Skepticality - The Official Podcast of Skeptic Magazine
308 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 5 years ago - ★★★★ - 466 ratingsWe're tired of pertinent social and science news being buried by claptrap. Our podcast is here to bring you relevant, under-reported current events, as well as in-depth discussions from a scientific, critical, skeptical, and humorous point of view.
Derek and Swoopy are your hosts, filling your pod and your brain with skeptical insight and conversation, sometimes heated, on a plethora of topics that are ripe for critical examination. Bringing truth to podcasting, and all who choose to listen.
In our travels we will tackle the beasts of pseudoscience; the paranormal, supernatural, ufo / alien encounters, misunderstood history, and overwrought legends - urban or otherwise.
Our interview shows feature notable skeptics including; leading astronomy speakers, scientists, philosophy experts, and other scientific, secular, humanist, and skeptical book authors, and critical thinkers.
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Episodes
Skepticality #139 - The Calculus Diaries - Guest: Jennifer Ouellette
September 21, 2010 04:00 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBIn her new book, The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help you Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, author and science blogger Jennifer Ouellette reminds us that our stubborn resistance to calculus is not entirely rational, and that we all do a little calulus every day whether we know it or not. This week on Skepticality Swoopy talks with Jennifer about how The Calculus Diaries seeks to inspire our math-phobic culture by explaining complex concepts using simple r...
Skepticality #138 - The Universe Verse - Guest: James Lu Dunbar
September 12, 2010 04:00 - 48 minutes - 22.2 MBIn keeping with a tradition of highlighting artists, illustrators and film-makers who are bringing great stories of science to their genres, this week Skepticality is pleased to welcome James Lu Dunbar, author and illustrator of an educational series of graphic novels about the history of the universe targeted at children of all ages entitled The Universe Verse. Swoopy chats with Jamie about the process of creating this series of self-published books, and how the second book in the series I...
Skepticality #137 - Packing for Mars - Interview: Mary Roach
August 24, 2010 04:00 - 1 hour - 32.9 MBImagine you were talented enough, ambitious enough and lucky enough to be chosen to part of a manned mission to another planet. What you might see out there? What you might learn? And, what about going to the bathroom, taking a shower, eating, drinking, sleeping, or even sex? This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with psychologist, journalist and bestselling author Mary Roach. Her new book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void explores how space programs, scienti...
Skepticality #136 - Voodoo History - Guest: David Aaronovitch
August 10, 2010 04:00 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MBHistorical precedent, eyewitnesses, academic experts — these are among the tools that critical thinkers use to verify facts and give credibility to their arguments. And yet, misuse of these same principles provides the foundation for widely accepted conspiracy theories. Why does the public often prefer wildly improbable half-truths to the demonstrable facts of history? This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with award-winning journalist and author David Aaronovitch about his book Voodo...
Skepticality #135 - Team Skeptic TAM 8 Round Table - Guests: Daniel Loxton, Blake Smith, Tim Farley
July 22, 2010 04:00 - 1 hour - 39.3 MBThis week after returning from The Amazing Meeting 8 - a conference celebrating skepticism and critical thinking sponsored by the James Randi Educational Foundation, Skepticality is pleased to host a round table discussion with a distinguished group they have dubbed "Team Skeptic". Daniel Loxton (editor of Junior Skeptic and author of Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be), Blake Smith (paranormal investigator and creator of the Skeptic podcast Monster Talk) and Tim Farley (cre...
Skepticality #134 - The Price of Altruism - Guest: Oren Harman
June 29, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 28.1 MBFrom "survival of the fittest" to "the selfish gene," familiar evolutionary themes advocate an amoral viewpoint that favors the individual. And yet, evolutionary biologists have uncovered countless examples of altruism in animals and humans — which has given rise to the idea that there is an evolutionary component to these selfless behaviors that can be quantified. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Professor Oren Harman, author of The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search...
Skepticality #133 - The Arts and Sciences - Guests: George Hrab and Scott Sigler
June 17, 2010 04:16 - 54 minutes - 25.2 MBOver the last five years Skepticality has been pleased to interview some of the world's most interesting and noteworthy skeptics and scientists and some of those skeptics and scientists are also gifted artists. This week Swoopy and Derek talk with George Hrab about the release of his new album Trebuchet, which he has been kind enough to provide to our listeners in it's entirety for free as a full album mp3. Among the many topics, and music clips, George talks about marketing this new album ...
