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Skeptoid

Brian Dunning•skeptoid.com
Science
Social Sciences

The 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

Skeptoid #1015: The Alaska Triangle

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

Nov 18, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1015

Skeptoid #1014: The Giant of Kandahar

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

Nov 11, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1014

Skeptoid #1013: Medbeds: Sleeping in Bunk

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

Nov 04, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1013

Skeptoid #1011: The Not-Deer and Weird Appalachian Lore

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

Oct 21, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1011

Skeptoid Adventures Sets Sail! Malaga, Spain to Nice, France 2026

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...

Oct 01, 2025•3 min

Skeptoid #1006: Deconstructing Structured Water

We all enjoy a nice crisp glass of water when we're feeling dehydrated — which makes sense, because our bodies need it most of all, so enjoying it is an evolved behavior. However, some people — notably wellness influencers — have determined that good old H2O is actually not a good thing at all (who knew?); and that what you really need is their own concoction that's actually an entirely different molecule: structured water. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Sep 16, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1006

Skeptoid #1005: Debugging Done Diligently

Another round of corrections of errors from past episodes, keeping your Skeptoid archive tidy and accurate. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sep 09, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1005

Skeptoid #1004: Dating the White Sands Footprints

Ancient footprints in New Mexico are forcing scientists to rewrite the story of when humans first set foot in the Americas, and the debate is shaking paleoanthropology to its core. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sep 02, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1004

Skeptoid #1002: A Feast of Feedback

Once again we go through some of your feedback to past episodes — all the good stuff that enhances and improves the presentation. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 19, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1002

Skeptoid #1001: The Phantom Clown Panic

Clowns have a habit of terrifying many of us. So why shouldn't we be surprised to see mass clown panics? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 12, 2025•13 min•Ep. 1001

Skeptoid #1000: Candle on the Water

Today marks the 1000th Skeptoid episode. And it's time to raise the question: What are you going to do for it? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 05, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1000

Skeptoid #999: Day of the Medieval Dead

Medieval tales of walking corpses reflect common misunderstandings of death and the era's blurred line between myth and reality. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 29, 2025•17 min•Ep. 999

Skeptoid #999: Day of the Medieval Dead

Medieval tales of walking corpses reflect common misunderstandings of death and the era's blurred line between myth and reality. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 29, 2025•17 min•Ep. 999

Skeptoid #997: Sounds of the Aurora

Using real science to investigate the question of whether some people can "hear" the aurora. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 15, 2025•16 min•Ep. 997

Skeptoid #996: Murder in Hex Hollow

The 1928 murder of a folk healer ignited a media frenzy and moral panic, revealing how superstition and magical thinking can fuel real-world tragedy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 08, 2025•16 min•Ep. 996

Preview — Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth on The Internet We Didn’t Get

We’re sharing a preview of a new audiobook, Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth, which celebrates the wit and wisdom of the legendary science fiction author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Douglas Adams was someone who thought deeply about the biggest problems in the world, from the internet, to artificial intelligence, to space exploration, politics, and conservation—he was a sharp critic and a profoundly disruptive thinker of the way we do ...

Jul 02, 2025•49 min

Skeptoid #993: How to Decide What to Eat

Do you really need to pay quite so much attention to which foods you eat, and which you avoid? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 17, 2025•17 min•Ep. 993

Skeptoid #992: The Case of the Missing Beaumont Children

Since psychic abilities do not exist outside the delusions of true believers, involving psychics in searches for missing persons is worse than useless. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 10, 2025•18 min•Ep. 992

Skeptoid #991: Real Sea Monsters

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

Jun 03, 2025•20 min•Ep. 991
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