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The Skeptic Podcast

The Skeptic

The official podcast of The Skeptic, the UK's longest-running publication offering skeptical analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal.

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50 episodes
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Avg 41 min
English

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Yesterday · 44 min
Episode #089
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Prison rehabilitation programs are rarely evidence-based, and seldom effective by Emma McClure and Aaron Rabinowitz from April 2025 Evaluating the ethics of AI requires seeing through the never-ending hype by Aaron Rabinowitz from September 2025 John Harvey Kellogg: the 'Biologic Living' theories of the inventor of corn flakes by Edzard Ernst from October 2023 Rapid Prompting Method: A new form of communicating? Hardly by Janyce Boynton from March 2021 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
October 30 · 37 min
Episode #088
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Climate change deniers are using COVID-19 as a cover for questioning scientific integrity by Alfie Hoar from March 2022 Off the Edge: Why so many people came to (wrongly) believe the world is flat by Michael Marshall from March 2022 Mothers-only Lockdown: postpartum confinement practices in Asia by Phoebe Lim from February 2022 Placebo surgery: why performing fake operations doesn't actually help anyone by Mike Hall from January 2025 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
October 23 · 37 min
Episode #087
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Black Pope, Bad Omen? Apocalyptic fears, Nostradamus, and the Papal succession by Gabriel Andrade, from April 2025 The normalization of superstition and human sacrifice in Indian society by Akshit Mishra, from October 2025 Grain-free diets in dogs: a recipe for heartbreak? by Robyn Lowe, from April 2022 The underwhelming reality of the White House's own 'Disclosure Day' by Dave Hahn, from July 2026 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
October 16 · 36 min
Episode #086
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: "It's in our DNA": the clichés that only confuse the public about genetics and essentialism by Carlos Orsi from March 2024 The 'raw feeding' fad can cause real harm to your pets - and to you by Danny Chambers & Robyn Lowe from March 2022 The UK's plan to please India by promoting Ayurvedic medicine puts politics ahead of science by Edzard Ernst from July 2021 Papaya and milk – the traditional Asian solution to breast augmentation by Rachel Ooi from August 2024 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
October 9 · 24 min
Episode #085
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: MSG and the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome: the persistence of a nutritional myth by Elissar Gerges from August 2022 Dental surgeries need to reassess Covid safety measures as we recover from the pandemic by Shaun Sellars from October 2021 Renewable energy could flip the balance of power in the current war between AC and DC by Ian Harrison from May 2024 Hit them in the feels: Confirmation Bias and the emotional component of reason by Brian Davis from July 2023 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
October 2 · 35 min
Episode #084
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Joe Nickell, legendary skeptical investigator, dies at the age of 80 by Blake Smith from March 2025 Has my dog got autism? The online groups that claim vaccines cause autism... in dogs by Robyn Lowe from August 2022 Not all dentists follow evidence-based medicine - here are some red flags to watch out for by Shaun Sellars from May 2021 Five persistent myths about caring for houseplants, and why they're wrong by Alice Howarth from January 2024 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
September 25 · 35 min
Episode #083
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: The Beecher story, the origin of the placebo effect myth, likely didn't happen, by Mike Hall from February 2025 Health food stores - a danger to public health? by Edzard Ernst from February 2021 #TradWife: the misogynistic movement based on cosplaying an American ideal, by Claire Klingenberg from April 2024 The Satanic Panic and the McMartin pre-school trial, by Sean Slater from July 2024 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
September 18 · 44 min
Episode #082
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Irredeemably Flawed: The IPP prisoner scandal, and the death of Matthew Price, by Emma McClure from April 2024 Psychics and mediums: Mad, bad, or dangerous to know?, by Chris French from March 2021 King Charles appoints alt-med fan Dr Michael Dixon as Head of the Royal Medical Household, by Edzard Ernst from May 2023 Reptoids and lizard-like rulers: who truly owns a conspiracy theory? by Dave Hahn from August 2026 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
September 18 · length unknown
Episode #082
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/04/irredeemably-flawed-the-ipp-prisoner-scandal-and-the-death-of-matthew-price/">Irredeemably Flawed: The IPP prisoner scandal, and the death of Matthew Price</a>, by