George Hrab's Trebuchet (Full Album)
June 17, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBThe new, full length album by George Hrab. Buy a physical copy at CDBaby, or download tracks on iTunes.
Skepticality #132 - Decoding the Language of God - Interview: Dr. George C. Cunningham
June 15, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 31.8 MBThis week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with geneticist Dr. George C. Cunningham, author of Decoding the Language of God: Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer? This book serves as a point-by-point rebuttal of the 2006 bestseller The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Dr. Francis S. Collins. Dr. Collins was the head of the Human Genome Project during its final phases, presiding over one of the greatest scientific achievements of all time. And yet, some skeptics exp...
Skepticality #131 - The Science of the Unscientific - Guest: Jim Ottaviani
May 25, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 32 MBSkeptic readers may suspect that there's little to interest them in the pages of most graphic novels, dominated as they are by superheroes and the supernatural. However, a new generation of authors and artists are hard at work creating comics rooted in science fact — and even critical thinking. This week Skepticality welcomes back Jim Ottaviani: nuclear engineer, librarian, lead author for GT Labs (which produces graphic novels about the history of science and prominent scientists). Swoopy...
Skepticality #130 - The Sound of Science! - Interview: Artichoke's Timothy Sellers and Steve Collins.
May 11, 2010 00:00 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week Skepticality welcomes two of the members of the Los Angeles-based band Artichoke: Timothy Sellers (who pursued physics before deciding on music) and Steve Collins (an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Artichoke is known to many eSkeptic readers for the song Mary Anning, their highly popular contribution to the Skeptics Mix Tape 2009 project. (As Mix Tape curator Daniel Loxton explains, "Artichoke is really top tier science music. There are vanishingly few bands who can...
Skepticality #129 - In the Land of Believers - Guest: Gina Welch
May 04, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBIn-depth inquiry is a central virtue in the realms of skepticism and investigative journalism. In both traditions, investigators immerse themselves into unfamiliar worlds in order to understand, inform and illuminate the truth. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with author Gina Welch about her first book In The Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary Journey Into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. Recounting her two years as a member of Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Chur...
Skepticality #128 - Young Science Podcasters - Interviews: Princess Scientist and Aaron from Aaron's World
April 27, 2010 00:00 - 53 minutes - 24.3 MBOver the past five years, Skepticality hosts Derek & Swoopy have been inspired by noteworthy scientists and skeptics—and by the many podcasters producing popular programs about science and critical thinking. This week's guests are science podcasters with a little something extra. Aaron's World and Princess Scientist's Book Club are both podcasts hosted by children under the age of nine. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with both hosts (and their parents) about the unique challenges an...
Skepticality #127 - Skepticism Through Manga - Guest: Sara E. Mayhew
April 20, 2010 00:00 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBOne of our favorite things to do on Skepticality is to introduce listeners to new ways of communicating skepticism and critical thinking that may have never been tried before. This week's guest is a perfect example. As the International award-winning author and illustrator of Secrets of Sorcerers and Love Pet, Sara E. Mayhew is a professional illustrator who specializes in producing manga artwork that embraces the themes of skepticism and critical thinking. In 2009 Sara became a TED Fell...
Skepticality #126 - Race and Reality - Guest: Guy P. Harrison
April 13, 2010 00:00 - 1 hour - 42.5 MBThe concept of race continues to affect our world in undeniable ways. Sociologists tell us that people derive their attitudes about race from their family, culture, and education, with vast and persistent differences between the popular notions of race and the scientific view of human diversity. Even among scientists, who understand the current evidence, there is controversy about the definition of "race" — and about the usefulness of thinking in terms of race at all. This week on Skepticali...
Skepticality #125 - The Animal Manifesto - Guest: Dr. Marc Bekoff
March 30, 2010 00:00 - 56 minutes - 25.6 MBIn February 2010 a panicked zebra ran loose down a major Atlanta freeway at rush hour sustaining fatal injuries, the same month at Orlando's SeaWorld a whale trainer was dragged underwater to her death by a 12,000-lb killer whale, and this week in Mumbai an angry 56-year-old female elephant killed a man who entered her enclosure by picking him up with her trunk and slamming him into a wall. From food production to circus acts to scientific stud, animals have a long and controversial history...
