The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

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The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a weekly science podcast discussing the latest science news, critical thinking, bad science, conspiracies and controversies. -The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: Your escape to reality - Produced by SGU Productions, LLC: http://www.theskepticsguide.org

Dr. Steven Novella

  • podcastawards.com
    2015 Science & Medicine

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    2012 Science & Medicine

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    2011 Science & Medicine

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    2010 Science & Medicine

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    2009 Education

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    Legacy Show


  • May 31, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
  • weekly NEW EPISODES
  • 1h 19m AVG DURATION
  • 962 EPISODES

4.7 from 5,924 ratings Listeners of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe that love the show mention: sgu, pseudoscience, skeptical podcasts, cara santa maria, dr steve, logical fallacies, science news, best skeptical, pseudoscientific, thinking podcast, best skeptic podcast, pseudo science, charlatans, superstition, skeptics guide to the universe, baloney, george hrab, rogues, homeopathy, skeptic's guide to the universe.


Ivy Insights

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast is an absolute gem in the world of podcasts. As a devout listener for over 15 years, I can confidently say that this show never fails to entertain, educate, and engage its audience. The hosts are a group of brilliant individuals who bring their own unique perspectives and expertise to each episode. Whether it's discussing current science news, debunking pseudoscience, or dissecting logical fallacies, the SGU always delivers insightful and thought-provoking content.

One of the best aspects of this podcast is the wide variety of topics covered. From space exploration to medical breakthroughs to climate change, there's something for everyone. The hosts have a knack for taking complex scientific concepts and presenting them in an accessible and engaging way. They have a talent for breaking down complicated information into understandable pieces, making it easier for listeners to grasp even the most challenging subjects.

Additionally, the camaraderie and banter among the hosts make this podcast immensely enjoyable. Their chemistry and humor shine through in every episode, creating an atmosphere that feels like you're sitting with friends discussing fascinating scientific discoveries. It's this relatable and down-to-earth approach that sets the SGU apart from other science podcasts.

However, it's worth noting that there are some drawbacks to this podcast. One issue is the uneven audio quality across episodes. While some hosts' microphones sound clear and crisp, others may come across as too low or muffled at times. This inconsistency can be frustrating when trying to listen in certain environments or when driving in a car.

In conclusion, The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is an exceptional podcast that deserves all the praise it receives. It not only keeps listeners up-to-date with science news but also promotes critical thinking skills and rational skepticism in a world plagued by misinformation and pseudoscience. The knowledge, insight, and humor brought forth by the hosts make each episode a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. Whether you're a science enthusiast, a skeptic, or simply someone who wants to understand the world better, this podcast is an absolute must-listen.



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Latest episodes from The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

The Skeptics Guide #1038 - May 31 2025

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2025


Quickie with Steve: Global Warming and Ocean Currents; News Items: Infrared Contact Lenses, Trees Respond to Solar Eclipse, Affective Polarization, The Brain's Motor Switchboard, New Dwarf Planet Candidate; Discussion: The Effect of Science Fiction; Your Questions and E-mails: HHS Cancels Vaccine Contract; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1037 - May 24 2025

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025


Live from NotACon with Guest Rogue Adam Russell; News Items: New Cambrian Fossil, Best Archaeopteryx Specimen, Chimps Using First Aid, Treatment for Baldness, New Color - Olo, The Next Theranos, Bespoke Genetic Therapy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1036 - May 17 2025

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025


Dumbest Word of the Week: Moxibustion; News Items: Cold Plunges, The End of Life, Floating Nuclear Power, Visualizing Special Relativity, Brainspotting Pseudoscience; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Ethics of Pig Hearts, Are Flat Earthers Real; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1035 - May 10 2025

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025


Quickie with Bob: Fusion Rockets; News Items: Falling Space Debris, What Makes People Flourish, Pig Heart Xenografts, Chiropractic Stroke, Breathable Algae Drug Delivery; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Faster Than Light Expansion, Autism Self-Diagnosis; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1034 - May 3 2025