September 11 · 40 min
Episode #081
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: The persistence of error: why longevity doesn't equate to veracity, by Carlos Orsi from June 2023 Greenwashing: The dark side of the sustainable fashion industry, by Elissar Gerges from November 2023 Down the rabbit hole: Why people think rabbit ears act as a dewormer for dogs, by Robyn Lowe from November 2023 A doomscrollers guide to climate hyperbole: countering the doomism of Deep Adaptation, by Ted Lefroy from January 2021 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
September 11 · length unknown
Episode #081
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2023/06/the-persistence-of-error-why-longevity-doesnt-equate-to-veracity/">The persistence of error: why longevity doesn't equate to veracity</a>, by Carlos Orsi from J
September 4 · 29 min
Episode #080
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: A brief history of The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit by Chris French, from March 2025 Norway banned the breeding of brachycephalic dogs - is it time for other countries to follow suit? By Robyn Lowe, from March 2022 Professor Christopher Essex: denialism meets philosophy of science by Alfie Hoar, from February 2022 Definitions matter - say what you mean, and mean the agreed-upon definitions by Brian Davis, from May 2023 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
September 4 · length unknown
Episode #080
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2025/03/a-brief-history-of-the-anomalistic-psychology-research-unit/">A brief history of The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit</a> by Chris French, from March 2025</
August 28 · 34 min
Episode #079
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Regulators take action against dentist offering applied kinesiology and cranial osteopathy by Shaun Sellars, from May 2022 From the archives: A look at paranormal trends in the Soviet Union by Tim Axon, from January 1992 When it comes to research, so-called alternative medicine is hostile to progress by Edzard Ernst, from August 2021 Romance in the stones? The power of crystals vs the power of suggestion by Chris French, from April 2021 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
August 28 · length unknown
Episode #079
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/05/regulators-take-action-against-dentist-offering-applied-kinesiology-and-cranial-osteopathy/">Regulators take action against dentist offering applied kinesiology and
August 21 · 40 min
Episode #078
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: Critical thinking is trending, so why doesn't it seem like it's helping? by Brian Davis, from March 2023 Is the US government worried about UFOs? Or is that just what THEY want you to think? By Blake Smith, from November 2021 Exploding Head Syndrome is no joke – and neither is sleep paralysis by Chris French, from October 2021 As pet owners increasingly turn to CBD products, do claims match the evidence? by Robyn Lowe, from July 2022 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
August 21 · length unknown
Episode #078
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2023/03/critical-thinking-is-trending-so-why-doesnt-it-seem-like-its-helping/">Critical thinking is trending, so why doesn't it seem like it's helping?</a> by Brian
August 14 · 39 min
Episode #077
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: A Rotten Apple Spoils the Barrel: Debunking the Fad of Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar to Lose Weight by Claire George, from January 2022 Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar shows the shameless reality of Belle Gibson's fraud by Abi Kennedy, from March 2025 We can understand the effect of privilege better when we consider it in terms of moral luck by Aaron Rabinowitz, from September 2021 Back-masking: You can't always hear what you want by Sean Slater, from April 2025 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic
August 14 · length unknown
Episode #077
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine’s expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/01/a-rotten-apple-spoils-the-barrel-the-fad-of-drinking-apple-cider-vinegar-to-lose-weight/">A Rotten Apple Spoils the Barrel: Debunking the Fad of Drinking Apple Cide
August 7 · 50 min
Episode #076
From the pages of The Skeptic magazine, this is The Skeptic podcast, bringing you the best of the magazine's expert analysis of pseudoscience, conspiracy theory and claims of the paranormal since its relaunch as online news source in September 2020. On this episode: BTS = Bow to Satan? How Satanic, Illuminati conspiracies travelled from West to East by Marnell Esmilla, from June 2021 The radicalisation of "Joan": a true-life account of one colleagues slide into conspiracism by Anonymous, from November 2023 When predictions fail: UFO cults, QAnon and cognitive dissonance by Chris French, from February 2021 Could AI generated summaries of scientific consensus help tackle disinformation? by Alfie Hoar, from March 2023 Find more from The Skeptic at skeptic.org.uk, or to support the show, take out a small voluntary donation at patreon.com/theskeptic

Showing 1–20 of 50 episodes