Skepticality #124 - Church and State Update 2010 - Interview: Sean Faircloth, Secular Coalition for America
March 16, 2010 00:00 - 43 minutes - 19.8 MBThis past week has been particularly troubling for secular humanists and freethinkers, as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the words "In God We Trust" on American currency and "Under God" as part of the Pledge of Allegiance are not in violation of the First Amendment rights of nontheists. Meanwhile, the conservative majority of the Texas State Board of Education (whose sheer size and buying power influence textbook content nationwide) revised its curricula to r...
Skepticality #123 - Imagine Science - Guest: Alexis Gambis
March 02, 2010 05:00 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBImagine you've just completed your PhD in molecular biology and genetics. Would enrolling at NYU film school be your next logical career step? Unlikely as it may sound, that's exactly what Alexis Gambis, creator of the "Imagine Science Film Festival," decided to do. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Alexis about the surprising and yet natural collaboration between scientists who dedicate their lives to studying the world we live in, and filmmakers — who have the power to interp...
Skepticality #122 - In With The New - Guest: D.J. Grothe
February 16, 2010 21:00 - 31 minutes - 14.3 MBDerek catches up with the new JREF President, DJ Grothe to discuss what is next for the JREF now that he has become the new President.
Skepticality #121 - Astronomy Overload Hour - Guest: Dr. Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer
February 09, 2010 05:00 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBFor a myriad of reasons, NASA is in the news this week. For an update on everything astronomical Skepticality is proud to welcome back The Bad Astronomer himself, Dr. Phil Plait (author of the popular books Bad Astronomy, Death from the Skies and his award-winning blog at Discovermagazine.com). Swoopy chats with Phil about this week's planned launch of the space shuttle Endeavour (one of five final missions marking the retirement of the shuttle fleet by the close of 2010); the surprising ...
Skepticality #120 - Evolution of Jr. Skeptic - Guests: Pat Linse and Daniel Loxton
January 26, 2010 05:00 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MBThis week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with a true skeptical original: Skeptics Society co-founder Pat Linse, co-publisher and Art Director of Skeptic magazine. She is among skepticism's most influential pioneers — and yet, she has rarely stepped into the public spotlight. Among Pat's many groundbreaking innovations was the creation of Junior Skeptic (the 10-page kids' critical thinking insert bound within Skeptic magazine). Joining Pat in this interview is current Junior Skeptic editor and...
Skepticality #119 - Worlds of Their Own - Guest: Lois Schadewald
January 05, 2010 05:00 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MB"The Universe does not bend itself to our ignorance." This simple truism is just one of the many observations made by author, skeptic and former president of the National Center for Science Education Robert J. Schadewald, who died of cancer on March 12th, 2000. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with his sister Lois Schadewald, who compiled and published a humorous, insightful volume of her brother's articles, essays and interviews in 2008. Entitled Worlds of Their Own: A Brief Histo...
Skepticality #118 - The Santa Situation- Guests: Heidi and Hollis Anderson
December 22, 2009 05:00 - 41 minutes - 19.1 MBThe holiday season can be a stressful time for anyone, but for those parents raising their children to be critical thinkers and skeptics, there are some special challenges — namely, to Santa or not to Santa? This week, on a special holiday episode of Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy talk with Heidi Anderson (whose article, Skeptical Parenting: Raising Young Critical Thinkers appears in the current issue of Skeptical Inquirer) and her seven-year-old son Hollis. Young Hollis, it turns out, has his...
Skepticality #117 - Evolution Rx Part II- Guest: Dr. William Meller
December 15, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBInsomnia; depression; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; sexual infidelity. Most of us have dealt with at least one of these issues in our lives, and no wonder — so did our ancient ancestors. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy welcomes back Dr. William Meller for a second round of discussion based on his book Evolution Rx. Evolutionary medicine sheds some light on how the adaptations of early humans affect our emotions, behaviors and our modern daily lives.
Skepticality #116 - Evolution Rx - Guest: Dr. William Meller
November 28, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 32.9 MBWater bottles, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap, vitamin supplements, broad spectrum antibiotics - ancient man had none of these things, and yet in harsh conditions he not only survived, but thrived. The study of evolutionary medicine illuminates how the past adaptation of early humans to their ancestral environment now affects contemporary humans with our vastly different diet, life expectancy, degree of physical exercise, and hygiene. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. Wil...