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025


Interview with Melanie Trecek-King; News Items: Internet Fakes and Violence, Lab Grown Teeth, RFK On Autism, AI Designed Instruments; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Big Bang Miracle; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1033 - Apr 26 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2025


Quickie with Steve: Game Transfer Phenomenon; Geoengineering, Biosignature Candidate, Skull Rock on Mars; Commercial Perovskite Solar Panels; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Another Unified Theory; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1032 - Apr 19 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2025


Dumbest Thing of the Week: Turned to Stone; News Items: Where Did Earth's Water Come From, EPA Data on Emissions, Is Your Red My Red, Evolution of Complex Life, Crow Math Skills; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Separate the Art from the Artists, Does the Moon Rotate; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1031 - Apr 12 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025


TikTok Flat Earthers; News Items: De-extincting the Dire Wolf, What Experts Think About AI, Planned Obsolescence, VR Touch Sensory; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: SNPs vs Sequencing; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1030 - Apr 5 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025


What's the Word: enantiodromia; News Items: AI Protein Sequencing, Solving the Bat Cocktail Party Problem, The Extremely Large Telescope, CIA and the Ark of the Covenant, 23&Me Selling Personal Data; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: RFK Jr and Vaccines, Counterintuitive Math Problem; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1029 - Mar 29 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2025


Quickie with Bob: Extinction Survivors; News Items: Constructed Languages, Exercise and Brain Health, Curiosity Rover Finds Long Carbon Chains, Nanotech Lightsails, Vaccine and Autism Again; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Technology vs Magic; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1028 - Mar 22 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025


Interview with Michael Marshall and Cecil Cicirello; News Items: NASA Delays Artemis, Punishing AI, Hybrid Bionic Hand, Pettawatt Electron Beam; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Rewriting Physics; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1027 - Mar 15 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2025


Interview with Professor Dave; What's the Word: Psionic; News Items: Screen Time and Mental Health, Exposure to Mass Shootings, Stem Cells for Parkinson's, Brown Fat and Exercise; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Vitamin A and Measles; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1026 - Mar 8 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025


Quickie with Bob: Atlantic Shutdown; News Items: Measles Outbreak, Reintroducing Wolves, TIGR-Tas Gene Editing, Blood Donor Who Saved Millions Dies, Star Mergers; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Intricate Web of Civilization; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1025 - Mar 1 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025


Interview with Adam Russell; News Items: Congestion Pricing, AI Therapists, Redefining Dyslexia, Small Modular Reactors for Cargo Ships; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1024 - Feb 22 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025


News Items: Bird Brains, Indoor Air Quality, Abortions and Infant Mortality, Black Holes Without Singularities, Banning Chemtrails; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Asteroid Hitting the Moon; Swindler's List: Tax Scams; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1023 - Feb 15 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2025


News Items: Demographics of Misinformation, The Toll of Fake Research, Dangerous Street Drugs, Nearby Habitable Zone Exoplanet, Reverse Engineering Alien Technology

The Skeptics Guide #1022 - Feb 8 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025


Quickie With Bob: Using Nukes to Deflect Asteroids; News Items: Near Earth Asteroid Threat, Does the Internet Affect Our Memory, Growing City Rat Problem, Do Apes Have a Theory of Mind, NASA Astronauts Harassed by Aliens; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1021 - Feb 1 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025


What's the Word: Geyser; News Items: Self Replicating AI, DeepSeek, PEPFAR Freeze, Chemical Looping, Giant Clams and Tiny Algae; Who's That Noisy; You Questions and E-mails: Telepathy Tapes; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1020 - Jan 25 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025


Guest Rogue Andrea Jones Roy; News Items: Unexpected Scientific Results, Trust In Scientists, Red Dye #3, Andromeda Mosaic, Telepathy Tapes; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1019 - Jan 18 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2025


