Skeptoid
984 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2.6K ratingsThe true science behind our most popular urban legends. Historical mysteries, paranormal claims, popular science myths, aliens and UFO reports, conspiracy theories, and worthless alternative medicine schemes... Skeptoid has you covered. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred. Weekly since 2006.
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Episodes
The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You to See
July 14, 2022 09:00 - 2 minutes - 2.64 MBJoin me in producing this important feature documentary film on the modern UFO phenomenon.
Skeptoid #840: What Sank the Lusitania?
July 12, 2022 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBMany believe that the true cause of the Lusitania's sinking was not the torpedo, but a mysterious second explosion that followed.
Skeptoid #839: Decoding the Carolina Bays
July 05, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBSome say these oval depressions all along the US east coast are craters from an ancient meteor bombardment.
Skeptoid Is Hiring a Developer
June 30, 2022 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.09 MBSkeptoid is hiring a web developer. For complete details, see skeptoid.org/jobs
Skeptoid #838: The Chilean Navy UFO
June 28, 2022 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBAmateur Internet researchers figured out in 5 days what the Chilean government UFO group couldn't in two years.
Skeptoid #837: Falling Fish Followup
June 21, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBSome feedback and followups to a raft of previous Skeptoid episodes.
Skeptoid #836: Can You Tell if I'm Lying?
June 14, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MBCan watching body language really tell you when someone is lying?
Skeptoid #835: False Flag Attack? The USS Liberty
June 07, 2022 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBOfficially, Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty was accidental friendly fire; but many claim it was a deliberate conspiracy.
Skeptoid #834: The Haunting of the Stanley Hotel
May 31, 2022 09:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBColorado's Stanley Hotel is famous not only for its association with The Shining, but also for ghosts of its own.
Skeptoid #833: The Secrets of the Integratron
May 24, 2022 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBThis white dome in the California desert may house the secrets of the universe, or nothing more than delusions.
Science Friction now available on streaming
May 18, 2022 23:30 - 2 minutes - 2.49 MBSkeptoid Media's first full-length feature documentary movie, Science Friction, is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Skeptoid #832: What Greek Fire Really Was
May 17, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBThis ancient weapon of terror struck fear throughout the ancient world, and stokes a number of mysteries today.
Skeptoid #831: Facilitated Communication Isn't
May 10, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThis discredited technique deceives loved ones into believing non-communicative people are able to communicate just fine by hiring one of these facilitators.
Skeptoid #830: The Mystical Death of Jack Parsons
May 03, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBThe complicated life of JPL's co-founder meant that his death was almost certain to be cloaked in conspiracy theories.
Skeptoid #829: What ASMR Will Do for You
April 26, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBWhat is the state of the science behind this online video genre that combines relaxation with chills and shivers?
Skeptoid #828: Why You Don't Want a Flat-Faced Pet
April 19, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThe science shows that dogs and cats bred to be flat-faced suffer from respiratory distress, but some argue otherwise.
Skeptoid #827: What Really Happened on Easter Island
April 12, 2022 09:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThe popular known history of Easter Island — that deforestation brought about its demise — is not generally accepted.
Skeptoid #826: Why the Fresno Nightcrawler Is So Popular
April 05, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThis relatively new and not-so-famous cryptid manages to have an outsized pop-culture footprint.
Skeptoid #825: How Psychic Readings Work
March 29, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBWhether cold reading, warm reading, or hot, there are simple explanations for even the most impressive psychic performances.
Skeptoid #824: Demystifying the Winchester Mystery House
March 22, 2022 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThe unfortunate false narrative of the Winchester Mystery House obscures a wonderful story of one of California's great women pioneers.
Skeptoid #823: Hunting the Elusive Rogue Wave
March 15, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBModern authors say that scientists didn't used to accept the idea of rogue waves. Is that true?
Skeptoid #822: On Washboarded Roads
March 08, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBThe real cause of washboarding on dirt roads is very different from the traditionally believed reason.
Skeptoid #821: Forensic (Pseudo) Science
March 01, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBAll those fancy-sounding forensic sciences you've come to trust might not be worth very much of your trust after all.
Skeptoid #820: Maury Island: The Government's Alien Artifacts
February 22, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBThe origin story of some of the government's alleged alien wreckage is a little bit shaky.
Skeptoid #819: Corrections with Hat in Hands
February 15, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBSome corrections to errors made in recent shows.
Skeptoid #818: On Railroad Tracks and Roman Chariots
February 08, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBThe urban legend that train track gauge descends from Roman war chariots falls apart at every link in the chain.