Skepticality #115 - The Green Fairy - Guest: Cheryl Lins, owner Delaware Phoenix Distillery
November 10, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 36.5 MBAbsinthe. The very name of this anise-flavored spirit has become synonymous with the forbidden. Associated with marijuana and other illicit drugs, it is said to cause hallucinatory and psychoactive secondary effects, delusions, criminal tendencies, convulsions, tuberculosis and death. At the start of the 20th century, these beliefs were reported by the media, widely promoted by the French wine industry, and spread via propaganda posters. This led to a ban on absinthe in Europe and the United ...
Skepticality #114 - Monster Talk! - Guests: Blake Smith, Ben Radford & Dr. Karen Stollznow
October 27, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 30.6 MBCryptozoological creatures like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Chupacabra have fascinated and inspired monster hunters for generations, providing endless reports of sightings, unverified film footage and blurry photographs to feed the public imagination. Thankfully, this kind of speculation and storytelling has also given rise to a new generation of skeptical investigators who use the tools of science to dig into monster claims. This week on Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy talk with Be...
Skepticality #113 - Don't Be Such A Scientist - Interview: Dr. Randy Olson
October 20, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 33.5 MBThis week on Skepticality, Swoopy catches up with biologist-turned-filmmaker Dr. Randy Olson, whose latest book, Don't Be Such A Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style deals with the image and communication issues facing scientists in the new media era. Some of the book's key messages (don’t be so cerebral; don’t be so literal-minded; don’t be such a poor story teller; don’t be so unlikable) are also on display in Dr. Olson's newest feature film, Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy. Th...
Skepticality #112 - Men Who Stare at Goats - Interview: Jon Ronson
October 13, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBOne of the refrains of skepticism is that reality is often more amazing than fiction. This is most assuredly true of the stories reported by investigative journalist, filmmaker and author Jon Ronson, who has delved time and again into the worlds of conspiracy theorists and extremists. This week on Skepticality Swoopy talks with Jon Ronson about his experiences bonding with skeptics at the recent Amazing Meeting London, his bizarre cruise (and rare interview) with psychic Sylvia Browne, and h...
Skepticality #111 - Pop Goes the Controversy - Interviews: Jill Sobule, Keith Williams and The Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics
September 29, 2009 04:00 - 37 minutes - 17 MBOn this week's Skepticality, Derek and Swoopy have just returned from Charlotte PopFest, a unique music festival with proceeds benefitting the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Unexpected local media backlash against the PopFest benefitting a group of "evolutionists" is further evidence why events like this one, the first of it's kind, are so important. These sentiments are echoed in this week's short interviews with PopFest musician Jill Sobule, members of the Charlotte Ath...
Skepticality #110 - Pop for Science - Interview: James Deem, organizer Charlotte PopFest
September 15, 2009 04:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBThis week, Derek and Swoopy recap Skeptrack at Dragon*Con 2009 and chat with musician James Deem about the upcoming music festival Charlotte Pop Fest. Not your average music festival, this year Charlotte Pop Fest (September 24-26th) will celebrate the life of Charles Darwin and all proceeds from the event will benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science.
Skepticality #109 - Columbine - Interview: Dave Cullen
August 25, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 34.6 MBOn April 20, 1999, two boys left an indelible stamp on American society when they carried out their plan to kill as many of their high school classmates as they could. The very word "Columbine" has come to represent a specific brand of unthinkable horror: when children make a calculated decision to murder their teachers and peers. In the chaos and aftermath of that April day, legends and misinformation quickly proliferated. A great deal of what was reported about Columbine was simply not tru...
Skepticality #108 - Stars of TAM 7 - Interviews: Jennifer Ouellette, Michael Goudeau & Ray Hyman
August 18, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 32.9 MBThis week Skepticality releases the entertaining wealth of recent audio Derek recorded at the James Randi Educational Foundation's "Amazing Meeting 7" conference in sunny Las Vegas. The diverse nature of modern skepticism is well represented in interviews featuring Jennifer Ouellette (author of The Physics of the Buffyverse) and magician Michael Goudeau (executive producer of Penn and Teller's Bullshit!). Best of all, Skepticality shares thoughts from one of the founding fathers of the skep...
