Skeptoid

Some common logical fallacies frequently misused or misdefined — and how to use them properly.

Are all those stories you heard about razor blades hidden in Halloween candy true, or just more urban legends?

These tests that promise to easily detect cancer with a blood test are fraught with profound accuracy errors.

Las Vegas mob lore clings thick to human remains found as Lake Mead's water level recedes. But is it truly mob secrets that are being revealed or perhaps something a bit more nuanced? The NamUs.gov profile for the Hemenway Harbor Doe is here.

Did this mysterious carved beast — the most common object on the Pictish standing stones — ever actually live?

In honor of Skeptoid's 20th birthday, today we're playing episode #1 from October 2006. Enjoy!

Is the moral panic surrounding artificial intelligence justified?

Wellness influencers promise to sell you supplements to reduce your cortisol, and thus reduce your weight — even though it doesn't work that way.

Does a huge, hairy, ape-like creature roam the swamps of Louisiana?

Skeptoid Adventures "Mysteries of the Maya" guest expert Kurly Tlapoyawa was invited to speak at the inaugural SkeptiCamp New Mexico, and today we're sharing the lecture he gave, which covered the many ways that conspiracy theories and pseudoarchaeology undermine the goals of ethnic studies programs. Enjoy! And hear more from Kurly on the Tales From Aztlantis podcast: buzzsprout.com/1720405 chimalli.org Learn more about "The Mysteries of the Maya" Skeptoid Adventure at skeptoid.org/adventures

Four men in an Air National Guard helicopter had a terrifying UFO encounter in the skies above Ohio.

The true origin and purpose of Peru's famous Nazca Lines.

We dive into the Skeptoid mailbag to find your best listener feedback.

It turns out that having zero fraud in society is not necessarily a goal that would serve the general good. Why not?

Some say you might have repressed memories that you know nothing about — but that might be discovered and recovered therapeutically. Is this a real thing?

What's really behind CERN's Large Hadron Collider's third planned shutdown?

Once again, we issue your corrections to errors made in previous Skeptoid episodes.

Medieval tales of walking corpses reflect common misunderstandings of death and the era's blurred line between myth and reality.

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?

Is this new technique to move your consciousness into another world anything more than just vivid imagination? Maybe.

Seed oils seem to be the newest food villain. Are they something you truly need to avoid?

Popular tales claim that pirates used the island of Cozumel as a base of operations. History tells us pretty much the exact opposite.

As a thoughtful primer for our Skeptoid Adventure through the Maya World of the Yucatán coast this December, we're dropping an episode from our good friends at the Tales From Aztlantis podcast that's all about the so-called "Mayan Calender" that was the source of so much hype -- and some real harm -- leading up to December 2012. FUN FACT: Tales From Aztlantis co-host and Indigenous Chicano archaeologist and ethnohistorian Kurly Tlapoyawa will be our guide on "The Mysteries of the Maya" Skeptoid Adventure this December! skeptoid.com/adventures

Are alien spacecraft truly the best explanation for "transient" dots found on old telescope photographs?

The early bird special ends this Monday for BOTH Skeptoid Adventures launching this December!

What was the real cause of the drop in English-speaking literacy rates between 1980 and 2020?

Usually, wellness therapies that claim to treat everything actually treat nothing.

The real story behind the CIA spending $20 million on PROJECT STARGATE to study psychics.

Our final Skeptoid Adventure of 2026 takes us to the Yucatán coast to explore the Mysteries of the Maya. So, in anticipation of that, we're playing an episode from the archive that takes us to the heart of Mesoamerica: "Finding the Black Olmec" -- Enjoy! And this Adventure takes place December 6th-13th and links up seamlessly with the New Orleans Escapade for those who are interested! www.skeptoid.com/adventures

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?

In preparation for our Skeptoid Adventure to New Orleans, we’re playing an encore edition of an episode that takes us to the heart of the Big Easy and dives into Louisiana Voodoo. We’ll see how Louisiana Voodoo stacks up against the Hollywood version as we explore the mysterious case of what came to be known as "The Voodoo Ax Murders."

A round-up of plausible-sounding myths about the Moon, most of which you've probably heard, and some of which you might believe.

Some say artificial food dyes are killing us. The truth is a lot more nuanced.

The more years go by, the more Americans believe that ordinary airliners are secretly spraying chemicals for some hidden nefarious purpose.

This Internet legend claims the Earth's gravity will shut off for seven seconds in 2026.

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.

Skeptoid is now going into production on our third feature film: Alien Echoes. Get all the details at skeptoid.org/alienechoes

It turns out there's probably no such thing as an alpha wolf.

Popular influencers claim birth rates are declining disastrously. How true is that, and is it a disaster?

The discovery of a Martian sarcophagus in Colorado in 1864: An oddball story, or consistent with the lore of the day?

Supplying some much-needed skepticism to an episode of the BBC podcast Uncanny.

Even today, some people cling to a pre-scientific belief that germs do not cause disease.

Time is running out to grab one of the few remaining cabins for Málaga, Spain to Nice, France on the SV Royal Clipper AND announcing our next adventure to New Orleans followed by the Mysteries of the Maya cruise to the Yucatán Peninsula!

An exploration of the validity of the Silurian hypothesis, which posits the existence of a pre-human intelligent race on Earth.

As a gentle reminder that you will have an hour of sleep robbed from you tonight, enjoy this episode on Daylight Saving Time Myths from the archives!

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.

Is there somewhere on Earth where Sovereign Citizens can actually be free of any nation's laws?

Advertising wants your attention, not your soul; and it’s not nearly as good at getting either as you might think.

Radioactive nuclear generators sit out in the environment, posing a real hazard. They're mostly — but not all — in Russia.

Brian gets questioned while giving blood.