding

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 13:57


    Cloud seeding would seem like an easy and obvious way to create rain where none existed before. Is it really that simple?

    Skeptoid #970: Economic Nationalism: Bounty or Bust?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2025 16:53


    Economic nationalism, while attractive to many populists, is not the path to economic success some believe it to be.

    Skeptoid #969: Listener Feedback: Bats and Pyramids

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 15:21


    Skeptoid answers another round of feedback emails sent in by listeners.

    Skeptoid #968: Waldorf Schools

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2024 15:42


    These schools combine an atypical education with a New Age spirituality called anthroposophy.

    Skeptoid #967: Cryonics: A Chilling Prospect

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 14:21


    Cryonics promises an opportunity for you to be frozen and revived at some distant point in the future — though with plenty of controversy.

    Skeptoid #966: Student Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 15:19


    Skeptoid answers another round of questions from students all around the world.

    Skeptoid #965: The Legend of the Dover Demon

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 15:12


    What could explain a strange creature living in the suburbs, but only ever witnessed once?

    Giving Tuesday!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 3:23


    On this Giving Tuesday, please consider supporting Skeptoid Media (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) and our mission of cultivating critical thinking and science literacy skills. Donations will be matched by our Board of Directors!

    Skeptoid #964: Fixing a Flood of Flaws

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 14:07


    Skeptoid corrects another round of errors in previous episodes.

    Skeptoid #963: Hunting the Gloucester Sea Serpent

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 15:20


    This alleged sea serpent terrorized a New England fishing village for two years in the 19th century.

    Skeptoid #962: Bats and Rabies

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 14:29


    Bats are scary and rabies is deadly, but do you need to worry about you or your pets catching the disease from them?

    Report from Death Valley, and the Bermuda Triangle

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 3:02


    A report from the recent Skeptoid Adventures trip to Death Valley, including how many brave souls we lost in the desert and how they met their fate; and announcing the next Skeptoid Adventures trip to the Bermuda Triangle! Reserve your spot now at https://skeptoid.com/events/30285

    Skeptoid #961: The Man from Taured

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 16:46


    A mysterious man is said to have arrived in Japan in 1959 from a country that never existed.

    Skeptoid #960: I Know What Scares You

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2024 15:19


    Seven creepy stories from seven listeners, and seven guesses by me.

    Skeptoid #959: Finding the Black Olmec

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 16:07


    A thoroughly discredited idea, that the Mesoamerican Olmec people were Black Africans, continues to gain traction.

    Skeptoid #958: The Rock Wall of Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2024 15:23


    This buried rock wall found throughout Rockwall County has people wondering about its origin.

    It's Skeptoid's 18th Birthday!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 1:55


    It's Skeptoid's 18th birthday! Won't you help us celebrate by giving us a little birthday present?

    Skeptoid #957: Dogs Who Type

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 14:26


    Can dogs be taught to speak intelligently using floor buttons that represent words?

    Skeptoid #956: 18 for 18

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 19:50


    Highlights from 18 years of the Skeptoid podcast.

    Skeptoid #955: Pop Quiz: Astonishing Aviation Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 21:24


    Fifteen trivia questions from previous aviation themed episodes of Skeptoid.

    Skeptoid #954: 15 Sleep Myths

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 15:46


    15 popular myths about sleeping, debunked.

    Skeptoid Flash Mob at CSICon 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 1:46


    Join the Skeptoid Flash Mob at CSICon 2024 in Las Vegas. Visit skeptoid.com/store to get your shirts.

    Skeptoid #953: Pet Pheromone Products

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 16:07


    Lots of companies sell pheromone products claiming to calm down your dog or cat, but there's a very big problem with that basic claim.

    Skeptoid #952: Finding Slumach's Gold

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 15:32


    Is this just another in a long line of legendary lost mines that never produced a speck of gold, or is there more to it this time?

    Skeptoid #951: Dying of Excited Delirium

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 16:42


    Turns out that the cause of death known as excited delirium is not an actual cause of death at all.

    Skeptoid #950: A Modern Skeptic Podcast Host

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 6:37


    If I were to summarize how and why I do what I do, I might put it this way.

    Skeptoid #949: Hunting the Graveyard of the Elephants

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 15:13


    Does a mythical place where the elephants go to die actually exist?

    Skeptoid #948: Medical Error Is Not the Third Leading Cause of Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 14:26


    The claim that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the US has never been close to true.

    Skeptoid #947: How Your Driving Is Being Tracked

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 17:07


    Is your phone really tracking your driving habits and selling the data? Maybe more so than you know.

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