Skepticality #107 - Wild Justice -Interview: Dr. Marc Bekoff
July 30, 2009 15:14 - 1 hour - 31.9 MBThis week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado and author of Wild Justice. His book examines the differences—and startling similarities—between the observed morality and emotions of human and non-human animals.
Skepticality #106 - TAM7 Recap - A view of The Amazing Meeting 7 from near and far.
July 14, 2009 04:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBThis week on Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy recap The James Randi Educational Foundation's Amazing Meeting 7 conference, which took place this past week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Derek recounts his many adventures as a TAM7 attendee, including his interviews and discussions with TAM Guests including Ray Hyman, Jennifer Oullette and MythBuster Adam Savage. Looking at this epic convention in a new way, Swoopy shares her impressions of following the conference from home via social networking websites...
Skepticality #105 - Scam School! - Interview: Brian Brushwood
June 30, 2009 22:52 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MB"Don't try this at home! …This trick just might kill you! … Fool your friends, amaze your family and scam your way to free drinks!" These taglines and more invite the average college student to study with spiky-haired rabble rouser, Brian Brushwood — skeptic, author and award winning magician — via his popular podcast Scam School. This week Derek & Swoopy talk with Brian about his work. Digging into the biggest scam of all, they reveal that Brian Brushwood is the epitome of the modern ske...
Skepticality #104 - The Skeptic Mix Tape and Jenny McCarthy - Interviews: Daniel Loxton & Derek Bartholomaus
June 16, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 38.6 MBThough the celebrated and the famous have long used the glare of the spotlight to highlight personal causes, rarely has fame been used to such staggering effect as by Jenny McCarthy. Since 2007, this former Playboy model now turned autism activist has advocated for parents to stop vaccinating their children against deadly diseases. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Derek Bartholomaus, creator of “The Jenny McCarthy Body Count” website. This chilling and controversial site utilizes...
Skepticality #103 - The Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs - Interview: Dr. Donald R. Prothero
June 02, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 30.3 MBMass extinctions, rising temperatures, and changing glaciers may sound like current events, but Earth scientists are learning that this type of climate change is nothing new. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. Donald R. Prothero about his new book Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs: Evolution, Extinction, and the Future of Our Planet. Prothero discusses the links between the climate changes that have occurred over the past 200 million years. Dr. Prothero also discusses "Ida," a 4...
Skepticality #102 - The Great Psychic Detective Challenge - Interviews: Benjamin Radford & Dr. Phil Plait
May 19, 2009 04:00 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBThis week Skepticality is pleased to have back paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford. Derek talks with Ben about his recently concluded "Great Psychic Detective Challenge" which came about through amazing claims made to Ben while he was a guest on the Skeptiko Podcast. We also catch up with JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation) President Dr. Phil Plait about the upcoming Amazing Meeting 7, to be held in Las Vegas July 9-12.
Skepticality #101 - Quirky Hauntings Interview: Professor Richard Wiseman
May 05, 2009 05:08 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBThis week Skepticality is pleased to once again speak with noted 'Quirkologist' Richard Wiseman, the Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). Swoopy talks with Professor Wiseman about his recent paranormal investigations and the initial findings from his Hauntings: The Science of Ghosts project that was presented as part of the 2009 Edinburgh International Science Fest...
Skepticality #100 - Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue..
April 21, 2009 20:50 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBThis week Skepticality celebrates it's long awaited 100th episode with a look back at past shows, thoughts about future installments and well wishes from their friends the skeptic community including Dr. Phil Plait (the Bad Astronomer), George Hrab (The Geologic Podcast) and Brian Dunning (The Skeptologists).
Skepticality #099 - Confessions of an Alien Hunter - Interview: Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer - SETI
April 07, 2009 00:00 - 1 hour - 27.5 MBWhy do we think aliens are out there? Is Earth really being visited? Will aliens really be short, gray, and hairless? What happens if we pick up a signal from another world? These are just a few of the questions this week's guest tackles regularly, in his role as the senior astronomer for the SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Institute. Dr. Seth Shostak talks with Swoopy about the ongoing search for life in the universe, as chronicled in his new book Confessions of an Alien Hu...