Interview with Nick Tiller, News Items: Does Fact-Checking Work, Nuclear Electric Propulsion, The LA Fires, Building Materials for Storing Carbon; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1018 - Jan 11 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2025


Quickie with Steve: Primate Twins: News Items: Mars Sample Return, Unique Glacial Microbiomes, Transatlantic Tunnel, Alcohol Advisory; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Bird Flu Vaccine, Cryptid Mascots; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1017 - Jan 4 2025

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2025


Psychic Predictions 2024; News Items: Space Exploration in 2025, Emerging Diseases, Dark Energy May Not Exist, Bigfoot Deaths; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Fusion Energy, In Memoriam Addendum; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1016 - Dec 28 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2024


2024 Year End Review; Best of 2024; Science Hero and Jackass of the Year; In Memoriam; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1015 - Dec 21 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024


Live from Washington DC; News Items: The Science of Tipping, JonBenet Ramsey Case, Primordial Black Holes, Oldest Alphabet, Food Distribution, Goop Spiral; Live Q&A; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1014 - Dec 14 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024


Interview with Noah Lugeons; News Items: Have We Achieved AGI, Coming Bird Flu, Weekend Warrior Exercise, Theoretical Technosignature, Simulation Again; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Blood Thicker than Water; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1013 - Dec 7 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024


Quickie with Bob: Atomic Scale Precision; News Items: Innate Morality, New Space Station, Climate Hot Spots, Orcas Wearing Hats, Evidence Against Water on Venus; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Fisher Scream, CT UFO; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1012 - Nov 30 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2024


Interview with Andrea Love; News Items: Near Earth Microquasars, How to Watch Research Misconduct, Genetically Modifying Brains, Largest Prime Number, Magic Amulets, Atlantic Current Climate Tipping Point; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1011 - Nov 23 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2024


Interview with Kevin Folta; News Items: Sense of Self in Robots, New Energy Secretary, Finding Planet Nine, Stress and Paranormal Belief; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Dumb Idioms; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1010 - Nov 16 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2024


Interview with Michael Mann; Quickie with Evan: Banning Magic; News Items: Armed Police in Schools, Training Surgical Robots, New Imaging Technique, Physician Misinformation; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Follow Up Mid-Atlantic Accent; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1009 - Nov 9 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2024


Interview with Brian Cox; Quickie with Bob: Superheavy Element Chemistry; News Items: Biogenome Project, Ancient Solar Magnetic Field, MAHA, Miranda Ocean, Club 27 Myth; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1008 - Nov 2 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2024


Quickie with Bob: Predicting Earthquakes; News Items: Cell Phones and Brain Cancer, Gold from Earthquakes, Plastic in the Brain, Quantum Neural Network, Marmosets have Names; Your questions and E-mails: Beetles; Name That Logical Fallacy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1007 - Oct 26 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2024


What's the Word: Annular; News Items: Europa Clipper, Illusion of Information Adequacy, Seeding the Atmosphere, Exomoon, Psychology of Scare; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Replaceable Batteries; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1006 - Oct 19 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024


Interview with Christian Hubicki; From TikTok: Fake Spacestation; News Items: AI Common Sense, Malnutrition in Africa, Latest Starship Launch, New Metasurface, Exomoon; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Myopia; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1005 - Oct 12 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024


EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal âž¼ https://nordvpn.com/skepticsguide Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Dumbest Thing of the Week: Loch Ness Sonar; News Items: Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics, Fruit Fly Connectome, Shroud of Turin Again; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Hydrogen Cars; Name That Logical Fallacy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1004 - Oct 5 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024


Check out Surfshark https://surfshark.com/sgu, Quickie with Bob: Lunar Mantle Partially Molten; News Items: Heart Function in Space, Schizophrenia Drug, Wood Vaulting, AI Finds Nazca Lines, LISA Gravitational Telescope; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Religious Skepticism; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1003 - Sep 28 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2024