Skeptoid #817: Your Ghostliest Tales, Explained
February 01, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBIn which we hear, analyze, and attempt to explain the ghostly personal stories you've sent in.
Skeptoid #816: The Dark Side of Polyvagal Theory
January 25, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBA controversial mental health framework is also being peddled by unqualified coaches.
Skeptoid #815: On the Trail of the Chupacabra
January 18, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBAn exploration into the chupacabra, and how that word came to be applied to so many unrelated things.
Skeptoid #814: Nazis and the Occult
January 11, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBPopular tales of the occult underpinnings of the Nazis are largely modern fiction.
Skeptoid #813: Why You Need to Care About Concrete
January 04, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBConcrete will remain one of our most important materials for decades — but there's a big problem with it.
Skeptoid #812: 20 Years of Data from Portugal: Drug Decriminalization
December 28, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MB20 years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs in an effort to reduce addiction, incarceration, and negative health impacts. How has it worked?
Skeptoid Is Hiring
December 23, 2021 09:00 - 52 seconds - 676 KBSkeptoid is hiring an operations manager. Check out the full posting at skeptoid.org/jobs
Skeptoid #811: Radon Therapy
December 21, 2021 18:56 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBTrying to treat pain or cancer by exposing yourself to a radioactive carcinogen provides only risk without the benefit.
Skeptoid #810: Frida Sofia, the Victim Who Wasn't
December 14, 2021 18:56 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBAfter the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, rescuers dug through the rubble for a little girl named Frida Sofia — who never existed.
Skeptoid #809: The Avro Arrow Conspiracies
December 07, 2021 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBConspiracy theories surround the cancellation of this advanced Canadian aircraft from the 1950s.
Skeptoid #808: Followups and Extras
November 30, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBSome new facts and extra information on six previous episodes.
Skeptoid #807: Huna: New Age on an Island
November 23, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBHuna blends generic New Age spiritualism with a concocted version of Hawaiian tradition.
Eclipsed podcast preview
November 18, 2021 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.55 MBSometimes the most interesting stories from history aren’t the ones we expect, it’s the stories that got lost. Eclipsed is a new weekly narrative history show from Campside Media. Hosted by writer Bijan Stephen, each episode of Eclipsed features a story hidden in the shadows of a major historical event. Lakes disappear, sailors cry, and pop stars go into battle on this season of Eclipsed.
Skeptoid #806: Environmental Microplastics
November 16, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBThis manmade debris permeates our bodies and our planet, but what's the harm?
Skeptoid #805: The Cottingley Fairies: Analysis of a Famous Hoax
November 09, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBThe true and weird history of the two girls who fooled the world with their fairy photographs in 1917.
Skeptoid #804: Unmasking the Old Stinker: The Hull Werewolf
November 02, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBThis modern sighting of a strange beast is claimed to have been a resurgence of a legendary medieval monster.
Skeptoid #803: What Really Happened at Tunguska
October 26, 2021 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBThe true cause of one of history's most violent cataclysms remains a mystery... to a degree.
Skeptoid #802: Pop Quiz: 15 for 15
October 19, 2021 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBIt's 15 trivia questions from 15 Skeptoid episodes, to celebrate our 15th anniversary!
Skeptoid #801: Probiotics Fact and Fiction
October 12, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBSome people promote probiotics as a miracle cure for just about anything. What can they really do?
Skeptoid #800: To the Stars
October 05, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 9.81 MBA strange radio broadcast from a very unique group of VIPs being whisked away on a UFO.
Skeptoid Whistle-Stop Tour in Your Town!
October 01, 2021 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.19 MBThe Skeptoid Whistle-Stop Tour 2021 is here! October 10th through the 23rd, I'll be visiting listener groups all across the United States, all events are free and open to the public! Visit skeptoid.com/events for details.
Skeptoid #799: On the Authorship of the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
September 28, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBThe most famous organ work in history has a surprising mystery -- we're not really sure who composed it!
Sportsland podcast preview
September 24, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.82 MBBADLANDS is a true-crime anthology podcast from Jake Brennan, creator and host of the award-winning music and true crime podcast DISGRACELAND. BADLANDS Season 2: Sportsland is all about the shocking rise and fall of sports legends. Listen each week for wild stories about Mike Tyson, Oscar Pistorius, Aaron Hernandez, Evel Knievel, Tonya Harding, Pete Rose, Sonny Liston, Spider Sabich, Ty Cobb, and, of course, O.J. Simpson. This episode preview dives into legendary boxer Mike Tyson. His arrival...
Skeptoid #798: Tracking the Wild Big Cats of Britain
September 21, 2021 09:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBA close look at the tales of large black predatory cats stalking Britain for centuries.