Skepticality #098 - What Do I Do Next? Interview: Daniel Loxton, editor of Junior Skeptic
March 24, 2009 04:03 - 43 minutes - 19.8 MBIn 2007, Junior Skeptic Editor Daniel Loxton called for renewed focus on classical skeptical activism in an essay entitled "Where Do We Go From Here?" Released simultaneously as a PDF from Skeptic.com and as an audio essay on Skepticality, this article drew tremendous positive response. But many listeners wanted to know, what’s the next step? How does one become a skeptical activist? This week, Skepticality and Skeptic.com are pleased to release the follow-up project, "What Do I Do Next?: Le...
Skepticality #097 - Atlanta Skepticamp Recap
March 17, 2009 04:00 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBThis week's Skepticality hits the highlights and plays excerpts from Atlanta Skepticamp. Topics from the two day "un-conference" included: raising children to be critical thinkers; homeopathy; the question of what organic food labels really mean; and (in discussion with the hosts of the American Freethought podcast) the role of new media in promoting the growth of the skeptical community. Also, Derek & Swoopy check the Skeptic events calendar to keep listeners updated on upcoming Skepticam...
Skepticality #096 - Fossil Thursday! -Interview: Dr. John M. Harris, curator Page Museum, La Brea Tar Pits
February 19, 2009 05:00 - 38 minutes - 17.7 MBOn a special Thursday edition of Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. John M. Harris, curator of the George C. Page Museum at Rancho La Brea. Yesterday, it was announced that a new excavation near La Brea has unearthed the largest known cache of fossils from the last ice age including an eighty percent in-tact mammoth, named Zed.
Skepticality #095 - The Radford Files -Interview: Benjamin Radford
February 03, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBThis week on Skepticality we check in with author and paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford. A regular contributor to LiveScience.com and Managing Editor for Skeptical Inquirer magazine, Ben talks with Derek & Swoopy about his recently completed fourth book and his investigations into weird paranormal mysteries — including UFO sightings in New Jersey, the haunted hotel where President Obama stayed prior to his inauguration, and the claims of police department psychics.
Skepticality #094 - International Year of Astronomy! - Interview: Dr. Pamela Gay
January 20, 2009 05:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBThe United Nations has declared 2009 the "International Year of Astronomy." Coinciding with both Galileo Galilei's celestial discoveries in 1609 and the publication of Johannes Kepler's Astronomia Nova (which described the fundamental laws of planetary motion), the International Year of Astronomy celebrates 400 years of discovery and exploration of our elegant universe. It is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase some amazing science — and to inspire cosmic wonder. On this episode of Skep...
Skepticality #093 - Tales of the Investigative Atheist - Inside The Discovery Institute, Interview: Maria Maltseva
January 06, 2009 06:35 - 1 hour - 31.8 MBOn a recent episode of Skepticality, guests Kate Holden and Tiana Dietz proposed their joint project, "Visit Discovery," which encourages people to visit Seattle's Intelligent Design think tank The Discovery Institute. Is there hope of fostering better dialog between advocates of science and proponents of Intelligent Design? This week's guest, Maria Maltseva, a Seattle skeptic and practicing attorney, talks with Derek & Swoopy about her own recent visits to The Discovery Institute, where he...
Skepticality #092 - Numb3rs - Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci creators of Num3rs
December 16, 2008 17:43 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBRarely is mathematics a major plot component on American television. The exception, of course, is the current hit prime time CBS television drama Numb3rs. "We all use math every day: to predict weather, to tell time, to handle money. Math is more than formulas and equations: it’s logic. It’s rationality. It’s using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know." So begins every episode — astonishingly — of one of the consistently highest rated programs in its time slot. Now in its fifth s...
Skepticality #091 - Skeptics Undercover - Kate Holden and Tiana Dietz visted The Discovery Institute (and so should you)!
December 02, 2008 08:00 - 44 minutes - 20.2 MBOver the past several episodes, Skepticality has endeavored to showcase an eclectic range of skeptical activism. Our recent guests have overwhelmingly agreed that everyone has something to offer — and that "activism" comes in many flavors. This week, Derek & Swoopy talk with bloggers Kate Holden and Tiana Dietz, who recently had an unorthodox adventure at the well-known Intelligent Design think tank The Discovery Institute. These unapologetic rabble-rousers discuss the controversial tacti...