Guest Rogue: Andrea Jones Roy; What's the Word: Pitch; News Items: Crystal Genome Storage, How Reliable are Political Forecasts, Myopia Epidemic, Biotwang Explained; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1002 - Sep 21 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2024


Quickie with Steve: Minimoon; News Items: Dead Internet Theory, Classroom CRISPR, CAM Market, ADHD Increasing; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Changing Names, Net Metering and Residential Solar; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1001 - Sep 14 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2024


News Items: Embryo Models, Carbon Fiber Battery, Zeta Class Supercomputer, UFOs as a Societal Problem; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Residential Solar; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #1000 - Sep 7 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2024


SGU Celebrates 1000 Episodes; A Skeptical Retrospective: Global Warming, Solar Panels, Cold and Hot Fusion, Medical Quackery, UFOs; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #999 - Aug 31 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024


What's the Word: Bunk; News Items: Starliner Update, Therapeutic Roleplaying, The Search for Gravitons, Dinosaur Footprints, Schools vs Cell Phones; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Slippery Slope; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #998 - Aug 24 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2024


Quickie with Steve: Killing Mammoths; News Items: Water on Exoplanets, Mpox, Darkling Beetles, Moon Gravity Assist, Luminescent Solar Concentrators; Who's That Noisy; From Tik Tok: The Sage Wall; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #997 - Aug 17 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2024


Election Scams; News Items: Childhood Vaccines, Alien Solar Panels, Stuck in the ISS, Framing and Global Warming, Promoting Homeopathy; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #996 - Aug 10 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2024


Interview with Forrest Valkai; News Items: Mark Edward, Moon Deep Storage, Pursuit of Happiness, Measuring Blood Pressure, First Complex Life on Earth, Life on Venus Update; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: AC vs DC; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #995 - Aug 3 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2024


OIympic Controversy; News Items: Progeria Treatment, Solid State Battery, The Cass Review, Mammoth DNA; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: The Bacterial Flagellum; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #994 - Jul 27 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2024


What's the Word: Calculus; News Items: Water Harvesting, Chimp Communication, Dark Oxygen, Nuclear Clocks, Creationism Survey; Who's That Noisy; Name That Logical Fallacy; Your Questions and E-mails: The Logic of God; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #993 - Jul 20 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2024


Conspiracy Theories; News Items: Lunar Cave, AI Love, AI Scams, Solar Clams; From TikTok: Antimony and Air Fryers; Your Questions and E-mails: Judith Curry; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #992 - Jul 13 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2024


Robot Suicide; News Items: Mars Settlement Simulation, HIV Prevention, COVID Protection Gene, Nuclear Pasta, Eyeball Planet; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Hydrogen Water; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #991 - Jul 6 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2024


Simulating Black Holes; News Items: DNA Nano Killbot, Bionic Leg, Neanderthal with Downs, Festival Fail, Kugelblitz Black Holes; Who's That Noisy; Name That Logical Fallacy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #990 - Jun 29 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024


Quickie with Steve: Multivitamin Supplements; News Items: GOES-U Satellites, Risks of Cannabis, Improved Enzymes, Geopathic Stress, Using AI to Predict Alzheimer's; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: The Pattern App, Processing Grief; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #989 - Jun 22 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2024


Juneteenth; News Items: Sun's Magnetic Field About to Flip, Kids and Gun Safety, Gates Goes Nuclear, Nanodroplet Drug Delivery, Potential Dyson Spheres; Who's That Noisy; From TikTok: Free Energy Murders; Science or Fiction

The Skeptics Guide #988 - Jun 15 2024

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024


Quickie with Evan: Mysterious Signal; News Items: Ultraprocessed Food, Artemis Update, Interstellar Clouds, Prebiotic Soda, Noninvasive Deep Brain Stimulation; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon; Science or Fiction

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