Podcasts about skeptoid

Once again, we issue your corrections to errors made in previous Skeptoid episodes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The question of whether torture is ever justified must take a back seat to the more important question: Is it effective at producing useful intelligence? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Is this new technique to move your consciousness into another world anything more than just vivid imagination? Maybe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Brian Dunning of the Skeptoid podcast returns to The Political Orphanage for a spirited pushback episode on the modern non-profit industry. In a previous conversation, we argued that sprawling tax-exempt organizations can become bloated, unaccountable, and more interested in perpetuating themselves than solving problems. Brian arrives armed with skepticism, data, and counterarguments. Do non-profits actually dodge property taxes? Are giant charities a public good or just corporations with better branding? And when does cynicism about institutions become its own kind of ideological blind spot? This episode dives into philanthropy, incentives, tax policy, and the uneasy overlap between altruism and bureaucracy—with plenty of disagreement along the way. This interview was edited for purposes of clarity and brevity. When I significantly alter an interview I make the uncut version available, just in case: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1szkeykHYAmerFXpeDTww2o_uHyLsj1_2/view?usp=sharing

Seed oils seem to be the newest food villain. Are they something you truly need to avoid? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Popular tales claim that pirates used the island of Cozumel as a base of operations. History tells us pretty much the exact opposite. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Are alien spacecraft truly the best explanation for "transient" dots found on old telescope photographs? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The early bird special ends this Monday for BOTH Skeptoid Adventures launching this December! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

What was the real cause of the drop in English-speaking literacy rates between 1980 and 2020? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Usually, wellness therapies that claim to treat everything actually treat nothing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The real story behind the CIA spending $20 million on PROJECT STARGATE to study psychics. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From 17th century France to Nova Scotia and all the way to the bayous of Louisiana, one particular cryptid has had a far longer run than most. The rougarou is said to be the werewolf of the swamps, stepping out of Cajun folklore and into your nightmares. Where can we find the rougarou, and what role will it fill for centuries to come? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A round-up of plausible-sounding myths about the Moon, most of which you've probably heard, and some of which you might believe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Some say artificial food dyes are killing us. The truth is a lot more nuanced. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The more years go by, the more Americans believe that ordinary airliners are secretly spraying chemicals for some hidden nefarious purpose. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This Internet legend claims the Earth's gravity will shut off for seven seconds in 2026. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This social media fad promises to supercharge your sleep and make you healthier than healthy, when in fact it probably does significantly more harm than good. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid is now going into production on our third feature film: Alien Echoes. Get all the details at skeptoid.org/alienechoes Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It turns out there's probably no such thing as an alpha wolf. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Popular influencers claim birth rates are declining disastrously. How true is that, and is it a disaster? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The discovery of a Martian sarcophagus in Colorado in 1864: An oddball story, or consistent with the lore of the day? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Supplying some much-needed skepticism to an episode of the BBC podcast Uncanny. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Even today, some people cling to a pre-scientific belief that germs do not cause disease. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

An exploration of the validity of the Silurian hypothesis, which posits the existence of a pre-human intelligent race on Earth. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This secretive device has been promising to deliver clean, free energy for more than 15 years — but so far nobody's been allowed to examine it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Is there somewhere on Earth where Sovereign Citizens can actually be free of any nation's laws? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Advertising wants your attention, not your soul; and it's not nearly as good at getting either as you might think. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Radioactive nuclear generators sit out in the environment, posing a real hazard. They're mostly — but not all — in Russia. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

How concerned do you truly need to be about vintage ceramicware leaching lead into your food? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message What's holding you back from donating blood? Are you afraid of needles? Well, if you're uncomfortable around needles, this is the episode for you. Because as the donor in this edition of Bloodworks 101 found out, sometimes you can't even feel the donation when it actually starts. The donor's name is Brian Dunning, from Bend, Oregon. He's an award-winning podcast host who makes his living debunking myths wherever he finds them. But as producer John Yeager tells us, it's also about "walking the talk," about blood donation.Here's a recent Skeptoid episode about Blood Donation Myths:SkeptoidSpecial thanks to the staff at Skeptoid, including Kathy Rightmire, Director of Operations and Resources for stepping up and making a donation. Support the show

Oh no! Another pop quiz. Take the challenge: 9 questions about space. Think you can get them all? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A century-old hoax takes wing again, proof that good stories never stay buried. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If ghosts don't exist, then how do we account for all the ghost experiences that people have every day? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The myths and misconceptions surrounding blood donation and why you might consider donating.Links to resources from Bloodworks Northwest:Blood Donation Need to KnowEligibility GuidelinesEligibility Checker Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The history and pseudohistory of this infamous and ubiquitous obscene gesture. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Double your generosity by donating to Skeptoid before the end of the year! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From fireplace to folklore, how the Yule log got its fake pagan backstory. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This device claims to be able to dramatically improve the efficiency and emissions of any internal combustion engine. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

An exploration of all the scientific possibilities by which ghosts might actually exist in this universe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It should have been impossible for the CIA's Glomar Explorer to obtain the ship's bell from the K-129 submarine... but they did. How? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Now through the end of the year, all Skeptoid donations will be matched up to $27,500. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A roundup of evidence supporting the use of radiocarbon dating to assess the age of organic matter from 500 to 55,000 years old. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Stories claim that this region of Alaska is home to a huge number of unexplained disappearances. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Did US Special Forces battle a 15-foot-tall red-haired giant in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2002? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A conspiracy theory claims the Hollywood and Deep State elitists have a magical bed that allows them to remain forever young and healthy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Is the Rake mere creepypasta, or do more recent events prove it to be a real creature? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When ordinary deer turn grotesque, Appalachia's forests whisper of the Not-Deer — unnatural predators lurking somewhere between folklore and nightmare. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A pop quiz of trivia from the previous 19 years of Skeptoid shows! Can you beat the masters? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The actual wayfinding methods used by the ancient Polynesians to navigate between islands and settle the entire Pacific Ocean. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Skeptoid Adventures will set sail on the world's largest sailing vessel, the SV Royal Clipper, from Malaga, Spain, to Nice, France this April. We'll have a mini-conference aboard and we'll stop at amazing ports of call -- all while on the coolest full-rigged sailing ship you've ever seen. Take a look at skeptoid.com/adventures. Please note: This ship often sells out by the end of October, so reserve your cabin soon. All deposits are fully refundable. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices